Proposition is made good Because 1. to walk according to the spirituall Policie of the Lords house must be a good work and so a Morall and Lawfull work and a due conversing in the spirituall Society of the Church according to the Rule of the Word 2. If this Morall walking be according to a Rule that may crook bow and varie according as Civill Customes of men and Cities alter and varie at mens pleasure It is a Morall walking no more according to the Rule of Scripture then the contradicâ—nt thereof is according to this Rule but falleth and riseth hath its ups and downs at the meer nod and pleasure of men who may change Customes and Manners every year twice if so it please them For what Scripture teacheth me a Civill Custome of a City as not to carry Armour in the night to take up the Names of all between sixteen years of age and sixty Or what Scripture teacheth me a Bishop may be above the Pastors of the Church or a Bishop may not be Surplice Crossing Bowing and Cringing to wooden Altars may be or may not be Deacons may be or may not be even as customes and guises of the Civill State appear as Meteors in the Aire and in the fourth part of a night disappear and vanish to nothing to say that the word teacheth the Church to abstain from blood is a part of the perfection of the Scripture and yet the Scripture teaches that abstinence from blood not as an eternall and unalterable Law for we are not now tied to abstain from blood therefore the Scripture may make the man of God perfect in some works that are alterable and changeable This I say is no Answer for saying that God should now make abstinence from blood and things strangled indifferent as he made them in that intervall of time Acts 15. When the Ceremonies were mortall but not deadly and unlawfull as is clear in that Paul Act. 16. 1 2 3. circumcised Timothy that Rite being then indifferent and yet he writeth in another case when the Gospel is now fully promulgated that to be circumcised maketh a man a debtor in conscience to keep the whole Law of Moses and so to abstaine from eating of blood and things strangled must be a falling from the Grace of Christ and an Apostacy from the Gospel Gal. 5 1 2 3. 4 5 6 7. The like I say of observing of dayes which Rom. 14. 5 6. were indifferent and in another case Gal. 4. 9 10. Col. 2. 16 17. Deadly unlawfull and not necessary so the matter Acts 15. which in the case of scandilizing the weak is abstinence from things indifferent say that they are indifferent bindeth as a perpetuall Law to the end of the world and bindeth us this same very day Rom. 14. 20. In the Morality of it as abstinence from murthering One for whom Christ died Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 8. 12 13. 1 Cor. 10. 26 27 28. And upon the ground laid by Prelates which is most false and untrue to wit that many Positive things in Church-Government such as are Prelats deemed to be warranted by Apostolick though not by Divine right Ceremonies and Crossing kneeling to bread Altars Surplice Rochet corner-Cap yea and Circumcision a Passeover-Lambe and all the Jewish Ceremonies though with another spirit and intention then to shadow forth Christ to come in the flesh imagined to be indifferent and alterable things we hold that all these are to be abstained from as eating of blood and things strangled of old were if you say they are as indifferent as blood and some meats were in the case Act. 15. Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 1 Cor. 10. It s a most false principle as we shall hear and therefore the Scripture if it make the man of God perfect to every good work as the Apostle saith it must teach us to abstain from all these as scandalous and must set down as perfect and particular directions for Church-Government as Paul doth Rom. 14. Set down a particular Platform how we shall eschew Murther for scandalizing our Brethren in the use of things indifferent is spirituall Murther Rom. 14. 15. 20. 2. Arg. That which is a lamp to the feet and a light to the path Psal 119. 105. And causeth us understand Equity Iudgement Righteousnesse and every good way Prov. 2. 9. And to walk safely so that our feet stumble not Prov. 3. 25. Prov. 4 11 12. Prov. 6. 23. That must be a lamp and light to our feet and walking in a Platform of Church-Discipline so as we shall not erre sin or stumble therein But if the light be so various doubtfull alterable as we may walk this way or the contrary way according to the Civill Laws alterable Customes and Manners of the people we shall not so be guided in our path as our feet shall not stumble the Church might then suffer Jezabell to Prophecie and these that hath the Doctrine of Balaam or not suffer them as the Civill Laws and alterable Customes of the people should require Now the Scriptures doth clearly insinuate that the Law and will of God revealed in the Word is a Rule of walking straightly and of declining sin and any stumbling in our way which deserveth a rebuke and a threatning such as Christ uttereth against the Church of Pergamos Rev. 2. 14 15 16. And of Thyatira v. 17 18. Now if these Churches had no certain Rule or Word of God from which they should deviate and erre in their path of Discipline but the Customes and alterable Civill Laws and Manners of men they were unjustly rebuked by Christ which to aver were Blasphemy Prelats say Some things in Church-Policie are Fundamentals not to be altered but there be other things alterable And of things of Policie of the former notion we have a certain Platform in Scripture but of the latter not any at all is necessary and the not suffering of false Teachers in the Church is of the former sort But I Answer some Scripture or reason ought to be given of this distinction If all be Morall and unalterable that are necessary to Salvation its good But to suppresse Jezabell and false teachers is not necessary Necessitate medii for then the Salvation of that Church were desperate and past remedy which should suffer false teachers surely then Pergamos and Thyatira were in a certain irremedâ—lâ—sse way of Eternall Damnation as are these who are void of all Faith and knowledge of Fundamentall Articles I conceive Prelats will hold their hand and not be so rash as to say this If these other things of Policie be necessary necessitate precepti in regard that Iesus Christ hath commanded them to be observed why then are some things alterable which Christ hath commanded to be observed some things unalterable Crosse Surplice which Prelats say have been in the Church these twelve hundred yeers are in themselves as positive have as small affinity with the Civil Laws Customes
saith Ergo beside Ministers there must be some chiefe men which we call ruling Elders to represent the people that there may be as all our Divines and Scripture teach a threefold government in the Church A Monarchy in regard of Iesus Christ the onely head and King of the Church as the Iewish Church had their High Priest a Type of him and Aristocracy in Pastors and Teachers as the Iewes had their Priests and Levites and a Democracy in the ruling Elders as the Iewes had their Zekenim and their Heads of families and Elders in the Ecclesiasticall Sanedrim and we in the Presbytery to represent the people and of these three the Iewish Ecclesiastick Sanedrim is made up 2 Chron. 19. 8. of the Levites and the priests 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the heads of Fathers or Masters of families Now Erastus yeeldeth that good Iehoshaphat departed not from Gods institution in his reformation all this Erastus passeth over in silence being ignorant of the Iewish Church government and not able to answer and he addeth something of Doctors not to a purpose and saith there be no Doctors but Pastors onely in the Word contrary to Rom. 12 7 8. Ephes 4. 11. where they are clearly distinguished Erastus Some chosen men must be in the Presbytery to represent the people Ergo these must be Doctors and Prophets but there is no need of that for Bishops of old represented the whole Church Ans Beza hath not any such argument he contendeth for Ruling Elders not for Prophets and Doctors to represent the people 2. Where doth the Scripture speake of such an office as a Bishop having Majority of power above Presbyters for since Erastus denieth all Ecclesiasticall Government in Teachers he must deny all Majority of Ecclesiasticall Governement also he that denieth the positive denieth also the comparative degree now this is a Bishop that neither Scripture nay nor popish Antiquity dreamed of 3. In what is a Bishop the representative Church The like is Erastus his third Argument Erastus 1 Cor. 12. How is Government a Presbytery how are Overseers governments Doctors Prophets There be many kinds of Governours I wonder that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Miracles you understand not the power of Excommunication that hath terrified all the World how are Doctors Prophets added to Pastors are they not teachers as well as Pastors but that they administer not the Sacraments how doe you prove that how prove you Overseers to be â—ther then Ministers Ans Governements to us are but a part of the Presbyterie 2. There be many kinds of Governours but he durst not venture to shew what is signified by governments lest he should say his Magistrate must be the onely Church Governour but he knoweth that a Magistrate as a Magistrate is no member nor part of the Church but as he is a Christian for then Cesar Herod Pontius Pilate as Magistrates must be set in the body of Christ as Apostles and Teachers and Prophets which all the World will cry shame on 3. Beza said never that Teachers and prophets are cast to Ministers to make a Presbyterie for by Teachers he meaneth Pastors 4. Because Paul setteth downe Governments different from Apostles Prophets and Teachers they must be some Officers different from them we can finde none else but such as rule well and yet labour not in the Word 1 Tim. 5. 17. let Erastus shew us what they are he dares not open his minde for he meaneth a Justice of Peace or a King or a heathen judge must be in the wombe of this 1 Cor. 12. 28. let himselfe be mid-wife Erastus answering to 1 Tim. 5. 17. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to labour is to labour diligently the meaning is like this I wish well to all Pastors but especially to those who with great industrie fidelity and paines feed the flocke committed to them as I love all inclined to studie but especially such as watch night and day upon studies for some are more diligent in teaching then others here 's no Tautologie to say I love all that sincerely and soundly teach the Word especially those that diligently teach it Ans I cannot particularly discusse this place I have done it else where fully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with two Articles noteth two species of Elders as Tit. 1. 11. 1 Tim. 5. 8. Gal. 6. 10. Phil. 4. 22. 2. This is a Tautologie I love all well governing and faithfull Elders especially those that labour in the word they may be well and painful feeding Pastors who are not painfull in preaching the Word and this is Tautologie I love all that are studious and studie excellently and especially those that studie night and day as Erastus must say if he make the phrase agree to the purpose to feed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well in a feeding Pastor includeth labouring in the Word since Erastus expoundeth the place 1 Tim. 5. 17. of Church officers he cannot deny but the place holdeth forth a Government and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Church Officers for beside labouring in the Word and doctrine which is preaching here is well governing it is a shame then to Erastus to expound this place so and yet deny all Church Government except in the hands of the Magistrate Erastus Ancient and moderne Doctors deny two sorts of Elders Ans I have made the contrary appear in the place cited I will not weary the Reader with reasons set downe at full in another place Erastus Shew where the Church hath a judicature to punish sins different from the Magistrates judicature as the Lord made a power of burning incense to the Lord to be different from the Kings royall power Ans Mat. 18. Mat. 16. Ioh. 20. Mat. 28. 19 20. Eph. 20. 28. 1 Cor. 5. 1 2 c. Rev. 2. 1 2. and 20. 21. Ministers are no lesse separated under the New Testament to all ministeriall acts of feeding by the word and rod of Discipline then Priests were of Old Erastus Nathan did not Excommunicate David Ans Nathan had assurance from God that his sin was pardoned 2. That the Sanedrim did not cast David out is a fact and proveth not they had no power for 80. Priests cast Vzziah out of the house of God for a lesse fault that carried in its face lesse scandall Erastus The Prophets never accuse the Priests that they admitted the unclean to the sacrifices and holy things of God Ans The contrary is evident Ier. 5. 31. Ezek. 22. 25 26. and 44. 8 9 10. contrary to their Office Deut. 17. 11 12. Levit. 10. 10. Erastus David Psal 51. sheweth he would have given Sacrifices but God craved a broken heart Ergo he had power to sacrifice Ans Not except withall he had offered a contrite heart to God Paul saith Erastus speaketh of coming to them with the rod of delivering to Satan of his comming with the authority God had given him of his
