contention he made an Oath to ask the Pope forgiveness if the Pope would come into Germany The Pope on his way fearing that the Emperor coming toward him with an Army would apprehend him turned back again and betook him to a strong City of his Patroness one Mathildis a woman The Emperor with his Army travelled to him and came to the Gates of the City and in a great and sharp winter frost putting off his Royal Ornaments came barefoot to confess his fault and ask forgiveness of the Pope The Pope would not suffer him to come in He patiently stayed three daies in the Suburbs continually begging pardon and the Citizens moved with Compassion At last the woman Mathildis and Adelai a Savoy Earl and the Abbot of Cluny became petitioners for him and prevailed for mercy with the Pope and he was absolved and reconciled to the Church having sworn a peace and promised Obedience I give you the words of Platina all along And now whether Hildebrand or Henry was the better man in common morals I that knew them not must refer you to the Historians of that age of whom some extol the Pope and depreciate the Emperor and others honour the Emperor and deeply accuse the Pope But if an Emperor that travelled so far inâ—o another Country and put off his ornaments and with his Army waited three daies patiently in the Suburbs of a womans City barefoot in a great frost begging mercy and pardon of a Priest before he could be let in and after this sware obedience to him I say If this Prince did not yet sufficiently submit but deserve to be turned out of his Empire though at the cost of blood and desolation to the innocent Countries it will be hard to know when the Obedience and Submission of Kings is enough to satisfie an ambitious Prelate But the Popes Historians say that the Emperor brake his Covenant It is a hard thing for a King that promiseth Subjection and Obedience to a Pope to be sure to keep his word unless he foreknew what would be commanded him when he hath taken away his Power and Kingdom by parts he may command his life It 's a great doubt to me when God hath made Princes the Rulers of Prelates and Procurators of his Church whether it be not a sin against God and their undertaken office for these Princes to cast off this trust and work because a Pope or Prelate claimeth it The Pope still charged him with sacriledge But I doubt he expounded his meaning when he deposed him for diminishing the Majesty of the Church that is of the Pope and Prelates To proceed in the History In the 3d. or 4th battle it was that Rodulph was slain and It was the Popes denial to disown or excommunicate Rodulph after so low a submission of the Emperor that enraged Henry and made him think of another remedy than to be a Prelates slave The Pope called all the Bishops that cleaved to the Emperor seditious He condemneth Roland the German Legate and sendeth into Germany Legates of his own with a Mandamus We command that no King Arch-Bishop Bishop Duke Earl Marquess or Knight dare resist our Legates c. And the Penalty to the disobedient is terrible viz. We accurse him from Christ and take from him his part of Victory by Arms. Sure if Popes had the power of Victory they need not so oft have fled to Castles nor to have rid on an Ass with the face backward nor to have suffered what many of them have done All this he doth Interpositâ Dei et B. Petri authoritate quâ nulla potest esse major Did Peter ever think that his name would have thus subdued Emperors and Kings The Pope again in a prayer to God and St. Peter reciteth the 2d Psalm and telleth them how the Emperor would cast off his yoke and again curseth him from Christ and deposeth him from all his Government and absolveth all his Subjects from the Oath of Obedience saying that he that may bind and loose in Heaven hath power to take away on Earth both Empires Kingdoms and Principalities and whatever men have to give or take away If we Iudge the ruling Angels how much more their Servants Therefore saith he to the Bishops Let Kings and all secular Princes understand by the example of this man how great your power is in Heaven and how much God esteemeth you and let them fear hereafter to break the commands of the Church Pass this sentence presently on Henry that all may understand that this Son of iniquity fell not from his Kingdom by Chance but by your endeavor Plat. p. 180. Rodulph being killed the Rebels set up the Emperors Son a Lad against his own Father But at that present he was quieted and the Emperor went with an Army into Italy and first Conquered the Army of Mathildis the Popes Patroness and brought his own Pope Clement the 3d. to the Chair