were †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by voyces with the Eleaven He saith prayers and lotts were performed by the Apostles as the principall directors of that action therefore they also presented the two Indeed they that did the one part did the other The cohereÌ„ce of the text sheweth it wel But the truth is not as he saith For these things were performed only by Peter as the principal director of the whole action at this time The Apostles are no where mentioned in this busines there is not one tittle of theÌ„ To the point all those particular actions in this Election before “ Plurally named named are and must bee referred to all the Disciples who are heere expresly mentioned in the middest of whoÌ„ all these things were done I say Peter alone did them as the Moderator and director but iointly with him all the Disciples concurring and consenting presented these two prayed saying cast lottes All the Church ioyned with Peter and accounted the Elected with the Eleaven Thus this is decided in the text the force and coharence of the wordes convince it though the Doct. denyeth it Hee sheweth †Hom. 3. iâ— Act. Chrysostome saying “ pag. 67. Peter might most lawfully have chosen Mathias I vnderstand Chrysostomes meaning to be that he might lawfully have nominated and propounded one or mo And this is true Otherwise Chrysostomes speach is amisse the D. knoweth it to be vntrue acknowledging that an Apostle can not be chosen by men as before I noted This therefore he can not take hold of the “ Bellarm. de Cler. 1.7 Iesuits catch at it likewise as he doth but none of them all get by it Why doth hee not rest on Chrysostomes other words heere that Peter him selfe did not appoint those two but all did it And he did all by the common sentence of the Disciples nothing by his owne authoritie nothing by commaund This is true this is plaine this is for imitation for ever yet this he as also the Iesuit reiecteth though †Cypr. Epist 1.4 Cyprian also say as much and our “ Rain CoÌ„fer pa. 153 late Writers Maist Calvin iustly taxeth the Papistes pervers boasting of the Fathers and we are to taxe our present adversaries likewise Seeing they seem to draw against vs all in one line Saith hee of them to the French King Ists pij scilicet filij quâ sunt ingenij iudicij animi dexteritate Patrum tantum lapsus errores adorant Calvin ad Reg. Gall. Quae benedicta sunt vel non observant vel dissimulant vel corruÌ„punt Vt dicas prorsùs illis cura fuisse in auro legere stercora Such good children they are to these Fathers that only their faultes and errors they adore and it is all their care amongst their golde to gather dirt Next Act. 6.5 The multitude chose 7. Deacons First “ Pâ—â—pet gov pag. 67. 68. he granteth this Then he would make it void for any vse with vs as Bellarmine doth likewise Saith he That the people should very wel like and fully trust such as should be Stewards of their goods had evident reason And I pray is there not more reason that they shold very wel like fully trust such as must bee the Guides of their soules Those by whose meanes they shall go to heaven or to hell I trowe there is much more reason for this Neither is this †Pag. 82. a matter exceeding the reach of Christian people viz. to discerne and try and like their “ Ioh. 10.3.4.5 1 Ioh. 4.1 Oct. 17.11 1. Cor. 10.15 Teachers Against Act. 14.23 he †Pag. 70. obiecteth word for word out of Bellarmine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be taken heere for the peoples voyce-giving as the prophane Orators among the Grecians applyed it I answer it is necessarie so to bee taken Are not they the true authors of the Greeke language Do not all men try the true propertie of Greeke wordes and phrases by them Nay but the Church-writers vnderstand it for Laying on of handes in Ordination I answer they have changed the native right vse of the word they keepe not the originall propertie of it as they do not in Reas. for refor pag. 64 65 before Pa. 109.127.218.211 many other words mo Time chaÌ„geth many words from their originall veritie Wherefore the Apostles doubtles spake and wrote Greeke not like the phrase which came vp 300.4000 yeres after them but as the authentike Grecians before and in their time did speake Thus then it were folly yea madnes to interprete them by those so long after them Againe he saith this word signifyeth never to take the consents of others Which is not true as I have †Reas for refor pag. 47 shewed out of Demosthenes contra Timocrat Where hee saith thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which of the lawes the chiefe Authors shall appoint by the peoples voice-giving the same is ratifyed Heere the word plainly signifyeth the Guids taking the coÌ„sent of others Further he obiecteth that this word somtime signifyeth “ Act. 10.41 generally to apoint no more I grant there is a †Synecdoche figurative and improper vse of the word The