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A10399	Tvventy nine lectures of the Church very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church, especially in these times: wherein is handled, first, in generall concerning first, the name; secondly, the titles; thirdly, the nature, fourthly, the diuision of the true Church: secondly, of the visible Church ... and lastly, the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that learned and faithfull preacher, Master Iohn Randall, Batchelor of Diuinity, pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape, London, and sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford. Published by the coppie perfected and giuen by the author in his life time; carefully preserued and adorned with notes in the margent, by the late faithfull minister of Christ, Master William Holbrooke.	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1631 (1631)	STC 20683; ESTC S115641	423,199	550

Secondly I answer that it was so at the first too Luther and others first spreading the Gospell First some of our owne loued beleeued and embraced it by their preaching and then they perswaded others And I know not how our English at Amsterdam can shew any better calling to their Church But they except and say that in England our Church was gathered by proclamation and by the sound of a Trumpet as in Queene Elizabeths dayes so was done by compulsion and was not voluntary I Answer first some did come voluntarily and gladly and therfore at least for them it was a true constitution Secondly the compulsion that was vsed was onely to the outward meanes not to the faith and that is very ●ustifiable Iosiah compelled ill that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God 2 Chron. 34.33 But they say that was at the restoring not at the planting of a Church I Answer I see no Reason but that it is as lawfull in the one as in the other and therefore if it destroy not the true restoring why should it destroy the true planting But we say Queene Elizabeths Act was a restoring too for I hope wee had a true Church here in Queene Maries time though vnder persecution And I am sure then there was no compulsion to ou● religion nor such Gouernment Seruice ministry or people amongst the Protestants as they now except against and therfore it was a restoring Put case the Separatists haue any children or seruants that are negligent cold and backward in frequenting holy Assemblies or performing religious Duties publique or priuate and vpon admontion they will not reforme what will they doe in this case Will they vtterly cast them off or rather will they not punish them and thereby compell them to the outward meanes and to obedience thereunto wherein if God doe blesse their labours so that through his mercy such children or Seruants doe afterwards labour in the meanes soundly and conscionably shall this bee nought because they were brought thereto by compulsion No surely It is great comfort to the compellers that they tooke that course and it is great comfort to the compelled that they were so dealt withall So the compulsion vsed in restoring the Church in Queene Elizabeths time was lawfull and good against all their clamours and exceptions Secondly they except against the Government of our Church and say that wee haue a false gouernment and therefore a false Church But the consequence is false for then it must follow that a true Gouernment makes a true Church which is not true The Antecedent is false too If they had said it makes a faulty Church they had said true But that it makes a false Anti-Christian Church and I know not what it is a meere slander But say they your officers bee Anti-christian I answer the cheifest officers and those that be most spurnd at are the Bishops And they were before Anti-Christ Thirdly they except against our Seruice of God they say wee haue a false Seruice of God and therefore a false Church I Answer if they meane onely some part of our Seruice as they haue no colour so to traduce it all then the Consequence is false but if they meane all then the Antecedent is notoriously vntrue No part of our Seruice of God can be proued false it being performed of those that are truely religious amongst vs in truth and vnderstanding and affection They except first say they it is carnall I answer happly in some those that haue carnall mindes it is so but it is neither so in it selfe nor so in the conscionable performers thereof The Lord being one God an eternall infinite Spirit our hearts and spirits are lifted vp to beleeue in him to goe to him to cry and call vpon him in his Sonne Secondly they say It is Idolatrous your Seruice booke being your Idoll say they I answer that is no Idoll nor our Seruice thereby Idolatry Thirdly they say we haue a will worship inuented by man I answer wee worship not God by any inuentions of our owne or other mens as parts of his worship but onely as outward Carriages thereof And these also are such as our Church is perswaded are agreeable to these generall Rules of Decency and Order which God hath prescribed in his Word Fourthly they except against our stinted Prayers I answer them hath not the Church alwayes vsed stinted Prayers looke into these Scriptures and yee shall finde it so Numb 6.23 there was a stinted prayer appointed to Aaron and his Sons to blesse the Children of Israel withall Thus shall you blesse the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee c Deut. 26.3 to the 15. there is a forme of Confession and Prayer set downe which the people were to vse when they brought the first fruites 1 Chron. 