Levites that served the Priests 1 Chron. 24.18 31. ch 25.26 ch 27. The Musicians also were divided into as many and the Dore-keepers There were also of every course that served the King twenty four thousand Seeing then the whole Congregation of Levi and the people that served the King were divided by twenty four it might be a shadow and type of that number who were made Kings and Priests unto God to serve Christ under that number the whole people under this the whole company of the redeemed are contain'd Couper 3. And Couper saith the same that under this number the whole Church both Militant and Triumphant is contain'd though he make his allusion otherwise for he divides the twenty four into two halfs the first he makes to consist of the twelve Patriarchs from whon descended the Jews the other of the twelve Apostles who converted the Gentiles the Elders then of both Nations that is the professours in both were about the throne and he proves this sense out of the fifth Chapter Ver. 9. where the twenty foure Elders fell down before the Lamb Rev. 5.8.9 having harâ—s in their hands and they â—ang a new song saying Thou art worthy O Lord. For thou wast slain and thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and Nation 10. and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests c. Beza 4. Beza conceives these Elders to be Prophets and Apostles Summus judex saith he comitatu honorificentissimo instructus Prophetarum Apostolorum tum veteris tum novae Ecclesiae Greg. lib. 4 in reg 1. ch 9. 5. Gregory expounds this of the Preachers of Gods holy Word being graves moribus sensu maturi 6. But most interpret this of the Saints departed out of this world Bullinger Traberâ—n Marlorat and now reigning with the Lord Jesus in heaven Indeed their number is without number chap. 7.9 But the set and certain number is put for the full and compleat number of the Saints under the Law and under the Gospel discending I say from the twelve Patriarchs or begotten by the twelve Apostles The Jewes and Gentiles with their twenty foure Elders are to sit upon twenty four seats cloathed with white rayment having on their heads crowns of gold I leave it now to your choice which sense to follow and it is evident if you will follow any of them that your Ruling Elders can never be fetch'd out of any of these Among the company I confesse they are in the Church Militant or Triumphant because they are professours but in a districtive notion to call them Elders and prove them so from these three texts is toto errare caelo that I say no worse Conclusio Parainetica All this while you have bestowed your labour in the building and erecting a Presbyterial or Combinational Church and having set it up as you supposed you have call'd me to view your goodly fabrique I with heed looked upon it searched into the foundation and considered the walls and columns and at last judg'd that it could not stand because the foundation was laid in the sand and the pillars and supporters over-weak the materials you have dugge out of your own fancy not out of the true Rock and cemented them together with mortar of your own making Whether this be so or not I leave it to them to judge who shall sadly weigh those stones you have collected and brought out of the quarry of Gods book to set out this your work You in the Acts finde an Election by the Church of Deacons will it thence follow that all future Elections for Presbyters must necessarily proceed by and from their votes and voices or that such Election is of the necessary constitution of a Church the Apostles to avoid an imputation that might be laid upon them in medling with many matters and that they might attend more seriously a greater businesse suffered it to be then so done and is it a good consequent that therefore it must be alwayes done Paul and Barnabas ordained Elders in every Church can any man thence rationally conclude that the Presbyters and Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Combinational Churches Regular Ordination What were Paul and Barnabas of the people or were they the Combinational Church A twisted cord will never draw and knit the premises and the conclusions together The Apostle to the Romans to the Corinthians gives a large Catalogue of the gifts and graces of the Spirit and must there therefore be so many functions in the Church He speaks of governments must they be of necessity in the hands of such governours as you suppose In the Revelation he mentions twenty foure Elders and will you thence deduce that they must be necessarily such Elders as you fancy in your brains Had all or any of these texts inforced your conclusions a wonder it is to me that none of the ancient fathers none of the reformed Churches a Barrow Cann Robinson Johnson Syons Prerogative voted by Bayly page 35. 36. Vide etiam eundem p. 104. 105 108 109 c. Bayly page 53 54 55. for you set them all by as well as the Church of Old England in this your device should out of these Mines digge such stones for the building In labours they were indefatigable for piety exemplar in judgment acute for learning very eminent in defence of Religion couragious great talents and measures of the Spirit they no question received content they were to hazard all life limbs goods preferments as many at this day do for the truth and can it be conceived that the Spirit of our good God would suffer them all to be blinded or hood-winked in this necessary of Church-government till you arose It is not yet full twenty six years since Robinson the first perswader of this way arrived at Plymouth in New England from him Mr. Cotton took it up and transmitted it thence to Mr. Thomas Goodwin who helped in this our land to propagate it you see then your Discipline hath not yet the third part of the full age of a man 'T is so youthful that as yet the beard is not well grown and will you then say that all parochial cathedral provincial national oecumenical Churches are degenerated from it you must adorne it with more gray haires and make it Apostolical which you can never do before any man will believe you Your indeavours I have frustrated by restoring the Scriptures you produce to their genuine sense about which I have not relyed wholly upon my own private spirit but upon the judgment of the learnedst gravest and most pious Divines new and old indeed upon the concurrent judgment of the whole Church Tantum veritati obstrâ—pit adulter sensus Tertullian quantum corruptor stilus And indeed I am possessed with such fear when I am to interpret the Word of God lest I should say thus saith the Lord when he
they became a man of a Homogeneous and Inorganical an heterogeneous and organical body At first they were but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people but this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and authority in themselves for why else did they all this And if this be not an act of Democracy I must professe I understand not the name nor definition of the word I shall take it kindly that any man will informe my ignorance Yea but it may be said that now in organizato corpore this Democracy is at an end for now it is a well shaped creature it hath a head it hath eyes it hath hands and all other parts in a goodly symmetry though I could ask what kind of Church was that of Mr. Canns at Amsterdam which for a time had no Pastour that liv'd a long time without Officers or Eldership yet I spare you Not so neither Answer to the thirty two Questions pag. 48. pag. 44. for the people for ought I can see as they had authority in actu primo to elect and ordain so they have authority in actu secundo to depose and excommunicate their Pastour and Elders and so to reduce themselves to what they were in puris naturalibus from an heterogeneous body to make themselves homogeneous from an organiz'd body to make themselves inorganiz'd and either to remain so if they please or to choose again And for ought I conceive Cottons Keyes Mr. Cotton intends no other by his new-coyned and applauded distinction of power and authority and power of liberty for whatever authority he gives to the Eldership he makes it vain and frustaneous without the consent of the people and notwithstanding all the obedience and subjection he puts upon the people yet he gives to them such a power of liberty that their concurrence with the Eldership in every act of power is not onely necessary but authoritativè In a word if the people have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authority of institution and destitution as your parties say if you should tell me a thousand times over I shall never beleeve otherwise but your Combinational Church is governed by a Democracy I hope I have proved sufficiently what I undertook and now I returne to my purpose for I leave the destructive part and come to build And here I shall lay that in the foundation which none but Papists for ought I perceive will deny That our Saviour Christ left the Church Militant in the hands of the Apostles and their Successours and an Aristocratical government which I shall illustrate unto you by an induction of particulars 1. The first constitute Christian Church we read of in the world Isa 2.3 was that of Jerusalem for the Law was to come out of Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem There the Apostles and Disciples first preached so that Eve was not more properly term'd the Mother of all living then this Church by Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. the Mother of all believing Churches From thence the Apostle being to depart for that they might execute our Saviors command to preach unto all Nations left the government of that Church unto James the brother of our Lord not the Apostle and ordained him then the first Bishop Euseb lib. 2.1 l. 1.19 Jerom Hegesip Ambr. Euseb 3.11 Hegesip 4.22 Jerom. in Isa 3. Ambr. in 1 Tim. Ignat. ad Trall Acts 21.18 Acts 15. Et post Martyrium Jacobi traditur saith Eusebius Apostolos commune concilium habuisse quem oporteret dignum successione Jacobi judicari omnesque uno concilio uno consensu Simeonem Cleophae filium decrevisse ut Episcopatus sedem susciperet And if I list I could give you in the Catalogue of the succeeding Bishops for the first six hundred years To him I doubt not but there was joyn'd a Presbytery which Jerome calls Senatus Ecclesiae some Collegium Presbyterorum Ignatius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he thus describes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were those Elders present with James their Bishop to whom Saint Paul went in And if I shall name Judas and Silas for two of them I am partly assured that I am not mistaken because the Decree made by the Synod at Hierusalem was sent by them The government here then was Aristocratical 2. Acts 11.22 26 27 28. cap. 13.1 Origen in Luc. Hom. 6. Euseb 3. cap. 35 Ignat. ad Antiochen The next instance I shall give you for a constitute Church is at Antioch And in this City being the Metropolis of Syria Barnabas Paul and other Prophets and Teachers Simeon Lucius Manâ—en were sound and hither also Peter came Gal. 2.11 Of this Church Origen Jerome and Ignatius who best knew it for he conversed with the Apostles Socrat. lib. 6. cap. 8. make Saint Peter the first Bishop that Evodius succeeded is the testimony of Ignatius He saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius was the next himself from whom I can give you a clear succession to the terme I mention'd And those I mentioned Barnabas Simeon Lucius c. I shall not doubt to call the Presbytery of which almost in every Epistle Ignatius makes expresse mention as Counsellours Assistants and Co-assessours of the Bishop At Antioch then was an Aristocracy also 3. At Ephesus we meet again with a constituted Church where Timothy was made Bishop by Saint Paul The subscription of the second Epistle shews that he was the first Bishop there Euseb lib. 3. c. 4. and Eusebius who saw the Records of the Primitive Church affirmes the same That he was ordained by Saint Paul by the hands of the Presbytery Calvin conceives is beyond question Now if it be demandâ—d when Timothy was made Bishop it is most probable when Paul was at Miletum When the Apostles departed from any Church which they had planted in that then they appointed a Bishop For while they remain'd in or near the place there was no such need the Apostles supplying the wants of those Churches with their presence letters or messengers as the cause required But when they were finally to forgo those parts then they began to provide for the necessity and security of that Church by setling Episcopal power which in all probability was the reason that they so soon provided a Bishop for the Church of Jerusalem Saint Paul at this time was to take his leave of the Churches at Asia he saith it plainly in that Chapter Acts 20.25 that they should see his face no more most probable then it is that at this time he left Timothy to supply his place of Ephesus yea and that the six other Angels of the Churches were then by him ordain'd Think of these seven Angels of the Churches what you please I shall not doubt to esteem them single persons and Bishops and that upon stronger evidence then any can be brought to the contrary But that 's no discourse for this place I suppose
and heady animosities fall asunder and break into several fractions and subdivisions so that they by reciting a certain forme of words seem to meet as pieces of wood finely glued together which a little spittle or wet dissolves Then again it is uselesse to them who are bound already by a higher and more solemn Covenant for this is as it were to binde a man with wisps of straw that is already bound with chains of gold For every true and conscientious Christian knows and owns himself to have upon his conscience farre more strict and indissoluble ties not onely of nature and creation but of the Law and word of God yea and of Christian Covenant and Profession by his Baptismal vow besides that bond of the other Sacrament that I speak not of his vowes renewed by often promises in his prayers and repentant promises All which binds the consciences of all good Christians to all duties of piety and charity according to the relations wherein they stand to God and man farre more firmly than any external profession in a Church way can do An external I say for so it is and being meerly external it cannot ingredi rei essentiam make any man formally a Church member that which doth this is the call of God and not the profession of man And now having removed this rub out of my way I shall go on to give you a fourth argument for a National Church 4. That to whom the proper essential and inseparable notes of the Church belong is a Church but to a National Church these notes belong therefore a National Church is a Church The major is certain for it is nota proprii the minor I easily prove The essential notes of the Church as Junius hath excellently demonstrated against Bellarmine Jun. de Ecclesia cap. 16. Doctor Field of the Ch. lib. 2. cap. 2. Whites Orthodox cap. 3. Sect. 6. first the entire profession of these supernatural verities which God hath revealed in his Sonne Secondly the use of such holy Ceremonies and Sacraments as he hath instituted and appointed Thirdly an union and connexion of men in this profession and use of these Sacraments under lawful Pastours and guides appointed authorized and sanctified to direct and lead them in the happy wayes of eternal salvation Now do not these belong to a National Church is there not in it a profession of supernatural verities is not the Word of God publickly preached in it are not holy Rites and Sacraments administred according to Christs institution is there not a succession of lawful Guides and Pastours in it as I have elsewhere proved what then can hinder but there should be a National Church Whatsoever you can say against these notes I have so clearly as I conceive proved that I hold it superfluous to adde any more and therefore I come unto my third proof experience 3. Experience is that wisdome and knowledge of any thing that a man hath by the trial of particulars For when upon a sad examination he finds that so many Individuums agree in aliquo tertio he presently concludes that they all partake of the same nature Let us then take a view of several Churches and those most eminent at first and if it appear that those were National we may from hence easily inferre that the constitution of a Church may be National It is in all Church Histories most evident that as soon as the Gospel was first planted it spread from great Cities into the Neighbour Territories and adjacent Countries which Christians so converted though they exercised the acts of Religion in particular Congregations yet still continued in a fraternal subjection and filial submission to that Bishop and Presbytery which resided in the Mother City It is a foule mistake for men to conceive of the Church of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatyra c. of Corinth Antioch Jerusalem Rome c. as confined to that City whereas he who is acquainted with Histories profane and sacred must know that under these Cities were principalities and so the jurisdiction of that Church was extended to all Christians in that Territory Which to deny is to sleight all Records and to preferre his own single imagination before all antiquity Titus was Bishop of Crete an Island Timothy of Ephesus a Province Polycarp of Smyrna a Territory and what is true of these is as true of all the rest whence we may conclude that a Church may be National for if jurisdiction of one Bishop may extend over so great Cities as they were being then the chief of the world why not then to a Province why not to a Nation especially since by this way mutual peace truth and good order is best preserved This consideration caused the first small company of believers multiplyed from a Church in one family to a Church in many Congregations that could not meet together in one place yet as branches to continue still united to the root Christ Jesus and also to the main body and bulk of the Church by union to that part whence they descended and to which they related For reason taught them that they should be weaker and exposed to more danger if they should be disunited and rent from the body and quickly wither as boughs separated from the stock I need not minde you of that old Apologue of Menenius Agrippa that the head and feet quickly starved and windred away when they would not hear of any longer dependence upon the belly He that would be magnified for Simon Magus or magnus Simon the great and wise for his invention of rarities and Paradoxes in any art or science ought to furnish himself not with popular and specious but with solid and sound arguments if he intend to winne prudent and sober men to be of his judgment for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise men will not be catch't with those sophisms with which it is easie to take the multitude After the flood there were but eight persons in the world they lived together in a family for some time and Noah as a Prince ruled them But they quickly encreased spread multiplyed grew into those Nations that now live and being dispersed over the earth they yet joyned in societies and for their mutual preservation thought it fit to be governed that way that we now behold Suppose now some great and wise Magus should in these words charme and bewitch the people Non sic fuit ab initio in Noahs dayes the ordering of the world was not as we see it now there were then no mighty Monarchs no surly Lords no Judges no Magistrates Who then spoke of National societies or civil confederations Oh 't was a brave world then when the government was domestical a golden age when no man ruled beyond his own doors but every one was a King at home Could we but contrive a way and live to see it so in our dayes 't would be no question a brave world again When Adam dugge and Eve span who was
