of the church requires to excommunicate and receive in and to order all things in their assemblies for the advancement of Christs kingdome without the leave or restraint of any Fourthly it must assemble for acts of governement and solemne worship without which it is but a shadow that is it must meete in their meeting places to pray preach prophecy baptize and communicate as the spirit gives wisedome and utterance Now because they finde not our churches thus made up according to their owne fansies therefore doe they forsake them as false or at the least no true churches This is their new way of churching and unchurching of assemblies so farre as I can gather by their conferences and writings and they judge of our assemblies after this mould I hope they will not deny us to have assemblies or to be separate from Iewes Turkes Pagans Idolaters and wicked Belialists in communion for spirituall life by Christ that wee have authority and power for ordination excommunication absolution and order or that wee have assemblies for governement and solemne worship and for the rest of the frame it is but the issue of their owne braine and not of the law and rule of Christ For first whereas they would have no nationall churches but particular in dependent congregations they must confesse that the whole nation of Israel was but one church And though then they had but one Tabernacle yet when after they were divided into severall Synagogues did they not continue the only church of God were they not still reputed of God as one man though some were better and more worse It is true say they because they had but one high-priest a figure of Christ which was to vanish Nay rather because they were but one people and common-wealth professing the same religion and ruled by the same lawes both before they had one high-priest and after when by corruption they had two Neither was the high-priest in respect of governement a type of Christ for so was Melchizedech of whose order Christ was and not after the order of Aaron but in respect of his sacrifice and intercession for the whole people and his enterance alone into the holy of holies bearing the names of the twelve tribes and Christs governement belongs to his kingdome not to his priest-hood Besides must they not confesse that that one church of the nation of Jewes was governed by one law and one king one law for the substance of governement and one king to order both priests and people and that not as a type of Christ but as a king by royall authority as head of the tribes as I shal cleare hereafter Yea doe wee not reade of the church of Ephesus which was one house of God over which Timothy was the first angell and Bishop as it comes to us from oldest records to rule all Presbyters Deacons Widowes and people in their severall assemblies For how fond were it to thinke that all the Elders Deacons and believers that Paul gives him Jurisdiction over there should be of one assembly Especially seeing Titus his fellow-Bishop was left in Creta to ordeine elders and oversee them in every city according to the necessity of severall assemblies Secondly whereas they urge that a true church must be separate from all false waies it is true it must be thus in profession when they are plainely discovered by undoubted scriptures but that it must be actually thus or be unchurched is utterly false Israel was Gods people when the sonnes of Eli in communion with them were sonnes of Belial and knew not the Lord. Moses calls them Gods people even when they were not separated from Idolatry because he had no authority to cast them off before God himselfe had given a bill of divorce God by Esay calls the Jewes his children and people when they were so farre from being separated from rulers of Sodome rebellious Princes companions of theeves that they had such teachers as caused them to erre such women as were full of hellish pride such rich men as were cruell oppressours such inhabitants as the earth was defiled under them and such a face of the church as the faithfull city was become an harlot with their oakes and gardens of idolatrie ready to bring confusion Paul calls the Corinthians a church of God saints by calling when at that instant many in communion with them had debates envyings whisperings wraths strifes backbitings swellings tumults and had not repented of the uncleannesse fornication and lasciviousnesse which they had committed Read the epistles of Christ to the seven churches in Asia and yee shall finde much abominable wickednesse and yet they were crowned by Christ himselfe with the name of churches If the Brownists plead that these churches should have beene separated Indeed they should have better then they were and because they were not they after felt the heavie hand of God but that the good should have fallen out with God for the sinne of man and beene separated from the good things of God for the wickednesse of those that were in outward communion of christianity that we no where nor ever I am sure shall read Thirdly whereas they plead that every particular congregation hath sufficient power by generall vote of members in all causes ecclesiasticall I must wonder before answere what have the people all the members power of jurisdiction over all What new scripture hath ever Christ made for this confusion Surely we finde it not before the law for then power of governement lay upon Adam Noah Abraham Isaack Iacob Ioseph and their peeres Surely it was not under the law for then power of governement lay upon Moses and his assistants even by the advice of Iethro and upon Aaron to whom the people must assent The law was delivered to the priests and elders and they were charged to looke to the rest It is as sure also that it is not under the Gospel The people attempted nothing but by the liking leave and approbation of the Apostles The Apostles ordeined elders in every city for the people without them and conferred with the elders of the church for the good of their assemblies without the people yea and upon consultation did decreâ— a matter for the peace of the church without them when their gifts were at the height It is true that sometimes the people were acquainted with some great matter in counsell not because they had authority without which the Apostles and elders could doe nothing but to acquâ—int them with reasons and to incourage them in their graces Thus Bishop Cyprian sometimes did and sometimes superiours do require the assent of inferiours for better peace and love And that the people had no authority in governing the church appeares by the commission of Christ to his Apostles and those that should succeed them goe yee saith Christ and teach and baptise