16.7 to the 36. there is a Psalme which Dauid did appoint to giue thankes vnto the Lord by the hand of Asaph his Brethren Praise the Lord and call vpon his Name c And Psal 92. is intituled a Psalme for the Sabboth appointed to bee sung that day And our Sauiour Christ himselfe appoints a stinted Prayer Luk. 11.2 when ye pray say Our Father c And likewise himselfe vseth a stinted Prayer Matth. 26.44 and hee prayed the third time saying the same words And therefore stinted Prayer in it selfe is no sinne If they reply that they were so directed by the holy Ghost yet that is no let to vs for their conceiued prayers were also directly from the holy Ghost after a speciall manner yet that is no reason but that we may vse conceiued prayers though they be not so specially from the Spirit as theirs And yet we are not so confined to those set prayers but that we may and do in euery particular congregation before and after preaching inlarge adde alter and supply as occasion requires and that as freely zealously and spiritually as any may doe in other Churches yea but say they your Seruice was all taken out of the Portesse or Masse booke contrary to Gods Commandement Leuit. 18.2.3 Deut. 12.30 c I answer it is well knowne that the Church of Rome hath been a true and sound Church and it is knowne that in that time there was some forme of publike prayer and administration of the Sacraments in vse amongst them And as that Church fell by little and little from her integrity so that forme by little and little was corrupted Now the Church being to be reformed 〈…〉 was to bee reformed too and so it was that which was idolatrous and superstitious was cast out and that which was profitable was retayned partly for peace sake that the better sort might still bee held within the Communion of the Church but specially because it was of good vse euen before Popery so that we take nothing from them but what may in a charitable construction be well endured That which is most questioned is the crosse in Baptisme which we

God makes a couenant with Abraham there is the Word and in the 10. vers there is the Sacrament Circumcision and in the 23. verse there is Abrahams obedience He circumcised Ismael and all the males in his house So likewise when God sent to gather his people out of Egypt first hee deliuers them his Word by Moses Exo. 3.15 and 6.6 and he giues them the Sacrament of the Passeouer Exo. 12.3 and in the eight and twenty verse of that Chapter there is the peoples obedience The Children of Israel went and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron euen so did they And what was the Law and Sacrifices in the former Testament but euen as the Word and Sacraments are in the new Testament And did not the Lord require and receiue of the people a precise promise of obedience euen before hee prescribed them either Law or Sacrifices This wee may see hee did Exod. 19.5.8 God sent Moses to the people there before hee deliuered them his Law and before hee prescribed their sacrifices to know whether they would obey or not and they said they would So that vnder the Law there was the Word and the Sacraments and profession of obedience in the people and so a true visible Church And so Ioshua renewing the true worship of God Ios 1.16.18 redresseth the things amisse and brings in the Law and the Passe-ouer and the people they promise obedience in all things euen as they obeyed Moses And so in the 2 King 23.2 3 21 22 23. When Iosiah restored the Church of God First hee caused the words of the booke of the Couenant to be reade to the people in the second verse so there was the Word and in the 21. verse there the King restored the Passeouer so there is the Sacrament and in the third verse there is their obedience for the King made a Couenant with the Lord and all the people stood to it And thus likewise it was in the time of Ezra as you may read Chap. 7.8 And also in the time of Nehemiah Chap. 8. 