of basest men In good earnest I would thank any man that can shew me one good Antiquity to countenance such Delegation of an entrusted Office to Deputies specially to such Deputies as themselves doe not cannot trust Doth any man dare or can any man think it fit to Delegate the Tuition or Education of a tender Prince committed to his Charge or Care by his Royall Father I beseech you Is not the flock of Christ stiled by the Spirit of Christ An Holy Priesthood a Royall People Shall it then bee fit or lawfull For any man to transmit this Trust to any whomsoever especially to such a crue of faithlesse Hirelings God forbid SECT II. CHAP. III. I shall passe their Sole Iurisdiction also being the Common Theame of all that write of this Question specially when I finde some of themselves disclaime that Epithet of Sole and if they can bee content to leave This out I have lesse to speak against them Wee come to Ordination or to speak as they use though some of them love not to heare of it Sole-Ordination This is the main Master-piece of all Episcopacy All things else in the Church they yeeld equally committed to Presbyters onely Imposition of Hands they say is solely retayned to the Bishop so Downham Bilson and of late One of their owne that offers to yeeld the Cause for one example of Lawfull Ordination by Presbyters without a Bishop One Example what dare he say France Belgium no parts of Germany hath Lawfull Ordination though by sole Presbyters without Bishops Downham is somewhat more moderate and yeelds such Orders Lawfull but in case of Necessity or at least some great Exigency in which hee hath the Charity to include the Reformed Churches abroad though as hee saith They are of age and might speake for themselves But they urge us to shew Antiquity allowing any such Ordination without a Bishop It hath beene shewed and yet never answered that I know that some Councels have intimated enough Presbyters were wont of old to Ordaine without Bishops As that of Ancyra Can. 1â— It shall not bee lawfull for Choriepiscopi or Presbyters to Ordain without consent of the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the words are in Balsamon though some of themselves translate the words very strangely Which cleerly intimates That before this Canon Presbyters and Choriepiscopi who had not still Ordination from three Bishops though some had so did usually Ordaine without the Bishops leave much more without his presence and that too in Other parishes besides their Owne Else it is strange the Councell should now forbid it if It had never beene done before Nay the Canon doth not now absolutely forbid it which is much to bee marked but onely commands the Bishop's leave should bee asked to all such Ordinations But if This Imposition of hands were a Sole property of Bishops as now some make it the Bishop could not give leave or depute others to doe it For This even among themselves is a received Axiome Episcopus potest delegare ea quae sunt Iurisdictionis non ea quae sunt Ordinis Hitherto also may be refer'd all those Canons that require Presbyters to Lay on their hands with the Bishop in Ordination As Can. 3. Concil Carth. about the yeare 418. and that of Aken 400. yeares after Yea and this was the practice of the Church in St. Cyprians time as appeares by his 6. and 58. Epist. So Ierome in his Epistle to Rome and St. Ambrose among his Epistles Book 10. Yea and This is our Law also which requires â—â—oadjutors to Bishops in Ordination Consonant doubtlesse to the most Antient practice of the Primitive Church even in the â—postles Times as appeares by that of Paul to Timothy on whom were laid the Hands of the Presbytery not of the Presbyterate or one Presbyter as learned Mr. Thorndick not onely yeelds but proves who yet is no enimy to Bishops Neither could I ever finde one good Antiquity against Ordination by Presbyters or for Sole Ordination by Bishops I finde indeed Collythus and some others Un-priested by Councels because Ordained by Presbyters alone but That Act of the Presbyters was done in faction against the Bishop and their fellow Brethren Yea and in most cases if not in all Those Orders so annul'd by Councels were confer'd by One Priest alone and so were indeed as unlawfull as if by one Bishop alone I might adde that some Great men of good Note have strongly maintained all those Councels erred which so Unpreisted Those that had beene Ordained by a Presbyter or Presbyters without a Bishop Amongst These are some of Note in the Popish Church It being a Common Instance among the School-men disputing Whether Orders once confer'd could be annul'd and they all conclude the contrary Yea and many of These also strongly prove that Priests may as well Ordain as Bishops and their Reason seemes very good for say they Seeing a Preist can Consecrate and by Consecration Transubstantiate which is more Why can hee not also Administer the Sacrament of Orders which is lesse Yea and some of them dare affirme Neither Bishop nor Pope can licence Priests to give Ordination except The Power of Ordination bee de jure in Presbyters For They all yeeld the Pope himselfe cannot licence One that is not a Preist to Consecrate the Hoste because none but Preists have That Power of Consecration And a Licence doth not confer Orders without Imposition of hands as They all grant Fâ—r my owne part I ever thought That of Bucer most Rationall Deus non simpliciter singularibus Personis sed Ecclesiae Ordinandi potestatem tradidit For so indeed it seemes the Work of the whole Church who are to Elect to testifie also and seale their Election by Laying on their hands And the Presbytery are but the Churches servants in This Act. I could heartily wish It were reduced to This againe which I fully conceive to be most agreeable to Right Reason Scripture and All