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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05347	A treatise of the authority of the church The summe wherof was delivered in a sermon preached at Belfast, at the visitation of the diocese of Downe and Conner the tenth day of August 1636. By Henrie Leslie bishop of the diocese. Intended for the satisfaction of them who in those places oppose the orders of our church, and since published upon occasion of a libell sent abroad in writing, wherin this sermon, and all his proceedings are most falsely traduced. Together with an answer to certaine objections made against the orders of our church, especially kneeling at the communion.	Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661.	1637 (1637)	STC 15499; ESTC S114016	124,588	210

comely not foolish and ridiculous as are the apish gesticulations in the Masse and many other Ceremonies used in that Church as their manifold crossings kissings kneelings whisperings washings anointings spittings blowings breathings and a number of the like Unto these three conditions I will adde two more I. Ceremonies must not be injoyned as things in themselves absolutely necessary and wherein Gods worship doth consist II. We must not ascribe unto them spirituall effects as the Papists doe who say that their crossing and sprinkling of holy water are effectuall to purge away veniall sinnes drive away divells and sanctifie the parties Now the Ceremonies injoyned by our Church have all these conditions For number they are few as ever was in any Church for observation easie for signification worthy for quality grave decent and comely for antiquity reverend The worship of God is not placed in them neither are they pressed upon the consciences of people as things in themselves necessary like the Commaundements of God we ascribe no merit remission of sinnes nor other spirituall effects unto them Finally they are purged from the drosse of all Popish superstition And therefore you are bound in conscience to observe them they being injoyned by lawfull authority And now I am come to the last thing wherein the power of the Church is to bee considered Sect. 38. and that is for correction The Church hath authority to censure her disobedient children whether they be Heretickes or Schismatickes or inordinate livers And on the other part upon their repentance to restore release and absolve them Like a good Mother she hath both Vbera and Verbera a d●g to feed and a rod to whip her unruly children This power was alwayes in the Church I finde that there was amongst the Iewes three degrees of censures Ioh. IX 22. XII 42. XVI ● The first was called Niddus a separation or casting out of the Synagogue The second they called Herem which is Anathema when an offender was cut off from his people by the sentence of death Deut. XVII 12. And that man that will doe presumptuously not harkening unto the Priest or unto the Iudge that man shall die The third was Shammatha or Maranatha which was a peremptorie denunciation of Iudgement delivering the obstinate malefactor as it were unto everlasting death for the word signifies as much as Dominus venit The Lord commeth This last is not mentioned in the Law but as it seemes was brought in by the Priests and Scribes after that the Romans had taken from them the power of life and death neither can the Church now use that censure unlesse we knew certainely that a man had sinned against the Holy Ghost The second which is the sentence of death belongeth onely unto the civill Magistrate who to that purpose hath the sword committed unto him So that the censure which properly belongs unto the Church now is onely separation by excommunication And there ever was and alwayes must bee a power in the Church to impose that censure upon contumacious offenders We have the first example of it from God himselfe hee cast Adam out of Paradise which was a type of the Church and banished him from the tree of life which was the Sacrament of immortality he cast forth Cain from his presence that is from the place appointed for his worship wherein Adam and his family used to meete for the service of God Afterwards when the Church of the Iewes was established their Councell of Elders called the Synedrium had power to cast men out of the Synagogue Yea under the Law those who had contracted any bodily uncleannesse must not eate of the Passeover till they were purified after the manner of the Law How much more ought they who are defiled with sinne bee barred from the Communion of our Sacraments seeing the pollution of the soule is more odious in the sight of God then bodily uncleannesse When our Saviour did institute the Church of the new Testament he gave such an authority unto his Apostles and their successors in the words following my text Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven And whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which he expounds after this manner Io XX. 23. Whosoevers sinnes yee remit they are remitted unto them And whosoevers sinnes ye retaine I. Cor. 5. they are retayned The Apostle did exercise this power upon the incestuous Corinthian I. Tim. I. ●0 and upon Hymenaus and Alexander The same power hee committed