9. they restored the Word and Sacraments and made a Couenant with God wherein they professed their obedience and so were restored to bee a true visible Church So then these must needs be the principall markes and notes whereby a true visible Church is discerned because they are not onely in the instituting of a true visible Church but also in the renewing and restoring of it when it is corrupted It is in this case as with a Campe in the field who as they are gathered at the first to their Colours and Banners so likewise if the Campe bee put to flight by the enemy the Generall hangs out and displaies his Colours and Ensignes that so they that are scattered may gather to them againe and that so they may bee a Campe as before So it is with Gods Church when it is put to the worst when it is corrupted and polluted hee displayes the Ensignes and Banners of his Word and Sacraments that so whosoeuer is fallen away may enter into Couenant againe and become a member of the true visible Church and fight vnder Gods Banner as well as hee did before Thus wee see how it was in the former Testament that these were the true marks of a true visible Church and so it is also in the new Testament I will giue you a patterne or example onely in two Churches and by them you may esteeme of al the rest The first is the Church of Ierusalem Act. 2.14 41 42. In the fourteenth verse it is said Peter lifted vp his voice c. there is the word preached and in verse 41. there is the Sacrament of Baptisme they that gladly receiued his Word were baptized and in verse 42. there is the Sacrament of the Lords Supper vnder the name of breaking of bread and there is also their profession of obedience for they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer and so there was a true visible Church The second patterne is the Church of Corinth 1 Corinth 1.13 there was Baptisme and in the 1 Corinth 11.23 There was the Lords Supper and Chap. 15.1 there was the Word preached and also their obedience for the Apostle Paul preacht vnto them the Gospell which they receiued and continued in So that these are the chiefe and most principall markes of a true visible Church And where these are the Word truely preached the Sacraments rightly administred and profession of obedience to that which they doe both require there is a true visible Church of God The ancient Fathers doe acknowledge this in effect for they say that the Word preached and the Sacraments administred are the chiefest markes of a true visible Church but there must be obedience to them both for that is the Life of all and indeed euen the Papists themselues when they are out of controuersie doe grant the Word and Sacraments are the chiefest and clearest markes of a true visible Church And so much for the proofes Reas 1 The reasons of the obseruation are these First the Word and Sacraments are the causes and the definition of a true visible Church as wee have shewed and therefore must needes bee the most infallible markes of it But you will say how can the same things be the causes and definition and also the signes and markes too Yes very well As for instance the Sunne-shine is the cause and definition as also the infallible marke and signe of the Day and so the Word and Sacraments being the causes and definition of a true visible Church must needes also bee the clearest and most infallible signes and markes of it Reas 2 Secondly they must needes bee infallible markes of a true visible Church which are alwayes found wheresoeuer a Church is planted or wheresoeuer it is continued or wheresoeuer it is restored but the Word and Sacraments and obedience are found in all these therefore these are the most infallible notes of a true visible Church In the first planting Math. 28.19 and in the continuing Act. 2.41 42. and in the restoring as Ioshua's and Iosiah's times c. as we have shewed before Reas 3 Thirdly wheresoeuer Moses is taught and obeyed with his Ceremonies there is a Synagogue of the Iewes where the Alcoran is taught and Mahomet observed there is a Church of Mahometans So likewise where the Gospell of Christ is taught and his Sacraments administred and obedience yeelded to them there is a true Church of Christ Fourthly where there is good wheat sowen and thriues and comes up in the blade is not that a field of wheat So likewise where the Word is preached and the Sacraments administred and profession of obedience to them both is not this a true Church Not that profession onely makes a true Church but because as I have shewed it cannot be but whereas these are there is some that doe sincerely professe Fifthly is not shee a right

owne free gift Matth. 16.19 I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heauen and whatsoeuer thou shall binde on earth shall be bound in heauen And so the performance of more power is from him as deriued from his owne Pattent Matth. 28.18.19 Goe teach all Nations c. teaching them to obserue all things and lo I am with you to the end of the world The Church is furnished with power from Christ euen as hee is from his father Ioh. 20 21.22 As my Father sent mee euen send I you c. and yet a more full increase of this power is from God too Luke 24.49 Behold I send the promise of my father vpon you but tarry yee in the City of Ierusalem vntill ye be endued with Power from on high And Acts 1.8 yee shall receiue power after that the Holy Ghost is come vpon you These places proue that the Power which the Church is endued withall is not humane but diuine conferred God himselfe And the Reason is plaine because all Power is from Reas 1 God Rom. 13.1 And there is no power but from aboue as our Sauiour tells Pilate he could haue no power except it were giuen him from aboue If all power euen the power which the wicked haue be from God much more is the power and authority which the Church