you into a better course as of the professed enemies of your state These accusations I knowe are grieuous to be laid to the charge of these Counsellors who through Europe haue the name to be furtherers of Gods glory the saluation of mens soules But they are such as if I prooue them not most true let my blood wipe away the slaunder which I haue vndutifully raysed vpon the rulers of my people Here the worde of God is to be approched vnto out of the which we are to learne what true worship and seruice they can yeeld vnto God what hope of saluation they can haue who neuer enjoyed the word preached Concerning the true worship of God we are to knowe that the worde who alone is to instruct vs therein maketh two sorts thereof The true worship or God twofold The one inward and the other outward The inwarde worship is the worship of the spirit when the heart and the soule is by Gods spirit so directed that in trueth and sinceritie it yeeldeth to the Lord the worship whiche he requireth according vnto his word Of this worship our Sauiour Christ speaketh vnto the woman of Samariah Iohn 4.23 24. The houre commeth sayth he and alreadie is when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and trueth for the father requireth euē such to worship him God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and trueth the inwarde worship Without this inward worship it is vnpossible to be saued and without it no seruice can be acceptable vnto God But although this inwarde worship be the fountaine whence the outward that is in trueth doth flowe and proceed yet is the inward no otherwise ordinarily wrought in men then by meanes of the outward So that euen as the outward is neuer truly acceptable vnto God but when it proceedeth from the inwarde euen so is the inward ordinarily found in none saue onely in those wherein it hath bin begotten by the ministerie of the outward But this inwarde worship in spirit and trueth is not in the power of man to giue or to take away at his pleasure but the Lorde must and doth worke it when where he pleaseth yet neuer ordinarily but by meanes of the outward The true outwarde worship of God then the outwarde worship is that alone whereby as by the ordinarie instrument or meanes the Lord hath appointed to beget nourish increase and continue the inwarde worship of the soule and the spirit by the which the Lord is to be serued in spirit and trueth This outward worship is such by the ordinance of God as men may be truly saide either to hinder or to promote the same and by the hindring or promoting hereof they may be judged to hinder or promote both the saluation of themselues and others and also the inward worship of the spirit either in themselues or in others And by the affection that men beare herevnto the Lord doth trie their loue and also their hatred towardes him his glory This worship although it be outward yet is it of that nature as they who are partakers hereof may according vnto the word expect for the presence of Gods spirite whensoeuer they approch vnto the Lord therby Otherwise if it hath not this promise of the spirite annexed vnto it it is but a rudiment of the world or of the flesh therefore cannot be any thing for the furthering of men in the worship of God This outwarde worship or this outward meanes to serue God truely and sincerely consisteth of two partes or ordinances according vnto the twofolde end for the which the Lord hath appointed the said outward worship of his The first part hereof is that ordinance whereby the Lord hath appointed not only to beget fayth in men or to engraffe them into Christ but being engraffed to builde and aedifie them forwarde as liuely stones of that holy temple whereof Christ Iesus is both the head the foundation This ordinance of God appointed both to beget to aedifie faith is onely the word preached The second ordinance wherein the outwarde worship of God consisteth is contained in those exercises of religion which the Lord ordained onely for aedification and were neuer appointed to begett fayth By aedification I meane whatsoeuer concerneth our furthering in the worke of our saluation begun in vs through faith by the worde preached Vnto this second part we are to refer publike prayers singing of Psalmes reading of the scriptures receiuing of the sacraments and administring of the Church censures Many thinges are ordained to aedifie which were neuer appointed to beget sayth 1. cor 14.17 ephef 4.29 c. All which are effectuall to aedification but not to the begetting of faith For that is onely wrought by the word preached without which also publike prayers singing of psalmes c are so frustrated of the end vz. the aedification for the whiche the Lorde hath ordained them as they cannot possibly aedifie any aright saue onely these who haue learned the right vse of them by the preaching of the word in whose hearts faith which is the ground-worke wherevpon the whole building of gods seruice must be planted hath bin begotten by the same word ordinarily And these holy ordinances of god to wit prayers receiuing of the Sacraments are so farre from aedifying these people who haue not bene instructed in the right vse of them by the worde preached that vnto such they are nothing els but a sealed booke and proceeding from such they are nothing els but pollution in the Lordes sight For no seruice can be acceptable vnto god but that which proceedeth frō fayth For without faith it is vnpossible to please God Now then according vnto that which hitherto hath bene spoken let your Hb. weye what seruice your people throughout all hir Majesties dominions for the most part can yeald vnto the Lord and how they stand in the hope of saiuation and consequently how carefull you haue bene of the glory of god and the saluation of his Church Your people you will say euery where haue had these 31. yeares the vse of publike prayers singing of Psalmes reading of the Scriptures in their owne tongue they haue further enjoyed the sacraments of baptim the Lords supper Be it so but what is all this Can these thinges going alone without the word preached be any thing effectuall to that worship in spirit and trueth which is the onely seruice that the Lord regardeth and without which all exercises of true religion are but swines-blood before his Majestie Or can they bee anye thing forcible to worke the saluation of your people Questionlesse you see that they cannot For they are ordained of god not to lay the foandation of the spirituall worshipp but as meanes to aedifie and build vpon the foundation being laid They are ordained you see also not to go alone but to accompany the word without the which
