ashamed to present to your view and patrociny in whom is a more Excellent Spirit this Apology For which as I have no encouragement so I expect no acceptance or thanks from any men who carry on other designs than those of Glory to God Peace to their own Consciences welfare to this Nation and Love to this and other Reformed Churches of Christ I know That Secular Projects and Ambitious Policies have for the most part such jealousies partialities and unevennesses in their Counsels and Motions as can hardly allow or bear that * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Generous Integrity and Freedom which is most necessary as well as most comely for the Cause of Christ which I in my Conscience take to be this of his Faithful and true Ministers of this Church and of the Reformed Religion Of which in no case and at no time any true Christian least of all a Minister of that sacred Name and Mystery may without sin be * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H. Steph. Mark 8.38 ashamed or afraid to own before men in the place where God hath set him and after that maner which becomes Heavenly Wisdom when she is justified by any of her Children It is your Honor and happiness to Excel not onely in that Wisdom which can discern but also in that Candor which cheerfully accepts in that courage which dares publikely own what shall appear to be the Cause of God the Institution of Christ and his Churches Concernments amidst the Contempts Calumnies and Depressions which they meet with from the Ignorance Errors Passions Prejudices Lusts Interests and Jealousies of the World 1 Cor. 4.5 The excellency of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ which you have attained by the blessing of God upon his and for Christs sake your servants the able faithful and true Ministers of the Gospel in this Church of England hath taught you to esteem all things in comparison Phil. 3.8 Tutiora sunt Christi pericula quà m mundisecuritates Jer. but as loss and dung to chuse to be with Christ in his storms if the will of God be so rather than enjoy the worlds calms There was never I think any time or cause since the Name of Christ had place upon Earth wherein your real and commendable excellencies had more opportunities to shew or greater occasions to exercise themselves than now This being the first adventure of some mens impudent Impiety attempting at once to annul and abrogate the whole Function and Office the Institution and uninterrupted Succession of the Evangelical Ministry Which prodigious attempt no antient Hereticks no Schismaticks none that ever owned the name of Christians were so guilty of as some now seem to be So that now if ever you are expected both by God and good men to appear worthy of your selves and your holy Profession either in Piety to God and Zeal to the Name of your Saviour Jesus Christ or in justice and gratitude to those your true Ministers who have Preached to you the true way of eternal life or in Pity and Charity not so much to them as to your selves indeed and your posterity the means of whose Salvation is disputed and endangered or in any other Christian Affections 2. True Saints Characters and heroick Motions such as are comely for those that are filled with holy Humanity being therefore the best of men because they have in them the most of Saints Saints I say Not because great but good men not as applauded by men but approved of God not as Arbitrators of outward but enjoyers of inward Peace not because Conquerors of others by the arm of flesh but more than * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plat. de â—ig Dial. 1. Rom. 8. Conquerors of themselves by the Graces of Gods Spirit not as violent Rulers of others but voluntary subduers of themselves not because prospered and encreased in Houses Lands Honors and Vain Glories by the ruine of others but by being mortified in Desires crucified in Enjoyments cautions in Liberties modest in Successes impatient of Flatteries Acts 12.23 which turn proud Herods into noysom Worms full of Self-denyings where they most excel coveting nothing so much as to be nothing in their own eyes to enjoy Christ in and above all things to abound in every good word and work to be humble in heights poor in plenty just in prevalencies moderate in felicities compassionate to others in calamity Ever most jealous of themselves lest prosperity be their snare lest they grow blackest under the hottest Sun-shine lest they should have their portion and reward in this world lest they should not turn secular advantages to Spiritual Improvements to holy Examples Secundae res acrioribus stimulis animum explicant Tacit. hist 1. to the ornament of Religion to the good of others to the peace and welfare of the Church of Christ Such living and true Saints I may humbly and earnestly supplicate without any Superstition who affect least but merit most that title upon Earth who are Gods visible Jewels Mal. 3.17 the Darlings of Jesus Christ the Lights and Beauties of the World the regenerate Honor of degenerate Humane Nature the rivals and competitors with Angels yet their care and charge the candidates of Eternal Glory Heb. 1.14 and Heirs of an Heavenly Kingdom Phil. 4.1 the crown and rejoycing of every true Minister the Blessed Fruit of their Labors and happy Harvest of their Souls The high Esteemers the hearty Lovers the liberal Relievers the unfeigned Pitiers the faithful Advocates and the earnest Intercessors for the distressed Ministers the so much despighted and by many despised Ministry of this Church You Rom. 8.11 in whom is the Spirit of the most Holy God shining on your mindes with the setled wisdom of sound Knowledge and saving Truths captivating all wandring fancies and pulling down all high imaginations 2 Cor. 10.5 which exalt themselves beyond the written Rule of Christ and the Analogy of that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Rom. 12.6 in the holy Oracles of the Scriptures and continued to this day Jude 3. by the Ministry and Fidelity of the Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.16 both propounding and establishing it against all unbelief and opposition You whose wills are redeemed from the servitude of sinful lusts slavish fears secular factions whose Consciences and Conversations are bound by the silver Cord of the Love of God and Christ to all Sacred Verity real Piety unfeigned Charity sincere Purity exact Equity comely Order holy Policy and Christian Unity 2 Tim. 2.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from all prophane novelties seditious Extravagancies licentious Liberties fanatick Enthusiasms pragmatick Factions and hellish Confusions You that are strengthned with all holy and humble Resolutions which become the sober courage and calm magnanimity of true Christians either to speak and do what honestly you may for
pro corum inter quos vivitur societate observandum est Aust Ep. 118. ad Jan. Salvà fidei regula de D sciplina contendentibus suprema lex est Ecclesiae paâ— Blondel sent Jeron praef Furthermore The great Motor of some mens passion zeal and activity against this Reformed Church was that one Error against the judgement liberty and practice of all antiquity which is fundamentall as to the Churches polity and extern Peace namely That nothing may be used in the Church as to externals which is not expresly and precisely commanded in the word Which yet themselves observe not when they come to have power either to form and act some things they take in upon prudentiall account as their Church-Covenant of the form and words of which they are not yet agreed which they urge so their requiring each Member to give an account not of the historicall belief of the truth but of the work of grace and conversion which no Scripture requires or Church ever practis'd That of St. Austin hath been often inculcated by many learned quiet and godly men in this Church of England and elsewhere as a most certain truth That however the Faith Doctrine Sacraments and Ministry of the Church are precisely of divine Institution rising from a divine Spring and conveyed in a like sacred Current which ows nothing to the wisdom policy power or authority of man yet the extern dispensation of this Faith Sacraments and divine Ministrations together with the fence and hedge of them the necessary Government Order and Discipline of the Church in its parts and in the whole these doe fall much under the managing of right reason rules of good order and common prudence all which attends true Religion So that they neither have nor needed nor indeed were easily capable of such positive precise and particular precepts or commands as these men fancy and by this pertinacious fancy they have cast great snares on the consciences of many great scandals on the Churches both antient and modern and great restraints on that l berty which Jesus Christ left to his Churches in these things according as various occasions and times might require Sumus homines ciâ—es cum fimus Châ—istiani Salv. None but foolish and fanatick men can think that when men turned Christians they ceased to be men or being Christian men they needed not still to be governed both as Christians and as men by reason joyned to Religion which will very well agree carrying on Re igious ends by such prudent and proportionate means and in such good order as is agreeable to right reason and the generall directions of Religion which never abandoned or taught any Christian to start at and abhor Naturae lâ—â—en rationis radios non extinguit sed excitat Religio quae non vera tantum sed decora postulat Aust Phil. 4.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Whatsoever things are true honest or comly just pure lovely of good report if any vertue any praise think on these things or meditate with reason and judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what is taught by the very light of nature and those common principles of reason and order or polity which teach the way of all Government and subjection either of yonger to the elder whence is the very ground of all Presbytery or of weaker to the stronger or of the foolisher to the wiser or of the ignorant to the learned or of many to some few for the good of all None of which methods can cross Religion nor being observed in some due measure can be blamed nor ought factiously to be altered by the members of any setled Church in which there is neither Apostacy from the Faith nor recession from the Scriptures nor alteration of the substance of Christs holy Institution which this Church of England not-being guilty of but apparently professing and fully adhering to the Scriptures as the ground rule and limit of Faith and holy Mysteries We doubt not but however it used the wisdom of learned wise and holy men and followed the warrant of the Primitive Churches in the extern maner and methods of holy Administrations Government and Discipline yet it may and ought still as it doth lay claim to the right and honor of an eminent part of the true Catholike Church of Christ having a true Ministry and true Ministrations In which I believe all the Apostles and Primitive Martyrs and Confessors in all Ages would most willingly have owned and approved yea the Great God from Heaven hath attested it and still doth to the consciences of thousands of excellent Christians which have had their birth and growths to Religion in this Church of England So that the out-cryes abhorrencies and extirpations carried on so eagerly against the main constitution frame and Ministry of this Church by many who now appear to be men of little charity and strong passions and very weak reason as if we were all-over Popish Superstitious Antichristian altogether polluted intollerable c. Those calumnies and clamors wanted both that truth that caution and that charity which should be used in any thing tending to disturb or discourage any true Christian or Church of Christ whose differences in some small external things from us in judgment or practice we ought to bear upon the account of those many great things in which we agree with them as Christians Nor ought poor men of private parts and place in Church and State so to swell at any time with the thought of any Liberty and Power in common given them from Christ to reign with him or to reform c. as to drive like tipsy Mariners those rightful Pilots from the Helm or to break their card and compass of antient design draught and form by which they steered as they ought or as they could in the distress of times And this onely That these new undertakers may try how they can delineate new carts or maps and how soon they can over-whelm or over-set so fair rich and goodly a Vessel as this Church of England once was in the eye of all the World but our own This Iland was not more nobly eminent than the Church was great in Britany The leaks chinks and decayes which befal all things in time might easily have been stopped calked and trimmed by skilful and well-advised hands when once it was fairly and orderly brought upon the Publick stocks and into a Parliament Dock which good men hoped of all places would not prove either a quick-sand or a rock to the Reformed Church or the Learned Ministry of England But the Lord is just though we should be confounded in our confidences of men though neither mountains nor hills nor valleys can help yet will we trust in God who is our God in Christ who we doubt not but in mercy will own us with all our frailties and defects as his true Church and true Ministers And if in
account as against any peculiar office and power Ministerial but onely in a fair and orderly way of Christian charity and useful conversation wherein private believers soberly and wisely communicate of those gifts of knowledge they have attained not to the subversion of faith and peace in the Church or Consciences but to the further confirmation of them This as it is no way envied or denied by any good Ministers so far as God hath granted it or the charity and zeal of any modest and humble Christian desires it So there is no ground either in Reason or Religion to be urged against the peculiar Calling and Function of the Ministry from this Christian Liberty of Charity any more than there is cause to pull down any mans dwelling house because there are some sheds and pent-houses leaning to it which have their uses and conveniences in their kinde and proportion but not comparably to the main mansion which hath far more strength order beauty and usefulness I shall afterward give a fuller account of that Christian Liberty in Preaching and Prophecying which is by some arrogantly urged against the Authoritative Ministry as any peculiar office and appointment of Christ Onely at present I would endeavor to satisfie the sober and humble Christian That the Calling of the Ministry which is and ought in all Religious Reason to be peculiar to some men both in abilities and ordination as well as in exercise of a divine authority and special power this I say doth no whit quench or repress but rather regulate and preserve that true Liberty which consists in private Christians conferring admonishing informing and strengthning one another in every good word and work without any neglect or undervaluing of the Publick Ministry where it may be had To which as commonly all well-taught Christians ow under God the light 1 Thes 5.14 Warn them that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unruly disorderly out of their ranks and places where God hath set them in his church 2 Thes 3.6 We command you Brethren in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every brother who walketh disorderly and not after the tradition which he received from us Tit. 1.10 11. There are many unruly and vain-talkers c. whose mouths must be stopped and soundness they have in Religion so they know That all gifts are bounded by the Word of God which is the measure and touchstone of grace that nothing is further from grace than unruly living and disorderly walking that the gravity of Religion abhors all uncomly motions and rude extravagancies which are as far from true piety or zeal as mad-pranks and ravings are from being heights or excesses of reason Private presumptions be mens abilities never so great may not proudly and uncharitably usurp against publick order peace and authority in the Civil State much less against that divine polity which Christ hath established in his holy Family the Church Ministers not less necessary for the Church than Commanders are for an Army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. ep ad Cor. p 46. What wise Magistrate will allow it in a Subject what discreet Commander as Clement writing to the Factious Corinthians observes will countenance that private and heady confidence in any Soldier under pretence of valor or hatred of the enemy or zeal for the Generals honor and Armies good without any Order Commission or Command to engage himself upon fighting the enemy or commanding any part of the Army to the violating of those just and necessary Rules of Discipline in the exact observation whereof the safety strength and honor of an Army infinitely more consists than in the Thrasonick forwardness and fool-hardiness of any person in it be he never so able or willing which Manlius Torquatus expressed Livius Dec. 1. lib. 8. Disciplinam militarem qua stetit ad hanc diem Romana res solvisti c. Triste exemplum sed in posterum salubre c. 2 Tim. 2.5 If a man strive for mastery yet he is not crowned except he strive lawfully Secundum leges Athleticas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Refractarii Disorderly Agitators A Sect wh ch Clem. Alex. tells of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. 320. by that severity of putting his own son to death for fighting without order from him his General although he fought successfully For wise men consider it is not so necessary to fight or to preach as to do both decently and in order nor shall any man be commended or crowned for either unless he do them lawfully Rashness is no part of any mans fortitude much less of his Religion nor is confidence any sign of true valor nor boasting of courage neither is confusion any ingredient in Christian charity nor Faction any support of the Faith nor disorderly walking any fewel of those holy flames which dwell in the humble brests of true Christians and fill them with commendable zeal The Church of Christ is compared to a City that is at unity in it self and to an Army with Banners Liberty must not expel Order out of the Church Psal 122 3. Cont. 6.3 Rev. 21.19 These holy allusions are so far argumentative by way of right reason and religious proportions as to assure us That neither the strength nor beauty of this holy City can be preserved unless the comliness order and exactness of those gemmeous foundations and walls which Christ and his holy Apostles have laid and set up in doctrine holy institutions and peculiar Ministry be observed and kept which are not onely guides and fences for the Churches safety and direction but also limits and boundaries to all mens extravagancy in Religion Nor yet can the majesty of this Heavenly Host the Sacred Militia of Christs Church on Earth continue either as to its safety in it self or its terror to its enemies round about unless the Standard-bearers the Ministers Chrysost in 1 Tim. hom 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Heb. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isai 10.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. whose office is to hold up the Banner of Christs Cross against the wisdom power and malice of men and devils be supported and maintained for these are appointed by Christ the Captain-General of our Salvation to be the directers of the Churches motions and as the centers of its peace and order in its several bands and companies which are the several Congregations Who without Ministers duly placed with authority among them will soon be as sheep without a shepherd or as soldiers are when the standard-bearer faileth easily scattered and destroyed And indeed nothing seems more to reprove and confute the perverse disputings of some men against the setled order and calling of the Ministry who pretend to Military Discipline and Orders than this consideration For they cannot but in reason be self-condemned since if they have any grains of Salt in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Or. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inter
Sacrament we reject together with the consequentiall Idolatry of worshiping the bread Also the sacrilege of detaining the Cup of the Lord from the people we cannot allow as being contrary both to the primitive practise of the Church and to the express command of Christ in the Institution which was after also revealed to St. Paul by Christ himself Yet still we use and observe the Sacramentall Elements with the same high estimation and veneration which pious and purest antiquity ever did bear to that Sacred mysterie how ever we forbear to use some of their expressions whose Oratory occasioned in part the after error which mistook that as spoken of the Bread in its nature which magnified it only in the Sacramentall use and mysterie which is indeed very high retaining both the Elements words and holy form which Christ instituted and Christians alwayes used not so much disputing and determining the manner of Sacramentall union as endevouring after those graces which may make us worthy Communicants and reall partakers of the Body and Bâ—ood of Jesus Christ when we do receive that dreadfull yet most desirable seal of our Faith which consigns fuller to us and confirms in us those comforts which as sinners we want and may have most really and only from Christ not by eating his flesh in a bodily and gross way with our mouths but by receiving him by a true and lively faith into our souls as he is set forth to us in the Scriptures to be God incarnate the only Saviour of the world of whose merit death passion body and blood we are by the same faith though in less degrees of strength really partakers and nourished to eternall life before we receive him in that Sacrament of the Lords Supper yea though we never should have opportunity so to receive him which is but the same object received by the same faith to the same end though in a different manner and with different degrees So for Baptism Baptism we retain the substance of that holy Sacrament as we find it in the Scriptures rejecting only those superfluous dresses of Salt Spittle Oyl Insufflation and the like which cumber and deform that duty and Ordinance but they do not destroy it nor do ever any Protestants that are of any name or honour for Religion re-baptise those who were baptised in the Roman Church Concil Laodicenum omits only the Apocal. Apocrypha Books Hieron in Prolog Galaten Josephus l. 1. cont Appio we i. e. the Jews have not infinite and diffâ—rent Books but only 22. which are justly called Divine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mosis 5. Prophet 13. Psal 4. The rest from Artaxereâ— to these times have not the like credit because not a certain succession of Prophets The Apocryphall additions of the Romish Church to the Canon of the Scriptures we reject from being rules of faith however we approve their excellent morals And this we do upon the same grounds that the Jewish Church of old and the Primitive Christian for the most part ever did yet we retain those books as oracles of God which we have received with and from the Romish Church as of divine inspiration according to that testimony which both the Jewish and Christian Churches fidelity have given us of them The eâ—une dull and spiritless and formall devotions Prayers in a language not vulgar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Nis de Placilla orat Funcb Delinquens soli Deo cognitus de reatis nudare apud homines verecunda conscientia non cogitur Ser. 34. Chrysol So Ber. s 42. Non expedit omnibus omnia inâ—â—tescere quae scimus de nobis in Cant. Liturgies and prayers used by the Romanists in any tongue unknown to the most and with so many vain repetitions we refuse yet still we retain the holy custom of Christians assembling in publike and worshipping God by publike Liturgies prayers and praises In somethings we hold nothing common with them either in opinion or practise as in the profitable fancy of purgatory the popular fashion of worshipping Images or adoring God in and by Images of oblations and prayers for the dead of praying to Saints and Angels of Auricular confession of dispensing by Indulgences the merits or supperogating righteousness of some Christians to others Since in these and the like matters which I only touch it being not my work now to handle those controversies which have been so fully discussed by many learned men of this Church of Engand whose works praise them We find no Scripture ground either for precept or permission So likewise in the ambitious claim of the Popes Infallible judgement His universall jurisdiction and Supreme Authority over all Churches and Councils We deny it as un usurpation gotten by indulgences of some times and Princes also by the flatteries frauds cruelties power and policies of severall Popes in their successions but not grounded on any Law or right either humane or divine neither by the Institution of God nor by the consent of all Churches Yet we deny not to the Pope such a primacy of place or priority of order and precedency as is reasonable and just either in the Roman Diocess as a Bishop or in a Councill as Bishop of that famous City In like manner for the sacred order and function of the Ministry we reject what ever imaginary power or will-worship is annexed to the office by humane superstition but we approve the antient form of Commission and Divine Authority derived by them to Presbyters and Bishops for Preaching the word celebrating the Sacraments reconciling penitents use of the Keys in doctrine or jurisdiction and Government In the Roman Pontificall The Bishop to be consecraâ—ed is charged after many Ceremonâ—es and pompous modes with this as his office and duty To judge to interpret to consecrate to confer holy orders to offer to Baptize aâ—d to confirm after that the Consecratorâ— laying the Bible on his shoulder and their hands on his head say these words Receive the holy Spirit i. e. the gifts and power to be a Bishop or chief Pastor to teach and rule in the Church So the Presbyter is by the Bishop ordeyning and otheâ—s with him imposing their hands on the head enjoyned To offer to bless to govern to Preach and to Baptise as becomes his place and Office Mar. 13.25 Also of the continued power of Ordination for a succession of Ministers in the Church In all these and the like what ever we find to be spurious issues of meer humane invention of Scripture-less opinions of groundless traditions obtruded as matters of Religion upon the consciences of Christians we use that just severity which we think the Apostles and Primitive fathers would have done to dash these Babylonish brats against the stones yet still we redeem and preserve alive the legitimate succession the Sons of Sion the Israel of God and justify the Children of true wisdom and of the Heavenly Jerusalem that is the divine and truly religious
at their supposed errors which are grown in some so rough and insolent both in words and deeds against poore Ministers that they had need to meet with something that hath good metall and usefull sharpnesse and not with that phlegmatick and sanguine softnesse which impudent men easily baffle and put both to the blush and silence yet hee meddles not save with great respect and tendernesse with any thing of Civill Power which no man may wisely dispute that is not able to resist it is foolish to shake the pen against the sword or oppose armed Legions with flocks of Geese No man may discreetly offend while as he must necessarily so he may honestly and safely be subject Prudence commands private men to leave the accounts of Ruling power to mens own consciences and to the Supream Over-ruler who best knowes as by what means they obtain it so to what ends and in what manner they use it It is enough for private persons at convenient distances to warm themselves by the light and heat of prevailing power neither scorching themselves by too neer approaches nor consuming themselves by indiscreet contestations with it Modesty also forbids such as are in subjection to dispute the actions or disparage the counsels of any that are above them who being many and so stronger are commonly by esteem supposed wiser than any one man and being successefull are usually esteemed blest and happy Although it is most certain That the many beginning from one and combined strength or counsell being but the twisting of single feeblenesse as so many hairs together the united many may be mistaken as wel as the divided unites Yea one sick man may infect many whole especially if his disease hath something catching and pleasing in it But if there happen by the Divine displeasure pestilent airs and noxious breaths in any countrey the strong the wise the great and the many are as liable to contagion and destruction as the weak the few and the foolish yea to Epidemicall and contagious diseases pestered cities and crowds of men are more subject than cels and solitudes No men are so wise but they may have errors And the sooner they see them to amendment the wiser they will be Nor is it the least part of wisdome in inferiours to shew to superiors their misapprehensions and failings rather by obliquely intimating than directly thwarting by great reflexions than rude affronts Especially in those things wherein a private man may be competently versed both by study and education yet no way trenching upon that tender point of civill power and dominion which is not a fit subject for a pen and inkhorn Therefore this Author presumes that the fair and free vindication of so publique an interest as this of the Ministry which is his proper sphear and calling can displease no men that have candor wit honesty honour good conscience or true Religion in them Nor will it anger sober men to be shewed what is amiss and how it may be mended which possibly they may be as unable as willing to doe Diseases may sometimes exceed the Art of Physitians violent Paroxysms are sometimes better left to spend themselves than provoked and encountred with medicines As for others of vain violent and foolish tempers it is better to offend than to flatter them and to suffer from them if God will have it so is more honorable than to be rewarded by them The greatest danger indeed is from those that are stolidè feroces full of those boisterous rude and brutish passions which grow as bristles upon hogs backs from ignorance pride rusticity and prejudice which make men either unable to read or impatient to bear or unwilling to understand the words of truth and sobernesse trusting more to bestiall than rationall or religious strength which most unmanly and unchristian disorders in mens soules how prevalent and epidemicall soever they may be yet they must not be here either flattered or fomented By calling their darknesse light or their evill good their presumptions inspirations their duller dreams high devotion their dissolute licentiousnesse Christian liberty their sillinesse sanctity their fiercenesse zeal their self-confidence and intrusion a divine call their disorderly activity speciall abilities their jejune novelties pretious rarities or their old errors and rotten opinions extraordinary and unheard of perfections When indeed their root is for the most part nothing but an illiterate and illiberall disposition neither learned to morality nor polished to civility neither softned nor setled by good education or true Religion being full of levity vulgarity unsatiate thirst and desire of novelties their fruit also is little else but malice cruelty avarice ambition worldly policy hypocrisie superstition loosenesse and profanenesse all conspiring as upon untrue and unjust pretentions so to evill ends namely to abase and destroy the true and ancient Ministry of the Gospell in this Nation and to bring into contempt all holy duties and dâ—vine Ministrations in this Church of Christ to cry down all good learning to corrupt the mindes of men with error and ignorance to debauch their manners by licentiousnesse or superstition to bring shame upon the reformed Religion here professed to wilder the judgements to wast the comforts to shipwrack the conscience and to damn the soules of poore people Where the Apologist meets with this black guard these factors for error and sin these agitators for the Prince of darknesse these enemies to God to Christ Jesus to all good Christians and to mankind God forbid he should give place to them or not charge them home and resist them to their face His duty and design is to detect their frauds and wickednesse to countermine their deep projects to frustrate their desperate counsels to fortifie the mindes of all good Christians against their strong delusions and oppositions to pull down their high imaginations to demolish their self-conceited strong holds to maintaine the honour of this Nation the glory of this reformed Church and the worth of its godly learned and industrious Ministry against their envious cavils and ungratefull calumnies If any men apart from fanatick presumptions secular interests popular applauses rusticall clamors and ignorant confidences shall upon rationall prudent and religious grounds propound any thing in a more excellent way either for kinde or degree whereby to advance the glory of God the honour of Jesus Christ the reall propagating of the Gospell the exercise of usefull gifts and graces of Gods Spirit in this Church r the encrease of charity or comforts among Christians for the encouragement of learning vertue and godlinesse for the welfare of this Nation or the serious reforming of Religion and the Ministry of it beyond what hath been still is and ever may be had from the gifts and graces the order and office the labours and lives of those that are the chief professors preachers and pillars of learning and religion in this Nation which are the able and faithfull Ministers of a due succession and right
