receive both the unwritten Traditions of the one and the unwritten Positive inventions of Crosse and Surplice devised by the other as 1. Make us sure as God himself immediatly spake to the Patriarchs and to Moses nothing but what after was committed to writing by Moses and the Prophets at Gods speciall Commandment as Papists say their unwritten Traditions are agreeable to the word and though beside Scripture yet not against it And the very will of God no lesse then the written word and let Formalists assure us that their positive additaments of Surplice and Crosse are the same which God commandeth in the Scriptures by the Prophets and Apostles and though beside yet not contrary to the vvord But I pray you what better is the distinction of beside the vvord not contrary to the vvord of God out of the mouth of Papists to maintain unvvritten Traditions which to them is the expresse word of God then out of the mouth of Formalists for their unwritten Positives which are worse then Popish Traditions in that they are not the expresse word of God by their own grant 2. Let the Formalist assure us that after this some Moses and Elias shall arise and write Scripture touching the Surplice and Crosse that they are the very minde of God as the Lord could assure the Church between Adam and Moses that all Divine truths which he had delivered by Tradition should in Gods due time be written in Scripture by Moses the Prophets and Apostles I think they shall here fail in their undertakings Hence the Argument standeth strong the Jevvs might devise nothing in doctrine Worship or Government nay neither the Patriarchs nor Moses nor the Prophets of their own head without Gods immediate Tradition or the written Scripture which are all one Ergo Neither can the Church except she would be wiser then God in the Scriptures 2. Hookers Various and Harmonious Dissimilicude of Gods gâ—iding his Châ—rch is his fancy This variety we admire as it is expressed Heâ— 1. 1. But Hooker would say for he hath reference to that place God at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets and now to us by hiâ— Son But test of all he hath revealed his Will by the Pope of Rome and his cursed Clergy that we should Worship Images pray to Saints and for the dead beleeve Purgatory c. and now by humane Prelates he hath shown his will to us touching Crossing Surplice Now Papists as Horantius Sanderus Malderus Bellarmine and others say Most of the points that are in Question between them and Protestants and particularly Church-Ceremonies are unwritten Traditions delivered by the Church beside the warrant of Scripture 3. We grant that there was no Uniform Church-Government in the Apostles time Deacons were not at the first Elders were not ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every Church But this is nothing against a Platform of Vniform Government which cannot be altered in Gods Word For by this reason the Learned and Reverend Mr. Prynne because points of Government did grow by succession of time cannot infer therefore that Government which the immediately inspired Apostles did ordain in Scripture is alterable by men then because 1. Fundamentals of Faith and Salvation were not all delivered at first by God there is no Uniform no unalterable Platform of Doctrinals and Fundamentals set down in Scripture For first the Article of Christs death and incarnation was obscurely delivered to the Church in Paradise Sure the Article of Christs making his Grave with the wicked of his being put to death for out Transgressions though he himself was innocent his justifying of many by Faith were after delivered by Isaiah Chap. 53. And by succession â—f time many other Fundamentals as the Doctrine of the written Moral Law in the Moral Positives thereof were delivered to the Church But I hope from this successive Addition of Fundamentals no man can infer 1. There is no Uniform Platform of the doctrine of Faith set down in the Old Testament 2. None can hence infer because all points Fundamental were not delivered to the Church at first the refore the Church without any expresse warrant from God may alter the Platform of Fundamentals of Faith as they take on them to adde Surplice Crossing c. and many other Positives to the Government of Christ without any expresse warrant of the Word 3. Our Argument is close mistaken we argue not from the Patern of Government which was in the Apostles times at the laying of the first stone in that Church then the Apostolike Church had indeed no Officers but the Apostles and the seventy Disciples we reason not from one peece but from the whole frame as perfected by the Ministery of the Lords Apostles 2. We argue not from the Apostolike Church as it is such a Church for Apostles were necessary then as was community of goods miracles speaking with tongues c. but we draw an argument from the Apostolike Church as the first Christian Church and since the Law was to come from Zion and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isai 2. 3. And the Lord was to reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before his Ancients gloriously Isai 24. 23. And the Lord was to reign over his people in Mount Zion from henceforth and for ever Micah 4. 2 7. And Christ for that gave a special command to his Disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which they had heard from Christ therefore this Church of Jerusalem was to be a rule a patern and copy for the Government of the Visible Kingdom and Church of Christ in which Christ was to reign by his own Word and Law Miâ— 4. 2 7. And so the Spirit descended upon the Apostles in the framing and Governing of the first Church in so far as it was a Christian Church and they were to act all not of their own heads but as the Holy Ghost led them in all Truth in these things that are of perpetual necessity and in such as these the first Church is propounded as imitable Now we do not say in Apostles which had infallibility of writing Canonick Scripture in Miracles speaking with Tongues and such like that agreed to the Apostolike Church not as a Church but as such a determinate Church in relation to these times when the Gospel and Mystery of God now manifested in the flesh was new taught and never heard of before did require Miracles gift of Tongues that the Gospel might openly be preached to the Gentiles we do not I say urge the Apostâ—like Church and all the particulars for Government in it for a rule and patern to be imitated And if Master Prynne deny that there is an Uniform Government in the Apostles times because God himself added to them Deacons Elders which at first they had not removed Apostles miracles gifts of healing and tongues then say I
dicitur Scriptura sacra aliud est verbum dei non scriptum dicitur ecclesiae traditio There is one vvord of God vvritten called the holy Scripture And there is another vvord of God not vvritten and it is called the Tradition of the Church Now their Tradition is no more a part of the Scripture but another part of the word of God contradistinguished from Scripture then the body is a part of the soul or Scotland a part of England for both England and Scotland are collaterall parts of great Brittain the Scripture say they is the unperfect rule of Faith and not the compleat will of God as touching Faith or manners but Scripture and Tradition together are the perfect and totall rule so say Formalists that Scripture is the compleat and perfect rule of Faith and manners to regulate all our Morall acts But the other part of the distinction is that Scripture is not a compleat and full rule to regulate all our Morall Acts whatsoever whither of Faith or manners or Church-Policy as it is no rule to my conscience and practise to believe for orders cause and obedience to my Superiours and for decency that I am to wear a Religious significant linnen creature called a Surplice or not to wear it or that I am to excercise or not exercise that grave action of drawing my thumb Crosse the Air above the face of a Baptized Childe vvhile I baptize to betoken his dedication to Christs service And hitherto neither Traditions nor Positives of Church-Policy are added as necessary parts of written Scripture 2. Traditions are not added to the Scripture by Papists as coming from the immediatly inspiring spirit that dyted and wrote Scripture more then our Ceremoniall Positives of policy It s true Papists say they come from an infallible spirit But Formalists I hope refer not their unwritten Positives to so noble blood yet in this they agree that Traditions are not added by them as descending from the immediate inspiring spirit of written Scripture Therefore Cornelius a Lapide saith Non addetis ad verbum quod vobis loquor aliquid scilicet tanquam meum vel a me dictum aut jussum nulli enim homini licet prescripta aut precepta sua pro preceptis a deo a spiritu sancto immediatè inspirante dictatis aut pro Scripturis sacris addere It is not lavvfull for any man to adde to the vvord any thing of his ovvn as his ovvn or as spoken and commanded by himself For no man may broach his own injunctions and precepts as if they were the precepts taught by the immediate inspiring spirit speaking in the Scriptures Hence Papists teach that their Traditions flow from a little lower Spring then from the immediately inspiring Scripturall spirit So I make this good from famous Iesuites Cornelius a Lapide in Deut. 4. 1 2. saith Sed et ipsi judaei multa addiderunt legi ut coelaturas omnemque ornatum templi ut festum sortium sub Eester festum dati ignis festum Encaeniorum c. Hec enim non a deâ— sed a judaeis sancita et instituta sunt denique hec non sunt addita sed potius inclusa legi dei Quia Lex jubet obedire parentibus Magistratibuâ— pontificibus eorumque legibus The Jevvs saith he objecting the instances of Formalists added many things to the Lavv as the ingraving and adorning of the Temple the feast of Purim of Dedication c. And these traditions vvere not ordained and instituted by God Ergo not by the immediate inspiring spirit as is the Holy Scripture but by the Iews and they were not added to the Law but included in the Law because the Law biddeth obey Superiors and their Laws whence it is evident that these very Ceremoniall traditions of Papists for which Formalists contend are not added to the word as coming from God or the immediatly inspiring spirit that diteth scripture but from the Church without warrant of Scripture just as Popish traditions which we count unlawfull additions to the word And Tannerus the Iesuit saith Tom. 3. in 22. de fide spe et cha dis 1. de fide Q. 1. Dub. 8. That the assistance of the spirit that the Church hath in proposing unwritten traditions requireth no positive inspiration or speech made by God to the Church but it is enough that the Church have a very negativehelp of God only by which she is permitted not to erre His words are these Nam assistentia illa dei quà ecclesiae adest ne ejusmodo rebus fidei in traditionibus non scriptis proponendis erret por se non dicit nec requirit positivam inspirationem seâ— locuâ—â—onâ—m Divinam ipsi ecclesiae factam sed contenta est quovis auxilio dei etiam mere negativo quo fit ut ecclesia ijs in rebuus non sinatur errare Cum tamen nova revelatio utique novam inspirrtionem seu Locutionem dei aliquid positivè notificantem significet And the like saith Malderus in 22. de virtu Theolog. That though traditions come from an infallible spirit no lesse then Scripture yet traditions are the Word of God because they are heard and constantly believed But the Holy Scripture is the Word of God because written by the inspiration of the holy spirit Q. 2. Art 1. Dub. 4. pag. 83. And therefore he maketh two sorts of traditions some meerly Divine vvhich the Apostles received either immediately from the Holy Ghost or from the mouth of Christ as those touching the matter and form of the Sacraments Others saith he are properly Apostolick as those touching the Lent Fast instituted by the Apostles ib. tract de trad Q. Vnic Dub. 1. Traditiones inquit per apostolos traditae aliae sunt Divinâ— quas immediatè ipsi a spiritu sancto dictante vâ—l ex ore Christi acceperunt ut de materia et potissimum de formis sacramentorum aliae autem propriâ— dicuntur Apostolica ut de Iejunijo Quadragesimali quod Apostoli Iâ—stituerunt Hence it is evident if Papists cannot but be condemned of impious additions to the Scriptures by these places Deut. 4. Deut. 12. Formalists are equally deep in the same crime and the same is the answer of Malderus ibid. Dub. 2. vetat Apoc. 22. Ne quis audeat Divinam prophetiam depravare assuendo aliquid aut abradendo Turrianus tom de fide spe et cha de traditio disp 20. Dub. 2. pag. 255. Respondetur Joannem planè probibere corruptionem Libri illius non tamen prohibet ne alij Libri scribantur vel alia Dogmata tradantur Stapletonus Relect. Prin. fidei Doct. Contaver 4. q. 1 Art 3. Sed non prohibet vel legis interpretationem per sacerdotes faciendam imò hoc disertè prescribit Deut. 17. Vel aliquid aliud in fidem admittendum qúod lege scriptâ non contineatur Alioqui quicquid postea prophetâ— predicaverunt et Divinis Scripturis adjectum est contra hoc dei mandatum factum
