wolfe who yet hath the place of an ordinarie Pastour in the Church more then a true Christian to receave the Sacraments from a reprobate being alwayes an ordinarie minister which sacraments yet by the inward cooperation of God are effectuall to the receaver for it is sufficieÌ„t for an outward ordinarie calling that the minister thereof have outward place and power of ordination albeit he be but a hireling and a thiefe and the receaver of outward ordinarie vocation as he hath al gift and grace from God only whose the work is so is he not tied or sworne to the will or appetit of the outward minister but only to the Lord no more then any minister baptizeth in his owne name but in the Lorde his whose badge and cognissance only we take on thereby and not of the minister thereof So as who therevpon would evince me to have made defection froÌ„ the church because I impugne the heresie of him who gave me ordination or that finding him to be a wolfe and both giving warning thereof to others and my self shrinking from him that so doing I either had no ordinarie vocation at all or theÌ„ had fallen from it I thinke that any of sound and setled senses would advyse to minister to him rather Hellebore for his braine then any other answer 9. Now then albeit our adversaries be more then impudent to deny our ordinarie vocation and it were in vs but childish simplicitie in such evidencie thereof to grant them any apparant advantage and albeit it harmeth nothing our cause that our outward calling hath in a sorte flowed from the Bishop of Rome whose long vsurpation in the church so litle dismayeth vs as rather it confirmeth vs the more Antichrist being so proper a soare of the body of the church as that he can befal none other body thus though no otherwayes yet even by sight of the soare in but not of the body being sufficientlie assured that certainlie the true body was there yet in so cleare and direct an answer and solution of this question given by Christ him selfe I will never yeelde that the want of ordinarie vocation shal be alwayes a relevant exception against truth and the true Preachers thereof 10. But thus say they a doore is opened to all confusion in the house of God while a liberty is left for each man to vsurpe a calling at his pleasure God forbid Yea we are so farre from this disorder and do so farre both reverence and maintaine ordinarie vocation that in a constitute Church holding the foundation albeit otherwayes divers things therein did require reformation if any man of how great giftes soever yet without ordinarie calling should intende him selfe to be a Pastour we would no otherwayes account of him then of a seditious and turbulent spirit who either fanaticklie presuming of graces would vainlie despise order or for some infirmities and defectes would arrogantlie and vncharitablie breake the vnitie of the Church But if corruption hath so farre prevailed that the faithful Citie hath become an â—aâ—lot and all her silver be turned in drosse if her husbandmen have become murtherers and her builders have become destroyers if from the Prophet even to the Priest every one followeth after lyes if there bee a conspiracie of her Prophets in the mids of her like a roaring Lyon ravening the prayâ— if her watchmen be al blind know nothing if they be all dum doggs and can not barke if they ly and sleepe and love to sleepe if her Pastours know nothing nor vnder stand and looke wholy to their owne wayes if night be to them for a vision and darknes for a divinâ—tion In such a case God both heretofore hath and alwayes may send out men extraordinarilie who comming in the way of righteousnes and in evidence of truth and power convincing the ordinarie husbandes to be thieves and the ordinarie builders to bee destroyers even thereby sufficientlie verifie their ministerie to bee from heaven For an evill tree can not bring foorth good fruit nor a good tree bring foorth evill fruit By their fruits ye shal know theÌ„ It is deceitfull sophistrie to reason froÌ„ the state of a wel constitut church to a church dead in Baall or contrare froÌ„ the first generatioÌ„ or as I may cal it regeneration and reformation of a Church from deadly confusion to that which in a constitut or well reformed church is to be observed froÌ„ a respective necessity to conclud a necessitie absolut he were a ridiculos phificioÌ„ who in the cure of a deadly desperat disease would admit nothing but what for maintaining of health in ordinary dyet wer observed Our maister who most precisely fulfilled all righteousnes hath taught vs by his owne exaÌ„ple that when the ordinary pastours have made the temple of God a house of merchandise the house of prayer a den of thieves that then by extraordinary motion from him the tables of these money-changers ar to be roundlie overturned these thieves to bee whipped to the doores That which is written of the house of God answering for the matter and that which is written of true zeale of the house answering for the manner And who I pray you did ever yet heare or what instance can bee given of anie reformation of a quiet disordered state but by some more at least in some points then an ordinarie foâ—me either in the persons reformers or in their manner of doing 11. Our adversaries answere that if such a case as that is in which onely wee make extraordinary calling to have place can not at any time befal the church theÌ„ all our reasoning is vaine But so it is that such a case caÌ„ never befal the church Ergâ— the major or first part of the argument is from our owne ground the assumption or minor they proove by that wherewith compendiously forsooth they alwayes in al things defend them selves and summarilie with one stroake overthrow all whatsoever wee bring against them Namely that the church can not erre For hath not the Lord builded her on a rocke so as the gates of hell cannot prevaile against her hath he not promised to be alwayes with her til the consummation of al things and end of the world we grant all these goodly and great promises made to the church we both reioyce glory of them in the Lord know assuredly that he who is faithfull and true holdeth well his height But their conclusion hereupon in their sense hath a wordle of aequivocations For first albeit it be most certain that God never so abandoneth his church as that finally fundamentally she falleth from truth or is miscaried with errour but that still even in most desperat cases shee hath in her both the light and life of God yet hereupon to inferre at all times and in all and every thing such an absolut perfection as is mixed with no degree of errour or infirmity it
but for outward order all inward grace power and vertue comming from God the Author of the calling what absurditie is it that a good pastour receave ordination of a VVolfe who yet â—â—th the place of an ordinarie Pastour in the Church more then a truâ— Christian to receave the Sacraments from a reÌ„probat beeing alwayes an ordinary Minister which Sacraments yet by the inward cooperation of God are effectuall to the receaver for it is sufficient for an outward ordinary calling that the Minister thereof have outward place power of ordination albeit he be but a Hyreling and a Thiefe And the receaver of outward ordinary vocation as he hath all gift and grace from God only whose the worke is so is he not tyed or sworne to the will or appetit of the outward Minister but only to the Lord no more then any Minister Baptizeth in his owne name but in the Lord his whose badge and cognissance only we take on thereby and not of the Minister thereof c. I will not thinke my remarker so remarkeably grosse as that he thinketh the efficacie of the Sacraments to depend on the worthines or vnworthines of the Minister thereof for in the contrary of this I hope wee doe both agree and againe that he who holdeth ordination to be a Sacrament no lesse then any of the other wil deny the same common case of it also I have no reason to imagine Neither yet for my similitude taken from the common condition of Sacraments that therefore hee would think me to make ordination also a Sacrament with him in the most strict and proper signification for the similitude of things in some cases maketh not things alwayes to be the same and thus farre I hope wee shall accord in the truth and convenience of my similitude that as the Minister of Sacraments having still outward place and power neither conferreth inward grace for any worthines in him neither letteth the collation thereof through his vnworthines so neither doth the vnworthines of the ordainer having 〈◊〉 place and power of ordination let the effectual 〈◊〉 ordination in him who is ordained everie good gift â—escending from above from the Father of lights For there is but one Lord who hath led captivitie captive giveth gifts to men my adversarie wil confesse this also that froÌ„ what Bishop soever the Sacraments may be receaved except Baptisme which in honour of Christ forsooth he relegateth not only to Woemen but even to Iewes and Turkes from the same Bishop ordination may be receaved also but as I can scanse at his meaning hee thinketh my errour to be in this remarkeable that to him I appeare to make it all one thing or alike to receave the Sacraments or ordination from a Wolfe or Thiefe as to rereave them from a hyreling or reprobate which if I did absolutly hold and did accordingly reason from the one to the other it were indeed a manifest halting in Logike and therewith no sounde point of Divinitie also The course of my argumentation in my treatise is so at length and evidently led and my cases so clearly put as I am sure no vpright hearted Reader could ever have fallen vpon so sinistrous a conception but it is the maner of men who read only to resist to snatch at syllables and wrest parcels of mens speaches so to maintaine iangling And seeing that my remarker albeit hee hath busied himselfe most yea and almost only on the 6.7 and 8. sections of my Treatise as his tokens left thereupon well shewe yet even there hath vnderstood least and either hath not conceaved or deceitfully dissembled my meaning I will therefore heere summarily resume the substance of my matter and drift of my discourse there Vpon the prerogative of the Bishop of Rome a long tyme reputed head of the Churche and all ordinarie vocation flowing in that respect either mediatlie or immediatly from him our adversaries labour to inferre against vs that either we have never had any lawful ordination at all or then have fallen from it Because that the Bishop of Rome was then when our ordination flowed from him either the Antichrist as wee affirme and consequentlie beeing a Wolfe and Thiefe could have no power of ordination or then a lawfull Pastour holding truth in which case wee falling from his communion have fallen from the truth and all lawfull vocation also against this to shew howe in that which in the pamphlet that came to my hands was inscribed the invincible