other impietyes and this both the practise of your Church and your doctrine pleading for succession and ordination from Rome Romish Bishops do necessarily confirm All the massepreists ordeyned in Queen Maries dayes for that end were vpon their conformity to the orders then continued Ministers in their severall congregations in Queen Elizabeths dayes by vertue of their former ordination And so are such masse-preists at this day though ordeyned at Rome received and continued amongst you vpon the aforenamed conditions Now it is your own constant affirmation every where that ordination makes the minister Wherevpon it followes that no new ordination no new minister but the old massepreist reformed of such impieties wherein Rome exceeds England 2. it is your doctrine in your first book that the ministery makes the Church gives denomination vnto it in your 2. book that the Church of Rome is a true Church wherevpon it followeth necessarily that the ministery in the Church of Rome is a true Ministery except a false ministery can make a false Church And if any order of ministery be it is that of the parish preists for they are the likest the Pastours in their severall charges Whence I do also conclude that since the Romish preists office is a true office though vnder corruptions as it was true Iob overshadowed with byles eyther the English preists must haue the same office with thē though with the byles cured or els they are not the true ministers of Christ. And for the name preist at which you say we catch you do idly draw it from the Greeks since it is most evident that with the office the name was tanslated vnto you from the Latine and Romish Church their sacerdos being your Priest in your books of ordination and common prayer which you haue from them otherwise why do you not turn the Greek words praesbyter proistamenos preists in your English Bibles which are translated from the originalls The sum of the 2. Arg. is that the Ministers of the Church of Engl are Pastours and Teachers that is good sheepheards such as do keep feed and govern the flock and as are qualified with gifts and vnderstanding and instruct them that are vnlearned If in stead of Pastours and Teachers you had put Parsons Vicars your writtes of presentation and institution would haue proved it But that you are Pastours and Teachers such as Paul speaks of Ephe. 4. by holy writ you can never manifest 2. though the things were true you speak both for your power and practise yet except you administred those things by a lawfull calling in a lawfull office and to a lawfull assembly you were not true Pastors and Teachers But it is not true you say of your selves that you play the good sheepheards in feeding that is in providing pasture for the sheep and in governing ordering them to fro at it Your Prelates govern or rather reign but teach not your parish Preists some of them that can list teach so much as they dare for feare of their imperious Lords but govern not Your 3. Arg for your Ministers is that they are called sent of God of his Ch therefore are true ministers Their calling sending of God you make his preparing of them with gifts graces to be able to exequute in some measure the office wherevnto he doth appoint them But herein you are greatly mistaken the Lords inabling men with gifts is one thing and his calling them to vse them in such and such an order is another thing and though the Lord calls none but he inables them yet he inables many he never calls Many counsellers judges lawyers and others in the land are very able to discharge the office of ministery but are not called therevnto of God if they be it is their sin not to obey the heavenly calling and to become ministers And as a man may be qualified with gifts for the ministery and yet not called of God to vse them so being qualified accordingly he may be a true Minister of the Church though he be never called of God at all as we now speak So was Iudas who was never inwardly called of God that is perswaded by the work of Gods spirit in his heart in the zeal of Gods glory and love of the salvation of men to take vpon him the office of an Apostle And what true calling of God the Ministers in the Church of England haue to take vpon them their offices charges as they do appeares in their easy forsaking them vpon a litle persecution yea before it come near them Of which more hereafter Now for the calling of the Ministers by the Church albeit we put of the more full handling of it to the 4. Arg. yet something must be sayd for the present And first though it were true you say that the Church of England were the true Church of Christ yet were not your Ministers called and sent by the Church except a Lordly Prelate be the Ch of England for by such a one is every Minister amongst you called and made 2. I deny here as alwayes your nationall Ch to be the true visible Church of Christ and that which in this case you say is largely proved I hope is sufficiently refuted But here a demand you make in your answer to Mr Sm must be satisfied namely why true ministers may not arise as well out of a false Church as a false ministery out of a true Ch The latter I agree vnto for the Church may erre and through errour or otherwise chuse a man uncapable of the Ministery by the word of God Whereupon it followes that the Minister makes not the Church as you erroneously affirm for then the Church should in the very instant become a false Church when she sets vp a false Minister But your inference I deny For first evil may arise from good though by accident without any externall cause comming between as sin did from the angels in heaven and our first parents in paradise but so cannot good from evil 2. the officers are 1. of 2 by 3. in and 4 for the Church 1. of it as members of the body and so must be members of a true Church before they can be true officers 2. by it in respect of their calling as Gal. 1. 1. and therefore except they can eyther be true officers by a false calling or that a false Church can give a true calling they cannot be true in it 3. in it as the accidēts or adjuncts in the subject without which being true they can have no more true existence then reason can have without a reasonable soul or subject 4. for it and therefore since the Lord hath appointed no ministery for a false Church there can by the word of God be no true ministery in it and this I wish them to consider which still adhere to the Church of England though they wholy dislike
