our care be not to offend the Lord and if with the offence of a private person though never so base be joyned the offence of the Lord better offend all the both lawfull and vnlawfull Magistrates in the world then such a little one Mat. 18. 6. Lastly where Mr. Ber. concludes this decade of counsayl with that which is written Rom. 14. 17. 18. he misinterprets the Apostles words if he put them down as it seems he doth for a reason of that which goes before For the Apostles in that place hath no reference at all to the authority of the Magistrate whose kingdome indeed doth stand in meate and drinke and the like bodily things wherin he may command civilly is to be obeyed in the Lord but the Apostles purpose is to admonish the strong in fayth to take heed of abusing theyr ChristiaÌ„ liberty in the vnseasoÌ„able vse of meats drinks the like to the offence of the weak brethren as though the kingdom of God stood in the pereÌ„ptory vse of those things that they were therein to shew the libertie of the gospel Furthermore howsoever the kingdome of God be not meat drink yet is the kingdom of God much advanced or hindred both in a mans self and in others in the seasonable or vnseasonable vse of them A man in vsing them or rather abusing them with offence to a weak brother may destroy both him and himself also in breaking the law of charity Rom. 14. 15. 20. It remaynes now we come to the second rank of counsayls as they are devided by the authour for what cause I know not neyther wil I curiously enquire but wil take them as I find them 1. Omit no evident and certayn commandement imposed of God If there be nothing but probabilitie of sinning in obeying the precepts of men sâ—t not opinion before iudgement Wofull counsel God knoweth and in deed such as directs a course to harden the heart of him that followes it in all impiety For he that wil at the first do that by mans precept which is like or which he thinks to be sinne wil in time do that vpon the like regard which he knowes to be sinne and so fall into all presumption against God Men are rather to be admonished especially in the case of religion about which wee deale that if the Lord shall touch their tender harts with fear and iealousy of the things they do they rather suspend in doubtful things except they can in some measure overcome their doubting by faith till in the use of all good meanes the God of wisdome and father of lights give to discern more plainly of things that differ least being head-strong hard-mouthed against the check of conscience which the Lord like a bit puts into their mouthes they provoke the Highest to withdraw his hand to lay the reyn on their necks so they even run head long vpoÌ„ those evils without fear upoÌ„ which at the first they have adventured with feareful troubled coÌ„sciences which is oft times the iust recompence of such errours froÌ„ the Lord. Rom. 1. 27. 28. 2. Let ancient probabilitie of truth be praeferred before new conjectures of errour against it As this rule shewes by what tenure Mr B. holds his religion namely by probabilities likelihoods of truth so if he mean that this way wherein we by Gods mercy walk is any new way or our rules conjectures I do hope by the good hand of God herein assisting me to make it manifest that this way is that old and good way after which all men ought to ask and to walk therein that so they may find rest vnto their souls And that we are not guided in it by conjectures neyther goe by guesses but by the infallible rule of Christs Testament 3. Mark and hold a difference betweene these things the equity of law and exequution between established truths generally and personall errors of some between soundnes of doctrine and erronious application between substance circuÌ„stance the maner the matter between the very being of a thing and the wel being thereof between worship and conveniency between a commaundement and a commaundement to thee between lawfulnes and expediency and between that which is given absolutely or in some respect The sixt and 7. rule in the former rank being the same in substance might well have been bound vp in the same bundle with this had not the authour labored to supply that in the number of his counsayls which is wanting in their weight But to the point There is a difference indeed to be held betwixt the lawes of the Church of England with the ordinances and doctrines by law established and the personall exequutions excercises applicatioÌ„s of theÌ„ the difference is betwixt evil worse the worse of the twayne by far I deem the lawes ordinances with sundry of the doctrines For though the whole cariage of the courts miscalled-spirituall be most corrupt abhominable and though the pulpits be made by very many especially in the greatest places the stages of vanity falsehood and slaunder so that as the Prophet sayd what is the wickednes of Iacob Is not Samaria And what ar the high places of Iuda Is not IerusaleÌ„ so may we say what is the sink of all brybery and extortion Is not the Consistory What is the theater of carnall vanity Is not the pulpit Yet in truth the the lawes are worse then those which exequute them and the ordinances by them established then those which minister them Let but the last Canons which are as well the lawes and doctrine of the Church of England as the Canons of the counsel of Trent are the lawes and doctrine of the Church of Rome be severely and sincerely exequuted as becomes the lawes of the kingdom of Christ the Church all in the land having any feare of God would fynd and complayne that their bondage were increased as was the bondage of the Israelites vnder the Egyptians Exo. 5. But what though there were neyther Statute nor Canon law enacted for the confusion in the assemblyes collected and consisting of all the parish inhabitants be they Atheists adulterers blasphemers and how evill not what though no law ecclesiasticall or civil did coÌ„firm the transcendent power of the Bishops Archbishops for the placing and displacing of Ministers for the thrusting out and receiving in both of Ministers and people and so fâ—r innumerable other corruptions Yet these things being vniversally practised in the land the Church were nothing at all the more pure onely it had the more liberty of reformation which now by the lawes and cannons as by iron barres is shut out What Statute or Canon was there that the Corinthians should suffer amongst them the incestuous person vnreformed And yet for so doing this litle leven levens the whole lump What Parliament or Convocation-house amongst the Galathians had decreed the mingling of
our selves our witnes is not true but if the word of God beare witnes with vs and against you it must stand And for the advauntage which you suppose you have gayned at vs where we acknowledge our differences to be onely your corruptions it will nothing at all enrich you or better your Church For there are corruptions essentiall and in the very causes constitutive matter forme aswell as els where there are corruptions which eat out the very heart of a thing as well as such as hinder the working onely or steyn the work And we may truely say of all the abhominable doctrines and devises in Rome that they are but so many corruptions of those pure truthes holy ordinances which that Church at the first received from Christ the Lord. And for your similitude of a man whom you say corruptions make not a false man but a corrupt man you are deceived in it whether you consider a man naturally or morally Naturally what is death but the corruption of the man as generatio corruptio are opposed And what is rottennes but the corruption of the body Now these do more then make a corrupt man or corrupt body they do destroy the very being But consider a man morally as in the case of religion he must be considered then morall corruptions vices do eyther make a false man or els a traytor a theif a cousener is a true man which patronage I hope Mr B. will not vndertake The second rank of reasons which Mr B. brings against us are certayne greivous sinns wherewith he sayth all in our way are polluted for which according to our own principle no man may ioyn himselfe vnto vs. The sins he nameth are a renunciation of Gods mercy and of all good things and men with them vnthankfulnes to God and the Church spirituall vncharitablenes audacious censuring a desire to hinder yea to extinguish all the spirituall good they publiquely enioy and a wish of destruction vnto the people and the like Greivous accusations certaynly but if to accuse be to convince who shal be innocent not the Lord Iesus himselfe nor his holy Apostles whose examples in vndergoing the like reproches and in patient bearing of the same at the hands of wicked men if we had not before our eyes eyther our harts would break in vs for sorrow or we should be provoked to render reproach for reproach so sin against God Our first supposed sin is that wofull entrance before named for which I refer the reader to that which hath been before answered But they in England sayth Mr B. enter by baptisme renouncing the Divill and sin So do the Papists as loud as they and with as many godfathers and godmothers crossing and blessing themselves against the Divill and all his works as much as they do And for the renunciation of Gods mercy and all good men and good things in them in the Church of England because we refuse communion there it is a foule charge layd vpon vs but to which we are no more lyable then were the Levites when they forsook Ieroboams Church and repayred to Ierusalem the place which the Lord had chosen For in Israell which they forsook were to be found both good persons and things 1 King 14. 13. and 19. 18. Now where in the last place Mr B. chargeth vs not to make vnclean what God hath cleansed Act. 10. 1â— we on the contrary advise him not to account that clean which sinn and Antichrist doth defyle Let him or any other man on earth shew vnto vs by the word of God that a Church gathered and consisting of persons for the most part defyled with all manner of impiety is clensed by God or that the dayly sacrifice the service book is as a lamb without spot or that the spirituall courts so miscalled are sanctified of God for the government of his kingdome on earth or that the Court keepers the Archflamins and Flamins the Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops with theyr Chauncelers Commissaryes Archdeacons and other officers are his holy ones vpon whome he hath put his Vrim and Thummim and then let vs beare our rebuke if we do not returne to the Church of England and humble ourselves vnder her hand as Hagar did her selfe vnder the hand of her mistresse Gen. 16. 9. The second sinn wherewith Mr B. chargeth vs is our great vnthankfulnes 1. to God that begat vs by his word eyther by denying our conversion â—r els accounting it a false conversion 2. towards the Church of England our mother whom we desire to make a whore before Christ her husband condemn â—â—r c. And this accusation he shutteth vp with most bitter execrations against vs as vnworthy to breath in the ayre For the thankfulnes of our harts vnto the Lord our God for his vnspeakeable mercies we leave it vnto him that knowes the hart and for the manifestation of it vnto men we referr them to our entyre though weak obedience to the whol revealed wil of God and ordinances of Christ Iesus which we take to be the most acceptable sacrifice of thankfulnes which by man can be offered to the Lord. And for our personall conversion in the Church of England we deny it not but do and alwayes have so done iudge and professe it true there and so was Luthers conversion true in the Church of Rome els could not his separation from Rome have been of faith or accepted of God The same may be sayd of all the persons and Churches in the world which have forsaken Rome Our third imagined sinn is spirituall vncharitablenes appearing in our deep censures vpon all at least not inclinable vnto vs condemning such as know not our way as blinded by the God of this world the Divell such as seâ— it yeeld not vnto it as worldlings fearefull convinced in conscience going on in presumptuous sin such as forsake it having formerly enclyned vnto it Apostates and if they oppose it godles persequuters hunters after soules such as shall certainly grow worse worse so as men shall say God is revenged on them c. If any one man have thus peremptorily defined eyther in word or writing as Mr B. witnesseth it was that one mans fault and is not to be imputed to the rest of vs more then Mr B. most malicious hateful accusatioÌ„s in this book to all the Ministers people in the Church of Engl. wherof I doubt not but thowsaÌ„ds are ashamed and to which they would be more vnwilling to subscribe then he to the Bishops canons I for mine own part onely exhort all men in all places as they look to be approved at that day when the secrets of all hearts shal be disclosed that they deale faithfully in the Lords busines take heed they neyther forbeare through partiall praejudice or fleshly feare to inquire after the truth nor with hould it in vnrighteousnes if they have found it
be begun without officers Yea even where officers are if they fayl in theyr duetyes the people may enterprise matters needfull howsoever you will have the minister the onely primum movens and will ty all to his fingers And to let passe the godly Kings of Iudah which were no Church officers about whom the question is which sundry tymes set the Preists a work other with them in Church matters as 2. Chro. 17. 7. 8. 9. and 29. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. c. and other instances in the old Testament which in the handling of the particulars will fall into consideration Peter himselfe was called by such as were no Apostles or other officers to render a reason of his going into men vncircumcised which he also did to Gods glory and the Churches satisfaction v. 18. Now how soever they which so contended with him erred in the matter and it is like dealt too contumeliously with him in the manner yet had it been simply vnlawfull for them to have propounded and begun a matter of that kynde Peter would have reproved and broken off theyr disorderly course and not have pertaken with them in their sinne by vndertaking the answer of the matter which in the generall he doth approve by his orderly and satisfactory answer Furthermore where the Lord Iesus Math. 18. 19. directs a brother in case order to tell the Church of his brothers offence what can be more playne then that he enioynes a private brother to begin a Church matter Yea though there be Elders in the Church yea though the Elders alone yea the chief of them onely as Mr Bernard would have it be the Church yet must the matter be brought to and begun in the Church by him that is offended and his witnesses To presse this yet a little further if any puliquely scandalous or notorious sin be committed in the Church by a brother and the Elders neglect all means of redressing it yeâ— put the case the Elders themselves be in the transgression and by name that they preach haeresy or both preach and practise notorious Idolatry and that the body of the Church also be corrupted by them and joyn hands with them in their mischief what now must a private brother doe in this case whose heart the Lord establisheth in the truth and whom he plucks as a brand out of the fyre must he goe on and ioyn with that Idolatrous assembly in theyr wickednes God forbid And leave them he may not till he have dealt with them about this Church matter and convinced them of this Church sinn for if Christ would not have a brother cast of his brother til he have dealt with him nor the whole Church to cast of a private member till he refuse to hear it Math. 18. much lesse will he have one brother to forsake all the brethren and officers also or a private member to disclaym the whole Church till he have by the best meanes he can affoard in himself or procure otherwise and after the best manner convinced admonished and exhorted both the Officers and people and so found them obstinate and irreclamable To proceed The Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Rome to observe such as caused divisions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine they had learned and to avoid them and to the Church at Corinth to deliver to Sathan or excommunicate the incestuous person agayn that vpon his repentance they would forgive him and confirme their love towards him and agayn to the same Church that they would have ready their collection for the saints at Hierusalem and gather it on the Lords day desiring further that they might abound in that grace as in faith love and the like to the Colossians that they should say to Archippus look to thy ministery which thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfill it so writes Iohn to the Church at Pergamus that they should not suffer the Balaâ—mites and Nicholaitans to teach and to deceive as they did and to the Church of Thyatira likewise not to suffer the woman Iezabell calling her self a Prophetesse to deceive Gods servants Now it seems by Mr BERNARDS doctrine that if the officers withdraw in these things and will not endeavour the reformation of them or if they dy or fall away that the silly multitude must beare all evill and forbeare all good they must not mark and avoyd haereitcall and schismaticall whether teachers or others they must not put out the old leven that they may become a new lump nor confirme theyr love to any penitent person or forgive him though his repentance be never so ful or publique nor make any collection in the Church for theyr brethren the saynts nor have any part in that grace nor put their Minister in mynd of his office that he fulfill it nor medle with false Prophets for theyr conviction or restraynâ— but may suffer them to deceive without gaynsaying these are all Church matters Apostles onely and Apostolick men must medle in them both to begin and end them And thus the Ch without the officers help though it caÌ„not possibly be had as a deaf a duÌ„b a blynd a lame yea a liveles senseles body it must both have the eyes put out and the eares stopt and neyther see nor hear it must be tongue-tyed from speaking fast bound hand and foot from doing any thing for the generall and joynt good yea it must not be saved without the officers for other ordinary way of salvation know I none by the revealed will of God in his word but in the vse of the ordinances which Christ hath given vnto his Church ¶ It is the stewards duety to make provision for the family but what if he neglects this duety in the maysters absence must the whole family starve yea and the wife also or is not some other of the family best able to be imployed for the present necessity It is the Pilottes office to guide the ship but what if he ignorantly or negligently or desperately will run the same vpon the rocks or sands must the rest of the mariners forbeare to intermedle and so perish It is the Captaines office to lead the army but what if he or they perfidiously will betray the same into the hands of the enemy may not the body of the army make the best head they can to defend themselves and to offend their enemies vsing the best meanes they have for their present direction Yea even in the most peaceable best governed coÌ„mon-wealthes a private man may in a case of necessity become a Magistrate for a mayne work and that which ordinarily is the Magistrates peculiar The Lord hath given the sword into his hand for the good of him that doth well to take vengeance on him that doth evill and to him it apper teynes to defend the innocent But if this innocent person be assaulted by a theif murtherer or other enemy
and so espeiaâ—lly the Church of Rome because he sits surest there And it is very like this is one reason why Mr B. is so much perswaded of the Church of England as of a true Church because he thinks Antichrist sitts there in a measure and it is not impossible but this may have been some part of the cause why in former tymes he was so loath to leav that Church and to ioyn to vs when he thought we had the truth because he perceived we wanted that prerogative of Antichrists seat which England enioyes But though this shew the absurdity of the opinion yet doth it not answer the obiections I do then answer the same in effect which Mr B. makes his fourth ArgumeÌ„t namely that Popery or Antichristianism begun not out of Christianity but in the Church of God where it did also by steppes advance it selfe into the very throne of God of Christ there did in tyme and by degrees so vniversally corrupt and confound both persons and things as that God could no longer be sayd to dwel there by his visible presence and promises but Antichrist in his stead having destroyed the temple of the Lord the Church and caryed captive his people with the holy vessels into Babylon spirituall as did the civil BabyloniaÌ„s the material temple carying captive with them into Babylon civil the holy vessels and other appurtenances thereof together with a remnant of the Lords people of which more hereafter Onely I doe in the mean whyle except against two particulars in this second Argument The former is that Antichrist sitting in the temple of God viz so remayning is that head with his body 2 Th. 2. Antichrist was not in the Apostles tyme nor in a long tyme after a perfit man consisting of the head the Pope and the body the Hierarchy ecclesiastical but was in the seed onely or as an embrie in the wombe not perfectly framed much lesse visibly brought forth least of all grown to that height as to iustle with Christ for his throne yea to dispossesse him of it as now he doth and hath done a long season Secondly it is not truely affirmed that because there are some fundamental truthes of God in doctrine and truthes in ordinances of Christ as you Mr B. speak held there that therefore Rome is the true Church How should Antichrist and the Divil in him so effectually deceive with the delusion of vanity and errour if he did not countenance the same with some truthes And do you not think it possible Mr B. that any malignant and falâ—e Churches should vsurp some truthes and ordinances of Christ which apperteyn not vnto them If your argument be good the Greek Churches the Arians Anabaptists Vbiquitaries yea and all the assemblyes of haeretiques and schismatiques in the world are true Churches of Christ for they all reteyn many mayn truthes and ordinances of Christ. The third Argument is that as the children or infants of the ten tribes in IeroboaÌ„s Apostacy were called the children of God by circumcisioÌ„ the visible seale of Gods covenant so may the litle ones in the Romish Church be called Christs for that they have received true baptism And so that Rome hath a true constitution by true baptism in the children who are Christs thereby as the children of the Israelites were the Lords by circumcision til by education they be made Antichristian and by that offered vp to Antichrist as the Israelitish children became Molechs by their fathers offering them to him You do here Mr B. in the first place alter the state of the question in both the termes The question is whether the Church of Rome be the true vsible Church of Christ or no. You for the Romish Church put the lâ—tle ones in the Romish Church and in stead of their being the visible Church you tel vs they may be called Christs Whereas 1. those litle ones or infants are not the Church but the least part of it and secondly they are not necessarily eyther the true visible Church or of it because they are Christs â—â— so they were in a respect for God hath his in Babylon whicâ— are visible Citizens of that visible City of fornication though the Lords in respect of election and the beginnings of personal sanctification whom he therefore calls out of the coÌ„m 〈…〉 of it the aboâ—â—â—ations therein vnder a severe penalty Secondly whâ—â— you say 〈…〉 the children in the Romish Church have a tâ—ue 〈…〉 by 〈…〉 are Christs till by education they be made An t 〈…〉 â—â—d by it 〈◊〉 vp to Antichrist you seem to make the Church of Rome to be or to comprehend in it two distinct yea two 〈◊〉 visible Churches a Christian Church of infants before they be capable of education and an Antichristian Church of those that are of ripâ— yeares And yet further where you say that iâ— for so your words are hath a tâ—â—e constituâ—s â—â— by true baptism in their children there it seems you will have the parents to have one constitutioÌ„ that is to be one Church with their children and that true by their true baptism and to the parents which by their education are Antichristian must by the baptism of their children be made christian and yet the children by their parents when they are capable of their education be made antichristian offred vp to Antichrist The scriptures every where teach that parents by their fayth bring their children into the covenant of the Church and entitle them to the promises but that children by their circumcision or baptism should constitute their parents in the Church read â— not but in this mâ—ns scripture Yoâ— most manifest it is every where that wicked parents by their 〈…〉 lity or other sinns depriving themselves of the Lords presence and covenant have enwrapped their children â—â—th 〈…〉 and visibly secret things ever reserved vnto God So C 〈…〉 the presence of the Lord caried his posterity with him so â—iâ— Ismaell and Iâ—saâ— theirs the Ismaelites and Edoâ—â—es And â—â—th Lord disâ—laym the mother for a harlot not reputing her his wife he accounts the children no better then bastards on whom he wil have no pity And if the children of the Iewes be not broken of with their parents for their vnbelief they are successively within the covenant and of the true Church every one of them to this day Neyther doth this at all crosse that which els where you obiect out of the Prophet that the soul that sinneth shall dy that the sonne shal not bear the iniquity of the father c. For first the Prophet there speaks of such a sonne as forsakes his fathers evil practiseth the contrary Otherwise the Lord threatneth that he wil visit the sinns of the fathers vpon the children yet not so as the children are without fault for infants new-born by Adams transgression and their natural and original corruption are children of wrath and lyable
other impietyes and this both the practise of your Church and your doctrine pleading for succession and ordination from Rome Romish Bishops do necessarily confirm All the massepreists ordeyned in Queen Maries dayes for that end were vpon their conformity to the orders then continued Ministers in their severall congregations in Queen Elizabeths dayes by vertue of their former ordination And so are such masse-preists at this day though ordeyned at Rome received and continued amongst you vpon the aforenamed conditions Now it is your own constant affirmation every where that ordination makes the minister Wherevpon it followes that no new ordination no new minister but the old massepreist reformed of such impieties wherein Rome exceeds England 2. it is your doctrine in your first book that the ministery makes the Church gives denomination vnto it in your 2. book that the Church of Rome is a true Church wherevpon it followeth necessarily that the ministery in the Church of Rome is a true Ministery except a false ministery can make a false Church And if any order of ministery be it is that of the parish preists for they are the likest the Pastours in their severall charges Whence I do also conclude that since the Romish preists office is a true office though vnder corruptions as it was true Iob overshadowed with byles eyther the English preists must haue the same office with thē though with the byles cured or els they are not the true ministers of Christ. And for the name preist at which you say we catch you do idly draw it from the Greeks since it is most evident that with the office the name was tanslated vnto you from the Latine and Romish Church their sacerdos being your Priest in your books of ordination and common prayer which you haue from them otherwise why do you not turn the Greek words praesbyter proistamenos preists in your English Bibles which are translated from the originalls The sum of the 2. Arg. is that the Ministers of the Church of Engl are Pastours and Teachers that is good sheepheards such as do keep feed and govern the flock and as are qualified with gifts and vnderstanding and instruct them that are vnlearned If in stead of Pastours and Teachers you had put Parsons Vicars your writtes of presentation and institution would haue proved it But that you are Pastours and Teachers such as Paul speaks of Ephe. 4. by holy writ you can never manifest 2. though the things were true you speak both for your power and practise yet except you administred those things by a lawfull calling in a lawfull office and to a lawfull assembly you were not true Pastors and Teachers But it is not true you say of your selves that you play the good sheepheards in feeding that is in providing pasture for the sheep and in governing ordering them to fro at it Your Prelates govern or rather reign but teach not your parish Preists some of them that can list teach so much as they dare for feare of their imperious Lords but govern not Your 3. Arg for your Ministers is that they are called sent of God of his Ch therefore are true ministers Their calling sending of God you make his preparing of them with gifts graces to be able to exequute in some measure the office wherevnto he doth appoint them But herein you are greatly mistaken the Lords inabling men with gifts is one thing and his calling them to vse them in such and such an order is another thing and though the Lord calls none but he inables them yet he inables many he never calls Many counsellers judges lawyers and others in the land are very able to discharge the office of ministery but are not called therevnto of God if they be it is their sin not to obey the heavenly calling and to become ministers And as a man may be qualified with gifts for the ministery and yet not called of God to vse them so being qualified accordingly he may be a true Minister of the Church though he be never called of God at all as we now speak So was Iudas who was never inwardly called of God that is perswaded by the work of Gods spirit in his heart in the zeal of Gods glory and love of the salvation of men to take vpon him the office of an Apostle And what true calling of God the Ministers in the Church of England haue to take vpon them their offices charges as they do appeares in their easy forsaking them vpon a litle persecution yea before it come near them Of which more hereafter Now for the calling of the Ministers by the Church albeit we put of the more full handling of it to the 4. Arg. yet something must be sayd for the present And first though it were true you say that the Church of England were the true Church of Christ yet were not your Ministers called and sent by the Church except a Lordly Prelate be the Ch of England for by such a one is every Minister amongst you called and made 2. I deny here as alwayes your nationall Ch to be the true visible Church of Christ and that which in this case you say is largely proved I hope is sufficiently refuted But here a demand you make in your answer to Mr Sm must be satisfied namely why true ministers may not arise as well out of a false Church as a false ministery out of a true Ch The latter I agree vnto for the Church may erre and through errour or otherwise chuse a man uncapable of the Ministery by the word of God Whereupon it followes that the Minister makes not the Church as you erroneously affirm for then the Church should in the very instant become a false Church when she sets vp a false Minister But your inference I deny For first evil may arise from good though by accident without any externall cause comming between as sin did from the angels in heaven and our first parents in paradise but so cannot good from evil 2. the officers are 1. of 2 by 3. in and 4 for the Church 1. of it as members of the body and so must be members of a true Church before they can be true officers 2. by it in respect of their calling as Gal. 1. 1. and therefore except they can eyther be true officers by a false calling or that a false Church can give a true calling they cannot be true in it 3. in it as the accidēts or adjuncts in the subject without which being true they can have no more true existence then reason can have without a reasonable soul or subject 4. for it and therefore since the Lord hath appointed no ministery for a false Church there can by the word of God be no true ministery in it and this I wish them to consider which still adhere to the Church of England though they wholy dislike