First the Canonick Scripture is not Uniform and perpetual Why for certainly once there was no Canonick Scripture but the Books of Moses and after the holy Ghost added the Book of the Psalmes and the Prophets and after the Nativity and Ascension of our Lord to Heaven the Apostles did write Canonick Scripture I hope this is but a poor Argument to infer that there is no Vniform and unalterable Platform of Divinity in the Old and New Testament and yet the Argument is as concludent the one way as it is the other 3. We do not so contend for an Vniform and unalterable Platform of Church-Government in the Word as it was not free to the Lord and Law-giver to adde and alter at his pleasure only we hold it so Vniform and unalterable that this Platform is not shaped like a coat to the Moon or alterable at the will of men without expresse warrant of the Lords Word and to rise and fall with the climate and the elevation of Nationall customes and therefore the Argument is nothing concludent and judge what can be made of these words of the learned Mr. Prynne The Government and Officers of all Churches not being De facto one and the same in all particulars in the very Primitive times as well as since it can never be proved to be of Divine right and the self same in all succeeding Ages without the least variation â—inee it was not so in the Apostles dayes For this is all one as to say the Canonick Scripture was not one and the same in the Apostles and Prophets times but admitted of divers additions Ergo now in our daies Canonick Scripture is not one and the same but may also suffer the like additions 2. Because God himself added to Canonick Scripture and to the Government of the Church in the Apostles dayes Ergo men may without Warrant from God adde in our dayes to Canonick Scripture and to the Government and Officers of the Church 3. The Government and Officers in the Apostles time were not of Divine right but alterable by God Ergo Apostles Evangelists Pastors Teachers Workers of miracles were not of Divine right in the Apostles times but might have been altered by men without the expresse Warrant of God But will any wise man believe that Pauls Apostleship was alterable and might be changed by the Church Since he saith Gal. â— 1. Paul an Apostle not of men neither by men but by Iesus Christ and 1 Cor. 12. 28. When Paul saith And God hath set 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or instituted some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing c. and Eph. 4. 11. When Christ ascended on high he gave some Apostles some Prophets and some Evangelists and some to be Pastors and Teachers 12. For the perfecting of the Saints c. Can it enter into the head of any man to say some Churches had Apostles and Evangelists and Pastors and miracles and some not Ergo Apostles and Pastors are not by Divine right Ergo because they were not in all Churches therefore they were alterable at the will of men and a Surplice and Crosse in Baptisme hath as much of Divine institution as the calling of the Apostle or of a Pastor and truly to me it is bold Divinity to say that Pastors set over the flock by the holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. and whos 's due qualifications are so specified 1 Tim. 3. and Elders 1 Tim. 5. 17. and Teachers placed by God in the Church 1 Cor. 12 28. may be all turned out of the Church by men as having no Divine right to be there and that men may set up other alterable Officers in their place for by this reason the Apostles by that ordinary spirit that is now in Church-Rulers might without their Apostolick spirit or any immediate Warrant from Christ have altered the whole frame of Apostolick-Government and Church-Officers as the Church may upon motives from themselves not warranted from the word turne out Surplice Crosse and all such stuffe out of the Church Master Prynne The Apostles speech 1 Cor 12. 4 5 6. There are diversity of gifts but the same spirit there are diversity of operations but the same God compared with chap. 8. to 13. and c. 9. v. 19. to 24. I made my self a servant to all that I might gain all c. parallel'd with Act. 15. 1 2 5 6 10. to 32. and chap. 21. 18. to 30. The Churches of Judea did retain the use of Circumcision Purification and other Iewish Rites which the Gentiles by the Apostles resolution were not to observe and Act. 2. 22. The Apostles frequented the Iewish Temple and Synagogues conforming themselves to the Order and Discipline thereof and their own private Christian Assemblies all this will clear that all Churches had not one and the self same Church-Government Ans If diversity of Gifts as to be a speaker with Tongues a Prophet a Pastor will prove the Discipline to be alterable at the Churches will as are Surplice Crosse c. I shall think men may infer any thing they please out of the Scripture and that to be Apostles Pastâ—rs are as indifferent and variable as eating of meats 1 Cor. 8. and Pauls taking of wages at Corinth 1 Cor. 9. Which none can say for if the Church should now command us to abstain from such and such meats as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 8. We should call that and do call it in the Romish Church a Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4 1 2 3. All brought for this from Act. 15. Act. 21. tendeth to this the Lord himself for the then weaknesse of the Jews of meer indulgence appointed some things to be indifferent and abstained from in the case of scandall Therefore Circumcision Purification Sacrifices of Bullocks and sheep And all the Ceremonies of Moses his Law may be commanded by the Church so they have another signification then they had before and shadow out Christ who is already come But because God hath made some things indifferent shall it follow that the Pope yea or any Church on earth can create an indifferency in things they must then take from things their Morall goodnesse or conveniency with Gods Law and take from them their moral badnes disconveniency to Gods Law which to me is to change the nature of things and to abrogate and change Gods Laws it is true P. Martyr 1 Cor. 9. 19. saith Paul was made all things to all men Quoad Ceremonias res medias in that he Circumcised Timotheus The Law saith he was abrogated Vâ—rum id non adhuc Judaeis liquebat The Jews were to be spared for a time but only for a time and therefore when the Gospel was sufficiently promulgated Paul said Gal. 5. to be Circumcised was to lose Christ and he refused to be a servant to Peter in his sinful Iudaizing Gal. 2. And withstood him in the face Now certain it
is Peter knew Christ was come in the flesh and that his Iudaizing did not lay bands on his conscience he preached the contrary Act. 11. And if Peter did Iudaize as Formalists observe Ceremonies and the Galathians were circumcised the same way for they knew Circumcision had no Typicall Relation to Christ to come they believed he was already come then without cause Paul Gal. 2. and 5. did rebuke and argue either Peter or the Galathians of sinfull Iudaizing which to say were to speak against the Gospel But certainly the Vniformity and immutability of all these Ceremonies was that then when the Gospel was sufficiently Proclaimed to all to be under the Law of Ceremonies in any sort was damnable and so is it now And as the Apostles and Church then set up no Ceremonies no Surplice no Crossing because they had no word of Christ to warrant them neither can we do the like now and they complyed for a time with the Iewish Ceremonies being yet indifferent but not but by warrant of the commandment and resolution of the Apostles and the like are we obliged unto now had we a Warrant of the like indifferency of Prelates Surplice Crosse and that we were obliged to use them to gain the weak in regard 1. They were once obligatory Ordinances of God 2. And if the day light of the Gospel were not yet sufficiently risen to shine upon those who are not wilfully ignorant and had not yet acknowledged the Gospel to be Gods word we should also be obliged to Ceremonies yea we durst not yield to any Law to lay them aside as many Formalists who hold them lawfull have done Mr. Prynne From the Creation till Moses there was no one Vniversall set Form of Church-Government to be observed in all the world Nor one Form of Discipline under the Tabernacle another under the Temple Ans All this concludeth not what is in question it s but the Popish Argument This is to be concluded that Enoch Seth Noah Abraham the Patriarchs and Moses did set up a Church-Government of such timber as Humane Prelates Crosse Surplice without any expresse Warrant from Gods mouth and which they might alter by their own spirit for this Argument is God might alter Ergo The Church now may alter without a warrant from God And shall we believe that the Patriarchs and Moses by their own spirit without any Commandment of God might at their pleasure set up and put down Prophets Circumcision Tabernacle Temple Laws for Sacrifices Priests Levites Arke putting the Leaper in or putting him out of the Campe cutting any soul off from the Congregation of the Lord as our men will cry up and down Ceremonies and put on them the weight of a Talent or a Feather without any word of God The Scripture cryeth the contrary so often saying And the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak thou unto the children of Israel Could Formalists say that and Christ spake unto the Prelats and the Church and said Command the Pastor to crosse the Infant and appoint unto your selves a Prelate over the Pastors I should gladly agree to the mutable frame of humane Government Mr. Prynne There are but for the most part generall rules prescribed to us for the very ordering and regulating of our thoughts words actions lives apparell Children servants families calling c. in the Word Ergo there be but generall rules for Discipline and Church-Government which admit variety the former do more immediately concern every man the other more remotely Ans If the Word of God do not more particularly regulate our thoughts as Psal 10. 4. Psal 5. 9. Isa 55. 7. Ier. 4. 14. Act. 8. 22. And our words and actions by which we must be judged Isa 3. 8. Ier. 8. 6. Mal. 3. 13. Ier. 9. 3. Matth. 12. 36 37. Rev. 22. 12. Rev. 20. 13. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Prov. 5. 21. 1 Sam. 2 3. Psal 119. 9. Prov. 3. 23 24. Then the Scripture doth warrant Surplice and Crossing and kneeling to Creatures and humane Prelats which are changeable and alterable circumstances and adjuncts of Worship that may be and may not be and things indifferent it shall follow that for the most part it is indifferent to do evil or well sin or not sin in thought word and actions and we have no warrant in Scripture for eschewing sin or not eschewing it in the most of our actions I confesse there is little need to walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accurately Eph. 5. 15. And to cleanse our wayes Psal 119. 9. according to the Word If words thoughts and actions may go at random as if they were variable and indifferent Ceremonies God throweth not men in hells torments to be eternally miserable for circumstances 2. For the acts of our calling if they be Morall they are regulated as particularly by the word as to believe love and fear God or the creature if artificiall they are not of our consideration 3. That Morall acts of decent usage of the Ordinances do not immediately concern men is admirable to me Mr. Prynne To the Argument of Moses his doing all according to the patern shown in the Mount It is Answered 1. The Tabernacle wa◠no part of the Church of the Israelites but only the place of meeting for Worship answerable to our Churches and Chappels and so was the Temple But I pray you God prescribed the height length bredth form of Tabernacles Ark Altar of every Pin Ergo Hath Christ as punctually prescribed to all Christians and Nations in expresse words the form matter dimensions of all Christian Churches Temples Chappels Tables Challices Pulpits Pews not varying in one pin 2. God named the men Bezaliel and Aholiah who should make the Tabernacle and all the implements thereof 3. God expressed the frame fashion colours of the holy Garments of Aaron and his sons shall it follow Ergo only the Artificers whom God nameth immediately and none but Embroyderers Goldsmiths Carpenters c. Not Pastors and Elders are to build up the spirituall Churches of Christ Ergo The form matter and colour of Ministers and Elders garments are particularly set down in the New Testament 4. The Tabernacle and Temple were corporall things made by mens hands not spirituall buildings of mens spirits 5. All these of the patern were delivered to Moses the Temporall Magistrate not to Aaron the Priest Ergo the Church under the Gospel is not a spirituall building whose maker and builder is God and all is to be ordered by the Civill Magistrate and Lay-Artificers not by Pastors I wonder also you alledge not Noahs Ark And all in the New Testament are not so particularly set down as in the Old Ans The Tabernacle was no part of the Church but being a Type and the implements of it to the least pin particularly expressed by God to Moses far more must we have from God an expresse for every Ceremony not to retort this also that a Corner-Cap or a Surplice is no part
