also shewed a great measure of spirituall gifts in themselves so that not without cause their authority was great in the Church yet not as Christs proper and immediate Legates but of the Apostles yet they were divine and excelled in the gifts of the Spirit Since their departure that glorious way of calling and conferring of gifts by imposition of hands ceased that scarce three hundred yeares after Christ did there any whit of this rare vocation remaine yea Antichrist breaking out in the place of gifts all sorts of corruption and vices succeeded And yet if we look upon the lights of ancient times namely Austin yea Bernard in the yeare 1300. shining as a light in Cimmerian darknesse we must confesse that this Walachrian Jugler is but ice to compare to those fires of whom I think none durst venture to proclaime himselfe Christs immediate Legate as this trifler every where doth He is like those Painters Luke 2. which picture the Virgin Mary in Princely robes and with rich hangings because she was descended of the royall blood of King David of whose riches she had nothing when Christ was born but was destitute of all riches The titles that remaine are as blasphemous as fallacious 9. Pontisicis the Apostle in that notable place to the Hebrewes willing to exalt above all humane reach Christs incommunicable and ever to be adored vocation Heb. 5.4 to his eternall Priesthood and Mediatorship for the whole race of mankinde doth chiefly illustrate it by the excellency of the manner which he declared by the typicall calling of Aaron in glory exceeding the inauguration of all the Leviticall High Priests that succeeded him which notwithstanding the manner of Christs eternall Priesthood did infinitely excell in that he received his inauguration not from any earthly man but from heaven for to none of the Angels was it said Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee of which the Apostle speaks plainly when he saith Heb. 1.5 no man takes unto himselfe this honour but he who is called of God as Aaron was and Christ whence it is apparent that it is temeritie for any man after Christ to take upon him the priviledge of this title yet Antichrist the old Romish Pope durst doe it priding himselfe in this as in many other things that he hath succeeded Christ as his Vicar and high Priest in the Militant Church Our Stilt-walker following the foot-steps of his Predecessor doth not indeed as yet brag that he is high Priest but desirous to make an impression of the excellency of his preaching function upon unskilfull and superstitious people he is so often commending it that he would have all men believe what the Apostle speakes of Christ alone and Aaron to be meant of himselfe and such as he for he takes this for a generall rule that no man is called to a sacred function except also this belong to him that he hath not assumed this honour but hath received it of God This indeed did appeare in Aaron typically in Christ truly But he that will search for this in the Popes naughty vocation or in that vicious and humane calling of Apollonius as I have described it will wrong Christ 10. Titâ—â—â— spousi quad sit maritus Ecclesiae and will make us believe that to be true which we see and know to be contrary Apollonius thinks it also no meane title for a Bishop to be called the Bridegroome and Husband of the Church if this be true they will suppose that the Church whose lesser and meaner part is the Magistrate must bee subject to the Minister as a wife to the husband because it is plainely said to the woman thy will shall bee subject to thy husband But these parabolicall allusions are of little weight among wise men if in Scripture sometimes the title of Husband or Bridegroome were given to Ministers but it is so farre from this that in it we find the Baptist conferring this honour on Christ alone that he is the Bridegroome because he hath the Bride reserving to himselfe the title of friend onely which modesty is farre different from the pride of moderne Papists who boldly prate that they are the Bridegroomes and therefore have the Bride I think that it is more injurious to Christs incommunicable honour for one to call himselfe a Vicar Bridegroom or Husband then the Ministeriall head of the Church Concerning the indignity of this last many books have been written against the Pope whereas notwithstanding it is evident that this involves no dishonour to Christ if he have under him a Ministeriall held but it containes obscoenity for one to be called Vicar Bridegroome or secondary Husband of Christs Church upon earth But I will not spend time about this as any great matter I will only drive this Walachrian Papist to quotlibetary fooleries by which he may with his old friends delight or vex himselfe For first I will aske if a Pastor or Preacher be the Bridegroom or Husband of the Church what kind of Husbands were the Apostles who had no particular Church but had the care of all If he say they were not Husbands or Bridegroomes which they themselves would have easily acknowledged he will make them lesse worthy then the Walachrian night-birds but if on the contrary he doe confesse it he will bring upon them the suspition of bawdrie as though they had power every where to lie with other mens wives Which monster Mahomet in his Alcoran did challenge to himselfe that according to his propheticall majesty he might have power to leap into every womans bed Againe if he saith that the Church is married to ordinary Pastors I aske whether it be not an unseemly thing for one woman to have many husbands which no Law doth allow and yet in this spirituall marriage there is nothing more common for many Churches have two three foure Pastors and perhaps the Church of Middleburg hath many more and consequently husbands which if he shall make use of as his Vicars to lie with his wife Apollonius himselfe will make her to be suspected of adultery except he be assured that she will be loyall to him as the cheif husband yet he shall carrie the hornes when he gives way to his colleagues as his underlings to make use of her But if one Church be duly married to one husbands I aske again if any thing can be more proper for marriage then indissolubility but in this holy and spirituall wedding there is nothing more absurd for no sooner doe young men leave the Schoole but out of the heat of their youth they begin to be suiters neither is there any Church so meane and poor to which they will not make suite as if shee were the fairest Bride in the World if so be shee will confer upon them a pastorall Cloak and a stipend but this is not with any intention to stay alwayes with this wife but like insects they gather company till they can
pleaded for the universall Church Acts 15. whose dignity consists in faith and profession Hence also it is called the Church properly in opposition to the Rulers thereof but presently by a new cunning trick they turne aside to the Church Ministers and their Government that the whole power and dignity of the Church might be united in the Churches outward Government and Rulers excluding the body of the Church and the faithfull as lay and carnall men Lastly they doe so prate of spiritualities and the holinesse of Government and Rulers that they stay not upon the commendations of the prime and chiefe holy things such are GODS Word Faith Sacraments and other things which properly and primarily are spirituall but by a confused acception of Holy and Spirituall things they dispute of busines and actions of Church-matters and their dependencies about which they themselves are conversant in which things either there is no true spirituality at all or if there be it is â—â—â—y remote and improper nor any way to be compared to the Apostolicall Government This is surely Apolonius his Canvasse packe of which I have spoken often which he had not from Christ but from the Pope For he willing to be reverenced of all men every where he pretends the Name of Catholick Church and Spirituality with which when hee hath perswadeded mens mindes he presently perswades them also that the Government of the Church is most holy whence he contracts its sanctity to the ruling Clergie and because the spirituality of all Church-men by degrees is collected in the Pope as the head of all Hence the Pope acquires this dignity to himselfe to be thought and called Most spirituall most holy Father as 〈◊〉 the force form and quintessence of all spirituality resided in the Pope alone so that now among Papists none doubt but that the Eyes Mouth Tongue