one of Pride the other of Securitie of Pride when they thinke to doe Workes t Interim August vbi supra aboue commandement whereas the Law u Psal 19 8. of God is so perfect that if it x Esay 8.20 be not answerable to the Law what wee doe there is no light in vs yea y Matth. 15.9 we worship God in vaine teaching for Doctrines mens Precepts of Securitie when they would haue one so to depend vpon another as vpon his Mediatour when Scripture telleth them plainely That z Psal 49.7 no man can by any meanes redeeme his Brother or giue to God a ransome for him and that when we haue a Luke 17.10 done all that is commanded vs we must say Wee are vnprofitable seruants wee haue done that which was our dutie to doe Ob. For where b Cassander Consultat vbi supra some would cloke this blasphemie vnder the colour of the communion of Saints in which the weaker members are sustained by the stronger as ABRAHAMS c Gene. 20.7 Prayer healed ABIMELECHS Household and Hierusalem d 1. Reg. 15.4 was often saued for DAVIDS sake Sol. They vtterly mistake the question or wilfully abuse the simple ignorāt by casting this mist before their eyes which being cleered by the light of the Gospell may well perceiue their false colloguing if it be but in this since the communion of Saints betweene our selues consisteth not in ministring to others necessities out of our superfluities or Workes as they call them of supererogation but in the vse of graces giuen vs for the benefit of others those graces being only such as whereby one of vs may edifie another alreadie planted in the House of God and not meritorious to procure eternall life for others as they thinke instancing therefore most idly both in ABRAHAMS Prayers which profited ABIMELECHS House in bodie not in soule not by ABRAHAMS communication but vpon Gods only fauour and in DAVID whose merits were not the cause of sauing Hierusalem out of the hands of their bodily enemies but only Gods mercie remembring the Couenant made with DAVID before As therefore the wise e Matth. 25.5 Virgins could not spare any of their Oyle to the Foolish lest they should haue wanted for themselues so the best of GODS Saints cannot spare any whit of grace to others which themselues may haue neede of seeing that as Saint Augustine giueth the f August lib. 83. quaest q. 59. reason Euery man shall giue an account for himselfe neither is any man holpen by anothers testimonie with God to whom the secrets of the heart are manifest and scarsly is any man sufficient to himselfe that his owne conscience may beare witnesse with himselfe Howsoeuer it bee it is an Axiome in PETER t Lombard lib. 1. dist 48. cap. 6. LOMBARD Nullius passione redempti sumus nisi Christi Wee are redeemed by no mans suffering but by Christs But let these second sorts of proud Perfectists now passe for this present Thirdly Swenckfeldians Anabaptists and our English Separatists now soiourning at Amsterdam who u Vid Osiand f. in Enchir. 3. par cap. 6. q. 1. M. Barnards second Booke pag. 93. presume so very much of their owne perfection that they hold two grosse points concerning the visible parts of the Church Militant as first in generall That the true Church must be without Sinners or Hypocrites remayning therein the second in particular that their Churches or Assemblies are such But the falshood of the former is many wayes apparant in holy Scripture first by parable Sol. x Matth. 13.32.38 c. in the field sowne with tares the Draw-net bringing fish vp great and small good and bad in the y Math. 20.10 Kings guests at supper whereof one wanted a wedding garment and in a z 2. Tim. 2.20 great house contayning vessells not onely of gold and of siluer but of wood and of earth some to honour and some to dishonour For all these demonstrate that in a visible Church militant are not onely faithfull children but hypocriticall professors also Secondly by plaine termes as where the Prophet a Esay 29.14 said what our b Matth. 15.8 Sauiour seconded This people draweth nigh vnto me with their mouth and honoureth mee with their lips but their heart is farre from me these are Hypocrites and where the Apostle c Gal. 2.5 signified what we shall still find true that false brethren brought in vnawares came in priuily to spye out our libertie which wee haue in Christ Iesus that they might bring vs into bondage and these were glosing Heretikes for d 1. Cor. 11.19 there must be Heretikes amongst you that they which are approoued may be made manifest among you Thirdly by necessary consequence in reason for if the parts be not sound the body is not whole and intire the Church is the bodie whereof all true Professors are members But the best of these members are crazed by corruption as was Dauid e 2. Sam. 11.2 by Adulterie Peter by dissembling f Gal. 2.15 euen after the great descent of Gods Spirit and so the best men that haue in them flesh How then can the Church bee so intire as they would make it As the g Cantic 2.2 Lillie amongst the Thornes so is my loue amongst the daughters pricked and pained by manifold h Matth. 