is rendred in the same Epistle that they do fully know the life conversation of every man And therefore it is e Diatrib cap. 11. injudiciously spoken that ordination necessarily follows election for an irrational or meer arbitrary dissent when no just exception could be put in bar against a man could no more hinder a mans ordination then such a peevishnesse now a-days can hinder the marriage of one whose name is publisht in the congregation Ab ordinatoribus plebs docenda non sequenda saith Caelestinus The cloze of this point might well have beene an Apology for speaking so much of it in this place had not the Text led me to say something and the necessity of the times together with the present occasion constrained me to this prolixity For the office of the Ministery and the power thereunto belonging are very much undervalued and laid very low by many who differing among themselves in principles doe as in a common interest joyn together to cry downe and degrade them In order to a two-fold liberty The one is the liberty of prophesying or preaching as any man is able to set up the trade in opposition to which they conceive the Ministers do stand for their own livings and power sake The other is the liberty of their lusts and ways of loosenesse and these are such upon whom the feare of the Ministery is fallen whose Spirit cannot bear too free reproofe nor their courses a too close observation And hence it is that some of them having learning doe set their wits on worke to rout this office and the power thereof by bafling the evidences of the word and endeavouring to dispute the Scripture out of doores which though God hath not pleased to deliver Systematically in a way of absolute precept or demonstrative clearnesse in every particular yet ought to be regarded in the hints and consequences and implications which afford foot-hold to a good conscience and not to be out-wrangled for our ends and lusts sake as being the becke of that great God who is able to becken us all into nothing others that calculate by the Ephemerides of policy doe discover or imagine future inconveniences which may arise from the indiscretion passion weakenesse of the Ministers and if they will but goe on to play that Cannon a little further they shall find it will batter and overthrow all Magistracy or any goverment that is managed by men others whose tongues are sharper then their arguments fall foule upon the ministry and poure treble contempt upon it in lieu of double honour never was ministry more blessed and witnessed unto from heaven by the successe and fruitfullnesse of it in bringing in and bringing up a people unto God though some of their chickens are caught and carried away by kites or have forsaken them as duckes forsake the hen that hatched them never more contemned That which the f Collat. Carthag 3. Donatist objected sometime to Austin is now rife againe tu quis es Filius es Ceciliani an non who ordained you you are the brat of Cecilian are you not whom they pretended to be a traditor or to have given up the holy Scripture to the fire so they say to the Ministers whose sons are you is not your pedigree by lineall descent from Antichrist is not he the top of your kin he that hath but halfe an eye may see the reason why the Wolves would have the Sheep to quitt their dogs The ministry if encouraged and supported to doe their duty will be next under the Parliament who we hope will doe theirs the greatest bulwarke or banke against the inundation of errour haeresy and blasphemy whose increase is the occasion of this humiliation It is the lot of the Ministers of the reformed Churches to be grund betweene two Mil-stones in the first reformation the popish Champions fell pell-mell upon the calling of the a Non missi non vocati non consecrati Bristow mâ—tiu Ministers of the reformed Churches pretending it to be null ac proinde nulla ecclesia and consequently saith b Non ab episcopis ordinati ac proinde nulla ecclesia Greg de Valentia Tom. 4. disput 9. quâ—st 3. punct 2. in sine Gregory de Valentia the Churches no Churches because they were not ordained by Bishops The same conclusion is now undertaken That the present Ministers in this Church are not lawfull Ministers upon a medium quite contrary that is because they were ordained by Bishops nor are those who are ordained by Presbyters in much better account with the objectours for they are in the same line of pedigree being but once more removed from the stocke great-grandchildren to the Pope The cauills of the Papists have been long agoe laid to sleepe by the answers of c Mornay of the Church chap. 11. Sadrel de legitim â—ocat Minister reform 〈…〉 Minist Anglicaâ—â— learned men who have distinguisht betweene the corruptions in the persons ordaining or in the fieri of ordination and the substance and validity of ordination in facto esse and the very same answers which were made for the first reformers and the Ministers ordained by them are of as full force for the Ministers now in being with us and the Ministers ordained by them nor can our Ministery fall by this argument now used against us without the fall of all ministery in the Churches of Christ in all times and places where Bishops had a hand in ordination and if the Scripture doe settle the power of ordination in a Presbytery or in the Elders of the Church it can never be made good that a Bishops hand who is also a presbyter being joyned with others can anull the ordination as neither is Baptisme a nullity because administred by a Bishop and haply with some corrupt ceremony used in the administration thereof I proceed to the second point which I will touch but breifly and reserve the use of both and of that which followes untill the close of all Doctrine 2 These false teachers are they that bring in damnable Heresies Tertull de praescript Stuprant veritatem adulterio haeretico They defloure the truth by haereticall adultery not onely those that teach without commission but such as have a calling to teach doe by doctrines of errour bring in damnable haeresies as it s said Acts. 20. 