immediately did excell those that were called by men And among those that were called by men where might bee a rising to an higher degree according as they profited in faith and godlinesse Therefore Paul saith that they that use the office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree Therefore may wee lawfully maintaine a superiority in the ministery of Christ now But it may be they would not stand so much upon this because for ought I can finde there is some inequality betwixt their pretended Pastors and Doctors but that there is a Iurisdiction in our Bishops not onely over the flock but over the compresbyters their brethren It is true there is so and that justly without which wee should have as many religions as parishes and for that I say this Such jurisdiction as is patterned or prescribed in the epistles to Timothy and Titus is worthily exercised in our church of Christ If it bee said that that jurisdiction was personal in them this takes away the comfort of doctrine in all the otheâ— epistles for it may be as well said that the rules of faith and doctrine in them are personall and belong to that age But as this cannot be said so nor that for those rules tended to the government of the house of God and were to be kept to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Now that that jurisdiction patterned or prescribed in those epistles was episcopal appeareth thus Set aside matters matrimonial and testamentary which are the wise donation of princes for the conscionable ordering of such affaires and the jurisdiction of Bishops doth stand in two things principally First in ordination for the ordaining of ministers Titus was left in Crete to ordeine elders and the Apostle would have Timothy lay hands rashly on none that is ordaine But say they these ordeined not as Bishops but as Evangelists But this they must prove that they were Evangelists strictly so called Evangelists were immediately called so waâ— not Timothy for according to his good report and the prophesies that went of him for his great use of the church hee was ordained by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Yea but say they that Paul bids him doe the worke of an Evangelist True but may they not as well prove Timothy to be an Apostle because hee did the worke of the Lord as Paul did know therefore that Evangelist may be taken three wayes for a penner of the Gospel by divine instinct so the Apostles were Evangelists For a preacher of the Gospel by divine instinct so they are accounted so properly And for a preacher of the Gospell by ordinary diligence and assistance and thus Timothy an Evangelist may be a Bishop to ordaine though not properly as a preacher yet as made a great overseer for that use But say the Brownists Bishops claime ordination to themselves alone so did not Timothy and Titus who did it with the eldership Whether these did it alwaies with the assistant presbyters is not yet proved there being no set law knowne to us then nor I doubt ever will Indeed for our Bishops they ordaine Deacons alone and so they may according to ancient custome and neither I nor they know any thing against it But for the ordination of Presbyters as it was in the primitive Church so our Lawes require that the Bishop should have his assistants the power of ordaining being in him and the liberty of approbation in these Secondly the jurisdiction of Bishops stands in redressing things amisse Titus was left in Creta to redresse things amisse not onely in the people but Presbyters Over Presbyters I say they had a power to command as Paul saith to Timothy I left thee at Ephesus that thou mightst charge some that they preach no other doctrine to judge therefore he saith against an Elder receive not an accusation under two or three witnesses which was a juridicall proceeding and to silence as occasion is offered for whose mouthes must be stopped saith Paul to Titus Which power if it be onely by verball conviction as every Minister of the New Testament is bound to doe as he is able and not by reall suspension as hee is over Presbyters the precept is altogether in vaine and idle For words doe but breed words and contentious spirits will never have an end But say they the Apostles would not suffer themselves to be silenced no more should wee If we cannot doe our office in publike we should doe it private This is true of the Apostles and they did well in it but there are two sorts of Preachers such as were immediately called who had their gifts and matter and calling immediately from Christ these none but Christ can silence they are his elect vessels as Paul to carry his Name And such as are immediately called who have their matter and gifts by reading and industry and their calling by and from the testimony of man Now because some mens sinnes goe before and some mens follow after they that gave power and testimony according to appearance may according to after appearance take testimony away from the unworthy except they could prove themselves Apostles But yet say they grant all this true yet are there divers exceptions against our Bishops what such as may justifie a separation Let us heare them Put case Timothy and Titus were Bishops yet were they not such as ours that is Diocesan Bishops what then were they parish Bishops I wish them read in Church stories of the best times without which they can never understand some passages of scriptures of the practise of the Church I am sure this they should finde that Timothy and Titus had some compasse of jurisdiction allotted wherein there were Churches at least according to cities wherein there were many presbyters to be overseene and ordered and what was this but a Diocesse which as the Church increased increased with it But these say they for all that had no princely authority and Lordly command over their brethren That is true neither is this absolutely necessary to the calling or of the essence of it yet doth it not overthrow it but adorne and strengthen it when it is well used If a Bishop were called a beggar it doth not overthrow his calling so neither if he be called a pallace who knowes not that that proceeded from the favour of our Princes that they might be Barons of the parliament to direct the conscience in deepe matters of state But say they this is against the word of God Be not Lords over Gods heritage saith Peter and saith Christ the Lords of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever wil be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever would be chiefe among you let him bee your