dashing against their Bibles and some Almanack-makers casting a generall and publique scorn upon their Ministers and Ministry imputing both unjustly and indignly the folly and ridiculous impotency of some Ministers passions and actions which may be but too true to the whole function venerable order and learned fraternity without limitation or distinction of the wise from the foolish But the badnesse of the times or madn sse rather of any men in them makes this cause never the worse Indeed it is so great and so good having in it so much of Gods glory and mans welfare that it merits what it can hardly finde in secular greatnesse a proportionate patron who had need to be one of the best men and the boldest of Christians And therefore is the addresse so generall that besides our great Master the Lord Jesus Christ the founder and protector of our order and function this work might finde some pious and excellent Patrons in every corner whither so great a Truth hath of late been driven to hide it selfe by the boldnesse and cruelty of some the cowardise and inconstancy of others This book requires not the cold and customary formality of patron-like accepting it and laying it aside but the reality of serious reading generous asserting and conscientious vindicating Who ever dares to countenance this Apology in its main Subject The true and ancient Ministery of the Church of England must expect to adopt many enemies and it may be some great ones Whom he must consider at once as enemies to his Baptism his Faith his Graces and Sacramentall seals to his spirituall comforts his hopes of heaven to his very being being a Christian or true member of this or any other sound part of the Catholick Church Enemies also to his friends and posterities eternall happinesse The means of which will never be truly found in any Church or enjoyed by any Christians under any Ministry if it were not in that which hath been enjoyed and prospered in England not onely ever since the reformation but even from the first Apostolicall plantation of Christian Religion in this Island Of which blessed priviledge ancient honour and true happinesse no good Christian or honest English man can with patience or indifferency suffer himself his Countrey and posterity to be either cunningly cheated or violently plundered Certainly there is no one point of Religion merits more the constancy of Martyrs and will more bear the honour of Martyrdome than this of the divine Institution authority and succession of the true Ministry of the Church which is the onely ordinary means appointed by Jesus Christ to hold forth the Scriptures and their true meaning to the world and with them all saving necessary truths duties means and Ministrations wherein not onely the foundation but the whole fabrick of Christian Religion is contained which in all ages hath been as a pillar of heavenly fire and as a shield of invincible strength to plant and preserve to shine and to protect to propagate and defend the faith name and worship of the true God and his Son our Lord Jesus Christ This makes the Authour not despaire to meet with some Patrons and Protectors of this Defence in Senates Councels Armies and on the house top no lesse than in closets and private houses To whom it cannot be unacceptable to see those many plausible pretensions and potent oppositions made by some men against the Divine authority and sacred Office and peculiar calling of the Ministry so discovered as they shall appeare to be not more specious and subtill than dangerous and destructive to the temporall and eternall welfare of all true Protestants sober Christians and honest hearted English men who certainly next the pleasing of God and the saving of their souls have nothing of so great concernment to themselves and their posterity as this The preserving and encouraging of a true and authoritative Ministry which is the great hinge on which all learning and civility all piety and charity all gracious hopes and comforts all true Religion and Christianity it self depends as much as the light beauty regular motion and safety of the body doth upon its having eyes to see But if this freer and plainer Defence should neither merit nor obtaine such ample measure of favour and publique acceptance in the sight of judicious Readers as it is ambitious of and at least may stand in need of yet hath the Author the comfort of endeavouring with all uprightnesse of heart to doe his duty though he be but as an unprofitable servant And possibly this great and noble Subject the necessity dignity and divine authority of the Ministry of the Church of England so far carried on by this Essay which sets forth 1. The Scripture grounds established by the authority of Christ and his Apostles 2. The Catholick consent and practise of the Church in all ages and places 3. The consonancy to reason and order observed by all Nations in their Religion and specially to the Institutes of God among the Jewish Church 4. The Churches constant want of it in its plantation propagation and perfection 5. The benefit of it to all mankinde who without an authoritative Minâ—stry would never know whom to hear with credit and respect or what to beleive with comfort 6. The great blessings flowing from this holy function to this Church and Nation in all kindes These and the like grand considerations and fair aspects which this subject affords to learned judicious and godly men may yet provoke some nobler pen and abler person to undertake it with more gratefull and successefull endeavours whose charitable eyes finding the sometime famous and flourishing Ministry of this Church thus exposed in a weeping floating and forlorn condition to the mercy of Nilus and its Monsters the threatning if not overflowing streames of modern violent errors may take pity on it and from this Ark of Bulrushes which is here suddenly framed may bring it up to far greater strength and publique honour than the parent of this Moses could expect from his obscurer gifts and fortunes To which although he is very conscious as being of himself altogether unsufficient for so great a work and so good a word yet the confidence of the greatnesse and goodnesse of the cause the experience of Gods and generally all good Christians attestation to it in all former ages of the Church The hopes also of Gods gracious assistance in a work designed with all humility and gratitude wholly to his glory and his Churches service These made him not wholly refractary or obstinate against the intreaties of some persons whose eminent merit in all learning piety and virtue might incourage by their command so great insufficiencies to so great an unâ—ertaking Which is not to fire a Beacon of faction or contention but to establish a pillar of Truth and certainty Also to hold forth a Shield of defence and safety such as may direct and protect stay and secure the mindes of good Christians in the midst
sed improba virtutis invidia feruntur qui virtutem aspiciunt intabescuntque relicta Casaub For one century of scandalous Ministers which I fear was not so made up by exact sifting the pretioâ—â— from the vile but that it hudled up and kneaded some finer flowre with some bran How many hundreds were there then and are still of unblamable of commendable of excellent and most imitable Ministers in this Church As weighty as fair and as fit every way yea far beyond what any new stamp is likely to be for all holy admistrations But I finde it is not any new Truth or Gospel or Sacraments or Gifts or Graces or Virtues or Morals or Rationals or Reals which these new Ministers require or can with any forehead pretend All is but an affectation for the most part to have the same things in a new and worse way which because it is of their own invention they so eagerly quarrel at the former order maner of our Church and Ministry Many would have the same meat else they must starve Multi novitatis amore in veritatis odium praejudicium feruntur Quum illud pulcherrimum quòd verissimum id verissimum quòd antiquissimum Tert. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. Hel. or feed upon the wind onely it must be new dressed and dished up to the mode of Familistick hashes and Socinians Quelques choses Keckshoes by more plain and popular hands than those of the learned Ministers They would have a generation of Teachers rise up unsown out of the dust whose father should be corruption and whose sister confusion More vulgar submiss precarious facile dependent Preachers who should more consider an act or ordinance of man than a command of Scripture or dictate and stroke of Conscience be more steered by the events and various successes of Providence than by the constant precepts and oracles of Gods written Word Whose common places of divinity must fit any Eutopian Common-wealth what ever any power and policy shall form to their new fancies and interests whose Preaching and Praying shall make Christ and the Scriptures and the Sacraments all holy things and the Ministry it self of the Church meanly servile and compliant to any State design and secular projects Just as the sorry Almanack-makers do who command the Sun and Moon and Stars and the whole host of Heaven to assist any party whom they list to flatter or hope to feed upon Such planetary Preachers all true Ministers abhor to be and such their enemies deserve to have or to be who observing the winds of worldly and State variations Eccles 11.4 shall never sow the good seed of true Religion nor ever serve the Lord while they slavishly and sinfully serve the times Not but that all good Ministers know as wise and humble men how to be content in what Staâ—â— soever they are and to be subject to civil powers in all honest things Phil. 4.11 Rom. 13.5 with gratitude and due respect yet not so as to prostrate God to level Christ to subject Conscience to debase the glorious Gospel its due Reformation and its true Ministry and divinâ— Authority to the boundless lusts and endless designs of violent and rest less mindes Against all which and chiefly against those plots and practises which aim to overthrow the Reformed Christian Religion of this Church and its Ministry I desire this Apology may be as a Pillar and Monument to posterity of my perfect abhorrency That when I am dead â—f it hath any spark in it of an immortal spirit or living genius it may testifie for me and my Brethren the Ministers of my minde Luke 23.50 in after ages that as Joseph of Arimathea we neither gave counsel nor consent to those wilde or wicked projects which the ages will afterward see attended with most sad and deplorable effects either of Atheism Profaneness Ignorance and Barbarity or of Popish superstitions Heretical oppressions and Schismatical confusions which will follow the alteration and rejection of the antient true and Catholike Ministry of this Reformed Church which cannot but be attended with the subversion of many souls as to all stability or soundness in true Religion with the unsatisfaction of many and with the unspeakable grief and scandal of all those good Christians who love and wish the prosperity of this Church which I shall now endeavor to prove to be of a most Christian and Evangelical constitution chiefly by answering what is alleged by those who look upon both Church and Ministry as reprobate and would fain have power to damn them both without redemption And this they endeavor with as much justice and truth as Satan accused Job Job 1. and would have provoked God to destroy him without a cause OBJECTION I. That we have no true Ministry because no true Church-way in England I Finde there are many and great things objected by the Antiministerial party through ignorance weakness mistake or malice not onely against the Ministers and the peculiar office of the Ministry but also against the whole frame of our Religion especially as to the extern social maner of our holy Administrations Some of them deny us to be any true Ministers because not in any way of a true Church not having any true Religion owned or established and exercised among us in any right Church-way as they call it So that it is not onely the main pillars of Christianity the learned and godly Ministry which they would change But the whole model of our Church and frame of our Religion is that which these men would remove either pulling it down by force or undermining by fraud Therefore I have thought it necessary in the first place to countermine against these Moles and to establish against these Shakers and Subverters of the very foundations of our Church and Religion Here I must crave leave of you Answ 1. to whose favor I have dedicated this work whose highest excellency is your Christian Reformed Religion who esteem it your greatest glory with the Emperor Theodosius That you are Members of this Reformed Church and in this of the true Catholike Church to give these fanatick and cavilling disputers against our Ministry some account of that Religion which we profess and of that so much disputed and by some despised Church-way wherein we take our selves to be as upon surer grounds of divine truth so with much more order and decency as to antient patern and prudence than themselves That so as good Christians may be comforted and confirmed in their holy Profession so the world may see That we are neither ignorant our selves nor willingly deceivers of others in so great a matter as Religion is Of true Religion Vera est religio quae uni vero Deo animas nostras religat Aug. de Relig. Micah 6.8 James 1.27 which we publickly have professed and preached in this Church both with science and conscience with judgement and integrity First then We esteem True Religion to be the right
Word however we cannot by bare humane reason comprehend or demonstrate them oftentimes praying to God as all sufficient omniscient omnipresent and omnipotent supplicating for that from his grace power and bounty which we have not deserve not nor can attain otherways in this lapsed corrupted and cursed estate of our nature Eph. 2.5 By g ace ye are saved Which owes all its reparations onely to the free grace of God manifesting himself in his works and words also in those secret inward operations of the Spirit upon the conscience and whole soul by illuminations Blanda violentia victrix delectatio Aug. restraints terrors convictions conversions sweet yet powerful attractions victorious yet delectable prevailings agreeable to the nature of the soul and the liberty of the will which then recovers its true liberty Quò strictius ad Deum ligamur eo perfectius liberamur à peccatorum pondere pravitatum vinculis nec reatu nec terrore nec infirmitate amplius detinemur aut opprimimur August Non dii facti sumus sed divini non in Dei essentiam transmutamur sed in sanctam hoc est divinam naturam reparamur quantum satanae lapsi tantum Deo reparati confirmamur Prosp when by the cords of Gods love its unwillingness is bound up and its chains of violent lusts are taken off Whence such great impressions and real changes are made upon every rational faculty in the soul as those from darkness to light from captivity to freedom from death to life according to the several representations of Gods excellencies in nature in morals and in mysteries wherein the exceeding great riches of his free-grace and love to us in Christ Ephes 1.9 2.7 hath the most softning melting and transforming influence which fully received upon the soul the whole-man in minde and spirit in fancy understanding judgement memory will appetite affections passions and conscience becomes partaker through grace of a divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 compared to what he was and becomes a * 2 Cor. 5.17 new creature not as to its essence but as to all ends principles motions and actions which are begun and continued designed and ended in holiness that is in humble and unfeigned regards to the glory of God and exact purposes of conformity to the will of God in his written Word New creatures by a newness of grace in which we remain what we were Men but are made what we were not Saints 3. Scripture the only rule of true Religion 1 Tim. 3.15 Heb. 4.12 Acts 7.38 Rom. 3.2 To which Word of God in the Scriptures we being guided and directed by the constant and most credible testimony of the Church of Christ that pillar and ground of Truth so as to receive and regard them They at length by Gods grace on the heart demonstrate themselves by their native and divine light to be the very Word of God those lively oracles which set forth most divine precepts paterns prophecies histories and mysteries proffers also and promises of such good things as the soul would most desire most wants and onely can truly delight in living and dying and to eternity Religion consists in no fond fancies Beyond * Hoc prius credimus non esse ultra Scripturas quod credere debeamus nobis curiositate non opus est post Christum nec inquisitione post Evangelium Tertul. de praes ad Hae. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Nos tantum Scripturas sacras habemus plenas inviolatas integras eas vel in purissimo fonte vel in pura translatione bibimus Sal. de Gub. l. 5. Tantummodo sacris Scripturis canonicis hanc ingenuam debeo servitutem quà eas solas ita sequar ut conscriptores earum nihil omnino in eis eâ—rasse nihil fallaciter posuissè non dubitem August ep 19 ad Jeron Si canonicarum scripturarum authoritate quidquam firmatur sine ulla dubitatione credendum est Aliis verò testibus tibi credere vel non credere liceat August ep cap. 12. these Scriptures which we justly call The Word of God understood in their true sense and meaning we do not own any thing for a ground rule or duty in Religion Nâ—r are we at all moved by those bold triflings and endless janglings about Religion Grace Spirit and Inspirations which weak and vain men looking to their own foolish fancies and not to the divine Oracles do scatter too and fro as chaff to blinde the eyes of simple and credulous people which would make Religion a matter of novelty and curiosity of cavilling meerly and contending of censuring and condemning others of self-confidence and intollerable boastings of sequaciousness and feminine softness of custom onely and paternal example or of ease and idleness where out of a lazy temper neglecting all ordinary means Ministry and duties some men expect by special inspirations and dictates to have their defect of pains and industry supplied Or else they place their Religion in the adhering to some party and faction in popular and specious insinuations and pretensions or in admiration of mens persons and gifts or in the prevailencies of power and worldly successes or in unjust gain and sacrilegious thrift or in great zealotries for some new form and way of constituting disciplining and governing Churches or in boldness to affirm to deny and to do any thing or in meer verbal assurances and loose confidences of being elected and predestinated to happiness of being called to be Saints and Preachers and Prophets in a new and extraordinary way to advance such opinions and practises as no holy men of old ever knew acted or owned for Religious or lastly in railing upon despising and seeking to destroy all those that approve not or follow not those self-conceited confidences and violent extravagancies which some men affect in their rude and unwarrantable undertakings Such were the fanatick mad and at last sad Religion of those Circumcellions of old and those Anabaptists and other later Sects in Germany * Sleidan Com. l. 10. ad an 1535. who wanted nothing but constant successes and continued power to have made all men as wilde and wicked as themselves or else to have destroyed them Alas who sees not how far different and much easier to sinful flesh and blood to vain ambition and proud hypocrisies these pretty soft fallacies these froths and fumes those great swelling words 2 Pet. 2.18 and titles of vanity That God is their Father that they are Saints and spiritual inspired Prophets sent of God to call the World to repentance to reign with Christ Those rotten sensualities of Religion as some blasphemously call it those libidinous excrescencies those lying prophecies c. How much easier I say these are than those humble sober exact and constant tyes of Conscience and duties of true Religion by which holy men and women in all ages have given all diligence to make their
yet is bid to watch and strengthen the things that remain which are ready to die c. 8. Of the Church as called Catholike See learned Dr. Field of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this point then Touching the true Church of Christ in regard of outward profession and visible communion to the touch of which part my design thus leads me I purpose not so far to gratifie the endless and needless janglings of any adversaries of this Church of England as to plunge my self or the Reader into the wide and troubled Sea of controversie concerning the Church Considering that many good Christians have been and still are in the true Catholike Church by profession of that true faith and holy obedience which unite to the Head Jesus Christ and by charity which combines the members of his Body together although they never heard the dispute or determination of this so driven a controversie As many are in health and sound who never were under Physicians hands or heard any Lecture of Anatomy Yea although they may be cut off and cast out of the particular communion of any Church by the Anathemaes and excommunicating sentences of some injurious and passionate Members of that Church yet may they continue still in communion with Christ and consequently with his Catholike Church that is with all those who either truly have or profess to have communion with Christ My purpose is onely to give an account as I have done of true Religion in the internal power of it so also of the true Church as to the external profession of Religion That thereby I may establish the faith and comforts of all sober and good Christians in this Church of England That they may not be shaken corrupted or rent off by their own instability and weakness or by the fraud and malice of those who glory more in the proselytes they gain to fanatick factions by uncharitable rendings from this Church than in any communion they might have in humble and charitable ways with the Catholike Church or any of the greater and nobler parts of it which they most impertinently deny to be any Churches or capable of any order power joynt authority larger government or ampler communion For the Catholike Church of Christ that is Ignat. ep ad Phil. Cypr. de unitate Eccl. Solis multi radii unum lumen August lib. de unitate ecclesiae Et omnes patres Eph. 1.22 Christ the Head over all things to the Church 1 Tim. 3.15 The Church of the living God the pillar and ground of truth Heb. 12.23 The Church of the first-born Tot ac tanta ecclesia una est illa ab Apostolis prima ex qua omnes Tertul. de prae ad Hae. c. 30. Eph. 3.10 21. 5.23 Christ the Head of the Church and the Saviour of the Body V. 32. Christ and the Church Col. 1.18 Christ the Head of the Body the Church 1 Cor. 12. The Body is not one Member but many c. vidâ— the universality of those who profess to believe in the name of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures That this is primarily and properly called a Church often in Scripture there is no doubt As the whole is called a Body in its integrality or compleatness of parts and organs whose every limb and part is corporeal too and of the Body as to its nature kinde or essence This Church which is called The Spouse and Body of Christ is as its Head but one in its integrality or comprehensive latitude as the Ark containing all such as profess the true faith of Christ And to this are given as all powers and faculties of nature to the whole man primarily and eminently those powers privileges gifts and titles which are proper to the Church of Christ however they are orderly exercised by some particular parts or members for the good of the whole The essence integrality and unity of this Catholike Church consists not in any local convention or visible communion or publick representation of every part of it but in a mysterious and religious communion with the same God Ecclesia in universum mundi disseminata unam domum habitans unam animam cor os abet Iraen l. 1. c. 3. Eph. 4.4 5. Jude 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just M. Dial. cum Tryphone by the same Mediator Jesus Christ and to this Mediator Jesus Christ by the same Word and Spirit as to the internal part of Religion also by profession of the same Truth and common Salvation joyned with obedience to the same Gospel and holy Ministry with charity and comly order as to the external In this so clear an Article of our Faith I need not bestow my pains since it is lately handled very fully learnedly and calmly by a godly Minister of this Church of England * Mr. Hudson of the Catholike Church Tot tantae ecclesiae una est illa ab Apostolis prima dum unam omnes praebent veritatem Tert. de prae to whose Book I refer the Christian Reader 9. Of a National Church or distinct and larger part of the Catholick This name of Church being evidently given to the universality of those who by the Ministry of the Gospel are called out of the way of the World and by professing of it and submitting externally to its holy Ministry Order Rules Duties and Institutes are distinguished from the rest of the World It cannot be hard for any sober understanding to conceive in what aptitude of sense any part of this Catholike Church is also called a Church with some additional distinctions and particular limitations visible and notable among men and Christians by which some are severed from others in time place persons or any other civil discriminations of policy and society Which give nearer and greater conveniences as to the enjoyment and exercise of humane and civil so of Christian communion and the offices or benefits of religious relations 1 Cor 1.2 To the Church of God which is at Corinth Acts 13.1 The Chu ch of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 14.23 Tit. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 2. 3. Ecclesiam apud unamquamque civitatem condiderunt Apostolâ— Ã quibus traducem fidei semina doctrinae caeterae ecclesiae mutuatae sunt Tertul. de Prae. c. 20. Consuetudo est certissima loquendi norma Quinâ—il The Spirit of God in the Scripture gives sufficient warrant to this stile and language calling that a Church as of Rome Ephesus Corinth Jerusalem Antioch c. which consisted of many Congregations and Presbyters in a City and its Territory or Province So the Apostle Paul in his Epistles to several Churches distinguisheth them by the civil and humane distinctions of place and Magistracy and the Spirit of Christ to the Asiatick Churches calleth each a Church distinctly which were in great associations of many faithful under many Presbyters And these under some chief Presidents Apostles Angels or Bishops residing
in the prime or Mother Cities where Christianity was first planted end from whence it spred to the Territories or Provinces about One would think besides common speech among all Christians which is sufficient to justifie what word is used to express our meanings to others That this were enough to confute the simplicity or peevishness of those who to carry on new projects dare aver That they know no such thing as a National Church 1 Pet. 2.9 Ye are an holy Nation a peculiar people may be said of any Christians and with much coyness disdain to own or understand any relation of order duty subordination or charity they have to any such Church Of which they say they know no virtue no use no necessity no conveniencies as to any Christian and Religious ends Which so wilful and affected ignorance was never known till these latter and perilous times had found out the pleasure of Paradoxes by which men would seem wiser and more exact both in their words and fancies than either pious antiquity or the Scriptures Hoping by such gross and unexpected absurdities which would fain appear very shie and scrupulous in language to colour over Shismatical and Anarchical designs and under such fig-leaves to hide the shame and folly of their factious agitations and humors which makes them unwilling to be governed by any in Church or State without themselves have an oar in the Boat and a share in the Government This poor concernment of some mens small ambitions makes them disown any Church but such a conventicle or parcel as some men fancy to collect and call which they infect with the same fancies of sole and full Churchship and separate Power Whereas the Lord Jesus Christ always first called men by his Ministers to his Church and by Baptism admitted them and by meet Governors whom he sent and ordained ruled them as his flock in greater as well as lesser parties Gen. 32. as Jacob did his distinct flocks in the hands of his sons By the same Cynical severity these men may deny they have relation to any other men being themselves compleat men or at most that they are to regard none but their families where they live and so cast off all observance to any greater Societies in Towns or Cities or Commonweals yea and all sense of humanity to the generality of mankinde whom they shall never see together or be acquainted with Who doubts notwithstanding this morose folly but that as in all right reason equity and humanity every man is related by the common nature to all mankinde so also to particular polities and societies of men greater or smaller according to the distinct combinations into which providence hath cast him with them either in Cities or Countreys With whom to refuse communion and disown relation is to sin against the common principles of society order and government which are in mans nature which God hath implanted Reason suggests and all wise men have observed for the obtaining of an higher and more common good by the publick and united influence of the counsel strength and authority of many than can be obtained in scattered parcels or small and weaker fraternities In like maner to be in and of the Church is not onely to be a true believer which gives internal and real union to Christ and to all true Christians in the Church Catholike Ecclesia una est quae in multitudinem latius incremento facunditatis extenditur Cyp. de Eccl. unit 1 Cor. 2.11 What man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in him of which no man can judge because he cannot discern it save onely in the judgement of charity But it implies also to have and to hold that profession of Christian Religion in such external polities and visible communion with others as the providence of God both offers and requires of us according to the time place and opportunities wherein he sets us so as we may most promote the common good Which study and duty we own in humanity as men and more in charity as Christians to any Church or society of Christians To whom our counsel and power or our consent and subjection may adde a further authority a more harmonious and efficacious influence than can be from small or ununited parcels So that a National Church that is such a Society of Christians as are distinct by civil limits and relation from other Nations may not onely own and accordingly act as they are men related in things civil but also as Christians they may own and wisely establish such a Church power relation and association in matters of Religion as may best preserve themselves in true Doctrine holy Order Christian peace and good maners by joynt counsel and more vigorous power The neerness which they have affording greater opportunities to impart and enjoy the benefit of mutual counsel and charity and all other communicable abilities to a nobler measure and higher proportion than can be had in lesser bodies or combinations This joynt publick and united authortiy of any Church in any Nation or Kingdom is so far from being slighted as some capricious mindes do that it is the more to be venerated and regarded by all good Christians who know that duty enlarges with relations and a greater charity is due from us to greater communities both of men and of Christians Odia quo iniquiora eo magis a cerba Tacit. The greatest vexation of these new Modellers is That they have so little with truth modesty or charity to say against this famous National Church of England and its Ministry For they daily see notwithstanding all their specious pretensions and undefatigable agitations the more as winds they seek to shake and subvert well-rooted Christians the more they are confirmed and setled in that Christian communion 9. Charity necessary in any true Church and Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Camer de Melan which they have upon good grounds both of Reason and Religion Polity and Charity with this Church of England as their Mother Which blessing all wise Christians and well ordered Churches ever owned and enjoyed among themselves as parts of the Catholik in their several distinctions and society In these points of the true Church and true Religion however I covet to be short yet I shall be most serious and as clear as may be writing nothing to other mens Consciences which I do not first read in mine own and of which I know account must be given by me at Christs tribunal And truly I am as loth to deceive others as to erre my self in matters of so great concernment Nulla erroris secta sam contra Christi verit atem nist nomine cooperta Christiano ad pugnandum prosilire audet August ep 56. as true Religion and the true Church are Both which every Sect and Party of Christians chalenge to themselves and those no doubt with most right and truest comfort who do it
with most charity to any others that have for the foundation of their faith the Scriptures and the Sacraments for the seals and a true Ministry for the ordering and right dispensing of holy things professing such latitudes of charity always as exclude no such Christians from communion with them Notwithstanding they have many and different superstructures in lesser things Without this Christian charity it is evident all ostentations of true Religion of Churches purity and of Reformation though accompanied with tongues miracles and martyrdoms 1 Cor. 14.1 3 c. are in vain and profit men nothing As it is not enough to make men of the true Church to say They are the onely true Church and in the onely Church-way or to censure condemn and exclude all other Christians who may be in the same path-way to Heaven though the paving be different of grass or gravel or stone c. So it is enough to exclude any party sect or faction of seeming Christians from being any sound part of the true Church to say in a Schismatical pride and uncharitable severity That they are the onely true Church Excidisti ab ecclesia ubi à charitate excideris quum à Christo ipso inde excidisti Aug. as the ring-leaders of the Novatians and Donatists did excommunicating by malicious proud and passionate principles or in any other novelizing ways vexing and disturbing the quiet of those Christians and Churches who have the true Means and Ministry the true Grounds and Seals of Faith with other holy and orderly Ministrations though with some different rites yet professing holiness of life and this with Christian charity to all others Col. 3.14 which is the very bond of perfection The want of which cannot consist with those other graces of true faith and love repentance and humility by which men pretend to be united to Christ The ready way not to be any part or true Member of the Catholike Church is Isai 65.4 They eat abominable things yet they say Stand by thy self come not neer me for I am holier than thou These saith the Lord are a smoke in my nose and a fire that burneth all the day To chalenge to be the onely true Church and to separate from all others both by non-communion with them and a total condemning or abdicating of them As the way for any branch to wither and come to nothing is To break it self off by a rude Schism or violent fraction from the Tree that it may have the glory to grow by it self and to say with a Pharisaick pride to all others stand by I am holier than you Thus parting from that Root and Body Christ and the Catholike Church in the communion with which by Truth and Charity its Life and Beauty did consist However then the unholy love of novelty proud curiosity cold charity and distempered zeal of some men dare cast off unchurch and anathematise not onely single persons and private Congregations but even greater associations of Christians bound together by the bonds of civil as well as Church societies in Nations and Kingdoms yea and to despise that Catholike form of all the Churches in the World 2 Cor. 10.12 They measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves are not wise of antient as well as present times Yet this vain-glorying through a verbal ignorant proud and uncharitable confidence of themselves and contempt of all others seems to have more in it of Belial and Antichrist than of Jesus Christ more of Lucifer than of the Father of Lights who also is the Father of Love who hath therefore shined on men with the light of his grace and love of Christ that he might lead them by this powerful patern of divine love to love one another as men and as Christians with all meekness and charity with all good hope forbearance and long-suffering toward those especially that profess to be of the houshold of faith who hold the foundation Christ crucified though they may have many additions of hay 1 Cor. 3.15 straw and stubble since Those may save though these suffer loss God will easily discern between his gold and our dross between the errors rising from simplicity and the truths joyned with charity and humility He will easily distinguish between the humble ignorance of many upright-hearted Christians who are seduced to wandrings and the subtilty pride or malice of Arch-hereticks and Schismaticks who seduce others for sinister ends All wise humble and charitable Christians should so order their judgements and censures if at any time they are forced to declare them that they must above all things take heed that they nourish not nor discover any uncharitable fewds or distances and antipathies against any Churches or Christians after the rate of those passions which are the common source both of Schisms and Heresies whose ignorance and pride like water and ice mutually arise from and are resolved into each other Therefore proud because ignorant and the more ignorant because so proud Nor yet may they follow those defiances and distances in Religion Tantum distat à vera charitate quorundam zetotarum praeceps intemperatus â—â—dâ— quantum maligna sebricitantium flamâ—ae à native vitali corporis calore Cas which Reason of State or the Interests of Princes or Power of Civil Factions or the Popular fierceness of some Ministers and eager Sticklers for sides and parties do nourish and vulgarly commend as high expressions of zeal and the onely ways of true Religion Where there is scarce one drop of charity in a sea of controversie or one star of necessary truth in the whole clouded Heaven of their differing opinions and ways which set men as far from true Christian temper as burning Feavers do from native heat and health 10. Extremes touching the Church I know no point hath used more liberal and excellent Pens than this concerning the true Church as it is visible or professional before men which is the proper subject of this dispute Some mens Pens flow with too much gall and bitterness as the rigid Papists on the one side and the keener Separatist on the other Denying any to be in a right Church-way save onely such as are just in their particular mold and form Either joyned in communion with the Roman profession and being subject to its head the Pope pleading antiquity unity universality visibility c. or else embodied with those new and smaller Incorporations which count themselves the onely true and properly so called Churches pretending more absolute Church-power more exact constitution and more compleat Scripture-Reformation than any antient National dilated and confederated Churches could or ever did attain too Herein there is a strong excess on both sides 1. By the Romanists Baron Anno Christi 45. p. 376. Haereticum esse qui à Romanae Cathedrae communione divisuâ— sit So Bellarm. dâ— Rom. Pont. l. 2.12 Vetusta coâ—suetudo servetur ut hic Episcopus Rom.