Heart yea Haires Skinne Hands Feet Heeles Shoulders Ribbes Belly I had almost sayd his Belches and Farts are either spirituall or smell of spirituality This priviledge of Sanctity by the worlds fatall errour hee hath now long possessed and I feare will possesse to the end of the World For though the Christian World should happen to bee freed of this first Antichrist yet we see by what is sayd a new Antichristian seed springing out of Apolonius who to the great disgrace of Magistrates doth dawb over with the strange painting of Spirituality the businesse of the Visible Church yet with this caution That he will have us beleeve that it resides not in the whole body but onely in the Ministers as the Captaines and Presidents thereof This Fiction having taken impression there is arisen among Church men such a pride of preheminence that there is none of them though never so basely born though promoted to the Pulpit by never so wicked meanes but thinkes himselfe in Church-matters exempted from all obedience to the Magistrate and that he is to rule them all Which Pride if at length as is seen in the Walachian Classis be setled in such a Chough or Jack-daw as Apolonius is how much I pray will the world be eased of Antichrist Apolonius will not be angry if in time I detect to godly-men his arts and cunning trickes and shew how like a Bird he is to the Romish Pope So that he must not wonder if hereafter all good men bite him For he will deservedly fall into Aesops Fable of the Cuckow about which almost all Birds doe flye as about an Hawke whereas it is a weak and feeble Bird For he sayth That the Cuckow once afked why all the Birds did peck at him as if he were an Hawke The Birds answered because in his feathers he was so like an Hawke that they were afraid lest in time he should be an Hawk But now to let this alone I will examine severally the workes of the Eoclesiastick Ministery by which as by Instruments inward Faith outward profession and union with Christ and his Church are procured and preserved which therefore are accounted scâ—â—â—ally Ecclesiastick businesse The first of these should be the publick reading of the holy Scriptures Ectypon For since it pleased God to comprehend the counterfeit of saving truth in writing he never granted so much to vocall preaching as not to have it examined and weighed in this balance of Scripture So that neither Prophets nor Apostles John 5. nor Christ himselfe were offended at this Act. 17. Hence not onely the reading of holy Scriptures in private hath been familiar with all good men but also among the publick Functions of the Church it hath been a solemne custome to read the Law that is the Scripture so that the chiefest men have not scorned to performe this duty sometimes That place Acts 13.14 is worth the noting Luke 4.16 and chiefly that of Luke where it is sayd that Christ being at Nazareth on the Sabbath day rose up and having taken the Booke did read that famous place in Esay 61.1 So that this task was performed by the best men and not put over to the meaner sort as now For at this day the holy Scripture is to be esteemed no lesse then Vrim and Thummim of old among the Jewes and the Sanctuary where God gave his Oracles For as soon as he gave off to deliver his Oracles there and ceased to send Prophets by whom he spake extraordinarily they had nothing certain but the Law and the Testimony that is the Scripture with which they ought to consult The Pope at this day utters many lies concerning his infallible power of deciding controversies The new reformed Papists trusting to their infallibility will have men beleeve their interpretations upon paine of excommunication and danger of hell fire But this should be known among Christians that now nothing is infallible except the Scripture alone which if we had not there should bee no certainty in divine worship or religion at all Surely such is the use and efficacie of reading the holy Scripture that it is knowne by experience of all Ages that in persecution many have been converted and saved onely by reading which the Pope Christs adversary the fatall tyrant of Christs Church knew too well who in the first beginning of Reformation that he might stop the course of the Gospel inhibited the reading of Scripture under pain of death but withall giving leave to preach For he knew that by the dumb and secret help of reading many were so well instructed that not onely thence got they knowledge and boldnesse to tax his errours but also to confesse the truth in the midst of flames and tortures Neither here doe I much regard Stapletons cavill that men cannot by bare reading be converted Rom. 11. because it is sayd How can they beleeve of whom they have not heard How can they heare without a Preacher Also Faith comes by hearing Because Paul hath not debarred from faith and salvation such as are corporally deafe for that they cannot heare but
Magistrates cannot rule the Church This argument also is made up of divers lies for it is false that the Civill Government is alwayes Monarchicall the Government of our Country is Aristocraticall such also is that of the Venetians Helvetians and others another lye is that the Church-Government is alwayes Aristocraticall because under Heli Samuel Macchabees and others it was Monarchicall yea in the New Testament it was not still Aristocratical but oftentimes Monarchicall For I ask when Christ lived upon the earth and ruled the Church whether the Church-government was not then Monarchicall Doubtlesse it was if ever it was Again when Paul alone was at Antioch and in Syria was not then the government of that Church Monarchicall For who was to be compared with so great an Apostle Lastly when John the Apostle was alone in the world for he lived longest had not then the Church on earth a notable Monarch Surely if such a Doctor at this day could be found in the world he should be as it were the Monarch of the Church and worthy to whom the whole Christian world should rise and give honour Whence the Pope makes no bad consequence in calling himself the head and Monarch of the whole Church and not Kings and Princes because they rise and give honour to him if it be true what he brags that hee is Peters successor and endowed with the gifts of infallibility as well as Peter But because experience teacheth that he wants all Peters gifts chiefly that of infallibility and on the contrary to be nothing els but a monster and load of all vices hence it is that he is a meere Impostor and a mocker of Christianity and Princes are miserably deluded in yeelding so much to so unworthy and wicked a man All then that the Stilt-walker babbles for Oracles are meere lies But this I will add that though Christ and his Apostles were by right Monarchs of the Church yet they still ruled the Church with that moderation that their government seemed rather Aristocraticall then monarchicall so that hence it appeares there is no necessity that he should alwayes rule monarchically who hath the right of Monarchie for he may use it aristocratically If this be true of Ecclesiasticks why should it not also hold in civill Princes that though they be Monarchs yet they may handle Church-matters in an Aristocraticall way as oftentimes Kings do And so the Kingdome of the Church shall not be monarchicall though a Monarch live in it ruling Aristocratically He ascribes much strength to this Ram which he is still shewing as if it had exceeding great Hornes whereas indeed it is a horn-lesse calfe The power formally Ecclesiastick depends immediately from Christ the Mediator the Churches husband who gave Apostles Prophets Teachers par 1. p. 37. and Pastors to his Church but not Magistrates Ephes 4. And hath placed this power in the Church Mat. 18. But Magistrates are not the Church whence he gathers that the Magistrates office is neither requisite nor belonging to the Church and consequently that it appertaineth no wayes to them to use the Churches power He parted this one Argument into divers I have gathered his fooleries together in one bundle that I may fling them downe together First wee must note that this is an old and oftentimes refuted device of his in perswading us that Ecclesiastick power hath for its author Christ the Mediator and Spouse of his Church but not the Civill Power I have shewed before and now will more at large demonstrate that this is a most notorious lye His principall Argument is par 1. p 37 that while Christ lived on the earth he did all Church functions either by himselfe or by his Apostles