Power but of God the Powers that be are or lained of God This or that Form of Civill government is of God mediately i. e. by the means of man 1 Pet 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake Wherefore yee must needs bee subject not only for weath but also for Conscience sake Rom 13.5 Concerning the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion See in the next chapter That Visible Politica-Charches Church-Officers and Church-Ordinances are Gospel-Institutions appointed by Christ to continue to the end of the world appeareth as followeth briefly That Commandement which Pâ—â—â— gave to Timothy is to be kept untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus 1 Tim 6.14 But Visible political-Political-Church estate is part of that CoÌ„mandment which Paul gave to Timothy 1 Tim 3.15 Therefore Visible political church-estate is to continue untill the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ i. e. to the end of the world The word Commandment relates generally to all conteined in this Epistle prescribed unto Timothy to be observed Whence Beza readeth it pâ—eception rather then Precept This is part of that Depositum that great thing deposited which the holy Apostle so frequently affectionately calleth upâ—n his dear Timothy to see unto Yea and sometime forbeareth not as with a severe and most vehement adjuration to charge bin with the custody of 1 Tim 5.13 14 20. I give thee charge in the sight of God O Timothie keep that which is committed to thy charge Either God since the institutioÌ„ of the Ceremonial worship Polity of Israel by Moses hath changed the Rule of Political Church-estate more then once or he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning Political church-estate or else the Political church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue to the end of the world But since the institution of the Ceremonial worship Polity of â—srael by Moses God hath changed the Rule of the Political estate of the Church but once Heb 12.26 27. And it is not a trueth to say that he hath left his people without any Rule as concerning the Political estate of the church Heb 3.5 6. 1 Tim 3.14 15. 1 Cor 14.33 Therefore the Political Church-estate instituted in the Gospel is to continue unto the end of the world Pastors Teachers are Church-Officers Pastors Teachers are to continue to the end of the world Therefore Church-Officers are to continue unto the end of the world The Apostle Ephe. 4.11 12. having instructed us concerning the institution use of Pastors Teachers proceeds verse 13. to inform us concerning their duration where unto that question how long are Pastors Teachers to continue He hath prepared an answer long since in those words till we all come in the Vnitie of Faith of the knowledge of the Sonn of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fullnes of Christ. Wee have in the text presented before us the duration of these Officers described from two periodical and indubitable notes First the meeting of all the elect in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God Secondly the attaining of all believers unto a perfect man or he full stature of Christ. By the first understand the effectual calling together with the perfect agreement of all the Elect in the faith By the second the perfection of Christ mystical The head and members Christ all believers make one mystical person or one mystical-bodie The perfection whereof is heâ—e held forth by a metaphor taken from the full stature of the body natural after which there is no augmentation Now the perfection or full stature of the body mystical after which it receiveth no augmentation imports two things First that no member shall then be wanting secondly that every member shall be perfect From the premises it being manifest that these two periodical notes shall not be untill the end of the world therefore as manifest it is that Pastors and Teachers being to continue untill then they are to continue unto the end of the world Those three verses are as Aarons rod an argument were it alone sufficient quite to take away the murmurings of the people Yet for the further satisfaction of the Reader touching the Gospel-ministry two things may here not unseasonably be spoken to 1. Concerning the nature of extraordinary Gospel-ministers 2. Concerning immediate mission of persons in these dayes Touching the first Church-Officers are Extraordinary i. e. but for a time as Apostles Prophets Evangelists Ordinary i. e. such whose function continueth and is standing at all times To the constitution of an Apostle four extraordinary gifts concurred 1. A Call immediately by Christ Matthias substituted in the place of Judas is elected by Lot which was a divine vote Acts 1.26 Paul hath a vision of Christ and heareth a voice from heaven Acts 26.16 1 Cor. 15.8 2. Plenitude and amplitude of the power of the Keyes i. e. all Church-power in all Churches John 21.21 Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 3. Infallible assistance in their administration when called thereunto 2 Pet. 1.20 21. 