the outward Church when there is a wicked profession contrary to the doctrine of faith Againe a man may beleeue be wonne to faith by meanes of some godly brother and that before he haue outwardly ioyned him selfe to the Church so in gods secret election he is of the church yet because he hath not the outwarde profession can not be sayde to be the outwarde Church But here Master Cartwright though he dare not iustifie the blind reading Ministers yet he doeth praise them as doing some good But of this matter also it followeth afterwarde to intreate as whether he that doeth so much hurt and mischiefe can be saide to doe any good at all Likewise it is a trifling to no purpose that he sayth the Church ceaseth not when a minister faileth or wanteth for we knowe that euen two or three agreeing together in the trueth separate from wickednesse if none other will ioyne with them euen they are an outwarde and visible Church and haue this power of Christ euen to binde men on earth and to loose them on earth that they may be bound or loosed in heauen For though by persecution they be driuen into corners yet their good profession is outward and visible in it selfe and yet hidden from their enemies which are vnworthy to see it for the church may increase into thousandes and decrease also in this worlde euen to a litle householde and to foure or fiue persons For Ierusalem fell away and became as Sodome and Egypt and the Lorde did blot out the whole name and church of the Iewes and called his people by another name as it is written Isay 65. Actes 11. But in these latter dayes it is prophecied that the Church shoulde be small hidden and driuen into corners So that as in Noas time eight persons onely escaped euen so when the sonne of man shall come he shall not finde faith on the earth those dayes before his comming shall be so hard that scarce any flesh shall be saued Indeed one person will not make a church for the Church must needes be a number but where two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ there is he in the middes of them And the housholde of Philemon is named a Church Likewise the housholde of Olymphis of Aquila Priscilla and others For if they haue the power which Paul calleth the power of our Lorde Iesus Christ and doe meete together fewe or moe in the Name of Christ they are surely the Church of Christ. Therefore this doctryne is still agaynst Master Cartwright for neyther the word in the preachers mouth nor the Sacraments can make an outwarde Church except they haue the power of Christ to separate the vnworthye For Master C. confesseth that the name of a Church shall remayne though the preacher and his preaching doe cease and is wanting for a tyme. But without this power of binding that is of declaring mens wickednes and forsaking their fellowshippe to leaue them vnto Satan being open and grieuous offendours there is no name nor shewe of the church of Christ remaining If he demaunde proofe hereof the scriptures are manifest For God hath giuen this power not onely to the preachers but to all the saintes of god as appeareth by that Psalme namely By the worde of god in their mouthes to binde euen the Kings and nobles of the earth and to execute vpon them his spirituall iudgement the text followeth that this honour shall be to all the Saintes Wherefore it is not peculiar to some one or to â—ome fewe alone but it belongeth to all yea this is the heritage of all the Lordes seruants as Isaiah testifieth In deede it is true that we ought ioyntly to execute this power but if others will not or bee in bondage that they can not ioyne with vs therein then they are not the Church but the bondslaues of men For this power belongeth to euery one seuerally to forsake wicked fellowship and there is a coÌ„mandement giuen to euery one to forsake the vnfruitfull workes of darkenesse to be no companions with such to haue no fellowshippe with them to withdraw our selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately yea and to turne away from all which hauing a shew of godlinesse doe deny the power thereof For if we walke in darknes and say we haue fellowship with god we lye sayth S. Iohn and doe not truely But if we walke in the light we haue fellowship one with another otherwise that fellowship holdeth not And in Hosea commandement is giuen vnto all euen to pleade against the mother church if it fal away that as god doth forsake it so euery one also should stand against it if it become abhominable And so also all are commanded to saue them selues from a froward generation But it may be here obiected howe we answere to the place in Matth. 