suburbicaniarum ecclesiarum solicitudinem gerâ—â— Ruffin hist l. 1. c. 6. Concil Nicen. both Papal and Popular First The Romanists extend the cords of their Churches power and its head or chief Bishop so far as if it were properly Catholike and Oecumenical that is by divine appointment invested with sovereign Authority to extend and exercise Ecclesiastical polity and dominion over all other particular Churches in all ages and in all parts of the World So that it is say they necessary to salvation to be under this Roman jurisdiction c. Whereas it is certain That the Roman Church antiently was and still is properly speaking distinct from others in place as well as name and had antiently its limited power and jurisdiction extending to the suburbicanian Provinces which were Ten seven in Italy and three in Sicily Corsica and Sardinia Accoâ—ding to those like bounds which occasionally from civil titles both named and distinguished all other Churches from one another in both the Asiaes in Africa and in Europe as the Gallican German British c. Nor hath ever any thing either of Reason or Scripture been produced by any more than of true Antiquity whereby to prove That we are bound to any communion that is in the true meaning of proud and politick Romanists to that subjection to the Pope and his party which may be most for his and their honor and profit with the Church of Rome further than the rule of Christian charity obligeth every Christian and every part of the Catholike Church to communicate in truth and love with all those that in any judgement of charity are to be counted true Christians so far as they appear to us to be such Nor is it less evident That many Churches and Christians have scarce ever known much less owned any claim of subjection upon them by the Roman Church Which however they had antiently a priority of order and precedency yielded to it and its chief Bishop for the eminency of the City the honor of the Empire and the excellency of the reputed Founders and Planters Saint Peter and Saint Paul also for the renown of the faith patience and charity of that Church which was famous in all the World Yet Rom. 1. â— all this Primacy or Priority of Order which was civilly by others granted and might modestly be accepted by the chief Bishop in the Roman Province as to matter of place and precedency or Votes in publick Counscis and Synods This I say is very far from that * Greg. Mag. ep 30. ad Mauri Aug. Fidenter dico quia quisquis se universalem sacerdotem vel Episcopum vocat vel vocari desiderat in elatione suâ Antichristum praecurrit quia superbiendo se caeteris praeponit De Cyriaco Constantinop Episcope hunc frivoli nominis superbia typhum affectante Greg. M. l 4. ep 32 36. Antichristian Supremacy of usurped power tyrannick dominion and arbitrary jurisdiction the very suspition and temptation to which the holy and humble Bishops of Rome were ever jealous of and avoided especially Gregory the Great who was in nothing more worthy of that title than in this That he so greatly detested protested against and refused the title of Vniversal Bishop when it was offered to him by the Councel of Chalcedon Which both name and thing was in after times gained and chalenged by the pride policy covetousness and ambition of those Bishops of Rome who by some of their own sides confession as * Baronius an 912. tom 10. Foedissima nunc Romanae ecclesia facies cùm Romae dominarentur potentissima ac sordidissima merâ—â—rices Baronius * See Genebrard ad Sec. 10. Pontifices per an 150. à virtute majorum prorsus desecerunt Genebrard and others were sufficiently degenerated from that Primitive humility and sanctity which were eminent in the first Bishops of Rome in those purer and primitive times who never thought of any one of those Three Crowns which flatterers in after ages have fully hammered and set on the heads of the Bishops of Rome in a Supremacy not of Order but of Power and plenary Jurisdiction above all Christians or Churches or Councils in the Christian World which hath justly occasioned so many parts of the Catholike Church in that regard to make a necessary separation not from any thing that is Christian among them but from the usurpation tyranny and superstition of those bishops of the Roman Church and their Faction who unjustly claim and rigorously exercise dominion over the Consciences and Liberties of all other Churches and Christians With whom the Roman pride now refuseth to hold such peaceable communion as ought universally to be among Christians in respect of order and charity unless they will all submit to that tyranny and usurpation which hath nothing in it but secular pride vain pomp and worldly dominion Yet still those of the Roman Church know That all the Reformed Churches as well as we of England ever did and do hold a Christian communion in charity with them so far as by the Word of God we conceive they hold with the head or root of the Church Christ Jesus with the ground and rule of Faith the Scriptures and with all those holy Professors in the purest and primitive Churches Of whose faith lives and deaths having some Monuments left us by the writings of eminent Bishops and others we judge what was the tenor both of the Faith Maners and Charity of those purer times which we highly venerate and strive to imitate Possibly we might now subscribe to that Letter which the Abbot and Monks of Bangor sent to Austin whom some report to be a proud and bloody Monk when he came to this Nation and required obedience of them and all Christians here to the Pope which Letter is thus translated out of Saxonick by that grave and learned Gentleman Sir Henry Spelman Sir Henry Spelman Concil Brit. Anno Christi 590. out of the Saxon Manuscript a lover and adorner of this Church of England by his life and learned Labors Be it known to you without doubt that every one of us are obedient and subject to the Church of God and to the Pope of Rome and to every true godly Christian to love every one in his degree in perfect charity and to help every one of them by word and deed to be the children of God and other obedience than this we know not due to him whom you call Pope nor do we own him to be Father of Fathers Isca one of the three Metropolis in Britain Caerusk in Monmouthshire Antiq. Brit. This obedience we are ever ready to give and pay to him and every Christian continually Beside we are under our own Bishop of Caerleon upon Usk who is to oversee us under God and to cause us to keep the way spiritual Nor will this benefit of the Popes pretended Infallibility 11. The pretended Infallibility in the Pope or Church of Rome
all Heretical or Schismatical insinuations when yet they never had any Bibles or Scriptures among them but onely retained that Faith which they at first had learned and were still taught by their Orthodox Bishops and Ministers which they never wanted in a due succession Of whose piety honesty and charity they were so assured as diligently to attend their doctrine and holy ministrations with which the blessing of God opening their harts as Lydia's still went along so as to keep them in true faith love and holy obedience Since then no man or men can give to others any such sure proofs and good grounds of their personal infallibility as the Scriptures have in themselves both by that more than humane lustre of divine truths in it which set forth most excellent precepts paterns and promises excellent morals and mysteries excellent rules examples and rewards beyond any Book whatsoever Also from that general credit regard and reception which they have and ever had with all and most with the best Christians in all ages as the Oracles of God delivered by holy and honest men for a rule of faith and holy life also for a ground of eternal hope Since that from hence onely even the Pope or any others that pretend to any infallibility or inspirations do first seek to ground those their pretensions of which every one that will be perswaded must first be judge of the reasons or grounds alleged to perswade him It is necessary that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallibility of the Scriptures must be first received and believed by every Christian in order to his being assured of any truth which thence is urged upon him to believe or do Which great principle setling a believer on the certainty or infallibility of the Scriptures as a divine rule of Faith and Life is never to be gained upon any mens judgements and perswasion be they either idiotick or learned unless there be such an authoritative Ministry and such Ministers to preach interpret open and apply the Scriptures by strong and convincing demonstrations which may carry credit and power with them The succession then of rightly ordained Ministers is more necessary to the Church than any such Papal infallibility in as much as it is more necessary to believe the Scriptures authority than any mans testimony which hath no credit but from the Scripture Which while the Pope or others do seek to wrest to their own secular advantages and ends they bring men at length to regard nothing they say nor at all to consider what they endlesly wrangle and groundlesly dispute about true Religion or the true Church 12. An able and right Ministry is beyond any pretended Infallibility So absolutely necessary and sufficient in the way of ordinary means is a right and duly ordained Ministry which Christ hath appointed to continue and propagate true Christian Religion which ever builds true Faith and the true Church upon the Scriptures That as there is no infallibility of the Pope or other man evident by any Reason Scripture or Experience so there needs none to carry on that great work of mens salvation which will then fail in any Church and Nation when the right Ministry fails by force or fraud If we can keep our true Christian Ministry and holy Ministrations we need not ask the Romanists or any other arrogant Monopolizers of the Church leave to own our selves true Christians and a part of the true Catholike Church of Christ which cannot be but there where there is a profession of the Christian Religion as to the main of it in its Truths Sacraments holy Ministrations and Ministry rightly ordained both for the ability of the ordained and the authority of the ordainers although all should be accompanied with some humane failings Where the now Roman Church then doth as we conceive either in their doctrine or practise vary from that Catholikely received rule the Scriptures which are the onely infallible certain and clear guide in things fundamental as to faith or maners we are forced so far justly and necessarily to leave them and their infallible fallibility in both yet charitably still so as to pity their errors to pray for their enlightning their repentance and pardon which we hope for Where no malice or corrupt lusts makes the additional errors pernicious and where the love of truth makes them pardonable by their consciencious obeying what they know and desire to know what they are yet ignorant of Yea and wherein they are conform to any Scriptures doctrine and practise or right reason good order and prudent polity there we willingly run parallel with and agreeable to them both in opinion and practise For we think we ought not in a heady and passionate way wholly to separate from any Church or cast away any branch of it that yet visibly professeth Christian Religion further than it rends and breaks it self off from the Word Institution and patern of Christ in the Scriptures and so either separates it self from us or casts us out from it uncharitably violating that Catholike communion of Christs Church which ought to be preserved with all possible charity The constancy and fidelity of the Church of Christ is more remarkable in its true Ministry holding forth in an holy succession the most Catholike and credible truth of the Scriptures which at once shews both the innate divine light in them and the true Church also which is built by them and upon them The truth of which Scriptures while we with charity believe and profess both in word and deed we take it to be the surest and sufficientest evidence to prove That we are a part of the true Church against the cavils and calumnies of those learneder Romanists upon whose Anvils others of far weaker arms have learned to forge the like fiery darts against this Church of England For on the other side the new Models of Independent 13. The contrary extreme reducing all Churches to small and single Congregations or Congregational Churches which seem like small Chapels of Ease set up to confront and rob the Mother Churches of Auditors Communicants Maintenance and Ministry winde up the cords and fold up the curtains of the true Church too short and too narrow Shrinking that Christian communion and visible polity or society of the Church to such small figures such short and broken ends of obscure conventicles and paucities that by their rigid separatings some men scarce allow the whole company of true Christians in all the world to be so great as would fill one Jewish Synagogue Fancying that no Church or Christian is sufficiently reformed till they are most diametrically contrary in every use and custom to the Roman fashion abhorring many things as Popish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. In vitium ducit culpae fugasi caret arte Hor. and Superstitious because used by the Papists When indeed they are either pious or very prudential yea many count it a special mark of their true
which sanctifies reason to serve God and the Church in all comely ways may not use those principles and rules for order unity peace and mutual safety of Christians in their multiplied numbers and societies which we are taught and allowed to use in all civil associations Yea and not onely allowed but enjoyned to observe in Ecclesiastical polity and Government by that great and fundamental Canon of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order which must hold not onely in private and lesser parcels but in the more large and integral parts of the Church of Christ But Reason then and Religion sufficiently discover the vanity and impertinency of those novel fancies which are obtruded as necessary for all private Congregations when indeed they are and ever have been and will be destructive to the more publick and general good of the Church whose tranquillity honor and safety consists in such dependencies and subordinations which may be furthest remote from those fractions and disunions which arise from that Church-dividing and Charity-destroying principle of Independent Congregations Rom. 16.5 Greet the Church which is in their house 1 Cor. 16.19 The Churches of Asia salute yâ—u which was never used in any times of the Church further than the minority and infancy of the first planting while either Christians were not encreased much in number or not enlarged in place But when the first small company of believers multiplied from a Church in one Family to a Church in many Congregations which could not now with conveniency all meet together in one place they yet as branches still continued both united to the root Christ Jesus 14. The Church of England not blamable for its National communion and also to the main body and bulk of the visible Church by union to that part whence they descended and to which they related and they were not as Colonies or Slips so transplanted and separated as to grow Independently of themselves apart from all others Of which there is no example in Scripture or Antiquity It follows then That what was setled in this or other like Christian Churches was no whit blamable as any thing of meer humane invention or any superfluous and corrupt addition to any precept patern or constitution either of Christs or the Apostles who never prohibited the ordering of Churches in larger associations or Governments extending to Cities and their Territories to great Diocesses Provinces and Nations Since there is no precept or practise limiting Churches power and society to private and single Congregations Yea there are such general directions and examples in the Scripture as command or at least commend rather than condemn those analogous or proportionable applyings of all orderly and prudential means for union and communion according as the various state and times of the Church may require which still aym at the same end the peace and welfare of the Church both in the lesser and the larger extents which are justly so carried on by the wise Governors and Protectors of the Church according to the general principles and rules or paterns of pious and charitable prudence set down in the Scriptures beyond which in this case of the Churches outward order and polity there neither is nor needs other directions no more than on what Text and Subject or in what method and place or how long time and how often a Minister must pray or preach and people must hear Sermons or attend holy duties That antient and excellent frame then of this Church in England which in a National union by civil religious and sacred bonds was so wisely built and for many ages compacted together and which hath been lately so undermined so hackt and hewn with passionate writings and disputings and actings that it is become not onely a tottering but almost a quite demolished and overthrown frame This Church I say hath suffered this hard fate rather through the iniquities of times malice of men and just judgements of God on the Governors and governed who we may fear improved not so great advantages of union order power peace and protection to the real good of the Church and furtherance of the Gospel rather I say by these personal failings than for any either mischief deformity defects or Antichristian excess in the way and frame it self as to its grounds and constitutions Which were setled and long approved by very wise holy and learned men carrying with them as much as any Christian or Reformed Church did the lineaments feature beauty and vigor of those famous Primitive Churches which in the midst of heresies and persecutions kept themselves safe as to truth and charity not by the shreds of Independent Bodies but by the sutures of Christian Associations in Provincial National and Oecumenical enlargements Such ample and noble platforms of religious reason and sanctified wisdom as not ambitious policy but Christian charity and prudent humility embraced which as our new models and projections will never mend so they much commend those antient happy models and paterns by those multiplied mischiefs ensuing inevitably upon the presumptions of posterity which have rashly adventured thus to remove and change the antient limits marks and orders of the Church which Primitive Fathers and Apostles had recommended and setled 15. Seekers thence The Eutychian Hereticks refusing to subscribe the Catholike Faith confirmed by the Council of Chalcedon called themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ambigentes Dubitantes and after run out to all corrupt opinions Aug. de Haere Nobis qui sam credimus aliud non quaerendum Si enim semper quaerimus nunquam inveniemus nunquam credemus Tert. de Praes ad Hae. c. 10. Quemadmodum Atheorum pars maxima non tam credunt quam cupiunt non esse Deum M n. Fael Non facile invenient veram ecclesiam qui illibenter quaerunt Melancth Which temerity of thus mincing and crumbling or tearing any Church National being the issue of no Synod or Council in the Church but onely of private fancies and most-what mechanick adventures hath we see made some poor souls turn Scepticks and Seekers after true Religion and a true Church being wholly unsatisfied either with the abolition of the old way or the various inventions of new ways These profess whether out of weakness pure ignorance passion or policy God knows That they are Christians no further than to see that all Christian Churches are now and have been ever since the Apostles times adulterous impure deformed and Antichristian That they are wholly to seek for any true ground or way of Christian Religion Church and Ministry even among so many Christians Ministers and Churches That is they cannot see wood for trees nor light for the Sun at noon-day And this may easily be either by reason of wilful blindness or for want of that charity and humility which keeps the hearts and eyes of Christians open and clear or from that darkness and blear-eyedness which prejudice and
perversness carry with them hindring Christians from discerning even those objects that are round about them yea it is to be feared That some men from Atheistical profane ranting and licentious principles seek for a true Church as Hypocrites do for their sins and cowards for their enemies loth to finde them and studying most to be hidden from them They complain of this and other Churches as defective as impure as none when indeed it may be feared they are sorry there are any such and wish there were none of these Christian societies Ministers or godly people in the world whose doctrine and examples are their restraints reproaches and torments being most cross to their evil designs and immoderate lusts They complain they cannot finde a true Church when they are unwilling so to do and satisfie themselves as the Cynick in his Tub morosely to censure and Magisterially to finde fault with all Christians that they may conform to none in an holy humble and peaceably way but rather enjoy that fantastick and lazy liberty of mocking God and man till they finde such a way of Church and Religion as shall please them Which they would not be long in finding as to extern polity and profession if they did but entertain that inward life and power of Religion which I formerly set down which by a principle of charity as well as of truth strongly flowing from belief of Gods love in Christ to mankinde and specially to the Church doth powerfully binde and cheerfully encline every humble believer 1 Cor. 14.33 God is not the Author 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of unsetledness commotion or confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness c. Rom. 12.18 If it be possible as much as lieth in you live peaceably with all men to have peace and communion as much as may be with all Christians as internal in judgment and good will so external and social both private and publick amicitial and political in regard of example comfort and encouragement as also of Order Subordination and Government so far as we see they have any fellowship with Christ Jesus in those holy mysteries and duties which he hath appointed whereby to gather and preserve his Church in all Ages and places and Nations Thus we see some mens Pens serve onely to blot the face even of the Catholike Church and all parts of it in their visible order and communion affecting to write such blinde and small Characters in describing new Church ways and forms of Religion that no ordinary eyes can read their meaning either in their shrinking and separating into small ruptures of Bodies when they were related to and combined with Churches large and setled or in their Seraphick raptures strange Enthusiasms secret drawings and extraordinary impulsions which they pretend to have in their ways above and without yea in the neglect and contempt of all ordinary means and setled Ministry in any Church Their many high imaginations and fanatick fancies are no doubt above their Authors own understandings no less than above all wiser and soberer mens capacities twinckling much more like gloworms under the hedges of private Conventicles and Factions than shining with true and antient light of the judgement or practise of any Churches Therefore they need no further confutation from my Pen having so little yea no confirmation from any grounds of Scripture or arguments of common Reason or custom of Christians nothing indeed worthy of any rational godly and serious mans thoughts who list not to dance after the Jews-trump or Oaten-pipe of every Country fancy rather than listen to the best touched Lute or Theorbo These Syrens wise Christians may leave to sing to themselves and their own melancholy or musing thoughts no sober-man can understand them further than they signifie that ignorance illiterateness idleness pride presumption licentiousness and vanity which some like spiritual Canters affect The rarities which they boast to enjoy are without any discreet mans envy that I know However they carry it with a kinde of scornful indignation against others every where pitying as they say the simple diligence and needless industry of those poor Christians who are still attending on those thred-bare forms as they call them of old readings and catechisings and preachings and prayings and Sacraments c. in the publick Liturgies and orderly assemblies of Christians Despising as much the antient and true way of Ministry and Duty as they would the moldy bread and torn bottles of the Gibeonites abhorring to own any relation to other Christians or Church or Ministry or Governors in any Catholike bond of communion and subjection nor can they endure any Christian subordination or prudent and necessary restraint of just Government Jeron Ep. ad Eustoch Quibus os barbarum procax in convicia semper armatum Isid Hâ—spal lib. de offic eccles c. 15. Ubicunque vagantur venalem circumferentes hypocri sinusquam fixi nusquam stantes nusquam sedentes quae non viderunt confingunt Opiniones suaâ— habent pro Deo Honores quos non acceperunt se habuisse protestantur c. Which makes them look very like the old Circumcelliones a company of vagrant Hypocrites of whom Saint Jerom and Isidore Hispalensis make large and satyrical descriptions The first sayes they were impudent straglers whose mouths were always full of barbarous and importune reproaches The other tells us that they every where wandered in their mercenary hypocrisie fixed no where feigning visions of what they never saw Counting their opinions and dreams for divine and protesting to have received those eminencies which they have not Impatient to be confined to any place order or way but had rather like vagabonds continue in their beggarly liberty than fix to a sober industry and enjoy a setled competency 2 Pet. 2.14 Beguiling unstable souls These unstable spirits who turn round till they are giddy and fall from all truth and charity into all error and faction who shut their eyes that they may say they grop in the dark and complain of all mens blindness but their own These I say have of all others least cause to blame the Religion and Ministry of the Church of England since they own themselves to be in no Church-way Which of all sides is most blamed and condemned and so need not to be confuted any more 16. Several quarrels against the Church of Englands frame Some others there are who flatter themselves to be less mad than these seeking fellows who glory most in this That they have broken all the former cords and shaken off all bonds of any National Government Order and Discipline whereby they were formerly restrained in this Church Which first they deny to be any Church purely and properly so called or in any way and frame of Christs institution but onely such an establishment as ariseth from meer civil polity and humane constitution Secondly These charge us that we
neglect when they have set us in every corner so many copies of it I answer We have indeed in the Church of England from its first Christianity been wholly without this covenanting way and I think both happily and most willingly we had been so still since there appears no more ground for it in Scripture precept or Churches paterns nor is there any more need of it as to the peace and polity of the true Church of Christ than there is of rents and patches in a fair and whole Garment Who knows not Jonâ—h 4.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that like Jonah's gourd it is filius noctis the production of yesterday risen from the darkness and divisions of mens mindes The fruit of discontent separation and self-conceit for the most part though it may be nursed up by devout and well-meaning Christians yet it looks very like those bastard brats which the Novatians and Donatists of old began every where which were like Ismaels to Isaac mockers and contemners of the true Churches Communion Order and Peace VVe do not think this Covenant any more essential to the Being of a true Church than John Baptists Leathern girdle was to his being a Man or a Prophet It is an easie and specious novelty therefore pleasing to common people because within their grasp and reach which its Proselytes that forsake and abhor the English Churches Order and Communion do wrap and hug themselves in as much as any Papist doth in his adherence to the Roman party or in his hopes to be buried in a Monks Cowl Besides it carries this great temptation with it of gratifying the common professor with some shew of Power and Government which he once covenanted into that Church-way shall solemnly exercise But in good-earnest to sober Christians who have no secret byas of discontent or interest to sway them this new fashion of their Church-Covenant seems to have as no command or example in Scripture so no precedent in antiquity nor is it recommended for any excellent effects of prudence or peace which it produceth either to private Christians or the publick welfare of the Reformed Churches Some look on it as a mark of Schismatical confederacy which carries in its Bowels viperine principles which are destructive to the quiet of States and Kingdoms as well as of Churches If any finde any good or contentment in it as a tye or pledge of love in private fraternities yet they vastly overvalue it to cry it up as a matter no less necessary to the Being of a Church or well-being of Christians than the skin is to the Body when alas it is but a cloak lately taken up which never fell from Elias his shoulders and serves rather to cover some mens infirmities and discontents against this Church of England than much to keep them warm or adorn them as Christians VVe shall give a poor account of former Churches or Christians if this covenanting invention should be of such concernment to Christianity To which it seems to many wise and good men as superfluous as it were to binde a man with wisps of straw when he is already bound with chains of gold with more firm and pretious tyes For every true and conscientious Christian knows and owns himself to have upon his Conscience far more strict and indissoluble tyes not onely of nature and creation but of the Law and Word of God yea and of Christian covenant and profession by his baptismal-vow besides that of the other Sacrament also his private vows promises and repentings c. All which strictly binde the conscience of all good Christians to all duties of piety and charity according to the relations private or publick civil or sacred wherein they stand to God or man And further we see by daily experience That these sorry wit hs of mans invention obtruded as divine and necessary upon Christians and Churches binde not any of these new small bodies or bundles so fast but that they continually are breaking separating and scattering into as many fractions and subdivisions Error sibi semper dispaâ— est discolor quantò magis à veritate tantum ab unitate discedit August Eph. 3.17 as they have heady mindes fancies and humors among them And this they do without any sense of sin or shame yea for the most part with an angry glorying despising and defying of one another when but lately they boasted in how rare a way they were of Church-fellowship and Saintly-communion not as Members of Christs Body the Catholike Church grounded and grown up in truth and love but onely as pieces of wood finely glued together by reciting a form of words which they call a Church-Covenant which a little spittle or wet dissolves Nor do they make any scruple to moulder and divide if once they come to dispute and differ in the least kinde So hard is it for any thing to hold long together which is compacted of weak judgements and strong passions Last of all It is evident in the experience of all wise Christians That this narrow and short thong of private Bodying Church-covenanting cannot extend so far as is necessary for the Churches general peace order and welfare in reference to its more publick relations and necessities which oft require stronger and more effectual remedies Yea these small strings and cords binding each particular Congregation apart as if it were a limb to be let blood makes them at length grow benumed and less sensible of that common spirit of love and charity by which each Member is knit to the larger parts and so to the whole Body of the Church to whose common good they ought wisely and charitably to be more intent than to their particular Congregations which are but as the Pettitoes or little Fingers of the Church Which may not act or be considered otherways than as they are and subsist which is not apart by themselves nor onely in relation to an hand or foot to which they are more immediately conjoyned but as in an higher relation to the whole Body of which they are real parts servient to the whole and as much concerned in the common good and preservation of the whole if not more than of themselves or any particular part or Member A Christian must not deal out his charity by retail and small parcels onely as to private Fraternities and Congregations but also by whole-sale to the ampler proportions of Christs Church according as he stands in large and publick relations the due regard to the peace order and welfare of which is not to be dispenced withal nor shuffled off by saying 1 Cor. 12.21 I am of such a Congregational-Body or Covenanting Church no more than the hand may say I am not of the head nor neer it and so will have no care of it We are therefore so far from being admirers of the small talents and weak inventions of those men in so great a matter as the constituting and conserving of a true Church by