Good untainted Antiquity Yet till This be again restored I much desire the Prelates would leave off some of the Ceremonies which I hear they use in it though not by Law I think lest they drive all good men from taking Orders SECT II. CHAP. IV. I Shall now passe from this kinde of Church Antiquity and passe to the best Antiquity the infallible Truth of God in Holy Scripture In it I shall shew there is little for much against Bishops whether we consider the Name or Office of a Bishop as now it is setled The Name I finde but foure times in all the New Testament In Two of which the Name is so indifferently used that it maketh nothing towards an issue of This Question Those are 1 Tim. 3. vers 1 2 3. and 1 Pet. 2.25 And what can be gained from hence truly I see not In the other places it maketh against them as I shall shew more at large by and by But the Word Elder a true Bishop is used
Iohn did appoint Bishops they have gained nothing for I shall allow that Christ also hath instituted Bishops and that Bishops are Iure divino yea I will allow that they are to feed Christs flock to rule Christs inheritance in Christs sense but I shall never allow of these Bishops which are now the subject of our dispute There are Three sorts of Bishops as Beza saith There are of Gods Institution and they are those who have a power over their proper flock with the rest of the Church and no other There are also of Mans Institution and this ever overfloweth into the Neighbour parish And lastly there is a Demonicall Bishop and this is hee who challengeth the Sword as well as the Keyes This last may well be stiled Demonicall for sure God never erected This order nor Man in his right senses Where it will then fixe is cleere enough Even on him Whose darke Mysteries most of these men have been very well acquainted with The long Robe and the Sword doe not well agree To see a Lawyer tyed to his Sword till hee put off his Gowne is not so comely but to see a paire of Lawne sleeves to stifle a Scepter if it were but on a stage I would cry out Spectatum admissi risum teneatis SECT II. CHAP. II. THus having run through that little Treatise yet with some wonder that a person of his profession piety and known learning should doe That which might in any sense seeme to impose on those whom hee loveth I proceed to some other things which I finde produced from Antiquity by the greatest Patrons of that kinde of Episcopacy which wee now oppose Yet by the way I must note here also That either none seeme to state the Question between us right or else all seem to dissert it Our Question as I have often said is not of the name of Bishop or his power in Ecclesiasticalls only but also and mainly of his Civill power and Temporalls Which all the Patrons of Episcopacy seeme to shun as a dangerous Rock and hovering aloofe off goe about to prove by Antiquity that Bishops had this Name and some power even in the Primitive Church which though I thinke none can force me to beleeve yet I dispute not But demand Whether any Bishops had such power in Ecclesiasticis Civilibus as ours now have in England Yet because they insist so much on Antiquity for Ecclesiasticall Episcopacy I will be content to follow them there also beleeving wee shall finde no one foot-step in true Antiquity of such a Bishop as wee now have established in England though wee should strip him of all Civill power and consider him only in Ecclesiasticis Shall I begin with his Election which indeed is somewhat higher than they use perhaps dare to begin I can produce many Antiquities to prove the Election of all Church Officers was in the People yea and that for divers ages after the Apostles who indeed at first appointed These themselves and good reason why when there were no People to choose their Officers till converted by the Apostles who afterward left This Power to the Whole Church rightly constituted And This continued in the Church for divers ages as appeares by Constantines Epistle to the Church of Nice Athanasius also ad Orthâ—doxos and St. Cyprians sixth Epistle with many instances mâ—re which might bee and daily are produced It is true that after the Apostles and purer times of the Church were gone the Clergy began to lord it over the people and to bereave them of their due priviledge yea oft times agreed among themselves to choose One Superintendant as we may call him whom they called Father and Bishop and in This perhaps they did not amisse if This Bishops power rested only on the Clergy and never reached to the people who else sure by all reason should have had a vote in choosing any Officer much more such a great Commander But let all the Patrons of Episcopacy produce mee one found Antiquity for such Election as is now in use with us Let them from undoubted Antiquity for three hundred yeares after Christ nay much more for I easily see their evasion let them I say shew me but one instance of our Conge d' eslire It is the Thing I speak of not the Word Let them shew me except in the dark times of Popery power given to ten or twelve Men except all the Clergy explicitely consented to choose such a Bishop And yet This is not halfe that which lies in our Elections whcih indeed are not at all made by so much as the Chapiter of any Cathedrall but received only by Those who dare not refuse it but of this I spake before in the first Section I am content to passe their Election which I perceive none of them care much to examine and come to the Execution of their Office In which I might instance in two or three maine points as sole Ordination sole Jurisdiction Delegation c. I meet with none that take upon them to defend this last which as a Great States-man observed many yeares since was a Thing at first view most monstrous and unreasonable For will any man living think it reasonable my