Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	aaron_n	apostle_n	power_n	33	3	4.4642	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A95843	The supreme povver of Christian states vindicated against the insolent pretences of Guillielmus Apollonii, or A translation of a book intituled, Grallæ, seu vere puerilis cothurnus sapientiæ, &c. Or, the stilts, or most childish chapin of knowledge upon which William Appolonius of Trever, and minister of the church of Middleburgh boasts, among such as are ignorant, in his patcht rhapsodies, which hee set forth concerning supreame power and jurisdiction in matters of religion. Against the book of the most famous Dr. Nicholaus Vedelius, intituled Of the episcopacy of Constantine the Great.; Grallæ. English.	Vedel, Nicolaus, 1596-1642,	1647 (1647)	Wing V168; Thomason E388_5; ESTC R201503	255,312	305

not I will make thee a God to Moses but contrarily I will make Moses a God to thee whence wee see that God from the beginning did not purpose to commit the supream care of the world and of the Church to church-men but to secular Magistrates for hee knew that things would not be well guided by church-men as appears by Aaron who when Moses was absent but 40. dayes was of such a soft and effeminate spirit that presently upon the prayers and menaces of the people turned the whole worship into Idolatry this was the cause that when Christ was asked of the Apostles concerning government hee permitted it to Magistrates but denied it precisely to church-men so that in this famous title of God all church-men are subject to the civill powers and all civill powers are to rule the church-men for these are called only Angels but they gods who will not confesse men to bee subordinate to Gods and Gods to have superiority over men I doubt not but Apollonius will here murmur with himselfe that the Prophet did so unwisely bestow this title upon Magistrates when out of the principles of Walachrian divinity this title of God belongs rather to church-men than to Magistrates for these as sheep should be subject to their ecclesiastick pastors Magistrates are only earthly Kings but cleargy-men are beavenly Magistrates are Legats of God the Creator church-men of Christ the Mediator exalted lastly Magistrates are carnall and worldly but churchmen are spirituall and holy who seeth not from hence that churchmen come neerer to God than Magistrates and that therefore the name of God belongs more justly to them So that wee need not doubt but in time the Stilt-walker will mend this magnificat as his predecessor the Pope did who not being content with the titles of Bishop pastor and president in which the Walachrian for the time rejoyceth hath assumed to himselfe also the title of God so that now hee is stiled our lord god the Pope but that our proud Ministers may not rise to this height among protestants I hope the Magistrate will take care whilst hee shall consider that hee alone by divine gift and right doth possesse this title of God which bee cannot without sacriledge impart to Ministers by which also is admonished that hee is subject to none but to God only and that there is nothing so spirituall so holy and so heavenly under his jurisdiction if it be humane but that it is subject to his power which will more appear by that famous place of Paul where not only hee is honoured with the name of God but also is endowed with the priviledge of Divine preheminence Among other elogies 2 Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13 1 that is notable one which is given to the Magistrate by Peter and chiefly by Paul where the great dignity of the civill power upon earth is described which hee placeth in three 1. That there is no supereminent power armed with the sword which is not subordinate to God and by him ordained for he saith that all powers which bear the sword are ordained by God and hee that resisteth them resisteth the Ordinance of God therefore every such by what name soever it is called bearing the sword hath God for its author so that the Apostle doth not permit any man to enquire who or what hee is that useth this power nor how hee hath attained to it nor indeed how hee useth it but absolutely commands to give obedience civill whether to the King as chiefe or to governours it was then known to the Apostles that the Emperors by fraud and violence invaded the Empire and that they used their power tyrannically against Christians so that if this generall rule had suffered any exception he would have mentioned it but both the Apostles do absolutely make this law That whosoever possesseth the sword he is ordained by God nor must any doubt of his power This did Abraham and Isaac well understand when they came within the jurisdiction of Abimelech Perhaps the fear of God is not in this place They doubted of the Kings piety and justice but yet they prepared themselves to obey even till death They will kill me for thy sake say they Thou shalt say thou 〈◊〉 my sister So Pompey when he went out of his own ship into the King of Egypt's barge in which he was treacherously murthered he rehearsed this sentence Whosoever entreth into the house of a Tyrant he is his servant though he entred a filee-man This then is sure wheresoever there is a superior power bearing the ●●●●d no man ought to enquire how he hath obtained it which is the form of it how he useth it at least not too curiously o● with an intent to resist For however the faults of his government are not from God but are displeasing to him yet the civil order is still from God So that whosoever out of his own private motion resisteth this he resisteth God himself and hasteneth vengeance upon himself The other is That he subjects every soul to the higher Powers Origen ●y every soul understands the Naturall man but he trifles Paul understands every man which in Scripture is ordinary Act. 3. 