his wrath from vs. Now my sonnes be not deceaued for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him to serue him and to be his ministers and to burne incense Then the Leuites arose Mahath c. and they gathered their brethren and sanctified themselues and came according to the commandement of the King and by the wordes of the Lord for to clense the house of the Lord and the priests went into the inner partes of the house of the Lorde to clense it c. Here indéede the King refuseth not the Leuites but calleth them vnto him and maketh vnto them this memorable oration and those that otherwise in their offices were his fathers hée calleth his sons in respect of his supreame authoritie ouer them himselfe being but a young man and they againe speake verse 18. And they went in to Ezechiah the king and sayd we haue clensed all the house of the Lord c. but here is nothing wherein they appoint or charge the King but all still of the Kinges commaundementes vnto them Verse 20. And Hezechias the king rose earlie and gathered the Princes of the citie and went vp to the house of the Lord and they brought seauen bullocks c. And he commanded the Preests the sonnes of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord c. Then they brought the hee Goates for the sinne offering before the King c. For the king had commanded for all Israel the burnt offering and the sinne offering And he appointed also the Leuites in the house of the Lord with Cymbals with Violes with Harpes according to the commandement of Dauid and Gad the kings seer c. And Hezechiah commanded to offer the burnt offering vpon the altar c. verse 30. And Hezechias the king and the princes commanded the Leuites to praise the Lord with the words of Dauid and Asaph the seer so they prayed with ioye and they bowed themselues and worshipped And Hezechias spake and said Now yee haue consecrated your selues to the Lord come neere and bring the sacrifices and offerings of praise into the house of the Lord and the congregation brought sacrifices c. Héere the King still commandeth both the Priests and Leuites and the people and they all obeyed But the Leuites are commended vers 34. To be more vpright in hart to sanctifie themselues then were the Priests As for the 30 chapter which our brethren cite after the foresaid first verse wherein the King writeth to all Israel and Iudah It followeth in the second c. And the king and his princes and all the congregation had taken councell in Ierusalem to keepe the passeouer in the second moneth For they could not keepe it at this time bicause there were not priests enough sanctified neither was the people gathered to Ierusalem And the thing pleased the King and all the congregation and they decreed to make proclamation through-out all Israell c. So the Posts went out with letters by commission from the King and his Princes throughoâ—t all Israel with the commandement of the King saying Yee children of Israel turne againe vnto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac c. And at this sacrifice the King praied for the people saying verse 18 c. The good Lord be mercifull towards him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God the God of his fathers though he be not clensed according to thepurification of the sanctuarie and the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people And verse 22. Hezechiah spakâ— comfortablie to the Leuites that had good knowledge to sing vnto the Lord c. And in the chapter following verse 2. Hezechiah appointed the courses of the Priests and Leuites for the burnt offerings and peace offerings to minister and giue thankes and to praise in the gates of the tentes of the Lord And verse 4. He commanded the people that dwelt in Ierusalem to giue part to the Priests and Leuites that they might be incouraged in the lawe of the Lord. And when the commandement was spred the children of Israell brought aboundance of fruites c. And when Hezekiah and the Princes came and sawe the heapes they blessed the Lord and his people Israel And Hezechiah questioned with the Preists concerning the heapes And Azariah the cheefe preest of the house of Sadoch answered him and said Since the people began to bring offerings we haue eaten and haue beene satisfied and there is left aboundance For the Lord hath blest his people and the aboundance that is left And Hezechiah commanded to prepare chambers in the house of the Lord c. And Iehiel c. were ouerseers by the appointment of Cononiâ—h and Shimer his brother and by the commandement of Hezechiah the king and of Azariah the cheefe of the house of God c. And thus did Hezechiah through-out all Iuda and did well and vprightlie and truelie before the Lord his God Thus haue we séene both in the chapter quoted by our brethren and the chapter going before and the chapter following how the King directed all those Ecclesiasticall matters commanded ordered and gouerned both the Leuites and the Priests But what is anye thing héere to our brethrens purpose Did the Leuites debate anye controuersies with the King and Princes or with the high Priest before the King And the king the princes or the high preest yeeld therein vnto the Leuites Or not rather they yeeld vnto the king and to the princes and to the high preest in those matters If now this be so memorable an example why doo not our brethren if they will be like the Leuites yeeld to hir Maiestie her counsell and hir Bishops Except they will be rather héerein like the king his princes and the high priest then like these Leuites As for the elders in the assemblie and conference Act. 15. They also yeelded vnto the Apostles not the Apostles vnto them Although the Apostles refused not the elders no more doe our Bishops refuse our brethren or anye other ecclesiasticall persons that are lawfullie appointed and called to the conuocations or to anie other ecclesiasticall assemblie or conference Neither do they denie the accepting euen of the people in some manner to be heard to speake But whereto doe our brethren mention héere the people in this debating This is againe cleane contrârie to their ownâ— rules as we shall sée in this learned discourse Would they haue the people also to be debaters or to be Iudges of these controuersies And to ouer-rule the Bishops and cleargie in the determination of them But they haue yet one example more At least saye they let â—â—eir owne opinion that in interpreting the scriptures and deliuerie of doctrine we are equall with them persuade them And héereto they quote this marginall note and Whitegifts booke pag. 389. If the Archbishop that now is dooth graunt this it is the greater signe of his reuerent modestie Neither do anâ—e of our Bishops or any of vs
said to bee perfecte in al her Regiment meaning that Regiment which was fittest for the state of her affâ—iction and trauelles then bicause she had such extraordiâ—â—ry helpes But this is no diminishing of that perfection if it may so be called that is requisite to the ordinary regiment of the Church vnder the Supreame Gouernment of Christian princes albeit the offices and giftes of Apostles Euangelists Prophets c. are ceased nor to be expected nor reuoked Nowe then as the proposition admitting there were no christian princes is not true in affirming that the church of God was perfecte in all her regiment before there was any Christian prince vnlesse wee vnderstand that perfection of all her Regiment which was appropriate to her by the extra-ordinary prerogatiue of that particuler age and peculier state thereof not extending it to all her ordinary Regiment that shoulde perpetuallie continue So is this proposition likewise moste vntrue in this other parte that there was not any christian prince then Albeit this also be no good argument there were no christian princes then Or they were not reckoned among the Gouernours of the church then therefore they are not to be reckoned among the gouernours of the Church nowe Neyther this argument The Apostle Rom. 12.1 Cor 12. and Ephes. 4. reckoneth vp onely in the church these 4. Pastors Teachers Gouernours and Deacons as the perpetual offices by whiche the Church of God may according to his worde be directed in all matters which are commonly called Ecclesiastical therefore Christian princes as not mentioned haue not to deale in the regiment of the same Which kinde of argumentes I am the sorier that these our Brethren in the earnestnesse of their zeale should vse bicause as Gellius Snecanus Phrysius noteth from whome our Brethren séeme to take manye thinges in this their Learned discourse all these reasons that our Brethren heere vse are the very plaine reasons of the Anabaptistes against christiaÌ„ Magistrates Whose heresie sith our Brethren do vtterly detest I would haue them vtterly detest in any case not to vse their reasons whichis nothing but to bolden strengthen the Heritikes to breed suspition to theÌ„selues Snecanus de Magistratu pag. 637. alleadgeth the Anabaptistes obiection saying Hucque trahunt quod Ephes. 4. c. And to this they drawe that Ephes. 4. the office of a Magistrate is not to be reckoned vp among the functions of the church Whereunto he aunswereth in the nexte page Quòd autem Ephes. 4. But as for that Ephesians 4. S. Paule doth not mention the office of a Magistrate that is to bee supplyed out of other places to witte Rom. 12. 1. Corinth 12. Whereas Rulings and gouernmentes are reckoned vp among the giftes of the church and kinds of vocations as is aboue declared Otherwise many things ordeyned in the church to edification should be condemned Yea euen as the Apostle Rom. 13. properlie treating of the ciuill Magistrates mentioneth not the Bishops so it is no maruell that Paule heere passeth ouer the meÌ„tion of the Magistrate Namelye when heere hee reckoneth not vp the kinds of al offices but specially and properly the functions onelie of the Ministers of the word Whereby not onely we see that this argument is the very argument of the Anabaptistes and therefore not to be vsed of our Bretheren but also that those places Romaines 12. 1. Cor. 12. cited also by these our Brethren where-as they vnderstande the woordes of the Apostle Rulers and Gouernours onely for their supposed Seniors and thirde sorte of Tetrarks those wordes are as-well to bee vnderstoode of Christian Magistrates Yea if those wordes of Rulers and Gouernours shoulde not bee so vnderstoode to witte for Christian Magistrates many thinges ordeyned in the church to aedification shoulde be condemned those wordes therefore being thus vnderstood both such ordinaunces in the Church ordeined by Christian Magistrats are not to be condemned and Christian Magistrates haue power to ordaine suche things And the argument that our brethren héere vse that thâ—re were nâ— Christian Princes at that time is also conâ—uted But this is handled by Gellius more at large pag. 555. To this purpose saith he serueth the likenesse and conueniencie of the Ciuill Magistrate and the Ecclesiasticall Ministery which fighte not one with the other but from the beginning haue alwayes beene most neerely ioyned together although the proprieties of them both in the Church are distinguished Euen as it is manifest by the example of Moyses and Aâ—ron This order was distinctly obserued in the Church of GOD in the time of godly King Iosaphat 2. Chron. 19. Which thing of all other is most euidentlie declared in the new Testament Mat. 22. Where Christe saith Giue vnto Caesar that that is Caesars and to God that that is Gods Where-upon it is manifest that God is no lesse the authour of the order of Magistracy among the faithfull Rom. 13. then hee is of the order of the Churches offices Ephes. 4. ver 11. These things dotâ— Paule most effectually confirme while Rom. 12. ver 8. and 1. Cor. 12. v. 28. he reckoneth vp Rules and Gouernments among the giftes of the Church and among the offices thereof For the proprietie of the wordes which the holy Ghoste both in the Greeke and in the Latine tongue doth vse not only signifieth especially the censure of the Eldershippe but may be also generally stretched to the Rulings and Gouernements of all offices as it is manifest by the declaration conference of the Scripture For besides the former places Rom. 12. v. 8. 1. Cor. 12. v. 28. The name of gouernment Pro. 11 v. 14. is giuen to counsellours Act. 27. v. 11 and Apocal. 18. v. 17. it is referred vnto Ship-maisters Lyâ—â—wise also the name of Ruling is applied in the firste Epistle to Timoth. the 3. chapter the 4. and 5. verses to the administration and discipline that is domesticall And to these fore-cited places commeth that which Paule Rom. 13. v. 1.4 and Tit. 3. ver 1. doeth expresse in the same wordes as-well in the Greeke as in the Latine tongue the ciuill power and reuengement of the Magistrate against vnrighteous men and malefactors against whome the Lawe is made 1. Tim. 1. v 9.10 and the spirituall power and reuengement giuen of the Lorde to the Apostles for the edification of the church against all contumacie 2. Cor. 10. v. 6.8 and the thirtienth chapter the tenth verse For in both places he vseth these woordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 insinuating by these selfe same woordes that the distincte proprietie of power and power and reuengement both wherby the Magistrate taketh vengeaunce of the contemner of the Lawes and wherebye the Churche hath yet in a readines reuengement and power against all contumacy is of God and to be reckoned among the offices of the Church Sithe that therefore the ordinaunce of the Ciuill power and of reuengement