reformed Churches are one whereas the wayes of the Church of England wherein we forsake her do directly and ex diametro crosse and thwart the wayes of the reformed Churches as appeares in these three mayne heads 1. The reformed Churches are gathered of a free people ioyned together by voluntary profession without compulsion of humane lawes On the contrary the Church of England consists of a people forced together violently by the lawes of men into their Provinciall Diocesan and Parishionall Churches as their houses staÌ„d be they never so vnwilling or unfit 2. The reformed Churches do renounce the Ministery of the Church of Engl as she doth theirs not admitting of any by vertue of it to charge of soules as they speak where on the coÌ„trary all the masse-preists made in Queen Maryes dayes which would say their book-service in English were coÌ„tinued Ministers by the same ordination which they received from the Popish Prelates 3. The government by Archbishops Lord Bishops and their substitutes in the Church of England is abhorâ—ed and disclaymed in the reformed Churches as Antichristian as is on the contrary the Presbyterian government in use there by the Church of England refused as Anabaptisticall and seditious Now if Mr B. can at once walk in so many so contrary wayes he had need have as many feet as the Polypus hath Secondly understanding by his Churches way such doctrines ordinances as wherein we oppose it it is an empty boast to affirm that the same is spread into other nations Which are the nations or what may be their names which eyther do reteyn or have received the Prelacy Ministery service book canons and confused coÌ„mixture of all sorts now in vse in the Church of England But Mr B. having as he boasts God Angels and men on his side proceeds in the next place to plead agaynst vs Gods iudgments who seemeth as he sayth from the first beginning to be offended with our course And intending principally in this whol discourse to oppresse vs with contumelyes by them to alienate all mens affections froÌ„ vs he raâ—eth together into this place as into a dung-hil of slaâ—der and misreport whatsoever he thinks may make vs and our cause stink in the nostrels of the reader And so forging some things in his own brayne and enforcing other things true in themselves with most odious aggrevations he presents vs to the view of the world with such personall infirmities and humayn fraylties written in our foreheads as the Lord hath leâ—t vpon the sonnes of men for their humbling And the world wanting spirituall eyes beholding the Church of Christ with the eyes of flesh blood seing it compassed about with so many infirmities falling into so many manyfold tryals and temptations is greatly offended passeth vnrighteous judgement vpon the servants of God and blasphemeth their most holy profession But let all men learn not to behould the Church of Christ with carnall eyes which like fearfull spyes will discourage the people but with the eyes of fayth and good conscience which like Ioshua and Caleb will speak good of the promised Land the spirituall Canaan the Church of God But to the poynt That Mr B. may make sure work he strikes at the head and whetteth his toung like a sword and shooteth bitter words like arrowes at such principall men as God hath raysed vp in this cause whereof some have persevered and stood fast vnto death others have fallen away in the day of temptation whose end hath been worse â—hen theyr beginning The first person in whome he instanceth is one Boulton touching whoÌ„ he wryteth thus that he being the first broacher of this way came to as fearefull an end as Iudas did adding therevpon that God suffereth not his speciall instruments called forth otherwise then after a common course to come to such ends To this I do first answer that neither this man was nor any other of vs is called forth by the Lord otherwise then after a coÌ„mon course even that which is common to all Gods people which is to come out of Babylon and to bring theyr best gifts to Syon for the buylding of the Lords temple there It is true that Boulton was though not the first in this way an Elder of a separated Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths dayes and falling away from his holy profession recanted the same at Pauls Crosse afterwards hung himself as Iudas did And what marvayl if he which had betrayed Christ in his truth as Iudas did in his person came to the same fearefull end which Iudas did Nay rather the patience and long suffering of God is to be mervayled at that others also who eyther have embraced this truth and after faln from it or refused to submit vnto it when they have both seen and approved it have not been pursued by the same revengefull hand of God And for the promise of Gods presence with his Gen. 12. 3. Math. 28. 20. Ios. 1. 