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spirit_n	adoption_n	receive_v	son_n	6,859	5	5.8529	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A35696	Jus Cæsaris et ecclesiæ vere dictæ or, A treatise wherein independency, presbytery, the power of kings, and of the church, or of the brethren in ecclesiastical concerns, government and discipline of the church : and wherein also the use of liturgies, tolleration, connivence, conventicles or private assemblies, excomminication, election of popes, bishops, priests what and whom are meant by the term church, 18 Matthew are discoursed : and how I Cor. 14. 32. generally misunderstand is rightly expounded : wherein also the popes power over princes, and the liberty of the press, are discoursed / by William Denton ...	Denton, William, 1605-1691.	1681 (1681)	Wing D1066; ESTC R9164	326,898	268

of Humane Authority then there are no things left for the exercise of Christian Liberty but only things indifferent among which Liturgies may be reckoned which Liberty if invaded or infringed by any Humane Authority A great Gospel priviledge is thereby infringed which ought not to be Then I must retort on them also and return their own Weapons upon themselves if every restraint in things indifferent be injurious to Christian Liberty then themselves are no less Injurious by their Negative Restraint viz. use no Liturgy wear not cross not kneel not c. like that Col. 2.1 touch not taste not handle not then they would have the World believe our Church is by her positive restraint unto the use of our Liturgies and Ceremonies therewith used let themselves be Judged whether it is more Injurious to Christian Liberty Publick Authority by mature advice Commanding what may be forborn or Private Spirits through humourous dislikes or at best not upon any demonstrative reasons forbidding what may be used the whole Church Imposing the use Or a few Dissenters requiring the forbearance of such things as are otherwise and in themselves equally indifferent for use or for forbearance Besides if I am not much mistaken the true Nature of Evangelical Liberty as intimated before consists chiefly if not wholly about things of a higher strain and Nature than of matters Indifferent and it will be very hard to prove by any one plain Text of Scripture without Wresting the Liberty so much contended for to be their Gospel and inviolable right when the Power of the Magistrate doth interpose Pro or Con. For if indifferent things be the only subject matter both of Publick Christian Authority and of Christian Private Liberty in every Individual Christian whereon to exercise themselves then the whole Gitt of the Contest will be whether Publick Authority or every Private Person be to be Indulged and Obeyed Judge even ye your selves Judge § Now the best way to my apprehension to understand what the Apostles in their Writings do mean and intend by the Words and Terms of Liberty and Freedom will be to consider them with their opposites viz. Bondage and Servitude and this St. Paul doth as in other of his Epistles so most fully and most plainly in his Epistle to the Galatians where he pursues these two opposite Terms Allegorically under the two Titles of two Mothers the one viz. Agar a Servant gendring unto Bondage the other viz. Sarah a Free Woman gendring unto Freedom thereby signifying the Two Testaments viz. the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace and thereby shewing that the Jews in respect of the Christian Church of the New Testament were as Children differing nothing from Servants but were under Tutors and Governours and in Bondage under the Rudiments of the World i.e. the Law or Ministry of Moses so called in respect of a more full and clear Doctrine in the Ministry of the New Testament Now the Law is a grievous Yoak which none can bear because First it did bind the Church of the Old Testament to the Observation of many and those very costly and burthensome Ceremonies and Sacrifices Secondly because it did bind every Offender to everlasting death Gen. 2.17.3 Gal. 13.3 it is a Yoak as it increaseth Sin not casually but occasionally and as it is the strength of it 1 Cor. 15.56 5. Rom. 20.7 8. and whose property it is to gender unto Bondage But after the fullness of time was come and Christ had Redeemed them that were under the Law they did then receive the Adoption of Sons God had sent forth the Spirit of his Son into their Hearts they were then no more Servants but Sons i. e. such as enjoy the liberty of Sons and were Free indeed because the Son had made them Free John 8.36 so Agar which typifieth the Law is in Bondage with her Children but Jerusalem which is above and typifieth the Gospel is free Gal. 4.25 26. Now Christian Liberty consists first in our being delivered from the Curse of the Law for the breach thereof and from the Obligation of the Law whereby it binds us to bring perfect righteousness in our Own Persons according unto do this and live Secondly From the Observation of the Ceremonial Law of Moses Col. 2.16 Thirdly It delivers from the Tyranny and Dominion of Sin For Sin shall not have Dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.14 Fourthly Christian Liberty is to have a freedom in good things we are delivered from our Enemies that we may serve God in righteousness and holiness before him all the daies of our lives without sear Luke 1.47 75. and Paul saith where the Spirit is there is Liberty Cor. 12.3 17. Fifthly It consists in the free use of all the Creatures of God Whatever is sold in the Shambles