4. Power to work Miracles 2 Cor 12.12 The Prophets were called immediately by the Spirit their work was to interp et dark Scriptures by a special gift without study Acts 13.1 15.32 1 Cor 14.24 Prediction of things to come Acts 11.27 28. 21.11 Joel 2.28 Aâ—ts 2.9 Luke 2.36 Acts 21.9 Evangelists were extraordinary Ministers called by the Apostles as ordinary Ministers are by the Church Such were Timothy Titus Quest Touching the querie whether we have any Scripture warrant to expect persons immediately sent of God in these dayes Answ We have no promise of any such ministry in our times The last dayes Acts 2.17 are by some senced as relating to the last dayes of the Jewes immediately preceding the dreadfull famous destruction of that Nation According to them called the great terrible day of the Lord. Thus James chapt 5.3 speaking of the wealthy Jewes saith that they have treasured up their wealth as fire against the last dayes i. e. against those times of destruction when their wealth should but do them a mischief marking them out as prizes preyes for the enemy But this interpretation is left to free disquisition The Apostles seem not so to have expected any succession of Apostles Hence in their life time they appointed Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 And left behind them a prescribed form as a directory of the Churches concerning persons to be called by man into the Ministry successively in the ages to come 1 Tim 3 Titus 1. But though we have no promise of any such ministry yet in the Scripture we have frequent prediction caution of pretenders to immediate mission of deceivers false Apostles false Prophets false Teachers Speakers of lyes in the name of the Lord with Command and directions to try them not by their own profession for that is no
THE Heart of N-England rent at the BLASPHEMIES OF THE PRESENT GENERATION Or A brief Tractate concerning the Doctrine of the Quakers Demonstrating the destructive nature thereof to Religion the Churches and the State with consideration of the Remedy against it Occasional Satisfaction to Objections and Confirmation of the contrary Trueth By JOHN NORTON Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston Who was appointed thereunto by the Order of the GENERAL COURT I know thy works and thy labour and patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evill and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and are not and hast found them lyars Rev 2.2 Printed by Samuel Green at CAMBRIDG in New-England 1659. CHAP 1. The Original of the Doctrine of the Quakers With some of their principal Heterodoxies A brief Demonstration of three distinct Persons in the Divine Essence Satisfaction to some Objections And a Vindication of some Scriptures WHen that grand-Heretick Swenok feild who in eighteen yeares had published fifty scripts such as they were sometime troubled Luther with his papers which he sent unto him for an answer his returne was quick saying to the messenger the Deuil was the author of them the Lord rebuke thee O Satan Quod-vult-deus whilest he desired Augustine to publish a tract of al the heresies which infested the church in those dayes discerned the undertaking to be too immense great this Calvin also perceiving being about to write against the Libertines presently determined omitting the rest of their wild endlesse heterodoxies to addresse himselfe unto the enumeration refutation of some of their principall portentous tenets Luthers answer may seeme too short Augustines taske is acknowledged too long Calvins example in this brief treatise I shall in part God assisting endeavour to follow The recalling of the beginÌ„ing of the Father of lyes may soon lead us to the Original of Errour but the full discovery of its progresse encrease is not to be expected untill that day which shall bring to light all the workes of darkness He that desires no inconsiderably to informe himselfe Dâ—naeus de â— Haeâ—esibus ante Christú concerning the attempts of the old Serpent upon this designe from the beginÌ„ing of time untill the times of Christ may consult antiquity not unprofitably for that end In the very Apostles times wee read of Deceivers who pretended to higher attainments to be stars of light that of the first magnitude Jaâ—e 13. but were indeed Raging waves of the sea foâ—mâ—ng out their owne shame wandring stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever That the doctrine of the Enthusiasts in Germany Libertines in the low-countryes was a dead sea of heterodoxy consisting in a great degree of the pernicious waters of old heresyes till then out of mind for many hundred yeares and that the doctrine of the Quakers as to the substance of it is but the opening of that vast and horrid sinke such as makes the land to stink in the nostrils both of God and man more then the Frogs that sometime annoyed Egypt But the same doctrine of the Enthusiasts Libertines of the last Century though in a second edition is thus manifested The great doctrine of The Trinitie Christ The Scripture Gospel Ordinances Ministry Order The Christian Magistrate Civil Order Are the Objects that the three following stages of heterodoxie finally engaged engage against and that so as the second