9. it must ever be taken conditionally viz. whylest they are with him and do his work faythfully as they ought and no further Now touching Browne it is true which Mr B. affirmeth that as he forsook the Lord so the Lord forsook him in his way and so he did his owne people Israel many a tyme. And if the Lord had not forsaken him he had never so returned back into Egypt as he did to live of the spoyles of it as is sayd he speaketh And for the wicked things which Mr B. affirmeth he did in this way it may well be as he sayth and the more wicked things he committed in this course the â—esse like he was to continue long in it and the more like to returne againe to his proper centre the Church of England where he should be sure to find companions ynough in any wickednes as it came to passe Lastly to let passe the vniversall Apostasy of all the Bishops Ministers students in the Vniversityes yea and of the whole Church of England in Queen Maryes tyme a handfull onely excepted in comparison which the Papists might more colourably vrg against Mr B. theÌ„ he some few instaÌ„ces against vs the fall of Iudas an Apostle of Nicholas one of the first 7 DeacoÌ„s of Demas one of Pauls speciall companions in the Ministery do sufficiently teach vs that there is no cause so holy nor calling so excellent which is not subject to the invasion of paynted and deceiptfull hyppocrites whose service the Lord notwithstanding may vse for a tyme till theyr whyting be worne of then leave them to their own deceavable â—usts which will work theyr most wofull downfall thereby warning his people not to repose too much vpon any mortall man in whome there is no stedfastnes but to cast theyr eyes vpon him aâ—one and vpon his truth which chaungeth not Of Mr Barrow and Mr Greenwoods spirit of rayling as this man rayleth against them in another
Barnabas coÌ„ming among them is not said to have ioyned theÌ„ vnto the Lord but to have exhorted them which were ioyned to coÌ„tinue with the Lord. vers 23. and to have perswaded others to ioyn themselues unto the Lord also vers 24. but that this course ordinary set by Christ should be held in the replanting of Churches after the vniversall apostasie of Antichrist is a thing impossible There were then no Ministers but popish Priests and are they the Lords meanes Mr Bernard Shall the man of sin be consumed by himself or by the breath of the Lords mouth Are false Ministers the Lords ordinary means of planting Churches Or are popish massepreists or the popish Bishops from whom they have their authority and so the Pope himself from whom they have theirs true Ministers And is the Church of Rome a true visible Church For it is not possible there should be a true Ministery in a false Church These are the inconveniences and discommodities Mr Bernard speaks of by which he sayth we would wring the truth from him But it is certayn they are such playne demonstrations as do evince his pretended truthes of popish and popular errours And for the gathering of a Church M. B. I do tell you that in what place soever by what means soever whether by preaching the gospell by a true Minister by a false minister by no minister or by reading conference or any other meanes of publishing it two or three faithfull people do arise separating themselves froÌ„ the world into the fellowship of the gospell and covenant of Abraham they are a Church truely gathered though never so weak a house and temple of God rightly founded vpon the doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets Christ himsef being the corner stone against which the gates of hell shall not prevayl nor your disgracefull invectives neyther Indeed * the Pharisees thought bycause they had Abraham for their father and did descend of him by ordinary succession were the formall Teachers of the Church that therefore God could not possibly cast them off or have a Church without them even so it is with the Pharisaicall formall clergy in Rome and England they think that Christ hath so tyed his power and presence vnto their ceremony of succession that without them he knowes not how to do for a Church but must needs have it passe through their fingers But as Iohn Baptist told the old Pharisees that God was able of the stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham though they all every one of them like vnfruitfull trees should be cut downe and cast into the fâ—râ— so say I vnto their children the Pharisees of our â—yme that though the Lord reject them and every one of them for their apostacy and rebellion yet can he by the seed of the word cast with what hand soever rayse vp vnto Abraham children vnto himself a Church They that are of the faith of Abraham they are the children and seed of Abraham and within the covenaunt of Abraham though but two or three and so of the same Church with him by that covenaunt Your last argument to prove the officers the Church Math. 18. and directly to disprove our supposed popularity is that it is against the dignity and office of the Ministers who represent Christs person vnto the Congregation 1 Cor. 4. 1. having authority from him to preach administer the sacraments vse the censures which none but such as represent him can give them which the body of the people do not by office nor take from them c. This indeed is the thing the dignity of Preisthood is it which goes nearest you and that you keep last as Iacob did Beniamin whom of all his sonnes he was loathest to part with Gen. 42. 4. 43. 