single person for 1. It cannot be demonstrated that Paul alone did it but it is more then probable that he had the Advice and Assent of the Church which these two were of perhaps of the Church of Laodicea whence that Epistle was written for this was his practice 1 Cor. 3. When ye are Assembled and my Spirit with the power of the Lord J. ch 2. Neither must every one draw this Consequence Whatsoever Paul did I may do for his Calling was immediate from Christ and extraordinary in it self The Sentence of the Church in the Execution of this Discipline is passed by the Representative of it and in case the Nature of the thing be such as that because the power of the Party or of some other Consiedration it is not or cannot be decided in particular Congregations by the Pastor and his Elders it must be referred to a Classis from it to a SYNOD according to the Pattern Acts 15. So that It is a Sacrilegious usurpation of any particular one as POPE or any other that will do it alone without the Church or her Representatives in the chusing of which there ought to be such care as that they be not Idiots or Ignorant men but men of Piety understanding and of Credit as much as can be to meet in a certain place and alwayes they must remember that their Authority is not supream but Ministerial and therefore that they are bound onely to the Laws and Rules given by the Holy Ghost in the Word and therefore as in point of Doctrine so as to Discipline in all things they must follow the Word For it doth not belong to the Church now established to make any Lawes different from or contrary to the Rules of the Word The Right of the Church doth in the 4th place consist in the power of advising and voting in Synods Councels and Ecclesiastical Assemblies by their Elders Deputies and Representatives not only Arch Bishops and Bishops as Papists would have and not onely Pastors and those that are professed Divines as the Prelatical Party desireth but also other godly and knowing Persons chosen and sent by the Church afore called Elders Deputies and Representatives are to be admitted to vote in the decision of Controversies this I speak not of my own neither must it be called a new thing since for the confirmation of it I will bring 1. Scripture 2. Antiquity 3. Reason As to the 1. in the Councells Synods or Assemblies held by the Apostles not only the Apostles themselves but also the Elders and Deputies of the people who were not professed Divines were admitted so in the Councill of HYERUSALEM of which we read Acts the 15 out of which place these 2 things do appear 1. that the Church Deputies were admitted into the Assemblies v. 22. It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church which is interpreted the next Verse The Brethren representing the Church 2. it doth appear that they were admitted not to be simply and meer Spectators but also to be Judges and to decide with their Votes Affairs propounded in the Assembly for they are named among those whom the Letter came from who had not been named in the Letter except they had a Vote in the Decree Wherefore in these times except the Prelatical Party do think themselves wiser and greater than the Apostles they ought not to deprive the Church of this right as they do through Usurpation but rather to restore them to that share which they ought to have in the Government of the Church which to deny is to commit a heynous Sacriledg and to be guilty of as great a tyranny as can be usurped over the people of God And as the Apostles yielded to the Church her right so in the Primitive times the Church was not deprived of it for in the most famous and Oecumenical Councils this was granted to the Church 1. In the First Councel of Nice called by the Emperour Constantine the Great against Arius who denyed the Deity of Christ the Elders of the People and Representative of the Church had their Votes in it So in the First Council of Constantinople called by the Emperour Theodosius the first against Macedonius who denyed the Deity of the Holy Ghost in this also the Deputies of the Church voted in the ARTICLES therein debated as it doth appear by the Subscriptions of the Acts of these Two Synods For further confirmation of this Right of the Church to my judgement no better reason than this can be given These Synods and Assemblies do represent the Church If it be a Provincial Synod it representeth the Churches of a Province if National of a Nation so if universall it representeth the whole Christian Church Now If this Church either Provincial National c. represented by these Synods doth consist not only of Bishops or Pastors Doctors Teachers and Ministers but also of Lay or Secular Persons among whom sometimes there happen to be men no way inferiour in parts and Piety to many of the Clergy So it is of good consequence to say that some of the body of the Church consisting of Lay men are to be admitted to these Church-Assemblies for since they are interessed in the Transactions of such meetings they must send their Deputies to be present to the Conclusions taken there or else all these Assemblies shall be no better than a Councill of Trent called not to debate of but to confirm Errours where one of the Parties shall be excluded and the other shall be