unto his two sonnes Timothie and Titus The governors of the Church are reproved for neglecting this censure Revel II. 20. as the Angell of the Church of Thyatira for suffering the woman Iezabel to teach and deceive Gods servants And the Angel of the Church of Ephesus is commended for his zeale in censuring offenders Thou canst not beare them which are evill and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles are not Revel II. 2. Finally the censure of excommunication was of frequent use in the Primitive Church especially against heretickes and disturbers of the publicke peace Tert. in Apol. Cypr. epist lib. I. ep 3. as both Tertullian and St Cyprian doe testifie And I find that this censure had two degrees the first was Suspension called Abstentio whereby men were barred some from the Communion of the Sacrament onely others from the Communion of certaine prayers also and some from entering into the Church which they built upon the Commandement of our Saviour Matth. VII 6. Give not holy things to dogges neither cast your pearles before swine The other was Excommunication wherby a man was cut off from the body of Christ as a rotten member cast out of the Church and delivered into Satan who raignes without the Church wherein the Churches sentence is rather interloquutory then definitive And yet the same no wayes to be contemned because when it is done Clave non errante Apologet. cap. XXXIX the same is ratified in Heaven Therefore Tertullian truely cals this censure summum futuri Iudicij praejudicium The former of these censures may be called the Apostles rod shall I come unto you with a rod I. Cor. IV. 21. The other is the sword Apostolicall Gal. V. 12. Abscindantur Let them bee cut off that trouble you This latter is that which is mentioned in my Text Let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man and a Publican and in the words following it is called a binding or retayning of sinne for as the Church hath power to loose such as are penitent so to commit others unto the Lords prison binding their sinnes upon their backe untill their amendement or binding them over unto the Iudgement of the great Day if they shall persist in their pertinacie The same by S. Paul is called a delivering up to Satan The end of Excommunication is threefold I. The glory of God for when men are suffered in the Church to doe what seemeth good in their

as the former against titles of honour in the Church But bee not yee called Rabbi Our Saviour speakes to all Christians as is evident vers 1. Then spake Iesus to the multitude and to his disciples So doth hee also in the other place which is alleaged against ruling IV. It cannot be denyed but that the Apostles did during their life exercise Iurisdiction over all other Ecclesiasticall persons So did their successors who are stiled Rulers Therefore ruling is not forbidden the Apostles yea our Saviour in the same place intimates that among them some should bee greater than others saying Let the greatest among you bee as the least and the chiefest as hee that serveth Finally the opposition between Gentiles and you doth evidently prove that that precept is given to all Christians The Kings of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them but it shall not be so amongst you If his intent had been to forbid ruling in Ministers onely he would not have opposed them to the Gentiles but to temporall men in Christian Common-wealthes or rather to the Priests under the Law saying Amongst the Priests of Israel some rule over other but it shall not bee so among you But to say it is thus with the Gentiles it shall not be so with you Ministers is no good opposition And it is thus with the Gentiles it shall not bee so with you Christians is a full and a fit antithesis often used in Scripture Matth. VI. 7. But when yee pray use not vaine repetitions as the Gentiles doe Matth. VI. 31. Take no thought for after all those things seeke the Gentiles I. Thess IV. 5. Not in the lust of concupiscence as doe the Gentiles Still Gentiles opposed to Christians no-where to Ministers And therfore in that place nothing is forbidden to Ministers but what is unlawfull to all Christians Not superioritie authoritie dominion Lordship but the ambitious affectation of the same and the tyrannicall usage thereof So that my masters If you will make use of that Text against our authoritie you must turne plaine Anabaptists and condemne not only Ecclesiasticall authoritie but Civill also for Christ speakes there to his Disciples not as Apostles but as Christians and so hee doth in my Text If thy brother trespasse against thee for the dutie here required is not proper to Ministers but such as concernes all Christians to beare offences patiently to desire the salvation of our brother and to that end to admonish him privately or if need be to deferre the matter to the Church And therefore it is to bee observed how in the next words speaking of a power proper to the Apostles and their successors he changeth the number to shew the change of the person though hee bee still speaking to his Disciples For while he speaketh of those duties which concerne all Christians he useth the singular number if hee trespasse against thee and if he