18 that we must complaine to the Church and then if the offender heare not the Church we must take him for a heathen and publican I grant that if the offence be priuate he must be first priuately dealt with But this proueth not that either for priuate or open offences we must waite on them for redresse which are enemies of the Church and which haue no power to binde and lose as hath the church Wherefore let not Master Cartwright accompt so much of the assemblyes he speaketh of for what is a Church without this power we spake of yea what are those assemblies which in steade of it do holde that Antichristian power of the spirituall courtes or rather are helde in bondage by it But Master Cartwright alloweth not onely those assemblies but also those vile courtes and officers and Bishoppes set ouer them to be all the Church of God For he sayeth afterwarde namely in the sixt page that the calling of the dumbe ministers whichis by them is a calling of the church and sufficient to make them ministers yea and he seemeth to allowe also their suspendings of preachers as if it were done by the Church so that both for complaint and for redresse of defaults for establishing and gathering the churches hee alloweth or tollerateth those officers and courtes to haue the power and authoritie of the church But God hath appointed no such kinde of complaintes in the Church neither such kinde of redresse nor ordering of matters First because they redresse and order matters by money Brybes Fees Ciuill penaltyes c. wherein the Church discipline ought not to meddle For the weapons of our warefare sayeth Paul are not carnall He meaneth that the Church maye not deale in matters of reformation as doeth the common wealth and this present worlde The Church can deale no further then onely by rebuke warning and exhortation out of gods worde and by forsaking casting of fellowship in grosser sinnes And therefore rightly may the word and his
before For the iust shall liue by his fayth saith Habbakk If then a mā shall liue by his owne faith he shall not liue by the faith of another And by baptising into the fayth and profession of any we must vnderstande that we are baptized to holde the same fayth and profession when wee come to discretion and not to haue our lyfe and saluation by an other mans fayth when as yet we haue not the same fayth our selues And if wee shall liue by faith then fayth is the meanes to come by that lyfe and is not the life it selfe Wherefore Christ is the life and essence of the Church and not faith Nowe Christ is made as no christ vnto vs except we holde him and ioyne with him as our annointed King priest and Prophet For so the word Christ doth signifie And here I demande of M. C. whether the Kingdome Priesthood Prophecie of Christ be of the essence and life of the Church I am sure he dare not say nay to this and why then will he haue the Lordes discipline or gouernement to be but an accident or hangby to the church For by Christ as paul sheweth that is by the graces of Christs kingdom priesthood ◠prophecie all his body that is all his Church are coupled knit together by euery ioynt and so receyueth increase and edyfiyng in God So take away the kingdom and gouernement of Christ and there can be no ioyning nor coupling together of the church no offices nor callings in the church yea no face or shewe or rather no part signe or token of the church For these graces do we receiue of Christs kingdome or from his imperiall Maiestie And therefore it is writtē that when he ascended vp on hie as our triumphant King and Gouernour he led captiuitie captiue and gaue giftes vnto men and againe he ascended far aboue all heauēs that he might fill all things And wherfore is the church and people of God in so many places called the throne of God and the kingdome of God but only to shewe that without the discipline and gouernement of Christ therein it loseth euē her essēce life being in christ And this M C. is forced to cōfesse For he saith that the ministery of the word is a part of this discipline the obedience of the people is another so reasoneth that take away all discipline euery part thereof there remaineth no church of christ Thus the truth hath made him to yeeld in battell and turned him backewarde and yet he will resist as it were going backward For how backewardly doeth he deale in this matter to say that discipline is not pertaining to the essence of the church now for wāt of discipline to take away the essence and name of the Church Againe to say without discipline there may be a church and nowe to say that without discipline there can be no church So rather then he will be without an enemie he will fight with a shadowe For nowe full wisely he doeth cut discipline into partes namely the ouersight rule and gouernement of such as haue charge in the church and the obedience of the people thereto which two partes indeede doe conteine all the other partes and therefore very vainely he speaketh of other partes of discipline as if they might be separate and secluded from these For he can shewe none in the church but either gouernours or vnder gouernement neither can he shewe any duetie in the church but onely the dueties of gouernement or of submission and obedience neither any worke matter businesse or