the Party and Judg. These Assemblies cannot be said to be free and Lawfull when there is so much violence and corruption as that one shall be admitted as guilty and accused Persons when he should be equal to his Adversary in such a meeting wherefore I say in case a Synod was called in this Nation consisting of Episcopal men for the most if the businesse was to be decided by plurallity of Votes it would not be a right and competent Assembly except things were resolved by strength of Reason and by an equall number of the different Parties But to be brief This right of the Church in the 8th place doth consist in this That the Church is subject to no power but to the power of Christ The Church ownes no Authority but his and it ought to be free from any others Dominion Christ Jesus is the only Lord and Potentate of his Church which to signifie he is called sometimes the King other times the Lord Master Husband Head and Shepherd of his Church If any other Secular or Ecclesiastical Officer doth aspire to this Power He is a Thief and a Robber We must not think that Christ Jesus hath so dearly purchased his Church to submit her afterwards to the will and lust of men He hath Redeemed us saith the Apostle that we should be a peculiar people unto himself therefore not addicted to others One cannot lay any claim to the Church except he hath purchased it except he
doth protect and preserve it providing it with all necessary Graces This is the end of his giving some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Eph. 4. This is a Song proper to the Church to say I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Cant. 6.3 So that to find her other Lords is to make her an Adultresse I am jealous over you with a godly Jealousie saith Paul to the Corinthians for I will present you as a chast Virgin to Christ for I have spoused you to one Husband 2 Cor. 11. Let therefore no man no not the Angels themselves pretend any Power and Superiority over the Church of Christ for the Lord Jesus hath purchased his Church a Freedom from all other powers but from his own And to speak more exactly to this No man in civil or ecclesiastical Office ought to pretend any Right and Authority over the Church 1. No civil Magistrate for as we render to Caesar the things that are Caesars so we must render to God the things that are Gods It is ordinary in Scriptures to make a difference between civil and Ecclesiastical Jurisdictions Christ's Kingdom is described Psal 45. His Government spoken of Isaiah 9.6 7. It is seen in a Dream by the Stone cut out without hands which broke the Image of all other Dominions Dan. 2.34 Christ doth profess His Kingdom is not of this world and he makes a clear difference between civil powers and that of his Church when he said to his Disciples The Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them but it shall not be so among you Matth. 20.25 In such a case therefore let every one abide in that whereunto he is called There is indeed a gracious Promise made of God that Kings should be nursing Fathers to the Church which began to be fulfilled in the time of Christian Emperors It is now continued and I believe it will be to the end of the world but there is never a Promise to any Prince Except to the Prince of Peace Isaiah 9.6 to receive any power or Dominion over the Church It is one of the greatest points of the Popes Usurpation that he will confound these two Jurisdictions and assume not only S. Peters Keyes but also S. Pauls Sword as they call it so that which the one cannot open the other shall cut it In a word He will undertake the Ecclesiastical and Civil Government since he boasteth to have power in spiritual and temporal things But thus much here is not approved of by the Word of God As the Pope is a temporal Prince so let him govern his Subjects as he is a Bishop let him use tyranny as he doth over his Church But every Christian Reformed Prince ought to be careful not to Administer the Goverment of State and Church together But besides the not preaching of the Word there are two things specially which the civil Magistrate may not do The First He may not ordain Ministers because he hath not Commission to that effect it belongs to those that have already been ordain'd themselves and this would be to destroy Ministry by way of office in the Church this was the practise in the Primitive Church that Bishops or Pastors were chosen by other Bishops and the people that is the Representatives of the people without any civil Monarch or any one pretending Monarchy in the Church as it will at large be found written by Cyprian who lived 250. in his Epist 55. and 68. But the Second thing that the Civil Magistrate must abstain from is The Administration of Ecclesiastical Discipline For though his Office be about the Church yet it is not in the Church Although some Magistrate may be an Officer and Ruler in the Church but not as he is a Civil Magistrate for under that notion it doth not belong to them It is indeed the Right of Kings to call COUNCELLS to see the Church Reformed for he is the Keeper of both Tables yet in this they must make use of Church Officers He also must protect the Church from the power of her Enemies for to that effect he is called the