hath from God too And that after a speciall manner so much the more immediately as the Church is more nearer ioyned to Christ then any other State whatsoeuer And to much the more rightly as Christ is more rightly a spiritual King then a temporall as Ioh. 18. my Kingdome is not of this world c And so much the more properly as Christ is the head and ruler of the Church more properly then of the Commonwealth And so much the more effectually as the Lord doth more magnifie himselfe in Church causes then in causes of the State This teacheth first that if the power and authority Vse 1 which the Church hath be from God then we haue the more and greater assurance that it shall stand fast for euer against all oppositions of men or Diuels as Gamaliel said Acts 5.38.39 If it be of God yee cannot destroy it if it be of God so directly it must needs stand most firmly aboue all other power whatsoeuer Secondly it teacheth the Church that they bee the Vse 2 more wary and carefull in executing this power that they abuse not Gods owne Power to the satisfying of their owne humors and lusts but that they vse it to that end God hath appointed it that is to his Glory and the Churches good Thirdly seeing this power is so directly from God then this teacheth vs that it must bee the more dutifully obeyed and submitted to of them that liue vnder it else if wee despise it we despise not men but God as it is Luk. 10.16 hee that despiseth you despiseth me c. But you will say Quest Is then the Church to bee obeyed in all things Must all her sayings be beleeued All her lawes obeyed and all her proceedings yeelded to as if they were Gods owne proceedings and so bind the Conscience I answer Answ no for sometimes shee saith false things and doth that which is directly euill and therein we are altogether free from her Authority as that being vsurped and not from God and as shee therein bewraying some frailty and infirmity and not exercising this diuine power But you will say how shall I know when she speakes true or false when shee doth right or wrong I Answer The Lord hath giuen both her and vs the Word to rule and measure things by this is the rule that she must goe by in her proceedings and this is the rule that wee must measure her proceedings by But sometimes the Church inioynes things in themselues indifferent neither simply good nor bad neitheir simply commanded nor forbidden in the word In this the Church is to be yeelded to for order sake as she hauing therin a general power from God but yet the Conscience is not subiect to them because the particular choice and determination of these indifferent things is from themselues out of their own lawfull liberty I note this the rather because some not only in the popish church but among vs too stick not to affirme that the churches constitutions in this latter kind be of diuine authority and to be accoūted as the Constitutions of God himself But I haue shewed you how you are to receiue and to submit to them for order sake in respect of the general power she hath from God in these things The second branch of this second point is that this power is not temporall but spirituall and therefore it is not so often called a Sword to smite or a scepter to sway as Keyes to open and shut and what doth it open and shut Euen the Kingdome of heauen Matth. 16.19 and therefore it is a spirituall Power The Ciuill Magistrate hath to do about our bodies goods and outward State the Church hath to doe with the Soule and Conscience and the inward man Temporall power and authority serues to maintaine a temporall Life begun and ended here spirituall Power and Authority maintaines a spirituall Life begun here but perfected and finished hereafter in the life to come Temporall power rules by the lawes of men spirituall Power rules onely by the Lawes of God temporall power fights and defends it selfe by the materiall Sword and worldly Policy Spirituall Power renounceth these and therefore Christ said to Peter Mat. 26.52 put vp thy Sword into his place for all that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Christ would not bee defended by the Sword Spirituall Power betakes it selfe to better Weapons to spirituall and heauenly Weapons 2 Cor. 10.4 5. the Weapons of our warfare saith the Apostle are not carnall but spirituall mighty through God c they are not carnall but spirituall not weake but mighty and that not of themselues nor through the power of him that vseth them but through God And what are these weapons They are the Word and the Spirit Faith Repentance Prayer c. It is true that sometimes both these Powers do concur together in the Church that is when the Magistrate is Christian and surely then Gods worke goeth happily forward and then this is a blessed thing both for our Soules and bodies too if wee haue grace so to vse it but though they doe sometimes concurre yet they are neuer confounded though they be not diuided yet they bee distinguished they must each of them keepe in it 's owne ranke and mannage their seuerall Charges by seuerall administrations The Church is not to vsurpe on the temporal power for that is flatly forbidden Matth. 20.15 16. the Gentiles raigne ouer them but it shall not be so amongst you saith our Sauiour to his Disciples and 1 Pet. 5.3 Be not Lords ouer Gods Heritage Nor is the temporal power to vsurpe the