that Ea● asking no Questions for Conscience sake 1 Cor. 10.25 27. I have perused these and divers others if not all the places of Scripture urged by several of the Synagogue of the Libertines whereby they lay claim unto their exhorbitant dearly beloved and much Idolized Liberty to do what they list without controle or Inspection into their Actings in and about Holy things and do and whosoever shall soberly and seriously consider them together with their Contexts shall find them all to Center into their own one and the same most naturall and genuine sence and meaning viz. that by Liberty and Freedom in them mentioned is mainly if not meerly meant the Liberty from the Yoak Bondage and Curse of the Law it being a Spiritual liberty in all the parts of it freeing the true Christian from the Servitude of Sin and from all other Yoaks of Spiritual Bondage wherewith Sin hath intangled us and from which Christ the Author of this Liberty hath redeemed us and that the Law of this Liberty is the Gospel and that neither in the Texts of Scripture urged by this Author nor in any other that I know of is there any one Syllable of force to support the Liberty that this Author seems to plead for that is Impeached or Contradicted by the Imposition of sound Orthodox Liturgies Mostly all the Texts wherein Liberty and Freedom are but Named are generally Mustred up as a Cloud of Witnesses to shadow and shelter the Pleaders for their fancyed Liberty that under the pretence and umbrage of them and their corrupt glosses upon them they may with the better grace deny obedience to the Lawful Magistrate in Lawful things in and about the Worship of God and so use or rather abuse their true Gospel Liberty which no man can take from them for a Cloak to cover their Non-compliance with the Lawful Commands of the Civil Magistrate which indeed are the Commands of the National Church which to do is certainly not to approve themselves unto God Workmen that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 but by thus perverting and shaping Texts of

We find no evil in this Man but if a Spirit or Angel hath spoken unto him let us not fight against God 23. Acts 9. This they did not out of true love to Paul or to the Truth he taught but from love of themselves their Party and their Opinions and from jealous impatiency of contradiction in publick by an Inferiour Sect so when Christ had fully satisfied a curious question captiously proposed by the Sadduces by proving the Resurrection out of Moses saying I am the God of Abraham of Isaack and of Jacob certain of them answered Master thou hast well said 20. Luke 39. Though the Pharises were well pleased of his Probat of the Resurrection against the Sadduces yet for all that they could judge him to death for avouching himself to be the great Judge of those that were raised from the dead whereby it appears that both their approbation and condemnation of our Saviour in these particulars did issue out of one and the same corrupt and monstrous Fountain that could send forth sweet water and bitter 3. James 11. viz. from love of their Party love of Authority over the People and applause of Men from a stubborn opiniative and envious desire to excel their opposites and not to be excelled by any so when John came neither eating nor drinking yet they say he hath a Devil and when the Son of Man came both eating and drinking then Behold a Man gluttonous and a Wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners 11. Mat. 18 19. The Devils and unclean Spirits in this kind were in some measure more ingenious than the Jews for when Christ had disobliged them by casting them out as soon as they saw him they fell down before him and cryed Thou art the Son of God 3. Mark 10. But the Scribes which came down from Jerusalem said he hath Belzabub and by the Prince of the Devils casteth he out Devils 21. Acts 22. So the Jews were pleased neither full nor fasting Thus can perverse Spirits and Wits turn and wind any thing never so innocently and plainly spoken or written unto a different or contrary sence The same Spirit of Contention and way-ward emulation reigns at this day through Christendome and rageth oft-times no less in defence of good Causes than of bad and makes many to concur with Schismatical or false Opinions in transforming particular places of Scripture which makes for private desires or designs as factious opposition to the Sadduces did the Pharises to consent unto our Saviour and unto St. Paul in the Points mentioned § The Monks Friars and Jesuits like the Pharises are rare Sophisters can handy dandy shuffle and cut Texts of Scripture with most admirable dexterity Their impertinent Collections to prove Purgatory from such places of Scripture as have no other semblance with it save only that they mention Metaphorical Fire would make an impartial Reader call to mind the Fable of the Apes or Monkies who espying Glow-worms in the night gathered sticks and blowed themselves breathless to make them burn Would not Impudence it self blush and Stupidity tremble at the senseless collections and deduction of these Men. As the Papists and among them the Jesuits more especially have no parallel except the Jews in this kind so in other main Points of their Religion as concerning the Infallibility of the Pope Transubstantiation the Authority of the Church the real Presence their Prayers in an unknown Tongue and the like they do not go so much beyond others as besides themselves The extream desire they have that Sacred Authority should countenance and abet their profitable