soul and body make a true man Essentials of a true Church in England 1 Tim. 6.3 It is well some of their charity is such that they allow us for they cannot shift it thus much First That we have the onely true ground and sure rule of Religion the written Word of God that beyond this we hold nothing as a matter of faith or Christian duty Secondly That we celebrate the holy Sacraments according to the sum and substance of the divine Institution Thirdly That our conversation aims to be such Phil. 1.27 as becomes the Gospel in all maner of holiness to the saving of our own and others souls What can these Aristarchusses carp at in the ground of our faith the Scriptures the Seals of our Faith the Sacraments the life of our Faith 1 Pet. 1.9 holy conversation and the end of our faith the salvation of our souls Is it not strange That all these sweet and fair flowers of Christs planting and watering should grow so well in that which some call Babylon in Antichrists Garden or on the Devils dunghil That it should be no true Church of Christ which owns nothing for Religious but what is according to the truth of Jesus either commanding or permitting instituting or indulging of pious necessity or of prudent liberty We should put these rigid Catoes too much to the blush for â—heir unnatural ingratitude to the Ministers and Church of England if we should ask them Whence they had this privilege by which they own themselves to be Christians whence this power to cast or call themselves into Bodies or Churches as Believers which is by them presupposed whence they had till of late years their instruction for the most part in the knowledge of Jesus Christ Sure these holy leaves or fruits grow not but in the Pale and Garden of the Church of Christ not in our own rude mirdes and untill'd natures not among desolate Indians obstinate Jews oâ— barbarous Turks and not often in private closets and corners which nourish a neglect and contempt of Publick Ordinances But if these men were self-taught and converted yet sure not self-baptized too nor their Teachers self-ordained too If they had nothing of their Christianity from the Ministry of the Church of Englandâ— It is no wonder they prove such Scholars such Christians and such Preachers as some of them seem to be having been their own Masters Ministers and Baptizers They are indeed onely worthy of themselves and of wiser mens pity For that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the retreat 24. Of pretensions to be above any Ministry as taught of God immediately or reserve of some men by which as Eaglets they would seem to soar out of sight and to build their Nest on a Rock that is higher than our ordinary Reason Religion and Experience can reach as if they were immediately inspired specially called and taught of God baptized by his Spirit without any Minister or outward Ministry they must give us leave not to believe them upon their bare word which hath not always been so sure till they demonstrate and prove it better by Gods Word and their better maners For which we will give them time enough Mean while we are sure the best Christians among them were made such by the ordinary Ministers of this Church and these made Ministers by no other means but that Ordination derived from and ascending up to the blessed Apostles whom Christ first chose to be Disciples and after ordained and sent them as Publick Ministers not onely as to personal discharge but as to successional descent These were Eagles indeed who flew high in their knowledge and piety yet stooped low in their humility and charity Those others of a new brood are more like yong Cuckoes which devour the Bird in whose nest and by whose fostering they were hatched Some of them have knowledge I would they had more humility and charity they would not disdain to own the parents that begat and educated them even this now so poor desolated beaten torn and wasted Church of England and its Antichristian Ministers as they please to call them Be it so some mens tongue is no slander If we neither adde to nor detract from the Scriptures as Jews Papists and Euthusiasts do If we erre in no fundamentals of faith or maners if we refuse no duty divinely required if we allow no error in our selves or others if we drive on no worldly designs injuriously or hypocritically but study to approve our selves in all godliness and honesty with meekness of wisdom to all men we need no more fear the drops of peevish tongues or dashes of malicious pens as to the honor and comfort of being a part of the true Church of Christ than a cloth dyed in grain need to fear stains by the aspersions of dirt cast on it by unclean and envious hands 25. Of the power of the People in Church affairs 4. But it is objected against us in England That neither Church nor Minister of England did or do own that high and mighty principle of all Church power which some call The People Answ True indeed Although we highly love and esteem as Brethren the faithful and humble people for whom Christ hath died yet we are not of so spungy and popular a softness as to own any part or Congregation or Body of People to be the original or conduits of any Spiritual or Church power which no learned and wise men ever esteemed to be Popular or Democratical but rather an excellent Aristocracy where many able men were in Counsel and some one eminent in order and authority among them We do not dig or descend to these low valleys for these holy waters nor do we seek for the flowings of it through such crazy and crooked pipes nor do we hope to draw it forth out of such broken Cisterns which can hold no such waters We have them from higher fountains and derive them in straiter channels Matth. 28.19 and conserve them in fitter vessels than the vulgarity of even honest Christians can be presumed to be That is from the ordinary Power and constant Commission which from Christ was derived to the Apostles Matth. 16.19 Matth. 18.18 John 20.23 and from them to their Successors in their ordinary Ministry and Church power in after ages who had this peculiar power of the keys of Heaven to binde or remit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pascere cum imperio pastor inde ut princeps To feed and rule Revel 12.5 19.15 Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 5.2 Vulgus ex veritate pauca ex opinione multa aestimat Tul. pro. Ros Com. to gather to guide to feed and to govern the several parts of the Church in Christs stead and name orderly committed to them People may rudely wrest these keys out of true Bishops and Ministers hands but it is evident they were never committed to them by the great Master of the House Jesus Christ nor do they
or at least his will and zeal thinks it a shame to seem ignorant or if he be conscious to his ignorance seeks to cover it over and set it off with forwardness Therefore the wisdom of the Lord Christ upon whose shoulders the Government of his Church is laid Isai 9.7 hath set bounds to mans activity and unquietness by another way of Church power which is setled in and derived by fewer indeed but yet wiser and abler persons than the community of Christians can be presumed to be who in all affairs of Church or State have ever given such experiments of their follies madnesses and confusions where-ever they arrogate power or have much to do beyond ciphers in a sum that all wise men conclude That people are then happiest when they have least to do in any thing that is called Government Nor is it to be believed that Jesus Christ hath ordered any thing in his Churches polity that is contrary to the principles of true wisdom which in man is but a beam of that Sun which is in God But the Bodying men say 28. People not fit to judge of doctrine or scandals in Religion They must and ought to have a Church not onely visible in the profession of Faith but palpable and maniable so as they may at once grasp it and upon every occasion convene it or the major part of it into one place that so they may complain of what they think amiss and remedy by the power of that small fraternity what ever faults any of them list to finde in one another as Fellow Members and Brethren yea and in those too whom they have made to be their Pastors Rulers and Fathers Answ That the best Men and best Ministers may erre and offend in religious respects by error and scandal we make no doubt Nor is it denied but they may and ought both by private charity be admonished and by publick authority be reproved and censured Where this Authority is as it ought to be in the hands of those whom the Lord Christ hath appointed as wise able and authorised by the Church to judge of Doctrine Maners and Differences incident among Christians as such But I appeal to all sober and judicious Christians whether they can finde or fancy almost that venerable Consistory that judicious Senate that grave and dreadful Tribunal which the antients speak of among Christians of those first and best times which is necessary for the honor and good order of Religion and peace of Christians Whether I say there be any face or form of it among those dwarf Bodies those petty Church lets those narrow Conventicles whose Head and Members Pastors and Flock are for the most part not above the Plebeian size of a meer mechanick mould either ignorant or heady or wilful or fierce under words and semblances of zeal gravity and an affected severity I make no quaere Whether these sorts of men be fit persons to whom all appeals in matters of Religion must be made and by whom they must be finally determined to whose judgements prudence and conscience all matters of doctrine and scandal must be referred By whom Religious concernments must be ordered and reformed by whom Ministers must be examined tryed and ordained In eo quisque judex recti constituitur in quo peritus judicatur Reg. Juris first afterward judged and deposed Whether it be fit that those who are guilty of so little learning or experience in divine matters should solely agitate these great things of God which so much concern his truth his glory and Christians good every way which matters both as to Doctrine and Discipline are able to exercise and fully imploy the most learned able and holy men Who dreads not to think that all saving truths stand at such mens mercy the honor of Christ and the good of mens souls too while all degrees of excommunication and censures are irrepealably transacted by them Among whom its hard to finde two wise men and scarce any ten of them if they be twenty of one minde while they boast they are of one Body Again who will not sadly laugh to see that when they differ as they oft do and break in pieces yet like quantitative substances they are always divisible like water and other homogeneous bodies they still drop and divide into as many new Churches and Bodies as they are dissenting or separating parties The miracle is that when like Hypolitus his Limbs they are rent and scattered by Schisms into Factions yet still every leg or arm or hand forms presently into a new distinct compleat Body and subdivided Church Each of which conceives such an integrality of parts and plenitude of power that it puts forth head and eyes and hands all Church Officers Pastors Elders Deacons by an innate principle of Church power which they fancy to be in any two or three godly people At this rate and on this ridiculous presumption they run on as water on a dry ground till it hath wasted it self till they are in small chips and slivers making up Bodies at six and sevens and Churches of two or three Believers These ere long losing one another in the midst of some new opinion some sharp subtilty or some angry curiosity which they cannot reach then and not before this meteor or blasing Star of a popular Independent absolute self-sufficient Church power in the people which threatned Heaven and Earth and strived to out-shine the Sun and Moon and Stars of all antient combined Churches Order and Government for want of matter quite vanisheth and disappears by its Members separating from and excommunicating or unchurching of each other Then the solitary relicts turn Seekers whose unhappy fortune is never to finde the folly of their new errors nor the antient true Church way which they proudly or passionately or ignorantly lost when they so easily forsook communion with the Catholike Church and with that part of it to which they were peaceably orderly and comlily united as was here in England Whose way of serving the true God was privately with knowledge faith love and sincerity publickly with peace order humility and charity Which might still with honor and happiness to this Nation be continued if the proud hearts and wanton heads and rude hands of some novel pretenders had not sought to make the very name of Christian Religion the Reformed Church and Ministry of England a meer sport and may-game to the Popish profane and looser world by first stripping us of all those Primitive Ornaments of gravity order decency charity good government unanimity and then dressing us up and impluming us with the feathers of popular and passionate fancies which delight more in things gay and new than good and old But how shall we do say these Bodying-men 29. Of Church Discipline in whom the Power Matth. 18.17 Tell it to the Church to fulfil that command Dic Ecclesiae for such a Church as may receive complaints hear causes of
scandal speedily reform abuses restore defects execute all power of the Keys in the right way of Discipline without which there is no true at least no compleat and perfect Church for these men think Christians can hardly get to Heaven unless they have power among them to cast one another into Hell to give men over to Satan to excommunicate as they see cause to open and shut Heaven and Hell gates as they think fit Must all things that concern our Church say they lie at six and sevens till we get such Bishops and Presbyters such Synods and Councils such Representatives of Learned men as are hardly obtained and as hard to be rightly ordered or well used when they are met together They had rather make quicker dispatches in Church work as if they thought it better for every family to hang and draw within it self and presently punish every offence than for a whole Country to attend either general Assizes or quarter Sessions Answ Truly good Christians in this Church at present are in a sad and bad case too as well as their Ministers if they could make no work of Religion till they were happy to see all things of extern order and government duly setled Yet sure we may go to Church and to Heaven too in our worst clothes if we can get no better nor may we therefore wholly stay at home and neglect religious duties because we cannot be so fine as we would be Both Ministers and people must do the best they can in their private sphears and particular Congregations to which they are related whereby to preserve themselves and one another as Brethren in Christ from such deformities and abuses as are destructive to the power of godliness the peace of conscience and the honor of the Reformed Religion until the Lord be pleased to restore to this Church that holy Order antient Government and Discipline which is necessary not to the being of a Christian or a true Church as its form or matter which true Believers constitute by their internal union to Christ by Faith and to all Christians by Charity but onely as to the external form and polity for the peace order and well being of a Church as it is a visible society or holy nation and fraternity of men 1 Pet. 2.9 professing the truth of Jesus Christ Yea and Christians may better want that is with less detriment or deformity to Religion that Discipline which some men so exceedingly magnifie as the very Throne Scepter and Kingdom of Christ under Christian Magistracy as they may the office of Deacons where the law by Overseers takes care for the poor where good laws by civil power punish publick offences and repress all disorders in Religion as well as trespasses in secular affairs Better I say than they could have been without it in primitive times when Christians had no other means to repress any disorders that might arise in their societies either scandalous to their profession or contrary to their principles of which no Heathen Magistrate or Humane Laws took then any cognisance or applied any remedy to them Not but that I do highly approve and earnestly pray for such good Order comely Government and exact Discipline in every Church both as to the lesser Congregations and the greater Associations to which all reasons of safety and grounds of peace invite Christian Societies in their Church relations as well as in those of Civil which were antiently used in all setled and flourishing Churches Much after that patern which was used among the Jews both in their Synagogues which they had frequent both in their own Land and among strangers in their dispersions and also in their great Sanhedrim which was as a constant supreme Council for ordering affairs chiefly of Religion to one or both which no doubt our Saviour then referred the believing Jew in that of Tell it to the Church that is after private monition tell it to the lesser Convention or Consistory in the Synagogues which might decide matters of a lesser nature or to the higher Sanedrim in things of more publick concernment both which were properly enough called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coetus congregatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philo. Jud. calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nihil hic à Christo novum praecipitur sed mos rectè introductus probatur H. Grot. in loc Ecclesiae i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Every polity hath in it power enough to preserve it happiness Coimus in coâ—tum congregationem Ibidem orationes exhortationes castigationes censura divina Praesident probati quique seniores Tert. Apol. Solebant Judaei res majoris momenti ultimo loco ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multitudinem referre i. e. ad eos qui eadem instituta sestabantur quorum judicia conventus seniores moderabantur tanquam praesidet Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ign. Bas in Chrys Beyond this sense none could be made of Christs words by his then Auditors to whom he speaks not by way of new direction and institution of a Soverein Court or Consistory in every Congregation of Christians to come but by way of referring to a well known use and daily practise then among the Jews which was the onely and best means wherein a Brother might have such satisfaction in point of any offence which charity would best bear without flying to the Civil Magistrate which was now a forein power When Jews turned Christians it s very certain they altered not their Discipline and order as Christians in Church society from what they used before in their Synagogues Proportionably no doubt in Christian Churches of narrower or larger extensions and communion among the Gentiles the wisdom of Christ directs and allows such judicatories and iurisdictions to prevent or remove all scandals and offences among Christians to preserve peace and order as may have least of private or pedantick imperiousness and vulgar trifflings of men unable and unfit to be in or to exercise any such holy and divine authority over others who are easily trampled upon and fall into reproach and the snare of the Devil by reason of divers lusts passions weaknesses and temptations but rather Christ commends such grave Consistories solemn Synods and venerable Councils as consisting of wise and able and worthy men may have most as of the Apostolical wisdom eminency gravity so of Christs Spirit Power and Authority among them Such as no Christian with any modesty reason conscience or ingenuity can despise or refuse to submit to the integrity of their censure when it is carried on not with those heats peevishnesses and emulations which are usually among men of less improved parts or ripened years especially if Neighbors Such a way wisely setled in the Church might indeed binde up all things that concern Religion in private or more publick respects to all good behavior in the bonds of truth peace and
and all possible means of Historical belief or faith among men For which the wisdom and providence of the Creator hath afforded to mankinde no other ordinary ground or inducement but onely that of a charitable and rational perswasion which we have That neither the most nor to be sure the best ablest and worthiest men in all Ages and these in several places would conspire in a lie or give testimony to a falshood contrary to their own consciences and the evidence of things as to matter of fact whereof themselves and their forefathers were eye-witnesses beyond any possibility of ignorance or mistake Nor can any thing be alleged or supposed as matter of self-interest or partiality there being in the first Three hundred years no temptation of secular profit or honor to blinde or corrupt their judgment and testimony whereby they should not either fully and clearly see what was judged and acted in the Church or that any thing should so bribe their tongues and pens as not to give a true record and faithful report to posterity Since many of them sealed their love to the truth and charity to mankinde by their blood in Martyrdom At the same rate of obstinate disbelieving and supercilious denying whatever is delivered by writing or tradition to after Ages men may foolishly and madly question the works of every Author the facts and records of all former times Ubi charismata domini posita sunt ibi discere oportet veritatem apud quos est ea quae ab Apostolis successio id quod est sanum irreprobabile sermonie â—â—nstat Iren. l. 4. c. 45. Edant origines Ecclesiaâ—um suarum evolvant ordinem Episcoporum suorum ita per successiones ab initio decurrentium ut primus ille Episcopus aliquem ex Apostolis vel Apostolicis viris habuerit autoreÌ„ antecessoâ—em Tert. de prae ad Hae. c. 32. left us in History Christians may doubt of their Baptism in their Infancy yea and question their own Natural Fathers and Mothers refusing to own or pay any duty and obedience to them since of these they can have no other assurance than what is told them by others as also of all their forefathers and predecessors from whom these Sceptical Infidels are certainly descended although they never saw them and possibly they enjoy the benefit of their forefathers labors and estates to this day which from those is derived in an orderly succession to these their ungrateful successors Nor is indeed the Series and Genealogy of Natural Parents more necessary and certain in reason that they have been and are gone before us however their several names and successions may be unknown from Noah or from Adam than is the constant and uninterrupted succession of Spiritual Fathers and Predecessors in the Ministry of the Church derived by the holy Apostles from Jesus Christ the second Adam the Everlasting Father of a better Generation Of which there are besides the apparent present succession in this Church of England and all other Churches-Christian now in all the World which lately had or still have a peculiar order of Bishops and Presbyters as holy Ministers in the Church so clear and constant and undeniable Histories from those that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all men or writers the most worthy to be believed for their love to God their zeal for the truth their charity to all men but especially for their care of the houshold of Faith the Church of Christ Non fides ex peâ—sonis sed personae ex fide sunt probandae Ter. lib. de prae ad Haer. c. 3. Cum Episcopatus successione Charisma veritatis certum accipiunt Iren. l. 4. c. 43. Catholici â—â—verint se cum Eeclesia doctores recipere non cum Doctoribus Ecclesiae fidem deserere debere Vinc. Lirin c. 23. Haeretici sunt posteriores Episcopis quibus Apostoli tradiderunt Ecclesias Irenae l. 5. Audivi à quodam Presbytero qui audierat ab his qui Apostolos videraâ—t Irenae l. 4. c. 45. Eph. 4.11 1 Cor. 12.28 Wherein however it be most true that a bare descent or succession of persons following each other in time and place be not sufficient to carry on the being and honor of a true Church Christian which title is not entailed to any place or any race of people unless withal there be a succession in Christian Doctrine and Institutions according to the Scripture yet it is as true that the custody and tradition of the Scriptures the succession of true doctrine believed in the Church and divine Institutions celebrated never have been nor ever can possibly be in Christs ordinary way to his Church carried on to after generations but only by such a personall succession of Bishops Pastors and Ministers in the Church such as were in the beginning of the Goâ—pell appointed by Christ and ever since hath been orderly and constantly derived from one to another agreeable to the divine constitution Nor are Câ—ristians to expect or presume of daily miracles speciall revelations or Angelick missions to carry on Christian Religion but humbly to content themselves with that once setled Ministry and holy order which God by Jesus Christ hath given to the Church after which example some are still duly tryed ordained set apart and sanctified to this office the dispensation of the Gospell and those mysteries which goe with it Indeed I cannot but esteem as all good wise 2. The esteem to be had of the Catholick custom in the Church Vincent Lyr. Quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus tenetur Ecclesiis id demum Catholicum cap. 3. Pro magno teste vetustas Creditur acceptam parce movere fidem Claudian Ratio veritas consuetudini praeponenda sunt sed si consuetudini veritas suffragatur nihil oportet firmius retineri Aust l. 4. cont Donat. de Bapt. c. 4. In his de quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura divina mos populi Dei instituta majorum pro lege tenenda sunt si nec fidei nec bonis moribus sint contratia Aust ad Casulan Traditiones Ecclesiasticae quae fidei non officiunt ita observandae ut à majoribus tradita â— nec aliorum consuetudo aliorum contrario more subvertenda Jeron ad Lucian Si nulla Scriptura determinavit certe consuetudo roboravit quae sine dubio de Apost traditione manavit Tertul. de cor M. Sanctae Ecclesiae sacerdotes Catholicae veritatis haeredes Apostolica decreta definita sectante maluerunt se ipsos quà m vetustae universitatis fidem prodere Vinc. Lyrin c. 8. Si quid hodie per totum orbem frequentat ecclesia hoc quin ita faciendum sit disputare insolentissimae st insanâ—ae August ep 118. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bas M. Cont. Aâ—ium Sabel c. Otherways 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. de Apollâ—nario Post sacrarum Scripturarum canonicam autoritatem Ecclesiae Catholicae consensus tantum apud mâ—
semper valuit ut quae cunque ab hoc consensu confirmata videam mihi sacrosancta immutabilia videantur Bishop Carleton de Consen eccles cap. 11. cap. 277. and humble Christians do and ever did the constant clear and concurrent which is the truly Catholick testimony of the Church in which so much of the truth Spirit and grace of God hath alwaies appeared amidst the many cloudings of humane infirmities to be far beyond any meer humane record or authority in point of establishing a Christians judgement or conscience in any thing that is not contrary to the evident command of the written word of God However some mens ignorance and self conceited confidence like bogs and quagmires are so loose and false that no piles never so long well driven and strongly compacted by the consent and harmonious testimonies of the most learned writers in the Church can reach any bottom or firm ground in them whereon to lay a foundation of humane belief or erect a firm bank and defense against the invasion of daily novelties which blow up all and break in upon the antient and most venerable orders practises and constitutions of the Church where ever they are yet continued which being evidently set forth to me by witnesses of so great credit for their piety diligence fidelity harmony integrity constancy and charity I know not how with any face of humanity or Christianity to question disbelieve or contradict Under which cloud of unsuspected witnesses I confess I cannot but much acquiesce and rest satisfied in those things which others endlessly dispute because they have not so literal and preceptive a ground in Scripture Quod universa tenet ecclesia nec consiliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi autoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur August cont Donat. l. 4. In Concil Loodic Melito Episc Sard. missus ut autographa ubique decernat c. Constabit id ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecclesias fuerit sacrosanctum Tert. ad Mar. l. 4. however they have a very rational exexemplary analogical and consequential authority from thence which is made most clear as to the minde of God by that sense which the Primitive Doctors and Christians who lived with or next to the Apostles had of them and by their practise accordingly in the ways of Religion Thus the Canonical Books of the Scripture especially those of the New Testament which no where are enumerated in any one Book nor as from divine oracle any where commanded to be believed or received as the writings of such holy authors guided by the dictates or directions of Gods Spirit we own and receive as they were after some time with judgment and discretion rejecting many other pretended Gospels and Epistles antiently received by the Catholike Church and to this day are continued So also in point of the Church Government How in right Reason Order and Religion the Churches of Christ either in single Congregations and Parishes or in larger Associations and Fraternities ought to be governed in which thing we see that sudden variations from the Churches constant patern in all ages and places hath lately cost the expence not onely of much Ink but of much blood and have both cast and left us in great scandals deformities and confusions unbeseeming Christian Religion The like confirmation I have for Christians observing the Lords day as their holy Rest or Sabbath to the Lord and their variating herein upon the occasion of Christs Resurrection from the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath which is not so much commanded by Precept as confirmed by Practise in the Church so in the baptising of the Infants of Christian Parents who profeâ—s to believe in Jesus Christ onely for the means of salvation to them and their children which after Saint Cyprian Saint Jerom and Augustine affirm to have been the custom of the Catholike Church in and before their days so as no Bishop or Council or Synod began it Cypr. ep ad Fidum Aust ep 28. And no less in this of the peculiar distinct calling order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. Afric in Con. Carth. 1. anno 419. Some things in the Church are setled by Canon others by custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con. Nicoen office and succession of the Ministry Evangelical In all which if the Letter and Analogy of Scripture were less clear than â—t is so that the doctrines of those particulars which are among Christians counted divine were â—ike Vines and Honey-suckles less able to bear up themselves in full authority by that strength and vertue which they receive from the Scripture Precept where undoubtedly their root is and from whence they have grown shooted out so far and flourished in all Churches yet the constant judgment and practise of the Church of Christ which is called the pilâ—ar and ground of truth are stayes and firm supports to such sweet and usefull plants which have so long flourished in the Church of Christ whose custom may silence perverse disputes of corrupt and contentious minds And indeed doth fully satisfy and confirm both my believe and my religious observation of those particulars as sacred and unalâ—erable Nor hath any of those things Eucharistia sacramentum non de aliorum manu quaÌ„ prasidentium sumimus Tertul de Coro Mil. Impositionem manuuÌ„ qua Ecclesiae mininistri in suum manus initiantur ut non invitus patior vocari Sacramentum ita inter ordinaria Sacramenta non numero Calvin Inst l. 4. c. 14. sect 2. Amb. l. 5. ep 32. ad Valentin Commends that sentence which the Emperours Father had wrote touching judicatories and Judges in Church matters In causa fidei vel Ecclesiastici muneris eum judicare debere qui nec munere impar nec jure dissimilis constanter assero more clear evidence from Scripture or Catholick practice than this of the calling and succession of the Ministry of the Gospell hath wherein some men after due tryall and examination of their gifts and lives made by those who are of the same function and are in the Church indued with a derivable Commission and Authority to ordein an holy succession of men in the Ministry for the Churches use are by fasting prayer and solemn imposition of hands in the presence of the faithfull people publikely and peculiarly ordained consecrated set apart sent and authorised in the power and name of Christ to preach the Gospell to all men to administer the holy Sacraments and respectively to dispense all those holy duties and mysteries belonging to Christian Religion among Christian people that is such as profess to believe that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of Sinners Which holy and most necessary custom of ordaining some fit men by others of the same function to be Ministers in the Church hath not only the unanimous consent and practise of the Orthodox Christians and purest Churches in all ages from the Apostles times But no Hereticks or Schismaticks who owned any
