God be called out unto And therefore being prepared in some measure to go through good report and bad report I shall give him assurance that I am very litle concerned in such attempts from what ever intention they do proceed Only I must needs tell him that he consulted not his owne reputation with peaceable godly men what ever else he omitted in the ensuing Comparing of me to the seducers in Jude called wandring Planets for their inconstancy and inconsistency with themselves according to the exposition that was needfull for the present turne But seeing the Scheme at the close must beare the weight of this charge let us briefly see what it amounts unto and whether it be a sufficient basis of the sustruction that is raised upon it Hence it is that my inconsistency with my selfe must be remarked in the title page of his first Treatise from hence must my Authority which what it is I know not be impaired and my selfe be Compared to cursed Apostates and Seducers and great triumph be made and upon my selfe inconsistency The Contradictions pretended are taken out of two bookes the one written in the yeare 1643. The other in 1656. and are as followes He spake of Rome as a Collapsed Corrupted Church-State p. 40. He saies Rome we account no Church at all pag. 156. Crimen in auditum C. Caesar is it meet that any one should be tolerated that is thus wofully inconsistent with himselfe what speak of Rome as a Collapsed Church in Italy and within thirteene or fourteene yeares after to say it is no Church at all well though I may say there is indeed no Contradiction between these Assertions seeing in the latter place I speak of Rome as that Church is stated by themselves when yet I acknowledge there may be corrupted Churches both in Rome and Italy in the same Treatise Yea I do not find that in the place directed unto I have in termes or in just consequence at all granted the Church of Rome to be a Collapsed Church nay the Church of Rome is not once mentioned in the whole page nor as such is spoken of and what shall we think of this proceeding But yet I will not so farre offend against my sense of my owne weaknes ignorance and frailty as to use any defensative against this Charge let it passe at any rate that any sober man freed from pride passion selfefulnesse and prejudice shall be pleased to put upon it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} But the second instance will make amends and take more of the weight of this Charge upon its shoulders Take it then as it lies in its triple Columne Guifts in the Person and consent of people is warrant enough to make a man a preacher in an extraordinary Case only pag. 15. and pag. 40. Denying our ordination to be sufficient he sayes he may have that which indeed Constitutes him a minister viz Guifts and submission by the People p. 198. I am punctually of the same mind still p. 40. Yet had said in his first book p. 46. as to formall teaching is required 1 Guifts 2 Authority from the Church if he do not equivocate I must Confesse I am here at a stand to find out the pretended Contradiction especially laying aside the word only in the first Columne which is his and not mine By a Preacher in the first Place I intend a minister Guifts and Consent or submission of the People I affirme in both places to be sufficient to constitute a man a minister in extraordinary Cases That is when imposition of hands by a Presbytery may not be obtained in due order according to the appointment of Jesus Christ That the Consent and submission of the people which include Election have nothing of Authority in them I never said the superadded Act of the imposition of hands by a Presbytery when it may be regularly obtained is also necessary But that there is any Contradiction in my words although in truth they are not my words but an undue collection from them or in this Authors inference from them or any colour of Equivocation I professe I cannot discerne in this place Mr Cawdrey {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Passe we to the third He made the Union of Christ and believers to be mysticall pag. 21. He makes the Union to be Personall pag. 94. 95. I wish our Reverend Author for his owne sake had omitted this Instance because I am enforced in mine owne necessary defence to let him know that what he assignes to me in his second Columne is notoriously false denied and disproved by me in the very place and Treatise wherein I have handled the Doctrine of the Indwelling of the Spirit and whether he will heare or forbeare I cannot but tell him that this kind of dealing is unworthy his calling and profession His following Deductions and Inferences whereby he endeavours to give countenance to this false and calumnious charge arise from ignorance of the Doctrine that he seeks to blemish and oppose Though the same spirit dwell in Christ and us yet He may have him in fullnesse we in measure Fulnesse and measure relating to his Communication of Graces and Gifts which are arbitrary to him indwelling to his person that the Spirit animates the Catholick Church and is the Author of its spirituall life by a voluntary act of his power as the soule gives life to the body by a necessary act by virtue of its union for life is actus vivificant is in vivificatum per unionem utriusque is the Common Doctrine of Divines But yet