Tenents makes them wrest and transform Places of Scripture beyond all Construction whereby they do not manifest the Truth but the poyson of their Doctrines and their Zeal and earnestness herein to be a Spice or Symptome of Spiritual madness or Phanaticisme Musing and dreaming are of near alliance He that thinks of nothing but of confirming his own conclusions or apprehensions will quickly perswade himself that the Word of God speaks just so As the Fool thinketh so the Bell clinketh the superstitious Phisiognomer and Palmister are not without their Scripture 13. Ex. 9. And it shall be a sign unto thee upon thy hand and for a memorial between thine eyes c. and that in 37. Job 7. he sealeth up the hand of every Man that all Men may know his Work What is this else but to make deformed Pictures of beautiful Colours or senseless and ridiculous Inferences out of Divine and Supernatural Antecedents or of plain Texts of Scripture Except we do strictly compare the Marginal Quotations of some Jesuitical Anabaptistical Quaking and Schismatical discourses with the Texts and both with the Conclusions intended by the Author one would hardly believe it possible for some Men to speak or write nothing but Gospel-language and yet to speak or write scarce a true or wise or pertinent word to the purpose Desire of Victory and to excel others is a Disease hardly cured in any Men Sects or Parties and oft-times work most indefatigably where it works most secretly Gods Gifts of Wit Learning and Judgment some can admire and magnifie in others and acknowledge them to be above their own yet will they not in conclusion be perswaded that any Men not of their own Sect or Opinion have so pure and clear a Beam of Light as themselves or know so much of Gods Eternal Will and Purposes as they do and it is no marvel that such who for expounding greatest Mysteries have betaken themselves wholly to the Spirit or to the Labours of Men whom they presume to be throughly sanctified i. e. that are free of their Brotherhood and Corporation only or at least served a compleat Apprentiship to their supposed Spirit But the wisest oft miscarry in their Projects and so do these by taking wrong measures in that they think there is no direct way to Grace but by undervaluing helps of Art or gifts of Nature of this misconceit the Quakers the Enthusiasts the Phanaticks are most guilty The first and immediate Issue of this Perswasion is that every action which is not warranted by some express Rule of Scripture apprehended by Grace is not of Faith and being not of Faith it must be a sin so that these two Propositions 1. All Actions warranted by the express Word of God must needs be lawful 2. All lawful Actions must needs be warranted by the express Word of God differ no more in their Logical and Grammatical sence than house-keeping and keeping house do in common understanding utitur Diabolus Testimoniis Scripturarum non ut doceat sed ut fallat S. Ambrose That admonition of St. Paul to the Philip. 2.3 concerns these times as much as those wherein he wrote and the Maintainers of true Religion most of all and it were most happy for Christianity if all Christians could in good earnest embrace it Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let

Civil Powers we need go no farther than to Geneva Rome and Scotland Hierusalem not Rome is the Mother of us all there was the Church of the Jews most eminent and perspicuous when Christ came From this Metropolis of the Holy Land or Palaestine of which God said more than ever he said of any place saying This is my rest here will I dwell for evermore Here did the Messias begin first to build his Church as foretold by the Prophets by teaching the Doctrines of the Messiah remission of sins his tru worship wherein his Spirit was so prevalent as he was acknowledged to be the tru Messiah and so embraced more eminently by Zacharias Elizabeth and John the Baptist Here according to Luke 2. was Christ presented by the impulse of the holy Spirit in the Temple according to the Mosaic Rite Here just and devout Simeon came by the Spirit into the Temple waiting for the consolation of Israel where he acknowledged the Son of Mary to be the true Messiah and prophesied that he was set for the fal and rising again of many in Israel and having sung his sweet Nunc dimittis blessed and declared him a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel Though the number of the faithful was but smal at first yet it did daily grow and encrease being baptized of John his Forerunner in the Temple at Jerusalem and afterwards teaching in their Synagogues and confirming his Doctrins by his Miracles His Doctrins were not confined to Jerusalem only but from thence were afterwards propagated unto other Cities Towns and Villages as to Bethany John 11.18 about 15 Furlongs from Jerusalem where Martha and Mary Sisters and their Brother Lazarus did inhabit amongst other good Christians famous for borrowing an Ass with its Foal to ride into Jerusalem to Emmaus famous for Christs appearing there after his Resurrection to Bethlem where Christ was born to Jerico where Christ instructed Zaccheus touching the Messiah remission of sins good works c. Luke 19.9 there he restored sight to the blind c. Matth. 