manner of arguing If this lyne hold from Peter to the Pope and from the Pope to his clergy and so successively to the Ministery of England then it stands vpright if it break then doth the ministery of England which as Mr Bernard truely honestly confesseth is thus raysed fall flat to the ground as indeed it doth according to the foretelling of the Angel it is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great City But here it wil be demaunded of me how the Lords people comming out of Babylon separating from Rome are to obteyn and enjoy Ministers Surely one of these three wayes Eyther by the extaordinary immediate or miraculous designation of God or by succession or by the same peoples choise or appointment to which they are to minister To expect ministers by the first meanes were fancy and presumption so that by one of the two other wayes they must come necessarily The power of the holy things of God so specially of erecting the minstery is eyther tyed to the order of office so to the order of to the Popeship Praelacy under it or els to the faith of the people of God forsaking BabyloÌ„ joyning together in the covenant of AbrahaÌ„ fellowship of the gospel The former of these though Mr B be driveÌ„ to plead it in the proof of succession yet in the defence of it he is forced to disclaym disavow yeelding the Romish Ministery to be Idolatry and superstition and that he speaks of such a succession as requires with it a true office true doctrine true sacraments and prayer pag. 188. and agayn that he meanes by succession a continuance of Gods ordinance by persons elected thereto from tyme to tyme being of spirituall kindred by the fayth of doctrine by which the ordinance is vpheld and true succession mainteyned pag 190. With which graunt of his I might rest as indeed wherein he yeeldeth the whole cause and cutts off as it were with his own hands the cord of true succession in the Ch of Rome making it to fayl when the truth of doctrine and of election fayled in the same Ch But bycause it is so common a thing with him to say and vnsay and to say agayn the same things eyther forgetting himself or thinking others forgets or bycause he would say something to every thing though never so contrary both to the truth and himself in another place I will presse Mr Smythes other Arguments The third of which is that by the doctrine of succession men are bound absolutely to sin in joyning to the sinns of the Minister This is sayth Mr B to take vnproved a principle of Brownism to overthrow a truth namely that a man cannot receive the holy things of God but he must needs sin with others And is it so indeed Doe not the scriptures every where teach men to avoyd reiect and hold accursed false teachers haeretiques and idolaters and not to partake in the sinne of others eyther by practising them or giving consent or countenance vnto them Wherevpon it followeth that the doctrine which binds the Ministery and other holy things of God vnto succession and thereby to partake with haeretiques and false teachers or at least with such in their ministration as have received the power and authority by which they minister froÌ„ the Pope and his Praelacy bynds men to sinne in joyning with the sinns of the Ministers Of the Iewish Church Preisthood which Mr Berâ—here objects I haue spoken formerly and do now adde that as no man is now so tyed to any Church or Ministery in the world as was every faythfull person in the world then to that one temple and Preisthood at Ierusalem so neyther could any man then without sinn communicate with an â—aereticall or idolatrous Preist especially ministring in a false office and by the like calling and coÌ„mission which the Ministers both in Rome and England doe In the 4. Argument Mr Ber deales dishonestly Mr Smiths inference vpon the doctrine of succession is that then the Lord hath made the Ministers Lords over the Church so that the Church cannot have or enjoy any of the Lords ordinances or holy things except they will consent vnto them for the holy things are in their power Now Mr Ber. onely trifles about the word Lord and passeth by the substance of the inference which is most sound vpon the doctrine For if the Lords ordinances and holy things be tyed to the Ministers then without their consent there can be no vse of them And so where Ministers eyther are not or not willing to coÌ„municate them there can be no Church no electioÌ„ of Ministers no keyes of the kingdom and so no salvation as I have formerly manifested vpon Math. 16. 19. The sum of Mr Smithes 5. Argument is that then the Pope may excommunicate the whole Church vniversall the Bishops their whole Dioceses and Provinces and the Praesbytery the particular Church whereof it is Your answer Mr Bernard is that this were to do the Pope a great favour to prove him to have an vniversall power c. and 2. that by this sequell of Mr Smythes this absurdity would follow that the Bishop might cast out the Church out of the Church It is you that do the Pope this great favour though you would not own it For if the Ministery make the Church and that Rome be a true Church then must the ministery of Rome be true specially of the Pope from which the other is derived as from the head Agayn if the ordinatioÌ„ by the Bishops in the impure Church of Rome be the Lords order as you expresly affirm p. 145. of your former book then must the Popes vniversall power by which the Bishops doe vniversally ordeyn be the power of the Lord which from him he hath received for that purpose They which hold that the power of the keyes was given first immediately to the Apostle Peter so to the Popes of Rome his successours they hold that the Pope may excommunicate the whole Church so they which hold the Bishop or his substitute to be meant where Christ sayth tell the Church they must necessarily hold that the Bishop or his substitute may excommunicate his whole Province or Dioces and so of them which hold the Praesbytery to be the Ch there spoken of for the particular assembly over which it is The Church there meant may excoÌ„municate any brother or brethren whom or how many soever that refuse to hear her as the Church of Corinth to whoÌ„ Paul writ might judge all them which were within and not without vnder the Lords iudgement The substance of the seventh last objection is for the 6. hath no weight in it that the doctrine of succession overthrowes it self and the Reason is bycause one POPE doth not make another by ordination whyles he lives but the Cardinals do by Election make the new Pope after the death of the former So that the Pope receiving his
of the Ministers must have a very favourable interpretatioÌ„ viâ— that the Church hath power to iudge of a man infallibly that he is in the estate of salvation so is their other affirmation that the discerning of the spirits and doctrine of such teachers as arise in the Church is such a gift as the true Ch never wanted as popish an errour as ever was broched in Rome For how then can the Church erre or how can it be deceived by false teachers or how could Rome come to that estate of apostasie wherein she now standeth Or may not a Papist plead thus with these men Rome was a true Church of God Now the true Church never wants the gift of discerning spirits doctrines therefore Rome neyther hath wanted nor doth nor ever shall want this gift and so by consequence cannot be faln from the truth as is praetended against her To conclude it is not truely sayd of these men that this judging of one Church by another is a matter of salvation The Ch of Ierusalem was ignorant of the calling of the Churches of the Gentiles as the scriptures testify And I would know what the Church of England judgeth of the Lutheran Churches as they are called It accounteth of them as of true Churches So do not they of their Churches whom they call Calvinists but on the coÌ„trary repute them as haereticall Wherevpon it followeth that eyther a true Church may erre in judging of an other Church or els that eyther the Church of England or the Lutheran Churches or both are not true Churches Howsoever therefore we do not make light account of the testimony and iudgement of other Churches as these Ministers accuse vs yet dare wee not make idols of them as they seem to do who wanting both the word of God and practise of other Churches for their warrant seek commendation by the testimony which some haue given of theÌ„ in respect of certeyn generall heads of doctrine in which wee our selves also do for the most part concur with them Thus much of the Ministers Arguments Now follow their answers to two mayn obiections made by vs against the whole body of their Church and their Parish assemblies The first is that it was not gathered by such means as God in his word hath ordeyned and sanctifyed for the gathering of his Church The 2. that they communicate together in a false and idolatrous outward worship of God which is polluted with the writings of men vidz with read stinted prayers homilyes catechismes and such like These objections have been els where prosequuted and the exceptions taken by the Ministers agaynst them particularly answered by Mr Ainsworth and therein their both corrupt weak dealing manifested I will briefly adde a few things Against the former objection they take five exceptions First that they might lawfully be accounted a true Church though it could not appear that they were at the first rightly gathered as the disciples might be assured of Christs bodily prasence amongst them when they saw felt him Ioh. 20â— 19. 28. though they could not have discerned which way or how he could possibly haue come in Belike then wee must beleeve that the Church of Engl was gathered miraculously as Christ came by miracle into the place where his disciples were assembled But the answer is that these men take the mayn quaestion for graunted which is that their nationall Church is for the present a true orderly gathered Church of Christ and that so sensibly as it may be seen and felt Secondly that they might be rightly gathered to the fellowship of the visible Church by other meanes then by the preaching of the gospell that is as they expound it by publique and ministeriall preaching for which they alledge our opinion though vnsound yet having force enough to stop our mouthes And do these men deal soundly who to prove a point in controversie bring the opinion of their adversaries which they condemn as vnsound The opinion is most sound that men out of office for so wee speak may convert men to God and that ordinarily otherwise they may not prophesie ordinarily nay to what end should they ordinarily instruct reprove and exhort privately such as are out of the way And where further they make it one thing for men to be soundly converted and an other thing for them to be lawfully made a visible Church they vse craft to cover errour They vse craft in speaking of sound conversion to conceal that prophane and hateful errour that a visible Church may be lawfully gathered of vnconverted persons For as our quaestion is about the externall or visible Church so do wee require for it onely externall and visible conversion or that which is seen and discerned of men leaving vnto God the judging and discerning of that which is sound or inward according to the difference which them selves truely put from the scriptures in an other place Now that it is a vile prophane errour to hold that men converted wicked viz so far as men can judge by outward appearance may lawfully be admitted into the visible CHVRCH I have shewed at large in the former part of the Book and could if need were shew the whole course of the scriptures against it Mat. 28. 19. 20. Act. 2. 40. 41. 46. 47. 4. 32. 8. 5. 6. 8. 37 9. 15. with 13. 42. 43. 14. 15. 16. 14. 15. 31. 32. 33. Of like nature with the former is that which followeth namely that men may by other meanes be lawfully made a visible Church then by the preaching that is by the opening or publishing of the gospel For which they instance in those which follow Christ and professed themselves his discipleâ— who yet were not all drawn by his word but some by miracles Ioh. 2. 23. 25. some by the report they heard of him Ioh. 4. 39. sâ—me by the desire they had to be fed by him Ioh. 6. 24. 26. that Christian Kings have by their lawes been meanes to bring men to the outward society of the Church vnto which men may be compelled Luk. 14. 23. It is not true that Christ in his life gathered any visible Churches These persons indeed which followed Christ were members of the visible Church but it was of the Church of the Iewes which Christ gathered not He lived and dyed the Minister of circumcision and gathered no distinct Churches at all from the Iewish Church Secondly neyther any of the things named nor all of them together without or besides the gospell are means sufficient lawfully to gather a visible Church Some of them as miracles may be meanes to confirm the gospel and the rest of them to draw men to the hearing of and outward submission vnto it but is alone is the hand of God as Mr Ber. truely writeth stretched out to sub duâ— people vnto him it is the seed of the Lords
that the naked and simple truth is to be inquired after with an vnpartiall affection And then the Lord which gives a single heart to seek after it will give a wise hart to find it out Math. 7. 7. Onely let men take heed they be not as Pilate asking vvhat is truth and turning their backs vpon it when they have done nor having found it as Orpah did to Naomi forsaking her weeping And for my self as I could much rather have desired to have built vp my self and that poore stock over which the holy Ghost hath set me in holy peace as becoÌ„meth the house of God wherein no sound of axe or hammer or other toole of iron is to be heard then thus to enter the lists of contention so being iustly called to contend for the defence of that truth vpon which this man amongst others layes violent hands I will endeavour in all good conscience as before God so to free the same as I wil be nothing-lesse then contentious in contention but wil count it a victorie to be overcome in odious provocations and reproches both by him and others And so desiring as earnestly the Christian reader into whose hands this my defence shal come to manifest vnto me such errours in the same if by the word of God they may so be found as to receive from me such truthes as are therin coÌ„tâ—yned I leave the due trial to that alone touchstone coÌ„mit the blessing to the Lord who alone giveth wisdom is able to make wise to salvatioÌ„ CERTAYN OBSERVATIONS vpon the Epistle dedicatory Preface to the Reader FIrst I desire it may be observed by the reader how Mr Bernâ—â—ileth the worshipful personages vnder the wing of whose protection he shrowdeth his papers Christian Professors A title peculiar to some few in the land which favour the forward preachers frequent their sermons advance the cause of reformatioÌ„ Such persons are coÌ„monly called amongst themselves professors vertuous and religious thereby distinguished fro the body of the land which make no such profession and are therefore accounted and iustly prophane and without religion and that as roundly by Mr. B. as by any other in the Land But it seemeth he had forgot both his Epistle whom both he in it and others every where call Professors for distinction sake when he wrote his book for in it he makes all the kingdome professors at a venture and Christian professours I hope he meaneth Thus those whom he severeth in the Epistle he confounds in the book And let him wel consider how he can quit himself eyther from flatterie in the one or from vntruth in the other And where Mr Ber. in the body of the Epistle you seat your self in the middest between the schismatical Brownist as you charitably term him the AntichristiaÌ„ Papist the one snatching on the right haÌ„d and the other on the left it is something which you say and more belike then you are aware of Fitly may you be seated in the middest betwixt both being indeed a minglement compound of both and wel may both snatch at you and yet neither do you wrong if neyther require more then their owne Iustly may the Papists challenge from you that stinted service book devised Ministerie Antichristian Hierarchie and Babylonish confusion which you have stollen away from them as Rahel did her Fathers idols though she covered them never so close And iustly also may we chalenge from you such godly people as you fraudulently deteyn and such truthes of doctrine as you teach as being the peculiars of the true Church as the holy vessels were of the temple though violently with the people caried to Babylon and there kept But if you will still hault betwixt both as Israell did betwixt God and Baal and carry in your right hand many Evangelicall truthes with vs in your left many Antichristian devises with the Papists no marvell though both partyes remayne vnsatisfyed neyther must you be offended though the Papists for the truthes you hold with vs account you hereticks nor though we for the devises you reteyn with them call you Antichristian And so you see your midle standing betwixt them and vs more wayes then one And thus much of the Epistle dedicatory In the next place I come to the preface where amongst other iust complaynts of the iniquityes of the tymes you reckon and that worthily as the most daungerous Atheisticall security carnall living vnder a generall profession to which purpose you alledg 2 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. and so instance in your English people This place of Timothy alone had you well weyed and throughly improved especially the fifth verse where separation from such persons as having a shew of godlines do deny the power thereof as you confesse the English people do is expresly commaunded it would eyther have stopped your mouth from reproching vs as you do for separation or els have opened the mouth of the most simple reader to reproue your vanity as God did the mouth of the asse to reprove Balaam The next thing I observe is how vauntingly you bring as chalengers into the lists Mr. Gyshop Mr Bradshaw D. Allison and other vn-named Ministers all which you say are vnanswered by vs. And no marveil for sundry of their writings never came to our hands and besides it were a more equall and compendious way for these men to take vp the defence of their Churches cause where their fellowes have forsaken it and left it desolate then thus to make new chalenges though in truth with the same weapons it may be new frubbished over wherewith the other have lost the field Yet are theyr books and by the grace of God assisting shal be answered in particular as they come to our hands and are thought worthy answering though in truth it were no hard thing for our adversaries to oppresse us with the multitude of books considering both how few and how feeble we are in comparison besides other outward difficultyes if the truth we hold which is stronger then all did not support it selfe The difference you lay down in the next place touching the proper subject of the power of Christ is true in it selfe being rightly vnderstood and onely yours wherein it is corruptly related and specially in the particular concerning vs as that where the Papists plant the ruling power of Christ in the Pope the ProtestaÌ„ts in the Byshops the Puritants as you terme the reformed Churches those of theyr mynde in the Presbytery we whome you name Brownists put it in the body of the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ the multitude called the Church odiously insinuating against us that we do exclude the Elders in the case of goverment where on the contrary we professe the Byshops or Elders to be the onely ordinary governours in the Church as in all other actions of the Churches communion so also in the censures Onely we may not acknowledge them for Lords
Math. 22. 21. but we are bidden stand for the liberty wherwith Christ hath freed vs that is the whol liberty of the Church to let no man iudge vs that is ecclesiastically no not in meaâ—s drinks though civilly men may commaund iudge vs in them And vpon these grounds truely layd by the word of God an answer may be framed on this manner In civill affayres we may and ought to obey for the authority of the commaunder yea though we know not any good but on the contrary much harm to our bodily estate comming vnto vs by the same but in matters ecclesiasticall which are subordinate to the souls good we must obey onely for the ends of the things coÌ„maunded and as they tend to the edification of our selves and others 1 Cor. 14. 26. To conclude this poynt since the Apostles expresly commaunds that all things in the Church be done to the edificatioÌ„ of the same I would demaund of Mr. B. with what fayth or good conscience he or any other maÌ„ can do or enterprise any one thing in the Church which he or they are not perswaded by the word of God which is the rule of fayth tends to edification These things being thus there is no cause why Mr. B. should account it curiosity to serch particularly into every thing for satisfaction the differences formerly layd down being observed neyther doth this holy care of Gods servants as he further addeth work vpon mens wittes to bring distinctions but on the contrary men of corrupt mynds and vnfaythfull least they should be reformed by the word of God do get distinctions like excuses after their owne hearts Much lesse is it eyther truely or christianly affirmed which followeth that the more men seek in doubts for resolution the further they are from it For howsoever it may be thus with M. B. many others which seek the truth as cowards do their enemyes with a fear to fynd it least it trouble theyr carnall peace yet have other men better yssue of theyr labours and by seeking have found that hydden treasure for the purchase whereof they are content to sell all they have and to buy it In the next place come in six rules of directions how to settle the consâ—ience to prevent scrupulosity and perplexity 1. Keep all mayn truthes in the word which are most playnely set downe and are by law of nature ingraven in every man First you are much mistaken Master Bern. if you imagine that all mayn truthes in the word are engraven in every man by the lawe of nature For the gospell is the more principall part of the word which notwithstanding is wholy supernaturall and above the created knowledge of man or Angel Mat. 11. 27. Ephe. 3. 10. Secondly if in commending mayn truthes and such as arâ— playnely set downe you do insinuate that there are any truthes so meane which we may eyther neglect to serch or having found them to obey therin you should deceive by promising liberty make your selfe wiser then God and crosse his ordinance appoyntment 2 Tim. 3. 16. Deut. 4. 1. 2. And for things left more dark in the Scriptures they must be vnto vs matter of humiliation in our naturall blyndenes and of more earnest meditation and prayer with all good conscience 2. Beleeve every collection truely necessarely gathered by an immediate consequence from the text This is good but not sufficient For collections truely made though by mediate consequences one after another are to be receaved though the fewer the better and the lesse subiect to daunger And we must not curtall the discourse of reason soberly vsed and sanctifyed by the word so short as Mr. B. would haue vs. When the Lord Iesus was to deal with the Saduces about the resurrection he took his proof from that which is written Exo. 3. 6. I am the God of Abraham c. which words do no way conclude the resurrection of the body which was the question by any immediate consequence and yet the collection was good and necessary The 3. and 4. direction I omit as questionles and come to the 5. in order 5. Enterteyn true antiquity follow the generall practise of the Church of God in all ages where they have not erred from the evident truth of God It cannot be denyed but that is best which is most auncient and that truth and righteousnes were in the world before syn error but neyther the one nor the other did continue long eyther amongst men or Angels And he that but considers what monstrous errours and corruptions sprang vp in the Church of the new Testament whylest the Apostles lived which planted them wil not think it strange though almost all were over-grown with such bryars and thornes in a few ages following And what not onely vnsoundnes in doctrine but vncertaynty in story is to be found in the most auncient writers no man though but even meanely exercised in them can be ignorant And yet if we would take vp these weapons it were easy to make good our part against the Church of England in the mayne differences But we have the word of God which is to vs a sure testimony and if he be onely to be heard of whome God from heaven hath testified as the onely Prophet and Doctor of his Church we are not then so much to regard what any man hath practised before vs as what Christ hath commaunded which is before all And we must in the first labour to have our harts seasoned with the word of God and according to that taste must all mens both perswasions and practises be savored by vs taking heed of those preposterous courses commonly held some at the first corrupting their harts with the thorny subtilties of the school-men more witty then sound sayings of the fathers and others prejudicing and forestalling themselves by the present and sensible state of things before theyr eyes or by the generall and partiall practise of tymes past and so comming in the last place to the word of God haling that in to back and support theyr exalted forestalled imaginations 6. If thou suffer let it be for knowne truth and against knowne wickednes for which thou hast examples in the word or of holy martyrs in story suffering for the same or the like But beware of far fetched consequences c. We are to forbeare evills not onely known but suspected doubted of And he that knowes what a heart meaneth truely softened and made tender with the blood of Christ had rather suffer all extremityes then approve that as good eyther by word writing or practise which he but doubteth to be evill and to displease God except by fayth he can overcome that doubt in some measure And for vs though we had no example eyther in the word of God or other story of any martyrs suffering in the same or the like particulars with
them and the blessing of peace-makers vpon their heads Of Mr B. disswasive probabilities THe next thing that comes into consideration is certayn probabilities likelyhoods as the authour calls them consisting for the most part of personal imputations di graceful calumniations whereby he labours to withdraw the harts of the simple froÌ„ the truth of God unto disobedience as Absalom did the people into rebellion against the K. by slandering his goverment 2 SaÌ„ 15. But if Mr Bern. followed his sound judgement in this booâ— as he professeth in the Preface and so laboured to lead others he would neyther go himself nor send them by vnstable guesses and likelyhoods as he doth The truth of God goes not by peradventures neyther needs it any such paper-shot as likelyhoods are to assault the adversary withall The word of God which is profitablâ— to teach to reprovâ— to correct and to instruct in righteousnes is sufficient to furnish the man of God with weapons spirituall and those mighty through God to cast downe strong holds and whatsoever high thing is exalted against the knowledge of God And if M. B. speak according to the Law and Prophets his words are solid arguments if not there is neyther light in him nor truth in them and so where truth is wanting must some like-truthes or images of truth be layed in the place like the image in Davids bed to deceive them that sought after him when he himself was wanting 1 Saâ— 19. 13. The first probabilitie that our way is not good is The noveltie thereof differing from all the best reformed Churches â—â— Christendome It is no noveltie to hear men plead custome when they want truth So the heathen Phylosophers reproched Paul as a bringer of new doctrine so do the Papists discountenance the doctrine and profession of the Church of England yea even at this day very many of the people in the Land vse to call Popery the old law the profession there made the new law But we for our parts as we do beleeve by the word of God that the things we teach are not new but old truthes renued so are we no lesse fully perswaded that the Church constitution in which we are set is cast in the Apostolicall and primitive mould and not one day nor hower yonger in the nature and forme of it then the first Church of the new Testament And whether a people all of them separated sanctified so farr as men by their fruits can or ought to judge or a mingled generation of the seed of the womaÌ„ and seed of the serpent be more ancient the government of sundry Elders or Bishops with joynt authority over one Church or of one Nationall Provincial or Diocesan Bishop over many hundred or thousand Churches the spirituall prayers conceived in the heart of the Ministers according to the present occasions or necessityes of the Church or the English service book the simple administration of the Sacraments according to the words of institution or pompous and carnall complements of cap coap surplice crosse godfathers kneeling and the like mingled withall I do even refer it to the report of Mr B. owne conscience be it never so partiall Now for the differences betwixt the best reformed Churches as Mr B. calls them granting thereby his owne to be the worst and vs they ar extant in print being few in number those none of the greatest weight But what a volume would these differences make betwixt those reformed Churches and the vnreformed Churches of England if they were exactly set downe And yet for the corruptions reproved by vs in the reformed Church where we live I do vnderstand by them of good knowledge and sincerity that the most or greatest of them are rather in the exequution then in the constitution of the Church Our differences from the reformed Churches Mr B. aggravates by two reasons 1. The first is our separation from them 2. the 2. certeyne termes of disgrace vttered by Mr Barrow Mr Greenwood agaynst the Eldership which Mr Bernard will have vs disclayme For the first it is not truely affirmed that we separate from them What our judgment is of them our confessions of fayth and other wrytings do testify and for our practise as we cannot possibly ioyn vnto them would we never so fayne being vtterly ignorant of their language so neither do wee separate from them save in such particulars as we esteeme evill which we also shall endeavour to manifest vnto them so to be as occasion and meanes shal be offered And secondly for the taxations layd by Mr B. and Mr G. vpon the Eldership or other practise in the reformed Churches wherein they were any way excessive we both have disclaimed alwayes are and shal be ready to disclayme the same Onely I entreat the godly reader to coÌ„sider that those things were not spoken by them otherwise then in respect of those corruptions in the Eldership els where which they deemed Antichristian and evill Of which respective phrase of speach more hereafter Lastly if it be likely that our way is not good for the difference it hath from the reformed Churches and that thâ— greatneâ— of the difference appeares by the hard termes given by some of vs agaynst the government there vsâ—d thâ—n surâ—ly iâ— is much more likely that the way of the vnreformed Church of England is not good which differeth far more froÌ„ the reformed Chuâ—ches which difference appeares not onely in most reprochfull termes vsed by the Praelates and their adhaerents against the seekers of reformation comparing them to all vile haeretiques and seditious persons but in cruell persequutions raysed agaynst them and greater then against Papists or Atheists The second marke by which Mr B. guesseth our way not good is for that it agreeth so much with the antient schismatiques condemned in former ages by holy and learned men Luciferians Donatists Novattans and Audians Can our way both be a novelty new devise and yet agree so well with the antient schismatiques condemned in former ages Contradictions cannot be both true but may both be false as these are The partyes to whome Mr B. likeneth vs were condemned not onely for schisme but for heresy also as appeares in Epiphanius Austine Eusebius and others And as we have nothing no not in sâ—ew like vnto some of them nor in truth vnto any of them in the things blame worthy in them so if Mr B. were put to iustify by the word of God the condemnation of some of them it would put him to more trouble then he is aware of The Audians dissented from the Nicene Councell about theyr Easter tyme. The Luciferians held the soule of man to be ex traduce and were therefore accounted Haeretiques as indeed it was too vsuall a thing in those dayes to reiect men for haeretiques vpon too light causes And for the Donatists vnto whom Mr Gifford others would so fayn