necessitie of the CircuÌ„stance there maketh that it must be so But heere in Act. 14.23 there is no necessitie nor reason at all to take it improperly or otherwise then as al authentike Grecians do vse it viz. for appointing by the peoples voices or free consents as I have said These are D. Bilsons speciall obiections against our texts of Scripture for the peoples consent in Church governement vnder the Apostles Bellarmine dealeth against one or two more Hee saith Ioh. 10. we are coÌ„manded to heare Christs voyce and not a strangers and to try the Spirits only by atteÌ„ding to the doctrine of other Pastors holding their old custome and chieflie to the doctrine of Rome Where hee presumeth that those other Pastors can not erre and chieflie they of Rome But the Apostle telleth vs that †Rom. 3.4 Every man is a lyar that is subiect to error Wherefore the Holy Ghost biddeth the people to attend “ Isa 8.20 to the Law and to the Testimoniâ— in such cases †Ioh. 5.39 to Search the Seriptures and sheweth that in so doing “ 2. Pet. 1.19 wee do well Againe the Iesuit maketh a shew of answering viz. to 1. Pet. 5.2 that Ministers may not be Lords over the Church But he answereth not only hee saith Bishops are servants to the Church as Scholemaisters are to their Scholars and Magistrates to the people who yet do coÌ„mand and rule them solely Which is nothing to the text forbidding Ministers to be Lords over the †As also 2. Cor. 1.24 people he answereth not that point Last to this “ 1. Tim. 3 1â— The Church is the pillar and grouÌ„d of truth he saith it is true
be of as certaine truth but this later alwayes hath more waight among men Thus Paul was not sufficient in this case Yea the H. Ghost in this case would not have divers other Apostles with Paul to seeme sufficient by them selves without the “ Whitak de Concil quest 3. c. 3. whole Church there and specially so far foorth as it was to binde this present Church Thirdly There were †Pag. 96. 97. 98. 389. reasons which they had why even the whole Church was heerein to concurre What then There are and ever wil be special reasons still for the like I say such reasons are now for vs as those theÌ„ were yea more waightie Wherefore the imitating of this Apostolike Act is still necessarie 4. He saith “ Pag. 98. Who decided the controversie but Peter Iames If he meane they 2. were the principall men whose credit drewe the rest to consent It is true But it sheweth not that they only decided the doubt Rather they all decided it who beeing present expresly concurred in the decree and promulged it saying It seemed good to the H. Ghost to vs. In all this therefore he hath nothing to infringe his owne grant Yea thus this ought to bee imitated evermore Next 1. Cor. 5.12.13 Do ye not iudge them that are within But God iudgeth them that are without Put away therefore from among your selves that wicked man This “ Pag. 2â—â— he would make void yet hee knoweth not howe Hee saith heere are 2. great doubts First what it is to deliver to Sathan Secondly by whom it was For the first whatsoever Delivering to Sathan is hee himselfe granteth that this heere is excommunication saying †pag. 10â— That hee was excommunicated I make no doubt Hee sheweth also heere by the very text that the CorinthiaÌ„ Church should have done it Which is enough what need we more Yet hee striveth against it saying “ Pag. 102. Paul decreed it alone “ pag. 99. He asketh not their consents he prayeth not their aide he referreth not the matter to their liking How vaine is this A King may decree to make a law to punish Adulterie yet hee may intend to have his Counsaill and ParliameÌ„t to ioyne therein with him He may decree and determine to warre on his enemie yet not without his Nobles Commons ioyning with him Neither needed the Apostle in this case to pray their aide c. The matter in Nature was odious also it was open old and vnrepented Hee him selfe was their Father in the Gospell their Apostle Guide It stood not therefore with the Corinthians pietie nor his dignitie to pray theÌ„ in this busines but “ Yea and to command them doctrinally not in order of governement to admonish them and to shew them what they should speedily do So then hee prayeth not their aide nor asketh their coÌ„sent in this yet he presumeth of it and vseth it vers 4. Yea †2. Cor. 2.8 c. for his absolving hee prayeth their aide and asketh their coÌ„sent Therefore in casting him out he vsed it also Againe if Paul alone excommunicated him then it was fully finished For hee did all that lay in him to accomplish it saying “ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have now iudged it as if I were present But the man was not yet excommunicat See 2. Cor. 2 6. Therefore hee requireth the Church to proceed so as hee had determined vers 4.13 Where the text saying You being come togeather and my Spirit in the name of the Lord Iesus sheweth their ioint concurrence and consent