monethes disputing and exhorting to the thinges that appertayne to the kingdome of God But when certaine were hardened and disobeyed speaking euill of the way of God before the multitude he departed from them and separated the Disciples and disputed daylie in the schoole of one Tyrannus And this was done by the space of two yeares So that all they which dwelt in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesus both Iewes and Graecians So that although Saint Luke saye on the occasion of the myracles following verse 20. So the worde of God grewe mightily and preuailed yet all this while héere is no store of Pastors ordeyned in this Church of Ephesus that we reade of during Saint Paules aboade among them Nowe sayth Luke ver 21. when these thinges were accomplished Paule purposed by the spirite to passe through Macedonia and Achaia and to goe to Ierusalem saying after I haue beene there I must also see Rome So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministred to him Timotheus and Erastus But he remayned in Asia for a season And the same time there arose no small trouble about that waye For a certaine man named Dometrius a siluer Smith c. And so Luke entereth into the declaration of that sedition which to haue pacified ver 30 When Paule would haue entered in vnto the people the Disciples suffered him not Certaine also of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he would not present himselfe in the common place Whereuppon it followeth in this 20. Chapter verse 1. Nowe after the tumult was ceased Paule called the Disciples to him and embraced them and departed to goe into Macedonia So that heere is described by Luke all the state of the Church of Ephesus from the time that it first receaued the faith of Christe till Saint Paule in his returne towardes Ierusalem hauing passed by Ephesus because hee woulde not spende the time in Asia beeing come to Miletum sayeth Luke VVherefore from Miletum hee sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche By all which conference it may appeare that there were not at that time manie Pastors of the Church of Ephesus And that though the word of God grewe mightilie there and preuailed yet wee may perceaue that the most parte of the Citie remayned Idolatrous so that the greatnesse of this Churche was but in comparison of other lesser Cities And if it were as Caluine obserueth on Act. 14. verse 23. And when they had ordeyned them Elders by election in euerie Churche c. I interprete Presbyters Priestes or Elders to be heere called those vnto whome the office of teaching was enioyned for that there were some that onely were correctors of manners appeareth out of Paule 1. Tim. 5.17 Nowe where Luke sayeth that they were placed ouer euerie Churche hereupon is gathered the difference betwixt their office and the Apostles For the Apostles had no certaine station but oftentimes ranne about hether and thether to fownde newe Churches As for Pastors as placed in holdes were addicted euerie one of them to their proper Churches If this nowe were the Apostles disposing of these Pastors euerie one of them to their proper Churches that is singuler men in singuler Cities besides that by the way he maketh the office of the Pastors to be teaching is it likely there were manie hauing pastorall cure in this one Churche of Ephesus For we finde not in all Paules aboade there of diuerse congregations or Churches amonge them Who may not therefore if we conferre these thinges togeather plainely ynough perceaue that where the text sayth not from Miletum hee sent to call the Elders of the Church of Ephesus but from Miletum he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche that it should rather séeme hee meaneth the Elders both of the Churche of Ephesus and of other Cities of Asia bordering there-about For as Luke sayde before Chapter 19. ver 10. All they which dwels in Asia hearde the worde of the Lorde Iesus both Iewes and Graecians And againe verse 3. Certaine also of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes sent vnto him desiring him that he would not present him-selfe in the common place So that it might verie well be that hearing of his approche and belike thinking he would haue come thether or of some other occasion béeing there assembled as to the chiefe Citie and greatest Churche of all those coastes he sent thether for them And yet the woordes driue not so straightly neyther that hée sent thether for them but onely that he sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Churche So that they might be called as well from other places as from thence And the wordes of Paule vnto them apparantly stretche further than to Ephesus Who when they were come to him sayeth Luke he sayde vnto them Yee knowe from the first day that I came into Asia after what manner I haue beene with you at all seasons These wordes being directly spoken to these persons whome he called for and expressely saying he had béene with them from the first daye hee had béene in Asia and hee had béene long before in Asia in his first peregrination which these our Bretheren mentioned before out of the 13. Chapter that he and Barnabas were by the holie-Ghost seuered out to trauaile thether wherein hee had béene at Perga in Pamphilia at Antioche in Pisidia at Iconium Derbe Lystra in Lycaonia and Attalia all Cities of this Asia the lesse where Ephesus was the chiefeste of them all Saint Paule with Barnabas hauinge planted the Faith and ordeyned Elders in euerie Churche as is afore-saide in his seconde peregrination returning with the Apostles decrees to confirme these forsaide and other places and being againe in Asia till he was Actes 16. ver 9. and 10. called by the Lorde to preach the Gospell in Macedonia which done departing from Corinth he came first to this Citie of Ephesus at what time he tarried not Act. 18.20 till in his returne from Ierusalem Act. 19. ver 1. he came againe to Ephesus where he remayned two yeares and a quarter Howebeit the most writers call it two yeare including the thrée monethes that Luke speaketh of before ver 8. for the time he taught in the Synagogue with the time that hee taught in Tyrannus his schole And this sayeth Luke was done by the space of two yeares ver 10. but Saint Paule in this Oration sayth to them verse 31. By the space of three yeares I ceased not to warne euerie one both night and day with teares So that he plainely includeth with them other Churches of Asia where he had likewise trauailed Which also hee had before as it were expressed ver 25. And nowe beholde I knowe that hence foorth ye all through whom I haue gone preaching the kingdome of God shall see my face no more By all which we may safely conclude that these Elders were they Bishoppes or Pastors or any
Act. 16.3 so he trauelled with him till he came to Boerea Acts. 17. verse 14. and 15 there abiding when Paule went to Athens he came at his commaundemeÌ„t vnto him to Corinthe Act. 18.5 And so went with Paule abode with him at Ephesus Acts. 19. vntill verse 22. he sent him and Erastus into Macedonia Whither when Saint Paule came Acts. 20 and trauelled from thence to Greece he sent againe Timothie with diuersâ— other to Troas where while Timothie abode Saint Paule as it is likelie wrote his First Epistle to the Corinthians in his returne to Macedonia at Phillippos Act. 20 verse 3. and 6. Determining to send Timothie with that Epistle backe againe to Corinthe which of likeliehood hee did when he came to Troas where Timothie with other abode his comming Who when he came thether sent Timothie accompanied with Stephanus Fortunatus and Achaicus with that Epistle as in the ende thereof 1. Corinthians 19 verse 8. appeareth I will tarrie at Ephesus vntill Pentecoast for a great doore and effectuall is opened vnto me but there are manie aduersaries Nowe if Timothie come see that hee bee without feare of you For he worketh the worke of the Lord euen as I doo And euen so saithe Luke Act. 20. verse 16. Paule had determined to saile by Ephesus bicause he would not spend the time in Asia for hee hasted if he could possiblie be at Ierusalem at the daye of Pentecost Whereas before he had minded to tarrie at Ephesus till the drawing néere of that feast So that if I coniecture not amisse which if I doo I will be readie in all humilitie to reforme my computation it appeareth that Timothie was at that time none of these Bishops nor among them whome Saint Paule called from Ephesus to Miletum Howe then was Timothie the firste Bishop ordeined of Ephesus Not firste in time for if anye at all in time then muste hee néedes haue béene ordeyned Bishoppe after them Neyther yet that all the other Bishoppes were not at all ordeined or were now all dead but that in dignitie hee was the firste that is to saie the cheefe or Archbishop among and ouer them all And to confirme this let vs sée the iurisdiction and authoritie by S. Paule giuen him ouer all the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie in this Citie For whensoeuer Saint Paule wrote his firste Epistle to him which some take to be during the time that hee taried for the assemblie of these Bishops aforesaid in the meane while stepping ouer to Laodicia which is about the same distaÌ„ce from Miletum that Ephesus was as appeareth by the charte or mappe therof and there at Laodicea he wrote that Epistle Other suppose and it is farre more likelie that it was after he had béene at Rome and was by Nero set at libertie in which time of â—0 yeares space as he visited againe which the Centuriographers note the Churches of Syria Asia and Greece so hauing a great care of this Churche of Ephesus and kéeping his former course of visitation as hee did Act. 20. from Ephesus to Macedonia and so backe againe as before hee had doone he writeth from Laodicea vnto Timothie whom 〈◊〉 had before ordeined Bishop there giuing him this charge 1. Tim. 1. vâ—â—sâ— 3. As I besought thee to abide still in Ephesus when I departed into 〈◊〉 so doo that thou maiest commaund some that they teach none other 〈◊〉 neither that they giue heede to fables and genealogies Whereby 〈◊〉 appâ—â—reth that hee had authoritie giuen him by the Aposâ—le to 〈…〉 controll and commaund such Bishops Pastors and Doctors as were at Ephesus both for the matter and the manner of their teaching Vpon which sentence saith Caluine The worde of denouncing signifieth power for Paule would furnish him with power to restreine others And this power he giueth him not onelie that they shoulde teache no other doctrine but also not the same Doctrine otherwise So that the manner of setting foorth doctrine as well as the doctrine it selfe apperteined to his charge and ouer-sight In the 2. chapter he shewes him some orders that he would haue obserued in the Churche concerning prayers and the publike Ministerie of the worde In the 3. chapter he describes the office and duties of Bishops and their wiues of Deacons and their wiues so that although the name of Bishop bee there taken indifferentlie for the Pastors of the worde and Sacraments yet still hath Timothie an authoritie giuen him ouer them bothe to make such Bishops as should so be qualified and to ouer-see that they being made should behaue themselues accordinglie Wherevpon after hee hath described them hee saithe to Timothie verse 14. These thinges write I vnto thee trusting to come shortelie vnto thee but if I tarrie long that thou maiste haue knowledge how to behaue thy selfe in the house of God which is the Churche of the liuing God the piller and grounde of truthe In which wordes he plainelie giueth him an authoritie and iurisdiction of ordering and gouerning these offices in the policie and regiment of the Church In this speech saith Caluine he commendeth the weight and dignitie of the office bicause Pastors are as it were Stewards vnto whom God hath committed his house So that Caluine héere maketh Timothie a Pastor whome ye call a Bishop and he giueth him authoritie ouer other Pastors or Bishops there And how doth not this plainlie inferre that though all in the pastorall office may be a like and equall yet in dignitie one may haue charge and gouernement ouer another In the 4 chapter verse 11. and 12. he saith Commend and teach these things Let no man dispise thy youth but be vnto them that beleeue an example c. As though he woulde haue him become a myrror and patterne not onelie to the people but to the Pastors Wherevpon saith Caluine we also acknowledge that Timothie was a yoong man whoe notwithstanding farre surmounted manie Pastors And on the 15. verse he saith Grace was giuen him by prophesie How To witte for bicause as we haue said the Holie-ghoste by oracle had appointed Timothie that he should be chosen into the order of pastors Yea your selues haue clearelie confessed pag. 19. that Timothie was but a yoong man and yet had the office of an Elder If then a Pastor an Elder a Bishop be all one then must Timothie néeds be a Bishop if a pastor must haue a charge flocke assigned him then must Ephesus be his pastorall or Episcopall charge and flocke Which charge that it stretched aboue his other felow Pastors or Bishops is most apparant in the 5. Chapter where besides his authoritie in chusing and ouerseeing the widdowes for his authoritie ouer these Pastorall Elders or Bishops rebuke not an Elder rigorously saith the Apostle to Tim. v. 1. but exhort him as a Father And ver 17. the Elders that rule well are worthie of double honour especially they that labour in the woorde