so many times been driven to so grosse absurdities by a consequence or two about this cause as he vtterly abhorrs the very memory of all coÌ„sequences it seems would have it enacted that never consequence should be more vrged To conclude whatsoever it pleaseth this man to suggest the mayne grounds for which we stand touching the coÌ„munion government ministery and worship of the visible Church are expresly conteyned in the scriptures and that as we are perswaded so plainly that as like Habbakuks vision he that runnes may read them The 4. guesse against vs is That we have not the approbation of any of the reformed Churches for ouâ— course and that where our Confession of faith is without allowance by them they give on the contrary the right hand of fellowship to the Church of England This is the same in substance with the first instance of probability and that which foloweth in the next place the same with them both And Mr Bern. by his so ordinary pressing vs with humane testimonies shewes himself to be very barren of divine authority as hath bene truely noted by another Nature teacheth every creature in all daunger to fly first and oftenest to the chief instruments eyther of offence or defence wherin it trusteth as the But to his horne the Bore to his tusk and the byrd vnto her wing right so this man shewes wherein his strength lies and wherein he trusts most by his so frequent and vsuall shaking the horne and whetting the tusk of mortall mans authority against vs. But for the reformed Churches the truth â—s they neyther do imagine no nor wil easily be brought to beleeve that the frame of the Church of England stands as it doth neyther have they any mind to take knowledge of those things or to enter into examination of them The approbation which they give of you as Mr A. hath observed as indeed it is of speciall observation is in respect of such generall truthes of doctrine as wherein we also for the most part acknowledge you which notwithstanding you deny in a great measure in the particulars and practise But touching the gathering governing of the Church which are the mayn heads coÌ„troverted betwixt you vs they give you not so much as the left haÌ„d of fellowship but do on the contrary turne their backs vpon you The difference betwixt you and them in the gathering and constituting of Churches is as great as betwixt copulsive conformity vnto the service book and ceremonyes which is your estate and voluntary submission vnto the gospell by which all every member of them is ioyned to the Church and as is betwixt the reigne of one Lord Bishop over many Churches and the government of a Presbytery or company of Elders over one And if you would take viewe of this difference nearer home do but cast your eyes to your next neyghbours of Scotland there you shall see the most zealous Christians chusing rather to loose liberty country and life then to stoop to a far more easy yoke then you bear Yea what need I send you out of your owne horizon The implacable mortall hatred the Prelates bear vnto the Ministers and people wishing the government and Ministery receaved in the reformed Churches proclaymes aloud the vtter emnity betwixt them your vnreformed Church of England of which I pray you hear with patience what some of your own have testified Those that will needs be our Pastors and spirituall fathers are become beasts as the Prophet Ieremy sayth And if we should open our mouthes to sue for the true shepheards and overseers indeed vnto whose direction we ought to be committed the rage of these wolves is such as this endeavour would almost be the price of our lives And do these Churches like sisters go hand in hand together as is pretended Now for vs where Mr B. affirmeth that wee published our confession but without allowance if I saw not his frowardnes in the things he knowes I should marvayl at his bouldnes in the things whereof he is ignorant we published the confessioÌ„ of our fayth to the Christian Vniversityes in the low countryes and els where entreating them in the Lord eyther to convince our errours by the word of God if so any might be found or if our testimony in theyr iudgments agreed with the same word to approve it eyther by wryting or silence as they thought good Now what Vniversity Church or person amongst them hath once enterprized our conviction which without doubt some would have done as with such haeretiques or schismatiques as arise amongst them had they found cause Thus much of the learned abroad in the next place Mr B. drawes vs to the learned at home from whose dislike of vs he takes his fifth Likelyhood which he thus frameth The condemnation of this way by our divinâ—s both living and dead against whom either for godlynes of life or truth of doctrine otherwise theâ— for being theyr opposites they can take no exception No mervayl we may not admit of partyes for iudges how is it possible we should be approved of them in the things wherein we witnes against them And if this Argument be good or likely then is it likely that neyther the reformists have the truth in the Church of England nor the Prelates for there are many and those both godly and learned which in their differences do oppose and that very vehemently the one the other Now as for myne owne part I do willingly acknowledge the learning godlynes of most of the persons named by Mr B. do honour the very memory of some of them so do I neyther think theÌ„ so learned but they might erre nor so godly but in their error they might reproch the truth they saw not I do indeed confesse to the glory of God and myne owne shame that a long tyme before I entered this way I took some tast of the truth in it by some treatises published in iustificatioÌ„ of it which the L. knoweth were sweet as hony vnto my mouth and the very principall thing which for the tyme quenched all further appetite in me was the over-valuation which I made of the learning and holynes of these and the like persons blushing in my selfe to have a thought of pressing one hayr bredth before them in this thing behynde whom I knew my selfe to come so many miles in all other things yea and even of late tymes when I had entered into a more serious consideration of these things and according to the measure of grace received serched the scriptures whether they were so or no and by searching found much light of truth yet was the same so dimmed and overclouded with the contradictions of these men and others of â—he like note that had not the truth been in my heart as a burning fyre shut vp in my bones Ier. 20. 9. had never broken those bonds of â—lesh and blood wherein I was so
the case of religion whose way as it is in it selfe narrow and found by few how much more being streytned by the fyery persequutions of the wicked world Indeed the Church of England hath advantage of vs and as I suppose of all the Churches in the world for monstrous speedy growth and encrease for that of a Synagogue of Satan consisting of Popish Idolaters and cruel murderers of the saynts it grew fro top to toe into a true and intire body of Christ of a suddayn before the greatest part of it so much as heard the gospel preached in any measure for their conversion But consider herein M. B. dealing He spares no vngodly means in this his book and otherwayes by slaundering our persons by falsyfying our opinions by exaggerating our infirmities by incensing the Magistrate against vs to suppresse vs and yet reprocheth vs because we grow no faster dealing with vs much what as the Iewes did with Christ when they blindfolded him first then bad him prophesie who smote him Luk. 22. 64. But let it be as Mr B. would have it that the cause of religion is to be measured by the multitude of them that professe it yet must it further be considered that religioÌ„ is not alwayes â—own reaped in one age One soweth and another reapeth Iohn Husse and Ierom of Prage finished their testimony in Bohemia and at Constance a hundred yeres before Luther Wickliffe in England wel nigh as long before them and yet neyther the one nor the other with the like successe vnto Luther And the many that are already gathered by the mercy of God into the kingdome of his sonne Iesus the nearnes of many more through the whol land for the regions are white vnto the harvest do promise within lesse then an hundred yeres if our sinnes theirs make not vs and them vnworthy of this mercy a very plenteous harvest That wee have been here and there vp and down without sure footing is our portioÌ„ in this present evil world coÌ„mon to vs with the more worthy servants of God going before vs who* have wandred in wildernesses and mountaines and dennes and caves of the earth The saâ—ne answer may serve for that other approbation of vs That wee onely have toleration in a place where the enemies of Christ may be as well as wee Yea though we were not so much as tolerated but on the coÌ„trary persecuted to the death where the enemies of Christ were not onely tolerated but even approved yea the persequuters of vs for the cause of Christ what were this but to partake in the fellowship of his afflictions with the holy Prophets and Apostles and other his most faithful servants And I wil tel you Mr B. in the presence of God what my perswasion is in this case that as we have onely toleration in the City where we live where the enemies of Christ are tolerated with vs so all that truely feare God whether Ministers or private people have onely toleration in your Church no approbation by the canons and constitutions of it And for the leading of the people out of one nation into another of a strange language it is our great crosse but no syn at all and should rather move you and others to compassion towards vs then thus to insult over vs in our exile But your addition that we do this without compulsion is most shameles you your self both beholding and furthering our most violent persecutioÌ„ But see your equal dealing with vs whilst we taryed in the kingdom you blamed vs because we got vs not gone now we are gone you find fault we tarry not For your marginall note that Israel left not Egypt without Pharaohs leave nor the Iewes Babylon without Cyrus his consent To let passe the leave which Pharaoh gave the Israelites to depart when to reduce them back he and his people followed them into the sea they could not depart sooner though they would being held in boÌ„dage by their enemies yet when Moses was in daunger of his life as we are he fled as we do Exod. 2. 15. Besides the Israelites had the certayn known time of their captivities limitted prescribed by God which they were to tary Gen. 15. 13. 14. Exod. 12. 40. 41 Ier. 25. 11. 12. Dan. 9. 2. Ezra 1. 1. which is no way our cafe And what other do we in flying then the holy Prophets and Apostles have done before vs and then the Protestants did in Queen Maries reigne that fled to Frankford Geneva and other places where they understood not the language of other nations yea then the Lord Iesus himself hath sanctifyed not onely by his commaundement or license at the least but also in his owne person flying into a Aegypt in his mothers armes Reason see I none why this man should thus blame vs for our flying except vvith the Montanists he thought flight in the time of persecution unlavvfull Lastly Mr B. concludeth his likelihoods vvith a cursed farewell which saith he we leave in all places like a scorching flame swinging where it comes so as the growth of all things are hindred by it And this observation he fathers upon me though in truth it be his owne bastard I affirmed in deed that where this truth came it left the places barrayn of good things in taking away the best sort of people but this I spake to no such purpose as is here insinuated The scorching flame which hinders all things in the Church of England is the Prelacy to which by vniversall and infallible observation no man applyes himself no nor enclynes but with a sensible decay of the former graces which he seemed to have He that but once enters into the High preists hall to warme himselfe at the fyre there shall scarce return without a scorched conscience Having formerly viewed Mr B. his bare probabilities we will now come to debate his reasons against separation The first sort whereof are grounded vpon the entrance into this cause which he makes very sinfull and cursed because of the great evils which sayth he ensue therevpon And the first of these imputed evills is That we not onely disclayme and condeâ—nâ— the corruptions and notorious wicked but withall forsake all Christian profession amongst them casting off the word by which wee were made alive the ministers our fathers which have begot vs yea and all fellowship of the godly with them and so account them ever false Christians and Idolaters having a false faith false repentance false baptisme And from these evils thus suggested he both disswades the reader with some passionate Rhyme in the margent and deterrs him by sundry bitter curses cast out against vs both in the margent and text There is no truth of doctrine nor ordinance of Christ taught or practised in the Church of England which we enioy not with farr more libertie better right and greater purity then any person in England doth
that can be brought but because they are yours which notwithstanding I am perswaded neyther you nor any other can satisfie And if Mr B. himselfe thus wryte and speak in private why blames he vs for our publique testimony Now if the Bishops be Antichristian and so the spirit of Divils Rev. 16. 14. why might not Mr Barrow affirm theyr Ministery and ministration to be of and by the Divill and what are they but eyther the tayl or some other lim of the beast And for theyr excommunications by name it is evident by this they are not of God for that the most religious in the kingdome make least account of them For theyr Luciferian pryde whereof Mr Barrow accuseth them it is apparant they burden the earth threaten the heavens with it for their hateful Symony both in giving and receiving they are so notorious as the best service Mr B. can do them in this case is to turn mens thoughts from those evils which every ey sees every heart abhorrs Towching the Ghost the Bishop gives in his blasphomous imitation of Christ Ioh. 20. 22. except contrary to the rule in nature nihil dâ—â— quod non habet he can give that he hath not it is not very likely he should give the Holy Ghost why then might not Mr Barrow call it an vnholy Ghost And for the Bible in the Bishops hands which he gives his Preists in ordination Mr Barrow calls it the libell not in contempt of the book but in reproof of the ceremony that iustly since the Lord never appointed the scriptures for any such vse nor any such ceremony in the ordination of his Ministers Christ and the Apostles would have such Ministers ordeyned as have the Bibles in their hearts the Bishops of England to supply this want give it into the hands of their Preists which they think sufficient though in truth the most of them are more vsed to handle a paire of cardes vpon an alebench then the holy bible Your Patrons Mr Barrow calles great Baals Lord Patrons and iustly in respect of that Lordly power they vse in obtruding their Clerks vpon the Parish assemblies your ministers yea all and every one of them Preists which is their proper name given them both in your book of ordination and coÌ„mon prayer your Deacons half-preists according to the nature of their office betwixt which the Deacons office in the new testament Act. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. there is no consimilitude For the other more harsh termes wherewith he enterteynes such persons and things in the Church as carry with them most appearance of holynes they are to be interpreted according to his meaning and a distinction vsed by Mr B. in another place is here to be applyed Which is that Mr Barrow speaks not of these persons and things simply but in a respect so so considered so no one terme given by Mr Barrow to my knowledg but may at the least be tolerated The Ministers as they receive the wages of vnrighteousnes oâ— counsayl to spiritual fornication are Bâ—lâ—â—mites in respect of thâ—ir office vowed to destruction Cananites as they plead for confusion Babylonish divines as they endeavour to stay Gods people in Egypt spiritually so called Egyptian inchaunters as they are members of the Hierarchy 〈◊〉 of the Divel by vertue whereof he bear great sway as the reformists amongst you have expresly testifyed And for your very divine exerciseâ— of prayer preaching sacrâ—â—â—tâ— suâ—ging of psalâ—s howsoever they be good holy in theÌ„selves or at leasâ— have much good in them yet in respect of the vnhallowed coÌ„munion forgâ—d ministâ—ry and superstitious order wherein these and all other things with you are ministred and exercised they are lyable to the heaviest censure Mr Barrow hath put vpon them And for the most forward preachers in the kingdom considering their vnsound and broken courses in denying that in deed and practise which in wâ—rd and writing they profâ—sse to be the revealâ—d will oâ— God and inviolable testament of Christ binding his Church for ever yea and practising the contrary in the face of the sâ—nne commiâ—tâ—â—g two evils forsaking the Lord the fountayne of lâ—ving water to dig themselves broken pitâ—s which will hold no water yea not onely refusing themselves to enter into the kingdome of God the Church but also hindering them that would persecuting them that do and lastly considering them in their vnconscionable defence for their own standings and practises as that onely the godly in the parish are of the Church with them that they hold and vse their ministery by the acceptation of the people and not by the Bishops that they obey the Bishops in their citations suspensions excommunications and absolutions aâ— they are civil magistrates and â—he like they do deserve a sharper medicine then happily they are willing to endure Yea the very personall graces of knowledge zeale pâ—â—ience the like manifested in many both ministers and people are most vniustly perverted and misused to the obduration and hardening both of the persons themselves others in most deceivable wayes wherein the deepest mistery of iniquity and most effectuall delusion of Satan that can be worketh as is by Mr Barrow and others clearly discovered But that Mr Barrow should say that the preaching of Gods word â—â—e spirits effectuall working should make men the children of hell and two fold â—orse then bâ—fore is a great slaunder and could not possibly enter into his or any other godly mans heart And so I leave these and the like more vnsavoury-seeming speaches of Mâ— Barrow to the wise and Christian readers charitable interpretation The last rank of Mr B. reasons followeth which respect the matter of our sepâ—â—â—tion by him called schisme which how materiall they are shall appeare in their place Our first errour according to his reckoning is They hold that the constitution of our Church is a falsâ— constitution And let vs see how strongly your answer forces vs from this our hold 1. Arg. They cannot prove this simply by any playne doctrine of scripture and that which they would prove is but onely respectively and so may any thing and their Church also be condemned 2. Arg. It is against the evidence of the scriptures which maketh the word externall profession and sacraments the visible constitution c. That you then affirm in the first place is that wee cannot prove this simply by any playne doctrine wherein you do half confesse that wee do it by iust consequence though not by playne doctrine wholly that respectively and so so considered as you speak your coÌ„stitution is false And thus you say any thing may be condemned But first it is not true that any thing may be condemned after this sort The constitutioÌ„ of the Ch Apostolike could in no coÌ„sideration be condemned neyther could ours to our knowledge being according to that pattern how weakly soever we walk in it Secondly
the constitution even of Rome as now it stands is not simply false but onely in this that respect So far as it separates fro heathenish Idolatry Idolaters vnto the true God reteynes any truthes of God remaynders of Christs testament so far it is not false or feyned and yet is her present constitution false she vncapable of the Lords covenant To come nearer the matter The constitution of the Church is the orderly collection and coniunction of the sayncts into in the covenant of the new Testament 〈◊〉 the saynts are the matter the covenant the form from which two concurring the Church ariseth and is by them constituted Now for the word it is an outward instrument preparing and preserving the matter but no more the constitution of the Church then the ax is the coÌ„stitution or frame of the house and for externall profession it manifests the fitnes of the matter for the form and by it the saynts enter covenant which covenant also the sacraments confirm as sâ—ales annexed to that end And where Mr B. affirmeth we cannot prove their Church coÌ„stition false by any playn doctrine of scripture we will consider the scriptures he himself alledgeth and the doctrine of them which as so many touchstones do discover the counterfeyt constitution of the same The word saith he is the constitution of the Church His meaning is or should be at the least that the word is the ordinary outward meanes for the collecting and constituting of the Church of God I graunt it But how considered Not the word in mens bibles alone for then all the Haeretiques in the world are true Ch nor yet the word preached simply for Paul preached the word to the scoffing Athenians to the blasphemous Iewes yet I think he will not say that eyther the one or the other were Churches truly constituted How then the word published vnderstood beleeved and obeyed outwardly at the least as the spirituall sword or ax hewing the stones in the rock and trees in the forrest and preparing them to be the Lords spirituall house And thus much the very places produced by Mr B like Golyahs sword drawn out to cut off his owne sword do evidently declare Math. 28. 19. which is the first place shewes that such as by preaching of the word were made disciples for so much the word importeth were to be gathered into the Church baptised Mar. 16. 15. shewes the same especially if you adde vers 16. inferring that men by preaching must beleeve and so beleeve as they have the promise of salvation which I note the rather to shew the vanity of that verball profession in a profane conversation which els where Mr B. makes so much of The places 2 Cor. 5. 19. 11. 2. cited by you do prove that the worâ— of reconciliation and ministery of the gospell beleeved obeyed to the forgivenes of sinns and to the preparation sanctification of the Church to Christ is the means of gathering and building vp the same to which that of Iob. 33. 23. 24. consorteth The two places Act. 2. 14. 37. 38. 41. and 16. â—2 32. 34. are of the same 〈◊〉 with the former and do provâ— that sundry of the Iewes at Ierusalem by Peters preaching and that the â—aylours housholâ— at Philippi by Pauls preaching were brought to repentance and faith in Christ and so added to the Church But what wil be the conclusion of all these premises The Proposition is this The true Apostolick Churches having a true constitutioÌ„ were gathered constituted of such men and women as by the preaching of the gospel were made disciples had faith and repentance wrought in them to the obteyning of the forgivenes of sinns promise of life eternall and to sanctification and obedience Now though my logick be not much better then yours Mr B. yet since my cause is I will help you with an assumption or 2. Proposition But the Church of England was not so gathered after Popery but on the contrary without preaching of the gospel of men women for the most part ignorant faythles mispenitent disobedieÌ„t to whoÌ„ no promise of the forgivenes of sinns life eternal appertâ—ynes whervpoÌ„ the coÌ„clusioÌ„ necessarily followeth that the constitution of the Church of England is not true or Apostolick but false counterfeyt and apostaticall Secondly the scriptures sayth Mr B. make externall profession the visible constitution of the Church His meaning must be that profession of faith is required of such persons of yeres before they be admitted into the visible Church Which truth the place cited by him Act. 8. 12. 37. 38. doth iustify to which one place many other may be added to the same purpose as Act. 10. 46. 16. â—4 18. 8. But what is the Church of Worxsop better for this what profession of faith did the particular members make when at the first of an Antichristian Synagogue as in Popery it was it became or was constituted a true Christian Church was not the house built at the first as it is at this day repayred Let a man but hire a house within the precincts of your parish he is a ioyned member in your Ch ipso facto though he cannot manifest the least kernel of faith or repentance yea though he professe himself an atheist horetick â—orcerer blasphemer or that which is worse if worse can be All you do is to vse the woodden dagger Mr Barrow tells you of to suspend him from the Lords supper it may be to get him excoÌ„municated by the officiall if he have neither freinds nor mony And this very excommunication shewes him to have been a member of you for onely a brother is to be excommunicated Math. 18. 15. 16. 17 and onely he that was within may be cast out 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. And here as before I will help to form your argument The members of the Apostolick Church which were truely constituted were admitted by their personall profession of faith and confession of sin Math. 3. 6. Act. 8. 37. 38. and 10. 46. 16. 14. 1â— â— 19. 18. But the members of the Engl. assemblies neyther were nor are so admitted but according to the parish perambulation whatsoever impiety they professe Therefore their constitution is proved false by the evidence brought to iustify it Lastly for the sacraments as they are not the constitution of the Church but do necessarily presuppose a Church constituted vnto which they are committed as the oracles and ordinances of God vnto Israel so is not the Church of England the Israel of God the seed of Abraham a peculiar people unto the Lord but a mingled seed as Ezra 9. 1. 2. uncapable of the sacraments the seales of the covenant of grace And the places Mr B. brings forth are so far from iustifying the constitution of the Church of England by the sacraments as they do most notably evince the prophanation of the sacraments