argument there is no more vigour then in a roape of a rotten rushe I laid down this contrary position That our outward ordinarie callings did in a sort flow from the Bishop of Rome without any discredit or derogation to the dignity or lawfulnes of them notwithstanding that he is that verie Antichrist and man of sinne and so not onely a Wolfe and Thiefe but even of al other the most execrable The summe of that argument whereby to inferre this my Position and which at large I did set downe in my treatise and the mentioned sections thereof is this From a VVolfe or Thiefe who descending in an ordinary succession from good and lawfull Pastours at first and who degenereth not at once but by long and slow degrees and that not as an open outward enemy directly oppugning the ensigne but still pretending Christ his power and service and covertly by pretence of the ensigne deceaving before he be detected and knowen to be a Traitour VVolfe Thiefe and so retaining still with all in common the account and place of a lawfull Pastour lawfull ordination may flow and the ordained by him taking ordination vprightly as from a lawful Pastour reputed so still in common not knowing nor beeing partakers of his treason may even so have lawfull outward vocation and falling from their ordainer eftsoones detected to bee a VVolfe and Thiefe yet stil retain the prerogative of their callings But such a Traitour Wolfe Thiefe was the Bishop of Rome what tyme our ordination in a sort did flow from him before it was said to the revived witnesses come vp hither Revel 11. he proclaimed a Traitour 14.8 and al thereupon interdicted his worshippe and character 14.9 Therefore from the Bishop of Rome our outward callings in a sort might flow and wee shrinking from him now declaired Traitour yet still retaine the prerogative and priviledge of our callings In the tenour and drift of this argument that divers points cases be not ignorantly or deceitfully confounded either to the obscuring or perverting of my meaning two things are heedfully to be eied and the distinct considerations of them First my Positions and thâ—se distinctlie al 's well the speciall and definit position which I take to proove as the generall and indefinit which I bring for a mids or argument to inferre the other And secondly the restrict cases of both The speciall definit position which I take to proove is the conclusion of my sillogisme The
of Christ but an inward traytour deceaving by the ensigne and that so cunninglie and covertlie as a long time not only his characterized ones who only of his favoures are partakers both of his treason and endles iudgement but also many simple sheepe deceaved by the semblance of the Lambe his hornes and in singlenes of heart following the ensigne were made so to follow him and to receave his name albeit they receaved never his character nor learned the deeepnes of Satan and many also who never either receaved character or name yet lurking within him and shrouded vnder the common ensigne of profession receaved the number of his name that is were numbred and counted to be his albeit in effect they were none of his either by acceptation of character or name For hee treading downe the holy Citie Court of the Temple that is domining and ruling in the visible church and along time ouerthrowing therein all true worshippe as did Iezabel in Israel 42. monethes or three yeares and a halfe Antiochus Epiphanes in Ierusalem the same space all which time of his vsurpation the true church within his compas continuallie lurking as the Temple within the Citie and Court No other possible accesse could bee to the Temple the true Church but through the Citie and Court the visible Church wherein Antichrist sitting that is Domining all Christians behooved of necessitie to ioine to that body where was the common ensigne which howsoever or by whomsoever caried yet it was ever oportunum inquirendi exordium convenient entrie to inquire by and so alwayes many comming thither and spying the pollution of the Citie and court of the Temple they stepped in to the Temple where continually therefore in a close and deepe wisdome that case is numbred by dayes al the time of Antichrist his most absolut prevayling was the true church and true and faithfull Ministers of grace and light and albeit few and long lurking in heavines yet powerfully dispensing light and grace free from open and barbarous persecution till the little booke opened and obtained out of the hand of the great Angell and greedilie and sweetlie swallowed inabled and stirred them by the right measuring reed to examine the church and thereby to finde that citie and court were to bee cast out whereat the beast Antichrist highly chaffed murthereth first even with applause those true Ministers But God still stirring vp others in the same spirit at last a visible separation is made not from the Church as our adversaries vainlie pratle but from Antichrist and the long covered traitour in the church So as then truth and true professours within the church onely of the church but long borne down and lurking through prevailing errour at length begun to becom visible to the terrour and astonishment of their adversaries and to obtain and beare sway by the discoverie fall of Antichrist Whose sacrilegious impietie having come to such height as it could no longer bee covered or borne it was then said to the revived witnesses Come vp hither and their enemies saw them and were afrayde that is the long lurking afflicted and at last murthered ones become visible even to their enemies who first imagined none such to bee and next that they could bee no more and to their griefe and terrour are seene and knowen to beare away the title of the true Church in that place as through all that Prophecie signified by the name of heaven in opposition to the earth and earthlie ones Wee have not only stronge and invincible argumentes but even therewith such cleare foretolde storie of all the ryfinge grouth doctrine dealing and fall of Antichrist And of the continuall manner of God his gracious dispensation towardes his true Church lurking vnder him afflicted by him and victorious over him as that wherein our adversaries glorie most turneth most to their shame and that wherewith they most reproache our Church speaketh stronglie for vs. And the Lorde his wise providence for preserving thus his Church in the middes of Antichristian vsurpation while he appeared to possesse all was wonderfull in that even in time of greatest corruption yet a sure accesse and free way was still reserved and kept thorough the Citie and Court to the Temple the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance remayning and the doctrine of the Trinitie beeing kept sounde 8. Wee are so farre from denying to Antichrist a place yea and an ordinarie calling in the Church that wee affirme constantlie that so it must have beene And that not onely hee behooved to bee in it but also Sit that is beare rule therein But so wee grant him to bee in it as yet hee is none of it more then a boile or apostume in the body is a member of the body so wee grant him to have had rule and ordinarie calling in the Church as had these Husband-men to whom indeed the Vineyard was set but they murthered the heire such an ordinarie builder wee confesse him to bee as reiecteth that stone which yet in despyte of him becommeth head of the corner Wee yeeld him the ordinarie vocation of a Pastour but that hee is a wolfe to have beene sometime a starre of heaven and minister of light and of the keyes of the kingdome but to have fallen to the earth to have changed the keyes of heaven in those of the bottomlesse pit and to have become the minister of darknes whereby hee hath darkened Sunne Moone and Aire Sathan having bene once by Michael his valour so powerfullie cast downe from heaven had never againe bene able by the beast of his authoritie to erect his throne even in the Temple of God if hee had not pretended the Lambe his hornes neither had hee ever bene able to sende out our Sampson his ridle if hee had not plowed with his heifer Now then seeing that Antichrist of an order succession of degenerating Pastours and that not at once but slowlie and by degrees hath slylie arissen to that height of impietie as a beast rising out of the earth Sensim imperare incipiebat religio habenas imperij capere ius suum acquirere nibil subitum nihil tumultuarium sayth their owne parasite Steuchus And seeing that alwayes before his discoverie the pretence of the common ensigne carried him out and that there-through many true both Pastours and Professours receaving his name or his number but not his character did come in singlenes to the cōmon ensigne not properlie to him seeing that albeit he was a Wolf yet before it was said to the revived witnesses Come vp hither he brooked stil the place of an ordinarie Pastour and seeing that outward ordination and all the action of the ministers thereof serveth but for outward order all inward gift grace power and vertue comming from God the author of the calling what absurditie is it that a good Pastor receave ordination of a
generall and indefinit whereby I conclude it is the Proposition thereof the restrict case of my speciall and definit position is that I affirmed not our callings to have flowed from the Bishop of Rome absolutly but in a sort The restrict case of my generall and indefinit position is that I affirmed not lawfull ordination might be taken of a Wolfe or Thiefe absolutly but from such a Wolfe Thiefe as in my Proposition is set downe at length and in my treatise more amply Now who either doth confound my positions or draweth them froÌ„ my restrict cases to absolut assertions he wrongeth me therein greatly And to cleare this In the restrict case of my speciall and definit position that I affirmed our callings to have flowed froÌ„ the Bishop of Rome in a sort it hath two considerations to be wel adverted First that the Bishop of Rome was not the proper particular personal minister of their ordination at least in common howsoever in a sort or mediatly it did flow from him Secondly that even this in a sort or mediatly must not be so vnderstood as if the particular proper and personall ordainers had done it but as the Bishop of Rome his deputies or procurators but as having also themselves properly place power of ordination Wherein by your adversaries doctrine the Bishop of Rome might well have the first place and highest power but not the only place or onely power For giving him this that he were not only primae sedis Episcopus in which degree the Fathers would faine have stayed his vsurpation and yet by canons of counsels could not but which was then interdicted that he were also primus Episcopus yet was hee never sole Bishop And though hee got at length by prevailing iniquity cheefe place power of ordination yet never only place For if hee onely were properly to bee held a Bishop and if ordination were only