the soule being united to the body as pars Essentialis suppositi and the spirit dwelling in the Person as a free inhabitant The union between Christ and the Person is not of the same kind with the union of soule and Body let our Author Consult Zanchy on the second of the Ephesians and it will not repent him of his labour or if he please an Author whom I find him often citing namely Bishop Hall about union with Christ And for my Concernment in this charge I shall subjoyne the words from whence it must be taken Pag. 133. of my book of Perseverance 1. The first signall Issue and effect which is ascribed to this Indwelling of the Spirit is Union not a Personall Union with himselfe which is impossible He doth not assume our natures and so prevent our Personality which would make us one person with him but dwells in our persons keeping his owne and leaving us our Personality infinitely distinct But it is a spirituall Union the great union mentioned so often in the Gospell that is the sole Fountaine of our Blessednesse our Union with the Lord Christ which we have thereby Many thoughts of heart there have been about this Union what it is wherein it doth consist the causes manner and Effects of it The Scripture expresses it to be very Eminent necre durable
young men came to advise about their ordination he diswaded them from it 4. He saith he would maintaine against all the Ministers of England there was in Scripture no such thing as Ordination 5. That when he was chosen a Parliament man he would not answer whether he was a Minister or not all which are notoriously untrue and some of them namely the two last so remote from any thing to give a pretence or colour unto them that I question whether Satan have impudence enough to owne himselfe their Author and yet from hearesayes reports rumours from table talk Vox populi and such other grounds of Reasoning this Reverend Author hath made them his owne and by such a charge hath I presume in the judgment of all unprejudiced men discharged me from further attending to what he shall be prompted from the like principles to divulge for the same end and purposes which hitherto he hath managed for the future For my judgment about their ministry and Ordination about the nature and efficacy of Ordination the state and power of particular Churches my owne station in the ministry which I shall at all times through the grace and assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ freely justify against men and devills it is so well knowne that I shall not need here further to declare it for the true nature and notion of Schisme alone by me enquired after in this chapter as I said I find nothing offerd thereunto only whereas I restrained the Ecclesiasticall use of the word Schisme to the sense wherein it is used in the places of Scripture that mention it with relation to Church affaires which that it ought not to be so nothing but asseverations to the contrary are produced to evince this is interpreted to extend to all that I would allow as to the nature of Schisme it selfe which is most false though I said if I would proceed no farther I might not be compelled so to do seeing in things of this nature we may crave allowance to think and speak with the Holy Ghost However I expressely comprised in my proposition all the places wherein the nature of Schisme is delivered under what termes or words soever When then I shall be convinced that such discourses as those of this Treatise made up of diversions into things wholy forraigne to the inquiry by me insisted on in the investigation of the true notion and nature of Schisme with long talkes about Anabaptists Brownists Sectaries Independents Presbyterians Ordination with charges and reflections grounded on this presumption that this Author and his party for we will no more contend about that expression are in solidum possessed of all true and orderly Church state in England so that whosoever are not of them are Schismaticks and I know not what besides he being Gallinae filius albae nos viles pulli nati infelicibus ovis I shall farther attend unto them I must farther adde that I was not so happy as to foresee that because I granted the Roman Party before the Reformation to have made outwardly a profession of the Religion of Christ although I expressed them to be really a party combined together for all ends of wickednesse and in particular for the extirpation of the true Church of Christ in the world having no state of union but what the Holy Ghost calls Babilon in opposition to Syon our Reverend Author would conclude as he doth pag. 34. that I allowed them to be a true Church of Christ but it is impossible for wiser men then I to see farre into the issue of such discourses and therefore we must take in good part what doth fall out and if the Reverend Author insteed of having his zeale warmed against me would a little bestirre his abilities to make out to the understandings and consciences of uninterested men that All ecclesiasticall power being vested in the Pope and Councills by the consent of that whole combination of men called the Church of Rome and flowing from the Pope in its execution to all others who in the derivation of it from him owned him as the immediate fountaine of it which they sware to maintaine in him and this in opposition to all Church power in any other persons whatsoever it was possible that any power should be derived from that combination but what came expressely from the fountaine mentioned I desire our Author would consider the frame of spirit that was in this matter in them who first laboured in the worke of Reformation and to that end peruse the stories of Lasitius and Regenuolscius about the Churches of Bohemia Poland and those parts of the world especially the latter from pag. 29. 