ministerie in the church but either of charge and ouersight or vnder charge or ouersight Wherefore take away both gouernement and ouersight also obedience and submission and there can be no other part of discipline remaining For the dueties of teaching exhorting improouing rebuking c. also all dueties of examining and deciding controuersies of reforming abuses of relieuing and maintaining the afflicted and poore of separating the vnworthy c. are contained vnder that parte of gouerning Also all dueties of beleefe and learning the trueth of reuerence honour meekenesse and all kinde of seruice and vpright behauiour c. are contained vnder that part of obedience and submission Thus it is manifest that through want of discipline there is no naturall coniunction of the partes and members of the church together so that both the head and vitall partes are wanting and all the other partes are wholy and throughly either displaced and peruerted or vtterly lost and perished But why doeth he not shewe what part of discipline may be wanting yea and of those two partes which he sayeth can not be wanting yet what defect there may be Indeede it is commanded to forgiue a brother if he sinne seuen times in a day and seuen times in a day turne againe to vs saying it repenteth me yea we must forgiue though it were vnto seuentie times seuen tymes But yet Christ giueth no power to forgiue if a brother remaine wilfull in his sinne yea if it be but a priuate sinne I am to proceede against him and am not to cease till either I haue brought him to repentance or haue broken off all fellowshippe with him as with a brother But we must take heed that they be brethren and not dogs and scorners whō we rebuke and labour to redresse For if thy brother trespasse against thee saith Christ c. then he sheweth howe to deale and complaine for reformation of a brother But concerning scorners it is written He that reprooueth a scorner purchaseth to him selfe shame and he that rebuketh the wicked getteth him selfe a blot againe Rebuke not a scorner least he hate thee but rebuke a wise man and he will loue thee But to be short All the discipline of the church consisteth herein first that the church be gathered of the worthie as it is written Enquire who is worthie and againe Giue ye not that which is holy to dogges neither cast ye your pearles before swine And in Ieremie If thou take away the precious from the vile then shalt thou be as my mouth let them returne vnto thee but returne not thou vnto them And in Ezekiel They shall reach my people the difference betweene the holy and prophane and cause them to discerne betweene the vncleane and the cleane And in Malachie the Lorde reiected their offerings because they offered the scrobled and the lame and the sicke and the blinde which figureth the reiecting of our sacraments when dogges and swyne do communicate therein When Papistes and Atheistes drunkardes Maygamesters blasphemers raylers fighters and such like are presented as sweete bread at the table of the Lorde The seconde point of discipline is that the couenant promises and Gospel of Christ and the sacraments of his kingdome being established among the worthie then that they keepe the couenant sacraments vnpolluted
And for this purpose there are appointed these other partes of discipline namely that the Church doe iudge those which are within for it hath nothing to doe saith Paul to iudge those that are without The discipline of the church poceedeth against the brethreÌ„ that offend as was shewed before not agaynst scorners or careles worldlings For the lord doth now take vs of the gentiles for priests leuites as it is written and as wee may not bring into the lords sanctuary strangers vncircamcised in heart to pollute his house that is wicked wretches which haue not the lords couenÌ„at may not be receiued into fellowship of the church so those that are within being fallen to transgression they shal iudge according to my iudgements saith the Lord and they shall keepe my lawes and my statutes in all my assemblies For there is a particular iudging dealing against any in the church as by particular rebuke pronouncing accuâ—sed him that grossely offendeth there is a general iudging of any without the church For it is written that we shal iudge the angels And euery nation that shall rise vp in iudgement against the church shal it condemne this iudging is no part of the particular iudging we speak of And here come in other parts of discipline to be spoken of namely for priuate rebuke of the brethren that priuately offend for open rebuke of open sinnes for casting off forsaking felowship brotherhood with grosse open offenders These partes of discipline although they are prooued made manifest before yet because M C. saith that some part of discipline may bee wanting let vs see which of them may be wanting and the church notwithstanding haue the essence and name of the church First Christ hath gieun power