defile the House of God that take Ordination away that take it out of the hands of the Presbytery and put it into the hands of the People of any other that take away this Presbytery that set up Ministers or run into the Ministery and will not submit themselves to the tryall of the Assembly and estate of the Teaching-Elders the Ministers that are opposite to the Government by the Presbytery these are the everters of the Lords owne Canons 2. Subverting the Lords owns Ordinance for the Ministery that those that Preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell 1 Cor. 9. 13 14. they would have them get their livings by the Plow or by Trades The Apostle chargeth Timothy and in him all Timothies all Ministers of the Gospell to give themselves wholly to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine that their profiting may appeare to all and to contemne in them who can doe so and drive a trade and follow another calling the Apostles called to be Fishers of men left their Nets and applyed not themselves to catch Fish If the Ministers be doing this they need take care of no more nay this is that deed to which the Promise is He shall both save himselfe and them that heare him 1 Tim. 4. 13 15 16. They Object the Apostles did worke with their hands Sol. 1. They had immediate and infallible assistance of the Holy Ghost in their Ministery 1. So have none now 2. But that is not all they wrought not ordinarily but in a case as it appeares in the 2 Cor. 11. 9. 12. to cut off occasion from them which desired occasion 2 Cor. 12. 13 14. and in that place where he saith I robbed other Churches to doe you service that is he took maintenance of others while he Preached to them what ever he did it is evident he had power to have lived wholly of the Gospell and that is the Lords Ordinance which the Church must stand to and be bound by 1 Cor. 9. 14 15. they would have the Ministers maintenance by Almes and Contributions Mat. 10. 10. Luk. 10. 7. 1 Tim. 5. 18. but it is hire not Almes can you make Wages and Almes to be the same It is a due and as truely earned as whatsoever any laborer gets at his fingers ends They cry down Tythes as Popish and Iewish but that way of maintenance is neither Popish nor Iewish which was before the Law Melchisedech took Tythes of Abraham and of Levi in Abrahams loynes and Melchisedech was not a Priest of Aarons Order our Lord Jesus is the Priest after Melchisedechs order Iacob promised maintenance of Gods Publique Worship by paying Tythes 3. Confounding the Lords order who hath instituted a Ministery to Preach the Gospell Mark 16. and to teach Mat. 28. 19 20 21. and they give power to every Member to Preach abusing that Text in 1 Cor. 14. 31. yee may all Prophesie one by one it speakes of the Prophets in that Church not the Members read the Text v. 29. let the Prophets speak two or three and let the other judge v. 32. and the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets yee may all Prophesie that is all the Members that were Prophets not all the members as members those that had the gift of Prophesying not those that had not the gift Now the truth of the place is there were then in the Church extraordinary gifts as of Healing of Miracles of Tongues of interpretation of Tongues and so of Prophesying that is either fore-telling things to come or of unfolding the Prophesie of Scripture that concerned the present times of the Church with a speciall gift of dextrous application and accommodation of the Exposition of the Prophesie to the estate of the Church for comfort for exhortation and for edification those that had these gifts ought to use them for the good of the Church but with order and with submission to the tryall and judgement of the Assembly of the Prophets in the Church These gifts are ceased now yet if any say they have them let them shew their gift according to the Apostles Rule yeeld to the tryall of the same and if they have any such gift we will blesse God that now also gives such gifts to the children of men we will open our Pulpits for you but because they can bring forth no such thing but raise from the Dead and from Hell old Heresies and errours and trouble the people with trifles and endlesse Disputes that tend not to edification in the Faith we reject them and yeeld not to them any Authority to meddle with the worke of the Ministery but observe while they pervert this Text perusing the words let the other Prophets judge the Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets ere ever we are aware we are faln upon a Judicatory a Presbytery an Assembly of Prophets 4. Destroying the provision for an able Ministery debasing Learning and Universities under the Old Testament there were the Schooles of the Prophets 2 King 2. 3. 