therefore professing to beleeue and obey the same sauing faith which the inuisible Church doth truely beleeue and obey and which is of some amongst vs truely beleeued and obeyed therefore our Church must needs be a true a sound visible Church The third reason is drawen from the effects of the Reas 3 Doctrine and ministery of our Church and is thus framed That Church whose Doctrine and ministery by Gods blessing is so effectuall that ordinarily it workes sauing faith in the hearts of the hearers is a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But the Doctrine and ministery of the Church of England by Gods blessing is so effectuall that ordinarily it workes sauing faith in the hearts of the hearers And therefore the Church of England is a true and a sound visible Church The Proposiâ—ion is proued Rom. 10.17 faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God where the Apostle proues that ordinarily the Word is powerfull to beget faith in the â—earers being preached by such as are sent of God Verse 15. and therefore our ministery doing the same is a true ministery sent of God and so our Church a true and in some good measure a sound Church of God But our aduersaries except against vs that our Ministers are not sent nor haue a lawfull calling from God I Answer the place proues that such whose Doctrine and Ministery doe ordinarily worke faith are sent of God but such are ours and therefore they are sent of God And that our ministers haue a lawfull sending shall God willing bee shewed hereafter They except againe and say that in their assemblies there are many more conuerted then in our Churches Answ I Answer was there any of these assemblies such that in any one of them ordinarily there were such effects If there were then that assemblie was a church but if it were extraordinary then the exception is nothing to this purpose But they except againe that others conuert also by conference and disputation and that out of a visible Church Answ I Answer doth not that argue that such men embrace the sauing faith at least in profession and therefore when this is done by an ordinary ministery in a visible congregation doth it not hence follow that such an assembly dot at least in profession hold the sauing faith is so a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But the Doctrine and Ministery of our Church workes such effects and that ordinarily as by daily experience appeares And therefore our Church is a true and in some good measure a sound visible Church But say they It is not ordinary in our churches but onely extraordinary as it is amongst the Papists I Answere what is ordinary That is ordinary which is vsually done and that by such meanes as are ordained for that purpose But this is done by our Doctrine and ministery which are the meanes ordained to beget faith and is ordinarily and vsually done not now and then in one or two but it is done dayly and many experiments confirme it as any may be an eye witnesse of it that liues amongst vs Besides when a man is conuerted to God out of the office of the ministery as by conference disputation c that they acknowledge to bee ordinary else this is a meere cauill not opposing our Proposition but where one is so wonne many are wonne by our Ministeries and therefore to deny this to be ordinary amongst vs which oftentimes produceth such effects and yet to alledge the other as an ordinary meanes which yet is but seldome so effectuall is not ingeniously nor sensibly much lesse charitably done Sure I am if that be ordinary then ours is much more there being an especiall promise to our publique labours herein And therefore these reasons considered It follows that our Church is a true and a sound visible Church The vses are these first for instruction Secondly for reproofe The vses for instruction are these first Is it so that the Church of England is a true and a sound visible Church Then this teacheth vs that lawfully safely it may be communicated withal without dishonour to God or iust offence to any of the faithfull or danger to our owne soules or scruple of conscience And this we must not onely know but wee must practise it all those that liue within this land and so haue opportunity to be members of our Church they may and must come and ioyne in communion with vs and repaire to our assemblies and heare our Ministers and professe obedience to our faith God requires this Deut. 12.5 ye shall seeke the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there and there to dwell and thither thou shalt come and as God commands it so his children haue practised it as Dauid Psal 26 5 6 8 I haue hated the assembly of the wicked I will wash mine hands in innocency oh Lord compasse thine Altar Oh Lord I haue loued the habitation of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth And so the faithfull that were newly conuerted Act. 2.42 continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and Prayers And in the 47. It is said the Lord added to the Church from day to day such as should be saued And therefore such as be not ioyned to our Church must resolue to ioyne and those that are already ioyned must continue their communion with her And there are also many particular motiues to induce to it which I alleadge not as reasons to proue directly that necessarily we must ioyne but they may serue onely as perswasions to a man well affected and not carried away with preiudice that hee may safely communicate with our Church First if there were no other motiue but this it were sufficient we hould the foundation The second motiue is this we haue the whole Doctrine of sauing faith taught amongst vs and in some good measure truely profest if any Church can teach any one substantial article of sound Religion that we professe not then we may more colourably be forsaken but seeing it is not so there is no iust cause or pretence but that they may communicate with vs whither would they goe we haue the words of eternall life as Peter said to our Sauiour Iohn 6.68 Thirdly we haue a powerfull Ministery to exhort reproue comfort c. to beget faith where it is wanting to increase and confirme faith where it is begun to perswade men to holy obedience and to renounce their sinnes and to make restitution of wrongs and to bee sound in Religion and to hunger and thirst after rightousnes and to bee zealous for Gods glory and for all good duties And therefore wee are â—o communicate with this Church where the ministery is thus powerfull and if we forsake her it were iust with God to giue vs ouer to our former errors
TWENTY NINE LECTVRES OF THE CHVRCH Very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church especially in these times Wherein is handled first in generall concerning first the Name secondly the Titles thirdly the Nature fourthly the diuision of the true Church Secondly of the visible Church first the Definition secondly the Causes thirdly the Members fourthly the Markes and Notes fifthly the Gouernment sixthly the Priuiledges seuenthly the Aduersaries eighthly the Authority And lastly the application of it to all Churches in the World so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that Learned and Faithfull Preacher Master IOHN RANDALL Batchelor of Diuinity Pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape London and sometimes Fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford Published by the Coppie perfected and giuen by the Author in his life time carefully preserued and adorned with Notes in the Margent by the late faithfull Minister of Christ Master William Holbrooke Glorious things are spoken of Thee O City of God Psal 87.3 London Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Nathanael Newbery at the Starre in Popes-head Alley 1631. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL TRVLY RELIGIOVS AND MY much honoured Friend Mr. Richard Knightly of Preston-Capes in the County of Northampton Esquire and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the same County Grace and peace be mulplied c. Worthy Sir IT is a Prouerbe no more common than true that True Loue will creepe where it cannot goe as appeares in that fact of Mary Magdalen who wishing well to the person of Christ shee washeth his feet yea it will begin below at the ground to ascend vp to the top as Zacheus when hee climbed the figtree to get the sight of Christ. Loue to Christ will shew it selfe by a loue of his Church and ascend to him in heauen by speaking a good word for it and seeking and procuring her welfare here on earth Jt is that spirituall Temple to which Christ hath promised his perpetuall presence during the time of this world And it is the duty of euery Christian so farre as in him lyeth to further the building thereof according to that of Chrysostome Hom. in Act. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that euery one of the faithfull ought to edifie the Church Jf they can doe nought else yet let them imitate Dauids patterne Psal 51.18 And hearken to his precept Psal 122.6 Sutable to the practice of the Jewes in the building of the Temple some did giue one gift some another some did labour in hewing squaring others in bringing and bearing them to the raising vp of the structure But especially is the burden of this work layed vpon the shoulders of Ministers which like Bezaleel and Aholiab are fitted and furnished of God for this worke and haue the cure and care thereof committed to them Now the Lord hath not giuen to all alike but to some more some lesse yet all for the good of his Church To the Author of this Treatise he had giuen more than ordinary gifts as his works already published do shew He had the honor to be a wise Master-builder to be like those builders in Nehem. 4.17 with one hand he wrought in the worke with the other he held a weapon as you shall see apparently in this Treatise wherin hee doth confirme professed truths and confute opposite errors Jt pleased God whilest he was liuing to make him an happy instrument of staying many in the Church who were ready to fall from it and to gaine many in which by seducements had been drawne away And as God gaue such successe to his Labours when he was aliue So J trust they shall find the same though he be dead if read with a single eye I dare assure you it is not the Treatise of any other but of him whose labours need not feare the Light Jt was perfected by his owne hand in his life and giuen to a neare and deare friend of mine who rests in the Lord who had hoped to haue published it in his life but being called away ere he could effect it J haue endeauoured to helpe to bring it forth to light and J doe here dedicate it to your Worship whose worthy care and earnest desire I know is so farre as in you lieth to further the good of the Church J might say much of your worth to the world but those that doe not know you will thinke I flatter those that doe will thinke J say too little But what Salomon saith of the vertuous woman Prou. 31. vlt. so I of you your owne workes praise you in the gates And as Boaz said to Ruth so may J of you changing the words a little All the people not onely of that place where you liue and I was borne but all the people of that country know you to be a vertuous Gentleman Go on good Sir stand for God and he will stand for you honor him and as he hath so he will honour and what seruice J may doe you by my prayers or otherwise you shall be assured of The Lord blesse you and yours and all your ample and religious kindred Your Worships in any thing J may to be commanded Ithiel Smart THE FIRST LECTVRE OF THE CHVRCH Your Question is What is a true visible Church HAuing spoken of God in the first place and of Christ in the second place it now followes in the third place that wee speake of the Church wherein we will stand vpon these two generall Points First an Introduction to prepare the way to the question secondly we will descend to the question it selfe First the Introduction and that consists of two branches first wee will shew that the order of the question is very naturall secondly that the matter is of great weight and importance First the order of the questions amongst themselues and so our worke and manner of proceeding is very naturall and that first in respect of God in the first question and secondly in respect of Christ in the second question and thirdly in respect of all the three questions laid together First in respect of God for our faith hauing been first informed and instructed concerning God himselfe the Authour and worker of all it is then in the next place to be informed touching his workes and amongst them first and principally of the first and chiefest of them all that is the Church For the Church is Gods owne speciall workmanship formed by his owne hand separated as a peculiar people to his owne Maiesty consecrated to his owne worship and seruice gathered by his owne Word purchased by his owne Sonne quickned and directed by his owne Spirit and ordained from all eternitie in his owne secret Councell to be partakers of his owne glory Besides of all the workes that God exerciseth towards his Creatures the greatest and best are they that God exerciseth towards his Church as Election Calling Iustification Sanctification Glorification c. Yea further whatsoeuer God doth worke besides in the
Mediatour whom we haue There were the Cherubins And haue not wee Angels in the Church that are ministring Spirits for our good There was God speaking out of the Mercy-seate And haue not we the Word of God directing and instructing vs There was a Table And haue not we a solemne Inuitation to the feast of peace of Conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost which God hath prepared for the faithfull Pro. 9.1.2 There was the Shew-bread Aâ— what figured that but Gods people because they alwayes and before God Lastly there was the golden Candlesticke with seuen branches which signified the manifold gifts and graces of Gods Spirit which hee bestowes vpon his Church And if the Church was thus glorious being shadowed vnder the Law how much more glorious is it now in the time of the Gospell The Apostle making the comparison in Hebr. 12. shewes plainely that the Church now in the time of the Gospell is farre more glorious then in the time of the Law In the 22 23 and 24 verses he saith But yee are come to Mount Sinai the Citie of the liuing God the celestiall Hierusalem And to the Company of innumerable Angels And to the Congregation of the first borne which are written in heauen And to God the iudge of all And to the Spirits of iust and perfect men And to Iesus the mediator of the new Testament And to the blood of sprinckling that speaketh better things then that of Abel See how glorious the Church is here for here is whatsoeuer may make vp a perfect glorie And thus glorious and beautifull is Gods Church looke vpon her which way soeuer ye will either within or without If ye looke vpon her within why then it is said Ps 45.13 the Kings Daughter is all glorious within If without it is said in the same Psalme Her garments are all of broidered gold You shall see her glory further in these foure things First in her profession secondly in her practise thirdly in her order fourthly in her vnitie First in her profession it is a glorious profession for they renounce and disclaime all other Religions and professe the onely pure and glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ So secondly in regard of their practise it is glorious and beautifull for they are religious to God wise to themselues charitable to their brethren mercifull to all depending on God beleeuing in Christ obeying his Spirit praying blessing exhorting instructing comforting both themselues and others making conscience of all their waies hauing and keeping themselues vnspotted of filthinesse and vncleannesse and of the corruptions of the times wherein they liue and offering their soules and bodies a cleane pure and glorious sacrifice to God in Christ so their practise is glorious Thirdly for their order they are glorious and gracious Psalm 68.24 25. They haue seene O God thy goings the goings of my God and my King which are in the Sanctuary The Singers going before the Players of Instruments after In the midst were the maides playing with the timbrels This was but in a shadow much more is it so in the true Church Cant 4.2 the Church is compared to a flocke of Sheepe which goe vp in good order from the washing Now wee must vnderstand this spiritually for it is not the orderly standing in the Church but when euery one keepes his owne ranke not being rebellious nor meddling in other mens businesse not loose nor negligent in their owne place but euery one is carefull to doe his duty imposed on him the superiours they rule with modestie the vnderlings they obey reuerently and Christ himselfe as their King keepes them all within their compasse The Apostle 1. Cor. 12. in the whole Chapter speaking of this order shewes what an excellent thing it is euen as it is in the body of a man there is the eyes and the hands and the feete c. Now shall the foote say to the head I am aboue thee or the eye to the hand I haue no need of thee no but euery member keepes his ranke and is carefull to do the office imposed vpon it and so it is in the Church and therefore in this respect it is a glorious Church Rom. 12.3 4. c. Fourthly in respect of their vnitie Psal 122.2 3. The Prophet saith that Ierusalem is built as a Citie that is compact or at vnitie together in it selfe meaning that Gods Church the heauenly Ierusalem whose members are all knit together by a neere vnion being one body hauing one Lord one Faith one Baptisme Ephes 4 5 6. hauing a sweet and louing communion all of them with Christ their Head and each of them with another Behold saith the Prophet what a goodly thing it is for brethren to dwell together in vnitie Psal 133.1 2 3. So the Church yee see is blessed and beautifull for the vnitie that is amongst the members for they pray and giue thankes to God one for another they reioyce for the good one of another and are sorrowfull and mourne for the hurt one of another And so much for the proofe of the Point The Reasons of the Point why they are so beautifull and Reas 1 glorious are many The first and the summe of all is this because they haue the Lord to be their God Psal 144.15 Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. They haue God to be their Lord First in respect of God he promising and performing to them that hee will be their God and giuing them many tokens of his loue Secondly in respect of themselues they being his by couenant and obedience and therfore they are blessed and glorious because God is their Lord. Secondly Christ is theirs and they are his as it is in Reas 2 Cant. 6.2 I am my Welbeloueds and my Welbeloued is mine and together with Christ God hath giuen them all things Rom 8.32 Christ is theirs and whatsoeuer else may make for their blessednesse or glory is conferred with him Iesus Christ is present in his Church and he inlightens them with his glory Reuel 21.9 and therefore they are glorious He washes them with his owne blood and therefore they are gracious Hee clothes them with his righteousnesse and therefore they are beautifull He couers and imputes not their sinnes therefore they are blessed Psal 32.1 2. yea they being his owne body therefore as his naturall body was farre more excellent then any mans else so his mysticall body the assembly of the Saints is farre more glorious then all the World besides Thirdly Gods Spirit hee teacheth them a gracious carriage Reas 3 hee perswades them to obedience hee bridles them from sinne he quickens them to righteousnesse hee supplies and helpes their wants and infirmities Their hearts and consciences are sprinckled with the holy Ghost they are cleansed sanctified and made partakers of the Diuine Nature and so are most glorious and beautifull Fourthly they are most beautifull and glorious because Reas 4 all the liuing members of the
as vnto Christ Philem. 4.5 6. the Apostle giues thankes to God for the loue and faith which Philemon had towards the Lord Iesus and towards all Saints that which Philemon did to the poore Saints he did it with an eye to the Lord Iesus and the Religion they did professe Fourthly these duties are to bee done chiefly to those to whom wee are tyed by a further band besides that of faith and loue as first of all to our Teachers Gal. 6.6 We must make them partakers of all our goods It is an hiperbolicall speech noting that wee are especially bound to them Secondly Ministers to their fellow-Ministers are tied in a speciall band Gal. 2.9 Iames and Cephas and Iohn when they knew of the grace which was giuen vnto me saith the Apostle Paul they gaue vnto mee and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship So in the third place to those with whom we communicate in their goods and things Rom. 15.26 27. If the Gentiles be made partakers of their spirituall things their duty is to minister to them in their carnall things Fourthly to those that are in temptation or tribulation we must haue an especiall care to minister comfort vnto them Reuel 1.9 I Iohn euen your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdome and patience of Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 1.7 As yee are partakers of the sufferings so shall yee be also of the consolation We must bee companions and partners with them in their sufferings Fifthly we must take heed we bring in no confusion as the Anabaptists that hold a community in possession but wee must hold it onely in vse for communitie in possession was free as we may see Acts 4.34 35. they sold their possessions and distributed to euery one according to their need and Acts 5.4 Whilest it remained appertained it not to thee saith Peter to Ananias and after it was sold was it not in thine owne power They made all things common that is in vse not in possession for it was their owne before they sold it and before they gaue it and they did it voluntarily not by constraint so that we must not bring in this communion of possession but of vse onely As for example a man hath a house now hee communicates the vse of this house to another but yet keepes the possession to himselfe Lastly this communion reacheth to the Saints in heauen too for no doubt they in generall pray for vs and wee in generall giue thankes for them the generall state of each requires this duty but in particular neither doe they pray for vs nor we giue thankes for them therefore hee that extends this further doth that which is preiudiciall both to their state and ours And so much for the proofes and opening of the Point The Reasons why there is such a communion are these first there are particular Reasons in respect of God secondly in respect of Christ thirdly in respect of the spirit fourthly in respect of the faithfull themselues and lastly there are Reasons in respect of the aduersaries to the faithfull First in respect of God the Reasons are these First that Gods worship and seruice may be the more soundly sufficiently and effectually performed to his greater glory and that is done when all the faithfull ioyne together to lift at it as with one shoulder as it is in Zeph. 3 9. for so the word Consent in that place doth signifie in the Originall and with one minde and mouth as the Apostle speakes Rom. 15.6 And this not onely in one particular place or assembly but generally in all places in all the assemblies of the Saints both here in England and also in France and Germany and all other places where the name of the Lord is called vpon for the faithfull in all places doe in effect and for substance the same duties to God it is fit that the worship of God should be soundly effectually and sufficiently performed Now that it may be thus performed there must be this communion amongst the faithfull The second particular Reason in respect of God is because God is the common Father to all the faithfull Matth. 6.9 And the faithfull they are all brethren Matth. 23.8 9. and therefore as brethren that haue one Father they are to hold and exercise this communion Secondly in respect of Christ and first as he is the head the faithfull they are the body or members Ephes 4.15 16. grow vp in him saith the Apostle which is the head that is Christ by whom all the body being coupled and knit together c. Now looke what communion there is betwixt the members that belong to one head the same is amongst the faithfull Secondly he is the head corner-stone and we are all liuing stones of the same building 1. Pet. 2.7 Now looke as the head corner-stone makes all the building hang fast together so we are fastened together in Christ Thirdly it is so because Christ hath prayed that it may be so Ioh. 17.20 21. that they may bee one as the Father and himselfe are one and therefore it cannot but be effected Thirdly it is so in respect of the Spirit we communicate in one and the same Spirit 1. Cor. 12.4 and 11.13 there are diuersities of gifts but the same Spirit And Vers 11. all these things worketh the selfe-same Spirit And Vers 13. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body c. One and the same Spirit dwelleth and worketh in all the faithfull and this is one reason of their neere communion The Heathen accounted it a neere fellowship and friendship for one soule to bee in two bodies but this is a farre neerer communion then that this is a neerer communion then that of man and wife for they twaine are one flesh but these are all one Spirit For looke how it is betwixt vs and our Lord Iesus as wee are ioyned to him so proportionably are we ioyned one with another But we are one Spirit with him 1. Cor. 6.17 so we are onely one Spirit amongst our selues so that in respect of the Spirit the faithfull haue a mutuall communion amongst themselues The fourth Reason is in respect of the faithfull themselues and that in many respects first because of our necessities euery member of the Church hath need of euery grace but no one is capable of euery grace in himselfe at least not to receiue and distribute too and therefore there are many members and yet all in one body that euery one may haue their seuerall gifts one to receiue in one kind another to giue in another kind that so all our wants may be supplied Secondly in respect of the faithfull there is this communion in regard of their helpe that if one fall into sinne another may helpe him vp againe and that they may build vp one another in faith and obedience Thirdly it is needfull for the comfort and incouragement of one another in the worship and seruice