but did not meddle with the Magistrates office but refused it and prohibited it to his Apostles whence Anabaptist-like he concludes that Magistracie hath neither Christ for its Author not belongs to the Church all which are a meere heape of lyes For first I aske whence learned he that no Function is required for the Church till the end of the world but what Christ must discharge either by himselfe or by his Disciples living upon the earth The Scripture saith no such thing but is the meere fiction of Apollonius otherwise let him tell me when did Christ or his Apostles performe the Precentors part in the Church because Martyr doubts whether in the Apostolicall Church there was any use of publique singing which wee borrowed at best from the Jewish Church many offices ceased in the Churches upon the Apostles departure to supply which Necessity hath gathered together many things mans industry hath found out without any sin or blemish if Antichrist had not corrupted all with multitudes His other lye is that Christ and his Apostles did not here discharge the Magistrates office that Fiction I have already refelled for they used a co-active externall power equivalent to the sword Christ with a whip purged the Temple Mat. 21. John 8. he suffered the judgement concerning the Adulteresse to be referred to him with his word he cast to the ground the Souldiers that came to apprehend him and chiefly when on the day of Palms sitting upon an Asse he rid to Jerusalem in a Princely but humble pompe suffering the acclamations of the People and their garments to be spread in his way Mat. 21. as if he had been a King which is so manifest that Mathew adds Zacharies Prophesie to be fulfilled Behold thy King cometh to thee meeke c. So the Apostles inflicted in the Church corporall punishments as death blindnes c. All which evince that however they despised and avoided the pride and earthly pompe of Civill government yet the office it selfe they discharged in the Church when necessity required But saith he Christ being exalted gave to the Church gifts and offices necessary for it among which the office of the Magistrate is not mentioned whence he concludes that this is not requisite fore difying of the Church I answer among these offices mention is made of Governours 1 Cor. 12. and of Rulers Rom. 12. which Calvin and Aretius on those places shew to have been censures of life and manners supplying the Magistrates office Lastly suppose that in those places no mention is made of Magistracie did he therefore not ordain it Yea Peter did plainly institute this and chiefly Paul Rom. 13. and 1 Tim. 2. as I have at large shewed before neither needs he tell us that Christ himselfe gave these offices by himselfe but Magistracie he commended onely by the Apostles this is but a frivolous cavill for he sent the Apostles onely immediately then the Apostles instituted the other functions and after them Timothy Titus and others whence it appeares that Christ the Mediator being exalted is no lesse the author of Magistracy then of Church offices because that by a most famous Elogy of the same Apostle is ratifyed in the name and authority of Christ exalted by whose government alone
any mention of Levites At Ierusalem he set up the chiefe Tribunall which consisted of Law-men and Clergie-men The Stilt-walker concludes that the Ecclesiastick Tribunall under Amarias the high Priest in the matters of the Lord was distinct from the secular under Sebadia his predecessour 2 Chron. 19. in the Kings businesse but this collection is not certain for presently to Sebadia are subjoyned the Levites so that we can see nothing to hinder us from thinking it to be the Sanhedrim of Magistrates and Priests in which the high Priest was to handle Ecclesiastick matters principally and Schadia secular but so that the sentence should be pronounced by the consent of both The Laitie then were never secluded from Ecclesiastick controversies but still included The ordinary power of punishing was in the Magistrate even for Ecclesiastick offences Aaron and the people sinned by idolatry Moses the Prince commands to slay three thousand Levites Achan stole the holy things Ioshua punished him Jehu slew the Priests of Baal Salomon deposed the high Priest Abiathar and so oftentimes Magistrates have punished Ecclesiasticall persons for Ecclesiastick offences or els have defended them from the unjust ordinances of Church-men The fact of Ieremie is memorable who being accused by the Priests for preaching was defended by the Princes And although the Priests endeavoured seditiously and unjustly to murder him Yet Ahiacam the Prince resisted Jer. 26. and delivered the Prophet from the unjust judgement of wicked Clergie-men who notwithstanding is commended for it and after the captivity is left in stead of a chiefe Ruler among the remainders of the Israelites whence it appeares that then there was nothing in all the Church-government in the old Testament of any speciall right or not to be touched by Magistrates from the separation of which notwithstanding the Stilt-walker borrowes his separated right as if all had been Sacerdotall functions and entrings into the holy of holies which had been ridiculous to the very old Levites It remaines that we look into the new Testament what the Magistrates did there Here the Walachrian sings the triumph and thinks that the Magistrate had no power because he saith there were none in the Apostles time whence he concludes that the Magistrate is a separable accident of the Church and that non 〈◊〉 have no accidents or right and operations I answered before that the Church was so farre from wanting Magistrates or supreme power at that time that on the contrary it resided in Christ and in his Apostles who indeed used not that earthly pomp but yet by their word they miraculously effected that which Magistrates did by their sword but to deny that this power was corporall or supreme over bodies because it was used by Ecclesiastick persons miraculously and not in any ordinary way is as much as if you would say that to kill as Phineas did is not to kill because hee being a Priest did it extraordinarily I do not think the Stilt-walker was ignorant of this but hee is angry because that power was then in the Church and among Church-rulers but is not without the Church and among Magistrates Hee had rather it should continue within the Church for all that hee intends is to hurt and disgrace any man by direct or indirect courses But if hee will have the same supreme power which was in the APOSTLES CHRISTS Legates to remaine hee should by some sure token let us see that the same gifts are in him which were in them but being destitute of such he doth all one as if he did brag of Croesus his wealth and yet is poorer then Irus not having scarce a penny to buy himself a halter It is familiar with him to imitate the Pope his Predecessor he drove Magistrates out of the Church snatching the sword from them tooke to himselfe both the Secular and Ecclesiastic sword If by this gulfe he swallow the Magistrates especially the prudent Middleburgeans that being in discord by his devices they let go the civill helme of the Church and commit it to this Church-man he will be to us a great Apollo and the wonder of the world This I hope I speake not without reason But secondly I answer it is most false that there were no Magistrates under the Apostles who by the Civill power defended and guided the Church either without or within This the Rattle-mouse dreamed to be out of all doubt because Nero and other supreame Magistrates were without and the Churches enemies What then were there no chief rulers of an inferiour rank who favoured the Church he is as much deceived as if he should say that our Chmmon-wealth of the Vnited Provinces had not in the beginning any lawfull Princes because the King of Spaine and his bloody Councell were their enemies For the lesser Governours to wit the Nobles and the Cities that is the States endowed with just power under the government of the illustrious Prince of Orange did happily begin their business of Reformation and liberty So there were then lesser Magistrates in the Church under the Apostles such as Cornel us the Centurion the Goaler Sergius Paulus the Pro-consul Erastus the Treasurer at Corinth Narcissus Nero his Chamberlain whom the holy Ghost hath recorded and doubtless many whom he hath not recorded Shall we not beleeve that these men prudently used their power estates also to defend the Church if they had not done