7. which some think took their beginning in the times of Eli and Samuel The Levites had their Schooles instituted by Moses and Aaron preserved by the Iudges and Kings continued in the Babylonish Captivity propagated to the daies of our Saviour and an end put to them by the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Out of these Schooles came their learned Rabbies and their Scribes and others 1. Paul was brought up at the feete of Gamaliel Christ had his Schoole in which were the Apostles and seventy two Disciples The Apostles opposed the Schooles of the Libertines Cyrenians and Alexandrians Act. 6. 9. they instituted Schooles in Antioch and Alexandria and other Provinces These opinionative persons say that the Apostles were unlearned Fisher-men We answer that part of that power from on high which the Apostles were commanded to expect and to tarry at Ierusalem till they were indued with it Luk. 24. 49. was the gift of the Holy Ghost inabling them to speak all Languages Act. 2. this supplied abundantly from heaven that defect of learning and did make them learned above all that can be attained in Schooles and Universities they had their Commission before to go and teach all Nations but were not to set out upon the execution of their Commission untill they were fitted in this manner he that can shew the like gift of the holy Ghost we say no Schools are required for the help of such but if from Heaven the Holy Ghost be not thus given let them use the ordinary helpes which God affordeth if any refuse shew such gifts and we shall blesse God The Languages the Greek and Hebrew are needed to understand the originall text and derive our Doctrine from the fresh and pure fountaines the Latine is also needfull that we may not only the better receive the benefit of the gifts given to the Fathers and Writers of former ages for all gifts are given of God to profit the Church withall
guilty in a higher degree And here let me mention only those that we are most in danger of and troubled with at the present these Hereticks polluters of the Temple of God are 1. The Antinomians they over-throw the Law Morall they hold that Christ came to abolish it that a beleever hath nothing to do with keeping the Commandements that the Gospell takes away all obedience to the Commandements they are against all urging of doing of duty of Humiliations of Repentance for sins after Iustification of praying for pardon of sin by a beleever they hold that the Law ought not to be Preached to beleevers with a great deale more of the like pernicious Leaver all which savoureth of ignorance pride and conceitednesse and of affectation of licentiousnesse and lawlesse liberty the spirit of Libertinisme inspireth these men 2. The Anti-Sabbatarians They evert the fourth Commandment teaching that it is Ceremoniall and so taking away all conscience of sin against the Commandment of God though no day be kept a Sabbath in the week and thereby all preaching and attendance on duties of Gods Worship publike and private on the Lords day in conscience to Gods Commandment laid aside they at one blow lay flat all that would uphold the power of godlinesse 3. The Germane Anabaptists that hold that a Christian ought not to be a Magistrate that Christians may not take the sword nor wage war these evert the fifth Commandment I call them the Germane Anabaptists for there divers Sects of them are and have been for this hundred of yeers past through Gods just judgement their errours some of them begin to spread in England these ghosts can passe the Seas and swim thorow the billows and waves of mighty waters they are in their first spawning to be looked unto for who knows unto what destructive Principles and Practices such giddy self-willed spirits may run Bellarmine slanderously calls them Proles Lutheranismi the off-spring of Lutheranisme they are indeed the off spring of hell for hell it selfe is moved when God rents the heavens and comes down to the great work of the Reformation of his Church Satan that sent these Furies out to defame the work of Reformation which God began by Luthers glorious Ministery he is Satan still and sends these Furies among us for the very same end For the present I will name no more that are against the Commandments of God Against the faith of Iesus I shall onely mention two 1. The Arminians that teach universall grace and the falling away of the Saints and deny that the efficacious working of internall grace from Gods Spirit is necessary to conversion and to the begetting of faith in a sinner They teach that the grace of conversion is resistible that we cannot have assurance and the like 2. The Socinians which among other damnable errours run into these two First they deny the Deity of our Lord Iesus Christ who is the great God our Saviour God blessed for ever Secondly they deny that Christs death was for satisfaction Isa 53. 5 6. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. or for merit 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. Act. 20 28 and that it was a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Tim. 2. 6. of our redemption but onely hath in it the nature of an example how we should suffer that Christ is our Redeemer not by being a ransome or paying a price or as our Surety Heb. 7. 