not against any Ordinance of Jesus Christ yet we are afraid that those poor Souls that know not how to spend the Lords day without hearing do too much Idolize that Ordinance of God and never knew what it was to spend that day with him 2. You need not sit at home if you are enquiring after God and communion with his people you may soon hear of some one or other of the Assemblies of the Saints whither you may repair to wait upon the Lord with them 3. But thirdly were it or should it be otherwise yet better be idle than do worse better do nothing than sin against God encourage others in their evil deeds pollute and wound thy own Soul grieve the Saints stumble and harden the wicked and cause them to blaspheme his Name Sanctuary and such as dwell therein But 4. There is no necessity of being idle if thou knowest not where to hear on that day hast thou no work to do save that 1. Art sure that God and Christ and Eternal Glory are thy portion and inheritance Thou walkest in the light of assurance or thou dost not If thou dost is one day in seven too much to spend in the solemn admiration of grace that ever so vile a creature as thou should be accounted worthy of such unexpressible kindness and glory What O what will Eternity be then If thou dost not are not these worthy of thy utmost diligence to get assurance of What stand idle and an interest in God Christ and Eternal Glory to make sure of 2. Art thou sufficiently acquainted with thine own heart Dost know so much of thy self as thou needest to know Or judgest thou this to be a work that requires not thy utmost diligence and attendance 3. Hast thou no sin to be mortified no want to be supplyed no grace to be quickned and strengthned in thee 4 Hast thou as much communion with God as thou desirest Hast heard as often from him by the teaâ—hings of the Spirit the incomparably and infinitely best teacher as thou dost wish Or dost think that God will not manifest himself to and teach in a corner a poor Soul that 's there waiting for him alone because there be no Assemblies of Saints he knows of to whom he might joyn himself and he dares not have Communion with Adulterers If thou have not fellowship with God thou desirest and teachings from him as who hath stir up thy self to lay hold on God groan and cry after him till he hath brought thee into his chambers and afforded thee richer displayes of his glory 5. Art thou altogether ready trimmed without more ado for the coming and Kingdom of Christ Jesus what should I mention those important duties of reading the Scriptures meditation on them c. hast thou all this to do and much more that might be added and yet nothing to do on the Lords day set about these things in good earnest and when thou livest in the light of assurance without the least doubt or clouding when thou art sufficiently acquainted with thine own heart the will and Scriptures of the Lord when thou hast as much communion with God in retirement as thou desirest and teachings from his Spirit when thou hast no sin to be mortified nor grace to be quickened and strengthened when thou art quite ready for the day of Christ and needest no further fittings we shall consider what may be further said to this Objection but till then it cannot be pleaded when souls have all this work to do that they must sit at home idle if they go not to hear the Preachers of this day But thus far of the Objections that are by some made against the assertion of the unlawfulness of attending upon the present Ministers of England which are all of any moment we have yet met with what of weight is in them must be left to the judgement of the Christian Reader to determine We shall add no more but this that we have spoken our judgement and conscience herein as in sincerity in the sight of God with what meekness Christian tenderness and fear of giving any just offence to the truly conscientious he knows The sole of our aim in the whole is That Christ may be glorified in the recovery of any poor lamb that is turned aside to the flocks of the companions in this cloudy and dark day that others that have hitherto kept themselves from Idols might be further established in the will of God and strengthened to follow Christ in his temptations that they may inherit that kingdom and glory prepared for them before the foundation of the world May we but in the least contribute by Divine blessing hereunto whatever becomes of these papers or however they be by others accounted of we have our end and shall rest satisfied I reply this objection I find made not onely by some of the common sort of professors but also particulaly by Mr. Crofton and made by him as an argument wherefore he did and ought to joyn in hearing and praying in publick on the Lords day notwithstanding the defects in the ministerial mode and method of the publick Ministers the worship of God substantially existing in matter and essential form in their Ministration and the Lords day being to be observed in publick as well as private where and when the Ordinances cannot be enjoyed in a purer manner His second in the book intituled Jerubbaal justified doth reduce his plea to this Syllogism Communion with the Church visible in Gods solemn publick worship is an essential part of the sanctification of the Sabbath and indispensable duty But communion with the English Church in the worship by her celebrated is communion with the Church visible in Gods solemn worship Ergo Communion with the English Church having no opportunity with any other in the worship of her celebrated is to me an essential part of the sanctification of the Sabbath and indispensable duty This Syllogism is defended in that Book to which I refer the Reader and consider the objection as here it is urged and answered The objection proceeds upon suppositions of the Separatists or Independents in the number of whom he is to be accounted as appears by his wordes in this Chapter in answer to the 7th objection where he saith Learned Ainsworth Cotton c. have been and are of the same apprehension with us in this matter Now in Mr. Cottons way of the Churches of Christ in New England it is put into the definition of a visible Church that they are a number that may meet every Lords day for all Ordinances and in the Declaration of the Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches at the Savoy Oct. 12. 1658. ch 22. art 8. The Sabbath is then kept holy to the Lord when men are taken up the whole time in the publick and private exercises of his worship and in the duties of necessity and mercy Among these art 5. The reading of the Scriptures preaching and
1. The whole Worship of God may according to these mens principles be discharged without any Sermon at all and it is manifest it is frequently so at one time or other in most of the Assemblies of England 2. Those their Prayers are also bounded and limited by the 55th Canon of the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical 3. We had alwayes thought that Christ having given gifts unto men did require the use of those gifts at all times when ever persons were called to the performance of that service for which they were designedly given by him by vertue of the fore-mentioned precepts When Christ hath given a gift of Prayer unto his children and charged them to stirr up the gift given them and not to napkin their Talent we had verily thought that when ever they had been called forth to the performance of that duty he did really intend and expect that they should be found in the exercise of the gift given and see as yet no reason to change our apprehensions in this matter Answ. The major Proposition is not in all cases true The resting on the Sabbath day was a positive duty charged by God yet the sacrificing which was an obstruction of that duty called by our Lord Christ Prophaning the Sabbath Matth. 12.5 was Worship of Gods appointment Following of Christ and preaching the Gospel were Worship of Christs appointment and yet they were obstructions to positive duties required to be done to Parents Wives and Children Therefore it is not true unless the thing which is an obstruction be such of its own nature of it self and not by accident and so necessarily and universally such an obstruction But not to insist on this the minor Proposition is many wayes faulty 1. It is supposed that the Common-Prayer Book worship is a different sort of Worship from such as is used by those which exercise the gift of prayer as he terms it which is absurd For then so many several forms of words as are used should be so many several sorts of Worship all expressions that are not immediately inspired should be Will-worship and so preachers several methods and expressions in preaching should be several sorts of Worship This is that which I assert That the same petitions the same Confessions and Thanksgivings for matter are the same prayer and Worship though in various expressions and that the same prayers read out of the Common-prayer Book and the prayers of the preachers framed by themselves and uttered if they ask the same things in other phrases are the same prayers and Worship And they that can joyn with the one and say Amen to them may as lawfully and safely without sin joyn with and say Amen to the other 2. This Authors phrase doth intimate that ability to conceive compose and utter in variety of expressions petitions to God is the gift of prayer and the exercise of it is the exercise of that gift which is false sith the gift of prayer is by the moving of the affections directing the mind exciting faith as the Text alledged by this Author Rom. 8.26 proves the Spirits work being there to acquaint us what we are to pray for and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to over-intercede for us with groans unspoken or as it is read which cannot be uttered And therefore noâ— in the inspiration of words or method or fitting a person with various or unpremeditated expressions Yea those who express not who do not compose their petitions in any order or method as in Ejaculatory prayers such as Nehemiahs prayer was Nehem. 2.4 Hannahs 1 Sam. 1.13 Hezekiahs Isai. 38.14 Those who premeditate before they pray as David did Psal. 19.14 have as truly and perhaps more rightly and do exercise the gift of prayer as those who in never so extemporary manner enlarge themselves in various expressions and petitions It is true the Author of the Discourse concerning the interest of words in Prayer ch 2. tells us The gift and grace of Prayer are two things This he derives from the spirit of adoption That he defines to be an ability of mind to form words expressive of such desires of our hearts as are according to the will of God conjoyned with a faculty of memoâ—y and of expression and elocution which he saith is partly natural partly by industry attainable But the gift of Prayer here by our Authors words pag. 62. is the donation of the Spirit and usually the exercise of it in expressions unpremeditated or conceived in opposition to praying by a book or written set forms kept in the memory is termed praying in the Spirit and so no natural or acquired ability which is to be observed that the ambiguity of expressions may not deceive the unwary Reader Now if this be observed they that pray in a set form and those that read the Common-Prayer may be truly said to pray in the Spirit if their heart goe with their words and to exercise the gift of Prayer if the gift of Prayer be as the Discourse cited doth describe it 3. The gift of Prayer by alleging Ephes. 4 11 should seem by this Author to be accounted a ministerial gift proper to them for so were the gifts mentioned Ephes. 4.11 which if so then it is not common to the Saints nor the exercise of it a positive duty chaâ—ged by Christ to be performed by the Saints except they be Ministers and so it is not lawful for them except they be Ministers to seek or to use the gift of Prayer If they have it by this Authors arguing they are to exercise it as well as Ministers and it is as unlawful for them to pray by a book as for the Ministers they so praying worship in a way not appointed by God and are Idolaters as well as the Ministers and separation is to be from them as well as from Ministers Whereas iâ— the gift of Prayer be partly natural partly acquired then it is lawful for Ministers or other Saints to make use of any lawful means which may acquire that gift such are any that may be a Directory to know what they aâ—e to pray for that may advantage them for remembring composure or elocution conference imitation of others reading meditation self-examination and if the Common-Prayer Book be a help as some conceive it is it may be lawfully used or any others treatises or forms of Prayer for the obtaining of it And if so the Common Prayer Book worship may be so far from being an obstruction to the positive duty of exercising the gift of Prayer that it may further it by acquainting us with many things we should ask for as the Homilies also may be helps for the knowledge of what Doctrine Preachers are to teach their people And then this Authors Argument may be thus retorted That Form may be lawfully used for Worship which may be a means to further any positive duty charged by Christ to be performed by the Saints But such may be the forms of Prayers