to euery christian to reteyne the sinnes of euery brother whom he knoweth to trespasse against him not to forgiue hym except he see him repeÌ„ So that if any person want this power he is not to be counted a christian And this power reacheth so far not only for open but euen for priuate offences to iudge take any man for a heathen a publican if he wil not be reformed Now this liberty power euery christian must hold or els he is the seruaÌ„t of meÌ„ not of christ If then a particular christian cannot want it how shal the whole church be without it yet be named the church of christ Euery particular christiaÌ„ is a king a priest vnto god a king because he holdeth the scepter of gods word to iudge the offeÌ„ders a priest because in euery place he offreth incense and a pure offring to the name of the Lord as it is Malachy So theÌ„ he is vtterly without the kingdoÌ„ priesthod of christ if that liberty be denied him I mean of iudging rebuking the particular offenders forsaking their fellowship if they wil not be reformed Howe much more shall the Church be without this kingdoÌ„ priesthod of christ so without christ hymself if it want this libertie power Likewise as we shewed before euery christian hath power seuerally to forsake wicked fellowship not to coÌ„pany together with wicked brethreÌ„ And as by this liberty power they vphold their kingdoÌ„ in Christ so without it both they and the whole church do lose their interest in the priesthood kingdom of Christ and so are none of his church For they haue not the keyes of the kingdom of heaueÌ„ to bind lose to reteine or remit mens sinnes and therefore what right can they haue in the kingdom of christ If they cannot openly particularly rebuke how shall they openly particularly binde and if they caÌ„not openly particularly cast out or excoÌ„municate the grosser offender how shal they bind For being still reteined as brethreÌ„ in the church how shall they pronounce them to be bouÌ„d in heaueÌ„ How shall they shut the gates of heauen against those whom still they keepe in the bosome of the church If M. C. say that a general rebuke iudging of the wicked is a binding let him knowe that the Church hath more liberty right particularly to iudge those which are within then generally to iudge those that are without And safely if it haue not power to iudge those which are within it hath no power of iudging at all So that it is manifest that no part of church discipline can be wanting but the church doth straightway go to mine thereby For a coÌ„fused gathering of al together was proued to be no church of God Likewise if the couenant of the church the sacraments thereof be broken and disanulled Master C. graunteth that there is no church and nowe it is shewed that without that power of rebuking and iudging those which are within and of excomunicating those that deserue it there can be no church of God As for that his fonde answere that for some default in preaching and some default in obedience the discipline of the church may fayle and yet be the church let him knowe that though some preacher or other person offende yet doeth not therefore the discipline of the church fayle or want except the church be negligent or wilfully refuse to redresse such offences or is brought into bondage that it can not redresse them And yet also the question is not of some weakenes and failing in discipline but a full want and ouerthrowe either of the whole or of some parte thereof Wherefore that proofe they alleadgeby the Corinthians that they wanted discipline yet were the church of God is false very vaine For they wanted it not but were negligent therein They were not vnder the bondage of a popish discipline power which denyed and withhelde the Lordes discipline Nowe negligence was a fault in them yet not an vtter ouerthrowe and failing of discipline For being rebuked of Paul they mended this negligence in so much that their repentance and sorowe for their negligence wrought a great care in them yea as the text saith a clearing of themlselues an indignation a feare a great desire a zeale a punishing of themselues Likewise for their abuses in the Sacrament of the Supper Paul condemneth euen the Supper and sayeth This is not to eate the Lordes Supper And for abusing that Sacrament many of them were plagued of God and dyed So that although for a tyme they turned the Sacrament to be a iudgement against theÌ„ the discipline of the church did fayle yet was it not therefore quite ouerthroweÌ„ debarred from theÌ„ Also whereas some beleeued not the resurrection froÌ„ the dead it was the ignorance of those which had newely imbraced the Christian profession and not the ouerthrowe of the church discipline And here is that answered which M. C. alledgeth that Paul calleth the churches of God by the title of