censeri debet Learned D. Roynald Answereth Apolog. Thes de sac Script pag. 211 212. and saith This very Law of Moses promiseth life Eternall to those that love the Lord vvith all their heart and that the Prophets added to the Writings of Moses no Article of Faith necessary to be believed but did expound and apply to the use of the Church in all the parts of piety and Religion that vvhich Moses had taught Lorinus followeth them in Deut. 4. 1. Christus inquit et Apostoli pentateucho plura adjecerunt immò in vetere Testamento Iosue Prophetae Reges Christ saith he and the Apostles added many things to the five Books of Moses yea in the Old Testament Ioshua the Prophets and the Kings David and Solomon did also adde to Moses But the truth is suppose any should arise after Moses not called of God to be a Canonick writer Prophet or Apostle and should take on him to write Canonick Scripture though his additions for matter were the same Orthodox and sound Doctrine of Faith and manners which are contained in the Law of Moses and the Prophets he should violate this Commandment of God Thou shalt not adde For Scripture containeth more then the sound matter of Faith it containeth a formall a heavenly form stile Majesty and expression of Language which for the form is sharper then a two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. If therefore the Prophets and Apostles had not had a Commandment of God to write Canonick Scripture which may be proved from many places of the Word they could not have added Canonick Scripture to the writings of Moses But the Answer of D. Roynald is sufficient and valid against Papists who hold that their Traditions are beside not contrary to the Scripture just as Formalists do who say the same for their unwritten Positives of Church-policy But our Divines Answer That traditions beside the Scripture are also traditions against the Scripture according to that Gal. 1. 8. But if we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beside that which we have preached unto you Let him be accursed And Papists more ingenious then Formalists in this confesse That if that of the Apostles Gal. 1. 8. be not restricted to the written Word but applyed to the Word of God in its Latitude as it comprehendeth both the written word or Scripture and the unwritten word or Traditions then beside the word is all one with this contrary to the word which Formalists constantly deny For Lorinus the Jesuit saith Comment In Deut. 4. 2. Quo pacto Paulus Anathèma dicit Gal. 1. 8. Iis qui aliud Evangelizant preter id quod ipsi Evangelizaverit id est adversum et contrarium So doth Cornelius a Lapide and Estius expound the place Gal. 1. 8. And they say that Paul doth denounce a Curse against those that would bring in a new Religion and Judaism beside the Gospel But withall they teach that the Traditions of the Church are not contrary to Scripture but beside Scripture and that the Church which cannot eâ—re and is led in all truth can no more be accused of adding to the Scripture then the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists who wrote after Moses can be accused of adding to Moses his writings because the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists had the same very warrant to write Canonick Scripture that Moses had and so the Church hath the same warrant to adde Traditions to that which the Prophets Evangelists and Apostles did write which they had to adde to Moses And therefore the Councel of Trent saith S. 4. c. 1. That unwritten traditions coming either from the mouth of Christ or the ditement of the holy spirit are to be recieved and Religiously Reverenced with the like pious affection and Reverence that the holy Scriptures are received Pari pietatis affectu ac Reverentiâ And the truth is laying down this ground that the Scripture is unperfect and not an adequat rule of Faith and manners as Papists do then it must be inconsequent that because Traditions are beside the Scripture which is to to them but the half of the Word of God Yea it followeth not this Popish ground supposed that Traditions are therefore contrary to the Scripture because beside the Scripture no more then it followeth that the Sacraments of the New Testament Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord in all their positive Rites and Elements are not ordained and instituted in the Old Testament and in that sense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beside the Old Testament that therefore they are against the Old Testament though we should imagine they had been added in the New Testament without all warrant of speciall direction from God by the sole will of men or because some Ceremonials commanded of God are not commanded in the Morall Law or Decalogue either expresly or by consequence and so these Ceremonials though instituted by the Lord be beside the Morall Law that therefore they are contrary to the Morall Law Yea to come nearer because the third Chapter of the Book of Genesis containing the Doctrine of mans fall and misery and Redemption by the promised seed is beside the first and second Chapters of the same Book it doth not follow that it is contrary or that Moses adding the third Chapter and all the rest of the five Books did therefore â—ail against this precept Thou shalt not adde to that which I command thee for certain it is that there are new Articles of Faith in the third chapter of Genesis which are neither in the first two Chapters expresly nor by just consequence but if the Church or any other of Jews or Gentiles should take upon them to adde the third Chapter of Genesis to the first and second except they had the same warrant of Divine inspiration that Moses had to adde it that addition had been contrary to the first two Chapters and beside also and a violation of the Commandment of not adding to the word so do Formalists and the Prelate Vsher in the place cited presuppose that the Scripture excludeth all Traditions of Papists because the Scripture is perfect in all things belonging to faith and manners but it excludeth not all Ceremonies which are left to the disposition of the Church and be not of Divine but of Positive and humane Right Hence it must infer the principle of Papists that the Scripture is not perfect in all Morals for it is a Morall of Decency and Religious signification that a childe be dedicated to the service of Christ by the sign of the crosse Now what can be said to thiâ— I know not but that the sufficiency and perfection of scripture doth no whit consist in holding forth Ceremonials but only in setting down doctrinals Why and Papists say the same that the scripture is
such mixed actions as these that are mentioned by Hooker As to move sleep take the cup at the hand of a friend cannot be called simply morall for to move may be purely naturall as if a man against his will fall off a high place or off a horse to start in the sleep are so naturall that I know not any morality in them but sure I am for Nathaniel to come to Christ which was also done by a naturall motion is not a meer naturall action proceeding from the most concealed instincts of nature so to sleep hath somewhat naturall in it for beasts do sleep beasts do move I grant they cannot take a cup at the hand of a friend they cannot salute one another It is Hookers instance but fancy sometimes in men do these whereas conscience should do them What is naturall in moving and sleeping and what is common to men with beasts I grant Scripture doth not direct or regulate these acts of moving and sleeping we grant actions naturall and common to us with beasts need not the rule of the Word to regulate them But this I must say I speak it my Record is in Heaven not to offend any Formalists as such and as Prelaticall are irreligious and Profane One of them asked a godly man Will you have Scripture for giving your horse a peck of Oats and for breaking winde and easing or obeying nature And therefore they bring in these instances to make sport But I conceive sleeping moderately to inable you to the service of God as eating drinking that God may be glorified 1 Cor. 10. 31. are also in the measure manner of doing Morall so ruled by Scripture and Scripture only and not regulated by naturall instincts But what is all this to the purpose are Surplice Crossing Saints-dayes such actions as are common to us with beasts as moving and sleeping are Or is there no more need that the Prelate be regulated in wearing his corner-Cap his Surplice in Crossing then a beast is to be ruled by Scripture in moving in sleeping in eating grasse 2. Expresse and actuall reference and intention to every Commandment of God or to Gods glory in every particular action I do not urge a habituall reference and intention I conceive is holden forth to us in Scripture 1 Cor. 10. 31. 3. God by every effect proceeding from the most concealed instinct of nature is made manifest in his power What then the power of God is manifest in the Swallows building her nest Ergo neither the Swallow in building her nest nor the Prelate in Crossing an Infant in Baptisme to dedicate him to Christ have need of any expresse or actuall reference to any Commandment of God or Gods glory Truly it is a vain consequence in the latter part except Hooker make Surplice Crossing and all the mutable Frame of Church-Government to proceed from the most concealed instincts of nature which shall be nâ—w Divinity to both Protestants and Papists And I pray you what power of God is manifest in a Surplice I conceive it is a strong Argument against this mutable frame of Government that it is not in the power of men to devise what Positive signes they please without the word to manifest the power wisdom and other attributes of God For what other thing doth the two Books opened to us Psal 19. The Book of Creation and Providence and the Book of the Scripture but manifest God in his nature and works and mans misery and Redemption in Christ Now the Prelats and Papists devise a third blanke book of unwritten Traditions and mutable Ceremonials We see no Warrant for this book 4. Hooker maketh a man in many Morall Actions as in wearing a Surplice in many actions flowing from concealed instincts of nature as in moving sleeping like either the Philosophers Civilian or Morall Athiest or like a beast to act things or to do by the meer instinct of nature Whereas being created according to Gods Image especially he living in the visible Church he is to do all his actions deliberate even naturall and morall in Faith and with a Warrant from scripture to make good their Morality Psa 119. 9. Prov. 3. 23 24. 2 Cor. 5. 7. And truly Formalists give men in their Morals to live at random and to walk without taking heed to their wayes according to Gods word Hooker It sufficeth that our Morall actions be framed according to the Law of reason the generall axiomes rules and principles of which being so frequent in holy Scripture there is no let but in that regard oven out of Scripture such duties may be deduced by some kinde of consequence as by long circuit of deduction it may be that even all truth out of any truth may be concluded howbeit no man be bound in such sort to deduce all his actions out of Scripture as if either the place be to him unknown whereon they may be concluded or the reference to that place not presently considered of the action shall in that be condemned as unlawfull Ans 1. The Law of reason in Morals for of such we now speak is nothing but the Morall Law and will of God contained fully in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament and therefore is not to be divided from the Scriptures if a man be ruled in that he is ruled by Scripture for a great part of the Bible of the Decalogue is Printed in the reasonable soul of man As when he loveth his Parents obeyeth his superiors saveth his Neighbour in extream danger of death because he doth these according to the Law of Reason shall it follow that these actions which are expresly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2. 14. the things or duties of the Law are not warranted by expresse Scripture because they are done according to the Law of naturall reason I should think the contrary most true 2. Such duties saith he Morall duties I hope he must mean to God and our Neighbour may be deduced by some kinde of consequence out of Scripture But by what consequence Such as to Argue Quidlibet ex quolibet The Catechisme taught me long ago of duties to God and my Neighbour that they are taught in the ten Commandments Now if some Morall duties to God and man be taught in the ten Commandments and some not taught there 1. Who made this distinction of duties None surely but the Prelats and the Papists if the Scripture warrant some duties to God and our Neighbour and do not warrant some the Scripture must be unperfect 2. The warranting of actions that may be service to God or will-worship or homicide by no better ground then Surplice and Crosse can be warranted or by such a consequence as you may deduce all truth out of any truth is no warrant at all the Traditions of Papists may thus be warranted 3. Nor is the action to be condemned as unlawfull in it self because the agent cannot see by what consequence it is