hearing of the word of God are reckoned and art 6. God is to be worshipped as in private families daily and in secret each one by himself so more solemnly in the publick assemblies which are not carelesly nor wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his word or providence calleth thereunto Upon which and other suppositions it concerns every tender conscience which receiveth these principles to consider how they can acquit themselves from not observing the Lords day in publick assemblies where God is invocated in the name of Christ and the word of God truly taught especially in such places where they may enjoy these performed by the present Ministers and are deprived of their former Ministers and communion and cannot of themselves discharge these duties That which this Authour answers doth not solve the doubt That such persons conceive they cannot spend the Lords day without hearing is not out of any Idolizing the Ordinances of God but from those grounds which are by the declaration afore named and the generality of zealous Preacher pressed upon Christians That it is one duty of sanctifying the Lords day not onely to abstain from labour which makes onely Sabbatum asinorum a Sabbath that beasts have as well as men nor onely to exercise themselves in reading and prayer at home for that is every days duty but also to frequent the publick assemblies where God is worshipped which this Authour conceives injoyned Heb. 10.25 and is gathered from Exod. 20.8 Acts 20.7 Revel 1.10 1 Cor. 16.1.2 John 20.19.26 That many persons cannot in many places find such assemblies of the Saints as this Authour means is a thing out of doubt with me Were publick hearing a sin I confess it were better to do nothing than do that But that is not yet proved and I think it fit to acquaint the Reader That Mr. Norton of New England in that Answer to Apollonius his questions which is commended by Mr. Cotton Dr. Thomas Goodwin Mr. Philip Nye and Mr. Sidrach Simpson ch 13. doth thus determine Such things being observed as are to be observed it may be lawful to use forms of prayers administrations of Sacraments c. prescribed in the Church neither are the Churches which use them guilty of superstition will-worship and violating the second Commandment yea it is lawful to embrace communion with them where such forms in the publick worship are in use neither doth it lie as a duty on a believer that he separate and disjoyn himself from such a Church unless he would partake in the superstitious worship of Images Communion with a Church quâ utitur as it useth worship of it self unlawful is unlawful communion with a Church quae utitur which useth it to wit in other lawful worship is lawful and separation from it is unlawfull And to shew how evil the counsel of this Authour is to men to spend the Lord's day in a corner idle at home rather then go to hear in publick I think good to subjoyn some words of Mr John Paget in his Preface to the Christian Reader before his Book Intituled An Arrow against the separation of the Brownists Of the Brownists there are sundry sorts some separate from the Church of England for corruptions and yet confess both it and Rome and it also to be a true Church as the followers of Mr. Johnson Christian Plea p. 216 217. Some renounce the Church of England as a false Church and yet allow private communion with the godly therein as Mr. Robinson Justifie p. 339 340 247. and his followers Relig. Com. p. 1. c. Some renounce all religious communion both publique and private with any Member of that Church whosoever as Mr. Ainsworth Counterpoy pag. 197. and such as hearken unto him being deepest and stiffest in their Schism The evil of this separation is great First The minds of many are troubled and distracted hereby even of such as do not separate but have some liking thereof especially if it be true which Mr. Robinson writes of them Relig. comm preface to wit That they seeing it not to be for their purposes that the world should so esteem of them do undoubtedly strain and wring the neck of their consciences and courses to look the contrary way c. What can be more miserable then to have the necks of consciences thus broken by the doctrine of separation Secondly for those that separate but do not yet joyn unto them or being joyned do withhold from actual communion living alone and hearing the word of God in no Church as some do How great is their misery also Mr. Robinson himself ibid. p. 36.39 shews it at large noâ—ing them to be Idol-members such as break the commandment of Christ loose the fruit of his ascension and fail their own edification and salvation many ways c. Thirdly for those that being enjoyned to them do also live with them seeing they have in effect excommunicate themselves from all other Churches of Christ and consequently from the fellowship of Christ Jesus himself and from the participation of his grace and glory so far as he reveals the same by dwelling in those Churches It is therefore no wonder to hear Mr. Johnson treat on Matt. 18. Preface A. 2. complaining of the evils among them as emulation debate and other sins which daily arise and spread themselves to the great dishonour of God c. As for the directions given by this Authour how to spend at home the Lords day some of them are such as weak persons women and novices cannot make use of it yea they would be dangerous to them occasioning them to fall into errours Enthusiastick conceits some of them Antinomians count unnecessary and those that are good yet by the deprivation of society and publick teaching and heavily performed and they that take such courses do either very frequently decay in the exercise of godliness grow barren and liveless in prayer and holy conferences or turn Seekers Quakers Ranters Censurers Scoffers Libertines However were they all used yet they solve not the doubt arising from those principles which require publick hearing for hallowing the Lords day which is to be observed not onely for the benefit of our own edification but also for the glory of God and testification of our profession which is not done by private exercise of Religion And although some persons may more benefit themselves in knowledge by reading at home yet the example hinders others from the use of the publick Ordinances whereto we should by our practice encourage them For these and other reasons often urged by those who have been for separation it is not to be expected that such private exercises should be blessed or accepted of God when the publick are to be performed Both certainly should be done in their seasons not one exclude the other I have thus answered all I find in this Authour and do joyn with him in referring the thing to the Reader who if he will not cheat his
the Nations of the World to be a People near to him his peculiar Treasure above them all Statutes and Ordinances to walk by both with relation to Civils and Ecclesiasticks which they were indispensably bound to conform to without adding to or detracting therefrom That the management of all their affairs was singly to be bottomed upon and conform to these Statutes and Judgments is very frequently asserted in Scripture Exod. 21.1 Lev. 18.4 19.37 20.22 25.18 26.15 43. Deut. 4.1 5 8. 5.1 7.11 11.1 32. 12.1 26.16 30.16 1 Chron. 16.12 28.7 Psal. 89.30 Ezek. 5.6 36.27 Dan 9.5 Answ. It is granted that the Lord gave unto the people of the Jews Statutes and Ordinances to walk by both with relation to Civils and Ecclesiasticks or as usually they speak Ceremonials and that they were bound to conform to them and so much the Texts alledged do prove But that they were bound indispensably to conform to these Statutes without adding to or detracting therefrom and that the management of all their affairs was singly to be bottomed upon and conform to these Statutes and Judgments is not asserted in those Scriptures there being not one of them that saith that they were bound indispensably to conform to them Our Lord hath determined to the contrary in justifying his Disciples plucking the ears of Corn on the Sabbath Davids eating the shew bread and entring into the house of God and confirming his determination by the words of the Prophet Hosea 6.6 in his dissertation against the Pharisees Mat. 12.3 7. in which there was a dispensation with and detraction from the Laws of the Sabbath and the Shew-bread about Ecclesiasticks for a time in some Case And for addition to Laws Ecclesiastical the assemblies keeping other seven dayes besides those prescribed in the Law of the Passover 2 Chro. 30.23 and to civils that ordinance of David 1 Sam. 30.25 Shew that in both some additions might be by the Prince Captain or private persons to both sorts of Lawes with Divine approbation And that the management of all the affairs of the people of Israel both civil and ecclesiastical was not singly to be bottom'd upon and conform to those statutes and judgments but that in both sorts of affairs humane prudence and the Rulers Authority might order many things may be cleared from sundry instances of David Jehoshaphat Hezekiah and others which there will be occasion more fully to discusse in examining the allegations brought by this Author to prove the major of his first argument Ch. 1. of this treatise Sect. 7. The election or ordination of Levites is no rule for election or ordination of Ministers now Secondly saith he that persons were appointed by the Lord to be chosen by the Congregation for the publick administration of ordinances and worship cannot be denied Thus were the Levites Exod. 13.2 12 13. and 22.29 Numb 3.12 called therefore the Wave-offering of the Children of Israel Numb 8.9 10 11. because given up by them to the Lord as their offering by solemn ordination and imposition of hands Answer it is true that the Levites were wholly given unto God from among the Children of Israel to do the service of the Congregation but it is not true that they were appointed by the Lord to be chosen by the Congregation God saith Numb 8.16 in stead of the first-born of all the Children of Israel have I taken them to mee And upon what occasion God took the Levites in stead of the first born is to be seen in Exod. 32.26 29. Deut. 33.9 Saith Ainsworth annot on Numb 3.12 So that here appears no choice of the Congregation so as that it was left to them to take or to leave those It is true also that Numb 8.9 it is said that Moses shall bring the Levites before the Tabernacle of the Congregation it was therefore his business to present them and that he should gather the whole assembly of the Children of Israel together and that he should bring the Levites before the Lord and the Children of Israel that is some of the chief of them as the first born in the name of the rest shall lay or impose hands on the Levites saith Ainsworth annot on Numb 8.10 And then it follows v. 11. Aaron shall offer or wave the Levites before the Lord for an offering or wave-offering of the Children of Israel that they may execute the service of the Lord. And then Aaron was to make an atonement for the Levites and Moses should set the Levites before Aaron and before his Sons and offer them for an offering unto the Lord and that he should separate the Levites from among the Children of Israel and the Levites should then be Gods v. 13 14. The reason of the laying on of the hands of the Children of Israel upon the Levites was to signifie their obedient yielding them to God in their stead to do the service of the Children of Israel in the Tabernacle of the Congregation and to make an atonement for the Children of Israel that there might be no plague among the Children of Israel when the Children of Israel came nigh unto the Sanctuary v. 19. But these were not the Priests they were distinct from the Levites to wit Aaron and his Sons who were called of God Heb. 5.4 without the Prophets laying on of hands Now it was the Priests office to do that work in which was the worship of God to wit the offering Sacrifice sprinkling the blood and such other duties the Levites were imployed to do other services as the bearing of the utesils and such like in respect of which they were to attend on the Priests Deut. 10.8 therefore it is said by God v. 19. I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his Sons So that the choice was Gods the presenting Moses his act the yielding them by imposition of hands signifying their offering them to God in stead of themselves was the act of the first-born the wave offering and cleansing them Aarons act which may more truly be called their solemn ordination than the imposition of hands by the first-born But were it true that in this act of imposing their hands there was election and ordination this waâ— not a successive election or ordination as is when one dies and another is chosen and ordained in his room as oft as there is such vacancy when one Minister dies and another comes in his stead For this election or ordination if it may be so called was but once and of the whole company together and so is no pattern for election or ordination of Elders successively by a particular Congregation or the major part of them Sect. 8. The Texts enjoyning the observation of things appointed prove not that some things undetermined might not in Gods worship be ordered by men Thirdly saith he that persons thus invested into the office of Priesthood were not left to the liberty of their own