Saluation Iointly and particularly and continually Doe wee willingly bring our selues and our Families to partake in the Word Sacraments and Prayer The Prophet Dauid speaking of the members of this Communion saith Psal 110.3 Thy people shall come williegly at the time of Assembling And doe we profit by these meanes Haue they the same effect in vs as they haue in Gods Saints If they haue then we are of this Communion of Saints else not Secondly let vs examine our selues concerning our Gifts Hath God distributed to thee any gift or grace whatsoeuer and art thou willing to imploy it and Communicate it to the common good of the rest of the Saints as the Apostle was Rom. 1.11 that did long to bee with the Romanes And why did he so long Why because he had some spirituall gift to bestow amongst them if it be thus with thee then thou art a member of this Communion This is that our Sauiour commandeth Peter Luk. 22.32 When thou art conuerted strengthen thy Brethren as if he should say Make others partakers of the same grace with thee Thirdly wee must examine our selues in respect of the wants of our fellow members Are we willing to relieue them in their wants to supply them in their necessities according to our ability If wee are then this is a token to vs that wee truly practise this Communion of Saints This is it that the Apostle commends as a thing wel done that the Philippians did Communicate to his affliction Phil. 4.14 And this also he Commandes Ro. 12.13 that they distribute to the necessities of the Saints and that they giue themselues to hospitality And Heb. 13.16 To doe good and to distribute forget not for with such sacrifices God is wel pleased And this is the charge that the Apostle wills Timothy to lay vpon Rich men that They be Rich in good workes ready to distribute And this he commends in them of Macedonia That beyond their power they were willing and prayed vs with great instance saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 8.3 4. that wee would receiue the grace and fellowship of the ministring which is towards the Saints And Rom. 15.26 27. And Act. 4. Men sold that they had and distributed to euery one as they had need Fourthly wee must examine our selues in regard of our affections Are we like minded to them Doe wee suffer when they suffer Haue wee a fellow-feeling of the afflictions and miseries of our fellow-members If we haue then we are fellow-members with them 1. Cor. 12.26 If one member suffer all suffer with it This is a liuely token of a liuing-member if they haue a feeling of the sufferings of their fellow-members euery liuing-member of the Church hath the Bowels of compassion Colos 3.12 mooued with a liuely feeling of the miseries of others else they are no liuing but rotten and dead members Fiftly we must examine our selues whether we pray for our fellow-members as for our selues whether we pray for the good of Gods Church as wee are exhorted Psal 122.6 pray for the peace of Ierusalem Sixtly wee must examine our selues whether wee exhort others comfort them prouoke them and stirre them vp to loue and to all good workes as the Apostle willeth vs Heb. 3.13 Prouoke one another daylie And Heb. 10.24 25. Let vs consider one another to prouoke vnto loue and to good workes not forsaking the fellowship that is amongst our selues If we do exhort one another thus this is a signe wee are of this fellowship and a meanes to continue vs that wee forsake not this fellowship Seuenthly we must examine our selues whether we vse our Christian Liberty Christianly to the edification of our Brethren and not to their destruction Rom. 12.13 15. The last Rule that we must examine our selues by is this If wee labour not for our owne good onely but for our Brethrens also if wee seeke not our owne but euery one anothers wealth 1. Cor. 10.24 If we looke not euery one on our own things but euery man also on the things of other men Philip. 2.4 If wee labour to profit others as well as our selues this is a true Note that we are true and liuing-members of the Church of God The fourth Vse Here is matter of Comfort to vs that Vse 4 are of the Church not onely that God hath giuen vs a Communion of estate amongst his people but withall hath inioyned vs to practise all such duties as may make for the vpholding thriuing and continuing in this state Here then is our Comfort Art thou in want Why God hath giuen to others purposely for thy supply Art thou in temptation or at the point of death Happily then thou art not able to pray for thy selfe yet Comfort thy Soule thou art a member of the Church and therefore thou art prayed for of all the Faithfull and God will heare their prayers for thee Lastly Art thou depriued of Gods House by Trauell or sicknesse or persecution Yet here is thy Comfort thou art there in Spirit and thy cause there in some kinde is as effectually handled as if thou wert there bodily present as the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 5 4. When you are gathered together and my Spirit c. No distance of place though it be as farre as heauen from earth dissunders this Communion nor debarres vs the benefit of it the Spirit being euery where So that the prayers of Gods Church though I be neuer so farre off are as effectuall for mee as if I were there my selfe so I be there in Spirit Vse 5 Fiftly this teacheth vs of whom wee are to expect good and to whom we are to doe good First of whom wee are to expect good not from prophane men but from godly men from the faithfull therefore we should striue to bee in their Company and desire their presence both to giue and receiue good The Apostle Rom. 1.11 12. desires to be among the Romans Why that hee might doe them good that is true he might doe them good indeed but could they being but newly conuerted doe him that was so great an Apostle any good Yes that they might and therefore hee desires to be with them that he might be comforted together with them through their mutuall faith both his and theirs Specially we should desire their prayers so did the Apostle Rom. 15.30 and Heb. 13.18 Pray for vs saith hee Haue they need of our prayers Then much more haue we need of theirs yea the wicked themselues desire the prayers of the faithfull Exod. 9.28 Pharaoh desires the prayers of Moses and Aaron to God for him they receiue this benefit from the Communion of the faithfull though they giue nothing to it that the faithfull pray and are heard for them as Iob was for his friends Iob 42.8 Secondly this teacheth vs also to whom we are to doe good namely to the faithfull as the Prophet Dauid saith Psal 16.3 My welldoing extends to the Saints that are on earth And this is it
Bellarmine tendeth directly hereto and they labour to proue it with all their power and it stands them vpon for if this doth not stand the whole forme of their Church falls to the ground For whereas they say the true Church is alwaies notoriously visible and therefore their Church being so is the true Church We say and haue prooued that the true Church of God is sometime brought into such straights that the outward face thereof doth not at all or at least doth hardly appeare and therefore it will follow that if their Church haue and shall be alwayes notoriously visible then theirs is not the true Church Their exceptions bee of small moment if they be well considered I will stand but vpon two or three of the chiefe They alleage out of the fifth of Matthew and the fourteenth Verse That the Church is the light of the World now the light is alwaies seene therefore the Church is alwayes seene I answer This is spoken personally to the Disciples Ye are the light of the world and it is to be extended to the Ministers of the Gospell in regard of the Duty of Holinesse to be practised by them that they should not walke offensiuely to the World but rather to prouoke them to the practise of holinesse by the light of their good example How doth this serue then to proue the continual visiblenesse of the Church Besides I say that a Light may bee eclipsed for a time and yet be a Light still The Moone is a Light and yet not alwayes visible for sometimes it is eclipst and yet then it is as good a Light as when it is in her full brightnesse and therefore if this were to be vnderstood of the Church it doth not proue that it is alwaies visible because it is a Light Further I say that by that reason their life for that is as well if not chiefely vnderstood by the Light as vers 16. is also without error too as well as their Doctrine and that alwayes which is not so Lastly if it doe giue Light alwayes yet it is but to those that are in the house verse 15. that is to those that are members of the Church and that wee easily grant but what is this to proue the notorious visiblenesse of the Church to the world Secondly they alleage the eighteene of Matthew and the seuenteenth vers where our Sauiour saith Tell the Church and therefore there must bee alwayes a visible Church Marke saith Campian here is a remedy for a disease now the disease remaines alwaies and therefore the remedy must alwaies remaine I answer It is true it is a remedy for those that lie in such a state there spoken of and in some sense it is alwaies performed euen when two or three are ioyned together in the faith though there be no knowne visibility they may tell one another for it is not here meant that they shall appeale to Rome Their third exception is this but say they they that beleeue be they few or many must make profession of their faith else they cannot bee saued Rom. 10.10 now if they must alwayes make profession then they are alwaies seene and so the Church is alwayies visible I answer It is true they must professe alwaies and so they doe except it bee in time of their infirmity But must they do it to all the world No they may doe it among themselues alwayes though there bee but two or three of them yea and when they are many they may doe it to the eye of the World too if there bee no certaine danger in it yea though there be certaine danger in it yet if they haue a calling to it they are resolute euen to die for the profession of it and that is as much profession as is required And yet because their number is but few and that they liue in certaine places and are in this case for the most part obscure and simple men therefore it is not possible that any such generall notice should bee taken of them and those that doe heare of them or see them are vsually little mooued by their example at least they are seldome perswaded that they are the true Church and so ioyne with them Therefore there is no such perpetuall notorious visiblenesse of the Church as they would haue We will returne vpon them with these two Points and choke them with these two bones First wee aske them where the Church shall be when Antichrist comes for they themselues confesse that in Antichrists time there shall bee a desolation of the Church therefore by their owne confession it may and shall be sometimes inuisible Yea but say they ours is the true Church still though it be then obscured and we say then that Antichrist is come and our Church obscured therefore by their owne reason our Church is the true Church The second is from their Church which they haue here among vs they haue a Church here among vs here be Papists and Masses Arch-priests and Priests this themselues will not deny nay they boast of it sometimes yet is their Church visible among vs They will not affirme it at least they will not say it is visible in their sense that is that the world may take notice of it neither was it euer countenanced nor tolerated in our State so that in our sense and to vs it is inuisible and so may our Church bee to them The second Vse is for admonition to admonish vs that Vse 2 wee should not alwayes expect a glorious estate of the Church outwardly this is for earthly States and Kingdomes wee must not dreame of a temporall Kingdome here for Christs Kingdome is spirituall not of this World The Papists they say that it must be as glorious outwardly as any kingdome in the world but we must take heed that we be not carried away with shewes with the lookes of the Whore for Gods Kingdome comes not with obseruations Vse 3 Thirdly this may minister comfort to vs and may stay vs in the most desperate times that are when Satan rages most when persecutors are most bloody and deadly when the Prophets are slaine Gods Altars destroyed the Couenant forsaken when wee see hauocke to bee made of the Church faith renounced when wee see those that made great profession of Religion to hide their heads and like Starres to fall from Heauen when we see the Sunne to bee darkened and the Moone to bee turned into blood when we see Antichrist in his pride and pompe in the very Temple of God himselfe when wee see Heretikes swaying the World after them Schismatikes cutting and tearing out the bowels of their Mother the Church Nay euen in the generall Apostasie and reuolt from all Grace and Religion when there shall bee no honesty nor conscience found amongst men yet be not dismayed but rest thy selfe fully contented and satisfied with this truth that surely still God hath his Church in the World though there bee no
Hezekiah sent forth messengers throughout all Israel and Iudah with godly letters for the keeping of the Passeouer and the wicked laughed them to scorne but the Text notes in the twelfth Verse that the hand of God was in Iudah so that he gaue them one heart to doe the Commandement of the King The King might haue commanded long enough yet if God had not giuen the people a heart they would neuer haue obeyed him so that all other meanes are vtterly voide yea nothing without God 1 Co. 3.7 Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth the increase Now if God giues vs these outward instrumentall Causes of the being of his Church hee giues vs the inward much more as Repentance and Faith and principally the chiefe of all Gods Spirit is giuen vs meerely and freely of God 2 Cor. 1.22 Who hath also sealed vs and giuen vs the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts So that wee see the instrumentall causes of the Church both inward and outward are of God So also the materiall cause that is of God too 1 Cor. 3.9 Ye are Gods building saith the Apostle The formall cause that is of God also the outward formall cause which is our ioynt and publike profession of the faith 1 Cor. 12.3 No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost specially the inward formall cause is of God 1 Cor. 1.9 Wee are called of God to the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ Lastly the finall cause that is of God too Gods Word labours husbandry ordinances Church c. are not onely of and from him as he being the efficient cause of them but also for him and his glory as he being the finall cause of them So likewise if we cast our eyes on the by-causes of the Church God is all in all euen in them too yea extraordinarily in these so that hee seemes rather to haue a greater hand in these than in the rest that God should make persecution which tends of it selfe to the destruction of the Church to bee a cause of the being of the Church this then shewes that God is all in all in causing his Church So much for the Reasons The vses are these First Vse is for instruction to teach vs Vse 1 that seeing the Lord is all in all in causing his Church then let him be reuerently and ingenuously acknowledged so to be And in that respect First let such congregations as haue tasted Gods bounty in this kind ascribe all the honour and praise and glory of that their blessed state to him alone and that which I say of whole congregations let euery one in particular practise and that both for the congregation and specially for himselfe We must not dote on the meanes though they be singular helpes vnder God the Ministers gifts nor any other thing the Church hath it must not bee doated vpon It is true that wee must esteeme highly of them and labour for the good of them and acknowledge what benefit we haue receiued from them and be thankefull to them yet still I say it is all the Lords doing and let him haue all the glory of them and if euer there should such a presumptuous thought come into our heads of doating vpon them we must euer haue that in a readinesse in our minds which the Apostle speakes 1 Cor. 3.5 They are but ministers by whom we beleeued let God haue the honor and praise of all that the Church hath for it is all his doing Secondly as this should stirre vs vp to thankfulnesse for the good we haue already receiued so it should stirre vs vp to prayer and continuall calling vpon God that he would bee pleased in his good time to afford the meanes of his Church where they are wanting And that where they are there God who is all in all in his Church would bee pleased to confirme increase and continue them for euer that so he may haue a Church there to the worlds end Alas what is it to haue care for our selues onely as Iosiah had Lord saith hee let there be peace in my dayes but we must haue a care of our posterity and pray that God would continue his Church to them too and this is a necessary duty both for Ministers and People and that each for himselfe and one for another the Minister hee is to pray for himselfe that the Lord would open his mouth and sanctifie his heart and affections that he may preach powerfully and effectually and for the people that they may bee teachable and tractable humble willing and ready to vnderstand and beleeue obey and practise that which they are taught And so likewise the people they are to pray for their Minister and for themselues too that God would open their Ministers mouth and sanctifie his heart and affections that he might preach powerfully and effectually to them and also that they might haue teachable hearts ready and willing to heare and to obey and that God would water their hearts with his Spirit that they may be fruitfull Thirdly this should stirre vs vp to vse the meanes profitably which are the causes of the Church let them not be vnprofitable towards vs much lesse let them bee contemned of vs but let vs make a good vse of them as of Gods speciall ordinances which hee will surely reuenge if we contemne them Doth the Lord bend himselfe wholly and all his forces as it were to make vs vnderstanding wise and obedient and to bring vs to himselfe and shall wee neglect so great saluation and not make vse of it to bee brought vnto God Doe not receiue such a pretious grace of God in vaine but embrace it take the opportunitie of it now is the accepted time now is the day of saluation now God stands at the doore and knockes now the Table is prepared the victuals are ready and the Guests are called therefore let vs now quicken vp our selues let vs take hold on the promise of Grace and let vs receiue the Word not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the eternall God powerfull to saue vs if we beleeue and obey it or else if wee refuse and contemne it powerfull to condemne vs and to cast vs headlong into hell Vse 2 The second vse is matter of comfort to vs seeing God is all in all in constituting his Church then it assures vs of the welfare of the Church it shall goe well with the Church although Satan bend all his forces against it though the wicked maligne and persecute it God is for it who can be against it It is of God and therefore it shall stand in despight of Satan and all his forces It is God that plants his vine who can roote it out He makes a hedge about it who can breake it downe Yea God is a wall of fire about his Church therefore whosoeuer comes neere to hurt it shall be consumed
Apostle speakes of that Church wherein was the vse of the Word and of the Sacrament of Baptisme as we may see in the 26. verse which are onely in vse in the visible Church And in Colos 1.18 there is Christ the head of his Church and there is the Church the body of Christ Now the Apostle speakes of that Church whereof hee was a Minister as we may see vers 25. which is a visible Church And that it may appeare that these Collections are not strained against the meaning of the holy Ghost you shall find that the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 12.27 speaking to the visible particular Church of Corinth saith plainely Yee are the body of Christ and so intends necessarily that Christ is the head of that particular visible Church And as it was with the Church of Corinth so it is too with all true visible Churches else Reuel 1.13 there the head and the body is described together there was the seuen golden Candlesticks the seuen particular visible Churches and there was also the Son of Man walking in the midst of them that is Christ the head of them And no question but the Iewish Church in the former Testament was Christs Spouse and so Christ was her Husband and consequently her Head for how often did God threaten to cast them off and to giue them a Bill of Diuorce shewing thereby that hee was the Head euen of their visible Church then much more of our particular visible Churches so that Christ proportionably is the Head of a true visible Church The Reasons of the Obseruation are these first Christ Reas 1 liuing vpon the earth was of the visible Church but not as an inferiour or a member for then some other visible member must be his head which is impossible therefore while he liued vpon earth he was the head of the visible Church Now what he was he is he was so then and therefore he is so now Secondly all power is giuen to Christ both in heauen Reas 2 and earth Matth. 28.18 and he is the head of all principalities and powers Colos 2.10 And in what respect is he the head of all but that he might be the head of the Church as the very reason is implyed Ephes 1.22 And hath made all things subiect vnder his feet and hath appointed him ouer all things Why to be the head of his Church And this is that we meane in that Article of our Faith when wee say I beleeue that Iesus Christ sits at the right hand of God that is that hee hath power giuen him to rule ouer all things specially ouer his Church to rule and gouerne it and to conuey all good things to it as the head to the body Reas 3 Thirdly he giues life to the members and holds all the body together Col. 2.19 and Ephes 4.15 16. therefore he is the head of the body Reas 4 Fourthly the Church is guided by the Lawes of Christ both for doctrine and manners therefore he must needs be the head of the Church Reas 5 Fifthly he is the Sauiour of the Church Ephes 5.23 and therfore he is the head of his Church for it is the office of the head to defend and to see to the safety of the whole body Reas 6 Sixthly he is the onely vanquisher of all the Churches Enemies and he doth so vanquish them as that he himselfe is freed from Satans and all other enemies harmes Ioh. 14.30 The Prince of this World commeth and hath naught in me yea he breakes the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 And in the Reuelation there is Michael and his Angels fighting with the Dragon and his Angels and they ouercome them Now Christ is this Michael that ouercommeth the Diuell and all the enemies of his Church therefore he is the head of his Church Reas 7 Seuenthly he giues the Spirit to his Church therefore he must needes be the head of his Church and hee giues the Spirit not onely in regard of ministeriall duties as Iohn 20.22 where he breathed on the Apostles and said Receiue the holy Ghost but also in regard of sanctification and inward graces as Act. 2.4 this he doth for euer Eph. 4.11 12. Now it is the head that conueyes Spirit and motion to the body Therfore seeing euery visible Church receiues the Spirit from Christ then he must needs be the head of them Reas 8 Eighthly and lastly hee is the King the Husband the Shepheard the eldest Brother or first borne of the Church therfore the head of the Church So much for the Reasons Vse 1 The vses are these The first Vse is matter of Refutation against the Popish Church for this is a maine point of difference betwixt vs and the Church of Rome Wee say and haue proued it that Christ is the head of the visible Church they say the Pope is the head of it and as they meane it it is worse than it seemes to be for therein they affirme a double blasphemy against God and giue two maine blowes to Iesus Christ to cut him off from being head to his Church at least they take his Crowne from his head And this they doe first in regard of the Body the Church secondly in regard of the Head Christ First in regard of the Church for they say the Pope is the head not of the Church of Rome onely for that were tolerable if hee would content and containe himselfe within his owne Diocesse neither would we much contend with him about his Bishopricke But he lookes high and gapes wide and saith like his lying father the Diuell All is mine that he is the head of the vniversall Church through the world A proud challenge easie to be made but impossible that it should bee maintained You see that it is proued to be Christs due only by right to be head of the visible Church if then the Pope wil be head either he must take it from Christ against his will and so he is plaine Antichrist as indeed and in truth he is or else he must haue it by Christs grant and this he pretends to be his Title But first he hath it not by Christs grant for Christ neuer gaue him any such matter for many hundred yeares after Christs ascension this headship of the Popes was neuer heard of Yea but say they he gaue it to Peter and so to the Pope I answer No Christ gaue it not to Peter nor yet euer meant to giue it him much lesse to the Pope First hee gaue it not to Peter for the places which they alleage to proue this point serue nothing to this purpose as Matth. 16.19 Whatsoeuer thou shalt binde on earth is bound in heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shal be loosed in heauen This is spoken equally to all the rest of the Apostles as well as vnto Peter Ioh. 20.23 Whosoeuer sinnes ye remit they are remitted c. Where now is the headship of Peter ouer the whole