observe Saints-dayes and believe Crossing and Surplice hath this Religious signification because the Church saith so then is our obedience of conscience finally resolved in the Testimony of men so speaking at their own discretion without any warrant of scripture 2. To believe and obey in any Religious Positives because it is the pleasure of men so to Command is to be servants of men and to make their will the formall reason of our obedience which is unlawfull If it be said that we are to believe and Practise many things in naturall necessity as to eat move sleep and many circumstantials of Church-Policy because the Law of naturall reason saith so and because there is an intrinsecall conveniency and an aptitude to edifie to decore and beautifie in an orderly and a decent way the service of God and not simply because the Church saith so nor yet because the Lord speaketh so in the Scripture and therefore all our obedience is not Ultimately and finally resolved into the Testimony of the Scripture I Answer That there be some things that the Law of Nature commandeth as to move eat sleepe and here with leave I distinguish Factum the common practise of men from the jus what men in conscience ought to do as concerning the former morall and naturall mens practise is all resolved in their own carnall will and lusts and so they eat move and sleep because nature and carnall will leadeth them thereinto not because God in the Law of nature which I humbly conceive to be a part of the first elements and principles of the Morall Law or Decalogue and so a part of Scripture doth so warrant us to do and therefore the moving eating drinking of naturall Moralists are materially lawfull and conforme to scripture for God by the Law of nature commandeth both Heathen men and pure Moralists within the visible Church to do naturall acts of this kinde because the Lord hath revealed that to be his will in the Book of nature But these Heathen do these acts because they are suitable to their Lusts and carnall will and not because God hath commanded them so to do in the Book of nature and this is their sin in the manner of doing though materially Et quod substantiam actus the action be good and the same is the sin of naturall men within the visible Church and a greater sin for God not only commandeth them in the Law of nature but also in Scripture to do all these naturall acts because God hath revealed his will in these naturall actions as they are morall to naturall men within the visible Church both in the Law of nature and in the scripture and De jure they ought to obey because God so commandeth in both and in regard all within the visible Church are obliged to all naturall actions in a spirituall way though their eating moving sleeping be lawfull materially Et quod substantiam actus yet because they do them without any the least habituall reference to God so commanding in natures Law and scripture they are in the manner of doing sinfull otherwise Formalists go on with Papists and Arminians to justifie the actions of the unregenerated as simply Lawfull and good though performed by them with no respect to God or his Commandment 2. As concerning actions of Church-Policy that cannot be warranted by the light of nature and yet have intrinsecall conveniency and aptitude to edifie and decently to Accomodate the worship of God I conceive these may be done but not because the Church so commandeth as if their commandment were the formall reason of our obedience but because partly the light of the Law of reason partly scripture doth warrant them but that Crosse and Surplice can be thus warranted is utterly denied Again I conceive that there be two sort of positives in the externals of Government or worship 1. Some Divine as that there be in the Publique Worship Prayers Praising Preaching Sacraments and these are substantials that there be such Officers Pastors Teachers Elders and Deacons that there be such censures as rebuking Excommunication and the like are morally Divine or Divinely Morall and when the Church formeth a Directory for worship and Government the Directory it self is in the Form not simply Divine And if it be said that neither the Church of the Jews nor the Church Apostolique had more a written Directory nor they had a written Leiturgy or book of Common Prayers or Publick Church-service I answer nor had either the Iewish or Apostolick Church any written Creed or systeme written of fundamentall Articles such as is that which is commonly called the Apostolick Creed but they had materially in the scripture the Apostolick Creed and the Directory they had also the same way for they practised all the Ordinances directed though they had no written Directory in a formall contexture or frame for Prayers Preaching Praising Sacraments and Censures never Church wanted in some one order or other though we cannot say that the Apostolick Church had this same very order and forme But a Leiturgy which is a commanded imposed stinted Form in such words and no other is another thing then a Directory as an unlawfull thing is different from a Lawfull 2. There be some things Positive humane as the Ordering of some parts or worship or Prayer the forme of words or phrases and some things of the Circumstantials of the Sacrament as what Cups Wood or Mettall in these the Directory layeth a tie upon no man nor can the Church in this make a Directory to be a Church Compulsory to strain men And this way the Directory is not ordered and commanded in the frame and contexture as was the Service-Book and the Pastor or people in these are not properly Morall Agents nor do we presse that scripture should regulate men in these But sure in Crossing in Surplice men must be Morall Agents no lesse then in eating and drinking at the Lords-Supper and therefore they ought to be as particularly regulated by Scripture in the one as in the other Quest But who shall be judge of these things which you say are Circumstantials only as time place c. and of these that Formalists say are adjuncts and Circumstances of worship though also they have a Symbolicall and Religious signification must not the Church judge what things are indifferent what necessary what are expedient what Lawfull Answer There is no such question imaginable but in the Synagogue of Antichrist For as concerning Norma judiâ—andi the Rule of judging without all exception the scripture ought to be the only rule and measure of all practicall truths how Formalists can make the Scripture the rule of judging of unwritten Ceremonies which have no warrant in Scripture more then Papists can admit scripture to regulate and warrant their unwritten Traditions I see not we yield that the Church is the Politick Ministeriall and visible judge of things necessary and expedient or of things not necessary
of the Church and is indeed a teaching sign and so should not be counted a Positive of Church-Policy 2. Most false it is that the Tabernacle and Temple were nothing but a meeting place of the people for Worship as our Churches or Chappels are 1. Because it is to Argue the Holy Ghost of want of wisdom to spend so much Canonick Scripture in setting down things idely not tending at all to edification and teaching us nothing of God and in specifying the Form Height Length Bredth Curtains Candlesticks Sockets Rings of naturall places that contained their bodies for what should it edifie us if God should describe so particularly all the Churches and meeting places of the people under the New Testament Now certain it is Whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our Learning Rom. 15. 4. 2. Many things in the Tabernacle as Candles in day light Rings Sockets Shew-bread belonged nothing to a naturall place as our Chappels or Meeting houses do 3. Expresly the Scripture maketh them more then places to wit Holy Religious and Typicall signes of Divine institution as the Tahernacle was a Type Heb. 8. 2. 5. Heb. 9. 1 2. c. Heb. 10. 1 2 3. And the Temple a Type of Christs body Ioh. 2. 19. Ioh. 1. 14 15. And all these were Types and shadows of Heavenly things Heb. chap. 8 9 10. Gal. 4. 1. 2. c. Col. 2. 16. 17. Which our Churches and Chappels are not being only places common to sacred and Civill actions 2. God therefore can no more in expresse words set down the form matter dimensions of Christian Churches and Chappels then of the Synagogues of the Iews which had no Morall use for edification and instruction 3. Yea because the Tabernacle and Temple and their implements were teaching shadows of good things to come and our Churches and Chappels are not so nor have they any Morall or Religious use or influence on our spirits as the Tabernacle and Temple had therefore the Lord who is expresse in all Morals which of their own nature do teach and edifie he behoved to name Bezaliel and Aholiah and the form and colour of the Priests garments which also are Typicall and could not name our Elders or the colour or form of their Garments 4. All these weak retortions suppose that the Tabernacle and Temple were types of our meeting houses for Worship which is a meer conjecture they were no more types of our Chappels then of the Iewish Synagogues we may not expound types at will but as the Holy Ghost expoundeth them to us in the New Testament And this is a conjecturall Exposition and a dream to make Bezaliel and Aholiah types of Embroyderers and Tradesmen 5. We know the Tabernacle and Temple were corporall things made with hands and that they are things different from the spirituall things that they signifie as the sign and the thing signified as therefore the Lord is expresse in the elements and Rites of the Supper of the Lord because all of them Bread Wine taking eating breaking pouring out the Wine drinking are teaching and edifying signes and our Lord never left it to the wisdom of men to devise signes to teach themselves so in like manner should the Lord expresly specifie all the teaching and signifying signes in the Old Testament and as Moses might devise none of his own but was tyed to follow the patern which the Lord himself shewed to him in the Mount So are we now under the New Testament tyed to the patern of that same will revealed in the Word and it is laid on us Not to be wise above that which was written and it is of perpetuall equity The supream Law-giver never left it to the wisdom of Angels or Men or Prophet Apostle or Church to serve and Worship God as they thought good But he himself particularly prescribed the way signes and means And because God hath not been pleased in the New Testament to specifie types of Christ incarnate and come in the flesh already therefore are we obliged in Conscience to believe and practise no more either in Doctrinals or teaching types or Positives of Church-Policy then our Patern in the Mount the Scripture hath warranted to us to be the will of God and in this and this only standeth the force of the present Argument unanswered by paterns of unwritten Traditions and not in these loose consequences that we under the New Testament should have these types and Policy that the Church of the Iews had which is the Doctrine of Papists and Formalists following them not ours for they prove their Pope and Prelat from the Iewish High Priest their Surplice from the linnen Ephod of Jewish Priests their Humane Holidayes from the Iewish dayes their kneeling to bread from their bowing toward the Ark. 6. It is not true that the Tabernacle and Temple were meer corporall things no more then bread and wine in their spirituall relation are meer corporall things The Lords end use and intent in the Tabernacle and Temple was that they should be to the people Images and shadows of heavenly and spirituall things Heb. 8. 