and this Rule holds as well for the Church now as then there being the same necessity there must also be the same power So the point is plaine that euery particular visible Church hath power from God to ordaine certaine outward Rites c. The reasons to proue this point are these First some Reas 1 Ceremonies are necessary in euery Church no Religion can possibly be carried without some outward Rites and Ceremonies Now who shall ordaine these but themselues as best knowing their owne State As in a priuate family who shall ordaine orders for it but those of the Family Secondly no Rights are vniuersall to hold euery Reas 2 where in all Churches no that is impossible because diuers Churches are of diuers states and therefore euery Church must haue power to ordaine Ceremonies for themselues Thirdly no Ceremonies are perpetuall in one and the Reas 3 same Church euery Church in time differing from it selfe by the change of occasions and states and then the Ceremonies which they had before are not fit for them now and therefore still they must haue power to ordaine as their state shall require Lastly if a particular Church hath not power to ordaine Reas 4 certaine Rites the Church vnder the Gospell is inferior to that vnder the Law For that was prouided for in this kinde by the Lord himselfe and that in particular But the Church now is not so prouided for of him If any say it is let them shew where therefore it must needes be that hee giues the Church now power to prouide for themselues in this kinde The vses are these First this teacheth the Church to Vse 1 take the benefit of this authority that God hath giuen them but you will say the Church is ready enough to take their liberty herein and therefore they had need to be bounded and bridled that they goe not too farre eyther for multitude vnprofitablenesse superstiton or the like The limits and bounds therefore that euery Church is to containe themselues within in ordaining Ceremonies are these First they must doe nothing that is opposite to Gods Word Secondly they must haue no opinion of Gods worship placed in them as the Surplice and the Crosse if the Church so inioyne them it makes them vnlawfull If they haue beene abused so heretofore by the Papists that is not their sinne now take away the abuse and the things may still be imposed and put in practice Thirdly wee must haue an eye to doe all to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10.31 Fourthly they must be done without scandall or offence as much as possibly may be the Church must be wary heerein for though all things be lawfull yet all thing are not expedient 1 Cor. 10. 23 32. Fifthly all things must be done to edification 1 Cor. 14 26. Lastly all things must be done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 as in Exod. 28.40 Aarons sonnes must haue Coats and Girdles and Bonnets made them for glory and beauty which being the end that the Lord in the Legall Ceremonies did ayme at it must needs be our end also in the like cases and thus the Church may safely ordaine Ceremonies The last vse is to teach vs that if we liue in a Church where such things are ordained that are not simply vnlawfull we must take heed that we resist not this power or the things thereby ordained Bridle thy selfe from dislike specially from refusall yet yeeld with some perswasion of conscience take such a course whereby thou mai'st obey the Magistrate and the Church and yet not offend the weake heerein is wisedome yet rather obey the Magistrate though with offence for heere disobedience is the greater sinne and so takes away the sinne of offending the weake and indeede in this case I giue none offence because my hands are bound and I haue no liberty to doe otherwise but what if a man be not perswaded of these things What is then to be done must hee separate from the Church No first they must labour to be better informed secondly they must resolue to beare with a great deale rather then to make a rent in the Church thirdly suffer thy selfe to be ouerborne in things indifferent by the authority of the Church till thou be'st able to proue it simply vnlawfull or to shew that there is greater scandall in the vse of it then in disobeying the voyce of the Church and of the Christian Magistrate I know that it is sinne to disobey the Christian Magistrate except I know that God commands the contrary Now in these indifferent things I doe but feare I doe not know that God commands the contrary to that which my conscience is doubtfull of now shall I runne into a knowne sinne because I would auoyde a sinne onely feared So much shall serue for this point And so wee haue finished the eyghth point concerning the power and authority of the Church The sixe and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH YOu may remember that 9. points were propounded to be spoken to concerning the Church whereof we haue already handled 8. of them And