proper to him then could not he him selfe be any Bishop at all For none can be a Bishop without lawfull ordination and none can or may ordaine him selfe Neither can any other ordaine him by any power flowing from his predecessour quia mortâ—â— mandatore expirat mandatum And as Grogorie Bishop of Rome doth inferre if he were sole Bishop then vniversa Ecclesia corruit vbi ille vniversus cadit he falling the vniversal church should faile also And how hardly the said Grogory did esteeme of any such vsurpation these words doe shew Triste valde est patieÌ„ter ferre vt omnibus despectis frater coepiscopus noster solus nominetur Episcopus It is a heavy and hard matter to beare that our brother and fellow Bishop should be called onely Bishop and he giveth the reason in another place Quia si vnus Patriarcha vniversalis dicitur Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogatur for if one be called vniversal Patriarch the name of Patriarch is taken from the rest so then is ordination of all Church-men flowing in a sort froÌ„ the Pope to be vnderstood not that either hee was the personall minister of all or that hee had sole power of ordination but because he was acknowledged first in that power and for that in the outward order policy and forme of church governement al did acknowledge their subiection to him Now for that ordination is graunted to flow from him in this sort therefore vpon the conviction of him to be a Wolfe Thiefe shal al ordination in the church particularly properly and personallie ministred by whatsoever other Bishops be vnlawfull Or shal he convinced to be a Thiefe and Traitour necessarily involve al other pastours of the church in the same guiltines with him because their ordinatioÌ„ hath in a sort flowed from him This were indeed to admit that which even a Bishop of Rome counted an execrable absurdity quod vniversa Ecclesia corruit vbi ille vniversus cadit your man might have learned from his owne Bellarmin by force of truth driven thereto at last that though the Pope should become an heretike yet should not the church therefore fail or fall from truth We wil never yeeld him this that at any time in the church vniversally all and singularly each pastour or ordainers of pastours were Wolves and Thieves albeit wee affirme that he from whom al ordinatioÌ„ in a sort did flow was long agoe a Wolfe and Thiefe Now then I having in the special and definit position of our callings flowing from the Bishop of Rome put this restrict case that they flowed from him in a sort hee should greatly wrong me sophistically also reason who would make this all one thing as if I had granted them to have flowed from him particularly as the proper personal minister thereof or from the Wolvish Thievish condition of him froÌ„ whom they but flowed in a sort would conclude of all and everie particular proper and personal ordainers or if hee should reason from ordinatioÌ„ as it floweth in a sort to ordination properly and personally proceeding My remarker might indeed have made me remarkeably forgetfull of my selfe truth both if in my answere to their first obiection sect 5. not admitting them therfore any iust claime in the title of the true church for that we forsooth could have no orditnary vocation but with amongst theÌ„ who howsoever they were in the church even bore sway and obtained in tota communiter yet were but a part in the church and no true part of it in that alwayes within the church also were true both pastours and professours if now I say I should againe confesse that all our pastours ordination had flowed properly and personally from the detestable head of all that mischiefe Which were not onely a manifest lie but an absurde impossibilitie also If any heere would oppone that this my distinction is vaine and that it freeth vs nothing more to have had our ordination but in a sort from the Bishop of Rome and properlie and personally from others then if we graunted the having it of him even particularly properly personally because all others particular and personal ordainers whatsoever were not onely in outward order of Church governement subiect to the Pope of Rome but also agreed all in one and the same faith and doctrine with him approving both his opinion and power and moreover had all of them or their ordainers or the ordainers of their ordainers c. their ordination even properly and personally of the Bishop of Rome In which respects neither could the personall ordainers bee free of any imputation laid by vs against the Bishop of Rome neither yee ordination from them be any better to the ordained by them then if it had properly and personally proceeded from him as the particular Minister therof I answer that in this allegation is a manifold sophistication First as I have already shewed from common subiection in the obtaining state of Church policie to conclude Vnitie in opinion and all points of faith and
from the overruling Pope or Metropolitan his corruption and guiltines to conclude the same of al who by the course of the time and prevailing lawes of Church governement are ordinarilie subiect to him it is even in common experience ridiculous and albeit of all in common it might perhaps be said yet never of vniversally each one as in my treatise I have shewed at length in my commentarie on the Revelation more plainly Secondly he â—â—â—ld thus conclude from toleration to approbation most falsly For many did tolerate the evils and vsurpation which they never approoved but even detested and lamented as did the Church in Pergamus dwelling even where Satan his throne was and the Church of Thyatira where Ieâ—â—abel vnder proud pretence of propheticall authoritie impudently domined Against which Churches howsoever the Lord had some thing for that their weaknes yet were they no the lesse his true Churches and as taxed for toleration of the obtaining proudly borne out evill amongst them so on the other part even praised for keeping the name of God and for increase of workes even there where Satan his throne was and Fornication and Idolatrie craftilie and proudly set forwarde which yet and the first subtill and nixt proud and cruell vsurpation of the committers teachers and imposers therof they had not the either knowledge or courage to challenge directly in the tyme. And in these two Churches the holy Ghost in a depth of wisdome and purposelie setteth downe the type of the coÌ„dition of his true church first and last in the mids of Antichrist his vsurpation all the tyme within his compas Thirdly in alledging that al having place power of ordinatioÌ„ or then their ordainers or at least the ordainers of their ordainers c. have receaved ordination even personally and particularly from the Bishop of Rome besydes that for many ages after Christ no such vsurpatioÌ„ was knowen or had place in the Church that even after the first proud acclayming thereof many churches stood long out refused the yoak in reasoning even from the stare of the prevailing tyraÌ„ny since the time it tooke place there is a double fallacy First in not distinguishing betwixt any one particular Bishop of Rome and the Bishop of Rome in succession of seat And next confounding the different and much divers consideration of distinct times and of an evill in time waxing and by degrees arrysing from not so intollerable beginnings at first to the height at last of al detestable mischief and importable impiety If any should affirme the personall and proper ordination of all ordainers or of their ordainers or at least of the ordainers of their ordainers c. of any one particular Bishop of Rome hee were senseles If of the seat then the answere is easie that none shall ever be able to shew it so possibly personall in that sort throw all the visible Church but that in a succession of many Bishops and these singularly almost all of short aboade and litle painfull in the personal actions of their calling in the progres as I have said of a waxing evil we may easely and clearely evince not onely a probable but even a plaine possibility of preserving and reducing vpward lawfull ordination in the Church at least in freedome from all personall contagion of that pestilent seat to some more tolerable times a lesse corrupted state of a church Thus have I cleared the speciall and definit position of our outward ordinarie callings flowing from the Bishop of Rome and restrict case thereof Which position as it was the conclusion of my syllogisme and al that I either affirmed or tooke to proove of them so will I never grant the Bishop of Rome any furder interest in them And thus the flowing of our vocation in a sort from him even confessed to be and to have then bene the very Antichrist derogateth so litle either to the dignity or lawfulnes of theÌ„ as though it were granted that not only not from him but even from no Wolfe or Thiefe any proper or personall ordination might be lawfully receaved yet our ordination and flowing in a sort from the Bishop of Rome the Antichrist may bee well sustained to bee lawfull Neither am I thus precise in the special case of our ordination because I think my selfe so straited in granting even personall and particularly ministred ordination by a Wolfe and Thiefe in some case to bee lawfull as that therefore I would narrowly seeke out this evasion but because it were foolishe prevarication to staine the honour of our vocation more then is necessarie by yeelding any furder place therein to Antichrist his contagion then the nature of the case and truth of story enforceth for as in the Church alwayes even in most miserable tymes have beene some albeit few lawfull and true pastours so consequently alwayes some remnant also of lawfull ordination And I pray you with or amongst whom could it possibly remaine but these who were first the Candelstikes and Olives ministers of light and grace while no possibilitie appeared of any and for applying the right rodde of examination whereby Citie and Court were found to bee cast out were next cruellie murthered and yet Thirdly in vigour standing vp against Antichrist were at last separated so from his contagion as thencefoorth Babylon falleth and they beare away the name of heaven the true church Now then howsoever in the special case of our ordinarie vocations and in facto as Iuristes speak I will yeeld no more then my position thereof beareth yet in jure I have not forgotten what my generall and indefinit position speaketh neither mynde I so to slyde from it But as I brought it for my argument whereby as from the more to the lesse to inferre my speciall position so will I now come close to your man his hande and although no necessitie of maintayning our callings coÌ„straine me thereto yet for cutting from him of all matter of cavillation even graunt this also to be my position That from a Wolfe and Thiefe such as my proposition proporteth lawfull Ordination may bee even properlie and personallie taken as from the particular minister thereof And to bee yet more indulgent to my Remarker then hee perhaps exspecteth that in that case it might even so have beene taken from the Bishop of Rome also Whereupon if my Remarker marketh mee as holding that Ordination may bee lawfullie ministred by or taken from a Wolfe or a Thiefe absolutelie hee hath taken his markes by the Moone or then by his owne imaginations whereto my wordes will never affoorde him any ground For besides all that which the tenour of my Discourse on that parte did clearlie expose to anie not wilfullie wincking even over against his REMARK was put the restriction of a Wolfe Retayning ordinarie place and power of Ordination If there he had thought that these two can not consist to bee a Wolfe and a Thiefe and yet to retayne place and power of