Lord Keeper should ad placitum delegate whom hee will to keep the Seale and judge in Chancery without consent of his Majesty and the State that entrusteth him with this Great Office Yet These Men hold it fit to entrust a Vicar-Generall Chancellors Officials Surrogates and yet under Officers to keep the Seale yea weâ—d the Scepter of Christ and all the Church which yet they say is entrusted with them But with whom have they left the sheep in the Wildernes Were there nothing else but This I cannot but hold our Episcopacy an intolerable Tyranny sâ—eing a Bishops Dog I am not much amisse lording it over the People Ministers Gentry Nobility All while his Master is perhaps Revelling Dicing or doing Worse for worse they doe Nor is this any way to be helped ' while to one Lord Bishop is granted so vast a Territory Which yet he commandeth as absolutely under that most significant term of Diocesan Primate or Metropolitan as any Temporall Prince can doe by the name of Earl Duke King Emperor or any other I oft remember the dry Oxe-hide that was brought to represent Alexanders great Dominions But I see them so farre from standing on the middle to keep down all that indeed they oft touch is not at all but are acting the Lord Temporall I might say more remote enough from their own Diocesse Which yet of it selfe is oft so large that no one man living could sufficiently Visit and Over-see it except he could get the Pope to Transubstantiate him also and so get a Vbiquitarian Body To supply which hee is oft forc'd to puffe up his wide sleeves and look very big And yet much yea most of all his Office must bee done by Delegates who are oft yea usually the lowest dregs
twenty severall times in the New Testament And you shall find the Apostles honouring This Name so much that one of them stiles himselfe an Elder but none calls himselfe a Bishop Indeed Iudas is so called Who as it were Prophetically behaved himselfe so that his Arch-Bishoprick was given to another I doubt not but the Spirit fore-saw this Word would bee quickly mounted high enough so that it brands Iudas first with This stile Of much more â—ajesty is the Word Presbyter which signifies Senior Under the Law Youth was bound to pay Tribute to Gray haires and Senatus of old was so stiled à Senioribus Whereas Episcopus signifies nothing but an Overseer And such indeed Bishops have beene for many yeares Perhaps the Name of Bishop is sometimes though rarely used that the wilfully blinde might stumble But the Name Presbyter very frequent that Those who love Truth and Light might still see such a Glympse that might Enlighten them in the midst of Egyptian darknesse from which I doubt not but God will deliver all Christendom in due time I can finde as little also for the Office of a Bishop as for his Name in Scripture yea much lesse I can finde our Saviour rebuking his Disciples striving for precedency saying Hee that will bee first shall bee last I can finde St. Peter saying Lord it not over the flock of Christ And St. Iohn branding Diotrephes with seeking the Preheminence But where shall wee finde the usurped Office of our Bishops in all the Scripture Can they finde it by a multiplying glasse where ever they see the Name of Bishop though but in a Postscript of St. Pauls Epistles Whither I see many of them fly for their owne Name I must confesse I have found some Praescripts of Davids Psalmes and other Texts to bee now part of Scripture but never yet found any Postscript of such Authority I dare not therefore give it unto These Which first were never that I could learn received by the Church for Authentick Scripture nor ever fully joyned to the Scripture but by some distinctive note till our Bishops times Yea some Antient Copies have them not at all as one very old Greek Copy in Oxford Library if I be not mis-informed Againe These Postscripts have many Improbabilities and some repugnancies as many Learned men observe As That of the first to Timothy From Laodicea the cheifest City of Phrygia Pacatiana Which sure was never so subscribed by St. Paul who would not have spoken of a First Epistle when as yet there was no Second nor appearance of any Againe the Epithet Pacatiana came from Pacatianus a Roman Deputy 300. yeares after St. Paul wrote The Epistle to Titus is thus subscribed or rather superscribed To Titus ordained the first Bishop of Creet from Nicapolis of Macedonia but it should have beene added Whither St. Paul meant to come after the Epistle but was not there at his writing as appeares very probably from the third of the same Epistle verse 12. But what meanes that Phrase Bishop of the Church in Creet was there but one Church in all Creet This sounds not like the Scripture stile which alwayes expresseth Nationall Congregations by Churches in the Plurall But it may very well be Titus was Bishop or Pastor but of one Church in Creet so that wee shall not need to contend about This. Our Adversaries themselves yeeld there cannot bee much urged from these Subscriptions Baronius Serrarius and the Rhemists will ingenuously confesse so much and Bishop Whitgift also against Mr. Cartwright â—he Postscripts failing where will they shew either Name or Office of a Bishop as now it is used I know their strong Fort Tit. 1.5 For this cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in Order the things that are Wanting and Ordain Elders in every City c. Here they think the Power of a Bishop is set forth at large But what if so Will they bee content to bee limited to This Power if so wee shall the sooner agree I think no man ever thought Good Titus had a Commission heere to draw the Civill Sword or so much as to strike with his Church Keyes Let us a little examine This Commission Which seemâ— but a Briefe of a large Patent which Saint Paul had given him before If we