18.7 offences which must needs come while shee is in this world where the i Reuel 12.12 Ephes 2.2 Deuill so rageth and raigneth by open persecutions or secret seductions Fourthly by Histories of all times For in Adams House which was the first Church there was a k Gene. 4.1 Cain in Noahs a l Gene. 9.24 cursed Canaan in Abrahams a m Gene. 21.6 mocking Ismael in Isaacks a n Heb. 12.17 prophane Esau in Iacobs a o Gene 49.3.4.5 rude Reuben and Simeon and Leui brethren in euill but what should I instance further The Church of Israel in the best dayes thereof neuer wanted corruptions or corrupt caitifes as false prophets filthy priests wicked rulers and worse people if we may beleeue the good Prophets bitterly inueighing so many times against them Nay in the Church of Christ what Age wanted Heretikes or what faithfull company was euer void of Hypocrites The Apostles had a p Iohn 6.70 Iudas the seuen Deacons had a q Act. 6.2 Nicholas the Samaritanes a r Act. 8.21 Simon Magus but I neede goe no further since the continuall reformation which is to be sought for in all true Churches doth intimate corruptions therein to be hatched I know the Church is ſ Cantic 1.4 faire Ob. and t Ephes 5.26 made glorious without spot But first it is so by Christ not of it selfe Secondly this beautie is perfected in glory not in grace Sol. I know Ob. we are commanded to separate our selues u 2. Cor. 6.14 Ephes
rep cap. 4. quasi primum caput As their first and chiefe Head vpon whom next vnder God wee are to depend that t 1. Tim. 2.4 vnder them wee may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie So that u Agapet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Iustinia apud Orthodoxograph tom 1. Agapetus might well say vnto Iustinian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King is Lord ouer all yet Gods seruant withall For what is his Nature as he is a King None better expresseth it then the Apostle x Rom. 13.4 Saint Paul saying He is the Minister of God to thee for good For here is first his Maker GOD By y Prou. 8.14 me Kings raigne secondly his matter or obiect of gouernment Thou whosoeuer thou art z Rom. 13.1 euery soule must bee subiect vnto the higher Powers thirdly his forme Gods seruice according vnto his will a Psal 2.11 Serue the Lord in feare fourthly his end b 1. Tim. 2.2 Thy good in an honest and a quiet life So that looke how farre God hath giuen him authoritie and power so farre must inferiours bee subiect vnto it without exemption vnlesse against all conscience by rebellion c Rom. 13.2 they resist the Ordinance of God Now certaine it is that God hath giuen to Kings an absolute power and Soueraigntie vnder him ouer all Persons Goods or Causes within their Dominions For first Persons are subiect vnto obedience without exception as the Apostle saith Let d Rom. 13.1 euery soule be subiect to the higher Powers Yea saith e Chrysost hom 23. in Ep. ad Rom. Chrysostome If thou beest an Apostle if an Euangelist if a Prophet or whosoeuer thou art for this subiection hindreth not godlinesse but ratifieth Gods Order for reward of thy well-doing as Salomon f 1. Reg. 2.26 preferred Zadoc or for thy iust punishment if thou rebellest against thy Soueraigne as did Abiathar deposed g Vid. Bennonem Cardinal Act. Monum Io. Fox de his omnibus Hildebrand Lanfranke Anselme Becket Beuford Poole Allen and the rest of our Romish Renegadoes Secondly Goods are at Princes disposing for the good of Church and Common-wealth bee they what they may bee prophane or sacred which the King may eyther for necessary vse establish as good Nehemiah h Nehe. 13.12 did the Tithes or vpon abuse translate to other occasions thereby to punish the grosse offendours as Ioas i 1. Reg. 12.7 did disgrace the Priests by forbidding them to take any further Offerings of their acquaintance since with what they had before receiued they did not repayre the breaches of the Temples so may Kings take Tribute of Church-lands as Christ k Matth. 