now wee are to speake of the ninth and that is the application of all that which hath been spoken to all visible Churches in Christendome that I knnow of those Congreagtions that professe not Christianity we meddle not with The Pagans that professe heathenish Religion no Christian the Iewes that professe the Law and not the Gospell the Turks that professe that abominable Idoll Mahomet and not the Sonne of God Iesus Christ these wee haue here nothing to doe with they are vtterly excluded from the outward name of a Church as being assemblies quite of another kinde they haue no Christ not somuch as in outward profession and therefore are no Church at all It is the Christian assemblies that is those that professe the faith of Christ crucified that wee are heere to speake of you shall vnderstand that the Doctrine concerning the Church whereof I haue spoken hath been so plainely and fully deliuered that if it be rightly vnderstood it will easily apply it selfe to all Christian Churches in the censure of those that are Religious Iudicious but yet because diuers Christian Churches are of diuers conditions differing one from another as well in time as in place and because the chiefe reach of this whole discourse both in teacher hearer is this to see how we may iustifie our standing in the present state of this Church of England therefore for your better direction both to helpe your iudgement concerning other Churches and to settle your resolution touching the goodnesse and soundnesse of this Church that we liue in I will endeauour God willing to make application of that which hath beene spoken as to all Churches in generall so more particularly to this Church of ours The generall diuision of all Churches that eyther are or haue beene since our Sauiours time is two-fold First according to their situation and so some are Easterne and the

his instruments haue a speciall delight in disturbing this peace and spares no means but seekes all aduantages for the sowing of dissention in the Church and the members of the Church are too apprehensiue of it else he could not doe vs that harme he doth vnlesse we were so apprehensiue of dissention amongst our selues Now as the peace of the Church is indangered in many cases so especially in these First when men are addicted to one Minister before another one to Paul another to Cephas c. this comes of a carnall mind as the Apostle sheweth 1 Cor. 3. and thus they wrong themselues and the Ministers too themselues in that they are hindred hereby from the good they might haue and their Ministers because that they make Contention betwixt them where otherwise none would bee Secondly this peace is indangered in the election of Officers some breeding and making factions for one against another as their affections leade them Thirdly it is indangered in deciding controuersies either of Religion or State one will be crossing and thwarting another in the heate of Contention and strife yea happily rent themselues from the Church if it may not goe as they would haue it Let Gods children bee admonished to haue no part in such Contentions but let them labour for the peace of the Church if they will haue peace in themselues for wee are called to peace to mind and to speake one thing if the good things wee seeke for may quietly and peaceably bee obtained it is well let God haue the glory and our selues may comfortably enioy the benefit of them But if they cannot bee had without breaking the peace of the Church what is to bee done They may haue comfort for they haue discharged their Consciences in seeking the best things and let them bewaille the corruptions of the times and keepe themselues vnspotted of those corruptions and pray to God for redresse Thus are wee to seeke the peace of the Church and not bee any cause of dissention whereby it may be broken The fourth Rule to bee obserued in the manner of the carriage of Church businesse is that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of any such Duties bee not contemned nor rsterained of their right but that they be called to the businesse and permitted to speake and doe freely so farre as the Lord hath put into their hands For then the Lord is best pleased with a Businesse when it is ioyntly performed by eueryone that is authorised by himself therto the Magistrate must not neglect the Minister nor the Minister must neglect the Magistrate The Pastor must not neglect the flocke nor must the flocke neglect the Pastor but euery man must haue his due and doe his duty Looke into Act. 15.23 and see how the businesse was carried there the Apostles and the Elders and the Brethren had a hand in that businesse euery man so farre as concerned him Oft-times it comes to passe that there is a Diotrephes found in the Church as in the third Epistle of Iohn that loues to haue the preheminence and to sway all with their owne hand there this rule is broken sometimes in a Church the Censures of the Church are wrung out of the hands of the Minister and passed by another authority onely he may complaine and publish what others haue done himselfe can haue no further hold in them here