first examine the Date of This Commission wee shall finde it before any Church Government was setled and so an Extraordinary Case not fit perhaps not lawfull to be produced as a constant president Extraordinary Cases of Necessity breake through the Ceremoniall yea Morall Law too The Shew Bread may refresh fainting David Cain and Abel may marry their owne sisters to propagate the World Samuel may be a Priest though not of Aarons House as was shewed before And why then may not an Extraordinary way be taken in the first setling of Church Government where there is yet none setled Any man might now in the conversion of the Americans or Chinois give direction how to admit Members elect Pastors exercise the keyes c. This Titus did and no more But secondly in what manner his Commission was I know not and nothing can be proved from hence till that be agreed upon It is as probable he did it but instructivè exhortativè and not imperativè Timothy received his gift by imposition of Presbyteriall hands If an extraordinary gift was conveyed in an ordinary way Why might not an ordinary calling and affaires of an ordinary nature be managed by an extraordinary man be carried forth in an extraordinary way The contrary is not proved and so This must till then be Ineffectuall to them But thirdly and lastly I beseech you consider by what power he did it by the power of an Evangelist There are two sorts of them 1. Who write 2. Who proclaime the Gospell in an extraordinary way as coadjuters and messengers to the Apostles in this great worke Of this last sort certainly he was A Bishop he was not for our adversaries doe all agree that it is the duty of a Bishop curae sue incumbere to watch over his charge now this he did not for if Creet was his Charge which in no way neither by Scripture nor Antiquity is proved he did not attend it for we finde him continually journeying up and downe he leaveth Creet and commeth to Ephesus from thence he is sent to Corâ—nth after that into Macedonia from Macedonia he is returned to the Corinthians Neither is it to be found in History that he ever returned to Creet Thus if I mistake not the Text is lesse advantageous than the Postscript Some thinke to finde Episcopacy established in that example of Saint Iohn writing to the Angels of the seven Churches But this is Argumentum longè petitum Because Paul endorseth the Letter of a Corporation or an Assembly to the most eminent man in the Congregation Therefore He shall have sole Jurisdiction therefore the Maior shall have sole power without the Aldermen est par ratio
When Paul writes to the Church of the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 5. v. 27. commanding That Epistle to be read to all the holy Brethren the Church of the Thessalonians should have Jurisdiction over other Churches which truely I doe not thinke to be a strong Argumentation Secondly the Word is taken collectively for the Assembly and charge of Ministers and not for One as appeareth evidently Revel 2. v. 24. He saith speaking to the Angel To you and to the rest in Thyatira he puts the Angel in the plurall number which hee would not have done had he written to a single Bishop Thirdly these Epistles are written to the whole Church for the threats and promises are read to them and the Epiphonema of every Epistle is this he that hath an eare let him heare what is spoken to the Churches But yet if this superscription could give any advantage to the Angel it would but extend to his owne congregation The Laodicean Angel hath no influence upon the Philadelphian or the Smyrnite and if that be not proved nothing is gained in the point of Episcopacy except it could be proved that these Angels had in their care many congregations under these particular Churches which never hath nor ever will appeare I hope it is manifest to all men that they cannot establish Episcopacy by Scripture Secondly there is much in Scripture against them For the word Elder and Bishop is all one Tit. 1. ver 7. For this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Elders in every City as I had appinted thee for a Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God First he sheweth Titus what manner of man an Elder must be viz Blamelesse and now proveth it because a Bishop must be blamelesse As if I should write to Thomas to live soberly because a Man must be sober it necessarily followeth that Thomas is a man So that Phil. 1. he writes to the Bishops and Deacons at Philippi Is it probable that a little Towne in Macedonia should have many Bishops when one Bishop must have many Cities in his Dioces Those Who translated the Bible foresaw This And therefore Acts 20. They have translated the word Episcopus an Over-seer Yet in other places they translate it Bishop And the Jesuites say Piae fraudes sunt licitae The carriage of the Apostles in severall places is remarkable when they come to a City as Acts 20. They send for the Elders of the Church never thinking of a Bishop he is so inconsiderable a man These places I hope make cleerely against them So now I will endeavour to shew what the Scripture holdeth forth for Church Government SECT II. CHAP. V. IN this search you will agree that the Government is fixed there where you shall see setled the plenary and absolute power of Election of Officers Decision of controversies and Excommunication of those that transgresse This you will find ministerially in the Officers But initiativè virtualiter conclusivè in the People The Officers are called Overseers Rulers and Elders c. Some of these are to preach and administer the Sacraments others to watch over mens manners others to serve Tables and looke to the poore All these are chosen by the People but whensoever by their industry any delinquency is discovered the whole matter is brought to the Church