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them-They called Paul because he was a zealous teacher of the Gospell a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarens Acts. 24. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies one that is the first man of the ranke it is a military word and I wish that our military men had not transfused errour into the severall parts of our body If it be said that many of those who are charged with teaching of errours or haeresy are holy men I answer that a holy man cannot easily be a haeretick nor are all the errous of
by Hesychius as they doe also f So also in Scripture Acts 1. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reckon or give sentence though there be no use of counters or little stones and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee chosen to a place or to obtaine a possession though there be no use of any Lot therein accordingly to which a man may bee said pedibus ire in sententiam though he have no feet to goe upon but because we would not rest in generals let us examin what was the act of Paul Barnabas in this place for it is plaine that they put forth some particular act g Ephes 1. 11. when ' its said they ordained for them or unto them Elders did they ordaine by imposition of hands as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies in the Greeke Fathers and counsells who may be thought to understand the language It is not unlikely that those very men that had been sent forth upon this expedition by imposition of hands fasting prayer should iâ— the like manner ordaine Elders for so the very texâ— in hand couples together ordaining of Elders in every Church praying with fastings or did they elect Elders for them as h Grotius in locum Grotius seemes to interpret it but those that contend for that sense of the word to signify election will not easily disgest the interpretation and the truth is They that argue the peoples election of Ministers from the election of the seven Acts. 6. which the Apostles permitted to the people there cannot easily grant that Paul and Barnabas did assume it to themselves here because it gives away the question namely election by the people or did Paul and Barnabas joyne with the Disciples in election If it had been said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it had been something to the purpose but it is not said they chose with them but they ordained for them Elders in every Church And for that which Grotius saith Credibile est c. I'ts to be thought that the consent of the people went along also the reason that he gives namely because in a lesser matter their consent was sometime taken in quite overthrowes that which is contended for ex vi verbi out of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in the text and we know that where the Apostles Elders and Brethren concurred in an act they are all named Acts. 15. 23. which as here it is not said so it cannot hence be proved or in the last place if it be said that the word translated ordaine signifies an ordination upon a previous or antecedent election of the people then ' its cleare that election doth not thrust out ordination nor the act of the people justle out the act of Paul and Barnabas and so that engine workes not by this Text which is so much clearer for ordination than election as the act of Paul and Barnabas is more expresse then that couchant act of the people which is pretended to lie hid in the same word which if it be taken in one simple sense signifying either generally to constitute or ordaine and so relate to the act of Paul and Barnabas without thrusting into the notion of the word either imposition of hands which may be made good elswhere in Scripture to have beene used in ordination or election by the people which cannot be made good elsewhere or signifying election by suffrage and so relate both to Paul Barnabas and the people as if they all concur'd in election or vote and that was all they did both these significations the word will beare though not the Text but if it carry twins in the belly of it and import two divers acts different in kinde and so relate to some act of Paul and Barnabas differing from the act or suffrage of the people then must that signification be proved by good examples lest it bee found never to have beene so used before Luke used it so but I hold my hand from further prosecution of this Scripture and offer to you one observation more tending to cleare the point in hand and that is out of Acts 6. where it is cleare that there was an election of the seven and as cleare that the constitution or ordination of them was reserved unto the Apostles vers 6. Looke yee out seven men whom wee may appoint or constitute over this business the people elected the Apostles ordained vers 3. 