and was crowned by him He besieged Gregory in the Castle Guiscard a Norman cometh with an Army to fight for the Pope The Citizens resist him the Emperor being drawn out to Sens. Guiscard burnt and destroyed that part of the City which is between the Laterane and the Capitol and took the Capitol and destroyed it He gave the prey of the City to his Souldiers and delivered Gregory and carried him away to Câ—ssinum and Salernum where he dyed having reigned 12 years Bin. saith that Henry besieged Rome three years before he took it When Robert Guiscard had delivered the Pope he deposed quantum in se all the new Cardinals made by Clement 3. and cursed the Emperor again Gregory himself saith that Italian French and German Bishops were for the Emperor and they were also for Clement 3. How shall we know then which was the true Pope § 44. No less than ten Books of Hildebrand's Epistles are added by Binnius to his life Most of them for the Papal Interest In lib. 2. Ep. 5. He talketh of Philip King of France as he did of the Emperor saying he was no King but a Tyrant and declaring that he was resolved to take his Kingdom from him if he did not amend his wicked life One of his crimes was resisting the Pope that would set Bishops in his Kingdom without his consent Epist. 13. He tells Solomon King of Hungary that his Kingdom is the propriety of the Church of Rome devoted to it by King Stephen and reproveth him for diminishing the Roman Kingdom by accepting Hungary as from the Germans and exhorts him to repent and amend Epist. 18. He again threatneth the King of France to cut off from the Church both him and all that give him any Regal Honour or Obedience O heinous crime to keep the 5th Commandment and Rom. 13. 1 2 3. And that this excommunication shall be oft confirmed upon St. Peter's Altar Epist. 28. He suspends quantum in se the Arch-Bishop of Breme as an Enemy to the
so much as his Beard in his own power in which nature hath given him a propriety How much more might the Pope then command all mens purses 4. May way we not see here on what weighty reasons these men condemn God's word of insufficiency and plead for traditions and a necessity of their additional Laws When Scripture hath left out the shaving of mens Beards and we had never had such a Law if such power as the Papal had not made it O what discord and disorder would there be in the Church if we had not so necessary a government and what confusion would toleration introduce if mens Beards were left at liberty But if Paul called the heathen Phylosophy Vain and Science falsly so named 1 Tim. 6. 20. as befooling the world with pedantick trifling and calling them off from their great concernes may we not say then that this is vain Government and Order falsly so named which thus calleth the Church from its primitive purity simplicity and unity when Christians were known by loving one another to these childish games that the Prelates and Priests of the Catholick Church must be known by their being without Beards One would suspect this had its original from Pope Ioane if there were indeed such a person and that it is a Symbol of the Churches sex as it is called Our Mother or at least that Marozia or Theodora instituted it 5. And do you know which were the more inexcusable for silencing and persecuting the preachers of the Gospel The Iews that did it because they thought it took down Gods Law and would bring the Roman Power on them Or the Roman heathens that thought the Gospel destroyed the worship of their forefathers Gods or the Roman Papists that silenced and persecuted men for wearing Beards 1 Thes. 2. 16. § 56. Epist. 11. When some French Preachers had revived Religion in Sweden the Pope desirous to reap where they had sowed sends to the King of Sweden to tell him his joy and that what the French taught them they recieved from Rome and to desire him to send one of his Bishops to Rome to acquaint him with their customs and to receive his Laws and Mandates You see by what means Rome was raised Epist. 15. A Bishop gave up his Bishoprick The Pope chides him and commands him to a Monastery Rather than do so he returneth to his seat again The Pope chargeth him with the Idololatriae scelus the Crime of Idolatry for not obeying him and writes to them not to recieve him or be ruled by him as ever they loved the Grace of God and St. Peter The like he doth Epist. 16. by the disobedient Bishop of Narbon and Epist. 17. by the disobedient Arch Bishop of Rhemes and Epist. 18. 19 20. of the same and all this in St. Peter's name Yea Epist. 