designed by his Son and his Apostles the several Officers and Offices his Wisdom thought sufficient for the management of the affairs of his House that is his Church as they are such First Christ Jesus called his twelve Disciples together and gave them power and authority over all Devils and to cure Diseases and he sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick Luke 9.1 2. After he appointed other seventy also and sent them two and two before his face into every City and place whither he himself would come and these were confined to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Mat. 10.6 To whom he saith only he was sent Mat. 15.24 St. Peter having confessed him Christ tells him Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church which by reason of the repeating of his Name and alluding to it and thereby minding him of it is justly to be thought to imply a promise of a special use of him in the building of his Church not barely as that particular man but as a foundation of it by his Preaching as other Apostles are called Foundations Eph. 2.20 in respect of their Doctrine wherein St. Peter had some work before the other in his Preaching Acts 2. and 3. and 10. And therefore Christ promiseth to give him the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16.19 So as by his preaching to open the Kingdom of Heaven first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles when Cornelius was admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and therefore Act. 15.7 he speaks of it as his preheminence that God made choice among the Disciples that the Gentiles by his mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel and believe he imploying that key of knowledge which the Lawyers had taken away who entered not themselves into the Kingdom of God and them that were entering in they hindered Luke 11.52 To him our Lord Christ assures Mat. 16.19 Whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Which Phrase seems by the expressions Mat. 23.4 Rev 2.24 to import that what he should command to be done should be in Heaven ratified as commanded by God as it was Acts 2.38 Acts 3.19 20. Acts 10.48 and what he should untie that is free men from the obligation of that should be untied in Heaven that is God would not require the observation of it which was performed Acts 11.3 14 17 18. Acts 15.10 Which promises though personal to St. Peter and in respect of the first work peculiar to him neither imparted to any other Apostle nor derived from him to any successour yet this last promise was after made to the rest of the Apostles Mat. 18.18 and performed when St. Peter with them decreed about Circumcision Acts 15.24 and the Holy Ghost established it v. 28. Afterwards our Lord Christ being risen from the dead finds his Disciples assembled for fear of the Jews Thomas being absent and saith Peace be unto you as the Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosesoever sins ye retain they are retained John 20.19 21 22 23. The words of salutation of mission the breathing on them and imparting the Holy Ghost to them do import that the remission and retaining of sins there promised was a peculiar power given to them on whom he thus breathed though also communicated after to other Apostles who were in like manner sent and received the Holy Ghost as they did Which remission of sins was accomplished when by their preaching persons repented and were Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins Acts 2.39 41. When Aeneas was cured by St Peter Acts 9.33 For healing is by remission of sins Mat. 9.6 James 5.15 John 5.14 Or by taking off the sentence of delivering to Satan by which the Apostles had power to retain sins as appears by that speech of St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.20 That he had delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander unto Satan that they might be instructed or corrected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so as either to be afraid or disabled from blaspheming any more as they had done when Satan should chastise them with bodily punishment St. Paul also had determined by his Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the Christians were gathered together that they might be witnesses to deliver him that had his Fathers Wife unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that is the wasting of his body that the Spirit or Soul being sensible of his sin and humbled for it might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5. Which had been his comming to them with a Rod 1 Cor. 4.21 and the retaining his sin had not his after-sorrow caused S. Paul to forgive him in the person of Christ 2 Cor. 2.10 which was the remitting of sin confirmed in Heaven Other instances there are of the retaining of sins by Apostolical power when St. Paul smote Elymas the sorcerer with blindness Acts 13.11 and St. Peter inflicted death upon Ananias and his wife Sapphira for lying to the Holy Ghost and keeping back part of the price of the Land which they had sold Acts 5.3 5 10. After this mission commission and breathing of Christ on the disciples to reestablish St. Peter after his fall Christ injoynes him to feed his Lambs and his Sheep thrice charging him that he might shew his love to him whom he had thrice denied whereby he doth not make him universal Bishop or Monarch of the whole visible Church as Romanists impiously pervert the Text but requires of him diligence in testimony of his love to him by doing that work which is expressed in words which signifie teaching one of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies not ruling and that Ministry which is common to other Bishops Acts 20.28 and Elders among whom St. Peter termes himself a fellow Elder and Christ the chief Shepherd 1 Peter 5.1 2 4. But then Christ did most design the Officers and Offices he thought requisite for the management of the affairs of his house when being to ascend into Heaven not long after in a mountain of Galilee Jesus spake to them saying all power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth go ye therefore and teach all Nations or rather Disciple or make Disciples all Nations or of or in all Nations not the Jewes only as formerly Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every creature or to all the creation Baptizing them thus discipled Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is Baptized shall be saved into the name of the the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
583. yields that our English word Priest and the Dutch Priester and the French Prebstre and Prestre and the Italian Prete to be formed from Presbyter Selden de Syn Ebrae l. 1. c. 14 p. 586 Certà in Ritualibus Anglicanis nostris Priests Ministers pro Presbyteris clim semper usurpata And besides what I said before out of the English 39 Articles and letters of Orders it doth appear from the very words of the Master of the Sentences Peter Lombard cited by this Author in this Chapter pag. 26. out of the Fourth Book of the Sentences distinct 24. divis 9. that the same whom the Papists call Priests they call Presbyters and say that they have the precept of the Apostle for them and that the Order of Priesthood or Presbytery the primitive Church had and therefore in this the Papists themselves use the word Priest in English but as the same with Presbyter or Elder from the Scripture or primitive Church not from either Jews or Heathens and therefore symbolizing in this name with the Papists if men had not mistaken it and clamourously and ignorantly inveighed against it had given no cause of suspition of compliance or willingness to return to the Idolatry of the Mass as it is used in the Church of England who have declared against Transubstantiation and the Sacrifice of the Mass in the Articles 28.31 in the Liturgy as it hath been lately revised and to which assent is required by all Ministers besides other wayes as amply as any other Protestant Church and therefore it is very evil that this Author doth insinuate into the minds of men such a suspicion of the willingness of the present Ministers to return to Popery because of retaining the name Priest which neither came from the Antichristian Church so called of Rome nor is an Idolatrous Superstitious name commanded by the Lord to be abolished Hos. 2.15 Zech. 13.2 This of Zech. 13.2 is not a command but a promise that God would cut of the names of the Idols out of the Land and that they shall be no more remembred which if it imply a command yet it is but of the abolition of the names of Idols not of the name of Priests whom I never found to be reckoned amongst Idols or that the name Priest is the name of an Idol The other text Hos. 2.16 17. is thus And it shall be at that day saith the Lord that thou shalt call me Ashi and shall call me no more Baali For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall be no more remembred by their name which is a Prediction of what should be rather than a Prohibition and the reason of that Prediction seems to be this God would not be called Baali that is my Lord because that word noted a Husband as commanding or dealing hardly or rigorously with his Wife but Ishi according to the first notation of Ishah Gen. 2.23 one from whom the Wife comes as bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh and therefore is bespoken as a kind and gentle Husband which the words v. 14 19 20. lead to But if the reason of the not calling God Baali be as Grotius in his Annot Although Baal in common use signifie an Husband she shall not dare to use that name out of horrour of that name which hath been imposed on an Idol it may seem that the reason of not using should be not the unlawfulfulness of bespeaking God by that name according to the proper and original meaning but lest either she should in thought remember the Idol or be thought by others to continue that Idolatrous name For the words are not thou shalt not use the words at all thy Husband among men but thou shalt not call me Baali that is in thy Prayers and Confessions of me as thy God But if it be understood as a Prohibition according to the Law Exod 23.13 which I will not deny the 17. v. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall be no more remembred by their name to import it cannot be conceived that it forbids any more than the use of those names with honour or so as to trust in them as their worshipers did when they applyed them to their Idols as Psal. 16.4 is meant when the Psalmist saith He would not take up the names of their gods within his lips that is as Hos. 14.3 Neither will we say any more to the work of our hands ye are our gods Which sense the words before lead to that they should not any more prepare their silver or gold for Baal as v. 8. and as in the dayes of Baalim wherein she burnt Incense to them and she decked her self with her ear-rings and her jewels and she went after her lovers and forgot me saith the Lord v. 13. By which name of Baalim was meant the Sun and other Planets as may be proved out of holy Scripture and is shewed by Mr. Selden in his Syntagma de Diis Syris So that the forbidding the name of Baal or Baalim doth not appear to be any more than the using of these names as applyed to Idols with approbation of the Idolatrous Worship done to them or giving occasion in applying the name to God to conceive as if he were like the Idols or allowed their Worship even as the Apostle Eph. 5.3 forbids any naming of fornication uncleanness or covetousness with any shew of liking For that the Prophet meant not to prohibit the name of Baal to be given at all to God much less by a Woman to her Husband or Lord as the word did originally signifie may be gathered from that Isa. 54.5 who prophesied about the same time with Hosea where what we render thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name is in the Hebrew thy Baal or Baalim in the plural number and Nahum after him Nahum 1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Baal of wrath that is who is a Lord of wrath by our Translatours rendred furious and by God himself after him as we now read Jer. 31.32 I was a Husband unto them is in Hebrew I was a Baal to them saith the Lord. Yea were the prohibition such as that we might not give the names given to Idols to God we might not give God the title of Melec or King because the Idol of the Ammonites was called Molech Milchom or Malcham that is their King Zeph. 1.5 nor call God Jehovah because the Gentiles termed their God Jove or Jah because they termed their God Jacchus or Helion the High one because they termed the Sun Helios or Adonai because of Adonis all which to have been used in imitation of and derivation from these names of God is shewed in that imperfect relique of Mr. Hugh Stanford in the first Book of Mr. Parker De descensu ad inferos in Fullers Miscel. l. 2. c. 6. Dr. Hammond Annot. on Psal. 68.4 in
Mr. Selden De Diis Syris syntag 2. c. 1. in Heinsius his Aristarchus sacer on Nonnus c. 1. If Names abused to Idolatry or Superstition might not be used without such abuse the godly might not say as Isa. 63.16 Doubtless thou art our Father or we cry Abba Father or Our Father or Christ Father because Idolaters said to a stock thou art my Father Jer. 2.27 or say to the Lord thou art our God because Idolaters said our Gods Hos. 14.3 nor Christ be termed a Priest Lord Master because of the abuse of them to Saints deceased Popes Rabbins or others Surely the name Priest being the name of no Idol it cannot be proved from Zech. 13.2 Hos. 2.16 17. that it is commanded by the Lord to be abolished Nor do I think any of his Authors say it Hieroms words are Though it might well be spoken in respect of the signification of the word which signifies in common application an Husband as well as Ish yet I so hate the name of Idols that I will not have it said Baali but Ishi in â—espect of the ambiguity and likeness of speech lest while a man speaks one thing he mind another and mentioning an Husband he mean an Idol What the Hebrew Doctors and others named by this Author say upon this place of Hosea I cannot examine for want of the Books That which he produceth out of Rivet I assent to That which this Author saith that Priest or Altar are of the same allay with the word Mass and is upon the same foot of account to be rejected is not true sith Mass doth usually signifie not only the Service but also the consecrated Host as the chief thing in it which is an Idol and so is not the name Priest In the Helvetian larger Confession ch 18. 