27 for every man hath a soul Now the Apostle said rather every 〈◊〉 then every body because men in respect of their bodies differ much but in respect of their souls they are all uniform Whence Chrysostome upon this place Though he be an Apostle though a Prophet though an Evangelist this subjection doth not overthrow piety Whence in appears that no man upon what pretence soever who is under anothers jurisdiction can free himselfe from the government of the Civil Magistrate whether he be Clergy or Lay rich or poor learned or unlearned no condition excuseth him from obedience These named famous Patriarks and as it appeared afterward more excellent then King Abimilech himself yet confessed humbly that even to death they were subject whilst they were under his jurisdiction Who more worthy then Christ yet he subjected himself to Caesar and Pilate impious Magistrates It is then an unworthy thing for any man to exempt himself from the Civil power under pretence of sanctity or religion or any prerogative for this is flat repugnant to Pauls generall maxime That every soule should be subject none excepted The third thing is That he commands subiection in all and obedience to Magistrates so that he will not have them resisted not only for punishment but also sor consoience because he that resisteth the Magistrate resisteth the ordinance of God and hasteneth judgement against himself which to do is against a good conscience All these are emphaticall and shew how absolute the Civil power is over all and in all things because absolutely it commands all without exception to be subject and absolutely commands subjection without any restriction Wherefore if there had been so many cases in which subjection was not to be given to Magistrates suppose in spirituall and ecclesiastick matters

conclude whereas both the Antecedents and Consequents and the whole context of Christs words doe shew that in this place hee did not institute a judiciall but a brotherly and charitable duty in the Church and that by the name of Church here hee understands all and each member of the Church It is ridiculous that the Walachrian Stilt-Walker with the Papists should be understood here who out of nothing or the ragges of old Popery which at length begot Antichrist hath gone about to erect so glorious and eminent a judiciall Ecclesiastick power to which Kings Princes and all worldly Potentates by divine and speciall right ought to submit themselves He brings elswhere other Reasons for his thunder of excommunication but I will not trouble my self to refell them lest I should mispend good houres whereas the understanding Reader may easily perceive of himself that now the power of the Keyes being taken away with that place Matth. 18. Tell the Church all his Reasons will of themselves fall to the ground There remaines only one main argument one which he spends almost 15. pages of his patched peece his Argument is this Part. 2. pag. 6. The Apostle saith hee writing to the whole Church of Corinth wills and commands that they being all assembled should deliver over to Satan the incestuous man 1 Cor. 5.4 5. Therefore the right and power of excommunicating contumacims sinners belongs to all particular Churches For as in his Assumption he is very liberall so hee supposeth that to deliver over to Satan is nothing else then after his manner to excommunicate Where first observe his fraud in making this Argument For thus he propounds it as if the Apostle had granted to that particular Church power to give over to Satan that Incestuous Corinthian simply Which being granted hee foresaw that this Argument would carry some shew of truth But this Walachrian Impostor deludes his Reader as he useth Because the Apostle doth not simply grant this power to the Church of Corinth for he wills though absent in body yet by the presence and assiance of his power and Spirit the Incestuous man to be delivered to Satan whom already he alone had adiudged to Satan as he himselfe witnesseth These things being cleared thus I will aske of the Stilt-walker What Logick hath taught him so to reason Paul gave power to one Church to excommunicate with the assistance of his Spirit and of his power Ergo Every Church can doe this by it selfe and without Pauls assistance or of his Spirit Here is no sequence and it is all one as if he would say the particular Church of Jerusalem with the assistance of the Apostles prescribed to all other Churches a Law to abstain from blood and things strangled Ergo the Consistory of Middleburgh at this day hath the same power over the other Churches Which consequence I know the Classes of Zealand will not admit yet they would easily grant this if in their Consistory in stead of Apolonius one Paul were president or any other Apostle But saith he the Apostle for this reason reproved the Corinthians that they had not removed the incestuous person And therefore it is plain that it was in their power to have removed that wicked man I answer this cannot be evinced out of that place of Paul because the words import no such matter He reproves them that they were puft up and did not rather mourn● that he that had done this deed might be taken away Which forme of speech is all one as if he that hath been long and dangerously sick should be reproved by the Physitian for being so secure and carelesse in removing his disease For there were many things which the Corinthians might have done of themselves in removing of this great evill They might have signified this offence to Paul by letters and sought his advice and the assistance of his Spirit that that wicked man might be taken away But the Corinthians neglected all this in which respect they were not without cause sayd to be puffed up not to have mourned that he might be taken away who committed this wickednesse But saith Apolonius Paul warnes the Corinthians that they purge out the old leven And in the end of the chapter commands that they would cast out the incestuous person and judge of his ejection Ergo this was an ordinary act and in their power I answer that the Antecedent is not simply true for what the Apostle speakes of leven is not of removing the incestuous person but in these words he doth in generall onely exhort them to a good life as the Text sheweth Secondly Let us grant this that the