be saved Rom. 10. 10. Thirdly if the new Testament speak of ordeyning Elders in the Church then doth it necessarily conclude yea expresly affirm that there were Churches before Elders were ordeyned in them But the first is manifest Act. 14. 23. therefore the second Neyther can Mr Bâ—shift of the place by saying such assemblyes are called Churches by Anticipation any more then the Papists can the scripture 1 Cor 11. 26. against transubstantiation by alledging that the Apostle speaks by Posticipation For why may not the Papists as well answer that Paul calles Christs body bread not because it is bread but because it was bread before the words of consecration as Mr B that Luke calls the assemblyes without officers Churches not because they were so but were so to be after the Elders were ordeyned amongst them neyther is it true which you affirme for confirmation of your distinction that heaven and earth were so called before they were Gen. 1. 1. the meaning of Moses onely is that God created heaven and earth first and when before they were not If yet it be further answered by any that the Church Act. 14. had Apostles over them it must be remembred that Luke in that place and action of ordination notes out three distinct orders of people the Apostles ordeyning Elders the Elders ordeyned and the Churches in which the Apostles ordeyned Elders Of the same nature is the fourth Argument grounded vpon 1 Cor. 12. 28. where God is sayd to have appointed or set in the Church Apostles Prophets Teachers necessarily implying a Church before wherein they were appointed as a Sheriffe appointed in a shyre a Maior in a City a Constable in a Parish a Steward in a familie do necessarily presuppose the Shyre City Parrish Familie wherein they are appointed And indeed where should the Lord set his stewards but in his familie Is any societie capable of the Lords officers but his corporation Is not the Eldership an ordinance given to the Church so the Elders called the Elders of the Church In the Church is not an ordinance given to the Elders nor ever called their Church in the whole New Testament Fifthly they with whom the Lord makes his Covenant to be their God and to have them his people to dwel amongst them as in his temple which have right to the promises of Christ and to his presence they are the Church of God of Christ. Gen. 17. 7. Lev. 26. 11. 12. Mat. 18. 17. 20. Apoc. 1. 11. 13. Heb. 8. 16. But a company of faythful people though they have no officers amongst them may be received into Covenant with God may be his temple and have him dwell amongst them may have right to Christ and to his promises presence except we wil say they may not be gathered in Christs name may not be called may not come out from among unbeleevers nor separate themselves touch none unclean thing Mat. 18. 17. 20. Act. 2. 39. 2 Cor. 6. 16. 17. except they have Ministers going before them For they that may separate themselves from unbeleevers may be the temple of God that is the true visible church which the temple typed out Men are not to come out of Babylon and there to stand stil remember the Lord a farr of but must resort to the place where he hath put his name for which they need not go eyther to Ierusalem or to Rome or beyond the seas they may find Siòn the Lords mountain prepared on the top of every hil If they as lively stones couple themselves together by voluntary profession covenant they are a spirituall building the Lords Temple 6. If a company of faythful people without officers be not a Church then if all the officers of a Church should dye or fall away the Church should be nullified and become no church and to come nearer home graunting for a while the parish of Worksop to be a company of faythfull people if Mr Bernard should leave his Vicaridge for a better then the church of Worksop should be dischurched and remayne a Church no longer and thus an assembly might be Churched and vnchurched and Churched agayn every week in the time of persecution or plague by having and loosing and recovering againe her officers and thus the officers should not be the eyes or tongue of the body for the body remaynes a true though an imperfect body without them but the head of it yea the Pope though he hold himself the head of the Church yet acknowledgeth it a Church without him and in the time of vacancy Wee read Rev. 2. 5. that the Lord threatens to remove the candlestick from the Ephesians except they amend Now the candlestick is the Church chap. 1. 20. and to remove the candlestick is to dischurch the assembly or to wipe it out of the beadrowl of Churches Here is sin the discharging an assembly but that the death of the officers should do it is no where found We will acknowledge the Ministers to be the lights starres candles in the the candlestick the Church that the Ministers death or fall is the removing of the light in a great measure but we may not graunt them to be the Candlestick that is the Church wherein they are set as 1 Cor. 12. 28. which may stand still though they fall 7. If a company of Saynts where no officers are be not a true visible Church then may they have no visible communion together eyther publick or private the reason is because the communion of saynts is an effect or property of the Church and the Church a cause of it the invisible Church of invisible communion and the visible Church of visible communion And as we can have no fellowship with Christ in his merits and other works of mediation till we be in our persons ioyned vnto him by faith and grafted in him as the braunches in the vine so neither can we have communioÌ„ one with another in any spirituall grace or work till we be vnited one to another in love as the members of the body vnder the head Communion in works whether naturall civil or religious doth necessarily presuppose vnion of persons Yea if such a company be not a Church I see not how their seed can have right to baptism no nor how their own baptism caÌ„ be accounted true in the right ends vses of it For 1. baptism is within and not without the Church Ephe. 4. 4. 5. Secondly it is the seal of the covenant which is the form of the Church to the faithfull and their seed Act. 2. 38. 39. Thirdly it is of the members into the body of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 12. 13. Lastly where the essentiall causes of a Church are to be found viz. matter and form there is a Church But this may be in such assemblies as have no officers ergo The former proposition is evident in it self for the essentiall causes give being vnto the th
Officer of the CHVRCH and so to vs as cheif Officers succeeding him which is also Mr B judgement pag. 94. Others affirm it to belong to Peter here as a Minister of the word and sacraments and the like and so consequently to belong to all other Ministers of the gospel equally which succeed Peter in those and the like administrations But we for our partes do beleeve professe that this promise is not made to Peter in any of these forenamed respects nor to any office order estate dignity or degree in the Church or world but to the confession of faith which Peter made by way of answer to Christs question who demaunding of the disciples v. 15. whom amongst the variety of opinions that went of him ver 14. they thought him to be was answered by Peter in the name of the rest Thou art Christ the sonne of the lâ—ving God ver 16. To this Christ replyes ver 17. blessed arâ— thou Symon the sonne of Ionas c. and ver 18. thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not overcome it and v. 19. I will give unto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven whatsoever thou shalt bind vpon earth shal be bound in heaven and whasoever thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heaven So that the building of the Church is vpon the rock of Peters coÌ„fession that is Christ whom he confessed this faith is the foundation of the Church against this faith the gates of hell shall not prevayl this faith hath the keyes of the kingdome of heaven what this faith shall loose or bind on earth is bound loosed in heaven And thus the Protestant divines when they deal against the Popes supremacy do generally expound this scripture though Mr B. directly make the Pope and his shavelings Peters successours in this place as hereafter wil appeare Now vpon the former ground it followeth that whatsoever person hath received the same pretious faith with Peter as all the faithfull have â— Pet. 1. 1. that person hath a part in this gift of Christ whosoever doth confesse publish manifest or make knowen Iesus to be that Christ the sonne of the living God and Saviour of the world that person opens heaveÌ„ gate looseth sin partakes with Peter in the vse of the keys And herevpon also it followeth necessarily that one faithful man yea or woman eyther may as truely and effectually loose and bind both in heaven and earth as all the Ministers in the world But here I know the Lordly clergy like the bulles of Bashan will roar lowd vpon me as speaking things intollerably derogatory to the dignitie of Preisthood and it may be some others also eyther through ignorance or superstition will take offence at this speach as confounding all things but there is no such cause of exception For howsoever the keyes be one and the same in nature and efficacy in what faithful mans or mens handes soever as not depending eyther vpon the number or excellency of any persons but vpon Christ alone yet is it ever to be remembred that the order and manner of vsing them is very different These keyes in doctrine may be turned as well vpoÌ„ them which are without the Church as vpon them which are within and their sinnes eyther loosed or bound Math. 28. 19. but in discipline as we speak not so but onely vpon them which are within 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. Againe the Apostles by their office had these keyes to vse in all Churches yea in all nations vpon earth ordinary Elders for their particular flockes Act. 14. 23. 20. 28. Lastly there is an vse of these keyes publiquely to be had and an vse privately an use of them by one person severally and an use of them by the whole Church ioyntly and together an vse of theÌ„ ministeriall or in office and an vse of them out of office but the power of the gospel which is the keyes is still one and the same notwithanding the divers manner of vsing it And this distinction well observed will stop the hole by which Mr Bernard in his reply sundry times scapes out where otherwise he should be vnavoydably taken in Mr Smythes arguments by taking vantage at and perverting of a phrase vsed by Mr Sm which is the ministeriall power of Christ. This ministeriall power Mr S. makes that externall coÌ„municated delegated power of Christ with and to the Church serving onely for manifestation and declaration of the remission or retention of sinnes opposing ministeriall power in the creature to that power essentiall incommunicable which is inhaerentin Christ and God the creator but Mr B. on the other side eyther ignorantly or deceiptfully misinterprets the terme Ministeriall as meant onely of the power in office opposed to that which is out of office and so creeps out at this cranny But with what reason can it be eyther conceived or suggested that Mr Smyth should affirme that the body of the Church or a private brother out of office should have this power spoken of in office Thus much to prove that all the pretious promises Math. 16. were made to Peter in respect of his confession of faith and so consequently to all others which succeed him in the same confession and amongest the rest the vse of the keyes though not in the same order or office with Peter which was peculiar vnto him with some few others It followeth First if the keyes of the kingdome of heaven be appropriated vnto the officers then can there be no forgivenes of sinnes nor salvation without officers for there is no enterance into heaven but by the dore there is no clyming over any other way without the key the doore cannot be opened so then belike if eyther there be no officers in the Church as it may easily come to passe in some extreame plague or persecution howsoever in England a man may haue a Preist for the whisteling and must needs be in the Churches of Christ in our dayes eyther in their first plaÌ„ting or first calling out of Babylon for Antichrists masse-preisthood is not essentially Christs true Mâ—nistery or if the officers take away the key of knowledge as the Scribes Pharisees did will neither enter in themselves nor suffer them that would then must the miserable multitude be content to be shut out and perish eternally for ought is knowen to the contrary They haue no remedy in this case no redresse may be had of this evill no meanes vsed to avoid it Though the Pope cary with him thowsands to hell no man may say vnto him Sir why do you sâ— To admonish the Officers of their sinne were against common sense that the father should be subiect to his children the work dominere over the workman the seeds-man be ordered by the corn and to excoÌ„municate them and call new were intolerable vsurpation of the keyes this power is given to the chief
the meanes of their aedification salvation how streyt and hard hearted soever you M. B. are towards them or coÌ„temptuous of them they may and must use in cases of necessity their best helpes for the distribution of things simply necessary to the body And dare you say as you haue done in both your books that the officers are absolutely to the Church as the eyes to the body and that there is no spirituall light in the rest of the members save onely in them and that all the body besides and without them is darknes Indeed such a blind beetle your spirituall Lords and you make your Churches and so you lead them But oh you the people of God yet in Babylon partakers of the heavenly illumination trust not these your Seers too much they would be thought all ey from top to bottom and would make you beleeve that you the multitude are stoneblind and can not possibly without them see one step before you that so they might lead you by the lip whither they list but open your eyes more and more and you shall see more and more clearely that the wayes of your Nationall Church are not the wayes which Christ hath left for his visible Churches to walk in but a very by path and take heed that these men which would be thought all and onely light cause not a â—og of earthly ordinances to rise vpon you and a dark mist to cover you To proceed This one scripture Ephe. 4. 11. 12. truely expounded and according to the Apostles meaning serves at one blow to overthrow the whol ministery of your Church of England and all communion with it Your whol plea for your Ministery is that you teach the word of God the true word of God and therewith you invite all your guests vnto your baÌ„quet But now if your ministery be not the Ministery which Christ hath set vp in his Ch noâ— of the gifts which he hath giveÌ„ vnto his Church but of an other sort foundatioÌ„ then it followes that no felowship or coÌ„munioÌ„ is to be had with it vnder any plausible pretense nor vpon any experimentall profit neyther The officers theÌ„ which Christ hath given for the aedificatioÌ„ of his Church to the worlds end are Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers Ephe. 4. 11. 12. Now the first three sorts of these abovenamed were extraordinary extraordinarily endued for the first publishing of faith and planting of Churches and so as temporary are ceased with their endowments and this you graunt in effect pag. 184. of your last book And for the Pastorâ— and Teachers here spoken of you Mr B and the Ministers of your order would be thought the men Of what sort then I pray you are your grand Metropolitans your Archbishops Bishops Suffraganes Deanes Archdeacons Chauncelours Officials and the residew of that Lordly Clergy They must needs be of some other order then is here named and the gifts of some other cheif Lord then of Christ when he ascended on high and gave his gifts that is Antichrist whose gifts they were when he ascended on high even to the throne of his Apostasy And now for you which are set over the particular Parishes to teach the people as I confesse you of all the rest to be likest vnto the true Pastours so by your own confession are you excluded froÌ„ that rank The Officers which Christ hath appointed when he ascended have received power by your own assertion not onely for preaching and administring the sacraments but for government also The want then of the power of government bewrayeth you to be anothers gift then Christs even his and none others which hath devised an other order and distribution of giftes then ever came into Christs hart to appoint Lastly as it is true you affirm that Christ never sayd to the body of the congregation viz in expresse termes go preach so is it most vntrue which you intend viz that he never gave libertie and charge to any out of office to teach in the exercise of prophesy This point I have touched formerly but will more fully handle hereafter The same I also affirme in the second place touching the power of government not opposing your words well interpreted but your meaning which is that none but men in office have power eyther to reforme any abuse in the Church or to perform any other necessary Church duty without them And for shutting vp of this fourth Argument let it be considered that here is a great difference in administration of doctrine by teaching and of admonition excommunication in the order of discipline Onely one man in the Church doth teach at once and all the rest both Elders people are taught by him but the whol Church may admonish or excommunicate one or more at once or by one act and so though Christ never say to the Church goe teach yet he sayth to the Ch admonish excommunicate Mat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. In doctrine one man teacheth the whol Church the whol Church is taught in disciplyne the whole Church reproveth and excommunicateth one man and hiâ— censureth And thus your light Mr B. which you boast is as clearâ— as the sun in the firmament of heaven is darkened your sun is gone downe at noon day Amos 8. 9. The fifth reason is thus layd down It is never to be found in all the old testament that the people but princes and ecclesiasticall governours men in authority were reproved for suffring holy things to be abused Ezech. 22. 26. 1 Sam. 2. 27. 1 King 13. so in the new testament Math. 23. Rev. 2. 1. 8. 12. 18. and 3. 1. 7. 14. no meÌ„tion in these places is made of the people It seems Mr B. hath learnt of them which give counsel to affirme all things peremptorily vnder hope to find some men with whom a confident affirmation will go as far as a modest proof But here as alwayes I do except against as a corner stone of Babylon your vnequall yoaking of ecclesiasticall Officers Ministers in the govermeÌ„t of the Church with Princes Magistrates in their civil authority there is no proportion betwixt them A Lyon and an Ox will payr better then these two kinds of governours and governments Neyther can it be rightly sayd of Church officers that they are men in authority they are men in service and charge whether we respect God or the Church They have power I graunt for they have the gospell to preach minister which is the power of God to salvation they are to speak with authority and that also in the order of office and by speciall commission And so the Evangelists testifie of Christ that he taught as having authority and not as the scribes the reason was that where the manner of teaching amongst the Scribes was very corrupt and degenerate affecting the peoples harts with no reverence of God Christ on the contrary did manifest
for the punishment of offenders in it But this tedious matter is not yet ended For Mr B. marshals in eight fresh reasons to force all the reformed Churches in the world with vs to give over this hold of Mat. 18. pag. 224. 225. 226. of this his last book the best is they are of no great strength The first is a bare affirmation that the former exposition by me confuted is true His second Reason is bycause Christ hath erected no government in his Church for why he should adde by publick doctrine I see not except he would insinuate that Christ taught this point privately and in a corner but for this brings he no one scripture or reason as if his bare vvord vvere enough to stablish an Idoll King in his Church vvithout officers or lavves Where notvvithstanding in his former book pag 90. 91. 92. 93. he proves by many scriptures that Christ hath given officers for the government of his Church which no man denyes but himself In the third place he affirmes that Christ by the Church meanes not the Iewish Synedrion wherin I assent vnto his saying for reason brings he none Touching the nature of the Churches government which he gropes at in the fourth place I have spoken els where The 5. Reason followeth which comprehends vnder it many petty Reasons and amongst other the 6 7 and 8 in order which save for the shew in the margent of 8. distinct numbred Reasons might vvel enough haue ben spared The sum is that this 18. of Mat. is no perfect rule of discipline the reasoÌ„s are bycause neyther all sorts of sins are here brought in nor all the parts of discipline here comprehended And hovv do these things appear First bycause a man is here to proceed onely for trespasses or as it is better turned for offences against himself but not for sinne against God against the Magistrate or against an other But here you should have remembred Mr B. that sin being the transgression of the law is onely against God to speak properly and therefore David notwithstanding his defiling of Bath sheba and murdering of Vrijah confesseth that he had sinned against God onely But as the same transgression is so coÌ„mitted as man scandalizeth or takes offence at it so it is a sinne against him whether the deed done respect God or man yea man or beast publick or private person a mans self or others in the object and so he may forgive it after the order prescribed by Christ. And where by way of exception you demaund how one man can remit trespasses done against an other it is true it cannot be if by trespasses be meant personall injuries but considering the same trespasses as they are sinnes against God at which a brother takes offence so the brother offended may forgive them vpon the offenders repentance And asking how men can forgive rebellion against God you seem to haue forgotten yourself for in the very leaf next before going you both graunt and prove that not onely Ministers by vertue of their office but private persons also may bind and loose sinnes The thing it self you grant and for the manner of it it is as they save by manifesting and making knowne outwardly salvation and the forgivenes of sinnes To your third objection concerning the keeping secret of publick crymes against the Magistrate vpon the offenders repentance you answer yourself for if they be publick or of publick nature they may not be kept secret neyther are they capable of the order of secret dealing in them And here falles into consideration your seventh Reason which is that if discipline be grounded vpon Mat. 18. then the Church must iudge in civil affaires and enter vpon the bounds of the Magistrate And are you ignorant Mr B. that civil actions as they draw scaÌ„dalous sin with them may be censured ecclesiastically as may also religious actions be punished civily by the Magistrate which is the preserver of both tables so to punish all breaches of both specially such as draw with them the violation of the positive lawes of kingdomes or disturbance of common peace Take your own instance of murder The Magistrate is to punish it civilly in all his subjects whether the parties repent or no the Church is to censure it ecclesiastically in her members yea though the Magistrate pardon or passe by it except the parties delinquent repent for then they are to be forgiven And what vsurpation is here vpon the Magistracy you to suppress Gods ordinance do flatter the Magistrate and accuse the innocent Next you except that this of Mat. is a rule for sinnes private and more secret but not for publick and open sinne You might as well say that the patterne of prayer prescribed by Christ Mat. 6. is not perfect nor a rule for private prayer or for things concerning our selves onely bycause it teacheth vs to say Our father forgive vs our sinnes But who knowes not that generalls include their specialties vnder them The Lord Iesus in teaching his disciples to say forgive vs our sinnes ioyntly teacheth them in the same place to ask forgivenes eyther of their own sinnes or the sinnes of others severally as occasion serves so in teaching here all the degrees of admonition ioyntly he implyes also the dealing in any one of them severally if there be occasion And this exposition of Mr B. can I not fitlyer resemble then to the practise of some silly pursevant that being sent to attach some traytour or other malefactour dwelling in Barwick and so to bring him to the Court if he should meet the party by the way would refuse to medle with him and would say that he was sent to Barw to fetch him and would eyther bring him from thence or would let him alone And it seems if Mr B. might construe his coÌ„mmission he would so advise him But would not common sense teach a man that the nearer he met with the party he â—ought the more labour were spared and that he were to apprehend him where he found him So where Christ sends his disciples to deal with sinne a farre off as it were and in the first vtmost degree but if it be come nearer and be found in the 2. or 3. degree it is to be taken where it is found If it be secret and yet rest betwixt the brother offeÌ„ding offended it must there be dealt with if it become nearer the court and be wrought before two or three or more it must there and in that order be vndertaken the first degree is over and that labour spared if it be of publick nature or publikly coÌ„mitted the two former degrees are past and the labour in them spared the sin must be dealt with accordingly And the Church eyther by information from any brother or brethren or by immediate notice taken may convent or call for the offender that he which sinned publikly may publiquely be rebuled And this may serue for answer to the
by the people and so vnder their excommunication is their deprivation comprehended If the Pastour and so of the rest of the Officers be a brother in the Church as all Gods children are the saynts brethren then must the Church not suffer sin to rest upon him but must admonish him and if he remaine obstinate cast him out For the Lord Iesus subjects every brother indefinitely and without respect of persons to this censure Mat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11 12. 13. From which last scripture another Argument of the same nature may be drawn which is that if the Pastour and so of the other officers be within and not without and vnder the Lords judgement then are they under the judgement of the Church gathered together in the name of our Lord Iesus which you confesse to be the multitude yea I see not how the Pastour or officers may be admonished by the Church if they may not be cast out or how the Collossians may say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministery if they may not censure him if he be heedlesse for he that wil not heare the Church must be excommunicated or which is a description of excommunication by an effect must be accounted an heathen or publican They that are without vnder the Lords iudgement are exempted from the Churches judgments but they which are within the Church must iudge and therefore if the Ministers be within and not without and under Gods iudgements they must vndergoe the iudgements of the Church If the Pastour and the like reason is of the rest may not be excommunicated for sin by the Church then he and they want a meanes of salvation which the brethren have yâ—â— the onely folenin meanes of salvation in the case of obstinacy â—o which they are as subâ—ect as any other being frayl men as the rest And the reason is for that as the preaching of the gospell which is the one key of the kingdome is the power of God to salvation vnto them that beleeve so excommunication being the other key is the power of our Lord Iesus for the destruction of the flesh or humbling of the offender that his foule might be saved Now what a miserable priveledge this were all men truely fearing God will easily observâ—â— And for mine own part knowing mine owne infirmities and that I am subiect to sinne yea to frowardnes in sin as much as the brethren are if by mine office I should be deprived of the romedy which they enioy that blessed ordinance of the Churches conâ—ures I should think mine office accursed and my self by it as frustrating and dissappointing me of that mayn end for which the servants of Christ ought to ioyn theÌ„selves vnto the Church of Christ furnished wiâ—h his power for their reformatioÌ„ And sinâ—e the cheif thing which after the glory of God the saynts are to regard is their salvation and that their salvation is no way indangâ—red but by obstinate impenitency and that obstinate impenitency hath none other solemn ordinance for remedy but excommunication what cause of sorrow had I for the want of this soveraigne remedy and meanes of salvation by mine office which without it I might enioy As on the contrary God is my record how in the very writing of these things mâ— soul is filled with spirituall ioy that I am vnder this easy yoak of Christ the censures of the Church whereof I am and how much I am comforted in this very consideration against my vile and corrupt nature which notwithstanding I am perswaded the Lord wâ—ll never so farre suffer to rebell as that iâ— shall not be taymed subduâ—d by this strong hand of God with out which it might every day and hower so hazard my salvation That doctrine which advanceth an inferiour and meaner estate in the Church above that which is superiour the cheif that is vnsound and in deed serving in a degree for the exaltation of thâ—â— man of sinne a 〈◊〉 all that is called God But this doctrine of Mnâ—stâ— setting the Elders without and above the iudgements and censures of the Church doth advance an inferiour above a suporiour Ergo. The point then to be proved is that the order of saints or sayâ—tship in the Church is an order superiour vnto and above the order of officers or of Bishoptick or Eldership which I thus manifest 1. The order of servants is inferiour to the order of them whose servants they are But the order of Church Officers is an order of servants and they by their officâ— to 〈◊〉 the people Ergo. 2. The order of Kings is the highest order oâ—â—staâ—â— in the Church But the order of saynts is the order of Kings wee are Kings as we are saynts not as wee are officers Ergo 3. As the Apostle proves the woman to be inferiour vnto and lesse excellent then the man 1. bycause 〈◊〉 is not of thâ— woman but the woman of the manâ— and 2 bycause the man was not created for the womuns sake but the woman for the mans sake â—o by necessary consequence and iust proportion it followeth that the Elders are inferiour and lesse excellent then the Church as being both of and for the Church and not the Church of nor for them 4. As the Lord Iesus did prove against the Scribes Pharisees that the temple was greater then the gold bycause it sanctified the gold and that the altar was greater then the offering bycause it sanctifyed the offoring so by proportion the condition of a saynt which sanctifieth the condition of an officer as our generall calling doth our speciall calling is more excellent and greater then it is To our saynt-ship and as wee have fayth is promised the forgivenes of sinnes the favour of God and life eternall but not to our office or in respect of it The estate of a saynt is most happy blessed though the person never so much as come neare an office but on the contrary an officer if he be not also and first a sainct is a most wretched and accursed creature Infinite others are the reasons to disprove the pretended charter by which this popish Clergy would exempt it self from the coÌ„mon condition of Christians in the coÌ„mon Christian ordinances of the Church as though their office ate vp their brotherhood their speciall calling of officers their generall calling of Christians And I cannot more fitly resemble this exemption of one or more officers from the ecclesiasticall censures vnto which one or so many brethren are subiect being in the same sinne then to the like exemption or priveledge springing as it seemes from the same root in civill judgements coÌ„monly called The benefit of clergy For as by it a malefactour if he can read vt clericus as they speak shall escape death which others do so he should without that benefit vndergoe so by the benefit of clergy here the person