5. Heb. 10. 1. 7. That all the things of the Tabernacle were delivered to Moses as a King and not as a Prophet and writer of Canonick Scripture Heb. 3. 5. Heb. 8. Luk. 24. 44. 27. Luk. 16. 31. is an untruth except Formalists make the King so the head of the Church in prescribing Laws for the Policy thereof as they make him a Canonick writer as were David Moses Solomon from whose example they would prove the King to be the head of the Church But I judge Moses saw the patern in the Mount and God face to face as a Prophet whose words are Scripture to us Deut. 34. 10. And there arose not a Prophet since in Israel like unto Moses whom the Lord knevv face to face And as a Prophet not as a King his face did shine Exod. 34 27 28 29. And he was commanded as a Prophet to write the Law not as a King Numb 12. 6. 7. Moses is made the most eminent Prophet that was in the Old Testament And why Because God spake to other Prophets by Dreams and Visions But he spake the Law and written Scripture to Moses mouth to mouth This should not be a comparison between Prophet and Prophet but between Prophet and King by this learning 8. We judge Noahs Ark doth prove the same it being a speciall type of the Church 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. And he built it by Faith Heb. 11. 7. And so by a Word of God and at Gods speciall direction in all the length bredth formes of it and not of his own head Gen. 6. 14 15 c. And is commended by the spirit of God for so doing Gen. 6. 22. Thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him so did he And Formalists should deserve the like Testimony if it could be said of them And as the Lord commanded the
the Church of the Jews never took on them to command the observation of these forgeries under the pain of Church-censures as Papists and prelats did their Crossing and their Surplice Hooker saith A Question it is whither containing in Scripture do import expresse setting down in plain terms or else comprehending in such sort that by reason we may thence conclude all things which are necessary to salvation The Faith of the Trinity the Co-eternity of the Son with the Father are not the former way in Scripture for the other let us not think that as long as the World doth indure the wit of man shall be able to sound to the bottom of that which may be concluded out of Scripture Traditions we do not reject because they are not in Scripture but because they are neither in Scripture nor can otherwise sufficiently by any reason be proved to be of God That which is of God and may be evidently proved to be so we deny not but it hath in its kinde although unwritten yet the self same force and authority with the Written Laws of God Such as are alterable Rites and Cystomes for being Apostolicall it is not the manner of delivering them to the Church but the Author from whom they proceed which gave them their force and credit Ans 1. The consequences of Scriptures are doublesse many and more then are known to us and the particulars of that Government that we contend for are in Scripture that is there should be no Government but what is either expresly in Scripture or may be made our by just consequence we believe if they cannot be proved from Scripture let them fall as mens hay and stubble But in the mean time these are two different questions Whither there be an immutable Platform of Discipline in the Word Or whither ours be the only Platform and no other If we carry the first Ceremonies must fall And certainly in all reason we are on the surest side If we cannot observe all that is written it is not like that God hath laid upon us unwritten burdens 2. Hooker doth not reject all the Popish Traditions as our Divines Reformed do because they are not warranted by the Word so that if the Images of God and Christ and the Worshipping of them and Purgatory and the Supremacy of the Pope can be proved to be of God though they be no more in Scripture then Crossing and Surplice then would he receive all these as Having the self same force and authority with the Written Laws Now we know no other weightier Argument to prove there 's no Purgatory but because the scripture speaketh of Heaven and Hell and is silent of Purgatory 2. That naturall reason can warrant a positive instituted Worship such as Surplice betokening Pastorall Holinesse without any Scripture is a great untruth for naturall reason may warrant new Sacraments as well as new Sacramentals 3. If Traditions have their force and credit from God not from the manner of delivering them that is from being contained in scripture or not contained in it then certainly they must be of the same Divine necessity with scripture For whither Christ Command that the Baereans believe in the Messiah by the Vocall Preaching of Paul or by the written scriptures of the Prophets and Apostles it is all one it is the same word and coming from Christ must be of the same Divine authority But this is to beg the question for that we are to believe no unwritten tradition because it is unwritten to have the self same force and authority with the Written Laws of God For Lorinus Cornelius a Lapide Com. in 4. Deuter. Estius Com. in 2. Thes 2. 15. Bellarmine Tannerus Malderus Becanus say Whither the Lord deliver his minde to us in his Written Scripture or by Tradition it is still the Word of God and hath authority from God But the truth is to us it is not the Word of God if it be not a part of the Counsel of God written in Moses or the Prophets and Apostles for though the Word have authority only from God not from the Church nor from men or the manner of delivering of it by word or writ yet we with the Fathers and Protestant Divines and evidence of scripture stand to that of Basilius Homil. 29. Advers câ—lâ—mnianâ—es S. Trinit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Believe what are written vvhat are not vvritten â—eek not after And so seek not after Surâ—lice Crossiâ—g and the like And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every word and so this That Crossing Surplice are Religious signes of spirituall duties and every thing or action must be made good by the Testimony of the heavenly inspired Scripture these things that are good and so Religiously decent and significant may be fully confirmed and these that are evil corfounded And to us for our Faith and practise if it be not Law and Testimony it is darknesse and not light And as Gregor Nyssen the Brother of Basyl saith Dialog de anim et Resurrect tom 2. ed. Grecolaâ— pag. 639. Edit Greâ— pag. 325. That only must be acknowledged for truth in which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seal of the Scriptures Testimony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And how shall it be true to us iâ— Scripture say it not Or how shall it appear to us to be from God For Cyril Alexandrin saith What the holy Scripture saith not such as are your Positives of mens devising how shall we receive it and account it amongst things that are true And it is not that which Hereticks of old said for their Heresies to say â—s Hooker doth that any thing may be proved to be of God which is not written in Scripture For saith Hieronimus in Hag. c. 1. Sed alia quae absque authoritate testimoniis Scripturarum quasi Traditione Apostolica sponte reperiunt atque confingunt percutit Gladius dei The Scripture doth bar the door upon Hereticks saith Chrysostome And he is a Theef that taketh another unlawfull way then the Scripture And by what Argument can reason without Scripture prove that Crosse and Suplice are of God But by that same reason Papists without Scripture can and may prove their Traditions to be of God And if we admit reason and exclude Scripture it is as easie to prove their Traditions as our Positive additions to Worship And what Answers Papists give for their Traditions to â—lude the power of Scripture and evidence of Testimonies of fathers all these same are given by Prelats for their additions to say nothing that Hooker asserteth unwritten Traditions to be Gods Word and in the very stile of the Councel of Trent we are to acknowledge Traditions though unwritten yet to have the self same authority and force with the Written Laws of God And shal the Surplice and Crosse and such stuffe be of the self same force and authority with the Evangel according to Luke and John
as God that they intended to worship not the work of mens hands as such Papists believe that the Image is not God and yet give the highest worship that is to them 4. Bellarmine saith with us when he saith They saw a Calf in Aegypt and Adored it they believed Jehovah himself to be a Calf therefore they made the image of a Calf and Dedicated it to Jehovah But I Answer That Image so Dedicated they worshipped as Iehovah and called the very materiall Calf Iehovah and Dedicated it to the Honour of Iehovah therefore they believed the Lord Iehovah and the Calf Dedicated to his Honour which Calf also they worshipped to be two divers things as the Image and the thing signified are Relata and opposite Ergo they believed not that that Image which Aaron had made was Iehovah essentially therefore in setting up that Image they worshipped it not as a creature All the Prophets saith he proveth that the Idols are not gods because they speak not they neither see nor hear Isa 46. Psal 113. But say some Papists there was no question if they did see and hear by way of naked representation because they represented gods and men in shape who see and hear Ans first If all granted they were living things which did hear and see by representation the Prophets did well to prove they should not be trusted in nor feared as Images nor should that Godhead within them inclosed be feared because it cannot speak with the mouth nor see nor hear nor walk with their eyes eares and feet and so it was a vain thing to make it a representation of God who by serving these dead things did help them But the Prophets strongly prove these Images and the supposed Godheads in them were dumbe deafe blinde and dead and therefore neither sign nor supposed deity represented by the sign was to be Adored Also Isa 40. 18. To whom then will ye liken God Or what likenesse will ye compare unto him 19. The Workman melteth a graven Image and the Goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold c. Isa 46. 5 6. To whom will ye liken me and make me equall and compare me that we may be alike 9. I am God and there is none else I am God and there is none like me Then it is more then clear that they made a likenesse a comparison and a similitude betwixt the golden Image and Iehovah Ergo they believed not that the Image was essentially God for every thing like to another must be divers from that to which it is like they being relatives and opposites the one cannot be essentially the other and he proveth they are not God by representation Isa 46. They cannot move out of their places except they be born upon Asses or mens shoulders And this is the Holy Ghosts Argument I am God Ergo there is none like me by representation to be worshipped All assimilation or comparative likenesse made by man betwixt Iehovah and God is an Idolatrous assimilation yea the Lords Argument Isa 46. is this every thing made like unto me before which ye fall down to worship as a memorative Image of me must be a living thing at least that can move out of his place and answer your cry when ye pray and save you out of trouble ver 7. Isa 46. And yet it is but a likenesse of God ver 6. Now I Assume but the Papists Image and the Formalists Sacramentall elements before which they Religiously kneel cannot move out of their place nor answer the Prayers of those who bow to them nor save them out of trouble Ergo they cannot be Adored as Images with Religious bowing nor can they say the Images or Sacramentall elements can teach and represent God I Answer So did the Iewish Images represent God and yet God convinceth them of Idolatry Isa 40. 