Apostles words are meant of removing the incestuous person by what Logick again will hee evince that the busines which the Apostle enjoyns to the Corinthians was simply committed to be done by them as an ordinary act altogether in their power The Context shewes no so such thing but quite contrary He grants them power to judge but not without his own judgement hee will have them cast out this party but not without the assistance of his power and spirit because therefore the Corinthians could do many things concerning the outward circumstances of this act which Paul being absent could not doe therefore he himselfe enjoyned this action to them For they might have reproved him verbally and used many Imprecations against him they might have separated themselves from him all which things and perhaps more in exercising of this act did meet together but for the internall vigour of this act they of themselves could not produce or touch for it depended from the power of the Keyes by which Christ promised that should be ratified in heaven whatsoever the Apostles should here on earth determine concerning sinners the truth and effect of which promise because men had then found divers times by experience frō hence it was that this censuring power of the Apostles whether they exercised it alone or with the Church was alwayes and not without cause horrid and terrible not only to them who were to be cōverted but also to the refractory whose blasphemies he might have easily curbed as Paul speakes of Hymenaeus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.20 Surely if the delivering over to Satan had been nothing else then a verball thunder out of the pulpit as at this day refractory men being thus excommunicate would have learned to blas pheme more as may be seen in Julian the Apostate and others after the Apostles departure and in divers at this day But saith the Stilt-walker it is not likely that Paul being absent could deliver over the incestuous man to Satan This is surely ridiculous in so great a Doctor who out of the History of Naaman 3 King 5. might have learned that the men of God furnished with the gift or Miracles did exercise their gifts not only neere at hand but also a farre off for Elisha cured Naaman being farre off from him why then could not Paul do the

THE SUPREME POWER OF Christian States VINDICATED AGAINST The Insolent pretences of Guillielmus Apollonii OR A Translation of a Book Intituled Grallae seu vere Puerilis Cothurnus Sapientiae c. OR The Stilts or most childish Chapin of Knowledge upon which William Apollonius of Trever and Minister of the Church of Middleburgh boasts among such as are ignorant in his patcht Rhapsodies which hee set forth concerning Supreame Power and Jurisdiction in matters of RELIGION Against the Book of the most famous Dr. Nicholaus Vedelius Intituled Of the Episcopacy of Constantine the Great Printed at London for George Whittington at the Blew Anchor in TO THE Most High and most illustrious Princes of the Reformed STATES AS ALSO To all peaceable Ministers of CHRISTS Church Grace and Peace Most illustrious Lords and godly Ministers of Christs Church HEE was not a foole who first affirmed that there was nothing more prevalent than superstition to rule the multitude for Christ most divinely foretold us that the children of darknesse were wiser then the sonnes of light so that oftentimes not onely the force of deceivers is great but also the perversenesse of the multitude is such that they will rather bee deluded than listen to the Truth Though God hath recommended his true worship to us yet Satan hath prevailed more by superstition then the Spirit of God by true Religion All Ages can beare witnesse to this truth When God imployed the divine Prophet Moses in a message to Pharaoh he armed him with the power of Miracles but Jannes and Jambres resisted him and that with such eagernesse that for a while they prevailed more with their false exorcismes than hee did with his true Miracles Solomon built and dedicated the T●mple as it were to the perpetuall preservation of the true worship scarce were forty years expired wh●n Jeroboam a private man set up his Idols in Dan and Bethel with such successe that hee withdrew ten Tribes to his Idolatry How violent was Jezabel Ahabs wife in the superstitious maintaining of Paal that not onely did she extinguish both the people and worship of God but also so terrified Elijah who could procure fire from heaven that he was forced to leave his station and in his exile to wish for death whom notwithstanding God had purposed to honour by carrying him up to heaven in a fiery chariot There is nothing more plaine then that they who wickedly in ice men to superstition are for the most part more active and successefull then those who are the builders up of true Religion This bad successe in Religion proceeds from the multitude themselves whose property it is to be led rather by opinion then by knowledge and to give their assent before they make triall although envious men dia not sow tares in the night yet the earth would produce thornes by reason of the ancient curse although there were no inventers or teachers of superstition yet the vaine multitude would devise to it selfe some superstitious worship This calamity proceeds not from the want of truth but from Gods just judgements For as Adams sinne hath made the earth more apt to produce of its own accord tares then all the industry of man can to bring forth good fruite Even so the old Serpent is more prevalent in bewitching mens mindes with superstition then the fellow labourers of the Holy Ghost in propagating the true Religion There was never any Age or Country of the world which hath not had some time experience of this Yet this was never more plainly seen then under the great Antichrist whom Paul foretold should bee armed with all deceiveablenesse 2 Thess 2. that he might intice such to beleeve lies that were carelesse to beleeve the truth Never was there any since the creation more guilty of this then the Bishop of Rome who whilst hee obtrudes upon the people