the whole Church but onely such prayers as he his owne selfe eyther hath before hande made and conned by roate or such as without any premeditation or committing to memorie he doth in his head conceaue euen as he vttereth them with his mouth and so at that instant make them this we vtterly deny And not to suspect here wtout good cause that our Breth vnderstand this terme of making publike prayers in this sense not only their wordes here following do plainely expounde their meaning when they saye It apperteyneth to the Pastor to conceaue publike prayers and it is a common phrase among our Brethren that such and such a one is an excellent conceauer meaning that he can make godly prayers but also that they can not away with formall reading as in contempt they call it and a prescribed forme of prayer But to confute this and to proue that a prescribed forme of the diuine seruice for the publike prayers besides the reading of the scriptures in appointed courses and orders is a thing lawefull and profitable First the Iewes had the same before and in and after Christes time not onely as perteyning to the ceremoniall but to the morall lawe for the obedience of the first table perteyning to the worshippe of God Numb 6.22 c. The Lorde spake to Moses saying speake vnto Aaron and to his sonnes saying thus shall ye blesse the children of Israell and say vnto them the Lorde blesse thee and keepe thee the Lorde make his face to shine vpon thee and be mercifull vnto thee the Lorde lift vp his countenance vpon thee and giue thee peace c. And although they had many of their publike prayers beeing mixt with hymnes thankesgiuings not onely sayde but song also yet were they such not only as their selues made or conceaued were they neuer so learned men but such as either Moses or Samuell or Dauid or Esdras or some other Prophete especially appointed thereunto by God had drawen out and prescribed vnto them As may appeare 1. Chron. 9. where after he had shewed ver 22. c. how Dauid and Samuell the feer had established the porters and other officers ver 33. he sayth And these are the singers the chiefe fathers in the Leuites which dâ—elt in the chambers and had none other charge For they had to doe in that businesse day and night And speaking of Dauid who made the most paâ—t of the Psalmes in the 16. Chapter ver 4. And he appointed certaine of the leuites to minister before the Arke of the Lorde and rehearse and thank and praise the Lorde God of Israell And vers 7. Then at that time Dauid did appoint at the beginning to giue thankes to the Lorde By the hande of Asaph and his brethren Whereon sayth the Geneua note Dauid gaue them this psalm to prayse the Lorde signifying that in all our enterprises the name of God ought to bee praysed and called vpon psalme 105. Thus doe our brethren apply these doinges of Dauid vnto our estate And in the 25 chapter ver 2. He mencioneth those that were vnder the hande of Asaph which sang prophesies by the commission of the king Thus did Asaph then set foorth the publike prayers endited prescribed by Dauid Although he as diuers think conceiued made many psalms and Prayers and prescribed then to others Likewise 2. chron 29. verse 27. And Ezekiah commaunded to offer the burnt offering vpon the Alter and when the burnt offering began the song of the Lorde beganne with the trumpets and the instruments of Dauid king of Israell and all the congregation worshipped singing a song c. All which orders and formes of publique prayer at the Diuine seruice though the Iewes afterward corrupted Esdras after the captiuitie recollected set againe in order Which though they were eftsoones corrupted and intermingled especially with the Pharisees traditions yet til and in the time of Christe they had at the diuine seruice the ordinary courses of reading the Lawe and Prophets as appeareth by S. Luke 4. vers 16.17 c. Where the booke of the Prophet Esay was deliuered to Christ. And by that saying in the person of Abraham to the rich glutton they haue Moses and the prophets let theÌ„ hear them Luke 16.29 Which Paule testifieth in his sermon to the Antiochians Acts. 13.27 For the inhabitants of Ierusalem and their rulers because they knewe him not nor yet the wordes of the prophets which are read euery saboth day c. And that this was the auntient order Iames the byshop of Ierusalem in the determination of that famous assembly holden by the Apostles Act. 15. ver 20. sayth For Moses of olde time hath in euery city them that preach him sithe that hee is reade in the synagogues euery sabboth day And heere also is the publique reading called a preaching With which exercises they especially adioyned the reading also of the Psalmes and other solemn publique prayers of the Scripture For which principal cause Christ saith of the Temple Math. 21.13 It is written mine house shall bee called the house of prayer c. And Act. 3. Peter and Iohn went vp together into the Temple at the ninth hower of prayer Which orders were of Christe so little improoued that not onelie as Luke declareth cap. 11.1 that one of the Disciples sayde vnto him Maister teach vs to pray as Iohn also taught his disciples desiring that they might haue some prescribed form of praier set downe vnto them but that also Iohn baptist had taught some forme to his Disciples Which request Christe did so little mislike that he himselfe also taught his Disciples among other preceptes a prescribed forme of prayer which the Euangelists wrotte and all Christians doe vse as the Lordes prescription Which is a strong warrant vnto vs that so long as all formes of prayers are according to that platforme of prayer they may most safely be prescribed For it serueth not only for priuate but for publike prayer Nowe although besides this onely forme of prayer prescribed by Christ we finde no form set out that the apostles or the primitiue church immediately after them did vse or prescribe to be vsed because they hauing that full measure of the spirite of God namely the Apostles Euangelistes Prophets Bishops Pastors and Elders yea the moste of all the faythfull people in these dayes so that they might well make conceiue their publique prayers before the Congregation euen as the spirite of God suggested in their heart gaue them vtterance in their mouths yet because that in the publike assemblies the Apostles prescribed the writteÌ„ scriptures to be read as Col. 4. ver 16. And wâ—en this epistle is read of you cause that it be read in the church of the Laodiceans also that ye likewise read the Epistle writâ—en from Laodicea and as they vsed that so no doubt did they vse to read in their publike assemblies the
vs all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we came and the Lord did cast out before vs al the people euen the Ammorites which dwelt in the land therfore wil wee also serue the lorde for he is our God c. Was this also a disordered and confused noise and yet the speeche of al the people For we reade not here of any speaker in their names nor any necessitie driueth so to imagine If it bee replied these were not publike praiers What of that were they not the publike speeches of the Congregation and coulde these publike speeches of all or manie without confusion be orderlie vttered which perhaps were not before premeditated and can not much better without any disorder or confusion some such publique praiers Psalmes or short responses as they are often acquainted withall or as their bookes leade them if they can reade or as their Pastor saith before them in bréefe sentences But for publike praiers too how often is it mentioned in the booke of the Iudges that the children of Israel when they were oppressed of their enimies They cried vnto the lorde Iud. 3. ver 9. 15. Iud. 4 verse 3. Iud. 6. verse 6. 7. Were these cries no praiers or were these prayers not as well publike as priuate Or did God refuse to heare them as a confused noyse or rather did he not like these cries as a sweete harmonie and sent them helpers But that their cries were not lamentations onely but confession of their sinnes and prayers it appeareth Iud. 10. verse 10. Then the children of Israell cried vnto the lorde saying we hauâ— sinned against thee euen because we haue forsaken our owne God and haue serued Baalim And when God layde before them howe often he had deliuered them bad them Goe try vnto the God which yee haue chosen let them saue you in the time of your tribulation ver 14. 15. The Children of Israel saide vnto the lord we haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day Which publike praiers of them with the déedes following in putting away their Idols were such orderlie and effectuall prayers that God raised them vp another helper Likewise Iud. â—1 2 When they had almost destroyed the tribe of Beniamin for their wickednes The people came vnto the house of God abode there til euen before God lifting vp their voices wept with great lamentatioÌ„ said O Lord God of Israel why is this com to passe in Israel that this day one tribe of Israell should want Againe when Samuel had shewed the people their sinne in asking to haue a king 1. Sam 12. And the Lorde had sent thunder according to Samuels saying ver 19. Al the people said vnto Samuell pray for thy seruants vnto the L. tâ—y God that we die not for we haue sinned in asking vs a king besides all our other sinnes And how often doth Dauid in his Psalms stir vp all the people not only to sing but also to confesse their sins to cal vpoÌ„ to praise his name and to declare his workes in the Congregation and in these actions to ioine all their voices together and would he not exhort them if it were a disorder and confusion When Solomon made his praier in the temple which hee had new builded besought God to heare the praiers that should be made in the same among other things he saith 1. kin 8.37 c. When there shal be famine in the land when there shall be pâ—stilence when there shall be blasting mildâ—we Grashopper or Caterpiller when their enimies shall besiege them in the Cities of the lande or anie plague or anie sicknesse then what praier and supplication soeuer shall bee made of any man or of al thy people Israel when euery one shal know the plague of his owne heart and stretche foorth his handes in this house heare thou him in Heauen c. Wherein hee speaketh not onely of the priuate praier of any man but of the publike praier made by all the people Heare thou then in heauen their prayer and their supplication and iudge their cause If they sinne against thee for there is no man that sinneth not and thou be angry with them and deliuer them vnto the enimies so that they carry them away prisoners into the lâ—nde of the enimies eyther farre or neere yet if they turne agayne wich their heart in the lande to the which they bee carried away Captiues and returne and pray vnto thee in the lande of them that carried them away Captiues saying VVee haue sinned wee haue transgressed and haue done wickedlie c. Then heare thou their prayers and their supplication in Heauen thy dwelling place and iudge their cause and bee mercifull vnto the people that haue sinned against thee c. For they bee thy people and thine inheritaunce which thou broughtest out of Aegypt from the middest of the yron fornace Let thine eyes bee open vnto the prayer of thy seruaunt and vnto the Prayer of thy people Israel to hearken vnto them in all that they call for vnto thee c. So that hee speaketh not heere of anye one man praying in the name of the people but bothe of euerye one whosoeuer and iointlie of all the peoples prayers vnto God Which if they had not vsed so to praye or hee had thought GOD would haue accounted those publique praiers that all the people iointlie withall their voices made a disordered and confused noise hee woulde neuer haue made this solemne prayer for them What confusion and disorder of voices was this at the praier of Elias 1. Reg. 18. verse 39. All the people when they sawe the fire to fall from heauen and consume the burnt offering fell on their faces and sayde the Lorde is God the Lorde is God It may be thought that at the reedifying of the Temple in this number of voices there was then some confusion of them For when as in the first of Esdras the thirde chap. verse 1. it is sayde that the people assembles them-selues as one man vnto Ierusalem It followeth verse 10. c. And when the builders layde the foundation of the Temple of the Lorde they appointed the Preestes in their apparell with Trumpettes and the leuites the sonnes of Asaph with Cimballes to prayse the lorde after the ordinaâ—â—e of Dauid king of Israel Thus they sang when they gaue prayse and when they gaue 〈◊〉 vnto the lorde For hee is good for his mercie endureth euer towardes Israel Where withall we see the former point of the prescribed forme of Prayers And all the people showted with a great showte when they praysed the Lorde because the foundation of the house of the lorde was layde And many also of the Prieâ—â—es and leuites and the cheefe of the Fathers auncieÌ„t mâ—Ì„ which had seene the first house when the foundation of