20. he requireth the King of France Philip to joyn against the Arch-bishop of Rhemes as excommunicate as ever he would have St. Peter's Grace because his Kingdom and his Soul were in St. Peter's power And it is no wonder that they that believe that the Pope is St. Peter's Vicar and Secretary and that their souls are in his power will give him all their Lands or Kingdoms to save their souls § 57. When the Pope sentenced the Emperor Henry to be excommunicate and deposed and was charged to have done this without authority he wrote his 21 Epist. l. 8. to the Bishop of Metz to prove that he had power to do it and to absolve his Subjects from their Oaths of fidelity saying that the Scriptures were full of certain documents to prove it And his certain documents are Tibi dabo Claves c. and Feed my Sheep And Kings are not excepted They are St. Peter ' s Sheep Bin. p. 1262. he saith that the Head of Priests is at the right hand of God but who knoweth not that Kings and Dukes had their beginning from them that knew not God and affected by blind lust and intolerable presumption to domineer over others the Devil the Prince of the world acting them in Pride Rapines Perfidiousness Murders and all wickedness who while they would have the Priests of the LORD to stoop to their footsteps are rightlyest compared to him who is head of all the Sons of pride who said even to Christ All this will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Who doubteth but that the Priests of Christ are the Fathers and Masters of Kings and Princes and of all the faithful And is it not notorious miserable madness for a Scholar to endeavour to subjugate his Master and a Son his Father and by wrongful obligations to subject him to his power by whom he believeth that he may be bound or loosed both in Earth and Heaven Did not Pope Innocent excommunicate Arcadius the Emperor and Pope Zachary depose from his Kingdom the King of France not so much for his iniquities as because he was not meet for so great power placed Pepin in his stead and absolved all the French from the Oath of fidelity Ambrose sheweth that Gold is not so much more pretious than Lead as the Priestly Dignity is higher than the Kingly Power Pag. 1263. Yea even the exorcists have power over Devils How much more over those that are Subject to the Devils and are his members And if the exorcist excel so much how much more the Priests And every King when he cometh to his end doth humbly and pitifully beg the Priests help that he may scape the prison of Hell and Darkness and at the judgment of God be found absolved But is there either Priest or Lay-man that when he is dying begs help of the King for the saving of his soul What King or Emperor can by his Office take a soul by baptism from the power of the Devil and number him with the Sons of God and fortifie him with holy Chrism And which is the greatest thing in the Christian Religion can with his own mouth make Christs body and blood Or which of them can bind and loose in Heaven and earth By all which it may be plainly gathered by how great power the sacerdot al dignity excelleth Which of them can ordain one Clerk in the holy Church How much less can they depose him for any fault For in orders exclesiastical to depose is an act of greater power than to ordain For Bishops may ordain Bishops but in no wise depose them without the authority of the Apostolick seat Who then that hath any knowledg can doubt but that Priests are preferred before Kings In a word we must know that all good Christians are more fitly Kings than evil Princes For these by seeking the Glory of God do strenuously rule themselves But the other seeking their own and being enemies to themselves do tyrannically oppress others These good Christians are the body of Christ. The other bad Princes are the body of the Devil These so rule themselves as that they shall
per Christum intrant sed ut ipsa veritas testatur fures sunt latrones Therefore it is no sinful separation to disown and avoid such obtruded Bishops or Pastors as are not so ordained by the Common Consent of the Clergy and the People § 76. In this Council the Pope to keep up some pretensions yet to a power in the East excommunicated the new made Emperor Nicephorus Botoniates for deposing wrongfully the Emperor Michael and his Wife Mary and his Son Constantine Porphyrus and putting them into a Monastery and invading the throne whom the Patriarch Cosmas lately set up by Michael had Crowned But thus matters were then often carryed § 77. That we may a little take along some of the Greek affairs note here that Zimisces being dead an 975. the Empire returned to Basil and Constantine the Sons of Romanus jun. Basil held it 50 years and