a hodge-podge of superstition prevailes more with them then the Prophets and Apostles by their true Religion and Miracles For these even Peter himselfe * And the rest of the Apostles could doe no more but undergoe torments and ignominy and at last lay down their tortured lives but he on the other side being armed with superstition and pretending Peters name and chaire mounted up to such a height that being honoured with three Crownes two swords and the spoyles of all Princes he exalts himselfe above all worldly Potentates and all such as are called Gods sitting in the Temple of God and pretending the Church doth so bewitch men that hee whom they see call and cry out to bee wicked a lyar a falsifyer doe notwithstanding beleeve him to hee the patron and judge of Religion Such is the force of perswasion arising from superstition that men see not what they see and beleeve they see what they see not as if they were inchanted Hence it is not to bee wondred at that the whole company of such cheaters arme themselves with their own superstition when they have a minde to deceive which like poyson as easily invades mens mindes and taints them as a tauny colour doth those who remaine a while in the Sunne which insensibly and suddenly comes upon them before they knew it came This corruption is not to be found onely in popery but among Protestants also whose mindes being puffed up with the desire of ruling and counting the simplicity of the Apostolicall Church sordid they will rather rule then obey So that they place the sanctity of Religion not in Gods Word not in Faith nor in the profession thereof nor in any other reall worship but in the right and ministry of handling these things so that not onely in their Theses but in full Volumnes they declaime for the sanctity of government perswading the people with all the might they can that the whole dressing of Church government at this day is of such spiritualitie that the politicall Magistrate as being carnall must bee totally separated from it Hence may Ministers with ease hereafter withdraw their necks in Church-affaires from the power of the Magistrate and then indirectly insult over and prescribe Laws to the secular powers This new guise of Popery our famous Vaedelius foreseeing did publish a Book concerning The Episcopacy of Constantine the Great in which hee hath written of the right of Magistrates in Church-affaires at this day but with such circumspection that no moderate man can be moved much lesse angred thereat for hee feared as he intimated in his Preface lest the restlesse minds of contentious Church-men should be incensed and now it was supposed that he had incurred their displeasure but the book being in every mans hand and approved by the testimony of D. Macovius and Rivet it seemed to bee out of all danger of malice But the case was suddenly altered and our Vedelius was molested not by neighbours but by transmarin strangers from Zeland For one William Apollonius did not onely spit in his face but also pisse in his ashes This man being

with old dying Priamus to fling weake darts that could not hurt catching at every opportunity which hee thought might either directly or indirectly hinder the Churches Peace or the Magistrates esteem and that not privately but openly entertaining and hugging such occasions as I will shew by one example more Leonard Cepesteyn one of the dregges of Lawyers 5 Example did for a long time gape at the Government of that Common-wealth but being still frustrated and irritated with vaine and long expectation hee was observed for a great while to beare no good will to the Magistrates it fell out that one Lumirius a Knave was found guilty of Treason who having counterfeit himself a foole did first escape the rack and afterward chaines and death Leonard undertook as they say the defence of this fellow partly in hope of booty partly out of desire to raile which hee did so impudently that in open Court hee upbraided the Magistrate with ignorance and injustice so boldly as if hee would have stirred up the multitude which then had filled the Town-Hall to heare this new pleading against the Magistrate The Senate of Middleburgh being moved at this bold and impudent act did a long time resolve to banish this seditious man Yet their revenge went not farther then this to wit that by their Order this Leonard was forbid to meddle with pleading of any more Causes either by word or writ being desirous rather to give then to cut off an occasion of repentance Yet notwithstanding hee being helped by the cunning of Apollonius his spirituality ceased not to search out all the occasions hee could to bee revenged on the Magistrates at last hee found out a notable one by Apollonius his helpe who was able to shake it out of his private Divinity budgets to wit that this turbulent man being debarred from publick pleading or sitting among the Lawyers in open Courts for his sedition and wrongs offered by him to the Magistrate from which publick scandall hee was not cleared might bee admitted among the Elders And truely so farre did this Cepesteyn prevaile by Apollonius his tricks and favour that hee was chosen an Elder of the Church * He was so bad that he was not fit to be employed in the State yet good enough to be employed in the Church c. not that hee might by any goodnesse in him be usefull to the Church but that Apollonius his Presbytery might upbraid the Magistrate with injustice for stopping his mouth from pleading whom they thought fit should bee an Elder But chiefly that the Lawyer might take an occasion to revenge himselfe and wrong all secular Magistrates at least indirectly from the Ecclesiastick tribunall I confesse I write this onely by relation but I doubt not the truth of it For hee that will search the States Ordinances there and the Records or Register of the Magistrates of Middleburgh will finde that I am not further off from Truth then from Reason which doth manifestly shew that Apollonius for a long time with his Walachrians have been striving in thought word and deed by their example to teach other