after Peter Iohn assoone as they were let go came to their fellows shewed al that the high priests elders had saide vnto them when they heard it they lift vp their voices to God with one accord said O Lord c. And though their praiers be not also described Act. 12. 5. When Peter was kept in prison yet in that he saith But earnest prayer was made of the Church to God for him wee may easily coniecture that it was not made onely with their assent but with all their voices in their so earnest praier for him And although the visions in the Reuelation that Saint Iohn sawe and heard bee referred to further mysteries yet the analogy that is proportionable betweene the signes of thinges and the thinges them-selues manifestly prooueth that the multitude of voices ioyned together in publique prayers was not then either of God or man accounted a disorder or confusion in the Churche Apocal. 4. verse 8. c. And he foure Beastes had echâ— one of them sixe wings about him and they were ful of eyes within and they ceased not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lorde God almighty which was and which is and which is to come And when those beastes gaue glory and honour and thankes to him that sate on the throne and worshipped him that liueth for euer euer the 24. elders fel downe bâ—fore him that satte on the throne worshipped him that liueth for euermore cast their crowns before the throne saying thou art worthy O lorde to receiue glory and honour and power for thou haste created all thinges and for thy willes sake they are and haue beene created And in the next Chapter verse 8. The foure and twenty Elders fel downe before the lambe hauing euery one Harpes and golden Viols full of Odors which are the prayers of Saintes and sung a newe song saying Thou art worthy c. And also verse 11. Then I behelde and I hearde the voyce of many Angelles round about the Throne and about the Beastes and the elders and there were thousande thousandes saying with alowde voyce VVorthie is the lambe that was killed to receiue power and riches and wisedome strength and honour and glory and prayse and all the creatures which are in Heauen and vnder the earth and in the Sea and all that are in them heard I saying praise â—nd honour and glory and power bee vnto him that sitteth vpon the Throne aâ—d vnto the lambe for euermore And the foure Beastes sayde Amen c. The Reuelation hath many moe of these visions All which though they haue a misticall vnderstanding yet if those mysteries had beene figured by thinges disordered and confused it had both beene a discredite to the entendement of them neither coulde Saint Iohn haue well perceiued and vnderstood them But that this was the practise of the primitiue and auncient Church succéeding it may appeare by Iustine in the foresaide Apologie But howe we haue dedicated our selues to God saith hee beeing renewed by Christe wee will nowe declare least wee might seeme to dissemble any thing malitiously So many as being perswaded do beleeue these things to be true that we do teach and do promise to liue after the same manner before all things they learne with prayers and fastinges to aske of God forgiuenesse of their fore-passed sinnes we ioining together with them the prayers and the fastings So that all these that were conuerted from idolatry and were to be baptized with the Ministers that did baptise them ioined as their fastings so their prayers altogether and then within a little after followeth that which wee haue alreadye cited of their publike prayers when they are brought to the assembly of the faithfull to ioine also with them in the Communion After which publique prayers when they had saluted one another with a mutual kisse and that the chiefest of the brethren was with his prayers and thankes-giuing consecrating to God the mysteries of the Lordes supper after the prayers sayth he and the Eucharist or thankesgiuing all the company singetâ— Amen Here is againe the cheefe Elders prayers thanksgiuing by him selfe and all the companies Amen But as he declareth afterward before these prayers and thanks-giuings that this cheefe person maketh alone which is the consecration of the breade and Wine to the which the people singeth â—men When the Exhortation to prepare them-selues to come worthily to this Table was finished After this saith he we arise all of vs together and offer our prayers which done the breade wine c. as is aforesaide is brought forth So that here are some prayers made of all the people together with the Minister and some prayers only made by the mouth of the Minister in the name of the whole Church as ourâ— brethren say and the whole Church ioyning in heart with the People in the same prayers and praying with him in silence in the ende they gaue their consent thereto by aunswering Amen Cyprian Ser. 6. De Orat. Dominica sayth We say not My father which art in heauen neither Giue to me this day my bread neither doth euery one desire that sins shold be only forgiueÌ„ to him or desireth for him self alone that he shold not be led into tentation shold be deliuered from euil It is a publike coÌ„mon prayer vnto vs. And when we pray we pray not for one but for all people because we being the whole people are one thing The God of all peace and master of concorde that taught vnitie woulde thus haue one to pray for all Euen as hee him selfe did beare all in one This Lawe did the three Children keepe beeing enclosed in the furnace of fire Agreeing in prayer and concording in consent of spirite Which thing the fayth of the diuine scripture declareth and when it teacheth howe suche praied it giueth an example which wee in prayers ought to followe that wee might bee such as they were Then sayth the scripture they there did sing an hymne as it were with one mouth and did blesse the Lorde They spake as it were with one mouth and Christ had not yet taught them to praye and therefore to them that prayed their speech was able to obtaine and effectuall because the quiet and simple and spirituall praier was acceptable to the Lord. Thus sayth Cyprian of the prayers wherin all the people ioyned their voyces publikely together and that the Apostle followed this manner he citeth Acts 1. as is aforesayd So that this praier with one mouth in the name of all was not so that one only spake it the other only gaue the Amen and consent thereto but they all spake it with such a concorde as though it had beene spoken with one mouth which was spoken with the mouth of euerie one of them Euen as euerie one saith the Lords praier in the name of al and not onâ— alone saith it for them all And yet
the other And this appeareth better especiallie for Publike praier in the next story For after that Peter and Iohn Acts. 3.1 were gone vp together to the temple at the ninth howre of prayer and likelie ynough euen to pray ther also for that they preached there at the same time it fel out extraordinarily But when they had bin cast in prison for that their preaching then saith Luke as soon as they were let go they came to their fellows shewed al that the high preests had said vnto them And when they heard it they lift vp their voices to God with one accord said O Lord thou art the God which hast made heauen and earth c. ver 24 25 26 27 28 29 30. Here was a Publike Praier of all the assemblie so effectual that saith Luke verse 31. And when as they had praied the place was shaken where they were assembled together they were al filled with the holie ghost and they spake the word of God boldlie But this bold speaking importeth not Preaching at that instance place ther was no sermon by any of theÌ„ that we find at that time preached But these words referred to their bolder preaching afterward to the people Also Actes 8.14 Now when the apostles which were at IerusaleÌ„ hard say that Samaria had receiued the word of Goâ— they sent vnto them Peter and Iohn who when they were come praied for them that they might receiue the holie Ghost Héere againe was publique prayer and no sermon that wee reade of at that time either by them or by any other preached In the tenth Chapter Peter preacheth before Cornelius and his assembly making no publike prayer at his sermon In the 12. Chapter when Herod had caught Peter and put him in prison vers 5. saith Luke So Peter was kept in Prison but earnest praier made of the Church vnto God for him Here againe was publike praier without preaching Act. 13. Paule preached without making anie publike prayers Except we shal say the publike praiers of the Antiochians being then in the Synagog did serue that turne But in the 17. hee had no such occasion preaching to the heathen Philosophers of Athens without publike prayer Though in the twentieth preaching to the Elders at Miletum verse 36. Luke sayth And when he had thus spoken he kneeled downe and praied with them all But in 21. he entreth into the Temple which is the house of publique praier and there was purified after the Iewes manner and so it is moste likely he vsed as well their publique as his owne priuate praiers and yet hee preached there at all no sermon as for the Chapters following they mencion onely his preaching without anie publique Praiers that he made Whereby it manifestly appeareth that this our Brethrens rule ther would be no ordinarie publique praier without preaching If we shold precisely follow the Apostles practise therein is no truer than was their other rule before Pag 63. Where is no preacher of the word there ought to be no Minister of the sacraments Neither doth this worde ordinarie escape all these examples And yet if extraordinarie publique praier may bee without Preaching much more may the ordinarie be sometimes without it though sometime with it Yet at al times if it may conueniently be had we grant it wold be better with it than without it But when preaching it selfe may be aswell extraordinarie as ordinarie so well as publique praier may bee though it were to bee wished that the publique praier and the publique preaching did concurre more often yet if at anie time they do not concurre as wee must not make voide and vnauaylable the publike preaching ordinarie or extraordinarie if on occasion it be without the publike prayer as wee haue scene the cleare examples so may we not account the publique prayer ordinarie or extraordinarie to bee frustrate and vneffectuall if on occasion it bee without preaching as these playne examples also do lay it forth Nowe vpon this wrong instant of the Popish abuses our Brethren say Which terrible example of the practize of Sathan in the man of sinne should make vs afrayed to giue anie like occasion of such inconuenience heereafter to come The application of the practise of Sathan in the man of sinne and in the Romish Churches abusing the ordinary prescript formes of publike reading singing and praying being alleaged no farder forth than thus to be a terrible example to make vs afrayed to giue anye like occasion of such inconuenience hereafter to come is not to be misliked For so it may be applyed to our brethren and to all other as well as to vs. In which sense S. Paule 1. Cor. 10. hauing reckoned vp many terrible examples of the Israelites wickednesse in their lusting after euill thinges in their Idolatry in their fornication in their tempting of Christe in their murmuring and of the plagues and destructions that came vppon them in the 11. verse he saith Now all these thinges came vnto them for examples and were written to admoniâ—â— vs vppon whome the endes of the wâ—rlde are come wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heede least hee fall So that this take heed is a faire thing as they say Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Happie is he whome other mens harmes can make beware But S. Paule meant not that al we vpon whom the endes of the worlde are come do commit the like offences and that our doings should be compared by the way of resemblanâ—e vnto theirs As for our ordinary prescript formes of publike prayer they be so cleane contrary to theirs that the professed Papists of all other thinges in vs can least abide them as daring rather aduenture to giue the hearing of our preaching the gospel than to come to the Church and but so much as to heare our ordinary prescript formes of publike prayer bethey long or neuer so short And therefore wee néede bee the lesse afrayed that they should euer giue the like occasion of suche inconuenience heereafter to come as did the practise of Sathan in the man of sinne by thrusting out preaching from the Romish Church with long prescript formes of reading of singing and of praying Although Sathan by the man of sin had thrust out preaching before as I rather thinke and then brought in his so long so naughty prescript formes of reading of singing and of praying to occupy the whole day and the whole people withall in ignorance superstition and Idolatry Howbeit we are not too sure to take warning nor any thing is so good but it may be abused And so we graunt may our ordinary prescript formes of publike prayers It is good therefore to beware that our Prayers degenerate not so farre Which of his great mercy God forbid they should And we trust in God they shall not And we pray to him they may not And thankes be