viz Enthusiasts Libertines were indeed not only actors Preachers of what was prepared but also in some considerable degree Collectors out of the scatterings of their Predecessors to compleat their body of false doctrine but the last viz the Quakers are more deluded by their masters in wickedness whither Satan or any Jesuitical or other malignant serpentine agents who making use of the mystery of iniquity thus farr perfected to their hand notably abuse their ignorant and selfe conceited proselytes whilest under the pretence of new light they communicate both stale and exploded heresies error to be disseminated by them the second time Certain old heterodoxies concerning the forementioned heads of Religion from wheÌ„ce or the like the Enthusiasts Libertines might arise Praxeas who lived in the year two hundred taught that there was but one person only in divers respects called the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost After ariseth Sabellius under Valerian affirming that in the Divine Essence there were three names but denyed that there were three distinct subsistences or persons Concerning Christ the enmity of the father of lyes hath no where more shown it selfe then in his malignant contrivances concerning the person office of Christ. The Gnosticks denyed Iesus to be the Christ Cerinibus denyeth the Dvinity Nestorius affirmeth two persons Eutiches denyeth the two Natures Marcion affirmeth his passion to be imaginary not reall Ignatius mentions incredulous men who were ashamed of the trueth of the Incarnation some pretended themselves to be Christ. Concerning the scriptures considered as the rule of life the Messalian Enthusiasts expected divine raptures without the word they waited for the operation of a certain Daemon or a spirit and this operation which indeed was the operation of the Devil they esteemed to be the presence of the Holy Ghost called their fantasies prophecyes Athanasius in one of his sermons concerning heresies writes against such who in those times held that the words of the scripture were to be taken simply without consideration had unto what they signifyed Concerning Gospel Ordinances Ministry Order the authors to the Hebrews Jude and Iohn make mention of Apostates there from such who in their dayes forsook the church assemblies separated themselues went out from the fellowship of the Saints Heb. 10.25 Iude. 19.1 Iohn 2.19 Jude also informeth us of such who despised Dominion spake evill of dignitie and perished in the gainsaying of Core which consisted in murmuring rebelling against Moses and Aaron The Gnosticks represented themselves perfect against whom John is conceived to write 1. Epistle 1.8 The old Catharoi called puritans affirmed also that they were perfect without sin The tenets of the Enthusiasts Libertines concerning the same heads of Religion The Enthusiasts began about 1521. The Libertines in Calvin's time both Sects vexed the Church and State many yeares Concerning the Trinitie they acknowledged three Sleidan commeÌ„â— lib. 5 et 10. but they denyed the Father Son Holy-Ghost to be three distinct Persons Concerning Christ they said Christ incarnate was nothing but a godly man or a believer made of a body and an opinion Lu. Ofiand Cent. 16. lib. 2. cap. 33 they made euery saint equal with God according to the imagination of the Libertines each one of them was Christ Calvin adversus libertinos Guy de 〈◊〉 hence Quintinus as offended with those who asked him how he did was wont to answer how do I can Christ do amiss Concerning the Scripture
great thing if the ministers of Satan transform themselves into the ministers of Righteousness 2 Cor 11.15 Nor so much by their Conversation for the trueth were not true if such ravening Wolves did not come in sheeps cloathing as by their doctrine by which fruit they are in an especial manner to be known Mat. 7.16 Iohn 2 Epist 9 10. Yea and upon just tryal so farr ought we to bee from being moved by them in point of our faith as confidently to pronounce them Anathama's But though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that yee have received let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other Gospel unto you then that yee have received let him be accursed Scepticks all others are heÌ„ce beseeched to consider what unmovednes and firmnes in fundamentalls Christ looks for especially from those who would acquit themselves as Church-members in reference to such deceivers Though we have no Scripture warrant to expect immediate missions and have both frequent and solemn cautions concerning the rising of false pretenders therunto yet it being also a trueth that the holy One of Israel hath not limited himself herein When any arise with the gifts prementioned and with the fruits both of doctrine life conformable to the Scripture they are accordingly to be received in the Lord. The Lords Supper is a Visible-Political-Church-Ordâ—nanceâ— and is to continue unto the end of the world For as after as yee eat this bread drinke this Cup yee shew forth the Lords death untill he come 1 Cor. 12.26 In these words saith Paraeus is a tacite promise of the conservatioÌ„ of the Church