was come home to God command Iudah to serve the God of Israel Did not Iosiah cause and make his people to stand to his covenant to serve even to serve the Lord our God Is it not lawfull for good Princes in reforming to follow these examples may not they binde their people some way by oath bond subscription or taking and giving hands for better performance of duties of religion why may not our good Princes follow those old patternes in reforming They say because it is not found in the new testament Bee it so yet it is found in the old testament and not condemned in the new nor any other order prescribed in such a case Surely seeing in this new devised way they will bee tried by none but the new testament they shall be cast at this bar in their own courses Let them give but one text to prove any man called or ordained to a Pastours office in the church by a company of private men alone and I shall give them another text to prove any thing they please I can yet reade of none but Apostles Evangelists and the eldership that made ministers there If they can shew no text I am sure they have no such Pastours as they ought but I am sure we have true kings who have power in reforming to compell wicked people to be better then they are because they beare not the sword for nought Yea but say they lastly put case they entred upon necessarie knowledge that they made a covenant in receiving the word and sacraments that they were voluntarily or forced yet lawfull professours when they stated a visible church yet they were many of them baptized when they were the seed of them that were not members of the visible church Conceive it thus If a man be a member of the visible church then his children have a right to baptisme before they actually professe the faith by vertue of that promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seede But if hee bee not a member of a visible church as a Iew Turke or Pagan then have they no right to it before they actually confesse as the Eunuch did Now the Brownists keeping a great coile about the jointing of members into a church as if it were all one to be jointed into the body of Christ coapted and fitted to our head Christ for life and salvation and to bee a member of the visible church in outward communion and fellowship of Christ for the outward priviledges of the church they have I say espied among many others this one crime in the Dutch and French churches that they baptize the seede of them that are no members of the visible church much more when they looke upon us whom they account not members of a true visible church must they quarrell if all bee of his mind if our first reformers be not members of a true visible church and yet their children are baptized before they are of yeares to professe their owne faith SECT 9. A question by the way about baptizing Bastards of impenitent Christians I Confesse I never yet talked with any Brownist about this particular yet because I finde too many conscious people hanging after forraigne novelties and gazing upon with admiration the membring and dismembring in visible churches who when they heare of Christians lawfully begotten children denied baptisme beginne to wonder that christians bastards should be admitted Therefore to cleare both as God shall in able I shall labour to satisfie others as I have done some in this question whether bastards are baptizable while their mothers are in their sinnes of adultery or fornication and whether men ought not to stay their baptisme untill they be reconciled to God in open church which is publickely scandalized by her fact and from which she hath dismembred her selfe by her misdeed In this I finde two questions inwrapt in one whether bastards are baptizable and whether men ought not to stay such baptisme till the harlot bee reconciled to God and this be done in the open church scandalized from which by her fact she hath cut herselfe off by her sinne I shall first labour to state these questions and then the cases will more easily appeare The estate of the first may be thus set By bastards such children are meant as come not into the world by lawfull acts of marriage and by baptizable is meant such as have a right to the sacrament of baptisme in the church And the question is not whether bastards in generall are baptizable for so it is certaine that all are not as the bastards of Iewes Turkes and Pagans who have no right to baptisme but by personall confession But the question is whether the bastards of the professours at large in a christian church which is in covenant with God for the outward priviledge of the church at least have right to baptisme of these the inquiry is because in the second part of this question is spoken of the mothers reconciling to God in the open church offended The state of the second question must be laid by considering two things 1 The persons enquired of· 2 The duty of these persons The persons enquired of are Men and it is too generall a terme For it cannot meane any men of that assembly where such a bastard is presented for they have no authority knowne to mee from scriptures to meddle in any censure ecclesiasticall These onely are to meddle heere who are sent and inspired with delegated service and mininistery from Christ either immediately or mediately Neither can it meane the Pastors and deputed teachers of that assembly for they have but a dependent authority according to the lawes of Eutaxy and good order in the church Presbiters under Bishops Bishops under Synods Synods under Councels and Councels under the word of Christ in plaine scriptures Our highest appeale is to our head Christ Iesus For if ordinary Pastours had such independent power in such cases thinke whether it would not set up a Pope in every parish especially considering that wee have neither precept nor president in all the new testament of such power given to any assembly or Presbiter that ever I could yet finde By men therâ—fore wee must understand the publick governours of that church that is the King Prince state Bishop and convocation by their lawes ecclesiasticall for the good of the church The question enquires of those in respect of order decree and command and of these in respect of Canons and executions accordingly Thus I take up the minde of the question or else I know not what it would have Next consider in the question the duty of these persons whether they ought to stay bastards from baptisme By this two things may bee meant denying baptisme but no man would utterly exclude such and suspending baptisme and of this is the question for it makes a double limitation first till the harlot be reconciled to God In this