thereof was Domestical because every father was to teach his houshold and off-spring yet the government thereof was Paternal He that was set over the rest being to be a father to the rest and to performe all Natural Civil and Ecclesiastical offices to them and they again to do all duties to him by which they are bound by the fifth Command Honour thy father 2. Your next words are that this Domestical Church was guided and governed by the first-borne of the family But this must be understood with a graine of salt for this though for the most part yet is not alwayes true for what will you say to Abel who was younger then Cain to Sem younger brother to Japheth as Junius intimates in his notes Gen. 5.32 and proves chap. 10. verse 21. which is therefore thus dubiously rendered by our Translatours Unto Shem also the father of all the children of Eber the brother of Japheth the elder even to him were children borne What will you say to Jacob to Ruben when his primogeniture was lost Necessary then it is that you limit your words that they carry this sense God did consecrate the first-borne of the family as holy to himself to be Priest in his Church and increased their dignity with this princely prerogative that they should be Lords over their brethren and honoured by their mothers children as succeeding their fathers in the government and priesthood unlesse they were rejected from that honour by Gods secret counsels or manifest judgements and others named by God himself to sustaine that charge Thus the clause is clear and true 3. Againe you say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints What then is every professing Saint a King a Priest a Prophet in his own house This I dare not assent to and I hope you will not there were no more words to be made of a Presbyterial Church if this were true for every man might officiate at home and need not subject himself to any Presbytery he might baptize administer the Sacrament c. being authoriz'd by this Type I should rather then say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus who is the King Priest and Prophet in his Church and yet executes all these offices for her good and salvation then make them types of professors in their several houses who nor may nor can ex officio undertake these functions It follows 4. As doth plainly appear to all that do deliberately weigh what is expressed and what is necessarily implyed in Gen. 4.4 Exod. 12.7 These texts I have deliberately weighed and finde not in them neither expressed nor yet necessarily implyed what you produce them for In Gen. 4.4 I reade that Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering but can any man either expressely or by necessary implication ever prove from hence that the first visible Church was a domestical Church or that it was governed by the first-borne of the family that they were types and shadows of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints Or that this Church did continue from Adam and Abels dayes to the time of Moses and Aarons pilgrimage in the wildernesse That Abel sacrificed to God that the offering he brought was of the best that God respects loves and is reconciled to the person before he accepts his gift and service may easily be collected from hence But I cannot discerne which way to deduce from this text any of the former propositions This text you compare with Exod. 12.7 When I thus reade and they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eate it An injunction I finde here concerning the use of the blood of the Paschal Lamb but not a syllable that can be drawne to your purpose But the best is that what you say for the substance is so clear in the book of Genesis that no man need question it Let the mistake be but notified and we agree and therefore I proceed SECT IV. The words of the Letter THe Chuch of the second sort was a National Church consisting meerly of Jewish persons and their Proselytes for its members who were instrumentally enlightned and led by the Priests and Levites as their ordinary Ministers the which kinde of Church-government lasted among them from the life of Moses to the death of the Messias and no longer as it is exceeding plaine and cleare to any one that can finde in his heart advisedly to compare the several testimonies of the Old and New Testament together which will contribute pregnant light to this particular point such as are Exod. 19.6 Num. 8.10 Deut. 7.7 with Gal. 4 9 10. Coloss 2.14.17 and Heb. 7.12 The Replication THe substance of this Paragraph is agreed on also To wit that the Jews with the Proselytes were a National Church taught and led ordinarily by the Priests and Levites extraordinarily by the Prophets and when they ceased and the Urim and Thummim God spoke sometimes to us so by the Bath Col or silia vocis And that kinde of government began with Moses and ended at the death of the Messias or a little after as I hinted before and rather encline to think For I am sure actually till then it did not howsoever it ought to have done Christs death upon the Crosse putting an end to all the rites and sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law Many things I could here observe about their Proselytes their Priests and Levites their whole government which yet I passe by as not so necessary to the present question One thing onely give me leave to tell you that some of these texts are not so conclusive to your purpose as you conceive For first out of that of Exodus that the Jews were a holy Nation and people will easily be deduced and as much may be said of the Christians is as evident if you compare the place with the first of Peter 2.9 for to this place of Exodus I make no doubt the Apostle alludes when he affirmes of the Christian Church that it is a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar priesthood c. I would gladly know why I may not out of these words as well conclude a National Church of Christians as you do out of the other a National Church of Jews and Proselytes And then your National Church will not be proper to the Jewish State but communicable to the State of Christianity also 2. Out of Heb. 7.12 you conclude rightly that the Priesthood being chang'd there must be a change of the Law that the Ceremonial Law of Moses was quite abolished no more sacrifices to be offered legal purifications to be observ'd no nor dayes moneths times years in a Jewish sense to be kept up Gal. 4.9 10. In a Jewish sense I say for this
Mystery there is an Indument and a stripping Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 which the ancient Church reduced to two words Credo Abrenuncio In the first there is the putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ For as many as are baptized have put on Christ First as Lord acknowledging no other Master whose voice to hear whose doctrine to rely upon but onely his Secondly as Jesus assuring themselves that there is no other Name given under heaven whereby they may be saved Thirdly As Christ as well their anointed King submitting themselves to his will giving their names in to fight under his banner and swearing themselves his subjects As also their anointed Priest resting in his one sacrifice as the onely sufficient in his sole intercession as the onely powerful Secondly In the Abrenuncio or stripping part they renounce and forsake the Devil Gal. 5.20 and all his works the pompes and vanities of the wicked world the sinful lusts of the flesh among which are all Heresies and Schismes 2. For the forme it is by our Saviour appointed in the name of the three persons of the indivisible Trinity and so it is performed neither of Cephas the sirnamed Rock nor of Paul a great Apostle Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 1.13 The reason wherof you may read in my exposition of the Church Catechisme page 172 173. 3. For the end they which are baptized are thereby made the sonnes of God by Adoption and Grace invested with an inheritance everlasting Gal. 3.26 Rev. 1.5 Mal. 1.11 Rom. 12.1 Col. 3.5 made Priests to God to offer and slay To offer that mundâ—m oblationem pure offering or living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is their reasonable service viz. the cleane and unbloody sacrifice of prayers and thanksgiving and then to slay themselves mortifying their affections and lusts Yea but men may be minded of all this by a new Covenant and upon a second engagement made more watchful to keep their first vow Be it so for this also the Church had provided without this separating combination when she ordained that all baptized children when they could say their Catechism should be brought to the Bishop to be Confirmed which order were it in use and restored to its original purity the wrangle about the formality of a Church Covenant and collecting of members might be quieted and composed There being in Confirmation the substance of what is so much and so hotly contended for and that farre better grounded and bottomed than any new device can be as I shew you in my Catechisme page 6. Thirdly This Elogy you give to your Combinational Church that it is their opinion and practice quietly and cordially to subject their earthy erring and unruly wit to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ That so it should be I confesse and desire but how it is we see and feele ever since the Combination But what now is this but an opinion and onely commendable I thought it had been necessary de fide that it must be so and could not be otherwise For Opino is eutis vel non eâ—tis You shall have it in Amesius words Assensus ille qui praebetur veritati contingenti propter rationem pracipuè probabilem ab intellectu apprehensam Medulla 1. Thes de fidei divina unitate opinio vocatur The truth must be contingent and probable onely of which a man retaines an opinion it may be it may not be if no other reason can be produced for it but a Topical But that all men must subject their earthy will to the heavenly Will of Christ is so certain that it cannot be denyed by any good Christian Hereafter let it passe then for necessary and let it be a principle of faith which is more than opinion 2. But you go on and say This hath been the commendable practice of your Combinational Church But here you must give me leave to think for if I would say what I know I should fetch blood and perhaps pay for it too Your Combination was for the worship of God and that cultus naturalis institutus Amesius so divides it the principles of the first are faith hope charity the acts hearing of the Word and Prayer under which is an Oath Of the last Gods prescribed Will or his Word This is the Rule but what 's become of the practice I will not meddle with your faith which yet you know in many of your Combinational Churches is not sound nor in the Socinians nor Antimonians nor in the Brownists Familists nor the Anabaptists nor the Quakers nor the Singers These you le say are not of you but are gone out from you yet you cannot deny that these are Combinational Churches The practice then of all the Combinational Churches is not commendable in Gods worship in this respect Your hope may be great but I fear it may be presumption when the foundation of faith upon which it should be built is so uncertain and tottering As for the charity of your party in general I finde it dying rather â—uite dead charity teacheth a man to love his neighbour as himself charity to be just and to do to all men as he would all men do to him Amongst your Combinational Churches what 's become of this charity this justice Religiously observant a man may find divers of you of three of the Commandments of the first Table but of the third your practice shews you make little accompt and as for the second Table he who shall lay to heart your actions must needs conceive that you esteeme it but for a cypher I will no farther rake into this wound I wish you had not given me occaâ— on to do it when you affirmed that it was the commendable practice of your Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will quietly and cordially to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ to which I finde their practice so contrary I pray presse me not for instances for I am resolved not to give theâ— you but if you are desirous to be satisfied of the opinions and practice of the Combinational Church I aime at be pleased to reade a book written by Robert Baily a Scot entitled A Disswasive from the Errours of the times Printed in London 1645. and published by Authority Where he makes a large Narrative of the opinions and practices of your Churches in New-England and whether he sayes true or no you can best judge because you were upon the place If true all is not gold that glisters 2 A Presbyterial Church THis is your other Epithet and I suppose you mean by it a Church to be governed by Presbyters The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivocal and therefore till it be distinguished nothing can be concluded from it 1. Presbyter in the Old Testament properly belongs to the Elders of the people either in a common notion or as members of the Sanhedrim not any body or persons peculiarly
And one part of their Offices in the Church was to Ordain This is manifest first in Timothy in the Church of Ephesus Acts 20. There were many Presbyters before Timothy was appointed their Bishop yet Saint Paul sent him of purpose to impose hands 1 Tim. 5.22 and say it was with the Presbytery yet it can never be proved that any of that Colledge was no more than a Professing Member You know how strongly all the Presbyterians pleade for the contrary and was this injunction onely personal and to end with Timothies life 1 Tim. 6.13 14 Not so neither For this charge he layes upon him in fearful words I charge thee in the fight of God who quickeneth all things and before Jesus Christ who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukable till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ 'T is agreed by all that Saint Paul in this Epistle especially sets an order for the Government of the Church 1 Tim. 5.22 among which that a Bishop lay not hands hastily upon any man is one This then was not Temporary but to last till the end of the world That they were to Ordaine is every whit as plaine in Titus for for that intent he was left in Crete Neither would the Church succeeding admit of any other but Bishops to that businesse for one thousand five hundred years Tit. 1.5 as I will prove unto you if you require it by unpregnable records Two evidences there are of it beyond exception First the condemning Aërius as an Heretique for opposing Episcopal power Secondly that if any one of an inferiour rank presumed to ordaine his act was reversed by the Church as unlawful and the ordained admitted no otherwise to the Communion than as a Lay-man As it befel Ischyras and those who were ordained by Maximus and another blind Bishop Athanas apol 2 Greg. Presb. in vita Nanz. Conc. Constant 2. cap. 4. Conc. Hisp 2. cap. 5. 7. and others in the Church story I beseech you now if you little regard the Fathers and Councils yet view the Scriptures with an unpartial eye and then if the Commission our Saviour gave his Apostles or the Apostles to their successors if the practice of the Apostles themselves or Apostolical men can any whit move consider whether the Presbyters or Ruling members ought to be of the professing members regular ordination Make it plaine that the power of the Keys is subjectivè formalitèr inhaesivè authoritativè in them and I yield you the whole cause Your sixth Proposition that their Office extent understanding by that the Ministry which Christ ordained in his Church must reach from Christs Ascention to the Creations dissolution I easily grant I shall therefore say nothing to that but come to examine your proofs out of Scripture And here I could have wished that you had applyed every text to that part of the Proposition you intended it For it had beene farre easier for me to have judged of the validity of it and more readily have shaped my answer whereas now I can but rove at it and therefore if I mistake you must thank your self The texts alleadged Acts 6.5 14.23 I suppose you referre these to the first part of the fifth proposition for election by Church-members and I have answered them already and shall therefore spare my labour The other if I be not mistaken are to prove your Teaching and Ruling Elders Rom. 12.7 8. 1 Cor. 12.8.28 Ephes 4.7.14 Rev. 4.6 5.6 19 4. But among these I finde not one text to prove your Presbyterial or Combinational Church nor your regular Ordination by professing members The Text then out of the Romans Corinthians Ephesians and the Revelations I am to examine and see how they will conclude what you intend Rom. 12.7 8. Or ministery let us wait on our ministery or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorteth on exhortation he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that sheweth mercy with chearfulnesse The words are Elliptical and therefore must be supplied from the former verses The Apostle being to deliver divers precepts first gives a signification of his power verse 3. Then he prescribes in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To every one God as he pleaseth gives a measure of his gifts and therefore no man ought to arrogate to himself more than he ought for this were absurd as if in the body one part should assume and usurp the faculties of another for to that purpose he makes use of that comparison of a natural body vers 4 5. As then the parts of the natural body have their proper endowments so also have the several members of Christs several graces bestowed on them by God and these gifts must be employed for the benefit of the whole and the parts he thus infers verse 6. Having then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 freely and graciously bestowed he shewes how we must bestow them And then he reckons up these gifts these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First prophesie Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministery 3. Ability to teach 4. A faculty to exhort or comfort 5. A heart and power to give 6 Wisdome to govern 7. Bowels of mercie These are the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those Gratuito's those talents we have received from our Lord and they must be laid out for his honour for our brethrens good This I conceive to be the prime intention of the Apostle in this place for he expressely names gifts and not men But because these gifts must upon necessity be exercised by men therefore he intimates on whom they are bestowed more peculiarly not all gifts to one man neither is one man by God sitted alwayes for all gifts One man he calls to be a Prophet and gives him a gift to foretel things to come or to interpret the Scriptures let him then interpret according to the Analogy of faith not adde nor diminish nor alter at his pleasure To another he hath given a gift to teach let him aptly and in easie plaine intelligible words explaine the will of God and teach them he ought To a third he hath given an admirable faculty to stir up and move another to the actions of piety or else to be a Barnabas a sonne of consolation in raising and comforting an afflicted and oppressed soul let him use this exhortation exhibit this comfort as occasion is required To a fourth God hath been graciou and gifted him with wealth and riches of these he is to impart a portion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingenuously liberally freely simply without any doubting either in respect of persons or a regard to his own profit Upon another is bestowed a gift by which he s made a fit man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Numb 10.17 to be over others you know that God took of Moses spirit and put it on the seventy Elders and he that hath this gift must use it with diligence