and expedient But we know no such question in this Controversie as who shall be judge but supposing the Church to be a ministeriall judge and the Scripture the infallible Rule the question is whether this judge have any such power as to prescribe Laws touching things indifferent and to injoyne these though they have no warrant from Scripture as things necessary and to binde where God hath not bound Quest But doth not the Church determine things that of themselves are indifferent as whether Sermon should begin at nine of clock or ten in the morning and after the Church hath past a determination for the dyet of ten a clock the indifferency of either nine or ten is removed and the practise without any warrant of Scripture restricted to one for order and peace sake and why may not the like be done in Positives of Church-Government Ans The truth is the Church by her will putteth no determination on the time but only ministerially declareth that which Gods providence accomodating it self to the season climate the conveniency of the congregation as they lie in distance from the place of meeting hath determined already But neither Providence scripture nor naturall reason hath determined that there should be in every Diocesan Church a Monarch-Prelate Pastor of Pastors with majority of power of jurisdiction and ordination over Pastors more then there should be one Pope Catholick Pastor of the Catholick visible Church or that Crossing should betoken Dedication to Christs service only will as will must determine positive Religious observances such as these are SECT VI. What Honour Praise Glory Reverence Veneration Devotion Service Worship c. are FOr the more clear opening of the ensuing Treatise it is necessary to speak somewhat of worship and Adoration and especially of these 1. Honour 2. Praise 3. Glory 4. Reverence 5. Veneration 6. Devotion 7. Religion 8. Service 9. Worship 10. Love 11. Obedience 12. Adoration 1. Honour is a testification of the excellency of any Arist Ethic. l. 8. c. 8. Aquinas Honos est signum quoddam excellentiae Honour is a signe or expression of Excellency in any it doth not import any superiority in the party whom we honor as Adoration doth Praise is a speciall honouring of any consisting in words Glory is formally the effect of Honour though it be taken Pro claritatè for the celebrity or renownednesse of any yet glory seemeth to be founded upon celebrity as its foundation Reverence is a sort of Veneration of a person for excellency connotating a sort of fear Veneration is a sort of fear and reverencing of a person I see not well any difference between Reverence and Veneration except that Veneration seemeth to be some more and cometh nearer to Adoration Devotion is the promptitude cheerfulnesse or spirituall propension of the will to serve God Religion is formally in this when a man subjecteth himself to God as to his supreame Lord and thence ariseth to give him honour as his God and absolute Lord. The two integral parts of Religion are the subjection of the reasonable creature to God 2. An exhibition of honour if any object that the subjection of the creature to God is humility not Religion Raphael de la Torres in 22. tom 1. de obj adorat q. 81. art 1. disp unic n. 8. answereth that subjection to God as it issueth from a principle of tendering due Honour to God for his excellency its Religion but as it abandoneth the passion of hope in the way of attaining honour it is an act of humility to God as the giving of money for the paying of debt is an act of justice but as it is given to moderate the desire of money it is an act of Liberality The acts of Riligion are of two sorts some internall and elicite as to Adore Sacrifice Pray by these a man is rightly ordered toward the Honouring of God only But there be other acts imperated and Commanded by Religion which flow immediately from other vertues as it may be from mercy and compassion to our brother but are Commanded by Religion as Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the father lesse and the widows c. Service is from the bond of subjection to reverence God as an inferior or servant doth his Lord and Master A servant doth properly do the will of his Master for the gain or profit that redoundeth to his Master but because we cannot be profitable to the Almighty by way of gain therefore we are to serve him in relation to an higher end then accession of gain of which the Lord is not capable Psal 16. 2. Iob 22. 3. For the declaration of his glory For Worship formally is to give reverence to God for his excellency in one and the same act we may both Worship God and serve him Only service doth include the obligation of a servant to a Lord. As concerning Love Faith and Hope they are internall Worship not properly Adoration Love as Love doth rather import an equality with the thing loved and a desire of an Union rather then a submission It is true there is a perfection in that which we Love but not essentially to perfect the Lover that possibly may agree to the Love between man and man but not to Love as Love for the Father Loves Christ his Son and did delight in him from eternity Prov. 8. 30. A superior Angel may Love an inferior yet the Father cannot be perfected by Loving Christ nor a superior Angâ—l by Loving any inferior Faith and Hope may suppose a resting on a helper as a helper and so are internall Worship if they be adoration formally may be a Question It is an untruth which Raphael de la Torres with other schoolmen say That with the same Religion by which we Honour holy men we Honour God upon this reason because holinesse in them is a participation of the Divine Nature therefore God must be the intrinsecall end and formall reason for which we Honour the Saints For Holinesse in Saints is a participation of the Divine nature but it is a Temporary and a created participation it is not the same very holinesse that is in God but the created effect thereof and so the Love I bear to any Creature because there is somewhat of God in every Creature And the Love to our Neighbour Commanded in the second Table of the Law should be the Love of God Commanded in the first Table of the Law 2. When I bow to the gray-haired and to the King I then do an act of obedience to the fifth Commandment No man can say that when I bow to the King or to an holy man that I am then bowing to the God of heaven and Worshipping God No acts terminated upon Saints living or dead are acts of Worshipping God yea reverencing of the Ordinances of God as the delighting in or trembling at the Word are not properly acts
from gaining of Souls Erastus Though binding and loosing be judiciall and forinsecall words they agree not to the Ministery onely but rather to the Magistrate except you say that in the time of Christ amongst the Iewes there was a Church court beside the Magistrates court Ans That they argue authority judiciall is proved already by many Scriptures and judiciall authority Ecclesiasticall it must be which agreeth to the Church and it was never heard that the Church especially in the New Testament doth signifie the Magistrate 2. There is no necessity to say there was a Christian Church court in Christs time because there was not a Christian Magistrate at this time but the Iewes had then a Church-court before which Christ was conveened Caiphas being President and the blinde man Iohn 9. who was cast out of the Synagogue for that he confessed Christ 3. Christ speaketh of that which was to be though in its frame not yet erected Erastus Christ hath the like words of binding and loosing Mat. 16. which signifieth also to preach the Gospell that he who beleeveth may be loosed and he who beleeveth not may be made inexcusable and therefore it is no other but to pray a brother to desist from his injury shewing him that that is acceptable to God for to binde and loose in all the Scripture is never to debarre any from the Sacraments if you divert your brother from doing an injurie by declaring the will and wrath of God out of his Word thou hast gained him and loosed him if he will not be perswaded the wrath of God abides on him and thou hast bound him Ans If loosing and binding Matth. 16. be preaching of the Word of God and loosing be Christian forgiving of an injury then are women who are taught in the prayer of Christ Mat. 6. to forgive one another invested with the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven to preach the Gospell and why not also to administer the Seals and so are all private men clothed with the keyes to take in and cast out at their pleasure and what are Ministers that are over the people in the Lord and watch for their soules 2. We never said to binde was to debarre from the Sacraments except consequently onely to binde is to declare an obstinate man as a Heathen and so no member of the house of Christ and consequently to have no right to the bread of the children of the house nor say we that to Excommunicate is formally to debarre men from the Sacraments it is to cast them out of the house hence it must follow that the priviledges of the house belongeth not to them 3. You may disswade a man from doing a civill injurie and never gaine his soule but the Magistrates club for which Erastus contendeth in these words cannot reach the soule Erastus None can remit a debt but the creditor nor pardon an injury but he who suffereth the injurie Ans Then none can binde and loose but private men and the keyes of heaven are given to all private persons nor can private persons by forgiving so remit the person as he is loosed in heaven 2. The Church is offended at Scandals and are sufferers Ergo The Church must binde and loose Let Erastus teach us the way except by Church-censures Erastus Casting out of the unclean is not to binde because to purifie is not to absolve the unclean might be purified by any cleane and not by the Priests onely Ans The legall purging of the Leper was onely by pronouncing him cleane and could not be done but by the Priest and it was a loosing of him Erastus Where Christ instituteth any new ordinance he omitteth nothing that is substantiall but here he speaketh nothing of publike sins for which you doe especially excommunicate Ans Christ according to the minde of Erastus does here institute a throne for the Christian Magistrate how doth he then institute a way how the Christian Magistrate may remove private Scandals and not publike for publike Scandals hurt the Church ten to one more then private doe Christ speaks of sins in their rise private betweene brother and brother but he speaketh of publike Scandals of such as will not heare the Church and for these onely we Excommunicate 2. Tha◠is not true that any one place of Scripture where an institution is that all the substantials of that institution should be expresly set down in that place it is enough that all be held forth in either one Scripture or other as in Christs sufferings Baptisme Pastors c. Erastus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Again I say unto you if two of you shall agree on earth these words must referre to private men not to the Church it is cleare that Christ speaketh nothing of two as hee doth in this verse but when he saith that one private man is to rebuke and gain another private man nor is it enough to say its an argument à comparatis for if the same thing be not kept in both extreames it is a vaine comparison if you say a childe understandeth this Ergo An aged man understandeth it it followeth well But if you say a child understandeth this Ergo An aged man is rich and good who would not laugh But if God heare the prayer of two Ergo farre more will he heare the prayers of the Church it followeth not except you say if those things that two or three bindes on earth be ratified how shall we thinke that that is ratified which the Church bindes and looses Ans Here is nothing but Grammatications that cannot convince it is true that Christ speaking of two he speaketh of private men but many will not grant so much for they say that by two the smallest number is meant a Church of the fewest by a Synecdoche and two may be taken for a small convention and number which doe literally exceed two Jer. 3. 14. Rev. 11. 3. I will give power to my two Witnesses they be more Martyrs who witnessed against Babylon then two literally and this Exposition seemeth to me as good as the other and then if the smallest Church doe binde and loose in heaven and earth so much more the Church and so all shadow of this unsolid Grammattication is removed 2. The proportion is well kept if two praying on Earth be so heard in Heaven as by their prayers they may obtaine that these be ratified in Heaven which they aske on earth farre more is that ratified in heaven which the Church in a judiciall and authoritative way doth on earth in the Name of Christ for praying of private Christians and publike and authoritative binding of the Church doe both agree in this that the Father of Christ ratifieth both in heaven which is a due keeping of proportion and not such a crooked comparison as Erastus would make between an aged man a rich good man 3. Though two private men have the same Analogicall binding in Heaven and earth
till we all meet in the Vnity of the Spirit and the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man Eph. 4. Now neither in that place nor in any other place did Christ give a Magistrate for the edifying his Body the Church but only those that are but his Delegates Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors Teachers iâ— the Magistrate be the only Governour of the Church and he who sendeth into the Vineyard those who edifie the Body the King should have been first in this Role as the only supream gatherer edifier and builder of the Church It cannot be said The Ruling Elder then because he is omitted here should not be the gift of Christ given to Edifiâ— the Church and by this it must be denied that the King the Nurse father of the Church who is to take care that the Children be fed with the sincere milk of the Word is given of God to edfâ—ie the Church because he is not nameâ— here Ans Our Divines as Calvin Beza Marlorate do strongly gather from this place that because the Pope pretended to be the Catholick edifier of the Church is not here in this Text nor in any other scripture that therefore he is not the head of the Church and the King being pretended to be the only eminent gatherer of the Church and Supream Governour in all Causes Civill and Ecclesiasticall he should especially have been set down here he being a mixed person and more then half a Church-officer in the minde of the Adversary And there was no colour of reason why the supream and only Head and principall Governour of the Church should be omitted at least the Magistrate should be in some other Scripture as the only Church Governor seeing the Adversaries make Pastors Doctors Elders and Deacons only the Delegates and Servants of the Magistrate 1. As God calleth the King to governe the people by the free election of the people so if the Magistrate be called of God to teach and govern the Church this calling of his should be in the Scripture as his calling to the Throne or Bench is Deut. 17. 14. 15 c. 1. 15 16. Rom. 13. Tit. 3. 