30. and forward And as to the distinction used by some between the Papacy and the Church of Rome which our Author makes use of to another purpose then those did who first invented it extending it only to the consideration of the possibility of salvation for individuall persons living in that communion before the Reformation I hope he will not be angry if I professe my disability to understand it All men cannot be wise alike if the Papacy comprise the Pope and all Papall Jurisdiction and power with the subjection of men thereunto if it denote all the Idolatries false worship and heresies of that society of men I do know that all those are confirmed by Church Acts of that Church and that in the Church Publick sense of that Church no man was a member of it but by virtue of the union that consisted in that Papacy it being placed alwaies by them in all their definitions of their Church as also hat there was neither Church Order nor Church Power nor Church Act nor Church confession nor Church Worship amongst them but what consisted in that Papacy Now because nothing doth more frequently occurre then the objection of the difficulty in placing the dispensation of baptisme on a sure foot account in case of the rejection of all authoritative influence from Rome into the ministry of the Reformed Churches with the insinuation of a supposition of the nonbaptization of all sutch as derive not a title unto it by that meanes they who do so being supposed to stand upon an unquestionable foundation I shall a little examine the grounds of their security and then compare them with what they have to plead who refuse to acknowledg the deriving any sap or noushriment from that rotten corrupt stock It is I suppose taken for granted that an unbaptized person can never effectually baptize let him receive what other qualifications soever that are to be superadded or necessary thereunto If this be not supposed the whole weight of the objection improved by the worst supposition that can be made falls to the ground I shall also desire in the next place that as we cannot make the Popish baptisme better then it is so that we would not plead it to be better or any other then they professe it to be nor pretend that though
setting it out for the most part by similitudes and Metaphoricall Illustrations to lead poore weak Creatures into some usefull needfull acquaintance with that Mystery whose depths in this life they shall never fathome That many in the daies wherein we live have miscarried in their conceptions of it is evident some to make out their Imaginary Union have destroyed the person of Christ and fancying a way of uniting man to God by him have left him to be neither God nor Man Others have destroyed the Person of Believers affirming that in their Union with Christ they loose their owne personality that is cease to be Men or at least those are these Individuall men I intend not now to handle it at large but only and that I hope without offence to give in my thoughts concerning it as farre as it receiveth light from and relateth unto what hath been before delivered concerning the Indwelling of the Spirit that without the least contending about other waies of Expression So far there with much more to the purpose in the very place of my book of Schisme referred to by this Author I affirme as the head of what I assert that by the indwelling of the spirit Christ personall and his Church do become one Christ mysticall 1 Cor. 12. 12. The very expression insisted on by him in my former Treatise and so you have an issue of this selfe-Contradiction concerning which though reports be urged for some other things Mr Cawdry might have said what Lucian doth of his true History {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Let us then consider the 4th which is thus Placed 1. In extraordinary cases every one that undertakes to preach the Gospell must have an immediate Call from God pag. 28. 2. Yet required no more of before but Gifâ—s Consent of the People which are ordinary and mediate Calls p. 15. neither is here any need or use of an immediate Call pag. 53 3. To assure a man that he is extraordily called he gives 3 wayes 1 Immediate revelation 2 Concurrence of Scripture rule 3 Some outward acts of Providence The two last whereof are mediate Calls pag. 30. All that is here remarked and Cast into 3 Columnes I know not well why is taken out of that one Treatise of the duty of Pastours People And could I give my selfe the least Assurance that any one would so farre concerne himselfe in this Charge as to Consult the Places from whence the words are Pretended to be taken to see whether there be any thing in them to answer the cry that is made I should spare my selfe the labour of adding any one syllable towards their vindication and might most safely so doe there being not the least colour of opposition betweene the