such as the Apostles converted in the first planting of the Churches of the Gentiles It is certaine that it is as true a conversion from any sinne to sanctification as from infidelity to faith For Iohn Baptist was sent to turne the disobedient Iewes and Peter after his fall was to be converted and Ephraim was to say turne thou me and I shall be turned and the remnant of Iacob was to returne to the mighty God But say they this may be done by private persons as by the woman of Samaria and by the good wife who winnes her husband by her conversation Who doth doubt that as the base carriage of Christians doth make religion blasphemed so the faire carriage of theÌ„ doth win aliens to like it Who doubts but the perswasions of others may draw men to Christ or his followers to bee informed in good wayes Who doubts of Aquilas and Priscillas taking Apollos a man mighty in the Scriptures and making him understand the wayes of Christ better Yea and Christ if hee please may use them as meanes for thorow conversion But what is Christs ordinary way hee hath now given Pastors and Doctors not onely for the setting of the Saints in joynt and edifying of the body of Christ but for the worke of the Ministery and what is that It is to open mens eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctifâ—ed by Faith in Christ Therefore our Ministery having done thus are not these true Ministers No say the Brownists and therefore doe they make exceptions against us They like not our ordainers our titles our callings our infirmities nor our maintenances therefore we are not true Ministers Let us follow them with Christs light It is as if they should have said though we cannot overthrow the substance of your Ministery yet we reject you because of the circumstances of it as the children of Israel who could not out-face Elishaes calling from God yet could in scorne say come up thou bald-pate thou art not without thy blemish till the Beares stopt their mouthes Let them take heede If a King have all the substance of right and Kingshippe yet if in his inauguration hee have not a pleasing â—nnointer title acclamation maintenance or have some infirmities is hee not a right King I doubt if these spirits had power in their hand neither true King nor true Priest nor true people should scarcely be found to stand before them But to the particulars They say wee are ordained by Bishops who are as they are such the very limbes of Antichrist That they are the blessed governors of our Church according to the patterne and rules Apoâ—tolicall of Timothy and Titus I have shewed before And by whom should wee be ordained but by such Can a good man dreame that the body of a people of men and women have a power to ordaine and consecrate presbyters when if he runne thorough the whole new testament he can never find but bresbyters ordained by presbyters If ours bee Bishops yet they are presbyters and more They have an order and jurisdiction by right above us as Titus in Creta yet I hope that doth not exclude presbytership from them The inferiour orders may stand alone but the superiour comprehends all A Bishop may reade administer sacraments and doe other offices of the inferiour orders and often doth whereas the other inferiour offices have no jurisdiction over their brethren where the blessing of Bishops may by the favour of times and Princes bee setled according to the word of God That which is their weapon heere I suffer to runne unto my heart not to wound it but to comfort it that I have not beene brought up in other Churches to receive my ordination from the presbytery which yet is good in case of necessity when our way cannot be had but that I have received it by the hand of a Bishop as well as presbyters which makes the practises and rules of scriptures about ordinations the lesse defective the more compleat But these Bishops of ours say they doe ordaine us Priests which is not a ministery of the new testament And what if we be so called in our ordination Is it so contemptible a name which is put upon all Christians both kings and beggars may not we be called so as ministers as well as we and they too as Christians Indeed popish Priests had an ill name when they ruled our people which made it a name of disgrace and proud and scornefull people will cast it upon us with disgrace who doe deserve better but by Christs helpe I shall never bee ashamed of that name which I must labour to answer in my office if I will bee found faithfull Christ as a Priest maketh intercession and I as a Priest must pray for my people as Paul did often Christ as a Priest did offer a sacrifice I as a Priest must minister the Gospel of God that the sacrificing of my people may be acceptable as Paul of the Gentiles And why should any bee offended at that name by which the holy Ghost calls us for when Esay speaketh of the ministers of the new testament hee saith of them will I take for Priests and Levites saith the Lord. What matters it what wee are called so long as wee offer no idolatrous sacrifice but onely in our office commemorate the sacrifice of Christ and doe other services for his honour Put case wee may bee Priests in name and Presbyters indeed yet say they wee are not called by the people whose souls we feed but are put upon them by lawes and Canons This is in part true but not fully for while Presbyters are put into parishes by law they come unto them by their owne consent For have not the people chosen knights and Burgesses to draw up and to consent to lawes for them And have not Presbyters chosen clarkes synodically to meete to make rulâ—s and Canons for them And doe not both these settle Presbyters in every parish Therefore they are inducted by all ministers and peoples consent But put case it were fully true were wee not therefore true ministers Did we never heare of a man and woman that were married together against the will of one party by the power of parents who yet being married were true man and wife and by an after combining lived lovingly together so may it bee in this case a free consent of minister and people after in the true worship of God may supply and make up that defect But is it certaine that the people have such a right in calling their Presbyters Let us looke into the sure word of God I see the right of Christian Magistrates in choosing them unto their places Take thou unto thee Aaron for the Priests office saith God and thus did Moses See also