1 2. But in neither the Old nor the New Testament finde we any Prince or Ruler separated for the holy things of God to be ` Priest Apostle Pastor Prophet Teacher by vertue of his office as if he were a mixed person as the Adversarie say No David is called to Sacrifice no Constantine to preach and Administrate the Sacraments by vertue of the Magistrates place 2. If any Reply that the Christian Magistrate is a means ordained for that spirituall end the gathering and edifying the Church in regard the keepeth not only the second Table of the Law and so promoteth not only the Temporall good of the State in promoting mercy and Justice only but also in procuring spirituall good to the people in preserving the first Table of the Law I Answer That the Christian Magistrate doth both but 1. Not directly by being the intrinsecall means in actibus elicitis in elicite and intrinsecall acts promoting edification in both Tables of the Law of which the Scripture speaketh Eph. 4 11. but a far other way 1. In imperated and commanded acts extrinsecally as he doth command with the sword for Peaces cause in all callingâ— in sailing trading painting c. promoting it by carnall means by the sword which belongeth not to the officers of Christs Kingdom 2. Not necessarily as the Pastors and Elders without which Christ hath no externall visible Kingdom on earth whereas he hath had often hath a compleat flourishing externall visible Kingdom without Magistrates yea where Magistrates have been open enemies to the Gospel 3. Not directly the Magistrate doth this but in so far as he admitteth as Triglandius saith the Church of Christ within his State which he may and often doth refuse to do and yet be a compleat Magistrate and therefore the Magistrate may two wayes procure the spirituall good of the Church 1. By procuring that the Nurses give good and wholesome milk to the Church 2. Permodum removent is prohibens which is also a cause for he may save the flock from great temptations when by his sword he driveth away the Wolves from the flock But not any of these bringeth the Magistrate within the lisâ— of the number of these intrinsecall 2. Necessary 3. Spirituall gifts which Christ ascending on high gave for the Edifying of his Body the Church Two powers so different as spirituall and temporall 2. As powers carnall of this world and spirituall not of this world And 3. Both immediatly subject the one to God the creator the other to Christ the Redeemer and Head of the Church and so co-ordinate and supream both of them in their own kinde cannot be so subordinate as the temporall should be the supream in the same kinde the spirituall the inferiour and subordinate But these two powers are so different as spirituall and temporall carnall of this world spirituall not of this world the one subject as supream immediatly to God creator the other supream immediately subject to God the redeemer Ergo Those powers of Governing are not so subordinate as the Temporall should be supream the spirituall subordinate to it The Major is undeniable for it involveth a contradiction that two supreame co-ordinate powers should be two not Supreame but subornidate powers The same way I prove the Assumption 1. The Magistrates power is supreame from God Rom. 13. 1. The Powers that are be of God Prov. 8. By me Kings reigne for no Ecclesiasticall power nor any power on earth interveenes between God the Creator and the power of the civill Magistrates But God who giveth being to a society of men hoc ipso because they are a society of reasonable men hath given to them a power immediately from himselfe to designe such and such to be their Rulers Shew us any higher power above the Magistrates but God the creator making the civill power Never man dreamt that the Spirituall power of the Church doth interveen as an instrumentall cause of the politick power 2. By order of nature a politick power is first men are first men in naturall and politick society ere they be in a supernaturall pollicy or a Church and Christ did not make a spirituall power by the intervention of a civill power 2. The power of the two Kingdoms are distinguished by Christ Iohn 18. 36. Iesus answered my Kingdome is not of this World then the power thereof is not of this World if my Kingdome were of this World then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iewes The one power is coactive by the Sword the other free voluntary by the Word Erastus had no reason to infer thence that Christs Kingdome is onely internall and invisible not externall and visible because Christ opposeth his Kingdom to a fighting Kingdom using the sword to defend him from
But the King is head of the Church Ergo he maketh lawes to regulate the Family Ans The Antecedent is false if not blasphemous it is proper to Iesus Christ only Col. 1. 18. Eph. 1. 22. The King is the head of men who are the Church materialiter he is not formally as King Head of the Church as the Church and therefore we see not how this Statute agreeth with the Word of God Henric. 8. Stat. 37. c. 17. The Archbishops Bishops Arch-deacons and other Ecclesiasticall persons have no manner of Iurisdiction Ecclesiasticall but by under and from the Kings Royall Majesty the onely and undoubted supream head of the Church of England and Ireland to whom by holy Scripture is given all authority and power to hear and determine all manner of causes Ecclesiasticall and to correct all vice and sin whatsoever for neither is the subject the Archbishops Bishops c. lawfull nor is the limitation of the subject lawful for Ecclesiasticall officers are the Ambassadors of Christ not of the King Obj. All Christians are to try the Spirits Ergo Much more Magistrates Ans This proveth that Christians as Christians and Magistrates as Christians may judge determine of all things that concerneth their practise and that they are not with blinde obedience to receive things Mr. Pryn cannot say that 1 Iohn 4. 1. is meant of a Royall Parliamentary or Magistraticall tryall Iohn speaketh to Christians as such But this is nothing to prove the power of the Magistrate as the Magistrate for thought the man were neither King nor Magistrate he ought to try the Spirits 1 Iohn 4. 1. The speciall objection moved for Appeals is that which Paul did in a matter of Religion that we may do in the like case but Paul Acts 25. did appeal from a Church Iudge to a civill and a heathen Iudge in a matter of Religion when he said before Festus Acts 25. I appeal to Cesar Ergo so may the Ministers of Christ far more appeal to the Christian Magistrate and that Paul did this jure by Law not by Priviledge but by the impulsion of the Holy Ghost is clear in that he saith He ought to be judged by Cesar so Maccovius so Videlius so Vtenbogardus so Erastus Ans 1. This Argument if it have nerves shall make the great Turk when he subdueth people and Churches of the Protestant Religion to be the head of the Church and as Erastus saith by his place and office as he is a Magistrate he may preach and dispense the Sacraments and a Heathen Nero may make Church constitutions and say It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to me and by this Nero by office is to excommunicate make or unmake Pastors and Teachers judge what is Orthodoxe Doctrine what not debarre hereticks Apostates and mockers from the Table and admit the worthie and Paul the Apostle must have been the Ambassador and Deputie of Nero in preaching the Gospel and governing the Church and Nero is the mixt person and invested by Iesus Christ with spirituall jurisdiction and the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven This Argument to the Adversaries cannot quit its cost â—or by this way Paul appealed from the Church in a controversie of Religion to a Nero a Heathen unbaptized Head of the Church and referred his faith over to the will judgement and determination of a professed Enemy of the Christian Church and Paul must both jure by the Law of God and the impulsion of the Holy Ghost appeale from the Church to a Heathen without the Church in a matter of Religion and Conscience then Nebuchadnezzar was head of the Church of Iudah and supreame judge and governour in all causes and controversies of Religion how can we beleeve the adversarie who doe not beleeve themselves and shall we make Domitian Dioclesian Trajan and such heads of the Church of Christ 2. It is not said that Paul appealed from the Church or any Ecclesiasticall judicature to the civill judge for Paul appealed from Festus who was neither Church nor Church officer and so Paul appealeth from an inferiour civill judge to a superiour or civill judge as is clear Acts 28. 6. And when Festus had tarried amongst them more then ten dayes he went downe to Cesarea and the next day sitting in the judgement seat commanded Paul to be brought vers 10. And Paul said I stand at Cesars judgement seat where I ought to be judged he refused v. 9 10. to be judged by Festus at Ierusalem but saith v. 11. I appeal to Cesar Now he had reason to appeal from Festus to Cesar for the Iews laid many grievous complaints against Paul which they could not prove vers 7. And it is said vers 8. That Festus was willing to doe the Iewes a pleasure and so was manifestly a partiall Iudge and though the Sanedrim at Ierusalem could have judged in point of Law that Paul was a blasphemer and so by their Law he ought to die for so Caiphas and the Priests and Pharisees dealt with Iesus Christ yet his appeal from the Sanedrim 1. corrupted and having manifestly declared their bloodie intentions against Paul 2. From a Sanedrim in its constitution false and degenered far from what it ought to be by Gods institution Deut. 17. 8 9 10. it now usurping civill businesse which belonged not to them Paul might also lawfully appeal from a bloodie and degenerating Church judicature acting according to the bloodie lusts of men against an innocent man to a more unpartiall judge and yet be no contemner of the Church this is nothing against our Thesis which is that it is not lawfull to appeal in a constituted Church from a lawfull unmixt Church Judicature to the civill Magistrate in a matter of life and death 3. Paul appealed from the Sanedrim armed with the unjust and tyrannicall power of Festus a man willing to please the bloodie accusers of Paul as is clear v. 9. And Festus willing to doe the Iewes a pleasure answered Paul and said Wilt thou go up to Ierusalem and there be judged of these things before me 3. The cause was not properly a Church businesse but a crime of bodily death and sedition I deny not but in Pauls accusation prophaning of the Temple teaching against the Law of Moses was objected to him Materialiter the enemies made the cause of Paul a Church businesse but formally it was sedition 1. It was a businesse for which the Sanedrim sought Pauls life and blood for which they had neither authority nor Law by divine Institution therefore they sought the helpe of Felix Festus and the Roman Deputies so Lysias vvrote to Felix Act. 23. 29. I perceived Paul to be accused of questions of their law but to have nothing layd to his charge worthy of death or of bonds Now it is clear the Roman Deputies thought not any accusation for the Iewish Religion a matter of death and bonds and therefore Gallio the Deputie of Achaia Acts 18. 14. saith
his enemies his footstool and subdue all things to himselfe Ergo his Kingdome is as large as all things Ans The Lord Iesus Christs power Kingly and his power mediatory which includeth a power as God for he is Mediator and a mediatory King according to both natures doth no way make him King of Devils of Hell of sin of the reprobate and damned no more then Davids power over Ammonites and Moabites makes him King and feeder of the Ammonites and Moabites Never Divine said that Christ was King of Devils and King of Hell though he subdue Devils and Hell and make them his footstool Col. 2. 15. But as hability and gifts was not sufficient to make Christ a Priest but he behooved to have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 authority and a lawfull calling Heb. 5. 4 5. so he behooved to be called set and established on the Holy-hill of Zion as a King of the Fathers making Psal 2. 5 6. Psal 89. 26 27 28 29. Luk. 1. 32 33. ver 68 69. 54 55. And therefore though as King and an eternall King he subdue all things even his enemies yet it followeth not he is King and Mediator and Head of his enemies Arg. 8. All those whom Christ maketh officers Legats and Ambassadors of his mediatory Kingdom they have either the word of the Kingdom committed to them as Pastors and Doctors and of old Apostles Evangelists Prophets that they may make work on the consciences of men to make them Kings and Priests unto God or they are by the word of admonition and rebuke to deal for the same end as governours and Elders 1 Cor. 12. 28. 1 Tim. 5. 17. for the officers of the Kingdome and sword or scepter of the Kingdome the Word of God Psal 45. 4. Rev. 19. 15. Heb. 4. 11. Rev. 1. 16. which are the means are congruously proportioned to the end the gathering of the Saints the perfecting of his body Eph. 2. 11 12. But never did Christ appoint the Magistrate with his sword and his temporary rewards and praise of well doing to have any action on the conscience of men or to co-operate for so high an end directly and kindly for sure the sword cannot reach that end except indirectly and by accident in some imperated acts He may procure that there be such means as word and seals and Church-officers and so be an intrinsecall mean to set up those which are the spirituall and truly intrinsecall means and this is all Object 1. Was not this the first step of papal tyranny that the Church-men would be exempted from the power of the Magistrate and sâ—t themselves up as supream collaterall Independent powers in all Ecclesiasticall affairs as the Magistrate was supream in all politick businesse Ans It is a calumnious consequence Pastors and Teachers will not be judged by the Magistrate in things meerly Ecclesisticall â—o stand to his Ecclesiasticall decision as if his lips ex officio should preserve knowledge Ergo Pastors and Doctors do exempt themselves from the Lawfull power of the Magistrate in his civill judging by the sword it is as if they would say Church-men refuse to submit to an usurped and unlawfull power of the Magistrate Ergo they refuse to submit to their lawfull power 2. They bring not one word to prove that this was the first step of papal tyranny now a supremacy and independency in doctrinals and civill things the adversaries deny not If King Ahab finde the Priests of Iehovah turn Priests of Baal and the Prophets prophesie lies we and the adversaries agree that King Ahab hath a supream independent power to judge and punish them with the sword and if King Ahab will take on him to burne incense to the Lord the Priests and Prophets of the Lord have an immediate supream independent power to rebuke King Ahab for usurping that which is independently and incommunicably proper to the Priests onely and they may refuse to bee judged by King Ahab when he would judge them for giving out this sentence It belongeth not to King Ahab or King Vzziah to burne incense to the Lord but to the Priests the sons of Aaron 2 Chron. 