so and had not been members of the Church they would not have bestowed their gifts for the common benefit of the body of the Church Now to place all these without the Church is to place the Sunne out of the world Surely the Church-government under the Apostles was so popular that the whole body of the Church was present promiscuously at the famous acts of calling and law-making Act. 16. Act. 15. the Walachrian then is a preposterous practice in thinking that there Magistrates were excluded from Church-business except he will say that they were of meaner condition then women and could not doe that which women could then or that they should lay aside their supream right as soone as they came into the Church All which fictions agree wel with the Popes institution who accustomed the Emperours when they came to him the head of the Church to lay downe their Crownes and Sword to kneele on the ground and to kiss his foot which comedie doubtless is very pleasant to the Walachrian new Papist but this grieves him that he hath as yet a large sea to saile over before he can arrive to that harbour I say that all these Chymeraes were unknown to the Apostles and that they permitted Magistrates as Magistrates to be present at sacred meetings and to deliberate in sacred business and consequently that there were Civill Magistrates then in the Church I adde thirdly that among Church-offices there were such who though they were not Preachers and Pastors of the Church yet had a government in it 1 Cor. 12.28 for Paul
us who are to be fed and stand in need of loosing These words as if they were golden and pleasing to the Popes pride are oftentimes cited by the Jesuites and the Stilt-walker out of them part 1. p. 265 266. as if they were very notable doth every where repeat them for this is properly his intent to strike a superstitious feare in Magistrates that they may abstain from the Church-government that he and his may the more freely domineere and use Papall Tyrannie Yet there have been now and then famous and generous Princes who by their masculine carriage have curbed these whores and made them betake themselves to their distaffes especially those of Rome by prescribing Lawes to them and forbidding them the priviledge of caling Among others Justinian the Emperour who had well deserved of the Civill Law about the yeare 500. he made divers Lawes concerning the election of Popes by which he commanded the Church of Rome that they should not think of calling a Pope except they paid a summe of money and should by way of Petition ask leave of him to choose Such an order was prescribed to Gregorie the Great by Mauritius but he being murthered with his sons by Phocas about the yeare 600. gave occasion to Boniface the third to become Antichrist who then was first called and held the head of the Church Then the Empire strugled to get out and the Popes licentiousness increased untill after the 800. yeare it was again repressed by Charles as appears by the Institutes of Ludovicus Pius Otho and others concerning this matter but chiefly about the yeare 1070. Henry the third Emperour a generous Prince caused the people and Clergie of Rome to take an oath that they would never afterward meddle with electing the Pope untill first they had obtained leave of the Emperour which law within ten yeares after Pope Hildebrand did utterly overthrow bringing his sonne Henrie the 4. unto subjection whom he compelled at Canossa to come on his knees to him as may be seen in Platina and Onuphrius There hath been alwayes strange stubbornness in the Pope and Church-men in making of Lawes and inflicting of punishments by name spirituall but indeed corporall against which many times generous Princes have strugled untill by a fatall violence the Pope at last got the masterie This Ambrose first began to put in practice who by Theodosius of a Praetor was suddenly made a Bishop whom afterward he vexed very much with divers penitentiall inventions that if the Emperour had not for the greater good of the Church endured it then it might have given occasion utterly to destroy the Church Pope Anastasius was more impudent who durst excommunicate the Emperour by whom he was justly punished This boldness increased in Nicholaus and others so that they durst resist the Emperour to his face as Onuphrius brags Generous Princes at last lost their vigour in that they would not command these Church-witches to be brought to them in chaines thrust them from their Bishopricks punish them with exile and death Lastly in that they did not rule all things in the Church-discipline according to their authority and will when they saw how they were handled against Law and Justice Besides their power lasted so long over the calling and decrees of Councels that Church-men could doe nothing without their beck and Suffrages and Princes were too blame in that they did not curb by their authority the in-bred stubbornness of contention in those spirituall men and did not interpose their judgement in the most serious affaires of the Church and of Religion slighting the infinite quarrells of Ecclesiasticks Bellarmine cites examples out of Brevic. Collat. that in Austines time there was a great question between the Orthodox and the Donatists which could not be composed by Divines but at last was ended by Marcellinus notary and Tribune to the Emperour Constantine the younger The same reports out of Socrates Socrat l. â— c. 10. that under Theodosius the younger Divines had disputed long concerning the controversies of Religion which could not be taken up by the Synods Theodosius then commanded that every one should deliver to him the forme of his Religion which being read and weighed he prayed and at length chose the Orthodox opinion rejecting the rest and commanded that alone to be observed Bellarmine doubts of the credit of Socrates for how could he know saith he what Cesar did in his closet He thinks these things fell out upon the prayers of Theodosius by chance rather then by providence for if he prayed to God saith he it was rather that he would pardon him for putting his sickle into other mens corne in that he thrusted himself rashly upon this Church business So it is plaine that the old Papists and new Walachrians speak with one mouth and play upon the same strings But I on the contrary out of this conclude that this mysterie of iniquity was not knowne to those famous and pious Princes that they must doe nothing precisely under pain of Sacriledge in ecclesiastick business For had they understood that this was so ordained in Scripture they had abstained and so many Pious Doctors of the Church with whom they lived had not so easily granted this to them But histories tell us that all contention about this arose from the Bishop of Rome who was driven to this by his pride and antichristian fate With whose arrogancie the Walachrian Stilt-walker itching now againe hath published so many absurdities falshoods and blasphemies against Pious Magistrates which I have hitherto touched that I am glad to have got out of the dirty and thornie place of his fooleries But that I am in the last place to shew the acuteness of his distinctions wherein he every where abounds which though I have scatteringly refuted yet here as in an abridgement I will briefly point at for whilst he counterfeits modesty he seems to bestow bountifully on the Magistrate power in Church business but this he doth so inconstantly and carelesly that presently he puts some obstacle or other by a petty distinction least he should seeme to have yeelded too much Such is this above the rest that he grants leave to the Magistrate to handle Church matters objectively not formally by which distinction he will easily obtain that if he hath done all Church-business he hath done none because he hath done ecclesiastick things par 1. p. 91 but not ecclesiastickly or as ecclesiastick The vanity of which device consists in this that of a circumstance and base accident he makes a forme for he will have so great force and efficacie in modern vocation chiefly among the Walachrians that it introduceth a new form into a man or as the Papists speak a new character which pierceth into the soule so that one and the same thing being handled by a Magistrate is not ecclesiastick but being done by a Church-man or one that is called it is formally ecclesiastick Which difference seems no greater to me then