the name of God figured the visible Church of god so that this matter toucheth M. C. very neerely For if it be true that as all sacrifices then so all sacraments now are rebellion against the Lord being ministred without the visible Church of God then that sinne which he calleth a fault shalbe found to be more then a fault euen rebellion falling away from the Lord. And this is a sinne of execration euen abomination in the eies of the Lord to measure the visible church of god by a compasse of ground by a nuÌ„ber of housholdes by slint of tythes tenthes as we see in our parishes For the place maketh not the church neither is the church or true religioÌ„ to be measured by the place as Christ him selfe teacheth vs for neither in the mountaine where the father worshipped neither yet at Ierusale the citie of god was God any more to be worshipped but the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit truth By which words Christ meaneth thus much first that the spirit trueth being shewed by the outward good profession declare the outwarde Church of God and not the places neither temples nor cities nor parishes For in whome we see the spirit that is the graces of the spitit by their outward good works and the trueth that is the lawes and word of Christ which is true to be kept obserued them only we must call the Church of God And therefore in Isaiah it was shewed beforeâ— that with those only which turne from iniquitie in Iacob will the Lord make his couenant euen his spirite which is vpon them and his words which he hath put in their mouth Secondly by those wordes Christ teacheth that al the Iewish ceremonies shuld be abolished because the chiefest euen Ierusalem and the Temple should be no more For the temple at Ierusalem circumcision were the chiefest How great the citie and the Temple were it appeareth by that prayer of Salomon 1. Kinges 8. 29. And by sundry other places Deuteronom 12. 11. Ierem. 3. 17. Ezek. 43. 7. c. And of circumcision Paul reasoneth with the Galatians That if they be circumcised they are bounde to keepe the whole ceremoniall lawe for it being one of the chiefest ceremonies if they still obserued it they should also obserue all the rest but if they reiected the chiefest they should also reiect all the rest And to that ende Christ reasoneth that seeing all things are nowe to be verified in spirit and trueth therefore all ceremoniall and superstitious worship shoulde cease As also Paul reasoneth That if they be led by the spirit they are not vnder the ceremonies of the lawe So then it appeareth that tithings because they were ceremonies belong not to the Church And because such abomination is committed by them namely the due planting and gathering of the church is hindred and the libertie of the Church for remouing euil ministers stopped they are euen the execrable things which Achan did steale For if the common wealth as it ought had long agoe taken from the ministerie those tenthes and Popish liuings then Iericho being once destroyed I meane the Antichristian churches once put downe had not so soone bene built againe but nowe such tythings benefices and Bishoprickes remaining they haue builded by them an other Iericho in steade of the first in deede somewhat differing from the first but as contrary to Gods church and holy citie as was the first yea and Master Cartwright also wil iustifie that execrable stealth of Achan and call Iericho I meane those woefull assemblies and Parishes the visible church and citie of God But cursed be the man before the Lord saith Ioshua that riseth vp and buildeth againe this citie Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it Satan is that enuious and malitious man which hath builded againe this citie his eldest sonnes were the first beginners of this lamentable state whome God did afterwarde scourge and cal to repentance in the time of Queene Marie and brake their enterprise and his youngest sonnes are these latter reformers whome God also will certainely plague except they repeÌ„t But to come againe to Master Cartwrights proofe let him not say that we count any assembly whether they haue a dumbe minister oâ— haue none to be the outwarde Churches of God except they keepe the couenant by the outwarde discipline and gouernement of the Church Further Master Cartwright saith that in such assemblyes the dumbe minister is not chiefe but Christ and that wee make nothing of the dumbe minister and yet will needes haue him to be the head of those Churches Indeede we make nothing of him concerning any goodnes that is by him for he helpeth nothing thereto but concerning the mischiefe and hurt which he doeth or the sinne that is by him let him not say wee make nothing of it For if they be beastes as it is written so that by their want of vnderstanding and conscience the flockes of the pastour be scattered and perish shall we say it is nothing If they be those foolish shepheardes whome the Lorde saith by Zecharie he will raise vp in iudgement to sell and to slay the sheepe to eate the flesh of the fat and to teare them in pieces which also shall not looke for