26. Will they say this supremacy of the Priests is a step to papall Tyranny 3. This is rather papall Tyranny it selfe that the Magistrate as head of the Church and as an Ecclesiasticall person may as a Magistrate governe in all externalls the Church as he pleaseth with a royall supream independent power and because the Magistrate may send others to rule for him 2 Chron. 19. 8 9. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Ergo he may commit this royall power to a creature called a Prelate as to his Deputie in his name to judge as Phocas gave first a supremacy to Boniface the third which no Bishop of Rome had before and judge if this be not the first step to Papall Tyranny They possibly may say The Magistrate can commit no Magistraticall power to any Churchman for Christ for bad them to take on them the civill domination of the Lords of Gentiles Luke 22. 26 27. Ans But this is an Ecclesiastick not a civill administration and if it be a lawfull Ecclesiasticall supremacy why may not the Magistrate who hath power to send Deputies to act in his name depute a lawfull Ecclesiasticall power to Ecclesiasticall persons Pastors and Doctors who in the mind of the adversaries are all but the Deputies of the Magistrate in all that they doe Obj. 2. But is it not Popery that the Magistrate shall be obliged as a Lictor to execute the decrees of the Church Ans I know not if the Lictor with blind obedience be to behead Iohn Baptist or if Doeg should kill the Lords Priests because King Saul commandeth him 2. This Argument concludeth that neither Magistrate nor people should beleeve Articles of faith because the Church and Pastors saith so but because Iehovah saith so nor is the Ruler to beleeve or execute what the Church decrees because they decree it but because he beleeveth it is the will of Christ what they give out in Name of Christ 3. Is it not Popery that the Pastors and Teachers should execute the lawes of the Magistrate both in dispensing Word Sacraments and Discipline for they may not as Pastors and Doctors judge whether the Ecclesiasticall decrees of the Magistrate be the will and minde of Jesus Christ or no. The Magistrate in doctrine and discipline is the onely supream judge here as in all causes civill as he exerciseth a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a dominion in the on Luke 22. 27. so also in the other except the Adversaries shew us a difference Yea as Mr. Pryn with the Erastians say Because there is no certain form of the government of the Church in Scripture he hath an Arbitrary power as Magistrate to appoint any government in the Church not contrary to the Word any Officers Prelates and Cardinals any ceremonies as pleaseth him and may impose them on the consciences of Pastors
Moses the Prince is Commanded to make all according to the Patern in the Mount 2. God speaketh to all Israel and not to the Princes only Deut. 4. 1. Hearken O Israel he speaketh to these who are bidden to keep their soul diligently v. 6. 3. It is Bellarmines groundlesse charity to think private heads who were not Princes and Law-givers did not take on an hâ—iry Mantle to deceive Zach. 13. 4. And say Thus saith the Lord when God had not spoken to them Ier. 23. 16. 32. Yea and Private women added their own dreams to the word of God Ezech. 13. 17 18. 3. They say Traditions are from Gods Spirit But hath Gods Spirit lost all Majesty Divinity and power in speaking If the Popes Decretals the Councels the dirty Traditions wanting life Language and power be from Gods Spirit Formalists admit Traditions from an humane spirit and in this are shamed even by Papists who say God only â—an adde to his own Word whereas they say men and the worst of men Prelates may adde to Gods vvord 4. But that additions perfecting are forbidden is clear 1. Additions perfecting as Didoclavius saith argueth the word of imperfection and that Baptisme is not perfect without Crossing 2. It is Gods Prerogative to adde Canonick Scripture to the five books of Moses and the Nevv-Testament and the doctrine of the Sacraments which cannot be Syllogistically deduced out of the Old Testament Matth. 28. 19 20. Ioh. 21. 31. Heb. 3. 2. Rev. 1. 19. and these are perfecting and explaining additions therefore men may by as good reason adde Canonick Scripture to the Revelation as adde new Positive Doctrines like this The holy Surplice is a sacred signe of Pastorall Holinesse Crossing is a signe of dedicating the childe to Christs service for Papists â—ay even Vasquez That the Pope neither in a generall Councell nor out of it can ordain any nevv points of Faith vvhich are not contained in the principles or Articles revealed and may not be evidently concluded out of them Formalists answer It is not lavvfull to adde any thing as a part of divine worship but it is Lawfull to addâ— something as an indifferent Rite coming from Authority grounded upon common equity And this is the ansvver of the Jesuite Vasquez The Pope and Church cannot make an Article of Faith for that is believed by divine Faith to come from God only but as Law-givers they may give Laws that bindeth the conscience and yet are not altogether essentiall in worship If additions as divine parts of Gods worship say we be forbidden God then forbidding to adde such Traditions forbiddeth his own spirit to adde to Gods word for no man but God can adde additions Divine that is coming from God but God himself by good consequence the forbidding men to add additions as really coming from God should forbid men to be Gods for divine additions are essentially additions coming from God but if he forbid additions only of mens divising but obtruded to have the like efficacy and power over the conscience that Canonick Scripture hath then were it lawfull to adde killing of our children to Molech so it were counted not really to come from God with opinion of divine necessity and by this God should not forbid things to be added to his Word by either private or publick men but only he should forbid things to be added with such a quality as that they should by Divine Faith be received as coming from God and having the heavenly stamp of Canonick Scripture when as they are come only from the Pope and his bastard Bishops so all the fables of the Evangell of Nicodemus The materials of the Iewish and Turkish Religion might be received as lawfull additions so they do not contradict the Scripture as contrary to what is written but only beside what is written and with all so they be received as from the Church Also 3. Additions contrary to the word are diminutions to adde to the eight Command this addition The Church saith it is lawfull to steal were no addition to the ten Commandments but should destroy the eight Commandment and make nine Commandments only and the meaning of Gods precept Deut. 12. Thou shalt neither adde nor diminish should be Thou shalt neither diminish neither shalt thou diminish And so our Masters make Moses to forbid no additions at all 6. Commentaries and Expositions of the Word if sound shall be the word of God it self the true sense of a speech is the form and essence of a speech and so no additions thereunto but explanations except you make all sound Sermons Arbitrary Ceremonies and Traditions whereas Articles of Faith expounded are Sermons and so the Scripture it self materially taken is but a Tradition QUEST II. Whether Scripture be such a perfect rule of all our Morall Actions aâ— that the distinction of essentiall and necessary and of accidentall and Arbitrary worship cannot stand And if it forbid all worship not only contrary but also beside the word of God as false though it be not reputed as divine and necessary FOrmalists do acknowledge as Morton Burges Hooker and others teach us that Ceremonies which are meer Ceremonies indifferent in nature and opinion are not forbidden yea that in the generall they are commanded upon common equity and in particular according to their specification Surplice Crossing Knâ—eling before consecrated Images and representations of Christ are not forbidden and negatively Lawfull having Gods allowing if not his commanding will but only God forbiddeth such Ceremonies wherein men place opinion of divine necessity holinesse and efficacy in which case they become Doctrinall and essentiall and so mens inventions are not Arbitrary and accidentall worship But let these considerations be weighed 1. Distinct The Word of Go being given to man as a Morall Agent is a rule of all his Morall Actions but not of actions of Art Sciences Disciplines yea on of meer nature 2. Distinct Beside the Word in actions Morall and in Gods worship is all one with that which is contrary to the Word and what is not commanded is forbidden as not seeing in a creature capable of all the five senses is down right blindenesse 3. Lawfulnesse is essentiall to worship instituted of God but it is not essentiall to worship iâ— generall neither is opinion of sanctity efficacy or Divine necessity essentiall to worship but only to Divine worship and its opinion not actuall nor formall but fundamentall and materiall 4. Seeing the Apostles were no lesse immediatly inspired of God then the Prophets it is a vain thing to seek a knot in a rush and put a difference betwixt Apostolick Commandments or Traditions and divine Commandments as it is a vain and Scripturelesse curiosity to difference betwixt the Propheticall truths of Moses Samuel Isaiah Ieremiah Ezekiel c. And Divine Prophecies which is as if you would difference betwixt the fair writing of Titus the writer and the writing made by the pen of Titus
will was not determinatrix in this 5. The man jumbleth together godly discretion and will they be much different but for godlinesse in short sleeves and Crossing a finger in the Aire I understand it not nor can reason dream of any warrant for it but will as will that is mans lust made it Neither do Formalists go from Suarez and Bellarmine who call that will-worship which is devised only by a manâ— wit and is not conforme to the principles of Faith and wanteth all reason and the received use of the Church But we are disputing here against the Churches use as if it were not yet a received use But upon these grounds I go 1. Reason not binding and strongly concluding is no reason but meer will So Ceremonies have no reason If the reason binde they are essentiall worship 2. Authority is only ministeriall in ordering Gods worship and hath no place to invent new worship 3. Authority as Authority especially humane giveth no light nor no warrant of conscience to obey and therefore authority naked and void of scriptures-light is here bastard authority 11. In all this Formalists but give the Papists distinction of Divine and Apostolick Traditions for power of inventing Ceremonies to them is Apostolick but not infallible and Divine Suarez giveth the difference God saith he Is the Immediate Author of Divine Traditions and the Apostles only publishers But the Apostles are immediate Authors of Apostolick Traditions God in speciall manner guiding their will So Cajetan Sotus Bellar. So our Formalists Duname Hooker Sutluvius But I like better what Cyprian saith That no Tradition but what is in the word of God is to be received But this distinction is blasphemous and contrary to Scripture 1 Cor 14 57. The things that I write unto you even of decency and order as v. 29. 40. Are the Commandment of the Lord 2. Pet. 3. 2. Peter willeth them to be mindefull of the vvords which were spoken before by the holy Prophets and of the Commandments of us the Apostles of the Lord and Sâ—vioâ—â— Then the Apostles Commandments are equall with the Commandments of the Prophets But in the Old Testament there were not some Traditions Divine and some not every way Divine but Propheticall for the Prophets were the mouth of God as is clear 2 Pet. â— 19 20 21. Luk. 1. 70. Rom. 1. 2. So 1 Tim. 6. 13. I give thee charge in the sight of God 14. That thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukable untill the appearing of the Lord Iesus Now the Commandment as Beza noteth Are all that he writ of discipline which Formalists say are for the most Apostolicke but not Divine Traditions 2. If Ceremonies seem good to the holy Ghost as they say they do from Act. 15. then they must seeme good to the Father and the Son as the Canon is Act. 15. But that Canon was proved from expresse Scripture as Peter proveth v. 7 8 9. and James v. 13 14 15 16. If they come from the Spirit inspiring the Apostles they cannot erre in such Traditions If from the spirit guided by the holy Ghost they come from Scripture 3. If these traditions come from no spirit led by light of Scripture we shall not know whether they be Lawfull or not for the Scripture is a Canonick rule of lawfull and unlawfull 4. If any Apostolick spirit be given to Authors of Ceremonies why not also in preaching and praying How then do many of them turn Arminians Papists Socinians 5. The Apostolick spirit leading institutors of Ceremonies doth either infuse light naturall supernaturall or Scripturall in devising Ceremonies and so Eatenus in so far they were essential worship or the Apostolick spirit doth lead them with no light at all which is brutish Enthusiasme or 3. Gods Apostolick spirit infuseth the generall equity and negative Lawfulnesse of these truths Surplice is an Apostolicall signe of Pastorall holinesse and Crossing a signe of Dedication of a childe to Christs service Now light for this we would exceedingly have If this light be immediatly infused then Surplice Crossing are as Divine as if God spake them for truths immediatly inspired lost no divinity because they come through sinfull men for Balaam his Prophesie of the star of Jacob was as Divine in regard of Authority as if God had spoken it but if these trash come from an inferiour spirit we desire to know what spirit speaketh without the word But some may object The preaching of the word is somewhat humane because it s not from the infallible spirit that dited the word Ergo Ceremonies may come from the holy Spirit though they be not as lawfull as Scripture Ans Let them be proved to be from the warrant that the word is preached and we yeeld to all 5. Apostolick Ceremonies but not Divine have Gods generall allowing will for the accepting of them Now Sampsons mother Judg. 13. 