5. But the election is not called the constitution or ordination for that the Apostles are said to doe and how did they doe it vers 6. when they had prayed they laid their hands on them ordination by imposition of hands was the constitutive act The peoples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 6. and the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 3. are not all one that poore criticisme would never have beene borne if the f Diatrib p. 10. Author of it had but set the words together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the people set or presented the elected before the Apostles they did not ordaine them before the Apostles but presented them to be constituted and ordained by them over that business unto which they were chosen vers 3. There is not a more usuall word in the a Arist politic passim Acts 7. 10. 27. 35. Mat. 24. 47. 25. 41. Lu. 12. 14. Acts 6. 3. Titus 1. 5. usually wâ—â—â—â—he preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying the place or the subject matter of their office goverment greeke tongue to signifie the making of a Governour or setling one into an office or praefecture then this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is also used for the constitution of Elders and Church Officers in the new Testament which wee call ordination If you please to consult the practise of antiquity in the point of election of Bishops ab ordine plebe as they use to say by the Church officers and community you shall finde 1. That election was never set so high as to give checke to ordination nor accounted that wherein the mission or sending did consist but as a preparative to ordination by way of good testimony of the person to bee ordained 2. When you have searcht all records as b Spalato derep eccles lib. 3. cap. 3. they are laid together by a very learned hand the result and summe will be this that election had the force only of a nomination presentation postulation or consent so as a Minister could not bee obtruded invitae ecclesiae upon a Church whether it would or no if they were able to put in a just exception against him for which end the person to be ordained was first to be proclaimed or as I may say asked in c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Chalced. can 6. the Church for the very reason of Cyprians d Cyprian Ep. 68. Edit Pam. speech that the people principally have power to chuse the worthy or refuse the unworthy
that lived in those Asiatick Provinces specified 1 Pet. 1. 1. and consequently upon every soul as Pauls expression is Rom. 13. 1. of whatsoever elevation they be in christianity as Chrysostom saith The charge given is of subjection to Magistracy verse 13. every ordinance of man that obtains over the places where they live tho different from that form that was calculated for the meridian of the Jews native Country whether the Magistrate was Heathen or Christian a Nero or a Constantine Yea and to every rank of the scale of Magistracy whether supreme or subordinate for the fear may force subjection rather to the Emperor then an inferiour Curator yet that which is for conscience sake looks not so much at the value of the peece as at the superscription which is propter Dominum for the Lords sake And this charge is reinforced 1. By reason given for it ver 15. 2. By their reasons against it answered ver 16. The reason given for it is twofold 1. That it is the will of God 2. That so they shall stop the mouth of ignorant and foolish men that calumniated Christians for seditious Beasts and Antimagistratical Rebels Their tacit reason or objection against this subjection appears ver 16. to be this Christianity is a free estate redeemed from slavery especially to such men as hate our name our profession our Lord tread us down as dirt make bonefires of us meat and sport for lions drudges in their mettall mines c. Which he answers 1. By Concession 2. By Correction 1. By Concession he grants their liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as free Christianity is a free state by their redemption by their spiritual nativity Children of a free venter Jerusalem which is above is free which is the mother of us all Gal. 4. 2. By Correction Correcting the abuse as not using the liberty for a cloak or vail of wickedness and sedition 2. Regulating the use of it but as the servants of God who having ordained the powers is served by them by your subjection to them For the order of my proceedings I shall first unfold the Doctrinal matter altogether Then infer the Practical use of all And lastly make personal application according to the season For the Doctrinal matter of the 15th vers I sum it up thus Doct. That subjection to Magistracy is enjoyned upon Christians by command of God and is also urged by Argument of reason and this is the General Particularly the reasons are 1. That this is a duty well pleasing to God for it is his will 2. That by so well doing they shall gain or maintain the credit of religion by silencing the open mouth of ignorant and foolish men It is enjoyned upon Christians by command verse 13. submit your selves and it is also urged by Argument of reason in my text and it is to be remarked with what importunity subjection is required of Christians in this place in the 13th of the Romans and the 3d of Titus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. 