likewise this Rule is broken Lastly many abuse their Christian liberty to the offence of the weake and so this Rule is broken for the weak brother hath his interest in my liberty as well as my selfe The fifth and last Rule is that all things in the outward Gouernment of the Church must bee so carried as best so farre forth as may be fits the Gouernment of the ciuill State wherein wee liue I would not haue any thinke that wee would draw Religion to the bent of the outward State but wee speake of outward Gouernment in the Church that wee say must not crosse the well established Gouernment of the ciuill State to cause Innouations and changes and troubles and confusions specially in a Christian Common-wealth It was neuer our Sauiours meaning that the outward carriage of Religion should ouerthrow the carriage of the temporall State But that Caesar should haue as well that which is Caesars as God that which is Gods I speake of a politike State already established by lawfull Authority and confirmed by wholesome Lawes and maintained by the ancient vse and custome of the place there Religion comming in afterwards it must bee framed for the outward carriage of it to the ciuill State except wherein Religion is plainely contradicted Our Sauiour no doubt was as carefull of ciuill Christian States as Moses was of the Iewish Policy but there Church-gouernment was fitted to their ciuill State and so must ours But you will say that both ciuill State and their Church-gouernment were each of them directly and equally from God True and are not all the powers that are ordained of God So the Apostle saith Rom. 13.1 and therefore though the Gouernment of ciuill States bee not now so immediatly from God as the Iewes was yet it is from God too and therefore by proportion where the gouernment of the ciuill State is ratified by vse Religion comming in afterwards in all equitie and reason it is to bee carried accordingly for the outward passages of it When the Apostle Peter perswades the scattered Iewes to submit themselues to all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.3 it is a plain warning to them that nothing bee done by them in their particular carriage much lesse in the outward Gouernment of the Church which might bee preiudiciall to the gouernment of the ciuill State they must not crosse that vnlesse that crosse Religion as I said before The want of the due obseruation of this Rule hath made many become Anabaptists and despisers of Gouernment and in many places it hath made Religion fare the worse and the professors thereof to bee traduced for rebellious troublesome and dangerous people Enemies to the State So much for the manner of the carriage of Church Businesse Now we come to the third and last generall head namely the end that must bee aimed at in doing these Duties that must bee good too It must bee done with a single end and a sincere affection and intention free from all sinister respects either to themselues or others There are two good ends which wee must ayme at in all actions concerning Church-gouernment the first is the glory of God the second is the edification of our Brethren First wee must aime wholy and onely at Gods glory so the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoeuer yee doe let all bee done to the glory of God For it is Gods businesse his gifts and officers and ordinances of purpose appointed for his glory after a speciall manner and therefore this requires a true zeale for the Lord of

Hoasts for the aduancing of his Kingdome and the magnifying of his Name as also it requires vprightnesse of heart that laying aside all guile couetousnesse ambition pleasing of men they may meerely intend the honour and glory of their Lord and Master The second end is that all tend to the edification of their Brethren so the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.26 would haue all things in the Church done for edification and so hee carries himself 2 Cor. 12.19 for the Lord hath ordained officers in his Church giuen them gifts for that end as it is in Ephes 4.12 therfore that is the matter that all must direct themselues vnto Now this matter of edification requires two graces first wisdome secondly loue If we haue not these graces we shall neuer take this course First it requires wisdome to obserue discerne what courses are most profitable for edification and that to follow as the Minister is wisely to obserue the times and seasons he liues in and the Persons that he hath to deale withall and so to insist chiefly on such points as are fit for such seasons and persons to giue milke to the weake and meate to the strong hee must be a wise Steward giuing to euery one in Gods house his portion in due season where this Rule is obserued it wil be a singular furtherance to the labors of the Ministry for the edifying of the Church As wisdom is required in this duty so also in the second place loue is required in commiserating the infirmities of the weake and in hauing compassion of the damnable estate of poore ignorant and vnbeleeuing Soules vnfeignedly desiring and labouring their conuersion and for that cause