't is true they make a difference between the Ministry now and the Priesthood in the Old Testament and it is true that they assert Christs Priesthood as for ever and incommunicable and therefore give not the name of Sacerdos usually translated Priest to their Ministers not because they take the word Priest as it answers to Presbyter to be evil in the sense used in the Church of England as a Degree or Order above Deacons but as it is used in the Church of Rome as their words shew which are these For our Lord himself ordained not any Priests in the Church of the New Testament which having received a power from a Suffragan might offer daily the Host I say the very flesh and very blood of the Lord for the quick and dead but such as should teach and administer Sacraments This Author proceeds in his paralellism thus Sect. 4. The parallel particulars prove not the English Ministers symbolizing in office with Popish Priests 2. The Priests of Rome must be first Deacons ere they are Priests so must the present Ministers of England 3. The Priests of Rome must be Ordained to their Office by a Lord Bishop or his Suffragan so must the Ministers of England 4. The Priests of Rome must at their Ordination be presented by an Archdeacon or his Deputy with these Words Reverend Father c. Reverend Father I present these men unto thee to be admitted unto the Order of Priesthood so are the present Ministers of England 5. The Priests of Rome must be Ordained to their Office according to their Pontifical devised by themselves the Priests of England according to their Book of Ordering Priests and Deacons which is taken out of the Popes Pontifical as is evident to any that shall compare the one with the other and as hath been long since confessed by themselves in an Admonition to the Parliament in Q Elizabeths dayes in their second Treatise 6. The Popish Priests must kneel down upon their knees at the feet of the Lord Bishop that Ordains them and he must say to them blasphemously enough Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sins ye remit or forgive they are remitted whose sins ye retain they are retained which exactly accords with the fashion of Ordaining the Priests of England 7. The Popish Priests are not Ordained in and before the Congregation to whom they are to be Priests but in some Metropolitan Cathedral City several miles from the place so are the Priests of England 8. The Popish Priests take the care of souls though not elected by them from the presentation of a Patron by the Institution and Induction of a Lord Bishop and do not the present Ministers of England the same 9. The Popish Priests wait not the Churches Call to the Ministry but make suit to some Prelate to be Ordained Priests giving money for their Letters of Ordination so do the present Ministers of England 10. The Popish Priests are Ordained to their Office though they have no flock to attend upon so are the Priests of England 11. The Popish Priests must swear Canonical Obedience to their Ordinary so do the present Ministers of England 12. The Popish Priests may at their pleasure without the consent of the People resign and give over their Benefices and betake themselves to some other of greater value A symmetrie with them herein is visible by the frequent practice of the Ministers of England 13. The Popish Priests though Ordained to preach must have special license from the Prelates so â—o do so must the Priests of England 14. The Popish Priests are subject to be silenced suspended deprived and degraded by the Prelates as are the present Ministers of England 15. The Popish Priests are not of like and equal power degree and Authority amongst themselves but are some of them inferiour to others herein as Parsons to Arch-deacons Arch-deacons to Lord Bishops Lord Bishops to Arch-bishops so the Priests of England 16. The Popish Priests must be distinguished from other people by their Vestments as Surplice Tippet c. so must the Priests of England 17. The Popish Priests are tied to a Book of stinted Prayers and a prescript Order devised by man for their Worship and Administration so are the Ministers of England and that to such an one as is taken out of the Popes Portuis as hath been proved by divers That the Common-prayer Book in Edward the sixth his time was so you have his with his Councils Testimony for it thus they write As for the Service in the English Tongue it hath manifest Reasons for it and yet perchance it seemeth to you a New Service and indeed is no other but the Old the same words in English which were in Latine If the Service of the Church were good in Latine it is good in English How little different the Common-prayer Book now in use is thereunto they that will take pains to compare the one with the other may be satisfied To these parallel particulars might be added sundry more wherein there is an exact symmetrie betwixt the Popish Priests and the present Ministers of England but ex ungue Leonem The sum of what we have been offering in this matter
Canon of his standing for fear of shedding ought But I deny that kneeling in the very time of receiving was ever in the Church of Rome any Rite of or for adoration of the Sacrament it self or any creature and therefore not Idolatrous I deny not the errour of their minds concerning that they received into their mouths But I deny that they ever intended adoration of the species at that moment of time when they took it in their mouths But then turned themselves to God rather to give him thanks which was not uncomely Of which he gives three reasons 1. Because it was never yet enjoyned by any Pope that they should then kneel 2. In the Mass there is no direction for adoration of the Sacrament when it is received 3. For that it is an incongruous thing in their superstition to adore a thing which is not higher than their polls when they adore it because they cannot be said to humble themselves to that which is lower than they can cast themselves To this last reason nothing is returned by Dr. Ames in his Triplic ch 4. p. 429. and Dallaeus adv lat cult l. 9. c. 13. Id quod adoratur eo à quo adoratur celsius ac sublimius aliquid esse debere insito à natura ipsa sensu omnes mortales confitentur atque consentiunt To which is to be added that kneeling is used according to the Common Prayer Book with Prayer to God and at the receiving of the Wine as well as at the Bread which are not so with the Papists and therefore kneeling is not to be taken as adoration of the Bread as the Papists do And for that which is said that the Lords Supper is to be received kneeling is directly opposite to the practice of the Churches of Christ for several hundred years after Christ to the time of the invention and introduction of the Popish Breaden-god it is denyed by the same Dr. Burges in that and other following Chapters by the Bishop of Rochester Paybody and others about which and the judgment and practice of most of the reformed Churches at this day it is not necessary that I should make inquiry sith if it were so yet it proves nor that the present Ministers of England do oppose the Kingly and Prophetical Office of Christ by their submitting to kneeling at the Lords Supper Sect. 10. Forbidding to marry or eat flesh at certain times are not characters of Apostates as 1 Tim. 4.3 is meant It is added What should I mention the Constitutions and Canons before pointed to wherein 't is forbidden to any to Preach not licensed by the Bishops thereunto to marry or eat flesh at certain times with many more of the like nature all directly contrary to the soveraign edicts of Christ and some of them evident characters of the last dayes Apostates 1 Tim. 4.3 from whom Saints are warned by the Lord to turn aside ver 5. These we have produced carry an undeniable evidence with them that the present Ministers of England do own submit and subscribe to Orders and Ordinances that are contrary to the revelation of Christ and therefore deny his Prophetical and Kingly Office Answ. To that of forbidding to Preach answer is made in the examining this Chapter Sect. 2. Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from flesh at certain times upon politick considerations or for the better observing a religious Fast are not characters of the Apostates 1 Tim. 4.3 But may be justified by such passages of Scripture as Jonah 3.7 Joel 2.16 1 Cor. 7.5 Dan. 10.3 Nor do I think the most zealous Separatists but would restrain from Marriage and Flesh the members of their Churches in the times of solemn Fasts or would count it evil that the Magistrate forbids for civil ends abstinence from some kind of food which being the case of the prohibitions of the Civil Laws of England rather than the Canons of the Church which make it not a sin against God to marry or eat flesh then is unjustly made the character of Apostates 1 Tim. 4.3 which is more justly charged on the Monks and Popish Votaries who account it sinful to marry as if it were unchastness and more lawful to use Concubines than Wives for Priests as if they joyned with Pope Siricius terming such persons in the flesh and such as could not please God and place more holiness in eating Fish than Flesh which sort of people are very accurately proved to be there characterized by Mr. Joseph Mede in his Book of the Doctrine of Daemons intituled The Apostasie of the later times That the present Ministers of England are such or that precept which is not 1 Tim. 4.5 2 Tim. 3.5 From such turn aside belongs to them is not proved by this Author nor that they do own submit and subscribe to Orders and Ordinances that are contrary to the revelation of Christ or deny his Prophetical and Kingly Office French Protestants in the Synod of Charenton 1644. chap. 13. art 24. The Church shall not solemnise marriage in the dayes on the which the Lords Supper is administred nor on the dayes of a publick Fast. See this crimination retorted on the Separatists by Paget in his Arrow ch 6. sect 3. p. 155. n. 5. Yet he hath not done with this Argument Sect. 11. No such Headship is owned by the present Ministers as is a denial of Christs Offices To all that hitherto hath been offered in this matter we shall yet add as a further demonstration of the truth we are in the disquisition of Arg. 3. Those that acknowledge another Head over the Church beside Christ deny his Prophetical and Kingly Office but the present Ministers of England do own and acknowledge another Head over the Church beside Christ Therefore If the assertion of another King in England that as the Head thereof hath power of making and giving forth Laws to the free-born Subjects therein be a denial of his Kingly Authority as no doubt it is the major or first Proposition cannot be denied If Christ be the alone King of his Church as such he is its alone Head and Lawgiver If he hath not by any Statute-Law established any other Headship in and over his Church to act in the Holy things of God from and under him besides himself who sees not the assertion of such an Headship carries with it a contempt and denial of his Authority If there be any such Headship of the Institution of Christ let us know when and where it was instituted whether such a Dominion and Soveraignty over the Subjects of his Kingdom with respect to Worship be granted by them to any of the sons of men absolutely or conditionally if the first then must the Church it seems be governed by persons casting off the yoke of Christ trampling upon his royal Commands and Edicts for so it 's possible it may fall out those that aâ—tain this Headship may do as it 's evident many Popes of Rome the great
though it shewed him to be negligent But is nothing to our Ministers who are not now to count any man or creature common or unclean Act. 10.15.28 Whether they have power to keep any professing the Faith from the Lords Supper it may be doubted Granting it that they have yet this Author will not allow it I presume to each single Minister and if not it is unjust to account them false Preists for not doing it But of this before in this Chapter Section 4. Sect. 9. The Ministers are not the false Shepherds meant Ezek. 34.4 It is added 10. That they exercise not pity to the weak broken scattered Sheep of Christ nor shew bowels in their recovery but with force and cruelty rule over them Ezek. 34.4 One would think the former part of the Chapter were rather an History of what is practised by the false Shepherds of this day than otherwise so perfect an agreement is there betwixt their practice and this prophecy of the Lord. They tell us 't is our weakness and distemper that we conform not to their worship that we are persons gone astray we profess to them that we would not give way to spiritual distempers nor stray one step from the wayes of God might we but know it we would thank any to convince us of our mistakes and reduce us to the true sheepfold if we are gone astray Do they seek after us in a spirit of tenderness labour to convince us and carry us in their bosomes like tender Shepherds to the true fold What less With force and cruelty they rule over us threaten us with Excommunications Imprisonments Banishments dispoiling us of what God hath graciously given us yea condemning us to death in all which through the grace of God we can rejoice though they thereby abundantly demonstrate that they are the successors of the false Shepherds here spoken of Answ. Though Diodati the Annotator in the large Annotations Junius The Marginal Notes of the Geneva Translation say he meaneth by Shepherds the King the Magistrates Priests and Prophets yet after Piscator Grotius and others I think this passage is only appliable to the Kings and other Civil Rulers of Israel the Prophets not ruling over the people with force and cruelty but beguiling them with lies and deceit Which with sundry more passages of the Chapter upon my reading of it do convince me that this Author doth misalleadge it sith the Ministers of England are not Successors of the Civil Magistrates nor are the Prince and Governors here termed false Shepherds but negligent and unmerciful which are not the signal Characters of a false Prophet or false Priest and therefore this Text is impertinent to prove the Ministers to be such As for the practice he chargeth the Ministers with sith it is in generals a distinct answer cannot be made to it nor can any but the accused well answer it Possibly that which this Author counts force and cruelty may be necessary though severe discipline I do not justifie the neglects or menaces mentioned in any nor is it unlikely but that there are men of violent spirits in the Hierarchy and Ministry of England to whom this evil is imputed nor do I think this Author can acquit all those that are Elders or other members of the Congregational Churches Iliacos intrà muros peccatur extrà It is to be lamented that such sad things should happen as he recites For my part I have even when the Congegational men had most liberty had conferences with persons in which I shewed my dissent from them in respect of the Separation with my Reasons and have often in writing answered their Arguments for it which I can yet produce yet found them still inflexible This writing was begun by me out of compassion of those to whom I was once a Preacher whom I found seduced by it and have endeavoured without any bitterness to convince this Author of his mistakes yet I doubt whether he will thank me for it I rather expect to be told for writing this Book as I was for writing of some other pieces that I am an Apostate temporizer flatterer adversary to the Saints and such like imputations They that know what hath been done in New-England and old England even at Oxford to Quakers for inveighing against their Teachers and Governors should be somewhat more moderate in censures of the present Ministers and Governors who when they read this very Chapter will be apt to think that the soul of the Quakers is by transmigration gotten into this Author My Prayer to God is that on all sides there may be such a calm and considerate spirit that we may forbear one another and in love endeavour the rectifying of each other not bite and devour one another lest we be consumed one of another and so we be Homo homini lupus not Shepherds Sect. 10. The Ministers of England are not the second Beast foretold Revel 13.11 But there 's more behind What should I mention saith he 11. That they come up out of the Earth Rev. 13.11 are raised up by men of earthly spirits and principles 12. That they exercise the power of the first Beast or make use of the civil power for their supportment ver 13.13 That they make an Image to the Beast ver 14.15 i. e. Erect an Ecclesiastical state of Government in a proportioâ—ableness to and resemblance of the Civil State 14. That they compel all under the penalty of death to worship or bow down to this Image of the Beast or Ecclesiastical Government in its Courts Canons Laws and Ceremonies devised by it v. 15. 