23. proveth well The Lord hath accepted our offering Ergo it is Lawfull and he will not kill us So God atcepted Abel and Noah their Sacrifices Ergo they were Lawfull and Divine worship So Hosea 8. 8. They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of my offerings and they eat it but the Lord accepteth them not Ergo offerings of flesh without offering of themselves as living sacrifices to God are now unlawfull If God accept of Ceremonies they must be Divine service if he accept them not they must be unlawfull They Answer He accepteth them as Arbitrary worship not as essentiall I Answer God might have accepted so Sampsons sacrifice and Noahs as arbitrary worship and yet not be gracious to them nor reward their sacrificing as good service contrary to the Texts alledged but I doubt much if the Lord be gracious to men and accept in Christ corner Caps Surplice Crossing humane holy dayes They object Our Circumstances of time place persons c. are no more warranted by the Scripture then Ceremonies are And God might in his wisdom â—aith Burges have calculated the order of times and places such climats and seasons but he hath left these as he hath left our Ceremonies to the Churches liberty Ans Time and place as I observed already being circumstances Physicall not Morall nor having any Religious influence to make the worship new and different in nature from that which is commanded in the Law though they be not expresly in the Word do not hinder but you may say Such an act of worship is according as it is written for as Praying Preaching hearing is according as it is written so is Praying and Preaching in this convenient place proved by that same Scripture As it is written but one and the same Scripture doth not warrant Order and Surplice 2. The question is not what Gods wisdom can do for he could setdown all the names of Preaching Pastors Doctors Deacons Elders in the Word but his wisdom thus should have made ten Bibles more then there be But
because what it teacheth is a lie for what it teacheth is Scripture Isa 52. 11. That these who beareth the Vessels of the Lord that is Pastors should be holy but it is a Doctrine of lies because it representeth Pastorall holinesse by humane institution without all warrant of the Word of God And when Paul calleth holidayes Elements Gal. 4. 6. He meaneth that they spell to us and teach us some truth as Estius saith That holidayes do teach us Articles of Faith To which meaning Paludanus Cajetan Vasquez say God may well be painted in such expressions as Scripture putteth on God as in the likenesse of a Dove as a man with hands eyes ears feet all which are given to God in Scripture 4. It is essentiall to the Word to set down the means of Gods worship which is the very scope of the second Commandment and therefore the Iews washings and Traditions are condemned because they be Doctrines of men appointed by men to be means of the fear or worship of God as Math. 15. 9. Mar. 7. 8. Isa 29. 13. Hence we owe subjection of Conscience to Ceremonies as to lawfull means of Worship 1. Stirring up our dull senses And 2. as lawfull signes representing in a Sacramentall signification holy things 3. As teaching signes 4. As means of Gods fear and worship Whereas God as Ainsworth observeth well in the second Commandment forbiddeth all images and representations 2. All shapes Exod. 20. 4. Temniah 3. Forms of figures Tabuith Deut. 4. 16. 5. Any type of shadow Tselem Ezek. 7. 20. 16 17. 6. Any pictured shape Maskith Levit. 26. 1. Any Statue Monument Pillar Mattesebah any Graven or Molten Portraict Hos 13. 2. 5. We are obliged to obey the Word Exod. 20. 7. Prov. 3. 20 21. Prov. 8. 13. Ier. 6. 16. Ier. 5. 7. 2. We owe to the Word belief Luk. 1. 20. Love Psal 119. 49. 81. Hope 3. And are to expect a reward therefore Psal 19. 11. Rev. 2. 7. 10. 27 28. Gal. 4. 11. Rom. 6. 23. Coloss 2. 18. Hebrew 11. 25. Psal 34. 9. Psalme 58. 11. Then if Decency be commanded and order in the third Commandment Ergo this and that orderly mean of Worship as Surplice But can we say I hope in the Surplice O how love I crossing and Capping can we believe in Ceremonies as means of Gods worship 6. The word is Gods mean to work supernaturall effects to convert the soul Psal 19. 7. To work Faith John 20. 3. To edifie Act. 20. 32. To save Rom. 1. 16. The obedience to Gods word bringeth Peace Psal 119. 165. Comfort v. 50. Gen. 49. 18. Isa 38. 3. But Ceremonies being apt to stir up the dull minde must be apt to remove Naturall dulnesse which is a supernaturall effect and so to bring Peace joy comfort Organs are now holden by the same right that they were in Moses-Law then they must stir up supernaturall joy There must be peace and comfort in practising them Hear how this soundeth This is my comfort O Lord in my affliction that thy Surplice Organs and holy-dayes have quickened my dull heart Now what comfort except comfort in the Scriptures Rom. 15. 4. Ceremonies be innocent of all Scriptures What joy a proper fruit of the Kingdom of heaven Rom. 14. 17. can be in saplesse Ceremonies yea observe 1. Who truly converred from Popery who inwardly humbled in soul doth not abhor Ceremonies by the instinct of the new birth 2. What slave of hell and prophane person call not for Ceremonies 3. Who hath peace in dying that Ceremonies were their joy 7. All Lawfull Ordinances may by prayer be recommended to God for a blessed successe as all the means of salvation Psal 119. 18. Matth. 26. 26. Act. 4. 29 30. 2. We may thank God for a blessed successe which they have by the working of the spirit of Grace 2 Cor. 2. 24. 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. 2 Thes 1. 2 3. Ephes 1. 3. 3. We are to have heat of zeal against prophaning of word Sacraments Prayer or other Ordinances of God But what faith in praying Lord work with Crossing Capping Surplice For where the word is not nor any promise there be no Faith Rom. 10. 14. What praising can there be for Ceremonies working upon the soul What zeal except void of knowledge and light of the word and so but wilde-fire Gal. 4. 17 18. Phil. 3. 6. 2 Sam. 21. 2. can there be though the Surplice be imployed to cleanse Cups and Crossing be scorned If the subject be nothing the accidents be lesse if Surplice be not commanded nor forbidden the reverent or irreverent usage thereof cannot be forbidden nor commanded true zeal is incensed only at sin and kindled toward Gods warranted service 8. I take it to be Gods appointment that the Spirit worketh by a supernaturall operation with his own Ordinances in the regenerated but we desire to know how the Spirit worketh with Ceremonies Formalists are forced by these grounds to maintain the Lawfulnesse of Images So 1. They be not adored 2. If they be reputed as indifferent memorative Objects and books to help the memory But 1. It shall be proved that at first Papists did give no adoration to Images nor doth Durandus Hulcot Pic. Mirandula acknowledge any adoration due to them but proper to God before the Images as objects 2. We may liken God and Christ to a stock so we count it indifferent to make or not to make such an image yet likening him to any thing is forbidden Isa 40. 18. Also we esteem it Idolatry interpretative to take Gods place in his word and to make any thing to be a mean of grace except Gods own Ordinances Against all these Formalists have diverse exceptions As 1. Our Ceremonies say they do not respect the honour of God immediatly and in themselves but by accident and as parts of Divine worship by reduction as it containeth all the adjuncts of worship Ans Such Logick was never heard of 1. If he mean a Surplice in the materials to wit Linnen and Crossing Physically considered as separated from their signification do not tend immediatly to the honour of God but as an adjunct he speaketh non-sense for so Bread Wine eating drinking Water in Baptisme do not immediatly respect the honour of God but only as they have a Morall consideration and stand under Divine institution But yet so the materiall of worship is not the adjunct thereof but the matter as the body of a living man is not one adjunct of a man If he mean that Ceremonies in a Morall not in a Physicall consideration do not immediatly respect the honour of God but reductively and by accident Let him show us if the Surplice doth not as immediatly and without the intervening mediation of any other thing signifie and stir up our mindes to the remembrance of Pastorall holinesse as eating all of one bread doth immediatly stir up our mindes to the remembrance of our Communion of love that
Barnabas Angels and Cornelius forbade men to worship them 9. It is a shame to adore a beast endowed with sense and life farre more to adore a dumbe and livelesse creature August ps 113. Chrysostome is against Images 1. Because the Law of God forbiddeth them 2. God must be honoured as he willeth himselfe 3. It is a depressing of soules to worship Images It commeth from Satan to take Gods glory from him it is mockerie that man should be the creator of God the Creator of all things Cyrillus Alexandrin who lived An. 415. saith We neither beleeve the martyrs to be gods nor doe we adore them Damascen a superstitious man much for Images acknowledgeth two things 1. That Images are but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unwritten traditions 2. He ackowledgeth that the brazen Serpent the Cherubims were made for signification not for imitation or adoration i Gregorius Magnus though he be alledged by Papists for adoration of Images Yet in his Epistle to Serenus Bishop of Massilia An. 600. he forbiddeth the adoration of Images and alloweth onely the Historicall use of them as is observed by Fran. White by Hospinian and Catol testum veritatis and this man being the first who brought Images into the Church hath this Caveat atque indica saith he to Sirenus quod non tibi ipsa visio historiae quae pictura teste pandebatur displicueri◠sed illa adoratio quae picturis fuerit in competenter exhibita si quis imagines facere voluerit minimè prohibe adorare vero imagines omnibus modis divita sed hoc solicitè admoneas ut ex visione rei gestae ardorem conjunctionis percipiant in adoratione solius Trinitatis prosternantur It is cleare that this man teacheth an adoration of Images though he make them onely bookes to the rude This same Gregorius will have the signe of the crosse adored because when the Devill came to a Iew sleeping in the night in the Temple of an Idoll the Iew being afraid signed himselfe with the Crosse and the Divell fled but when doth Iewes come in any Christian Churches or Idoll-Temples who abhorre the name of Christ and so hate both the Crosse and Christ and what can be proved from a fact of Sathan In the eighth age Beda Imaginum cultus adoratio the worshipping and adoring of Images is unlawfull 1. Because they have no office in the doctrine of the Gospell 2. We are forbidden to adore salute or worship them 3. The d Church is not taught to seeke the Lord by Images but by faith and good workes 4. The Apostolique Church did not worship God in Images 5. Images want documento antiquitatis antiquity example and the Scripture 6. We frustrate God of worship due to him 7. Peter Paul Angels forbad to worship them but God only We forbid the Church saith the civill Law to be obscured with Images Have the Image of God saith Ephrem in thy heart non colorum varietate in ligno not in Images and colours Who can make saith Damascen a representation of the invisible God Gretserus saith the Iewes would not admit of Ensignes and Trophies of the Romans for fear Images should be hidden under them So said Josephus before him Their own men say with us Hulcot who lived an 1346. saith Latreia divine worship belongeth to God onely the Image is not God neither the Crosse saith Ioan. Pic. Mirandula Concl. 3. nor the Image of Christ is to be adored adoratione Latreia eo modo quo ponit Thomas with divine worship the guise of Thomas Aquinas Peresius Ajala a Popish Bishop for adoration of Images saith he there is neither Scripture nor Church tradition nor consent of Fathers nor good reason to make it good For saith Gabriel Biel The image either considered in it self as it is mettall or stone or as it is a holy signe is a sensible Creature to which Latreia Divine honour should not be given and the Romish Decrees saith We commend you that you forbid images of Saints to be Worshipped The Doway Doctors say Idols have eyes and cannot see c. Now if they have Images of God and Christ which can see and hear and speak we exceedingly desire to know Alexander Allensis Durandus say That images in themselves and properly are not to be Worshipped Geo Cassander wisheth That they had continued in majorum suorum sententia in the minde of their forefathers and that the Superstition of people in Worshipping images had been suppressed The Councell convened by Constantius Capronimus condemneth Worshipping of Images or placing them in Churches 1. Because it is forbidden in the second Commandment 2. The Picturing of Christ is a dividing of the two Natures 3. It is against the Ancients Epiphanius Nazianzen Chrysostome Athanasius Amphylocius Theodorus Eusebius Pamphili The Councell of Nice is builded upon lies Adrian Bishiop of Rome writeth to the Councell of Nice That the Emperour Constantine being a Leaper and labouring to cure his Leprosie by shedding of innocent Babes blood Peter and Paul appeared to him by night in a Vision and bade him go to be Baptized by Sylvester and that he to be cured by Sylvesters Baptizing builded a Temple with the Images of Peter and Paul This is as true as the Image of Christ spake to Tho Aquinas at Naples Bene Scripsistti de me Thoma Why is not all Evangell that Aquinas hath written then For their own Platina saith The story of Constantines Leprosie is a fable and Socrates saith That Constantine was sick when he was 65. years and he maketh no mention of his leprosie so Hospinianus saith and our own Simson saith That Sylvester and Marcus his successor were both dead before Constantine was Baptized Genebradus a Papist saith down right that the Councell of Frankford condemned the second Nicene Councell But Bellarmine Suarez Sanderus ' Alanus deny that the Doctrine of the second Nicene Councell for Adoring images is Condemned by the Councell of Frankford they say it is onely expounded and that the right way of Adoring images is made manifest Yea saith Nauclerus Sabellicus and Blandus The Councell of Frankford reserveth due honour to images and saith nothing against the Councell of Nice But this is to deny daylight at Noon-day For Annonius is most clear in it and Abbot Vspergens the Book of Charles the Great saith the same The Synod of Frankford was convened An. 794. of purpose to condemne the second Synod of Nice called the seventh pretended and false Synod Aventinus saith expresly Scita Grecorum in Synodo Nicena decreta de imaginibus adorandis in concili◠francofurtensi rescissa abolita sunt and Vspergensis saith in this Synod it was decreed Vt septima universalis Synodus nec septima nec