17.25 himselfe payed to Caesar so are Clergie-men to yeeld subsidie as members of the body politike euen out of their Lands and other reuenewes which they hold of the King in capite as we Englishmen say in chiefe according as the l Gratian. dist 8. Can. 10. Canon Law iudged out of S. Augustine m August tr 6. in Ioh. prope finem thus disputing Nolite dicere quid mihi Regi Quid tibi ergo possessioni Per iura Regum possidentur possessiones Say not yee What haue I to doe with the King Then what hast thou to doe with Possessions By the Lawes or right of Kings are Possessions kept Thirdly Causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Ciuill are within the compasse of the Kings Iurisdiction since otherwise there can hardly eyther Kings be n Esay 49.23 nursing Fathers or Queenes be nursing Mothers vnto the Church Was not the Iudge to o Deut. 17.8 ioyne with the Priest in the sentence of Iudgement Did not Asa Iâ—hoshaphat Hezekiah Iosiah Nehemiah and such other good Rulers of Iudah meddle with causes of Ecclesiasticall conusance when they commanded the p 2. King 18.4 Priests to purge the Temple the q 2. Chro. 19 4 Leuites to teach the people r 2 Reg. 23.6 put downe all Idolatry and restrained Å¿ Nehe. 13.15 abuses done vpon the Sabbath day Did not the Fathers of the Primitiue Church craue helpe t Euseb lib. 7. histor cap. 24. of Aurelianus the Emperour for deposing of Paulus Samosatenus Had not Constantine the Great in his power what he determined betweene u Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 4. Alexander and Arius in Alexandria betweene x Optatus Mileuitan lib. 1. contr Parmenianum Caecilianus and Donatus in Carthage Who called Councels Who placed Bishops Who established Churches Who receiued the Appeales of Bishops from their Metropolitanes The Emperour while hee stood and since his deminishing those Kings of the Prouinces as wee may plainely see by the y Tomis 1. 2. Concil apud Binnium apud Caranzum Councels of Spaine at Toledo of France at Orleance and other places For this point is plaine by those words of Leo the z Leo 1. Epist 75. cap. 3. Romane Bishop to Leo the Emperour Seeing God hath enriched your Gentlenesse with so great enlightning of his Sacrament you are presently to marke that this Kingly power is conferred vpon you not onely for the gouernment of the World but especially for the safegard of the Church that by the repressing of bold attempts you may both defend things well ordayned and restore true peace to things in trouble and that by driuing out the vsurpers of anothers right Therefore in a word we find that the King is called the Head of the Church not mysticall and spirituall for so is Christ a Vt supra the onely Head but politicall and corporall as the b Esay 9.15 ancient and Honourable is the Head and yet so not an Head which doth by it selfe execute what is to be done for mans soules health in the Church of God I meane he is not caput administrans a ministring head in his owne person for Kings in Gods law were not to sacrifice as appeareth by Vzziah c 2. Chron. 26.16 therefore smitten with a Leprosie but as our most d Nowâ—l against Dorman D. Rainolds Conference with Hart cap. 10. diuis 1. learned Diuines haue expressed it the King is caput imperans an head who howsoeuer he may himselfe execute any Soueraigne dutie coÌ„cerning the affaires of the Common-wealth as to sit in iudgement with e 1. Reg. 3.15 Salomon and to f Vid. Q. Curtium lib. 3. c. make warre with Alexander yet in offices Ecclesiasticall only is to commaund and see those duties performed by such as are therunto allotted by Gods speciall calling as Dauid g 1. Chro. 24.8 set the Priests in their orders courses Hezekiah h 2. Chro. 29.4 called them to purge the TeÌ„ple For this is the settled iudgement of the Primitiue Church as is manifest by these words first of Augustine i August Ep. 50 ad Bonifac. The King serueth God otherwise as he is a man and otherwise
aedificatur Ecclesia sed in fine saeculi dedicatur saith the same r Aug. in Ser. 21 de verb. Apost cap. 1. Father Now is the Church builded but in the end of World it is dedicated Ob. Yea but why then doth the Holy Ghost absolutely command vs to be perfect if wee cannot bee perfected here Sol. Surely the reason of such precepts is two-sold first in respect of Gods Elect who by those exhortations vnto perfection are the more encouraged to follow good courses knowing hereby how GOD doth approoue them and finding withall by GODS assisting grace an abilitie and a willingnesse in themselues to performe them because as in the Creation Å¿ Psal 34.9 dictum factum by his Word were all things made so in Regeneration he spake and he doth of his owne meere mercy enable vs with means to perform what he enioyneth vs since t Esay 55.11 his Word shall not returne to him void Secondly in regard of the Reprobates and wicked Worldlings who hereby are not only u Rom. 1.20 without excuse being so plainley warned against their wickednesse but also much restrained of their licentious and madde outragiousnesse as Herod was by x Mark 6.14 Iohn Baptist. Wherefore since the precepts for perfection prooue that wee are not yet made perfect Vses of the Doctrine the vse of this Doctrine thus plainely declared is two-fold First 1. For correction for correction Secondly for direction The correction is of three sorts of Perfectists First Pelagians and Celestians who affirming that a man in this life may be so perfect as to be without sinne were learnedly and