Schollar scarse yet free from the lash of the rod. They commonly answer that these things may bee done by you but must not because you are not called thereto Biotica Whereas you are to meddle onely with the things of this life and such as may bee committed to the basest members of the Church Yea if you will beleeve Apollonius you are but separable accidents of the Church having for the end or finall cause of your Office onely the peace of your people but Religion honesty and piety onely remotely and improperly which are so many blasphemies by which they speak evill of the Rulers of the people For you are the Keepers of the Church Fathers Governours Captaines and Heads of the People God himselfe stiles You Gods Who seeth not that these Apollonian whirle-windes resist the Ordinance of God who prescribe bounds to Your knowledge and because of some petty worldly circumstances would exclude Your care about Church-matters God himselfe bids You Kisse the Sonne Isaiah foretels that You shall bee Nursing Fathers to the Church the Apostle tels us that the end and effect of your function is the preservation as well of Religion and Honesty as of publick tranquillity without any difference Beleeve not therefore Apollonius and his followers for if once they cheat you with these Canvase wares Saccaria that you may commit the whole businesse of Religion to them they will leave off to take care of the Church and will care for the things that belong to You They will leape from the Pulpit to the Throne This the Pope hath done a great while whom John Becholtius of Munster did imitate This doth Apollonius with his fellows carnestly hunt after in Middleburgh Despise the vaine buzzings of contentious men they are Aesops Wolves who desire that they alone may keep the sheepe that the dogges may bee removed from the flock Imitate rather godly Kings and Princes who by their examples have shined before You and chiefely Moses who being set over Aaron and the whole Priesthood not as a Priest or Prophet but as God or a Prince hee had no lesse care of Aarons Priesthood and of Religion then Aaron himselfe not that hee did execute that by himselfe which by divine and speciall priviledge was assigned to Aaron and his Priests but he directed the whole worship as it was instituted by God and did moderate it by that eminent power by which alone bee excelled Aaron and his Priests as their God and Prince Whose footsteps afterward Joshuah followed who was Prince over the Israelites and Moses his juccessour So likewise David Solomon and other pious Kings of whom Solomon by vertue of his regall authority alone deposed Abiathar the High Priest that hee might inflict upon him an Ecclesiasticall punishment that is that hee might not bee any longer the Lords Priest by which right hee placed Sadoc in his stead Godly Jehosaphat who was neither Priest nor Prophet appointed Ecclesiastick Judicatures as well as Civill and in them Judges and Presidents no Priest gainsaying him Yea in the third yeare of his Reigne hee sent from Town to Town not onely Priests but Civill Princes also with the Book of the Law to teach and Preach who truely although the worship of God was then decayed had been notwithstanding guilty of Sacriledge if hee had attempted either to offer Sacrifice or carry the Arke or enter into the Sanctuary or execute any of those things which God by speciall priviledge had granted to the Priests and denyed to all others Therefore sleight the Impostures of Apollonius and such as hee who alleadge to you the exemples of King Uzziah and Uzzah These are childrens rattles which hitherto wicked Antichrist hath used to affright fearfull superstitious people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are empty tryes which experience and reason may teach you to despise For if to Pray publickly to Preach Gods Word to send Preachers to chuse Ecclesiastick Judges to remove a Priest from his Ministery to place another in his stead are matters of such speciall right as the going into the Sanctuary the burning of Incense and other things which God specially allotted to the Levites Uzzah alone had not falne down dead nor Uzziah been struck with Leprosâ—e nor the Philistimes troubled with the Hemorrods but innumerable pious Kings and Princes had been lyable to Gods wrath For although by the Law they abstained carefully from all Leviticall employments Yet if the Levites under this pretence had debarred them from every work of Divine Worship they had been laughed at as grosse Impostors They contained themselves within the prescript of the Law nor could these things bee thrust upon them as sacred and not to bee touched which God had not by an expresse Law separated The old Leviticall and templar separation is now abolished and yet this new Walachrian Levite perversely imitating the Jews challengeth in his Church-dressings that for holy and untangible which the old Levites themselves if they were alive would not debarre you from For it had been a most unworthy act to keepe off the High-Priest from medling else-where with holy things who might lawfully enter into the Holy of Holies this priviledge being granted there could bee nothing so sacred which bee might not touch How great then is the wrong which these new Priests offer to you under pretence of holinesse when they would affright You from medling with the Modern outward affaires of the Church Who have received from God a speciall power to enter every day into the now Christian Holy of Holyes There is now nothing in the Church nor in the whole world so sacred and infallible as the holy Scripture This is our Holy of Holies this is our Propitiatory Arke and Cherubim this is our Brest-plate shining with farre more brighter jewels then that of the Jews This is our Vrim and Thummim and whatsoever of old was venerable amongst the Jewes but now lost comes farre short of this which shall never perish though Heaven it selfe should fall In this concerning matter of salvation God doth answer You as well as the Priests whose answer is still certain and infallible Now whereas God himselfe by speciall warrant permits nay commands You to enter into this what madnesse is it that from the petty sacred things of this Church-furniture You should bee kept off from touching them under pretence of sanctity This is our Christian Liberty and felicity that wee are all now under Christ Kings Priests and Prophets That the generall priviledge of Christians is so large that no man is excluded from the administration of sacred things at this day if hee bee gifted I confesse it stands not with decency and Order that any man without calling should put his hand to the Modern Ministery yet the holinesse of the function is not hereby violated the Calling is at this day humane and oftentimes corrupted it serves for Order but conferres nothing to speciall sanctity Our Modern imposition of hands doth imitate the
it a main peece of sanctity to sow perpetuall strife and make a breach between the Magistrates and Ministers as if it were a holy duty in Ministers to demand and take from godly Magistrates all the benefits they can but still to beware of their deceipts and treacheries the Reader cannot be so stupid as not to smell out the mockes and reproaches of Apolonius through his whole work against religious Magistrates some of which I will now set downe that every one may see what kind of vermin this Apolonius is who like a Wasp or Hornet goeth about to sting not onely our famous Vedelius but Macovius also Rivet his own Masters the best Divines of Christendome the Nationall Synod and the High and Mighty States themselves yet notwithstanding this giddy head who pretends a maiden-like modesty in the end of his Preface thus writes I seriously affirme that concerning this cause I have almost brought nothing of my own but have robbed the Lucubrations and Coffers of other men and have collected whatsoevr Divines have scatteringly sayd of this subject Thus like Proteus sometimes he lookes like a Lion and sometimes like a Buck He is a shrill Trumpeter of his own vertues every where but chiefly in this place where he subjects himselfe to all learned men when as indeed he exalts himselfe above them all So that he slights almost every man in comparison of himselfe how ever I will not envie this Locust the honour which he affecteth to wit that hee hath skipped over many mens Gardens and gnawed their Flowers this I 'le say freely that he hath taken more pains to turn over negligently humane writings then diligently the holy Scriptures as I wil hereafter make it appeare I confesse indeed that he like a Hog or like Aesops Cock hath laboriously