spirituall men of the like stamp to resist Magistrates and Princes and that Pope-like under pretence of the Church-Hierarchie they would dissolve and subject to themselves the carnall authority of secular powers So that now I may seeme to performe funerall obsequies both to the Ghosts of Vedelius as also to keep off the death and buriall both of the ●ivill Government and of the whole Church For experience of all Ages have taught that no sooner hath your authority been rejected but presently these Church-Prelates have ruined and destroyed one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence nothing can be expected but miserable Anarchy except there should arise another Pope and Antichrist in the Reformed Church This Apollonius is very lavish in railing against you and takes no small delight in presaging that you will prove secular Popes and consequently Antichrists if you but offer formally to meddle with or touch the Modern Church-affaires which hee challengeth to him and his alone with that supreme authority which is given you from God But sure hee was never more mistaken then in this For the Pope is in this very regard the Antichrist because hee challengeth to himself the Supreme and Monarchicall power which is proper alone to You and which against the command of Christ hee abuseth to the destruction of the Kingdome of Christ If Apollonius had weighed S. Pauls prophesie of Antichrist hee might have seen that it is impossible for a secular Prince to bee Pope or Antichrist for hee most divinely foretold that he should sit in the Temple but You Princes sit not in the Temple You alone sit by Gods appointment in the chiefe Throne of the World from whence if you dart the beames of Your Majesty upon the Church of Christ You doe but what by daily experience wee finde in the Sun whose beames though placed in Heaven yet make the Earth fruitfull Hee also tells us that this will bee his property to elevate and extoll himselfe above all worldly powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Popes work and Apollonius his desire but when You come to handle Church-matters You doe not exalt Your authority but submit both Your selves to Christ and Your authority also with which God hath solely intrusted You. Lastly Hee sitting in the Church of God must extoll himselfe above all that is called God or Monarch but You Your selves are called Gods and Monarchs You must needs bee exalted above Your selves if You bee Popes and Antichrists However then You may swell with unseemely pride yet if You meddle with Church-matters which Apollonius feareth You shall not bee like Antichrist to whom it is essentiall to bee proud and to exalt himselfe but rather despising the pride and glory of the world You will kisse the Sun and submit your Scepters to him yet not basely and contemptibly as the Pope doth require of Monarchs and Apollonius would faine procure in Middleburgh Which Plague that God may deliver us from I thought fit to write what You see upon his patcht pieces the sum of which I have set out by this Preface so that now I should end this Proem with a wish Feare not the superstitious paintings of Church-holinesse as if some worldly carnality had made you unfit to manage the moderne businesses of the Church as our new Papists prate To you God hath given the spirit of Adoption that You may beleeve and consecrate your bodies and all yours for a holy sacrifice to him to You by speciall warrant hath God given His word that it might never depart from your mouth To you God hath given chiefe power to propagate honesty the Worship of God and Piety cannot You then direct or performe holy things appointed by God without sacriledge of which at this day there is nothing of such consequence which may not be performed by some prophane impostor or young

Orthodox man but Apollonius for an Heterodox condemnes him He clears him from innovation this cries out that hee spreads abroad new Tares and poyson He saith that he asserts the truth but this that he defends sacrilegious falshoods He witnesseth by his hand-writing that Vedelius hath deserved well of the Church but this by many subscriptions shews that he is a betrayer of the Churches rites and a trampler upon the blood of Christ Lastly he saith that no Orthodox man should trouble him but this on the contrary by an Order of the Walachran Classis and of the whole Synod accuseth him as a destroyer of and a most bloody wolf to the Church Hath not then Apollonius in this somewhat of that lying spirit which deceived Kings so that he hath writ more of his Classiary brethren then they knew themselves which is ordinary among the Apollonian spirituall men One of these must be true to wit that either the Apollonians are convicted of ignorance negligence and false tenets or else that Vedelius Macovius Rivet were widely mistaken for my own part I had rather be sick with these men in divinity then to enjoy the best health with the Walachran Apollonius for he slights and despiseth all men weighing them in the ballance of his judgement as if he alone were the man that could hold the scales or were onely skilfull to note vice and to discern right from wrong Hee acknowledgeth that hee oweth much to Waleus and Thysius his Masters and yet he doth with Junius plainly reject them he contemneth Musculus he saith That Pareus and Gualter doe germanize it ●o much and that this cause is made so intricate by the Germans and Helvesians that you cannot finde any Idaea of exact divinity and that the English judgements are for the most part enslaved to great men and of our Di●mes you shall finde few that have handled this matter without admitting confusion and collaterall combination of both Powers In another place thus this troubles us that so worthy a man he understands Vedelius should esteem of the Reformed-Church-doctrine according to the testimony of some learned men c. Amesius Martyr Sybrand this honour he gives onely to Confessions Catechismes and formes of concord and yet he slights the Decrees of the Synod of Dort as humane and extorted from Ministers against their wills