15. That they compel all to receive a mark either in their right hands or foreheads secretly or openly one way or other to acknowledge subjection unto this Beast without which they may neither buy nor sell being cut off from the Church by their Excommunications for their stubborness v. 16 17. All which Characters of the second Beast or false Prophet he that runs may read upon the present Hierarchy and Ministry of England It remaineth then that the present Ministers of England have the characters of the false Prophets and Preists upon them and therefore are not to be heard but to be separated from Answ. Though the Book of the Revelation be a holy Divine writing and hath been of great use to support the spirits of Christians under the great Persecutions which have befallen them and is still of very great importance for the animating of believers either to patience in sufferings or watchfulness in time of temptation yet such abuse there hath been made of it to uphold many wild conceits many irregular practises notwithstanding the confessed obscurity and the frequent refutation of such conceits as men have with much confidence delivered by the manifestation of their vanity in the event that sober men have wished it were either less read by some or more considerately weighed and more warily applyed The passages here alledged have been so abused
sufficient reason of separation but such as this Author who is indeed with others like minded the true Scandalizer or he by whom the offence cometh or else it is the offended persons own inference from the real or imaginary actions of their Brethren of a necessity of separation that scandalizeth him That which this Author brings here is farr from a Demonstration We find Revel 18.4 that St. John heard a voice from Heaven saying Come out of herâ— my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues But to â—erch out of this passage this Proposition Christ commands them to separate from every thing of Antichrist and to inferr this conclusion and therefore from his ministry needs a Delian Diver or cunning Alchymist or Sophister that can deduce quidlibet ex quolibet It is plain that the Exhortation is to goe out of Rome called Babylon ch 17 18. Nor do I gainsay that it is meant of it as it is corrupted by the Papacy Nor do I question but the Papal monarchy is an Antichristian state and that though the plain meaning is no more but that Gods people whereof I doubt not some are and will be in Rome when it shall be destroyed should abandon that place afore it be destroyed to avoid participation of its sins and plagues yet too it may be understood of communion with the Papacy in their Idolatry and Heresies But it is a wild conceit to make every thing done or used by Popes to be a thing of Antichrist much more is it to make the ministry of the Ministers of England the ministry of the Pope when it is so directly contrary to the Pope and Popish Doctrine and Worship expresly abjured and abhorred by them How frivolous his proofs are of the present Ministers opposing visibly Christs Kingshâ—p having the characters of false Prophets of being guilty of Idolatry is shewed already What the frame of the spirits of the present Conformists is or hath been God only who is the searcher of hearts is fit to judge what their principles were formerly and are now is to be known either by those that have conversed with them or heard them preach or read their writings sure every sincere Lamb of Christ is neither fit nor able to judge or examine the truth of any number of Conformists spirits or principles and therefore if these alterations which are here mentioned be the ground of the offence that is taken against them it cannot be a just ground of their taking offence If it were there were just ground of offence given to separate from the Separatists Not to mention what of old was charged upon the Brownists whose spirits and principles were such as made many as holy persons as England yielded to dehort the godly from joyning with them in their way of Separation Nor what either Mr. Edwards in his Gangraena or Mr. Baillee in his Disswasive or Mr. Weld in his Story of the Antinomians have written of the state of the Congregational Churches The Elders and Messengers of the Congregational Churches in the Preface to their Dâ—claration of their Faith and Order in their meeting at the Savoy Octob 12. 1658. say It is true That many sad miscarriages divisions breaches fallings off from holy Ordinances of God have along this time of tentation been found in some of our Churches yet they do not at all stumble us as to the truth of our way had they been many more And avow this as their great Principle That amongst all Christian States and Churches there ought to be vouchsafed a forbearance and mutual indulgence unto Saints of all perswasions that keep unto and hold fast the necessary Foundations of Faith and Holiness in all other matters extra fundamental whether of Faith or Order Mr. Weld in his Answer to Mr. Rathband heretofore denied not the Congregations Parochial in England to be true Churches though impure And Mr Norton in his Answer to Appollonius ch 16. saith We reject the Separatists who distinguish not between the Church and the Impurities of the Church Whence the great crime of Schism Yet this Author not considering that the Congregational men disclaim his rigid separation avows separation as commanded by Christ from the Church of England as no true Church and condemns hearing the present Ministers as the Ministers of Antichrist though they preach the Gospel of Christ because of some defects conceived in their calling and some impurities real or imaginary in their worship as if it were saying A Confederacy forbidden Isai. 8 12. and a just ground of offence given to the sincere Lambs of Christ in that they do not separate from the Assemblies of England But he hath not yet done but adds Sect. 6. The Separatists give more just cause of Offence to godly sober Christians than the Conformists do to them If it be yet further said Obiect 2. But if I do not goe to hear the Preachers of this day many truly godly and sober Christians will be offended at my forbearance so that whether I hear or whether I forbear I shall offend To this I answer 1 That granting the case to be as is suggested though perhaps somewhat else upon a serious and strict search may be found to lye at the bottom of our Conformity beyond what is here pleaded I am very apt to believe were but a Toleration granted t is not the fear of offending any would cause our conforming Brethren to attend upon the ministry of the present Priests of England Yet supposing it to be as is intimated we ask 1. Do you look upon your going to hear as your duty or meerly as your liberty If the first let it be proved from any positive precept of Christ and we are satisfied if the second you are bound by many solemn injunctions which are at least reduceable to the moral Law not to use your liberty to scandalize your Brethren 2. Let both parties be weighed in an upright ballance such as you judge to be offended with you for not hearing and such as are offended thereat I am bold to say That the last mentioned for number holiness spirituality and tenderness do farr surmount the former who will really be scandalized at your forbearance 3. Let also the grounds of the offence on both sides be weighed the one are offended at you That you build not up in practise in a day of trouble and cause thereby the enemies of the Lord to triumph and blaspheme what in a day of liberty you did in your preaching and practice pull down and destroy The other because of your disobedience to what they are satisfied and you your selves once were God is calling you to viz. to have nothing to do with separate from this generation of men But 4. That t is your duty especially if in a Church-relation to meet together as a people called and picked by the Lord out of the Nations of the world cannot be denied The neglect of which is
charged by the Lord as the first step to Apostacy Heb. 10.25 Be you in the practice of this duty and see what spiritual Saint will be offended at you if any should you might have peace therein you doing your duty no just cause of Scandal is given Yet further 5. Consider on which side the Cross lies which the flesh and fleshly interest is most opposite to whether in going or forbearing to goe to hear these men Vsually that is the way of God that hath most of the Cross in it and the flesh is most strugling and contesting against But thus much of the 7th Argument Answ. If the case be granted as is suggested the same Argument which proves it unlawful to hear the present Ministers proves it unlawful not to hear them unless omission may not be said to scandalize which is contrary to Matth. 17.27 No serious and strict search of men can find what lies at the bottom of mens conformity till God discover it It is not fit to insinuate conceits of others which beget evil surmises in us of them true charity believeth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 It is a fruit of malignity to say I am very apt to believe what may beget evil prejudice in me or another towards a Brother But what if there were an embracing a Toleration if granted This would only shew That they did not tye themselves to the present ministry not that then or now they hold it unlawful to hear them nor that their hearing is only to avoid offence but for other reasons conjunct with it which may be lawfully aimed at in the same act Sure it is not evil in doing that which is lawful to arm at our own peace and other outward advantage besides the avoiding of offence If a man were disposed to retaliate it might perhaps be told this Author that perhaps somewhat else lay at the bottom besides his not offending the Lambs of Christ that he did separate heretofore it may be credit preferment power and gain lay that way it may be adherence to a party interest in their affections that I say no more retains him still in this way Yet would he take this ill and why he should do to other what he would not they should do to him I see no cause Christ taught otherwise Matth. 7.1 2 3 4 5 12. But to the question I answer It is their duty to hear the present Ministers while they preach the Gospel or Word of God And though by immediate precept a man is not bound to hear this or that particular Minister of this or that way of Church-government or perswasion but is at liberty to choose as may be all things considered for his conveniency yet if other things concurr he ought to hear such as the providence of God hath placed over him or near his habitation though he be not chosen by himself to be his Pastour which I think may be proved from 1 Thâ—s 5.12 Heb. 13.17 John 10 27 Mark 4.23 How we are to avoid Scandalizing our Brethren is shewed above But it favours of Schism to appropriate the term Brethren to Christians of our perswasion or of our society Who exceed in number holiness spirituality and tenderness is a hard thing to determine Vivorum difficilis est censura Who can tell what measure of these qualifications there is in them that are living Who can point out who are such who not Who can tell what men may prove for all their fair shews How is it possible for this Author or any other to number them compare weigh them in an upright ballance May not those be more carnal yea very hypocrites which he counts spiritual Saints Are not he and all others specially of his way of separation most apt to magifie those who jump with him in his way and to disparage dissenters Are not the sincere Lambs of Christ oftentimes carried away with false shews and partial affections and wrong reports What a Lesbian leaden rule doth this Author then give whose offence is to be avoided rather than anothers Yea the rule is against his scope For if those non-hearers be such holy spiritual persons as he makes them there is the less danger of offending them Yet I dare not grant it they are The experience the world hath had of the Brethren of the Congregational way hath yet given us no such assurance of their surpassing holiness but that they have been many of them caâ—nal and walked as men Have not they even some of the prime leaders of them shewed as much passion pride covetousness self-seeking and other sinister affections as others of different wayes Sure Hildersham Ball Bradshaw Gataker and many other who