turned over the Dung-hills of Popes School-men Jesuites Apostates and Sophisters perhaps that he might find out the Jewell of Truth which if he thought in-glorious to find in the neighbouring and pure Medowes of holy Scriptures as being lesse spirituall which I suspect hee deserveth to be defiled with their stench and filth and to be laughed at by all learned and godly men It is enough for me that I have made Apolonius his dissembled modesty and shamefastnesse appear but withall his Dogs face and impudency towards all The mans mad pride might be tolerated if he could any where else shew us his skill in Grammer or Logick but he who hath either a mind or leasure which I confesse are wanting to me to turn over all his patched Peeces shall find that he harps an hundred times on one string like a ridiculous Fidler so that one would nauseat to heare him He is so little versed in Latin phrases that he deserves to be whipt by Priscian for his many solicismes for he useth frequently the word coerciva for coercitiva A great deale he hath of such barbarous stuffe which the English cannot bear c. Now for his Logick although with a wide mouth he promise great matters yet he playes but a Canvasse Merchant imitating every where that Parasite in Plautus I sell ridiculous sayings goe too come and cheapen cavils flatteries and phantasticall perjuries I purpose not to run through all his labyrinths he cannot follow the guide of his own thread I will briefly contract his foolish circumlocutions thus The Church of Christ is holy and spirituall Therefore all her affaires and chiefly her government is holy and spirituall From hence he gathers this consequence Ergo the government businesse of the Church which he calls Church-dressing belongs onely to the Saints or spirituall men that is Ministers because they by speciall priviledge of their vocation are sanctified and consecrated From hence also he drawes out another confectary thus Ergo These Church-affaires belong not to Godly civill Magistrates because they were not sanctified to this work but are altogether unfit as being but mean members of the Church worldly whose power is dispoticall or Lordly Architectonicall and corporall earthly not heavenly which can produce no spirituall effect or touch the soul These are the Coleworts which he so often in his madnesse sets down to us I will handle each of them in order But first let the Reader be fore-warned that this whole Apolonian Fable for Church-government which he begins is so like the Popish Scheme that almost they differ in nothing save oneâ—y that with the Pope this is an old Comedy and a thing in possession but among the Apolonian Walachrans there are new Actors and a thing onely in expectation Surely such is the affinity every where of their principles assertions and argumentations that whosoever will but compare the Fictions of old Papists with these new ones will easily finde that the same Romish Church was mother to them both I confesse Apolonius is not so unskilfull of cheating or juggling but for fashions sake he hisses at Popery and by this trick he cleares himselfe from Arminianisme but brands our famous Vedelius with it This is the old trick of Heretickes and of all Novalists and as it were whorish paintings wherewith they paint their deformed scabs There is nothing wherein the Papists have more deluded the world then under the name of Church-holinesse and spirituality by which superstitious pretences the Pope hath gotten to himself the government of the whole world which web this our Apolonius hath begun again and hath made up the whole wooffe of the same threads so that almost in every page he casts abroad the lofty words of Church-holinesse and modern-spirituality Ampullas Therefore I hope my pains will not be lost if briefly I delineate the acceptions of these words lest the yoyson which lurketh under these guilded Mushromes Beletis may strangle the unwary CHAP. II. Of the divers acceptions of the CHURCH THe word Church in Scripture sometime signifieth every Congregation or Assembly of men gathered together whatsoever be the manner or end of their meeting So that seditious concourse of men at Ephesus against Paul is by Luke called the Church Ecceesia Acts 29.38 38. twice in that place is this word used for that tumultuous Assembly of seditious men But more specially it notes the Assemblies of men gathered together for the publick worship of God whether this Assembly be great or small So Paul honours private meetings at home by the name of Ecclesia or Church as those private meetings in the houses of Stephana and others for private devotion Now the forme of these Churches doth not properly consist in the mysticall and internall union with Christ but onely in the externall union which these men have among themselves when they meet to worship Christ and to make profession of their faith the chiefe heads of which consist in the preaching reading expounding or any ways meditating in the word of God in administring the SacrameÌ„ts upon occasion lastly in exercising the workes of charity among themselves as Christs Disciples did living according to
the prescript of Christs lawes But most specially the word Church signifieth the Congregation of all that have been or shall be saved from the beginning to the end of the world which is the heavenly Jerusalem that Iohn saw Rev. 21. to which appertain many Jewes and innumerable Gentiles Concerning this Church so did many Fathers write Austine thus De Catechud de C. 20. The Citizens of heavenly Ierusalem are all sanctified men who have been are or shall be The forme of this Church consisteth in a true union with Christ by Faith being spirituall mysticall and indissoluble which the holy Ghost expresseth divers wayes chiefly when he calls her Christs mysticall body of which he is the head and every true beelever a member and as it were flesh of his flesh Oftentimes also this Church is called The Spouse and Wife of Christ to signifie the true and inseparable conjunction and most fervent love of Christ to those that truly beleeve To this last Church properly belong these famous Encomiums that she is One Catholick Holy Spirituall Clean without spot or wrinkle that she is not of this world but heavenly that Christ for her hath shed his blood and prayed for her not for the world that she cannot erre or fall away because the gates of hell cannot prevail against her The ancient Papists and Jesuites that they might advance the dignity of the Romish Church among ignorant people Bell. de Eccles Milit. l. 3. c. 21. use to confound these acceptions acknowledging no other Church but the externall and visible the form of which they place in outward profession and government but specially in this That they are united in government under one head the Bishop of Rome which indeed is a meere fiction or Chymera long since exploded by Divines Nor is it to no purpose that the Popes creatures have found out this device fet by this trick they draw men superstitiously to admire and honour their Church in that they cry out every where that she is the Body Spouse House and Kingdome of Christ which cannot faile or erre out of which there is no salvation and infinite such passages which are true onely of the Invisible Catholick and true Church but not of any externall and visible nay not of all the visible together if it were possible they could be all united For outward and visible Churches do no lesse many times differ from the true and invisible then a Swines-stigh doth from a pure Flocke of Sheep or a chaste Spouse from an impudent Whore For all times have taught us that the externall Congregations of men worshipping God under the old and new Testament are subject to many vices and errours which was not only manifest in the Churches of Corinth Rev. 2. c. 2. of the Galatians in the Apostles time but also in those Asiatick Churches to whom Iohn in the Revelation writes who were not then only ballasted with vice and errours but also shortly after fell away totally The small Congregation of the Apostles gathered by Christ was not so pure but had one amongst them who at last was known to be a Divell the child of perdition Truly if externall and visible Churches either each one or all be the Body and Spouse of Christ will not they bestow on Christ a very impure and deformed Spouse which is burdened with so many rotten members of the Divell Bellarmine that he might avoyd this absurdity feignes that those wicked men are not properly true members of the Church but are to