14. But first if your meaning be that the Ministers by their office represent Christ in his office it is little lesse then blasphemy for Christ is the husband and mediatour of his Church by his office and herein not to be represented by any other man or angel The ministers in publishing the gospell and word of reconciliation are in Christs stead and therein to be obeyed as himself but what if they speak the vision of their own hart and publish heresy false doctrine or lead a scandalous and prophane life their office is no dispensation for them neyther are they now any longer in the stead of Christ but of the Divel whom they resemble as children their father and are so to be reputed Besides there is no force in your argument bycause the body of the Church represents not Christ by office as the Ministers do therefore it is no way equall with the Ministers nor may medle with them but the contrary May not a man as well argue thus Bycause the wife no way represents her housband in office for she is in no office the same may be sayd of the children aâ— the steward and the bayliffe doe therefore the wife is no way superiour vnto them she may not reprove or displace them in her husbandâ— absence what evil soever they doe in their office or persons but on the contrary they may rebuke her and turne her out of doores and her children with her if there be cause For they represent the maister in office she not Now wee know well the Church is the wife and spouse of Christ the Ministers stewards Thus having cleared the way of such obiections as wherewith Mr Bernard would stumble the reader I come in the next place as I have formerly ordered my course to declare that the Church Math. 18. 17. is not the officers but the whole body meeting together for the publique worship of God and that 1 Cor. 5. proves the same by practise which is in the former place enjoyned by rule Onely I must needs by the way make a step into his 2. book amongst his score of reasons there against popularity and so remove as it were with my foot such of them as are tumbled in by him to make rough the playn wayes of the Lord. And they are as the authour numbers them the 7. 12. 13. 17. 18. The 7. Reason is that if a sort of persons professing Christ together without officers haue the power of such officers in themselves they may do all the officers may do Wee say not that the Church hath the power of the officers but the power of Christ as is expresly affirmed 1 Cor. 5. 4. 5. and 2. it followes not that bycause the Church hath the power of Christ for all things therefore it can injoy all things without officers The power is one thing which is inseparable from the body the vse of the power an other thing which in many cases it may want Civil corporations have the Kings power and charter as well without as with officers and yet it may be there are liberties in their charter they cannot enjoy without officers they
till the coming of Christ Gen. 47. 10. 17. 7. Exod. 19. 43. 44. 45. It was simply necessary the Messiah should be borne in the true Church wherein he might have communion and fulfil the law Math. 5. 17. Luk. 2. 21. 22. 23. 29. The Lord did ever affoard the Iewes even in their deepest apostasie some or other visible signes of his presence and those even extraordinary when ordinary fayled thereby declaring himself stil to remember his promise made to their forefathers ever and anon by some godly King Prophet or Priest or if these vvould not serve by some severe correction destroying from amongst them the cheifest rebels brought them to repentance caused them to passe a nevv into his covenaunt as hath formerly been declared But vvith vs it is othervvise No Church novv can expect or doth enjoy such extraordinary priviledges But if it depart from the Lord by any transgression and therein remayn irrepentant after due conviction and vvill not be reclaymed it man fests vnto vs that God also hath left it and that as the Church by her sin hath separated from and broken covenant vvith God so God by leaving her in hardnes of hart vvith but repentance hath on his part broken and dissolved the covenant also The Lord Iesus threatens the †Churches for leaving their first love and for their lukewarmnes that he will come against them speedily remove there candlestick that is dischurch them except they repent spue them as loathsome out of his mouth There is the same reason in due proportion of one member sinning of a fevv of many and of a vvhole Church novv if a brother sin and vvill not be reclaymed by the ordinary means appointed by Christ for that purpose he is to be accounted no longer a brother but an heathen publican Math. 18. 17. so is it with two or three brethren with a few with many or with the whole Church though there be a different order of dealing for the multitude of sinners doth no way lessen or extenuate the sin eyther in the eyes of God or men Now for your arguments In handling whereof I will also take in such of your score of Reasons against pollutioÌ„ as are worthy coÌ„sideration First you say vnder the law there was a sacrifice for all manner of pollutions but none for this and therefore it is no sin It is not so for 1. if a man polluted his hands with innocent blood by murder or his body with adultery or wrought any other wickednes punishable by death there was that I find no particular sacrifice for it 2. The people of Israel were guilty of the pollution of the Lords house by bringing or suffring to come into his sanctuary stâ—â—ungers eyther uncircumcised in flesh or in heart and so there was an â—ffring to be made once a year for the purging of the holy place and Tabernacle for the cleansing of the Altar to be an attonement for the Preists and for all the people of the congregation 3. The pollution I speak of comming onely by neglect of some duty for the reformation of a brother cannot be denyed to be sin and with other pollution medle I not The godly people were never reproved for being at the ministration of holy things though wicked men were there We graunt it in the true Church but deny a company of impenitent sinners to remayn the true Church being to the iudgement of men vnrecoverable Yea if but one haue committed the evill notoriously scandalous and the rest so tollerate him that litle leven levens the whole lump and with leven must not the Passeover be eaten in any case And here Mr Bernard your cavelling Reply vpon Mr Ainsworth speaking of the whole Church all the assembly is answered The Corinthians might as well haue eluded and put of Pauls argument and reproof as you Mr Ainsworths for Paul speakes of the whole lump as Mr Ainsworth doth of the whole Church And surely if two or three officers be the whole Church that hath the power of Christ to judge consure offenders as you say the whole lump might soon be levened and the whole Church plead for open iniquity The Prophets did not separate themselves though they cryed out against wickednes Isa. 1. 