Servant of God Rom. 13. So it becometh Princes to protect Ministers from the Power usurped by their Fellow-Servants as it is Observed of the Duke of Lancaster who to his great commendation secured Wickliffe from the malice and power of his enemies that were Bishops as is observed by FOX in his Book of Martyrs Fol. 413. But we have briefly yet clearly spoken to this Power of the Civil Magistrate in the Churches affairs in a Latine EPISTLE as an Answer to a Letter from a Learned Friend only I do adde this If the Civil Magistrate doth not pretend any Power over the Church this is so far from tending to his Prejudice dishonour and discredit as that it is the greatest glory to abstain from that which doth belong to him yet it will be their highest prasie to submit to the Church Rules as they are Members of the Church It is well known how Ambrosius used this Right with Theodosius and the words of Chrysostome shewing the Power of the Church in administring Discpline in relation to any one are very notable If any wicked man saith he come to the Table of the Lord give him not the Body or Blood of Christ but if he will not desist tell it me and I will rather shed my bloud than to admit such a one And as it is the right of the Church not to be subject to the power and dominion of any Civil Magistrate so Christ hath not purchased this freedom that it should be subject to any Officers and Ministers in it but this liberty will be encroached upon if any Monarchy or Hierarchy be setled in the Church which do follow one another For when there is a Prince and a Soveraign there will be Lords and persons of a quality superiour to the common people Now I say any tittle signifying Monarchy in the Church is tyrannical such as the Prince of the Church or the Supream head thereof and it is necessary for any Christian to abstain from such a Title For 1. It is known out of Scriptures that Christ Jesus is the only Head of his Church One Text will serve for all it is Eph. 1.22 So that to talk of any other Head under the notion of ministerial or subordinate it is to form a monstrous body with two heads for in the same place v. 23. The Church is said to be the Body any one that doth aspire to the title of Head of the Church must have these three qualifications 1. Excellency above the members in power and dignity 2. Perfection in himself greater than any of the members have 3. Infusion of all things which the body hath need of But these three qualities are to be found in Christ Jesus alone who being God and man a
it belongs to the Church as it is proved Acts 1.23 24 c. 16.22 And witnessed by Cyprian in his Epistles Book 1. Epist 4. But we say that the calling to a certain place those that are ordained is of the Church II. This Right of the Church doth consist in this that the Church hath power to chuse her Rulers from within her self this is evident in the case of Deacons Acts 6. The Twelve called the Multitude and said to them look ye out amongst you seven men of honest report So it is in the case of Elders which Paul and Barnabas did ordain not without the votes of the people Acts 14.23 And indeed since the fundamental right of Government dothly in the whole Congregation it must be their Prerogative to elect whom they think fit for the Administration of it It is an Article of the Waldences written 500 years ago that amongst other Priviledges which Christ hath granted to his Church this is one they must chuse their Rulers from among themselves yet alwayes provided they chuse them according to the will of Christ revealed in his word and if it be according to his appointment he will fit them with gifts to rule and so he will prosper their weak endeavour besides that as after the Election the Congregation must obey their Rulers so afore their Election they must give their vote and consent to that effect or else that Obedience which is due to Rulers Heb. 13.17 will not be very free and voluntary as it ought to be for as we have said afore of Pastors so we say of this it is a kinde of Marriage where consent of both Parties is required And as we have said That the Church so called in distinction of any Civil body hath right to chuse her Rulers from among herself so here by this amongst her self we speak of the Laity of it from the Flock distinguished from the Pastor or Teacher In the 2 Chron. 19.8 there were chosen as Priests and Levites so also of the chief of the Fathers of Israel for the Judgment of the Lord and since it is well known that the Synagogue had a Councell of Secular men chosen out of the Congregation to rule it which was continued in the dayes of our Saviour for we read often of the Rulers of the Synagogue which Jewish Church we know to have been as well govern'd as any that ever was and since our Saviour although he much condemned their corruption in Doctrine and Conversation yet he never had a word against this Form of Government the continuation of which the Lord Jesus foretold his Disciples when he said they should be brought and beaten in the Synagogues in the Christian Church these also are appointed to be Rulers as in our Letters to a Person of Quality we have demonstrated out of several Texts of Scripture This only I add as the Church did chuse their Messengers of whow