Church So that in Ioh. 21. where our Sauiour saith three times to Peter Feede my sheepe c. What a slight ground is this to build the headship of the Church vpon And if they aske then why Christ should thus presse it vpon Peter so often The Fathers answer them that it is onely a speciall charge binding to Duty not any vniuersall authority or iurisdiction pressed thrice vpon him for his former threefold deniall of Christ that so hee might be the more carefull for the time to come else the charge is alike to all the rest of the Apostles for shall wee think that any of them were not bound to feede the sheepe of Christ as well as he The Apostle giues this charge to all Ministers 1 Pet. 5.2 Feed the flocke of God c. Yea but Peter is the Rocke and vpon this Rocke Christ will build his Church Matth. 16.18 I answer if the Church were built vpon Peter then it was either built vpon his person or vpon his Confession but it was not built vpon his person for then when he died the Church must haue failed too Therfore the place must be vnderstood of Peters confession or of his faith or of that Christ which he confessed Christ built his Church on the confession of Peters faith because himself was the substance of his confession c. Peters confession of his faith is the Rocke in making knowne the Church But Christ himselfe is the Rocke as being the substance of that his confession so that the Church is not built vpon Peters person And if it had what is that to the Pope Vnlesse they can proue these two things First that Peter sate at Rome as head of the vniuersall Church secondly that hee intended to leaue his headship to the Pope of Rome and to none other which is a meere fancie and deuice of their owne braine for which they haue no colour So then Christ neuer gaue Peter much lesse the Pope this headship Secondly as Christ neuer did giue it so he saith expressely he neuer will giue it Luk. 22.25 26. Our Sauiour saith to his Disciples that it was enough for the Gentiles to be Lords and to raigne one ouer another but it shall not bee so amongst you saith he so that Christ checks them for hauing but a conceit of superiority so far is he from giuing it to any of them Further this being a great part of Christs glory as he is Mediator to be head of his Church hee will not giue it to any other Isai 48.11 My glory will I not giue to another And as Christ neuer gaue this nor meant to giue it to any other so no man is able to weeld or sway it no more than any one temporall Gouernor can rule all the Kingdomes in the world no this power is reserued onely to him that made the whole world and all things therein So that we see they ouer-reach in saying the Pope is the head of the vniuersall visible Church Secondly they ouer-reach as far in saying he is the head if you aske them what head they meane They will say onely a ministeriall head vnder Christ heere is some shew of modesty But aske them further what power they ascribe to him And then they bewray themselues for they say that the gouernment of the whole Church through the world depends on him that he hath power and authority to iudge and determine of all causes of Faith and Religion to rule Councells to order Bishops and Pastors to excommunicate and to suspend and to inflict other penalties vpon offenders yea whatsoeuer concerneth either preaching of Doctrine or the practice of Discipline in the Church of Christ the power of gouerning in all such causes they say lies in the Pope Is this to be a ministeriall head This is rather to be an absolute supreame head If by head they meant onely some chiefe Gouernour the name head in that sense might agree to some one man in respect of some one particular place for so the Scripture vseth the word in other cases in the 1 Cor. 11.3 The man is the womans head c. But neuer in this case for a man to be the head of the whole Church This transcendent power by them ascribed to the Pope is a great part of Christs owne power and can neuer agree to any man in the world for Christ is the onely Doctor of his Church Mat. 23.8 10. How then can the Pope determine all matters of faith and religion Is not this to make him a great Doctor yea the onely Doctor No say they for hee doth it but vnder Christ But he doth it of himselfe if the Pope in controuersies would take Christs booke and vse prayer to God for direction therein and in humility and sincere loue of the Truth would examine euery cause and so iudge there were some hope that he would doe many things well and that he would iudge rightly as in Christs stead and so honour his Master and doe good seruice to the Church But first he takes no such course but mingles with the word and vseth his owne Canons in stead of the word and he is so farre from vsing prayer to God for direction as that he presumes the truth is tyed to his Chayre and therefore that he cannot erre in any of his Sentences likewise hee is sinisterly affected to the Truth framing it to the state and practice of his owne Church and accordingly hee iudges and pronounces Secondly if he should take the former course yet his reach is not infinite hee cannot iudge rightly in all causes of faith and religion for no one man that euer was Christ Iesus onely excepted and his Apostles that was able to iudge of all Truth Therefore euery Pope in particular must be at least as one of the Apostles nay he must be as Christ is For if the Apostles could doe it yet they had fellowes Paul as well as Peter could do this But the Pope is without any fellow yea he will take vpon him to iudge of the Apostles owne Doctrine and writings so that though he pretends to be Peters successor only yet vpon the point he takes on him to be Peters Master euen to be Christ so proues himself to be very Antichrist yea and he not onely takes vpon him Christs Office but he takes his name vpon him also hee calls himselfe the chiefe Shepheard which name is proper to Christ onely 1 Pet. 5.4 What is this but to step into the throne of Christ But they except against vs and say doe you finde fault with vs for saying the Pope is the head of the Church Why you your selues make the King supreame head of the Church I answer how do we say the King is the head of the Church as they say the Pope is No but wee say the King is the head of the Church within his iurisdiction to see Gods religion maintained Answ and to see the
it so these hypocrites professe themselues outwardly to bee true members by possession and are so accounted of others yet they are not that within which outwardly they professe and therefore are no true members by right Thirdly there are some that are members both by right and by possession too and so are onely the faithfull that make profession of the sauing faith and none but they Rom. 10.10 If they beleeue with the heart and confesse with the mouth they are true members for faith giues vs right to be true members of the Church and the outward profession of this faith giues vs possession of it so that onely the faithfull making profession of their faith are true members of the visible Church by right and by possession I will giue you an instance of all these kinds of those that are members by right and not by possession and also of those that are members by possession and not by right lastly of those that are members both by right and by possession In Matth. 21.29 there is a Parable of the two sonnes the eldest sonne hee was bid to goe and worke in the Vineyard and he said he would not but afterward hee repented himselfe and went here was a member by right though not by possession then because hee refused to goe in the 30. verse there is the younger sonne that was bidden goe and said he would but went not there was a member by possession because he said he would goe but not by right because he went not So likewise the Scribes and Pharisies Mat. 23.3 made shew to be members of the Church but by right they were not for they said and did not Lastly members by right and by possession too so were all the Prophets and Apostles so was the Prophet Dauid Psalm 116.10 I beleeued saith he therefore I spake and so was the Apostle Paul and the rest of the Apostles 2 Cor. 4.16 We beleeue and therefore we speake We beleeue here is our right therefore we speake here is our possession So that in these instances we haue examples of these three sorts of members Now the matter of greatest doubt and most consequence is concerning the wicked how they can be members of Gods Church therefore that is most to bee insisted on And for the better vnderstanding thereof I will draw it into an Obseruation And the Obseruation is this Doctr. That Hypocrites and Castawayes may be and are oftentimes members euen of a true visible Church for proofe of this you shall heare it witnessed out of their owne mouthes Luk. 13.26 We haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes c. Therefore they were members of the true visible Churches and yet they were Reprobates for our Sauiour saith vnto them vers 27. I know yee not depart from me yee workers of iniquity And so Matth. 7.22 they shall say to our Sauiour Haue not we by thy Name prophesied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and by thy Name done many great workes And yet our Sauiour shall say vnto them I neuer knew yee depart from me yee workers of iniquitie These were members of true visible Churches and yet they were hyprocrites and castawayes so yee haue heard it from their owne mouthes Now take it from a surer witnesse out of the mouth of our Sauiour himselfe in that Parable Matth. 13.47 48. where the kingdome of heauen is compared to a draw-Net cast into the Sea that gathereth all kind of fish good and bad Here it is so clearely laid downe as if the Parable had been framed of purpose to proue this point I will not stand here to proue that by the kingdome of heauen is meant the visible Church though the place would beare it wel enough but it signifies plainely the preaching of the Gospell or the Gospell preached whereby a Church is gathered and fitted for the Kingdome of heauen for in that sense it is taken in vers 31. Now vnderstand the comparison thus Like as a draw-Net that is cast into the Sea gathers of all kinds good and bad so the preaching of the Gospell is cast forth into the World and gathers all kind of men good and bad chosen and reprobates hypocrites and true beleeuers all are gathered by this Net into the outward communion of the faithful and as the bad fishes are part of this draught as well as the good so the wicked outwardly gathered by the Gospell are also parts and members of the visible Church as well as the godly So likewise another Parable we haue to proue this point Ioh. 15.1 2. In the first verse our Sauiour saith I am the Vine and in the second verse hee sets downe two sorts of branches some that abide in him and bring forth fruit and these are the faithfull others that beare no fruit that are taken away what are these but hypocrites and castawayes Therefore they are parts of the visible Church as well as the faithfull Obiect But will some say Was there euer any hypocrite or castaway a true Branch of Christ then belike the true branches that is the true members of Christ may bee cast away I answer None are in Christ Answ but such as are ingrafted into his body now some are so ingrafted as that they receiue iuyce and life from the root and they are the faithfull others are so ingrafted as they receiue iuyce only from the barke and so neuer thriue but only continue in shew for a short time a yeare or two c. and then fall away and these are hypocrites The faithfull that are ingrafted into the body of Christ they receiue iuyce and life from him and can neuer fall away but hypocrites and castawayes they are but grafted into the barke that is into the outward communion and so receiue iuyce onely and continue for a time but afterward they fall away so wee haue seene it proued by Parables See it likewise proued by examples and that will make it more plaine and in alleaging these examples I may propound these two things First what Church euer was there but had some wicked men in it and secondly what wickednes was there euer so great but it hath been found in the members of some visible Church or other as by these examples may appeare Looke into Gen. 4.3 Caine was a member of the visible Church his outward conformity to religious duties proues it for he brought his offering to God and yet hee was a wicked reprobate So Gen. 9.18 Ham he was a member of the visible Church for he was preserued in the Arke and yet hee was an accursed wretch as we may see in the 25. verse If we looke into our Sauiours chosen Disciples they were certainely a true visible Church else there was neuer any in the world and yet there was a Iudas a member of it and a Diuell Ioh. 6.70 So if wee looke into those Churches in the Reuelation 2. and 3. Chapters many of them were
and naturall Mother that Reas 5 brings forth a Childe of her owne body and after she hath brought it forth nourisheth it with her owne milke So likewise the Church that doth beget us by the Word of Truth and nourish us with the Sacraments is not shee a true Church Sixthly every Tree is knowne by the fruites Matth. 7.16 Reas 6 17. The false prophet is knowne by his false doctrine for so the place intends if that bee a sufficient marke to know them by then true doctrine is a sufficient marke to know the true Church by Seuenthly it is Christs presence that makes a true visible Reas 7 Church therefore the Word and Sacraments outwardly representing Christs presence so as nothing else doth and so making him notoriously present make a true visible Church Lastly frō the sufficient enumeration of the parts of a true Reas 8 visible Church it must be so none are members and parts of it but the Ministers and people now the Ministers doing their duties in dispensing Gods mysteries both for preaching the Word and administring the Sacraments they are the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and the people doing their dutie in obeying that they teach at least outwardly they are the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10.4 Now which of these markes might be spared or what other are Vse 1 there that neede to bee added Therefore where these are there is a true visible Church The vses of the point are these The first vse is matter of reproofe and that of many aduersaries First it reprooues such as except and say first that other Congregations besides Except 1 the true visible Church have these markes and therefore they are not sufficient nor infallible markes I answere Answ It is true that other Congregations pretend to haue these markes as what Heretikes or Schismatikes are there that will not say they have the Truth and right faith with them this is the generall claime of them all the Scriptures are ours and for us But this is a false pretence for when it comes to the tryall it will appeare that it is but their saying not that it is so in truth for either they will refuse some part of the Scripture or else they will mangle and deprave it or else they will take the Letter for the sense as the Papists doe in the matter of Transubstantiation this is my Body and other Heretikes that because it is said He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire therefore they baptize with fire taking the Letter of the Scripture instead of the sense of it Or else they adde somthing to the word as traditions and such like and so though they doe approue and take it in at the fore-doore yet they cast it out at the backdoore so that indeede they haue it not at all whatsoeuer they pretend we may say truly therefore that they challenge these markes but wee cannot say they are theirs but they still remaine the proper right of Gods true Church Wee know that the Divels policie and the depth of his subtiltie is to imitate apishly the courses of God that thereby hee may deceiue the more cunningly and therefore hee will counterfeit Gods owne markes and cognisance but wee must trie the Spirits 1 Ioh. 4.1 and the proofe will make all cleare for Sathan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and his Apostles can transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and his Ministers as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. So then though these lay claime to these markes and say they are theirs yet they have no right to them it is but their vaine bragges their master Sathan himselfe alleageth Scripture and pretends it is for him but hee was shamefully discouered by our Sauiour for hee left out part of it and depraued it as wee may see Math. 4.6 7. And so the harlot Pro. 7.14 said I have peace-offerings this day I have paid my vowes therefore came I out to meete thee she pretends to pray but her intent was to play the harlot And so Zidkiah 1 King 22.24 braggs that hee had the Spirit of Prophecie when indeede it was a lying Spirit that was in his mouth So the Congregations of Heretikes and of Schismatikes lay claime to the Word and Sacraments and say they are theirs when as indeede they are not because they doe either refuse some part of them or depraue them or adde vnto them their owne Inuentions Secondly that except and say that many visible Churches haue Except 2 not these markes at least not all of them alwayes I answer yes they haue them all Answ and that alwayes in some measure more or lesse els they are not true visible Churches For the better vnderstanding hereof consider these two things first the different estate of Churches sometimes Gods Church doth thriue and flourish and then it hath all these markes without doubt Gods Word is truly preached the Sacraments rightly administred and obedience to them both is professed and yeelded and that in an high degree But sometimes a Church of God is not in such an excellent estate some are but in their beginings newly planted and so cannot haue all at once but hath euery thing in its order place first the Word is tendred to them then the people if they beleeue and submit themselues and professe obedience to it they are to be made partakers of the Sacraments First Baptisme and then the Lords Supper so far forth as it is a visible Church it hath all these marks these Church's are but in their beginnings and therefore they haue but the beginnings of these notes and markes Againe sometimes a Church is in a dying and decaying estate either by reason of Apostacie or persecution if the Church bee in a decaying state by Apostacie what shall I say to such Churches I say that so farre forth as these be true visible Churches so farre forth they retaine these markes if they be but the remainders of a Church then they haue the remainders of these markes if it bee a dying and a decaying Church then it hath dying and decaying markes So then these markes must be found in all true visible Churches according to the state of those Churches if it be a dying Church then the Word and Sacraments and Obedience are dying and decaying too but when it is quite fallen it ceaseth to be a true visible Church nor hath it these markes And so likewise in the time of persecution when the Church is so persecuted that there are none left to make open profession of the Faith and Religion of Christ yet so long as there are any that publikely suffer for the Gospell so long there is a true Church though troubled and brought low for by their suffering they professe obedience to the Gospell and though they are debarred of the publike vse of the Word and Sacraments yet the fruit and effect of them is still visible
contained and this is the more likely because about that very time that is somewhat before his Ascension hee spake vnto them of the things which appertaine to the Kingdome of God Act. 1.3 which if we vnderstand not of the substance of Gods Kingdome which is inward in the hearts of his Children but of the appurtenances of it as it seemes to bee then it cannot bee fitter applied than to this matter of Church-Gouernment For what doth more neerely and properly appertaine or is annexed to that Kingdome than this Now the Apostles must teach all that Christ taught them but Christ taught them this therefore they must teach it too and that not by preaching onely but by writing too for what they preacht they writ the substance of it therefore there is sufficient matter to bee found in Scripture to direct euery Church in the substance of Church-gouernment Let vs come somewhat neerer to the point Ephes 4.11 12. It is there said that Christ did therefore giue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the repairing of the Saints and for the worke of the Ministry and for the edification of the Body of Christ Whereby it is plaine that by those which Christ so gaue to be Apostles c. there is sufficient direction left for the edification of the whole body Now Gouernment is one speciall meanes for edification yea and for the gathering of the Saints and for the worke of the Ministry and therefore that is not vntaught by them and so consequently not vnwritten at least for the substance of it Ad to this that which the Apostle hath in 1 Cor. 12.5 9. especially in vers 28. and then it will appeare to be cleere enough where the Apostle tels vs of administrations and gifts so comes to those that are endued with those gifts and that are to exercise them whereof though some be temporall yet others are perpetuall Which if wee adde to that Ephes 4.11 then here is sufficient prouision ordained of God and set downe in his Word for euery Church to bee directed by for substance of Gouernors and Gouernment And consider that this is not spoken of the Corinths onely but of the Church in generall God hath ordained some in his Church c. that thereby it might bee plaine that it is appliable to euery particular Church The like place is in Rom. 12.7 8. where the Apostle speakes of Offices in the Church and of them that vse them These places then laid together proue the point Let vs come to examples of Churches in Scripture to proue the point further Wee haue examples of this in two Churches in Scripture that were best prouided for in this kinde and that is in the Churches of Corinth and of Ephesus Take the Church of Corinth for an example and see how sufficiently it was prouided for in this kinde and that in most particulars for they had the Word and the Lords Supper Sects and Offenders were punished yea and generally they haue Rules giuen them for the whole Carriage of Gods worship as in the 1 Cor. 14. Consider what Rules of edification and Order hee there prescribes and extends them to all Churches in their kinde and say then whether all Churches bee not sufficiently prouided for in the generall for this matter of Church-gouernment See this also in the Church of Ephesus Act. 20 28 Consider the Charge there giuen to all the Ouerseers of that Church that they should feede the flocke c. that is gouerne them as well as teach them Consider the manifold instructions hee giues them there how they should carry themselues and withall consider the particulars he chargeth Timothy withall in both his Epistles for the Gouernment of the Church and say if this Church were not sufficiently prouided for in this kinde If you yet doubt of it beleeue the Apostle Act. 20.20 where the Apostle saith that hee had kept nothing back from them that was profitable so that if Church-Gouernment bee profitable for them as surely it is very necessary then for the substance of it they were sufficiently instructed And so it will follow that all other Churches must bee so too either more or lesse though happily not in that degree of perfection as these were And so much for the proofe of the point The Reasons of it are these First it is so in matters of substance Reas 1 both for duties of life and for matters of faith namely that the whole substance of it is so set downe in Gods Word that euery particular man may receiue Instruction thereby how to carrie and how to gouerne himselfe If this bee so for a particular Christian in matters of faith and practice then this being a matter partly of faith but more of practice and being for the good of the whole body of a Church therefore the substance of it must needs bee set downe in Gods Word Secondly it was so in the Iewish Church in the former Reas 2 Testament God set down the matter of Church-Gouernment very precisely for the substance of it and that in most particulars and therefore he doth so with the Church in the latter Testament for must not the Church now bee as well prouided as then surely it must in matters of substance Reas 3 Thirdly Christs care of his Church proues it It is not credible that hee so tenderly louing her welfare and so gratiously prouiding euery thing else for her that hee would faile her in this leaue her without Gouernment at least for the substance of it It is not credible but that Christ being the Sonne would bee more faithfull in Gods House than Moses being but a Seruant as the Apostle makes the comparison Heb. 3.4 5 6. Or shall wee beleeue that Christ was not so carefull of the whole Church as Paul was of Ephesus But Paul wrote sufficiently to Timothy how hee was to gouerne and to behaue himselfe in that Church 1 Tim. 3.15 therefore Christ being more faithfull than Moses and more carefull of the whole Church than Paul was of Ephesus must needes leaue sufficient direction in Scripture how euery Church ought to be gouerned at least for the substance of it Reas 4 The fourth Reason is drawne from the Churches insufficiency if shee were left to her selfe Alas the Church is but a company of men blind and ignorant not able to direct and gouerne themselues besides they are headstrong and wilfull that they will not be ruled or else they are peremptory in their owne conceits loth to part with their owne inuentions though they are neuer so much against the Word therefore Christ must leaue direction and where but in his Word Reas 5 The fifth Reason is taken from the sufficiency of the Word 2 Tim. 3.16 17. For the whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration from God and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse But how farre forth is it thus