them that are lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that is hurt nor feede them but rather feede them selues vpon their flesh shall we make nothing of such ministers But go to he sayeth that Christ is the head of those assemblyes and not the dumbe ministers That Christ is their head or fouÌ„dation he can not prooue as was shewed before wherefore for any thing he can prooue the dumbe ministers in the absence of the Bishops and their officers are the chiefe and heades ouer them That they are alwayes chiefe we saide it not for when the Bishoppes which are greater vsurpers are present then they are heades and both the dumbe ministers and hireling preachers may serue well ynough to bee the tayle For Satan hath all wayes by such as by the taile of the dragon drawing the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth What shall we vnderstande by heauen but the shewe of the church as it were set in heauen by the starres but the children of the church falling to wickednes and loosing their light Such are the people of those assemblies whom Satan hath cast vpon the earth as starres â—out light He bringeth another proofe by Corah and his company For they saith he were not cast foorth of the lords host by Moses therefore should not these assemblyes also which haue a dumbe minister thrust vpon them be reputed for runnegates from the Lorde well let vs see was not in deede Corah with those that claue to him put apart from the hoste
to bid them God speede And howe then shall we take them for our guydes and pastours in the Church or say Amen to their prayers And here followeth that vntrueth to be refuted which he addeth in these wordes that the true Prophets are neuer founde to haue forbidden the people to come to the sacrifice of the false prophets and of the priestes that were dumbe dogges neither to bring their sacrifices vnto them First euen that place of blinde watchmen and dumbe dogs which hee quoteth amisse is against him selfe For there was a Lawe that the priestes being vnâ—â—tane they might neither touch nor eat of the holy things if they did then those thinges were polluted Nowe to drinke wine or strong drinke was a pollution both of the Nazarites and Priestes of the Priestes I say when they came into the Tabernacle of the congregation to offer sacrifice Howe then shoulde the people partake in the Sacrifices with Priestes that were common drunkardes For the people are commaunded not to touche any vncleane thing and therefore those sacrifices being vncleane howe shoulde the people haue any thing to doe with them Nowe suche drunkards were those dumbe dogges which hee nameth as is there mencioned they were greedie dogges which sayde Come I will bring wine and we will fill our selues with strong drinke and to morowe shall be as this day and much more abundant Wherefore being such howe coulde they put difference as it is commaunded in Leuiticus Betweene the holy and the vnholy and betweene the cleane and the vncleane And howe then shoulde not all their sacrifices be polluted There be maplaces which shewe that the priestes polluted them selues and the holy thinges as in Ezekiel Her priestes desile myne holy thinges they put no difference betweene the holy and prophane neither discerne betweene the vncleane and the cleane and in Haggaâ— that which they offer here is vncleane and in Malachie Ye offer vncteane bread vpon mine altar c. Also in sundry places as is quoted before commaundement is giuen not to touch any vncleane thing Wherefore it is a flat commandement euen to all the people not to touche those polluted sacrifices of the Priestes not to communicate nor partake with them therein Therefore in his own place quoted out of Isaiah is that terrible iudgement pronounced both against priestes and against peeople though onely the sinne of the priestes or watchemen is named The wordes are these All yee beastes of the fielde come to deuorr euen all ye beastes of the forest And then followe these wordes their watchemen are all blinde c. as who say that the people because they did partake with such watchemen they shoulde also perish with them If Ma-ster Cartwright say the pollutions we speake of were by Idolatrie let him knowe that Malachie spake to those which were no Idolaters which also had a generall reformation from Idolatrie Likewise Haggai prophecied in a time of reformation and spake to those which were no Idolaters And Ezekiel in that Chapter mentioneth no Idolatrie but rebuketh other wickednesse as it were seuering it from Idolatrie For in the next Chapter he toucheth their sinne of Idolatrie more particularly And to those that accounted so much of the Temple and of the sacrifices as Master Cartwright doeth of his Churches and Sacraments Isaiah saith thus The heauen is my throne saith the Lord and the earth is my footestoole and so he proceedeth to rebuke their vaine bragge of the Temple and then commeth to their sacrifices saying He that