all that came into their communion They would runne into invited and unnecessary dangers This they called martyrdom whether they suffered from themselves or others I am sure also that our forsakers will not owne these for their setters up in all points if for nothing else yet for this they had Bishops Heere was a separation long and irkesom yet surely they will not be of such an episcopall separation Thirdly besides the separatiō of Lucifer who falling at odds with Eusebius Vercellensis about the ordination of honest Paulinus departed in choler from the peace of the church and made a proud breach wee reade about the yeare after Christ three hundred seventy one of one Audeus a Syrian who raised up by the cōmon opinion of his zeal and integrity a company of followers who would not pray with other Christians and Bishops crying these downe as being too rich who also gave this reason of their separation that in the bosome of the church were suffered usurers and impure livers These sometimes dwelt in solitary places by themselves and sometimes in the suburbs of cities They fained also great holinesse and chastity and dreamed God to have mans forme and humane parts But their sect outlived not their persons and I am sure also that our forsakers wil not acknowledge themselves to bee of this condemned breed Fourthly when the thoughts of the best christians were taken up with more weighty matters and the necessity of times had invited them to faith and doctrine or the vaile of darkenesse had covered too many hearts these pettie sidings beganne to vanish and were at last utterly extinct till the light of the Gospel shined upon the church with fuller glorie againe Then as the enemy troubled the wheat with blasted corne our forsakers say they had a church againe In king Henry the eights and Luthers dayes they finde say they some congregations upon their bottome And indeed wee finde in stories that some of their vaine opinions crept into the heads of some right godly persons in other points who were ready to suffer for Christ and did so for it is hard not to fall from one extreamity to another if sound judgement according to the rule given doe not poise the lightnesse of affections But these in Germany were crowned with the name of Anabaptists whose doctrine and practise to overthrow the Church and state are well knowne and as well confuted and condemned by Luther Calvine Zanchius and an whole army of others But our forsakers I am sure will not own these in all points neither will they owne them because they forsake them also in some Fiftly therefore wee must goe lower yet and if wee come to the daies of blessed Queene Elizabeth after divers strugglings for excesses which surely is no friend to the Gospel among variety of judgements which know but in part wee meete with one Browne who first raiseth a new platforme of all the tenets of our forsakers if yet by time and age they have not made them worse This man after hee had infected some by preaching found meanes to poison others by writing of his Estate of true Christians and other pamphlets His conceits within this last age have lived and died by turnes as they have been the objects of discontēted or quiet spirits If humble soules have met with them they have seene in them the poison of peace the renting of the seamelesse coate of Christs church the building upon a covenant of workes and the hindering of the progresse of the Gospell in faith and love But if they have beene cast upon a raging sea of an unquiet and disjointed heart they have bred Barrowes Greenwoods Penries Robinsons Iohnsons Aynsworths and Smiths the onely men so farre as I know of that full straine who have tasted of more or lesse learning ill placed from Christs time downward Seeing therfore Browne is the first full-father of our forsakers who raised up their building to that height they would faine maintaine it at surely they can have no other name of justice then Brownists which they must hold except they can prove that theirs is a newer way Indeed Browne did afterward fall away from them and his owne tenets for the most part But seeing the first authour justly gives the name as that carpenter that builds an house for the building of it though afterward hee burne it down therefore I cannot bee so unjust as to suffer them by mee to bee called by any other then that they received from him in his new christianity If now you aske the issue of this discourse it is to draw to this conclusion that this church of theirs was never heard of till Brownes time and so I argue thus That which never was a true church from Christs time to the daies of Queene Elizabeth was not a true church then nor is a true church now for the gates of hell must not prevaile against it But the Brownists church was never a true church from Christs time to the dayes of Queene Elizabeth Therefore it was not a true church then nor is now as they would have it If they say that some of their opinions were of old I confesse it is true But let them shew but one church which either positively in all points which make their church to them a church or negatively in denying contrary tenets held by the true church and then they shall bee the true church for mee But it may bee they will say that the church of Rome thus disputes against us It is true and so doe wee against them about their church built up by the late councell of Trent affirming confidently that there was never one church but was under the curse of that councel if it had beene of force before But when they plead so against us wee goe to that which made true visible churches in the Apostles dayes and ever since that is professed submission to the rule of faith in the scriptures and a profession of faith in the trinity especially in Jesus Christ our Lord that rocke whereupon the church is built and so long as we have this wee feare not their plea. If they say that they doe thus much to make them a true church also It is true they doe it as wee doe and yet they denie us so doing to be a true church except wee be of their new covenant If therefore they cannot finde a church of that covenant till Brownes daies how can they bee a true church which hath never failed nor ever shall Let them duely consider this issue and God give them understanding in all things SECT 5. Of that name they would have Separatists and how unjustly assumed as a title of honour IT is most true that they are loath to acknowledge the name of Browne their father not sticking to brand him with the livery of a turne-coate if not Apostate and surely deserves to bee soundly