they are fruitles and to no purpose Nay though it were possible that without the word they could worke some aedification in men yet notwithstanding they were neuer appointed to beget men into the hope of aeternall life For regenerate flesh and blood they cannot because they were onely appointed to edifie those whome the word should beget So that men may all their life time enjoy these exercises of true religion and yet be far from the outward meanes whereby the Lord requireth himselfe to be worshipped in spirit and trueth and whereby the saluation of their soules should be wrought And though your Honours shewe youre selues neuer so greate fauourers of reading the worde publike prayers c. which in themselues are acceptable to God but among our people for the most part abominablie profaned yet because you maintain those to outcountenance the preaching of the worde and to be polluted by such men as ought not to deal with the holy things of the Lord You are no otherwise accounted of in his sight then the professed enemies of that pure worship in spirit and trueth wherein alone he delighteth the maintainers of the profanation of his seruice and aduersaries vnto the saluation of his Churche And what other account I beseeche you can he make of you which dare presume to platte him out the perfection of his seruice and appoint him a way to saue his people according vnto your owne pleasure He hath set down in his word that without faith it is vnpossible to please him and so that without faith it is vnpossible for men to worship him in spirit and trueth and come to aeternall life In this point I hope you will not gainesay his Majestie He goeth farther and manifesteth the ordinarie meanes to beget fayth and saluation to be onely the word preached And therefore requireth the forwardnes of all those that would not be guiltie of neglecting his honour to promote the saide preaching of his worde Herein you oppose your selues vnto him reply againe that he must needs prouide himselfe of newe ordinances or els he can neither in this life be worshipped in trueth of your people nor glorified with their saluation in the life to come For vnlesse reading of the worde publike prayers the profanation of his sacramentes by the polluted fingers of most ignorantmen can worke all that he requireth he can haue no meanes in the most congregations within the dominions of England to be purely worshipped and to gaine himself a name by the sauing of the distressed souls of men And you are so resolute with the Lord in this point that you proclaime all them to bee enemies vnto your state whosoeuer dare open their mouthes in his cause against your vnaduised resolutions So that whatsoeuer fauour your Honors pretend vnto some part of the true outward seruice of his Majestie yet inasmuch as you lende your whole force to maintaine and keepe in the Church the reading idol ministerie which you may know wel inough can neither beget faith nor any true aedification in your people and by whome the Lorde accounteth himselfe his ordinances to be profaned the very trueth is this that you stand at this day guiltie in his sight of the defects ruines and profanations of his worship and also of the vtter vndoing of many a thousand soule within England And I do not see what you can alledge for your defence except you will joyne with that notable seducer of your people D. VVhitgift the Arch. of Cant. and affirme eyther that saluation may be wrought in your people by hearing the word read or that reading is preaching But alas these figge leaues are so far from standing you in any stead when the Lorde shall enter into areckoning with our land for the small care that our gouernours haue had in furthering his seruice that his wrath will be kindled against our state almost for nothing more then because that both these errors of this wicked deceiuer haue beene vncondemned therein and also as a token I thinke of our hatred vnto the Lord and his gospell such a detected enemie vnto the gospell as he is hath bene promoted vnto one of the highest roomes at the counsell table to the ende as the maintaining of his proceedings do witnesse that he might be a scourge vnto Gods Church within hir Majesties dominions Well he saith that men may be saued by hearing the word read as by the ordinarie meanes If it be not so wo be to him that euer he was borne whose practises these 20. yeeres almost haue tended to no other ende then to maintaine this damnable error of his For if men cānot be saued by reading where shall he stande which hath brought vpon himselfe the guiltines of so many soules by silencing so many faythful preachers and planting readers in their stead And therefore I doe not so much blame him for framing his corrupt judgement according vnto the rule of his vngodly practises For if his practise were contrarie vnto the light of his knowledge then hath he a more fearfull account to make who hath quenched the light of his vnderstanding to the ende he might with lesse remorse raue against the Majestie of God But his blindnes cannot make others inexcusable that willingly follow after such a leader therefore let vs see what the word saith vnto this assertion The Apostle Paul affirmeth 1. Cor. 1.24 Reading not the ordinarie meanes to saluation