18. Isa 46. 6 7. Ier. 10. They were but Doctrines of Vanity and Lyes and Hab. 2 19. Woe be to him who saith to the Wood Awake and to the dumbe stone Arise it shall teach And though the Sacramentall elements be lawfull teaching and representing signes as being the Ordinances of Christ Jesus yet the office of teaching cannot elevate and extoll them to the state of Religious worship because though the elements be lawfull Images and in this they differ from Iewish and Popish Images yet that which is Adored must be such as can hear Prayers Isa 46. 7. though it be the Image of God But the Sacramentall elements are not such as can hear Prayer c. Also that the Adoring of Images is not forbidden by a Ceremoniall Law only is clear 1. By Gods Argument Isa 40. 18. To whom will ye liken me That is no created thing can represent God which is of mans devising for the elements of Gods institution do represent Christ and Isa 46. 9. I am God and there is none beside me Ergo no invention of man can represent me This Argument is taken from Gods nature and therefore is of perpetuall verity 2. The Apostle Paul in the New-Testament repeateth this same Argument Act. 17. to the heathen Athenians who were tyed by no Ceremoniall Law of God ver 29. We ought not to think that the God-head is like unto Gold You see these people are challenged of Idolatry who did but erect an Altar to the golden likenesse and Image of God and yet they did not worship that golden Image as such but they worshipped in and by the Image v. 23 24. The God preached by Paul who made the world Hear what Suarez Bellarmine and Papists say It is not Lawfull to represent God by a proper and formall similitude which representeth his essence but it is Lawfull to represent him by Images Analogically signifying such a forme or shape in the which he appeared in Scripture according to these metaphors and mysticall significations that are given to him in Gods word Ans 1. Why should not unwritten Traditions which to Papists are Gods word expresse to us Gods nature in Images no lesse then the written word 2. The Heathen did represent God by the Image of a man with eyes nose tongue ears head hands feet heart understanding all which are given to God in Scripture yet were they Idolaters in so doing because God saith Isa 46. 9. I am God and there is none like to me 3. If we may portraict God according to all metaphors given unto him in Scripture then ye may Portraict him in the shape of a Lyon a Leopard a Bear a Man full of wine a Theef stealing in the night an unjust Iudge a Gyant a man of War on horse-back c. All which were folly and we might worship a Lyon a Bear an unjust Iudge a theef stealing in the night a man mad with the spirit of jealousie 4. The Essence and specifick nature of nothing in Heaven and earth can be portraicted or painted no more then Gods essence all painted things are but such and such things
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
Papists as Vasquez Becanus and others say that neither the Pope nor the Church can adde or devise a new Article of Faith Yet doth Horantius Loco Catholice l. 2. c. 11. fol. 129. teach That Christ hath not taught us all fully in the New Testament but that the holy spirit shall to the end of the world teach other new things as occasion shall require And this he bringeth as an Argument to prove that there must be unwritten Traditions not contained in Scripture even as the Formalists contend for unwritten Positives of Church-Policie 3. Morals of the Law of nature and the Morall Law do more respect occasions of Providence customes Laws and the manners of people they doing so nearly concerne our Morall practise then any Ceremonies of Moses his Law which did shadow out Christ to us and therefore this reason shall prove the just contrary of that for which its alledged for the Morall Law should be rather alterable at the Churches lust then Ceremonials for there be far more occurrences of Providence in regard of which the Laws Morall touching what is Sabbath breaking whether is leading an Ox to the water on the Sabbath a breach of the Sabbath the Jews held the affirmative Christ the negative touching obedience to Superiors Homicide Polygamie Incest Fornication Oppression Lying Equivocating Then there can be occasions to change the Law of sacrificing which clearly did adumbrat Christ who was to be offered as a sacrifice for the sins of the world yea all significant Symbolicall Ceremonies have their spirituall signification independent from all occasions of Providence and depending on the meer will of the Instituter Surplice or white linnen signifieth the Priests holinesse without any regard to time place or nationall customes for Christ might have made an immutable Law touching the Symbolicall and Religious signification and use of Saints-dayes white linnen Crossing and all the rest of humane Ceremonies which should stand to Christs second coming notwithstanding of any occurrences of Providence no lesse then he made an immutable Law touching the Sacramentall obsignation of water in Baptisme and of Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper if it had not been his will never to burden his Churches with such dumb and tooth-lesse mysteries as humane positives 4. The assumption is false for divers Ceremoniall Laws now altered were made without any regard to occasions of Providence and many Doctrinals that are unalterable were made with speciall regard to such occurrences 5. If positives of Policy be alterable because the occasions of such are alterable by God it shall follow that God who hath all revolutions of Providence in his hand must change these Positives and not the Authority of the Church and thus Doctrinals are alterable by God not by men which is now our question for Christ hath given a Commandment Take ye Eat ye Drink ye all of this Yet hath he not tyed us in the time of persecution to conveen in publick and Celebrate the Lords Supper but the Church doth not then change the Law nor liberate us from obedience to a Command given by God but God liberateth us himself Hooker But that which most of all maketh to the clearing of this point is that the Iews who had Laws so particularly determining and so fully instructing them in all affairs what to do were not withstanding continually inured with causes exorbitant and such as their Laws had not provided for and so for one thing which we have left to the order of the Church they had twenty which were undecided by the expresse word of God so that by this reason if we may devise one Law they may devise twenty Before the Fact of the sons of Shelomith there was no Law that did appoint any punishment for blasphemers nor what should be done to the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath And by this means God instructed them in all things from heaven what to do Shall we against experience think that God must keep the same or a course by Analogy answering thereunto with us as with them Or should we not rather admire the various and harmonious dissimilitude of Gods wayes in guiding his Church from age to age Others would not only have the Church of the Iews a pattern to us but they would as learned Master Prynne with them saith take out of our hand the Apostolick Church that it should be no rule to us for saith he There was no Vniforme Church-government in the Apostles times at the first they had only Apostles and Brethren Acts 1. 13. no Elders or Deacons Their Churches increasing they ordained Dâ—acons Act. 6. And long after the Apostles ordained Elders in every Church after that widowes in some Churches not at all In the primitive times some Congregations had Apostles Acts 4. 11 12. 1 Cor. 12. 4. to 33. Evangelists Prophets workers of miracles Healers c. Other Churches at that time had none of these Officers or Members and all Churches have been deprived of them since those dayes Ans 1. What Hooker saith is that which Bellarmine Sanderus Horantius and all Popists say for their Traditions against the perfection of the word to wit that the word of God for 2373. years between Adam and Moses saith Horantius was not written so Turrianus Bellarmine and the reason is just nothing to say the Jews might devise twenty Laws where we may devise one because the Jews were continually inured with causes exorbitant such as their written Laws had not provided for This must be said which is in question and so is a begging of the controversie that the Iews of their own head and Moses without any speciall word from God or without any pattern shown in the mount might devise what Laws they pleased and might punish the blasphemer and the man that gathered stâ—cks on the Sabbath and determine without God the matter of the Daughters oâ— Zelophehad as the Formalists teach that the Church without any word of God or pattern from the word may devise humane Ceremonial Prelats Officers of Gods house shapen in a shop on earth in the Antichrists head and the Kings Court the Surplice the Crosse in Baptisme and the like Now we answer both them and Papists with one answer that it is true there was no written Scripture between Adam and Moses which was some thousands of years Yea nor a long time after till God wrote the Law on Mount Sinai But withall what God spake in visions dreams and apparitions to the Patriarchs was as binding and obliging a pattern interditing men then to adde the visions of their own brain to what he spake from heaven as the written word is to us so that the Iews might neither devise twenty Laws nor any one of their own head without expresse warrant of Gods immediate Tradition which was the same very will and truth of God which Moses committed to writing if then Formalists will assure us of that which Papists could never assure us we shall
But what wonder For Hooker holdeth that we have no other way to know the scripture to be the Word of God but by Tradition which Popish Assertion holden by him and Chillingworth to me is to make the Traditions of men the object of our Faith Hooker About things easie and manifest to all men by Common sense there needeth no higher Consultation because a man whose wisdom is for weighty affairs admired would take it in some disdain to have his Counsel solemnly asked about a toy so the meannesse of some things is such that to search the Scriptures of God for the ordering of them were to derogate from the Reverend Authority of the Scripture no lesse then they do by whom Scriptures are in ordinary talking very idely applied unto vain and Childish trifles Ans 1. It is a vain comparison to resemble God to an earthly wise man in this for a King of Kings such as Artaxerxes if he were building a stately Palace for his Honour and Magnificence would commit the drawing of it the frame the small pins rings bowles to the wisdom of a Master of work skilled in the Mathematicks and not trouble his own Princely head with every small pin but this is because he is a man and cometh short of the wisdom skill and learning of his servants 2. Because how his Honour and Magnificence be declared in every small pin of that Palace is a businesse that taketh not much up the thoughts of a stately Prince The contrary of both these are true in the Lord our God his wisdom is above the wisdom of Moses and Moses cannot frame a Tabernacle or a Temple for Gods Honour in the least pin or sâ—uffer with such wisdom as the only wise God can do 2. The Lord is more jealous and tender of his own Honour in the meanes and smallest way of Illustrating of it Yea in the smallest Pin then earthly Princes are for earthly Princes may Communicate with their inferiours the glory of curious works set forth as speaking monuments of their honour the Lord who will not give his glory to another never did communicate the glory of devising worship or the Religious means of worshipping and honouring his glorious Majesty to men 2. God hath thus â—ar condiscended in his wisdom to speak particularly in written Oracles of every Pin Ring tittle Officer of his house of every Signe Sacrament Sacramentall never so mean and small Ergo It is no derogation from the dignity of Scripture to have a mouth to aske counsell