5. you must needs be subject such importunity of command and reason is used as may suggest to us some doubt of the indisposedness or aversion of Christians above other men towards Magistracy And indeed the Apostle signifies of some Pseudo-Christians in the last times 2 Tim. 3. 1. that they shall be lovers of themselves traytours heady c. having a form of godliness Yea and it seems there was such a spawn of Christians in being even in those times for both the Apostles Peter and Jude as if they spoke with one mouth 2 Pet. 2. 10. Jude 8. do tell us of some of them that despised government speak evil of dignities And you may conceive that from the examples of some the infamy would redound upon the whole profession yet that this libertinisme flows from the lusts of professed Christians and not from the principles of Christianity I prove thus 1. Because Christianity doth not extinguish the common law of nature nor the common notions of truth or goodness that are in a natural conscience but rather ripens and improves them for otherwise when one puts on the Christian he should put off the man All truth is ours all truth and goodness though the pearl be found in the dunghil yet it is set in the ring of Christianity I speak to wisemen saith the Apostle and again doth not nature teach you And therefore the sence of authority must be as deeply planted in him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by nature sociable as well as others and the sence of brutality as remote from him who hath not the armour of horns and hoofs for his self-defence more then other men 2. The particular principles of Christianity do well consent with the use and fruit of magistracy and not in the least fight against or oppose the office The use and fruit of it is a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable with God 1 Tim. 2. 3. Quietness and godliness Peace and honesty what can be more agreeable to our profession That the principles of it are not of least tincture of aversness to the office is plain by the Doctrine which reckons the resistance thereof the resistance of the ordinance of God and involves every resister under condemnation Rom. 13. 2. and by the grand pattern of our profession Christ Jesus who being tempted upon the question said Date Caesari and looked through Pilate to the gift of his power from above yea and wrought one of his miracles upon the ear of an officer rashly wounded by Peter in defence of him The reason of this point is that howsoever the Jewish religion in their nation might have a government calculated and cut out unto it in some respects yet Christianity is so compounded and made up of spirituals as may well comply with any form of civil Common-wealth in the world with every ordinance of man whether monarchical c. Or mixt and therefore though it reform a nation yet need not forme it As the water washes the vessel but complies with the form of the vessel be it a barrel or a bottle and this is the point that the Fathers do much insist upon in their Apologies that their principles do not fight against Magistratical authority 3. As I have argued from the principles so let me argue from the interest of christianity for a Christian hath a greater fraught in this ship then another man His life liberty safety property peace is secured to him by the common Justice as he is a subject His godliness and honesty is secured by the indulgence or law of the Magistrate as he is a Christian and this is an excellent couple godlinesse and honesty for honesty gives credit and many times protection to godliness for who is he that will harme you 1 Pet. 3. 13. yet if the outrage be so diabolical as to persecute the name and profession of godliness coupled with honesty then in
forth those seven fruits 2 Cor. 7. 11. which change the frame of the heart a happy mother of so many good children These are the pangs of a godly soul and it is one of the first steps unto or parts of the Resurrection of a Christian from his fals and is caused not meerly by wrath but as Peters weeping was by the looks of Christ The reproofs the frowns the offence of a gracious God thaws the heart into melting tears and would do so though there were no hell As a meek childe needs no other house of correction than his fathers looks I am loath to be of that opinion which banishes godly sorrow out of Religion For if I were so happy as to want new matter and occasion for it yet sometimes to review old forgiven sins and the rather because forgiven with fresh bleeding heart doth excellently keep down swelling of pride and gives a fresh and new relish to Christ Jesus so the overflowing stoods do enrich the adjacent grounds and make them fresh and greene And so much concerning these affections V. The fifth Consideration is of purposes of amendment which we named before among the preparatives to this Sacrament which there are few but have at one time or other and men do exceedingly befool and flatter themselves in them For we have known that upon conviction of conscience and shame for