22. making satisfaction but onely by leaving us an example that we should follow his steps The foregoing Texts of Scripture are expresly against this most hellish heresie These and the like to these are Dogs Wolves in Sheeps-skins evill workers the Concision as those that urged Circumcision are called Phil. 3. 2. they are to be named with such names of disgrace as tell truly what they are that all may beware of them they cut themselves others that hearken to them off from Christ and from his Church◠in Jucunda prosonomasia conjunxit interse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conciditur enim quod discerpitur plan◠distrahitur circumciditur quod supervacancis resectis purgatur Bullinger in locum this respect all the hereticall teachers are the Concision they are evill-workers for they should build up the Church of God but they pull it down and destroy it like dogs they bark at the truth they grin at Orthodox Ministers and fasten on the simple the fangs of their poisoned doctrine There 's the Wolfe beware and thrice beware 4. Antichrist and the Spirit of Popery which hath turned Zion into a Babylon I mean Rome-Christian into Rome-Antichristian and it is now a cage of unclean and hatefull birds a den of beasts a stie of foule spirits This Spirit of Antichrist discovers it self in four things 1. In Self-exaltation and Domination over the Church that the Pope might sit in the Temple of God as God 2 Thess 2. 4. 5. 2. In Apostacy from the faith that the man of sin might be the head of the Church thus he becomes the head of that Apostasie and of the Popish Apostaticall Synagogue farre from the Apostolicall Church of which Christ is head 3. In spirituall fornication and adultery which is Idolatry Superstition and Will-worship thus the Popish Synagogue is the Whore of Babylon 4. In lyes taught in Hypocrisie and doctrines of Devills 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. 5. They defile and destroy Gods Temple that by pernicious errours destroy and evert either of the two great ordinances of God the Magistracy and the Ministery the Authors the fautors cherishers or nurses the receivers abettors or applauders of such errours these strike the very Pillars of the Temple 1. For Magistracy those that erroneously teach that Magistrates have nothing to doe in the first but only in the second Table of the Law that they are to preserve the Peace and judge about meum and tuum mine and thine but for Religion and Gods Worship and Doctrine they have not to do◠with their power in those But God saith I will give Kings to be thy nursing fathers Esa 49. 23. as speaking of the Church under the New Testament David saith Psal 122. 9. because of the house of the Lord I will seeke to doe thee good And againe Psa 101. 8. I will betimes cut off evill doers from the City of God Restauration of the true Worship and Religion and the demolishing and extirpation of the false were the chiefe praises of godly Princes Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah and of Nehemiah the renowned reformer Neh. 13. Obj. That 's the Old Testament Sol. What are the Damned Manichees again raised from Hell Shall we againe be haunted with the Ghosts of the old Heresies sentenced to the bottomlesse Pit one thousand four hundred yeares agoe for rejecting the Old Testament 2. Do◠you hold the New Testament to be in force you must then receive the Old The New Testament is not to be received but as it agrees with the Old Christ bids Search the Scripture Ioh. 5. 39.
46. meaning the Old Testament which then was only written he saith Had yee believed Moses yee would have believed me He that refuseth the Old Testament where his lust serves him will doe as much for the New The Evangelists writing of Christ that we might believe on him runs thus this was done that it might be fulfilled which was written The Apostles in their Epistles confirme all they say in matters of faith and holy life out of the Old Testament as to instance in two or three places for all the great point of faith in 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 7. the great point of holinesse of life in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. the great duty of obedience to Parents in Ephes 6. 1 2 3. read the Texts The Scripture of the Old Testament will furnish a Minister of the New Testament the man of God and make him absolute 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. It is for every Christian a more sure word 2 Pet. 1. 19. 21. than voyces from Heaven it is a light that shineth in the dark untill Christ the Day-starre dawn in the heart of him that takes heed to it 3. But let us come to the New Testament Rom. 13. 4. 3. Magistracy is the Ordinance of God set up for the punishment of evill-doers when Blasphemy and Idolatry false worship Heresie Prophanesse and cursed Oathes are not evill-doing then let the Magistrate have nothing to doe with the first Table it is Gods Ordinance for the praise of them that doe well when the seeking of the Lord Iehovah the use of Christs holy Institutions the profession of his holy Name and Faith the sanctification of his Holy Day and in a word when Piety ceaseth to be well-doing then let the power of Magistracy cease about matters of the first Table the Magistrate is the Minister of God for thy good O Christian as thou art a Christian he is to theâ— for good 1 Tim. 2. 