where God hath opened his mouth to give Counsell in written Oracles 3. There is nothing positive in Gods worship so small as that we may dare to take on us to devise it of our own head 4. Hooker contradicteth himself he said the Ceremonies have their authority from God and though unwritten have the self same force and authority with the written Laws of God pag. 44. Here he will have the unwritten positives so small and far inferiour to written Scripture that to aske for scripture to warrant such small toys is to derogate from the reverend Authority and Dignity of the Scripture so Ceremonies pag. 46. are but Toyes unworthy to be written with Scripture but p. 44. They have the self same force and authority with written Scripture Hooker It is unpossible to be proved that only the Schoole of Christ in his word is able to resolve us what is good and evil for what if it were true concerning things indifferent that unlesse the word of the Lord had determined of the free use of them there could have been no Lawfull use of them at all which notwithstanding is untrue because it is not the Scriptures setting down things indifferent but their not setting them down as necessary that doth make them to be indifferent Ans Then because the scripâ—ure hath not forbidden the killing of our children to God as a â—alse worship against the second Commandment but only as an act of Homicide against the sixth Commandment and hath not forbidden all the Jewish Ceremonies so they have a new signification to point forth Christ already come in the flesh these must all be indifferent For let Formalists give me a Scripture to prove that Circumcision killing of Children sacrificing of Beasts are any wayes forbidden in this notion but in that they are not commanded or set down in the word as not necessary 2. Such Divinity I have not read That only the Schoole of Christ is not able to resolve us what is good and evil I mean Morally good and evil For Hooker pag. 54. Book 2. saith The controversie would end in which we contend that all our actions are ruled by the word If 1. we would keep our selves vvithin the compasse of morall actions actions which have in them vice or vertue 2. If we vvould not exact at their hands for every action the knowledge of some place of Scripture out of vvhich vve must stand bound to deduce it Then it is like the School of Christ the word can and doth teach us what is a Morall action good or ill an action in vvhich there is vertue or vice and to me it is a wonder that the Old and New Testament which containeth an exact systeme and body of all Morals whither naturall or Civill or supernaturall should not be the only rule of all Morals Now I finde that Mr. Hooker saith two things to this 1. That Scripture doth regulate all our Morall actions but not scripture only for the Lavv of nature and the most concealed instincts of nature and other principles may vvarrant our actions We move saith he we sleep vve take the Cup at the hand of our friend a number of things vve often do only to satisfie some naturall desire vvithout present expresse and actuall reference to any Commandment of God unto his glory even these things are done vvhich vve naturally perform and not only that vvhich naturally and spiritually vve do for by every effect proceeding from the most concealed instincts of nature his povver is made manifest But it doth not therefore follovv that of necessity we shall sin unlesse vve expresly intend the glory of God in every such particular Ans I speak of these more distinctly hereafter here I answer that as there be some actions in man purely and spiritually but supernaturally morall as to believe in Christ for Remission of sins to love God in Christ These the Gospel doth regulate 2. There be some actions naturally morall in the substance of the act as many things commanded and forbidden in the Morall Law and these are to be regulated by the Law of nature and the Morall Law 3. There be some actions mixed as such actions in which nature or concealed instincts of nature are the chief principles yet in and about these actions as in their modification of time place and manner and measure there is a speciall morality in regard of which they are to be ruled by the word
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
things of God Leviticus 10. 10. The Priests were not to drink wine when they went into the Tabernacle That ye may saith the Lord put difference between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean Now Haggai expresly saith cap. 2. 11 12. That it was the Priests part to put this difference and so to admit to or exclude from the holy things of God Hence for this cause it is said as 2 Chron. 23. 19. Iehoiada appointed the officers of the Lords house so he set porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none which are unclean in any thing might enter in so Ezra 9. 21 22. None did eat the Passeover but such as were pure and had separated themselves from the filthinesse of the Heathen of the land for this cause doth the Lord complain of the Priests Ezech. 22. 26. Her Priests have violated my law and have polluted my holy things they have put no difference between the holy and the prophane neither have they shewed the difference between the unclean and the clean Ezech. 44. 6. And thou shalt say to the Rebellious even to the house of Israel thus saith the Lord God O ye house of Israel let it suffice you of all your abominations 7. That ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh to be in my sanctuary to pollute it even my house when ye offered my bread the fat and the blood and they have broken my Covenant because of all your abominations 8. And ye have not kept the charge of my holy things But ye have set keepers of my Charge in my Sanctuary for your selves 9. Thus saith the Lord God no stranger uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh shall enter into my sanctuary of any stranger that is among the children of Israel Here is a complaint that those that have the charge of the holy things should suffer the holy things to be polluted I grant it cannot bear this sense that none should be admitted to be Members of the Visible Church under the New Testament but such as are conceived to be regenerate except it can be proved that the Sanctuary was a type of the visible Church 2. That the Apostles constituted their Churches thus but we read not in all the New Testament of any admission of Church Members at all but only of baptizing of those who were willing to be baptized and from this resulted the capacity of a Church Relation in all Churches visible Nor 2. Do we finde any shadow in all the word of God of tryall of Church Members by way of electing and choosing of such and such as qualified by reason of a conceived regeneration in the persons chosen or of rejecting and refusing others as conceived to have no inward work of grace in them this I believe can never be made good out of the word of God 3. They must prove the Apostles admitted into the Sanctuary of the Visible Church Ananias Saphira Simon Magus and others uncircumcised in heart to pollute the holy things of God and that the Apostles erred and were deceived in the moulding of the first Apostolick Church in the world which was to be a rule and pattern to all Churches in the New Testament to all Ages I deny not but they might have erred according to the grounds of these who urge the comparison for a Church of visible Saints but that the Apostles De facto did erre in their Election and judgement in that wherein the holy Ghost holdeth them forth and their acts to be our rule and pattern I utterly deny I grant Act. 15. In that Synod they did Act as men and Elders not as Apostles but that it could fall out that they should uctually erre and obtrude false Doctrine instead of truth to the Churches in that Synod which is the first rule and pattern of Synods I shall not believe But there is this Morall and perpetuall truth in these Scriptures 1. That there are under the New Testament some over the people of God in the Lord some that watch for their souls and govern them as here there were Priests Levites that taught and governed the people 2. That the Rulers of the Churches alwayes are to have the charge of the holy things and to see that these holy things the Seals and Sacraments and word of promise be not polluted and that therefore they have power given them to debar such and such profane from the Seals and so are to discern between the clean and the unclean and this which the Prophet speaketh ver 9. is a prophecie never fulfilled after this in the persons of the people of God therefore it must have its spirituall truth fulfilled under the New Testament as is clear ver 11. Yet the Levites that are gone away far from me shall be Ministers in my Sanctuarie having charge at the gates of the House and Ministering to the House 14. And I will make them keepers of the charge of the House for all the service thereof and for all that shall be done therein Ver. 15. And the Priests and the Levites the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of my Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me they shall enter into my Sanctuary and they shall come neer to my Table to minister unto me and to keep my charge 23. And they shall teach my people the difference betweene the holy and prophane and cause men to discerne between the uncleane and the cleane 24. And in controversie they shall stand in judgement and they shall judge it according to my judgement and they shall keepe my Lawes and my Statutes in all mine assemblies and they shall hallow my Sabbaths Now this Temple was another house then Solomons Temple as is evident out of the Text it having roomes dimensions structures so different that none can imagine them one house and these chapters containe the division of the Holy Land which after the captivity was never done for the ten Tribes never returned and this Temple is clearely a type of the new Ierusalem and agreeth to that City spoken of Revelation chapters 21. and 22. As may appeare especially by the foure last chapters of Ezekiel and in the last words of the last chapter And the name of the city from that day shall be The Lord is there And the Priests after the captivity as well as before brake the covenant of Levi Mal. 2. And therefore I see it not fulfilled except in the visible Church of the New Testament and in the Assemblies of Christian Churches Mat. 18. Act. 15. and the rest of the Church-assemblies under the New Testament As for the Lords personall raigne on earth it is acknowledged there shall be no Church policy in it no Word Sacraments Ordinances no Temple as they say from Rev. 21. 22. And with correction and submission the Priests and Levites that Ezek. 44. 15. are said to keep the charge of the Lords