that it doth not suffice that they bee in some parts of the Church where most need is And lastly the Christian Magistrate who hath a chiefe stroke in Gouernment they speake nothing of him neither doe they interpret any of those places where the Apostle speakes of Rulers of the Christian Magistrate though I am verily perswaded that it is to bee vnderstood of them And therefore they erre in these particulars And so wee see that there is not any one particular forme of Church-gouernment set downe in Scripture which euery particular Church is precisely bound to obserue as prescribing to it euery particular in Gouernment The sixteenth Lecture of the Church HAuing propounded fiue principall heads to bee treated vpon touching Church-gouernment as namely First the harmes and euils that this matter hath occasioned in Gods Church Secondly what is meant by these words Church and Gouernment Thirdly how necessary it is in Gods Church Fourthly whether there be any prescript Rule in Gods Word for it And lastly if there bee not then what is to bee done in that case I haue proceeded in the foure former as God hath enabled mee Now I come to speake of the fifth namely That if God hath not ordayned any prescript forme in his Word for euerie particular in gouernment then what is to bee done in this case The Resolution whereof it is to bee fetcht from that which hath been formerly spoken For whereas euery particular Church must haue her particular gouernment and the Word hath not prescribed any one set forme for all Churches to obserue in euerie particular as I haue shewed in the second Obseruation of the former Lecture Therefore euery particular Church out of their owne power and wisedome and being guided by the generall forme set downe in the Scriptures as oft as necessity requires must make the best supply and prouision for themselues herein that they can howbeit because the whole substance of Church-gouernment is set downe in the Word c. as I shewed in the first Obseruation of the former Lecture Therefore the Church must not be presumptuous and licentious as if it were arbitrary and as if they might ordaine and do what they list But they must carefully see that whatsoeuer prouision they make in this kinde bee such as may well stand with those generall rules and directions which the word affords I take not vpon mee here to define what is prescribed in Gods word what not this is a hard taske too curious for mee and too tedious for you That is left to the enquirie of the particular Churches euery one for it selfe and the promise of the Spirit to leade the Church into all Truth of speciall vse for this purpose both to instruct the Church what is prescribed and what is not as also to helpe and direct them what to take and what to leaue and how to behaue themselues in such cases of Gouernment wherein they are destitute of particular warrant for each particular case from the word yet because I would faine informe you throughly of the whole businesse so farre as is needfull to know I will God willing inlarge my discourse farther than I thought to haue done and labour to rip it vp from the very bottome The whole forme of Church-gouernment as I conceiue consists of three principalls or Pillars as I may call them First of some Actions and duties to bee performed in the Church Secondly of some Persons or Officers that are to performe these duties in the Church And thirdly of some Lawes and rules that these persons are to be directed by in the execution of these actions and duties which are to bee done in the Church And if once you can tell these things first what is to be done in Church-Gouernment secondly by whom it must bee done and thirdly how and after what manner and vpon what ground and with what Conditions they are to bee done you may sit downe well satisfied and resolued in this point In the handling of all these points I shall bee in danger either to be too intricate or too tedious too intricate if I should handle them ioyntly all together or too tedious if I should frame a seuerall discourse for each particular by it self To preuent both I wil first propound them all in a generall view by themselues and then I will instance in two or three particular duties fitting them with their Officers and Lawes that so any man of vnderstanding may learne thereby to doe the like in all the rest First wee will beginne with the Duties or Actions to be done in Church-Gouernment haply I shal not touch them all but I will labour to touch the chiefe and principall and those to which all the rest may bee referred The principall Duties are these First Order must be taken that the Word and Sacraments and Prayers bee had in the Church Secondly there must be election of Officers from time to time as occasion shall require Thirdly Duties of Charitie must bee carefully and religiously practised Fourthly censures and proceedings against Offendors must be executed Fifthly order must be takē for calling publike Assemblies Lastly order must bee taken for the ouersight of all these things To beginne with the first Order must bee taken for the Word and Sacraments and Prayers I ioyne and couch all these together because there is a most neere and necessary league and affinitie betwixt them For as the Word is to beget faith so the Sacraments as seales and pledges accompany it for the more palpable Assurance of ou◠increasing in it and Prayer is to bee ioyned with them both that they may bee effectuall and powerfull for edification First for the Word order must bee taken that it may bee had in the Church first the Canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament must bee extant And how must they bee extant Surely in their owne originall languages because if there bee any corruption in the Translation wee may runne to the Originall so that it must be had in the originall languages And in what Copies Surely the best that be to be had But what then euery one cannot vnderstand these languages they may bee in a Nation whose language is not the Mother-Tongue What must bee done then Surely wee must get the most faithfull and best Translations that are and when they are got what must the Church see to bee done with them First some of these Copies must bee laid vp in a safe and secret place that if Desolation should come yet the written Word may bee preserued so the booke of the Law 2 Chron. 34.14 which was thought to bee written by Moses owne hand was found in a secret place where no doubt it had been laid vp by Gods speciall prouidence to bee preserued from that common hauock which was in the Land so that some Copies must bee laid vp in safe and secret places Yea but that is not enough but there must bee some extant
in places of publike and religious Assemblies as it may seeme to bee in our Sauiours time Luk. 4.16 17. where our Sauiour comming into the Temple there was a book of the Prophecy of Isaiah deliuered to him So that they must bee extant in the publike Assemblies And how must they bee extant there Not as dumbe shewes but as the liuely voyce of God to bee read openly so was the case Act. 13.27 The word of the Prophets were read euery Sabbath Day And not onely so but it must bee preacht too that is conscionably expounded and applied So you may read Act. 13.15 that there were Lectures of the Law and of the Prophets And that the Ruler of the Synagogue sent to Paul and Barnabas saying That if they had any word of exhortation they should say on And this is our Sauiours charge Mark 16.15 Goe preach the Gospell to euery Creature And so it is the Apostles charge to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.2 Preach the Word bee instant c. And this is so necessary as that it is the power of God to saluation Rom. 1.16 we cannot bee saued without it And it is impossible wee should beleeue without the preaching of the Word How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Rom. 10.14 And this was the practice both of Christ and of his Apostles they preacht the Word And as the Word must bee taught so it must bee heard vnderstood and obeyed therefore our Sauiour saith Luk. 11.28 Blessed are they that heare the Word of God and keepe it And therefore the Apostle Colos 3.16 saith Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously hee vseth a very elegant Speech as if hee should say Let it not come as a Stranger to tarry with you for a little while but let it dwell with you c. And as it must bee heard and obeyed so it must bee diligently conferred vpon that is it which is commended in the men of Berea Act. 17.11 that they searched the Scriptures to try whether the things were so that Paul taught them So there must bee care had for the Word wee see Secondly there must be care had for the Sacraments first that they be vsed and none other which Christ instituted and secondly that they bee administred in the same manner that our Sauiour did administer them so it is commanded Matth. 28.19 Go teach all nations baptizing them c. there is the Sacrament of Baptisme inioyned and in the 1 Cor. 11.23 there is the Lords Supper and the practice of them appeares in both the Epistles to the Corinthians and by name for the Lords Supper in that first Epistle cha 11. v. 25. where the Apostle deliuers not onely the substance of it but in some measure the circumstances of it also Lastly the Duty of Prayer that must bee had in the Church that prayers must bee publikely made in the Church we haue the exhortation of the Apostle to it 1 Tim. 3.1 I exhort that first of all Prayers bee made for all men c. where hee intends it of publike Prayer and exhorts to it as to a chiefe duty I exhort that first of all prayers bee made c. and so in the 1 Cor. 14.16 And the practice of the Apostles is answerable to this Act. 1.14 after Christs assension they continued with one accord in prayer c. So you see how that in well-gouerned Churches the Word and Sacraments and Prayer are to bee had and vsed Wee haue an example for all these together Act. 2 41 42. where it is said That they which gladly receiued the Word were baptized and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of Bread and Prayer So there was the Word and the Sacraments and Prayer Here many good and profitable obseruations might bee had but they are here onely handled as by the way and wee haue handled some of them before in the markes and notes of a true visible Church and the maine thing in them rests to bee handled in the instances when wee come to them So much for the first point that the Word and the Sacraments and Prayer must bee had in the Church The second point is election of Officers from time to time as occasion requires this must bee had too for a duty to bee performed necessarily requires an Officer to performe it And the Duties being of sundrie kindes so must the Officers bee too that manage them else there would bee disorder and confusion and none must intrude or thrust themselues into such places of their owne heads for that were intolerable presumption Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour to himselfe vnlesse he be chosen of God as Aaron was there is no warrant of Conscience either in them that thus intrude to execute such offices nor in others to obey nor no hope of blessing by either Therefore there must be election of Officers in the Church that is there must bee a lawfull Assignment of such men to such Offices When a Church is first planted it is one of their first Duties to proceed to the election of Officers as Act. 14.23 They ordained them Elders in euery Church by election And so in Titus 1.5 Titus was left in Crete when the Church was first planted to ordaine Elders in euery City Againe as there must bee election of Officers when the Church is first planted so there must be election for the supply of Officers when any are displaced either by death or for their misdemeanor others must bee placed in their roomes by election And thus did the Apostles when Iudas was fallen away they fell to election by lot for another to supply his roome Act. 1.21 Againe when the Church of God is increast and when by multitude of businesse those that are Officers haue as much already to doe as they can turne their hands to other Officers are to bee added by election And this was the case Act. 6.2 3. When the multitude of Disciples grew there was a murmuring because the widowes of the Grecians were neglected in the dayly ministration Now the Apostles had greater matters in hand and therefore it was vnmeet for them to tend to it therefore said they Chuse you out seuen men from among you c. And so when the people of Israel were increased and that Moses knew not what to do Exod. 18.21 22. Iethro his Father in Law gaue him counsell to chuse other Officers to assist him and so he did So that election of Officers is a needfull duty in the Church Now as this must bee done in regard of all Officers so especially there must bee election of Ministers such as labour in the Word and Doctrine as they hauing the chiefe businesse to deale in and their election consists chiefly in two things Ordination and Assignation to some particular place First Ordination that is an Action whereby men are separated to the worke of the Ministery and
whereby they are enabled to doe some things which they could not doe before as in the power and vse of the Keyes to binde and loose and some other things they may doe lawfully now which they were able to doe before but not lawfully as to preach and to administer the Sacraments c. these depending vpon lawfull Ordination such an Ordination we find Act. 13.2 3. where Paul and Barnabas were separated to the work of the Ministery but not assigned to any one particular place And in the 1 Tim. 4.4 where the Apostle saith to Timothy Despise not the gift that is in thee which was giuen thee by Prophecy and the laying on of the hands of the Company of the Presbytery where the Apostle speakes of his Ordination before he came to be assigned to a particular place for as yet he had no certaine Charge till he came to Ephesus and the Apostle speakes as of a thing done before that is for Ordination In the second place we come to the appointment of them to some particular place where they may exercise their gifts and to performe the worke of their Ministery whereby there is a mutuall reference betwixt the Minister and those whom hee is set ouer hee being their Pastor and they being his Flocke And so the Apostle left Titus in Crete that he might ordaine Elders in euery City Tit. 1.5 that is that he might ordaine them and appoint them in euery Citie for both these vsually doe and should goe together that is Ordination and appointment to some particular place specially amongst vs though in the Apostles times there were Ministers at large but this is not good amongst vs we haue no such large Commission as the Apostles had but wee must haue reference to a certaine people and to a certaine place And so Act. 14.23 They ordained Elders by election in euery Church there they did ordaine Ministers and appoint them to a certaine place And surely whatsoeuer is rightly done in this kind the Lord himselfe acknowledgeth for his owne handy worke Act. 20.28 Take heed to the Flock ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers c. I speake all this while of the outward calling onely for that is in the power of the Church the inward is meerely and immediatly from God The Church is to try and examine the inward too by the proofe of their gifts and by charging them in the sight of God to speake the truth herein whether they find that Gods Spirit hath made them willing and able for the Ministery but to conferre it on them they cannot So much for the second point election of Officers The third point is the duties of charitie and mercy they are to be done in the Church next to the duties of pietie to God the duties of mercy and charitie are most carefully to be performed and to bee prouided for in the Churches of Christ I speake not so much of spirituall duties of charity concerning spirituall distresses as to comfort the wounded conscience to beare with the weake to haue compassion on our Brethrens infirmities but chiefly of outward bodily charity which concernes the outward state of our Brethren as first the sicke must be visited secondly the dead must be buâ—ied thirdly the needy must be releeued fourthly the Ministers must be maintained In these foure consist all the duties of mercy and charity to be done in the Church First the sicke are to be visited the Text is cleare for this in Iam. 5.14 If any man bee sicke let them call for the Elders of the Church c. And this must not be done for fashion sake after a ciuill manner but for conscience sake after a religious and Christian manner wee must pray with them and for them for their recouery and for a speedy and comfortable end we must offer our seruice to them for any good office in that necessity we must comfort and incourage them against the terrours and pangs of death we must stirre them vp to put their house especially their soules in order Thus we must labour euery way to fit them for the time of their dissolution thus wee must visit the sicke Secondly the dead are to be buried this is commended for a good work of mercy by Christs owne words Mark 14.6 8. when the Woman powred the boxe of Oyntment on his head some murmured at it but our Sauiour saith She hath wrought a good worke on me for shee is come afore-hand to annoint my Body to the Buriall so hee approues Buriall for a good worke And seeing that Sepulchers and Burials are monuments of our Resurrection for that was the first and true vse of them amongst the faithfull where should this bee practised more than in the Churches of God where the Resurrection is most and best taught and beleeued Thirdly the needy are to bee releeued the naked must be clothed the hungry must be fed c. and this dutie consists of two branches collection and distribution First there must bee collection so the Apostle inioynes 1 Cor. 16.1 2. That euery first day of the weeke euerie man must put aside something for the reliefe of the Saints then it must bee collected and gathered and so much put into the Treasury and that was the vse of the Treasury in Mark 12.45 to put in that which was collected Secondly there must be distribution as Rom. 12.8 Hee that distributeth let him doe it with simplicitie and vers 13. distributing to the necessitie of the Saints Heb. 13.16 to doe good and to distribute forget not c. and this may be done either by their owne hands or others and that not to their owne Churches alone but to others too if they want and these abound Rom. 12.26 so that that which is collected must not be kept but after collection there must bee distribution and in these two offices consists the relieuing of the needy The fourth duty of mercy is this the Ministers must be manifested this is the Apostle meanes in the 1 Tim. 5.17 where he saith that hee that rules well is worthy of double honour specially he that labours in the Word and Doctrine where at least double honour is taken for the honour of maintenance and the Text is cleare for it by that which followes where he saith Thou shalt not mussell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth forth the Corne and this must not bee done with a sparing hand but as the Apostle commands it in Galat. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the Word make him that hath taught him partaker of all his goods Let him thinke nothing too deare for him And this is not grounded on the law of loue onely but euen vpon the law of reason too for so the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 9.11 sheweth that in reason if they minister to vs spirituall things it is no great matter if they reape our carnall things It is true that rather than the Minister should be burthensome to
the Church he is to labour with his owne hands to satisfie his necessitie but yet when there is a competent state in the people they are to ease him of that labor and of their estates to releeue his wants as the Philippians did by the Apostle Paul Phil. 4.10 11. where the Apostle reioyceth for the care which they had in ministring to him And surely the people lose nothing by this for when the Ministers are thus prouided for they giue themselues wholly to their callings without let to study for the good of the people whereas else they bee driuen to prouide for themselues it will be with them as it was with the Israelites vnder the hands of the cruell Taskmasters in Egypt they must be seeking straw while they should bee making brick to build withall they must be seeking after the pelfe of this world while they should be building Gods house And they that neglect this duty are empty of all Religion both for piety to God whose Ministers they are and for charitie to themselues and their brethren because they do not straine themselues to relieue the wants of such as by Gods Ordinance they are most bound vnto and which doe spend themselues and their time for others good and saluation So much of the third point for duties and workes of mercy and charity The fourth point is the censures of the Church the proceeding against offendors For seeing in all Churches there are still some that walke inordinately some course of necessity must bee taken against them that the Church may bee disburdened either of their persons or of their sinnes And hence it is that our Sauiour himselfe takes precise order for this matter Matth. 18.15 c. And the Apostle chargeth this Duty on the Thessalonians with great authority 2 Thess 3.6 We warne you brethren in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ that you withdraw your selues from euery Brother that walketh inordinately And hee is grieuously offended with the Corinthians that they did not proceed accordingly with all seuerity against the incestuous Person 1 Cor. 55. And the Reasons for such proceedings are very weighty First no Gouerment I say not onely can bee good but can stand where malefactors are not punished much lesse can the Gouernment of the Church where sinne is specially to bee hated preuented and suppressed Secondly where knowne sinne is not punished there the state and Gouernment is reputed accessary to that sinne now what a scandall is it to Gods Religion and Church to bee accounted fauourers or sparers of any sinne which they must bee if offendors bee not punished Thirdly offendors must bee punished else there is danger of infecting the whole Congregation so saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.6 A little leauen leaueneth the whole lâ—mpe therefore the old and sowre leauen is to be purged forth Fourthly in regard of the offendor himselfe Censures must bee had in the Church that so the flesh may bee thereby destroyed and his soule saued and so Gods mercies glorified in the conuerting a penitent Sinner by his sauing Ordinances 1 Cor. 5.5 But if hee continue obstinate his punishment here is but the beginning of his tormented State in hell and the decreee of Gods Reprobation is begun to bee executed vpon him and so the Lord is glorified in iudgement in the middest of his Church in the confusion of his enemies Now these proceedings consist in many particulars for the Church is mercifull euen as their heauenly Father is mercifull they delight not in the death of sinners but rather that they should bee conuerted and liue and therefore they attempt all meanes of cure first before they proceed in cutting off And yet they are iust too as God their Father is iust and therefore when gracious and mild meanes doe not preuaile they proceede to rougher courses First therefore there must bee priuate admonition betwixt him and thee or two or three more so our Sauiour commands Matth. 18.15 16. Secondly if hee will not heare complaint must be made to the Church as in vers 17. which as I take it is that noting out by Letter which the Apostle speakes of in 2 Thes 2.14 Thirdly consequently if hee will not heare the Church separate from him haue no Company with him as the Apostle speakes in that 2 Thes 3.14 And this is it also which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.9 I wrote vnto you that you should not company with fornicators this is a suspending of them for a time from the Sacraments and from Communion in holy things till the Church had triall whether thereby they would bee brought to Repentance Fourthly if this will not preuaile what must be done then Why if they cannot cure they must cut off hee must bee deliuered vp to Satan indeed so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 5.5 and 1 Tim. 1.20 and that which the Church doth in this case the Lord ratifies in heauen Matth. 18.18 Whosoeuer they bind on earth is bound in heauen yet so too that vpon his Repentance they can and must and doe most willingly loose them from those bandes of Satan wherein they wrapped him before This is a most serious and weighty duty to bee performed in the Church of God but how grieuously it is both neglected and abused it is a shame to speake of that any that professe themselues to bee of the Church of God and haue power in their hands to execute these censures should yet neglect them these being the onely meanes to reclaime or cast off the obstinate when imprisonment and all other waies will not serue So also it is abused by those vpon whom it is inflicted they deriding it and making but a iest of it as if they were neuer the further from heauen for all that and surely it may be they are not because they were neuer neere it Well whosoeuer they be that abuse it let them know that it is Gods owne pretious and holy Ordinance and therefore not to bee dallied in nor basely esteemed yea it is Gods owne worke and doing where it is lawfully proceeded in and it is ratified by him in heauen and where it is abused God will bee auenged on the abusers to the full It is true that the Curse causelesse as Salomon speakes is like the flying of a Bird in the Aire it leaues no impression behind it and in this case God derides it from heauen and it is their fearefull sinne that inflict it But when it is iustly suffered it is the heauiest stroke that can light vpon man in this life either from God or man The sword of the Magistrate is nothing to this that onely depriuing vs of temporall life this of eternall life a wounded Conscience which is an intolerable Burthen to them that haue â—elâ— it is nothing to this For a man sometimes in that case can pray for himselfe or if he cannot pray for himselfe yet he may and must and is prayed for by the Congregation These are neither in case