of truth nor cause vs to forbear this most excellent and comfortable ordinance of the Lord Iesus wherein is to be seen and heard the variety and harmony of the graces of God for the aedifying of the Church v. 4. and gayning of the vnbeleevers v. 24. 25. That the Apostle in this Chapter directs the Church in the vse of extraordinary gifts is most evident neyther will I deny but that the officers are to guide and order this action of prophesying as all other publick buesinesses yea even these wherein the brethren have greatest liberty but that he also intends the establishing of so takes order and gives direction for an ordinary constant exercise in the Church even by men out of office I do manifest by these reasons First bycause the Apostle speaks of the manifestation of a gift or grace common to all persons as well brethren as ministers ordinary as extraordinary and that at all times which is love as also of such fruits and effects of that gaace as are no lesse coÌ„mon to all then the grace it self nor of lesse continuance in the Churches of Christ to wit of â—dification exhortation comfort v. 3. compared with 1 Thes. 5. 11. 14. Secondly verse 21. he permits all to prophesie and speaks as largely of prophesying as of learning and receiving comfort But now least any should object may women also prophesie the Apostle prevents that obiection and it may be reproves that disorder amongst the Corinthians ver 34. by a flat inhibition inioyning them expresly to keep silence in the Church in the presence of men to whom they ought to be subiect and to learn at home of their housbands v. 35. and not by teaching the mâ—â— to vsurp authority over them 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. which the men in prophesying do lawfully vse Now this restreynt of women from prophecying or other speaking with authority in the Church both in this place to the Corinthians and in the other to Tim doth clear the two former obiections In that Paul forbids women he gives liberty to all men gifted accordingly opposing women to men sex to sex and not women to Officers which were frivolous And againe in restreyning women he shewes his meaning to be of ordinary not extraordinary prophesying for women immediately and extraordinarily and miraculously inspired might speak without restreynt Exo. 15. 20. Iudg. 4. 4. Luk. 2. 36. Act. 21. 17. 18. The Prophets here spoken of were not extraordinary bycause their doctrines were to be iudged by other Prophets and their spirits to be subiect vnto the spirits of others v. 29. 32. where the doctrines of the extraordinary Prophets were neyther subiect to nor to be iudged by any but they as the Apostles being immediately and infallibly inspired were the foundation vpon which the Church is built Iesus Christ himself being the cheif corner stone The Apostle vers 37. makes a Prophet and a man spirituall all one whom he further describes not by any extraordinary gift but by that common Christian grace of submission vnto the things he writes as the commaundements of the Lord. Vnto whom also ver 38. he opposeth a man wilfully ignorant teaching vs that he doth not measure a Prophet in this place eyther by the office of ministery or by any extraordinary propheticall gift but by the coÌ„mon christian gift of spirituall discerning It is the commaundement of the Lord by the Apostle that a Bishop must be apt to teach that such Elders or Bishops be called as are able to exhort with sound doctrine and to convince the gainsayers Now except men before they be in office may be permitted to manifest their gifts in doctrine and prayer which are the two mayn works requiring speciall qualification in the teaching Elders how shall the Church which is to chuse them take knowledge of their sufficiency that with faith and good conscience they may call them and submit vnto them for their guides If it be sayd that vpon such occasion triall may be taken of mens gifts I do answer first that mens gifts and abilities should be known in some measure before they be once thought on for officers and 2. that there is none other vse or tryall of those gifts but in prophesying for every thing in the Lords house is to be performed in some ordinance there is no thing throwen about the house or out of order in it and other ordinance in the Church save this of prophesying is there none wherein men out of office are to pray and teach which therefore they ought to covet v 39. and in it to be excercised and trayned vp that when officers want the Church may not need to set vp men as it were to play their prizes nor send them like school-boyes to be posed as your fashion in England is And that minister that is not called vpon the Churches experimentall knowledge of his sufficiency in these things comes not in by the dore which Christ hath opened nor may be accounted a true minister of Christ and his Church Lastly eyther men not yet in office being accordingly qualified may preach the truth of Christ or it is not possible that the people should be taught in lawfull manner eyther in nations vniversally heathenish or vniversally apostate vnder Antichrist before there be true Churches gathered by which the officers are to be chosen for as it is not very like that heathenish or antichristian preists will sincerely teach the truth neyther is it lawfull for them to administer or for any to joyn with them in their administrations by vertue of any heathenish or antichristian calling or ordination Rev. 14 9. 10. 11. 1 Tim. 5. 22. And howsoever the Church of England hath preferred a dumb masse and profane preisthood with a service-book before this ordinance yet the truth of Christ is otherwise and so the Church of Christ is taught to practise which you also Mr B might do well in modesty to acknowledge though you want liberty to vse it I haue insisted the longer vpoÌ„ this point both for it self and bycause it serveth effectually to prove the other point in hand For if the brethren have liberty in this ordinance of prophecy they haue also liberty in the other ordinance of excommunication for they are both of the same nature Look to whom Christ gave the one key of doctrine to them he gave the other key of discipline and they that may handle the one may have a finger vpoÌ„ the other they that may bynde loose by doctrine reproof comfort they may also bynde or loose by application of the same doctrine reproof or comfort to the person obstinate in sin oâ— penitent for it As the one of those doth necessarily establish the other so take away eyther and the other cannot stand And here I gather an other argument agaynst your exposition of Math 18. Lastly as the Elders principally to be imployed in teaching cannot
as appeareth in that it appointeth one set service in so many words to be sayd by all and every Minister to all and every parish person in it It appoints one set form of words wherein all persons without exception must be maryed all women without exception after child-bearing purified all children born in the kingdom baptized all sick persons visited and all dead persons buryed without exception How shall we then sever you in the things wherein you joyn your selves or put a difference where your selves put none And where further as loath to let fall the plea of the wicked you do adde that God called Israell his people after defection and their children in respect of circumcision his children Ezech. 16. 21. 22. I answer first that the Lord did not call them his children in respect of circumcision for the Scechemitcs were circumcised and yet were not Gods people not their children his children and 2. that the Prophet speaks of the first born which by right did in a speciall manner apperteyn to the Lord Exod. 13. 2. though he were most injuriously defrauded of his due Where you proceed and say that some in the Acts 19. 2. which were ignorant of the holy Ghost were called beleevers that is too grossely applyed to the ordinary gifts of the holy Ghost which is meant of such extraordinary visible giftes as wherewith God did for a time beautify the Church which these persons also there spoken of did afterwards receive by imposition of hands by Paul vers 6. For the Churches of Corinth and Pergamus with whose corruptions as with a buckler you would cover your selves it must be remembred that they and every person in them were in their coÌ„stitution separated by voluntary profession into covenaunt with the Lord and did with their covenant receive power and charge to reform such evills as might break out amongst them which if they neglected they brake covenant with God and so forfeyted on their part both their covenant and power provoking the Lord if they repented not to break with them shortly to remove their candlestick out of his place That which you adde the last and in deed the worst of all the rest is that the Church of Christ is set out even by the naming that is by the profession of the name Iesus Christ. Rom. 15. 20. But the Apostle intends no such matter but onely to magnify his Apostleship by this amongst other the notes of it that he had preached the gospell where before there had been no sound of it And if the naming of Iesus Christ set out a Church then are the Papists besides other haeretiques a true Church for they name Iesus Christ as oft as you and with as many courtesies But things are best discerned in their particulars and to them you discend saying that that congregation which is false hath a false head false matter false form and false properties which say you cannot be avouched against our congregations And what if but some of these be false and not all To make a thing true must concurre all the essentiall parts and properties but to make it false there needs not be all false some few will do it For the particulars You haue no false head bycause you hold Iesus Christ and worship no other God but the Trinity in vnitie The Papists also worship the Trinity in vnity and in word and in the generall confesse Christ their head and you in deed and in the particulars many of them do deny his headship Christ is the head onely of his body Col. â— 17. But the body of Christ consists not of the lims of Sathan of which your nationall Church was for the most part gathered compact after the generall apostasie of Antichrist and of such it consists at this day except you will deny that they are the lims of Sathan the eyes of whose minds he blâ—ndeth that the light of the gospel should not shine in them which do the lusts of the divell and are his children which commit sin which persequute the godly and cast in prison the servants of Christ. Now tell me not Mr Bern. of the wicked persons in the Churches of Corinth Thiatyra and the rest for these Churches were not gathered of any such outwardly and so appearing it is blasphemy against the Apostles so to affirm and if any appearing such were afterwards suffred it was a â—anker in the Churches which in tyme ate out the harts of them As therefore the Papists make the Church a monstrous body in setting two heads over it Christ the Pope so do you make Christ a monstrous head in vniting vnto him meÌ„bers of so contrary a nature And let the prophane world make as small account of it as they list it is certayn no false doctrine haeresy or Idolatry can more eyther displease or dishonour God and his Christ then wretched men in word professing his truth and name and in deed denying both him and them Further you have not Christ the head of your Church in the administration of his propheticall preistly and kingly office which I will onely point at referring the reader to such other treatises as do more fully confirm these things in speciall to Mr Ainsworth his arguments disproving the present estate constitution of the Church of England against which his playn proofs your idle exceptions Mr Ber. wil be as easily answered as read First then your Church admitteth not of the ordinance of prophesying or teaching out of office Rom. 12. 6. 7. which as I have formerly proved to be a perpetuall ordinance for the Church so how profitable it is both for the edification of them within and conversion of them without we find by experience and the scriptures declare 1 Cor. 14. 3. 24. 25. 2. You silence the Lord Iesus in your Church from revealing the whole will of his father A part of his word is vtterly excluded by your calender may not so much as be read in your Church but is justled out by the Apocrypha writings a greater part even the most of that which concerns the true gathering and governing of the visible Church though it may be read yet may it not be faithfully taught much lesse obediently practised notwithstanding any charge of the Prophets Apostles Christ himself Deu. 29. 29. Math. 28. 19. 20. Rom. 16. 25. 26. 2 Tim. 3. 16. 17. so that though you haue the whole will of God in your books as Papists haue yet in respect of the doctrine and obedience of a great part of it the book is sealed vp and may not be opened And to make vp the measure you have in stead of the canonicall scriptures of the holy Ghost mens Apocrypha scriptures the books of homilies and that of common prayers your popish canons and constitutions which are as well the doctrine of your Church as the canons of the
Tridentine councell are the doctrine of the Church of Rome and if you will in stead of Prophets to teach your significant ceremonies the cap surplice crosse typpet which are neyther dark nor dumb but apt to stir vp the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable signification Here is drosse for silver and for the finest wheat chasse Lastly your Prophets which administer that part of Christs prophecy or of the scriptures which may be taught and practised amōgst you haue neyther the true office of ministery which Christ hath prescribed nor a lawfull calling to that they have as hath been in part noted from Ephe. 4. and is els where clearly evinced Now Christs preistly office you do corrupt and prophane vnsufferably whether we respect the persons or things whereof you make him a mediator Are those Atheists and vngodly persons wherewith you cōfesse in the beginning of your book your Church is full and which if you should deny heaven and earth would witnes against you are they I say their soules and bodyes those lively holy and acceptable sacrifices and offerings sanctified by the holy Ghost Are those devised printed and stinted collects read out of your humane service-book the spirituall sacrifices of prayer and thanks-giving which the spirit of God teacheth the sonnes of God to offer the fruits and calves of the lipps which confesse his name Is that constreyned payment of a weekly or monethly rate and assesment for the poore more fitly called a malevolence for the ill will it is payd with then a benevolence that gratious cheerfull care for the saynts that freewill offering of love and mercy that sweet smelling odour that acceptable and well pleasing sacrifice vnto God Are these I say those sacrifices for which Iesus Christ the eternall high preist appeareth for ever before his father in heaven that he might offer them vnto him in the golden censure perfumed with the odours of his own righteousnes or are they to be sanctified by the golden altar of his merits standing before the throne of God Rev. 8. 3. 4. Math. 23. 19. A lesse indignity sure it was to lay vpon the materiall Altar in the tabernacle or temple doggs swine vultures and all vncleane beasts and byrds with their durt and dung then thus to lay vpon this heavenly altar those unclean beasts and byrds whereof Babylon is an habitation and cage And for Christs kingly office who is able to set down the indignities outrages offered in your Church to the scepter therof For first where Christ reigneth as the King in Syon his holy mountayn ruling over his servants and subjects onely as the King of saints vnder his father you have gathered him a kingdom crowned him the King thereof contrary to his expresse will of known traytours and rank rebels vnto his crown and dignity even of such as do visibly and apparantly fight for Satan and his kingdom the kingdom of darknes hating deriding and persecuting to the vtmost of their power all such as desire to please and serve Christ in any sincerity Of such and none other doth the body of your Church consist for the greatest part as all amongst you that feare God will testify with me 2. Where Christ ruleth over his subjects by the scepter of his holy word which is a scepter of righteousnes in the place of it the vngodly canons and constitutions of Popes and Prelates must and do bear sway Such subjects such lawes And say not Mr B. as you do in answer to Mr Ainsworth pag. 259. that you acknowledge no other law-giver over your consciences in matters of saith and obedience between Christ and you save him alone For what doth your Church representative but bind conscience in binding men to subscribe to the Hierarchy service-book and ceremonies spont◠et exanimo in pressing men to the vse of things reputed indifferent absolutely and whether they offend or offend not in tying men to a certayn form of prayer thanksgiving excommunicating men for the refusall and omission of these and the like observances of their lawes And vvhat do you but loose and vnbind the conscience in tolerating yea approving yea making and ordeyning vnpreaching Ministers and in binding the people vnder both civil and ecclesiasticall penalties to their ministrations in their own parishes and from others And what do you els in your dispensations for pluralities non-Recidency and the like Are not these matters of conscience with you Mr B. wherein your lawes and law-makers bynde and loose as they list All the lawes and ordinances for the ministery and government of the Iewish Church were matters of faith and obedience between God and the Church bynding the consciences of the people and is the new testament lesse perfect then the old and the lawes and ordinances for the administration of it lesse excellent and of a baser foundation then the former It matters not what your words are since it appeares by your deeds that you vsurp the throne of Christ in appointing officers and making lawes for the government and administration of his kingdome the Church and those many of them to the abolishing of his herein rather holding Christ as a captive then honouring him as a King 3. Where Christ hath given to his Church liberty power and commaundement every one of them severally and all of them joyntly to reprove and reform disorders and whatsoever is found whether person or thing faulty and disagreing vnto his word alasse this liberty is enthralled this power lost this commaundement made of no force The Prelates haue seazed all these royalties into their hands as though they alone were made partakers of Christs kingly annoynting were as Kings to rule in his Church Here is a King in a great measure without subjects without lawes without officers without power But here I must needs observe a few things about two answers given by Mr B. in his 2. book to two of Mr Ainsworths obiections about the matter in hand To the former being about the officers of Christ in the Church he answereth that they have Christs officers appointed to govern the civil Magistrate the Kings Maiesty the ruling Elder next vnder Christ c. and the ecclesiasticall governours vnder him the Bishops who are also Pastours and Doctours But you should have considered Mr Bern. that the question is not about civill but ecclesiasticall governours The King in deed is to govern in causes ecclesiasticall but civilly not ecclesiastically vsing the civil sword not the spirituall for the punishing of offendours And if the King be a Church officer then he is first a King of the Church ◠to be called to his office and so deposed from it by the Church or at least by other ecclesiasticall persons by whom alone you will have Church officers made And lastly if the King be such a ruling Elder as the scriptures speak
costly stones of cedaâ—s firres and the like special trees and those all prepared before hand hewed and perfit for the building so that neyther hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron was to be heard in the house in the building of it * By the gates of the house were the porters set that none that was vnclean in any thing should enter in Vpon the altar there might be offered no vnclean beast no nor that which was clean having a blemish vpon it And is any rubbish and riâ—rat now good enough for this †spirituall house and temple of God the Church whereof the material temple was but a carnall shadow may the porters the officers let into it the clean vnclean without difference may dogges and swyne and all vnclean beasts and byrdes promiscuously be offered vpoÌ„ * the altar we have in our spiritual tabernacle God forbid And far be it from the servants of the Lord to prepare his Maiesty such a house to dwell in or to defile his holy things with such vnclean persons or to offend his nostrels with the stench of such sacrifices Yea whosoever shall bring me this doctrine that a man of known wicked conversation without such appearance of repentance as the Church by the word of God rule of charity is to judge true may by warrant of the word or practise of the Apostles be received and admitted into the Church by the pratling of a verball profession I will hold that man yea though he were an angel from heaven accursed And for the places which Mr B. brings for this purpose they are so evident against him as when I read them I do even wonder with what conscience modesty or wisdome he could set them down They do speak in deed of faith and the profession of faith in and by such as were received into the Church but of what fayth of a dead faith without works as Iames speaks or fruitfull in evil works which is worse nothing lesse but of such a faith as hath the expresse promise of life eternall annexed vnto it even of that faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love towards God and man The places of scripture are these Rom. 10. 9. Ioh. 1. 12. 3. 36. Ioh. 17. 3. Act. 2. 36. 8. 37. 9. 20. 11. 26. 16. 31. 33. 19. 4. â— â—8 28. Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 3. 11. Godly reader view the places one by one and see if any one of them speak of a verball faith onely begot in the mouth or of such a profession of faith as hath ioyned with it a prophane conversation the contrary will appear as cleare as the sun and in it how evill a conscience this man vseth thus to pervert the scriptures to the maintenance of a vile opinion and prophane practise Your 4. Reason to prove that the profession of the mayn truth before layd down is of force to make a true Christian is that by it the man so professing doth differ from Iewes Turks Pagans Papists He doth in deed for he is so much worse then they by his verball profession of the truth taking Gods name in vayn and dishonouring it farr more then the other 1 Tim. 5. 8. Isa. 52. 5. Rom. 2. 24. And what matter is it from whom he differs that differs not from but is one of the men of the world a lim of Sathan and an habitation of his spirit Lastly â—â— fire it may be considered whether you be not a partiall and 〈◊〉 judge betwixt the Papists and your selves They for shutting â—â— their works at a third or fourth hand with faith in the 〈…〉 f salvation must be judged â—â—â—se matter and their errour against the 〈◊〉 of faith in the Sonne of God and destroying it against he truth of the gospel bycause it is against the sacrifice of Christs Preisthood and yet you though you yoak Antichrist with Christ and the Popes Canons with Christs Testament in the spirituall government of the soules and bodyes of his people and so sin against the scepter of his kingdome must be reputed true matter your errour no way against the nature of faith or truth of the gospell as though true faith did not as well apprehend Christ a King as a Prophet in the cause of salvation though not in the act of iustification and as though the order which Christ hath left in the Evangelists Actes and Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the gathering and government of his Church were not as well a part of the gospel and so the obiect of faith as any other portion of it Yea to conclude I tell you Mr B. and not I but the holy Ghost and I pray you consider it well that a lewd coÌ„versation and evill conscience is as damnable a sin and as directly against the nature of faith in the sonne of God and the truth of the gospel and doth as plainly destroy faith and prejudice salvation as any eyther Popish or other haeresy in the world Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Gal. 5. 19. 20. 21. Ephe. 5. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 5. 8. 1 Ioh. 1. 6. But graunt as you would have it that profession in word with an apparant denyall of the same in deed made a true Christian or true matter of the Church and that the Apostles built the Lords house of such stones which for me to graunt were both solly and impiety as it is in you to affirm it yet would it no way advantage you nor iustify your Church For the profession by which the Apostles and Apostolike Churches received meÌ„bers was voluntary and personall freely made by the particular persons which ioyned themselves vnto the Lord as the scriptures by you quoted prove as every one that readeth them may see but where was or is any such personall and particular profession vsed or required of any men or women in the replanting of your Church after Popery A man may go out of these countryes wher I now live as many do and hyre a house in any parrish of the land â—e is by the right of his house or fâ—rm a member of the paâ—rish Church where he dwels yea though he have been nousled vp all his life loÌ„g in Popery or Atheism though he were formerly neyther of any Church or religion Yea though he should professe that he did not look to be saved by Christ onely and alone but by his good meanings and well doings yet if he will come hear divine service he is matter true as steel for your Church yea be he of the Kings naturall subiectes he shall by order of law be made true matter of the Church whether he will or no. And what profession of faith in this very case of salvation the body of your Church makes or would make if men freely spake their thoughts a Minister of good note amongst your selves shall testify out of his own experience The
the world yet not of it but chosen out of it and hated by it men fearing God and working righteousnes and so being accepted of God in what nation soever purchased with the blood of Christ and so made his flock saynts by calling and sanctifyed in Christ Iesus and calling vpon the name of the Lord Iesus Christ in every place such were the Churches in Iudâ—a Galily and Samaria the Churches in Galatia the 7 Churches in Asia and of such people gathered into so many distinct assemblyes ech entyre in her self having peculiar Bishops or Elders set over her for her feeding by doctrine and government did those particular Churches consist they thus separated from the rest both Iewes and Gentiles in every nation whether more or lesse were that chosen generation that royall Preisthood that holy nation and purchased people of the Lord. But that ever the whole nation and all the Kings naturall subiects in it should have been within the covenant of the Lord entituled by the word of the Lord to the seals of the covenant and all the other holy things depending vpon it is a popular and popish fantasy as ever came into mans brayn requyring a new-found land of Canaan for a seat of this national Church wherein no vncircumcised person may dwel and a new old testament for the policy and government of the same And lastly it makes all one them that Christ hath chosen out of the world and the world them that fear God work righteousnes and whom he accepteth in every nation and the nation it self the beloved of God at Rome and the sanctifyed in Christ Iesus at Corinth with the City of Rome and of Corinth then which what confusion can be greater But to admit that for truth which you so take namely that Rome in the sence wherein we speak sometymes was the true Church of God as Iudah and more specially that the English nation was as the nation of the Iewes and all and every person in it high and low received into covenant with the Lord to be his people and that he might be their God yet can it not be sayd of Rome that she stil remayns the true Church of God as Iudah did in her defection but on the contrary as she brake her covenant with God advancing by degrees that man of syn the sonne of perdition and adversary Antichrist till he was exalted into the throne of Christ and that mistery of godlynes in and according to which that Church was planted at the first degenerated into the mistery of iniquity so did the Lord for her adulteryes wherein she was incorrigible when they were come to the height break the covenant on his part and gave her as an harlot a bill of divorce and put her away and her daughter Engl. with her amongst the rest Now for the more full clearing of this truth I wil in the first place answer such reasons as Mr B. brings against it and that done lay down certayn arguments to disprove his Popish plea for that Romish Synagogue Onely in the mean whyle I wish him to consider that if Mr â—m deserve so severe a censure as he layes vpon him pag. 281. of this book for some favourable affirmations touching some things â—â— persons in Rome he himselfe is much more blame worthy that both professeth and pleadeth her the true Church of Christ and in the covenant of grace and salvation then which what greater and more notable plea can be made for her Nay if it be probable that he which pleads for Rome as Mr Smith doth will in tyme become â—n love with it and sit downe a blind Papist it is necessary that he which thinks it a true Church return vnto it from which he hath wickedly schismed as all men do that separate from the true Church of Christ for any corruptions whatsoever Here I do also entreat the prudent Reader to beare it in mynd that the constitution of England cannot be iustifyed nor she proved to be rightly gathered but with the defence of Rome yea of that great and purpled whore to be the true spouse of the Lord Iesus The Reasons by which Mr B. would prove Rome a true Church are by him reckoned five in number we wil consider of them in order The first is taken from the first planting of that Church in S. Pauls tyme by vertue of which former calling and constitution sayth he Rome still remaynes the Lords people as Israel did in the wildernes notwithstanding her idolatry I do answer first that Rome as we now consider of it was never the Lords called nor under his covenant though a Church or assembly in that city or it may be more then one of saynts were and secondly that though she were yet is the covenant broken through her fornications and impenitency in them both on her part and the Lords visibly and she devorced long a goe and her daughters in and with her His secoÌ„d Reason is grounded vpon 2 Th. 2. 4. because Antichrist that is sayth he that head with his body sitteth in the temple of God which he further tels vs must be vnderstood visibly in respect of the truthes of God in doctrine and ordinances of Christ held there of which Gods people among them partake in his mercy to their salvation and others from tyme to tyme have mayntayned openly to the preservation of some fundamental poynts of the Apostolical constitution Wherevpon he also concludes that since the temple of God typing out the Church wherein he sitteth hath a true constitution Rome and that in respect of the tyme present hath a true constitution and is a true Church He might also have added and ever shal be a true Church for Antichrist ever shal sit there til Christs second coÌ„ming v. 8. Many men have written much about the notes marks of the true Church by which it is differenced and discerned from all other assemblyes and many others have sought for it as Ioseph and Mary did for Christ with heavy hearts Luk. 2. 48. that they might there rest vnder the shadow of the wings of the Almighty enioying the promises of his presence and power But what needs all this a doe Mr B poynts vs out with the finger a mark of the true Church most evident and conspicuous and like a beacon vpon an high hill and that is the exaltation of Antichrist I had thought the Churches and people of God should have been known by his dwelling among them walking there and by Christs presence in the middest of them but I now perceive Antichrists power presence and exaltation is a sure signe by which the Churches of Christ must be discerned If any therefore desire to plant his feet in the courts of the Lords house and there to abide for ever let him be sure to chuse such a Church to ioyn to as wherein Antichrist sitteth