House when others went astray I take to be a prophecie of these Pastors under the New Testament to wit the Apostles of Iesus Christ and Pastors and teachers that Christ left in his Church for the edifying of his body Ephes 4. 11. 12. When these Scribes and Pharises did sit in Moses his chaire for a while Mat. 23. but onely as porters and inferiour Officers in Gods house yet they were to be heard while God should cut them off as he prophecied Zach. 11. 8. We cannot say as some doe that persons were deprived amongst the Iewes of Church communion in the holy things of God because of Ceremoniall not of Morall uncleannes but now under the new Testament only Morall uncleannes can exclude persons from the holy things of God and therefore to argue from ceremoniall uncleannes in the old to morall uncleannesse in the new is no good consequence I answer the Ceremoniall uncleannesse in the Old which did exclude from the holy things of God doth strongly conclude that morall uncleannesse under the New Testament doth exclude from the holy things of God if that exclusion of the Leaper out of the campe seven dayes and the touching of the dead though imprudently did typifie some other exclusion from the holy things of God as no question it did then the consequence must be strong 2. It is also false that morall uncleannesse did not exclude from the holy things of God under the Old Testament For 1. what was more ordinary then that sacrifices should be offered for sins of ignorance for trespasâ—es and while this was done the person was not admitted to partake of the holy things of God 2. Whence was the Lords frequent complaints of wearying his soule with sacrifices solemne assemblies feast dayes and new Moones when they were morally uncleane and their hands were full of blood and they had not put away the evill of their doings did not love judgement and justice Isaiah 10. 11 12 13 16 17 18 19. And when God complaineth so of them Ier. 7. 8. Will ye steale murther and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense unto Baal and walke after other Gods whom ye know not 10. And come and stand before me in this house which is called by my Name Ergo Murtherers and adulterers were debarred from entring into the Congregation of the Lord and partaking of the holy things of God while they repented Let none say by prophecying or the keyes of knowledge in preaching the Word they were declared unworthy to enter into the Temple but that will not conclude that it was the Priests office by power of discipline to exclude them from coming unto the Sanctuary of God Ans But if the Porters were set at doores of the Lords house to hold out the uncleane and if the Lord charge the Priests with this crime that they Ezek. 44. 8. set keepers of the charge of the Lords house for themselves that is for their owne carnall ends and not for the honour of the Lord And that ver 7. They brought into the Sanctuary of the Lords house uncircumcised in heart that is such as were morally uncleane then had the Priests a power to debarre from the Sanctuary such as were morally uncleane and if the Priests are said to beare rule by their meanes Ier. 5. 31. Then the Priests did beare rule and governe though they abused their Power and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to have dominion over any Psal 72. 8. Psal 110. 2. 1 Kin. 4. 24. Levit. 26. 17. And the Scripture gives a power of judging and governing to the Priests And 2 Chron. 30. 6 7. The Posts that Hezekiah and the Congregation of Israel sent through the Land commandeth a morall preparation to those that were to keepe the Lords Passeover to wit that they should turne againe unto the Lord God of Abraham and should not be like their Fathers nor like their Brethren that trespassed against the Lord God of their Fathers And ver 11. divers of Ashur and Manasseh and Zebulun humblid themselvs and came to Ierusalem to keepe the feast of the Passeover This proveth clearly that people under the Old Testament were no lesse to try and examine themselves by the King and Priests commandment carried to them by Postes before they should eate the Passeover then they are to try themselves before they eate and drinke at the Lords Supper onely the adversaries say the Priests by preaching were to debarre from the Passeover those who were morally unclean but not to debarre those who were morally uncleane so they were not typically and ceremonially unclean by any power of Discipline or by Porters set at the gates to keepe them out of the Sanctuary But I answer 1. How are the Priests Ezek. 22. 26. reproved for violating the Law of God and prophaning his holy things in that they put no difference between the holy and prophane the clean and the unclean Surely the Priests prophaned in the highest way the holy things of God in admitting into the Sanctuary those who were not onely ceremonially but morally uncleane as murtherers adulterers Who cryed the temple of the Lord Ier. 7. And they put no difference betweene the Holy and Prophane when they admitted to the holy things of God and into the Sanctuary the uncircumcised in heart for they doe more pollute the holy things of God who partake of them being morally uncleane and uncircumcised in heart then those who are onely uncircumcised in flesh Object But the Church under the New Testament can no other way but morally and by preaching as it would seeme onely debarre scandalous persons from the Seales and Prayers of the Church for should a scandalous person or an excommunicate person obtrude himselfe on the Lords Supper against the will and sentence of the Church the Church cannot use any bodily violence to hinder such prophane intrusion upon the holy things of God because the Churches weapons are not carnall but spirituall bodily violence can be no spirituall weapon that the Church as the Church can use so do the Remonstrant Arminians argue and some other for the congregationall way Ans This Argument is against all Church-censures but though the Church as the Church cannot hinder scandalous intruders upon the holy things of God by bodily violence it doth not follow Ergo The Church can keep the holy things pure no way but morally that is by preaching only for we can give a third way The rebukes admonitions and Excommunication or delivering to Satan are all transacted without any bodily and externnll violence Christs Kingdom resigneth all such carnall weapons to the Magistrate who is the only Governour of the Church of Christ as the Opponents say All Church Censures are by way of Declaration applied to such men by name and there co-action though penall is not by bodily violence but by acting upon the conscience of men and putting them to shame Hence 2. We argue if beside
of God a matter of laughter to men 2. Where as Hooker would have God to forbid not the same Ceremonies Materially or an utter dis-similitude but the same Ceremonies of the Heathen with the signification which the Heathen did put on them contrary to Scripture as upon the cutting of their flesh they did impose this signification that they should sorrow for the dead as those that have no hope 1 Thess 3. we see then 1. all the Ceremonies of the Heathen as the cutting of the flesh the killing of their Children to Molech So they be formallized and charactered with a signification according to the word of God shall be lawfull Put then Scripturall and lawfull significations either of faith in Christ already incarnate or of Christian conversation as of moderate mourning for the dead such as was in Abraham who mourned for Sarahs death and in our Lord Jesus who wept for the death of Lazarus And so the Sacrificing of Bullocks Sheep Rams yea Circâ—â—cising and Sacrificing of children to Molech shall not be condemned as a complyance and Symbolizing with the Jewes and Idolaters Nor can any say that shedding of blood to God and killing of men must be now forbidden I answered before shedding of blood with this Scripturall and lawfull signification and as an indifferent means of the worshiping of God is no other way forbidden in the first 7. blâ— then because it is not commanded in Scripture But this is no forbiding at all of worship or of new positive meanes of worship So you 1. make it not a part of the word of God and necessarie worship 2. So it be materially indifferent and be instamped with a lawfull and Scripturall signification as we suppose it to be 3. Nor doth the Word any where condemne killing of men as a worship except that iâ— commandeth it not as a worship which we say as it is a breach of the sixt Commandement it is forbidden as man-flaughter but not as unlawfull worship But then how will Morton and Burges justifie Circumcision which they say is lawfull yet so it have not a Jewish intention nor any necessitie or efficacie imposed on it it is a degree of murther and why may not upon the same ground cutting the flesh for the dead launcing of the body with knives the Popish selfescourging be lawfull Now the text signifieth no allowance at all of the rounding of the corners of the head and the cutting of the body and how shall Hooker prove that only heathenish and Pagan-rounding of the haire and cutting of the flesh as they betoken mourning in a hopelesse manner for the dead were forbidden 1 Thess 3. divers of the Pagans amongst whom is Phocillides and many others taught the resurrection of the dead They might then sow their land with divers seeds cut their flesh for the dead yea and observe times be dismayed at the signes of the heaven as the heathen And what ever the Pagans did in their worship they might doe so to the Lord their God and doe all the judgements ordinances and lawes of Egypt Canaan Turkie of Rome materially even to the falling downe before Bread sacrisicing of Beasts cutting of the haire c. 3. What Hooker meaneth by a dis-similitude with the heathen of set purpose is easily knowne Only in things wicked and unlawfull saith he or Idolatrous or against the law of God we are to be dislike to the heathen because it is said Yee shall doe my judgements for he expresly denyeth that there was any danger of infection by reason of nearnesse to the Egyptians and Canaanites in these indifferent things or that they were forbidden because the Pagans used them they were unlawfull though the Pagans bad ever used them Ans Tannerus the Jesuite saith tom 3. in 22. disp 9. de fide spe q. 6. dub 9. abstinendum est ab omni speciè male prâ—pter scandalum ratio quia scandalum tali casâ— oritur ex vi actionis ipsius non aliter fâ—râ— quam si mala esset then though the Nations heathenish rites were not ill yet being not necessarie to the Jewes and having appearance of ill in that they are Characters of the worship of strange Gods scandall must refâ—â—e from the using heathenish Ceremonies vi actionis from the nature of the using of them as if they were intrinâ—ecally ill 2. If it were no more but this they were so much the worse and more scandalous that beside that they are intrinsâ—cally evill yet they are the Statutes of Egypt and Canâ—aâ— and not the Statutes of the Lord. So either these words must bee idly set downe amongst whom yee dwels and to which the Lord bringeth you Or they must adde a degree of wickednesse to the sinnes that they were the sinnes of Egypt and of Canaan and so they are forbidden both as sinnes and also for the bare Similitude as the words imply for God will not only have them to walke in right judgements but also in his righteous judgements because â—aith hee I am the Lord and ye shall not doe after such and such a way because such are the doings and wayes of Egypt and Canaan Ergo Though all were intrinsecally evill that are forbidden of this kinde they partake also of a farther degree of morall evill in that Egypt Canaan and Idolatroâ—s Papiâ—â—â— doe these same things to their Idols Hooker addeth Wee must be unlike to Rome not only in Doctrine but in Ceremonies and Governâ—â—â—â— and especially Government not commanded in the Word for all is Papish though lawfull and agreeable to the word of God whatsoever Rome hâ—â— received without commandement of Gods word Ans Theâ—e is not required properly a conformitie in us with Rome in doctrinals as if Rome were our Rule nor is the word of God properly conforme to the Protestant religion but the Protestant religion must be conforme to the Word Whâ—â—nesse is not properly like to Snow or Milke but Milke or Snow are like to whitenesse Nor have we properly a 〈…〉 with Papists in doctrine they are not our patterne nor wee theirs 2. We do not plead for a Government in all things to be commanded in the Word but to be warranted by the Word either according to command or promise or morall practise foâ— the Scripture is our Rule but 1. not in miraculous things 2. Not in things temporarie as Communitie of Goods 3. Not in things Literally exponed as to cut off our hands and feet 4. Not in things of Art and Science as to speake Latine to demonstrate conclusions of Astronomie 5. It is not properly our Rule in Circumstances which are but naturall conveniences of time place and person and such like But it is our Rule 1. in fundamentalls of salvation 2. In all morals of both first and second table 3. In all institutions and wee conceive the Government of the Church to be a proper institution to wit it is a supernaturall ordinance or helpe above nature to guide the
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