have opposed the way of Separation of old and of late have given as much proof of their holiness spirituality and tenderness as Johnson Ainsworth Robinson and others in Old or New England or Holland have done Nor do I think any of the Congregational way have exceeded I will not say the martyr'd Bishops in Q. Maries dayes but even late Bishops Vsher Bedel Potter and others of the Prelatical Ministers and Churches in holiness spirituality and tenderness Let the Reader pardon my just indignation at this rotten and stinking course of puffing up his own party and disparaging dissenters which can never tend to clear truth and beget righteous judgements in men but to delude men with specious pretences and â—oment divisions Non est ex personis fides aestimanda sed ex fide persona said Tertullian Truth is not to be measured by the persons but the persons by truth If we must know our duty by this Authors rule we must leave studying the holy Scripture and study men Every weak Christian must take upon him an impossible task to weigh two parties in an upright ballance one offended at hearing the present Ministers and the other for not hearing them and both being conceived godly and sober Christians judge which party is most numerous holy spiritual and tender Nor is the next direction much better It supposeth that they who conform whether Ministers or hâ—arers blame the Separatists that they do not build up in practice in a day of trouble what in a day of liberty they did in their preaching and practice pull down and destroy and thereby cause the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme and that this is the ground of the offence on the one side That thâ—y are disobedient to what they are satisfied and the Conformists Ministers or hearers of them or both once were that God is calling them to have nothing to do with to separate from this generation of men and that this is the ground of the offence on the other side and that the ground of the offence is more just on the side of these later These words are aenigmatical and require an Oâ—dipus to unriddle them However this I conceive is his meaning That the godly and sober Christians have no reason to be offended at him and others of his
separation we declare against although we should not think it evil to hear their Ministers Preach the word of God or to worship God with them We are of opinion that it is a gross errour which is often in the mouths of Separatists That they may not hear with the world nor pray with the world whence it hath come to pass that some have left off praying in their Families Catechizing their children instructing their servants unless members of their Churches which tends to bring in irreligion and profaneness and is contrary to the precepts of Scripture Ephes. 6.4 Deut. 6.7 c. contrary to the practise of Christ and his disciples who heard Christ Preach with the scribes and Pharisees praised God with the multitude even the children Christ approving it Luk. 19.37 40. Matth. 21.9.15 16. And however we approve not any evil in the Ministers or their Ministration nor do assent to any unfitting thing therein yet we rejoyce that Gods word is taught and his Name invocated in any company by any persons and think we have the Apostles example to warrant us Philip. 1.18 and do wish that God would not lay to the Separatists charge besides other sins which we think are nor a few in these withdrawings from Communion and invectives their ingratitude for that benefit others have and they might have from that Ministry they so much oppose If this Authour or those of his way suffer contempt reproach and hard usage though we wish it may not be yet it may be told them That not Christs Institutions are contemned but their own intemperate carriage is rebuked which is not likely ever to succeed well but to be a hindrance to the work of Christ and the peace of his Church Yet this Authour proceeds Sect. 6. Hearing the present Ministers hardens none in sin As for the second particular That hereby poor souls are hardned in a false way of worship what can be thought less supposing the worship in the Parish-Assemblies of England to be so as hath been proved when they shall see professors that were wont to pray and preach together to profess and protest against Common-prayer-book Priests and worship to cry up or at least approve of Laws made for their Ejection if guilty of no other crime than Conformity to the Worship they now conform to and practise now stock unto their Assemblies and bear their Priests What can they imagine less than that these persons thus acting in a direct contrariety to their former judgement and practice do now see they were mistaken and are beginning at least to return unto those paths from whence they departed and that these ways in which they and their forefathers have walked are the good old way in which rest is to be found Wo unto the world because of offences wo also unto them by whom they come Answ. The hearing the present Ministers to be no false way of worship is that which is now asserted the contrary is not yet proved by this Authour They who are chargeable with former miscarriages are to answer for themselves The hearing the present Ministers which is defended as lawful is not justly offensive nor for it onely do men fear the doom of Scandalizers It is added Nor is the 3d particular viz. That hereby poor souls are hardened in their rebellion and blasphemy against God the Spirit his Tabernacle and them that dwell therein to be in the least questioned we every day hear to the breaking of our hearts stout words spoken against the Lord because of the practise of some in this thing What say the wicked of the world less than that Religion which many pretend to is but a fancy that the professors thereof are but a generation of hypocrites that will turn to any thing to save themselves that the spirit by which they are acted is but a spirit of Phanaticism and delusion Yea how do they bless themselves that they are not nor ever were and resolve so much more they will never be of the number of such professors Ask them a reason of all this and they wonder you should ask them and speedily reply to you Do you not see how many of you for fear of persecution have deserted your former principles and are returned to our Assemblies and the Ministry thereof and that any of you stand out 't is from hence evident that it is from a spirit of pride and obstinacy and not as you pretend from divine tenderness and the leadings of the Spirit of the Lord And what can we say to all these things Must we not with grief and sorrow confess That there is indeed too great an occasion administred to them for their thus speaking though this will be no plea for them in the day of Christ. Blessed are they that are not offended in him It remaineth then that inasmuch as the hearing the present Ministers of England pours out contempt upon the ways and Institutions of Christ hardens persons in a false wâ—y of worship rebellion and blasphemy against the Lord it 's utterly unlawful for saints to be found in the practice thereof Answ. Such kind of consequences as these are incident to persons of any party who have been earnest for that whch after they have relinquished So have Papists insulted over Protestants upon the returning of any seeming zealous Protestant into the Roman Church If my memory fail me not the Authour of Fiat Lux imputes the like things to Protestants upon the coming over of some to their party Yet the Answerer and others know how in that and the like cases to reply to such that mens instability shews their own weakness not the thing in which they have been zealous to have been either good or bad that any take advantage from their fact to harden themselves it is by accident not from the nature of their action if it were good and lawful otherwise that in such cases men are not to condemn or commend the thing which is done because of the actions of the person but to examine things by the rule which is the onely remedy against such events It is true that it is just cause of mourning and dejection when such things happen But not to measure truth or falshood by such motives and considerations nor conclude a thing to be evil because of such accidents To which I add That this Authour doth not well to call the obloquies against his party speaking against Religion blaspheming God the Spirit tabernacle and them that dwell therein whose ways may be reproached by reason of their zeal for their way and yet no reproach to God his Spirit Religion Tabernacle and the indwellers It would be more for their benefit if he and others of his mind and others who have occasioned such blasphemies against Religion did excuâ—â—re semetipsos search themselves whether their own present violence of spirit unpeaceableness out of pretended zeal for God or their and others now conforming intemperate heat have not opened the
often shewed to be so impertinently alleadged against the actions of Protestants which are done in opposition to Popery that it is a wonder that men pretending tenderness of conscience should be so impudent as still to accuse Protestants as receiving the mark of the beast and staying in Babylon even for that for which the holy Martyrs died in opposition to Popery But if it be true which Mr. Paget hath in his Arrow p. 29. Mr. Robinson was not constant to this opinion As for what this Authour saith The Common-prayer-book-worship is proved by him to be false worship it hath been shewed not to be true in the answer to all he saith here Yet were there some superstition in the worship prescribed in the Common Prayer Book it is not sufficient to make the places in which the present Ministers and people meet places or assemblies of false worship every corruption in Gods worship not making the place or assembly to be a place or assembly of false worship as is manifest both in the case of the sin of Hophni 1 Sam. 2.17 of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.20 21 22. 14.26 Nor if the places and assemblies were for some corruption yet were it necessary to go out of them except they were idolatrous For so were the going up to Gilgal Bethaven or Bethel forbidden Hos. 4.15 Amos 4.4 to offer sacrifice to the calves set up by Jeroboam which therefore prove not going to a place of false worship to be forbidden except it be idolatrous and to joyn in that worship and therefore the antecedent of this Authours argument is denied if it be meant of false worship that is not idolatrous Gods people were required to go to the temple at Jerusalem after it had been defiled with Idolatry and the Idol removed and even then when corpuptions of buying and selling there and will-worship was in sundry things continued there yet our Lord Christ himself went up to the Temple at Jerusalem The consequence also is denied it being false that we cannot go to hear the present Ministers of England without we go to their places and assemblies of false worship To which I add That this is contrary to our Saviours doctrine John 4.21 22 23. to tie men to worship onely in the place and assembly of the separated Churches and contrary to S. Pauls doctrine 1 Tim. 2.8 to forbid any to worship God in any place and therefore herein this Authour and such separatists as are of his mind are guilty of Judaizing But he goeth on thus Sect. 8. There is ground to expect a blessing in hearing the present Ministers Argument 11. That upon the doing whereof Saints have no promise of a blessing nor any ground to expect it is not lawful for them to do But in the hearing of these men the Saints have no promise of a blessing nor ground to expect it Therefore The major or first proposition will not be denied As for the minor or second proposition That the Saints have no promise of a blessing from God nor ground to expect it in the hearing of the present Ministers of England may many ways be demonstrated If there be any promise of a blessing upon them from God in their so doing let it be produced and we shall willingly confess there is no weight in this argument But this we conceive to be no easie task for any to discharge and that for these reasons 1. The blessing of the Lord is upon Sion Psal. 87.2 78.68 there he dwells Psal. 9.11 74.2 Jer. 8.19 Isa. 8.18 Joel 3.17.21 The presence of Christ is in the midst of the golden Candlesticks Rev. 1.12 13. 2.1 't is his garden in which he feedeth and dwells Cant. 6.2 8.13 and we are not surer of any thing nor will it be denied by our conforming brethren many of them thaâ— we are of this That the assemblies of England in their present constitution are so far from being the Sion of God his candlestick his garden that they are a very wilderness and that Babel out of which the Lord commands his people to hasten their escape Revel 18.4 2. God never promiseth a blessing to a people waiting upon him in that way which is polluted and not of his appointment as we have proved the worship of England to be 3 The Lord hath expresly said concerning such as run before they are sent That they shall not profit the people Jer. 23.32 4. The Lord protesteth that such as refuse to obey his calls to come out of Babylon shall partake of her plagues Revel 18.4 5. Where the Lord is not in respect of his special presence and grace there is no ground to expect any blessing but God is not so in the midst of the Parochial assemblies of England Where are the souls that are converted comforted strengthened stablished that are waiting at theâ— doors of their house Though many will not see it yet aâ— sad spirit of withering and visible decaies is to be found upon many that are waiting upon the teachings of the Ministers of this day And we hope the Lord will in mercy cause those that are indeed his to see it that they may remember from whence they have fallen repent do their first works and watch to strengthen the things that remain that are ready to die for God hath not found their works perfect before him Answ. Blessings are of many sorts Any good in general yea any immunity or freedom from evil is a blessing in a large sense But in a strict sense that onely is called a blessing which is the conferring of some special good whether temporal or eternal corporal or spiritual In the former sense the major is true It is not lawful for the Saints to do that which there is no promise of good to them upon doing it nor ground to expect that the person shall not be punished for it But if it be meant of good as of long life to the honouring of parents eternal life to believing on Christ there are many things the Saints have no promise of special good to be conferred on them for doing them nor ground to expect any such blessing but what is common to all men and yet the thing is lawful to be done by them as eating and drinking for their sustenance buying and selling planting building c. common to other men with them and in this strict sense in which this Authour takes it the major is not true Ezekiel Preached lawfully when he was told Israel would not hearken Ezek. 3.2 7. and Jonah when he thought Nineveh would not repent Jonah 4.2 But to wave this exception the minor is not true I assert the Saints have a promise of spiritual blessing by hearing these men while they Preach the Gospel as much as any Preachers in the Congregational Churches Isa. 55.3 Hear and your soul shall live Luke 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it are promises made to them that hear the