visible body the Church of Rome as it is called vnder that visible head Antichrist the Pope be the true visible body of Christ vnder him the head The Apostle wryting vnto the Galatians calles the Church of the new â—estameÌ„t Ierusalem which is above the mother of the â—aythfull and Iohn in the book of the Revelâ—tion opposeth vnto Babylon spiritual the â—â—w Ierusalem coÌ„ming down from God out of hâ—â—ven and the tabeâ—nâ—â—le of God where he dwelleth with men making thâ—m his people and himself 〈…〉 heir God Now as the people of God in old tyme were called out of Babylon civile the place of their bodily bondage and were to come to Ierusalem and there to build â— new the Lords temple or tabernacle leaving Babylon to that destruction which the Lord by his servants the Prophets had dâ—nounced against it so are the people of God now to gâ—â—e out of Babylon spiriâ—â—â—â— to Ierusalem and to build vp themselves as lively stones into a s 〈…〉 or temple for the Lord to dâ—vel in leaving Babylon to that dâ—â—truction and desolation â—ea furthering the same to which she is devoted by the Lord. Bâ—â— if the people of God should receive Mr B. doctrine they were not to come out of Babylon nor to endeavour her destruction but to tarry in her still labouring for her reformation and the reparation of her decayed places neyther were they to build my new spiritual temple or to constitute any new Church from Rome present for of such a new constitution we speak but there to abydâ— reproving her corruptions and endeavouring the reformation of them It is therfore vntrue which you â—â—y Mr B. that the Romish Church must be dealt with onely as the Church of God was in Iudâ—th it must be dealt with as was Babylon eâ—en abandoned and forsaken by the Lords people vpon pâ—â—ill of the curses and plagues due vnto it and denounced against it and against all that abyde in it To this which Mr B. in this place so greatly contends for namely thaâ— Rome is the true Church of Christ though under corruptions as Iob was a true man vnder his sores let that be added which he wryteth els where in this book that corruptions are made matter of reproof but no cause of separation from the Church and further that they that separate from a true Church the body cut of themselves from Christ the head and to these two a third graunt and profession he makes as that their profession and lawes in England separate a protestant from a Papist that the Church of England is separated by profession lawes and publique mâ—etings from Papists that the very societyes of Papists are to be left as no people of God and his writings will appeare to all men like a beggars cloak patched together of old and new peices scraped vp here and there scarce two of the same eyther colour or thread Let me a little stich his patches together and set them in some order They that separate from the true Church cut of themselves from Christ. Mr B. pag 110. 111. But the Church of England in separating from Rome is separated froÌ„ the true Ch Mr B. pag. 114. 129. 14â— with 131. 132. 133. Therefore by Mr B. both graunt and proof the Church of England is separated from Christ. And is this your piety and thankfulnes Mr B. towards your mother for want of which you cast so many bitter curses vpon the separatists you are so far caryed in honouring your grandmother Rome as a true Church that you clean forgot your mother England and condemn her for a schismatical Synagogue Yea well were it or at the least more tolerable in you if you thus dealt onely with your selfe and your owne but this vile iniury which you here offer extends it selfe far and nere even to Luther Zuinglius and the other godly guides of separation and to all the reformed Churches separated from the Church of Rome yea to the martyrs in King Henryes and Queen Maryes dayes and to all other the like godly mynded through the whole world whom you condemn as wicked schismatiques and separated from Christ the head in separating themselves from his body your true Church of Rome Lastly the Apostle Paul wryting to the Church of Rome in her first and best estate praemonisheth her to stand fast in the fayth received least he which had not spared the natural branches the Iewish Church but broken them of for vnbelâ—if should not spare the wild branches whereof she consisted How then Mr B. can you deny that Rome is and hath been long broken of which so long hath â—â—yned works in the cause of salvation which you your selfe affirm to be against the true nature of fayth in the â—oâ—â— of God and that which destroyeth â—â— And that all may take knowledge how the Lord dealeth with his Churches vnder the new testament and may learn both to fear in themselves and how to iudge of the present state of Rome let it be observed what Christ Iesus by his servant Iohn wryteth vnto the Churches in Asia especially to the Church of Epâ—esuâ— which he having blamed for leaving her first love exhorts to repentance and to the doing of her first workes threatning withall that otherwise he will come against her shortly and remove her candlestick out of the place except she amend The same thing in effect he denounceth against the Churches of Pergaâ—us and Thyaâ—yra and so against the rest vpon the like occasions And if the Lord dealt so severely with the Church of Ephesus notwithstanding the many excellent things which were found in her and so acknowledged by the Lord himselfe v. 2. 3. as to remove her candlestick 1. to dis-church her as ch 1. 20. for leaving her first love and that speedily except she repented how can it be that the golden candlestick should stil stand in Rome and shee remayn the Church of Christ which so many hundred yeares since hath left not onely her first love but her first fayth also chaunging her fayth into haereâ—y and Idolatry and her love into most bloody cruel persequutions against all that have endeavoured her repentance and so hath continued a long space and doth continue at this day None but professed Romanists will plead any Charter for Rome above other Churches These things thus opened and these two capital errours confuted the former Iewish namely that England now is as Iudah was and that as then all the Iewes in that nation so now all the English men in the Kings dominions should constitute a national Church the latter Popish viz. that the Romish Church is the true visible body or Church of Christ it is evident both that the Evangelical Churches must be new planted or constituted by profession of fayth as the temple was new built after the captivitie of Babylon as also that not Iosiahs sword that is the coactive
dishonour of God profanation of his ordinances You speak much of the reformation of your Church after Popery There was indeed a great reformation of things in your Church but very little of the Church to speak truely and properly The people as I haue sayd are the Church and to make a reformed Church there must be first a reformed people and so there should haue been with you by the preaching of repentance from dead works and faith in Christ that the people as the Lord should haue vouchsafed grace being first fitted for made capable of the sacraments and other ordinances might afterwards have communicated in the pure vse of them for want of which in stead of a pure vse there hath been and is at this day a most prophane abuse of them to the great dishonour of Christ and his gospell and to the hardening of thowsands in their impenitencie Others also indeavouring yet a further reformation have sued and do sue to Kings and Queens and Parliaments for the rooting out of the Prelacy and with it of such other evill fruits as grow from that bitter root and on the contrary to have the Ministery government and discipline of Christ set over the Parishes as they stand the first fruit of which reformation if it were obteyned would be the further profanation of the more of Gods ordinances vpon such as to whom they apperteyned not and so the further provocation of his great Majesty vnto anger and indignation against all such as so practised or consented therevnto Is it not strange that men in the reforming of a Church should almost or altogether forget the Church which is the people or that they should labor to crown Christ a King over a people whose Prophet he hath not first been or to set him to rule by his lawâ—s officers over the professed subjects of Antichrist the Divel or is it possible that ever they should submit to the discipline of Christ which have not first been prepared in some measure by his holy doctrine taught with meekâ—es to stoop vnto his yoke Both you Mr B they of the other sort do tel vs oft of the reformed Churches and of your agreement with them I wish to God from my very hart that both you and they would compare your selves with them in this principall point vnto which all other are but as accessaries They after the abolition of Popery were established at the first whether by a new plantation new wee mean in respect of the present estate of Rome or by reformation onely as you will haue it and are still continued and increased by the free voluntary and personall profession of faith and confession of sinnes of such men and women as are by the word of God and the publishing of it perswaded and in some measure fore-fitted to joyn vnto them and walk with them and all this without any compulsion with the fear of Iosiahs sword or Hezechiahs proclamation by which you confesse your Church to have been in the persons of King Edward Queen Elizabeth brought back from Antichrist to the reformation wherin now you staÌ„d for which you peremptorily professe there is not required any profession of the name of Christ. Let it then be considered of and judged by all indifferent men how it can possibly be that both the reformed Churches abroad and the vnreformed Church of England can be truely gathered after the apostasie of Antichrist the former being separated from Popety into covenant with the Lord in the particular members by voluntary profession of faith without compulsion and the latter by compulsion without profession of faith Howsoever government freedom or voluntarynes be not contrary according to your most ignorant affirmation yet compulsion and voluntarines are and contraries cannot stand together and be made true no not by God himself My hope was that the argument of compulsion once ended I might with good leave have returned to the former book but see after so many provings and professings of Rome a true Church still in covenant with God that the Churches now separating from her were not to be gathered of such voluntaries as in the first plantation nor needed the preaching of the word to go before for their conversioÌ„ but that the Magistrate might compel them by fear and that so the reformation of the Church of England was wrought Mr B. now tels vs a cleane contrary tale and that their reformation was voluntary and not constreyned and how that came about First to let passe the succession of the Church he pleads from King Etheldred King of Kent of which I haue spoken so lately as the reader may bear mine answer in mind that the Queens Maiesty with many others began a voluntary reformation and that the supream power as he calls it being gathered made proclamatioÌ„ of her godly intent which was a kind of teaching to which the people yeelded voluntarily for any thing that any man can say to the contrary and pag. 245. adioyned themselves vnto them and that the act of the cheif doing it voluntarily is to be accounted the act of all though the inferiours come not to consent for proof of which he quoteth three scriptures Ex. 19. 3. 7. 8. Iosh. 4. 2. 8. 2 Chr. 14. 2. A solide proof bycause the Queen did voluntarily imbrace the truth in a measure therfore the whole body of the land whom she vrged by proclamation and other inforcements did voluntarily professe and imbrace the same For touching the supream power gathered that is the Counsell Nobles when she came to the crown they were such as had imediately before both enacted and exequuted most bloody statutes against such as voluntarily professed the truth and where you and the Ministers with you pag. 187. affirm that the body of the land did in Queen Elizabeths tyme adioyn themselves vnto that company which had stood out in Queen Maries dayes it is clean otherwise for they that so stood out adioyned themselves to the rest in the severall Parishes where their houses stood and occasions lay vnder the formerly masse-preists then for the most part ignorant and prophane preists with their English reformed masse-book In adding further that the Queens proclamation was a kind of teaching you trifle notably the quaestion is of such a teaching as was effectuall to make a whole nation of Antichristians the week before true Christians and a true Church It was in deed the onely effectuall means the people had generally and if the Queen had proclaymed the contrary the next week it would haue been as effectual to haue turned them to their former vomit again Your presumption that no man can say to the contrary but that the people yeelded voluntarily to the truth vpon the Queens proclamation is vayn considering what the voluntary yeeling or submission vnto the Gospel of Christ is which the scriptures commend vnto vs in the establishing of Churches The gospel
by which God makes a people his people whereas notes and testimonyes do not make that to be which is not but do shew and declare it to be already I do answer that as it is true that where God sends his word there â—e testifieth his love and is desirous that is in respect of the outward offer of the meanes to make such a people his Church so is it most vntrue that to whomsoever God sends his word and testifyes his desire outwardly to make them his people and Church that those he makes his Church and people or vnites himself visibly unto them The vniting of God vnto men is an effect of the word which it alwayes hath not vpon them to whom it is sent Externall efficients do never prove argue their effects necessarily except they work naturally and infallibly also which the worâ— doth not but morally and according to the good pleasure and blessing of the Lord vpon it It is as you truely say Mr B. the outstretched hand of the Lord in it self but it doth not vnite the Lord to any except he take hold of them with it it is in it self hat immortall seed but may fall vpon the very high way and so have no good effect at all eyther in truth or appearance the messengers of it are the Lords mouth vnto them to whom it is sent but all receive not this message to whom it comes some make light of it neglect it others do evilly entreat them that bring it hating reviling and persequuting both them and it Act. 13. 45. and 17. 18. Now will you say that God strikes hands with these men on his part enters covenant with them actually bycause his word is published amongst them The inward and invisible hand of the spirit must not onely be stretched out by the Lord but must seaze and take hold of the heart and be effectuall invisibly and internally before this invisible vnion be made on the Lords part so must the Lords outward and visible hand his word not onely be stretched out but also seaze and take hold of the outward man at the least and be effectuall visibly and externally vpon him before the Lord can be sayd on his part to haue contracted any visible vnion In the next place comes the visible hand of man by which he on his part câ—tracts with God enters covenant with him visibly that Mr B. makes the open profession of faith vnto the doctrine taught which such as make he sayth have visibly taken hold of the word strucâ—en hands with God You make much of nothing Mr B. or of that which is worse theÌ„ nothing Even now the profession of faith made the true matter of the Church and here it must make the true form of the Church and yet the truth is that in the forming of your nationall English Church by a new covenant from that wherein it stood in Popery which was by your own graunt with Saints and Angels in stead of God I adde with Antichrist in the stead of Christ no such profession of faith was made as your self here do both require and prove necessary for the forming of the visible Church or her vniting with God And that I manifest in two particulars The former is that the profession of faith required for a peoples vniting with the Lord their God must be made both freely and particularly by the persons themselves so vniting And this appeares both by that which you haue sayd of Gods giving or sending his word which is his visible outstretched hand by which he offereth reconcilation vnto men personally and so by consequent requires that they stretch out the hand of personall profession to him and also by the scriptures alledged by you all which do give witnes of such a confession of faith and sinnes as was freely made by the persons themselves particularly which were ioyned to the Church Let the reader take knowledg of these scriptures amongst the rest Mat. â— 6. Act. 2. 38. 1 Cor. 1â— 1. 2. the profession of faith noted in the scriptures by you produced was not made by men of lewd conversation or apparantly vnsanctified of whom alone and their vnion with God our question is but by men visibly and externally holy and such as all of them were visibly and so far as men in charity could judge iustified sanctified and intitled to the promises of salvation and life eternall The scriptures are besides the th 〈…〉 last named Math. 3. 6. Act. 2. 38. with which compare vers 3â— 41 47. 1 Cor. 15. 1. Mat. 10. 40. 41. 32. Act. 8. 12. 13. 37. 38. 1 Cor. 6. 1â— Col. 2. 11. 12. Tit. 3. 5. Who but you Mr Bernard would thus wrong eyther these scriptures as iustifying the admission of lewd persons desâ—rving to be excommunicated into the Ch or the Apostles of Christ for admitting or baptizing such And yet these persons are the true bad matter for which you pleaded so much formerly and which here by these scriptures you would bring into a true bad vnion with God For of these for the most part hath the nation alwayes consisted and of these your Ch was gathered at the first when it became national so hath stood formed ever since The 3. last thing for the perfecting of this visible covenant vnâ—ing of the meÌ„bers one to another M. B. makes the holy sacrameÌ„t of the L. supper which aâ— it is a seal of our faith so iâ— iâ— a testimony of that visible comâ—â—â—ioÌ„ of love also of one member with another 1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. You confound all things in saying the sacrament makes the covenaunt which is a seal of it and praesupposeth both the covenant and the Church whereof it is an ordinance The covenant must be before the Church and the Church before the sacrament how then can the sacrament make the Church And where you further call it an holy sacrament a seal of â—aith a testimony of the visible coÌ„munion of love of one member with another you speak the truth but not truly such it is in it self in the right administration use of it but not in the prophane abuse of it vpon wicked men of whom wee speak and for whom their vniting with Christ you here plead VpoÌ„ whom whilest you the rest of the ministers of your Church do prophane it as you do the more holy it is in it self the more vnholy is your fact the more heynous your sin It is as you say the seal of faith and of the forâ—ivenes of sinns through faith to the penitent beleevers but is it therefore so such to apparantly impenitent vnbeleeving persons it is in it self a testimony of the coÌ„munion of love but is it so vnto among the wicked or is it not in that abuse made a lying witnes to testifie witnes love where apparant hatred and malice reigns against God good
reader may see in both his books from their gifts and aptnes to teach from their holy graces their painfull and zealous preaching their suppressing of Popery and conversion of soules with other the like effects of the truthes of the gospel published and taught by them which things since he dares not affirm of the scandalous vnpreaching Preists he cunningly passeth them by as some small moat faln into the Church by the covetousnes of Much-wormly patrons but contrary to the true meaning of the lawes and without the least default of the Bishops or Archbishops as though the covetous Patrons could present them except the vngodly Bishops had first ordeyned them If he had undertaken the justification but as true though not as good both of the vnpreaching and preaching Ministers he must have sought and produced such Arguments as would haue agreed to both but finding himself able to make no shew at all for the ignorant idle and scandalous sort having no colours to paynt no morter to dawb over those filthy stones no not to any shew he smothers all them though far the greater both in number and authority and in deed the almost onely true formall ministers according to the Church canon and constitution and presents to the reader a few dispersed disgraced tolerated and tolerating persons and vndertakes their defence manifesting himself a right naturall merchant of that great whore in shewing some handfull of tolerable wares thereby to deceive the simple buyer with the whole peice or heap of rotten stuffe which goes with them Now on the contrary if Mr B. should not haue defended men of lewd conversation as true visible matter of the Church and members of Christs body he could not haue justifyed with any colour the Nationall Provinciall Diocesan and Parish Churches or any one of them as true since they were all at the first collected and do still consist for the greatest part of such people and so disposed He therefore takes liberty vnto himself to make such defence and for so much of his Church and Ministery as will serve his turn amongst the deceived multitude and of no more But the mayn point in this place about this matter in hand to be considered of is whether ability to preach be a qualification and so preaching a work necessarily required in the ministery of Engl according to the true meaning of the lawes ecclesiasticall civil and the book of ordination This Mr B. takes for graunted affirmatively and vpon it as a mayn ground builds his whole treatise about this matter but I on the contrary do affirm that this is so is known to be to all that mind it with wisdom good conscience cleane otherwise and that neyther this ability nor practise of preaching is of necessity required to the true and naturall constitution of the English ministery in the meaning of the lawes established in that case And for the confirmation of that I affirm against this mans presumptuous asseveration these proofs suffice First the books of Homilies published and confirmed by law to be read of such ministers as cannot preach do evidently declare that ability to preach is not necessarily required of all in the true meaning of the law 2. By the statute law of the land and in particular by one statute enacted for the prevention of vnworthy ministers though wanting the book I cannot set down the title tyme or order of it he that is eyther a Bachilour of arts in one of the Universities or can give an account of his faith in latin or hath been brought vp in a Bishops house though he haue been his porter or horsekeeper or hath a gift in preaching is capable of orders and may be by the Bishop ordeyned a minister so that by the expresse letter and playn meaning of the law aptnes and ability to teach is not necessarily required in the English ministery If he haue any one of the three former qualifications the law approves of him and being ordeyned the Patron may present him to any congregation in the land whom the Bishop also must institute the Archdeacon induct and the people receive and may be therevnto compelled whither they will or no. Adde vnto these that your canons and constitutions framed by the convocation house and confirmed by the Kings royall assent so being the lawes ecclesiasticall of your Church by your doctrine Mr B. the Act of all the Church though the inferiours come not to consent do not onely approve an vnpreaching Ministery but also lay deep curses and Anathemaes vpon all that deny eyther the truth or lawfulnes of it To this also I might annex that it is a very common doctrine with your Prelates and their Chaplins and faction that preaching is no necessary annexum or appurtenance vnto Orders which they also offer to defend against all gainsayers But it seems you haue speciall reference to the book of ordination let vs therefore see what it makes for you or your purpose That you build vpon I know iâ— these words of the Bishop when he orders his Preist and delivers him the Bible in his hand Take thou authority to preach the word of God and to minister the holy sacraments in this congregation where thou shalt be so appointed The words I hear and acknowledge but the true meaning of the book I deny it to be that every Minister should be able to preach It may as wel be sayd it is the meaning of the book that that every Preist should be ordeyned in the particular congregation where he is to minister bycause of the latter words in this congregation where thou shalt be so appoynted and that he is to minister the discipline of Christ as well as the doctrine and sacraments bycause such words passe betwixt him and the Bishop in another place of the same book It is not the least delusion of Sathan or mistery that such formes of good wordes are reteyned both in the Romish English Church without any truth eyther of purpose or practise in those which vse them for by them the eyes of the simple are easily bleared by such deceivable merchants as right now I spake of though it be not without a speciall providence of God that these the like forms of words should be vsed for the more full conviction and condemnation of them that chuse to be deceived as I have formerly noted in this book To conclude this poynt The reading of the service book in form and maner the celebrating of mariage churching of women burying of the dead conformity and subscription are more essentiall to your ministery and more necessarily requyred by the lawes of your Church both civil and ecclesiasticall then preaching of the gospel is The wearing of the surplice and signing with the crosse in baptism are of absolute necessity without partial dispensation yea I may ad violation of oath by the Bishops whereas preaching of the word is no
such necessary or essentiall duety but a work casuall accessory and supererrogatory which may be done or vndone as the minister is able or willing without any such absolute necessity as is here pretended Herevpon then it followeth that since the preaching of the gospel is no necessary part or property of the office of ministery in the Church of England that that ministery cannot be of Christ as also that the conscionable and effectual preaching of some men is no iustification at all of the office which may and doth consist essentially without it and to which it is but casual accidentall but a commendation of the persons which besydes the natural and necessary parts of their office do so practise and preach And this consideration alone might suffice for answer vnto all Mr B. proofs for the legitimating of the ministery in the Church of England yet will I for the further discovering of them considering the confidence wherwith he propounds them descend to the particulars In his former book he layes down and proves by the scriptures these three sound and mayn grounds touching the ministery 1. that the Lord onely ordeyns offices in his Church 2. that he distinguisheth them one from another that one may not intrude into an others office 3. that he onely prescribes the dutyes to be done in every distinct office and so in the fourth place he comes to the qualification and gifting of men for their functions and so proceeds to other particulars But observe his dealings when he comes to apply and compare the ministery of England to and with these golden rules and by them generally and truely propounded to iustify it in the particulars he passeth them all by in silence as if he had vtterly forgotten them and speaks not one word eyther of the offices themselves or of the distinction of them one from another or the duties to be done in them but comes in the very first place to the guifts and graces of the persons And in so doing like the vnrighteous steward he doth wisely though nothing lesse then faythfully He knowes wel that he cannot fynd in the scriptures the least colour for the offices of Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Deanes Arch-deacons halfe Preists or Engl Deacons nor that the dutyes of celebrating marriage purifying women burying the dead reading the service book in manner and form are layd vpon the ministers of the gospel as dutyes to be done in their offices nor that the Provinciall and Diocesan officers may intrude into their office which are set over particular congregations and deprive them of the power of government nor the Deacons to administer the sacrameÌ„ts nor that any of them may intrude into the office of the civil Magistrate as they all do lesse or more in medling with matters of mariage divorce testaments or with iniuryes as they respect the body or outward man according to your and other mâ—ns exposition of Math. 18. making ministers Magistrates and Eâ—ders in the Church Elders in the gates These things he knew and therefore coÌ„ming to speak of the ministery in England and to apply these general rules to their particular estate he not so much as once mentions eyther the diversity of offices in the Church or their distinction one from another or the several dutyes to be done in them least in naming them he should as it could not have been otherwise have condemned that thing which he would so gladly iustify And this I desire the Reader to note not onely against him but specially against the Ministery he pleads for His Arguments to prove the Ministers of England true Ministers of Christ follow in order The first is because they are not Ministers of Antichrist and that he would prove by 4. Reasons 1. by their doctrine and oath against him 2. because they shew no obedience vnto him 3. because Antichrist himself disclaimeth them as no Ministers condemneth them as haeretiques 4. because Antichrists Ministers are sacrificing and mâ—ssing Preists which they are not Here Mr B. had he done faithfully should have cleared our Arguments by which in sundry treatises published for that purpose we have proved them in respect of their offices entrances administratioÌ„s the Ministers of aÌ„tichrist but thinking it easyer to strike then to fence he passeth by what we have written against them layes down certeyn colourable reasoÌ„s for them which I have summarily set down in order and vnto which I return this answer First and generally that there is one common errour in all his Arguments namely that there is no Antichrist but that great Antichrist the Pope as though there were no more Divils but Beelzebub because he is the cheif of the Divils I would know of this man what he thinks of the clergy in King Hen. 8 dayes that took the oath of supremacy and taught against the Pope opposing him being opposed by him or what he thinks of the Lutheran Ministers that disclaym the Antichrist of Rome as haereticall and are disclaymed by him yet do abhor from the reformed Churches and from al coÌ„munion with them for the mayn truthes they hold touching the sacrament and predestination The thing then is that there are degrees of Antichristianism orders of Antichrists that is of such as are adversaries vnto Christ. In Pauls time that man of sin adversary was got into the temple of God and in Iohns time many Antichrists were come into the world and yet there was then neyther Pope nor masse preist no nor Diocesan or Provinciall Prelate neyther There was in deed Diotrephes who sought for praeheminence to rob the Church of †the power of Christ and so was an Antichrist as there were many other impugning Christ the Lord otherwise but the great Antichrist of Rome was by many degrees and long continuance to be advanced to his throne And as there were lesser Antichrists before him by which he entred so are there also after him and those left behind him in the Church of Engl out of which he is driven And those are the Lord Arch bishops and Lordbishops with their orders and administrations vnto whom whilst the inferiour ministers do swear canonicall obedience they do by oath promise obedience vnto Antichrist and receive his mark and so ministring are the marked servants of Antichrist whom they obey whom they are also by doctrine to defend except their othes and words disagreed From whom if any of them do withdraw this their bounden and sworn obedience by denying subscription vnto his orders or conformity vnto his ceremonies them he silences suspends and deprives as schismaticall if not hereticall and vtterly vnworthy of their and their Churches service And these things the reader may apply to Mr B. 3. first severall Reasons Now to your fourth and last Argument viz that you are no masse-preists my answer is first that you haue the same office with masse preists though reformed of that massing and some