we have no more ordinarie vocation then our adversaries alledge yet in so great a confusion brought in the Church by Antichrist and in such evidencie of truth in our side it sufficientlie answereth for our calling And albeit that perhaps it not onely may but also ought to be brought in defence of some particular men who waÌ„ting som ordinarie points of an ordinary vocation yet comming in the way of righteousnes and in evidencie of spirit and power coÌ„verting sinners and convincing errour witnessed clearelie their ministerie to bee from heaven yet for our Church in common I see no necessitie to have recourse heereto For whatsoever our adversaries may pretend heerein against some particular persons whose defect if it any were hurteth not the Church in common yet I marvaill with what face they can denye our first open contesters with Antichrist in common to have beene ordinarie Church-men bearing publike charg of Pastours or Doctours therin And that I goe not higher what iustlie can they lay heerein against VViclesse Iohn Husse Hierome of Prague and the Bohemian reformed Churches against Luther Melanâ—thon c. of the Churches of Germanie and whatsoeuer cavillation their peruerse contentious mindes may suggest to them against these yet what pretence can they have against the ordinarie vocation of so many famous Bishops and Pastours of the Church of England Yea and who of our first Preachers were not either ordinarie Church-men ere then had their admission to the Ministerie by the reformed Churches of England Geneva or Germanie If they were not blindlie miscarried they might perceave that what they speake and write of our men in derision and contumelie calling them Sir Iohn Knâ—x and Frere Iohne Craig c. it verifyeth their ordinarie vocation And giving that nothing might bee alledged for the ordinarie vocation of our first Preachers and that it were al 's essentiall a defect as our adversaries account it so as they had thereby a iust exception against our Church yet I pray you what doth this helpe them against the Church of England and so many other famous reformed Churches all agreeing in communion with vs and glad to give vs the right handes of fellowship What a peevish pretence is this for their errour and how weak an obiection against so many famous Churches convincing them that forsooth the Ministers of Scotland have no ordinarie calling But neither is the want of ordinarie vocation in our first Reformers anie iust exception against our Church as partlie alreadie and more at length heereafter shall bee shewed neither if it were may it be iustlie laide against our first Pastours They labour indeed much to convince vs as destitute of all lawfull either Pastours or Church and bringe to this end as seemeth to them an irresistable argument that ordination is only proper to Bishops But by evident scripture and cleare testimonie from antiquitie that is positive Whereby it is that our Reformed Churches agreeing soundly in all the substantiall points of faith without break of communion yet heerein for the matter of governement have takeÌ„ libertie diverslie as seemed best to each to rule either by Bishops or the common counsel of Elders which of them most laudably I do not here dispute Neither mattereth it much for the point coÌ„troverted with the coÌ„mon adversary For giving theÌ„ that the appropriating of ordinatioÌ„ to Bishops were not only tolerable but even most of all other commendable and also positively necessarie yet from the defect of that which by a positive law is or hath beene practised or which in the iudgement of many is still most expedient for common order to bee practised to infer that wee have neither any lawfull Pastours or true Church it is from that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or respectively necessarie to conclud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a necessitie absolut Wherin both antiquity standeth strongly for vs by clear Testimony of not onely lawfull power but also of approoved practise in that Ambrose recordeth â—lim in Aegipto Presbyteros absente Episcopo consignare solitos And Augustin also that in Alexandria per totâ—m Aegyptum si desit Episcopus consecrat Presbyter their owne lay Schoolmen also even in the last declining degree to ignorance and corruption yet heerein will plead our quarrel Our owne couÌ„trie man Ioannes Maâ—â—r in a much semblable case bringeth that distinction which in the Schooles of Sorbon hee had both learned and taught that ad actum moraliter bâ—nuâ— non â—equiritur quod à vera prudentia reguletur actuâ— sed sat est quod ab ignorantia invincibili vel errore noÌ„ imputabili reguletur erat jus Pontificium in oppositum quod non tenebatur sâ—ire Scripturii sacru devotionise accommodabâ—t c. in humanis legibus positivis â—nusquisqueâ— suo sensu abundat c. This same Major and with him all our ancient Historiens do witnesse that before the dayes of Palladius whom he and al others confesse to have bene the first either consecrated or consecrating Bishop in Scotland per Sacerdotes Monachâ—s sine Episcopiâ— Scoti in side erudiebantur Now I aske our adversaries who heerein as in a substantiall defect divini juris thinke they have enough wherefore to condemne all both our Church and Pastours for that their ordination hath not bene by Bishops if they dare say but in Scotland there was a notable Church excellently both learned holy Pastours long before Palladius if they would deny it they are coÌ„vinced by cleare and vniforme consent of storie and testimonies eveÌ„ of their owne men who all confesse it to have bene so by the space at least of two hundreth and twentie yeares and if not with more yet with alse high iust commendation both of learning and holynes as ever thereafter And if it cannot be denyed but such was the estate of our Church then dare they condemne those men for theeves who vnlawfullie had broken in vpon the sheepfolde whom they them selves have both superstitiouslie canonized and do still idolatrouslie worship Or if that was no essentiall defect in them or a relevant exception against our Church then how impudent are they therevpon to conclude so peremptorilie against vs as if all both light and life of a true Church did hange wholy vpon that one point of Episcopal ordination whereof when all is graunted that the most vehement and not shameles assertours thereof in al their partiall heat and all probable apparance can plead for yet besides a cleare shewed instaÌ„ce of more then two hundreth yeares practise in our owne Church and that in the primitive and most pure times thereof their owne schooles also in the height of palpable prevailing darkenes have given vs yet this to answer them quod ad actum moraliter bonum non requiritur vt à vera prudentia reguletur actus sed satu est si ab ignorantia invincibili errore non imputabili reguletur 4. Thus then
Church why doe our adversaries make no end of bitter contention against vs We have indeed great sure promises that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against his Church but that the ordinarie Ministers shall alwayes and all in common holde the trueth not one syllable yea contrarie we have not only manie and serious warnings of false prophetes to arise in the bowells of the church in sheepes clothing but also most clearlie foretold that such an Apostasie should come whereby Antichrist in al effectual deceyt should even sit and beare rule in the Temple of God If they will saye that the Church of Israel had not such promises of continuall presence and preservation of truth as the Christian Church hath It is a treacherous sophisme For they had also sure promises of continuall presence and preservation of truth according to the measure dispensed albeit not of so great measure of presence and light And as for that point whereof our adversaries glorie most and wherein now at last they are faine to place all defence namelie the prerogative of places and persons the Church of Israell had much more for them in so ample and many promises made of Ierusalem And to the house of Levie and familie of Aaron where as the Church vnder the Gospell in which neither at Ierusalem nor in any mountaine but every-where and of all men God is to bee worshipped in spirit and truth albeit having great sure promises of presence and preservation yet of tying God or his truth to any places or persons in all Scripture shee hath not so much as any shew of a warrant which if the holy Ghost had minded hee might with much lesse ado have reduced those many grave and earnest warnings given both by Christ in the dayes of his fleshe and by his Apostles thereafter of the perill of false prophetes and those carefull instructions of notes how to discerne and avoid them to a short and sure compende against all fraude bidding the Church but holde whatsoever the Bishop of Rome did holde for that hee forsooth could not erre If our adversaries yet oppone that howsoever the Church vnder the Law did sometime fall away all in common and that albeit the Christian Church should also in like manner yet the truth of God his promises should not therefore faile but that no such thing hath befallen the Christian Church or could befall her in respect of the great measure of light and cleare dispensation by the Gospell It is many wayes both foolish and impertinentlie alleadged for first it is a plaine taking of that which is in question Next as the state of our question is whither possiblie the Church may erre communiter tota and God his promise yet abyde true to oppone that shee hath not erred is alse ridiculous as if in disputation de iure one should answer de facto If God his promise still may consist albeit shee did so erre wee have the point wee pleade for And whither shee hath erred or not they must of necessitie come with vs to trye by such rules of examination as wee only labour to reduce them to and they in an evill conscience alwayes flee onely crying against vs The TeÌ„ple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord And the Church can not erre Thirdlie this their presumption of the ones possible and easie falling away and of the others assured standing in truth grounded vpon the lesse and greater