framing themselues and their courses so as may bee fittest to bring them to God they must with the Apostle become all to all that they may winne some Loue is a farre more excellent vertue and more beneficiall to the Church than knowledge knowledge puffes vp saith the Apostle but loue edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 knowledge without loue makes men proud it tends to ostentation but loue alwayes seekes and labours for those things onely that may edifie Then doe men swerue from this golden Rule of edification when they enact Lawes ordaine Ceremonies vse preaching generally for the maintenance of the state more than for edification yea then they commit high impiety in this kinde when they vse courses and passages in Church-gouernment to destruction not to edification yea as snares to entrappe tender Consciences at least to prouoke and offend them This is against the Apostles Rule 2 Cor. 1 3. our power saith hee is giuen for edification not for destruction Put the case that those things which bee imposed be lawfull must wee doe them presently No not vnlesse they edifie our brother so the Apostle saith Rom. 15.1 2. Wee must beare with the weake and euery man must please his neighbour in that which is good to edification And Rom. 14.19 Let vs follow those things which concerne peace and wherewith one may edifie another And 1 Cor. 10.23 the Apostle saith All things are lawfull for me but all things edifie not As if hee should say Wee must not doe all lawfull things vnlesse they edifie So then this is the end of all our Actions to bee done in the Church they must bee done to Gods glory and the edification of our brother And so much shall serue touching the rules and lawes whereby the Officers must bee guided in performing their Actions and Duties in the Church Now it remaines onely that I instance as I promised in two or three duties fitting them to the Persons and Rules And first I will instance in the first duty which was the Word Sacraments and Prayer Now as these are to be had in the Church so they must be administred first by such persons and secondly by such Rules as God in his wisdome hath ordained and fitted for them And first we will speak of the Persons then of the Duties First the Persons to deale in euery of these duties in the publike vse are the Ministers be they Bishops Pastors or Presbyters they and all of them and none but they are to deale in them their very name imports so much they are called Ministers of the Word and Sacraments and so Prayer it holds by proportion to the Priests of the Law for they and none else were to offer Sacrifices I speake of ordinary cases But necessitie sometime inforceth otherwise yet some are expresly excepted against in this case as women they are not to speake in the Church 1 Cor. 14.34 and therefore whereas sometimes they take vpon them to baptize this is an horrible presumption in them and a profanation of Gods Mysteries Secondly the Rules whereby they must be directed in doing these duties are these first the preaching of the Word for the matter of it it must bee Gods Word alone and that which is built vpon it for the manner it must be sincerely preacht not making merchandize thero● and truly and rightly agreable to the Analogie of faith and instantly and continually in season and out of season reuerently and conscionably and powerfully not as the word of man but as it is indeed the Word of the liuing God secondly the Sacraments those and none other must bee administred which Christ hath instituted and that rightly and in such manner as Christ and his Apostles instituted them but yet wee are not bound to euery Circumstance For Christ and the Apostles were baptized when they were of yeeres so must not wee bee Thirdly Prayer that must bee fitted for euery occasion sinnes must bee confest iudgements must be prayed against blessings must bee thankfully remembred And this must bee done both for themselues and others and all feruently and in the Spirit So much for the first instance The second instance shall be in the second Dutie Election of Officers and here also consider First the Persons that must performe this duty secondly the Rules they must bee directed by First the Persons that are to deale in it for Ministers it must bee those that are in superiour place and degree the Gouernours of the Church but yet with approbation of fellow Ministers So for Deacons or Church-wardens and other inferiour Officers they must bee chosen by the Minister and people together Wee see a president for this in Act. 6. where the Apostles referred this partly to the people that they should chuse out certaine from amongst themselues for this Office and yet still they had an eye to it and a hand in it too as wee may see in that place Secondly the Rules they must proceede by in this Duty and specially in election of Ministers are these First is examination and tryall of their gifts so it is implied of the Ministery in the 1 Tim. 5.21 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man c. And so it is exprest in Deacons 1 Tim. 3.10 Let them first bee proued then let them minister If