killeth a bullocke is as if he slewe a man he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swynes blood he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an Idol by which wordes it is plaine that he rebuketh euen those that detested Idoles and swynes blood c. and telleth them that their sacraments are no sacraments they are vncleane and polluted as the most vile filthinesse which they themselues abhorred If he say that yet to the godly in those dayes the sacrifices were lawfull and good I aunswere that the godly had uo medling with such wicked men nor with their sacrifices For in the seconde verse after hee speaketh thus to the godly Heare the worde of the Lorde all ye that tremble at his worde your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my Names sake sayde let the Lorde be glorified but hee shall appeare to your ioye and they shall bee ashamed So then there was a great separation betweene the righteous and the wicked in those dayes in so much that the righteous forsooke all fellowshippe in their sacrifices and the wicked cast them out from among them If Master Cartwright say that the righteous forsooke not their sacrifices but were cast out from them it is answered in another place That while they refrained from euill they made them selues a pray to the wicked So then the cause why they were cast out was because they woulde not partake with the wicked in their wickednesse If Master Cartwright saye that that was for other wickednesse but not for their refusing to partake in the sacrifices It is said in Samuel That for the wickednesse of the priests men abhorred the sacrifices If he say againe that they did euill to abhorre theÌ„ he can not prooue it it is euident that they were of the better sorte that did so For in Malache it is written that they which feared the Lorde spake euery one to his neighbour coÌ„cerning the abuses and wickednes of those dayes and the Lord sheweth the badge and marke of all his flocke and people namely that they should returne discerne betwene the righteous and the wicked betweene him that serueth God and him that serueth him not As who say that euery one of the righteous had libertie and were commaunded to haue no communion with the wicked in the Churche and howe then shoulde they be ioyned with them in the neerest communion namely in the Sacramentes And in the same Chapter it is prophecied That the offeringes of Iudah and Ieerusalem shoulde bee acceptable to the Lorde as in the olde â—yme aud in the yeeres afore and that was when the sonnes of Leui which figured all the righteous shoulde bring offeringes vnto the Lorde in righteousnesse For he shewed in the Chapters before that while open and grosse wickednesse was incurable among them both the priestes and Leuites brake the couenant and also the people the offerings were no more regarded neither receiued acceptably at their hands As for the sacrisices of Elkanah and his wiues they were offered by the ministerie of Eli as appeareth in that place and not by his wicked sonnes Nowe Elie was rather negligent in correcting his sonnes then a grosse transgressour and therefore might Elkanah the rather partake in the sacrifices with him But wee
assumption is euideÌ„t in that by beleeuing that christ it our righteousnes we are made members of his body thereby at liuely stones laide vpon him as vpon a foundation we growe into one spiritual house with him now that they haue the like precious faith with vs is conuinced not onely by their owne professioÌ„ but also by the testimonie of the spirit of God who by manifold graces powred vpon theÌ„ euen vnto an apparant sanctification of nombers of theÌ„ do beare them witnes that they be members of the body of christ who as the head hath partaked vnto them his holy spirite thâ—y that haue perfourmed vnto them the speciall couenant which the Lorde hath made with his churches of powring his spirit vpoÌ„ theÌ„ putting his words in their mouthes are the churches of God but such are the assemblies in England as touching the spirit of God it hath bin said before whereupon also it followeth that he hath likewise put his word in their mouthes considering that the spirit of God is not giueÌ„ but by the word seing that the Lord in mercy hath set vp diuers burning lamps in those assemblies whereby light is conueyed more or lesse into all the parts almost of that land it seemeth that the church of England should receiue iniury if it should not be accounted among the golden candlesticks which seeme to keepe out darknes might from the Lords sanctuary vntill such time as the day starre spring Lucifer do rise in our hearts If you say all do not beleeue the gospel truely which professe it the same exceptioÌ„ lyeth against all other churches how reformed soeuer if that there be fewer faithfull in our churches then in others the trueth of the chnrch standeth not in the nomber for if there were but in euery church one truely and vndissemblingly