to search antiquitie if happily that way I might find any assured footing of scriptures sence touching externall Church orders Togither with this desire the Lord afforded me plentie of bookes first in Scotland after in Netherland The more I read those writers that liued in the first 400 years the more I perceiued the former scales to fall from mine eies And as the light of the faithfull increaseth till it be perfect day so togither with my last returne for England the foggie mist was risen and fled the Sunne of righteousnesse shined vpon me and that to the praise of God be it spoken in such euidence of scripture as I hope my selfe enabled to draw as on a table an euident Idea and shape of that miscarying way if so men will waigh it in simplicitie of spirit Yet this must here be done but briefly according to the nature of an epistle Pastor and Doctor are distinguished by them from Rom. 12.7.8 by exhortation and doctrine The Doctor is to be first exercised in doctrine the Pastor in the second place is to exhort from that doctrine From hence then must needs follow first that the Doctor is aboue the Pastor seeing the Pastor but buildeth vpon the doctrine of his Doctor Euen as the Apostles laying the foundation then were in an higher office then the Euangelistes or Pastors that but builded on the Apostles ground And for this consideration the Apostle Paul would not worke vpon others building The order then must be thus Doctor Pastor And in Rom. 12.7 Doctrine indeed is put before exhortation Secondly if doctrine and exhortation distinguish them then it shall be as verily sinne for the Doctor in his exercise to meddle with exhortation or for the Pastor to meddle with doctrine as it was for Vzzah an inferiour Leuit to touch the Arke of God though in a danger to fal which medling with the Arke distinguished Aarons family from the other two Leuits Thirdly then it skilleth not though the Pastor be a man of no learning for all the learning to speake of lieth in a deliuerie of the scriptures naturall sense with a drawing out of his proper doctâ—ines and to exhort is so farre inferiour to doctrine as the application of the medicine to a seen sore doth vtter no such knowledge as the prouision and composition of the medicine If they say the Pastor is to exhort but not onely he may also teach the like say I with as good reason may be spoken of the Doctor not onely to teach but principally Which toyish order of teaching exhorting as no reformed Church abroad is acquainted with it for they acknowledge no sole Doctor but of the schooles so their distinction of Not onely but principally as it may be vsed likewise in the following offices so let vs see how much it maketh for them The Elders they distinguish by Ruling from 1. Tim. 5.17 as the Pastor and Doctor by the word and doctrine Here say they are both sorts of Elders Rulers in the first place teachers in the second First touching the termâ—s word and doctrine doctrine being onely that which is drawne from the word here so is no speech of the Pastor and his exhortation and so no double honour for the Pastor Secondly if by Ruling in the first place be meant onely a gouerning of the Church without doctrine then the deliuerer of the word and doctrine last mentioned he must be debarred Rule rule appertaining to the first doctrine to the second If it be replied that the Pastor and Doctor also are to rule though not principally so others may aswell reply the Elders are not onely though principally to be exercised in Ruledome for they also may teach That the Elders might onely rule not teach though they make him a Bishop in english Ouerseer yet they will vnderstand him vnder the word Deacon for thus it is in the demonstration of discipline Offices simple are Bishops Pastors Doctors Deacons or Church-seruants Ouerseers Distributors Marke well how first he maketh two sorts of Bishops Pastors and Doctors then two sorts of Deatons Ouerseers and distributors First a right plaine man may obserue that to make an Ouerseer or gouerning Elder to be a Church-seruant it is verie ridiculous Secondly to make Bishops one in the first diuision Ouerseers another in the second diuision it is to make a difference between I and I that is a difference where none is For Bishops and Ouerseers are all one Bishops being the Greeke word and Ouerseers the English The diuision so of the offices not onely void of diuinitie and art but also of verie common sense Yet a correction due to the sons of God when they seeke to bring in their owne inuentions But to what purpose haue they thrust the word Ouerseer vnder the word Deacon Because forsooth in 1. Tim. 3. they would not vnderstand the office of Elders in the word Bishop because it is there required that euerie Bishop or Church ouerseer he should be Apt to teach and they would haue Elders of another stampe Whereas that in 1. Tim. 3.1.2 together with Act. 20.17 where Elders are by vers 28. expounded Ouerseers or Bishops on all which the Apostle enioyneth teaching as he before had it plainly euinceth that all Ouerseers are to be exercised in teaching By both which plaine places that more obscure place in 1. Tim. 5.17 They that rule well are worthie double honour specially they that tyre themselues in the word and doctrine it must be vnderstood either of one and the same sort of Elders in the Church whereof all deseruing well some by reason of more trauaile