Constantine three more Against them rose first Bardas Scleros and then Bardas Phocas Basil overcame and subjected the Bulgarians An. 1028. Argyâ—us Romanus took the Empire with Constantine's daughter putting away his Wife for her and the Empire After five years Zoe killed him and took her adulterer and the agent Michael Paphlago to her bed and Empire He being afflicted in body penitently turned Monk and reduced Zoe to some order But being dead she took Michael Calephate who sware to obey Zoe but breaking his Covenant she deposed him and put out his eyes And an 1042. She took to her bed and the Empire Constantine Monomachus in whose times the Greeks had divers losses by the Sueves and by the Normans that got Apulia At which time the Turks being Soldiers under the Persians revolted and oft overcame them Zoe and her Sister Theodora having ruled all dye In Constantines time Michael Cerular Patr. of Const. wrote against the Church of Rome Theodora being dead Michael Stratonicus reigned one year who was forced to resign to Isaac Comnenus 1057. Who being diseased turned Monk and made Constantine Ducas Emperor an 1059. He dyed 1067 swearing his wife Eudocia not to marry and make a Father in Law to his three Sons but she brake her oath and marryed Romanus Diogenes and made him Emperor He is taken in fight by the Sultan and released and when he came home his eyes put out by his own Subjects of which he dyed an 1071. and Eudocia is thrust into a Monastery Michael Paripinacius the Son of Const. Ducas is chosen Emperor The Turks and others greatly weaken the Empire Two Nicephori usurp One called Botoniates helped by the Turks getting possession Michael entred a Monastery and the other Nicephorus Byennius is overcome and his eyes put out Botoniates after three years is deposed and made Monk by Alexius Comnenus who was made Emperor an 1081 and being worsted by Robert D. of Apulia and having dealt ill with Godfrey and his army going for Palestine and beaten by them an 1096. living 70 years and reigning 37 he dyed an 1118. forsaken first of all and succeeded by his son Calojohannes Sect. 78. CCCLXI. A Roman Council an 1079. Forced Berengarius to recant and to own Transubstantiation Sect. 79. CCCLXII An. 1080. Another Roman Council renewed the deposition of the Emperour and gave his Empire to Rodulph the Pope excommunicating Henry and saying Confidens de judicio misericordia Dei ejusque piissimae matris semper Virginis Mariae fultus vestra authoritate saepe nominatum Henricum quem Regem dicunt omnesque fautores ejus excommunicationi subjicio anathematis vinculis alligo iterum Regnum Teutonicorum Italiae ex parte omnipotentis Dei vestra interdiceâ—s ei Omnem Potestatem dignitatem illi regiam tollo ut nullus Christianorum ei sicut Regiobediat interdico Omnesque quiâ—i juraverunt vel jur abunt de regni dominatione a juramenti promissione absolvo Ipse autem Henricus cum suis fautoribus in omni congressione belli nullas vires nullamque in vita sua victoriam obtineat Then he giveth absolution from all their sins to all that take part with Rodulph and blessing in this life and that to come Adding Go on then holy Fathers and Princes I beseech you that the whole world may understand and know that if you can bind and loose in Heaven you can on earth both take away the Empires Kingdoms Principalities Dukedomes Marquisates Earldoms and Possessions of all men according to their merits and grant them to others for you have often taken away from the evil and unworthy Patriarchates Primacies Arch-Bishopricks Bishopricks and given them to religious men For if ye judge spiritual things what must men believe that you can do about things secular and if you judge the Angels that rule over all Proud Princes what can you do with their servants Let Kings and all secular Princes now learn how great you are and what you can do and let them hereafter be afraid to set light by the Command of your Church And exercise your Iudgment so speedily on the said Henry that all may know that he falls not by chance but by your power I wish he be confounded to repentance that his Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. O brave Pope From this Council the Pope sent Rodulph a Crown with this inscription Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodulpho But all this was but as Balaam's attempt It destroyed not Henry nor saved the life of Rodulph that was after killed Sect. 80. CCCLXIII An. 1080. The Emperor called a Council at Brixia which deposed Gregory as a false monk the pestilent Prince of all villanie the invader of the Roman Seat never chosen of God impudently intruding himself by