to pray for themselues nor must they bee prayed for by the Saints 1 Ioh. 5.16 because now for ought wee can see hee is quite cut off from God our Father nothing can match this state but hell this being the Porch that the House this the Mouth that the Body this the very brinke that the eternall Pit of vtter desolation I herefore wee are to bewaile the misery of our times wherein so pretious an ordinance of God as this is is so abused and wee are to pray vnto God that this Ordinance of his may take effect amongst vs this being an excellent Ordinance of God to reclaime offendors when neither the Sword of the Magistrate nor any other meanes could reclaime them And so much of the fourth Duty The fifth duty is calling of publike assemblies they must be called For matters are not to bee carried in the Church by one mans direction alone but by the Common consent of the whole and consent is not to bee fetcht from house to house of euery man by himselfe for that course is subiect to fraud but Assistants are to bee called parties are to bee warned to bee there and so publikely to testifie their owne consent and our Sauiour hath promised his presence and assistance in such cases Matth. 18.19 20. Now these Assemblies are sometimes greater as of a Diocesse or Prouince sometimes smaller as of a Parish Againe some are ordinary vpon ordinary occasions and as extraordinary occasions doe oft fall out some are extraordinary An assembling together for ordinary occasions and duties they are for the most part these First the preaching of the Word the administration of the Sacraments and Prayer 1 Cor. 11.20 When ye come together into one place this is not to eate the Lords Supper And 1 Cor. 14.26 What is to bee done Brethren when yee come together according as euerie one of you hath a Psalme or a Doctrine c. So that there must be publike Assemblies for these duties Secondly there must bee a calling of publike Assemblies for the election of officers for this cause the multitude were called together Act. 6.2 Thirdly there must bee a publike meeting for Almes for the collecting and distributing to the Saints so the Apostle commands 1 Cor. 16.3 4. Lastly there must bee ordinary publike Assemblies for the execution of Church censures as 1 Cor. 5.4 When ye are gathered together and my Spirit with you c. So there must bee publike meetings vpon extraordinary occasions sometimes God testifies extraordinary mercies and giues extraordinary blessings to his Church and then there must bee an extraordinary assembly of the Church to giue publike thanks to God as it was in Hester 9.22 Secondly some heauie iudgements are either felt or feared to come vpon the Church and then the Church must assemble together for fasting and prayer as it is commanded Ioel 2.15 16. And wee see the practice of it in the Niniuites Ionah 3.5 where they proclaimed a Fast vpon Ionas preaching of destruction to come vpon them Thirdly Lawes and Decrees are to bee made or reuiued for the carriage of Gods worship or such like and so in Act. 15. the Church came together for the decreeing of matters concerning ceremonies And Act. 16.4 they deliuered those decrees for the Churches to keepe then there must be an assembling for the receiuing of them Lastly doubts and controuersies are to be decided therefore there must bee publike Assemblies for the deciding of them So Paul was sent vp to Ierusalem Act. 15.1 2 c. about doubts that did arise and what did they there the Apostles and Elders came together to looke to this matter vers 6. So much of the fifth Duty The sixth Dutie is ouer-sight that all these things may be duely and rightly done this Duty is as needfull as the rest For wee know that euery thing growes out of frame in time except they bee vpheld and renewed by continuall ouer-sight and looking into and therefore it is said Act. 15.6 that the Apostles and Elders came together to looke into the matter This is one most necessary Duty for it is the keeper and maintainer of all the rest if this bee neglected all the rest will faile we know concerning our owne bodies that if we looke not to our selues in our diet all will bee soone out of frame and much more in our soules for who finds not by experience that though hee labour to set himselfe neuer so well in frame in the morning yet before night for want of ouer-sight the Soule wil be much out of Order and were it not for this carefull ouersight our Soules would bee growne ouer with sinnes as the Fields are with weedes so would it bee likewise with the Church Now for this matter of ouersight first it must bee ordered that things once ordained bee established by authority and if it be possible by the authority of the Christian Magistrate at least of the Church Thus Iosiah made a Couenant with God and established it by his authority and made all the people stand to it 1 Chron. 34.32 And so the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.37 establisheth those things which hee had ordained in the Church by the authority of his Apostleship If any man saith hee bee spirituall let him acknowledge that the things which I write vnto you are of the Lord. And if things be not thus established ciuill men will not regard them Secondly euery man must bee quickned vp and incouraged to the performance of this duty and therefore there must bee ouer sight in the Church Thus Iosiah incouraged the Priests to the seruice of the Lord 2 Chron. 35.2 and so Paul quickned vp Timothy to the obseruation of his duty 1 Tim. 5.21 I charge thee in the sight of God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou obserue these things And so the Lord incourageth the Church of Smyrna Reuel 2.10 against her sufferings Feare none of those things saith hee which thou shalt suffer c. but bee faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee the Crowne of life Thirdly there must bee ouer-sight that well-doers may bee commended and approoued so the Apostle Peter commends them to whom hee wrote 2 Pet 1.19 for doing well in that they did take heede vnto the words of the Prophets c. And in the second and third Chapters of the Reuelation there is neuer a Church that had any good thing in it but our Sauiour commends them for it and the want of this duty is a great dismaying to religious proceedings amongst vs. Fourthly things must bee redressed therefore there must bee ouer-sight in the Church and so Paul left Titus in Creta to redresse those things that were amisse Titus 1 5. And so our Sauiour in Reuel 2.5 labours to reforme the Church of Ephesus Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent c. And likewise the Church of Sardi Reuel 3.2 The last duty in the matter of ouer-sight is
this that if we cannot reforme and redresse those things that are amisse then we must make open protestation against their failings â—s the Apostle did 1 Cor. 5.6 with sharpe denuntiations and threatnings of Gods Iudgments against theÌ„ if they reforme not so our Sauiour threatens the Church of Ephesus Reuel 2 5. That if she will not repent he will come against her shortly and remoue her Candlesticke c. and the Church of Pergamus in the sixteenth verse Repent thy selfe or else I will come against thee shortly and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth So if I liue in a Church that will not reforme the things amisse if my place afford it me I will make open protestation against them and if that will not preuaile I will sharpely denounce the iudgements of God against them and so I shall haue peace in discharging my Conscience And so much for the last Duty to bee performed in the Church namely ouer-sight The seuenteenth Lecture of the Church COncerning the matter of Church-Gouernment I shewed you in the last exercise that the whole frame of it did consist of three Principles First of some actions and duties to be done in the Church secondly of some Officers or Persons that must doe them Thirdly of certaine Rules and directions whereby those Persons are to be guided in doing those duties Of the first of these three namely of the Actions and Duties to be done in the Church wee haue spoken already in the last Exercise Now we are to speake of the second point as God shall assist vs namely of the Persons or Officers that are to performe these Duties For euery Duty to be performed in the Church doth of necessitie require some Person or Officer for to performe it Now euery member of the Church is not presently an Officer of the Church but first a man must be a member and afterwards as his fitnesse is hee is to bee made an Officer neither yet is euery Officer to manage euery duty but seuerall duties are to bee matcht with seuerall Officers and euery Officer is to bee confined to that particular Dutie which hee is appointed vnto If you aske me Quest who or what manner of persons or officers these are My answer is twofold Answ 1 First I answer in generall that these officers must haue two things first they must be qualified with a competent measure of gifts fit for such offices secondly they must be appointed to such offices by the order and authority of the Church wherein they liue First they must be qualified with a competent measure of gifts fit for such offices for such is the admirable wisedome of God that as he hath ordained diuerse administrations that is to say duties to be done in the Church so proportionably he hath giuen diuers gifts that is enablements for the administration of such duties And these gifts hee hath not heaped vp all together vpon one man for one man is not able to receiue them all at least not to vse and weeld them all but hath distributed some to one man and some vnto another to euery one seuerally as himselfe pleaseth So the Apostle deliuers the matter very plainely and pithily in the 1 Cor. 12.4 to the eleuenth verse where hee speakes of administrations gifts and offices and saith that one and the same Spirit distributeth to euery man seuerally as he will And these three haue both a mutuall correspondency too and a dependency in Nature with each other and are inseparably ioyned together administrations require gifts gifts require officers and officers require administrations yea administrations require not gifts onely wherewith but officers also by whom they are to be executed and gifts require not officers alone by whom but administrations also whereupon they are to be imployed and officers require not onely administrations which they are to execute but gifts also whereby they are enabled to execute them Administrations without answerable gifts and officers are but dead matters there is no life in them Gifts without officers and administrations answerable are idle things there is no profit in them And so officers without administrations and gifts are meere shadowes and shewes no truth nor substance is in them So that these three are inseparably ioyned together And hence it is that whatsoeuer duty the Lord would haue to succeed happily still thorow the whole booke of God wee shall finde that hee matcheth that duty with gifts and officers accordingly This we may see in the twenty fiue and twenty sixe and so to the thirtieth Chapter of Exodus there was a Tabernacle to bee built and an Altar and an Arke to be made here is the administration then looke in the 31. Chapter second and third verses and wee shall see that there were presently gifts and officers fitted thereto In the second verse there was Bezaleel whom God had called by name for that worke and in the third verse there were gifts too Whom I haue filled with the Spirit of God in wisedome c. So likewise in Matth. 9.37 and chap. 10.1 2. In the ninth Chapter vers 37. our Sauiour saith The haruest is great c. here is the administration the preaching of the Gospell and in the tenth Chapter the first and second verses there are gifts and offices suted thereto for Christ calls his Disciples and giues them gifts for this purpose That may suffice for the first point Secondly they must lawfully be appointed to such offices by the authoritie and orders of the Church wherein they liue Tit. 1.5 the Apostle saith to Titus that hee left him in Crete to ordaine Elders c. I haue appointed thee saith he hee was not to doe these things of himselfe but according to the Orders established by Paul in that place And there is great reason for it for wheresoeuer an officer is thrust on a people against or besides their Orders or Customes it breedes in the people discontent against him and makes that neither hee nor his seruice is well accepted of them But what if we liue in a Church where the Gouernment and Orders are corrupt I answer It were for to bee wished that in all places officers might bee made after the best and purest manner but when we liue in places where we cannot be serued with the best and finest wee must bee serued with courser wee can haue no better than the place will yeeld Therefore if an officer bee appointed after the vsuall Orders and Customes of the Church though somewhat corrupt if withall he be qualified with some competent measure of gifts this sufficeth to make him a lawfull officer to them and so hee is to bee accepted and esteemed And that these two are most necessary as none being a lawfull officer ordinarily that hath not both and most sufficient as that whosoeuer hath these is a lawfull officer appeares by these Reasons First that which a man is lawfully seazed on he must haue both
right to and possession in When God giues a man gifts he hath a possible right and when he is appointed by the Authoritie and Orders of the Church that giues him actuall possession Secondly euery such officer is an officer both for God and for men and therefore hee must bee inuested by each Man inuests him by appointment God inuests him when hee is qualified by himselfe and appointed by man according to Gods ordinance So much for the first generall answer that officers in the Church must bee men qualified with a competent measure of gifts Secondly that they must bee appointed thereto by the Authority and Orders of the Church wherein they liue Answ 2 Now I come to answer particularly and by name to the Question namely what these officers are It were too great a labour and yet to no great purpose to reckon vp all particular officers that haue had to doe in Church businesses for besides the ordinary there haue been many extraordinary Some in our Sauiours time and the Age next succeeding as Apostles that were to teach at large through the whole world Matth. 28.19 c. and Prophets to foresee and foreshew things to come as Agabus Act. 11. and Euangelists to bee Assistants to the Apostles Others there were also in many Ages after as Exorcists Doore-keepers Acolutiues and Readers c. but whether these were in rightfully or wrongfully is to bee seene hereafter In the meane time we will speake of such officers as were of ordinary and necessary vse in the Church either such as were indeed or else are pretended so to be on probable and plausible grounds Wee will begin with the officers of the Ministery as that being the principall duty and so they the principall Church-officers in the most strait and proper sense We will take them in their orders first we will begin with Bishops secondly we will come to Presbyters then to Doctors then to gouerning Elders then to Deacons then to Widowes then to other Assistants lastly we will come to speake of the Christian Magistrate First wee will begin with Bishops and first wee will speake of their name secondly of their office First of their name Bishop is as much to say as an Ouerseer in the Originall and it is attributed vnto them by a kind of excellency for there are many Ouer-seers but these are the chiefe in the Scripture sense that are and these are Ouer-seers by a kind of excellency whether we respect the persons they ouer-see or whether we respect their designement to that office or whether wee respect the worke they doe First if we respect the persons they ouer-see they are ouer-seers by a kind of excellency for they ouer-see the faithfull or the flocke of Christ for whereas they haue other ouer-seers as they are Subiects they haue the King and other Magistrates to be their Ouer-seers yet none are so as these for these are their Ouer-seers as they are the flock of Christ Secondly if we respect their speciall designment ouer that flock they haue a more speciall designment ouer the Lords flock than any other Ouer-seer hath ouer any other people the holy Ghost makes them ouer-seers after a speciall manner Thirdly if we respect their worke which is to feede and that not with bodily foode but with spirituall and heauenly food to eternall life All these are intimated Act. 20.28 Take heed to the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made ye Ouer-seers to feed the Church of God c. First they are Ouer-seers and that by a kind of excellency first in respect of the persons they ouer-see which is the flocke of Christ Take heed to the flocke c. Secondly in respect of their speciall assignment ouer which the holy Ghost hath made yee Ouer-seers And thirdly in respect of their work to feed the Church of God c. And as this name Ouer-seer is restrained onely to these so it may bee safely extended to euery particular in that kind and so is the vse in Scripture Phil. 1.1 To all the Saints in Christ Iesus which are at Philippi with the Bishops c. And most plainely in the 1 Tim. 3.1 If any man desireth the office of a Bishop c. this is the generall signification of the word in Scripture But you shall vnderstand that by common practice of speech I find this name alwayes almost euer since the Apostles times particularly applied to those that haue a primacy and precedency in the Church aboue their fellow-Ministers and so Bishops are not Ouer-seers of the flocke onely but also of the Pastors too within such a compasse some greater some smaller which we call Diocesses and as this is generally so in all antient Writers so likewise if the Postscript be authenticall 2 Tim. as for any thing I see it must then the Scripture fauours it too for there Timothy is said to be a Bishop in this sense and so had other Pastors vnder him And so much for the signification of the name Bishop Now wee come to their Office we speake still in the particular sense their Office besides their preaching and other ministeriall Duties common to all Ministers consists First in ordaining Ministers secondly in reforming things amisse First in ordaining Ministers So it is said of Titus that hee was left in Crete to ordaine Elders Titus 1.5 and so in the 1 Tim. 5.22 the Apostle would haue Timothy lay hands rashly on no man c. What is it to lay on hands but to ordaine Ministers And this Timothy must doe and thereto Antiquitie so plainely agrees that Ierome though otherwise bitter enough against Bishops acknowledged it to be done by them and misliked not the doing of it And surely seeing ordination must be continued in the Church some Persons must needs haue a special ouer-ruling hand in it and who are they but Bishops that is they that are highest and chiefest in the Ministery So the Apostles and so the Euangelists being the chiefest in the Ministry did ordaine Ministers If it be said that the Apostles ordained not as Bishops but as Apostles and Timothy and Titus not as Bishops but Euangelists yet the same office being of necessitie still to be performed some must alwaies be in the Church answerable to them in that respect call them how you will if not Bishops yet they must haue as much authoritie in this businesse as I for my part do ascribe to Bishops It is true that extraordinary Officers are not to be imitated in extraordinary workes but in their ordinary workes of continuall and necessary vse when extraordinary Officers cease ordinary must succeed them I doe not say they did this wholly and alone but stil other Presbyters or Ministers were assistants and layd on hands with them and so it was in the Primitiue Church and so our Law requires that the Bishop should make no Minister vnlesse other Ministers be with him but yet still they haue the chiefe stroke the power of ordaining
is in the one the approbation in the other The second thing wherein their Office consists is in ouerseeing and redressing things that are amisse for this purpose was Titus left in Crete to redresse things amisse Titus 1.5 and that not in the people onely but in the Ministers also 1 Tim. 5.19 20. Against an Elder receiue none accusation but vnder two or three witnesses them that sinne openly rebuke openly c. Timothy was at Ephesus as Titus was at Crete to redresse things amisse and there were many Ministers there and these must bee reformed too and therefore the Apostle would haue him in redressing things amisse amongst them to receiue no accusation against them but vnder two or three witnesses So that there must bee one aboue the rest for the performance of this Duty the same Reason may bee proportionably applied for this as for the former for seeing some ministers must bee redressed then there must be some that must haue this power to doe it and who are they but Bishops that are in the chiefest places I doe not ascribe to Bishops hereby any absolute power ouer their Brethren as to doe what they list but a limited power to proceed with the approbation of their Brethren neither say I that these were simply Diocesan Bishops as ours are but surely they were such as had some compasse of iurisdiction allotted them wherein were many Congregations at least many Ministers whom these did ouer-see Those of the Presbytery haue one that is chiefe amongst them and so is the confession of the Reformed Churches And Master Caluin himselfe confesseth as much that in the ancient Church there were such Superiours and saith further that their proceedings were not contrary to the Word yea and hee shewes and approues the reason why such were chosen and that was of purpose to preuent dissention which by equality would arise Mistake me not as if I did meane to settle in Bishops any Princely authority or Lordlike command neither he nor they nor I intend it but that at least there must be one superiour and aboue the rest for order-sake For so it must needs be in all Companies and Societies whatsoeuer else it cannot stand There were many Ministers in Ephesus Act. 20.28 And so Act. 15.35 we reade of many that were in the Church of Antioch and some of them are named Act. 13.1 Now what disorder would there haue been in these Churches if one had not been aboue the rest What danger of Schisme would there haue been How could matters haue been decided amongst them Who should there haue been to haue moderated their actions The freest State that euer was hath one Superiour aboue the rest as Venice hath her Duke Rome hath her Consuls c. yea the Apostles themselues exercised this order amongst themselues some in one Cause was Moderator some in another Nay I adde further that they exercised power though not ouer themselues for they were all equall yet ouer other Ministers Therefore the thing is not vnlawfull in it selfe if it bee moderately and lawfully vsed And the order which I pleade for I would not haue thought a bare Title but such as is armed with some kind of power too which is conferred on them by them which chose them to such places But you will say all this is tolerable if it were but for one Action or for one yeare I answere that surely the lawfulnesse is all one bee it for a yeare or for a mans life only there is lesse danger of abusing such a place if they be limitted to a shorter time And so much of the first Office namely Bishops where yee haue heard first of their Name and secondly of their Office Now wee come in the second place to Presbyters or Elders for so the word Presbyter in the Originall signifies an Elder and they were so called either as they were Ministers or as they were ancient in yeares or at least in carriage or because they were more ancient in grace and in begetting others to the Faith We speake here of such as labour in the Word and Doctrine for of such as are pretended to be gouerning Elders we shall speake in the next place This name wee find also to bee generall to all in the Ministery from the highest to the lowest yea euen the Apostles themselues are so called so Peter calls himselfe an Elder 1 Pet. 5.1 yet by vse for the most part both in Scripture as Act. 15.4 and the 14.23 and in other Writers it is restrained to those that are assigned to teach in some particular Congregation sometimes many of them together sometimes one by himselfe as times and occasions serued Their Office in regard of the maine essentiall duty is to feed and therefore they are called Pastors Ephes 4.11 Hee gaue some to be Apostles c. and some Pastors c. And to this duty they are often exhorted in Scripture 1 Pet. 5.1 2. The Elders which are amongst you I beseech feed the Flocke of God c. Act. 20.28 Take heed therefore vnto your selues and to all the Flocke whereof the holy Ghost hath made you Ouer-seers to feed the Church of God c. And this feeding consists chiefly in two things that is first to teach secondly to rule and gouerne they must bee acknowledged to haue as absolute power and authoritie from God for both these duties within their Charge as the Bishops in theirs for euery Presbiter is a Feeder that is both a Teacher a Ruler within his Charge It is true that Presbyters haue bin most vniustly scantled abridged by Canons and Councels of this part of their office that consists in ruling and gouerning too much hath been taken from them that Bishops might be aduanced the more To speake more particularly of their Office it consists in many particulars First they are to teach the Word that is both to expound it and to apply it and whatsoeuer particulars of exhorting reprouing comforting c. are set downe in Scripture they are to bee referred to this head they were all exercised by the Apostles and Euangelists and are so to bee by euery Minister or Elder within his Charge that which is spoken of Paul to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.2 is spoken to all Ministers Preach the Word bee instant in season and out of season improue rebuke exhort c. And there is reason for it for the Word being committed to euery Pastor to bee ministred by them and that being profitable to teach to conuince to correct as it is in the 2 Tim. 3.16 therefore there is power and charge in them to handle it euery way for the edification of the Church Secondly they are to administer the Sacraments for that also being charged vpon the Apostles Mat. 28.19 was intended to all the Ministery as well as the Word and in the 1 Cor. 10.18 The Cup of blessing which we blesse c. there is the other Sacrament and the Apostle makes it