matter so much vrged and of such importance this had bene requisit that we had heard Christes wordes not their gathering only of Christes meaning for our euidence And yet if we should admit this meaning and all we are neuer the néerer for anie such Consistorie Senate or Segniotie of Elders as our Br. pretend Well might we set vp if not rather ill might we set vp a Iewish Sanedrin and Presbyterie of Princes Priestes in euerie parish to rule the whole estate thereof as a little kingdome in it selfe to the alteration and ouerthrowe of the whole state of the Realme but for these gouerning and not teaching Elders that our Brethr. would bring in héere is neither word nor meaning that they are able to inferre on Christes sentence But our Brethren conceauing that they haue now at least wonne thus much that our Sauiour Christe by this word Ecclesia meaneth a Consistorie or assemblie of Elders they chéerefullie procéede to their authoritie say Whose authoritie he doth ratifie with such power that whatsoeuer is bound or loosed by them on earth in the feare of God and with hartie praier the Lord will bring it to passe yea he himselfe wil be in the middest of them as president of their Councell to direct their consultations to the glorie of God and to the profite of his owne Church Concerning that which our Brethren adde héere out of the 19. 20. verses of Matth. 18. the consent of two or three gathered together in praier or counsell to haue their petitions graunted and Christe himselfe to be in the middest of them as President of their counsell so farre as they do it in the feare of God and in the name of Christ this is so little to be restrained to a Consistorie of Elders that it stretcheth not onelie to all Prouinciall and generall Councels so assembled but to al Congregations gathered to publike praier or to the hearing of Gods word yea to anie particular housholde or persons though they be no greater number than there is mencioned to encourage and confirme them in their faith to God and in their mutuall loue and vnitie one to another As for the authoritie that Christ ratifieth with such power that whatsoeuer is bounde or loosed by them on earth c. meaning this Consistorie of the church the Lord wil bring it to passe we cōfesse cōcerning the Church of the which before he spake that Christe there gaue such power vnto his Church but our question nowe is not whether the power be giuen to the Church as to whom the exercise of this power is committed Whether to the whole Churches assemblie or Congregation or to a Segniorie of the Church gouerning discipline and yet not medling with teaching the word of God or to those to whom the Ministerie of the worde is committed And albeit that neither the Magistrate nor the Senate of Gouernors if there be anie nor yet the whole assemblie of the Congregation are debarred from all kinde of excommunicating yet to speake of excommunication in his proper sense it is the act of him that is a Minister of the word Brentius writing at large on this place not onelie acknowledgeth a kinde of excommunication made by the Magistrate but also affirmeth this speach of Christe Tell the Church to be indéede a good rule but not necessarie for euer and for all Churches Haec Regula c. saith hee This Rule which Christe in this place deliuereth being rightlie vnderstoode and vsed is healthfull to the Churche and bringeth much profite but beeing ill vnderstoode and naughtilie vsed hath brought much hurt to the Common-weale hath diuers times troubled the gouernment of the Church and of the Policie When as the Bishops of Rome with their vnreasonable and naughtie excommunications haue nowe and then stirred vp the children against the parents haue cast out Emperors and Kings out of their Empires and in these dayes also because the Anabaptistes see not in our Churches the like gouernment according to the letter as is heere described they thinke that the true Church is not among vs. Wherefore we must doo our diligence that wee may vnderstande this rule aright and vse the same lawfully according to the manner thereof First wheras Christe saith in this Rule Tell the Church hee speaketh not of such an assemblie of Christians which consisteth of a great multitude of people and of a ciuile Magistracie and wherein the ciuile Magistrate is not onelie a member of the Church but also the Gouernour and Ordeiner of the Ecclesiasticall matters For in such an assemblie it can not bee brought to passe that that which is said Tell the Church can be kept according to the letter without confusion For what a confusion and perturbation of things were that if a man publikelie in the Ecclesiasticall assemblie wherein now and then some thousands of men doo come together should make an out-crie of iniurie offered him of his neighbor and desire that after his neighbour hauing bene twice warned woulde not repent him witnesse may be heard and if he will not obey the voices of the whole assemblie that he should be excommunicated What place would there be in so diuerse willes of men in such a companie of the multitude either vnto honest Councells or vnto right Iudgementes and what either measure or ende woulde there be of brawlings But God as S. Paule saith is not the Authour of confusion but of peace Héere Brentius draweth néere to our Bretheren also in this poynt that it is not meant of euerie great assemblie of the people But what now doth he conclude héereupon that it was spoken of an Ecclesiastical Senate or Consistorie in their names It followeth Moreouer when in the Ecclesiasticall assemblie there is a ciuile Magistrate the office of this ciuile Magistrate is to punish wicked deedes according to their Lawes that by the seueritie of his administration hee remooue offences out of the way Such as sometimes was the administration of the Kinges in the Church of Israel of Dauid Salomon Iosaphat Ezechias and of other godly Kings That therefore Christe saith Tell the Church is not bee vnderstoode of a great assemblie of the Church wherein there is a ciuil Magistrate and one that for his vocation laboureth to defend the publike honestie of life but is to bee vnderstoode of a small assemblie whereof the Magistrate is not a member wherein the Magistrate either hath no function or else is holden as though he were a priuate person such an assemblie as was the companie of Christe For fewe accompanied Christe in his Ministery among the Iewes and among these few there was no publike Magistrate Among such therefore being fewe the rule may be holden according to the letter For it appeareth that Christ was moued to the prescribing of this rule on that occasiō that although they were fewe that followed Christ yet now then there arose euen among them
receaued c. And afterward comming to the Ministers he saith the Ministers of excommunication were the Priestes and the churche approuing it Deut. 27. the Leuites shall pronounce and say vnto all the men of Israel with a high voyce accursed is the man that maketh a graâ—en and â— moultâ—n Image the abhomination of the Lorde the worke of the artificers and setteth it in a secrete place And all the people shall aunswere Amen In the seconde booke of Esdras chap. 13. Eliasis the preest separateth the straungers from Israell And likewise for the other Key of losing The key absoluing is a power ordeyned of God and committed to the Preestes and Prophetes of pronouncing to sinners beeing penitent the remission of sinnes for the Womans and Abrahams seede and the sonne of Dauid that is for the Messias c. The author and the Ministers are these Eyther God him-selfe immediatly hath denounced the forgiuenesse of sinnes as Genesis 3. When hee setteth foorthe the promise of the VVomans seede hee doth nothing else buâ— thaâ—â—ee mought absolue Adam and Eue from their sinne c. Or else by the Patriarkes So Genesis 30. God sayth â—o Abimelech of Abraham c. Or else by the Prophetes The seconde of Kings 12. Nathan said to Dauid the Lord hath translated thy sinne c. or else by the Preesâ—â— which offering sacrificeâ— expiatory for the people for their sinns afterward blessed them which what was it â—â—so 〈◊〉 a denunciation of the forgiuenes of their sinnes Leui. 4.5.6 9. Leuit. 19. And the Priest shall pray for him and for his sinne and it shall bee forgiuen him and his sinne remitted and Num. 6. Speake to Aaron to his sonnes thus shall ye blesse the children of Israel say vnto themâ— the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee the Lord shew his face vnto thee and haue mercie vpon thee This waâ— the state of Excommunication and absolution in the old Testament denounced by the â—outh of the Minister of the worde For to whom the Absoluing belonged the Excommunicating belonged also The steps whereof sayth Aretius are in the newe Testament Ioh. 9.12 16. For although that Discipline was administred then of wicked men notwithstanding it is for an argument of the antiquitie And in the olde time the Institution was honest and profitable This corruption Christe corrected when he drewe backe this Discipline to his Church Math. 16.18 Ioh. 20. The Apostles also vsed it laudably as it is 1. Cor. 5.1 Tim. 5. Whereby also it appeareth that 〈◊〉 the wicked Iewes vsed it in Christes time Christe reducing into his church the olde Instituâ—ion of God for Excommunicating and absoluing he committed this spirituall censure to such onely as were spirituall Ministers of the Worde Howsoeuer the other that were not Ministers did allowe and approoue the same And this sentence Math. 18. Being ouer ruled by the other before Math. 16. 〈◊〉 Iohn 20. comming after and put in practise by these examples 1. Cor. 5. And 1 Tim. 5. â—here S. Paul being a Minister of the Worde pronounceth the sentence and the Iudgement If the vse of the other Apostles bee to be leueled by these examples it is cleare that in the Apostles times though the Church 〈◊〉 thereunto the action was 〈◊〉 by such onely as were Ministers of the Worde of God What the practise was of Excommunication in the Primitiue church succéeding the Apostles partly appeareth by that we hâ—â—e cited out of Tertullian saying There are also exhortations chasticementes and the Diuine censure For iudgement is there giuen with great wâ—ight as among those which are certayne that God beholdeth them And it is the cheefe fore-iudgement of the iudgment to come if any shall so offend If any be banished from the communicating of prayer and of the meeting together and of all the holy partaking euery of the approoued Elders haue the Gouernment Here is Excommunication mentioned and the Gouernment to appertayne to euery of the approoued Elders But in adding withall the publique prayers and Exhortations that he â—nneâ—eth to the gouernmeÌ„t of these Elders it is apparant that he meant none other but such as were Ministers of the Worde Which we haue also shewed yet more playâ—â— in his booke De Coronae militis where after he hath spoken of Baptisme receiued Sub antistitis vnder the Bishops and Prelates speaking of the Lordes supper he sayth Nec de aliorum manu quam Praesidentium sumimus Neyther receiue we it at the handes of any other than of the gouernors So that he maketh these Seniors and Gouernours to bee all one with the prelates and Ministers of the Worde and sacraments Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 24. telleth howe Victor Bishop of Rome Excommunicated the Churches of the East For keeping their manner of celebrating Easter day Wherein although he greatly abused this power of binding yet if he had rightly with discretion vsed it within his boundes Irenaeus nor any other did reprooue him but only for his rash ouer-reaching himselfe in the same For sayth Eusebius Irenaeus also writing with the other Bishops of Fraunce ouer whome hee had the gouernment for he was Archbishop of Lions Anno Domini 169. doth in-deede confirme it that the Mystery of the Lordes resurrection shoulde bee celebrated on the sunday Notwithstanding hee reprooueth Victor that hee did not well to cut off from the Vnity of the body so many and so great Churches of God that kept the custome deliuered to them of the auncient time And to shew this better that when he vsed this power better he was not misliked for the vse thereof Eusebius sayth afterward in the last chap. of the fift booke But howe can they lay a slaunder vnto Victor concerning this sith they knewe that Victor expelled from the communion of the Church Theodorus the tanner which was the prince Father of this their impiety which durst first at Rome auouche that Christ was but onely a man For if Victor as they say did so beleeue how did he cast out of the Church Theodorus the inuentor of this blasphemy So that Eusebius approueth this doing of Victor for his Excommunication of this heretike I heere passe ouer all the Canons and decrees mentioned in the councelles in the names of the Apostles and of diuers auncient Bishops because their credite may be called in question though diuers of them mentioning the Excommunications made onelie by Bishops and sacerdotall preestes be no doubt of great antiquity Onely I note that which Eusebius recordeth of the Emperor Philip. Of this man saith he It is reported vnto vs that he was a Christian. And on Easter day to wit euen in the Vigilles when he woulde haue beene present amongest them and communicated in the mysteries hee was of the Bishop of the place not suffered before he had confessed his sinnes and stoode among the penitent persons Neither by any meanes coulde hee haue leaue to receiue the mysteries