assertion That no part of the Catholike Church of Christ in any age or place was ever setled or flourished without a constant peculiar Order and Ordination of Ministers who were consecrated to the receiving and exercise of that power in the Church as from Christ although by man which have continued to this day Theodoret. hist l. 1. c. 22. De Aedesio Frumentio apud Indos dâ—vina Ministeria â—bierunt Laicii cum erant Frumentius postea ab Athanasio ep factus Cap. 23. Captivamulier apud Iberos Evangelium praedicabet miracula edebat His Const M. Episcopos misit There are indeed three or four examples in cases extraordinary of some private unordained Christians in the Primitive times who occasionally trading to Heathens were means first to teach them the Mysteries of Christ so as they desired to be baptized which was after done by such Bishops and Ordained Ministers as were sent them upon their request from other Churches To produce particulâ—r testimonies out of each Author Father Council and Historian in every age to prove the constant succession the high veneration and the unfeigned love which was every where conferred upon the Bishops and Ministers of the Church also to shew forth that devout care and religious regard which the ordainers the faithful people and those to be ordained to the office had in their several relations and duties when Ministers were to be ordained and consecrated such allegations were easie being very many and obvious but I hold the pains needless considering that to learned men they are so well known and all ingenuous Christians will believe my solemn asseveration that as in the presence of God what I write is Truth As for those weak or wilful men who are in this my onely opposers I know they consider not any heaps of authorities which they account onely as humane which they cannot examine nor do they value them when convinced of the certainty and harmony of them were there never so sweet and many flowers gathered from the testimony of Antiquity and Authority of the Fathers these supercilious novellers will not vouchsafe to smell to them It is well if I can make them savor any thing well out of the Scriptures which favors the Function of the Ministry 4. Catholike custom confirmed by Scripture as to the Office of the Ministry 2. So then in the next place This Defence of the Churches clear constant and Catholike Testimony in this point of the peculiar Office of the Ministry as in any other becomes a brazen wall an impregnable bulwark able to break in pieces or to retort all engines and batteries made against it when it appears to be exactly drawn according to the scale line and measure set down in the holy Scripture which are therefore much sleighted by some who despise the Ministry because like well-planted Canons they defend the Church and its constant Ministry as on the other side the Churches fidelity and constancy are the ground-work and platforms on which the Scriptures are planted 1 Tim. 3.15 The Church of Christ bearing up as the ground and holding forth as a pillar that divine Truth Power and Authority which from God they have in them of which the Church is the Herald or Publisher but not the Author or Inditer Conferring nothing to their internal Truth which is from their revealer and inspirer God but much to their external credit and historick reception which we have tendered to us daily not as immediately from God or Angels or inspired Prophets but by the veracity and fidelity of the Church chiefly in its publick Ministry which in this point of so necessary constant and universal practise for the good of all faithful people in all Ages and Churches cannot be thought in any reason either to have had no rule divinely appointed or that all Churches have been wholly ignorant of it or knowingly have so wholly swerved from it that never any Church either in its Teachers and Pastors or in its people and believers were followers of the Scripture-Precept and Patern till these last and worst days whereas the clear and pregnant light of the Scripture is in this point of a setled Ministry so agreeing with the use and practice of the Catholike Church that as no error can be suspected in the one so no obscurity can be pretended in the other by any Christians who will allow the divine Authority and infallible Truth of those Scriptures which we call the New Testament In all which nothing is more evident Christ sent of the Father as a Minister of Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.25 Heb. 12.2 Matth. 17.5 Jâ—hn 4.34 5.36 6.57 7.16 Heb. 5.4 No mantaketh this honor to himself but he that is called of God as Aaron V. 5. So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest but c. Matth. 3.17 and self-demonstrating beyond any cavil or contradiction than That our Lord Jesus Christ the promised Messias the beloved Son of God the Angel of the new and better Covenant the Minister of Righteousness the great Apostle the chief Bishop and Father of our souls the Author and Finisher of our Faith the supreme Lord and King the eternal and compassionate High Priest the unerring Prophet of his Church whose voice we are onely to hear and obey in all things he commands us That I say this Lord Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to a personal accomplishment of all Prophecies fulfilling of all righteousness to a visible Ministration of holy things for the Churches good That he came not in his own Name as a man to be Mediator and Teacher nor did he as a man take this honor of Prophet Priest or King of his Church upon him but had his mission or appointment from his Father God who gave evident testimonies from Heaven of him not onely before and at his birth but afterward at his solemn and publick inauguration by Baptism into the Work of his Ministry where a voice from Heaven was heard and a visible representation of the Holy Spirit was seen testifying him to be the beloved Son of God the anointed with the gifts of the Spirit above all as Head of the Church These after were followed with infallible signs and wonders while Jesus went about doing good teaching the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven instituting holy rites for the distinguishing of his Church from the world and for the comforting of the faithful in the world by those seals pledges and memorials of his love in dying for the Church and shedding both water and blood upon the Cross Christs sending his Apostles as Ministers Acts 1. Phil. 2.9 Christ having thus personally finished the suffering and meritorious part of his Ministry after his Resurrection being now no more to converse in a visible humane way of presence with his Church on Earth but ascending as was meet to that glory of the Father which as God he had ever with him as man he had
is among us not so much a famine as a surfet of the Word and knowledge which hath here been as the waters of the Sea Hab. 2.14 disdains those shores of order office and duty which the Lord hath set for its bars and bounds in his Church Christians in many places having had great fulness are come to great wantonness and the enemies of the Ministry The greatest enemies of Ministers make them most necessary and Reformed Religion in this Church are not such as have been kept meager and tame with emptiness and ignorance but such as have been pricked with provender high fed by an able and constant Ministry These are grown to such ferocious spirits like pampered horses whom no ground will hold daily neighing after novelties rushing upon any adventures and impatient to bear those Ministers any longer by whose bounty they have been so liberally nourished with all means of knowledge preaching conferring and writing These now affect high racks and empty mangers subtilties rather than solidities and novelties more than nourishment yea they are become the rivals of their Ministers and und rtake like Balaams Beast to teach their Masters not onely speaking with them but against them yea seeking to cast them quite off lifting up their heel against them and trampling their feeders under their feet Thus having either got the bridâ—e between their teeth or having cast quite off their neck the reigns of Order Government and Discipline in Religion Psal 32.9 they are become like Horse and Mule without understanding without gratitude civility and common humanity so far they are from sober piety Running furiously without their guides wantonly snuffing up the wind and proudly lifting up themselves in their high crested opinions and presumptuous fancies of notions gifts prophecyings and inspirations Glorying in this riotous liberty and mad frolicks of Religion which all wise humble and holy Christians know are not more unworthy of and uncomfortable to all good Ministers who taught them better than they will be most dangerous destructive and damnable to those men themselves who proudly affect those ruder and dangerous follies in the Church of Christ who cannot either they or their posterity be ever so safe as in Christs way at his finding and under his custody where with holy and just restraints becoming Reason Order and Religion there are also the most ingenuous liberties and the most liberal fruitions Wandering prodigals in Religion who forsake the order and regularity of their Fathers house which is full of bread will soon be reduced to a morsel of bread And we see already such as have in their pride and disdain most forsaken the true Ministry are come by their riotous courses to feed on husks and from the harlotry of their wanton and fine opinions to consort with swine having hired out Luke 15. and enslaved themselves to all rude unjust and profane designs or else wallowing in filthy and sensual lusts which makes them sin against Heaven and Earth and be no more worthy to be called the sons of God or the children of this Christian Reformed Church So that we evidently see That those men fight against God against Christ Jesus against the Reformed and Christian Religion against the Word of God which is the standard of Religion against the Unity Order and Cathol ke conformity of the Church of the Christ in all ages against the future Succession of Religion against their own souls against their posterity against the common good of all mankinde and all such as may want and enjoy the inestimable blessing of the Gospel who ever fight against the holy office divine authority necessary duty sacred dignity and constant succession of the Evangelical Ministers and Ministry without which the Church of Christ like a Field or Garden without diâ—igent and daily Husbandmen and Gardiners would long ago have run to waste and been over-run with all maner of evil wâ—â—d which grow apace even in the best Plantations if God in his wisdom and mercy to mankinde and to his Church had not appointed some men as his Ministers to take care from time to time that the field of the Church be tilled in every place that the Garden be weeded and the vineyard fenced and this especially for their sakes who are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most of men whose cares and burdens of life or whose dulness and incapacity or whose wants and weakness or whose lusts and passions would never either move them to or continue them in any way worthy the name of true Religion if God had not sent and ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cryers 1 Tim. 2.7 Praecones vel Caduceatores Heralds and Ambassadors to summon invite and by pious importunity even compel men to come into the ways of true piety and happiness which being not onely far above sinful flesh and blood but quite contrary to them had need have a Ministry whose authority for its rise assistance and succession should be beyond what is of humane original and derivation which who so seek to oppose destroy or alter will certainly bring upon themselves not onely the guilt of so high an insolence against Christ and injury against this Church but also will stand accountable to Gods justice for those many souls damnation whom their vanity and novelty have perverted and destroyed both in the present age and after generations for want of true Ministers These first weapons then which the Adversaries of the peculiar Calling of the Ministry hoped to finde in the Armony of Scripture or Right Reason whereby to defend their own intrusion and to offend that holy Function and divinely instituted Succession are found I think to have as little force in them to hurt the Ministry or to help the enemy 1 Sam. 17. as Goliahs Shield Helmet Sword and Spear had either to injure David or secure himself yea we see those smooth stones those pregnant and piercing Authorities of many clear and concurrent Texts of Scripture both for precept and example which I have produced according to right reasoning from Jesus Christ and the blessed Apostles To which the Catholâ—ke practice and custom of all Churches in after times is as a sling directing them more forcibly and firmly against the brazen foreheads of those Anakims that oppose the Ministry All these together are sufficient to prostrate to the ground their proud height and to put to flight that uncircumcised party who have defied and seek to destroy the hoâ—y Ordination of Evangelical Ministers whose poor and oppressed estate although it may now seem but as little David with his Scrip and Staff in the eyes of self-exalting adversaries who despise and curse them in their hearts yet these may finde them to come in the Name and Power of the Lord sent by Gods mission furnished with Christs commission and appointed by the Churches due Ordination to be Leaders Rulers and chief Officers in the Church Militant under His Excellency the Lord Jesus Christ
Tert. Nulla vox divina adeo dissoluta est diffusa ut verba tantum defendaâ—tur ratio verborum non constituatur Tertâ—l de prâ—â—l ad Haer. Rom. 12.6 2 Tim. 3.17 which are the oracles of God and hold forth his mind to the world in matters of Religion are to be understood and interpreted not by minds leavened with hereticall pride or Schismaticall peevishness or captious and criticall moroseness or Scepticall cavilings and janglings which commonly drive some other secular and sinister end rather than any thing of true faith good manners and an holy life but with all pious and cautious consideration all humble diligence and ingenuous candor Which first regards the joynt Analogy the concurrent tenor and that clear proportion or rule of faith and holy life in doctrine both â—â—r mysteries and moralities which are evidently shining from many places that are Indisputable either for the clear Instructions in morals or Institution in mysteries or Imitation in Illustrious and commended examples for order and policy All which are enough â—â— make a man of God and any Church of Christ perfect to salvation And such light from the clear propotion and concurrent harmony or constant tenour of Scriptures old and new hath this point of the peculiar function of the Ministry Evangelicall both from the practise and precept of Christ and his Apostles and others after them to which the use and judgement of all Churches do fully attest In that tryall approbation benediction imposition of hands Ordination and solemn mission of some men in the Church to the Offâ—ce and work of the Ministry which is set forth in the New Testament Against all which so full clear proofs and so constant a light what ever can be urged by single texts or solitary and occasionall examples out of Scripture Nolunt agnoscere ea loca S. S. per qua revincuntur hic nituntur quae ex falso composuerunt quae de ambiguitate ceperunt Tertul de praes 2 Pet. 2.16 Tantum veritati obstruit adulter sensus quantum corruptor Stilus Tert. de prae ad Haer. c. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eplph. l. 75. Acts 8.4 They that were scattered abroad went every where Preaching the word must needs be by these objecters either weakly or wilfully mistaken in the phrase and manner of speaking or else is wrested as St Peter tels us by ignorant and unstable minds from the scope and design of the Spirit of God in that place which is the measure of all right Interpretation Or else it only relates to something done by the rule of occasionall prudence or speaks of some practise which was only temporary not binding or miraculous and extraordinary which cease when the gift and occasion ceaseth or it may be in some cases of urgent necessity which might befall an Infant planting incompleat inorganicall Church either not fully formed and setled in the due order or suddainly pressed and scattered with vehement persecution and so forced from that order and exactness in outward Ministrations of the Church which regard a sociall ut cresceret plâ—bs multiplicaretur omnibus inter initia concessum est Evangelizare Baptizare Scripturas in Ecclesia explanare Vbi autem omnia loca circumplexa est Ecclesia conventicula constituta sunt rectores caetera officia c. Vt nullus de clero auderet qui non ordinatus esset praesumere officium quod sciret non sibi creditum c. Coepit alio ordine providentia gubernari Ecclesia Com. in Eph. 4. Amb. asscripta Tit. 1.11 Gal. 5.12 1 Tim. 1.20 publike and common more than a solitary and private profession of Religion and which in the Churches setled condition they otherwaies duly and conscientiously observed as the will of God All which extraordinary cases are in all wise mens judgement very far different and distant from that of this Church of England unless it may seem under some persecution by slanderous toungs by false Brethren and deceitfull workers and disorderly walkers the troublers of our Israel whom the Apostle Pauls charity to this reformed Church would no doubt have wished that either their mouths might be stopped or they might be cut off and delivered with Hymenaeus Philetus and Alexander the Copper-Smith to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme the Scriptures and the true Ministry and this true Church and in all these the Gospeâ—l and name with the Spirit and grace of Christ all which have been manifested among us by the Ministers of this Church 3. Those and the like places answered in generall The no validity of such captious disputings by Scripture against Scripture Truly I do not think that the so oft repeaters of their Socinian Crambes The objectors of those and the like single places or those temporary and occasionall practises in Scripture by which men or women unordeined to be Ministers did privately teach or publikely prophesy can be so weak and silly many of them for some of them are men only in malice against the Ministers but children in understanding as to believe That there is any such weight or force in any of those objections which their own reason and conscience if not blinded with passion and prejudice against the Office of the Ministry will not tell them have very easy fair and full solutions Either first from the extraordinariness of the gifts which were but temporary and to which these men can with no face pretend by any thing yet discovered by them Adulteria Scripturarum â—â—positionum mendacia Tertul Their zeal to disgrace and destroy the Ministry by perverting and wresting the Scriptures is no sign of their Apostolicall gifts but of their Satanicall or Schismaticall malice Or secondly they are answered fâ—om the case of the Church in some places newly planted or persecuted and scattered Or thirdly by the common exercises of private Charity among believers one to another which all good Christians and Ministers allow still and rejoyce in the order usâ—fulness and modâ—sty of those charitable gifts and Brotherly exercises which may â—n their proper place being duly regulated as well consist with the divine authority and peculiar eminency of the Ministeriall function as the Moon and Stars may be in the same firmament with the Sun Although shining in a different time and orb with different lustre and to far less degrees of influence yet to the same common end the good of this inferior world So that no wise and gracious Christian in reason can or in conscience ought to sheath those or other Scriptures in Ministers bowels which are rather for their defence and assistance Shewing indeed the great use of a constant peculiar Ministry to prevent the Churches desolations and such neccessities of meaner supplyes So far are they from affording any ground either wholy to give a bill of divorce to the setled Ministry which by so many clear and pregnant texts is plain to be dâ—vinely
Instituted or to encourage any Christians to entertain those proud and spitefull Peninnahs of pretenders to be gifted men thereby to grieve and vex the Souls of the true and faithfull Ministers as she did Hannahs devout meekness 1 Sam. 1. with her malipert insolency It is no argument to perswade the Church therefore to cast out of Christs family the Stewards and dispensers of holy mysteries which he hath appointed because Christians have sometime in their enforced wandrings Multum differunt lex necessitatis ordinis quod ita fieri debet quod aliter fieri non potest Reg. Iu. been relieved by some strangers or private and mutuall Charity which may in such cases be great though their gifts and provision be but moderate However it were madness for Christians now where no necessity or disorder presseth and when neither gifts are so good nor Charity so great in any of these new men to venture themselves upon their powers for supplyes who like the foolish Virgins have too little for themselves however they boast of their full Lamps and Oyl to spare Such small and feeble oppositions then Lib. de praesc adv Haere Proprium hoc est haereticorum ex pancioribus Scriptura locis plura intelligi velle Tert. ad Praxeam which as Tertullian tels us either Hereticks or Schismaticks are wont to bring from broken and abused Scriptures for their novell opinions their proud and pragmatick confusions against the antient and Catholick sense which the Church hath alwaies held forth by its practise agreeable to the many clear and unquestionable places do no more weaken the divine authority of those things which the Catholick Church upon lively grounds observeth as it alwaies hath this of a constant ordeined Ministry no more I say than if Dalilah should have plucked two or three of Sampsons hairs Judges 16. instead of cutting off his goodly locks and prodigious tresses Nor may these false and flattering Dalilahs of our times who by cauponating Religion and handling the Scriptures deceitfully 2 Cor. 2.17 seek to betray the strength honour and order of this reformed Church in England under pretences of great kindness think that by twitching thus one or two hairs the Ministers strength will fail them or that the Anti-ministeriall Philistins shall presently be upon them so as easily to prevail against the whole function of the setled Ministry which being divinely instituted and derived will ever be divinely assisted No Mat. 28.20 we find yet through the might of Gods grace and the testimony of good consciences so great a strength and holy courage in all true and faithfull Ministers as is abundantly able to assert themselves their function and the reformed Religion of this Church of England against all these Apollyons and Abaddons We are not so dispirited nor distressed but that we can still rowse up our selfs in the strength of God and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ and in the authority of our holy function so as easily to break in-sunder all such wit hs and cords by which the enemies not so much of our persons as of our calling and Religion hope to afflict us so that these uncircumcised in hearts and lips shall not safely touch us or mock us Judges 15.17 Only as Sampson did of the men of Judah we humbly crave of the secular powers which are now over us that their hands may not be against us to fall upon us themselves however they expose us thus to contend with those men of Ashdâ—d alone Ps 118.12 Et multitudine inimicorum magnitudine pressus viribus numero valentium Ps 22.12 Ps 68.30 Who came about us first like Bees with their importune stings their vexatious disputings But now they threaten to come upon us like fat Buls of Basan on every side with their horns lifted up on high to destroy us But the Lord will be on our side so that we shall not need greatly to fear what these beasts of the people these unreasonable men can do unto us Who will soon be extinguished as fire among the thorns when once the Lord shall arise to plead his own cause not only by the zeal and patience and constancy of his servants the true Ministers but also by stirring up the spirit of wisdom in the hearts of all true Christians who will soon be asham'd of that levity contempt and confusion which these mens vanity or impiety and hypocrisy would fain bring upon them and their posterity in this great concernment of the setâ—ed Ministry and the true reformed Religion The evill designs of such captious disputers against the Ministry 1 Sam. 5. There are no doubt who of a long time have endeavoured and sought opportunity when they might bring with Carts and high shoos by the illiterate rudeness of the seduced vulgar the Ark of our Reformed Church and Re igion into the house of their mishâ—pen Dagon which hath upper parts like a mans but the lower as a Fish the head adorned with Christian Religion but the tayl deformed with superstition They softly and fairly pretend liberty and improvement with mens faces and womens hair as the Locusts which rose out of the bottomless pit but they will end in the Scorpious tayl of licentiousness Rev. 9.7 superstition and profaness Such Reformation will soon prove deformity They speak of bread but it will proove stones Mat. 7.10 and Serpents instead of Fishes Such manifestations of private gifts in wanton and presumptuous Spirits will soon turn to the quenching and resisting of the true light and heat of Gods Spirit whose purer flames are only fed with that holy Oyl which flows from the golden vessel of the Scriptures Zach. 4 12. divinely infused into them and diffused into the humble hearts of all good Christians by those pipes of the Ministry which Christ hath appointed for that service This Anti-ministeriall Liberty which some seek thus to dress up by an adulterous and wanton bravery against the calling of the Ministry is like the woman which sits in the midst of the Ephah of wickedness Zach. 5.7 upon the mouth of which God will ere long cast such a talent of lead as shall cover and stop it up by the just indignation and abhorrence of all good Christians to see themselves this Church the Ministers of it and the Reformed Religion so much wasted and abused by such prodigies of profaness as some of them are who speak nothing but proud and perverse things full of bold blasphemies and Anti christian confusions under the colour of gifts and Liberties of prophecying whereto as the wisdom and holy order set forth in Scripture give me countenance so in the next place neither do these mens gifts which they so boast and vapour of give any incouragement For first no wise man doubts of those mens emptiness which their great noyse and sounding sets forth every where 4. The vanity and emptiness of these Anti-Ministerials as to
superfluous and so far hurtfull as it is inconsistent with the ministers and peoples duty on the Lords day Tot erunt venena quot intenia tot pernicies quot sâ—ecies to dolores quot colores as Tertul begins his Scorpiacum against the vanities and varietiys of the Gnosticks who pretended to know more and be more perfect than the Apostles Arelius flagitio corrupit artem Deas dilectâ—uÌ„ imagine pingens Plin. l. 35. 10. That Gentleman cannot but consider how many childish triflings in discourses how many triviall skirmishes in disputes how many captious bickerings in words how many uncomly thwartings are prone to arise as in Country cudgell-playing among the vulgar be they never so godly if you put them one pin above their pitch they either crack or sound like strings over-strained harshly and out of tune although they may have good gifts yet as Arelius a Painter in Julius Caesars time who had good skill in this corrupted his art that when he was to paint any Goddess he alwayes made them like some of his Mistrisses so these are prone to adorn by their gifts some error or odd opinion and set it forth as a divine truth and rare doctrine Nor can you avoid besides erroneous and fond opinions envyings evill surmisings jealousies unsatisfiedness and factious bandings among the people whose minds will soon be divided some liking others disliking some admiring others despising some attending others absenting from this unwonted uncouth exercise of Prophesying which thus confused and abased will soon appear to judicious and sober Christians a tedious and useless business like Fidlers alwayes tuning and never playing any good lesson and no way fit for a Sabbath-dayes sanctification when once the Country gaping or the gloss and novelty of it is faded So then if the Guardian of the peoples Liberty and privilege in Prophesying can find any other time on the week-dayes Of peoples prophecying on the week dayes wherein to set up this exercise of Lay-mens prophesying that so people may not at all times come short of that which he calls their duty He must be sure to provide Prophets of some competent gifts besides their discretion else he will have much adoe to perswade people that it is their duty to neglect their weekly occasions and to lose both their time and labour in attending rusticall impertinencies and ignorant triflings in religion which of all things should by wise men be avoyded among the vulgar whose affections like the poor womans wort is oft very hot in the point of Zeal when it is very small in point of judgement And is prone to run out from familiarity to contempt from contempt to down-right prophaness and Atheism in matters of Religion when made cheap and vulgar If he can indeed furnish out men or women 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes ep 142. ex Lyside Pythagoreo Contempt of Religion riseth from making holy things too triviall and common for they prophecied too 1 Cor. 11.15 of such prophetick gifts as are worthy to be esteemed and encouraged by sober and judicious Christians I shall promise him that I more willingly and more constantly will be their auditor at convenient times and places when I hear they do what becomes wise humble serious and modest Christians than most of these pretenders to be such gifted men and to have such prophetick spirits are hearers of the true Ministers of this Church be they never so able either on the Lords day or on any week-day Lecture For the first way that many make to bring in their Lay-prophets and gifts is with their feet trampling as it were upon the best Ministers and their faithfullest pains while they scorn to step out of dores to hear them either Praying or Preaching which pride and negligence are not the least of those vertues which recommend those Prophets To be plain the truth is so much bran filth and dross of pride popularity schism malipertness and contempt of all men that differ in any way form or opinion from them and of all Ministers above all do hitherto generally appear in the face and manners of many of those who more affect the name of gifted men and Prophets than ever the Pharisees did the title name of Rabbi Mat. 23.7 that most sober and wise Christians suspect they will hardly ever make such Loaves as may be fit for Shew-bread to be set up in any publike place of Gods house and Sanctuary If that Gentlemans piety which seems tempered with much ingenuity can sift or boult out any good meal or finer flowr that so they may be decent for Gods service and the Churches use in any publique way I know no man will hinder him from baking making and distributing his bread But let them take heed lest the Corn being ground in such a new beaten mill it prove not full of grit and gravell which hath more offence than either profit or pleasure in eating of it 13. Of the private exercise of Christians gifts that are truly good For the private Exercise of his Prophets gifts which will now serve the turn no man ever spake against it further than it frequently carried it self unseemly by neglect separation boasting against contempt and opposition of far abler gifts in the publique Ministry oft undermining and shaking those truths that ordâ—r and holy way of life wherein the peace of the Church and the honour of true Religion consisted And even in this I conceive I have shewed to humble Christians a more excellent way Namely in using the learned helps of other mens labours which are in every kind well composed rather than to please themselves meerly in the barrenness and rawness of their own inventions which yet they may add too if need be that so they may not seem to say nothing of themselves or be forced to break for want of vent If these so cryed up gifted men be found meet to be made publique teachers in the Church under the name of Prophets why may they not be ordained Ministers in a just and due way There is like to be want enough of men of any competent parts in the great decay and discouragement of such as are very learned and most able If they are not fit for all offices of the Ministry I wonder how they can have confidence enough to be publike Teachers in any kind which work requires greater abilities and equall authoritie to any other holy Office if they have any thing in them of modest and humble Christians sure they would be more swift to hear James 1.19 Tutior est in audiendâ— quà m loquendo celeritas Non tam facile aures ac labra impingunt Male audiendo solus ipse laberis male loquendo alios tecum in ruinam pertrahis Pelarg. Tenuitatis sua maximè conscii maxima mendacissima solent polliceri Immodica enim ostentatione levâ—men aliquod remedium quasi patrocinium aliorum credulitatem propâ—iae mendicitati quaerunt Erasmus
are holy Numb 16. though the hand and fire were unholy which were applyed to them Our Ministery then may be and certainly is very good holy 4. Our Ministry not from nor of the Pope and divine as well as the Scriptures and Sacraments or other holy Ministrations and duties are when duly restored to their primitive purity order and authority which go along with their right succession notwithstanding they are derived to us through or by the Romish Church or the Popes dispensation yet do they not therefore descend from them but only from Christ the first institutor of his Church and of this Ministry with a perpetuall power of succession Possunt esse pastores Lupi alio respectu Pastores in veritate quam profitentur in potestate quaÌ„ ritè obtinuerunt Lupi in erroribus quos admiscent in corruptelis morum c. ut Scribae Pharisaei in Cathedra Mosis panem veritatis proponebant sed non sine fâ—â—mento errorum officium distinguendum à persona potestas à moâ—ibus Gerrard de Minist Rev. 2.4 Jer. 3.1 Thou hast played the harlot with thy lovers yet return to me saith the Lord. Rev. 3.2 Our Lord Jesus Christ the gracious Spouse of the Church as of every Soul that truly believes and obeys though with much unbelief and frailty disdains not to own his relation to any Church or Christians though they are not so faithfull to him though they lose their first love yet they may be still his by what still remains of soundness and outward profession Yea and Christ will vouchsafe to admit us again to the communion and covenant of his love even after long wandrings and unkind absences when ever we wash our selves and return to him from our disloyall adulteries and pollutions He doth not utterly divorce any Church when the substance and essentials of Religion which are but in a few things do remain notwithstanding the many meretricious paints and disguisings which the wantoness of humane inventions may have put upon it thereby disfiguring its Primitive beauty and simplicity Mans vanity and arrogancy against God or men doth no whit abrogate either the right which Christ or any Church and Christian posterity hath to the purity and power of his gifts and institutions in the right way of his Mâ—nistry All which may remain with a blessing in the root and Seed though they be much pestered over-dropped choked and almost starved by humane additions which keep them for some time from their full glory vigor and extension Therefore the learned and godly Reformers of this Christian Church in England did not dig any new fountain of Ordination or ministeriall power as some Romanists calumniated at first and were afterward convinced of the contrary by Master Masons learned defence of the Ministry of England as to its right succession but they only cleared that which they saw was divine in the first broaching or Institution by Christ and as in the purest derivation by the Apostles however in time it became foul by humane feculencies and dregs as it passed rightly though not purely through the hands of some Bishops and Presbyters even to their dayes Nor was ever any thing required by the best Reformed Churches further to confirm and validate the Authority or power Ministeriall which any had received when he was first ordeined Presbyter in the Romish Church Contaminarunt non sustulerunt Ministerium Ecclesiae Alsted but only this to renounce not his Baptism but his errâ—rs and former superstitions to profess the Reformed Truths of the Gospell and accordingly to exercise that Ministeriall power which he had received truly as to the substance and duly as to the succession both as to the Office conferred and the persons conferring it Howsoever the sword of the Ministry had through the neglect of those to whom it was committed been suffered to contract the rust of superstitions and to lose much of its beauty and sharpness yet it was still that true and same two-edged sword which came out of the mouth of Jesus Christ Rev. 2.12 the first ordeiner of a peculiar setled Ministry in his Church Nor may it be broken or cast away when it hath been rightly delivered but only cleared whetted and furbished from its rust bluntness and dulness That Pen which now writes blottingly might be well made at first and will write fairâ—y again if once the hairs or blurs which its neb hath contracted be but cleared from it It is still Gods Field and Husbandry with good Wheat in it though the enemy hath while men slept sowen many tares Bishops and Ministers reformed may be Gods true labourers and appointed Husbandmen though they have some time loytered as the Disciples were Christs when their eyes were so heavy to sleep that they could not watch with him that one hour of his most horrid agony Mat. 26.40 It were then but a passionate scuffling with mad men a most impertinent disputing with unreasonable minds further to argue about the Popes usurped or abused Authority in any kind over Churches or Bishops or holy Ordinances and Ministry For which he had as little grounds of Scripture or reason as these Anti-Ministeriall Obâ—ectors have now against this Church of England and the function of the Ministry in it against which these cunning cavillers have not so much pretence to argue from the Popes usurpation that our Ministry and Religion are all Antichristian as they have both Scripture Reason and Experience besides the consent of all Reformed Churches to conclude them to be truly Christian if anger or envie or covetousness had not blinded their blood-shotten eyes they might easily see some of those mighty works Mat. 11.20 which have been wrought on mens Souâ—s by the Ministry of England since the Reformation and without this efficacious Ministry I believe neither these Calumniators had been so much Christian as they pretend nor so able spightfully to contend with shewes of Piety and popular falacies against the true Ministry of this Church and the best Ministers with whose Heifer they have plowed We know well that not only the reformed Churches 5. Of the Popes pretended Supremacy in England but even the Gallican and Venetian which keep communion with the Romish Church and Papall party besides the Greek Asian and African Churches do generally oppose and vehemently deny the Popes abusive usurpations both in things Ecclesiasticall and Secular And this upon most pregnant grounds not only from Scripture whence nothing was ever fairly and pertinently urged as some places are fouly wrested and yet but little to the Popes advantage but also from * Caeteri Apostoli par consortium honoris potestatis acceperunt qui in toto orbe dispersi Evangelium praedicaverunt quibusque decedentibus successerunt Episcopi Is Hisp l. 2. off Eccl. c. 5. Qui sunt constituti in toto mundo in sedibus Apostolorum non ex genere carnis ut filii Aron sed pro unius cujusque