was to be had for this action In the name of the Lord Iesus signifying that holy worke and ordinance of Christ which also should be to the honor and praise of the Lord Iesus Hee interpreteth my Spirit apparantly amisse that is They shall finde the force of my Spirit present But the Circumstances shew it to be only the consent of his heart or Spirit For els the very same thing is twice noted in one line viz. the same force and power 1. my Spirit 2. with the power of the Lord Iesus Which whosoever marketh will see it to bee heere nothing so Beside how could it be This in 1. Cor. 5 5.1â— no bodily tormenting by Satan The force of his Spirit could not be present his body being so far absent Never did any Apostle give any to the Divel to be tormented without seeing the partie without speaking with him But the coÌ„sent of his Spirit to Excommunication might well be present at Coâ—inth signifyed in his present letters though his person were far absent as then it was Againe the text Therefore also this was no bodily tormenting you being come togeather and my Spirit with the power of the Lord Iesus to deliver such a one to Satan c. sheweth that they were to com togeather to deliver him to Sathan this the wordes import as well as that Paul did it lastly he granteth the Apostle †Pag. 102. rebuked them for not putting the transgressor from amongest them Therefore he coÌ„fesseth they had power to do it And that againe is enough Where note also that this Do. in his striving to the contrarie striveth against our worthie “ See before pag. 24. 27. 33. 34. Attestators before named Who are against him in his other point also viz. that this delivering to Satan is †Pag. 100. to be smitten with some grievous plague or disease miraculously inflicted by the Apostle Yea herein he standeth against him self teaching at large that heere in 1. Cor. 5. was “ Against the Seminar part 3. p. 58 nothing but ExcommunicatioÌ„ But what reason maketh him now thus to thinke How should The power and might of Christ bee shewed in excluding a man from the Word and Sacramentes Pronouncing a few wordes is sufficient for that matter A straÌ„ge speach Hath not Excommunication the power might of Christ in it because pronouÌ„cing a few words is sufficient for that matter In preaching the Gospell pronouncing a few wordes is sufficient for that matter and yet it is the power of God Rom. 1.16 In sanctifying the Mysticall signes pronouncing a fewe wordes is sufficient for that matter yet the virtue of Christ is in them Even so Excommunication an other of Christes Spirituall Ordinances though it bee done by his Servantes pronouÌ„cing but a few wordes yet the power of Christ the author and Lord thereof is not wanting in it either to convert the Sinner or the more to coÌ„demne him Which answereth him also that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Paul is often taken for Miraculous power in the Apostles †Pa. 101 10â— For in that to the Romanes before cited any may see it to be otherwise a place verie like to this in 1. Cor. 5.4.5 Neither is him selfe confident in this reason For if it be but often then he granteth it is not so alwayes And then it may be
never ben possible For it had ben to smal purpose if they had oppugned those their other errors only withal had iustifyed the forme of the Roman Church and the calling of their Ministerie which our Forefathers must have done if our said Assertion had not ben true And so they must have taryed still ordinarie members vnder the governement of the same Church Againe to small purpose had they oppugned those other errors if they had left to obloquie their owne Ministerie Which likewise they must have done if our said Assertion were not true For as in warfare good weapons and much strength without iustifyable authoritie A Similitude will in short time bring ruine and confusion to them that vse the same Even so it is in this cause yea much more heere it is true Though wee seeme to cut down Popish errors with the sword of Gods word yet if wee do not cleere our Ministerie and iustifye our Calling give good satisfaction to mens Consciences for the lawfulnes of our handling the Word and Sacraments and Spirituall governement wee shall quickly labour in vaine And that appeareth certainly to much at this day in England the greater is our woe Not only in respect of Popery but in other respects also Well will our adversaries say The Protestantes Ministerie is iustifyed sufficiently against the Papistes albeit the people have no consent in their Ministers Calling Oh would God our learned men in Englande would shew this substantially Then would I for my part quickly conforme as before also I protested But otherwise let them bee assured the Church of Rome do what they can will get ground of them in England And this maketh mee to lay this to heart as I do Every day we are chalenged by the “ D. KellisoÌ„ Treatise of faith A. D. Iohn Fraser