measure of light it sheweth their foolishnes in divine matters For as whatsoever measure of light dispensed is God his free benefite so is our either imbracing or abyding therein his only gift Who as hee iustlie will give over presumptuous and secure men to groape even at noone day so is hee faithfull and wil not suffer his owne to bee tempted above that they are able but will give the issue with the tentation Wee have indeed to glorifie God and even to glorie in him for the huge measure of light and gracefull dispensation by the Gospell but so farre ought men to have bene from vaine boasting thereof or carnall and secure relying thervpon as in all watchfulnes and godly care they should have remembred with all that accordingly Satan was to advaunce the mysterie of iniquitie by all effectual working with all power signes and lying wonders and in all deceaveablenes of vnrighteousnes among them that perish because they receaved not the love of the truth that they might be saved and therefore God should send them strong delusion c. for Sathan as a craftie warriour and subtill enemie reserved and framed his last cunning force and maner of working according as he did see that for deceaving was requisite and accordinglie by God his wise permission iust iudgement obtained a throne even in the temple of God And as in the dealing of God it is not to be esteemed strange that he so farre gave over the world to the efficacie of errour whereby he iustlie punished the contempt of his truth and clearlie foretold the case so is it nothing derogatorie either to his goodnes and truth of his promises made to his Church or to his power of performance as our adversaries because the Lord whom they would make a varlet to their lustes hath iustlie cast dunge vpon their faces therefore by a doting dilemma would inforce vpon vs this blasphemie as a necessarie consecâ—arie of our doctrine For that if the Church have erred it must have beene that either GOD would not or then that hee could not keepe his promise to her But it is the propertie of their king Abaddon to blaspheme the name of God his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven Wee both acknowledge his goodnes and praise his truth and power and confesse that by this course of dealing they are more highlie manifested then if the gates of hell and smoake of the bottomles pit had never assailed the Church Or if the weaknes of men had never appeared to the praise both of his goodnes and power For as his incomprehensible goodnes and constant truth are herein magnified that though all men be liers yet hee abydeth true and the infidelitie of men can not make his promise of none effect so did his infinite power exceedinglie extoll the selfe in this that as hee bringeth light out of darknes and maketh his light to shine in darknes as hee bringeth life out of death and preserveth the children of death so in the middest of Antichrist his vsurpation and such absolute domination in the holy Citie and Court of the Temple the visible Church as no possible meanes appeared of intertaining light yet hee not only all the while preserved two candlestickes and two olives true witnesses and Ministers of light and grace but also when spyed out by Antichrist they were cruellie murthered and in his and his sectatours estimation vtterlie vndone hee revived them in furder vigour to his and their terrour That while all the earth
of arising impiety antichrist also arose to greater greater impatiency of any cure and to a tyrannicall intreating of opposers At first some freedom was of admonitions therafter they were repressed by deprivations degradations excommunications At last hee becommeth all and whollie of the Dragon his coulour and barbarouslie sheddeth the blood of Saints All which course of his waxing impietie and condition of Saints vnder and against him are so clearelie set foorth by the holy Ghost as I even loath to spend so many wordes in so plaine a matter And verelie if compassion of the weake whom they stupifie with these bugbaires did not moove me I would not once â—ake and were to such blind leaders of the blind and men so perverslie contentious against not onely invincible reasons but even clearlie foretold and fallen out cases The two witnesses a sufficient though a small number had a long tyme of prophecying and albeit in heavines for the prevailing evill and succes of the mysterie of iniquitie yet without open contestation But corruption growing to such height the beast not onely sitting in the holy city court of the temple but also treadding downe all true worship therein as of necessitie the right rod of examination behooved to be applied to discerne the temple the true Church and to trye if City and court being so far polluted could possibly come in the account of God his house or were to bee cast out Then the applying of the rod made Antichrist to perceave such to bee within him as he thought not of whom when thereupon he had so cruellie murthered even with applause of the blind worlde as they seemed not onely to be no more but also that their memorie was reproachfull and odious yet hee did find them revived in greater strength and visiblie at last to his griefe terrour to obtaine the tytle account of the true Church Wherat his kingdome falleth And this course of the Lord his working as it sheweth his great patience to the justifying of his iudgements against so obstinatlie impenitent an apostasie so it answereth abuÌ„dantlie the foolishe demands of our adversaries whereby in al the force of eloquence which a badde cause can affoord them they aske why in any case wee would not rather have reformed the Church then overthrow her and cured her rather then killed her forsaken her fellowship For first they are stil ridiculous in assuming the question by vsurping to theÌ„selves the tytle of the Church of which they are not in which they are no otherwayes then a soare proper evill of that body VVe have not forsaken the Church but have brought the Church out of Babel wherein shee was long captive We have not fled from the Church or left the ensigne but cleaving stil to the ensigne true Church we have iustly gone asyde from the traitour in the church pretending the Lambe his hornes but speaking with the mouth of the Dragon We have not rent the vnitie of the Church but by the example of the Apostle we have separated the Disciples from refractarie enemies Wee were so farre from wounding the Church as faine would wee have cured Babel in the Church but shee neither could nor would be cured So we behooved to leave her as a burnt mountaine wherein could not be found any more a stone for a corner or for a foundation Her grapes were become as the grapes of Adâ—aâ— and her vine as the vine of Tzeboim that without so much as once looking behind vs wee behooved to goe vp to the mountaine for our lives and forsake Sodom And least we should be partakers in her iudgements we have great reason it being said to vs Come vp hither to escape and be like the he goates of the flock comming out from among that contagious incurable companie and touching no vncleane thing Did we goe out of Babel till there was no balme for her soare Did she not so farre refuse all medicine as we lay cruellie slaine and barbarouslie vnburied in the streetes before we left her And yet one of their mylde men sorie as seemeth they had no more of our blood is not ashamed to aske why we did not rather chuse to suffer for the truth if so be we hold it then to have rent the vnitie of the Church Thus still the Whoore impudentlie braggeth of the Brydes name and albeit her filthines be discovered yet shameleslie having eaten Shee wipeth her mouth and sayeth shee hath committed no iniquitie 20. Now I hope I have cleared that howsoever the promise of God can not faile but that truth ever abydeth in the Church yea and by the ministrie of true pastours is and hath alwayes bene maintained therein yet neither have our adversaries anie thing whereof to boast heerein as who neither are the true Church nor true Pastours of it neither albeit both Church and Pastours communiter omnes all in common have fallen away from this truth that it derogateth ought to the veritie of God his promises whom as it pleaseth sometime for magnifying and manifestation of his truth and power in man his falsehood and weakenes to preserve his truth in a smal sparkle in and by a few secret sealed ones so when hee will have it to breake foorth in a great fyre for chassing away and dispelling all overclouding errour hee both may and hath at all such occasions raise vp men extraordinarily in the way of righteousnes and in evidence of his spirit and power to the iust conviction and confusion of them who having the ordinarie place of husband men in the Vineyard yet were become murtherers and having the ordinarie place of builders of the house yet were destroyers Neither tendeth this to open a doore for anie to despise the Church of God Which whosoeever heareth not let him be a Heathen and a Publicane Neither giveth it libertie to coÌ„temne the ordinarie means of God his dispensation by Pastours seeing none ordinarilie can beleeve but by hearing or heare but by preaching but as I have said before it is to waken Pastours to looke to their ministerie and how they keepe the covenant of Levie and not securilie to sleepe and whyle they looke but to their own wayes yet proudlie to make God the varlet of their affections And on the other part it is to stirre all Christians to a carefull studie to discerne betwixt the true church and the Synagogue of Sathan calling themselves Iewes and yet are not and betwixt true Pastours and false propheres coÌ„ming in sheepes clothing but within are ravening wolves for it becommeth men not to be rechles in so important a matter and if it had not bene both a high and requisite point of wisedome the Lord and his Apostles had not given so many sad and serious warnings to that effect 21. Here now as at the pulling from them of their Palladium to the evident peril of their Pergamus