will not heare thee even thee whosoever thou bee that art my disciple But when hee comes to speake of the power of the Keyes which was given onely to the Apostles and their successors he useth the plurall number Whatsoever you shall bind even you who are the Pastors and Rulers of my Church in earth In the next place sect 4 wee are to see of whom hee speakes of a brother If thy brother trespasse one that professeth Christ for this course which our Saviour prescribeth to admonish our brother if need bee to convent him before the Church is not to bee taken with those who are altogether without the pale of the Church as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. V. 9. I wrote unto you not to companie with fornicators yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world for then must yee needs goe out of the world If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator with such an one cate not For what have I to doe to judge them also that are without In the third place sect 5 wee are to enquire of what sinnes he speakes Certainely he meanes principally and properly private injuries whereby thy brother hath wounded thee either in thy body or estate or reputation If hee sinne against thee And so Peter understood it vers 22. where he saith Master how often shall my brother sinne against me and I forgive him Yet by Analogie wee are to understand it of all sinnes and the same course which is here prescribed is to bee observed with a brother that sinnes against God onely that is wee are to admonish him and if need bee Convent him before the Church For Christ heere exhorts us to charity that which he will have us principally to seeke is not satisfaction for the wrong done unto us but as it is called in the Text the gayning of our brother that is his Salvation If our Saviour had respected onely the wrong done to us he would never commaund us to complaine for hee compelles no man to sue for satisfaction when he is wronged albeit he permits us to use lawful meanes to right our selves Yet hee would bee well pleased if wee would sit downe by the wrong I am sure the Apostle who was inspired by the spirit of Christ adviseth this as the best of all Why doe ye not rather take wrong c. I. Cor. VI. 7. But here hee commaunds us to convent our brother offending before the Church if he will not heare us and therefore that which hee would have us ayme at principally is his salvation which is in danger if he be not recovered by repentance not only when he hath wronged us but also when he hath offended God in any sort Againe wee ought to bee so zealous of God's glory that wee should account sinnes against God to bee against our selves God is so sensible of the injuries done unto us as if done to himselfe In all their troubles he was troubled sayth the Prophet Isay LXIII 9. And God himselfe Zach. II. 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye When Saul did persecute the members upon earth the Head cryed from Heaven Saul Saul Why persecutest thou me In like manner should wee bee sensible of the injuries done to God accounting them as done to our selves as was David who sayth The rebukes of them who rebuke the Lord have fallen upon mee In a word as an offence done to thy neighbour is a sin against God in regard of the breach of his Commaundement So an offence against God is a sin against thy neighbour in regard he is scandalized by thy bad example Finally in other places the like course is prescribed in other offences besides private injuries Levit. XIX 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother but plainely rebuke him Tit. III. ver 10. A man that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject So that not onely private wrongs are to bee brought before the Church but other offences also for it is not likely that Christ would have the Church to censure offences against

two distinct powers upon earth the one of the Keyes committed to the Church to worke upon the conscience by binding or loosing the soule that is retaining or remitting of sinnes the other of the sword committed to the Prince to worke upon the outward man laying hold on the body and goods And neither of these is to intrude upon the execution of the others office When St Peter who had the Keyes committed unto him ventured to draw the sword he was commaunded to put it up Matth. 26.52 as a weapon that belonged not to him So when Vzziah would execute the Priests office he receaved the like check It pertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burne incense unto the Lord ● Chron. 