deserue better or else whereto I rather condescend the first is spoken of Ouerseers to a particular Church the latter for Kopiontes importeth we ariâ—omenes by trauelling to and fro as in Iohn Ch. 4. vers 6. it implieth such Elders as Paul Iohn Peter others that trauelled from place to place hauing care ouer many churches Touching the Deacons who are to be employed onely in and about the poore and tables I take that onely were better as before turned into principally and that by reason of more sufficient teachers present as also such occasion about the tables and poore as was in Ierusalem at the time of their first institution But that there is no time nor place for the Deacon to preach and baptize the scripture affordeth not that The contrarie appeareth in Philip preaching and baptizing in Samaria before the Apostles came thither to promoue him into an Euangelists place or yet the Angell had called him to any busines with the Eunuch Besides seeing the scripture requireth such a one to hold the mysterie of faith to be full of the holy ghost and of wisedome it plainly argueth it is because he may assist in that busines And seeing by all probability those seuen Deacons were of the 70 disciples for then they were in that Church and be sure that the people would choose the
ANTIDOTON OR A SOVERAIGNE REMEDIE AGAINST SCHISME AND HERESIE Gathered to Analogie and proportion of Faith from that Parable of Tares MATTH 13. Aug. ep 3. Nullorum disput c. We ought to haue no men their disputations although men Catholike and praise worthie in that count as we haue the Canonicall Scriptures so that it should be vnlawfull for vs to improue and refuse some things in their writings if happily we finde that they thought otherwise then the truth hath Such a one am I in other mens writings and so would I haue others to vnderstand of my writings LONDON Imprinted by Iohn Wolfe 1600. Principall positions proued in the discourse of the Parable 1 That the kingdom of heauen Math. 13.24 it is not vsed for the state of the world but of the new Testaments Church 2 That the Church is Catholike and in some measure euer visible in this life 3 That the Church of Christ was planted here in England in the Apostles times and continued notably vncorrupted till about Anno Domini 600. 4 That Anti-christianitie or the marke of the beast it is not considered in separable accidentall corruption in faith or manners but in that is essentiall and fundamentall 5 That the Tares in this Parable are wicked within the Church and visible to the gouerners thereof 6 That the Tares are onely such wicked as cannot with Churches peace and safetie be pulled vp 7 That such Tares are of holy pollicie to be permitted and yet no defilement to spirituall communion 8 Brounistes outward ordination proued more against Christes rule then euer any was before 9 That difference of torment and measure of glorie abideth the damned and saued TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HIS VERIE GOOD LORD SIR EDMVND ANDERSON KNIGHT Lord Chiefe Iustice of her Maiesties court of the common Pleaes THree mightie men bringing of Bethlehems waters vnto Dauid he powres it foorth before the Lorde not quenching bodies thirst therewith because it was purchased with liues hazard Vnto your Lordship I humbly present a moitie of waters drawne from mysticall Beth-lehem the house of Bread the Church of Christ Iesus and they not purchased with lesse then the hazard of my bodie and soules saluation If your Lordship shall deeme it good they be powred forth before the Lord for erudition to the soule it is that I couet and which some thirstie soules desire with great appetite Dutie calleth me to offer it and the experience I haue of your Lordship tendring my good it emboldens my presentation Pythagoras hauing instituted his Puple in the first place to worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the immortall God he in the second place inioyneth that he reuerence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preexcelling Heroiks Which Heroicall Personages are of auncient Hesiode couched in his fourth age after them of Golde Siluer Brasse but before that of yron obdured and determined for such as had care of executing iudgement and Iustice by Land and Sea maintaining and vpweilding the same by magnanimious and martiall valour for the which they are tearmed there Semi-Dijsts but in sacred writ Gods because his word is committed to such in his Church When I remember the vnion of your Lordships house with that of the right Woo. Moon-suns a family to whom I haue owed much from my young yeares I then methinks see Wisdome and Warre conioyned without either of which no common wealth can endure and by the continuance of both which my simplicitie hath been sheltred and my innocencie shielded So that I if any haue cause to auow allegiance not Tam Marti quam Mercurio but to the Christian subiects of Wisdome and Valour The schedule I present it is an exposition of that Parable of Tares propounded by our Lord and Master Christ Iesus Wherein is considered first the glorious estate of the New-testaments Church first planted throughout the world by the Ministerie of the Apostles then secondly the corruption thereof through Ministers sleepie negligence yea the corruption so deeply setled therein as well it might be in these latter times Reformed but neuer quite purged of visible