and there the people and Elders doe passe their definitive sentence Examine but where election of Officers decision of controversies excommunication of members are recorded and you shall have them all in the Church not representative but in the whole Church consisting of Officers and other members As first for election Acts 1.15 Peter speaketh to the People and telleth them they must choose one in Iudas his place and ver 23. It is said They appointed Two It is true the lot divided which of them two should be the man a course in the like case not unlawfull to us at this day But the reducing of it to Two was the act of the Church though Peter was amongst them So afterwards Timothy received his Evangelicall gift by the Imposition of Presbyteriall hands which Presbyters were in this worke the servants of one present Congregation Secondly Decision of Controversies either in cases of Conscience or in point of manners In cases of Conscience when Paul and Barnabas had no small difference about Circumcision they sent to Jerusalem where the Apostles Elders and Brethren meeting together joyntly returned that answer which you finde Acts 15 23.24.2◠Some would presse this place this act of the Apostles further and give to every Synod a Commanding Power because it is said Act. 15.28 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no further burden upon you Therefore they say a Synod hath a commanding and burdening Power But I cannot consent to that for then the major part of the Churches in Europe Africa Prester Iohns Country might meet and command all the Churches of Christ which God forbid in what they pleased and that jure divino for God when hee giveth a rule to his Church hee speaketh to the whole Church of Christ and not to any particular Congregation I only presse it thus farre That the People were joyned even with the Apostles in that Great Synod The Commanding power of the Synod lay in this that the Apostles speak the minde of the Holy Ghost But such authority is not left in us and therefore no such Obligation upon others Truly if there were such a power left us I should with much scurple resist any act of such Government whereof I could make a good construction For many times the power Commanding is more dangerous than the thing Commanded but there is no such power Neither as I said before doe I presse it with such a designe In cases of Civill converse Mat. 18.17 Wee must make our addresses to the Church and hee that will not heare the Church must be as a Publican In that place the greatest dispute will be What is meant by the Church for some will say Here is meant the Church representativè either in more as the Presbytery or in one as the Bishop and not the Church at large But I would labour to evince the contrary Weigh either the Context or the generall signification of the word Church and I hope the true sense will be manifest For Let us see how Church is taken in the Scripture It is used sometimes figurativè and sometimes properly Figurativè as when a particular house is called a Church As the Church in his house Rom. 16.5 Secondly When by Synecdoche the head is put for the whole as Christ is called the Church 1 Cor. 12.12 Thirdly Collectivè When all the Churches of Christ are called the Church 1 Cor. 10.32 It is used perhaps under some other figures but it will bee long to quote them all Secondly It is used Properly in two phrases First When the Congregation is
any before they were heard I was not their Judge alone nor will I be at This time Onely that it may appeare I attended their pleading as it becomes any in a Court of Justice I will give the world an account what Those men say for themselves and so I shall leave them to be judged by wise men First they conceive there be some Ordinances which are proper onely to the Church and Church-Officers belonging onely to Church Assemblies such as is the Administration of Sacraments the Conferring of Orders and all of this nature These they thinke Sacred such as may not be touched by any but Church-Officers and of These they say let Vzzaâ— take heede how hee touch the Arke though it shake But there are other Ordinances they say of a Middle nature as they are exercised in a Church Assembly by Church-Officers They may truly be called Church-Ordinances yet are such as may be used Out of Church Assemblies and therefore probably by Other thâ—n Church-Officers As Praying Reading the Scripture Catechising Exhortation and the like which as they conceive are not confined to the Church onely or Church-Officers 1. Because Heathens and Publicans may be admitted nay ought to be invited to These Ordinances And it seemes no Mortall sinne for a Lay-man in China to call together a company of Heathens and preach to them the Christian Religion yet here is no True Church till a Congregation will Embrace This Doctrine and joyne in serving God 2. They conceive Our State by publike authority hath and doth allow so much as This. For they see Clerkes even in publike Assemblies Read Psalmes Prayers and oft some parts of Scripture Deacons preach yea and Baptize and helpe to administer the Lords Supper and yet no man takes them for complete Ministers yea of old and perhaps now also by Law they are not at all Clergy men 3. Former Preachers have taught them that every Master of a Family may and must read pray Catechise and the like in his owne Family if he have none there that can doe it better than himselfe Therefore These seeme rather to come under the Notion of Private Duties rather than Publike Church-Ordinances though sometime they be performed in Churches yet other times they may be performed out of Churches and by Those that are not publike Church Officers Therefore These poore men through their weaknesse thinke such Ordinances Free to be performed by any Christian