unto the end of the world Baptisme is a Visible-Political-Church-Ordinance and is to continue unto the end of the world Teach and Baptise c and loe I am with you alwayes to the end of the world Mat 28.19 20. Therfore visible political-Church-ordinances are to continue unto the end of the world Object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in our translation we read world signifieth an Age and according to this version the text alledged speaks not of the continuance of Baptism unto the end of the world but unto the finishing of the age viz of that ministration or of the Apostles age Answ The trueth of the premises already evicted concludes this evasion a falsity Hence it would follow that the instant of John's death the last surviver of the Apostles the instant of the dissolution of Church order was the same But that John did not thus understand Christ yea that Christ did not thus understand himself witness besides his silence of any such notion in his Epistles to the other Churches his writing expresly to the Church of Thyatira that it was the precept of the Son of God concerning that Church that they should hold fast the doctrine they had received part whereof was chuâ—ch-estate not till John's death but till Christ's Comming Rev. 2.25 Namely to Judgment If the words be understood by any of his speciall comming to them by their personal deaths the like also being to be understood concerning others it effectually makes void this objection Add hereunto that John by that formidable Anathema chap 22.18 19. secureth the obligatory observance of all the words of the Revelation wherein is mention of Political church-estate as also of the rest of the sacred Canon according to the judgment of the best orthodox interpreters untill the second comming of Christ Rev. 22.7 12 20. Neither did Ignatius who lived in the time of the Apostles outlived Iohn thus understand Christ Witness those Epistles which are acknowledged by orthodox learned Criticks in antiquity as genuine wherein he attesteth unto owneth many churches then in being by honouring of them with the express titles of the Churches of Christ This objection renders the motion of Christ retrograde viz first forwards from the daâ—ker dâ—spensation of the law unto a more cleare dispensation of the Gospel and then backwards again unto a dâ—spensation more dark then that of the Law wherein the people of God may we credit the objecter are for 1500 yeares left without a Rule without Order without Seales without any sent by Office to preach unto them or any Church-Ordinance That the English translation is apt and renders not onely a true sense of the word but also its proper sense in this place appeareth from a particular indiction of its various acceptions in the New Testament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to its proper notation signifieth such a duration as is without an end for EVER Hence in reference unto duration it is used in diverse notions 1. For everlasting Iohn 12.34 6.51 4.14 14.16 2 Pet. 2.17 The objecter reading the word in these and many other texts the Age of a man must therewithall a firm that the residence of the Holy Ghost the state of grace heaven and hell shall continue but the age of a man 2. It is used also for a duration that is long viz for all the tract of time from its beginÌ„ing untill such a Term then spoken of Iohn 9.32 3. For the whole course of time Mat. 13.39 40 49. 4. For the Vniverse or frame of Creation it â—elâ— which is the Subject of time that duration being an insepperable adjunct thereof Thus it is rendered worlds Heb. 1.2 11.3 importing in born the visible world The world 2 Coâ— 4 4. speaking of this world as contradâ—stinct from the world to come For there are two worlds this world Iohn 12.31 and that world Luke 20.35 This present world 2 Tim 4.10 and the world to come Ephe 1.21 This is the subject of the duration of time that of the duration of Eviternity Of the premised expositions the reader may soon perceive both from the subject matter spoken of and the collation of other Scriptures that the third acception only agreeth with the text presented unto consideration and that this acception fully agree to therewith There is yet in the Gospel according to some learned men another acception of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely for the whole course of the time of the Gospel-dispensation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the abrogation of the Mosaical-dispensation at the ascention of Christ This is called the last Age of the world after which there is no other to be looked for by us here as after old age man is to expect no other age in this life but death which putteth an end unto his time And the Scripture as they conceive in this notion of age relates to a very notable distribution of famous account amongst the jewes of the time before and after the Messiah into two ages The first is called the Age before the Messiah the then present age the age of the jewish state The secoÌ„d the Age after the Messiah the future age the age of Christianitie Not inconformably whereunto Tobit speaking of the second Temple rebuilded