the primitive Church yet will never grant you that from thence the Church shall be denominated Presbyterial or that if it should vary from thence that therefore it had no more than the Sceleton fashion face of a true Church All these things should have been better cast up before you had been so positive The degeneration then you dream of is grounded upon a false supposition that there was at first such a Presbyterial or Combinational Church that was conjoyn'd in any Church-Covenant beside Baptisme that had the native power of the Keyes c. which you never shall be able to demonstrate The contrary to which Rutherford hath nervously prov'd more particularly in his seventh Chapter of his peaceable and temperate plea to whom I referre you The summe of whose discourse is that there were at Jerusalem Father f. cap. 7. Conclus 4. at Samaria at Ephesus at Rome at Galatia at Antioch Presbyteries which shall be granted but that these Presbyteries were not of one single Congregation From these then you can never prove that the following Church did degenerate because they were not The manner of this degeneration you make gradual and you give us in five steppes descending from the Parochial till it came to the oecumenical Romane as you call it But supposing a degeneration in the degrees you are mistaken for as I suppose the first should be last and the last first which will appear if we examine how the Church was govern'd from the Apostles times to this our unhappy age But first I will transcribe your whole discourse SECT II. The words of the Letter 1. THE first rise of the rottening of the Church was its falling from a pure poor Presbyterial Church which in respect of its primitive constitution was made up of living stones namely lively Members and laborious Ministers being firmly fastened and united to the Lord Jesus as their onely head by faith one to another by a fraternal Covenant of love according to the pattern that was proposed and prescribed in both Testaments Is 44.5 Jer. 50.5 Ezra 20.37 Zach. 11.7 10 14. 2 Cor. 8.5 Ephes 2.13 19 22. Col. 2.2 19. 1 Pet. 2.5 into an impure and unpolished parochial Church At that time when ceasing to elect and ordain a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon and Diaconesse or a Widow in conformity to the heavenly Canon Rom. 12.7 and 15.4 and 16.1 compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 and Titus 1.5 6. it was well content to admit and accept of a Parson a Vicar a Warden an Over-seer of the poor and a Mid-wife By which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God within a short time after the dayes of the Apostles Christs spiritual house and growing as well as living Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Town or Apostatizing Parish The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus one of them being an Elder of the Church at Smyrna and a disciple of John the Evangelist and the other a Pastour at Lyons and a disciple of that Polycarp as any man may easily perceive that will peruse what is to be observed in Eusebius Ecclesiastical history 4. lib. c. 14.15 16. lib. 5. cap. 23.24 2. The second degree of the Combinational Churches corruptions was the Cathedral Churches generation which did presume to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher Pastour Ruler and Deacon into those unscripture-like titles of Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour and Arch-Deacon who ventur'd to usurp the power of excommunication against the Members and Ministers of many Congregations in their Synods and Councels contrary to what was practic'd in that Orthodoxe pattern Acts 15.24 which is laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages whose work it was by Scripture-proofs to confute soul subverting positions and to confirme Christian-doctrines without any manner of authority to censure any mans person being that that is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Thes 3.15 The babe-age of which usurpation is made mention of as newly appearing in the world by what was exercised by Alexander of Alexandria against Eusebius of Nicomedia as well as against Arius in the reigne of Constantius and Constance the sonnes of Constantine the Emperour as it is to be seen in Lib. 2. Socrat. Schol. c. 3. compared with the 32 cap. of 2 book Evagr. lib. 1. cap. 6. 3. The third degree of the Presbyterial Churches degeneracy was its climbing up to the stile of a Provincial Church whose Pastour was not afrai'd nor asham'd to assume the name and office of an Arch-Bishop and Metropolitane leaving the servile and subservient titles of Prebende Surrogate and Vicar-general as termes good enough to the inferiour Officers his underlings Of which proud and prophane Pest-house that Austin which was sent from Gregory the last of good Bishops and the first of evil Popes of Rome is reputed and recorded to have been the father and founder in this Land even then when he was stifly and stoutly oppos'd by the Monks of Bangor Anno Domini 596. and in the reign of King Ethelbert witnesse Fox Martyrol page 119. together with the rest of the Eng. Hist and Evangr lib. 2.8 4. The fourth famous degree of the Combinational Churches infamous defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church when and whence without controversie arose that Jewish imitation and irregularly Religious observation of five frivolous and foundationlesse customes and traditions of which the first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy working-dayes Cursed-Masse Candle-Masse c. The second was the National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels Church-yards The third was of National persons as the Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests and Diocesan Deacons The fourth was of National pious performances as stâ—nted Worship Quiristers singing of Psalmes with the Rubrique Postures And the fifth was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings tithes and mortuaries the which faithlesse and fantastical fashions were the illegitimate off-spring of National Parliaments in this and the Neighbour-Nations Witnesse the publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in that behalf 5. The fifth and highest degree of Church-deformity is the oecumenical Church otherwise call'd Romane Catholique the which in the apprehension of I know not how many Kingdomes is the very best though in the judgment of Christ Jesus it is the very basest because the beastliest and the most blasphemous of all the bastard-Church constitutions that ever were till now Witnesse what is written Rev. 13.1 3 5 6. whose Pastor and other Presbyters the sinne-pardoning Pope Cardinals Abbots with others were owned and acknowledged for to be and that not a few if not of the summond Councels yet in several Synods in sundry Countries Insomuch that Churches abominable iniquities were so increas'd over their heads and their trayterous
and from hence it was borrowed and brought into the Church that the chief of the Capitulum should be called Decan which I think is Arch-Presbyter 3. I come now to your other two dislik'd Appellations Chancellours and Surrogates That the Bishop was at first the chief Judge in his Church I have before proved and then no dought he might appoint his subordinate Officials This being a confessed rule in the Law that when any cause is committed to any man he is also conceived to receive full authority in all matters belonging to that cause When the Emperours became Christian they judged it equal and pious to reserve some causes to be tried in the Christian Court in which they constituted the Bishop to be the Judge These causes were properly called Ecclesiastical such as were Blasphemy Apostacy Heresies Schismes Orders Admissions institution of Clerks Cooks Reports fol. 8. Rites of Matrimony Probates of Wills Divorces and such like To give audience to these the Bishop otherwise imployed could not alway be present and yet there was no reason that for his absence justice should not take its course And in some of these had he been present great skill in Civil Lawes is requisite that they be ended aright This gave occasion to the Bishop to appoint his Chancellour and Surrogate A Chancellour who had his name à Cancellis within which he was to sit a man brought up in the Civil Lawes and therefore fit to decide such causes that did depend upon those Lawes who being at first a meere Lay-man and therefore having no power of Exommunication therefore the Bishop thought fit to adjoyne a Surrogate to him that in case that high censure were to be passed this man being in Orders and therefore invested with power actu primo and by Commission with the Bishops power actu secundo sub Episcopo rogatus being demanded and an Officer under the Bishop Actu primo might pronounce the Sentence This was the original of their names and power Now prudential necessity first instituted them and prudence where Episcopal power is of force continues them If a Superiour shall be pleased to revoke some of these causes which were by him made of Ecclesiastical cognizance and cause the litigants to take their trial at Common or Civil Law Vide the book of Order of Excommunication in Scotl. Hist of Scot Amon 2. pag. 46. then in the Church I confesse there will be no use of the Chancellour And if the rest shall be tried by the Bishop and his Presbytery as they were at first neither will there need much a Surrogate But now if that rule of the Presbytery should prove to be true who do challenge cognisance of all causes whatsoever which are sins directly or by reduction then they have power if not to nullifie yet to give liberty to play all Courts and Judicatories besides their own and must bring in thither Sollicitours Atturneys Counsellours Procters c. which will be as un-Scripture-like names as Chancellours and Surrogates Cinod de off Eccl. Joannes Epis Citri in respon ad cabasil Naz. Testam 4. The fourth Appellation that offends you is the Arch-Deacon who was a very ancient officer in the Church and of great esteeme in the Greek Church Neither was he chosen to that place by the Patriarch but came to it by seniority the name then gave him no power but onely this prerogative to be chief of the Deacons of the Church as if you would say of the eldest standing In the Church of England he was more than a Deacon for he was a Presbyter and his office was to be present at all ordinations to enquire into the life the manners the abilities and sufficiency of him who was to be ordained and either to reject him if he saw occasion or to present him to the Bishop to be ordained to induct into any Benefice that man who was instituted by the Bishop to have the care of the houses of God were kept decent and in good repair lastly to take account of all who had to do with the poors money And this last was it which gave him the name of the chief Deacon Ambr. lib. 1. de off c. 41. Prudentius for when the charity of the Church was great and ample gifts were bestowed to the relief of the poorer Christians the Church stock was ample as appears by Lawrence the Martyr who was Deacon to Sixtus Bishop of Rome martyred under Valerian This being committed to the Deacons care that no fraud might be committed as it hapned too oft in money-matters the Church thought fit to set one of the Deacons over the rest who might call them to account as ours were to do the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor to whom they gave the name of the Arch-Deacon Now speak impartially what harme was in all this What that may offend you Deacon cannot and Arch should not since you know it signifies no more but chief or prime as in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarch And that you may carry some affection or at least not a loathing to it I pray call to memory that a worthy Martyr of our Church John Philpot adjudged to the fire and burnt in Queen Maryes dayes Fox Martyrol An. 1553. primo Mariae resigned up his soul in the flames being then Arch-Deacon of Winchester And that with him Master Cheiny and Master Elmour that refused to subscribe to the doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Convocation-house were both Arch-Deacons 5. But now I return back again to that Appellation Lord-Bishop at which so many have stumbled and been scandalized that others before you have done it I have reason to attribute to envie an evil eye but in you I shal onely impute it to inconsideration Gen. 24. 1 Kings 18. 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 8. For you are mighty in the Scriptures and therefore might have known that the Hebrew Adoni or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latine Dominus which in the Spanish is Don in the French Sciur in English Sir is onely a name of civility courtesie respect reverence By this Rebecca calls Abrahams servant Drink my Lord. By this Obadiah the Prophet Art thou my Lord Elijah By this the children of the Prophets the inhabitants of Hiericho the Sunamite and Hazael the Prophet Elisha By this Mary the Gardner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord or Sir if thou have taken him hence with this civil respect the Greeks accost Philip John 20.15 John 12.21 1 Pet. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir we would see Jesus In all which places the word imports onely a courteous and respectful compellation And St. Peter commends the woman that shall with this name endear her husband proposing the example of Sarah that obeyed Abraham and call'd him Lord. To a Bishop double honour respect reverence is due for he is comprised under the name of father in the Commandment and whom we
must honour in heart and deed why not in words shall the lips neglect whom the heart regards especially when the tongue is the interpreter of the minde within And what do we more when we call a Bishop Lord 't is but respect honour reverence that we then tender unto him And if Rebeccah signified to a servant if Obadiah and Hazael to a Prophet if Mary to a Gardner if Hellenists to Philip if an obedient wife to a Mechanick a hard-handed Artisan may attest her reverential regard by this word Lord authorized in Scripture why should the same word be called an unscripture-like compellation when affix'd before the name of those who are by their place and office to be the lights of the Christian world and really endued with power for the regiment of the Catholick Church Had they yet assumed this name and fastned it upon themselves there had been some exception to be laid against it For 't is but reason he who exalts himself should be abased but they were others and those no mean ones that thought them worthy of this honourable title To omit other Kingdomes the Princes of this Nation who were the fountains of honour thought it fit that no Lawes should passe for the government of the Nation to which they gave not their vote and for that end call'd them to their Parliaments by the same Writ that they call'd other Lords And I am certain before some mens heat had corrupted good manners it was the guise of Christendome not to speak of Bishops fine praefatione honoris in particular this honour I shall give you an instance or two The inscription of a letter to Julius Bishop of Rome from some of his brethren Sozomen lib. 3. cap. 23. Nazianz. ad Greg. Nyssen Theodoret. lib. 5. c. 9. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man speak untruths of me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Gregory Nazianzene And the Synodical book of the Council of Constantinople is inscribed Dominis Reverendissimis ac piissimis fratribus ac Collegis Damaso Ambrosio c. and they were Bishops I spare more testimonies these may suffice that the title Lord-Bishop was not new nor invented in this Land Yet that those who were honoured among us might bear this title without any derogation to Scripture even by Scripture testimonies I have said enough I am not ignorant that there be two places of Scripture produced as if they were a prohibition to this title Luke 22.25 1. Pet. 5.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But he that shall considerately weigh both places will never be able to inferre any such conclusion For let it be thought on what was the occasion of our Saviours words Zebedees wife comes and petitions for her sonnes that one might sit at the right another on the left hand in his Kingdome which out of a Jewish opinion they then thought must be earthly and temporal At this ambition of the two brethren the Disciples murmured they thought they had deserved as well as mother Zebedees children and knew no reason why they should be preferr'd before them To still this contention our Saviour tells them that this his Kingdome was not to be like that of the world in that the Kings of the Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dominantur so Junius so Beza translates it do domineere rule and govern with a high hand in potentia gladii or as it is in Saint Matthew Mat. 20.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do pro arbitrio exercise dominion and exercise authority over them but with you it shall not be so You no such Lords as they are use no such domineering power as they do A power you are to have but not like theirs your's is to be spiritual their 's temporal their power they use with pride rigour sometimes tyranny and against the good of their subjects for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the genitive case and the Scholiast upon Nazianzene observes Scholiast Nazianz in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in any compound Verb with a genitive case signifies against But your power must not be so used vos non sic It must be with mildnesse meeknesse humility he who is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among you let him be your servant It is not the word it is the ambitious seeking of a temporal principality as an affix of the Apostolate that Christ interdicted his Disciples Bern. lib. 10. de Consider Forma Apostolica haec est Dominatio interdicitur indicitur Ministratio Dominatio is forbid is therefore the word Dominus were this so a temporal Lord must go without his title of honour as well as the Lord-Bishop for the dominion they use may possibly be more rigorous arbitrary Lordly tyrannical than ever was that of the Bishop Well however they use it who can help it with them it must not be so though they have and may be allow'd in civility to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they never were allowed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tyrannous rigorous Lords Saint Peters words are clear against that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle would not that any superiour should lord it over or against Gods inheritance That service that humility that meeknesse which our Saviour prescribes his Apostles is against that and who so shall make use of the text to any other purpose goes about to finde in it that which our blessed Saviour never intended he may as soon fetch gold out of a pibble One thing yet doth amaze me that those men should be so much startled at a civil title who yet make use of the power even in the most rigid construction They who first prest it against Bishops were the Anabaptists of Germany nothing was so frequently in their mouths as the Kings of the Nations but these at length had Consuls and Kings of their own erection among themselves To them succeeded the Presbyterian consistory and so eager they are for this government that they call their Discipline the Kingdome of Christ the Tabernacle which God hath appointed and where this Ecclesiastical Synod is not erected Browne in a Treatise against one Barrow they say that Gods Ordinance is not performed the office of Christ as he is King is not acknowledged and in this Kingdome who were like to bear most sway are they not the Ruling Elders This Brown not I calls a Lordly Discipline and saith that instead of some Lord-Bishops in name we should have a thousand Lordly Tyrants indeed which now do disdain the name for saith he if you could but once get up the names of Elders and Presbyters what mischief cruelty and pride would not stream from that name with much more to that purpose At last we feel into whose hands the power is come and this I may be bold to say that the loyns of the Lord-Bishops were not so heavy as have been the little fingers of