things spoken of In briefe Extraordinary Cases are not all of one sort and nature in some an extraordinary call may be required in some not Extraordinary calls are not all of one kind and nature neither some may be immediate from God in the wayes there by me described some calls may be said to be extraordinary because they doe in some things come short of or goe beyond the ordinnary rule that ought to be observed in well Constituted Churches Againe concurrence of Scripture rules and acts of outward Providence may be such sometimes as are suited to an ordinary sometimes to an extraordinary Call All which are at large unfolded in the Places directed unto by our Authour and all laid in their owne order without the least shadow of Contradiction But it may sometimes be said of good men as the Satyristsaid of evill Women fortem animum praestant rebus quas turpiter audent Goe we to the next 1. The Church Government from which I desire not to wander is the Presbyteriall 2. He now is ingaged in the independent way 3. Is setled in that way which he is ready to maintain and knows it will be found his rejoycing in the day of the Lord Jesus Hinc mihi sola malilabes This is that inexpiable crime that I labour under an account of this whole businesse I have given in my Review So that I shall not here trouble the Reader with a repetition of what he is so litle concerned in I shall only adde that whereas I suppose Mr Cawdrey did subscribe unto the 39 Articles at his Ordination were it of any concernement to the Church of God or the interest of truth or were it a Comely and a Christian part to engage in such a worke I could manifest Contradictions between what he then solemnly subscribed to and what he hath since written and Preached manyfold above what he is able to draw out of this alteration of my Judgment Be it here then declared that whereas I sometimes apprehended the Presbyterial Synodicall Government of Churches to have been fit to be received and walked in then when I knew not but that it answered those principles which I had taken up upon my best enquiry into the word of God I now professe my selfe to be satisfied that I was then under a mistake and that I doe now own and have for many yeares lived in the way and practice of that called Congregationall And for this Alteration of Judgment of all men I feare least a Charge from them or any of them whom within a few yeares we saw reading the service book in their surplices c against which things they doe now inveigh and declame What influence the perusall of Mr Cotton's Booke of the Keyes had on my thoughts in this businesse I have formerly declared The answer to it I suppose that written by himselfe is now recommended to me by this Authour as that which would have perhaps prevented my Change But I must needs tell him that as I have perused that book many yeares agoe without the Effect intimated so they must be things written with an other frame of spirit evidence of truth and manner of reasoning then any I can find in that booke that are likely for the future to lay hold upon my Reason and understanding Of my settlement in my present Perswasion I have not only given him an account formerly but with all Christian Courtesy tendred my selfe in a readinesse Personally to meet him to give him the proofes and reasons of my my perswasions which he is pleased to decline returne in way of answer That I Complemented him after the mode of the times when no such thing was intended And therefore my words of desiring liberty to waite upon him are expressed but the end and purpose for which it was desired are concealed in an c. But he addes another instance Men ought not to cut theÌ„selves from the communion of the Church to rent the body of Christ and breake the sacred bond of Charity Duty 1. 48. 2 He sayes separation is no Schisme nor Schisme any breach of Charity pag. 48. 49. There is not one word in either of those cautions that I do not still
Power Keyes pag. 31. 9. As the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven are divers so are the Subjects to whom they are committed diverse keyes pag. 11. The Apostles were the first subject of Apostolicall power ibid. pag. 32. A Synod is the first Subject of that Power whereby Errour is convinced and condemned ibid. pag. 47. 9. The Power of the keyes belongeth firstly to a Congregation of Covenanting Believers Surv. part â— p. 219. The Power of the keyes is in the Church of Believers as in the first subject ib. p. 195 That conceite is wide to make one first subject of this power yet others to share in this power not by meanes of that for this is to speak daggers and Contradictions ibid. Ans 1. This is one of those Differences of which I spake before that lyeth rather in Logicall Notion than either in Doctrine of Divinity or in Church Practise Against which the exception made above hath been Answered above in clearing the first Contradiction Ans. 2. There is no colour of Contradiction betweene the two former Columnes For when I say A Particular Church is the first Subject of all the Church Officers and their Gifts I speak not of this or that particular Church which is but an Individuall but of a Particular Church taken Indefinitely which by meere errour of the Printer is without sence said taken Independently which is the Disadvantage of us who live so