20. Mar. 10. Luke 18. the like is tru of Ephrain Bethabara Aenon al Judaea al the Region about and beyond Jordan so in Idumaea Samaria Galilaea Capernaum Bethsaida Corazin Genezareth Magdalo Naim Caena the Region of the Gadarens and Girgasins Caesarea Philippi the Coasts of Tyre and Sydon al Syria that the tru Doctrin was preached and planted in al these and more places in the life time of Christ is manifest by the testimony of the Apostles and Evangelists according as Christ a little before his ascension had told them All which were so many separate or several Churches or Congregations as independent each of other as one Apostle was independent of another and the reason why they should be so is as demonstrable for that all the Apostles were alike insallible Whilst Christ was upon Earth he was the supreme Independent Head of al the Churches and so remains to the end of the World for it was he that chose and made the Body his Church and not the Body him to be their Head so that other Heads besides him there never was never will be Governors and Rulers there are and may be God having given the Body power over it self After his Ascension having given them their Commission viz. Go ye and teach al Nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe al things whatsoever I have commanded you Matth. 28.19 20. and having filled all the Apostles with the Holy Ghost according to his promise and endued them with tongues they departed and separated and gathered several Congregations or Churches so that the sound went into al the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 According as Christ had told them You shal receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shal be Witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in al Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth Act. 1.8 preaching repentance and remission of sins in his name among all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.47 And thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nations Rev. 5.9 As Palestine had the honour and happiness to have the Saviour of the World to be born in her after a wonderful manner and there first to teach his Doctrins the glad tydings of the Gospel and by his death there to seal eternal salvation to Mankind and there by his miraculous Resurrection to becom the first fruits of them that slept and swallowing up death in victory And after his glorious and joyful Resurrection having led captivity captive he gave gifts unto Men and called some to be his Apostles some c. who after they had chosen Mathias in the place of Judas the Traitor and cloven Tongues like as fire having sate upon each of them and al filled with the Holy Ghost and having preached the Gospel at Jerusalem and thereabouts and done many miracles whereby the Word of God and the number of Disciples daily increasing from 120 unto 3000 and more and more daily accruing the chief Pontiffs and Saduces being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection of the dead began to persecute them which seem to be the same year that Christ was crucified viz. Anno Aetatis suae 33. and 18 Tiberii scourging some and killing others which persecution occasioned divers of the Brethren to withdraw themselves into neighbouring places which gave opportunity to the Gospel to be more universally spread throughout Palestine the Apostles yet remaining in Jerusalem Act. 8. who afterwards dispersing themselves also spread the Gospel into al Nations after this sort and manner viz. when a certain number of Brethren being converted and well instructed in the true faith agreed among them themselves to build or hire a Temple Tabernacle or House for their joynt meetings and exercising of their Religion hired a Priest and constituted a Church and as the number encreased so that one Church and Priest being not sufficient for them al those who were most remote did build another and fit themselves with more conveniences And about the end of the first Century or beginning of the second for good order and concord and for civility and respect they did bear to their Bishop or Priest custom began to include his consent also which in process of time soon degenerated into usurpation by the Artifices of the Priests or Bishops of which Rome in process of time taking hold made great use to the abusing of the power of the Brethren and to incroach upon the priviledges of the Body of the Church Al this while the Apostles and their Successors were independent one of the other and so were their several and select gathered Congregations The like may be as truly verified of the several Churches gathered in the

appear rather to be taken than given as this Author suggests Certainly this great Cloud of Witnesses will cure our Author of this his fear and set him and all others right as to Matter of Fact in this Point and so I leave it § Other Objections he makes against Liturgies if imposed as that they occasion neglect and disabilities that they hinder the due Exercise and Improvement of Spiritual Gifts and that they are an unwarrantable Abridgement of that Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and therefore sin in the Vse and Imposition thereof These I take to be rather Libels than just Objections for that there is no property belonging unto a good Pastor but what is very consistent with the true Nature and Use of sound Liturgies as hath been shewed already But if there be any such Watch-men that are blind ignorant dumb Dogs that cannot bark sleeping lying down loving to slumber greedy Dogs which can never have enough lazy idle Shepherds that cannot understand Isa 56.10 11. that will take occasion from the Imposition of Liturgies to neglect to feed their Flocks to strengthen the Diseased to heal the Sick to bind up that which is broken and to seek that which is lost yet this cannot without slander be