such of your Pastours who have declin'd the name I list not to grate your eares with this harsh musick but lay your hand upon your heart and say whether the Masters of your Congregations be not the men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is my witnesse and you partly know that I never was guilty of the smoothing of any mans pride of favouring of any mans rigorous domineering Of honour I alwayes thought him most worthy who I saw did least affect it affectation of honour and desire of superiority I know our Saviour prohibits and on the contrary humility lowlinesse and meeknesse is that which he commands And yet I see no reason why it should grieve any godly minde to hear a Bishop call'd by that name with which Saint Peter will'd every woman to call her husband and Mary Magdalen call'd him who had but a spade in his hand They are not titles that can swell any man who hath not pride in his heart and that may leven as much and puffe up him that puffs at this title and bears other names as he that was once call'd Lord Bishop And so much of the titles you except against I come now to what you lay to their charge Proposition 3. Who ventured to usurp the power of excommunication in their Synods and Councils WHO is a Relative and it hath so many Antecedents that I know not whether you referre it to all the fore-going titles or to some in particular To all you should not for the Dean intermedled not with excommunications the Chancellour de facto did but should not so I grant you that was an usurpation and complain'd on and preach'd down by me as well as decryed by you The Surrogate and Arch-Deacon did but then it was not jure nativo but delegato for their commission they had from the Bishops I shall therefore more willingly conceive your thoughts reflect upon them and especially because you mention Synods and Councils which they alone at first had power to assemble But then to affirme that it was an usurped power in them to excommunicate in Synods and Councils seems to me a Paradox For I shall here ask whether the Bishops being not assembled in Synods or Councils had power to excommunicate or no If you say they had then it will seem strange that meeting in Synods and Councils they should lose this power This is as if you should say that Corporations meeting in Council should lose the power which every single Alderman had before he came thither or the people their rights and priviledges when assembled in Parliament which they had before Vis unita sortior and certainly what power any man hath to act singly and by himself when he meets with other Commissioners associated in that power he works more vigorously and his act is of the greater authority But if you shall say that the Bishops had no power of excommunication nor then nor before nor in Council nor out of it you plainly contradict the Scriptures which I shall evidence unto you by examining the Commission given the Apostles and their practice and what is true of the Apostles will be as true of the Bishops for I have before proved unto you they were their Successors and by them setled in some Churches And the ordinary power which was given to the Apostles was given to them for otherwise Christs promise cannot be verifyed behold I am with you signanter to the end of the world John 20. The Commission is extant As my Father sent me so send I you and then presently breathing on them he addes Receive the Holy Ghost Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted whose sinnes ye retain they are retained Cyril lib. 12. in Joan. cap. 55. Cyprian de unit Ecclesiae Epist 73. ad Julian which words are understood by all the Ancient Doctours of authority as though he said that with the same power and authority my Father sent me into the world to gather and govern my Church I do also send you that is with all spiritual power necessary to your office and charge Now I ask whether the Apostles must be assembled in Council or not when they were to execute this authority if you say they must then you grant the question for then the sentence of excommunication may be passed in a Synod or Council If you should say they could not then a single Apostle could not excommunicate which I yet never heard affirmed all granting that they were pares potestate except the Papist who will have all Episcopal power and authority originally invested in Saint Peter and from him derived to others But this I conceive you will not say neither when I finde St. Paul assuming this power to himself 2 Cor. 13.10 Therefore I write these things being absent lest being present I should use sharpnesse according to the power the Lord hath given me What can be more plain power given by the Lord to me a single Apostle and therefore he tells them that heretofore had sinned Ver. 2. and to all other that if he came again he would not spare spare to lay his rod upon them For in the first Epistle he proposeth such a thing to them and wills them to consider of it quid vult is what will you 1 Cor. 4.21 shall I come unto you with a rod or in love or in the Spirit of meeknesse as who should say choose which you will Compare this with 2 Cor. 10.4 8 9 10 11. verses and you will easily conclude that a single Apostle had authority enough to lay his rod upon a scandalous contumacious offender This for the power now to the practice According to this power Saint Paul exercised judgment and gave sentence in a certain grievous case of incest among the said Corinthians in these words I absent in body but present in spirit have judged already as though I were present concerning him that hath done this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together 1 Cor. 5.3 4 5 and my spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one to Satan Who I pray was it that censured this man was it not the Apostle himself If I understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ego judicavi it must be so And the same Apostle writing to his Scholar Timothy makes mention of another sentence by him pronounced against Hymenaeus and Alexander two seditious and heretical men whom saith he I have delivered ego tradidi 1 Tim. 1 2◠to Satan i. e. excommunicated and cut off from the Church of God that they may learn not to blaspheme What should I tell you that the learned draw the words of Saint Peter to Simon Magus to this purpose Acts 8.21 Thou hast no part nor lot in this matter That Diotrephes cast some out of the Church it was his fault but for this Saint John when he came Joh. Ep. 3.10 threatens to remember
the proposition then is true that Jewes and Gentiles make one National Church Hence it is that what God said of the Jew Exod. 19.6 ye shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation is by Saint Peter affirmed of the Christian Church ye are a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a royal Priesthood an holy Nation Which when effected our Saviours words were fulfilled other sheep I have which are not of this fold John 10.16 them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice that there may be one fold and one Shepherd Farther yet a prophesie is extant Isa 2.2 Isa 2.2 Mic. 4.1 2 c. Jer. 4.2 Isa 65.1 Zach. 2.11 Zach. 14.9 Psalm 2.8 Psalm 22.27 Matth. 21.43 Rom. 4.17 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Let other texts be compared with this which speak the same thing Thus it was foretold and that what was foretold might accordingly be fulfilled our Saviour gave his disciples a Commission in these general words Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost c. Matthew 28.19 And I pray call to minde that when Peter baptized the penitents Acts 2.39 he comforted them with these words for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as our Lord God shall call And yet after this even Peter himself and the Apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea of this had but a confused notion for when Peter came up to Jerusalem Acts 11. Acts 10. they that were of the Circumcision contended with him about it to whom he was feigne to make his Apology opening to them the vision of the sheet which when they heard these things they glorified God saying then hath God also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life In effect they attested the truth of Peters words Verse 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons looks now no more upon a Jew than he doth upon a sinner of the Gentiles but in every Nation he that feareth him and doth righteousnesse is accepted of him The partition wall being broken down what could they be but one church I can never sufficiently wonder at your words when you call this accesse of all Nations a naughty enlargement What is that which God by Covenant with Abraham promised naught that naught which he foretold should be that naught which Christ gave Commission to his disciples to do that naught which the Disciples did All Nations Isa 2.2 All flesh Isa 66.23 All the kindreds of the earth Psal 22.26 27. A multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people Rev. 7.9 are said to be the people of God under the New Testament and yet you will not allow them the name of a National Church But a stronger foundation for this Truth there cannot be than that which Saint Paul hath laid under the similitude of an Olive which had two kinds of branches natural verse 21. and wild 17. Rom. 1â—â— The natural were the Jewes the wild the Gentiles the natural were broken off through unbelief and the wild by faith graffed in These wild now being naturalized are in the same condition that the Natural were before they were broken off But the Natural branches were in the Olive totally the whole Nation they and their children which made the National Church of the Jewes and therefore the wild branches must be so inserted they and their children also which will make the National Church of the Gentiles which is the full scope and intention of the Apostle in that chapter Finally the very same Covenant that was made with Abraham 2 Cor. 6.16 is made with the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.16 I will be their God and they shall be my people As that then was extended to the whole Nation of the Jewes Lev. 26.12 Levit. 26.12 so also is it now to be extended to the whole Nation of the Gentiles so that all those Nations that have had the Gospel preached unto them and answering that Gospel have received the doctrine of Christ submitting to his Ordinances in the profession of his Name are to be reckoned as they were 1 Pet. 2.10 Acts 8.12 13. John 6.66 Acts 11.26 1 Cor. 1.2 1 Cor. 12.13 Matth. 8.11 the people of God 1 Pet. 2.10 Beleevers Acts 8.12 13. Disciples John 6.66 Christians Acts 2. Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 The Church of the Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.13 The Kingdome of Christ Matth. 8.11 Thus have I shewed you that since the whole Church quoad materiale doth consist of Nations there can be no impropriety or absurdity in it when we call any part thereof a National Church or the Church of Beleevers in any one Nation And now let us see what help you can have for the confirmation of this besides Scripture out of the principles of reason 2. We believe in our Creed the Catholique Church and Catholique it is called in respect of all ages and times because before under and after the Law it alwayes was and secondly in respect of persons for there is not any person of what degree sex condition or age that may not be a member of it And thirdly in respect of places in that as formerly the Jewes so now all persons in all Nations have a capacity to be of the Church of Christ Universality then being an attribute of the Church it cannot be found in any one Church limited either in respect of time or place Either then make your Combinational Church the Catholique or you must extend it farther and if so why not to a Province and if to a Province why not to a Nation nay many Nations And be it you should assume the name of Catholique and fasten it to every particular Combinational Church yet particular Societies of Christians can lay no farther claime to it than they can demonstrate themselves to belong to that Church that hath a true and a just title to it which no particular Church can do but by proving that it holds the common faith once delivered to the Saints without heretical innovation Ames lib. 1. c. 31. Sect. 20. or schismatical violation of the Unity and Peace of the Christian world This being the way for particular Churches to demonstrate themselves to be Catholique necessary it is that they be united at least to those Congregations of that Nation whence we may infer that there must needs be a National Church which also that must do and shew clearly that it maintaines whole and undefiled the foundations of faith before it can be acknowledged to be Catholique 2. That which makes men mistake in this point is that they make the Church to be species
hodie quoque Israelitiae genti collatis concipiuntur c. As for their present food Drus in N. T. parte altera pag. 78. Fagius in Deut. 8. Luk. 22.17 18. for their deliverance from the Aegyptian servitude for the Covenant of Circumcision for the Law given by Moses This grace of Thanks-giving they called Bircath hasasen the blessing of the Cup with which Christ himself seemeth to have begun his supper He took the Cup and gave thanks and said Take and divide it among you After the blessing of the Cup the Master of the house took the bread and consecrated it in the words before which they called Bircath halechem or the blessing of the bread and then brake and divided it So did our Saviour Verse 19. He took bread and gave thanks and brake it c. At the end of the Feast they again gave thanks and then the Master of the house took a Cup of wine in both hands beginning thus Let us blesse him who hath fed us of his own and of whose goodnesse we live This grace they called Bircath hamazon and the Cup Cos hillel poculum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and both these Cups are mentioned by Saint Luke but the words of institution added onely to the last This Cup is the New Tstament or Covenant in my blood Verse 20. Scalig. de emend temp lib. 6. pag. 273. which is shed for you After all this they sung Hymnes and Psalmes which also was practised by our blessed Saviour Mark 14.26 These Rites were all Jewish and yet our Saviour dislikes them not for that but observes them in the institution of the blessed Sacrament That you may see the weaknesse of the argument that no usage of the Jew may be followed in the Christian Church I promised you one instance more it was in the Jewish censures in which they observed three degrees Niddui Cherem and Schammatha Niddui signifieth separation Buxtorf ex Rabb Epist Heb. pag. 55. Lex Rabb pag. 827. Godw. Ant. lib. 5. cap. 2. Dr. Hamm. of the Keys cap. 4. Sect. 60. and by it the delinquent was separate from all society or commerce with others for four Cubits and for thirty dayes The second was Cherem which is thus defined by Buxtorf an exclusion from the sacred Assemblies a casting out of the Synagogue with all the curses of Deut. 28. The third was Schammatha the Etymology of which word Godwin tells us is twofold for saith he Schem is Lord and Atha cometh others say it sounds as much as There is death for Scham is there and Mitha death Hence it may be rendred excommunication to death and so Dr. Hammon out of Dâ—lhen defines it Ea excommunicatio qua quis totaliter finaliter ab Ecclesia segregatus divino judicio sit devotus cum ea mors exitium Now to these three the censures of the Christian Church were very correspondent Luk. 6.22 John 9.22 John 16.2 The first was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separation or remotion that answers to Niddui The second was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that answers to Cherem which in other words is tradere Satanae 1 Cor. 5.5 The third was Maran-atha 1 Cor. 16.22 To which he was to be left who loved not the Lord Jesus which was the self-same with Schammatha for Maran is Lord and atha cometh so that it is evident in the Church censures also the Christians took up their pattern from the Jews All this I have said and could adde to it much more to make the proposition appear no unreasonable maxime that it may be lawful for the Church to use a custome which hath some resemblance of some Ceremony in force anciently among the Jews 4. Lastly I observe that you make your Jewish imitation very ancient in that by the Adverbs quando and unde when and whence you fasten it upon the National Church had it been a birth of yesterday I should have suspected it but when I finde it a plant of so many ages I cannot choose but rise up to the gray haires either accuse the Apostles for it who did imitate the Jews as I have proved as well as we and at that time when they preached and gathered of all Nations into the fold or else we are blamelesse This was it I had to return to your two Generals now I come to your five degrees in which this imitation lies and will consider them in the same method you propose them You say 1. Yhe first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy-working dayes Cursed-masse Candle-masse WHich words I must professe I clearly understand not in all points for what is it you mean by these fifty yearly Festivals are they all the Sundayes of the year if that we own them that not upon any Jewish imitation If you mean those other which our Church enjoyned to be observed for holy-dayes the number will not arise to fifty For they are only twenty seven and so you have over-shot your self As for your term Cursed-Masse I hope you intend not the day of our Saviours Nativity when for the glad tydings the Angels joyned in a Quire and sang an Athemne in the fields of Galilee Could I conceive you intended to black that day with that accursed word I should grow impatient and return The Lord rebuke thee But the word Candlemas that follows it at the heels makes me somewhat suspicious that you might squint an ill eye that way If so you are much to blame if not there 's no harme done I know yet that these words Christmas and Candlemas often offend many but then you must lay the blame if there be any on those who deserve it It is the multitude and vulgar that hath taken up and makes use of these names the Church so imposed them not Turne over our Calenders and you shall finde them appointed to be kept holy under these titles The Nativity of our Lord the Purification of the blessed Virgin And yet had the words received countenance from the Church there is no such cursednesse in them as is conceived if we shall cast our eyes upon the first native use For no question missa from whence Masse came is a Latine word and signifies no more than remissa used by Tertullian and Cyprian for remissio for remissa peccatorum is with them remissio peccatorum Tertull. advers Marcion Cypr. l. 3. Ep. 14. Amb. lib. 5. Ep. 33. Chem. Exam. Trid. Conc. de Miss Pontif. Juel artic 1. 31. Cass Liturg. cap. 16. Whites Orthodox lib. 2. Sect. 26. Zanch. de cult exter cap. de Sacrific Sect. 13. Cass Liturg. cap. 26. Ambrose is the first of the Latine Fathers that used it It first signified no more than to call together to celebrate divine service as both Chemnitius Juel and Cassander have observed and therefore when the Greeks used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latine Translatours turned it missas facere missas