of their converts are the cause thereof by their invectives begetting enmity and prejudice against them in the minds of men May it not be said to themselves Where are the souls that are converted comforted strengthened stablished by your Ministry Were not many if not most in your Churches wrought upon at first by other Preachers And if so may it not be said Ye your selves are the seal of their Ministry in the Lord nevertheless though God onely can tell exactly and fully what is the fruit of any mens Ministry yet I hope there are that can testifie their receiving good by the Ministry of some of the present Ministers and that however it be by reason of the many stumbling-blocks cast in the way God will yet have mercy on the people of England and give them hearts to receive the truth Preached to them in the love of it Sure this Authour should rather pray it may be so and encourage the Ministers to do the work of the Lord more faithfully and not weaken their hands by drawing their auditors from them As for that which he saith of the decaies of the auditors of the Ministers I joyn with him but add withall That so far as mine acquaintance or intelligence reacheth there is too great and sensible a decay of the spirit of love power and of a sound mind in the Congregational Churches of old and new England and that a spirit of bitterness consoriousness misreporting mistaking dissenters words and actions unrghteousness unpeaceableness is too abundant in them that I say nothing of their proneness to embrace Antinomianism Quakerism and other dangerous errours Iliacos intra muros peccatur extra The Lord pardon our evils and heal our breaches Yet there is one more Argument to be answered Sect. 9. Hearing the present Ministers is no step to Apostacy Argument 12. That the doing whereof is one step to Apostacy is not lawful to be done But the hearing the present Ministers of England is one step to Apostacy Therefore The major Proposition will readily be granted by all The beginnings of great evils are certainly to be â—esisted Apostacy is one of the greatest evils in the world The minor or second proposition Viz. That the hearing of the present Ministers is one step to Apostacy is evident 1. It cannot be done especially by persons of Congregational principles without a relinquishment of principles owned by them as received from God That the Church of England as National is a Church of the institution of Christ That persons not called to the office of the Ministry by the Saints are rightfull Ministers of Christ must be owned and taken for granted ere the Conscience can acquiesce in the hearing the present Ministers for we suppose 't will not be asserted by those with whom we have to do that there can be a true Ministery in a false Church or that false Ministers may be heard and yet the present Ministers are Ministers in and of the national Church of England and were never solemnly deputed to that office of the suffrage of the Lords people 2ly Nor can it be done without the neglect of that duty which with others is eminently of the appointment of the Lord to secure from Apostacy instanc'd in by the Author to the Hebrews Hebr. 10.25 Not forsaking the assembling of your selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching in which the duty of Saints assembling themselves together as a body distinct from the world and it's assemblies â—s also their frequent and as often as may be exhorting one another as a medium to secure them by the blessing of the Lord thereupon from a spirit of degeneracy and Apostacy from God is clearly asserted whence it undeniably follows that the hearing of the present Ministers of England being inconsistent with the constant and diligent use of the means prescribed for the preservation of the Saints in the way of God for whilst they are attending upon their teachings they cannot assemble themselves according to the prescription of God in the forementioned Scripture is at least one step to the dreadfull sin of Apostacy from God and therefore it is utterly unlawful for Saints so to do And thus far of the Twelfth Argument for the proof of the assertion under our maintenance viz. That 't is not lawful for Saints to hear the present Ministers of England to which many others might be added but we doubt not to the truly tender and humble enquiring Christian what hath been offered will be abundantly sufficient to satisfie his Conscience in the present enquiry Answ. If by Apostasie be meant Apostatie from the living God and the Christian faith the major is granted and the minor is denied nor is there any thing tending to a shew of proof of it produced for it and if it should be meant of such Apostasie the thing is so notoriously false the hearers of such Ministers as â—e now Ministers in England having been as constant in the profession and practice of Christianity both against Popery and other ungodliness in times of persecution by Papists and at other times as other Christians in other ages that this Author would be hissed at as one extremely impudent in asserting so palpable an untruth But I conceive by his proof of the minor he means by Apostasie the relinquishing of the Congregational principles and practise Concerning which I conceive the major may be denyed it being not unlawfull but a necessary duty to depart from some of their principles and practises I mean such as are for separation in communion from dissenting Christians Yet I do not think but the Conscience may well acquiesce in the hearing of the present Ministers as teaching truth without relinquishment of the two principles owned by them as received from God I think if they will weigh what is here written they may find if not the congregational principles yet separation inferred from them to be an errour and to beget nothing but Superstition in their minds and sinfull uncharitable division in their practise Nor do I think it necessary that they which still adhere to that way of Communion need neglect the duty of meeting and exhorting one another according to Hebr. 10.25 the mistake of which is shewed in the answer to this chapter Sect. 2. They that hear the present Ministers some hours may hear other Ministers at other hours they that at one time hear them may at another time exhort one another Heretofore persons of Congregational Principles could hear in Parochial Assemblies Parochial Ministers why they may not do so still I understand not were it not that opinions of separation animated them to division and faction which the Lord amend and make them diligent to provoke one another to love and to good works I have now answered the Jury of Twelve Arguments which I have found brutum fulmen as the shooting off Ordinances without a bullet
and more exceptions then the present Ministers It is added Sect. 3. The Pharisees were not Church-officers of Gods appointment But let this be granted Suppose 2. The Scribes and Pharisees to be the preachers and expounders of the Law in that day the seat mentioned to be a Ministerial seat Yet this will not at all help them in the matter in controversie except it be granted to them that the Scribes and Pharisees were not a lawful but a false Ministry that had surreptitiously climbed up into this Ministerial seat for who sees not the invalidity and nothingness of this argument 'T was lawful to hear the Scribes and Pharisees which were the lawful Church-officers of that day of the appointment of the Lord acting by vertue of an authority derived from him therefore 't is lawful to hear persons that have not any such authority from Christ but are meer intuders and Ministers of Antichrist as the present Ministers of England have been proved to be now this upon that supposition that they were Ministers we cannot yield to these reasons 1. The Pharisees are expresly said to be Priests and Levites John 1.19 and this is the record of John when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him Who art thou v. 24. And they that were sent were of the Pharisees which were the ordinary lawful Ministers of that day 2. These of all others were most apt to question the authority of such as taught the people So when John appears preaching and baptizing and professes to them that he was not the Christ nor Elias nor Prophet who was expected by the people of the Jews they immediately question his authority John 1.25 Why baptizest thou then which they could not be supposed to have the face to do if they themselves of all others had been the greatest intruders Nay 3. When they question Christ himself about his authority he asks not them from whence they had theirs which doubtless upon that occasion he would have done had they not been lawfully seated in the seat they did possess but from whence John had his who was esteemed as a prophet 4. We have the Lord Jesus many times crying out above all others against the Pharisees condemning them of pride hypocrisie avarice c. but not the least tittle of the usurpation of Moses seat is by him charged upon them or in the least intimated which doubtless would have been had they been guilty thereof I reply that this grant that the Scribes and Pharisees were preachers and expounders of the Law in that day will help the objectours in the matter in controversie though it be not granted to them that the Scribes and Pharisees were not a lawfull but a false Ministry that had surrepticiously climbed up into this ministerial seat For they are assured that this Author hath not proved nor can prove the present Ministers of England to be meer intruders and Ministers of Antichrist and therefore need not this supposition concerning the Scribes and Pharisees to prove Christs allowing the hearing of the present Ministers Only this is urged that there is as much exception and more against the Pharisees teaching than against the present Ministers and yet they might be heard therefore with better reason may the present Ministers be heard Nevertheless I deny that the Scribes and Pharisees which they were to hear were the lawfull Church Officers of that day of the appointment of the Lord acting by vertue of an authority derived from him it being certain that as he saith they were a particular Sect among the Jews no where appointed by God to this office of Priesthood or teaching but taken up by men as orders of Friers among the Papists though some of them were Priests and some of them Rabbins or teachers of the law and educated thereunto as teachers of Divinity are in the Schools among us at this day which if the Ministers of England had no further ordination being the condition of most or very many of the present Ministers in England might justifie the hearing of them as well as the hearing the Pharisees who had no better calling to that function As for the reasons of this Author the first is not valid For it proves only that some of the Priests and Levites were Pharisees not all St. Paul certainly was not though a Pharisee nor that those that sate in Moses chair were Priests for all were not there being many thousands of Pharisees who were not Rabbins St. Paul was a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee when he sate at Gamaliels feet Acts 22.3 yet not a Doctor of the Law sitting in Moses his chair Nor if they were Priests doth it prove they were the lawfull Ministers of that day For to say nothing of Christs Apostles who were at that day the lawfull Ministers with and under Christ himself it is certain the Priests of those times got their places as for instance the High Priest by undue and unlawfull wayes by bribing the Roman Deputy as Josephus reports and therefore if it were proved they were Priests yet they are not proved to be lawful Ministers Yea that which is said of their Ordination and Education by the most favourable Writers of the Jewes proves they had some kind of entrance into their profession according to the customs of those times which were of human invention but nothing of Gods institution that they should sit in the chair of Moses As for the Second reason there is no marvel they had the impudence to question Iohns authority though themselves intruders when they were puft up with conceits of their authority though they had none when they were so proud and impudent as to conceive themselves righteous and despise others Luke 18.9 and to allege it in prayer to God though their Consciences might tell them they were covetous and unrighteous yea to deride Christ when he told them they could not serve God and Mammon Luke 16.14 Nor is the Third reason of force For Christ might question their authority though he did not when they questioned Johns and he seems after John to have done it in calling them a generation of vipers blind guides with sundry other expressions disparaging of them and their traditions And his charging them with affectation and ambitious seeking of the chief Seats and to be called Rabbi Rabbi what is it but an evidence that they did unlawfully climb into Moses his seat which they did so ambitiously gape after As for the not in express words charging them with usurpation it is no marvail it is not related sith their instigation of Herod to take away John Baptists life related by Iosephus is not related as imputed to them by Christ in any of the Evangelists Besides how irrational this argument is we read not that Christ charged them with usurpation of Moses seat therefore he did it not every puny in Schools knows who hath learned that rule in Logick argumentum non valet ab authoritate negativè an