the true church within the visible church which we have to trie and how we shall rightlie discerne the bryde from the harlot It is in a commoÌ„ pretence and audaciouslie acclaimed title of the church and prophetical authoritie to discerne wisely the true church from the Sinagogue of Satan calling theÌ„selves Iewes and the voice of the true shepheard froÌ„ the Dragon his mouth even in the temple of God We wil acquiesce in the iudgment of the church but we must first know that it is she and not a masket harlot vnder that name Yea and even then not acquiesce simplie because it is her voice but because by the word and spirit we perceave her to speak the words of the brydgrom and that therfore she is the bryde and true mother of vs all O but thus say they you stil subiect the spirit of the church to everie privat spirit make lay men iudges over Pastours to whom Christ hath committed the governemeÌ„t of his house If I aske them what they do meane by this their distinction of a publike and privat spirit what can they answer ar their mindes so stil plunged in the pudle of their predicameÌ„ts as they imagin the spirit of Christ to be a Species divided in individua dare they say that there be divers spirites or that the Church hath any otherwayes the spirit but because al the meÌ„bers of her body are indued with one and the same spirit each according to the measure of the donation of Christ there is but one spirit albeit divers administrations and operations Now if every true member of the church hath one and the same spirit for what vse have they it Or dare any be so blasphemous as to imagine that the spirit of God caÌ„ be in any without some spiritual operations have not the children of God the spirit that thereby they may both discerne the things of God and be capable of them for the naturall man can not but the spiritual man discerneth al things is iudged of none and as the spirit of maÌ„ knoweth iudgeth the things of men so doth the spirit of God the things of God Our adversaries here delude the simple with a deceitfull aequivocation from that ordinarie prerogative of governement and iudgement given to Pastours concluding falslie of all spirituall sense and gust given to all and everie Christians for iudging and discerning heavenlie things by the spirit of God in them And because the gift of dispensation and ordinarie governement is peculiarlie given to Church-men or Pastours vnder an aequivocation they wil spoile all and everie privat Christian of al spiritual sense and discerning facultie If a stewart of an house to whom the dispensation is coÌ„mitted of distributing food to the familie did offer to a child or servant of the house a stone in stead of bread or a serpent for a fishe and if the child or servant did therefore reiect them had he place by reason of the dispensation committed to him to quarrell either the child or servant for vsurping his office The horse or oxe which neither have the skill nor place given them by nature to provide or dispense to themselves their foode yet by naturall sense have allotted to them this facultie to discerne haye from thornes and provander from gravel Any common sensible man which hath not the art either to teach himselfe or others musike yet naturallie perceaved a iaâ—â—e therein and sturreth at it and hath his Maister of art place herevpon to expostulat that hee taketh too much on him In divine matters God alone properlie is Iudge and the Church is index that is declarer non index not iudge of his will or word No more then heraults of armes are iudges or discerners but intimaters of the Prince his pleasure and yet in a peculiar manner and by a speciall power which no common subiect may or dare vsurpe who yet all of them have place to crave examine their warrant that ordinarie and peculiar power of dispensation governement and iudgement according to the warrant of God his word and will thereby proper to publike office-bearers and spiritual heraulds is one thing and the spiritual gust or facultie given to all Christians whereby to try discerne whither it be food or poyson a stone or bread a fishe or a serpent that is dispensed vnto them whither it be the voice of the sheepheard which they heare or the voice of a stranger it is another thing we admit not everie subiect to vsurpe the place of herauld nor every sheep to vsurpe the office or power of a sheepheard But by the great sheepheard his own testimonie we know that whosoever are his sheepe they will discerne betwixt voices and so learne to avoide the thiefe follow the true sheephearde These two our adversaries either maliciouslie or ignorantlie and sophisticallie coÌ„found vnder pretence of that which is the Pastours part by aequivocation pulling from the sheep all spirituall sense so making them in stead of lightened living meÌ„bers of Christ dead sensles thus to miscarie them whither they list To Pastors we yeeld alwayes both the place honor of dispeÌ„sing food to the familie yea that so far forth as we absolve not any Christian from the necessitie of submitting himselfe to God his ordinance therein But as Christ hath given his spirit to al his sheep whereby they live spiritually and hath left his word to be the only food of his house for fostering nourishing that life so we affirme that al true sheep even who hath neither the skill nor the power to be their owne carvers have yet by his spirit in them that vnction which teacheth all things a spiritual discerning facultie to know what is propined them so as even the weakest in that facultie yet having in any measure the true gust albeit in infirmitie he wil be brought to muse doubt ye somtime to mistake that for food which is not yet as a maÌ„ seeking after some precious Iewell though many things in apparance like it present them selves to him and even detain his mind as doubting but som of theÌ„ may be his darling yet this is ever stil without satisfaction of heart so as he cannot rest nor acquiesce but still his mind giveth him that he is deceaved and so hee still searceth and sendeth after something which he hath not as yet gotteÌ„ and if he could yet but once see he would sone know Vpon which having fallen then as two wel accorded lutes the one being stricken the other also soundeth so at the first sight his heart leapeth and is filled with ioye his mynd with cleare light and his soule with solide peace And then he disdainfully casteth from him these counterfaits which he never heartelie embraced Is it not a strange impudencie in these men that in so manifold warnings given vs by our Lord to trye well what wee embrace or hold and in so faire a facultie affoorded vs by
shall goe out no more and shal at length beare away the name of the true Church written on her evidently with her Lord his finger even of the true and new Ierusalem from heaven in despyte of all this slight of Sathan Wheras all counterfaits calling themselves Iewes and are not shall either come and worshippe at her feete or be cast out of God his house lose the name which they doe falslie vsurp In one word though al the Inchanters of Egypt strengthened with all both the craft and power of darknes should make apishlie to imitat Mosâ—s yet Aaron his Rod shall alwayes devour the Rods of all inchanters Even truth shall both discover and coÌ„sume errour in the end And this vertue in the truth now preached all who with single eyes looke on things may evidently perceave and so much the more as in litle outward strength walking in meeknes and patience and oppugned with all wordlie power and great pryde and bitternes yet in despyte of all opposition â—t prevaileth Glorified be the Lord our strength 27. All whatsoever our adversaries lay against vs wherby they syle the eyes and beguyle the mindes of the simple being lookt on with iudgement is founde but meere Sophistrie and cavillation so as they have to bring more solide stuffe if they would spoile our Pastours of all lawful calling and vs of any true church 28. We plead ordinarie vocation for our Church in common and this because so it is and not for that of absolut necessitie it behooved to be so Neither speak I thus as partiallie caried to maintaine the credit of some particular men whose defect herein if it were any could never preiudge our Churches For mine owne part as in all sobernes and cleannes of heart by the gift of GOD I have beene carefull to know the truth so was I never much curious to inquire of the particular state of our first mens callings Which whether it were ordinarie or extraordinarie and that whollie or partlie in some men or in all as it matereth litle oâ—â—othing in so great extraordinarie a worke wrought by their ministerie as is the discovery and conviction of Antichrist sitting masked in the Temple so is the disputation thereabout but idle and childish For if ever any such evill and confusion did befall the church as that for reformation therof any extraordinary dealing was requisit The vsurpation of Antichrist most of all other as I doubt not but God accordingly shewed in some either persons workers or works of persons or both I approve our men who sustain our ordinarie vocation in common but who plead so for it as a point absolutly requisit for approoving our cause and in such a case of the church doe place al defence therein in my iudgement they doe wronglie limit the holy one of Israel against both the priviledge of his power and his vsuall manner of dealing in such cases And who defend our first mens callings to have bene partlie ordinarie partlie extraordinarie whither that some extraordinary persons were raised by GOD or that ordinary persons were by him stirred to extraordinarie motions and actions I think for me they have fallen vpon the right defence and which is both most agreeable to GOD his honour and manner of working and also most strong and honorable for our church and cause 29. And these now forsooth are the invincible arguments in confidence whereof they are bold to offer that if wee can bee able to maintain the lawfulnes of our callings and that so wee have any true Church they will without any more doubt or disput about other points in controversie joyne in communion with vs. But certainlie if truth bee with vs and they consequentlie bee heretiks they jangle with vs impertinentlie of outward calling the having whereof as it will never justifie errour so neither will the defect thereof bee ever a relevant exception against truth clearlie convincing it For an evill tree cannot bring foorth good fruit nor a good tree bring foorth evill fruit And whosoever is not against vs is on our part And if our doctrine may be prooved false why make they such adoe about calling or why thus flee they the tryall of the cause and goe not the neerest and plainest way to justifie themselves and to bereave vs of all defence An evill conscience maketh men to seeke subterfuges And as they bewray it evidentlie in this their quarrelling of our vocation so when in course they are put to their defences they manifest themselves yet more 30. When by cleare scripture we proove their Pope to bee Antichrist to free him of that blot albeit they be otherwayes extreemelie impudent and malicious in forging false criminations and calumnious slaunders yet with all the ingyne of hell finding none other vpon whom to lay over the staine of that odious title they are faine to refuse that hee is yet come and that when hee commeth hee shall openlie overthrow all true worshippe and obtaine rule over the whole earth Yea some of them are so straited by evident truth that with pale faces and trembling lippes they are forced to confesse that probablie hee may expell the Pope from Rome and Domine there And shall so strangelie destroy all truth and true Professoures as forsooth Enoch and Elias must returne I know not whence to fight with him and to bee killed of him Now in this case I pray you where shal be all the long boasted of prerogative of Rome and of Peter his chaire whereto against vs they infalliblie doe chain all truth Where shal be these goodlie and true promises which they wronglie wrest and falslie vsurpe against vs Where shall then bee the notes of vniversalitie in their sense multitude visibilitie personall succession and externall maiestie and Pompe If these bee the certaine and infallible notes of the true Church how faile they at any tyme Or if as they themselves confesse in Antichrist his vsurpation the case shal be such why see they not that vainlie and absurdlie for eximing their Pope to bee that Antichrist they obiect to vs as impossibilities and horrible blasphemies these same yea much smaller things then they themselves grant that in Antichrist his vsurpation the Church must suffer If when Antichrist commeth multitude visibilitie and vniversalitie shall bee with him if all personall succession of Pastours shall so farre faile as that for pleading the truth Enoch and Elias must come from another world against him if the church then shall not only in truth and true professors but even in all publict ensigne of profession bee invisible if he shal possiblie sit in Rome and peaceablie brook all why in the disput about Antichrist are multitude vniversalitie personall succession and visibilitie still laid against vs Why is ruinous Rome as an infallible rock opposed for al defence vnto vs and why see they not that by their owne confession they must otherwayes vindicat their Pope from that blot that