be esteemed as nailes and haires I wonder he doth not tell us of lice also running among the haires of Christs Spouse Indeed the Jesuits Fables concerning the Church and Spouse of Christ are improper when they give her such an ugly head of haire intangled and made up of wicked men and sonnes of hell much like the disease among the Polonians called Plica For if the wicked be the haires of Christs Spouse it must follow that the haires of Christs Spouse must be burned with everlasting fire which indeed were monstrous and abominable that Christs Spouse should have a head like Mednsa's whose hairs were infolded with snakes for it is plain that in the visible Church oftentimes are found not onely Lay-men but Clergy-men also that are the very generation of Vipers if all these are in the Church of Christ as haires the Spouse of Christ should not be pure and faire but deformed and laden with an ugly head of haire consisting of the sonnes of Satan Other Jesuits say that these wicked men are in the Church Body and Spouse of Christ not as members and parts but as corrupted humours and imposthumes but the same absurditie will arise For this is known that visible Churches for the most part doe consist of hypocrites and wicked men but how absurd is this that Christ should have such a Body such a Spouse which continually hath putrid soares running which hath every day filthy imposthumes growing and sordid ulcers still increasing which will hardly be healed up into a skarre I confesse that sometimes the title of Holinesse and other notable Elogies are given to the externall congregations of Christians but this is spoken either improperly or because of Gods worship exercised among them or else out of the judgement of charity because of the elect and true beleevers found in these Congregations So we call that a â—eap of corn where some good corn is found though the most part be chaffe tares and filth But hee who will bragge that there is as much purity and worth in such a heap as in a heap of clean corn purged from chaffe and filth is an Impostor and deserveth to be laughed at This is the first faliacy which the Jesuits admit in the word Church that they might draw men into a superstitious reverence of the visible Romish Church This new Popish Walachran with his fellowes harp altogether upon the same string that they may induce men to admire their visible Church he distinguisheth indeed exactly between the Church visible and invisible and he shewes in many pages that those notable priviledges doe properly and onely belong to the invisible not to the visible Church But this he seems to have done cunningly to deceive the English as if he dissented from the Papists whereas he is indeed every where the Popes Champion fighting with his weapons for he transferres all the praises and priviledges of the invisible Church upon the visible for through all his hodge-podge against Vedelius he speaks of the right government in the visible Church of the power and offices of the visible Church as publick preaching and praying administration of the Sacraments calling to the Ministery censure and publick excommunication the giving of lawes and finally the whole furniture of the outward Ministery which every one knowes to be the externall and visible businesse of the visible Church yet he every where commends this Church calling her the House Body and Spouse of
Christ spiritual holy whom Christ bought with his own blood Also when he speaks of the outward Ministery of his Church he saith That she being the Spouse and body of Christ hath certain priviledges sacred rights And sometimes he is so lavish in extolling the outward affaires of the visible Church that he affirmeth Christ to have shed his blood for those priviledges and rights just like a Jugler he goeth about to perswade the Magistrate that when he offers to meddle with the businesse of this Apolonian and visible Church without her order that he commits sacriledge against the true and invisible Church which is the Body and Spouse of Christ So that with no lesse immodesty doth hee keep them off from all outward Church-businesse then if they were Bawds or Pandors offering to deflower Christs holy Spouse if they goe beyond the bounds prescribed by him So that not only doth he contradict himselfe but by a Popish trick endeavoureth to set forth his Ecclesiastick jurisdiction perswading men that his Church which is indeed vislble is to bee accounted for the Spouse of Christ and therefore the Ministery of this Spouse to belong onely to him and his Clergy as if they were the brides Spirituall Paranymphs The other errour of the ancient Papists is that the honour and holinesse of the visible Church which is so largely extended is contracted by them to government and Governours of the Church for those they call properly the representative Church to wit their Bishops and Clergie So that if you ask them who are Church-men And which is properly the Catholick Church Where this spirituall dignity shineth They will not understand the whole body of the Church and all that are called holy 1 Cor. 1.1 o. who adore the name of Christ as the Apostles speak For from this honour they debarre all Christians as Secular and Lay-men onely for their Clergy as if they were consecrated by the Character of holy vocation they reserve the honour of Ecclesiasticall spirituality he then that will seek for the Catholick Church among Papists shall find her no where but in the Clergy that is in their Priests Bishops Archbishops Cardinals and lastly in the Pope to whose government and command if any refuse to be subject though he be never so strict an observer of Christs commands yet shall not be reputed a member of Christs Church For Bellarmine in the place above cited referres the Church government under Pastors and the Pope to the essence or formality of the Church Our Walachran Stilt-walker with his fellowes are not much unlike the Jefuites he is stâ—â—erying out that he strives for the priviledges and holy rights of Christs Spouse the Church the form of which hee placeth in outward profession But because hee perceived this dignity to bee common to the whole body of the Church of which the godly Magistrate is a part lest the mysticall priviledge of Church-holinesse be communicated to worldly carnall and secular Magistrates whose charge is of earthly not of heavenly things he doth accuratly distinguish after the Popish manner between the Church Represented which he makes the body of the Church abstracted from the Governours thereof and Representative which hee makes the Governours separate from the other members of the Church For whilst he gives to each of them incommunicable properties he doth fully distinguish them For these because of their ministration and dignity of ruling he makes the Eyes Eares Hanas and if he durst with Papists he would call them Heads Princes and Kings of the Church whose office is to goe before to oversee to rule with command domineeringly to compell and with authority to punish and no wayes to be subject to be ruled to beled yea not to be subordinate to civill Magistrates in Church matters but immediatly to depend on Christ and to be inseparably subiect to him As for the body of the Church Represented like sheep and subjects even Magistrates themselves as being the basest members which he is still upbraiding them with must modestly submit themselves be content to be ruled and taught and to acknowledge the spirituall power of the Church to which they and theirs must be subject So that in truth the Ministers are the Heads and Monarchs in Church-affaires as for Magistrates and all other Church-members they are onely the taile and meer vassals Every man may see how much different this is from the government of the Apostolical Church if they will but attentively read the Acts of the Apostles For if ever the Church-government were glorious holy it was under the Apostles for they were then the most holy Governours who knew very well the rights and priviledges of their government but yet they so ruled the Church that the whole Assembly was of one heart and one soule Acts 4.32 And they were so farre from contending about the priviledge of jurisdiction or from debarring the body of the Church from medling with Ministerial businesses that they permitted every man to exercise them if so be he were fitted without the solemnity of outward calling and gave way to the whole Body of the Church that is to all Christians to debate about and determine the most sacred affaires