that seeing the world by wisdome knew not god in the wisdome of god it pleased god by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue as many as beleeue Will you then haue a salnation that is by fayth whiche you must haue or none at all Surely the Apostle tels you that it pleaseth the Lorde to worke this no otherwise in the hearts of men then by preaching which vnto the worldly wise men is but foolishnes but vnto vs that are saued it is the wisedome of god and the power of god Euen as thē we can expect no saluation but that which is apprehended by faith so can we not hope to haue this sauing fayth wrought in vs by any other meanes then by preaching For the Apostle setteth downe in expresse wordes that as many as beleeue Rom. 10.14 are saued by the means of preaching Againe how shall they call vpon him saith the same Apostle in another place in whome they haue not belecued How shal they belieue in him of whom they haue not heard Howe shall they heare without a preacher Beholde then if we will so heare as wee may beleeue the Apostle telleth vs that this must be the hearing not of a reader but of a preacher If then this seducing prelate cannot make good a saluation which is to be obtained without fayth as heauen and earth knowe he cannot or if beleuing to saluation be conuaied vnto mens souls by no other hearing then by the hearing of a preacher as the Apostle telleth then also it followeth to the shame
without a guyde is to be voide of Christ Iesus and his fanctifying spirite vnto the want whereof there is joyned no thing els but finall damnation both of body and soule Wherefore good my Ll. suffer the words of exhortation to enter into your soules The Lord is my witnes that I speake not vnto you without the consideration and reuerence due vnto your places It pityeth me to see the case wherein ye stande before the Lord for surely ye cannot as I haue sayd posiblie be saued so long as you hold on your course in consenting vnto ignorance and blindnes There is nothing but judgement merciles vnto those that deferre their turning vnto him Deceaue not your selues theÌ„ for as I shall answere before the Lord in the fearefull day of judgemeÌ„t I haue set before you the way of life the way of death Chuse life therfore that you may liue which you shall neuer doe except you do ridde your hands of the defence of this pestileÌ„t ministery coÌ„secrate theÌ„ to make vp the breaches of Gods sanctuarie Where you see how little beholding ye are vnto those wicked men the are your Chaplains who haue neuer made your estates knowen vnto you You may justly acconut those vngodly flatterers to be the greatest enemies you can haue For they are guiltie of your blood serue you almoste for no other vse than to hasten Gods judgements vpon you But their guilte and punishment shall not delyuer you in the daye of wrath for the soule that sinneth shall dye the death And therefore nowe that the light is made knowen vnto you let it not be your condemnation that * Iohn 3.19 light comming among you yet you loued darkenes more than light Well hetherto it appeareth how wrongfullie the fauorers of reformation are charged with enmitye vnto our state for laboring to haue the dumb ministery rooted out The next bane of our Church are nonre sidents Non-residency whereof all our Ll. Bb. are guilty the which corruption is so great that I do maruel with what face it can be tolerated in a Christian state And therefore I make no question whether the word of God maketh it lawfull for vs to endeuour that no suche vilanie be heard off in Israell anie more Rom. 10.14 The dumb Minister though intollerable hath yet some colour of his sinne because vnder the name of feeding he starueth the poore sheep But the bloodie non-resident hath no cloake to hyde his vilanie for he is so out of measure become impudent in his sinne that he dareth make an open profession of murther This sinne whereof the Papistes themselues haue long ago bene ashamed hath so kindled the wrath of God against our kingdome that I feare he wil be no otherwise pacified towards vs than by sending a sword through our land which may reuenge the blood of innocent soules which these 31. yeares hath benespilt lyke water vpon the earth by meanes of these professed murtherers and that vnder the profession of the gospell Though I preach 1. Cor. 9.16 sayeth the blessed Apostle I haue nothing to reioyse of for necessitie is layd vpoÌ„ me yea and wo is vnto me if I preach not the gospell This is spoken in the person of all true ministers But our non-residents haue dispensed with this necessitie by meanes of their degrees of their Chaplain-shipes and of their faculties And as for the woe denounced against them they haue a distinction at hande wherewith to delude that curse which is that although they caÌ„not be continuallie resident at euery one of their charges yet they are not all the yeare lightlye absent from all of them And although they do not continually preache at neyther yet they are not alwayes idle but at somtymes they doe preache either vpon their owne charges or els abroad where occasion is offered Now in their absence they do not prouide so euill for their people but that contrarye to the expresse will of the Lord * Ezek. 44 1. they place others in their steade to take the ouersight of the Sanctuary And whensoeuer they are absent from all their benefices it is not without some reasonable cause for at all such tymes they attend either in the Courte in the Vniuersitye or are otherwise necessarilie bestowed in their private or publick affaires Looke T.C. admo pag. 28 29 And as for the lybertie that one man should haue manye benefices it is necessary for the encouraging of stadents and the encrease of able men to withstand the common aduersary By all which speches of theirs we see to our grief the words of the holy Apostles to be verified in our wofull tymes viz. Ier. 18.1 Tim. 4.2 That in the Church of God there should be mockers in the