imputed unto the Nature and Condition of Liturgies or their Imposition but unto the Shepherds themselves who will exact their due but neglect their Duty who take the hire of Labourers but live as Loiterers who love Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of Idleness and to feed themselves and not the Lords Flock Ezek. 34.3 looking to their own ways every one for his gain from his Quarter saying We will fetch Wine and fill our selves with Strong Drink and to morrow shall be as this day and much more abundant Isa 56.10 11 12. the more shame for those that ordain such and put such into Preferments and no doubt but God will in his due time require his Flock at the Hands of such Pastors and feed them with judgment causing their Habitation to mourn and themselves to howl for that God will spoil their Glory Zech. 11.3 for indeed I know no power that Gospel-Ministers can undoubtedly challenge by their Charter from Heaven but to preach in season out of season to teach their Flock and duly to Administer Gods Ordinances and Sacraments And if this should be denied them by vertue of the Imposition of Liturgies or that Liturgies were really exclusive of that Provision of Means that Christ hath ordained for the Edification of his Church as this Author seems to brand them it were better that both Liturgies and my self were tied to a Mil-stone and both cast into the midst of the Sea than that I should thus plead for them but being clearly convinced of the contrary I shall go to that which is last to be touched viz. § That Liturgies if imposed are against Christian Liberty § Christian Liberty I must confess is a specious and glorious term a most precious and most excellent thing an inestimable Blessing purchased by the death of the Son of God Jesus Christ blessed for ever and therefore ought not to be infringed or impeached by any and let him be Anathema that would willingly and knowingly endeavour it And as it is a thing of very high concern to all Christians so it is very apt to be highly wrested and abused contrary to the holy Ghost by Christians of divers perswasions every man Writing and shaping it to his own humor and fancying to themselves liberty in such and such things and then wresting places to favour their fancies which were never so intended by the Holy Ghost which crime is chiefly charged and falls most heavily upon the Anabaptists who do embrace an opinion very Licentious Extravagant and even destructive to all Government holding that a Christian Mans Liberty is lost and the Soul which Christ hath Redeemed unto himself injuriously drawn into Servitude under the Yoak of Humane power if any Law be now imposed besides the Gospel of Jesus Christ in obedience whereunto the Spirit of God and not the constraint of Men is to lead us according to that of the Blessed Apostle such as are lead by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Rom. 8.14 and not such as live in Thraldom unto Men therefore their Judgment is that amongst Christians there must be no Magistrates for if there must be Magistrates they must have Power to make Laws besides the Laws of God but this Power they have not because Christians have a free use of all the Creatures of God by Christian Liberty Next unto the Anabaptists it falls heavy I wish I could say not Justly upon some scrupulous Non-conformists that under pretence of Christian Liberty wherein they say they ought to stand fast and so no doubt they ought they often deny obedience to the Lawful Commands of the Magistrate in the business of the Lord and so use or rather abuse their Liberty for a Cloak to cover their malitiousness I will not say but their misunderstandings and not as the Servants of God 1 Pet. 2.16 There are others of the like Synagogue of Libertines as Phanaticks Quakers Ranters Adamites others But because they are Persons having no Principles no Mediums whereon to Ground and Regulate Discourses or Disputations I shall wave and a little look into the true nature of Christian Liberty which according to Calvin contains some higher thing than the Liberty in the use of Ceremonies and which I take to be a Spiritual Right or Condition in all the parts of it because it pertains to Conscience Be the extent of this Liberty what it will in it self it is inwardly in the Conscience But the publick use of it being in outward things and Actions is therefore under the Order of Humane Laws because Liberty is in Conscience and the Magistrates Authority pertains to the Body § For to make all restraint of the Outward Man in matters indifferent Confer at Hamp Court 70 71. an Impeachment of Christian Liberty what were it else but even to bring Flat Anabaptism and Anarchy into Church and State and to overthrow all bounds of Subjection and Obedience to lawful Authority For wherein can the immediate Power and Authority of Rulers consist or the due obedience of Inferiours be shown if not in indifferent and Arbitrary things For things absolutely necessary and commanded by God we are bound to do whether Humane Authority required them or no and things absolutely unlawful as Prohibited by God we are bound not to do whether Humane Authority forbid them or no there are no other things left then wherein to express properly the obedience due to Superiour Authority than indifferent things In rebus mediis lex posita est obedientiae Bern. Ep. if any retort as some have done that if we are obliged to do things absolutely necessary and commanded by God and obliged not to do things absolutely unlawful and forbidden by God without the Interposition