members before they are cast out But they dreame of other members who must bee chosen into their congregations for governement as those that have a full right from Christ to give voices for ordinations elections excommunications absolutions and the like as if all the members of a common-wealth must bee counsellours if not kings but where will they finde in Christs word that none are members of a visible church but those that are admitted members for government I cannot tell except they have a new testament not knowne to us It is true that Peter calleth Gods people a chosen generation a royal priest-hood an holy nation But I hope he doth not write to any particular visible church but to the dispersed saints in divers churches that were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father None will deny these to be true members of the churches where they live and if they doe deny others who have not such high graces as these had to be members of a visible church as well as they though notwithstanding their profession to bee servants of Christ they flatter with their mouth and lie with their tongues because their heart is not right with God neither are they stedfast in his covenant they must denie the whole course of scripture which must judge them at the latter day But say they how can the wicked bee members of the church of Christ seeing Christ is not their head Christ hath told no man thus For though he be not their head by infusion of saving and sanctifying graces of the spirit unto eternall life yet is he their head as they are his members by professed governement A good husband is the head of a wicked wife and a good king is the head of wicked subjects so Christ is the head of wicked members to draw them to better courses or to have them brought forth to bee slaine before him because they will not that hee rule over them as he should But say they the visible church is the kingdome of heaven and wicked men are not the members of that The kingdome of heaven stands in righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost of this kingdome they are not members But the kingdome of heaven is like unto a net that gathered of every kinde of this kingdome they are members till Christ cast away the bad in the end of the world They are not in this kingdome by the power of godlinesse they are in this kingdome by profession and presence among and with the meanes of salvation till the kingdome be removed from them But say they wicked men are dead and how can dead members bee members of a living body Iust as an unfruitfull or rotten branch is a branch till it be cut off that bough is dead say wee yet is a bough That member is gangrenated yet is a member till the Chirurgions knife comes and hath done its office Sardis was a true visible church yet had but a name to live but was dead so may wicked men be in the church as members for outward communion but not for inward comfort Well say they put case that wicked Christians are members of the visible church till they are cut off yet they should bee cut off in a true church whereas they continue in yours and are not cut off Put case this charge were true yet Christ learnes not to argue from thence that ours is no true church This may make us a corrupt church but not a false one How many wicked members were in the only church of God in Christs time yet he separates not from it as a false church For as a tree or man or beast may have corrupt members yet not be false creatures in their kindes so may it bee in a Church And rashly to separate from such members will not prove the correction of them but their hinderance in good when they see themselves contemned without conviction and judgement Thus are they put further from the Kingdome of Heaven and made seven-fold the child of hell more to the hazard of all But this is false that ungodly men are not cut off from our true Church They are cut off two wayes by acts of the state and acts of the Church The State when they are judiciously tryed cuts off many of them by the Gallowes and in the Church they are cut off three wayes Ministerially when by declaring Christs pleasure what they should be and denouncing his wrath against them for what they are the vile are separated from the precious as those that have no actuall right to the salvation of Christ professionally when Gods good people pray against their wickednesse reprove it complaine against it and practise otherwise in wills affections and whole courses and are payed for it with their reproaches and persecutions and lastly Ecclesiastically when by processe and publike tryall they are cast out of our Synagogues and assemblies If all tast not the bitternesse of this censure when Church-officers remember not the Oath of God and so through feare favour and affection bring them not before the Churches tribunall yet many doe to be examples to all as in the Church of Corinth whereof many wicked persons one incestuous beast was cast out But say they you should separate from them all at least in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper The Apostle Paul saw all the disorders in the Church of Corinth yet taught not a separation in this Sacrament but gave this rule of remedy Let a man examine himselfe and to the Galatians he saith Every man shall beare his owne burthen Though in duties of charity we must beare one anothers burthens yet in rendring of accounts we must beare our owne Which were it well observed it would make them more carefull to reforme themselves then curiously to pry into and censure others Againe put case wicked persons come to our Communions of the Body and Bloud of Christ wee should not separate from them but they should separate from us It is but theirs by their profession but it is ours by our power of grace When things are naught wee must separate but when they are good wee must stay in our owne right It was sinne in Israel to separate from the sacrifices for the mixture of Elies wicked sonnes whom God would destroy But because this doth sticke so much with them and their partners that wicked men come to our Sacrament of the Lords Supper I shall therefore by Gods helpe cleare these three particulars 1 What right a wicked man hath by vertue of the gospel to this sacramēt 2 What benefit he can have from it 3 VVhat separation Gods word will warrant from such receivers For the first the sacrament hath a double office to offer grace to them that will receive it according to their profession and to exhibit this grace offered to