euill nor Replanted vntill the Sonne of man in his great day of haruest doe that by the ministerie of his Angels A doctrine so necessary as without the knowledge thereof a man shall either rush on the error of the right hand through desperate vn-bridled Zeale or on that on the left hand through a frozen cold securitie Such being my dutie and such my presentation I humbly so remaine Your Lordships dutifull Suppliant HENOCH CLAPHAM TO ALL SVCH SPECIALLY AS whose soules distressed with our ages controuersies doe desire resolution drawen from reason and experience IF he be accursed by the law that sets the blind out of his way what better is his state that heareth the worde of an oth and though he can will not giue in testimony of the truth Sure he shall beare his iniquitie These two lawes haue enforced me first publikely to preach then secondly to publish the sequell in print And so much the more as the former two decrees of mount Sion they concerne neerer then many In my first looking after religion my lot was to associate such onely as onely tasted and affected another kind of ministerie which as they said yet we had not in England And that they tearmed the ministerie of Pastor Doctor Elders Deacons Widowes due to euerie particular Church Those words I soone learned as also that the Pastor was to exhort the Doctor to teach or deliuer doctrine the Elders to gouerne and exercise the disciplinall censâ—res in common with Pastor and Doctor the Deacons onely to attend poore and loue-feastes the widowes to wait on the sicke That platforme once swallowed I then was easily perswaded that our Bishops their Ordinations and all ministerie standing vnder them it was Antichristian and an Image of the beast And looke how many corruptions so many markes of the beast which whosoeuer receiued in forehead or hand euen all such should drinke of the cup of the wine of God his wrath All this so hanging togither except I would practise contrarie to my perswasion as many deceitfully haue done out of the land I must as I loued my libertie I did so First into the Low-countries I went Afterwards into Scotland After that againe into the Low-countries Then again into Scotland And once againe into Netherland c. Sometimes haled by this faction sometimes pulled by that faction But the Lord being mercifull vnto me howsoeuer I was notablie distract about externall Church-gouernment yet as all my printed bookes will testifie I kept me euer fast vnto the maine point that is vnto the foundation of the Gospell I had before here receiued and had in Lancashire for some two yeares publikely ministred being before now some nine yeares since ordained fully thereto by Bishop Wicham then Bishop of Lincolne About some fiue years since it pleased God to giue me an earnest desire
saith that The Kings daughter is all glorious within And so our king hâ—mselfe saith that this kingdome is within not to be seen of the world or heretikes by Lo here Lo there as it were by outward appearances on which externall show the Preâ—â—sian Pharisee then rested Secondly seeing the olde Testaments kingdome once shaken it gaue place to this new kingdome and that for euer and euer we first ought to obserue the former kingdomes basenes in comparison of this Euen as we know the firmamentall starres to be inferiour for light vnto the Sunne by reason their shine is darkenes when once her beames irradiates our Hemi-â—phere For if that which should be abolished was glorious much more that which remaâ—neth is glorious Nor can this be remembred without compassionating our elder brother the Iew wâ—o poore soule not perceiuing the abolishment of the first by reason of the lawes letter hanging as a vaile before his eies he therefore abhorreth communion with the second Standing with the elder brother without grumbling and grudging at his yonger brother feeding of the slaughtered Bullocke within Shems tent Nor maruell I much at them for many come within in part they do in some part stand without saying They dare not touch they dare not tast they dare not handle they dare not pray in a Synagogue Which al perish with the vsing according to the destinie of commandements and doctrines of men Which things indeed haue a shew of wisedom in a voluntary religion and humblenes of mind and in not sparing the bodie but they are in troth of no value saue for satisfying the flesh For if we be risen with Christ nothing to the pure can be vnclean if not of meat going with in vs though vnder the law it was otherwise much lesse of stones and timber without vs for all the creatures of God are sanctified vnto them by the word and praier and it is lawfull In all places to hold vp hands prouided it be without wrath and doubting Besides this kingdome being of an euer-enduring nature and no more to be remoued it not onely â—utteth off these heretikes that from Revel 14.6 dâ—â—â—eare themselues in hand that this word of the kingdome sâ—all be vtterly abolished and another new Gospell preached For as Paul commaunds vs to hold that Angell accursed that brings another Gospell so that is nothing else but a renual of our Gospels preaching more vniuersallie by the which a way is prepared to Babylons downefall Which might well begin with our Wicliffe and be continued through the midst of the Church by Luther and others As I say the perpetuitie of this kingdome it cutteth off such new gospellers so besides that