some Scripturall expressions which they have attained beyond their former selves or their equals were rare immediate and speciall gifts of the Spirit Then because they should seem no body if they carry their small wares in an old pack * Quos diabolus a veritatis via in veleri charitate detinere non pâ—tuit novi itineneris erroâ—e circumscribit decipit Cyp. they invent some new fashion of Religion or some modell of a Church-way which they strongly fancy after they have once brought forth their fancy to any form and shape they are strangely inamored with it all old figures never so uniform Catholick and comely seem deformed ugly Antichristian Then follows those quick emotions and stirrings upon their spirits which have the quicknings only of Self in them these are presently cryed up for motions and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Marcionites had private lectures which they called Manifestations or Illuminations from a Prophetesse Philumena Tertul. prae ad Hae. c. 44. manifestations and excitations and impulses of Gods Spirit on them then they are easily moved to extraordinary heats and irregular vehemencies as counterfeit possessed are by the looking on and applauses of others whose sillinesse makes them gentle spectators and obsequious admirers of any thing that seems new to them or is above them Nothing troubles these pretenders so much as if you look too neer and too narrowly on their practises * Impostoribus nihil est lumine inimicitius Nothing angers them so much as what they fear may discover them you must not ask them where are their miracles where their Empire over Devils where their languages where their prophecies either as predictions of things to come or as interpretations of obscure Prophecies in the Scripture referring to Jesus Christ These questions though they are but just to be put where extraordinary Inspirations are pretended are too hard for them these pose them and afflict them when they are thus urged by Ministers or any sober Christians who expect no satisfactory answer in any of those particulars which are the proper effects and demonstrations of the Spirit in its extraordinary motions when indeed they observe in these pretenders so little of ordinary sound and saving knowledge so nothing of that meeknesse of wisdome which every true Christian in whom the Spirit of Christ dwels injoyes in some measure so utter desolation of any thing that may argue any thing extraordinary and excellent which may justly own the Spirit of Christ for its speciall Author and infuser But quite contrary grosse ignorance in many things yet puffed up with intolerable pride poysoned with errors kindled with passions sharpned with violence delighting in furies boasting in discords schisms and confusions either begun or increased or continued by the restlesse agitations of their fierce and unquiet spirits whose impetuous temper is impatient of nothing so much as true Christian patience of Peace Order and charitable harmony in any part of the Church of Christ There is nothing they can lesse endure Magi Augures nihil suis actibus successurum Iuliano affirmabant nisi Athanasium primo velut omnium obstaculum sustulisset Ruff. l. 1. c. 32. Hist Ecc. Gal. 1.7 than able learned godly and resolute Ministers in whom dwels indeed a far more excellent Spirit of God full of wisdome of power of courage full of Christ who can and dare detect the deceits and juglings of these vain mindes manifesting their folly discovering their nakednesse emptinesse and nothingnesse in respect of any extraordinary Illuminations or Inspirations of Gods holy Spirit in any way of Religion After all the cry and noise and glorying of these mens inspirings at the best all amounts to no more than the same Gospell the same Duties the same Sacraments the same Jesus the same God who was with far more knowledge purity peace love zeal and constancy owned served and honoured in this and other Churches in that ancient way and holy Ministry which the Church ever used which Christ instituted and with which God was so well pleased that he blessed it as the means to preach the Gospell to plant Religion to settle and govern the Church in first and after times amidst all the persecutions and heresies that opposed it This is the best of their Inspirings the setting of some new glosse and fashion on Christian Religion whose purity and simplicity like gold cares not be thus painted over But take these Inspired men in their degenerations depravings and worstings of Religion and you will easily see how such equivocall generations and imperfect mixtures and meer monsters of Religion presently putrifie and pervert to error faction licentiousnesse violence rapine civill oppressions tyrannies against all that applaud not or approve not the rarity of their conceits and inventions which first kindle with modest sparks Modestiora sunt errorum initia blandientia venena Lactant as if they would enlighten warm and refine the Church Religion and Ministry but after they have got to them vulgar fewell they arise to such dreadfull flames and conflagrations as threaten to consume all that was ever built before them that so the goodly Palaces of ancient and true Religion being demolished they may have a clearer ground where on to set up the feeble cottages of their new framing and erecting Poor men thus once * Omnes tument omnes scientiam pollicentur ante sunt perfecti quam eslocti Tertul. de Hae c. 41. puffed up with their tympanies of self conceptions and getting into some warmer Sun having once over-looked their first errors they never after have leisure patience or humility to discern the grosse yet secret distempers which are in their spirits * Not raptures and gifts but humility and charity give the greatest evidences and surest instances of Gods Spirit and of salvation the many distinctions and disguises and windings by which worldly lusts passions and interests slily creep in and concealedly worke in their hearts even then most securely and so most dangerously when under this blind of Gods Spirit when the Lord shall be intitled to the whole plot and project of their follies and furies both in its softer beginnings and its rougher proceedings Of these fallacies in point of speciall Inspirings and motions of Gods Spirit there are no surer detections than these 1. 9. Evidences of their folly That these so moved and active spirits do always finde lesse content and pleasure in have lesse zeal and contention for the great things of God which are Faith Righteousnesse Peace and Holinesse than they doe for their little novelties and fancies 2. They finde lesse comfort and joy in themselves to be kept within and humbly to walk in those holy bounds of religious Truth and Order which the Word of God hath clearly set before them and all holy Christians and the purest Churches alwayes observed than to be alwayes busily disputing for and acting over those petty parts of their scruples
their judgements conceive or in their upright consciences laying aside all partialities and obliquings to worldly interest but meerly regarding the glory of God the good of soules and the honour of the reformed Religion if they shall conclude that there is indeed more evidence and power of Gods Spirit both in gifts Ministeriall and in holy successes in those men that stile themselves inspired men speciall Prophets and new modelled Preachers if they be found to have more of godly learning of sound wisdome in the mysteries of Christ of sincere piety zeal and charity to the glory of God and mens soules good if they are filled with divine endowments for praying preaching duly exhibiting the holy Mysteries for edifying the Church for maintaining the truth of the reformed Religion and the peace of this Church and Nation if they have greater courage constancy industry and conscience to carry on the great worke of saving soules if they have more authority from the word of Christ from the Apostles practise from the Catholick precedents of the Church of Christ in all ages and places by which to clear their call to the work of the Ministry beyond what is produced for the ancient and ordained Ministry of this Church Truly we do not desire to be further injurious or hinderances to any mens soules God forbid the Ministers of the Church of England should be so much lovers or valuers of themselves or envious to other mens excellencies or enemies to your and the Churches welfare as not to be willing to be laid aside that these new mens more immediate and greater sufficiencies higher inspirations and diviner authority may doe that work to which we are found so unsufficient defective and unworthy But if these pretenders to more spirituall prophecying preaching and living be by wise and godly men who love not to mock God or dally with matters of salvation and eternity which is the end of Religion weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary of the divine institution of Christs mission of the Apostles succession of the primitive custome and of the Catholick order in all ages and Churches if the grounds of right reason of good order policy and government be duely considered which require distinction in all societies sacred and civill and avoid confusion most in the things of God if the judgement of the most learned usefull and holy men in all ages be pondered if these new mens Spirits and gifts be throughly tryed by the touchstone of Gods Word if their secular aims and warpings to the world be narrowly looked into if the deformitie of their words and works be considered if their simple or scandalous writings be duly examined if the successes of their endeavours and essays hitherto in many places be seriously thought of which are evidently proved to be very sad and bad little promoting either truth or peace holinesse or comfort to any peoples souls nor any prosperity and advancement to this Church or any Christian reformed Religion if they be found in ignorance and weaknesse or in factiousnesse and insolencies or in pride and avarice or in erroneousnesse and licentiousnesse so farre too light that they are not so much as the dust of the ballance compared to the reall excellencies of those true Ministers of this Church which have been and still are and may be in this Church if men be not all given over to lusts and strong delusions God forbid any excellent Christians should be tempted by fear or flattery or any fallacy of novelty gain or liberty to desire or endeavour or approve a change which will be so shamefully and desperately pernicious both to themselves and to their posterity BUt these Antiministeriall adversaries 4. Calumny or Cavill Against humane and secular learning in Ministers who would fain impose upon the credulous world with the pretentions of some speciall gifts and Inspirations of Gods Spirit which are as yet no way discovered by them in word or deed as I have shewed being conscious to themselves that indeed they come short of those common endowments by which the mindes of men are oft much improved through study and good learning they seek to oppose and decry that in all Christians and especially in Ministers which they despair of themselves So that not a dumb spirit but a silly prating and illiterate one possesses them which cryes out against all humane learning and usefull Studies as the divels did against Christ What have we to doe with thee Matth. 8.29 Great calumnies and contempts are raised by these men and their Disciples against all liberall Arts and Sciences all skill in the tongues and histories against all Books but the Bible and some of them can hardly dispense with that too since they take all books to be of the same nature with those conjuring Books which were burnt Act. 19.19 against the Schooles of the Prophets and all Vniversities as heathenish Antichristian marks of the Beast as deformities darknings and impertinencies where we have Scripture light Also prejudiciall to that more immediate divine teaching or Institution to which they pretend and by which they say they learn and teach all true Religion which they tell us is so sufficiently furnished and fortified as the new Jerusalem with its own walls Revel 21. made of pretious stones the impregnable strength of truth and the splendour of the Spirits gifts that it needs none of these mudwalls and bulwarks of earth which men have cast up Beautified enough with its own native innocency and glory it desires not any of these raggs and additionall tatters of humane learning which they say hath so tossed and torn Religion with infinite and intricate disputes that the solidnesse and simplicity of true Divinity is almost quite lost and confounded Christ is almost oppressed by the crouds and throngs of such as are called Rabbies and learned men who may well spare their pains in the Church of Christ Isai 54.13 Ioh. 14.26 Ioh. 16.13 where the Lord hath promised that all shall be taught of God that his Spirit shall teach them all things and lead them into all truth Answ I see the Devill is never more knave Answ 1. The craft and folly of this cavill against humane learning than when hee would seem to turn fool How willing is he to have all men as ignorant weak and unlearned as these Objecters are that so none might discern his snares and gin◠of which these Ignato's are to be his setters fain would he have all Christians yea and Preachers too such * Hos 7.11 silly birds without heart that they might easily be circumvented by his strategems and catched with his devices The better to act those Tragedies which he intends against the Reformed Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. he would have the windows shut up and the light shut out These are the Fauxes with dark lanthorns to blow up all and the Judasses who are guides to them that
a miracle as Jerom saith in the Greek monuments defends against Appion the Jewish Church which was the old stock out of which the Christians are swarmed Hieron Ep. ad Mag. So Philo the Jew very learned and an eloquent assertor of the Jewish religion G. Nissen in vita Thaum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vit Th. Miltiades Hyppolitus Apollonius senator Rom. doctiss opuscula Chr stian relig contra Philosophos propugnabant Titus Bostrensis Amphilochius Philosophorum sententiis fuos libros refarciâ—bant Id. Hieron Ep. ad Magnum So Dionysius Bishop of Corinth and Tacianus who refuted the errors of Origen Shewing ex quibus fontibus philosophorum emanabant Hieron So Pantaenus Stoicus doctiss Christianus in Indian missus ut Brachmanis praedicaret Id. and others famous Bishops and Presbyters of most eminent learning piety and courage who undertook the defence of Christian Religion against the proud heathen the pestilent hereticks and the importune schismaticks of those dayes Which made Julian the Apostate elder brother to this illiterate fraternity the despisers and destroyers of good learning to become the Ravilliak the Faux of his times Theodoret l. 3. cap. 8. Propriis pennis configimur a Galilaeis inquit Julianus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Bibliotheca Georgii Episcopi Alexand. quam Julianus sibi exacte conquiri jubet Epist ad Porphyrium 36. the prime Assasinator and grand conspirator who sought to stab and blow up all Christian Religion by overthrowing all the nurseries of learning and suppressing the Schooles of the Church forbidding any Christians children to be educated in humane and ingenuous studies which he saw were become as the outworks to the citadell of Christian Religion which sometime indeed needed not these humane guards and defences while the terrible and miraculous gifts of the Spirit were like a pillar of fire and cloud round about Christian Religion during its wandring in the wildernesse of persecution no more than the * Exod. 13.21 Israelites needed trenches for their camp when the more immediate presence of Gods salvation was among them beyond all wals and bulworks or then * 2 King 1. Elias wanted a troop of souldiers when he was armed with fire from heaven against the ruder Captaines and their fifties Those extraordinary dispensations ceasing when the Lord brought his Church to the land of Canaan to a condition of worldly peace and tranquillity through the Imperiall favour and secular protection under which Halcyon dayes Christians had liberty to attend those improvements which are to be attained by study and learning in all manner of ingenuous as well as religious education But when the Dragon saw he could not by open persecuting power destroy the * Revel 1â— woman and her child he then turned to other shifts seeking by the flouds of corrupt doctrin to poison those streams which he could not stop And so to furnish out his new modelled Militia with the better train and ammunition he stirred up learned adversaries against the Churches true and ancient faith not only without as * Origen answered Celsus and Methodius Eusebius and Apollinaris wrote with great strength and dexâ—erity of learning against Po phyrieâ— who was one of the most eloquent in his time and wrote against Christian religion 15. books Suidaâ— St. Jeâ—om St. Ambrose and Prudentius answered Symmachus his Oratory against Christian Religion Celsus Porphyrie Proclus Symmachus and others but even from within as Arius Nestorius Apollinaris Macedonius Eutyches Pelagius Donatus and others very many This master-piece he carryed on with most powerfull suggestions and successes sometimes knowing well what force Error hath as well as Truth when it is charged and discharged with skill and learning In so much that he not onely overthrew the Faith of many ordinary Christians but robbed the true Church in part and turned at last upon the Orthodox party those whole Canons great and incomparable pieces of all learning both divine humane Tertullian and * Vincent Lyrin lib. 1. Immortale Origenis ingentum Jeron in Ep. ad Tit. In Origene adeo praeclara adeo fingularia adeo mira extiterunt ut omnes pene multum longéque superavit Vin. Lyr. c. 23. So of Tertullian c. 24. Quid illo doctius quid in divinis atque humanis exercitatius Apud Latinos nostrorum omnium facile princeps ut Origenes apud Gracos Origen the converter of St. Ambrose who formerly had by their accurate and learned labours both in preaching and writing bravely asserted Christianity both by demolishing the old remaining forts of heathenish Idolatry and prejudice as also battering the new rising works of heresies and schisms So that our moderate illiterate factors for an old crafty Daemon doe not or will not consider that there ever hath been still are and ever may be learned adversaries opposing or Apostatizing from the true Christian Religion both in its fundamentalls and its reformations There are very learned Jesuites and other Papists of all orders there are learned Socinians renewed Palagians revived Arians and others who want not learning against whom the learned Ministers of this and other reformed Churches are often put upon necessary though uncomfortable and unhappy contests Not for any malice envy or displeasure against any of their persons for learned men cannot but love and esteem whatever is good and excellent in others but onely from that Conscience of Truth which the Ministers of this and other reformed Churches doe conceive upon Scripture grounds and by the consent of the primitive and purest Churches of Christ they ought in all duty to God to their own and other soules yet with charity to their Adversaries to maintain And although the warne in Christian Religion ought to be managed by learned men on all sides with all possible fairnesse candor and civility such as the honour of the Christian name and profession requires for the more illiterate men are the more rudely they bray and rail against one another if it were a great sin to be supine and negligent in so great an engagement which we think to be for Gods cause the truth of Christ and the good of soules for which we ought to be prudently vigilant and honorably valiant It would ill become us while we see the adverse partie daily arming themselves with all possible compleatnâ—sse in languages arts and sciences in Fathers councels and histories for us to fit still in our lazy and unlearned ignorance expecting either miraculous illuminations and assistances as idle vain and proud mindes do or else most inevitable ruine and certain overthrow of that truth and reformed Religion which we professe to maintain which in honour and conscience besides the bonds of nature humanity and charity we are bound to transmit to posterity if not much improved by our diligence and studies yet at least not sottishly impaired to a just impeachment of waste against us in this age from those that in after times may succeed us who will have no great honour or happinesse by
Iur. Illud decitum quod logibus definitum Reg. jur is not true and vertuous liberty but inordinatenesse and excesse Yea and in some cases of severer restraints Prudenter aliquando liciâ—a prohibenâ—tur ne si permitterentur eorum ocâ—â—sâ—â—â—e ad illicita perveniatur Reg. Iur. Ioh. 8.30 Free Indeed Libertâ—â— verâ— Christianae â—â—ferâ—â— aut extrinsecus spoliari nescit quum non minus parâ—endo quam agendo exercetur Aust by which Governors doe indeed trench upon those rationall or religious liberties which God hath allowed to men and Christians yet in these cases a true Christian onely wraps himself up in that liberty of patience which knowes when and how to suffer without injury to the publique tranquillity or to his private peace of conscience still keeping a * 1 Pet. 3.4 meek and quiet spirit with the love zeal and profession of that which he conceives to be the truth of God these are the fruits of that * 2 Cor. 3.17 free Spirit of Christ in Christians which appeared most eminently in Christ which makes us free to all things but not to sin in thought word or deed Looking upon sin as the great * Eo sumus liberiores quo a peccato â—â—â—â—â—â—niores Gibeuf tyrant usurper and waster of the true liberty of every man and Christian It is then as farre from Christian liberty 4. Divels Liberty as sicknesse is from health madnesse or drunkennesse from sobriety rottennesse from beauty or putrefaction from perfection for any Christian to beleeve what he lists though it be a lye or to disbeleeve and deny it Libertas omni servitute servilior Ber. Ep. 47. though it be a truth of God to take up what opinions and wayes of religion he most fancies and to refuse what ever he please to disaffect upon light popular and untryed grounds or openly to speak and dispute what ever he lists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. and publiquely to act according as his private perswasions passions lusts or interests or other mens tempt and carry him wherein neither right reason nor common order nor publique peace nor conscience of duty nor * 1 Pet. 2.17 reverence of men nor fear of God have any such serious and holy ties upon men as are necessary for the common good In which regard private Christians are never so free as to have no yoake of Christ upon them Haretica conversatio quam futilis quam terrena quam humana sine gravitate sine autoritate sine disciplina cujus penes nos curam lenocinium vocant pacem cum omnibus miscent dum ad unius veritatis expugnationem conspirant Tertul de praes ad Hae. c. 41. no exercise of patience self-denyall mortification meeknesse charity modesty and sobriety together with that comelinesse and decorum which beseemes Religion and a Christian spirit beyond which the most transporting zeal may not expatiate For that is no other than such freedome as water enjoyes when it overbears and overflowes all its banks and bounds or as fire seising on the whole house Such as drunken men in their roarings and mad men in their ravings contend for such as wild beasts and untamed Monsters struggle for yea such as the envious and malicious divels affect and are most impatient not to enjoy In whose nostrils and jawes the mighty * Ezek. 38.4 Esa 37.29 wisdom and goodnesse of God who is Potentissimum liberrimum agens the fountain of all true rationall morall religious and divine freedome hath his hooke of power and bridle of terror not of love Such are those liberties which those * As St. John called Corinthus who was of this sect of Libertines Irenae l. 1. Congredere mecum ut te ad principem deducam vox lascivientium Gnosticorum Nicolaitarum aliorum Haeret. Iren. l. 1. primogeniti Diaboli prime birds of the Divels brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nis v. M. some impudent Libertines and dissolute wretches now as of old aim at who have cast off all sense of justice order shame and humanity while they clamour and act for liberty that is that their blasphemies profanenesses impudicities scurrilities impudencies and violences against all publique civill peace as well as against all religion order and Ministry of the Church of England may be tolerated if not countenanced notwithstanding they professe to hold with us some common grounds of Christian Religion and stand responsible to civill duties and relations True Christians should be as fearfull to enjoy the divels freedome not which he hath but which he desires that is to will and to doe whatever he lists And as they should be zealous for their own true holy and humble liberties which lead them quietly to doe or suffer Gods will in Gods way so they should bee tender of encroaching upon those publique liberties which are by right reason order and Scripture granted to some men as Magistrates and Ministers for the generall good of Christians Men must not so please themselves in any thing they fancy of liberty as to injure others No mans liberty may be anothers injury Nullius emolumentum jure nescitur exalterius damno injuria Reg. Iur. since no mans right can consist in the detriment or damage of anothers rights or dues As then no man rationally can think it a liberty denyed him when he is forbid upon idle visits to goe to infected houses or being infected with the plague to goe among others that are sound or to drink poison and propine it to others no more can any Christian religiously plead for a liberty to broach and publish to others any opinion he pleaseth or to invade any place and office he hath a minde to or to disturb others in their duties and power or to contemne with publique insolence or violently to innovate against established laws and orders in Church or State much lesse hath he any freedome openly to blaspheme or disturb that religion and way of devotion wherein sober and good Christians worship God by that authority and order which is setled in publique according to their consciences and best judgements Here neither Christian Magistrates 5. True Liberty and good government in Church and State agree well together nor Ministers are to regard such pleas for private Liberties as overthrow the publique order and peace nor are they to regard those clamours against them and the Laws as persecuting when they doe but oppose and restrain such pernicious exorbitancies nor are they in this infringers of the peoples freedome but preservers of Liberties which are bound up onely in the laws nor are they oppressours of others mens consciences but dischargers of their own duties * Leges sunt corporis politici nervi sine quibus luxata infirma fient omnia membra Verul and consciences which they bear to Gods glory and the publique good whereto as they stand highly related by their place and power so
8.3 divers that had been cured ministred to Christ and his family of their substance and Matth. 10.10 he declares the Ministers right to be as good as the labourers to his hire If he that receiveth you receiveth me and he that despiseth you despiseth mee and he that giveth to a Prophet a cup of cold water in my name gives it to me if these be true and Evangelicall why is it not as true and Evangelicall He that payeth Tithes to you as my Ministers payes them to me Whether it be by private and solitary or by publique and joint gift and dedication Sure the highest right and claim Paramount must be eminently in Christ who is Lord of all more then in Melchisedeck and so either the obligation to pay them or the lawfulnesse to accept them in Christs name as a right to him or as a free gift offered from beleevers to the honour and service of Christ must needs be evident in all justice and religion As water is purest in the Fountain and light clearest in the Sun so is Melchisedeks right most in Christ Nay I think in good earnest that a Christian Jew would hence draw an argument although he were of that tribe of Levi to which Tithes were after commanded to be paid among the Jews that he ought now to pay them to the Christian Ministers Heb. 7.4.8 9 c. or to Christ as in relation to his service and as an agnition of him to be Lord and God since even Levi in Abrahams loins paid Tithes to Melchisedek that is to the type and representer of Christ And since the Lord Jesus Christ is the perfection and sum of the Priesthood and order of Melchisedek he may justly claim what ever was typified as a due or honour to be done to him of which this is one that he should receive Tithes who never dyeth Heb. 7.8 15. So that this Evangelicall right of Christ as those promises to Abraham being before the Legall establishment is not to be annulled by that law of the Jews Gal. 3.17 which was 400. years after As to the intervenient appointment and after custom of paying Tithes divinely setled by a positive Law among the Jews as the then onely Church of God it carries not any frown in its face against Christian Ministers now receiving Tithes or others paying them under the Gospell if there were no Law of the Land devoting Tithes to God and enjoyning the payment of them to Ministers as a rent charged upon lands and estates what sin could it be for any Christian as many primitive Christians spontan ously did to devote set apart and give yearly the tenth of all his encrease to the Ministers of the Gospell Sure nothing of right reason Scripture or true Religion which onely should rule the conscience of any sober man doth teach any Christian to abhor what ever was instituted or practised among the Jews if it be but after the law of common equity gratitude piety or civility toward God or man Else these Antidecimists must think they sinned if they should but cover their excrements Deut. 23.13 which was once a law of cleanlinesse among the Jews yea the example of God so confirming by a positive law in that his ancient Church of the Jews those generall dictates of nature and the preceeding practise of Abraham paying Tithes to Melchisedek as to the Priest of the most High God and a type of Christ according to grounds of common equity and naturall piety or gratitude to God and man This consideration I say should have the greater inducement to assure Christians that what is neither meerly Typicall nor Ceremoniall as Tithes were never thought to be by any learned or wise men but rather a thing of common equity and piety confirmed by a divine positive command and the choice of God this cannot but be as acceptable to God now when dedicated by the consent of any Christian people to his Evangelicall service and Ministry as it was before either from the hand of Abraham or his posterity since it is no where forbidden in the Gospell and by Gods wisdome hath been chosen as the fittest proportion under the Law Yea and to those that have not the loosest but the liberallest consciences among Christians it seems expressely recommended after that pattern Even so hath the Lord ordained Cor. 9.14 v. 13. that they that preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell Even so as they did who served at the Altar so far as the imitation can now hold which though it cannot in the Sacrifices yet it may in the Tithes and in first fruits and free-will offerings which were frequently and plentifully brought to the Bishops and Ministers of the Churches in primitive times for their own support and the Deacons with the poor If the Tenth or quantum How much be not here expressed yet it is vehemently implyed Else the Apostle had proved nothing nor given any directions either for Ministers fitting support or for Christians regulating of their retributions if he doth not command them to pay at least a Tenth sure he doth not condemn their paying a Tenth part which they may freely doe if there were no such divine right pleadable as this indeed is to all Christians whose covetousnesse doth not teach them to cavill against reason and Scripture too However this is the least that we can make of that place if in difficult times such as the primitive were something were left to the gratitude ingenuity love and largenesse of Christians hearts towards their Ministers wherein sometime they even exceeded their power and estate in munificence yet in quiet times and in a plentifull land it may well be expected by God at least it cannot be blameable for any Nation Church or private Christian to give and settle such a portion as the Tenths of the increase upon those that serve the Lord and the Church in the Ministry of the Gospell It is easily computed that Tithes were not one half of the Leviticall maintenance What reason can these men give beyond their will and despite why the Christian Ministry should fare worse or have lesse honour than the Jewish since it is in many things Heb. 7.19.22 Heb. 8.6 a better Ministry 1. Clearer in the light of Doctrine promises and prophesies 2. As venerable in the Mysteries 3. Far more glorious in its chief Minister and Mediator Jesus Christ Heb. 3.5 the Son of God the other by servants 4. Much easier in the burthen both of labour ceremony and charges to beleivers and worshippers 5. Yet not lesse painfull to the Ministers whose spirits are more exhausted by studies preaching and other Ministeriall duties than the Jewish Priests by more grosse and bodily labours 6. Not lesse comfortable to devout and pious soules 7. More universally diffused as more convenient for all mankind 8. And never esteemed lesse necessary to the Church or lesse acceptable to God save onely by Atheists or Niggards who