fraud and money subverting all Church-order perturbing the Kingdom of a Christian Empire designing the death of Soul and Body to a quiet Christian Emperour defending a perjured King sowing discord where there was concord and strife where there was peace scandals among brethren divorces between Husband and Wife and shaking all that seemed to be in quietness among godly men a proud preacher of Sacriledge and flames defending perjuries and murders questioning the Catholick doctrine of Christs body and blood an old Disciple of Berengarius a follower of divinations and dreams a manifest Conjurer possessed with a divining evil Spirit and so swerving from the true Faith And they made Guibert Pope in his stead as was aforesaid § 81. CCCLXIV A Council at Lyons An. 1080. deposeth Manasse Bishop of Rhemes for refusing to give account to the Pope c. § 82. CCCLXV Another at Avenion maketh Hugo Bishop of Gratianople § 83. CCCLXVI Another at Meaulx maketh Arnulph Bishop of Soissons § 84. CCCLXVII Another at Rome An. 1081. Excommunicateth the Emperor again § 85. CCCLXVIII An. 1083. another at Rome the Pope kept three days in sighs and groans being besieged and then dismist it § 86. CCCLXIX An. 1084. in another the besieged Pope again excommunicated the
were no Popes 4. And if it be but necessary for the future all that after were otherwise chosen were no Popes 5. If several wayes and parties or powers making Popes may all make them true Popes then who knoweth which and how many of those there are and which is the true Pope if ten were made at once ten several wayes 6. This confesseth that Christ hath appointed no way for choosing Popes nor given any sort of men power to choose them else what need Pope Nicholas begin it now anew And if so it seemeth that Christ never instituted the Papacy For can we suppose him so Laxe a Legislator as to say a Pope shall be made and never tell us who shall have power to do it Then England may choose one and France another and Spain another c. the Bishops one the Priests another the Prince another and the Citizens another But if Christ have setled a Pope-making power in any it is either the same as Pope Nicholas did in Cardinal Bishops or not If not the Pope changeth Christ's institution If yea then all those were no Popes that were otherwise chosen and so where is the Roman Church and its succession 7. What power hath Pope Nicholas to bind his successors Have not they as much power as he and so to undo it all again If the King should decree that his Kingdom hereafter shall not be hereditary but elective and that the Bishops should be the choosers of the King were this obligatory against the right of his heirs 8. By this decree if the Laity and Clerks consent not after he is still no Pope § 23. In this same Council saith Bin. ibid. it was decreed that no one hear the Mass of a Presbyter whom he knoweth undoubtedly to have a Concubine or Subintroduced Woman Quaer Whether they that make him a Schismatick that goeth from a scandalous wicked malignant or utterly insufficient Priest and dare not commit the care of his soul to such a one be not looser than Pope Nicholas and this Roman Council was § 24. A Council at Malphia and another at Paris for Crowning King Philip and one at Iacca in Spain of small moment § 25. An. 1061. Was the 22d Schism or two Popes of Rome for five years continuance The Cardinal Bishops for fear of the Emperor chose one that was great with him Anselm Bishop of Luca but the Italian Princes perswaded the Emperor that it was a wrong to them and him and chose Cadolus Palavicinus Bishop of Parma called Honorius the 2d The Sword was to determinate who was the true Pope Cadolus came with an Army to Rome the Romans came out against him and in the Fields called Nero's a great battle saith Platina was fought in which many of both sides fâ—ll but Cadolus was driven away He shortly returned with a great Army being called by a part of the Romans that were men of pleasure and by force seized on the Suburbs and St. Peter's Church But the Souldiers of Gotifred put his Souldiers to flight and he himself narrowly scaped the Prefect of Rome's Son with him breaking through the Romans got possession of the Tower where they besieged him till they forced him to yield and buy his liberty of the besiegers for 300 pound of Silver Then the Bishop of Colen having the education of the young Emperor came to Rome to rebuke Alexander as an Usurper but by Hildebrand was so overcome that the choice belonged not to the Emperor that he called a Council which confirmed Alexander and deposed Honorius The Emperor consented on condition that Cadolus