there be a defect any where it is in Law not in Bishops Courts If there were any common Law for the poore Minister to recover his Offerings and other petty dues for the officers of courts to procure their fees whereof both must live or sterve would they ever run to the dreadfull sentence of excommunication It proceeds not from any order or sentence of our Bishops but from a meere want of other law for which I hope they will not separate from the common-wealth get some law to recover their rights other wayes and then excommunication shall shine in its glory Yet in the meane time thus much I am sure may be said to quiet a tender conscience A man askes his dues and it is denied so hee that denies it is an unrighteous person He askes it againe and it is denied in choller so he that denies is a contentious person hee askes it againe and hee is reviled so hee that doth so is a reviler Now the holy Ghost saith that contentious persons shall have indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish that unrighteous persons theeves and revilers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Therefore they are bound in heaven while they are so Is not this reciprocall then those that are bound in heaven should upon due conviction bee bound on earth and those that are so bound on earth shall bee bound in heaven But these that will not pay just fees dues if they bee able upon conviction and contumacy are bound in heaven therefore upon their contumacy thâ—y may lawfully bee excommunicate Yea but say they the Bishops officers should have no fees at all in spirituall cases Should they not live so it may bee some would that would doe what they list But when they spend their time and strength in rectifying disorders as they can by law shall they have no reward Indeed it were a gracious thing if there were a common treasury to maintaine them that they might heare no more of they eate up the sinnes of the people yet because they must bee maintained one of these two wayes either out of the common purse of the innocent or out of the purses of the guilty Iudge whether it be more equal that one man should spend for another mans sinne or that a man that will sinne should be driven to spend for his owne that if he feare not sinne yet at the least he may feare the weakning of his purse And thus at the last by Gods blessing have I done with the first general plea of the Brownists against us that we are no true Church We have all their pleas about the nature of a true Church the enterance into a true Church the head of a true Church the members of a true Church and the government of a true Church In al which thorough Christs assistance I have so cleared our Church and shewed the vaine singularity of theirs that if they will not come to us yet wee shall keepe where we are and not forsake the fellowship in our assemblies SECT 14. The Brownists second opinion upon which they forsake our Church because we have not a true ministery WE are now by Gods favour come unto their second opinion upon which they ground their separation from us to be just and necessary that we have not a true ministery and therefore alasse they pitty me and others of my brethren They doe or should know that the best ministery now is the opening and applying the word by them that are sent that which Paul saith of prophecying that it is a speaking unto men for exhortation edification and comfort is this same with the best ministery And if they that doe it be sent then surely it is right as it should bee Now to the sending of this ministery there must bee three acts the act of Christ the act of the Church and the act of the parties sent To Christ all authority and power is given and he useth a double act an immediate act when he doth in calling extraordinarily fit men with knowledge and power to do his work so he fitted the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists A mediate act when he doth it the ordinary way by meanes and degrees Men by his grace take heede to doctrine and to themselves give attendance upon reading and attaine to these foure things integrity of life by which they get a good report even of those that are without Soundnesse in christian Doctrine by which they are able to teach exhort reprove correct and instruct those committed to them Dexterity in teaching by which they are apt to teach and communicate their knowledge to others And lastly willingnesse by which they feed the flocke of God willingly and of a ready minde out of love and zeale to Christ Of all these no ordinary man can judge but hee that findes them in himselfe may say I thank God I find this act of Christ in sending me which opens the doore The act of the Church is the Porter that doth let us in and stands in foure things presentation probation ordination and election Presentation is when those that are to be called are presented Thus the Disciples presented or set before the Apostles Ioseph Barsabas and Matthias as after they set before them the Deacons that were to be called Probation is a triall of their gifts and life as Paul saith Let them first bee proved and then let them minister if they be found worthy Ordination is when they are consecrated and set apart with imposition of hands and prayer Thus Paul and Barnabas ordained the Elders in every Church and Titus was left in Creta for this end Election and calling is when they are assigned for execution of their Office to their particular titles and allotments as Matthias to his Apostolicall jurisdiction and Timothy and Titus to Episcopall in Ephesus and Creta which Election though it may bee conceived to goe before Ordination in respect of the office to which they are elected yet not in respect of the execution of it in their particular places The Act of the party sent is a desire of the Office for the glory of God and a purpose to spend and to be spent upon that service They must have ordinarily a desire of their office and to addict themselves to the Ministery of the Saints as the house of Stephanas If it seeme to be unlawfull for a man to desire it because Moses and Ieremy were unwilling to undertake such high service and all the Apostles were called without their owne seeking and above their desires yea and some ancient worthies have been found to hang backe when such offices have beene tendred yet when wee consider the willingnesse of Esay here am I send me we must learn to judge aright If any desire it when they are not meet and qualified it is a wickednesse against justice and charity against justice in taking the hire when