whether of the Clergy or Laity And their Zeale makes them conceive If God give gifts of Understanding Memory Judgement Utterance and an Earnest Desire to doe good with These lest they wrap up their Talent in a Napkin They have the Maine to wit an inward Call to performe these duties in their owne Families or else where if They have an outward Call too For they solemnly professe they hold it not fit to presse or intrude themselves on any Congregation But if any will come of themselves either to their owne Families or send for them and desire to heare them among some Good men they take this for a Call an Outward Call to performe Those duties to that Congregation For they thinke the wayes of Gods Spirit are free and not tied to a University man so that having an Inward call they conceive the desire of any One Congregation is Outward call sufficient though the Bishop call not Yea some Exercises in Gods worship They thinke there be which are warranted from the Gift that enables and not from the Call that invites so that a man whom God hath enabled with Parts and Gifts might use them though no man Living call him And this also is the Judgement of many Learned men as of That Ingenuous Worthy Learned man Master Thorndick of late Touching on That of the Corinths So long then as they Encroach not on Ordinances appropriate to Church-Officers they thinke they sinne not in performing other duties where there are none that can or will performe them better They have learned Latine Enough to say Bonum quo Communius eo melius They have read of Moses wishing all the Lords People were Prophets and that God would poure out his Spirit on them all Yea they have heard that God promised to poure out his Spirit upon all Flesh all Beleevers as well Lay as Clergie so that Young men should see Visions and Old men dreame Dreames and though This were begunne to be accomplished Even in Our Saviours time yet They perhaps through ignorance Expect it should be yet still more and more accomplished every day till Knowledge Cover the Earth as Waters fill the Sea even till there be no more neede that any man should teach his neighbour for all men shall know the Lord and They poore men Expect a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein there shall neede no more Temples of stone but all Good men shall be Prophets Priests and Kings In the meane time they say Waters must flow out of the bellies of all that beleeve till at length the Great Waters of the Sanctuary flow forth without measure Yea they are much encouraged from the Practise of the Church in the Acts where all the members Every beleever being scattered by persecution went about Preaching If it be Objected that This was an Extraordinary Case at the first beginning of the Church and in time of Persecution c. They Answer that they conceive almost as Extraordinary a Case in This Land at This Time Where the Church is so much unsetled and hath beene so much persecuted In some places they see no Ministers scarce any in some whole Shires as in Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and especially in Wales Where the Church is even yet scarce ne vix so much as well begunne to be planted or the Gospel Preached In Other places where there is some shew of a Church some Ordinances some Ministers Yet even here they thinke the Church calleth for many more Ministers at least for much more and much better preaching then it yet hath Specially since the late Cruell Tyranny of some Lording Prelates hath almost quite put downe Ordinances silenced Good Ministers and forbidden Preaching Having so detained the Truth and smothered it by unrighteousnesse that there is scarce left the Face of a True Church They conceive This an extraordinary Time an extraordinary Case and Call for all that are Enabled by God with Parts and Gifts fit for such Exercises And they conceive 30. or 40. or an 100. Good men of any one or more Congregations to be as Fit Judges of their parts and abilities every way as One Lord Bishop and his Ignorant perhaps Drunken Chaplaine who make scruple of admitting any to Orders but Bowers and Cringers sincks of Superstition Yet when they please they can poze in an Alehouse and lay hands well quickned with angels on Tapsters Coblers Butchers and many such that are so farre from the smell of a Colledge that they never saw an Abcee or Primer to purpose much lesse
a Ferula in a Grammer Schoole In the last place they solemnly professe they are ready to heare or read any that either by writing preaching or private discourse shall informe them better than now they see or know They would thanke any man that will satisfie their Consciences and convince their judgement For they professe they are not acted by vaine-glory or faction but Conscience and desire of propagating Truth and spreading the Gospel as God shall give them opportunities And supposing such parts gifts and abilities fit for those duties They conceive no man may upbraid them with poverty or former living in a trade which yet they thinke not altogether incompatible to Preaching for they have read of Saint Paul and others intermixing his Sermons with making of Tents Yea though they have not such parts and gifts as Saint Paul yet they thinke the worke of Preaching much more compatible with all works of the Hands than with any one other study of the braine or minde and yet they see many Civill Lawyers take Livings and have Cure of Soules Yea and all their Lord Bishops have Two Callings Two severall opposite Studies and yet for all Those Two They can spend as much or more time at Cards and Dice or worse than at either of their Callings Nor are they so tied to their Outward Callings but if the Church shall thinke it fit they are ready to give up all and apply themselves wholly to the study of Scriptures and worke