what other thing do the verie Papists alleadge for the most part of their excommunications more then contumacie and contempt Yea but say our brethren this contumacie and contempt is of the Churches admonition In déede so sayth Christ in the place héere cited Math. 18.17 If he heare not the Church But can our brethren héere vnderstand by the namâ— of Church some few persons chosen by the Church and may not the Papists do so to haue not they also their Consistories and that many of them of mo persons then one yea if the Church choose one man as for example their Bishop or Pastor before whome those matters should be heard debated decided doth not the contumacy and contempt against that one man encrease the sinne as well as the contumacie and contempt against any other persons that the Church may choose to this purpose I speake not in defence of the Popish excommunications not acknowledging them as they stand now in open resisting of the truth reuealed to be the true Church Why the Popish Churches excom is no true excomm so that they being now neither of nor properly in the true Church can not rightly expell others out of the true Church in and of which their selues haue no paâ—â— for all their craking of the bare name and therefore their Excommunications are of no force CoÌ„tumaty But if in déede they were as would God if it pleased him they were of and in the true Church as by the grace of God his name be blessed for it we are and in lesser crimes the contempt and contumacie of the Churches admonition giuen by a few persons chosen by the Church thereunto be worthy excommunication then where the Church hath chosen but one that is to wit a Bishop to execute her authority in those matters the contumacy and contempt against his iust and lawfull admonitions is not so much against that one man as against the Churches and so is worthy of the same castigation This testimonie héere rehearsed Matth. 18.15.16.17 Matth. 18.15.16.17 I trust we haue already sufficiently shewed how it maketh nothing at all for any such Seniors as our brethren before alleaged it for and much lesse for any theyr authority of excommunicating nor prescribeth any certaine order in what manner or by what persons anie Excommunication should be made against the offenders which there it speaketh of as we haue heard thereon the diuers iudgements not only of the auncient Fathers but of our best brethren As for the 2. Thess. 3.6 c. the Apostle hath these words 2. Thess. 3.6 VVe commaund you brethren in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selues from euery brother that walketh inordinately and not after the institution that he receyued of vs And in the 11. verse Verse 11. For we heare that there are some among you walking inordinately working not at all but be busie bodies But to such we denounce and beseech in our Lord Iesus Christ that laboring with silence they eate their bread And in the 14. verse Verse 14. But if any obey not our word note him by an Epistle and haue no companie with him that he may be ashamed What kind of persons he séemeth héere to note and what fault he findeth in them I ouerpasse True it is he would haue them first induced by all gentle meanes but if thereby they will not be reformed he yet commaundeth them not héere to be seperated by Excommunication though they haue well deserued it Neither yet in this solemne denouncing â—oth he Excommunicate any but would haue them write vnto him of such inordinate persons insinuating that he himselfe would Excommunicate them as he had done with the incestuous person at Corinthus and with Hymeneus Alexander and Philetus But now our brethren foresâ—eing that this is nothing to the fortifying of their Seniory they returne to that point to aunswere the obiections made against it But it may be obiected say they that hetherto appeareth not so great vse of this Consistory The learned disc Pag. 94. why it should be thought necessary for Excommunication neither doth S. Paule make mention of it in all places where he speaketh of Excommunication In good time be it spoken not onely it may be obiected Bridges but it is obiected Our Obiection that hitherto appeereth not so great vse of this Consistorie why it should be thought necessarie for Excommunication or for anything else hauing beene so little or not in vse at all for any necessary proofe or vse thereof and the Church of Christ hauing continued so manie hundreth yéeres vtterly without it As for all these examples of Excommunicating the incestuous person Hymenaeus Philetus Alexander c. or any other testimonie of Saint Paule héere mentioned What is héere eyther necessarie or likely that may be referred to a Consistorie Neyther will we so much obiect this that Saint Paule maketh no mention of it in all places where he speaketh of Excommunication but that he maketh no mention of it in any place where he speaketh of Excommunication And heere let vs marke our Brethrens confession for if this may be obiected that hitherto appeareth not so great vse of this Consistory that it should be thought necessary for Excom then all that hitherto is alleaged may be thought vnnecessary to inferre this and this appearing that it may be so thought of all that hitherto hath been alleaged let our Brethren looke better to that that is to come to alleage such proues as whereby it should be thought more necessary But to these obiections say our brethren we aunswere that although the simple institution of Christ The learned disc pag. 94. and approbation of the holy Ghost should suffice vs to thinke it necessary yet there are many necessary vses thereof to be alleaged And to this aunswere we reply if this place can be shewed and proued so to be Bridges where this simple institution of Christ and approbation of the holy Ghost was made Our Brethrens aunswer to our obiection speaking of the state of the new testament and since the time of Christes incarnation it shall suffice vs forthwith simply to thinke it necessary But if this be rather supposed and threaped vpon vs then shewed and proued vnto vs our Brethren haue to pardon vs if we thinke it not so necessary or rather to aske pardon of God that dare thus without plaine and manifest proofe pretend the simple institution of Christ and the holy Ghostes approbation of it But to our further satisfaction to prooue this they tell vs that there are many necessarie vses thereof to be alleaged let vs therefore heare also these so many and so necessary vses The learned disc pag. 94. 95. For whereas our Sauiour Christ say they commaundeth in priuate offences the matter to be brought before the congregation except you vnderstand thereby the congregation or assemblie of Elders there shall follow horrible
discord and confusion thereby For admit a man might accuse his brother vnto the whole multitude yet how should the whole multitude admonish him and exhort hym to repentance Our Brethren heere take vpon them Our Brethrens aunswere to proue many necessary vses of this Consistory besides Christes simple institution thereof and do they now for these vses begin with that Bridges which they make his simple institution and what haue they alleaged for Christes institution Our Brethrens confusion of the vses and institution of this supposed Seniory simple or compound but onely that saying of Christ Math. 18.17 tell the Church which though it be but a simple argument of theirs to prooue any institution at all of this Consistorie yet what dealing shall we call this simple or double to tell vs they will shew the vses of it besides the institution and when they come to shew them they alleage that which they pretended before to be the very institution But now comming to these words of Christ what reason inforceth No confusion in vnderstanding Christes words Math. 18.17 in the plain and literall sense that we must vnderstand by the Church or Congregation the Congregation or assemblie of Elders in the Church doth any horrible confusion and disorder or any other inconuenience follow by vnderstanding héere the Church or Congregation in the playne and simple sense thereof Our Brethren do admit that a man might accuse his brother vnto the whole multitude Yea there is no neede to put the case thereon and say admit a man might do it for why may he not do it well ynough and in admitting this they admit withall that these words Tell the Church may be well vnderstood of the whole multitude without any disorder or confusion for one may speake to a whole multitude and euery one may well vnderstand him But say our Breethren yet where Christ goeth further If hee will not heare the Church how should the whole multitude admonish him and exhort him to repentance verie well say I without any necessitie of this Consistory For both their Pastor can do it in their name or any publike Officer How the Church may admonish the offender or the Church may do it without any horrible confusion or disorder at seuerall times and by seuerall persons eyther all or the most of them or by some one person appointed thereunto which may well be called the Churches admonition although they haue no such Consistorie of Elders among them Agayne of these notorious offences that are worthie of Excommunication some are openly knowne The learned disc pag. 95. so that they neede no tryall as the adulterie of that Corinthian 1. Corinth 5. fome are in controuersie 1. Cor. 5. and are to be examined concerning which Sainct Paule warneth Timothy that he admit not any accusation against an Elder but vnder two or three witnesses and chargeth him before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and his elect Angels that he do nothing through rash or ouer-hastie iudgement and that he do all things without partiality or affectioÌ„ vnto parties 1. Tim. 5. chap. 19. 21. verse We see heere manifestly Notorious offences a necessary vse of the Eldership for how is it possible for the whole Church to examine and discusse such difficult controuersies therefore it behoueth the Church to haue such ordinarie delegates as may and ought to apply their diligence vnto such matters Bridges This division of offences doth againe both implie a contradiction to it selfe in saying of these notorious offences that are worthy of excommunication some are openly knowne so that they neede no tryall some are in controuersie and are to be examined for if they be not openly knowne how are they notorious if they be notorious how be they 〈◊〉 openly knowne And also this diuision doth cleane ouerthrowe the necessitie of our brethrens Consistorie For where they say some are openly knowne so that they neede no tryall as the adulterie of the Corinthian 1. Cor. 5. it followeth that these notorious offences are out of the examining and discussing of such difficult controuersies Our Brethrens euill diuision of offences so that the Church hath no néede of such Delegates to applie their diligence to such matters And if the saying of Christ Matth. 18. be not of such open offences till they be opened by complaint then are not Christs words to be drawâ—â— to such matters but are rather to be referred vnto this other some that they say are in controuersie and to be examined concerning which S. Paule warneth Timothy that he admit not an accusation against an Elder c. and that he do nothing through rash or ouerhastie iudgement and that he do all things without partialitie c. but in all these warnings Saint Paule adioyneth no Consistorie of gouerning Elders vnto Timothy in the admitting and iudging of these things but giueth him No necessary vse of this Seniory as this great charge so the doing and accomplishment of the same Therefore we see heere manifestly quite contrarie to that which our brethren conclude thereon no necessarie vse of the Eldership or that it behoueth the Church to haue any such ordinarie Delegates as may and ought to applie their diligence vnto such matters when the Bishop or Pastor as héere Timothy was is willed to do and no doubt did as he was willed may examine and discusse such difficult controuersies and may and ought to applye his diligence vnto such matters Moreouer say our Brethren to ouersee the Church for matters pertayning to order and discipline The learned disc Pag. 96. how can the multitude ouersee themselues or the Pastors only which haue a principall care of doctrine to attend vpon The Church may ouersee and be ouerseene by her ouerseers as for the Pastors onely Bridges we say not they are the onely ouerseers for althouâ—h the seuerall Pastors haue their speciall ouersight of the people Ouerseers now without these Seniors in theâ—r seuerall charges and haue a principall care of doctrine to attend vpon neuerthelesse as they may haue a care also though not so principall as Timothy had and yet his principall care was of Doctrine The necessarie forme of Excom so may they well haue other higher ouerseers ouer them both Bishops and Magistrates and the Prince the Principall ouer them all without any such ouerseers among them as this Consistory that our Brethren would erect And to the second part of the obiection that Saint Paul doth make mention of the Eldership or Consistorie of Elders in all places The learned disc pag. 96. 97. where he speaketh of Excommunication wee aunswere that it is not necessary he shoulde so doe For whereas our Sauiour Christe hath prescribed a forme thereof that he which obeyeth not the Congregation should be Excommunicated and that in other places hee maketh sufficient mention both of the Elders of the assembly we ought to vnderstand that his