4. 5. 6. 9. 10. c. Both the Prophets Preists and people that were godly did separate froÌ„ Apostate Israel in Ierboams tyme which we take to be your estate in a great measure coÌ„sidering your worship holy dayes Preisthood government But for Ierusalem the Church there the case is otherwise Touching which I desire these two Rules may be born in minde First that ther was that one onely visible Church vpon the face of the earth tyed to one temple altar sacrifice Preisthood in one place that no man could absolutely separate from that Church but he must separate from the visible presence and from all the solemn publique worship of God Secondly that the Iewish Church had not that distinct ecclesiasticall ordinance of excommunication which we now have but that the obstinate or presumptuous offender was by bodily death to be cut of from the Lords people the same persons namely the whole nation being both Church and common wealth according to that special dispensation of those times Wherevpon it followeth first that since absolute separation from the Iewish Church was unlawfull communion with it was lawfull and 2. that since the Church had not the power to cast out an offender it was no pollution vnto them to suffer him amongst them so they discharged such other duetyes as were inioyned them by the Lord. But it is now otherwise the times are altered and the dispensations of them Every place where a companie of faithful people are gathered into Christs name is mount Syon hath the promise of Gods presence and separation from one Church remayning vncurable may be made into another And as separation may be from a Church so may excommunication be of person obstinately wicked And these two Rules rightly applyed wil as I am perswaded satisfie the scriptures and reasons brought by Mr. B. here and both by him and others els where from the old testament and the vnpolluted coÌ„munion of the servants of God in the Iewish Church The other scriptures I will breifly passe over Tit. 1. 15. shewes that all the creatures of God are pure to the pure I graunt it and his ordinances also But ever provided in their lawfull and right vse which in a prophane and vnsanctified communion they are not By your exposition Mr Bernard a godly man might eat the Lords supper with haeretiques excoÌ„municates yea Turks or Pagans if they would and yet all should be pure to him Of the 2. and 3. chap. in the Revelation I have spoken formerly and there proved that the Churches were polluted by the tolleration of wicked persons amongst
of he is inferiour to the teaching Elders and deserves lesse honour then they For so the Apostle orders things RoÌ„ 12. 7. 8. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Now in making your Bishops Pastours Doctours you are double forgetfull of your self and double injurious vnto them and which is worse then both the rest you sin against the Lord his truth For the first in your former book you made your Bishops cheif officers in the Church and the successours of the Apostles and Evangelists and here you make them Pastours and Teachers which are the lowest orders of officers that Christ gave for the work of the ministery Ephe. 4. 11. 2. if your Bishops be Pastours and Teachers by their office what are you and the rest of your rank You and they have not the same office but you an office vnder them and so Pastours and Teachers being the lowest order that Christ hath left in his Church your order must needs be something vnder the lowest and of an others leavings then Christs 3. in making your Bishops the Pastours Teachers of the Church of England or the particular Churches in it you lay to their charge an accusation which they will never be able to answer at the day of the Lord which is their not feeding of so many thowsand sheep committed vnto them to be fedd and taught by them Lastly nothing is more vntrue and disagreable to the word of God then that your Provinciall and Diocesan Bishops are the Pastours and Teachers given by Christ to his Church There were no other ordinary officers left or appointed by the Apostles in the Churches but such as were fixed to particular congregations ordinarily called Bishops or Elders Act. 14. 23. 20. 17. 28. Phil. 1. 1. And if it can be shewed that by the word of God any other officers were left or appointed in the Church after the extraordinary officers Apostles Prophets Evangelists whose gifts and places vvere extraordinary besides such Bishops and Elders as vvere limited to particular Churches I vvill yeeld this vvhole cause in the point of the Ministery and so professe The other of Mr B. answer I mynd is about the power of Christ against sin Sathan Antichrist the want whereof Mr Ainsw and that truely objecteth against the English assemblyes Mr B. defence summarily is that there is in the Church of England the preaching of the word which is the power of Christ Rom. 1. 