so that like a Snake feeding on naughty grasse he hisses at every thing as he pleaseth therefore the ghost of our famous Vedelius against which Apollonius pisseth hath no great cause to be angry since he is not ashamed to spit in the face of all learned men There is nothing that both sacred and profane Laws do more detest punish then the contempt of Princes and superior powers of which this Night-bird was not ignorant who presently in the preface desires the Magistrates good will for he saith that he carryeth a free spirit in the maintenance of their Magistracy and as it were calling God to patronize his dissimulation that with most fervent prayers he honours God for them when as notwithstanding with full cheeks he blows out contumelious speeches against Princes and Magistrates and as if he were another Rhadamanthus he assumes power to appoint what limits Magistrates must cont●ine themse●ves within beyond which if they offer to goe he calls them Symoniacks and wicked and like irreligious Princes that they break in upon the rights and prerogatives of the Church with tyrannicall lust and violence for which prerogatives he saith Christ did shed his Hood and such Princes he calls civil Popes But whilst he divides this booty and power he acts the Lion in Aesop who dividing the Veneson with the Asse and the Fox he killed the Asse affrighted the Fox and so took all the booty to himself Apollonius here playes the Jugler and with counterfeit superstition deterres the Magistrate from touching any of the modern Ecclesiastick affaires For he teacheth that the power of the Magistrate is not in but about the Church and that the internalls of the Church doth not belong to him either formally or eminently or totally or partially that his power extends onely to the externalls and not all these neither but only the externals externally but not the externals internally for in these distinctions he is very exact and seemingly carefull of the conscience of Magistrates He warnes them that they beleeve not the judgements of the learned nor the authority of man in exercising of their power earnestly urging his decisions as consonant to Scripture among which these are some The power of the Civill sword is without the Spheare of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction The Godly Magistrate is not the prime member of the Church but of the baser sort yea of the basest That it is dangerous to call the Magistrate the Keeper or nursing Father of the Church because it is impossible for him to nourish the Church with true milk which is onely proper for Church-men That the Magistrate is onely a separable accident of the Church which may be present or absent without destroying the subject That the end and intent of the Magistrate was not the saving of soules but properly and onely the temporall things of this life That the office of the Magistrate was onely of earthly not of heavenly things That the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot execute any spirituall or Ecclesiasticall worke because it is impossible that hee should bee elevated above his own nature which is altogether worldly carnall and corporall Or if he seem to doe any Ecclesiasticall businesse that this hee doth onely objectively not formally imperatively not elicitively in respect of worldly circumstances and not in regard of the substantials of the Church And that they who will attribute more than this to the Magistrate incline to Pelagianisme Lastly he speakes every where of the Magistrate as of a naturall and carnall man of whom Paul saith That he is not subject to the Law of God nor can be nor doth he comprehend the things of Gods Spirit Hee cites often Gersom Bucerus who was to cunning in these trifles and withall insenced King James against him so that he was like to suffer had not the States protected him But this our Apollonius unwilling to yeeld to any man so bold is ignorance hee leapes over all the tearmes of Bucerus and railes against his own Magistrates and States subscribing to no mans opinion except Calderwoods the sum of which he else-where cites out of him Kingly authority saith he is onely measured according to the Churches benefit yet he doth warne Church-men that they should not trust too much Magistrates for he compares them to a crafty servant but Church-men to a generous Horse openly warning his fellow-Ministers that they suffer not the Magistrates to ride them any more and that their main aim was to bring them under subjection But if once they get the Mastery that Ministers shal never be able hereafter to shake off the civill yoak So then Apollonius thinkes

alwayes agreed in this that Discipline is necessary in the Church which we confesse yea we urge and shall urge so king as God will spare our life But for the manner and forme thereof it is to be left free for every Church that she may use the forme which will build up and not which may shake and overthrow thus he who in another Epistle to count Lodovic Witgensteinius thus writes Whereas you reckon Church Discipline among the outward meanes of salvation although I doe not altogether reject it yet I beseech your excellencie not to take it ill if I shall say somewhat of this matter which by many at this day is controverted and if the ambitious rigidnesse of some men be not tempered by the prudet authority of Princes they will raise greater troubles then will be easily appeased and will bring into the Church a new tyrannie as intollerable as that of the Popes We all confesse that Churches cannot subsist without Discipline and that it is altogether necessary that it bee religiously ordained and preserved But for the forme of this all men doe not agree your men place the maine point of Discipline in excluding from the Communion besides they propose a certain time for those who are excluded how long they must abstaine and that they may maintain the Discipline they say there is need of an Ecclesiastick Senate to which men of all rankes and orders yea Princes themselves must be subject But these things are of such a nature that godly and