wee have but to cleere whither the Pope bee hee who was to come or if we must looke for another If they would pretēd the short space of the churches defect vnder Antichrist according to their dreame of three yeeres and an half yet how doth the truth of God his promise consist as for their owne defence they interprete if it faile but one day or if he may and shal in a totallie prevayling evill whereby not onely truth but also al pretence and profession of Christianitie is overthrowen yet preserve both his Church and promise to her three yeares and an halfe why might he not alse well and vnder the vaile of permitted profession much better for many ages and if vnder their imaginarie Antichrist directlie impugning Christianitie and advowedly exalting him selfe against GOD and Christ whose name he shall not so much as pretend yet both truth and a true Church shall lurke three yeares and an halfe how much more vnder him who of a degenerating succession of ordinarie Pastours pretending Christ his name and power who did not become extreamlie evill at once but by degrees mounted to the height of impietie masked in a Mysterie might the true Church vnder the common ensigne of profession have lyen long hidden For where deluding simple minds they affirme that Antichrist must be one singular person because in scripture he is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Antichrist the adversarie and the man of sinne they proove exceeding either childish or shameles cavillators Might not the 4. Kingdoms of Babel Persia Macedonia and of the Seleucides prophecied of Daniel Chap. 7. have by this reason excepted that the foure beastes there foretolde could not bee meaned of them in so farre as in each of their Kingdomes was a succession of mo◠persons then one and these foure beastes are of the Prophe◠interpreted to bee but foure kings Who would hereby refell any affirming that there is but one great Turk because that from Ottoman many divers persons have succeeded in that Empire should he not prove but a ridiculous sophist reasoning from one in seat state succession and subrogatiō to one in person the seat hath but one person at once who by reason of succession dyeth not It is the Pontificality which we challenge not personallie Pius Leo Paulus or Clemens And to how hard shiftes our adversaries are driven in this point it is easie to perceave when to pul mens minds from espying their Pope they propone to bee exspected such an Antichrist as comming could not possiblie in all his three yeares and a halfe find three phrenetick fooles to be his followers As if foresooth one directlie damning all Christianitie openlie blaspheming the name of God and Christ and impudentlie and advowedlie challenging to him selfe all diuine honour in such daylie growing light of the Gospell and settled knowledge of God could possiblie in three yeares a halfe roote out all religion and subdue all nations of the earth in which space a verie deliver single man in fulnes of bodilie strength and continuing vigour yet were scarce able with all possible speed vpon a wager to survey them And that they should not appeare vnresolved forsooth in such important matter without so much as any mine of Scripture warrant they will have him a singular persone of the tribe of Dan who albeit it was the honour of faintes a thousand yeeres that they receaved not the beast his marke yet shall in three yeres and a halfe immediatlie before the day of iudgement begin accomplishe and end in open and avowed impiety that mischief which that in the own time it might come foorth cūninglie covertlie masked vp in a mysterie Satan in all deep deceipt was working since the Apostolike times and thus whereas God hath reserved to him self alone the knowledge of that last day which shall come as a thiefe in the night vpon a sleeping and secure world these men set vpon it so faire conspectible a mark as either no Christians at all shall at that time be in the world or then they may alse well know and calcule that day as we doe now Christmas namely having so iumpe a space of yeares and dayes and so notable coincident cases as the returning of Enoch and Elias their slaughter and miraculous resuscitation But it is not my purpose here to handle this point of matter either for prooving their Pope to be Antichrist or to refute these their foolishe dreames for more full resolution whereof and of ought else that from that booke may appeare here of me to be too shortlie touched I referre the reader to my commentarie on the revelation 31. The waxing light of the Gospell dayly more more discovering the man of sin maketh our adversaries to paint out Tragelaphos Chimeraes wherby they may stupifie detaine foolish hearts in expectation of such an Antichrist as shall come I warrant you ad grecas Calendas some thousand yeares after the Iewes have gotten their long but vainlie lookt for Messias But as these shall never get another Christ then whom they pearced so neither shall the others any Antichrist but whom they follow The Iewes in God his mercie shall yet see their true Messias and mourne for him Our characterized adversaries shall follow still blindlings their Abaddon to the lake of fire and brimstone waile then with him And they are so anxiously carefull of their credit herein that for holding still simple mindes in a maze least longing perhaps they should looke more nearly and so with setled senses espy the Dragon his mouth vnder semblance of the Lamb his hornes some surmise for intertaining exspectation of one never to come must be brought nowe and then from the East of som dumb Devil borne at Babylon and begotten forsooth betwix some feind or farie and a devised Daniel who hath I warrant you two thousand years agoe lost all the writings of his genealogie It is not so strange that these men whose filthines shame the glorious light of the Gospel hath so farre detected that now they see no remedie but desperatly to passe all bounds of shame should therfore so impudentlie delude the Worlde with such foolishe fantasies but it is both wonder and pitie in so cleare light of truth that still so many should be abused with them a iust punishment of the careles misregarde of that light which is come in the worlde but the worlde loveth darknes more then light And howsoever some of the Auncients whose tymes perception were farre remooved from the knowledge of these mysteries in a slender and careles consideration of them did fall vpon some points of these fonde speculations yet nowe when not only knowledge is with course of time increased but also the eventes have made things cleare it is not only a maigre defence but bewraying also evidentlie perversenes of mindes and guiltines of conscience to runne to such doting dreames and ridiculous raveries as albeit they
ordination from which even thereby hee doeth fall yet he might have remembred to distinguish betwixt a Thiefe without and a Thiefe within And againe of inward Theeves betwixt a Thiefe detected notore noted and proclaimed to be a Thiefe and a Thiefe still covered vnder false pretences and so retayning with all in common the reputation if not of a true or faithfull yet of a lawfull Pastour Hee should not separate my position from the restrict case thereof For as calling is double outwarde and inwarde and a man may have the inwarde calling by a convenient measure of gifte and a Divine motion to consecrate it to the giver who hath not yet gotten outward ordination and againe one may have outward lawfull calling who inwardly hath none but by the contrarie is even a Thiefe in his heart so may an ordinary Pastour being or becoÌ„ming a Traytour and Wolfe fall so from all inward vocation and yet retaine still outward place power of ordination because albeit a Traitour Thiefe his treasoÌ„ notwithstanding is not yet detected whither through his owne craftie cariage deceitful pretences still of a lawful Pastour or through the simplicitie of these who receaving ordination of him ar not skilled to discerne his treason albeit even then deeply and pertly practised Who if they knewe it and yet would receave ordination of him as they could not but in that case be Traitours also and have no ordination at all so comming in singlenes to him as to a lawfull Minister and so accounted of all in common through the pretence of his Lord his ensigne and service they may that way receave from him a lawfull ordination the hidde or vnperceaved defect of the ordainer no more derogating to the lawfulnes of the ordination then doeth the open and seene wickednes of a hyreling Minister impede the efficacie either of ordination or the Sacraments ministred by him in the faithfull receaver And if the equitie of this be so evident alwayes as even in the state of a Church holding purity al in common and where in that respect the ordination of but one or fewe persons who had beene thus ordained by an vnknowen in the tyme and eftsoones detected Wolfe might with lesse commotion or perill to the body of the Church be annulled albeit some men in detestation of heresie would vrge it and even the so ordained also for the more clearing of themselves should assent to the receaving of newe ordination yet if even in such a case and condition of a Church no necessitie could ever inforce it vpon the conscience of any howe much greater yea and a divers consideration ought to be had when the whole body of the Church in common being affected ordination