18. as also excommunication though not in every parrish yet in the Church of England in which is comprehended all parrishes and all superiour power over them For which let the Reader observe these particulars First a national Church since Christs death and the dissolution of the Iewish Church is amonstrous compound and savours of Iudaism Secondly if the mayn part of the power of Christ be to be administred in a particular congregation by the ordinary officers thereof namely the preaching of the gospell why not the inferiour part the censures also save that the Byshops to Lord it over all will keep this rod in their own hands Thirdly the Ministers whose judgments reasons you avouch both say and prove in the latter end of your book that this power is given to a particular congregation of faithful people Fourthly you your self lay it down as a mayn ground against popularity and withal sundry scriptures to prove it that Christ hath appoynted the same sorts of men in his Church for preaching administration of the sacraments and government Lastly it is apparant that the particular Church of Corinth gathered together in the name of the Lord Iesus had the power of the Lord Iesus for excommunication and so hath every other faythful assembly in the world as they had which since your assemblyes are not they may want this power without any great wrong the evil onely is that it resteth in a worse place then the worst parrish assembly the Bishops court or consistory I proceed Onely my desire is that the things which I have noted touching Christs kingly office be the more carefully observed by all the people of God and servants of Iesus in respect of that most direct opposition which in those latter dayes is made against it and the administration thereof For as in the first tymes after Christs comming in the flesh his prophetical office was directly impugned by Iewes and heathens so as it was †not lawful to speak in his name since that his preisthood by the masse-preisthood sacrifices in the popish Church so now in the last place doth Sathan in his instruments bend his force most directly against and with might and mayn oppose the sovereignty and crown of our Lord Iesus that he may not rule in his Church by his own officers and lawes The matter you say is not false and to shew this you note a difference between true matter false matter and no matter As you speak that which neyther any other nor yet your selfe can vnderstand of false matter so you call them no matter which make no profession of Christ at all â—â— Iewes Turkâ—s Pagans and all them true matter to wit visible which openly professe this â—â—yn truth that Iesus the sonne of Mery is the sonne of 〈…〉 Christ the Lord by whom onely and 〈…〉 they shal be saved Many greivous errours are bound vp 〈…〉 invective of Mr Bernards but for prophanenes this one surmounts them all For what can be spoken more prejudicial to the glorie of God or deragotory to the body of Christ hâ—â— that any person but pronouncing so many words how fil 〈…〉 ious soever he be in his life or what errours soever he mingle with this truth is notwithstanding true visible matter of the Church or a true member of Christs body visibly or so far as men can iudg and so must be received acknowledged Against this odious and prophane errour I wil first deal by some clear Arguments proving the contrary and then come to the allegations he makes for his vngodly purpose If all that professe this mayn truth Iesus the son of Mary c. be true matter of the Church then are most notable haeretiques true matter of the Church The Apellites Câ—rdoâ—â—ans and Marcioâ—â—â—es holding two contrary beginnings or Gods the one good the other evil the Macedonians denying the Holy Ghost to be God the Cerâ—â—â—hyans holding that Christ is not yet risen from the dead the Paternians affirming the inferiour parts of the body of man to be created of the Divill the Patricâ—â—â—â— holding so of the whole body the Novatians and Cathari denying repentance to them that sin the Nicholaitans holding community of all things the Swenk seldians and Enthusiasts denying the outward ministery wayting vpon the revelation of the spirit alone and with these many others as ill or worse then they professing notwithstanding this mayn truth as the most of them did and do Then are excommunicates true matter of the
live And for the parts of the body to which he here hath reference and the like they do more fitly resemble the officers of the Church then the ordinance of excoÌ„munication the eyes and mouth the Bishops and Elders which are to oversee and teach the Church the hands the Deacons who are to distribute her almes And aâ— there may be a true though an vnperfit naturall body without these parts so may there be a true visible Church or body of Christ without these officers though vnperfect and defective It now remayns I lay down some reasons to prove the power of the censures of excommunication simply necessary vnto the Church of Christ. The Reasons are First bycause it is simply necessary for the being of a Church that there be power for true members to joyn together and so to receive others vnto them even so consequently must there be power to disioyn and cut of false members 2. Excommunication and absolution are of the same nature with preaching the gospel yea the very same particularly applyed to persons obstinate and repentant which preaching is in the generall The preaching of the gospell is the power of God vnto salvation to every one that beleeveth excommunication is the power of the Lord Iesus Christ for the destruction of the flâ—sh of him that is otherwise incorrigible that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus The preaching of the gospel makes the first or major proposition thus he that beleeves not and repents not is bound in heaven and hath his sinnâ— vnremitted but he that beleeves and repents his sinnâ— are pardoned and he loosed in heaven Now excommunication and absolution applyed to a particular