much offended hereafter with it I could put you in minde of the consecration of Solomons Temple 1. Reg. 8. but I know you will say that was Jewish though it be an exception of no moment I shall therefore bring to your remembrance an older example which hath nothing of the Ceremonial Law in it The first that erects a fabrick to Gods service is the Patriarch Jacob and very Ceremonious he was about it He takes the stone whereon he slept Gen. 28.20 21 22. makes it as it were the first stone of the building then pours oyle upon the top of it as the consecration calls it Bethel Gods house and endows it too vowing the tenth of all he had A place we have here separated to Gods use by a Religious Ceremony a Dedication a Consecration a Dotation and I doubt not but the equity of the Law which prevailed with him will also justifie us in the like case Under Severus Gordian Philippus Arabs Euseb l. 8.1 2. lib. 10.2 and Galienus the Christian ability growing greater and their liberty enlarged they built spacious Churches These the bloody Dioclesian threw down and good Constantine gave leave to reaedifie where no Ceremony was omitted that might honour such intents The Celebration of Dedications and Consecration of Oratories lately builded was the desired spectacle of those times to which Prince and people people and Clergy resorted and some with Orations some with Sermons and some with the sacrifices of prayer in an Assembly of the greatest part of the Bishops solemnized that happy day You may at your leisure read a whole Sermon extant in Eusebius directed to Paulinus Bishop of Tyre lib. 10. c. 4. by whose means that famous Temple in Phaenicia was builded and consecrated in a solemn manner The story accompts of the day of Consecration as of a wedding solemnity when the new erected Church as a Virgin was joyned fast in the bands of Matrimony by the Bishops prayers and office unto her Lord Christ I could adde to this that the same Constantine so often as he was forced into the Field in Arms to encounter his enemies carried along with him a Consecrated Tent which he set up and spread in the fashion of a Church in that place he did castrametari that in that with his Army he might offer his devotions to his God To Consecrate is no new word nor to be disliked for it signifies no more than to depute to a sacred use and dedicate and assign to God whether times persons things To draw to an end there ought to be among Christians scarce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing common or profane A kind of Consecration passeth upon all we have Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our income is not profane that is consecrated by a Collection set apart for the Saints Our meat nor our drink are not profane things 1 Cor. 16. 1 Tim. 4.5 Mal. 3.8 ad 12. when they are Consecrated by the Word and Prayer Our goods are not then profane when Gods part is set aside Our selves our Children are Consecrated to God by Baptisme and so of profane become holy persons And shall the Church then in which we are to render our thanks for all these and to pray for a blessing upon these want its Consecration by the Word and Prayer for other Consecration we allow none It hath often put me into an astonishment to finde out the cause why you should dislike these places because Consecrated and at last I could finde no other except this that you would not be bound to put off your shooes nor to take heed to your feet when you entred into the house of God Exod. 3.5 Eccles 5.1 but left at liberty to use other homely familiar gestures If any guesse be right in this place I shall say little to it only remember you that the Publican who entred the Temple and stood afarre off and smote his breast thrived better than the Pharisee in his loftier garb for he went home to his house justified Luke 18.14 3. The third was of National persons as Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests or Diocesan Deacons TO this my answer shall be in brief that among the Jews I finde no Universal Preacher no Office-Priest no Half Priest no Diocesan Deacon and therefore these among us could not be taken up by imitation from the Jews Priests indeed they had but no more like ours than an apple is like a nut Similitudes in general make but a poor resemblance Men and mettals may be all one this way Secondly I reply that against Universal Preachers you of all others have least reason to take exception because you allow all that have gifts to be so Millers Mercers Thatchers Weavers Trunck-makers and who not for of such consist the greatest body of your Itinerants upon whom what name can you more aptly put than Universal Preachers since they are not confined to any one flock A Sermon preached by a Presbyt Anno 1589. pag. 27. 28. Concerning whom let me return you the words of one of your opinion whose name is to me unknown in a godly Sermon preached and printed Anno 1589. Alasse must we not look for the heavy hand of the Lord when we see many ignorant men not onely void of all skill in the Hehrew Greek and Latine Tongues in Logick Rhetorick and other Arts but also which I am ashamed to speak not acquainted with the true Doctrine of Repentance who are yet so bold so impudent and of so hard faces that they dare to extend and stretch out I will not say their gifts which they have not nor the shadow of a gift to take upon them the high Message of God to carry to his people the glad-tydings of salvation which Christ hath purchased for them with his precious blood Oh shamelesse impudency shall he take upon him to hold the Helme that is scarce worthy to labour at the Pump O damnable boldnesse O wretched covetousnesse That for an Annual stipend will undertake so sacred a work O foolish men that will commend them whom they ought to dispraise O miserable that lift up those to Moses Chair who ought rather to be thrust to the tail of the Plough What doth more dishonour God discredit the Gospel confirme the Adversaries of the Truth than this ignorance and boldnesse of your Universal Preachers For I beseech you tell me can the honour and praise of Gods Wisdome be commended by the folly and ignorance of his Minister Can the inestimable treasure and riches of a gracious Prince be seen in the beggarly nakedness of a base Embassadour Can the Adversaries of the grace of Christ by looking upon an Idol which hath nothing but a shew of that it is not be disswaded from the worship of Idols Can he bring men from Errour that knows not when he teacheth Truth Finally can the carnal minded Atheist be perswaded that Christ is the Redeemer of the World whose Ministers these be
pious performances as stinted worship Quiristers singing of Psalms with all the Rubrique postures I could forgive you the rest because you acknowledge these performances to be pious for if they had piety in them I see no reason why you or any body else have cause to note them for corruptions But when I came to this place I entred into debate with my self which part of Solomons counsel I should take whether I should answer or not answer Not to answer Dr. Bancroft Featly Hammond Fulke Taylour Hooker Prideaux Preston might give you occasion to boast I could not And to answer was to say over again that which hath been so often sayd by worthy and learned men whom if you have not consulted you are to blame and I wish you would if you have and are not satisfied I fear my labour will be lost However I shall set before you what they have said before me And first I shall speak to your stinted worship 1. And here give me leave first to ask you to what you referre this word stinted whether you strictly restrain it to the word worship or to the Spirit by which we are to worship If to the first I see you are against all set forms of worship if to the last that you think the Spirit is restrained by these set forms And because both are said by your party I shall answer to both and to the last first These conceiv'd forms are either premeditate or extempore if premeditate then the Spirit is as much limited in their conceiv'd forms as by any forme conceiv'd by the Church But if extempore then the Spirit only of him that makes the prayer is left at liberty for the whole Congregation is by that means as much stinted and bound to a set forme to wit of those words the Minister conceivs as if he read them out of a book And is not the Spirit restrain'd when the Congregation shall be confined to the forme of this one mans composing If this be not stinted worship if this be not to stint the Spirit I know not what it is And I can see but one way to avoid it that every one in the Congregation conceive and offer up a prayer with his own spirit and not be forced and confin'd to the Ministers single dictate this would preserve entirely that liberty of the Spirit you pretend that other will not To this if you will not yield as I know you will not it lies upon you to answer the objection which I never saw yet done 2. As for set forms of prayer which I conceive you principally intend by stinted worship I shall next endeavour to justifie them upon many grounds 1. In the old Testament we find set forms of blessing and thanksgiving and prayers appointed by God himself He it was that fram'd to his Priests the very words with which they were to blesse the people Numb 6.23.24 25 26. Numb 10.35.36 2 Chron. 29.30 Exod. 15. Selden in Eutychium Speak to Aaron and his Sonnes saying in this wise shall ye blesse the people The Lord blesse and keep thee c. At the remove of the Arke a forme is set and taught the Priests exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici At the Arks return a form Return O Lord into thy resting place Hezekiah prescribed to the Priests to sing praise to the Lord with the words of David and Asaph the Seer Moses Hymn for the overthrow of Pharaoh is extant and in the same chapter taken up and sung by Miriam which afterward grew a part of the Jewish ordinary Church Liturgy for such they had being instituted by Ezra and the Consistory What should I tell you that the 92. Psalm is a Psalm compos'd for the Sabbath The 20. Psalm to be sung by the people when the King went forth to battaile The 113. to the 118. the great Hallelujah 13. whole Psalms or as some say 15. viz. from 119. to 134. Songs of degrees Moller Ames Musculut in Ps 21. because upon every one of the steps which were 15. betwixt the peoples court and the Temple the Priests made a stay and sung one of these Psalms and the 21. Psalm composed by David to be sung by the people for the King when he came home with victory Yea but say some this was in the infancy and minority of the Church as children then they needed their Festra's as infirm bodies their crutches but now under the Gospel it is otherwise we have more light and gifts of the Spirit than they had True more light we have because the Mystery kept secret from the beginning of the world is more clearly revealed to us then it was to them but that 's not the question prove they should if they speak to the purpose that we have now more ability to compose a prayer then they had more of the Spirit of Grace and supplications Men may have a high conceit of their own abilities but I suppose no wise man will conceive but that Aaron and his sonnes Moses and the Priests Hezekiah and the Levites had as great an ability to pray ex tempore as great a measure of the Spirit of grace and supplications as any man that now lives and yet they used and prescribed set forms Their minority then was in respect of the object of faith not in respect of the spirit of supplications These men therefore shew themselves children to talke of Festra's and cripples in their understanding to talk of crutches since those mens legs were far stronger then theirs and their graces of the Spirit far beyond any Enthusiasts in these days We may think of these forms as meanly as we please but Chrysostome was of another judgement Chrysost Hom. 1. of prayer for thus he begins one of his Homilies of prayer For two reasons it becomes Gods servants to wonder and blesse him both for the hope we have in their prayers and that preserving in writing the Hymns and Orisons they offer'd to God with fear and joy they have deliver'd to us their treasure that so they might draw all posterity to their zeale and imitation Yea but the Spirit must teach us to pray it helps all our infirmities 't is the promise of God to his Church I will poure upon them the Spirit of Grace and supplications Zach. 12.10 And all this may be done in a set forme as well as by any extempore prayer True it is the Spirit must teach us to pray both for matter and forme for we know not what to ask and must teach us how to pray for we know not how to ask zeal and fervour and faith and perseverance and importunity all necessary affections in every supplicant are gifts of the Spirit and groans and sighs proceed from the Spirit he moves the heart first to supplicate brings a man to see in what a wretched case he is one that by his sins hath pierced the Son of God therefore to deprecate ask pardon deprecentur
ipsum implorent illius misericordiam Junius in Loc. Zach. But why all this may not be as well in a petitioner that prays in a set forme as in him who pretends to the Spirit and yet utters so much cold and low stuff on a sudden no wise man can imagin Compare but these extempore raptures with the words of Moses David and Asaph the Seer with the prayers intercessions Hymns and Psalms of the Servants and Prophets and holy men of God uttered and left upon record and then it will be easie to put the difference betwixt those who are truly taught by the Spirit and those who presume to be taught For from the one hath proceeded prayers and supplications and forms of thanksgiving so high and admirable that they are beyond imitation from the other a shower of words so flat so jejune so confused so unsignificant that sometime they passe all understanding Will you but have patience to hear the Censure of Brown himself after his conversion Bancroft ser preach'd 1588. who thus speaks to his friends concerning their extempore prayers Good God what worship or prayer do you use I am asham'd to name the boldnesse and folly of some who scarce able to utter three words orderly will yet take upon them to babble out a tedious long and stuttering prayer wherein every tenth word shall be the repeating of O heavenly Father O merciful Father O dear Father O good Lord O merciful God c. and all things so foolishly pack'd together that their prayer seems rather the lisping and prattling of an infant that would tell a great tale could he hit of it then the petition of a zealous devout soul to his God These are the words of Brown the Patriarch and woful experience doth justifie him for in many Extemporaries the matter of the prayer is so indigested the words so incongruous the periods so broken and interrupted the length so tedious the Tautologies so many that a mean capacity may be apt to say The prayer was never dictated by the Spirit To break off from this to pray by the Spirit is two ways taken Either for prayers made by the assistance of the Spirit and so they which use premeditated prayers or set forms may pray by the Spirit as well as others for the Spirit assists in the premeditation and in the delivery Or else to pray by the Spirit is to pray by the immediate inspiration of the Spirit as the Prophets and Apostles spoke and wrote and thus neither they who now use set forms nor yet they who pray extempore can be said to pray for then their prayers should be of equal authority with the Psalms of David and Asaph and other prayers set down and taught by divine inspiration And it seemes that wisdome is the daughter of time for even they in whose mouths there were no other prayers lawful but extempore have now perswaded and commended to their proselytes the Practice of Piety and advised them to make use of those set formes in their devotions which I am sure will as much stint the spirit as any Collect in the Liturgy 2. But I leave the old Prophets and that which occasioned this discourse and come to the Christian Church Christ did not onely use himself a set forme of words in prayer but three times together used the same words Mat. 26. Luk. 11. Saint John Baptist taught his disciples to pray and it cannot be conceived but it was in a set forme for two reasons For had he said to them the Spirit shall teach you then he had not taught them but the Spirit Secondly a forme sure it was that the disciples came to be taught to pray as John taught his disciples and upon it Christ prescribed them a forme When you pray say In Matthew indeed it is When you pray say thus but in Saint Luke where the forme is prescribed say This Our Father c. It seemes he meant it not onely as a patterne but as a forme it self as the standard-bushel is not onely a measure of all bushels but may it self be used which precept no man can with a good conscience obey that holds all set formes of necessity to be cast out of the Church August epist 59. Tertull. in exposit orationis dominicae And therefore the ancient Churches began and concluded their Liturgies with it This Tertullian calls Legitima oratio and affirms that this being premised men have liberty to adde other petitions praemissa legitima ordinaria oratione quasi fundamento accidentium jus est desideriorum jus est extruendi extrinsecas petitiones His words are very material This prayer is lawful and legitimate this is ordinary it must be premised it must be the foundation of our petitions and this being laid then a man may lay his right and claime upon it to build other desires other petitions And as the Ancients would begin with it so also they had a care to end with it also it being a comprehensive prayer Directory Perkins on the Lords prayer that whatsoever might be defective in the rest this might complete it And this again is the most powerful eloquence to draw God to audience Could we speak with the tongues of men and Angels yet certainly our petitions cannot finde so easie an entrance into our heavenly Fathers ears as when we tender them in his Sons own words This was the judgment both of Cyprian and Chrysologus Qui fecit vivere docuit orare ut dum prece oratione quam filius docuit apud patrem loquimur audiamur agnoscit filii sui verba Cyprian de orat dominicae cum precem facimus in dictandis precibus vota supplicum praevenit Adde to this a man is bound to say Amen at the end of a prayer now a man may much scruple whether he is bound to say Amen to such a prayer which he hath not time to weigh which he hath not time to consider For put case that he who takes upon him to speak unto you in the Name of God Chrysologus in eadem shall teach some false doctrine or covertly deliver unto the people some errour and after pray that God would blesse the seed which he hath sown is it not dangerous to joyne with him in his desires Such a thing may possibly fall out And this inconvenience is quite removed partly by subjoyning this prayer partly by using those forms the Church hath enjoyned to which a man may upon deliberation say Amen But this is not the sole example we have in the New Testament patterns for set formes The Apostle nine times reiterates the same words The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all And to put the matter out of doubt the Saints for their victory over the Beast sang the triumphal song as Moses and the Israelites sang of old when they were delivered from the Egyptians No marvail if the same benefit be celebrated with