last tymes which should walke after their owne vngodly lusts hauing their consciences burned with an hote iron men of corruptminds destitute of the truth 1. Tim. 6.5 which thinke that gayne is godlinesse 2. Thes 3.10 But I maruell what these mockers will answere vnto the holy Ghoste who commandeth that they who labour not 1. Cor. 4.12 must not eare and sheweth that it is required of the ministers of Christ that they be founde faithfull 1. Pet. 5.2 3. And I maruell what they wil aunswere vnto the Apostle Peter by whom they are enjoyned as they would receaue the incorruptible crown of glory wheÌ„ the great sheepheard of the sheep shall appeare to feed the flock of God that dependeth vpon theÌ„ caring for it not by coÌ„straint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a readie mynde not as thoughe they were lordes ouer Gods herrtage but that they may be ensamples to the flock And I do wonder what they will aunswere vnto the diligence which the apostle Paule vsed in teaching the people with whoÌ„ he was conuersant whose example al the ministers of Christ ar bound to follow 1. Thes 2.10 You are witnesses God also saieth the Apostle how holilie and vnblameably we behaued our selues among you that beleeue as you know how that we exhorted you and comforted and besought euerie one of you as a father his children that you would walk worthie of God who hath called you vnto his kingdom glorie Aâ—t 20.18.19 And againe in an other place You knowe saith he from the first day that I came vnto Asia after what manner I haue bene with you at all seasons seruing the Lord with all modestie and with manye teares and temptations which came vnto me by the lying await of the lewes and how that I kept nothing backe that was profitable but haue shewed you and taught you openly and throughout euerie house Well whether these cursed mockers will scorne at these godlye examples and labours of the blessed Apostles or no goe about to answere the matter by their childishe vnlearned distinctions it is not greatlie material Of this I am assured that as vnto al those places they haue not a
the truth in vngodlines And seeing the seruice of the Lord together with the saluation of mens soules is by meanes of this dumb ministerie at such a miserable stay among vs as hath bene set downe it wil be your duties to take these things more to hearte then as yet you haue done and to seeke the redresse of them For our owne parts the defectes of Gods religion being thus lamentable in our land and the souls of our brethren with pitifull cries requiring our aid and assistance we cannot in conscience denie them the remedie that we are able to minister namely the painting out of their miserie and the meanes howe to be deliuered therefrom And assuredly if we should holde our peace and winke at these calamities the stones in the streate woulde rise vp in judgement against vs. Wherefore also your Hh. may accuse vs to be dangerous subjects as well because we are not without christian affections as for that you see vs mooued with pitie at the ruines of Gods house and the likely damnation of our cuntrimen For such is the opperation of Gods spirite in his children that they are altogether voyd of the assuraunce of aeternall life yea without God in the world whosoeuer are not mooued with griefe and sorow whē they see either the seruice of their God or the saluation of those with whom they liue not to be regarded Vnles then you of hir Majesties counsell woulde goe about to quenche the motions of Gods spirite in the heartes of hir Majesties people you cannot charge them with any euill practize against the state for laboring the rooting out of this dumb and ignorant ministerie whereby as you see the Lordes seruice is most wretchedly profaned the saluation of his Churche most cruelly hindered and withstood Nay as your Hh. would shew your selues to haue anye sparke of Gods spirite in your hearts so you must be carefull to joyne with vs in this worke wherein indeede you ought to be our foreleaders For otherwise neuer deceue your own hearts there is not a man of you that can possibly be saued Weye the speech my Ll. for it concernes you as much as the price of your soules is worth I say then No saluation vnto them that are not carefull of the Lords pure worship the saluation of their brethren that the enmitie which in this point wee bear vnto the state of England is such as vnles you that are of hir Majesties priuie Counsell joyne with vs in the same you cannot possiblie see the face of Christ to your comforts The reason hereof is that there is no saluation vnto that soule wherein Christ Iesus doth not remaine and dwell by his spirit as the Apostle teacheth vs in these wordes 2. Cor. 13.5 Prooue your selues saith he whether you are in the fayth examin your selues know you not that Iesus christ is in you except you be reprobates Eyther then a reprobate heart or an heart possessing Christ Iesus Now my Ll. I appeale vnto your consciences whether you thinke that Christe can possiblie dwell in those heartes who are not both grieued at the damnation of their brethren and the miserable deformities of the seruice of God among thē are with all readie euery way that lieth in them to preuent the one and to set forwarde the other What can Christ be there where there is not a desire a readines to labour that the glorie of God may shine vpon earth by the sauing of perishing soules the setting vp of the sincere honor of the Lorde Your consciences I am sure must needs beare witnesse to the contrarye For to denie this were nothing els but to make the spirite of Christe in his children to be pitiles of the wofull estate of suche soules as for anye thing they knowe were ordayned to life and carelesse in seeking the glorye of God in his pure worshippe What is the conclusion then surely that youre Hh. must either manifest yourselues to be of their number for whome the blacknes and terror of the greate daye is prepared or els