it câ—nâ—inceth many of ignorance who contrarie to scripture all antiquitie and experience doe affirme that there hath beene no visibilitie of the Church for former hundreds of yeares Besides that such a position is opposite to all those scriptures Psal. 72.5.17 Isa. 59.21 Math. 16.11 1. Tim. 3.18 Reuel 11.2.3 for as the Centurists well reason if it continue vnder Antichristes tyrannie and exaltation much more after but also it is an embasing of this kingdome before the kingdome of Moses For was not the ancient Church the figure and type hereof was it not alwaies visible No saie our ignorant Reformists and Schismatikes The Church was inuisible in the time of Elias But the Lord saith no First by rebuking the Prophet pronouncing vnto him that there were 7000. in Israell that did no outward homage vnto Baal Nor let a man iudge otherwise it could be seeing not onely there were plentie of Prophets when Obadiah hid them by 50. and 50. in a caue but also there were schooles of Prophets what time Elias was readie to be rapt vp Secondly the holy Ghost recordeth Elijah to haue spoken against Israel not against Iudah For as he knew that good Iosaphat at that time raigned in Iudah so he wel knew that there was not only the church visible but also mightily reformed Nor can I but wonder that man can read the third Chapter of Luke where the principall starres of the Church from the first Adam to the second are genealogically numbred and yet after the reading thereof not to see that euen in them the Church was ay visible But those peruerters vnable to answer those scriptures they will now presse me with men although at no hand we may presse them with men and that thus To teach the Church ay visible is to teach Poperie and all our learned men haue alleadged this of Elijah against that doctrine c. I answer it is false not onely all ancients euer hold the Churches Euer-visibilitie but also all learned men of our age amongst the rest read Caluin his Institutions booke 4. Chap. 2. Section 12. and Chap. 7. Sect. 25. Peter Martyr in his common places Classis 4. Sect. 41. place 6. the foure Centurists in Centurie 1. booke 2. Chap. 4. Also our Nowell on the Article Communion of Saints c. to which purpose our meÌ„ against the Romanists haue commonly vrged that of Tertullian Vbitres Ecclesia est etiamsi Laici A Church is where but three be although they be Lay-people They haue not alledged Elijahs complaint against Israel for prouing al nullity of Churches visibility for that is not the question betweene vs and Papists but it is alledged against visible Constitution of Church in Israel The Romanists vrging their Church for vniuersall and ay constituted according to the first patterne of externall pollicie we affirme that the new Testaments Church sometimes looseth such visibilitie of vniuersalitie and externall constitution euen as the ancient Church her figure did If we consider typicall Israel first we see her great and glorious going out with army of banners Anone ten parts fall away though midst these ten God ay stirred vp Prophets and prouoked some to an essentiall obedience at home destitute of Iudahs sacrifices and Church pollicie Anone the two tribes goe into Babel and Ierusalem is trampled vnder foote for many sabaoths Yet the Church visible true Iewes and true Prophets though Priest and Teraphim ceased Anone they returne backe by Cyrus but still trampled vnder foot by Persians Grecians Seleucians And all out of order when Messiah came yea high-priests made by Herod that were not of Aarons line as Iosephus recordeth and we may well credit a Ieâ—e when hee testifies their owne shame So say we vnto the Romanistes it hath fared with Christ his Church Catholike trod vnder foot for 1260. yeares as Iacob Brocard Fr. duâ—lan Iunius Napeir haue well obserued during which time our Church was in the midst of Babel and the man of sin exalted in the midst of it Which point obserued it not onely stoppeth the Romanists mouth demaunding of vs what are become of Grandfathers and Grandmothers but also it dammeth vp a foule stream that carieth many head-long into Schisme expecting euerie sect a
Gentiles Eusebius recordeth that Tiberius Caesar hearing of the excellent things of Iesus he motioned vnto Romes Senate that Iesus might be enrolled in the number of their gods The Senate replied that now they could not consent to that because the people alreadie had begun such a blaze They hauing not first approued the same Which no doubt saith Eusebius was done for this end that the wholsome doctrine of diuine preaching it should not need the allowance and commendation of men And surely were it not that with God euerie thing is possible as also that the euent makes the thing manifest how hard a thing should it be to thinke that the field of the world ouergrowen with Idols and diuels it should by so weake an instrument as preaching and that of a Iesus crucified and that by so meane persons as he sent out it should I say be subdued vniuersally in so small time vnto the obedience of the Gospell But this was that so the word of auncient prophecie it might be fulfilled So much for the Churches vniuersalitie It followeth Vers. 25. But while men slept there came his enemie and sowed Tares in the midst of the wheat and went his way The enemie that soweth those Tares saith our Sauiour vers 39. is the diuell and in the verse before the Tares are