peculiar to him and other ministers to administer it which wee blesse c. The third Duty is prayer Act. 6.4 and in the 1 Cor. 14.16 there the manner of publike prayer is plainely set downe that is that which is conceiued by the Minister and the people accompanying him in their affections and saying Amen The fourth Duty belonging to their Office is that they be an example to their flocke of holinesse in life so the Apostle exhorts the Elders to whom hee writ 1 Pet. 5.3 to bee an example to their flocke and so the Apostle exhorts Timothy to bee an example to them that beleeue 1 Tim 4.12 The fifth Duty is to visit the sicke So it is intended Iames 5.14 If any man bee sicke let him call for the Elders of the Church c. Their sixth Duty they are to vse and exercise the power of the Keyes both in binding and loosing for that also is common to them with the Apostles and that which is said to the Apostle in Ioh. 20.23 is said also to all true Ministers Whose sinnes soeuer ye remit on earth they are remitted c. This is peculiar to all in the Ministery and none else The seuenth Duty belonging to their Office is that they are to haue care ouer the poore I vrge it not so much that they should distribute with their owne hands yet that is needfull too where greater occasions are not hindred by it for so the Apostles all was brought and laid at their feet and they did distribute it till they had greater businesse in hand But this they ought to doe to see it performed by those that are in places both collections and distributions 1 Cor. 16.1 Eighthly and lastly their Duty is to bee continually resident and attendant ouer their Charge Act. 20.28 Take heede to the flocke ouer which the holy Ghost hath made you ouerseers c. The very name Ouerseer intends so much that they must be continually resident ouer the flocke wherein the Apostles themselues though they went from place to place yet they were very carefull in visiting and in writing to the Churches which they had planted as Paul and Barnabas did Act. 15.36 and they did long to bee with them as the Apostle Paul saith Rom. 1.11 and when they were hindred from it they bewailed it as Satans worke therein So doth the same Apostle 1 Thes 2.8 and when they could not come themselues they supplied their bodily absence by the presence of their Ministers and Deputies as also by Letters But no ordinary Minister can thus excuse himselfe but they are continually bound to bee resident And the danger is exceeding great when the Pastor is absent as wee may see in the 1 Cor. 15.12 When the Apostle was absent some crept into the Church that taught errors and false Doctrine as that there is no resurrection c. and the danger of it amongst vs is too apparant and lamentable And therefore wee are to pray vnto God that those in Authoritie may force them that are tied to a Charge to be resident vpon it so much for Presbyters In the third place we come to Doctors I finde the word vsed in Ephes 4.11 and we expound it Teachers which hath two significations First I find it to bee vnderstood of those that teach the Word and that is the true and onely sense of it in the Scriptures secondly sometimes it is vnderstood of those that instruct Schollers specially in the grounds of Religion and so after in other matters and so it is taken in some antient Writers The question concerning Doctors is in the former sense this Whether there must bee such an one in euery particular Congregation as a seuerall Officer from the Pastor For answer whereunto I say that the Office of a Doctor is necessary in both senses generally in the Church and also in the former sense as hee is a Teacher hee is necessary in euery particular Congregation yea and further I say that if there bee in one and the same Congregation a Doctor in whom is the Word oâ— knowledge ioyned with a Pastor in whom is the word of wisdome 1 Cor. 12.8 it is not to be misliked But that this must be so of necessitie that wee deny for howsoeuer the gifts bee diuers the Doctors to teach and expound the Scripture the Pastors to apply it yet they may bee and are vsually found in the same Person and therefore wee shall find it Scripture that teaching and preaching concurre together in the same Officer so it is said of our Sauiour Christ himselfe Matth. 9.35 That hee went about teaching and preaching the Gospell And so it is said of the Apostles Paul and Barnabas Act. 15.35 That they continued preaching and teaching at Antioch And so the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.2 requires this in Timothy that he teach and exhort And this is generally required of all preaching Elders 1 Tim. 5.17 that they labour in the Word and Doctrine and what is that but to teach and apply And euery Minister must bee apt to teach What necessitie is there of a Doctor in euery particular Congregation Howsoeuer then they are diuerse gifts yet commonly they are found in the same person and that which they alleage Eph. 4.11 makes directly against them for if the Apostle there had meant to haue made them diuerse offiâ—es heâ— would haue disioyned theÌ„ with the same note of difference as hee did the other and haue said and some Pastors and some Teachers but in that he conioynes them together and saith Pastors and Teachers hee makes them to bee as one Now we come in the fourth place to gouerning Elders I finde Gouernors mentioned in Scripture as in the 1 Cor. 12.28 and also Rulers Rom. 12.8 And I deny not but this is of necessary vse in the Church for the Ministers must bee endued with it they must rule and gouerne as we haue seene before 1 Tim. 5.17 And it may bee of good vse too for the Church euen in those that are out of the Ministry as in the Christian Magistrate but that this must bee meant directly of some that must of necessity rule in euery particular Church besides the Ministers I cannot see specially seeing they ascribe to these Rulers a hand in the Censures of the Church which being a chief part of the power of the keyes and therefore appropriated to the Ministers and limited by Christ onely to the Apostles and them how shal they be imparted to others without their open wrong I will deliuer my iudgment briefely and freely in this case First either there were none such at all or if there were such they were onely by practice not by institution or if they were by institution yet they were for that present dispensation and not perpetuall or lastly if they were perpetuall yet our Church is not destitute in that case First either there were none such at all for first whereas it is said that the Iewes had their Elders
in their Synagogues that these were translated from them though this bee probable and likely enough yet it is but a coniecture there is no sure proofe for it But there must bee sure ground to erect a Church-officer vpon Secondly there is no example in all the Scripture of any Church so gouerned Thirdly the places of Scripture alleaged for them are scarce and few and indeed there is but one and that is in the 1 Tim. 5.17 I will not stand to scanne it or to make shifts against it but if it bee so expounded of Gouerning Elders besides Ministers it is subiect to many iust exceptions and also it may admit many interpretations to the contrary agreeable to the Analogy of Faith and fitting to the words themselues and there are a great many more harsh interpretations that passe for currant in farre weightier matters so that first either there were none such at all or secondly if there were such as for my part I will not vtterly deny it yet they were onely in practice then it cannot be proued to bee an Institution for many things were done then which in doing were not instituted Thirdly or if it were by Institution yet it was onely for that present dispensation when there was no Christian Magistrate so that now wee liuing vnder a Christian Magistrate are not bound to it nor haue no such vse of it and therefore it is not perpetuall Fourthly or if it bee perpetuall yet our Church is not vtterly destitute we haue in euery Parish Vestry-men to ioyne with the Minister in such parts of gouernment as needs such persons to heare and reforme some matters with the Minister that he might not carry all alone And therefore there is no cause of such quarrell and exclamation as is made against our Church vpon this occasion And so much for the fourth point concerning gouerning Elders In the fifth place we come to the office of Deacons that is an expresse Office mentioned in Scripture as Act. 6.2 though they are not there expressely called Deacons yet I doubt not but they were such In Rom. 12.8 they are called Distributors and in the 1 Tim. 3.12 there they are by name These are such as at the first were appointed and imployed altogether about the poore and about Church-Treasury but afterwards they did also exercise some ministeriall functions for Philip was a Deacon Act. 6. yet afterward hee preached and baptized Act. 8.5 38. though he did that rather as he was an Euangelist than a Deacon for so we may reade Act. 21 8. that Philip was an Euangelist And afterward the Deacons baptized which sauing the iudgement of the better learned I thinke they rather vsurped than had any right to it by office or other warrant for it yet in succeeding Ages they had generally a degree of the Ministery answerable to that of the Leuites vnder the Law who taught and looked to the Treasury too and the Scripture seemes to fauour it 1 Tim. 3.13 where it is said they haue ministred well c. so that it is neither strange nor much to be found fault with that there are some such amongst vs. But admit they were only imployed in Church-treasury for that is the true originall of them yet either they were onely for certaine times and places and so was the occasion of their first erection Act. 6. Caluin in Acts 21.8 And therefore they are not of necessitie to be in euery Congregation or if they bee necessary we haue Churchwardens and Collectors answerable to them though not so gifted as they were in Act. 6. that may bee the defect of the times that afford not men so well qualified or of the chusers of them that make not better choice and also though they be not so chosen by prayer and imposition of hands which either is not simply necessary in this case or else being omitted that is also the choosers fault But say they if you retaine the Office and not the Title this is to subiect Gods Ordinance to your owne inuention as if one should say he would yeeld to haue his matter moderated and determined in the Chancery and yet not by my Lord Chancellour whom the King appoints but by one of his owne chusing and so in the Church you will haue this matter of Church-treasury ordered and yet not by Deacons whom the Lord Iesus hath appointed I answer This is but a cauill about words so long as wee retaine the thing it selfe there is no such great matter for the name And so much shall suffice to be spoken concerning Deacons In the sixth place we come to Widowes of these we may reade in Scripture as in Act. 6.1 and 1 Tim. 5.3 and it is probable that these are meant 1 Cor. 12.28 where they are called helpers and Rom. 12.8 shewers of mercy Yee shall haue my iudgement briefly in this point and that is this That all these places of Scripture well vnderstood and compared together doe proue onely thus much first that in many Churches there were then such Widowes secondly that wheresoeuer they were there they were to bee relieued thirdly that where they were so relieued there they were to performe workes of mercy and charitie as to attend the sicke to wash the Saints feete and such like as occasion required But that they are a necessary Officer in euery Church and that where they are not there the Church-gouernment is defectiue that can neuer be proued In Geneua they haue rather poore men than women and in the Churches of France they haue no such vse of Widowes at all Seuenthly wee come to speake of other Assistants as Readers Fellowes Acolutiues Exorcists c. concerning whom because they bee not at all found in the Word wee therefore doe passe them by Eighthly and lastly wee come to the Christian Magistrate who though he be last named yet hath not the least hand in Church-gouernment And the question concerning him is First whether hee may bee rightly called a Church-officer I answer Hee may though not in that proper sense as the Minister because he hath not such an immediate hand in the Word and Sacraments but in a large sense he may and that very rightly For being a member of the Church and that a chiefe one too how can he be excluded from being a Church Officer and that a chiefe one too in his nature It is no disparagement to him Christ being the Head of the Church and he being Christs Lieutenant within his lawfull Dominions why may not he be a chiefe Ruler in Church-businesse It is Gods owne promise Isai 49.23 that Kings and Queenes should be noursing Fathers and noursing Mothers to his Church Themselues by Officers are Nurses and their Authoritie and countenance are like Breasts or Dugs to cherish and feede and hatch vp the Church withall And the Apostle layes it as a dutie vpon all the faithfull 1 Tim. 2.2 That they pray for Kings and all in authority that they
may liue peaceably and quietly vnder them in all godlinesse and honesty not onely in ciuill honesty as they are Magistrates but in all goodnesse too as they are Christian Magistrates to be countenanced and established by them where they bee Christians and to be tolerated by them though they be no Christians And surely these Officers of ruling and gouerning spoken of Ro. 12.8 and 1 Cor. 12.28 in all good consideration are to reach to the Christian Magistrate The second question concerning the ciuill Magistrate is wherein his Office consists I answer It consists chiefly in the matter of ouer-sight the last duty we spake of in the former exercise The new Testament is very scarce of proofes for this point because there were then no Christian Magistrates but it is abundantly supplied in the old and the equitie of the thing is the same in both you shall find then that his office consists specially as I said before in ouersight But the particulars wherein his Office consists are these First in calling Assemblies secondly in abolishing false worship and establishing the true worship of God thirdly in looking to the Ministery and their maintenance fourthly in causing the people to serue the Lord lastly in appointing Consistories you shall find these things performed by Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah as you may reade in the 2 Chron. 15. and in the 29. and 30. and 34. and 35. Chapters of the same booke And for the proofe of the particulars First for calling of Assemblies that it was performed by the King as in Ionah 3.7 And secondly for abolishing of false worship wee see it was performed by Moses the chiefe Magistrate Exod. 32.20 as also by King Asa in the 1 King 15.12 13 and 14. verses and for establishing Gods true worship it was done by Iosiah in the 2 King 23.2 3. and by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.3 4 5. And if we looke into Iudges 6. from the 23. to the 26. verse we shall find both these performed by Gedeon And thirdly for looking to the Ministery and their maintenance we may reade how it was done by Salomon in the 2 Chro. 8.14 15. and by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.4 and Chap. 31.4 and 16. and 17. verses and by Iosiah 2 Chron. 35.2 and by Nehemiah Chap. 13.11 12. verses And fourthly for causing the people to serue the Lord it was done by Hezekiah in the 2 Chron. 30. from the first to the sixth verse And Iosiah compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord 2 Chron. 34.33 and so Asa did the like 2 Chron. 15.13 And lastly for the appointing And lastly for the appointing Consistories you shall reade in the 2 Chron. 19.8 how it was done by Iehosaphat and commanded by God Deut. 17.8 Vse 1 The vses of the point are these First this shewes how God doth grace his Church in this world that he will haue the Sword to maintaine the Word and Princes that are the shields of the world to bee the shields of his Church and Kings and great Potentates to be her Seruants Vse 2 Secondly this serues for the reproofe first of the Papists that say that the Magistrate hath no power in the Church but vnder the Minister these are enemies to Gods ordinance and they rob Kings and Princes of their chiefest grace and greatest part of authoritie and also they rob the Church of her best defence vnder God on earth I am perswaded that if any Churches in these times of Christ and his Apostles had liued vnder a Christian Magistrate the Apostles would haue added somewhat expresly and particularly touching the Magistrate too Vse 3 Lastly this teacheth vs to giue glory to God for his great mercy towards vs that wee liue vnder a Christian Magistrate that the Word and the Sword goe together that the Church flourishes and her enemies goe to wracke that Christs Kingdome is mightly aduanced that the Gospell hath free and full passage This wee are to praise the Lord for and to pray for the continuance of his grace and care and continuall supply of such Magistrates and also we are to mourne and bewaile the losse of such hopefull successors and heyres when we see the breath taken out of their nostrils that should haue been the breath of our nostrils This we are euery one to mourne and to humble our selues for by fasting and by prayer if we cannot doe it publikely we must be carefull to doe it priuately for this is a grieuous iudgement and a fearefull token of Gods anger And surely if wee doe not turne vnto God and humble our selues for our sinnes we are to expect and feare some more heauy and fearefull iudgement to befall vs. The eighteenth Lecture of the Church AFter wee had spoken in the first place touching the duties to bee performed in the Church-gouernment we came in the second place to speake of the persons or Officers that are to performe these duties where we shewed first what manner of persons they ought to bee and secondly what they were by name Now we come to the third point namely the Rules and Lawes that these persons and officers spoken of in the second point are to bee directed by in the execution of these actions and duties spoken of in the first point that is the point wee are now to speake to All businesses to be done do necessarily require certaine Lawes and Rules to bee performed by and surely Gods businesse requires it much more It is not enough that the workes of God bee done but as they are good in themselues so the carriage must be good too they must be well done The Lord is very precise and iealous ouer his owne Ordinances and therefore as hee hath giuen expresse commandement that they be obserued for the matter and substance of them so also he hath prescribed certaine rules and directions how they are to be proceeded in for the manner and circumstances of them and therefore to performe the duty commanded neglecting the directions prescribed for the managing of them is like Sauls obedience which is said to be disobedience at the best it is but halfe obedience the Lord accepts it not For our sound and intire obedience to God consists in this when wee doe that which the Lord commands and when we doe it as hee commands it to bee done according to that in Exod. 39.42 43. where the children of Israel are commended because they did that which the Lord commanded them and in euery point as he commanded them Now the Rules here to bee obserued that these duties may be well done are many for order and plainenesse sake wee will reduce them to these three heads First the warrant must be good by which they are guided in the doing of them Secondly the manner must bee good whereby they are carried Thirdly the end must be good which we aymed at in the doing of them Wee will begin with the first The Rules and Lawes whereby these Persons and
no more of an antient Church than of one that hath beene within these two hundred yeares Let vs take the meane betwixt both these embrace them reuerently where they are not contradicted by the Word and so they are a sufficient warrant in those cases if wee bee destitute of better And so much bee spoken for the warrant of those things which are to bee done in Church-gouernment Now we come to the second generall head the manner whereby they must be carried that must be good too as well as the warrant whereon they are grounded for many times good things are marred by ill handling therefore that these good things may not bee marred with ill handling Obserue touching the manner of the carriage of them these Rules First that the most necessary and materiall duties bee first and chiefly prouided for secondly that all things bee done decently and in order thirdly that the peace of the Church be not troubled fourthly that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of this businesse be not contemned or restrained of their right Lastly these duties must be so carried so farre as may be as best fits the ciuill Gouernment wherein wee liue We will begin with the first that is That the most necessary and materiall duties must bee first and chiefly prouided for and they are the Word and Sacraments and Prayer and the Ministery these must bee first looked to so our Sauiour himselfe takes this course he first prouides for these Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. And so the Apostle Peter in Act. 2.37 38 c. First he preacheth and baptizeth And so the Apostle Paul in the 1 Cor. 15.3 First of all saith he I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued how that Christ died for our sinnes c. First hee preacheth Faith and Repentance and the Reasons are plaine for this for these are the foundation of Religion therefore these must bee first laid else there can bee no building secondly these are the gatherers of Gods chosen if they haue not these none can be conuerted at all thirdly these are so effectuall to the being of a Church that where these are found there is a Church and where they are not there is none therefore these must bee first and chiefly prouided for The due obseruation of this Rule if it were carefully looked into would preuent much ignorance and dissention and other inconueniences many there are that nuzzle the people vp in Ceremonies onely and goe no further as the Popish Church This is a cause of horrible blindnesse and ignorance the people for the most part resting there and thinking they haue Religion enough if they obserue such and such Ceremonies and so are carelesse of true growth in Christianity by the true vse of the Word and Sacraments These are Pharisaicall courses to tythe Mint and Annise and to leaue the weighty matters of the Law Matth. 23.23 Others beate first and chiefly on Discipline and would haue that and nothing else taught a preposterous zeale which wrought much dissention as by lamentable experience we may see in our Church for this hath been an occasion that many haue separated from our Church and that many liue discontent in it not being first well grounded in the principall first faith and repentance must bee taught and afterward Church-gouernment The second Rule is All must bee done decently and in order for so is the expresse Rule 1 Cor. 14.40 First then decency is required in Church-gouernment this is required in ciuill and naturall duties and therefore in Christian and religious duties it is required much more Now this is not in all places alike for we must vnderstand that that which is decent in one place may bee vncomely in another that is to be reputed decent in any place which the customes and fashions of the place not repugnant to the Rules of Nature Ciuilitie and Gods Word haue made decent as for example prophesying with the hat on in the Church of Corinth vndecent 1 Cor. 11.4 but in the reformed Churches in France made decent by Custome they being in Gods stead to speake vnto the people they thinke they may bee couered Therefore still such customes are to bee considered and accordingly decency to be esteemed Secondly Order is required in Churchgouernment so it is in all other things specially it must be so in Gods Church he being the Author and God of order and not of confusion This was it that commended and graced Salomons house exceedingly so that the Queene of Sheba was rauisht to see it in the 1 King 10.5 and shall hee that is greater than Salomon the Lord Iesus want it in his house the Church It is a speciall grace belongs to the visible Church and therfore Cant. 4.2 Salomon speaking of the order of Gods Church shewes how comely it is Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing c. Dauid was enamoured with it Psa 68.25 speaking as vnder a vaile of the godly order which is in Gods Church faith the Singers went before the Players of instruments came after and in the midst were the maides playing with Timbrells Now this order extends it selfe to two things first in things to bee done in the Church secondly in the persons that doe them First in things to bee done there must be order as in prophesying that one speak after another 1 Cor. 14.31 and so in order the Word must bee preacht before the Sacraments be administred prayer must bee before preaching Baptisme before the Lords Supper as also smaller matters must bee layd by while greater are in handling Act. 6 2. sometimes extraordinary cases of necessity may ouerbeare this Rule but generally it must bee thus So there must bee order in Persons the Superiours must bee first respected whether hee bee superior in yeares or in gifts and graces the Pastor must rule the flocke and not the flocke the Pastor Finally it is with vs in the Church as it is with Souldiers in the field euery man is placed by the Captaine and must keepe his ranke And so it must bee with vs wee must keepe our ranke that God hath placed vs in in the Church and not breake out for that is a grieuous sinne I would this were well looked into in our Church that men would not go beyond their rankes for this breedes disorder and confusion in the Church The third Rule is that the peace of the Church bee not broken nor troubled the Apostle in Ephes 4.3 would haue vs whatsoeuer wee doe to keepe peace and hee vseth a speciall phrase there Keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace As if hee should say if yee keepe not peace which is the bond your spirituall Communion is in danger to bee soone dissolued And in the 1 Cor. 11.16 the Apostle teacheth that contentiousnes is not tolerated in the churches of God The enuious Serpent and