you must joyne with the rest of the saintes of God within hir Majesties dominions not onely in mourning for the wantes of true religion among our people and the misery that ensueth thereof but also in labouring moste earnestly to finde speedie meanes for the curing of so deadlye a wounde You see then howe the case standeth betweene the Lord nay between your felues and your owne soules The day will come when all those whose sinnes are not forgeuen and iniquities couered by Christ Iesus shall drinke of the deadly wyne of Gods wrath And you see that Christ wil be a couering vnto none saue onely vnto those in whome he dwelleth by his spirit and more-ouer that his spirit cannot be in them who are not mooued with the dishonor of his name the destruction of men The Lord warneth you of these things and requyreth of you that although for the loue of his Majestie and the mercies both outward and inward which hee hath doth offer to heape vpon you you cannot bee mooued to regard his ruinous Church and wofull people yet that you would be styrred forewarde here-vnto by the care which you are to haue of your own soules It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hand of the liuing God Vengeance is his and hee will recompence it Wherefore as you woulde not drynke of the dreggs of that bitter cup of his indignation declare vnto the world by the speedy remouing of this dumb ministery and apoynting faithfull teachers in their stead that the Lorde hath not in this age placed ouer England a coūsell of men that are carelesse of his glorie cruell towardes the people committed vnto their charge and consequenthe a counsel of men that are without God in the world fed with honor and promotion against the day of slaughter Men that are so far from respecting the honour of their God and the aeternall salvation of men that they are altogether without naturall affection towards the good of their owne soules For assuredly my Ll. whatsoeuer good opiniō you may haue of your selues and yourowne proceedings the Lorde and his Churche both in this age and also among posterity cā make no other reckoning of you than of those that liued without the true God in this worlde as long as you shall bee found vpholders of the ignorance which raygneth amōg your people Where-vpon also you shall one day by experience finde it to be true that because the sauing spirite of God neuer came neere your harts to worke a sorrow and a mourning therein for the spirituall aniserie of your brethren counuiemen you made no other vse of your being heere vpon earth thē to prouide for your selues an exceeding measure of plagues and torments that may endure vpon you for euer and euer You see it cannot bee otherwise for to be without compassion towardes the miserable dispersion of poore sheep that wander
the kings of the earth because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths to dispose and rule them at his pleasure euen as he is man or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe by ceratine offices and ministeries which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie to wit the Church for the gathering together of his Saints for the worke of his ministerie and the aedification of his bodie Ephes 4.12 In both these regards he is said in the day of judgement to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For whereas now as he is Lord of kingdomes and coÌ„mon-vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate otherwayes by his power even in the midest of his enemies he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father Again because in the day of judgement when we are all mett together wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification so the meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Looke Reu. 7 1â— 21.22.23 22 â— being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12. â— 14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable that anie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archbard â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Arch b. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his king dome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things be had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinanceis a thing vnlawful in it self but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords
meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Lonke Reu. 7.17 21.22.23 â—2 5. being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12.8.14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable thatanie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archb. aâ—d â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Archb. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his kingdome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things he had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinance is a thing vnlawful in itself but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords liuetennant and messenger in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures and especiallie of men and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie to keepe them in that outward obedience which he requjreth at their handes Now the minister is the Lordes messenger in an other regarde viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men if they * 2. Thes 1.9 beleeue and obeye his gospell Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord to be the Redeemer of mankinde in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof so confound the decree of the gouernmeÌ„t of the creatures with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will confound these two callings together And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God is more excellent than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures by so much the more detestable and odious doe they manifest themselues who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made