to succeeding ages with more certainty when they are measured out by Hymns 2. This is one reason but this is not the sole for this is done to edifie Men I conceive are then most edified in Religious Worship when their affections are ordered as becomes pious and devout men Now in the World there is not any thing of more power than is a Musical Harmony either by instrument or voice to quicken a heavy spirit to temper a troubled soul to allay that which is too eager to mollifie and soften a hard heart to stay and settle a desperate In a word not any way so forcible to draw forth tears of devotion if the heart be such as can yield them whence Saint Augustine makes this Confession to Saint Ambrose Aug. Conf. l. 9. Quantum flevi in Hymnis canticis Ecclesiae tuae Men may therefore speak their pleasures but let reason be heard to speak and then the songs of Zion will much edifie if not the understanding because as they say they teach not yet they will build up the affections very much which are more requisite in this work or he that doubts of it let him remember Basha's Ministrel that composed his own soul and Davids Harp which allayed Sauls madnesse No art in Divine Worship can be of more use than this in which the minde ought sometimes to be inclined to heavinesse sometimes to a spiritual extasie of joy sometimes raised to a holy zeal and indignation ever carried with such affections as is sutable to the present occasion 3. And yet I do not I dare not say it doth not teach for are there not good instructions in Psalms not many profitable lessons in Anthynms and these by the sweetnesse of melody find the easier entrance and longer entertainment Hear the judgment of the great Basil When the Holy Spirit fore-saw that mankinde is to vertue hardly drawn Basil in Psalm but is propense to what delights it pleased the wisdome of the same Spirit to borrow from Melody that pleasure which being mingled with the heavenly mysteries might by the soft and smooth touch of the eare convey as it were by stealth the treasure of good things into the minde To this purpose were the Harmonious tunes of Psalms devised for us that they who are yet in knowledge but babes might when they think they sing learn Oh the wise conceptions of that heavenly Teacher which hath by his skill found out a way that doing those things wherein we delight we may also learn that wherein we may profit 4. This is the lesson may be learned from the Ditty now from the sweet agreement of these voices and instruments Christians may learn to agree One Harp or Viol out of tune abates the pleasure of the rest and one jarring Christian Couper in Rev. 5.8 and therefore much more many marres the Musick of the whole Church Oh how melodious was the praise of God when it came from men of one heart and of one minde as pleasing then as is the symphony of well tuned instruments Let us then learn from the songs of Zion to come into tune again these discords and harsh sounds God likes not in his service Pliny secundus Ep. lib. 10. 103. citatur a Tertull. Apolog. cap. 2. Euseb l. 2. c. 17. Pallad in Hist Lausiaca 5. Upon these reasons rhe Primitive Christians sung their praises to God In Pontus and Bythinia Pliny writes to Trajan the Emperour that their onely fault was that they met before day to sing Hymns to the honour of Jesus secum invicem I pray mark those words for they speak for the use you mock at of Quiristers for it was secum together and Invicem by turns that is Quire-wise And in Nytria Philo the Jew and he lived in Caius Caligula's time and after him Palladius deliver that they were accustomed in their Temple with Hymns and Psalms to honour God sometimes exalting their voices together and sometimes one part answering another wherein he thought they departed not much from the pattern of Moses and Miriam In Ignatius the first of the Greek Fathers we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat ad Antioch Concil Laod Can 15. 1 Cor. 14.16 Socrat l. 6. c. 8. and after mention of them in the Councils and what should they be but Quiristers which Saint Paul is also supposed to intend when he asks Hath he a Psalme At Antioch Socrates affirms that Ignatius began the custome of singing of Hymns interchangeably upon a vision of Angels And if Ignatius did not yet one who is of more authority did I mean the Prophet Isaiah for he saw the Lord sitting upon his Throne and above it stood the Seraphims Isa 6.1 2 3. and one cryed to another and said Holy Holy Holy Flavius and Diodorus continued it in the same Church against the Arrians Damasus and Ambrose brought it into the West Vide Hooker Eccl. Pol. lib. ◠Sect. 39. And among the Grecians Basil having brought it into his Church of Neo-Casarea to avoid any thoughts of singularity and novility pleads for his warrant the Churches of Aegypt Lybia Thebes Palestine the Arabians Phenicians Synians Mesopotamians among whom the custome was for his was such to give power to one by him called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Chaunter Basil ad Neo-cas to begin the Anthymne and then the whole Quire came in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These were the songs of Zion which our fore-fathers used and it is and ought to be our grief that they are not heard still For who that hath an Harmonious soul would not sit down and weep to be deprived of that Harmony which the Angels and Saints practice which so many Christian Churches have received before Papistry was thought of so many Ages kept on foot That which entunes the affections that which teacheth us so many good Lessons filleth the minde with comfort and heavenly delight teacheth us to be of one heart one minde and makes the praise of God to be glorious In a word that so fitly accords with the Apostles exhortation Speak to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs making Melody and singing in your hearts unto the Lord would not upon slight or rather indeed no grounds be cast out of the Church And that you or any other doubt the lesse that Psalmodie is no new device but of very ancient institution in the Church David exhorts young man and Maidens old men and children to praise the Name of the Lord. In which even Children were so skilful Psal 138. that they received Christ into Jerusalem with an Hosanna and applyed fitly those words to him Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Among us saith Hieron Hieron ad Marcellum Basil in Psal Chrysost Han. 9. in Coloss you may hear Plow-men singing Psalms at the Plow-tail And Basil bids an Artisan sing Psalms in his shop Chrysostome layes this charge upon the parents that
tollitur corruptione nisi rotati quam vocant interitum Ecclesia non tollit partialis corruptio sed infirmat Ecclesia Romana omnia habet corrupta sed non omnino haet non interitus est fed partialis corruptio ejus disendu est And therefore to your accusation it is fit for them to answer not for me who maintain none of their corruptions God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ grant by his eternal Spirit that Spirit of eternal Truth that all the deceits and fallacies of Satan being laid asidet we may daily grow up in Christ and his Church and in the truth of Christ and his Church and that we may confirme and establish one another more and more by unfeigned Charity and the bonds of peace to his glory and the common salvation of our selves and all Christians Amen A KEY to open the Debate about a Combinational Church and the power of the KEYES The Third Part. HItherto you have held forth the doctrine in your Letter now you come to the use and application and that you may be the better understood you have thought upon five heads and upon every one of these fastned either a bitter or a joculary Epithite one is vile and virulent another is violent a third is haughty and horrible the fourth is idle and addle and the last an odde head The Spaniard gives us this caution that he whose head is of glasse ought to take heed how he casts up stones into the aire left by chance they fall upon his own pate and crack his crown Before then you made your self so merry with these heads you should have considered whether some ridiculum caput could not have created to himself and others laughter at the invention of more heads in your Combinational Churches than yet you could finde in the Catholick and tell you that you are a Monster of many heads that the Presbyter is a vile and virulent head the Independent a violent the Anabaptist a haughty and horrible the Notioner an idle and addle the Quaker an odde head You perhaps will ask him how it will be proved I will answer for him on the same day when you prove your words true of these Churches you jest at 'T is but the imagination of your own head it is so and I know not anybody that is bound presently to fall down and worship it But I come to your Letter The words of the Letter MAy not any one to whose inwards the knowledge of these particulars is come ingenuously confesse that his very soul is clearly convinced of the mighty and wonderful corruptions which have crept into are cherisht within and contested about by many yea by too too many Christians of too too many Churches The Reply Those indeed who are convinced that they are mighty and wonderful corruptions in ingenuity can do no lesse but confesse it But it is not a bure relation or recital without any proof as you for the most part have done that will convince any ingenuous man You must set to work again and fortifie your words with plain Scripture or sound domonstration yea and remove those blocks I have cast in your way before you shall convince any one who is not of a weak and servile judgment If they crept in you must shew when and by whom which you have not done your bare affirmation being of no validity That they were cherished was well because no corruptions as I have shewed That too too many Christians and too too many Churches contest about them I am sorry for it Better it were we were at peace with our selves and imploy'd our forces against the common enemy to whose entrance by our dissensions we have opened too wide a gap I fear me we shall contest so long that his words will be verified who said at his death Venient Romani The words of the Letter ANd may not I though a stranger to my nearest friends because an Exile newly arrived in the Land of my Nativity safely appeal to any person either of conscience or common sense whither Christ Jesus our supreme Lord Protectour upon whose shoulder the government of the Churches is laid hath not of late years bo n a loud witnesse against every one of those five aforementioned kinds of deformed Churches and that in these very Countries which are counted and commonly call'd Christendome If so God forbid that there should be any Christian man and more especially any Clergy man so carnal or so carelesse in all those coasts as not to be both able and willing to conceive and to conclude himself to be called upon for to consider and lay to heart the great and grievous desolations which his hand hath made amongst the most and mightiest of the sonnes of men The Reply And here I shall with teares in my eyes Eccho back unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God forbid it should be otherwise Oh never let any Christian of what rank soever add that talent of lead to that sinne which hath so highly provoked our good God to pour out the vials of his wrath against this our Church and these three Nations that I mention not the other of Christendome as not to lay it to heart Conceive not there can be so much carnality or carelessenesse yet left in any person imbued with conscience and common sense who hath not considered what God hath done unto us in the fiercnesse of his wrath Mic. 2.3 Lam. 2.17 Dan. 19.14.12 Psal 79.1.2 3 4. We do acknowledge that Gods Word hath taken hold of us that the Lord hath devised a device against us and hath done that which he devised that he hath watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem O God the people are come into thine inheritance thy holy Temple have they defiled and made Jerusalem an heap of stones the dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat to the foules of the aire and the flesh of thy Saints unto the beasts of the earth their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem and there was no man to bury them we are become a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us Gods sinking the gates his destroying the walls his slighting the strong holds of Zion his polluting the Kingdome his swallowing the Palaces his cutting off the horne of Israel Gods hating our Feasts his abominating our Sabbaths his loathing our Solemnities Isa 1. Gods forgetting his footstoole his abhorring his Sanctuary his suffering men to break down all the carved work thereof with axes and hammers Psal 74.6 Lam. 2.6 are all evidences to me that in the indignation of his anger he hath despised the King and the Priest Neither are we so carnal nor carelesse neither but to consider why this is done Justly justly we suffer For the Lord our God is righteous in all his works
inward man is renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 the faith hope obedience charity humility and patience of many by this fiery trial hath been made more conspicuous SECT 1. The words of the Letter Of the vile and virulent head the Pope 1. FIrstly hath not the long provoked Lord begun in this Island and in Ireland to pull down lowest that loose that lofty and lawlesse Church which the corrupt Clergie had lifted up highest namely the Oecumenical or Romane Catholick Church whereof the sinne-pardoning or rather soul-poysoning Pope was the Vile and Virulent head who was therefore and upon that account publickly declared and generally though not universally beleev'd to be a horrible Monster as well as a very abominable beast because of his ten hornes Witnesse what is written Revel 17.3.5 The Reply To what you say of the vile virulent head the Pope I assent and so did and do all Orthodox Divines of our English Church holding his claim to be Universal Bishop to be Anti-Christian profane proud foolish blasphemous by vertue whereof he doth ingrosse to himself full power and authority over all Christians in the world both Ecclesiastical and saecular the principal actions whereof are 1. To frame and set out for all Christians the rule of faith and good manners to point out the books of Canonical Scriptures and the traditionary word and to deliver the sense and interpretation thereof and to determine all controversies in religion with an unerring sentence 2. To prescribe and enact laws for the whole Church equally obliging the conscience to obedience with the divine Law 3. To exercise external power of directing and commanding and also of censure and correction of all Christians 4. To grant dispensations indulgences absolution from oaths and vows 5. To canonize Saints institute religious orders to deliver from Purgatory 6. To call and confirm general Councels 7. To dethrone and conculcate Kings c. All this we disclaim as well as you and you needed not have said that it begun in this Island and Ireland as if it begun with you for it begun more then one hundred years since assume not therefore that to your selves which was done to your hands to take down this head was the work of the National Church you so slight and had it not been done to your hands I doubt whether all the power you could make had ever been able to have done it And for this that head being of a revengeful nature hath ever since been plotting which way it might unroot us that unrooted it For the proof of this I shall acquaint you with what a friend acquainted me and others about five years since A good Protestant he is now but about 30. years before was as he confess'd reconciled to Rome by one Meredith an ancient and learned Jesuite for he was one of those that Dr. Featly had to deal with in France This man told him that in England they had been long and industrious about their work of conversion but it went on slowly and so would till they took a wiser course Two things there were that must be done before they should bring their businesse to a full effect They must first find a way to remove the Bishops and Ministers in whose room they must bring it so about that all should have liberty to preach Then secondly they must get down the Common Prayer book and suffer every man to use what prayer he list Thus much the man offer'd to make good upon his Oath before any Magistrate he should be call'd And now I pray tell me out of what shop do you think your work comes That generation are a sly subtle people as the devil they can transform themselves into an Angel of light If many printed books lye not there have been many among you and they know to insinuate their poyson under guilded pills Positions they have many like your's and beware least when you think you suck in the Truth you drink not poyson Verbum sat Sapienti They owe us a splene for casting off their head and they will never give over to seek a revenge We were the men that cut it off and take heed least unwittingly you set it not on again 'T is too true I speak it with grief they have won to their side in the time of our dissentions more proselites then they did in divers years before The Laws are now silent and any man may be now any thing so he be not an old Protestant of the Church of England that if he professe then there will be a quick eye upon him An Ordinance shall be sure to reach him which for ought I heard is but brutum fulmen to a Papist Boast not then of your taking down that same vile and virulent head the Pope when it is permitted to stand in more favour then a Protestant whose work hath been to take down that abominable beast with his ten horns as you call him SECT 2. The British King the Violent Head Mr. Matthews 2. SEcondly hath not Christ hid his face from and bent his brow against the National Church as being that very next naughtinesse Whereof the British King was although not an invincible yet a violent Head which was therefore lesse victorious and more vincible partly because the head not only of a very uncanonical but also of a very unspiritual corporation and partly because of the said national-corporations inconsistency with the Scripture precepts Matth. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place seconded and aggravated by its notorious inconformity to the Scripture patterns Eph. 2.19.22 Philip. 2.15 Revel 5.9 where the Scripture Combinational Church is call'd not a whole nation but a holy City a growing Temple a Spiritual house or a sin-enlightning and a soul-enlivening Church gathered built framed cull'd and call'd out of and from a carnal and crooked nation which was both dark and darknesse it self witnesse what is written Ephes 5.8 The Reply That Christ hath hid his face from and bent his face against this National Church you have reason to lament and grieve and not to stand by and clap your hands at it Rather take up the Lamentation of David for Saul and Jonathan The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places how are the mighty fallen 2 Sam. 1.19.20 Tell it not in Gath publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon least the daughters of the Philistims rejoyce least the daughters of the uncircumcised Triumph c. Posterity will have cause to mourn when you and they shall be invaded and set upon by those uncircumcised Philistims of Rome who will smile at the armour wherein you trust and the speares you brandish against them as a dart of a bulrush 'T is not your Sophisms that will prevail with them nor your popular arguments that they will regard and they as smoke being vanished set upon you they will with armour of proof and so inviron you that