person and occasion do make the second or minor proposition thus thou beleevest not or repentest not of this thy sinne and therefore thou art bound in heaven and thy sinnes vnpardoned and so of absolution or the loosing of sinns Adde also vnto these things that the same Bishops or Elders are to preach the gospel in way of doctrine and to minister the censures in way of discipline though in some divers order as I haue formerly shewed And these two being the two mayn duties of the Ministers comprehended vnder this generall duety of feeding the stock must needs be of the same nature both of them mayn and necessary parts of Gods vvorship and of religion and so to be performed vpon the Lords day as his work and in the assembly of the saynts as an exercise of their holy communion howsoever with you and others they are made a consistory and working day matter to the great violation and indignity of the kingdom of Christ in the dispensation of it in his Church 3. The want of excommunicating and censuring wicked men levens the whole lump and makes the whole particular congregation whereof they are accessary to their sinne and to purpose to continue in such a congregation or Church as hath not this power is to purpose to continue in disobedience to the commandement of the Lord Iesus which he hath layd vpon all his disciples to tell the Church in the order by him prescribed 4. Without the censures the Church becomes of Syon Babylon even the habitation of Divels and the hold of all â—owl spirits and a cage of every vnclean and hatefull byrd And so Mr B. in his forenamed catechisâ—â—â— teacheth that the holy and right vse of discipline and of excommunication serves to maintâ—yn the Church and to over throw haeresy that destroyes the foundation and other mischiefs And since haeresy destroyes the foundation as Mr B. teacheth and that there must be haeresies in the Church as Paul teacheth and that the Church cannot possibly be purged of them without excommunication that must needs be absolutely necessary to the Church without which the Church must absolutely necessarily come to naught To these I do adde as a fifth and last Reason that as the glorie of God salvation of them without are most furthered and advantaged by the holy conversation of the members of the Church and on the contrary most disadvantaged and hindered by their vnholy and prophane courses so is the power of excommunication by which solemn ordinance aloâ—e prophanenes impiety are rooted out of absolute necessity for the Churches of Christ. And of this point I desire the reader to take knowledge not onely as of a matter of truth but of conscience also and for practise That which Mr B reputes our nynth errour is our holding all their ministers false Ministers As I have formerly sayd of your Churches so say I here of your ministers that if one be false all are for all are of one constitution In deed Mr B if he might be let alone would save himself much labour this way by restreyning his defence to some few of the most able and conscionable men excluding the rest and therefore in his former book he speaks of such ministers as God hath furnished with gifts to discharge their functioÌ„ with holy graces a blamelesse lifâ— and in his 2. book he desires to be vnderstood of such as are sent of God and set over congregations according to the truth and true meaning of the lawes and book of ordination In which he doth directly exclude the Archbishops Bishops Suffragans Deanes Archdeacons Chauncelours Commissaries and with them all pluralists non-residents vnpreaching and prophane ministers For some of these are not set over congregations at all but over Provinces Diocesse others not in respect of their offices above named and others though they be set over particular Churches yet haue they neyther gifts nor graces for their function But as he were nothing faythfull vnto a city that vndertaking the defence of it should pâ—ck out here and there a corner most strong and defensible and fortify there leaving the body of the city to the invasion spoyl of any that would assault it so neyther is Mr B faythfull to the Ministery of England who pretending the defence of it against vs calls out here and there a man whom he will iustifie and leaves the body and all the principall members of it vndefended And here I would demaund of him why he doth not as well defend all the Ministers in this place as he did even now defend all the people or why a Minister so called though vnapt to teach and of a prophane life is not as well a true though a bad Minister as a Christian so called being ignorant and of a lewd conversation a a true though a bad Christian There is one and the same reason of both though Mr B have more reason for to plead the one then the other considering his own standing If he should plead for the ignorant and prophane Ministers he should deprive himself of all arguments for the justification of the preaching more conscionable sort for he rayseth them all as the