is in common stained through all most part in common being Wolves and Thieves albeit not as yet in common reputed so For as Augustin wisely both wayeth and adviseth a much different course and cure is to be taken and vsed in a common evil which hath overgone the whole body then when in a well constitute body in common but one or few particular members are affected And hereof Christ the true both Maister and mirrour of all Wisdome in his owne practise gave a cleare lesson The Scribes Pharisees were all in common Wolves and Thieves if perverters of the true sense of the law and corrupters of all true both word and worshippe by mixture of their leaven if persecuters and murtherers of Prophets and of the Lord himselfe if who had losed the key of knowledge and neither themselves entred nor suffred others to enter in the Kingdome of Heaven if destroyers of soules making their Disciples doubly the children of the Gehenna may be counted Wolves and Thieves and yet in consideration of their ordinary place in the Church totally in common as then affected and the reputation which they retained notwithstanding with all in common of lawfull Pastours 〈◊〉 e Lord commandeth to heare and obey them in the tyme so farre as sitting in Moses his chaire 〈◊〉 ey should teach accordingly from whom notwithstanding as from Murtherers and destroyers he had resolved to transferre his vineyard and house And is I praye you the baire receaving of outward ordination from a man of more importance then is our totall submission to him as to our Pastour for the whole dispensation of grace to vs in the word and Sacraments and if in such a condition of a Church wee not only may but even are commanded to submit our selves so as in the tyme till the Lord discover them and cast them out we may take good of them and eschew their evil in the whole outward ordinary dispensation of graces may not ordination also in such a case be lawfull And may it not be taken also without contagion of the ordayner his treasonable wickednes and thus my generall position also standeth true that even from a Wolfe or Thiefe vndetected and so retaining still the account of a lawfull Pastour and outward place and power of ordination c. lawfull outward ordination may properly and personally flowe If your Elimas hath remarked me for more then this I having ever ioyned the restrict case so clearly he hath wronged himselfe more then me for if I had but put these wordes for all seeing outward ordination serveth but for outwarde order they might with any honest hearted Reader have freed me from all suspicion of so lourd an absurditie For what order can be imagined there where knowne and advoued Haeretikes retaine any place or power in the Church Nowe Antichrist in divers considerations is said to be hidde or covered and in divers considerations to be revealed and detected First albeit hee was in the world as in the seed and first beginnings of his hatching while the mysterie of iniquitie was covertly begunne to worke yet he was hidde and covered while light and the truth of the Gospell so prevailed in common as errour was borne downe and he did not aryse to any sensible height And â—â—cordingly he is said to be revealed when through prevailing darknes of the bottomles pitte he obtained a throne even in the Temple of God And even thus againe albeit in a sort revealed yet he is hidde and covered so long as by his effectuall deceit and pretence of the Lambe his hornes men not adverting the Dragon his mouth or made yet wyse to count the number of his name all in common doe still followe him and wonder after him and to bee revealed againe but that in two degrees requiring a distinct and wyse consideration and which most plainlie in his story are delivered by the spirit First when by the reviving light of the Gospell men were brought to see great pollution both in manners and worshippe and most part flowing from that execrable seat wherevpon they were moved to detest and even grievouslie to complaine of the obtaining evils and corruption of that seate in speciall And yet this was so as his great place and proud pretence
sound doctrine of the Trinitie in this consideration I say how can his challenge of contradiction in my wordes bee excused of either childish triffling or shameles cavillation or both Now albeit what I have already said aboundantlie serveth for reconciliation of the other place signed also by my censurer yet let vs see what is the contradiction hee would inferre thereupon My wordes and continuallie following the former are these But if corruption hath so farre prevailed that the faithfull City hath become an harlot and all her silver be turned in drosse if her husbandmen have become murtherers and her builders have become destroyers if from the Prophet even to the Priest everie one followeth after lyes if there be a conspiracie of her Prophets in the mids of her like a roaring Lyon ravening the pray if her watchmen be all blind and know nothing if they be all dumb doggs and can not barke if they lye and sleepe and love to sleepe if her Pastours know nothing nor vnderstand and looke whollie to their owne wayes if night bee to them for a vision and darknes for a divination in such a case c. Now to commit my selfe with my selfe he would appearantly reason thus Extraordinary vocation by my owne position hath only place in such a corrupt state and case of a Church as that the faithfull City hath become a harlot and all her sylver is turned in drosse her husbaÌ„dmen are become murtherers etc. But the case of the Christian Church even in tyme of greatest corruption was never such Therefore by myne owne position no place was in her at any tyme for extraordinarie calling And so I am contradictour to my selfe The Proposition is mine owne The Assumption of the visible Church is false And hee seeketh to succour it from my Position thus Of a Church keeping the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance and sound doctrine of the Trinitie no such case as I have put can be truely affirmed But by mine owne position the Church even in tyme of greatest corruption hath keeped the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance and sound doctrine of the Trinitie Therefore of the Church at no tyme such a case could bee truely affirmed And consequently no tyme ever for extraordinarie calling VVhich by mine owne Position hath only place in such a case The aequivocation of the Proposition I cleared in my answere to his first conceaved contradiction Now in the sense ther shewed to be mine a church holding only these points albeit shee erre in yea and overthrow most part of all other foundamentall grounds and consequently even these same which she seemeth to hold also that notwithstanding the holding barely of these may vindicat her from the blame of my proponed case I even muse if my challenger will affirme it And that taking hold perhaps on the peremptorie and precise strictnes of the wordes he would thus reason that where but even so much is holdeÌ„ as I have yeelded even in the sense I have called myne there all cannot bee turned in drosse neither can Pastours there be said to know nor vnderstand nothing c. and consequentlie that no such case as I have put hath ever be fallen I will hardlie be induced to beleeve or that a man of any sense or shamefastnes will bewray himselfe to be so ridiculous a jangler Wherein yet he should not contend with me but with the Lord whose the wordes are and not mine and who chargeth therewith a Church holding more of the foundation then ever we will grant to the Church of Rome who in the abhominations she doth commit hath iustified the Church of Iuda of whom the Lord affirmed my proponed case and which therefore more iustlie a great deale might have alledged against the precise strictnes of the Lord his accusatioÌ„ They held the Sacrament of circumcision the name of the God of Israell the outwarde profession of his Covenant and worshippe and the publike practise thereof in dayly sacrifices oblations And had they place herefore to plead that all their silver was not turned in drosse The Lord in challenging our defections wheÌ„ the substantial grouÌ„ds are most parte subverted hee pleadeth a totall apostasie His owne Bellarmine telling howe iudiciouslie to reade and make right vse of the sayings of the Fathers might have taught your man that in Homilies to the people where in vehement contestations speaches are of purpose framed rhetorically and hyperbolically to force of perswasion for sturring motion and for agreaging and amplification they are then to be wyselie distinguished from a scholastike and more presse and proper maner in laying down foundamental points and that they are not to be alike or indifferentlie drawn for stablishing or prooving heads of faith in the praecise strictnes and proprietie of wordes for one and the same man will have a much different maner of stile in homilizing and in dogmatizing Not that therefore the Fathers and much lesse the Lord who though all men were lyers yet abydeth true did say 〈◊〉 then truth But that from a figurative rhetoricall hyperbolike truth to conclude a truth in praecise strictnes of proper signification it is either foolishe ignorance or perverse tergivâ—rsation And to shorten all disput herein I would aske your ghostly Father so beeing that all wherewith we do charge the Church of Rome wherupon they with vs and we with them have nowe so many yeares contested and doe contest stil were verified against her if in that case she could bee denyed to be the very Synagogue of Satan and that the case proponed by me might not be as iustlie said of her as hee dare not deny but it was obiected to Iuda except hee would belye the almightie Nowe whither wee charge her rightly or not in our disput here it were impertinent and a slyding from the cause in hand either for him to pleade the one or me to proove the other the question here betwixt vs standing so as I having laid this ground that in a condition of a corrupted Church and such as I proponed extraordinarie vocation may have place and againe pleading that the condition of the Church in common at the beginning of our reformation was such whither if by yeelding her still and even then the Sacrament of Baptisme in substance and sound Doctrine of the Trinitie I have admitted ought which contradicteth mine own positions which to evince against 〈◊〉 I thinke it must cost your Confessour some more paines then but in passing by only to point at it This his proposition beeing false hee concludeth nothing and my places doe yet well consist In an other place 〈…〉 on my margent this word REMARK without any 〈◊〉 sigâ—â—fication for what defect he would make me th◠〈…〉 thinking belike the absurditie of my 〈…〉 exposed to the perception of any as a gene 〈…〉 sufficient to make the Reader advert it My wâ—â—â—es are these Sect. 8. And seeing that outward ordination and all 〈◊〉 action of the Ministers thereof serveth