fitted to the memories and capacities of the meanest hearers containing short summaries of things to be believed practised or prayed for as in the Creed the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer Presently these men fancy them as the recitation of some charmes and look on the Minister as some Exorcist confined to these Articles of stinted spels and formes Yea so far hath the prejudices affectations and ignorance of these men prevailed against all Reason and Religion in some places that many Ministers in other things not unable or unworthy men are carried away with fear and popularity to comply with those mens fondnesse in a way of dissimulation Forbearing to use publiquely at any time either the title of Saint due to holy men or the Lords Prayer and the Decalogue which are both Scripturall Summaries and commanded to be used So also they lay aside the Creed which is an Ecclesiasticall compendium taken out of the Scripture Vid. Voss de Symbolis and very ancient in the chief articles of it containing the main foundations or heads of Christian Faith nor was any of these ever neglected or not both frequently and devoutly used in the publique Liturgies or Services of sober Christians either ancient or modern O how sowre and spreading a leaven is the pride passion and superstition of mens spirits which run after faction and novelties that even learned and grave men should be not so much infected with it in their judgements as to be swayed and byassed or over-awed by it in their practise contrary to their judgements meerly Gal. 2.12 as St. Peter with his dissimulation gratifying these pretenders to novelty speciall sanctity by the not using of those divine and wholesome forms of sound words in which neglect the presumed perfection of these Antiministeriall men disdains to condescend to the infirmities of novices and weaklings in religion the babes in Christ Those Lambs which good Shepheards Joh. 21.15 must take speciall care of as well as of their stronger sheep feeding them with milk or cibo praemanso the often repeated Catechisticall rudiments and chewed principles of Religion which are by the wisdome of God and our Saviour most fitly and compendiously set forth in the ten Commandements and the Lords Prayer as to the main of things to be done or desired by a Christian as also the summe of things necessary to be believed were anciently comprised in the Articles of the Creed according to that wisdome of the Apostles or the primitive Fathers which imitated those patterns set by the Lord to his Church That so the Infants or younglings of Christs family might not be starved because they have not such teeth as these mens jaw-bones pretend to who before they have well sucked in the first principles are gnawing bones or cracking kernels and nuts exercising themselves or vexing others with odd questions and doubtfull disputations more troubled with their Familisticall fancies about their own partaking of the divine Nature their identity with Christ and when and how it is in what manner and what measure they may be said to be God and Christ and the Spirit than soberly establishing their mindes in the fundamentall points of things to be beleived obeyed and desired to the glory of God and the honour of the Gospell But I must leave these envious and unquiet Spirits to their censorious separations wrangling themselves into vanities and errors at length falling like Lucifer into the blacknesse of darknesse to unjustice and cruelty after that into grosser blasphemies and presumptions against God Christ and the holy Spirit while they proudly affect and presume to be not like to the most High but the same with him not in the beauties of holinesse grace and godlinesse which are the clear Image of God set forth in the Word but in the glory and majesty of the divine Essence which is inscrutable not to be communicated or comprehended in its superessentiall being and superintellectuall perfection no more than the vast and glorious body of the Sun which is 160 times bigger than the earth can be locally contained in the eye to which yet it is by its beams in some kinde imparted and united Such superfluity we see there is of folly ignorance weaknesse pride and malice in some spirits who upon very peevish and perverse grounds forsake our Christian publique Assemblies and duties celebrated in our Churches which are sanctitied by the Word and prayer scorning and condemning what we doe upon the best grounds of Scripture and Reason separating themselves from the true Ministry and fellowship of the Church of England as if they were most spirituall and refined when yet they seem to be so grossely ignorant so passionate and some of them so sensuall as is no argument of their having the Spirit of God which is wise in all holinesse 7 Calumny Act. 24.5 BUt our Antiministeriall Adversaries object as Tertullus and the Jews did against St. Paul that the ordained Ministers of the former way Against Ministers as seditious and inconform to Civil government are pestilent fellows stirrers up of the people factious turbulent seditious not so supple conform and well affected to the present constitution of powers and publique affaires So that it is not onely lawfull but necessary either to bring them to a plenary conformity and subjection or to exautorate and suppresse them as to all publique influence in the Ministry Thus doe these Wasps and Hornets buz up and down who hope with their noise and stings ere long to drive all the ancient and true Ministers of God out of the land or at least out of the service of the Church that so they may be possessed of the Hive though they make no Honey Answ Answ This Calumny is indeed of the promising advantage to the enemies of the Ministers and their calling and therefore it is with most cunning and earnestnesse every where levelled by some men against their persons Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. actions and function It is like the policy of Julian the Apostate who to ensnare the Christians set the statues of the Emperours with the Idols of the Gods That if Christians did civill reverence as to the Emperours they should be defamed as Idolaters if not they should be accused as despisers of the Emperours And because I perswade my self that all excellent Christians how potent soever can bear an honest freedome and plainnesse I shall onely as to this sharp and poysoned arrow oppose the shield of plain dealing that in a matter so much concerning the satisfaction of others and Ministers civill safety there may be no such obscurities as may harbour any jealousies First of all I need not tell you 1. Some Ministers compliances what all the English world knows aboundantly That there are many Ministers of very good abilities who are not at all blameable in this particular as to any restivenesse and incompliancy in civill subjections they have sufficiently testified how Arts and ingenuous
reformed Church and that true Religion which the Ministers of this Church have professed and preached in many years And this not upon light and unexamined presumptions not upon customary traditions and the meer ducture of education not upon politick principles and civill compliances with Princes or people but upon serious grounds as solid and clear demonstrations as can by right and impartiall reasonings be gathered from the Word of God and in cases of its obscuritie or our own weaknesse from that light which the consent and practise of the primitive and purest Churches of Christ hath held forth to us in points of Faith doctrine and in all good orders or manners becomming Christians either in their private moralities or their publique decencies In this integrity innocency and simplicity which neither men nor divels can take from us we are sure to be destroyed if it must be so and to be delivered from an ungratefull generation of vipers Matth. 3.7 who think it enough to destroy those who have been a means of their being and life as Christians if our injuries and bloud could be silenced with us yet the very dust of our feet Matth. 1◠14 will be a testimony against such men at the last day of judgement when it shall be more tolerable for any Christian people under heaven than for these in England since among none clearer truths have been taught or greater workes done or better examples given than have been here by the Ministers of this Church Where hath there been under heaven more frequent Ministers merit of this Nation and more excellent preaching where more frequent and yet unaffected praying where more judicious pious and practicall writing where more learned and industrious searching out of all divine truths where more free and ingenuous declaring of them so as nothing hath been withheld or smothered where more devout holy and gracious living where more orderly harmonious and charitable agreeing than among those that were the best Bishops the best Ministers and the best Christians here in England Adorned with these ribands fillets and garlands of good words good works and good bookes must the Ministers of England like solemn victimes and piatory sacrifices be destroyed onely to gratifie some mens petulancy insolency covetousnesse and cruelty who list to be actors or spectators in so religious massacres 2. Considerations touching the Ministers of England humbly propounded But O you excellent Christians of all ranks and proportions If there be yet any ear of patience left free to hear the Ministers plea and apology if calumny hath not obstructed all wayes of justice or charity if slavish feares have not so imbased your piety and zeal for the Christian reformed Religion that you dare not seem no not to pity the Ministers of it if the separations and brokennesse of Religion in our unhappy times have not wholly blinded your eyes and baffled your judgements so that you have lost all sight both of true Church and true Ministry here in England I humbly desire that before the true and ancient Ministers be cashiered and quite destroyed these things may be considered 1. Whether it be a just proceeding to impute the personall failings of some men to the whole function and profession whether at that rate all Judges Magistrates and Commanders may not be cryed down as well as all Ministers Since where there are many there are alwayes some that are not very good 2. Whether it be fitting to condemne and destroy any men in any of their rights to which they pretend either of office or reward and that by Laws both divine and humane without a fair and full hearing what can be said for them or whether any man would have such measure meted to themselves 3. Whether Pride in some Lay-men of their gifts Envy in others against the welfare of the Ministers of Christ Covetousnesse in others as to their maintenance Profanenesse in others against all holinesse Ambition in others to begin or carry on some worldly ends and secular projects Licentiousnesse in others against all religious restraints Impatience in others to see any govern without or besides themselves Malice and spite in others against this as all other reformed Churches Hopes in others by our confusions to introduce their superstitious usurpations Whether I say these and the like inordinate lusts and motions in mens hearts as their severall interests lead and tempt them may not be great causes and influentiall occasions of these violent distempers which break out thus against the generality of the Ministers and the whole calling of the Ministry in this Church Yea what if all odious clamours and calumnies against them and their calling have no more of truth in them than a Jewell hath of dirt in it when filth is cast upon it whose innate firmness preserves its inward and essentiall purity What if nothing be wanting to the innocency and honour of the Ministry of this Church but onely patient and impartiall Judges pious patrons and generous protectours which was all St. Paul wanted when he was accused of many and grievous crimes by the cruell and hard-hearted Jewes which were his Countrey men and for whom he had that heroick charity as to wish himself Anathema from Christ that they might be saved Whether ever any Ministers of learning honesty and piety that had done so much for the religious welfare of any Christian Nation as the able Ministers of England generally have done for many ages were ever so rewarded by Christians or whether ever it entred into the hearts of religious men so to deal with their Ministers as some now meditate and design It were good for men how metald and resolute so ever they seem to be in carrying on their designs to make some pause and halt before they strike such a stroak as may seem to challenge Christ Severissimè punit Deus cum paenalis nutritur impunitas Aust and fight against God whose stroakes against men are heaviest when they are least visible and his wounds sorest when men have the least sense of their contending against him The perswasions and confidences of men may be great in their proceedings * Act. 26.9 Act. 9.4 as was in Saul persecuting when yet their zeale is but dashing against the goades or thornes and a meer persecuting of Christ himselfe which will in the end pierce their own souls through with many errors What if notwithstanding many personal failings in Ministers as men their function calling and Ministry be the holy institution and appointment of Jesus Christ transmitted to these times and this Church by a right order and uninterrupted succession as to the substance of the power and essence of the authority The talents or gifts were Christs and from Christ delivered to his Servants the Ministers of the Church though some of them might be idle and unfaithfull whose burying them in the earth or wrapping them up in a napking at any time was no wasting or imbezling of
Scripture precept or any Churches practise for however the best reformed Churches have restored many things to their pristine lustre yet they innovate nothing as to Scripture grounds of doctrine or Catholick order succession and Institution As then those men are most the souldiers friends 19. Addresse to men of the Military order Clem. Ep. ad Cor. who advise them to keep to their able and experienced commanders and not to venture their safety upon the activity and feates of every forward and nimble fencer So are they most friends to all good Christians Magistrates souldiers or others in this Nation and Church who perswade them as Clemens did the Corinthians to keep to their ancient able and true Ministers of whom they have had so long and so good experience and although their persons be changeable by death or other wayes of deprivation yet ought the way and succession to be preserved as to that ordination triall and mission which is Apostolicall and universally practised in the Church of Christ And since herein the Allusion reason and proportion lies so fit and equall between worthy Ministers and able Commanders who have a right Commission I cannot think that any of the military order who are persons of any worth true honour conscience or considerable for piety prudence and Christian valour which dares any thing but sin that any such souldiers I say should be prone to kindle any discontents and mutinies against the able and true Ministers of this Church Docti Ministri fâ—â—tes milites dirigant justi milites pros Ministros protâ—gant Illi veritate hi virtute To whom no doubt they cannot but thankfully confesse that under God they ow for the most part what ever good learning good breeding or good conscience they have I am the further from suspecting so unchristian and unreasonable a tempter in that sort of souldiers because I know by experience that in all the troubles and shakings which have been in these times those of them who are sober and ingenuous men have been both in publique and in private very loving civill and respective to the true Ministers of this Church so that those who glory in their affronts contempts and oppositions against the Ministers doe but thereby proclaim that they are the very drosse and ruder dregs of that profession for so it is like to be in England Nor can I think that the irreligious motions unruly mutinies and inconsiderable menacings of a few such unbred men should either over-sway or over-aw the sober counsels and better purposes of those many better gentlemen who sway either in counsell or in power Whose protection in all peaceable and good wayes why the Ministers of England should not as well deserve hope for and enjoy as any other order or rank of men I see no reason unlesse injuries obloquies and indignities offered by some of very mean quality and condition for the most part and hitherto borne with that Christian courage and patience which becomes grave and godly Ministers should be argument enough to perswade all Christians to forsake them and destroy them of whose safety and welfare no doubt God himself and the Lord Jesus Christ are very sensible as much concerned in their sufferings Nor can I think but that those men who are so hardned in their malice and persecution against the Ministers and their holy function doe oft hear a voice secretly calling within them O you Sauls why doe you persecute mee in my servants the Ministers who preach my Word in my Name by my authority and accompanied with my grace and spirit 11. In all Christian and true policy the true and ancient Ministery is to be preserved The Declaration of the two Houses An. 41. Yea not onely in all true Religion and fear of God which becomes true beleivers but in all reason and policy of State it is as necessary for those in places of power to protect the true Ministers their divine calling and succession as for these Ministers to be protected by them and this not onely in order to Gods glory and the good of mens souls their own and others but for their own and the publique peace safety and honor before men Nor is that promise and obligation once given to the publique to be forgotten by which it was assured that the Levying of souldiers and raising of forces should be only as scaffolds to build up learning piety and the reformed Religion to higher heights than formerly and not as scaling ladders to help to storm plunder and impoverish the Church to destroy the Arsenals and nurserâ—â—s of good learning or to pull down the main pillars both of learning and the Christian reformed Religion which are the ancient Ministry and succession of rightly ordained Ministers If those in power and counsell care not to help either in preserving or restoring the true Ministers and their calling to their due honour rights or incouragements it will be thought rather a want of will than of power of which the British world hath had great experience If they would help but cannot they must not think long to enjoy that power which shall discover it self so weak or so pusillanimous as dares not own to be master of so pious safe and just purposes as these are to protect honest and godly men in so holy so usefull and so necessary an imployment as I have proved the Ministry to be If they can and dare yet doe not Esther 4.31 either help will come another way by the gracious hand of God whose terrours ought to be upon the highest mindes and loftiest looks Or else we may fear the Lord hath in his fierce anger decreed to powre upon highest and lowest root and branch in this Nation the vials of his sorest judgments and severest wrath turning our Sun into bloud and our Moon into darknesse removing the presence of his glory the Gospell and the Ministry of it from us and our unhappy posterity However God shall please to deal with his servants the true and faithfull Ministers in this Church yet it becomes them so far to be of good courage as they have him for their trust Ioh. 14.27.16.33 who hath overcome the world who foretold we should have trouble in the world but hath promised we should have that peace in him which the world cannot give nor take away This comfort they have that their labours shall not be in vain in the Lord yea and for after times they may be assured That this bush of the true Ministry of the Gospell in its due authority divine ordination and holy succession wherein God hath so evidently appeared to his Church and to none more clearly than to us in this age and in this Church of England shall never be consumed however it may seem to be set on fire 2 Tim. 3.12 Great tribulation threatens those that will live godly in this present world especially those that contract more of the divels malice on them by perswading
men I must needs offend as to their distemper I did designe it I ever shall offend them if I will defend this Truth It is my duty and charity by displeasing them to doe them good Apoplectick diseases are incurable till sense be restored some men are benummed and past feeling I cannot live or dye in peace if I should hold my peace when I ought to rebuke and with all authority Ephes 4.19 because with Truth and good conscience in the name of Christ and of all my brethren the intolerable vanity ignorance pride arrogancy and cruelty of those who have set up themselves above and against all those that are the ordained reformed and faithfull Ministers of this or any other Christian Church In whom they list to finde nothing but faults and insufficiencies while they boast of their own rare accomplishments which are no where to be found but in their proud swelling words by which they lie in wait to deceive the simple and unstable soules I could no longer bear their insolent Pamphlets 2 Pet. 2.18 their intolerable practises their uncharitable projects against the glory of Christ and the happinesse of this reformed Church and Nation It grieved me to see so may Shipwrackt soules so many tossed to and fro who are floating to the Romish coast so many overthrown faiths so many willing and affected Atheists so many cavilling Sophisters so many wasted comforts so many scurrilous and ridiculous Saints so many withered graces so many seared consciences so many sacrilegious Christians so many causelesse triumphings of mean persons over learned grave and godly Ministers I was troubled to behold so many fears yet so much silence so many sighes and sorrows yet so much dejection and oppression of spirits such over-awings in those men whom it becomes in a spirituall warfare to encounter with beasts and unreasonable men as being sure to overcome at last Therefore among others I desire this apology may be a monument of my perfect abhorrency and publique protestation against all evil counsels and violent designes used against this reformed Church its Religion and Ministry when posterity shall see the sad effects of some mens agitations I expect no acceptance from any men further than I may doe them good Such as refuse to be healed by this application probably their smart will provoke them to petulant replyes which as I cannot expect from any sober and serious Christian so to the wantonnesse of others who are wofull wasters of paper and inke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato in Crito I shall never have leisure to attend I have better imployment whereto I humbly devote the short remnant of my pretious moment even to the service of Christ of this Church and of all those excellent Christians in it to whose favour this sudden Apologetick defence is humbly dedicated in the behalf of the Ministry of this Church of England by their humblest servant in the Lord I. G. FINIS A Table of the chief heads handled in this Defense of the Ministery of the Church of ENGLAND THE Addresse pag. 1. The Cause undertaken p. 2 and recommended to excellent Christians p. 3 The honor of suffering in a good cause p. 4 Humble monition to those in power p. 6 Of ingenuous Parrhesie p. 7 Of Apologetick writings p. 8 The Authors integroty and sympathy p. 9 Of Ministers Lapse p. 10 Of their former Conformity p. 11 An account of Mr. Chibalds two books touching Lay Elders p. 13 Weak conjectures at the causes of Ministers Lapse p. 14 Of true Honor. p. 17 The main cause of Ministers lapse or diminution p. 20 Of Ministers as Politicians Pragmaticks Polemicks p. 24 What carriage best becomes Ministers in civill dissensions p. 25 Of Ministers indiscretions and inconstancies p. 28 The way of Ministers recovery p. 29 Vulgar insolencie against Ministers p. 30 Antiministeriall malice and practises p. 34 Ambitious and Atheisticall policies against them p. 35 The joy and triumph of the enemies of the reformed Religion p. 39 The Ministers of the Church of England neither Vsurpers nor Impostors p. 40 The sympathy of good Christians with their afflicted Ministers p. 42 Their plea for them against Novel and unordained Intruders p. 44 The right succession and authority of Ministers a matter of high concernment to true Christians p. 48 Who are the greatest enemies against the Ministry of this Church p. 49 Matters of Religion most considerable to Statesm n. p. 50 The just cause godly Ministers have to fear aâ—d complain p. 52 Ministers case unheard not to be condemned p. 55 The character of a good Minister such as is here pleaded for p. 58 Ministers excellencies are some mens greatest offence p. 61 Ministers infirmities viciate but not vacate their Authority p. 62 I. The first Objection or Quarrell of the Antiministeriall faction against the Ministers of England as being in no true or right Church way p. 65 Answ Vindicating the Church of England p. 66 1. As to Religion internall Ibid. It s power on the heart p. 67 Iâ—s ground and rule as to holinesse p. 68 Of fanatick fancies in Religion p. 69 The Souls true search after God and discoveries of him p. 71 Of the Souls Immortality p 73 Mans improvement to the divine image p. 74 True Religion as internall estates in Christ and in the true Church p. 76 II. Of true Religion as externall or professionall in Church society p. 77 Of the Church as visible and Catholick p. 78 Of a Nationall Church p. 80 The order and charity which befits Christians in all sociall relations p. 82 Papall and popular extreams touching the Church p. 84 The Romane arrogating too much p. 85 Of Infallibility in the Churches Ministry p. 88 Of Churches reduced only to single Congregations or Independent bodies 91 The primitive way of Churches and Christian communion p. 92 The National communion or polity of the Church of Eng. justified p. 95 The mincing or crumbling of the Churches pernicious p. 96 Of Religion as established and protected by Civill power p. 99 Of the subject matter or members of a Church p. 101 Of Parochiall congregations p. 102 Of Communicants p. 103 Of Ministers duty to Communicants p. 104 Ministers in each Parish not absolute Judges but Monitors and Directors Ibid. Good Discipline in the Church most desirable Ibid. Of Jurisdiction and Judicatories Ecclesiasticall p. 105 Of the common peoples power in admitting Communicants p. 106 Of a Church Covenant its Novelty Infirmity Superfluity p. 110 The essentials and prudentials of a true Church in England p. 112 Of being above all Ordinances Ministry and Church society p. 113 Peoples incapacity of gubernative power Civill or Ecclesiasticall p. 115 Of Magistrates and Ministers p. 117 Of the Plebs or peoples judgment in matters of doctrine or scandall p. 119 Tell it to the Church in whom is power of Church discipline and censures p. 121 Of Synods and Councels p. 126 Of prudentiall Liberty and latitudes in Church polity p. 127
performance of those duties which we ow to the One onely true God or to any Creature for his sake That is upon such grounds to such ends and after such maner as God requires them of us in the several relations wherein we stand obliged to him or them Internal Lux est religionis in conscientia lumen in conversatione Bern. 1 Cor. 2.11 1 John 1.3 3.19 Nec deest Christus ubi est fides nec ecclesia ubi Christus nec societas ubi charitas nec templum ubi cor sanctum Cypr. This Religion is discharged by us first Internally in the Receptions and Motions of an enlightned and sanctified Soul to which none can immediately be conscious but onely God and a mans own spirit Herein we conceive the very soul life and quintessence of true Religion doth consist so far as it is to be considered apart from all outward expressions visible Form Society or Church Communion onely as having spiritual inward converse and fellowship with God and Christ by the graces of the holy Spirit although Christians should be in desarts dungeons prisons solitudes and sick beds amidst all forced sordidness disorders and dissolutions of any shew and profession of Religion as to the outward man This sincerity wants nothing of extern fashion or ornament to compleat its piety but is satisfactory both to God and a mans own conscience by that integrity of a judicious holy and devout heart which hath devoted all its powers and faculties to the knowledge meditation adoration imitation love and admiration of God according as he was pleased in various times and maners to reveal himself to it Heb. 1.1 As partly yet but darkly by the light of reason in rational and moral principles seconded with fears and strokes of Conscience which is a beam and candle of the Lord in the soul of man Prov. 20.27 Lucerna Domini Scintillans in intellectu radians in voluntate ardens in affectu fumans in desiderio flammans in amore scrutans iâ— conscientia exhilarans in virtute torquens in facinore Bern. 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.19 Matth. 10.26 Gal. 6.1 Et solidè fundanda ad amussim Scripturâ aedificanda veritate stabilienda charitate consummanda religio August Eò pulchrior est anima quo ad summam Dei pulchritudinem propius accedit Bradward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. N. s but more clearly by supernatural manifestations in dreams and visions in audible voices prophetical revelations or angelical missions By all which religious light was onely occasional and traditional but now most evidently compleatly and constantly in that declaration of his will to mankinde which is contained in the lively oracles of his now written and perfect Word the onely infallible rule of a good Conscience and foundation of true Religion According to which onely we measure it both as to its internals which are summarily comprehended in the love of God and its externals which are compleated in that charity which for Gods sake we bear and really exercise toward all men but chiefly to the houshold of faith that is the Church or Society of those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ as the onely Saviour of sinners This well-grounded and well-guided Religion as it is then an Internal Judicious and Sincere devoting of the whole soul to God as the supreme good offered us in Jesus Christ We esteem the highest honor and beauty of the reasonable soul the divinest stamp or character on mans nature the noblest property and capacity of the immortal spirit in us demonstrating not onely its common relation to the Creator which all things have but the Creators peculiar favor and indulgence to man whom he teacheth to fear enableth to serve and encourageth to love him above all As also mans capacity to attain that knowledge of the divine wisdom and that fruition of the divine love which onely can make it truly and eternally happy For true Religion thus seated in the soul of man 2. True Religion not barely speculative but also practical is not barely a speculative knowledge of God according to what his wisdom hath revealed of himself in his works and word As that he is what he is not as to any defects what he is in all positive excellencies in himself which yet is a great and divine light shining upon mans understanding from experience and from the historick parts of the Scripture But further it also shew us what God is to us in Nature Grace Law Gospel Works Word Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niss de prof Chrâ—stians and Christs Incarnation what we are to God in Christ for duty and dependance what all things are to us as they are in God that is in his wisdom will power providence c. either making or preserving or disposing them for our good and his glory According to which light we come to desire to love to enjoy God in all things Eph. 1.23 and all things in him that is within those bounds of honor order and those lesser ends which he hath set in reference to the great ends of our good and his glory which are as a lesser circle in a greater having both the same centres At length God becomes the joy life beauty exaltation and happiness of the believing soul by it s often contemplations of him and sincere devotions to him whence we come to have an humble sight ingenuous shame penitential sorrow and just abhorrence of our sinfulness vanity deformity vileness and nothingness compared to God and apart from him After this our wills come to be enclined to him as the most excellent good and perfecting Beauty drawn after him and duly affected with him to fear him for his power and justice to venerate him for his excellent majesty and glory to admire him for incomprehensible perfection to love him for his goodness in himself in all things and in Christ above all in whom his love grace and bounty is most clearly discovered and freely conveyed to us We come to believe him for his veracity or infallible truth in his Law and Gospel to be guided by his unerring wisdom and directions which are discerned in the mandates of his Word to us and agreeable motions of his Spirit in us which are always conform to each other Virtus Spiritus sancti in mâ—tibus veritas verbi in mandatis suavissiâ—â— inseparabili nexu conjuncta sunt nec magis ab invicem distrahi possunt quà m calor solis à nativo lumine Quum à Spiritu sit veritas ut inveritate sit Spiritus necesse est August We come also to obey him in all things for his soverein Empire and Authority to trust in him at all times for his faithfulness and immutability to hope in him and to wait patiently for the consummation of his rich and pretious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 both in grace and glory All which we believe upon the divine testimony of the written