be pardoned and Gibert his promoter Chancellor of Parma made Arch-Bishop of Ravenna which the Pope consented to and did Thus then were Popes and Bishops made Q. How shall we be sure for Cadolus's five years who was the Pope § 26. A woman called Mathildis a Countess was then the great Patroness of the Papacy who furnished military Hildebrand that did all with Souldiers to conquer several Great Men that opposed them and to set up Alexander and defend him § 27. This Pope Alexander is said by Bin. and Baron to judge King Harold of England an Usurper to dispose of the Crown to William of Normandy and declare him lawful Successor and send him a Banner that he might fight for it and possess it Thus did this Prelate give Crowns and Kingdoms as the supreme judge made by himself He after required Rent Peter-Pence from England of William § 28. He made some constitutions for his old Church at Milan Three thing are the summe of them and many other Councils 1. Against Simonie 2. Against the Clergies fornication no Canons cured them of either of these 3. That no Lay-Man judge any Clerk for his crimes only if Priests live in fornication he alloweth Lay-Men to tell the Arch-Bishops and if they will do nothing then to withhold their duties and benefits till they amend But this Binnius noteth was but a temporary extraordinary concession for the hatred that this Pope had to fornicating Clergy-Men But if they did but now and then lie with a woman by chance and did not obstinately still keep them they must not so trouble them § 29. CCCXLV. The foresaid Cadolus or Honorius 2d was setled Pope by a Council at Basil An. 1061. where say some many Simoniacal incontinent wicked Bishops decreed that no Pope should be made but out of Italy which they called Paradise that is Lombardy § 30. CCCXLVI A Council at Osborium An. 1062. contrarily condemned him and set up Alexander Though before Platina saith that Cisalpini omnes all on the Romans side of the Alpes obeyed Honorius except Mathildis a good woman § 31. Here Binnius thought a Dialogue of Pet. Damian worthy to be inserted to prove that Princes may not make Bishops of Rome In which he would prove that the Decrees that gave the Emperor such power may be changed because God doth not alwaies perform his own word for want of mans duty And he saith that some men have been sinners and perished for obeying Gods own Law and some rewarded for breaking it which he proveth by a profane quibble 1. In Iudas as if Christs words what thou dost do quickly had been a command to do the thing 2. In the Rechabites that drank not Wine when Ieremy bade them As if Gods Command to Ieremy to try them had been his Command to them to do it A Council was at Arragon in Spain for we know not what § 32. CCCXLVII An. 1063. Peter Bishop of Florence being accused of Heresie and Simony and deposed a Council at Rome renewed Pope Nicolas 2d's Canons not to hear Masse of a Priest that liveth with a Concubine or introduced woman To excommunicate Simoniacks c. § 33. CCCXLVII In a Council at Mantua to quiet some that yet took Cadolus's part and accused Pope Alexander of Simony Alexander is owned and Cadolus not appearing cast out who after tryed it
servants of Satan do and be at peace among your selves Heb. 13. 7 17 24. Remember them which have the rule over you which have spoken to you the word of God Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Salute all them that have the Rule over you The Elders of the Church are to pray with and for the sick Jam. 5. 14. They must feed the Flock of God among them taking the oversight of it 1 Pet. 5. 1 2. Thus you see their Office and work 2. And that they were not to bring any new Doctrine further appears in that they have a charge to Preach no other doctrine 1 Tim. 1. 3. Nor to be tossed as children with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4. 14. Nor carried about with divers and strange doctrines Heb. 13. 9. 3. Yea if any man bring not the doctrine of Christ we must not receive him into our houses or bid him God speed lest we be partakers of his evil deeds for he that abideth not in this doctrine hath not God 2 John 9. 10 11. Gal. 1. 8. 9. Though we or an Angel from heaven preach any other Gospel to you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel to you then that ye have received let him be accursed And Rom. 16. 17 18. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them 1 Tim. 6. 