their making as presentation election examination ordinatioÌ„ with imposition of hands and that the exceptions wee take are but about circumstances onely and same manner of doing which do not make a nullity or falsity of the deed done As we do except against the very office it self and against the mayn and most principall works of it by law required as works of will-worship and voluntary religion so do our exceptions against the very calling and enterance of your Ministers evince them sufficiently not to be the true Ministers of Christ. No man takes this honour vnto himself but he that is called of God as Aaron No Christ himself took not this honour to be made the high Prâ—â—st but he that sayd vnto him thou art my sonne this day begate I thee gave it him And if Christ the Lord of his Church did not take vpon him the solemn administration of his office till by the Father he was called thereunto from heaven it is great presumption for any man and he a bold vsurper that so practiseth to take vpon him any office in the Church not being chosen and called thereunto by them which under the Lord haue received this Charter thus to call Ministers which are onely his Church and people And by this doctrine of Mr Bern that faylings in circumstances and manner of doing make not a nullity or falsity of the deed it should follow that if a company of Papists Arians Anabaptists or of any other Haeretiques or idolaters should chose and call a minister though it were a child an idiote yea a woman that after the most prophane and superstitious manner that could be yet this made no nullity or falsity of the action for all were but errours in circumstances and manners of doing Yea by this trifling murther adultery and all the mischeifs in the world might be defended If a private person should take upon him without lawfull authority to be a judge and should condemn the inocent and justify the guilty person all the evill were but in the circumstances of persons judging and judged If a man gaue his body to the wife of another man the evill were but circumstantiall he might haue done it to another person namely his own or proper wife What coÌ„fusion would these excuses of circumstances onely manner of doing things bring over all estates if they were admitted of Of this mischeif I haue spoken pag. 21. 22. 23. 37. The 3. consideration in this matter is about such devises as Mr Bern. hath found for the shifting off such places as prove that the people ought to choose their Ministers The scriptures are Act. 1. and 6. 14. 23. to which also might be added Numb 8. 9. 10. Act. 11. 22. 1 Cor. 16. 3. 2 Cor. 8 19. vvith many others His ansvver is first that these places testify that such examples of practise were then but that there is no praecept for the perpetuity of it This is an vngodly evasion making the commaundements of God of none authority by mens traditions tending to the abolishment of the testament of Christ which he hath confirmed by his death vvherein he hath not onely by practise but also by the doctrine of the Apostles vpon which he hath founded the Church or temple of God for ever established this ordinaunce as a part of the nevv testament and that not vpon some extraordinary temporary and changeable occasion as some thing have been ordered and decreed by the Apostles Act. 15. 1. 2. 28. 29. but vpon ordinary constant grounds and vpon reasons and causes of perpetuall equity such as concern all Churches in all places to the vvorlds end as shall appear hereafter When the Lord Iesus sent forth his Apostles to gather Churches he gave them in charge to teach them to obserue all things whatsoever he had commaunded theÌ„ promising vvithall that in so doing he would be with them alway vntill the end of the world And that amongst other doctrines they taught the people this that they were to choose their officers the scriptures cited do fully testify See Act. 1. 15. 16. 16 23. 6. 2. 3. 5 6. 14. 23. Answerable vnto this is that which the Apostle Paul protesteth to the Elders of Ephesus at Miletum that he was pure from the blood of all men in that he had kept no thing back but shewed them all the counsel of God one part of which counsayl was that the people were to chuse their Officers which by Mr Bernards own graunt they observed to which also adde that the same Apostle writing vnto the Church of Corinth about a matter of order avoweth the things which he writes to be the coÌ„maundements of the Lord and chargeth all them as wilfully ignorant which do not so acknowledge them With what conscience then or colour of reason â—an this man say that this power and right of the people to chuse their Ministers was onely a matter of practise but not of praecept no immediate right from Christ but a graunt vnto them from the Apostles or vpon their exhortation for the tyme It is true he sayth in the same place 1. that the people did not elect or chuse but when the Apostles were amongst them 2. that they did it vpon their exhortation And for the first who denyes but that where faithful and godly officers are the people are by their direction government according to the will of Christ to vse their liberty in this and all the other affaires of the Church So for the second it was so the Apostles exhortation as it was also a divine institution by the spirit of God never reversed but by those vnclean spirits of Divels which like froggs came out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet part of the counsel of God never altered or departed from but by them which take counsayl but not of God and lastly one of the commaundements of Christ which the Apostles were bound both to teach and exhort the people to observe never disannulled but by the counter-commaund craft and violence of Antichrist who as one of your own Prelates hath truely observed never ceased till by cursing and fighting he had gotten all into his own hands The insinuation therefore which you make against vs in assuming this liberty vnto vs as a right of our selves is vnjust considering we have it conveyed vnto vs from Christ in the writings of the Apostles wherein they do as expresly teach it vs and as effectually exhort vs vnto it as if they were personally present with vs. And that which the people might then doe in their presence vpon their speach they may now do vpon their writings in their absence and in the absence of all other officers also if the particular Churches be for the present vnfurnished of them Now where he further addeth that the
institution adde of â—heir owne devise Now as the forenamed scriptures like a gratious charter given to this spirituall corporation the Church by the King thereof Iesus Christ do clearly plead the peoples liberty and power of the choise of their Ministers so will I adde vnto them certayn Reasons to prove this order and ordinance to be of morall and perpetuall equity The first is bycause the bond between the Minister and people is the most streyt and near religious bond that may be and therefore not to be entered but with mutuall consent any more then the civill bond of mariage between the housband and wife It makes much both for the provocation of the Ministery vnto all diligence and faithfulnes and also for his comfort in all the tryals and temptations which befall him in his Ministery when he considereth hovv the people vnto whom he ministreth have committed that most rich treasure of their soules in the Lord yea I may say of their very faith ioy to be helped forward vnto salvatioÌ„ to his care and charge by their free and voluntary choise of him It much furthers the love of the people to the person of their Minister and so consequently their obedience vnto his doctrine and government when he is such a one as themselves in duety vnto God and love of their own salvation have made choise of as on the contrary it leaves them without excuse if they eyther perfidiously forsake or vnprofitably vse such a mans holy service and ministration Lastly it is agreable to all equity and reason that all free persons and estates should choose their own servants and them vnto whom they give wages and maintenance for their labour and service But so it is betwixt the people and ministers the people a free people the Church a free estate spirituall vnder Christ the King the Ministers the Churches as Christs servants so by the Churches provision â—o live and of her as labourers to receive wages Thus much of the 4. Argument The 5. followeth the summe whereof is that bycause the Ministers of the English assemblies teach true and sound doctrine in the root and fundamentall points of religion they are therefore the true Ministers of Christ. And that sound doctrine is the triall of a true Minister Mr B. would prove from these scriptures 1 Tim. 4. 6. Ier. 23. 22. Of the vnsound doctrine of your Church and that more specially in the fundamentall points of religion others have spoken at large formerly and something is by me hereafter to be spoken for the present therefore this shall serve that since Christ Iesus not onely as Preist and Prophet but as King is the foundation of his Church and that the visible Church is the kingdome of Christ the doctrines towching the subiects government officers lawes of the Church can be no lesse then fundamentall doctrines of the same Church or Kingdome Which how vnsound they are with you appears in your Canons ecclesiasticall composed for that purpose Which if your ministers preach they preach vnsound doctrine and strike at a mayn pillar of religion viz the visible Church of God which is the pillar and ground of truth as the Apostle speaketh if not then are they schismatiques in and froÌ„ your Church whose solemn doctrines they refuse to publish Now bycause Mr Bern. every where beares himself big vpon the sound doctrines taught by the ministers in England and in this place brings in two scriptures to warraÌ„t their Ministery vpoÌ„ this grouÌ„d let vs a litle consider of the scriptures and of the intent of them and what verdict they give in on his side In the one place the Prophet Ieremy reproves the Preists and Prophets for not dealing faithfully with the people in laying before them their abhominations and Gods judgements due unto the same that so they might haue turned from their evil wayes and from the wickednes of their inventions but for flattering them on the contrary in their iniquities and for preaching peace vnto them for the strengthening of their hands in evil Now if the Ministers in England be measured by these mens line they will appear to ly levell with theÌ„ in a great measure For first the greatest part of them by far declare not the Lords word at all vnto the people but are tonguetyed that way some through ignorance some through idlenes many through pride And of them which preach how many are there mere men-pleasers flattering the mighty with vayn and plausibly words and strengthening the hands of the wicked and with prophane and malicious spirits reviling and disgracing all sincerity in all men adding vnto these evils a wicked conversation by which they further the destruction of many but the conversion of none And lastly for those few of more sound doctrine and vnblameable coÌ„versation let these things be considered First they are reputed schismatiques in the Church of Engl are generally excoÌ„municated ipso facto so wil appear to be to any that compares their practise with the ecclesiasticall lawes of that Church 2. They do with these sound doctrines mingle many errours yea the same things which in the generall they teach and professe they do in the particulars but specially in their practise gainsay deny 3. As they declare the Lords will vnto the people but by halves and keep back a great part of his counsel which they know is profitable for them wherin they would walk with them were it not for fear of persecution so are they ready to de silenced to smother the whole counsel of the L. not to speak one word more in his name vnto the people vpon â—hâ—ir Lord Bishops inhibition which were they perswaded in their consciences they were sent of God I suppose they durst not do Of which more in the seventh Argument Now for that in Tim. 1. Epist. 4. ch ver 6. if the doctrine of the Ministers agree with the doctrine and practise of the Ch they will appear liker to them of whom Paul speaks ver 3. then to Timothy ver 6. If it be sayd that the Church of England forbid not mariage vse of meates absolutely but in certayn respects I answer no more doth the Church of Rome but to certeyn persons and at certeyn times against whoÌ„ notwithstanding all Protestants do apply this scripture and so doth the Church of England forbid them though more sparingly as good reason the daughter come something behind the mother as mariage to fellowes in Colledges and to Apprentices and to all at certeyne tymes especially at Lent during which holy time the eating of flesh is also forbidden and abstinence commaunded and that in incitation of Christs fâ—â—ting for our sakes fourty dayes and fourty nightes and that for a religious vse namely the subdâ—ing of the flesh vnto the spirit for the better obedience of godly mottoâ—s in righteousnes
more then tyme I come to the mayn controversie about succession which might be layd down summarily in these words whether the reformed Churches were bound to submit notwithstanding their separation from Rome vnto such ministers onely as were ordeyned by the Pope and his Bishops but for the better clearing of things I will enlarge my speach to these three distinct considerations First whether the Ministery be before the Church or no. 2. Whether the delegated power of Christ for the vse of the holy things of God be given primarily and immediately to the Church or to the Ministers 3. Whether the Lord haue so linked the Ministery in the chayn of succession that no Minister can be truely called and ordeyned or appointed without a praecedent Minister Touching the first of these Mr Ber affirmeth as in his former book that the Officers make the Church and give denomination vnto it so expresly in his 2. book that the Ministery is before the Church And noting in the same place a two fold raysing vp of the Ministery the first to beget a Church the second when the Church is gathered he puts the Ministers in both before the Ch in the former absolutely in the latter in respect of their Office and ordination by succession from the first In which discourse he intermingleth sundry things frivolous vnsound and contradictory Now for the first entery I desire the reader to observe with me that the quaestion betwixt Mr Bernard and me is about ordinary Ministers or officers of the Church such as were the first Ministers of the reformed Churches and as Mr B and I pretend our selves to be and not about extraordinary Ministers extraordinarily miraculously or immediately raysed vp as were Adam and the Apostles by God and Christ whom he produceth for examples Admit the one sort being called immediately and miraculously may be before the Church yet cannot the other which must be called by men and those eyther the Church or members of the Church at the least Besides the word Minister extends it self not onely vnto Officers ordinary and extraordinary but even to any outward means whether person or thing by which the revealed will of God is manifested and made known vnto men for their instruction and conversion Yea it reacheth even to God himself so far Mr B. stretcheth it where he makes God the first preacher Gen. 2. 3. As though there were a controversy between him and me whither God or the Church were first I see not but by the same reason he might avouch that the Ministers of the Church could not all dy or be deceived bycause God is free from these infirmityes It is true which Mr B. sayth that the word is before the Church as the seed which begetteth it and so is that which brings it yea whither it be person or thing which may also be called a Minister and be sayd to be sent of God as it is an instrument to convey and means to minister the knowledg of the same word will of God vnto any So if any private man or woman should be a means to publish or make known the word of God to a company of Turkes Iewes or other Idolaters he or she might truely be sayd to be their Minister and the Lords Ambassadour vnto thē as you speak Yea if they came to this knowledg by reading the Bible or other godly book that book or bible as it served to minister the knowledg of Gods wil in his word might truely in a generall sense be accoūted as a Minister vnto thē But what were all this to a Church-officer about whō our quaestiō is These things Mr B. shuffles together but the wise reader must distinguish them so doing he shall easily discover his trisling The particulars follow And first he affirmeth that God made Adam a Minister to whom he gave a wife to begin the Church and as Adam was before his wife so is the Ministery at the first before the Church If Adams wife began the Church then is your mayn foundation overthrown namely that the ministers make and denominate the Church except you will say that Eve was a Minister Secondly it is not true you say that God made Adam a Minister before Eve was created In the same place you make and truely a Minister and Ambassadour which brings the word all one vnto whom could Adam eyther minister the word or be an Ambassadour to bring it before Eve was formed There was nothing but bruit beasts and senceles trees and to them I suppose he brought it not The truth is Adam and Eve were the Ch. not by his but by her creatiō which made a company or society thus we are in the first place to consider of them and of Adam as a teacher in the second place the speciall calling here and ever following after and vpon the generall Of the same force with your first proof is your 2. which you take from Ephes. 4. 11. 12. where it is sayd God gave some not onely to confirm the Church but to gather the Saynts to make a Church To let passe your boldnes with the words I except against your exposition application of them The word gathering vpon which you insist is in some bookes turned repayring and is the same in the Greek with that which is restoring Gal. 6. 1. of which I have spoken formerly Againe Paul in that place speaks not onely of Apostles other Ministers of the first raysing vp for the begetting of Churches but of Pastours and Teachers which were taken out of the Church and of the 2. raysing for the feeding of the flock You will not deny but the Apostles and brethren at Ierusalem were a Church of God Act. 1. 15. 16. when as yet no Pastours or Teachers were appointed in it and how then can your doctrine stand that the Ministers spoken of Ephe. 4. 11. 12. amongst which were Pastours and Teachers were before the Church out of which they were taken and raysed vp of God to beget a Church Yea it is evident that the very office of Pastour vvas not then heard of in the Church whereby the falsity of your other affirmation is discovered to wit that the Office of such Ministers as are of the second raysing which are taken out of the Church is before the Church Thirdly the Apostles themselves howsoever extraordinary officers immediately called and sent forth to beget other Churches both of Iewes and Gentiles were Christians before they were Apostles and members of the Church before they were Officers And the scriptures do expresly testify that God ordeyned or set in the Church Apostles amongst other Officers and this their setting in the Church doth necessarily praesuppose a Church wherein they were set as the setting of a candle in a candlestick praesupposeth a candlestick as in deed the Church is the Candlestick the officers the candles lights and starres which are set in it
together with their answers layes them downe in his 2. book Of the first Argument I have spoken in another place The 2. is that if Christs ministeriall power be by succession to the Pope Bishops or Praesbytery then the Ministery of Rome is a true Ministery Mr Bern answer is that he meanes true succession which is both personall and hath with it a true office true doctrine true sacraments and prayer about which Christs true ministers are exercised but for the Romish Ministery it is idolatry and superstition and the men appointed there to ordeyned sacrifising Preists This answer of yours Mr B. puts me in mind of a practise of children who when they have a long while busyed themselves in drawing the best formes and figures they can in dust and ashes do at the last with one dash of their hand deface all vndo what they haue formerly done And that this childish dealing you use no reader that considers the quaestion in hand can be ignorant of The quaestion then between him me is not of such a succession personall as hath joyned with it successiō in a true office true doctrine true sacraments prayer wherin the minister is in any measure faithfully exercised but generally whether succession of persons be of such absolute necessity as that no minister can in any case be made but by a minister more specially whither the first ministers of the reformed Ch or of such as come out of the confusiō of Antichrist must of necessity be ordeyned by the Pope his Bishops or minister by vertue of their ordinatiō so received And that this succession by from the Romish ministery is that Mr Ber pleads for his writings manifest as first that as in all the Apostles time the Ministery was by succession ministers as it were begetting Ministers by ordination so after their tyme the like succession hath been kept frō tyme to tyme Bishop after Bishop and Ministers ordeyned by them which the Catalogue of thē stories of tymes on which we must rely where the script cease to make further relation do witnesse for the continuation of which succession to the worlds end he alledgeth Math. 28. 20. odiously perverting to the Pope and his shavelings the promise which Christ there made to be with his Apostles other faithfull ministers teaching the things which he had commanded and dispensing his other ordinances accordingly Answerable vnto which is his other saying in which his termes and meaning do well suit that Church-men ever ordeyned Ministers not the lay people To this also let his inferēce be added in another place pag. 311. that if we receive and hold our baptism from Rome why not our ordination also And in his former book most clearly condemning our Ministers for being made by such as are no Ministers contrary to the constant practise of the Church of God from the dayes of Adam hitherto And agayn that this custome of ordeyning Ministers did continue in the times following the Apostles tymes as before it had done in all the Churches of Christendom as ecclesiasticall wryters do make mention and so through pure impure Churches and that God in the last reformation of his Church would not break this order but choose men who were Bishops ordeyned even in the Popish Church so that they might ordeyn fit persons afterwards And this he tels the Reader he speaks of the Church of England as in deed he may wel for other Ch departed frō Rome would be loath to joyn in his plea. And lastly he chargeth vs with great praesumption for daring to break this order of God continued five thowsand and six hundred years Novv what can be more vayne The very poynt which MR. BERNARD is to prove and from which he brings his historicall narration from Adam to this day is that God hath continued the course of succession in the Romish Ministery and that from and by it successively the Ministery in England hath been and is at this day continued And yet in his answer to Mr Smyth he is driven to affirm that he hath no referēce at all to the Romish Ministery which he accounts Idolatry and superstition but meanes such a personal succession as hath ioyned with it a true office true doctrine and the like He will haue succession continued from the dayes of Adam hitherto and this to haue been the order of God for five thowsand and six hundred yeres and that he chose Bishops ordeyned in the Popish Church to ordeyn fit persons in the Church of England and yet Mr Smith is to know he speaks not at all of the succession in the Romish Ministery which is idolatry and superstition Now that the more simple reader may not loose himself in this mans maze and that he may the better know the state of the quaestion and judge of it I will here interpose some few thinges touching succession and ordination accordingly First then wee acknowledge that in the right and orderly state of things no Ministers are to be ordeyned but by Ministers the latter by the former in the Churches where they are and over which the holy Ghost hath set them And so the Apostles being generall and extraordinary men vnto whom the Evangelists also were joyned for assistance to water where they planted and to finish the works by them begun as they had the care of all the Churches committed vnto them and were charged with them so were they also to ordeyn the Elders and Bishops in them and the people bound to wayt theyr comming for that purpose as Mr Ber. truly affirmeth as were also these Bishops or Elders to ordeyn others in the Churches over which they were set so others after them in the order appoynted by Christ in his Apostles with whō also he promised to be alwayes till the worlds end in this and the like their holy ministrations But is the consequence good that bycause the Apostles and Evangelists were to ordeyn Elders in the Churches by Cōmission from Christ and that the people converted from Indaism or Paganism were to wayt till they came to ordeyn them theyr ministers therefore the Pope and Prelates vnder him have cōmission from Christ to ordeyn his priests and that the people converted from Antichristianism are to wayt 〈◊〉 they come to ordeyn them their Ministers or till they send them such as they have alwayes in store ordeyned to their hands or that bycause the Apostles and Evangelists had Christs promise to be with them alwayes that therefore the Pope Cardinalls Lord Bishops and Lord Suffragans have interest in the same promise It might asvvell be concluded that as the Lords people were bound to obey and submit vnto the former in their times so are they now to submit vnto and obey the Pope and his vnderlings And yet is this the very mark Mr Bernard aymes at in his long drawn historicall narration this is the force of his argument and his