the children of the kingdome or Church As the son of man did not sow his children but by begetting them through the doctrine of truth so the diuell doth not create or sow these his children but by causing them to be such through the doctrine of vntruth And this his fact of vnhappines is said to be done of him while men slept that is while the Church and specially the Ministers thereof they were secure and watched not The Apostle Paul knowing by faith in this doctrine that after his departure Wolues would enter into his Church yea that of their owne selues some should arise speaking peruerse things for drawing disciples after them he tels them the way of preuenting this euill namely that they should watch ouer themselues and ouer the flocke for God neuer exacteth our seeking his glorie nor can we by the neglect of our owne soules though some would closely teach the contrarie namely that they might doe euill to themselues that so good might come thereof whose damnation is due for drowsie sleepines which after came to passe it would cause confusion enter and arise to the disturbance of all good That it is said the diuell soweth this tarish doctrine though he doth it onely by his ministers we must maruell thereat nothing at all When the wicked were to cast some of the Smyrnians in prison the holy Ghost saith The diuell shall cast some of you in prison A King is said to doe that he doth by his Embassadour nor must the factors of Sathan thinke much to be called Sathan when as to Peter for an excellent dehortation our Sauiour saith vnto him Come behind me Sathan as for Iscariot he was plainly termed Diuell But this and some other common places I passe by and come for that I specially professe herein vnto the points in controuersie It is euer accorded vpon that the Tares are wicked-ones but what kind of wicked-ones as also whether within the Church or without therein is much dissonancie Libertines say that they are the whole bodie of wicked people in the Church and so from our Sauiours speech Let them grow they would haue all excommunication ouerthrowen and all wicked that wil be admitted vnto the holy supper Others that they be heretikes who are to be permitted of the Magistrate if so happily they may become wheat by repentance Others whereof hereafter they vnderstand them to be such wicked only as are permitted of godly pollicie that is not for loue to them but to the wheat or children of the kingdome Touching their place the Browniste affirmes them to be without the Church because our Sauiour saith Let them alone applying the Apostles speech thereto What haue I to doe to iudge them that are without Others amongst our selues hold them to be hypocrites or such wicked in the Church as are not of vs seene Amongst which One great scholler writeth thus I grant it no shame to the Churches to haue hypocrites for as much as the iudgement of man cannot discerne them and of them no other is the Parable of Tares which forbiddeth weeding vntill the day of haruest And in another place he taketh vp a great Doctor for saying they are visible wicked in the Church accounting it in him A bewrayall of great ignerance but the good man too zealously vttered his owne ignorance herein as will appeare When it is said that the Tares are in the midst of the wheat and the wheat is in the Church it presently conuinceth those that say they are without And when as it followeth Vers. 26. And when the blade was sprung vp and brought forth fruit the Tares APPEARED also It hereby plainely â—nough appeareth that so verily as the wheat appeared so verily the Tares appeared The children of the kingdome appearing such by their fruit the children of Sathan that way appearing also Nor appeares this lesse in this that the Ministers after are grieued at the Sight of them and for that doe interrogate if so they may pull them vp If they had been without it would not so haue troubled the minds of those that were within and if they had been hypocrites or inuisible wicked it could not haue troubled them at all Those errors are by the Parable it selfe plainely ouerturned But more plainely if God permit it shall appeare by conference of other scriptures when as I come to examine our Sauiours words Let both grow together c. Meane time obserue that two sundrie seeds are sowen thereof ariseth two sundry sort of people within the Church The first not onely within the Church but of it also and therefore termed children of the kingdome The other within the Church but not of it and therfore termed children of the wicked Contrarie seeds so haue contrarie effectes The house of Cloë in Corinth by the fruit shewed theÌ„selues to be true members others by vnbeleeuing the resurrection did show themselues to be troublous members or rather a corrupt humour in the bodie that deserued to be purged And surely as we would be deemed followers of the sonne of man in a care of planting good so we must endeuour our selues to sow onely good seed If we come into pulpit with vnresolued opinions we must leaue behind vs an vnresolued people staggring reeling and caried away with euerie wind of doctrine But if we sow tarish doctrine in the pulpit let vs know that the diuell will water it blade and fruit If we will watch ouer the flocke we must first watch ouer our selues yea take heed to our tongue least it be set on fire from hell and so conuert the Churches peace into a flame Who