his instruments haue a speciall delight in disturbing this peace and spares no means but seekes all aduantages for the sowing of dissention in the Church and the members of the Church are too apprehensiue of it else he could not doe vs that harme he doth vnlesse we were so apprehensiue of dissention amongst our selues Now as the peace of the Church is indangered in many cases so especially in these First when men are addicted to one Minister before another one to Paul another to Cephas c. this comes of a carnall mind as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 3. and thus they wrong themselues and the Ministers too themselues in that they are hindred hereby from the good they might haue and their Ministers because that they make Contention betwixt them where otherwise none would bee Secondly this peace is indangered in the election of Officers some breeding and making factions for one against another as their affections leade them Thirdly it is indangered in deciding controuersies either of Religion or State one will be crossing and thwarting another in the heate of Contention and strife yea happily rent themselues from the Church if it may not goe as they would haue it Let Gods children bee admonished to haue no part in such Contentions but let them labour for the peace of the Church if they will haue peace in themselues for wee are called to peace to mind and to speake one thing if the good things wee seeke for may quietly and peaceably bee obtained it is well let God haue the glory and our selues may comfortably enioy the benefit of them But if they cannot bee had without breaking the peace of the Church what is to bee done They may haue comfort for they haue discharged their Consciences in seeking the best things and let them bewaille the corruptions of the times and keepe themselues vnspotted of those corruptions and pray to God for redresse Thus are wee to seeke the peace of the Church and not bee any cause of dissention whereby it may be broken The fourth Rule to bee obserued in the manner of the carriage of Church businesse is that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of any such Duties bee not contemned nor rsterained of their right but that they be called to the businesse and permitted to speake and doe freely so farre as the Lord hath put into their hands For then the Lord is best pleased with a Businesse when it is ioyntly performed by eueryone that is authorised by himself therto the Magistrate must not neglect the Minister nor the Minister must neglect the Magistrate The Pastor must not neglect the flocke nor must the flocke neglect the Pastor but euery man must haue his due and doe his duty Looke into Act. 15.23 and see how the businesse was carried there the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren had a hand in that businesse euery man so farre as concerned him Oft-times it comes to passe that there is a Diotrephes found in the Church as in the third Epistle of Iohn that loues to haue the preheminence and to sway all with their owne hand there this rule is broken sometimes in a Church the Censures of the Church are wrung out of the hands of the Minister and passed by another authority onely he may complaine and publish what others haue done himselfe can haue no further hold in them here likewise this Rule is broken Lastly many abuse their Christian liberty to the offence of the weake and so this Rule is broken for the weak brother hath his interest in my liberty as well as my selfe The fifth and last Rule is that all things in the outward Gouernment of the Church must bee so carried as best so farre forth as may be fits the Gouernment of the ciuill State wherein wee liue I would not haue any thinke that wee would draw Religion to the bent of the outward State but wee speake of outward Gouernment in the Church that wee say must not crosse the well established Gouernment of the ciuill State to cause Innouations and changes and troubles and confusions specially in a Christian Common-wealth It was neuer our Sauiours meaning that the outward carriage of Religion should ouerthrow the carriage of the temporall State But that Caesar should haue as well that which is Caesars as God that which is Gods I speake of a politike State already established by lawfull Authority and confirmed by wholesome Lawes and maintained by the ancient vse and custome of the place there Religion comming in afterwards it must bee framed for the outward carriage of it to the ciuill State except wherein Religion is plainely contradicted Our Sauiour no doubt was as carefull of ciuill Christian States as Moses was of the Iewish Policy but there Church-gouernment was fitted to their ciuill State and so must ours But you will say that both ciuill State and their Church-gouernment were each of them directly and equally from God True and are not all the powers that are ordained of God So the Apostle saith Rom. 13.1 and therefore though the Gouernment of ciuill States bee not now so immediatly from God as the Iewes was yet it is from God too and therefore by proportion where the gouernment of the ciuill State is ratified by vse Religion comming in afterwards in all equitie and reason it is to bee carried accordingly for the outward passages of it When the Apostle Peter perswades the scattered Iewes to submit themselues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.3 it is a plain warning to them that nothing bee done by them in their particular carriage much lesse in the outward Gouernment of the Church which might bee preiudiciall to the gouernment of the ciuill State they must not crosse that vnlesse that crosse Religion as I said before The want of the due obseruation of this Rule hath made many become Anabaptists and despisers of Gouernment and in many places it hath made Religion fare the worse and the professors thereof to bee traduced for rebellious troublesome and dangerous people Enemies to the State So much for the manner of the carriage of Church Businesse Now we come to the third and last generall head namely the end that must bee aimed at in doing these Duties that must bee good too It must bee done with a single end and a sincere affection and intention free from all sinister respects either to themselues or others There are two good ends which wee must ayme at in all actions concerning Church-gouernment the first is the glory of God the second is the edification of our Brethren First wee must aime wholy and onely at Gods glory so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe let all bee done to the glory of God For it is Gods businesse his gifts and officers and ordinances of purpose appointed for his glory after a speciall manner and therefore this requires a true zeale for the Lord of
Hoasts for the aduancing of his Kingdome and the magnifying of his Name as also it requires vprightnesse of heart that laying aside all guile couetousnesse ambition pleasing of men they may meerely intend the honour and glory of their Lord and Master The second end is that all tend to the edification of their Brethren so the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.26 would haue all things in the Church done for edification and so hee carries himself 2 Cor. 12.19 for the Lord hath ordained officers in his Church giuen them gifts for that end as it is in Ephes 4.12 therfore that is the matter that all must direct themselues vnto Now this matter of edification requires two graces first wisdome secondly loue If we haue not these graces we shall neuer take this course First it requires wisdome to obserue discerne what courses are most profitable for edification and that to follow as the Minister is wisely to obserue the times and seasons he liues in and the Persons that he hath to deale withall and so to insist chiefly on such points as are fit for such seasons and persons to giue milke to the weake and meate to the strong hee must be a wise Steward giuing to euery one in Gods house his portion in due season where this Rule is obserued it wil be a singular furtherance to the labors of the Ministry for the edifying of the Church As wisdom is required in this duty so also in the second place loue is required in commiserating the infirmities of the weake and in hauing compassion of the damnable estate of poore ignorant and vnbeleeuing Soules vnfeignedly desiring and labouring their conuersion and for that cause framing themselues and their courses so as may bee fittest to bring them to God they must with the Apostle become all to all that they may winne some Loue is a farre more excellent vertue and more beneficiall to the Church than knowledge knowledge puffes vp saith the Apostle but loue edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 knowledge without loue makes men proud it tends to ostentation but loue alwayes seekes and labours for those things onely that may edifie Then doe men swerue from this golden Rule of edification when they enact Lawes ordaine Ceremonies vse preaching generally for the maintenance of the state more than for edification yea then they commit high impiety in this kinde when they vse courses and passages in Church-gouernment to destruction not to edification yea as snares to entrappe tender Consciences at least to prouoke and offend them This is against the Apostles Rule 2 Cor. 1 3. our power saith hee is giuen for edification not for destruction Put the case that those things which bee imposed be lawfull must wee doe them presently No not vnlesse they edifie our brother so the Apostle saith Rom. 15.1 2. Wee must beare with the weake and euery man must please his neighbour in that which is good to edification And Rom. 14.19 Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another And 1 Cor. 10.23 the Apostle saith All things are lawfull for me but all things edifie not As if hee should say Wee must not doe all lawfull things vnlesse they edifie So then this is the end of all our Actions to bee done in the Church they must bee done to Gods glory and the edification of our brother And so much shall serue touching the rules and lawes whereby the Officers must bee guided in performing their Actions and Duties in the Church Now it remaines onely that I instance as I promised in two or three duties fitting them to the Persons and Rules And first I will instance in the first duty which was the Word Sacraments and Prayer Now as these are to be had in the Church so they must be administred first by such persons and secondly by such Rules as God in his wisdome hath ordained and fitted for them And first we will speak of the Persons then of the Duties First the Persons to deale in euery of these duties in the publike vse are the Ministers be they Bishops Pastors or Presbyters they and all of them and none but they are to deale in them their very name imports so much they are called Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and so Prayer it holds by proportion to the Priests of the Law for they and none else were to offer Sacrifices I speake of ordinary cases But necessitie sometime inforceth otherwise yet some are expresly excepted against in this case as women they are not to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 and therefore whereas sometimes they take vpon them to baptize this is an horrible presumption in them and a profanation of Gods Mysteries Secondly the Rules whereby they must be directed in doing these duties are these first the preaching of the Word for the matter of it it must bee Gods Word alone and that which is built vpon it for the manner it must be sincerely preacht not making merchandize theroâ— and truly and rightly agreable to the Analogie of faith and instantly and continually in season and out of season reuerently and conscionably and powerfully not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the liuing God secondly the Sacraments those and none other must bee administred which Christ hath instituted and that rightly and in such manner as Christ and his Apostles instituted them but yet wee are not bound to euery Circumstance For Christ and the Apostles were baptized when they were of yeeres so must not wee bee Thirdly Prayer that must bee fitted for euery occasion sinnes must bee confest iudgements must be prayed against blessings must bee thankfully remembred And this must bee done both for themselues and others and all feruently and in the Spirit So much for the first instance The second instance shall be in the second Dutie Election of Officers and here also consider First the Persons that must performe this duty secondly the Rules they must bee directed by First the Persons that are to deale in it for Ministers it must bee those that are in superiour place and degree the Gouernours of the Church but yet with approbation of fellow Ministers So for Deacons or Church-wardens and other inferiour Officers they must bee chosen by the Minister and people together Wee see a president for this in Act. 6. where the Apostles referred this partly to the people that they should chuse out certaine from amongst themselues for this Office and yet still they had an eye to it and a hand in it too as wee may see in that place Secondly the Rules they must proceede by in this Duty and specially in election of Ministers are these First is examination and tryall of their gifts so it is implied of the Ministery in the 1 Tim. 5.21 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man c. And so it is exprest in Deacons 1 Tim. 3.10 Let them first bee proued then let them minister If
Consequence of his dealing towards his Church for euer Now God had many Nations in the world besides Israel and he deales mercifully and graciously and bountifully with them all and giues them food and rayment and health and life and all But so as with Israel that is so mercifully and so bountifully he deales not with any Nation No he hath not dealt so with any Nation vnder the Sunne as with them and as God dealt with them so he deales with his Church from time to time hee vouchsafeth them more excellent Priuiledges then all the world besides And in the 1 Peter 2.9 Yee are a peculiar people that is such a people as the Lord hath endued with many excellent Priuiledges proper and peculiar to them alone And Psal 83.3 they are called Gods secret ones what is that but priuate ones And what are priuiledges but certaine Conditions granted to some priuate States or Persons So then the Church are Gods secret ones as who should say hee granteth them many excellent priuiledges which none other are partakers of And in Exod. 19.5 the Church is called Gods Chiefe Treasure It is true that all the Earth is the Lords and is all full of his Treasures but his Church is his chiefe Treasure Siluer hath her prerogatiue aboue all baser mettall and gold his prerogatiue aboue siluer but Pearles and precious Iewels are a chiefe Treasury and haue prerogatiue aboue all the rest Sodom was a goodly City like Eden and Egypt was a fat and fruitfull Soile Bâ—t they were nothing to Canaan for that flowed with milke and honey milke and honey are the best and sweetest things Canaan flowed with these that is had great abundance of them Niniueb was a great and famous City Babel was the Glory and Pride of Kingdomes Isay 13.19 but these are nothing to Ierusalem that is the holy City the City of the great King the Ioy of the whole Earth Psal 48.1.2 To goe forward Bashan is a high mountaine But Zion is farre beyond that Psal 68.15.16 All these as they are true in the story so are they in the Type All other places are inferior to Gods Church The Scripture forbeares not the name of Priuiledge in effect and applies it in this very case Rom. 3.1.2 what is the preferment of the Iew c The Lord questions it there and answers it himselfe that none may doubt of it much euery manner of way as who should say they haue Priuiledges and preferments and they are not scanted of them much that is many and great and that not in one kind but euery way It is spoken there onely of the Iew but by Analogy of Faith it may bee applied to the whole Church Iohn 1.12 to them that receiued him to them hee gaue Power or prerogatiue to bee the Sonnes of God here is a prerogatiue giuen and what is that to bee the Sonnes of God this is a Priuiledge of all Priuiledges for hee that hath this Priuiledge to bee Gods Child hath with all free right and interest in all the blessings that can bee affoorded to man such as the Apostle speakes of 1 Cor. 2.9 that the Eye hath not seene nor the Eare heard neither can it enter into mans heart where the Apostle speakes not onely of things to bee enioyed in the life to come but euen of the Priuiledges of Gods Children euen in this life And Isay 64.4 since the beginning of the world they haue not heard nor vnderstood with the â—are neither hath the eye seene any other God besides thee which doth so to him that waiteth for him God doth so for none as hee doth for his Children The Reasons why the visible Church hath such Priuiledges are these First euery Company and euery Cittie haue certaine Priuiledges of their owne therefore the Church the Company of the faithfull the Cittie of the great King must haue hers much more Secondly the speciall fauour and loue which God doth beare to his Church is such that he can doe no lesse for them Those whom the Kings of the earth most fauour on them they bestow the greatest Priuiledges Therefore whom the King of Kings fauours most of all that is the Church hee is to bestow on them greater and better priuiledges then any King can giue but God onely or any subiect can receiue but Gods owne Dearlings Thirdly the Church hath many offices to performe towards God in spiritual and heauenly duties as prayer and such like which they cannot possibly performe vnlesse they bee by Gods owne speciall priuiledges exempted from other Imployments and enabled to these Fourthly their nearenesse to Christ and their dependance on him requires it they are his Sheepe and hee is their Sheepherd and shall not hee know them and so set his mark vpon them and call them by name and lead them foorth into greene Pastures c. shall not he guide and comfort and preserue and priuiledge them from such things as other flockes are subiect vnto yea their onenesse with him requires it hee is the Husband the Church is his Spouse they are one and shall not hee giue her a wedding Ring his hand and his heart shall not he apparell and decke her and cherish her in his bosome and affoord her his coÌ„fortable presence at bed and at boord as we say And many other such priuiledges which non else can enioy yea he is the head the Church is his body and shall not he enliue and quicken nourish direct defend and indue his Body with all such Priuiledges and graces as it is capable of So that their neare dependance on Christ and her onenesse with him requires that hee bestow many excellent Priuiledges on her which others may not enioy Fiftly the Merit of Christ requires it which being infinite in it selfe and wholly imparted to the Church must needes purchase and procure from God many excellent Priuiledges such as are fit for them Sixtly the Church is separate from the Communion state and condition of others in the world by their very Calling and Being of the Church therefore it is necessary that they should haue some notable Priuiledges to bee enioyed in that State in regard that they are depriued of such as are common to others Seauenthly and lastly many Afflictions are to bee suffered and endured of the Church not onely in that State but euen for it and therefore some excellent Priuiledges are bestowed vpon them to comfort their hearts and to make them a full amends for all the wrongs crosses and losses that therby they vndergoe The vses of the point are these Vse 1 Is it so that God hath bestowed so many excellent Priuiledges vpon the Church then first this should teach vs to glorifie God that doth so mercifully grace and glorifie vs and first in generall we are to acknowledge with all thankfulnesse Gods speciall Loue and Fauour to his Church that bestowes such excellent Priuiledges and Royall Prerogatiues vpon it Secondly in speciall wee must acknowledge with
our loue will faile too So also it is for the triall of our Faith in his promises to see whether we will still build and rest vpon them in all our Crosses with all manly Confidence when in outward appearance it is vnlikely that they should bee performed and stand So it is also for the triall of our Patience to see if wee will quietly endure all Crosses and oppositions and speaking against of Sinners and all manner of euill dealings for Christs sake Lastly it is for the triall of the corruption that is in vs For commonly many corruptions breake out of our hearts in these oppositions as wee see in Iob who was a Iust and vpright man and yet we see in his afflictions what a Sea of corruption burst out of him These are the Reasons that the Church hath so many aduersaries and opposits The vses are these The first vse is matter of Instruction Vse 1 teaching vs what to esteeme of the life of a Christian in this world for that which is the portion of the whole church in generall is also the portion of euery member in particular what is the life of a Christian here Surely a continuall warfare against many Aduersaries so that when thou entrest into the profession of the Gospell know that thou entrest into a Sea of troubles and a world of oppositions dreame not therefore of outward peace and ease there for that state cannot affoord it but looke for warres and bickerings continually either within or without either with one enemy or other and when thou hast passed one or many conflicts do not sit downe and say now I hope my payne is past but bee sure that so soone as one trouble is ended another will follow it at the very heeles A state of worldly Tranquillity and peace is a most dangerous estate and where there is such a state wee may feare that the Diuel possesseth all in peace there as our Sauiour saith Luk. 11.27 And in Luk. 6.21 22. he saith Blessed are yee that weepe for yee shall laugh Blessed are ye when men hate you c. there is the estate of the faithfull but we be to you that laugh now for yee shall waile and weepe woe be to you when all men speake well of you vers 25.26 there is the estate of the Reprobate Do wee laugh and haue we our pleasure now and doe all men speake well of vs then certainely wee are not of the number of the blessed but our estate is a woefull estate wee must take this as a Rule that to whom Abraham our heauenly Father may say Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy pleasure to those shall be also said after this life now thou art tormented Luke 16. the Torments of hell are the end of such an estate but on the contrary if it be with vs as it was with Lazarus that our heauenly Father may say of vs that we haue had our paines here he shall also affirme of vs after this life as of him but now hee is comforted paynes are bitter here but they are sweete hereafter I doubt not but Gods children haue many times peace here and yet goe to heauen and the wicked may haue many crosses and yet goe to hell But I speake here of crosses and sufferings that befall vs for Christs cause and for his sake because wee are the Church of Christ and these we must look for in this life as Christ was a Signe to bee spoken against Luk. 2.34 or a butt to shoot at so is his Chruch and euery paricular member and this is it wee are to looke for in this world heere is our warfare in heauen is our crowne And therefore while we liue here let vs looke for many Adùersaries and oppositions Vse 2 The second vse is for matter of reproofe and that of many for there are many that make the crosses and opposition of the Church as a stumbling blocke to hinder them from heauen and to make them fall into hell For first it keeps many from entring into the Church what say they Shall wee enter into so many troubles If they could separate the Church from the crosse then they would be of the Church like vnto the high Priests and the Scribes and the Elders and Pharisies in Matth. 27.42 that said Let him come downe from the Crosse and wee will beleeue in him so these men if yee can separate Christ from his crosse they will beleeue in him Secondly it is a stumbling blocke to many to make them flie away from the Church at least for a time so did the Disciples of Christ Matth. 26.56 when their Master was in trouble for his life they all forsooke him and fled this was but for a time But many in the time of opposition and persecution fall away finally from the Church such are they that are compared to the stony ground Mat. 13.20.21 that receiued the seed of the Word with ioy for a time but because it was not rooted in their hearts therefore when persecution commeth they fall away Thirdly it is a stumbling blocke to others that are beholders of these oppositions causing them to passe hard and vncharitable censures on vs either scoffingly by way of insultation as they did ouer our Sauiour in Matth. 27.43 He trusted in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for he said I am the Sonne of God because our Sauiour was brought to a shamefull death therefore they scoffe at him and insult ouer him as if he were not the Sonne of God and so this was a stumbling blocke to keepe them from beleeuing in him or else it causeth others to passe hard censures on vs reprochfully taxing vs as notorious sinners because wee are so continually molested as they did of our Sauiour Esa 53.34 they thought him to be a wicked man and that therefore he was plagued and smitten of God and so in Acts 28.4 they iudged of Paul when the viper hung vpon his hand that hee was a wicked man and therefore though hee had escaped the Sea yet vengeance would not suffer him to liue Thus many make the persecutions and oppositions of the Church as a stumbling blocke to keepe them from ioyning with the Church these are all here reproued Vse 3 The third vse is for matters of exhortation to stirre vs vp to the practice of many duties Is the Church opposed with many aduersaries then we must learne first to fight and to take vp armes and to beare vp our selues with good spirit and courage against all our aduersaries the Apostle 1 Cor 16.13 exhorteth vs to this duty Stand fast in the faith quit your selues like men be strong c. seeing we are matched with so many aduersaries wee must fight manfully and quit our selues like Christian men for shall they fight against vs and that continually and shall wee lye still either not fighting at all or if wee beginne to fight shall wee like cowards giue