so poor and feeble an engine as this of private compacts and covenantings by which they threaten with severe pens and tongues and brows to batter and demolish the great and goodly Fabrick and Communion of this and all other National Churches which are cemented together by excellent Laws and publick Constitutions so as to hold an honorable union with themselves and the whole Catholike Church That we rather wonder at the weakness and simplicity of those inventers and abetters who in common reason cannot be ignorant that as in civil respects and polity so in Ecclesiastical no private fraternities in families nor Corporations as in Towns and Cities can vacate those more publick and general relations or those tyes of duty and service which each Member ows to the Publick whereof it is but a part and it may be so inconsiderable an one that for its sake the greater good of the publick ought not in Reason or Religion to be prejudiced or any way neglected No more ought it to be in the Churches larger concernments for Peace Order and Government Nay we dare appeal to the Consciences of any of those Bodying Christians whom charity may presume to be godly and judicious Whether they finde in Scripture or have cause to think That the blessed Apostles ever constituted such small Bodies of Covenanting Churches when there were great numbers and many Congregations of Christians in any City Province or Country so as each one should be thought absolute Independent and no way subordinate to another Whether ever the Apostles required of those lesser handfuls of Christians which might and did convene in one place any such explicite Forms or Covenants besides those holy bonds which by believing and professing of the Faith by Baptism and Eucharistical communion were upon them Or Whether the blessed Apostles would have questioned or denied those to be true Christians and in a true Church or have separated from them or cast them off as not ingrafted in Christ or growing up in him who without any such bodying in small parcels had professed the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the due use of Word Sacraments and Ministry who endeavored to lead a holy and orderly life themselves and sought by all means which charity order or authority allowed them to repress the contrary in others No doubt the Apostles wisdom and charity was far enough from the wantonness and uncharitableness of some of these mens spirits who do not onely mock our Church and its Ministers 2 Kings 2.23 as the children did Elisha the Prophet but they seek to destroy them as the she-bears did the children Sure enough the Apostles instead of such severe censures peevish disputes and rigorous separations would have joyned with and rejoyced in the Faith Order and Vnity of such Churches such Christians and such Ministers where-ever they had met with them in all the World without any such scruple or scandal for their not being first broken into Independent Bodies and then bound up by private covenantings which are indeed no other than the racking distorting and dislocations of parts to the weakning and deforming of the whole VVe covet not a better or truer constituted Church than such as we are most confident Col. 2.5 Joying and beholding the order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ the wisdom and charity of the Apostles would have approved in the main however in some lesser things they might gently reprove and reform them as they did divers famous and flourishing Churches And such a Church we have enjoyed in England by Gods mercy before ever we knew those mens unhappy novelties or cruelties who seek now to divide and utterly destroy us unless we conform to their deforming principles and practises And however we have not been wholly without the spots of humane infirmities yet we have professed Jesus Christ in that truth order purity and sincerity which gives us comfort and courage to claim the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privilege of being true Christians and a true Church that is a very considerable famous and flourishing part branch or Member of that Catholike Church which professeth visibly or believes savingly in the Name of Jesus Christ the Head of the whole Body and of every part to whom we are united by the same common Faith and by Charity to one another Certainly the best Churches and Christians were antiently like the goodly bunches of Grapes Numb 13.24 which the Spies brought between them as an emblem of Christ crucified hanging on a staff so fair so full so great and united clusters From which no small slips did ever willingly divide or rend to Schism but presently they became not as the fruit of Canaan but as sowr Grapes fit onely to set mens teeth on edge wheting them to bite and devour one another For the maner of each particular holy Administration in our Church to answer all the small cavils which men list to make 23. The great shield of the Church of England is to encourage too much their petulancy and to make them too much masters of sober mens time and leisure Onely this great and faithful shield * See those Reverend and Learned Writers Bishop Bilson Bishop Cowper Doctor Field Master Richard Hooker Master Mason and others Learned men heretofore have and we do still hold forth to repel all their darts and arrows That both in the Ordination of our Ministers and in their celebration of holy things and in its Government Order and Harmony the Church of England hath followed the clearest rules in Scripture and the best paterns of the antient Churches onely enjoying those Christian liberties of prudence order and decency which we see the gracious wisdom of Christ hath allowed his Church and which particular Churches have always used and enjoyed in their extern rites and customs with variety yet without blemish as to the Institutions of Christ or to the soundness in the Faith or to any breach of Charity or any prejudice and scandal to each others liberties in those things So that those busie flies upon the Wheels of this Chariot the Reformed Church of England in which the Gospel of Jesus Christ hath hitherto been carried among us for many years with great triumph and success have stirred up very little dust so as might blinde any eyes that are not full of motes and beams or blood-shotten from seeing clearly and evidently a true Christian Church a true Ministry and truly religious Administrations among us Blessed be God though these sowr Momusses finde or make some faults and flaws in lesser matters the mending of which they most oppose and hinder yet their strength cannot shake the foundations of our Jerusalem which are of pretious pearls and solid stones nor can their malice overthrow our grand and goodly pillars the true and able Ministers and their holy Ministrations of Word and Sacraments among Professors of the Faith who do as unquestionably constitute a true Church as a reasonable
former times In all which we finde there ever was a peculiar Office of the holy Ministry and a peculiar Order of Persons both ordaining and ordained to be Ministers and both so used and so esteemed by all good Christians in all setled Churches Clemens in Saint Pauls time after him writing from Rome to the Corinthians where faction was kindled Exhorting people and Presbyters to peace tells them That the Apostles appointed some in all Countreys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trying and approving them by the Spirit to be Bishops and Deacons for those that after should believe Pag. 54. Edit Pat. Jun. Id sine dubio tenendum quod ecclesia ab Apostolis Apostoli à Christos Christus à Deo suscepit Reliâ—ua omnis doctrina de mendacio praejudicanda quae sapit contra vâ—ritatem ecclesiae Apostolorum Christu Dei Tertul. de prae ad Hae. c. 21. Omnes praepositi Apostolis Vicaria Ordinatione succedunt Cyp. l. 4. ep 9. Jer. Com. in 1. cap. ep ad Gal. Isidor Hispal off eccle l. 2. c. 5. Radix Christianae societatis per sedes Apostolorum successiones Episcoporum certa per orbem propagatione diffunditur Aug. ep 42. The Lord saâ—th Clemens will have us to perform our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 off g ings and services 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 none rashly and disorderly but in due time and season 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where also and by whom his wâ—ll and supreme pleasure hath appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Faction or Schism began in Saint Pauls time then renewed or had continued which Clemens shews citing the Apostle Pauls Epistle to the Corinthians and telling them That the Apostles setled approved Ministers Bishops and Deacons after them and ordered for a succession to follow when those were dead whom they ordained immediately p. 57. Edit Pat. Jun. Clemens R. ep ad Corinth Ignat. ep ad Hieron in aliis ep Just. Mar. Apol. 2. Tertul. Apol. lib. De Baptismo Cyprian l. 1. ep 2 9. l. 3. ep 5. Eis qui sunt in Ecclesia Presbyteris obaudire oportet his qui successionem habent ab Apostolis qui cum Episcopatus succâ—ssime charisma veritatis certum secundum beneplacitum patris acceperunt Reliquos vero qui absistunt à principali successione quocunque loco colliguntur suspectos habere vel haereticos malae sententiae vel quasi sciudentes elatos sibi placentes Aut rursus ut hypocritae quoestus gratia vanae gloriae hic operantes omnes autem hâ—decidunt à veritate ut Nadab Abihu Koram Jeroboam c. Irenaeus l. 4. c. 43. Agnitio vera est Apostolorum doctrina antiquus Ecclesiae status in universo mundo secundum successiones Episcoporum quibus illi eam quae in unoquoque loco est Ecclesiam tradiderunt Iren. l. 4. c. 63. Chrysost de Sacerdotio Basil Mag. Symoni Mago comparat illos qui 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who take money for Ordination and calls that gain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conduct money for Hell Ep. 78. And in his 181. Epist chalenges to himself the power of Ordination from the Corepiscopi So Epist 187. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The antient custom of the Church receives none to be Ministers but with strict examination in their Ordination Epiphan Hae. 79. Jeron Dialog ad Lucifer St. Ambrose De Dignitate Sacerdotali Liber St. Austine Ep. 42. and in many places St. Gregory the Great De Cura Pastorali lib. Quomodo valebit secularis homo sacerdotis magisterium adimplere cujus nec officium tenuit nec disciplinam agnovit Is Hisp off eccl l. 2. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nullatenus nobis Christianis permissum est ut quis in ecclesia sen publicè Scripturas explanet nisi qui in clericalem ordinem adscitus suerit Suid. in l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Thaumaturgus juvenum quendam pium Philosophum sub forma carbonarii obscurum in sacerdotem ordinavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 juxta solemnes ritus Greg. Nis in vita Theum Which Catholike practise and judgment as it is a great satisfaction to all sober Christians who itch not after novelties so it must needs be a vehement prejudice with any wisemen against those yesterday novelties raised by some few men of great passions and presumptions but of no great reputation that ever I could learn for either such learning piety or impartiality as may be put into the ballance against the clear and concurrent Testimonies of all the Antients and the universal practise of all Churches which all Histories all Fathers all Councils all Learned and Godly men both Antient and Modern do with one Spirit and one Mouth abundantly testifie agreeable to that of Saint Jerom St. Augustine Isidore Hispal and many others Who speaking of the Calling of Ministers from those words Called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ reckon up four sorts First Some that are sent immediately from God and not by men as Moses many Prophets the Twelve Apostles and Saint Paul Secondly Some by Gods appointment yet by Mans hand and Ordination as Aaron Joshuah Elisha Timothy Thirdly Others in the ordinary way and succession of the Church as it is appointed by Jesus Christ are by men onely ordained Ministers either according to real merit partial favor and vulgar affection Fourthly There be some whom neither God nor man sends but they run of themselves Such saith St. Jerom were and are false Prophets and false Apostles deceitful workers Ministers of Satan transforming themselves into Angels of light who say Thus saith the Lord when the Lord hath not spoken to them or sent them To this sense Saint Jerom St. Austine and accordingly all the Antients before and after them as they have occasion to speak of the office duty and dignity of Ministers in the Church Which Catholike Testimony and Tradition or Custom of the Church for any Christian to contradict without shew of reason is intollerable impudence and not to believe it is most inhumane and unchristian uncharitableness to disparage and causlesly to derogate from it can be no other but profane and perverse insolence unless there can be produced such clear testimonies from immediate divine revelations confirmed by miracles or from the received Written Word of God to the contrary as will easily and ought justly to overweigh all after inventions or constitutions which are built meerly upon humane custom and authority as that was of giving the Lords Supper to Infants and to the dead sometimes Which counterbalancing of Custom by Reason or Scripture is not yet in the least kinde done by these men that are the opposers of the Ministry of England Who by the same proud or peevish incredulity by which they oppose the Catholike consent and practical Testimony of the Church in this great point of the holy Ministry do overthrow by a sceptical folly and disputative madness the very foundation
either listed himself or received his Commission Order is that wholsomest ayr in which Religion lives best There is no less necessity both in Piety and Policy to preserve the Laws of holy order and discipline in the Church of Christ on Earth which have the warrant and seal of his authority upon them and are for the preservation of truth peace and honour in the Church Since we find by all experience of times and most in our own That the pride and presumption of mens gifts and private spirits are no less want only active in matters of Religion than in Civill and Military affairs Now why any men of piety or in power professing the reformed Religion should incline either to connive at or to countenance any courses which evidently tend to the shame contempt confusion and extirpation of all true Religion as it stood in the profession of the Church of England opposite to the gross errors superstitions and prophaness of any that are known and declared enemies to it I can see no cause unless it be a supine negligence in some who as they grow greater Acts 18.17 so they are like Gallioes more careless in matters of Religion wholly intent to State interests as if States-men had no souls to save or no God to judge them and were to give no account of that power and advantage they have as well as that charge and care which lyes upon them to do all good they can to mens souls under their power or else there is some other interest secretly contrived and cunningly carried on here as by open hostility in other parts amidst the dusk of our civill Commotions and troubles by those sons of Edom Psa 137.7 and daughters of Babylon who have evill will at our Sion and say of our Jerusalem Down with it down with it raze it even to the foundations Jude 9. As it was for no good will that the Devil contended with Michael the Archangell about the body of Moses minding rather to have it Idolized than Embalmed No more is it from any honest zeal or pious principle that some men now so earnestly stickle about and indeed against the setled office and peculiar function of the Ministry either to have it in common or none at all with any divine authority and commission whose first Anti-ministeriall batteries which seemed to carry some shew of Scripture-strength I have hitherto resisted and repelled not dashing or opposing Scripture against Scripture but clearing its obscurer meaning in some few places by that most evident and concurrent Sense which is manifestly held forth in many plain passages and hath been constantly followed in the Churches of Christ from the first setling of Christianity in the world to this day Sensus Scripturae expetit ceâ—â—a interpretationis gubernaculum Tertul de Pres Non verba tantum defendantur sed ratio verbarum constituatur Id. As the Spirit of God in the Word cannot contradict it self in the main scope and design so where any variation or difference in the letter may seem to be It must be wisely reconciled by discerning the different occasion reason or ground of things sure we are the pretended gifts or dictates of privat spirits may in no sort be set up any way to contradict those testimonies and demonstrations of the Spirit which are so evidently shining from the Scripture as they are in none more than this of a peculiar function and holy ordination of the Evangelicall Ministry And here I might forbear to add trouble to you O Excellent Christians or any readers by any further enlarging of this Apology 18. Conclusion and Transition whereby to vindicate the honour of the divinely Instituted and Ecclesiastically derived Ministry of this Church Since the holy Scripture is as I have shewed so wholly fully and punctually for its peculiar Institution and its constant succession to the end of the world whereto it is not denyed but private gifts may come in with such assistance as is humble orderly and edifying but not as proud invasive and abolishing as Hagar they may do service in Christs family but they must not grow insolent and malipert against Sarah What ever can be produced in a matter of so high and religious a nature as the Ministeriall office and authority is beyond what the Scriptures the only infallible rule and the Churches constant practise the most credible witness do assure us is for the most part but as childish skirmishings with Reeds and Bulrushes after combating with Pikes and Guns And I find indeed that all after Cavills of the Anti-ministeriall faction arise not much beyond womanish janglings presumptuous boastings and uncomly bickerings for the most part where not religious reasonings but peevish Cavils and pertinacious Calumnies like black and ragged regiments impatient to see themselves so routed by the Scriptures potent convictions and the Churches constant custome do but rally themselves as in a case Perdue to see what can be done by volleys of rayling Rhetorick and virulent Calumniatings against the Ministers of the Gospell in this Church whole greatest fault is that which the devil finds with the best of men that they are as Job upright Job 1. Culpâ—â—â— in 〈◊〉 to Jobâ— non invenicus Satanae malicia ipsam inâ—â—centiam in crimen integritatem in calumnium insidiosè vertit Greg. Lingua maledicasanctos carpere sâ—let in solatium delinquentium Ieron ad Eust not that there is any just fault to be found with their holy Calling which hath nothing in it irreligious or unreasonable nothing immorall or imprudent nothing but what is fully agreeing to all order policy decency as following the best and holyest Examples uses and customs of the Church together with the rules of Divine Institution and the ends of all true Religion the glory of God and the good of Mankind both for souls and bodies for temporall and eternall welfare for internall peace of conscience and externall tranquillity in Civill and Church Societies both as men and Christians All which the Ministeriall calling regards and carries on as its holy design and work which no other Calling doth Not Magistrates or Lawyers or Physicians or Tradesmen or Souldiers who do not think themselves to stand charged in Christs Name with the care of mens souls so as to make it their business to instruct direct and watch over them in the wayes of salvation And for Ministers persons such as are truly worthy to be counted such their failings will not be found beyond what is incident to common infirmities and daily incursions of frailties inseparable from the best of men in this mortall pilgrimage All which the charity of humble Christians easily conceals and willingly excuses or pardons when they consider how free and full a pardon of all sins is from God by the Ministry offered to every penitent and believing sinner The grief and impotent despite which the prophane politick and pragmatick enemies of the Ministry of this and all reformed Churches
are transported with ariseth from the like ground as was in the hearts of Tobias and Sanballat Nehem. 4. Solatiam est malorum bonos Ca pere Ieron ut improbi suo malo delectantur ita invidi alienâ— bonâ— terquentur Amb. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amb. and that scornfull crue against the Jews that by their means this Church of God as the Temple is built repayred clensed reformed That by their valiant courage learned skill and vigilant Industry the truth faith holy Ordinances and good manners of this Reformed Church are asserted vindicated preserved and restored from those ruines rubbige sords and demolishings by which erroneous ambitious covetous and licentious minds seek to waste infest and quite abolish the Reformed Religion both in England and every where else In order to which grand design the Anti-ministeriall Adversaries are not wanting to bring all manner of rayling accusationâ— and indign Calumnies against both the Ministers and Ministry of this Church Some of which I think it a shame for me by reciting of them to pollute either my Pen or the purer eyes of those readers who excell in Civility as much as those evill Speakers do in insolency and scurrility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27.34 both for carriage and language against the best Ministers in England But it is no wonder if they give us the gall and vinegar of bitter reproaches to drink when they intend shortly to crucifie us All is less than was sayd and done to Christ himself It is part of our honour and blessing to have men speak all manner of evill of us Mat. 5.11 if we can but make it appear to be most falsly and and injuriously as well as most indignly and ungratefully Such manner of speaking becomes no mens mouths but those whose hearts abound with so much malice against the best Ministers who ought to be the best of men and generally are the best of speakers In honour to whose many reall and excellent gifts becomming the dignity of their holy place and function as also in charity to all others chiefly those who most despise and hate the Ministers of this Church I shall endevour to let all men see in the following part of this Apology the malice futility and falsity of those evill speakings wherewith some men please themselves the more because they think they please some others whom they fancy to have a very evill eye and an heavy hand toward such Ministers as most study to please God and to preserve the Reformed religion in this Church of Christ CAVIL or CALUMNY IV. Against the Ministry of England as Papal and Anti-Christian THe fourth Cavil or Calumny then wherewith the office and function of the Ministers of England is battered and defamed among the credulous weak and vulgar minds is this That if there be such a peculiar order and office of the Ministry established in Scripture by a Divine Institution and so continued in the Church by a right Ordination for some times of Primitive purity to a holy succession yet the present Station Calling and Authority of the Ministers of England is apparently Antichristian as derived from Episcopall Ordination and that descended from the Papall or Roman authority which was but of late years abolished as that of Episcopie they think now is neither of them seeming to them to be of Christs appointment or according to Scripture-rule and patern So that if it be necessary to have peculiar Ministers by office it is also necessary to cast off the former order and standing which is degenerated and to begin upon some new account which shall appear to be neerest to the pattern of Divine Institution and primitive practise how ever it may fail of a constant succession for above these 1600. years from Christ during all which time it is evident indeed that Bishops have had a chief place and influence in the Ordination of Ministers and for 1000. the Pope hath chalenged something of Supremacy and Jurisdiction in these Western Churches over all the Clergy both Bishops and Presbyters None of which are fit to serve in Gods house as Ministers while they are not clensed from that leprosie which they have contracted from the Pope and Prelates Answ I will first endevour to take off from the face of our Ministry this scandalous visard of the Papall authority 1 The Papal Usurpation no prejudice to the true Ministry of England more than to all other Christian Institutions which scares some people so very much that they are afraid to medle with any thing that ever passed the Popes fingers except only the lands and revenews of the Clergy Having removed this veil or covering which was sometime over these Western Churches we shall easily see the face of the holy Ministry no less than of other Christian Institutions restored without any Disfiguration or Essentiall change by any such mask as might sometimes be upon it through the policy and folly of many It were a very weak and injurious Conâ—ession no less prejudiciall to the Reformed Churches than pleasing to all the Romish party if the Pope could perswade us Protestants and other Christians to cast quite away and utterly abhor what ever the Papall usurpation hath abused or the Romish devotion hath used in matter of Christian religion Sure then we must seek for other Apostles and Saints other Scriptures and Sacraments another Gospel and Messias than Jesus Christ no less than other Bishops and Ministers For over all these the Popes of Rome have spread the skirts of their usurped authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ep. 67. Plato All things handled by men are subject to be sâ—yied 2 Thes 2.4 Antichristus ChristuÌ„ mentitur turpitudinem vitae falso nominis honore convestit Jerom. ad Geront Amara erat Ecclesia in nece martyrum amarior in conflictu haereticorum amarissima in moribus domesticorum Ber. â— 33. in Cant. Petri CathedraÌ„ occupat tanquam Leo paratus ad praedam bestia Apocalyptica cui datum est os loqueus blasphemias bellum gerere cum sanctis Ber. ep 125. Maâ— 21.13 Christus Templum Dei cauponibus latronibus deturpatum non diruit aut penitus detestatur sed purgamenta ista faeces ejiciendo Dei domum in diviniorem usum asserit hoc modo in pristinum honoram restituit Chem. Mat. 23.2 Mat. 15.6 their impure mixtures their corrupt doctrines and superstitious manners Who as far as they are Antichristian that is go in any wayes contrary to the holy rule and humble patern of Jesus Christ yet might yea and ought to sit in the Temple of God as all Antichristian spirits indeed do who cannot properly be but where there is a Profession of Christianity yet it doth not follow that the Catholique Church against which the gates of hell shall not prevail so as to extinguish the name of Christ was either wholly ruined by Antichristian superstructures or that the whole fabrick of it must be pulled down
but cruell actors in their distresses whose necessities must needs be some reproach of the Nation even a publique sin and shame never to be expiated Will it not be the height of barbarity to compell such persons to Bellisarius his Obolum After so many learned victories and triumphs to force them to turn their bookes into bread or to be their own Cannibals to feed on their owne bowels or to starve upon others uncharitablenesse O how sad and sordid is it for such learned worth to be tryed with want and such piety be exercised by penury O prodigy of covetous cruelty capable to astonish heaven and earth which seekes to hide its wickednesse by its enormity and to make its selfe incredible by its monstrosity and excesse men will think it a fable which humanity much more Christianity should so much abhor to act or suffer to be done when it is in their power to help O Divine Providence which art indisputable unsearchable uneffable how dost thou thus chuse darknesse for the garment of thy glorious lights and thick clouds of obscurity wherein to wrap up thy brightest beames among mankinde Art thou preparing Ravens for such Eliasses and working wonders for the nourishment of such Prophets or shall their retirednesse poverty and patience be thy greatest wonder and their Martyrdome thy highest miracle by which to convince and convert this crooked and adulterous generation Truly O excellent Christians it is infinite pity grief and shame that so deserving vertues and most reverend years should be so much obscured and neglected whose great learning and excellent gifts in all kindes no men or Christians would despise or not use and incourage save onely such as are afraid that either the true reformed Religion or true Ministers should have any lustre put upon them or so much as any competent livelyhood afforded to them here while forain Churches and Universities admire them and would gladly entertain them There are also some fair Plantations of young and thrifty trees yet left in this Church whose luxuriant floridnesse wants nothing but a right Church government to culture prune and order them These rightly planted out by due ordination and preserved by wise discipline would in time bear store of good fruits if the coldnesse and spowinesse of the soil and inclemency of the English climate ever since our Northern blasts did not make them dwindle grow mossy and shrubbed by popular and plebeian adherencies or if a violent hand doe not pluck them up by the root or so bark them round and circumcise their maintenance that no fair fruit can be expected from them when there is no sap derived to them who if they were duly ordered and incouraged would still make the vain and erratick genius of this age see That true Religion is to be preserved and the Kingdom of Christ in mens hearts advanced and the power of godlinesse maintained in Christians lifes not by new modes and fancifull fashion but by old truths and the old Ministry of whose line and measure these new pretenders coming far short they strive by their calumniating activity to supply their defects after the same arts that the ungrateful sons of Sophocles did who that they might get their fathers estate of whose longaevity they were impatient complained that hee doted and was past the use of those admired parts which formerly had got him the love and applause of all Athens beseeching the Magistracy that they might make their father their pupill and manage that estate for him to which he was superannuated The old man hearing of this practise of his unnaturall sons made and publiquely recited the famous Oâ—â—ipus Coloneus and last of his Tragedies which gave the people so great assurance of his still remaining reason and sufficiency that they caused the former unjust grant to be revoked and his unworthy sons worthily punished 18. The impertinency and insufficiency of the Antiministerial pretenders I must in like manner leave it to the judgement and conscience of all excellent Christians whether there be any compare betweene the gifts labours and successes of those goodly Trees the true Ministers who have had the right power and succession derived to them from the Apostolicall root and these new shooters or suckers who seek to starve the ancient trees which so far exceed them and over drop them Are they not like vines and brambles thorns and figtrees set together Is not the comparison uncomely and disparaging not onely to Christians judgements but to their very religion Can the exchange passe without infinite losse injury and indignity to all true Christians of this and all other reformed Churches And therefore I shall presume such a commutation can never be desirable or acceptable to any that are soberly religious and truly consciencious who have no secular interest wrapped up under specious pretensions of piety Wise and worthy Christians cannot but remember and be extreamly sensible of those many great benefits which their forefathers themselves and their countrey have evidently received and enjoyed many years by the labors of the true Ministers of this Church equall or like to which they cannot with any probability nor by any experience yet had expect from the sorry simplicity and extravagant ignorance of those Antiministeriall adversaries who have as little ability as authority to carry on the great and holy work of saving soules either by dispelling ignorance errours or prejudices out of mens mindes or by setling mens judgements in truth or satisfying mens consciences in doubts or by reforming mens manners in a way of due reproof and discreet counsell or by vindicating the reformed Religion against learned cunning and powerfull opposers or by preserving any decency order and honor in the outward form and profession of Christian Religion which will soon deform to all contrary effects if other Ministry or Ministers be applyed than such as Christ hath instituted and the Church alwayes ordained and sent in Christs Name No man then can desire or design the change of this Ministry as to the authority order rule and succession who doth not also aime at the change of the whole Ministration and work Indeed those rude and unchristian novelties which some men seeme to agitate carry the aspect not onely of Papists and other collaterall adversaries against us as reformed but of Jews and Turks and Heathens such as would most diametrally oppose the name of any Christian Church or which is as bad or worse they seeme to prepare the way for some great Antichrists 2 Thes 2.10 11. whose coming must be by strong pretensions and presumptions of some new wayes of Ministry Sanctity and Piety in which are hidden the strongest delusions most probable to overthrow the true Ministry and Churches of Christ while they shall speciously cry up such new wayes of Ministry and spirit and gifts and Churches which neither we nor our forefathers nor primitive Christians nor the Church Catholick ever knew or were acquainted with either by