observ'd That there hath been more haughtinesse horrour absurdity boldnesse found in some of your Pastours then you can exemplifie in any Arch-bishop If among you or us any Prelate were guilty of these foul enormities I excuse him not only object not these faults of particular persons till you be free But how do you prove your aspersion by a demonstrative reason no question It was say you in daring out of base and blasphemous blindnesse to take up and ascribe to its self such a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature c. To this I have given you your answer before and I list not to repeat it The rest of this Section I understand not well not your interrogation who is that Minister what was his name where doth he dwell c. To the Arch-Bishop sure they belong not for none that I know that was ever in that place did conceive himself in a capacity to be accounted such a superlative counsellour or comforter that was endued either with ability or authority as to conferre a spiritual Crown on any one of the sincere Elders of the Church Among us there never was nor never will be any such man if you can finde him in the society of your Combinationals you should do well to name him for to us he is a non ens These words therefore I passe by as I would the noise of a sounding brasse or a tinkling Cymbal that make a great disturbance in the eare but signifie just nothing The words of the Letter FOurthly was it not Christs own hand that did poure out a dreadful Vial of visible vengeance upon the Cathedral Church where the Lordly Diocesan was not so much the idle as the addle head which therefore under that notion was not venerable nor tolerable because of its direct and point-blank opposition unto divers and down-right peremptory prohibitions as Mat. 20.26 Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them but with you it shall not be so c. 1 Pet. 5. Feed the flock of God which depends on you not as though you were Lords over Gods heritage Which Royal Laws do testifie all such lofty Lords and Lordlesse Out-Lawes to be such illegal and irregular livers as that their unhallowed dwellings appear to be long since destined and appointed for hedg-hoggs to house and harbour at yea for Iim and Ohim with the wild Satyrs to dance in and for Owles and Vultures to dungâ—on being afraid of none to drive them away thus verifying that terrible threat to be performed and fulfilled at length which was proph sied of old witnesse what is written Isa 13.19 c. The Reply We are ready to acknowledge more than you can say that Christs hand hath fallen heavy upon us that the vengeance is just visible Rev. 16.5 7. and with the Angel of the Waters at the pouring forth the third Vial we are ready to praise him saying Thou art righteous O Lord which art and wast and shall be because thou hast judged thus and to eccho unto you those words from the other Angel out of the Sanctuary even so Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy judgments Verse 10.11 For whereas that Antichristian train under the Throne of the Beast blasphemed the God of heaven for their pains and for their sores and repented not of their works we under the Crosse blesse God and are heartily sorry for our misdoings For this is a true difference betwixt the servants of God and Vassals of Antichrist that under Gods severe hand the one blesseth Jer. 5.3 1 Tim. 3.13 Bernard in Cant. 26. Serm. the other blasphemeth the one rejoyceth the other rageth the one repents and amends the other goes on and growes worse and worse Stellae nocte splendent quae die non videntur And we have hope in this our sorrow and amendment that God may yet stay his hand and not make us drink the dregs of the Cup. For remember that this plague was poured out of a Vial which is a certain measure and more or lesse he can dispense of it Jonah 3.9 as he pleaseth Insult not then over us in our misery For who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not 2. But whereas you say this Vial was poured out on the Cathedral 't is true but you must prove that it was poured out upon it quatenus or because it was Cathedral or else your censure is uncharitable and rash For many enormities and misdemeanours there might be in the Cathedral which I excuse not that might cause God in his fierce wrath thus to proceed against her and yet she no way guilty quatenus Cathedral God punisheth his servant David the sword shall not depart from his house for the matter of Vriah but was this heavy judgment inflicted on him because he was King of Israel The punishment overtook him for his sin not for his regality his power was justifiable not his wickednesse and God shewed his anger against his sinne not his Crown The case is the same the Cathedral I grant was sinful and for that God proceeded against it but not in that Notion as Cathedral for that was justifiable as I have before proved unto you It is then a great shortnesse of discourse in you to conclude that as Cathedral it was punished which if you conclude not you conclude nothing since this vengeance proceeded against the sin of the Cathedral not the Church 3. Of this Cathedral you joy that the lordly Diocesan was not so much an idle as an addle head I little doubt but you pleased your self with this paranomasia as much as the Mathematician did with his Diagramme for the invention of which he offered to Jupiter a whole Hecatombe But what now were these qualities proper or common to the Diocesan if common then it is possible that the Pastour of a Combinational Church may be an idle and an addle head as well as the Diocesan because common accidents are communicable to subjects of divers kinds if proper then it must agree omni to every Diocesan and so every Diocesan an idle and an addle head Cranmer Ridly Latimer Hooper idle and addle heads Jewel Armagh Andrews Morton White Montague Bilson both the Abbots all those eminent and learned Bishops of our Church that have stood up in the gap and fought the battels of the Lord against that Goliah of Rome idle and addle heads Do you not blush at these obloquies by which you impute idlenesse to them who wore out their bodies in continual study and labour in defence of the Truth and addleness such as in a rotten egge to such whose names say you what you please will be venerable to posterity for their wisdome and constancy You usually call all yours painful Preachers and yet what is their pains more then that of the lungs since by your own principles they may not take
pains for what to deliver but must rely upon that ill applyed promise It shall be given you in that 〈◊〉 Which yet no man but he that hath an addle head will trust too and so your itinerants may be idle and addle heads also Nobis non licet esse tam disertis Most of our Bishops were laborious wise discreet men if all were not so let not the whole order be branded with that black coal of reproach for somes sake I know you would be loth to have the same measure meated out to you 4. But you have reason for what you say and then very good reason you should be heard Reason the strongest that may be given even out of our Saviours mouth and his Apostle Saint Peter There must be no lordly Diocesan so say I to that is no domineering and tyrannical Superiour in the Church and yet they may be called Lords for all that neither are these words of Christ or Peter any prohibition against it as I have shewed you before when I gave you the true intent of those Scriptures whether for the meaning I now refer you And yet one thing more I shall be bound to tell you that if you look heedfully into the Text the word Lord is not in the Original for thus the words are they that bear rule are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefactours or Ptolomy in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with you it shall not be so The simple then may be deluded by you but the Learned know 't is a glosse besides the Text your illation no translation of the words There is no more prohibition for being called Lord then for Rabbi or Master or Doctor Mat. 23. v. 9.10 or father as is evident in the Gospel and may not then a man be called Master or father Let an answer be thought upon for these appellations and it will serve for the other without any sensible errour Lord and servant are opposite terms and not Lord and sonnes or brethren now the flock are no servants but brethren and the Pastours no Lords over Gods inheritance but fathers to the faithful what marvail therefore if Christ prohibited a Lordly authority to his Apostles since they were to entreat them kindly as fathers do their children as one brother should do to his brother and not think to command and compell them as their Vassals for this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Peter forbids Such an usurpation tyranny domineering as this would have made your words good and testifyed them to have been lofty Lords and Lordlesse Out-Laws to have been illegal and irregular livers which I shall not yield you true of that Diocesan you speak much lesse that because they were called Lords that this was the cause that their unhallowed dwellings were destined and appointed for hedg-hogs to house and harbour in yea for Iim and Ohim to dance in and for Owls and Vultures to dung on had there been no greater transgression then this I beleeve they might have kept their dwellings still But what now are those that house and harbour in their dwellings become hedg-hogs and hob-goblings and Satyrs good words I pray lest this prove scandalum magnatum should I say so much I fear I should have swords about my ears for consider who they be that have taken possession and dwell in these houses They be Saints I hope not Devils the meek that are to possesse the earth and not prickly hedg-hogs the chast no wanton Satyrs and they 'l have a care no doubt to keep their houses clean so that no Vulture nor Owle shall dare to a light and dung there for they have power enough to drive them away Or if by these houses you mean the Cathedrals themselves pray consider again who hath the use of them who preach in them and are these also hedg-hogs and foul spirits unclean Satyrs Vultures and Owls do these defile these places with their dung should they do so 't were your grief that no man dare drive them away What Phineas birds suffered to defile Gods Temple Deus meliora Yea but so it must be for so it was prophesied of old how could that terrible threat be performed and fulfilled at length it came to this witness the Prophet Isa 13.19 c. For so much you shall evidently confesse if you look but on the first verse of that Chapter where you shall read onus Babylonis The burden of Babylon which Isaiah the sonne of Amos did see and this Prophesie was never fulfilled till England became Babel And so much again if you read but this 19. And Babylon the glory of Kingdomes the beauty of the Caldees excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah Your luck is very ill in alledging of Scripture this I am certain which makes so little to your purpose Had you inferred from hence let Tyrants beware how they oppose the people of God as the Babylonians did the Israelites before they were overthrown by the Medes let them take heed that they commit not Idolatry and serve not Devils in their Temples as did the Caldeans upon whom the words you alledge were fulfilled then you had hit the Prophets meaning for what he foretold came so to passe but to tell us that thus it should be done to our Cathedrals that this terrible threat might be performed and fulfilled at length and that this was prophesied of old and to call the Prophet Isaiah for a witnesse it must be so is to take Gods Name in vain no lesse then if you should take a vain or a false oath I am loth to say it but your impertinent allegation hath forced it from me The words of the Letter FIfthly and finally was it not Christs own foot that hath kick't at and cast contempt and that not a little upon those ill-favoured and condemned Churches which are yet standing in many Countries though they are remarkably reeling and ready to fall I' st no! Christs own voice that is at this time and in most places audibly pleading his own cause against the Parochial Church whereof the preaching Parson being it must not be denyed that many of the Parish Parsons are no preaching Parsons witnesse all the oppressing Impropiators is openly seen to stand upon his Tryal as the odde and the eldest evil head And though this head be the last head and did the least hurt of all the other heads yet the Almighty Lord hath as yet lift up his hand against him yet at this time 't is his turn to lye down under the lash and like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea by taking shame and confusion of face unto himself to receive whatsoever sharp correction shall as a cordial of love be administred unto him for the preventing of the spuing his name out of Christs mouth as is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 Therefore the whole half-blind political body of the Parish Church doth openly appear to be
such time as the Parochial Churches of the Nations become truly Presbyterial and so reformed in their essential parts consisting of visible Converts and an explicite Covenant which are the matter and form of a Church witnesse Jer. 50.5 Ezek. 20.37 Isa 44.3 Acts 2.47 Rom. 14.1.2 Cor. 8.5 9.13 And untill also they be refined in their integral parts which are the Organs and Officers thereof that as eyes mouth and hands are to see speak and act in their behalf untill they both desire and endeavour to be endowed first with a Teacher to dispense the word of knowledge and information to the judgment Secondly with a Pastour to dispence the word of wisdome and exhortation to the will and affections Thirdly with a Ruler to dispense the word of rebuke and admonition to the irregular in life and conversation And fourthly with Deacons and Widows to receive and dispense the weekly contribution that is belonging and also brought to the King of Saints from his subjects in Covenant toward the maintenance of the Table of the Lord the Tables of the Church Elders and the Tables of such of the fellow-members as be in lack And all this in obedience to what is enjoined in his revealed will namely in Rom. 12. 2 7 8. 16.1 1 Tim. 3.2 5 10. 5.10 20. Vntill I say that the Parochial Churches be thus qualifyed can you upon good grounds expect as to them either the manifestation of sure mercy or the enjoyment of solid peace knowing that Combinations are properly appertaining to vile and violent sinne-loving sinners as 't is shewed by the Oracles of God Psal 5.5 11.5 6. Rev. 12.10 22.15 And that Church-promises and Church-priviledges as well as Christs Consolations are peculiarly applicable to such Covenant-makers with God and men as through the strength of their surety are Covenant-keepers with both which Covenant-making and Covenant-keeping is expressed and perceived by a regular walking toward them who are without as well as them that are within according to what is written Isa 55.3 Gal. 6.16 1 Tim. 4.8 If you can tell any such tydings as a heavenly promise to unheavenly persons or a holy priviledge to the souls or seed of unholy parents that you would finde in your heart to give me some notice thereof and to acquaint me with any one of those good grounds of any lively hope that they will be everlastingly happy is the last of these motions which I make bold for to leave with you to consider of and meditate upon A heavenly motion for my self This motion is my heavenly motion for my self the granting of which will engage me yet further to be to remain and also acknowledge my self Your thankful Remembrancer In his nearest Approaches To the Throne of Grace From my lodging this 22. of the 8. Month. 1656. The Reply This is the recapitulation of the whole which I have shewed partly not subject to so harsh a censure partly built upon a weak foundation and therefore I shâ—ll need to say the lesse to it Yet because I may not leave you unsatisfied in the least I shall give you some short animadversions upon this also 1. You here set down your whole plat-form shaping it into the fashion of a natural body which hath essential and integral parts and till the Parochial be so qualifyed you afford it no mercy nor hope of solid peace Your constitution of a Church I allow of both in the essentials and the integrals for 't is a body and must be so composed and when organical if perfect it must be intire In the General then I shall agree with you but in the special assignation of your parts will lie the difference For what Church is there of what Sect soever that doth dissent in general terms from this assigned and necessary constitution that you may know that it is no special Character of your Combinational or as you call it here the Presbyterial Church The Brownists Barrowists Anabaptists Presbyters Socinians Episcopal men will allow you visible men for your matter a Covenant for the form and Church-Officers for the integral parts of your organical body And for your matter the Brownists Barrowists Anabaptists Socinians will agree with you that they must be visible Converts meaning thereby a company of faithful people every one whereof in the face of the whole Congregation hath given so clear tokens of true grace and regeneration as hath satisfyed the minds of all This is to be proved by you for Episcopal men with the Presbyters require no more of visible members than that they professe one Lord one Faith one Baptisme as I have proved before for all that carry the name of Christians whether in sincerity or otherwise they reckon in the bosome of the Church as in the type the Ark of Noah there were clean and unclean Beasts in the net good and bad fish Judas among the Apostles Ananias and Sapphyra Simon Magus Demas c. among the baptized In your form also the explicite Covenant the four fore-named will agree with you for your doctrine is that this company must be incorporate by Oath and Covenant to exercise all the parts of Christian Religion in one place under one Pastour to which they wll admit no more people then commodiously may with their ease convene in one meeting house This is endeavoured to be proved by you but how weakly I shall make it appear when I come to examine your texts you alledge for it The Presbyters though they like not your engagement yet came somewhat near to it in imposing their solemn League and Covenant upon the consciences of many tender souls who chose rather to be undone then to yield to their incroachment and how pleasing this was to God you may judge by the successe which is your own common argument Now for the Episcopal men they admit of a Covenant also but that is Baptisme which they say is the Sacrament of Admission into the Visible Church and this I have proved to be sufficient and another Covenant more than needs In the enumeration of your integral parts your Teacher your Pastour your Rulers your Deacons your Widows for the general I know not any man that will gain-say you and some of your Texts do well prove it But in the Misnomer of these and their absolute necessity there is not a full agreement For Mr. Cann at Amsterdam thought his Church sound enough when in his Church there was but one Pastour Bayly pag. 15. and could not agree till very lately of any other Officer and in the year 1645. they lived without an Eldership as they did before without a Pastour And first touching your Teachers and Pastours I have before shewed you that it is not necessary that they be distinct persons both the duties being possible to be performed by one man as it fell out at Geneva where Calvin and Beza men of great abilities thought they might and did supply both places both of Teacher