of the Ministery In the meane time they follow their Callings not living idlely or going up and downe Tatling as Busibodies but being diligent to serve God both with their hands hearts also yea and tongues too if God shall call them and give opportunity as well as abilities I would not be mistaken by my Reader All this time I am speaking Their words not my owne All that I desire is that they may have a faire Hearing before they be severely censured And I move this the rather because they are still ready to say Most that condemne them never heard them I could not but doe what in me lies to remove This scandall It may be Expected I should now shew my owne Opinion and answer all These Things which Those poore men say for themselves But I must confesse I am already almost tired with relating the Arguments of One part onely so that I dare not set on the Other Neither indeed doe I thinke it needfull Most of That which They say being such that it is not like to doe much hurt and so I thinke it not needfull to refute it What must be refuted may much better bee done by Others of better Parts and founder judgements for I know some that in One poore discourse of Truth are by their wit able to finde all the seventeene Intellectuall Sinner how much more in a discourse of Error Only by the way I cannot but shew how weakly These poore Preachers answer some strong objections brought against them As This in the First place That by This Course All Errors and Heresies shall quickly come to be vented and maintained in the Church when every man may Preach that will and what he will without Controule To This Argument All Their Answer that I can remember is This. First that They maintaine not that Any man may Preach that Will No They say it must be One of Parts Gifts and Abilities fit for a Preacher and that not only in his owne fancie but in the Judgement of many Godly men Who being many are as like to be fit and able to judge of Abilities on Their Triall as any One Bishops Chaplaine that yet useth to present to his Lord after little or no posing One whom he never heard speake much lesse Preach or Pray before he came for Holy Orders Secondly they say They maintaine not that any such man so Gifted and Called being judged fit by the votes of many may yet Preach what he will No they are as much limited and kept within bounds as if they were licenced by the Bishop For if he Preach false Doctrine Either in matters of Church or State they say the Bishops Keyes or at least his Long Sword may reach him as well in a Parlor or some little Pulpit as if he were a Licentiate in a Great Cathedrall And if he Preach no false Doctrine must he suffer say they for Preaching True It is true No wise man living will blame much lesse punish or fine a man that speakes a good True Discourse of Law or Physicke though he be Licentiate in neither But These poore men consider not the Case is not the same in Preaching a True discourse in Divinity Yet let us give way and they will speake more Againe they say Suppose they did hold which they doe not that Any man Living might Preach that would and what he would yet perhaps there would not follow so great Inconvenience as some imagine For All such supposed Preachers are either Wise men or Fooles If Wise they will Preach Wisely and so doe Good If Fooles Foolishly and so doe no Hurt or at least very little hurt For it is not for a Foole to broach an Heresie and maintaine it or spread it much No Arrius Pelagius Arminius and such were men of the Greatest Parts but set wrong Yea suppose some of These Non Licentiate Preachers be men of the greatest parts possible and so possible to become dangerous Heretiques Doth the Heresie spread it selfe the more for not being Licensed Might not This Great man doe as much hurt yea much more if he were Licensed than now he is not If any answer It is True He is like to do more hurt if Licensed but therefore the Bishop in wisedome will not License him They rejoyne First is it probable One Bishop in This case will shew more care and conscience than twenty or thirty Good men in a Congregation where This parted Man would preach But againe Suppose there be never a Good man in all his Auditory or that all the Good men there will not have care to suppresse This man from doing hurt How shall how can the Bishop do This How can he keepe him from venting and spreading his Heresie First when this man comes for a License to the Bishop No man can tell how he meanes to Preach when hee is Licensed except the Bishop perchance be a Prophet also as well as a Priest and King Either he hath Preached before his comming for This License or he hath not If he have not No Bishop can tell how he will preach nor can any wise man living commend him to the Bishop as fit to make a Good Preacher since He that is the Best Scholler living and perhaps as good a man as any yet may prove but an ill preacher If he have preached before and done well without License then it seemes it is lawfull to preach without a License for probation no doubt though most of late have denyed This But