largely confuted by Saint Augustine y Aug. tom 7. lib. in Caelest in his booke against Caelestius demonstrating mans present imperfection in this life by his manifold omissions of necessarie duties and his infinite committings of hainous transgressions both in his nature vnregenerate which is wholly sinfull and in his reformed course of life so full of great slips as that he hath need daily to pray z Mat. 6.12 Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs and with the Psalmist a Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy Seruants O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Secondly Papists who stand so much vpon the perfection of mans righteousnesse in this life as that they sticke not to affirme both b Bell. l. 4. de Iustific c 11. c. that a man in this life may perfectly fulfill the Law of God yea that c Cassand in confut art 21. Rhemens in 1. Cor. 9. § 6. he may doe more greater and more holy workes then the Law requireth so that those workes of supererogation may bee sold for money or in courtesie communicated to others for their help as Petrus de Asoto said d In assert Cathol de legâ— apud Tilem Hâ—shsiuÌ„ de sâ—xâ— Papist er art 16. Colon. Antidâ—d de bonis operibus Inter. c. de banis operibus Supererogamus non-nihiâ— de his ad quae ex necessitate tenemur we do supererogate somewhat of those workes vnto which wee are bound of necessitie For Pelagius went not thus farre as they who make men of themselues to bee in a manner equall with Christ both for fulfilling the Law as he fulfilled all righteousnesse and for meriting for others as well as for themselues But what will not proud flesh attempt to say or doe if it be not restrained I cannot for lacke of time lest I bee tedious neither will I further trouble you with any long or laborious Disputation in this double Controuersie which we haue with these Antichristian Aduersaries since you may reade them fully answered in these points by diuers of our c Caluin in Antidot Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 11. ibid. Kemnit par 1. Exam. D. Abbots against Bish p. 2. pag. 550. c. D. Willet Synops pag. 914. c. Luc. Osiand fil cap. 12. Ench. in Pontific 4.3 most Reuerend and Learned Diuines Only for a taste wee may thus farre remember you First in the former point that indeed God gaue his Law not altogether vnpossible for man to performe since hee could in his integritie Christ did it for vs and we shall hereafter when wee are restored vnto perfection fully in the life to come But in the meane-time albeit wee are in Christ reclaimed and called to Grace Sol. yet is the Law as Peter said f Act. 15.10 a yoke which neither our Fathers nor we were able to beare by reason of the g Gal. 5.17 flesh still rebelling against the Spirit and our manifold imperfections arising from that h 2. Reg. 4.39.40 wilde Gourd our inbred concupiscence which is death in the pot such an hurt to the heart that albeit Christs i Matth. 11.29 yoke is easie and his burden light his k 1. Iohn 5.4 Commandements are not grieuous in respect of our Charitie or l Rom. 5.1 loue of God shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost yet are none liuing so able to beare them to carrie them to doe them but he shall sometime fall as the iust m Prou. 24.16 man falleth seuen times in a day and riseth againe hee shall sometimes transgresse as in n Iames 3.2 many things we sinne all because as Saint Augustine o August lib. 4. in Iulian. Pelag. cap. 2. said excellently So farre as concupiscence is in vs it hurteth although not to the destroying vs out of the lot of Saints if it bee not consented thereunto yet to the lessening of spirituall delight of holy minds So that the fault of not fulfilling the Law of God is not either in God commanding or in the Law commanded hee commanding what we should doe and this contayning the duties thereof but in our selues who should rather herevpon confesse our infirmities then arrogate to our selues any such great perfection seeing as S. Paul said p Rom. 7.14 The Law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne And as Saint Augustine concludeth q August in lib. de sp tit c. 19. Lex data est vt gratia quaereretur The Law is giuen that Grace may bee sought Gratia data est vt lex impleretur Grace is giuen that the Law might be fulfilled Neque enim suo vitio non implebatur lex sed vitio prudentiae carnis For it is not by any default of the Law that wee fulfill it not but by default of the wisdome of the flesh which r Rom. 8.6 is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be Secondly in the latter point where they hold workes of supererogation that is that a man may doe more then is commanded and that out of their abundance they may allot such Workes to the benefit of others they sow vp two Pillowes Å¿ Ezech. 13.14 on all arme-holes the