Br. ouerbolde words of S. Paulâ— desire howe he wrot thereof with anguish and teares it appeareth 2. Cor. 2. verse 4. and many other thinges there were which we may well thinke hee desired much more than the giuing of that incestuous adulterer vnto Sathan which he was rather driuen to do than that he had any great desire to do it neuerthelesse to set â—â—â—de the desire of S. Paule thereunto how can our Br. iustify this which hâ—â—e they conclude saying and therefore determined of him for his owne part as absent in body but present in spirite yet he acknowledgeth that he coulde not be Excommunicated without the consent of the congregation being gathered together in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe 1. Cor. 5.4 Had not S. Paule pronounced the sentence of that iudgement on him before verse 3 Paules Excom by him-selfe in his absence and this hee had done so farre foorth without their consent that it was also done without their knowledge being absent in body from them though in spirite present with them that is as I take it wishing him-selfe among them And this his Iudgement being absent he accounted as auaylable for the effect of the matter as if hee had beene present with them The wordes are plaine I verily absent in body but present in spirite haue already iudged him that thus hath done euen as if I were present True it is that in this fourth and next verse immediatly following which our Br. cite for the solemne publication anâ— execution of this his former sentence he willeth them saying VVhen ye are gaâ—hered together and my spirite in the name of our Lord Iesus Christe that such a one 1. Cor. 5.4 with the power of the Lorde Iesus Christe bee deliuered tò Sathan to the destruction of the flesh that his spiritâ— might bee saued in the day of our Lorde Iesus That is to wit The sense of S. Paules wordes to exclude or pronounce that man excluded out of the Congregation which is the mysticall body of Christe and so to bee vnder the power of Sathan to the entent that hee being thus punished in the flesh by this bodily exclusion it might make him sorowfull to repentance and so redound to the saluation of his soule Nowe to the execution hereof it beeing requisite that they shoulde giue their consent hee willeth thâ—m to gather themselues together so to do Which thing notwithstanding hee desireth not of them How farre their conseÌ„t was requisit for the execution of S. Paules â—â—ntence that they woulde vouchsafe to do but hee flatly commaundeth them to doe it And therefore hee sayth 2. Cor. 2. For that also haue I written to you that I might know the triall of you whether yee were or no obedient in all thinges So that this is true that Saint Paul coulde not excommunicate him without their consent For although he thus tried them and commaunded them to put his sentence in execution yet had his sentence beene good and effectuall before God though not so reputed of them if they had not obeyed him nor consented vnto him So that in this sence the Church that is The Churches authoritie in the Excom the multitude I graunt hath a dutie of consent to the approbation and execution of the Bishops or Pastors sentence of Excommunication whereby when they perceiâ—â— he hath not abused the authority of the keyes committed vnto him they obey the same or denounce solemne notice thereof vnto the party and so repute him reproue him and auoide him And in this respect where our Brethren say Likewise when hee should be receiued again he was to be pardoned not onely by him but by them also Howe farre foorth their pardon was requisite 2. Cor. ver ver 10. So farre foorth as offence was giuen to them and that they had obeyed and approoued Saint Paules Censure their pardon also of him I graunt was requisite And therefore Saint Paule sayde before 2. Cor. 2. verse 6. c. 2. Cor. 2. vers 6. c. It sufficeth to such an one this rebuking which is made of many insomuch that câ—ntrariwise yee shoulde rather forgiue him and comfort him leaste peraduenture hee that is such a one shoulde be swallowed vp with too much heauinesse VVherefore I pray you that yee confirme your charitie to him The diuerse maner of S. Paules and of their action in the offenders pardon For therefore also I wrot to you that I might knowe the experiment of you whether ye be obedient in all things And heerâ— commeth in this sentence that our Brethren note But if yee haue forgiuen any thing and I also For I also if I haue forgiuen ought for you I haue forgiuen it in the person of Christe that wee shoulde not bee circumuented of Sathan So that their pardoning of this man and S. Paules pardoning of him were not concurrent in one respect nor after one manner nor of one matter in the pardon They had not this Ministeriall office of binding and loosing nor the keyes of shutting and opening Hymenaeus Philetus AlexaÌ„der in the person of Christ which S. Paul had to denounce in Christes name the sinne to be forgiuen him and the man to be reconciled to Gods fauour this pardon in the person of Christe S. Paule gaue and not they What and how S. Paul forgaue They forgaue onely the scandale and offence towards them And this is that S. Paule desireth them to pardon him For it lay in them to doe it both to receiue and comfort him they being members of the body What how they forgaue whereof hee was re-vnited to the head And in this sence I holde well with our Bretâ—rens saying that when he shoulde be receiued againe he was to bee pardoned not onely by him but by them also But what doe they now conclude hereon And therefore if so high an Apostle coulde not by his priuate authoritie excommunicate that Corinthian The learned disc Pag. 97. we must not thinke that by his priuate authority but by consent of the Church of Ephesus he excommunicated Hymenaeus and Alexander although he doe not make expresse mention of the consent of the Church in that place 1. Tim. â— 20. Our Brethren conclude not herein indifferently They require of vs to shew some expresse testimonie of Scripture Bridges where the censure of Excommunication was executed by any one person or Minister of the Church Our bretherens eluding of the manifest scirpture by coniecturs of other places we shew it in S. Paules excommunicating Hymenaeus and Alexander Besides the Excommunication of Philetus and this Corinthian Heere they râ—ply We must not thinke that by his priuate authority but by the consent of the church of Ephesus he excommunicated Hymeneus and Alexander although he do not make expresse mention of the consent of the church in that place If this aunswere shall bee counted sufficient what manifest and expresse testimony of the
contrary And shall wee dare to saye on the other side finding both the example heere alleadged by themselues Acts 14. and Saint Paules preceptes to Timothie and to Titus of ordeyning pastorall Elders to bee made without mentioning of the Churches elections that the Apostles durst not ordeyne any Pastors with the Churches elections no wee dare not say so but that the Apostles might haue done it with them or without them as they thought best hauing the warrant of Gods Spirite and as the occasion serued for their ordeyning of the Pastors And therefore I meruell how our Brethren durst so boldly affirme that the Apostles not only did it not but durst not doe it Secondly say they that they giue an office without a charge and sende him to seeke a flocke where he can finde it Our Bretheren here begin to descant vpon the names of Pastors and office Neither doe wee denye but that the name Pastor betokeneth an office whether wee vnderstande it as hee is onely a Minister of the worde and Sacramentes and so he is sayde to haue taken Orders or as he hath a peculiar flocke to minister the worde and Sacraments in as we commonly call the Rector Parson Vicar or Curate the pastor of such and such a Church or Parish The worde Pastor in both sences may bee comprehended in the name of an office And yet here if wee should goe as strictly to worke as our Bretheren doe which curiositie I mislike not in them to finde out all the quirkes in the worlde to beate out the trueth more throughly wee shall easely see great differences in the proprieties of these names and words of an office and of an order Albeit they may well bee taken and oftentimes are vsed indifferently But the question is here whether any office can bee giuen and the man truely called an officer without a charge of a place or a flock giuen withall vnto him whereof he is and may bee called the officer They denye it and I say he may and my reason is this The word office hath not alwaies relation to the charge of a place onely and that specially of a certeyne place where or of persons among whome the office is exercised but of the matter it selfe and â—uetie whereof the office consisteth in resâ—â—t of which matter the other are as it were but accidentall which our Bretheren here make all or principall The Prophetes were Prophetes before they had any certeyne places were they prophecied The Apostles were called and in office were Apostles before they were sent into any message of their Apostleship And Saint Paule calleth all both Apostles and Pastors Ministers 1. Cor. 4.1 though all of them had no certeyne standing places designed to them to minister in and yet were they all of them in the very office of the Ministerie full Ministers of the worde and Sacraments if wee may so properly call the Ministerie of the worde and Sacraments an office as an order In deede Saint Paule sayth of an office Rom. 12. vers 7. or an office on the office That is to say he that hath an office let him bee diligent in his office But he assigneth not any certeyne places and charge of flockes to all the offices that he there reckoneth vp Although as it is an old saying so it is not vntrue Priesthood and Knighthood are orders rather than offices And Priesthoode I meane not the Popish sacrificing Priesthoode but the Pastorall Eldership may well be called an order when the making of a Priest or pastorall Elder is called the ordering or the ordeyning of him and our Bretheren themselues do well call it the giuing of orders Knighthood now being likewise more properly called an order than an office when a man hath receiued the order of Knighthood it followeth not that he must be a Knight of this or that place as were some Knightes namely the Knightes of Prussia or the Knightes late of the Rhodes and now of Malta neither followeth it that he that made him Knight must alwaies withall giue him landes and liuing and yet all the better for the Knight if hee so doe and more fitte for his order to haue sufficient maintenaunce and though hee had but xl pounde a yeere which was called a Knightes fee. Howbeit hée mâ—ght bâ—e a Knight though a poore Knight without any such fee. For the order is one thing and the maintenaunce of him in his order yea his charge to doe his duetie iâ— his order is another thing and not the order it selfe But say they this is as vnreasonable a thing as iâ— one were chosen not to be a Knight but to bee a Churchwarden and had neuer a Church to keepe or made a Constable that had neuer a Towne or place appoynted whereof he should be Constable The similitudes of these two offices and of Church-warden and of a Constable are not a like to the order or if they will so call it to the office of the ministerie for bicause that these two Offices haue a necessary relation in them selues not onely to the office but also to the place where the paâ—tie is the officer so that if no place be assigned them there is no such officer made To which kinde of officers the old distinction serueth that the office the place be distincta ratione non re They cannot in the act of them be separate though they be distinguished in the reason of them And yet we see that in some such offices as in which besides the office there is ioyned with all a degree of honour and dignity though the relation of the office in respect of the place where the office laye doth cease as either the place being wasted or possessed by another and he dispossessed yet may his degree of dignitie not cease or be in him vtterly exstinguished so long as the right of the office is in him though the exercise and action of the office together with the place and other appendices of the office bee taken from him as a Kinge Duke Earle or Lord though he loose be it not by his own demerite resignation or lawefull depriuation his Kingdome Dukedome Earledome or Lordshippe but by an others intrusion or occupation yet is he still both called and is in deedâ— a King a Duke an Earle a Lord by reason he still holdeth the right of the office and capacitie to repossesse it though he haue neither possession action nor exercise of it at this instante Notwithstanding as it is sayd in the old verse on fortunes wheele regno regnaui regnabo sum sine regno He may be rex sine regno euen the lowest degree of them all and yet rex still Yea to descend to baser offices also not only a professor of liberal sciences but euen one professing mechanicall artes or as we commonly terme him a handicrafts man although he exercise not alwaies the action of his Function nor occupie in his occupation or