Lord will be altogether with vs to saue and defend vs and altogether against our enemies to confound and destroy them The three and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing propounded nine seuerall heads to be spoken to concerning the visible Church wee haue through Gods assistance spoken of seuen of them It remaines therefore now that wee come to the eighth namely the power and authority of the Church A point which was named and pointed at before amongst the Priuileges of the Church For surely the power that God hath endued the Church withal is none of her smallest priuileges if it be not one of her greatest as the greatest priuilege of a King is his Kingly power and authority then wee pointed at it but wee respited the full handling of it to this place partly because in the beginning wee propounded it as one of the principall heads in this question but especially because it is both large and waighty large and so requires waighty and so deserues worthily to be handled in a seuerall Title by it selfe it hath also some affinity neernesse with the fifth head namely the Gouernment of the Church for many of the same things that are incident to the Gouernment of the Church are also incident to the authority of it and such things wee will onely touch as wee meete with them referring you for further knowledge of them to those places that already they haue beene handled in But there are somethings belonging to the power of the Church which could not so fitly be reduced to the gouernment of the Church and these are the points which God willing here wee will speake vnto The power and authority of the Church I call it power and authority for in effect they are both one It is true that they are sometimes distinguished and then this is the difference power signifies an ability to doe a thing and authority a warrant from God to exercise that ability but here they signifie one and the same thing and the reason is plaine because the Church of all other sorts doth absolutely deny her selfe to haue any power to do ought but that which she hath authority and warrant from God to doe The points that I will speake of concerning this matter are these First that the Church of God hath power and authority belonging to it Secondly what manner of power and authority this is And thirdly what it is that shee hath power in First that there is power and authority belonging to the Church for howsoeuer she be weak in outward forces and contemptible in the eyes of the world and for the most part spurn'd out ouer-borne and troden vnder foote by the Potentates of the earth and for the mannaging of any temporall administration or state able to doe little and warranted to doe lesse yet if she be taken within her owne element that is in Church affaires she is armed with much power and great authority euery State and society hath power and authority annexed to it whereby it is vpholden the Church then being the worthiest State and happiest Society that is hath it Reas 1 much more for there are many offices and duties of diuers kindes and sorts daily and necessarily to be performed in the Church wel-doers must be encouraged sinne must be punished lawes must be executed orders must be obserued and obedience must be practised these and such like must be daily performed in the Church Now without power nothing can be done and without authority nothing must be done And therefore the Church must haue power and authority Againe the Reas 2 greatest and waightiest workes that are done in the world are done in the Church the conscience commanded soules conuerted comforted and saued Gods owne life wrought into the hearts of men Christ and his Kingdome of grace that is highly aduanced Satans kingdome and his power quailed and subdued therefore the Church must needes haue great power to effect such great workes Lastly shee must haue this power Reas 3 and authority that shee may be able to hold vp her head against her aduersaries that doe commonly and ordinarily except against her saying By what authority doe you these things as they did to our Sauiour Matth. 22.23 and to Moses Exod. 2.14 Who made thee a man of authority c. so that except shee be furnished with sufficient authority there is no hope that they or their proceedings should finde any acceptance the people were astonished at Christs Doctrine because he taught with authority and not as the Scribes Mat. 7. Mar. 1.27 hee commands euen the foule spirits with authority and they obey him as who should say if he had not commanded them with authority they would neuer haue obeyed him they would know good cause why first This serues first to incourage the Church to the doing of Vse 1 her duty in excecuting Gods Lawes and in aduancing his ordinances seeing shee hath power sufficient in her owne hands to strengthen and countenance her preceedings and to make them effectuall It would neuer grieue a man to bestow time and labour in good endeauours though with much danger and with many opdositions when hee knowes before-hand that he hath power and authority enough to be beare him out in it therefore this should encourage the Church in her duty heerein And also this serues to reproue those that Vse 2 lightly esteeme of the Church and of that which shee doth as if they were nothing worth but let such know that the Church is a powerfull worker and that that Doctrine which she teacheth is a word of great power able to saue or to destroy and the Censures that she passeth are Censures of power able to kill or giue life and whosoueuer withstandeth these shall finde them matters of power to their destruction in hell if they be obstinate but whosoeuer obeyes them shall finde power enough in them to bring them to God and to his Kingdome So much for that first point The second point is what manner of power this is for this wee must looke well into lest mistaking wee goe too farre or come too short each being a dangerous error you shall vnderstand therefore that this power is not humane but diuine Secondly not temporall but spirituall Thirdly that though it be spirituall yet it is bounded and limited First it is not humane that is it is not of men though they be men that exercise it and howsoeuer where it is publikely practised it is vsually and needfully ratified at least permitted by the authority of the temporall State yet it hath not his power from men but it is diuine and hath his power directly from God himselfe the first beginnings of this power is from him as wee may see Matth. 10.1 to 5. where our Sauiour calls his Disciples and giue them power to preach to cast out diuels and to heale the sicke c. and the promise of more power is also from God as his
and worse courses The fourth motiue to perswade vs to ioyne in communion with the Church of England and not to forsake her is this we our selues here had our new birth euen in this Church and by this Church and therefore wee haue great cause to be louing and kindly affected and to carry our selues dutifully vnto her as the child to the mother that bare him and if we doe not rest within her communion but goe from her how iustly may we feare to mis-led and eyther relapse into former or runne into new errors Fifthly many of our aduersaries were here begotten too the soundest part of that faith which the best of our Separtists haue they learned and attayned vnto in our church therefore the greater is their sinne first to flye from vs secondly to deny her to be their mother and thirdly to pursue her with so many obloquies and repreaches as if shee were no Church of God Sixthly our Church hath beene planted and sealed vp by the bloud of many precious and glorious Martyrs which of vs is not verily perswaded that Bradford Latimer c are now members of the triumphant Church in heauen then desire to be and to continue members of the same visible militant Church on earth renounce communion with them here and renounce communion with them in heauen Seuenthly consider what a shelter our Church hath beene to many afflicted churches French and Dutch c if they being Gods true churches flye for succour to vs and are safe vnder our shadow shal not we ioyfully and gladly continue vnder it but fly away If persecution should come we would be glad in our hearts that we had such a shelter Let vs not bee alienated from that good estate because we haue it which if we wanted we would esteeme most precious and vndergoe any labour to recouer it Eightly consider the miraculous planting and preseruing of our Church for many yeeres first planted by King Edward a childe then preserued in Queene Elizabeth time being but a woman against the whole rable of Gods enemies Pope and Spaniard and Sathan himselfe and all his Instruments this is no small token that God tooke notice of vs as of his owne Church and therefore may be motiue to vs to communicate with her Ninthly all other Reformed Churches acknowledge vs to bee a true Church and reioyce for vs yea euen those that are most against vs for Discipline as Beza yet pray for vs and for the continuance of our State euen as it is to many generations they are wise Religious Impartiall yet they approoue vs Me thinks it should astonish the Separatists that all are for vs but they as if they were holier and wiser then all others surely it should much incourage vs to keepe our hold and to haue them in great iealously because they haue deceiued themselues and would deceiue vs. Lastly who are they that condemne vs None but Papists and some hot turbulent Spirits that haue a great felicity in ouerthrowing the Societies of other Churches and yet cannot throughly agree amongst themselues what is to bee done in their owne Churches So much for the first Instruction Secondly this teacheth vs thankefulnesse to God and that in two kindes First that God hath beene so fauorable to this Land as to inlighten the people therof by the preaching of the word and other meanes of Saluation so that now they are a true and a sound visible Church heretofore they sate in darknesse and in the shaddow of death in heathenisme Popery gâ—osse Ignorance but blessed bee God a light a blessed and glorious Light euen the Light of the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ hath shined on them and doth shine on them so that they see their sinnes and the way of Saluation how many Nations are still ouerwhelmed some with Paganisme some with Iudaisme some with Mahometisme and some with Popery but our Nation hath the true Religion and sauing faith and that not onely profest but in some good measure practised too this is the Lords doing and therefore we should bee thankfull to him for it Secondly it teacheth euery one of vs in particular to be thankfull to God that our Birth and life hath beene respiâ—ed to these times of Light if the Lord should haue watched vs a good time we could haue had no better then this if wee had beene borne an hundred or two hundred yeeres since what times of blindnesse had wee been borne in But now â—hâ— wee are borne and liue in this great Light that is in the bosome of a true and in a sound visible Church except we will wilfully neglect such meanes of Saluation we may bee saued And therefore while we haue this Light let vs labour to walke in the Light as Children of the Light And let vs bring forth fruits worthy of this Light let vs liue more graciously and holily then those that want this Light that so it may appeare to the world that there is a difference in mens liues as well as in their Religion Lastly let vs pray to God for the continuance of this Light to ouâ— poore posterity that are yet vnborne that they may be as well prouided for herein as we are euen to the worlds end And therefore it stands vs in hand by Prayers and teares to intreate God not onely that the Gospell may bee in our dayes but that it may continue to our Children and to our Childrens children so long as the world endures And so much for the vses of Instruction The other vses for Reproofe though they haue beene handled heretofore by the way yet in the next Lecture I will handle them purposely The Nine and Twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH IN the last Lecture we spake of the Reformed Churches and so at length wee came to speake in particular of our own Church the Church of England And we deliuered this Obseruation concerning the same Namely That the Church of England euen as now it stands though it haue many failings and weaknesse in it yet notwithstanding it is a true and a sound visible Church I did explaine this Obseruation and made proofe of it by sundry Reasons I haue also entred into the vses thereof which I shewed were of two sorts the first for instruction the second for reproofe wee haue handled the first sort and now we are to come to the second sort of vses And they are of Reproofe and that of two sorts of Aduersaries the Papists and the Separatists for we are close beset and hardly assaulted on both sides The Papist on the one side exclaimes that we are no Church or a false one because we are separated from them and the Separatists on the other side exclaime so too and therefore haue separated from vs and yet neither doth the Papist acknowledge the Separatist to be a true Church nor the Separatist acknowledge the Papist to bee so Manasseth against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasseth and both against Iudah
either more or lesse pure Fourthly they are more or lesse perfect Exception 1. Exception 2. Exception 3. The Church of England a true visible Church Eleuen Considerations to moue vs in England to be thankefull for the truth of God amongst vs and they shew the greatnesse of the blessing The second thing considerable in a true visible Church are the causes of it And they be of two sorts The second sort of causes haue first spoken of and they of two sorts Of this diuers Of this diuers The first sort of causes handled such as cause the Church directly and these are foure taking the Church in a comparatiue sense Taking the Church absolutely there are siue The efficient cause The instrumentall cause First outward Secondly inward How all the three persons haue a hand in causing the Church The Church of England iustified to be a true Church against the Separation The Church of England hath the meanes of saluation and of a Church Obiect You want dâ—scipline Your Ministers haue not a true Calling You haue your Calling from the Church of Rome You haue no couenant betwixt you and God Obiect You want the successe of the meanes It is ordinarily effectuall The first thing considerable in a visible Church the members of it In it first of the head And in it three things Corpus adaequatum Sit Christus Christiani caput Aug. lib. 3. cont Petil. c. 42. Reinolds confer 5. The blasphemy the Church of Rome doth run into in saying the Pope is the head of the Church The blow they giue to Christ therein in two respects First in regard of the body the Church The Pope is Antichrist Christ neuer gaue the headship of the Church to Peter Papists plea for the headship of the Pope answered Places alleaged by them for this answered as Mat. 16.19 And Ioh. 21.16 17. And Mat. 16.18 Christ saith He neuer will giue it None is able to weeld and sway it Secondly in regard of the Head Christ The power and authority that is giuen to the Pope proueth that he cannot be a ministeriall head as is pretended but rather a supreame head The Pope is made the Doctor yea the only Doctor of the Church The Pope doth what he doth of himselfe and not as vnder Christ for he taketh not the course prescribed by Christ in that he doth The Pope taketh vpon him to iudge the Apostles doctrine and so to be Peters Master and so proues himselfe to be Antichrist The Pope takes Christs name vpon him viz. Chiefe Shepheard Obiect You make the King head of the Church The word Head of the Church to be warily vsed because not found in the Scripture Christ the Head of the Church is visible Matter of comfort to the Church many wayes The second thing considerable in the third thing touching a visible Church viz. the members thereof in a more strickt sense and they are of three sorts The first sort and of the diuers kinds The second sort And of this two sorts The third sort Hyper. method 574. Additum diminuens A Church cannot be denied to be a true visible Church though there be an hundred hypocrites in it to one beleeuer The Brownists obiection of our Church being a prophane multitude answered diuers wayes Obiect You let wicked ones continue in your Church without separation Hyp. 577. 580. c. Bernard against Brownists 1034. where the assemblies are bad there the good must separate but where the assemblies be good there the bad must separate The fourth generall thing considerable in a visible Church viz. the Markes of it Reasons why there should be Markes of the Church Two qualities of these Markes to make them legitimate The first quality and It is attended with three other tha◠〈◊〉 subordinate to them The second qualâ—â—â—â— of these markes Vrsin 582. Vogel 727. Caluin inst lib. 4 cap. 1 sect 10. in Acts 2.42 Non secùs ac belli duces vt dissipatum clade aliqua exercitum recolligant signa militaria vel accensos ignes ex edito loce conspiciendos proponunt quo pedem referant quotquot ex clade dispersis palantes vagantur Morn de eccles p. 27. Morney â—6 29 One sort of excepters against this doctrine and their exception Two considerations necessary Bernard against Separat 122. 123. â—â—Second sort of excepters against this doctrine and their exceptions Third sort of aduersaries to this doctrine viz. the Papists and the Markes they alleage and answers to them Bellar. de eccles mili p. 184. 188. The fifth thing considerable in a visible Church viz gouernment Vid. Polâ—â— 426 459. And in it fiue things handled First the harmes and euils that haue been raised in the Church of God occasionally by Church-gouernment Second thing in Church gouernment what is meant by it The third thing considerable in Church-gouernment viz how needfull it is Reasons and that of some sorts First sort of Reasons Second sort of Reasons Third sort of Reasons Fourth sort of Reasons Fiue differences betwixt the inward and outward gouernment of the Church 〈…〉 The fourth thing considerable in Church-gouernment viz. whether there be any prescript forme of Church Gouernment in euery particular set downe in the Word What the Scripture saith herein deliuered in two positions The first drawn into an Obseruation Two extremes to be auoided Second thing considerable in this fourth point of Church-gouernment viz. that there is not any one particular forme of Church-gouernment for euery particular set downe in Scripture The fifth thing considerable in Church-gouernment The whole forme of Church-gouernment consisteth of three principals First the dutie or actions to be done in Church-gouernment and they are sixe principall Vid. separat sâ—bisâ— 137. The second duties to be done Vid. Zegred 120. The third sort of duties to be done The fourth sort of workes to be done Church censures Reasons of this How to proceed â—â— this The 〈◊〉 dutyâ— The sixth duty The second principle whereupon Church-gouernment consisteth viz. the Persons or Officers that are to performe this duty generally Church-officers must haue two things First they must be qualified with a competent measure of gifts Secondly they must be lawfully appointed to such offices Particularly What these Officers are First Bishops First their name Secondly their office consisting in two things First in ordaining Ministers The obiection that the Apostles did ordaine as Apostles not as Bishops and Timothy and Titus as Euangelists not as Bishops answered Secondly in redressing things amisse Secondly Presbyters Their office first generally Secondly more particularly Thirdly Doctors Fourthly gouerning Elders Fifth deacons Philip preached and baptized rather as hee was an Euangelist than a Deacon Sixthly widdowes Eighthly the christian Magistrate wherein first that hee is a Church Officer Secondly wherein this office consisteth First generally Secondly particularly in fiue things The third pillar whereupon the Church-gouernment consisteth viz. the Rules and Lawes by which the Gouernours are to be directed And they are reduced to three heads
What things are to be warranted Warrants for the cautions conditions and carriage of the businesse are First more principall Secondly inferâ—our warrant Second head and in it fiue Rules The second Rule That is vncomely in one place which is decent in another What is to be reputed decent Order extends it selfe to two things First to things to be done Secondly to persons The third Rule Three wayes how peace is indangered The fourth Rule Three wayes how this rule is broken The fifth Rule The third head and that is the end And there be two kinds of them Two graces necessary for this First wisedome Secondly love When this Rule is swerved from Instances in divers duties Proofes are here vsed because omitted before The sixth generall things concerning the Church viz. the priuiledges of it In this head two points handled 1 handled by way of obseruation Reasons 2 things handled viz. the priuiledges of Church and they be of two sorts 1 humane 2 diâ—r these â—uers sorts generally of two sorts 1. In respect of others both friends and enemies 2. In respect of themselues 1 temporall priuiledges 2. Spirituall priuiledges theseâ— of two sorts 1 common to all the members 2. proper to the true Beleeuers and these of two sorts 1. matters of present possession of diuers kindes 4 The workes God doth for the faithfull 2. matters of future certainties 2. other speciall priuileges added and intreated on 1. concerning the infallibe guidance of the Church by Gods Spirit and so whether the Church can erre or no either in manners or in Doctrine or in both or in neyther Errors of foure sorts 1. what a fundamentall Errors is Errors in smaller matters what they be Difference btwâ—eene them that erre in the foundation and them that erre in smaller matters The second thing is concerning the necessity of being a member of the Church if euer wee will attaine saluation and so whether any may be saued out of the Church or no. Extra fidem Ecclesiae Morn 451. The seuenth generall head in the doctrin of the church viz. the aduersaries and opposites of it This handled in 5. point â— Th◠〈…〉 that the Church of God hath many Aduersaries to oppose it deliuered in a Doctrine Stiâ—ting vp to many duties The second point what these aduersaries are and they are many 2. sort 3. sort 4. sort 5. sort 6. sort 7. sort 8. sort 9. sort 10. sort 11. sort 12. sort Vse 3. The third point which is how these Aduersaries oppose vs. The matter they strike at 1 against the persons of professors 2 against their profession The manner of their opposition â— secretly 2. openâ— 3. The means or weapons wherby they fight against Gods Children 1 carnall reasons and therein 2. Religious pretences and herein 1. Scriptures 2. that they are the Church 3. miracles 3. more grosse dealing The 4. point how the Church is to carry her selfe to her aduersaries 2. things to be done that we may be able to make a good fight What is to be done in it and therein 2. things The 2 worke to be done 2 thing how it is to be done The 5 point how the Lord carrieth himselfe to his Church and their aduersaries How God is with the saith full in many respects How God is against the enemies his Church many waies Vse 2. The 8. generall head of the Church viz. the power and auhority of it And in it 3. things to be spoken vnto 1. that there is a power 2. point what manner of power it is and in it things asserted 1 that it is not humane but diuine How we may know when the Church speakes true or false Two things asserted that power of the Church is not temporal but spirituall The 3. thing asserted that the Power of the Church is limited and scantled within the bounds of the Word The 4. thing asserted that the power of the Church is the greatest power on earth Kings are vnder the power of the Church though they be aboue the persons that exercise it The 3 point is what it is that the Church haue power in it is double 1. ouer persons and that 1 either as members either not come in to admitte Who are to be admitted The Act and meanes of admission This not to be renued vpon any falling away How far the Magistrate may compell Or to repell them Or secondly as come in to keepe them in or cast them out Or thirdly ouer members as Officers to choose or refuse place or displace Secondly the Church hath power ouer things and these either matters of substance as touching the Scripture and therein first touching the credit of the Scripture And herein whether the authority of Church bee greater then the authority of the Spripture Bellarmy de Verbo Dei interpret 246. The blasphemous speeches of the Papists concerning the Scripture without the approbation of the church The Church of Rome is that whore of Babilon The best positions of the Papists in this controuersie Answered How the Church is to be beleeued and obeyed Answered Reasons against it Reply How we must esteeme of the Scriptures How we must esteeme of the Church 4. Wayes how we may know the scripture to be the Scripture 6 Rules concerning our beleeuing what the Church saith of the authority of the Scripture The second thing the Church hath power in about the Scripture is thâ— sense of it and how farre it hath power therein Hieron in Epist ad Gelat cap. 1. Reprouing first the opinion of the Papists The Scriptures speake and haue a voyce How the Church is the mouth of the Scripture The Scripture not dumbe Secondly their practice first in regard of the vulgar latine translation imposed by them as the authenticall Text. Secondly in that all their Expositors are slaues and vassalls to their Church Thirdly in regard of the oath which generally all Papists recâ—ue concerning the exposition of the Scripture The Fathers doe all generally concur and yet misse in the right expounding of the Scriptures Fourthly in that they rely vpon the iudgements of Councells and the Popeâ— in case the Church dissent First other mens and the Churches expositions are to be examined by vs. Ob. Answer 1. Rectract lib. cap. 18. Secondly in framing expositions of our owne we must come not as masters to teach but as schollers to learne to the Scriptures Directions to walke and be ruled by when wee seeke the sense of the Scripture they are of three sortes 1 some before wee come to expound the Scripture they are 7. Things to be obserued in the businesse it selfe How we may consulie with Gods Spirit What is the analogie of faith Things to be doue after Diuers obiections against this doctrine Ob. 2. Ob 5. Of the authority of the Church in matters besides the Scriptures and what is to be held therein The places that proue this are of foure sorts First such as ascribe thâ—s authority to God alone Secondly such as commend