Suppers were not mingled yet the holy Ghost expresseth the co-existence of sitting and taking the Sacramentall bread as Ezech. 8. 1. As I sate in mine house the hand of Iehovah fell upon me 2 Sam. 18 14. Ioab thrust three darts in him while he vvas yet alive 1 Sam. 25. 16. The men vvere a vvall to us all the time that vve vvere vvith them Dan. 4. 3. and Matth. 26. 47. And vvhile he yet spake Lo Iudas came Act. 10. 19. While Peter thought on the vision the spirit said to him Act. 22. 6. Rom. 5. 10. If praying interveened betwixt eating and taking the Supper and the Passeover sitting to put them to kneeling this must be true vvhile they vvere not eating Christ took bread a plain contradicting of Christ. 3. After Supper he took the cup but they say not after Supper he took the bread for praying blessing breaking distributing eating interveened betwixt the Passeover and taking the Communion Cup and therefore he had reason to say After Supper he took the Cup but not that reason to say after Supper he took the Bread It is violent to describe Christs taking the Bread from the adjunct of time while as they sate and did eate if sitting and eating were not at this time but were gone and past by many interveening actions of kneeling praying preaching this were to describe supper from dinner 3. By this the gesture of no Table action can be cleared from Scripture for when it is said Luke 9. Iohn 6. He made the multitude sit downe and â—aâ—â— a cavillator might say praying and blessing the meat went before and possibly they sate on their knees and Christ sate downe and taught the people it may bee he rose and kneeled before Sermon was ended The Scripture saith While Christ and his disciples did â—â—â— and so while they did sit he tooke bread This taking of bread whether it be an Hysterosis as many think in respect the Evangelists mention but once taking of bread or if it was preparatorie and before the act of blessing it was a sacramentall act performed by Christ while they were sitting which is much for sitting That Christ passed not from passeover sitting to Supper kneeling I thinke these considerations move me 1. Because the changes of all in the Passeover to that in the Lords Supper as of flesh in bread and wine is positively set down 2. No question the change unto an adoring gesture had been upon the grounds of conciliating more reverence to that Sacrament then to the Passeover which must be morall and tye to the end of the world 3. Nor would the Holy Ghost have removed an ordinary table gesture into so insolent and supernaturally significant gesture as kneeling without a grave reason expressed or his owne will onely which is onely the essentiall reason why bread is a Sacrament rather then any other Element and so would stand of necessary and essentiall use 4. Sitting at the Idols table 1 Cor. 8. 10. declareth that in religious feasts sitting was ordinary and a signe indicant of honouring the spirituall Lord of the Banquet and a religious communion with the Lord of the Feast was hence signified But saith Paybodie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. 20. Mark 14. 18. Luke 22. 14. Iohn â—3 12. signifieth lying and M. Liâ—dsâ—y â—aith it signifieth prostration on the earth rather then sitting Por Levit. 18. 23. standing and lying are confounded and Calvin expoundeth it so Ans 1. Christ his reasoning to prove that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sit at meat is a greater honour then to stand Luke 22. 27. were null if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie prostration for religious bowing is alwaies an act of inferioritie The same I say if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie falling downe to the ground 2. Sitting or pitching about a place and sitting and lying in sackcloath may well signifie simply to be in a place but table-sitting and table-inclining on Christs bosome must be more then simply being at the Table Nor doth Calvin in that place expound sitting at table for nothing but simply being at table though elsewhere he doth 3. Arg. That which representeth the honour of table-fellowship of fellow-banquetters with Christ that is of necessary use But sitting at the Lords table representeth this Ergo Luke 22. 27. The Minor is made good to teach the Disciples humility he would stand and have them to sit Whether is greater he that sitteth or he that standeth it is a greater honour to sit at table then to stand Ergo it is an honour to sit for we may well infer the positive from the comparative Luk. 22. 29. upon the occasion of their striving who should be greatest and Lord Bishop he promiseth a sort of fellowship in a Kingdome 2. In sitting on thrones with him and the meaning that that fellowship should quench the fire of their appetite for Prelacy 3. This sitting in Scripture as table-sitting is used to expresse our fellowship with Christ in the Gospell Mat. 22. 1. 2. Luke 22. 30. Mat. 8. 11 12. Luke 14. 15 16 17. Cant. 1. 12. Cant. 5. 1. Rev. 19. 9. Rev. 3. 20. and our Communion with Christs body and his blood is sealed up in this Sacrament 1 Cor. 10. 16. 4. This is confirmed in that the Sacramentall food is not simply given as food though that be a speciall fruit thereof for then there should be no more required to the essence and integrity of the Supper but eating and drinking and on his alone eating and drinking and using the words of Christ should receive a Sacrament and the manner of eating should be accidentall and in the Churches power but this food is given as food Table-wise with the solemnities of a banquet and of spirituall fellowship which must be represented of purpose here and that sitting wayes so to eat and drink with Publicans is a signe of fellowship as Christs eating and sitting with Publicans and sinners made him be construed to be a friend to them 1 Cor. 5. 11. To refuse to eat with a fornicator is to refuse fellowship with him 1 Cor. 8. 10. 1 Cor. 10. 20 21. To sit at the Idols and Divels Table is to partake of the idoll and Satans worship as having fellowship with them Ergo to sit at the Lord table is to have fellowship with him 5. The Holy Ghost speaketh this fellowship Luke 22. 14. He sate down and the twelve Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him see a fellowship Math. 26. 20. He sate downe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the twelve 18. And as they did eate together at Table Marke 14. 15. Luke 22. 15. With desire have I desired to eat with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 table-wise as ver 14. Mat. 26. 29. I will not drinke untill I drinke it new 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The words carry a resemblance of drinking with them the well of life so Augustine Hilary Musculus Amesius
a lege aeternâ as they depend on the eternall law Ergo they oblige in Conscience it followeth not They oblige in Conscience as their Major and Minor proposition in that which is morall can be proved out of Gods word but so in their morallity they are meerely divine and not humane and positive and so the argument concludeth not against us They oblige in Conscience as they depend upon the eternall law that is as they are deduced from the eternall Law of God in a Major proposition without probation of the assumption that we deny and it is in question now The people 1 Sam. 8. in rejecting Samuel from being their judge rejected God not because Samuel had a power of making lawes without the warrant of Gods word Neither Moses nor Jeremiah nor Ezekiel nor any Prophet were in that servants subordinate to God for they vvere onely to heare the vvord at Gods mouth 3. We could have no more at Bellarmines hand then Jackson saith For Bellarmine saith In a good sense Christ gave to Peter a power to make that which is sinne to be no sin and that which is no sinne to be sinne So Iackson the interposition of derived authority maketh that which would be murther other wayes to bee a good worke that is men may doe what God onely can doe If Isaac then at the commandement of Abraham his father offer his sonne Iacob to God in a bloody Sacrifice then Abrahams derived authority maketh that a lawfull sacrifice as to strike a Prophet of it selfe is a degree of murther but when a Prophet commandeth another to strike a Prophet it is lawfull But can any blasphemer say that this was humane derived authority without warrant of the word of the Lord such as are humane positive lawes and our humane ceremonies see the text 1 King 20. 35. And a certaine man of the sonnes of the Prophets said unto his neighbour in the word of the Lord smite me This was immediate divine and Propheticall authoritie and not humane Doth the Kings letter of Mart make robbing a Spaniard lawfull Court Parasites speake so he refuteth himselfe The Kings letter of Mart for wrongs done to the State maketh that which is Piracy lawfull then the Kings authority doth not here by a nomothetick power and a law laid upon the Conscience but the wrongs of Piracy by Spaine done to the State of England may make the robbing of Spaniards an act of lawfull warre and an act of justice flowing from the King as a lawfull Magistrate Now Iackson is speaking of mandates of Rulers in that place which have no warrant of the word of God Yea even Stapleton a Papist saith as Doctor Field also observeth That humane laws binde for the utility and neoessity of the matter and not from the will of the Lawgiver And so saith Gerson Almain Decius Mencha and our owne Iunius saith The plenitude of power of lawes is onely in the princpall agent not in the instrument Doctor Iackson saith unlimited and absolute faith or submission of conscience we owe not to rulers that is due to God but we owe to them conditionall assent and cautionary obedience if they speake from God suppose they fetch not an expresse commission from Scripture for if Pastors be then onely to be obeyed when they bring evident commission out of Scripture I were no more bound to beleeve obey my governours then they are bound to beleeve and obey in Bellarm. contr 3. lih 4. cap. 6. not 89. my Governours then ther are bound to believe and obey me for equals are oblieged to obey equalls when they bring a warrant from Gods word and so the povver of Rulers vvere not reall but titular and the same do th Sutluvius and Bellarmine say Answ We owe to equalls to Mahomet conditionall and cautionary faith and obedience thus I beleeve what Mahomet saith so he speake Gods word yea so Samaritans who worshipped they knew not what John 4. 26. gave saith to their Teachers in a blinde way so they speake according to Gods word 2. It followeth in no sort if Rulers are onely to be obeyed when they bring Gods Word that then they are no more to be obeyed then equalls Infetiours because there is a double obedience one of conscience and objective coming from the thing commanded And in respect of this the word hath no lesse authority and doth no lesse challenge obedience of Confcience and objective when my equall speaketh it in a private way yea when I writ it in my muse then when a Pastor speaketh it by publike authority for we teach against Papists that the word borroweth â—o authority from men nor is it with certainty of faith to be received as the Word of man but as indeed the Word of God as the Scripture saith 1. There is another obedience officiall which is also obedience of Conscience because the fifth Commandement injoyneth it Yet not obedience of Conscience coming from the particular commanded in humane Lawes as humane so I owe obedience of subjection and submission of affection of feare love honour respect by vertue of the fift Commandement to Rulers when they command according to Gods Word and this I owe not to equals or inferiours and so it followeth not that the power of Rulers and Synods is titular because they must warrant their mandates from the Word But it s alwayes this mans hap to be against sound truth But 3. That I owe no more objective subjection of conscience to this Thou shalt not murther Beleeve in Iesus Christ when Rulers and Pastors command them then when I read them in Gods word I prove 1. If this from a Ruler Thou shalt not murther challenge faith and subjection of Conscience of six degrees but as I read it my selfe or as my equall in a private way saith Thou shalt not murther it challenge saith and subjection of foure degrees onely then is it more obligatory of Conscience and so of more intrinsecall authority and so more the word of God when the Ruler commandeth it then when I read it or my equall speaketh it to me This were absurd for the speaker whether publike or private person addeth not any intrinsecall authority to the word for then the word should be more or lesse Gods word as the bearers were publike or private more or lesse worthy As Gods word spoken by Amos a Prophet should not be a word of such intrinfecall authority as spoken by Moses both a Prince and a Prophet 2. My faith of subjection of Conscience should be resolved as concerning the two degrees of obedience of faith to the word spoken by the Ruler on the sole authority of the Ruler and not on the authority of God the Author of his own word 4. I answer to Sutluvius That Christ in the externall policy of his owne house is a Lawgiver ordaining such and such officers himselfe Ezek. 4. 11. commanding order and decency