because it doth not sharply reproue them of their sinnes what sharpnes héerein our eager mooded brethren can best away withall or how they expound sharpnesse I am neither so sharpe set to examine nor so sharp witted for to finde Let themselues declare it But this I am sure and it is open to all that our ordinary seruice doth reproue mens sinnes in such sort of sharpenesse as the Scripture doth when it layeth before them euen the very words them-selues of the Scripture besides the admonitions ther in contayned that are plentifully and directly gathered out of the scripture And in this wise as Gods word doth it doth disclose the secretes of their hearts and lay them open both to God and to their own consciences If any contemne it or marke it not or are not mooued by it or continue still in their wickednesse the fault is their owne not to be imputed to our ordinary seruice of God but to their ordinary seruice of the Diuell And so the wicked meaning the reprobate will continue still in their voluptuousnes and all other kinde of wickednesse notwithstanding al the preaching in the world But how may our brethren rightly verifie this that a great number can so well away with our ordinary seruice c. that they may continue still in all kynde of voluptuousnesse and all other kind of wickednesse As though our booke of common prayer and ordinary seruice of the lord did teach them and foster them vp in all mischief The heathen raysed such foule slaunders on the diuine seruice of the christians in the primitiue Ch. and will our own Brethr. now breake forth into such reuiling of our their brethrens diuine seruice What could the papists our professed aduersaries haue said worse yea the most obstinate recusant of them all howe mightily do our brethren confirme them in their disloyalty But neither the Papists on the one side nor these our malcontented brethren on the other side are able or euer by Gods grace shal be to proue any one spark of anye kind of voluptuousnes or any inkling of any other kinde of wickednes to be mainteined either because or by meanes meaning directly for indirectly what may they not also accuse of our ordinary seruice prescribed forme of publike prayer But that on the cleane contrary it is an vtter enemy tendeth to the abolishment of al voluptuousnes wickednes if it be duly vsed as it should Now when our brethr haue thus bitterly defaced our ordinary seruice of the L. they return to the commeÌ„datioÌ„ of preaching Whereas by preaching their conscience is gawled their wickednes hypocrisie discouered their damnation threatned they are called to repeÌ„taÌ„ce forsaking of their pleasant sins to holines innoceÌ„cy of life And may not all this and more too be likewise said to be effected of good euen by the ministery of our ordinary seruice of the Lord if it be set foorth as it ought to be and men would heare it as they ought to doo May it not gaule a sinners conscience that hath so gauled alreadye the recusant aduersaries that they cannot in any wise abide to heare it any more yea much worse than all the preaching in the world as most contrary of al other things to all their popish blinde erroneous superstitious and Idolatrous seruice And whosoeuer shall marke the same with reuerence attention as in dutie he is bound to do shall finde our ordinary seruice of the Lorde not onely full of sound doctrine for faith godly precepts for life and excéeding swéete consolation of the spirit but he shall well féele haue he any feeling of his sin that his conscience also shall be gawled to vse our brethrens tearme to consider how godly and religious a forme of Diuine seruice it is and how vnreligiously it is neglected And withall it layeth open vnto the markers of it their sinnes before them and toucheth them with remorse thereof So that both thereby as our brethren héere speake of preaching we may likewise saye their wickednesse and hipocrysie is discouered their damnation threatned and they are called to repentaunce and forsaking of their pleasant sinnes and to holinesse and innocency of life so our ordinary seruice of the Lord besides our publike prayers which also are very effectual to mooue vs heereunto is so little to be opposed vnto preaching that it may better bee called a fruitefull kynde of preaching Not that we deny but that preaching vnderstood in his proper kynde and being well vsed worketh these effects also but we affirme this and the experience is appparant that these effects may be and oftentimes are brought to passe among vs euen by the reuerent ministerye and deuoute hearing and communicating with the Minister in the publike confessions in the publike prayers in the publike admonitions and exhortations in the publike setting forth of the appointed parts of Scripture in the publike administration and participation of the Sacraments al which are conteyned in our ordinary seruice of the Lord. I graunt wee cannot auowe all this to be done in all them that hearâ— the ordinarie seruice no more can our Brethren aâ—owe all this to bée done in all those that heare the preaching But say our Brethren So that if there be any sparke of the feare of God in them hearing preaching so often as they vse to heare seruice they will fal downe on their faces worship God acknowledging the great power of God in his Ministers 1. Cor. 14.15 This exception so that was well added and with the like exception we dare say as much of our ordinary seruice For Prayers haue as effectuall promises in their kindes to those that feare God and honour him and call vpon him as preaching hath So that if there bee anye sparke of the feare of God in them meaning true sparkes as Christ speaketh for faith As much as is a graine of of mustard seed Mat. 17.20 hearing our ordinarye seruice of the Lord especially hearing the seruice so often as we do although they heare not preaching so often because they cannot conueniently so often haue it as they conueniently may the ordinary seruice yet will they as much if not more than any euen of our brethren themselues vse to do at any preaching fall downe on their faces that is prostrat and bow down both their soules and also their bodies by inward deiection of their mindes before the Lord and by lowly bowing of their knées vnto the Lorde before his congregation as a reuerent token of their vnfained humility and so worship God as do the other faithfull Christians assembled in his name to call vpon him and to glorifie him acknowledging the great power of God in his Ministers 1. Cor. 14.25 and no small power of God in his Minist is declared to the penitent euen in the very fronte of all our ordinarye diuine seruice of the Lorde where the Minister
after the confession pronounceth in the name of God the forgiuenes of the sins of man But our brethren apply this alonely to preaching and in very déede in the selfesame place which is not the 15. but the 24. and 25. verses S. Paule mencioneth prophecying and he maketh the comparatiue opposition not betwéene publike prayer and prophecying but betwéene the speking with tongs and prophesiing And as he maketh this an examplification of all that went before concerning this matter so not onelye hee stretcheth his whole treatise of edification as well to prayer as to prophecying and therefore not only in this châ—pter 1. Cor. 14. ver 14.15.16 17. he mencioneth also publike prayers which he would likewise haue as prophesying to be made to edification in a tongue knowne that the vnlearned may say Amen but also before in the 11. chapter ver 4 5. he ioyneth praying and prophecying together Euery man praying or prophesying hauing any thing on his head dishonoureth his head And euery woman that prayeth or prophesyeth bare headed dishonoureth her head Neither doth the prophesying that he so often mentioneth both in the 14. and before that in the 13. and before that in the 12. and before that in the 11. Chapters of this Epistle signifie onlye the function of preaching For speaking of euery mans prophesying cap. 11. verse 4. and of weomens prophesying verse 5 and of making Prophets distinct from Teachers Cap. 12. verse 28. and 29. and of making the gift of Prophecye to bee the knowing of secretes and knowledge cap. 1â— ver 2. and euen héere in this place Ca. 14. ver 24. speaking of the people whiche are not ordinary Ministers of the word and Sacramentes he saith But if all doo prophesie and there come in one c. So that properly he speaketh not héere of the only function that is ordinarily peculier to the Minister and whereof our brethren now dispute but besides the special gifte of foretelling things to come or of reuealing though thinges present yet secret as he saith héere of him that commeth in among these Prophetes that the secretes of his heart are made manifest as Peter made manifest the secretes of Ananias and Zaphira Or else of such exercises also in expounding the hidden mysteries and secretes of the holy Scripture as the gifte was then more peculier to that age of the Primitiue Churche and in their courses and places more common than nowe it is to all the faithfull But howsoeuer prophecying be héere vnderstood it debarreth not the like at least some parts of these effectes from the reuerent and attentiue hearing of Gods word it selfe openlie redde in the Church by the Minister though at that thme not expounded And perhaps the place that is reade be plaine inough to vnderstande and to moue the attentiue hearer of the same without a Preacher Neither debarreth it these effectes from the publike and ordinary prayers of the Church from other parts of the diuine seruice if they be so disposed as S. Paule there would haue all thinges done to aedification although no prophecying bee vsed nor sermon be preached at euery time when those publike prayers are made as already we haue at large proued But say our brethren that they cannot away withall being lyke vnto Felix the Liuetenant of the Romaines in Iewry Who when he heard Paule a poore prisoner that stoode before him bownde in chaynes preaching of righteousnesse of temperance and of the iudgement to come he was wearie of him because hee was a great oppressour and an intemperate person and therefore feared the iudgement of GOD for his sinne whiche hee purposed not to forsake Such is the maiesty of Gods worde when it is preached that either it boweth or breaketh the wicked in peeces Saint Paules preaching of righteousnesse of temperance and of iudgement to come made Felix tremble Act. 24. ver 26. and yet that trembling came to no perfect effect in him to his conuersion And manie moe heard S. Paules preaching at the same time that treÌ„bled lesse thereat than Felix did And yet this impayreth not the Maiestye of Gods word when it is preached Not that it wanteth power to doe that which our brethren héere saye that when it is preached it either boweth or breaketh the wicked in peeces but that it alwaies doeth it not For héere it neyther bowed nor brake in peeces a great many wicked hearers of it To which purpose our Learned brethren might haue brought out far better prooues But may not this be said also of publike prayer no doubt wee maye safely affirme thus much euen of our ordinary forme of the diuine seruice where the worde of God is also set forth with sundrie admonitions confessions exhortations and instructions besides the supplications and thankesgiuings that although not alwaies and euery man that is present at the same yet hath it often bowed moued pearced yea and conuerted many a great oppressor and intemperate person manye a blinde Papiste and superstitious Idolater and wonne them to God or rather God hath wonne them by it if not so much as by preaching yet very much by it And manie partly by the one partly by the other Yea by this hee hath so broken in peeces the rebellious hartes of the moste obstinate aduersaries that they had a great deale rather heare many Sermons yea they will come dogging after the preachers whosoeuer the Preachers be to entrappe their words as the Pharisies didde with Christe than to come to anie one assembly of our publike prayers and ordinarye seruice of the Lorde Wherewith in no wise they will ioyne with vs or giue the least hearing in the world whiche they will not spare to giue with all obseruation and noting of our preachinges And haue they so great feare of our diuine seruice and publike prayers and doe our owne brethren make so light account and so little regarde thereof What an hardening of the common aduersaries hartes and occasion of vtterly contemning all our profession of the Gospell is this vnto them Our Brethren nowe to close vp all this part against our Diuine seruice and publike prayer conclude it also with a prayer of their making and say God graunt therefore that in steede of ordinary formes of prayers we may haue preaching in all places And in place of Amen God forbid say I with an other prayer to the contrarie if it be his good will not so much good Lorde to punishe vs that this our brethrens prayer should be graunted For then not onely this that now we haue but simply all other formes of prayers should be quite and cleane abolished and taken from vs. If they had prayed that they might haue continued with preaching as before they said pag 67. there would be no ordinary prayer without preaching that had yet béene more tollerable But to praie that we might haue the one in steed of the other and that in all places what is this