well affected men doubt much of the truth of them for it is demanded not without cruse if the Lords Supper instituted by Christ for a Symboll of Christian Society and Communion and to preserve Faith should be converted to any use not onely different but quite contrary to Christs institution so that it becomes the instrument of exclusion and dis union and the torturer of consciences Againe whether this doth not fight against Pauls rule who commands every one to prove himselfe and not to make curious scrutinies over other mens Consciences Besides whether it be not a hard an unjust case that a sinner who seriously repents and whom Christ feedes with his owne body and bloud as being doubtlesse received into favour should be driven from the Table yea prohibited that hee shall not declare the Lords death publikely with the Church whereof he is a true Member Moreover is it not like a Monster to set up two Magistrateships among the same people and a little after Hence then arise the hornes of new tyramie and by degrees ambitious Ministers will list up the crest who may easily draw the assessors to side with them when as they are the chiefest among them And that I doe not speake this without reason your excellencie will understand if you will be pleased to enquire diligently what tryals these your Ministers have already made among your people For some men notable for piety and goodnesse have been commanded by them to abstaine from the Supper who could never yet know why they were commanded this but this seemed a sufficient answer to those new Lords of other mens faith that they could not admit them with a safe conscience Must therefore a godly man abstain from the holy Communion and neglect his duty in preaching the benefit of Christs death for the conscience of a peevish and importunate Minister The Popish Bishops are more tollerable towards us who treely shew the cause why they account us Schismatics Excommunicates neither doe they hinder us from clearing our selves what shall we hope for then when they have established their Kingdome Whereas the first fruits of their Discipline for which they so much quarrell are such I think it were much fitter that Ministers containe themselues within their bounds and that they leave to Magistrates what belongs to the Discipline of life and manners I know they object that the Magistrate doth not alwayes his duty and therefore there is need of another Senate who may contain them within compasse But I deny this consequence whereas they cannot prove what they say by any example Prophericall or Apostolicall It is indeed the Ministers part to reprove the vices and corrupt manners of Princes and Judges to admonish them of their duty as the Prophets did of bad But I never yet read that they should subject them to any other Magistrate to receive punishment or excommunication because they were negligent in their office or offended by their old example It is certaine the Prophets never did any such thing Of the Apostles we need not speake for in their time there were no Christian Magistrates which was the cause of making blders in the Church that should have inspection of mens manners which ought also to be done at this day under tyrannicall Persecutors of the Faith But there is a farre different reason of our Churches who have by Gods special favour christian Princes which though they have their blemishes yet Ministers should maintain their authority and not make publike spectacles of them At last in the end of the same Epistle This I rather wish that the confusion which is brought in by some Innovators may by degrees be abolished which will bee easily done if those who are of a right moderate opinion may be suffered to live quietly and to propose their thoughts freely for others to judge And let Divines be sent away from governing the state from medling with councels of Warre matters of the court to the Pulpit and the Schooles which is their proper ground and wrestling place There is yet another Epistle of the same Gualter worth the noting in which writing to Beza he sets down these heads of the whole controversie 1. Whether the Lords Supper which hee calls the Symboll of communion a joyfull and publike thankesgiving for the benefit of redemption performed to us should serve for excommunication and so be converted to another use then what Christ hath shewed or the Apostles delivered to us 2. Whether such as repent should be for some time debarred from the use of it when they desire with the Church to declare the Lords death 3. Whether it is not sufficient for him that comes to the Lords Table to prove himselfe and to finde in himselfe a lively faith joyned with the spirit of serious contrition and repentance 4. Whether where there is a christian Magistrate there ought to be set up a Presbytery wch may have power over the public Discipline of many to remove frō the cómunion whom they think have deserved it These things I say seeme to be the chiefest which are controverted in this cause for I suppose we differ not about Infidels the enemies of christian Religion impenitēt siners whose incurable cn̄tumacy is too wel known Now of the first some not without cause doubt when they see how dangerous it hath been in all ages to abuse Gods Ordinances though with a good zeale nor can I see why out of that should