c. Papistes to proove the lawfulnes of our Ministerie in England and of our Calling to it What say our learned men heerevnto A direct and a full and a stedfast answer must be made to this Mens consciences will not be satisfyed with dilatorie and shifting answeres Nor if wee leave Scruples Difficulties in that we speake To iustify the Calling of our Ministerie in England and to prove the lawfulnes thereof The true iustification of the Protestants Ministerie wee must plainly shew that the persons who give this Calling with vs have good authoritie in deed to give the same This is the very point Let our learned men make this cleere and then the Papistes are stopped then all men are satisfyed For it is a plaine case and graunted of all that every true Ministerie in the Church must be receaved from some persons who have good and iust authoritie to give it And this is essentiall to every true Ministerie Some there are in Englande who affirme the Ministers authoritie is only an Inward Calling and gifts of the minde And so hath no absolut necessitie to be Outwardly receaved from any other Which in deed is not fit for any wise man or honest Christian to holde It is the worst answer of a thousand and in a word meerely Anabaptisticall Some others there are who say that this authoritie of the Ministerie and of exercising Excommunication also is derived originally from the Magistrate even from the King and Parliament with vs. And so they expound that ordinance of our Saviour “ Mat. 18.17 Tell the Church to be Tell the civil Magistrate Verily they may also as well expound these wordes †Mat. 86.18 Vpon this Rocke I will build my Church to signifie Vpon the Civill Magistrate vpon the Prince Christ buildeth his church For thus they make Christes Visible Church vnder the Gospell only a Civill Societie and a Humane politie Which profane opinion is so vnworthy of all true Christian people that it deserveth to bee exploded no lesse then the other These answers against the Papistes wee may thinke will do but litle good For as it is absolutly necessary that a true Minister of the Gospell have his calling given him outwardly from some persons and that these persons have good and iust authoritie to give it So likewise it is absolutly necessarie that every true Minister of the Gospell have his calling given him by those who are by Christ him selfe or his holy Spirit in the Apostles authorised to give it For thus only can an Ordinarie Ministers Calling be of God which is “ Ioh. 3.27 Heb. 5.4 Mat. 21.25 1. Cor 12.5 Rom. 10.15 necessarie and not of men And this is that which we call Essentiall in every Ordinarie Ecclesiasticall Minister Who are the persons that have power from Christ to make Ministers Againe as I said this will soundly answere the Papistes and nothing els But now all the matter will be who are the persons which have power authoritie from Christ to give a Calling to a Minister of the Gospell Heere as touching my selfe when I deale with Papistes as often I have don I affirme as D. Tilenus in this case answered the L. Lavall in France which “ Pag. 43. before I remembred viz. that the people consenting togeather in the truth of the Gospell have froÌ„ Christ power and authoritie first to forsake all Sacrilegious Priestes and their ministerie and then to give a true and lawfull calling of Ministerie to some whom them selves do like Wherein Tilenus shewed Cyprians iudgement also agreeing with his Cyprian there affirming likewise that this power of the people is from Divine authoritie as “ Pag. 56. 57. before also is shewed And other very plaine proofes heereof Act. 1.23.26 and 6.3.5.6 and 14.23 I have †Reas. for reform pag. 45. 46. 47. c. Divine beginning of Christs Visib Church Argum. 9. A DefinitioÌ„ generall twice set downe at large out of the New Testament Beside all which there is very pregnant reason also for the same For Christian people whether few or many ioyned togeather in a constant societie of one ordinarie Congregation to serve God according to his word are a true Visible Church of Christ Every true Visible Church of Christ is his Kingdome vpon earth his deare Spouse his owne Body c. Now it ought not to bee doubted but Christ hath given power to his Kingdome to his Spouse to his Body to governe it selfe to preserve it selfe to provide for it selfe when it wanteth all things ordayned for it in the best maner it can This may not bee doubted Therefore such a Societie vnder the Gospell wanting Ministers must have power to ordaine Ministers for her selfe Likewise the Apostle saieth All thinges are theirs and they Christes and Christ Gods Then 1. Cor. 3 2â—.23 wheÌ„ they want Ministers they cannot want power to provide them to them selves Seeing God hath made them theirs Further the Apostle requireth the christiaÌ„ people to try the Spirits of their Teachers whether they be of God or no. 1. Ioh. 4.1 And Christ saith His sheepe heare his voice a