we read 2 Cor. 8.19 23. as they chose their Representatives Acts 15.23 So also they elected their Rulers called Elders 1 Tim. 5.17 to whom the relief for the brethren was to be delivered Acts 11.30 III. The Right of the Church doth consist in the Administration of Discipline the power whereof is in the Church or her Representatives by vertue of which they may suspend erroneous and scandalons Persons from the publick hearing of the Word receiving of the Lords Supper and exclude them from communion with Gods people 2 Thessal 3.6.14 untill they repent and give a publick Testimony of it In the Primitive Church there were several degrees of these Church Censures according to the Nature of their Offences some were only censured in private others in a more publick way others were not permitted to come into the Church to hear the Word although they were permitted to stand just at the door some were suffered to go in untill Sermon was done and then they went forth some were permitted to stay till after Prayers but they were to go out before the blessing was pronounced and others might tarry till after the Blessing but not to be admitted to the Lords Supper when it was to be administred All those things may be accounted circumstantial because left to the prudence of the Church for now adayes we do not follow it altogether although we know thus much to be necessary to use Censures against Offenders but the manner is left to the Discretion of the Church however they must not be so absurd and ridiculous as to give a white sheet as the Episcopal Custome was I cannot but admire at some who fearing to disoblige men rather than to displease God do connive at the licentiousnesse and prophanenesse of others as if in imitation of these unruly persons they were resolved not to performe their duty and this upon this account that such and such men are of such a temper as that if they were censured they would altogether forsake the Church but I must tell them that they will be wiser than God as if to prevent an evil not in being but only feared they were to suffer and comply with a real and actual evil they to whom Discipline is commited must be carefull to execute it for saith the Apostle Rom. 12. He that ruleth let him do it with diligence as for the success they must commit it to the hand of God however let the event be what it will they have that comfort to have discharged their duty The case of the French Church is notable in this where the Offenders have liberty to forsake the Reformed Religion and be welcome amongst Papists the King being that way yet notwithstanding this Consideration they strictly administer Discipline and such is the Blessing of God that he overrules mens hearts for instead of a postatising they submit to the power and Censures of the Church and although upon this they would depart from the Church of which I cannot bring so much as an Instance although I have reason to be aquainted with their Affairs yet they may say They went from among us because they were none of us Rotten Members if obstinate must-be cut off lest they corrupt others as S. Paul saith of Hymeneus and Philetes 2 Tim. 2.17 That this Right is belonging to the Church is clear out of our Blessed Saviours saying Matth. 15. v. 17 If he will not hear thee tell it the Church wherein is implyed That the Church had Power to procure some satisfaction for the Offence received which power if a man will not submit unto he must be unto us as an Heathen and a Publican This Right the Church of Corinth made use of according to S Paul's Exhortation 1 Cor. 5. which was not committed to a single Person but to the whole church to which the Apostle writeth this Epistle and S. Paul by vertue of this Right delivered up that is excommunicated Hymeneus and Philetes 1 Tim. 1.20 Yet from hence one must not infer That this Right is administred by a
King a Prophet and a High Priest and infusing life motion and being into the Church is the only head of the Church exclusively to any other under what notion soever It is a notable saying of Gregory the great who was a Bishop of Rome because about his daies he saw some of his Predecessors had affected Supremacy over all the rest yet much different from that abominable abuse that crept in after his times He lived 600 years after Christ In his 6th Book and Epist 24. he hath these words I say confidently that any one who calleth himself or desireth to be called Universal Bishop he is the forerunner of Antichrist And I do believe that where there is an Archbishop over a whole Kingdom or the half of it he is a kind of Monarch and Universal Bishop over that whole Kingdom or part of it and the Title of Archbishop is as dangerous and as much to be avoided in such a Kingdom as the name of Universal Bishop For I account our controversie with Hierarchy here to be the same in nature which we have against Popery though in not so high a degree but this usurpation by Archbishops is so palpable so all the Hierarehical way which I am confident is not a way of Gods appointment because in no wise grounded upon Gods Word as that I will not insist on it but only upon that which hath a more specious pretence and to shew few of the grievances of Christs Church against this Hierarchical