dreamt of in rejecting an heretick after the first and second admonition Tit. 1. 10. Let our Adversaries shew what influence the Magistrates sword hath here yea say they The Magistrate may banish the heretick ou◠of the Church True Ans Not out of the Church as the Church but out from amongst his subjects as his subjects whom he is to defend in peace and godlinesse 2. It is evident Titus had no power of the sword but was an Evangelist Paul wrote not to Titus to banish the heretick the rejecting here is a spirituall censure performed by previous admonitions 3. What can the Magistrate as the Magistrate do to this 4. The Magistrate is a Lord and hath by Gods appointment a Lordly dominion over those that are under him the Minister is only a Minister a Servant a Preco or Herald and hath dominion in the Church Luk. 22. 24 c. Now those over whom the Magistrate hath a civill dominion as a Magistrate over those he may exercise that Lordly dominion of the sword But the Magistrate as the Magistrate may use no Lordly dominion of the sword over the Church as the Church to Preach Exhort Rebuke Admonish Excommunicate to judge those that are within as the Church may do 1 Cor. 5. 12. Ergo the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot be the supream and highest Church officer having under him Church officers as his servants and deputies to Preach and censure as à sub under and from him because as a Magistrate he carrieth not that which hath any power over the conscience that is he carrieth no◠the word of the spirit as a Magistrate but the sword bodily to punish evil doers 5. He who by office is chief overseer and watchman in the Church he must by office keep his own vineyard and not be put to keep the vineyard of others Cant. 1. 6. He must watch for the souls of those whom by office he keepeth as one that must give an accompt Heb. 13. 17. He must as a speciall watchman by his office Take heed to grievous Wolves not sparing the Flock speaking perverse things Act. 20. 29. And as a watchman he must blow the Trumpet and give early and seasonable warning to the people of the sword Ezek. 34. 1 c. Yea he must watch for the souls of ministers and teachers and by office rebuke admonish censure and punish them and by office judge of their Doctrine and Discipline and is over the people in the Lord and to admonish them as 1 Thes 5. And worthy of Honour for well Ruling 1 Tim. 5. 17. But these the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot do 1. He keepeth another vineyard of the Civill state he is not Pastor to the Church as the Church over which the Holy Ghost hath set him Act. 20. 28. 1 Peter 5. 1 2 3. he is not to give an accompt for the soul◠and for the souls of Pastors by his office he may as a Christian be his brothers keeper to teach admonish Col. 3. 15. and exhort Heb. 3. 13. he is not by office to blow the trumpet as Ezekiel was Ezek. 33. 7 8. Ezek. 3. 17 18 19 20. he is not over the people in the Lord to admonish them as a Magistrate as a Magistrate he only is either to praise and reward well doing or take vengence on evill doing Rom. 13. 4. nor doth Paul think Nero 1 Tim. 5. 17. worthy of double honour all those are proper to Church-officers the proposition is necessary because if the Magistrate be the eminent and supream watchman over the Pastors as his under deputies and servants then must the Magistrate more eminently keepe the vineyard and watch for the souls both of Pastors and people feed the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath set him be over the people in the Lord be worthy of double honour as one that ruleth well and is worthy of double honour and that by office Now 1. The word never warranted him in the Old Testament to sacrifice to burne incense to Minister before the Lord to carry the ark But God separated the Priests and Levites for this only and was it such a sinne for Vzziah to burne incense and for Vzziah to touch the Ark and for any to bear the Ark but the Levites and are not these things written for our instruction are we all now to bear the Ark and are we all to dispense the word and Sacraments When Paul will not have women to teach in the Church and when God hath no lesse in the New Testament separated some by the laying on of hands and appointed a Ministery in the New Testament then he did in the Old 2. Where hath God in Old or New Testament set downe that all those qualifications in an eminent manner and as principally due to the Magistrate as he hath described the qualification of the officers of the New Testament in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus and the Ephesians Ch. 4. v. 11 12 13 14 15 16. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 3. Did Christ put upon Church-officers in the New Testament all the proper titles priviledges and peculiar Characters of their calling as they are the deputies of Claudius Tiberius and Nero so they had been Christian Princes this the adversaries must prove and must all the Epistles of Paul to the Churches of Christ and of Iames and Peter Iohn and Iude which concern Church-officers be written First and principally to the heathen Emperours as they be Church Magistrates and Church-officers jure though they be in very deed enemies of the Gospel de facto It must put Erastus and all his to paines to prove that Magistrates as Magistrates were separated in the Old Testament to sacrifice to burne incense to bear the Ark of the Lord and Priests and Levites and Prophets were only the under servants and instruments of Kings and the like they must do in the New Testament But this is carefully to be observed that the adversaries though they speake of Government and some yield as Master Prynne doth that there is such a thing as Excommunication especially 1 Cor. 5. yet the truth is they deny all Church-government for I desire to know why they give to Ministers of the Gospel a power to try who are hereticks apostates and unworthy partakers of the holy things of God Yea such as may ordaine Ministers and reject hereticks after admonitions if Iesus Christ hath given this power of Government beside preaching the word I aske quo jure by what Scripture if by no warrant of Christ then it is unjustly given to them and the Apostles and Teachers then had no right to it if there be a right that by office Pastors should know what is soundnesse in the faith and integrity of conversation and so who are to be called to the Ministery who not who are to be excluded totally from the Church as Erastus and Master Prynne say who not Then what warrant hath the Magistrate to limit the
of spirituall falls and warned to beware of them yet love and incline to Idolatrie and therefore to warne them to beware and yet set the powder neere the fire is but to scorne the craft and to mock men Yea in that they desire and require that the people beware of the Ceremonies and require that Pastours informe them of the danger they grant that Ceremonies are powder amongst the pitchers and yet they be innocent and indifferent creatures as if they would call them indifferent pitts indifferent whoores to allure beware of them indifferent pest-cloathes see that your inclination touch them not Yea then Ezechiah had given no scandall if he had commanded the brazen Serpent still to stand and had commanded the Priests to preach that the Serpent was not God and therefore warned the people of their Idolatrie in burning Incence to it onely let it stand as a memoriall of Gods power in curing the people who were stinged with Serpents in the Wildernesse So if the Israelites should give their sonnes and daughters to marry strange women of the Canaanites if they should ordaine the Priests to teach carefully their married children to beware that they were not drawne away by these idolatrous marriages to serve the Gods of the Canaanites they should not lay a stumbling-block before their sonnes and daughters Yea these who excell in light may be weake in grace and in hazard to be insnared by the idolatrie and superstition of Ceremonies 4. The law of nature provideth all possible and lawfull meanes for the removall of every thing that may rnine his soule for whom Christ died but not onely information of the danger of Ceremonies but also the removall of the pitts themselves to wit the Ceremonies are possible and lawfull meanes 5. 1. This were an idle Sabbath work to expound such theams as these Sacramentall bowing is an humble adoring of God not of bread and as it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save beleevers so it pleased Prelates by the foolishnes of holy dayes and Saints dayes to teach the people articles of faith and by the Surplice to teach pastorall innocencie and by confirmation to blesse children 2 Calvin and Luther teach that no word should be heard in the Church nisi purum Dei verbum but the pure word of God Surplice humane and Saints dayes crossing kneeling cannot be a text that Ministers can preach on and expound for they are commanded to speak Gods word Ezech. 7. To read Gods law and give the meaning and sense thereof Nehem. 8. 8. and to expone the Scriptures Luk. 24. 27. not to teach the meaning of wretched Ceremonies for in that they should not be the Pastours of Christ but speak with the mouth of Antichrist and Exod. 12. 26. 27. If the children ask the fathers what mean yee by this Passeover they were to answer It is the Sacrifice of the Lords Passeover So if they ask what meaneth your kneeling to Bread your Saints dayes your Surplice and Crossing you must answer they are the Ceremonies of the Lords Supper and Baptisme What uncouth bleating were this 6. Shall people saith D. Ammes be fedde with this East wind the vertue of Surplice when there be so little time to learne the maine things of the Gospell also some preach none some studie never Ceremonies some blush to speake of such toyes Yea and alas often saith Bannes the weake are not capable of distinctions it is hard to draw the wits of rude people along the untwisted threed of distinctions that the elements are objectum adorationis à quo significative and objectum adorationis relativae materiale non adorationis formale I conceive the Doctors of Aberdeen have adoe with their wits to understand them they must be taught of D. Mortounes essentiall and accidentall worship of Bellarmines additions perfecting and additions corrupting the word of God And whereas D. Forbes saith It is a shame for Ministers and teachers of others to pretend weaknes though the flock might be ignorant Answer Weakness is weakness of faith Rom. 14. 1. and weaknesse of grace not weakness in literall light And I thinke Ministers may pretend this upon too good grounds and weaknes of faith is often a great inclination to superstition 2. Though the Ministers refusing the Ceremonies should understand them as well as these who writ bookes for their defence yet it will not follow that they should practise them for their forbearance is for feare of scandalizing the weak Paul had perfect knowledge of his Christian libertie as any man yet he would not eat meats to the worlds end which should offend his brother The stronger should not scandalize the weak because they are stronger Duplyers pag. 63. n. 38. Thirdly if for Scandalls taken especially by the malicious we may disclaime the authority of a Law then we may ever disclaime the authoritie of all lawes of Church and State for there is nothing commanded by lawes but some either through weaknes or through malice may take offence at it Answer 1. For scandalls taken and also given by either weak or wilfull when the matter is indifferent and hath evident conformitie with Jewish and Popish rites and is not necessarie we may disclaim the authoritie of all such lawes true Ergo we may for scandall maliciously taken deny the authority of all lawes it followeth not Ex affirmatione spâ—ciei male colligitur negatio generis It is not for taken scandall but for given scandall that we disclaime the authoritie of these lawes 2. The Doctors will have us believe upon the sole light of their conscience n. 36. that they thinke the Ceremonies lawfull and expedient But for us they will not credit us in that but out of malice we are soandalized and not out of weaknesse Duplyers n. 39. 4. arg Fourthly We ought not for eschewing scandall causlesly taken to injure or offend any man by denying to him that which is due to him and therefore we ought not for eschewing scandall causlesly taken to offend and injure our Superiours The Antecedent is proved for if a man be excommâ—nicated shall his wife children and servants flie his company and so deny these duties which they owe to him for feare that others be scandalized and if we may not for scandall causlesly taken abstaine from these duties that we owe to private persons farre lesse may we abstaine from obedience which we owe to Superiours c. Answer Against the Law of disputing you lay downe a ground which is a principall part of the question that is practising these Ceremonies be obedience due to Superiours and none practising for a time an injuring of Superiours in their due though Gods affirmative precepts be omitted for a time as the not hearing the Word the not receiving the Sacraments in case of Scandall Gods due is not taken from him If you will be more zealous for the honour of Prelates and men then for the honour of God Answer the Argument