of the Church Nor was it held absurd though this Night-bird think it so now by these great lights of the Church for the same to call and to be called to send and to be sent to teach and to be taught to be above and to be under to rule and to be ruled to help and to be helped So that this Stilt-walker hath not borrowed from the Apostles that exact right of Church-government and the prerogative of power in the Church Representing upon the Church Represented that is upon the body and members of the Church but from the Pope the Roman Antichrist For he by a fatall Energie and efficacie of deceiving did first season Christians with an immoderate superstition of the visible Church and outward worship so that they attributed more to her then was fit the care of which afterward he transferred upon the Clergy alone as being consecrated for this work and withall deduced all that reverence to Church-men and the governours thereof as though they alone had right in Church-affaires from which other Christians as being Lay-men were debarred but afterward by degrees he transferred to himselfe the whole dignity of the Clergie and so at length became the Epitome of all Ecclesiastick dignity and sanctity so that now for many yeares hee is reputed and called the head of the Church yea the very Church representative by which he plainly shewes himselfe to be Antichrist That Roman Basilisk did not suddenly but by degrees peep out of small mysteries on whose egges because of late this Treverian doth sit if pious Princes doe not in time fore-see the cunning there will in stead of one arise many Antichrists For if the sanctity of the Catholick Church be in the visible Church if the sanctity of the visible
that she might feele or at least worship the dependencies of that primary holinesse How-ever the matter is I think this to be undoubtedly true That outward Church-rites are not therefore to be held sacred because of their order or reference to Religion and Worship CHAP. IV. Of SPIRITUALITY IT remaines that we examine the word of SPIRITUALITIE For although both old and new Papists doe too much betray their owne fleshly lusts yet they proclaime with full Cheekes every where their SPIRITUALITY and make it in a manner all one with SANCTITIE which notwithstanding differ in this That what is truly holy is alwayes good but that which is spirituall is sometime evill for Paul speakes of spirituall wickednesse in the aire I here take it in a good sense and in these three I make the forme of Spirituality to consist First it must have God for its Authour Secondly the end of it must be Gods worship and the salvation of soules Thirdly it must be done after a spirituall manner The Stilt-walker is large in exagerating this and scrapes together so many things out of Parker that he who will give credit to what he prates there of Church-matters may doubt whether Apolonius hath any flesh yet left about him or whether hee and his Walachrians bee not transformed into pure spirits long a goe For nothing is to be found in their Church-matters whether they bee words or things but they must be accounted spirituall For who is so meanly learned as will suspect any carnality to be left there where so many Spiritualities meet together by speciall vertue of their Function and vocation What I speak is true as is plain by the old Papists where not onely by vertue of Ecclesiastick Calling and Office wonderfull spirituality is ascribed to the Clergy but especially when they come to the Pope the head of their spirituality such is their superstition that they think him to be and so they call him a GOD and in a manner a Meere Spirit so that if he sweare forsweare drink whore and if this Roman Locust leap from one adulterous bed to another yet scarce will any bee induced to beleeve otherwise but that he is holy and spiritual still For because they think by reason of the dignity of his Function that he is altogether sanctified and Deified they will not be easily induced to beleeve that hee can lose his spirituality This madnesse by degrees in Gods just judgements possessed mens mindes which lest Apolonius should renew among the Protestants I will more largely explain every particular of what I have sayd First this is most certain that what hath not God or the holy Spirit for its Authour deserves not the Title of Spirituality and the more immediately and clearly any thing proceeds from Gods Spirit so much the more properly is that to bee called Spirituall For as that is called Kingly which the King immediatly doth speaketh with his own mouth writeth with his own hand so these things are to be esteemed divine holy and spirituall properly which are immediatly done by God So Christs vocation and inauguration is most spirituall For to him onely he spake from heaven Thou art my Sonne so God himselfe pronounced the Law on Sinai Such was the Apostles immediate vocation from Christ so the word of God in Scripture and true faith begot of that seed are chiefly to be accounted spirituall And although in things concerning faith God useth the work of man yet the effect God properly reserveth for himselfe and produceth it 1 Cor. 3. Yet this must not be taken so precisely but that these things also are to be reckoned spirituall which God worketh by instruments if so bee they are such instruments as are known to bee Gods Pen-men and Embassadours such as the Prophets and Apostles were who as they were truly Gods Embassadours so the things were divine holy and spirituall which God by them did speake write and doe Hence not only was it usuall to the Prophets in teaching to say Thus sayth the Lord but of such Messengers that is true which Christ said to the Apostles He that heareth you heareth me For as that is called Princely which the Princes Embassadour doth in his name and by his command even so whatsoever the Prophets and Apostles Gods immediat Embassadours did or taught is no otherwayes to be accounted then if God himselfe had spoken from heaven so that in them was true spiritually But where the gifts required for such an Embassie cease it is certaine that there also ceaseth the dignity and spirituality of that Embassie or else becomes much inferiour Now the honour of a Divine message consisteth in two things First that he have a Patent or Letters of Credence for though one should performe the Kings command yet if he hath not this command to shew for his imployment he is not to be accounted the Kings Agent but which sometimes hath been done ought to bee punished as a Cheater Secondly this is required in a Divine Message that the Messenger or Agent have full instructions of all things that concern his imployment and that he goe not beyond the bounds of his Embassie he that wants either of these conditions deserves not the title of a Divine Embassadour These conditions were fully in the Prophets and Apostles and therefore were truly Gods Embassadours and spirituall All the Doctors of the Church at this day come farre short of this dignity because they want both these priviledges as I will afterward shew Hence appeares the Popes falshood who though hee hath no Letters of Credence to shew for his employment by reason of the vitiosity of his Calling who almost like a Thiefe creeps in at the back dore and though he doth so performe his Embassie that he goeth beyond his Commission and tramples on it yet he bragges with such boldnesse that he is Christs Embassadour that not content with this Title will be called Vniversall Bishop and Head of the Church yea Christs Vicar upon Earth by which hee shewes his Impudency and Antichristianisme Our new Walachrian Papist no lesse boldly calls himselfe familiarly Christs Embassadour whereas he knowes and should acknowledge that in performing his Masters Embassie he violates oftentimes his commands Wee see also in his book much railing many absurdities and plain falshoods which he thrusts upon his Readers these he cannot have from his Master CHRIST but rather from his predecessor the Pope from whom also he borrowes his pride in puffing himselfe up with the Title of Spirituality so that not onely doth he equall but in many things preferre himselfe to the Apostles For hee sayth that the Spirituality of his Church-businesse is such that the Magistrate cannot attain to it making his power over the Church so absolute that he will have it to be Regall and other things of which the Apostles never dreamed as I will more fully shew hereafter And this is the first condition of Spirituality from the Author yet every thing is not