tyrannical Government We call Heaven and Earth to record that we desire nothing else but to be judged by the Word of God alone and that no customs humane inventions and traditions but Scriptures only are to be lookt upon in this controversie and therefore we stand not for any waies of our own but for the waies of God Wherefore we do abhor Bishops by way of superiority as usurpers over the right of the Church as being without Scripture and against Scripture So that God may say in this as he doth in another case They set up Church-Governors but not by me And to argue the case I would know from the Adversaries whether Bishops are different from the Ministers of the Church that is whether this be an Office by it self or what kind of difference this is To the former If it be an Office by it self then they must prove it out of Scriptures but this cannot be for in the three places of Scripture where St. Paul doth acquaint us of the Offices in the Church there is not a word of Bishops the Texts may be seen Rom. 12.6 7 8. 1 Cor. 12.28 Eph. 4.11 So that if they assert that there ought to be Bishops in the Church then they must acknowledge that the nature of Bishop is comprehended under one or other of the Offices named in these places or else they must confess that there ought to be no Bishops at all by Divine institution But the truth is the nature of Bishop is in the two former places comprehended under the name Teacher and in the last Text under the word Pastor For he cannot be called Prophet Apostle Miracle Healings c. And this truth Scripture doth hold forth in other places Acts 20.28 St. Paul said to the Elders of Ephesus Feed the flock from the word feeding comes the word Pastor over the which God hath made you overseers or Bishops so that Pastor and Bishop are one and the same They that have perused Tit. 1.7 will find that Minister or Elder and Bishop are one and the same likewise 1 Tim. 3. Neither are they Lords over the Flock if St. Peter speaks truth 1 Pet. 5. Feed the Flock Here again the word Pastor is implied so the word Elder whom he exhorteth so the word Bishop v. 2. taking the oversight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom he saith v. 3. Not being Lords over the flock Neither must they be Lords or affect to be greater than their fellow-Pastors and Ministers for nothing can be more expresly and clearly set down than Christ Jesus forbidding his Disciples to use dominion and authority one over onother even upon this occasion when they disputed amongst themselves of superiority Mat. 20.25 I think therefore that any man especially a Minister cannot suffer upon a more righteous account than in opposition to this Supremacy and I make no question but to bring many to this truth through grace when I have shewed how godly people opposed this usurpation when it began to creep into the Church and how for this same cause some were crowned with Martyrdom Ambition being the sin of the Devil who is a murtherer from the beginning it doth infuse cruel and bloudy dispositions into those that are stained with it But when pride meets in an Ecclesiastical man as it is the most detestable so it produceth most fatal and pernicious effects Any one that is acquainted with the names of Bonifaces Leo's John's c. who ever heard of Guelphs and Guobellines may have an illustration of what I say this furious ambition did formerly rage with more violence than now that the Light of the Gospel is clearer than afore Yet although the stump be in Italy there are some little Branches of the pride of that great Harlot even amongst those that profess the Reformed Religion and it is to be wished men were now as studious to extirpate these reliques as some were at first to prevent the growth thereof That some of the Bishops of Rome were censured by the Bishops of Alexandria or Constantinople and some other places they that have been acquainted with Eusebius may testifie of it Bonifacius the third of that name who first publickly assumed the ambitious Title which the Bishops of Rome do retain did write a Letter to the Bishops of Carthage which must needs to be interpreted of Ministers for there could not be many Diocesan Bishops as they call it requiring them to have their appeal to Rome being countenanced in it by Phocas that wicked Emperor but pretending some authority out of the Council of Nice but the Bishops of Carthage called a Council the sixth of Carthage of 217 Bishops which must have been Ministers for how could so many of Bishops in the adversaries sence be found about Carthage and they disowned that pretended power of Bonifacius This Council was called in the daies of Phocas Bernard in his 2 Book to Eugenius declareth to him that he could not challenge any Dominion over the Church or other his Fellow-Pastors Hearken saith he what S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 5. Not bearing rule as Lords over the Clergy but as examples to the flock wherefore if thou wilt be a Lord thou shalt lose thine Apostleship if thou wilt be an Apostle thou shalt lose thy Lordship How fitly doth this here hit our times And they need not to tell me that this was to Popes provided I find it to be the same thing which now we condemn in the Prelates of these daies for I