far remote from the Presse that we can neither prevent their mistakes nor correct them afterwards But take a Particular Church Indefinitely it comprehendeth all Particular Churches And that God hath given to Particular Churches all spirituall officers together with their Gifts for the Discharge of their offices is Proved by evident Texts of Scripture in that very Page of the Keyes 31. I doe not say as some doe that the Church meaning the Fraternity is the first subject of all spirituall Gifts for then they had received them immediately without officers but I say the offices and Officers not devoid of Gifts but furnished with their gifts are given by Christ to the Church freely and not to any other Person or Society from whom the Church Receiveth them But this no whit crosseth what is said in the second Columne That Elders are the first Subjects of ordinary Ministeriall Power and Apostles of Apostolicall Power and Synods of Synodicall Power A wife may be the first subject of her own Dowry but yet her Husband is the first Subject Recipient of his wife with her Dowry Ans. 3. As for what is said differently by my Brother Hooker in the third Columne as his Person and Gifts and Friendship were pretious and deare to me whilest he lived so now that he resteth in Glory his Name and memory and labour saving some very few private Notions are honourable and blessed with me and I suppose with all that knew him But in this Logicall Notion I crave leave not so much to dissent from him for he herein Dissented from me who wrote first rather than I from him but leave I crave not to Retract what I formerly wrote in the Keyes touching this Point though I should as much suspect mine own judgment where he Dissenteth from me as where any man It is true he taketh the Church of Covenanted Believers to be the first Subject of the power of the keyes vvhich if he meane no more than that they have all Church-Power either formaliter or Radicaliter and Virtualiter then there is no Difference in our expressions but if he meane that that they are the first Subject of all Church-Povver properly two or three things Detaine me from consenting with him herein 1. That vvhich is the first Subject of any Povver Receiveth it immediately vvithout any other Intervening Subject As fire being the first Subject of Heate Receiveth not his Heate from any former Subject But it is evident That many a Church of Believers hath not Received Pastorall Gifts nor it may be any Gifts fit for office 'till they fetch them from other Churches and sometimes from some who are not members of any Particular Church at all 2. The first Subject of any Power as it hath immediately Received it so it may immediately exercise it as Fire the first subject of Heate can Heate without Intervention of any other subject But the Church hath not Power immediately to exercise Pastorall Preaching or Administration of the Sacraments 'till it have procured and chosen and called forth some or other Gifted Persons to exercise the same 3. I might Adde a third Reason to both the former Whatsoever is properly the first Subject of any Power It hath that same Power or some other equivalent and analogicall to it not only radicaliter and virtualiter but Formaliter also And because formaliter therefore radicaliter and virtualiter For whatsoever is in any Subject Firstly whether it be proper Adjunct or proper effect or any other proper Argument it either floweth from the forme or from the matter so formed As for instance capacity of Learning or Risibility is in Man as in the first subject The former floweth from the Reasonable soule the latter from the matter of a man so formed But neither of these are in man radicaliter or virtualiter but only because they are in a man formally and so either flow from the forme or from the matter so formed Take another Instance and of another sort The People that have power to elect a King though they have not formally kingly power yet have they a formall Power to submit themselves to Kingly Power And so haveing a formall Power to put one of the Relatives they have an aequivalent and Analogicall Power to put the other Correlative For Posito uno Relatorum Ponitur etiam alterum As for that which is quoted by the Replyer from Mr Hooker in the last clause of the third Columne of this contradiction I see not how it concerneth me or contradicteth any thing in the former Columnes For I doe not make any first Subject of Church-Power and yet others to share in that Power but not by meanes of that But as the keyes of the kingdome of heaven are diverse So I see no Inconvenience that the first Subjects to whom the severall keyes are committed may be diverse also Neither doth the letter of the Text seeme to me to gainesay that Mat. 16. 18. For though it speak not to Them but to Thee a Representing one state or Condition of men yet say that one condition to be believers and take Believers in a large sence It comprehendeth all sorts of Professing Believers whether Private members or Elders or Apostles indeed all But neither doe I see any convincing reason seeing Peter stood in a threefold Ecclesiasticall Relation being both an Apostle and an Elder a Profest Believer why Christ committing the keyes to him saying to Thee will I give them might not Intend to give all the keyes and the severall sorts of them