many years together by fits and moods and for the skinning over some gallings of conscience men flie to purposes of repentance and put them on and binde themselves by vows or other bonds to doe no more and yet experience tels us that Sampson did not easilier break the cords that bound him than these men do break their purposes and cancell all bonds and resolutions and so a sick mans purposes are very often no other than the vows of a Mariner in a storm at sea who for the time will be or do any thing but when the danger is blown over they are as they were You ask What such are to do And the answer is ready Resolution without mortification is to little purpose the lust must be mortified that carries the sway and dominion For as the purposes of a man in his lucid intervals or of one that hath the Falling sicknesse to fall no more is to little purpose without some application to the disease that still lies within and will return and break all dams that are made by the streame of it so are resolutions upon conviction of conscience without effectual exercise of mortification by setting upon that root and lust which between whiles doth but sleep and will awaken again Let the patient see and search his sinne and apply the corzy of the Law and use those sharp medicines which eat out a rotten core and follow that sharp work of mortification or else all is to little purpose VI. The last thing I mention'd was thankfulnesse a grace proper to the Eucharist which signifies thankfulnesse and is the denomination of this Sacrament wherein thanksgiving is so eminently required and exercised and it â—ises either from the general ground or from the special The general is Gods Philanthropy which shews it self in a sic dilexit by giving Christ a Saviour to us and not to the Angels that sinn'd and is worthy to fill our hearts and mouths with admiration to all eternity But the special ground is Gods incorporation of us particularly into Christ by giving that differencing grace which distinguishes not from Devils but from reprobates and hypocrites and all that are called but not chosen which is a mark of special favour Thanksgiving for this shall be the work of heaven where we shall better understand and look upon our former misery as a fyle to set off and illustrate our glorious redemption and to this tune ought our hearts to be set here For in this rejoyce not that the devils fall before you but that your names are written in heaven and we have cause while we are in this lower orb to be thankfull for the least mustar-seed of faith and grace whose work is to set a byas upon the will to chuse God and set up his interest above all interests of self or world and he keeps this spark alive in worst times by no lesse a miracle than a spark of fire in the sea and that he inables this little grace to fight and combate and that is in Scripture to conquer against the powerfull fears and oppressions of the world and the powerfull allurements of lust and ease and pleasures of sinne which is a Sunshine that usually puts out our fire more easily than cold and nipping frosts which rather make it hotter and this is the meaning of that phrase He will not quench c. till he send forth judgement unto victory The smoak ends in victory Motive IV. After this digression the fourth Motive or Consideration follows exciting endeavour to come to this Sacrament in a sacramental disposition and that is taken from the benefit or fruit of it to a worthy receiver for the exercise of grace is well rewarded and the labour and pains bestowed in preparation or trimming of our Lamps is paid to us in the fruit and benefit of this Ordinance And therefore since as Bellarmine acknowledges the Question about the effect is of so near a kin to the preparation unto this Sacrament I shall briefly touch the point of the fruit and benefit thereof and that in these two points 1. That there is a great benefit and fruit of this Ordinance 2. What that fruit and benefit is CHAP. XXVIII The fruit and benefit of Worthy Receiving §. 1. 1. THere is a great benefit of this Sacrament to them that communicate therein preparedly though all be not agreed what the benefit is as may be seen by the Doctrine of the Papists the Socinians the Orthodox yet that there is a benefit few will deny and if it be denied the sensible experience of many godly Christians doth attest it to which experience the Apostle sometimes appeals saying Gal. 3. â— This onely would I learn of you and for others that will not own their experiences or have them not reason may convince them That as God made no uselesse creature so he ordains no fruitlesse institutions that this Ordinance being instituted for the use of his select people and confederates and that at such a time as our Lord Christ had the very powers of darknesse to encounter with therefore it is an Ordinance of some moment which began at the death and stands in force until the second coming of Christ and if nothing elâ—e could be said this is enough That the guilt and danger of receiving unworthily being so dreadfull there must in reason be some proportion of benefit and fruit to the receiving worthily which reason may convince any rational man that there is not only a good but that good is of very great proportion and degree and that ye shall not come for fruit to a barren