and Pastour and your reason you here give and your practice also confirms me in it For your Teacher you say must dispense the word of knowledge and information to the judgment and the Pastour the word of wisdome and exhortation to the will and affections Pray tell me what should hinder that one and the same man may not teach and inform the judgment and make wise to salvation exhort and move the will and affections in the same houre Were it otherwise you your self preach by a wrong method who explain and apply who raise a Doctrine out of your Text by which you inform the understanding and then labour to apply it and make it useful to the will and affections of your Auditors Tye up your Teacher to these strict terms and he shall only study positive Divinity and your Pastour no Art more than Rhetorick especially that part that concerns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for he must be his master in that before he shall work kindly upon the will and move the affections of men Ille movet dictis animos pectora mulcet Besides were these two Offices so necessary the Teacher should never stretch himself beyond his tether but stint and end when he hath given forth and proved his Doctrine and then your Pastour should enter take his Cue and begin upon what is taught But why do I trouble my self in battering this Trivial since among you it is not strictly observed for I dare say it let a Scrutiny be truly taken and it will be found that not in one among ten of your Combinational Churches a man shall meet with these two distinct Officers your Teacher and Pastour As for us we dislike them not and where conveniently they might be had and maintenance for them they were in use witnesse the Professours of Divinity in our Universities and the Publique Lectures and Readers in our Cathedrals but to binde every Parochial Church to this or else it must be defective in an integral part is more than ever you will be able to prove yea or any man else Next you insist upon your Ruler And whoever yet denied that Rulers were necessary in the Church yea and for that end though not the sole you name But none will content you except they be of your own election and ordination none except the Lay-Elders this also must be proved by you For you know we had and assigned others and upon better grounds then you will be ever able to disprove Your last Officers were Deacons and Widows whom you make to be Receivers of the weekly Contributions and dispensers of it to three uses In the Primitive Church such I grant you there were as is evident out of the Texts you alledge that to the last use they imployed the collected mony But that any of it was imployed to the two first uses either for the maintenance of the Table of the Lord or for the Tables of the Church Elders I put you to prove again And for this last I am perswaded it was not these being likely if ever there had been any as now among you of the richer and abler sort and therefore no reason their Tables should be furnished out of the poor mans box But if you will take Elders for the true Presbyters of the Church such who were to labour in the Word and Doctrine I shall easily grant you that they had their maintenance till there was other provision made for them out of these Collections and Contributions though not from the Deacons but the Bishops appointment These Deacons and Widows are not in our Church now and thereupon infer it wants of its integral parts No such matter for these Officers were but Temporary taken up according to exigence of those times for the necessity being over the Office was at end When once Christian Princes and charitable men provided by wholsome Laws away of relief for the poor and assigned Officers to that purpose where Hospitals Alms-houses Nosecomia c. were erected and endowed to that end there was no farther use of these Officers neither is the Church defective in an integral part though now it want them as I before shewed out of Aretius You have then taken a long day for obtaining mercy and settlement of peace to the Church if neither of these may be enjoyed untill it be reformed and refined in the essential and integral parts according to your fancy For what can she not have her Officers but of your appointment no Rulers except your Lay-Elders no Members but such visible Converts as you will be pleased to admit Lastly be bound to her duty by no Oath but by your explicite Covenant upon this you insist this you labour to prove to the purpose and as if you intended to convince any opponent you here heap Text upon Text out of Old and New Testament which I shall now consider how far they make to your purpose The first is out of Jerem. 50.5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward saying Come and let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Saint Peter teacheth us that unstable souls wrest the Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a speech borrowed from those who put a man upon a rack which causeth the man to speak what he never meant And this is the fault of too too many who strain the Scriptures to a wrong sense Whereas they should first consult the Scriptures and make them the ground of their conclusions they first harbour a strong conceit of the conclusion and then seek out Scriptures to confirme it And this for the most part befalls not yours alone but all other wanderers from the Truth they blot their books and margents with variety of quotations out of Gods Word as if by the inspection only of their Copy this way they purposed to affright the unlearned Reader or Hearer into their opinion who being astonished with the fearful noise of the Chapter and Verse as the Frogs were upon the fall of the Log into the plash of water might presently stoop into a veneration of what is taught Here I meet with seven places alledged for your explicite Covenant but I adjure you as you will answer it at the great day whether you are fully perswaded in your soul and conscience that either the Prophets or Apostles had an eye to it when they wrote those words and what assurance you can give us that this must be the sense and no other For if you have not a certainty of faith in this behalf you do very ill to produce these Texts presse them upon tender consciences and to maintain a Rent a Schisme a Separation in the Church of Christ That which makes me and should you suspect your sense of these places is that having consulted with the best and wisest Expositours I have upon them I finde not one syllable that sounds to that you intend and collect from thence What Masters are
you the sole wise men were all men blinde till you arose Besides 't is not long since there was an Oath and a Covenant eagerly pressed and then the Covenanters served themselves with these Texts then they sounded in our ears these words of Jeremy Come let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Then the people were terrifyed with the words of Ezekiel I will cause you to passe under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the Covenant Then the Covenant of Moses of Joshua of Asa of Josiah of Nehemiah in a word all places that mentioned a Covenant were pressed and urged to attest the necessity of that Oath What is now Gods Word become a ship-mans hose that it may be worn on either side what Presbyterians and Combinationals justifie their way from the same Texts this cannot be for if it serve one it will not serve the other if it serve to prove a National Covenant as that was it will never prove a Combinational since these two are disparata and admit no reconciliation no more then a National and Combinational Church can be one One of you 't is certain juggle with us and go about to impose upon us and the truth is you do both so as shall appear upon farther examination A custome it was among the Jews when they had revolted from God to Idols solemnly to renew their first Covenant with him and to take him to be their God renouncing all other and to be his people and observe his Laws which gave occasion to all the former practices In Jeremies time for their Idolatry especially the Jews were to be carried into Captivity but the Prophet in this Chapter and the next foretells the ruine of the Babylonians their severe Masters and their return which when it came to passe then saith he they shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward c. It then cannot be denyed but this Text must primarily be understood of the Jews and if ever it were literally fulfilled it was when in Nehemiahs dayes Nehem. 9.38 10.28 29. the Princes Levites Priests made and wrote and sealed the Covenant in which the people engaged wiih them and let me tell you that the Jews in the principal point ever after kept this Covenant and so it may well be called perpetual for after their return from Babel though they were divided into divers Sects to the corruption of sincere Religion and were guilty of many other abominations yet no man can charge them with the worship of strange gods Of the Jews then these words were spoken and in them verifyed and cannot be applyed to the Christian Church any other way but by the way of accommodation For say I shall allow you that the Jewish Church was the type of the Christian then the Christian must be the antitype and what then will you gain by it except the overthrow of your own cause for the antitype must every way resemble the type which in this it will not For this Covenant was voluntary Come say they let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant You presse necessity upon mens consciences this explicite Covenant is the essential form of a Combinational Church so that no Covenant no Member of the Church to which Christ hath promised salvation The Covenant in which the Jews engaged was of the whole Nation yours is of a selected people in a Nation They the whole Corporation of them notwithstanding this Covenant continued to be a National Church went up to Jerusalem at their solemn Feasts separated not into private divisions and subdivisions You by your Covenant are enemies to all National Churches make it a distinctive note not of true and sincere worshippers from Idolatours but of those which professe the same faith with you from those of your Congregation that I say not you have as many Covenants as there be factions and fractions among you That every good Christian daily come up closer to his God by joyning in a perpetual Covenant and by renewing his vow made in his Baptisme to renounce to beleeve and obey I exceedingly approve But that this cannot be done except he enter a new Covenant in your Congregation or that he is bound to do it or can be no Member of a visible Church I shall never believe for mark what will follow upon it First there must be a dissolution made of all the reformed Churches of Christendome that there may be way made for this new erection for the Covenant sealed to their Members in Baptisme will not serve the turn till they have a new admission and matriculation by this seal and engagement Then again consider what countenance is hereby given to the whole order of Romane Votaries which to me seem very like to so many Combinational Churches in that every order have their particular statutes to the observation of which they tye all they take into their societies and upon the Vow and Covenant made they are admitted Only that in this they are a little more charitable than you are that they acknowledge such as are out of their fraternities for good Christians and Members of the Catholick Church But you judge those who are not of one or other of your Combinations to be Members of no Church And this is all you have gained by your Text of Jeremy I now come to that of the Prophet Ezekiel 20.37 where we thus read And I will cause you to passe under the rod and I will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant The full scope of this place is at ver 33. a promise made to the Jews that they should be gathered under the Gospel To this end God tells them that I will cause you to passe under the rod which whether it signifies a sharp affliction in which the Jews we know have had their share or else a trial by the rod as a Shepherd doth his flock as was used in decimation I cannot say if thls last then the sense is I will reject the bad and choose the good Jun. in loc Levit. 27.32 and will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant or as Junius reads it in exhibitionem foederis I will impart the Covenant of the Gospel unto you and all the blessings and promises of that Covenant as it is here amplifyed in the 45. ver Now let any man which is not swaid with prejudice judge whether any thing can be picked from hence that can countenance your assertion What is the Covenant that God hath made with his people in the Gospel of no longer extent than the Combinational Church Out of this Covenant I know none can be saved without your Combinational Covenant I know they may or else heaven before you rose would be very empty and the time since you rose being not long you have not sent many thither Monopolize not then thus the mercies of God to your selves and ingrosse not
the bounty of the Covenant to your own Churches lest you damn all the World besides I must tell you the Covenant of God with man will stand and be made good were there nere a Combinational Church in the world he can cause his people to passe under the rod and bring them into the Bond of the Covenant without conducting them through that new way of your Combinational Church This place then makes nothing at all for you and it is a plain fallacy to argue à genere ad speciem by which you collect that what is spoken in general of the Covenant must be understood of your Covenant just as if a man should collect est substantia ergo est corpus Your third place is out of Isa 44.5 One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel As if all this could not be done but within the walls of your meeting houses As if none could surname himself an Israelite or subscribe with his hand Jehovae sum but he must enter your Combination Interpreters have not thus restrained these words I omit many of the Ancients and make choice of the Moderns not Junius not Piscator not Sculetus they unanimously teach that under the Gospel every one should subscribe and professe them sons and servants of God sons of the Church and Christians who are called the sons of Jacob and Abraham Rom. 4.11 12. 11.26 Gal. 3.29 6.16 and Scultetus so applies it Sic hodie omnes reformatae Ecclesiae mente confessione adjungimus nos Catholithae illâ— Ecclesiae piorum Jacobitarum Israelitarum ubi per orbem sint dispersi See then what injury you do the Reformed Churches Sculâ—et in loc and how far you are from their judgment They could be content to be joyned to the Catholick dispersed all the world over they thought that enough to make them Israelites you are more strait laced they must be no Israelites with you no parts of the Church except they be joined by a Covenant together in your Combination But remember in these words of the Prophet there is no mention at all of a Covenant and therefore it makes nothing at all to your purpose From the Old Testament you come to the New and the first place you bring is Acts 2.47 And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Till you have made these two propositions good that the Church here mentioned is the Combinational Church and that this Church was joined together in such a Covenant as you imagine I see not to what end you should produce it when that is done you shall receive my answer In the mean time I shal tell you what you might well have collected from hence that ordinarily there is no salvation to be had out of the Catholick Church therefore it is the mercy of God by the Ministry of the Word to adde daily to it such as shall be saved These conclusions are rightly drawn but to assert God added to the Church daily such as should be saved therefore they that will be saved must be Members of a Combinational Church therefore added by your Formal Covenant savours neither of Logique nor Charity Rom. 14.1 Him that is weak in the faith receive you but not to doubtful disputations Graec. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Reply The farther I go still the weaker I finde your proofs and I heartily wish that you would not deceive those who are weak in the faith with such shews being those little birds that are over eager to peck at your painted grapes such you present here in colours laid over with your own Art for there was Art in it in figures to point me to the Chapter and Verse and not at full to cite the words as indeed you have done in all the rest which had you produced it would have at first amaz'd a Reader to finde out your Riddle or what was to be found in them there being no syllable of Church or Covenant that might be useful to you in this debate as it did me till at last I cast my eye upon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receive him for than I began to think that that might be it and that from it you would conclude that a man weak in the faith must be received into the Combinational Church but that methought could not well be it neither since the man about whom the precept is given is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weak and sickly Christian whereas all those that you receive must be healthy strong Christians no Babes but Men all tryed and approved for regenerate persons Bayly pag. 134. such of whom every Member of the Church may be fully satisfyed in the truth of the grace that is in them Cottons way pag. 7. and the sutablenesse of their spirits with the Spirit of the Church All this considered I could not tell what to make of your allegation and I was once resolved to let it passe without any farther examination But being desirous to remove every scruple I thought it best fully to open the Apostles intent and meaning in this Chapter which being cleared the mist you brought over it would easily vanish Though the Apostle inscribes his Epistle to the Romans yet among them there were many natural Jews dispersed thither who could not be disswaded easily from the Mosaical abstinences but continued their obligation to the Law even after they had received the Christian Faith There were also among these some who were Proselytae portae who were bound to observe the seven Commandments of Noah but being not circumcised were not strictly bound to observe the Law of Moses Christians both these were in the positive part acknowledging so much as was required by the new Articles of the Creed c. yet in the negative part they were not they held the Judaical Law not to be evacuated and so weak and feeble some of these were in the faith that lest they should offend in eating forbidden flesh some would eat no flesh at all and came to eat nothing but herbs About these sick these weak Ver. 2. these scrupulous these tender-hearted and lesse-instructed Christians the Apostle gives these directions First that the stronger and healthier more orthodox and knowing do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assume and take them to them First friendly to afford them communion and not to separate from them for this errour next to labour to cure their malady get them out of their mistake Thirdly that they do not vilifie them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 3. set them at naught as if they were senslesse empty fellows Lastly that they be not over contentious and hot in disputations with them for though they erre yet they were not to be disquieted but to be informed and tolerated God hath received him ver 3. who then art