warranted and engaged to attend upon it The greater hopes we have of their goodness the more are all that love the Lord Jesus bound to encourage them in this way as being the the true way of Christ and to relinquish them and separate from them for this cause is very sinfull sith it is to separate from them for doing their duty To hold them as excommunicate to reprove to urge them to repentance not to receive them to conceive of them as brethren walking disorderly is uncharitableness and injustice That the incestuous person was a good man before he repented cannot be well conceived sith he committed such a sin as was not named among the Gentiles it was the sin of the Corinthians that they were puffed up and had not rather mourned that he that had done that deed might be taken away from among them it is no sin that the Saints do not mourn that the present Ministers who are confessedly good men may be taken away from among them it is their great sin if they do not bless God for them and pray for their establishment and good success in their Ministry That the Ministry is devised by any other than God is not shewed they that talk and write ignorantly not ever reading the book of Ordination which shews what their Ministry is make invectives against them and wildly wander from them upon false suggestions often to their perdition That to hear them is not to partake with them in sin is shewed in answer to this Authors 8 th argument chap. 8 th That their Ministry is usurped is not proved if it were it might be a true Ministry which if it be though it were usurped it is not the sin but may be the duty of him that exerciseth it It follows Sect. 11. The example of the learned godly Nonconformists is some inducement to hear the present Ministers Object 7. But many learned and good men and such as in Conscience could not conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England have in dayes past and do now hear the present Ministers thereof To which we answer 1. That the greatest Scholars and most accomplished for humane wisdom parts yea visible holiness have not been alwayes on the Lords side following him in paths of his own appointment but many times have been found the greatest persecutors and opposers of Christ the most stupendiously ignorant of the will of God in respect of the truth and work of their generation of any persons in the world witness the Scribes and Pharisees the learned Rabbies and profound Doctors of that day with what virulency did they oppose Christ and the doctrine of the Gospel preached by him 2. That persons of as great holiness and renown for learning and all manner of accomplishments as learned Ainsworth Cotton c. have been and are of the same apprehension with us in this matter not to mention the reformed Churches who generally renounce the Ministry of the Church of England not admitting any by vertue of it to the charge of Souls as they speak But 3. To the Law and to the Testimony Isa. 8.20 if they speak not according to this rule though Angels for knowledge and holiness they are not to be received or heeded one word from the Lord is of more weight to hearts made truly tender than the example of an hundred professors can be 't is possible these may err be yea and nay but so cannot the truth of God which is alwayes the same and will abide so for ever 4. The Apostle hath long since determined this case 1 Cor. 11.1 Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ so far as Saints follow Christ I may and ought to follow them but no further so that the learning parts or holiness of any that attend upon the present Ministers of England is no warrant for me so to do nor will ever be a satisfactory answer to that enquiry who hath required these things at your hands I reply It is not denied that the most learned and zealous of the law such as St. Paul among the Jews the most excellent Moralists among the Gentiles have been great enemies to the Gospel afore their calling to the faith of Christ but the objection is of learned and good men among Christians who are never found the greatest persecutors and opposers of Christ. Possibly it may fall out yea and it hath fallen out that among Christians the greatest Scholars and most acâ—ompâ—â—shed for humane parts wisdoms yea for visible holiness have not been alwayes on the Lords side following him in paths of his own appointment but have been stupendiously ignorant of the will of God in respect of the truth and work of their generation I think â—ardinal Caietan was one of the greatest Scholars of his time yet saw not what Luther saw about justification by faith and Luther though he did much in that point yet saw not so much as Calvin in the point of the reâ—l presence in the Eucharist and therefore like well the 3 d. and 4 â—h answer here that we should adhere only to the Law and to the Testimony and be followers of the learned as they are of Christ. Yet I conceive that it is a wicked course which is taken by some so to disparage learning as if it were of no necessity Universities as of no use but rather Seminaries of ungodliness to say that men that have humane learning are the unlearned and unstable which do wrest the Scriptures 2 Pet. 3.16 as How the Cobler a much followed Preacher a great while ago in London vented in print that learned Scholars do make the Scriptures as a nose of wax are but Juglers and deceivers which are too too often insinuated into the minds of well meaning but weak minds whereby they are more addicted to such as How Tillinghast and other popular Orators and their injudicious discourses if stuffed with fained words and earnest affections then to the most solid proofs of the most learned whose interpretations of Scripture and handling of Controversies have cleared the truth and restored purity of Doctrine to the great benefit of the Church of God which these people understand not But it hapneth according to the saying Scientia nâ—minem habâ—â— inimicum nisi ignorantem And sure though I would have no Christian enslave his judgement to any man it were that Anthropolatria or sin of glorying in men forbidden 1 Cor. 3.21 against which I printed a little treatise in the the year 1645 foreseeing it would be the means of dividing Christians into parties nor would I have that which is propounded by men of none or lesser learning rejected because it is from them one Paphâ—utius may see that truth which a whole Council though such as the first Nâ—cene without him did not discern it was an evil spirit in Matthaeus Langius that made him disdain to be taught by Luther as is related in the History of thâ— Council of â—rent God doth out of the
the Church of Rome And therefore if it be unlawful to hear the present Ministers the Papists have a just plea for their not coming to Church which evacuates all the Laws and Government requiring it It is added Sect. 13. Conformists Ministry hath been instrumental to Convert Souls Object 9. But the Ministers of England are true Gospel-Ministers for they convert Souls which the Apostle makes the Seal of his Ministry or Apostleship therefore it is lawful to hear them To this we say 1. That the Ministers of England are true Gospel-Ministers is absolutely denyed by us what is offered in this Objection proves nothing 1. Paul makes not the Conversion of the Church of Corinth singly a sufficient demonstration or convincing argument of his Apostleship he only useth it as what was most likely to win and work upon their affections who upon other accounts could not but know that he was an Apostle of the Lord Jesus 2. Conversion of Souls is no argument either of a lawfull call to an Apostleship or Ministry of Christ. For 1. Many have converted Souls that were not Apostles as ordinary Ministers 2. The Lord hath used private brethren women yea some remarkable providences as instruments in his hand for the conversion of many Souls yet who will say that private brethren women or Divine Providences are Apostles or Ministers of the Lord Jesus But 3. Should it be granted that conversion of Souls is an argument of a lawfull Ministry where are the Churches nay where are the particular persons converted by them We have not heard of any nor will it be an easie task for the Objectors to produce instances in this matter I reply That the Ministers of England who preach the Gospel truely are true Gospel Ministers may be denied absolutely but not justly their preaching the Gospel truely being it which alone is the form denominating a Minister a true Gospel Minister though more be required to his regularity Election by a Congregational Church Ordination by an Eldership or Bishop do not make a true Gospel Minister without it and it doth it notwithstanding some other defects But conversion of Souls is no certain sign of a true Gospel Minister or the defect of it an argument against it nor do I alledge 1 Cor. 9.1 2. to prove either Yet when the Gospel of Christ is truly preached and so blessed an effect follows on their labours who do so it is a good motive to the converted to hear them who have been instruments of their conversion and is an engagement to them to follow their doctrine and conversation 1 Cor. 4.15 16. Heb. 13.7.17 1 Thes. 5.12 13. And if this Author or any other do separate from them who have been instruments of their conversion and continue still to preach the Gospel truly because they abide in their station without renouncing Episcopal Ordination or accepting of an election by a congregational Church they do it unwarrantably and injuriously As for the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.1 2. the Apostles aime is to shew he was as free and might use his liberty as much as any other Apostle being as truly an Apostle as any other which might besides other evidences from the effect of his Apostleship on them appear to them so that it is an argument of his Apostleship though not singly not as this Author conceives a motive to win upon their affections yet I think it an argument from and of some thing proper to the Apostle and the Corinthians and therefore would not meerly from conversion of Souls conclude a true Gospel Ministry in all that have been instruments therein As for the demand where are the Churches where are the particular persons converted by them It may perhaps be as justly demanded of this Author where are the Churches or particular persons converted by the Ministers of the congregational Churches in old or new England or Holland Mr. Robert Baylie of Scotland in his Dissuasive from the Errors of the time Mr. Thomas Edwards in his Gangraena tell stories of the fruit of separation which I will not avow as true yet so much of truth may be picked out of them as may stop the mouths of them that extoll those Ministers and decry the best of the Conformists who yet have been if not of late yet heretofore Fathers in Christ to the Members of the Congregational Churches and to the most eminent in the Churches of old or new England But this disparagement of some and extolling of others is an odious course tending to nothing but promoting of faction and weakning the hands of them that do the work of Christ and therefore do pray that this spirit of pride and bitterness may be extinguished than in love we may serve one another and that nothing be done out of strife and vain-glory but that in lowliness of mind each may esteem others better than our selves And I wish none had vented or read such criminations as those in the book entituled Prelatical preachers none of Christs teachers in which he breaks out thus p 61. They that were â—oundly right down without any abatement or need of explication Ministers of a Prelatical Ordination have amongst them in matters of true Religion sound knowledge and piety towards God reduced the generality of the Nation to a morsel of bread All those Idolatrous and Superstitious conceits and practises all the bloody ignorance and prophaeess all that customary boldness in sinning that hatred of goodness and good men which are the nakedness and shame of the land and render it obnoxious to Divine displeasure may justly call this generation of men either fathers or foster fathers or both p. 75. he terms their Ministry a Ministry which is no where approved or sanctified by Christ in his word but obtruded upon Christians with an high hand by those who are confederate both in spirit and in practise with the scarlet coloured beast and drunken with the blood of the Saints a description which belyeth not the Prelatical Priesthood and Ministry and then applies the description Revel 13.11 to them and the warning Revel 14 9. to those who joyn to them p 76 77. he makes the Bishops to comply with Antichrist in claiming and exercising a power of imposing on men what they please in matters of Religion or faith and worship under what penalties they please also makes those ordained and Ministers under them and by them to receive the mark of the beast p. 52. though God did before the discovery of the evil of Prelacy benefit Souls by them yet not after But enough of this there remains yet that which follows Sect. 14. To the observation of the Lords day hearing the present Ministers as the case now is may be requisite Object 10. But our Ministers are removed and we know not where to go to hear would you have us sit at home idle We cannot so spend the Lords day Answ. To which we would humbly offer a few things 1. That though we are