ministeriall power from the Cardinals cannot give it to them and so to the rest of the Clergy in Rome and England neyther can it descend from Christ through the Apostles and so through him to the other inferiour ministers but as in a chayn if the highest link be broken the rest which hang vpon it must needs fall So if there be a breach of this chayn of succession from the Apostles to the ministery of Rome and of England which descends of it lineally in the higest link the Pope all the rest of the chayn that hangs vpon it except it be otherwise vpheld must needs fall flat vpon the ground It is true which Mr Ber answers that election and succession by ordination may stand together in the ministery but in this case it cannot except the Pope should by the election of the Cardinalls or others ordeyn his succession whilest himselfe survived Now in this last answer Mr B challengeth his adversary to be wilde in wandering and to have lost his quaestion in concluding that the doctrine of succession is a false doctrine where he should prove that Christs power is not given to the principall members But this challenge is both vnjust vnadvised Vnjust bycause succession from the popish Church and Clergy is made by M Ber in his former book the foundation of the ministery of England and so of the Church the Church by his affirmation being made by the ministers and the Ministers by such Bishops as were ordeyned in the popish Church Vnadvised bycause these two poynts do depend ech vpon other necessarily For if Christs power be tyed to the officers whether principall or inferiour then must it come to the ministery and Church of England by succession if it come not by succession from or by the Pope and his Clergy then must it come by the same successioÌ„ of fayth doctrine vnto the children of Abraham two or three or more faithfull persons joyned together in the covenant and fellowship of the gospel And for the quaestion in Mr Bernards own words remitting the Reader to such places as prove that a company of faythfull people in the covenant of the gospell though without officers are a visible Church that they haue immediate right to the holy things of God and that the keyes for bynding and loosing were given to Peters confession I will adde onely one Argument and so proceed It hath been sundry tymes observed and proved by the scriptures that the officers of the Church are the servants of the Ch and their office a service of the Lord and of his Church Wherevpon it followeth necessarily that what power the officers have the body of the Church hath first and before them the very light of nature coÌ„mon sense teaching it that what power or authority soever the the servants of any body or persons have the body or persons whose servants they are must have it first and they by theÌ„ And for this purpose let it be further observed that no power at all came vnto the Church of the Iewes by the Levites not the vse of the sacrament of circumcision no nor of the very sacrifices which were offered by the first born in the family and that even after the peoples comming out of Egypt vnder the hand of Moses till Levi was called to the Preisthood Ex. 13. 2. 24. â— I proceed If the Ministery of the reformed Churches must be by succession or ordination by Popish Bishops then must the same office of Ministery be continued from the one Church to the other as indeed it was withall the Ministers of the Church of England at the first who without any new eyther calling or ordination which depends vpon it continued their office and place formerly received there being onely a reformation of some of the grossest evills like the healing of Iobs soars as Mr B. speaketh as the office of Iustice-ship or the like in the common wealth may be continued the same in the same persons individually though by edict of Parliament or other superiour power there be a surceasing of some mayn act of it Further to ty the Ministery thus to succession is to ty the Lords sheep to submit to no other sheepheards but such as the wolves haue appointed And if a company of Gods people in Rome or Spayn should come out of Babylon and no consecrated Preist amongst them they must by this doctrine enjoy no Ministers but such as the Romish wolves will ordeyn do according to their Popish prophane order To these things I might also adde that look what power any of the Popes Clergy receive from him the same he takes from them deprives them of where they withdrew their obedience or separate from that Church as also that the ordinations in Rome by their own Canons are very nulliâ—yes and many the the like exceptions pleaded by learned protestants against the Romish preisthood and this Romish doctrine of succession but that which hath been spoken is sufficient in the generall and I hasten to the third and last meanes of the three by which Gods people after Antichrists defection are to injoy the ministery and other of Christs ordinances And for our better proceeding herein I will first consider what ordination is and 2. how far the brethren may goe by the scriptures and the necessary consequences drawn from them in this and the like cases in the first planting of Churches or in the reducing of them into order in or after some generall confusion The Prelates and those which levell by their lyne do highly advance ordination and far above the administration of the word sacraments and prayer making it and the power of excommunication the two incoÌ„municable prerogatives of a Bishop in their vnderstanding above an ordinary minister But surely herein these cheif ministers do not succeed the cheif ministers the Apostles except as darknes succeeds light and Antichrists confusion Christs order Where the Apostles were sent out by Christ there was no mention of ordination their charge was to go teach all nations and baptize them and that the Apostles accounted preaching their principall work and after it baptism prayer the scriptures manifest And if ordination had been in those dayes so pryme a work surely Paul would rather haue tarryed in Crete himself to have ordeyned Elders there and haue sent Titus an inferiour officer about that inferiour work of preaching then haue gone himself about that leaving Titus for the other But bycause Mr Bernard with whom I deal when he writes most advisedly preferrs preaching to the first place and the administration of the sacraments and prayer to the next passing by ordination as not worthy the naming amongst these principall works I wil therefore leave it to be honoured by them whom it most honoureth and for whose ease and profit it best serveth and will consider in what place he setteth it He then pleading that as well the ordination as the
in the same story when Deacons were wanting in the Ch at Ierusalem the twelve calling the multitude of the disciples together put them in mind of their liberty and informed them in their duety for the chusing of so many as were needfull so furnished as is there noted The same course did Paul and Barnabas afterwards direct the Churches amongst the Gentiles for the chusing of Elders in every City where they came Now if all things which are written before be written for our learning and for the learning of all the Churches and people of God why are not the people and Churches of God in all places to learne from hence their liberty and duty for the chusing of officers where they are wanting having men therevnto fitted by the Lord. And what hindereth but that the Church the multitude the Disciples call them as you wil in the fellowship and covenant of the gospell may be as clearely informed in their duety and as effectually exhorted to the vse of their liberty by the writings of the Prophets and Apostles as by their speaches The Apostle wryting to the Church of Corinth about the censuring of the incestuous man though he were absent in body yet was present in spirit which was in effect all one and as avaylable to that purpose as his bodily presence should have been so though Moses and Peter and Paul be bodily absent yet are they in their wrytings present in spirit after a sort nay God himself in spirit is present in them with his Churches people both for their warrant direction and comfort Though it be true then which M B sayth that the people wayted till the Apostles came and that they did not elect officers but vpon their exhortation yet must it also be considered that Apostles do now come in their writings as there they did in corporall presence and that they exhort as fully in them now as they did in speach then Besides there are now no Apostles vpon earth nor other Church officers having the care of all the Churches in the world as the Apostles had nor that are extraordinarily and miraculously endewed with all giftes especially with the gift of all tongues as the Apostles were nor that have the like generall commision to teach all nations as they had The ordinary officers which the Apostles and Evangelists left in the Churches and for the choyse of whom they left order to the worlds end were such Elders or Byshops as were assigned and fixed to such particular flockes as they were to feed vnder that cheif sheepheard and great Bishop Iesus Christ. Besides if the Churches or people should wayt now as M Ber. would have them till the Bishops of Rome or England came to them as the Apostles did to the Churches in their time to exhort them to chuse officers and to ordeyn them for them they might languish vnder a wan hope wayt till their eyes fayled in their heads Wherevpon then I do conclude that if the Church without officers may elect it may also ordeyn officers if it have the power and commission of Christ for the one and that the greater it hath it also for the other which is the lesse If it haue officers it must vse them as hands to put the persons by ordination into that office to which they haue right by election but if it want officers it may and must vse other the fittest instruments it hath as in the naturall body if men want hands or be deprived of the vse of them they do for their present necessity vse their teeth or feet or other fittest parts of the body for the busynes possible to be done by them Lastly if the Lord should rayse vp in America or the like place a company of faythfull men and women which of stones should become children to Abraham by the reading of the scriptures or by some godly mens writings or which is most like by the holy instructions and exhortations of some merchants or travaylers how or by what meanes should they come by Ministers Must they be sent out of Europe unto theÌ„ And if they were they would be barbariâ—ns ech to others neyther vnderstanding others language But what to do hath the Pope of Rome or the Bishops in England or the Praesbytery in Germany or France to appoynt them in America Ministers It is evident that such an assembly as I speak of having received the gospel haue received the keyes of the kingdome and the power of Christ and being joyned in this fellowship of the gospell haue the joynt vse of the keyes power of Christ being within the covenaunt of Abraham are the Ch of God so haue power to choose and appoynt their own Ministers froÌ„ within themselves Now because these things wil be better taken at other mens haÌ„ds then at ours yea it may be with many through praejudice their very authority wil sway more then our Arguments though never so rightly grounded vpoÌ„ the scriptures coÌ„mon reason I wil therefore here crave leave to bring in a few men of singular note both at home abroad to shew their judgments in the case in hand And I will first bring in one of our own nation of great account and that worthily with al that fear God how ever he were against vs in our practise The man is Mr Perkins He then writing about ordination succession in his CoÌ„mentary vpon the Epistle to Gal ch 1. ver 11. gives this testimony that if in Turky or America or elswhere the gospel should be received of men by the counsel perswasion of private persons they should not need to send into Europe for consecrated Ministers but had power to choose their own Ministers from within themselves the Reasons of this he renders in the same place bycause where God gives the word he gives the power also And I do desire especially his ReasoÌ„ may be observed which is that where God gives the word there he gives the power also Wherevpon it followes that any other asseÌ„bly whether in America or Europe separating themselves froÌ„ Idolatry whether Heathenish or Antichristian receiving the gospell of Christ do with the gospel receive the power also so may choose their ministers within themselves need not send to any other place no not to the next parish for consecrated Ministers In the 2. place I wil alledg one of greater note and more ancient and that is Philip Melancton who in his Answer to the ministers in Bohemia which taught the incorrupt doctrine of the gospell refutes the praetext of ordination to be taken from the Bishops with that of Paul if any teach another gospell let him be an Athema adding also that onely the assembly where true doctrine soundeth is the Church and that in it is the ministery of the gospell in it are the keyes of the kingdom of heaveÌ„ Wherefore in that very assembly in eo ipso coetu
heaven do yet see the wounds and blood of Christ that a sinner need not confesse his life bycause God knowes all things that he needs not repeat what he would have bycause God knowes it before he askes that the scripture declares there was no drop of blood in Christ which he shed not for sinners that the spirit of Christ did after his buriall descend into the lower parts to them that long were in darknes the true light of their hearts that the sun in the firmament the heavens the earth the sea and all therein yea the spirits beneath were made for man to rule them But these things I passe over and come to Mr B second row of errours imputed to vs which he judgeth sufficiently confuted in the former as also to be so absurd and false as that the reading of them is sufficient to make them to be reiected The first of them is that their congregations as they stand are all and every one of them vncapable before God to chuse them Ministers though they desire the meanes of salvation First let it here be noted that Mr B in this same book pag 136 compared with pag. 138. makes it a rule for the Churches making a Minister which must be kept and from which she may not â—werve that the guides and governours of the Church do choose one from amongst others for the Ministery If the guides and governours must choose how then apperteyns this to your congregations or how are they capable of this liberty 2. If they be capable of this liberty why do they not vse it There is no congregation in the Land which as a Church chooseth their Minister the Patron and Bishop have seazed this liberty at their courtesie doth the congregation stand to receive eyther a preacher or dumb preist eyther a man of some conscience or without all â—oar of God or coÌ„mon honesty whom they may not refuse And if some parishes choose it is not as Churches but as Patrons They have purchased the right of patronage with their money and so vse it But what is this to that spirituall liberty and charter of Christs spirituall kingdome the Church 3. I deny that any congregation in the Land desires the means of salvation I speak of the congregation which is the whole consisting of the parts joyntly considered The best parish hath too many in it that love darknes rather then light because their deeds are evill This you find true in your own Mr B. which you deem one of the best And what right hath such an assembly to chuse a Minister which hath no right to his ministrations of the sacraments other holy things Because the Lord Iesus hath given his power and charter to his subjects for the choise of their officers whether many or few doth it therefore follow that the subjects of sinne Satan professed traytours vnto his Majesty have the same liberty or can his subjects combine with them that are and allwayes have been such in the vse or rather in the vsurpation of that divine priviledge These things Mr B you extenuate bycause you want them but the Churches of Christ accounts them pretious things which they therefore labour to preserve pure Of your false worship something hath been before more shal be hereafter spoken and you do idely make it a distinct errour from the tenth That baptism is not administred into the fayth of Christ simply but into the fayth of Bishops Church of England which you make our 3. errour do we not affirm but leave it to him for justification which not content with that in England received hath found out since a 2. or 3. as he supposeth better then that was ¶ Wee are to consider baptism first and principally in relation from GOD to vs and as a seal of the covenant of grace into which he hath received vs and secondarily in relation from vs to God as we restipulate or promise agayn vnto him In the first respect it is effectuall vpon the very infants of the faithfull though for the present wanting fayth in the 2. both may be is vpon such as erre in many great poynts of fayth otherwise the baptism ministred by Iohn into the fayth of Christ which came after him could not have been true vnto many which received it being ignorant a long tyme after of the very kingdoÌ„ office of Christ. To conclude then since the essential form of institution is reteyned in the baptism in Engl the doctrine of the Trinity sincerely held into whose name all persons are baptized indefinitely the particular errours in that Church touching the manner of worshiping God or touching the vses or ends of baptism which are not of the essence cannot make the baptism in it self cease to be indefinite Of the 4. Errour imputed vnto vs namely that we hould your fayth and repentance false I say as of the third and doubt not but the personall fayth and repentance of very many men and women there according to the measure of knowledge and grace received is true and sincere before God yea and so visibly declared and manifested to be before men in respect of their persoÌ„s notwithstanding all the evilles in their Church Communion and ordinances Your 5. exception viz that your ministers convert men not as Pastours but as teachers is neyther our errour nor assertion but your owne misconstruction This we hould that the conversion of men with you is no way to be ascribed to your office which it justifieth not but to the truthes of God taught amoÌ„gst you by the special blessing of God vpon them notwithstanding the other evills wherewith they are mingled inseparably amongst you To your demand what idoll you worship bycause we affirm your Church to stand in an adulterous estate I do answer that you may stand in an adulterous estate though you worship the true God onely if you do it after a devised maner as in deed you do in your government ministery service-book and ceremonyes which being all properly matters of religion and not commanded by the Lord are devises of your own against the 2. commaundement which forbids nothing but idolatry Your 7. insimulation against vs is that wee cannot say certeynly by any warrant of Gods word that any of you have eyther fayth or feare of God Wherein you consure vs as having lost the feeling of former grace and all true charity Mr Smyth in his Parallels shewes your fraud evil dealing with him in this case whom you name in your margent And I further adde that I do not onely in the generall beleeve there are many such but am so perswaded in the particular of many I know Yet so to say certainly of any of you I caÌ„not nor of our selves neyther by the word of God A man can say this onely of himself certaynly bycause he onely knowes his
vnto them ever by how much the more superstitiously bent by so much the moâ—e devoutly addicted vnto them And so farre is that from truth which you say Mr Bernard that the godly and Church of God have in Popery kept possession of those buildings for the godly which should follow them that as they were erected by such as were most superstâ—tiously seduced so haue they been ever since the proper possesâ—ions of the most dangerous seducers in the Romish Synagogue the Praelates and their Clergy So that the morall equity of those commaundements in the old testiment touching the demolition and subversion of idolatrous temples and other the like superstitious monuments doth as well bynd now as then Which commaundements are also in effect renued in the new testament where the faythfull are charged to touch none vncleane thing to keep themselves from idols which they cannot do except they keep themselves from their appurtenaunces to hate even the garment spotted by the fâ—â—sh not to receive the least mark of the beast but to go out of Babylon which is also called Sodom and Aegypt spiritually as for other sinns reigning in her so for her idolatry amongst the rest which I the rather note that men may se it is not we but the holy Ghost that compares together Paganish AntichristiaÌ„ Idolatry Lastly where Mr Bernard bids vs prove that their Churches were built by Antichrist their records as Mr Ainsworth observeth vvill prove it so will their situation directly East and West with the Quyer or Chauncell alwayes at the East end and the rood-loft in the midle to separate it from the body of the Church the prophane layity their vacant places for Images abolished and their popish pictures still remayning and lastly their names even the names of the Apostles Saynts and Martyrs in whose honour they were built and to whose peculiar service thy were consecrated Thus much of the temples which is the last difference betwixt Mr B. and me and I confesse the least and this much also of his book Something remayns to be spoken of the Ministers Positions but very breifly both bycause the things in them for substance have come formerly into consideration and also bycause Mr Bernard affoards them no confirmation in his 2. book being shaken by Mr Ainsworth as they are ANd to omit the bloody doom which these Ministers passe vpon vs all contrary I am perswaded to their own consciences that wee are cut of from Christ for our separation from the Church of England I will consider breifly of their reasons to prove it a true Church THe first is bycause They enioy and ioyn together in the vse of those outward means which God in his word hath ordeyned for the gathering of an invisible Church which are preaching of the gospell and administration of the sacraments which they will prove by the vnfâ—yned conversion of many by the scriptures Math 28. 18. 20. Eph. 4. 11. 14. First the Church of Engl namely the nationall Church under a nationall government and Ministery is a popish devise the Lord having appointed none other Church vnder the new testament but a particular congregation as these Ministers truely vnderstand Mat 18. 17. with a government Ministery correspoÌ„dent 2. Before men joyne together as a Church in the fellowship of the gospell and communion of Saynts in the ordinances of God they should be prepared by the preaching of the word and fitted as spirituall stones for the Lords building so joyn in covenant by voluntary personal profession of faith confessioÌ„ of sinns from which how far the body of the nationall Church of Engl both is and ever hath been all know 3. As the sacraments are no meanes to gather eyther the visible or invisible Church but do praesuppose a CHVRCH gathered already into covenant with God of which covenaunt they are seales so doth not the Church of England ioyn together in the preaching of the doctrine of sayth which is the outward meanes for the gathering of the Church The greatest part of the parishes as they have onely the service book for prayer so have they onely the homilies for preaching And even in the Parishes where the word is best taught and the sacraments most orderly administred yet do not men joyn in the vse but in the abuse of these ordinances considering the confused coÌ„munion wherein the vsurped authority by which and the book-service according to which they are dispensed If the Ministers had onely affirmed that they had taught amoÌ„gst theÌ„ such truths of the gospel as by which the Lord might and did sanctifie save his elect or gather an invisible Church as they speak I should not contend with them but should further ad that I doubt not but such truthes are even in many assemblies of Papists and Anabaptists and to hold otherwise is a fowl cruell errour but where they speak of enioying the outward meanes and by them vnderstand the offices of Ministery which Christ hath given vnto his Church for the gathering and feeding of the same for which purpose they alledge Math. 28. 18. 20. Ephe. 4. 11. 14 I deny they enioy the outward means ordeyned for the gathering of the Ch neyther shall they ever be able to prove it except they can prove themselves lawfully and according to Christs testament possessed of some of the offices there spoken of In the 4. place I would the cause why these ministers speak of the outward meanes of gathering an invisible Church not of a visible since both the quaestion betwixt them and vs is about the visible and not about the invisible Church and also that the scriptures they bring for the justification of these meanes amongst them do speak of the meanes ministeries given not to the invisible but to the visible Church and if it be not bycause they know that if they had spoken of the means of gathering the visible Church we would and that justly have excepted that they do not enjoy nor have not so much as taught amongst them those doctrines of the gospell and that part of Christs Testament which teacheth the right orderly gathering of the visible Church by separation of the saynts from the vnsanctified world into the covenant and fellowship of the gospell by free and personall profession of fayth and confession of sinns Lastly as the preaching of the gospell is the onely outward means to gather a Church so though this meanes be vsed never so fully and men enioy it and ioyne in it never so ordinarily yet except withall they ioyne in the vnderstanding fayth obedience of and submission vnto it and that in the order which Christ hath set they are not made a Church by it according to the right vse of it but do make themselves by abusing it a conventicle of prophane vsurpers howsoever M. B. and these ministers and many others do indeed make the
that the people of Iudah were Gods true Church before the tyme of that oth and Covenant it is true and agaynst you And I would demaund of you whether your people were Gods true Church when Popery reigned Your answer is so may our people bee You dare not say they were for then you should acknowledge the Romish Synagogue the true Church of GOD and that you had sinfully schismed from it as Mr Bern. proves agaynst you and himselfe you will not say they were not for that would make against you in the poynt in hand and would manifest as in deed it doth that the course taken with Iudah being the true Church for her reformation cannot agree with Rome or Engl as a member of the Romish Church for her reformation To that which is added in the 3. place of Coventry Northampton and some other congregations my reply is first that this is not likely to have been the deed of the congregations but of some two or three forward ministers a few of the people it may be approving of it which their successours were as like to reverse 2. They did not repent of their publique idolatry nor purpose to obey the truth in sincerity of their prophane mixture Romish hierarchy and ministery popish leyturgy and constitutions according to which all things are administred amongst them they repented not and besides they knew right well many truthes which they purposed not to imbrace 3. graunt it were as they pretend with these few parishes what must be sayd of the rest which did not so practise with whom they make and alwayes have done one entyre nationall Church or what is this to the publique and formall state of the Church of England agaynst which we deale The truth is these men thus practising were reputed and truely schismatiques in the formall constitution of the Church and by which this their dealing hath no warrant at all If we should object vnto you the Papists doctrines and practises of two or three ministers amongst you not warrantable by law you would not admit of our exception agaynst the formall established estate of your Church so neyther may we admit of yours for the practise of two or three disliking the present state of things and seeking for reformation of them Lastly wee see indeed that those Ministers doubt not to affirme that the whole land Papists and Atheists and all did in the first Parliament of the Queen enter a solemn covenant for renouncing of Popery and receiving the gospel but we would see first how all these swarmes of wicked Atheists and most flagitious persons were by the revealed will of God capable of the covenant of the new testament and the seales and other rites and priviledges of it Otherwise this haling them into covenant with the Lord agaynst his expresse will was a prophane presumptuous enterprise in it self though I doubt not arising from a godly intent in the Queen her cheif connsellers being mislead by them whom they too much trusted 2. We would see what warrant there is in the new testament for this nationall covenant or that all the people in a Land since the Land of Canaan was prophaned should unite into a nationall Church vnder a nationall government and ministery 3. That which wee answered in the 2. place to the former branch of this exception must here agayn be remembred 4. this vndoubted affirmation of the ministers touching the whole lands covenanting in the Parliament first inferreth that the enacting of civil lawes and penall statutes by Kings and States doth gather CHVRCHES for none other covenant was there in the Parliament 2. It confirmeth the popish doctrine of implicite fayth that men may receive and professe a fayth whereof they are ignorant yea which they dislike and hate so farre as they know it for so was it with the body of your nation the greatest part by farr being mere naturall men and so not knowing the gospel yea evil doers which hate the light Our 2. objection touching the outward worship wherein the Ch of England communicateth comes now to be enforced In the clearing of which the Ministers do to speak on insist onely vpon their stinted set formes of prayer for the justification of which they bring sundry scriptures as Numb 6. 2. 3. 24. Deut. 26. 3. 15. Psal. 22. 1. 92. Luk. 11. 2. Now for our more orderly proceeding I will reduce the things they say to three generall heads vnder which I will consider of the particulars shewing how in all and every of them they are mistaken First in that they do confound and make all one ordinance Blessings Psalmes and Prayers 2. In misinterpreting the scriptures they bring to prove a set and stinted form of words to be imposed in prayer 3. In concluding as they do that if Moses and Christ might appoynt and impose a certayn form of words to be vsed for prayer that then the Bishops in England or others may vse the same power and appoint an other form of words so to be vsed Of these three in order And first it is evident that howsoever some kinde of blessing and prayer be all one and so may be confounded yet that solemn kinde of blessing spoken of Numb 6. and which the PATRIARKS and PREISTS did vse in their places was cleane of an other nature In prayer the MINISTER stands in place of the PEOPLE and in their name offers vp petitions and thanksgiving to GOD But in blessing the Minister stands in the place of God and in his name pronounceth a blessing or mercy vpon the people 2. Whereas this duety of prayer may be performed by one equall to another by an inferiour to a superiour yea by a mā to himself that other of blessing is alwayes from the greater to the lesser and therefore the Apostle to the Hebrews to shew that the Preisthood of Melchi-sedek was more excellent then that of Levi proves it by this that Melchisedec blessed Abraham taking this for granted without all contradiction that the lesse is blessed of the greater 3. Mr Ber himself in this book makes prayer one thing and the blessing pronounced vpon the people when they departed another thing as he also makes singing of psalmes a third distinct thing from them both as there is cause he should For first the Apostle writing to the Corinthians of the divers giftes and administrations in the Church speaketh thus I wil pray with the spirit but I will pray with the vnderstanding also I will sing with the spirit but I will sing with the vnderstanding also Answerable vnto which is that in Iames Is any among you afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing both the one and other Apostle making singing and praying distinct exercises Ad vnto this that whereas in praying we are to speak onely vnto God it is otherwise in singing where we are taught to speak vnto