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholsome words the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godliness he is proud knowing nothing but doating 4. And if all Ministers must be receivers of new Doctrines the Church would never know when it hath all but would be still obeying an imperfect Law 5. And it would be an oppression to the Church instead of a Direction to be so overwhelmed with new Doctrines and Precepts 6. And it would accuse Christ the Lawgiver of such mutability as wise Princes are not guilty of to be still changing or adding to his Laws 7. There was great occasion for the New Testament or Gospel upon the great work of our Redemption but there is no such cause for alterations since 8. The Priests before Christ were not to receive new Laws as is said 9. The Companions of the Apostles that wrought Miracles had not all new Revelations but did it to seal up this Gospel 10. What need we more then actual experience that God doth not give New Revelations to the world and none since the Scripture times have sealed any other by Miracles And thus I have proved to you the two sorts of Ministers as Paul plainly distinguisheth them 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 12. Eph 2. 20. There are Planters and Waterers Master builders that lay the foundation and others that build thereon Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid but every man that buildeth hay or stuble and loseth his work doth not nullifie the Ministry We are built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the head corner-stone but we are not built on the foundation of every Pastor Teacher Elder Bishop or Deacon Though both in their places Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers are given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4. 11 12. That we might be one united Body having one fixed standing doctrine ver 14 15 16. And how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him mark whence the Church receiveth it God also bearing them witness but not every Elder or Teacher both with signs and wonders and with divers Miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 3 4. Prop. 2. And now that these later Ministers need not prove their calling by Miracles I prove thus 1. God never imposed such a task upon them nor commanded the people to require such a proof and not to believe any but worker of Miracles 2. God gave not all the gift of Miracles that were employed in his work even in the Apostles daies Are all workers of Miracles saith Paul some had by the Spirit the word of wisedom and of knowledge and others Tongues and others Interpretation and others Miracles 1 Cor. 12 29 7 8 9 10. 3. They that have the Holy Ghost are owned by Christ and so have many without working Miracles See Rom. 8. 9. 1 Cor. 12. 3. Gal. 5. 18 22 23 24. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Eph. 3. 16. 5. 9 18. 1 Pet. 1. 2 22. Rom. 15. 13 16. Tit. 3. 5. 4. The Law of Moses was kept and taught by Priests and Levites that wrought not Miracles 5. If the Laws of all Nations may be kept without Miracles so may the Laws of Christ. 6. If humane writings are kept without Miracles as Homer Virgil Ovid Cicero Livy c. so may the Laws of God much more as being the daily subject of the belief meditation conference preaching controversies devotions of Christians through the world and translated into so many Tongues 7. There is nothing in the Nature of the thing that requireth ordinary Miracles Cannot men sufficiently prove without Miracles that there have been such men as Caesar Pompey Aristotle or which be Calvins or Bellarmines writings c. Much more evidently may they prove what doctrine is essential to Christianity and the Scripture that contains the whole 8. Else Parents could not teach their children nor bring them up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord Eph. 6. 4. Nor teach them with Timothy from a child to know the Scriptures which are able to make men wise to salvation through faith in Christ 2. Tim. 3. 15. Must no Parents teach their Children to know Christ but such as can work Miracles 9. The Doctrine which we preach is fully confirmed by Miracles already by Christ and his Apostles There needs no greater then Christs own Resurrection nor more then were done which Universal unquestionable History and Tradition hath brought down to our hands 10. It is a ridiculous expectation that every person should see the Miracles before they do believe Then if Christ had done Miracles before all Ierusalem save one man that one man should not be bound to believe Or if I could do miracles in this Town or Country none must believe me ever the more but those that see it And so you may as well say I should not believe that there is any Sea or Land City or Kingdom France Spain Rome c. but what I see Are these men