2. 5 6. Out of this Text note to stop the mouthes of all Cavaliers 1. The end of Magistracy is not only that thou maist who art a Christian lead a peaceable and quiet life but the end of that end that thou maist lead it in all godlinesse and honesty 2. For the better attaining to this end thou art bound to pray all manner of Prayer for Kings and all in Authority this duty he cannot doe that holds this errour 3. The reasons on which this rule and exhortation is grounded doe reach out all their strength to this that the Magistrate may being converted to the Truth not only looke to that part of his duty to be the father of the Country and Common-wealth but the Nursing father to the Church not only to see the Peace be kept but to see that Piety flourish all Godlinesse the Reasons are these 1. God will have all men i. e. all sorts of men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth Pray for them that coming to the knowledge of the truth they may the better use the Sword to maintaine the truth and restraine and debellate falshood 2. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour that your prayers should be the meanes to bring in Kings and Parliaments States and all in Authority to uphold Godlinesse out of an heart truely inlightened and inflamed with the love of Godlinesse you please not Christ if you pray not for them out of such a principle and to such an end 3. There is but one God both of Kings and Magistrates that are yet without and abuse their power against all true godlinesse and of you why should yee doubt but that he will heare your Prayers and at your Prayers give you Magistrates that shall make it their honour to use their power for God to attaine his main end that is your Godly life as well as your peaceable and honest life as they received it from God who hath ordained Magistracy for the attaining of that main end 4. There is but one Mediator between God and men who gave himselfe a ransome for all that testimony in proper seasons Christ mediates for Magistrates is a ransome for Magistrates is that testimony which as well testified to Magistrates as any other and if any say we have prayed long and prevailed little you must know there are proper seasons full seasons for this testimony to be dispensed and to make that dispensation effectuall therefore pray pray all manner of Prayers for their thorough conversion that they may glory more to see their Dominions all Godly under that one God through that one Mediator by that one Gospell that witnesseth of this Grace by one Faith one common Faith in that only ransome of Christ in one way of his true Worship then to see their Dominions rich and peaceable Why under this one God and this one Christ feeding among you may you not raise up to you seven Shepheards and eight Princes of men say all yea by Prayer of faith we shall doe it 2. For the Ministery they destroy and prophane Gods Temple by their errours diversly 1. Evening the Lords owne Canons for the Examination and Ordination of Ministers or Bishops by the Presbytery The Epistles to Timothy and Titus were written to order Gods house 1. Tim. 3. 15. there are drawn by the Holy Ghost the Church Canons the Constitutions of the Church of the New Testament Christs Directory by the hands and Ministery of that elect Vessell Paul the Apostle In these Canons the Presbytery that is the society of Teaching-Elders or Bishops Paul knew no other Bishops the Assembly of the Elders so the word is used in Act. 22. 5. where our last Translation reads it the estate of the Elders the Elder-ship 1 Tim. 4. 24. 5. 22. 3. 2. 9 10. Tit. 1. 5. 9. 2 Tim. 2. 2. hath the charge of Examination of those that are to be made Ministers and the power of Ordination by imposition of hands they that are to be made Ministers must be apt to teach 1 Tim. 3. 2. and they must be ordained by laying on of hands Tit. 1. 5. 1 Tim. 5. 22. their aptnesse to teach must be tryed and examined 1 Tim. 3. 10. having spoken of Bishops before and now speaking of Deacons and that concerning their holding the Mystery of Faith he saith and let these also first be proved also that is as well as those that desire the office of a Bishop they must first be Examined touching their aptnesse and ability to Teach so must the Deacons also about their holding of the Mystery of Faith in a pure conscience Now this Charge of Examination lyes upon the faithfull men the Presbyters that are able to teach others 2 Tim. 2. 2. and the power of laying on of hands or of ordination is in the Presbytery We find this order of men but we finde no other in these Epistles that have any charge over the House of God the Church of the living God Now those overthrow these Canons and