26.28 but to the Priests thesonnes of Aaron that are consecrated The magistrate therefore is not to take upon him to weild the Keyes which are here committed to the Church If thou complaine to him of an Injury done by thy brother he will punish him And that is not it that Christ aymes at he will not have his disciples so careful of the repairing of their wrong as of the amendement of their brother In a word he gives not precepts Oeconomicall or politicall but prescribes a Law unto the Conscience which is that if thy brother amend not after private admonition to Convent him before the Church IIII. Sect. 11. Neither by the Church are we to understand S. Peter and his supposed successor of whom the Iesuits say Papa est Virtualiter tota Ecclesia for our Saviour spake unto Peter and Peter answers him vers 21. How oft shall my brother sinne against me Now if Peter be offended he is to goe to the Church that cannot be himselfe Besides Peter may be the man who gives the offence if he did not I am sure the Pope doth And shall wee complayne of himselfe to himselfe Wee are like to have an ill hearing Finallie Sect. 12. nor by the Church are we to understand a Generall Councell That can not be called so oft as one offendeth is to be corrected And therefore it is foolishly done of the Papists to alledge this text for the infallibility of the Church Lib 3. de ver Dei cap. 5. observandum hic quidem Dominum loqui de injurijs quas unus ab aliquo patitur Lib. 4. de Rom. pont Conveniunt omnes Catholic● posse Pentificem etiam ut Pontificem cum suo coetu consiliariorum vel cum generali Concilio errare in Controver●ijs facti for they themselues doe not ascribe infallibility to any particular Church but onely to a Generall Councel confirmed by the Pope of which this Text can not be understood Besides that which is here referred to the Church is a matter of fact not of faith So Bellarmine doth acknowledge that Christ speakes of personall injuries And that in deciding of such Controversies in matters of fact which depend upon information and testimonies of witnesses The Pope may erre even with a Generall Councell at his elbow he saith is confest by all Romanists And then how this Text used by all their writers to prove the infallibility of their Church can serve their purpose no reasonable man can see By the Church then wee must understand the Governours of the particular Churches wherein we live except the person to be corrected Sect. 13. be in that place that he cannot be Iudged but by a higher Court in which case the Church we are to goe unto is a provinciall or Nationall synod So St Chrysostome and with him the generall consent of all doctors expounds it of the prelates and chiefe Pastors of the Church who have Iurisdiction to bind and loose such offenders in the words following So a learned Schooleman Parisiensis de sae ord c. 10. Potestas Iudiciaria est ipsius Ecclesiae Cujus minister ad hancrem Episcopus est constitutus As they who governe in the Commonwealth are called the Commonwealth so they who rule in the Church be called the Church because they hold the chiefe place in it As the body is said to see when it is onelie the eye that seeth So the Church is said to heare that which they onely heard who are as it were the eyes of the Church All the companie of beleevers are called Saints And yet the Apostle giveth this title unto some who were in authority aboue the rest for composing of controversies I. Cor. VI. So albeit the whole multitude of beleevers be called the Church Yet in a speciall manner this title is given to them who are chiefe in the Church for authority power St Iohn wrote his Epistles to the Angels of the Churches that is the Bishops And yet he concludeth Let him that hath an care heare what the Spirit sayth vnto the Churches So that the rulers are called the Church not onely by our Saviour but also by St Iohn because they did represent the Church whereof they had charge And in the Old Testament the Hebrew word Eda which signifieth the Church is sometimes used to expresse not the promiscuous multitude but the assembly of Iudges the Councell of the Rulers Psal LXXXII 1. God standeth in the congregation of gods So that this acception of the Church is not without precedent as some have alleadged And now having found the Church Sect. 14. let us see wherein the Church is to be heard The necessitie layd upon us to heare the Church presupposeth a power in the Church to direct yea and to commaund though not in her owne name yet in the Name of GOD who committed this power unto her That the Church hath a power I thinke no man will deny All the Controversie is touching the extent of this power which I will reduce unto certaine heads neither with the Papist deifying her power nor with the lawlesse Libertine vilifying her authoritie Bee pleased therefore to understand the Churches power for Instruction for Ordination for Determination for Direction and for Correction First it belonges to the Church to keepe and propound the sacred Oracles and to apply them by preaching and administration of the Sacraments II. To ordayne Ministers appoint them their Stations and direct them the manner how they are to discharge their dutie III. To decide Controversies in Religion IIII. To enact Lawes not only to containe men in obedience to the Law of God but also for Circumstances and Ceremonies in the outward administration of Gods worship V. To censure offenders Of the first three but briefly First Sect. 15. the Church is to keepe the holy Scripture as a depositum that which hath beene committed unto her wherein she is as a faithfull Register or Notarie that keepes the Originall Records from corruption Deut XXXI 24. When Moses had finished the Book of the Law he gave it to the Levites to be kept in the side of the Arke from them must the King receive his Coppie Deut. XV II. 18. The Apostle sayth Vnto them were