faithfull al the rest holding the faith of our Lord Iesus christ in wordes onely yet shoulde all those churches be vnto vs the churches of God and if you say the assemblyes as it were all the branches or armes of the candlesticke haue not lightes set vpon them the greater nomber of them being dumped with dumbe ministerie notwithstanding by the way you confesse those assemblyes vpon whome the Lorde hath set the lampe of a preaching ministery are the churches of God whiche seemeth to cast downe that hill which standeth in the waye against our reioysing wherebye you can not afoorde vs the Name of gods churches because we haue not the discipline by him appointed nowe for the other whether they haue some glimpse of knowledge by the dumbe ministerie or no may afterwardes in another place be considered for the present I answere that euen in those congregatioÌ„s forasmuch as they both haue and might haue by some former ministrie or means which the Lord hath vsed towards theÌ„ receiued faith standing therby in our sauiour christ as in the shaft of a candlesticke they cease not to be a branch in the Lords candlesticke and being members of the same body they may well receiue some supply of their want from the light that shineth in the next branch vnto them for if euery assembly being without a lampe of the ministry shuld by by be holden to be broken from the shaft of the church candlesticke then at euery vacation of the ministry and whensoeuer by death the Lorde shoulde put out one of his lightes it shoulde followe that that assembly by the fall of their minister into the graue shoulde from the hyest heauen fall into the graue of hell but you will say peradventure that an assembly that hath a dumbe minister is in worse case then that which hath none at all if that be graunted yet followeth it not therefore that the assembly which yesterday being without a duÌ„be minister was the church of God shoulde to day by hauing such a one set ouer them be the Synagogue of Satan and here me thinkes whilest you go about to make nothing of the dumbe ministrie you ascribe more force to it then it hath for you make him not so much as a guide or an head of the church in that those which before in all equall iudgement were to be deemed members of Christ by hearing them shoulde suddenly become the members of antichrist I do not therefore yeeld vnto you in that you saye they are the chiefe alwayes in the synagogues our Sauiour Christ in whome those companies do beleeue being the chiefe with whome through faith they growe to be one body which rather then by hearing the dumbe minister to bee one with him say therefore that it is a fault in them to heare such a minister thrust vpon them yet that it is an apostacie from God and an vtter falling away from the Gospell I see not with what great apparance of trueth it can be spoken Moyses when diuers of the people claue vnto Korah Datham and Abiram forsaking willingly the lawfull and ordinary ministry of the Aronites did not therefore cast them forth from the Lordes hoste and should the churches of God for hearing a dumbe minister which is thrust vpon them forthwith be reputed for runnagates from the Lorde Againe the Lorde is in couenaunt with that people to whome he gieueth the seales of his couenant this he doth to our assemblies in England therefore they are the Lordes confederates Yf you say that the seales set to by the dumb ministery are no seales which afterwarde commeth to be examined yet you thereby confesse that those which are ministred by sufficient ministers are the true and vncounterfaite sacramentes of the church whereby it falleth againe that you seeme to hold that the churches in England are not true churches of Christ because they haue not his commaunded discipline Hereunto may be added the iudgment of all the churches of Christ in Europe all which gieue the right hande of societie in the house of God vnto the assemblies which are in England Which argument of the churches authoritie albeit it be not so strong as it will enforce yet ought it to staye all sodayne and hasty iudgments vnto the contrary and so long to cause silence vntill the cause be rightly on both sides debated and the contrary of that which the churches holde doe through the lightnesse sonne of the trueth thereof breake foorth and if it be meete to proceede softly and as it were with a leaden foote to the excommunication of one onely member of the Church of God there ought verily to haue bin great consultation taken when the Churches of two whole Ilandes shoulde haue bene cast out especially when they be holden in by voyces not of diuers persons but of all the churches to whome the knowledge of their estate hath come And if there were but one man worthie to be excommunicate yet if the greater parte of your assembly woulde not yeelde consente thereunto I holde it that the order of the discipline requireth that the rest are to beare the person whome they can