or Jewish children For the question is still the same to wit if dead animal things used by the Jewes in their worship are to bee rejected by Christians in their divine service why doth hee onely remove Organs It is to be feared that if such another Night-bird grow as Apolonius that not onely Organs shall be taken away but Books also Tables Pulpits Deskes Garments and other things So that this Walachrian pratler will bee forced not onely to weary himselfe in standing but also immodestly to wander up and down naked This petty Law-giver then is too imperious against Magistrates who dares break in upon their right so rashly and Magisterially declare these things unlawfull which God hath not condemned but hath left free to Christians Besides the Harmony of Organs is usefull to hinder the confusion that many times is in singing The Magistrate indeed makes use of skilfull finging-men to regulate the tunes of the Psalmes but we find by experience that these are not sufficient to hinder the undecent confusion in singing Now if the Harmony of Organs be a decent help against this seandall who will not see that this Walachrian is a railing fellow who so injuriously rageth against Magistrates about an order not prohibited but of long continuance and profit Surely he that will but indifferently think that when there was no publick worship David did drive away the evill spirit from Saul by his musick On the contrary that Micha the Prophet stirred up the good spirit in himselfe He will confesse with me that Christian Minds may be cheered and modestly excited in divine worship as well by the musick of Organs as of voyces So then by this example we may see what wil be the end and effects of this holy and free legislative church-Church-power for which the Stilt-walker in Walachria doth so much contend to wit that some spirituall Night-bird out of idlenesse and his itching pride may whilst he is farting in his study conceive the creame of some new spirituality and then in his superlatively sacred Consistorial Affembly by the Cockes egge of contention to which presently the Classick Toads crawle together that by cherishing and sitting upon this egge at last the new Basilisk of Errour and dominiering may be hatched Such was the proceeding of this new Apolonian Monster daily such kind of Chickens will increase If all such kind of Vermin be not choked within their Consisto●all shell by a plenipotentiary presence before that by their breath and hissing they infect the aire all abroad to the destrnction of all that shall heare or see them The summe of all is this that now there is no speciall or any mysticall priviledge of sanctity in making Church-lawes and statutes from which pious Magistrates are to bee kept off For either these are ordinances of things necessary for salvation and divine worship all which are contained in Scripture and are the ancient Lawes of God not of their modern Church but who will say that it is unlawfull for godly Magistrates to make dicrees and command men to observe Christs Lawes Truly if wicked Magistrates would make such Lawes and enjoyn Curistians to keep the pure commands of Christ they should not be sacrilegious but most worthy of praise Or else the lawes which they make are of things indifferent which concerne the order and decency of the Church But because he confesseth himselfe these things to be free and no way binding the conscience whence I pray proceeds so great a holinesse in ordering things not properly holy but free Or as it often useth to be lawes are made of things faigned false and unusefull as we may see among Papists but these make the law-givers prophane not holy I might now seeme to have put a Bit in the mouth of this huge Beast of Walachrian-Popish-legislative-power but that there remaines yet a halter concerning the facred right of Dependency For the Walachrian Papist is so fruitfull in hatching new sanctities that just like a Potter he makes of the same clay first a Censeriall Platter and then a Legislative Chamber-pot that now nothing is more easie then whilst the wheele is turning there may be framed a cover fit for such a pot to wit the holinesse of Dependency for because it is the charge of Church-men to have care of her and so remove scandals from her Hence is begot among them the power of censuring then of making Lawes according to the spirituall and holy pleasure of the Walachrians Now Church-ordinances cannot be made cursorily in the Market-place Spargere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or streets for this were to shit as dogges do when they are running but there is need of preparation that this high spirituality might be uttered in Consistories Classes and Synods whence among Papists ariseth the sacred right of dependence However I confesse that there is some use of Ecclesiastik meetings yet this I l'e say that these are meere devices which the Walachrian Prates of their precise sanctity for hitherto it is not known by any example or command of Christ that it is a matter of such necessity and sanctity for making up of a Church that there should be meetings in Consistories Classes and Synods as if the Magistate must therfore be called sacrilegious if either hee hinder or joyne with them according to his authority for whilst they keep no moderation in these meetings but ascribe too much power to them they make a Pope of the Church or else run in infi●●i●m which I thus demonstrate If a brother saith Christ wrong his brother Mat. 18. the matter must be composed between themselves if that cannot be two others must be imployed if they can do no good they must tell the Church and here Christ stays That is a great argument for Independents in that Christ goeth no higher then a partieular Church Oftentimes experience teacheth us that cōtroversies are thus better taken up then in Classes Synods because there they are better known in all their circumstances clearer from affections But the old new Papists wil none of this for so they should want much of their sanctities whence they pleasantly talk by way of comparisons If the Church that is the Consistory should erre then say they accoording to Christs command two or three Churches must be imployed and they wil make a Classis Here is a goodly increase for two or three brothers to be enlarged into two or three Churches This is the Popish increase who of one Peter the chiefe Pastor of the Church have made innumerable successors Popes and Peters as it were But if it should happen that the Classis should erre here the increase multiplies for then two or three Classes must be imployed which makes a Provinciall Synod and if this Synod also should erre then the Synods of divers Provinces must be assembled which make up a general Councel of that Kingdome or State But if this also erre then the Councels of divers Nations must be assembled