I aske how long shall he be a Probationer how many yeares months weekes Though he preach ten good Sermons no man tan tell but in the next he meanes to broach an Heresie But alas These poore men see not how weake all This is For Is it not easie for three or foure men or a Bishops Chaplain to commend a man be he Scholler or Groom or Butler or what he will let the Bishop without seeing or smelling This man give him his blessing blindfold and seale him a Licence What hurt is in all This For if This man preach well the Church will get good if ill cannot the Bishop as soone pull him downe as he set him up They answer Suppose he may which is hard to suppose since Orders once given leave an Indelible Character why may not ten or twenty men Good men in a Congregation as well set up a man and try how hee will prove For if Well it is Well he will do good If ill These ten or twenty men can as easily pull him downe againe as set him up Not so For the Bishop is still a very wise discreete Good Holy man and being entrusted by the Church will have a speciall care even more than an hundred others to set up a good man or else pull him quickly downe againe To This they yet answer The Bishop cannot tell how or what he preacheth when he hath set him up except hee can be present in all places at least many at Once to â—eare all young preachers that he Liceuseth and therefore though he would pull him downe yet he cannot because he cannot be still present to heare him Though he come once twice ten times yet the Preacher may hold in all his Herise till he see the Bishop absent and sometimes he must be absent But may not the Congregation then goe and complaine to the Bishop if their Preacher do amisse and upon complaint the Bishop will may and must suppresse that error If he doe not they say They are still where they were But if he do Censure This Preacher on the complaint of the Congregation Either he sees they complaine unjustly and then He doth injustice in censuring-upon an unjust complaint or else he must yeeld they complaine justly and then he also grants that This Congregation hath wisedome enough to judge whether a man preach well or ill and if so why may not the Congregation censure him for ill preaching without complaint to one Bishop Sed frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauâ—iora And so I leave This and come to another great Question that is wont still to be propounded to These poore Non Licensed Preachers It is This why if indeed they be fit or seeme fit or do but thinke themselves fit to be Ministers why then do they not enter into Orders or at least present themselves shewing their desire to be in Holy Orders if indeed they may be found fit for the Ministery as they thinke themselves Why do they halt betweene Two either let them serve the Church wholly and so be in Orders or else let them forbeare and not meddle with dispensing of Holy Ordinances This seemed to mee a very serious Question and therefore I much desired to heare their Answers Some of them say they know not yet whether they be worthy or fit to take on them Those Greater Offices which follow Orders onely they desire they may have leave as Probationers to exercise or keepe Acts before the Church 'till the Church shall approve of them and call them out judging them faithfull for higher imployment or generally to dispense all the Ordinances In the meane time They meddle onely with such Ordinances as they conceive not proper to Church Officers onely but in some sort common to all Christians yea to all men as was said before Others say they would gladly with all their Hearts be consecrated to God and wholly give themselves up to his service and worship in the Ministery but they are afraid to take Orders as Orders are now conferred in This State And yet in the meane time they dare not abstaine from Preaching where they have opportunity and a Willing Auditory lest they should detaine the Truth God hath revealed to them and should be guilty of hiding their Talent in a Napkin For they thinke they may do many Things belonging though not proper to a Minister though they be not nor can be as things now stand in holy Orders Their Instance is David who was a King and of the Tribe of Iudah and so could be neither Priest nor Levite yet they find King David often Preaching else they understand not the meaning of Those Phrases O come hither and I will shew you what God hath done for my poore soule and the like If these men in This be serious and do not pretend Conscience where it is some other Principle that acts them to some low end I cannot but much pity them that if they be fit they neither may be licensed nor yet preach without License But let us see why they dare not enter into Orders and so be Licensed Ministers They answer that they have not so much against Orders conferr'd by our Church or the manner of conferring them though under some Bishops This hath beene very strange and not warrantable either by Law of God or man they conceive as they have in their judgment and consciences against the Power conferring them For they doubt not to affirme that He who ever he be that taketh on himselfe power which the Scripture hath not given him to appoint dictate or command any one Thing either in Doctrine or Discipline though the Thing it selfe might possibly be good yet He that so dictates is Antichristian encroaching on the Regall Office of Christ and so a Traytor in Religion Now they dare not touch That which how Good soever in it selfe yet comes in Power and Vertue of an Antichristian Traytor Yea though such an one should command them a Thing very lawfull in it selfe as to weare a blacke cloath yet if Hee have not Commission to Command from Scripture they conceive He incurres a Premunire with God because he takes on him to do that as an Oâ—ficer for which he is not fore-armed with lawfull authority In this case they thinke they ought not to obey Him so commanding because though the Thing in it selfe be lawfull to be done yet they thinke him an unlawfull Commander and so dare not obey if for no other Reason yet for This that by obeying here they shall betray not onely their owne Priviledges which yet are very precious but also the Liberties and priviledge of all the Subjects of Christ even of the whole Church so that they become Traytors to their spirituall Common-wealth They give This Instance in Civill Things Suppose a Sheriffe that is a lawfull Officer come and command me to give him forty pound of his owne head without lawfull Authority to beck his command they