out a corrupting and leavening incestuous man and this is all we seeke for Excommunication Erastus I never finde the name of the Passeover in the New Testament put for the Supper of the Lord. Ans We are not in such need of that interpretation as to put the name of the one for the other But let Erastus shew where he readeth that the thing to wit that the one Sacrament succeeded to the other and Beza may thence inferre his point if God would have no man to eat the Passeover with leavened bread and if eating of leavened bread and bread it selfe was to be put out of all the houses of Israel thereby signifying that incestuous and scandalous persons are to be cast out of the Church and so from the Sacraments let Erastus see what Beza hath said amisse here Erastus God would have the Iewes to eate the Passeover without leavened bread that they might remember of their wonderfull deliverance out of the hard bondage of Egypt and of the deliverance of their first borne Ans Reverend Beza saith thesetwo were by-past benefits remembred in that Sacrament But we have the Holy Ghost expounding that â—he putting away of leavened bread did typifie the purging out of the incestuous men and other scandalous persons out of the Church which is our point otherwise let Erastus shew us what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Masse and lumpe for it signifieth either one single man Or 2. The Masse and body of the visible Church of which the incestuous man was a Member or some third thing which Erastus and his followers must teach us Now the whole lumpe can neither signifie the incestuous man nor any other single member of the Church Not the incestuous man 1. He was not the whole lumpe in danger to be leavened for he was the leven then he was not the lump in danger to be leavened for the one is the agent infecting the other the patient infected The whole lumpe was the thing out of which the leaven was to be removed the terminus à quo the incestuous man was to be purged out therefore the leaven cannot signifie wickednesse in abstracto as Erastus saith but the wicked man in concreto for the leaven must signifie that which is cast out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of the midst of them v. 2. Now this was not incest but the man that had his fathers wife and had done that deed 2. Again the leaven was the person to be delivered to Satan that had a soul to be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus But wickednesse in abstracto is not delivered to Satan nor hath it a Spirit to be saved in the day of the Lord. 3. The leaven is such a one as is to be judged as is within the Church v. 12. and is called a brother with whom we are not to eat v. 11. now this cannot be said of wickednesse in abstracto But neither can the whole lumpe be one single man 1. One single man needed not the solemn conveening of the Church in the Name and power of the Lord Jesus for his personall purging for his personall purging is not a Church-act but an act of a mans daily conversation and Christian walking 2. The purging out and the casting out is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 2 out of the midst of them then there was a society to be purged Ergo not a single man onely Much more I said before which cannot but mist Erastus or any his followers except they expound this whole lump to be the body of the visible Church of Corinth 2. So Gal. 5. 9. he addeth v. 10. he that troubleth you the lump in danger to be leavened shall bear his judgement v. 12. I would they were cut off that trouble you Then the whole Churches of Galatia were the troubled lumpe so it must be here if this truth be so convincing out of the Text let any Erastian extricate himself if he can deny but here is a Church-lump a Church of Rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gathered together in the Name and power of the Lord Iesus that purgeth out of it selfe leaven not wickednesse in abstracto as I have demonstrated but a wicked man named a brother lest he leaven the whole Church to the end his Spirit may be saved Iudge reader if this be not name nature and thing of that which Erastians deny to wit of Excommunication I humbly provoke them to make good sense of the 1 Cor. 5. and shew me what is the wicked man 2. The casting out of the midst of you 3. The saving of his Spirit 4. The convened together court instructed with the Name and authority and power of Christ and if this be not a Church power efficacion and authoritative being steeled with the power of the Head of the Church 5. What is the leaven 6. What is the act of leavening 7. What is the whole lumpe 8. What is the purging out putting out and judging of the man 3. We know Erastus denieth any Church Government at all but some acts of punitive justice in the Magistrate But the Churches praying consenting that a scandalous person shall be delivered to Satan or some other waies punished by the Christian Magistrate are acts of Church government so proper to the Church as the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot exercise such Acts. Erastus Paul-delivered Hymeneus and Alexander the same way to Satan by miraculous killing of him and whereas it is said that they may learne not to blaspheme Judges speake so when they kill Murtherers and Theeves that he shall teach them to doe so no more by taking the head from them Ans That word of a judge killing a man for Murther Sirra I le teach you other manners then to kill can no waies be ascribed to Paul who doth not scoffe so at taking away mens lives Paul who wished to be separated from Christ for the contumacious Iewes and would not kill any by Satan since his rod and power was for edification 2 Cor. 10. 8. and that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord 1 Cor. 5. 5. he speaketh more gravely and lesse imperiously and without boasting and jeering in a matter of Salvation 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be instructed or disciplined not to blaspheme cannot be simply that they may blaspheme no more because killed by the Devill For 1. let Erastus in the Old or New Testament produce a parallel place for that Exposition where the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be instructed is ascribed to the dead but this is a common fault in all Erastus his expositions of Scripture that they want all ground in Scripture as let me put upon all the followers of Erastus to give a parallel to this Exposition of Mat. 18. Let him bee to thee that is to thee onely when Christ speaketh of a generall Rule of all that scandalizeth 2. Let him be as a
Heathen Give a place of Scripture for this 1. Let him be as such Heathen onely as acknowledge Cesar and his Deputies for lawfull Iudges 2. A parallel for this we seek Let him be as a Heathen that is convene him before an heathen Iudge 3. What Scripture expoundeth delivering to Satan for edification and not destruction 1 Cor. 5. to be a Magistraticall killing by the power of the Devill that others may feare 4. Put out purge out judge those only that are within are expounded by Erastus pray for a miraculous destruction by the devill as the lictor and hangman of the Apostle that none may be killed miraculously for enormous scandals no not such as Elimas the sorcerer who was never within the Church but those that are within And did the company of the Saints pray with the Saints that signes and wonders and so miraculous killing might be wrought not on any but on those that are within the visible Church not on the enemies and Iews haters of Christ and without the Christian Churches when the Apostles miraculously escaped out of their prisons Act. 4. 29 30. Act. 5. 19 20 21 22. Act. 12. 7 8 9. Act. 16. 25 26. 27 28 I might alledge many other such like interpretations of Erastus 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament signifieth to instruct and chastise the living never any such thing is ascribed to the dead Gal. 5. 22 30. Tit. 2. 20. Rev. 3. 19. Heb. 12. 10. Luk. 23. 16 22. 2. Cor 6 9. Act. 22. 3. Act. 7. 22. as they that are taught to sinne no more by being killed 6. Robert Stephan citeth in the margent 1 Cor. 5. 5. to expound it of excommunicating of Hymeneus and Alexander so doth Piscator so Calvin Beza Marlorat so Vatablus saith Quos ejeâ—i ex ecclesia et censui magis dignos esse ecclesia Satane quam Christi si non resipiscant 7. Beza De Presbyt p. 87. learnedly observeth that it is no Grammer for if the effect of learning not to blaspheme be suspended upon the miraculous killing of Alexander then he was first killed then learned not to blaspheme But so Paul could have said he was killed ut non blasphameret that he might not blaspheme not that he might learn not to blaspheme CHAP. XII Quest 8. The eschewing of company with the scandalous vindicated from Erastus his exceptions BEsides other arguments from Mat. 18. and 1 Cor. 5. for excommunication we argue thus Those upon whom the Church is to put such a publike note of shame or a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they are to withdraw from their company and not to eat and drink with them those are cast out of the Church and so cut off from the body of Christ and excommunicated But the Church is to put such a note of shame as to withdraw from the company of and not to eat with those that are named brethren and yet are fornicators covetous idolators extortioners railers 1 Cor. 5. 11. and cause divisions and offences contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel who serve not the Lord Jesus but their owne belly Rom. 16. 17 18 who walk disorderly are busie-bodies idle and obey not the Doctrine of the Apostles 2 Thes 3. 11 12 13 14 15 Ergo. The proposition I prove 1 Cor. 5. 11. he saith v. 9. I wrote to you in an Epistle not to keep company with fornicators the same word that in the abstract is spoken of the incestuous man v. 1. by which it is clear Paul had forbidden any company with such incestuous men Now he had not forbidden them to keep company with dead men if the man was to be miraculously killed Ergo it was his will before that such a one should be judged and put out else he could not so sharply rebuke them for not casting him out and if now only he had first taught and written to them to cast him out as if excommunication had been in this same very Chapter instituted by Paul and v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I have written unto you not to keep company with one named a brother who is a fornicator this must be in the same Chapter for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now I have written must be in relation to this v. 9. I wrote unto you in a Epistle before now if here at this present he wrote to them not to keep company with him it must be when he commandeth to cast him out v. 13. and to judge him v. 12. so that not to keep company with such fornicators must necessarily presuppose a casting out and that the fornicator with whom we are not to keep company in a familiar manner is a man cast out of the Church and so excommunicated 2. Paul would never forbid brotherly familiarity with any remaining a brother a member of the Church and of a body with us in visible profession of the truth as partakers of one body and blood of Christ as all the members of the Church eating at one Lords table are 1. Cor. 10. 16 17. 3. The Apostle saith such a fornicator is but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 named a brother and so in the esteem of the Church no brother and so not of the visible body of Christ 4. Paul bringeth in this as a reason why they should cast out the incestucus man v. 9. did not saith he I write to you before and do I not now write v. 11. even now that you are not to kâ—ep intimate familiarity with such titular brethren who are brethren in name only Therefore put out from amongst you this man v. 13. the Apostles argument to infer they ought to judge and put such a man out of the Church because they are not to eat with him were of no weight if this â—schewing of familiarity with one who is a brother only in name did not infer the Churches casting of him ouâ— Erastus it is false that Paul forbiddeth to eat with him who is cast out for he forbiddeth not eating with a dead man Ans This is to beg the question Erastus should teach us how Pauls argument cohereth for the text saith he must be cast out why you must not eat with him then he supposeth he must be a living man for Paul needed not fear they would eat with dead men nor can this be Pauls consequence you are not to eat with the incestuous Ergo he must be delivered to Sathan that he may be miraculously killed for that is a false consequence for then all covetous persons all drunkards all idolators all extortioners should have been killed by Paul because with none of these we are to eat Erastus It is false that Paul forbiddeth as to eat meat with such Yea in no place he forbiddeth to eat with heathen but elsewhere granteth it to be lawfull and in this Chapter he permitteth private commerce with them Ans 1. Let the reader judge whether Erastus resuteth Paul or Beza Paul forbiddeth to eat with a