if there be any in that Ch by and to which the latter are called so neyther doth the age wherein you first instance draw any such straight line of succession or conclude any such necessity of ordination by praecedent officers as you praetend And that you may more clearly see this you must take notice of your errour in affirming that God raysed vp extraordinary Teachers till the law The first born in the families were the ordinary Teachers ordinarily succeeding til the Levites were appointed the office of Preisthood being annexed to their birthright In which respect it was that God told Cain his brothers desire should be vnto him and that he should rule over him For which purpose see also Gen. 21. 9. 25. 31. 32. 33. 34. 49. 4. with Deut. 33. 8. Adde vnto this also that the Lord would haue every first born amongst the chidren of Israel consecrated vnto him that the Priests or as it is better turned the administers of the holy things which come neare to the Lord should sanctify themselves and that Moses sent the young men of the children of Israel to offer burnt offrings and sacrifices vnto the Lord. But most evidently doth this appear in that the Levites were appointed to teach the people and to offer sacrifices and to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation for the first born that openeth the matrice among the children of Israell And as the first born were the ordinary Teachers successively before the law in whose stead the Levites afterwards were appointed so was this order in sundry persons and vpon sundry occasions broken and interrupted As in CAIN for his murder in TERAH for his Idolatry in ISMAEL for his mocking in ESAV for his prophanenes To descend lower When the order of succession in the Preisthood was so far estalished as that it did divolve by the word of God from the parents vpon the children as by an haereditary right yet then wee see it was sometimes for the sinns of men broken off and interrupted Take for instance Eli and his house The Lord God â—f Israel had sayd that his house the house of his father should walk before him for ever but now the L saith is shall not be for them that honour me I will honour and they that dispise me shal be despised Behold the dayes shall come that I will cut off the arm of thy fathers house c. then he addes and I will stir me vp a faithful Preist that shall do according to myne hart and according to my mynde c. which was also especially accomplished in Salomons dayes when the Preisthood was translated froÌ„ Abiathar to Zadock 1 King 2. 35. To the same purpose tends that which the Prophets Ezechiel Hose threaten and denounce against other Preists of Israel for their idolatrie and other iniquities The Levites sayth the Lord which went back from me when Israel went astray shall bear their iniquity and they shall not come neare vno me to do the office of the Preist vnto me c. And againe by Hose bycause thou hast refused knowledge I wil also refuse thee that thou shalt be no Preist to mee and seing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God I will also forget thy children I will change their glory into shame For the shutting vp of this point the Lord Iesus himself comming to repayr the decayed places of Sion to enlarge the walles of Ierusalem did not chuse his Apostles out of the nuber of the Preists other ordinary Teachers but els where They in deed supposed as the Prelates Preists now do that the Lord could neyther propagate nor mainteyn his Church but by them bycause they were the childreÌ„ of AbrahaÌ„ but Iohn Baptist tells them all other with theÌ„ that hang vpoÌ„ the same or like lyne of personall succession which they did that except they prevent the Lords wrath and bring forth fruits worthy amendement of life he will with the ax of his wrath hew them down cast them as vnfruitfull trees into the fyre raysing vp vnto Abraham seed and children of the very stones If now the Lord haue thus ever and anon from the beginning of the world chaunged the course and current of succession for these sinns namely murther idolatry persequution profanenes and the like is it possible that the stream should still run by the Lords appointment without stop or change for so many hundred yeares in the Romish Church where these and all other sinns and iniquities haue abounded and where they all as so many members coÌ„pact together make the man of sum coÌ„plete Is the Lord lâ—sâ—â— zealous now a dayes then in times past of the honour of his name and ordinances Or hath S. Peter procured some Charter of impunity for his successours the Popes of Rome what impieties soever they haue faln or can fall into Or doth this man think by any plea he can make for them to hold them in possessioÌ„ of that right which they haue so notoriously forfeyted so many wayes and for so many yeres and whereof the word of God hath so evidently disseyzed them For conclusion of this particular the Apostle Paul foretelling the generall apostasy of that man of sin the child of perdition advancing himself above all that is called God or is worshipped addeth that the Lord will destroy him with the spirit of his mouth In which words we are to observe first the vniversality of the apostasie advancing it self above all that is called God and secondly the manner of restauration of the Church which is to be by the Lord the spirit of his mouth where if it were to be by the ministers of Antichrists making or the Popes calling theâ— should the man of sinne consume himself Ioyn with this scripture another of the same nature wherein the H Ghost speaking by the mouth of Iohn of the same generall apostacy foretells how God would rayse up his two witnesses which should prophesy against the beast which came out of the bottomelesse pit and against all the abhominations of Antichrist whereas by the doctrine of successioÌ„ no witnesses should be raysed up against Antichrist but by himself Now by these scriptures instances it appears that the stream of succession hath not run so currantly from the dayes of Adam hitherto as Mr B praetendeth but that it hath sundry tymes been stopped and turned by that most specially in the Romish apostasy The thing I purpose in the next place is to prosequute certayn Arguments of Mr Smythes and the rather bycause himself hath in a measure forsaken this truth with others adding also some others vnto them to prove that the ministery and so other the holy things of God is not tyed by Christ to the succession of office or order but of faith The Arguments I vvill take vp as Mr Bernard