excellent reason for it as well as in all other reformed Churches except theirs First for uniformity that all Gods people in our Church might meete at the same time and put up the same petitions with earnest desires in the same manner And is not this a comforting thought that we have an opener way to heaveÌ„ made us by the joint suites of all good English or hearts Secondly for memory that he may not forget the generall necessities of all the Church and so sticke upon those particulars onely which are according to his owne feeling Thirdly for honour to the blessed saints and martyres whose prayers they were That as we have had benefit by them when they were put up to God before so wee may bring benefit to our selves and others by them when wee pray them now Fourthly for his calling sake Hee is not immediatly called by God 〈…〉 the Church Therefore as he is called by God he useth those gifts which hee hath received from God as he is called by the Church he is to use and honour the publicke gifts of the Church in interpretation prayer and the like What more need bee said to justifie our worship by set formes of prayer for the present I see not when I shall by Gods assistance I shall say more SECT 16. The Brownists maine exceptions in their former argument against our common-prayer booke more specially THough set formes of publicke prayâ—r may be lawfull usefull commendable and glorious yet they say that our common prayers are not so fit a way to worship God by nay they say more that that worship is plainely idolatrous I am sure that that assertion is weakely superstitious I would wish them that they be piously carefull that they speake not evill of that they know not because they are not careful or willing to know we ordinarily know unwise young men when their whose soules live in their affections to make many objections against many good orders and lawes who when ripenesse and experience hath made them see the reasons have beene ashamed of what they have done and may it not be so with these men and women Howsoever I would intreate them to consider what they may reade in the historie of our Church that when a godly martyr was reading in a primar of our Church and came to Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us an ungodly serving-man who was set to attend him blasphemously mocked at it but hee was strooke madde that night and dyed miserably Let them duely consider this and feare to open their mouthes against any comforts of the godly and advancement of godlinesse As for my part I have reade some liturgies beside our owne and have heard of others but blessed be God I never saw or heard of any more fully accomplished for the worke in hand But am I not deceived Let us in the feare of God take a view how it proceeds in all publicke service and call in along their exception which I know as we goe along There is in it first a preparation to publicke service and then the service and worship it selfe The preparation is by meditation exhortation and prayers The Presbyter or Deacon doth in the beginning propound some texts of scripture to be thought upon that we by their meditation may draw our selves into the presence of our God to heare and doe Yea indeed say they they doe corrupt the text For though they say At what time soever a sinner doth repent from the bottome of his heart God will blot them out of his remembrance which is not the speech of Ezekiel I pray is not this the full sense of the Prophet made speake to ordinary capacity if not his words Doth he not say if the wicked will turne Is not this equivalent to at what time soever whether to day to morrow or whensoever I hope when conditions are performed God will be as good as his word whensoever Doth he not say If they turne from all their iniquities and keepe all my Statutes What is this but repent from the bottome of the heart and leave no root of bitternesse behind Doth he not say Hee shall live his sinnes shall not be mentioned unto him what is this but I will put them or blot them out of my remembrance This is not corruption I hope when the Text is plainly expressed in the true sense of it Secondly he doth exhort the people according to the Scriptures to confesse their sinnes with a lowly penitent and obedient heart saying after him By this hee puts them in minde what to doe namely to confesse their sinnes aright that their poyson being vomited up they may the better set themselves to seeke God in the other acts of worship But say they what need this saying after me seeing the Presbyters Prayer and the peoples Amen is enough Indeed it is enough to a Prayer the petitions whereof are not knowne to the people before such as that of Ezra and when men exercised their owne gifts for the edification of many But is it therefore unlawfull for the people to say after their leader when hee prompteth them or they are taught by the Church Doe not all the people as well as the Presbyter pray to God and praise God in singing Psalmes And I am sure the Word of Christ which warranteth what is commanded and what it goeth not against is not against it It is true it is uncomely for many mouthes to put up a petition to the King at once It would confound him whose apprehension and understanding is limited But it is not so to God who is understanding it selfe wisdome it selfe to whom millions sing Psalmes at once and thousand millions pray to him at once over all the world Thirdly he doth pray for and with them that they may doe as hee exhorted them For first there is the joynt confession of all their unworthinesse and Prayer to GOD that they may live better in after times Confession without a purpose to amend does no good therefore are both united in our good confession Then doth he for their encouragement declare and pronounce the absolution and forgivenesse of sinnes to true penitent beleevers according to the Gospel and applying it to the people prayes that upon their repentance their sinnes being done away they may doe worthily that service which now they are about Aâ—d then to supply all defects in all all pray with one heart as one man the Lords Prayer which is the King of Prayers and so rise with short and earnest prayers that they may praise God and that God would help them and with a profession of their faith in the Trinitie and desire that all glory may bee given unto that blessed three in one Thus I am sure if wee have pious and humble soules may we be prepared for the publike worship of God publikely Now for the service and worship it selfe in this good