and that very well too as a motive to care and conscience in the exercise of power 2 Chr. 19. 7. Jehoshaphat speaking of this very matter gave to his Judges whom he constituted this charge Take heed and do it or take heed the doing of it Moses Exod. 3. 11. said to God Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt yet God would have him go and do it Exo. 3. 10. 11. If then the fallibility of a Magistrate as being a man or the conscience of his own weaknesse as such a person was no argument in those daies against the power of the Magistrate or the exercise of it how much lesse is it now under the Gospel when the light is ordinarily greater then in those times theirs was Hereunto they will answer two things 1. That Magistrates under the Old Testament had advantages which ours have not Whereunto I shall reply anon in its due place 2. That there is no such need of Magistrates now for in those daies the times of the Gospel all shall know the Lord. Hereunto I answer that if all then the Magistrates especially who have a special promise for it as is evident from what has been alledged If arguments drawn from the Law of Moses prevail not with them what will they say to the Law of Nature Thus then I argue A Magistrates care ought to be about that whereupon principally depends the establishment of a Commonwealth and the suppression of opinions and men that would ruine it But upon Religion principally depends the establishment of a Commonwealth as is made good from the judgement of the very Heathen themselves as histories and what before has been shewed do witnesse therefore a Magistrate ought to have a principal care of Religion even by the Law of Nature This care of Religion consists generally in two things 1. in setting up of Religion it self without which can be expected no blessing from God upon nor obedience from the people to the Magistrate under the notion of Gods Vicegerent 2. In avoiding of differences in opinions for from diversities of opinions men usually fall into diversity of affection and interest which tends to the ruine of a Commonwealth 'T is true that as in a State provided that all the Citizens hold the same fundamental Maxims necessary to the undergoing of duties essential to its conservation the Magistrate may tolerate amongst them a difference in many other matters of lesse importance So it is in the Church as long as every man upholds those opinions which make for the honour of God and peace and unity of the Church in the communion whereof he lives lesser things may be born with But shall every man be his own Judge herein No for there 's a threefold judgement a judgement of discretion a judgement of direction and a judgement of jurisdiction Every Christian has a judgement of discretion prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5. 21. by applying the rule of the holy Scripture to his own private consolation and edification The Pastours of the Church who are the watchmen placed over the Israel h. e. the Church and House of God have a judgement of direction to expound the holy Scriptures to others The chief Pastours to whose care the regiment of the Church is committed in a more special manner have not this only but a higher degree of judgement which is of jurisdiction to enjoyn to reform to censure to condemn to bind to loose judicially and authoritatively in their respective charges If their key shall err whether it be that of knowledge or jurisdiction they are accountable to their respective Superiours from thence to a National and last of of all to a general council And that such councils be called such persons be settled such charges be by the said persons daily executed is the Magistrates duty to see to and his prerogative to command or allow But oh what mistakes say they by Magistrates are continued in Holland about Religion c Ans If such mistakes are continued in Magistrates how would these be multiplied if every one of the people were left to himself Surely for one that is now there would be ten thousand in that case And whereas they urge Popes Councils Oecumenical and National that they have erred It is answered that when we yield obedience to the Pope or be concluded by the Councils and Synods which they alledge they will be found to say something to the purpose But since they cannot prove these things they might have spared as great a many of lines as I mean to spare in their confutation yet the 21. Article of our Church yields more then they have proved viz. That General Councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of Princes And when they be gathered together for as much as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God they may erre and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the holy Scripture Now what use will our adversaries here make of this our gratification Even this viz. What security then can a Magistrate have that he does well Answ As much security as a Judge that condemns a Prisoner at the Bar in as much as the Notitia Juris is clear The probation of the fact depends upon witnesses whereupon if a guiltlesse person be condemned the Judge has done his duty by ordering the formality of the tryal and so has delivered his own soul Sect. 14. NExt they argue from the Royal Law of Liberty viz. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets And those that are forward to persecute would not be very zealous in their proceedings if they were sure that those they persecute should have the power on their sides to meet the same measure unto them Answ That when a man is punished for the committing of any thing unlawful to be done or omitting that which is unlawful to be left undone this only is a persecution in Scripture sense But when a man is condemned for omitting that which ought or committing that which ought not to be done such are things which are either absolutely evil or good in themselves or being indifferent are made so by the intervention of humane authority this is no persecution but justice And whosoever shall do such justice upon any man and be willing that the prisoner should do so to him the prisoner would either do it according to the Law as his Rule and would proceed to sentence secundum allegata probata as to matter of fact and so he would do well for in reason from whence a well ordered will has its denomination
the Gnosticks he sate in the Temple of God called God by the Emperour Claudius who caused a Statue to be erected by liber between the two Bridges with this Inscription Simont Deo sancto to Simon the holy God and he had all rites of divine worship performed to him by the Samaritans Yea those that hold the Popes only to be Antichrist are driven to say That they are so as far only as they work by signs and lying wonders in the vertue and power of Simon Magus and if they will have a dominion and rule joyned to it then it must be so far forth as they in their actings resemble that Dominatio Romana or Roman Rule and Domination And this is called Harlot a female for Dominatio vertus and potentia are Feminines And it is observable that the Caliphs or Saracenical Popes who vested themselves in all power spiritual and temporal are of the Feminine Gender Whose power as are and were most of the Eastern Governments was Tyrannical set up by Mahomet who compiled his divellish doctrine beginning his Empire about the same time that Boniface the third assumed his Antichristian Title beginning his Empire there being but eleven years between them Tyrannical Government and Governours are as Birds of prey amongst which sort of Birds the female is ever the largest boldest and most morose Insomuch that a cast of Sacres once set upon an Eagle and having buffetted and wearied him a good made him descend to the earth by the force of their blows The Faulconer proud hereof bragged of it before Him of the Ottomans who took Constantinople who caused their necks to be wrung off for enterprizing upon their King Which may very fitly be applyed to the men of this Generation who may justly be called Sacres Quasi quodvis Sacrum aucupantes imo Sacram Majestatem debellantes who not contented to prey upon the persons and estates of other of their fellow Subjects seize upon Majesty it self accounting themselves the only Sacri Saints which ought to possess the Earth upon the account of Grace as the Pope and his party does in ordine ad spiritualia both of them fitly resembling the madness of Thrasilaus or as some say Thrasimene the Athenian who made account that all the ships which came into the Haven were his own and would be very angry with those that went about to reclaim him from so sweet an errour These are like Mariners that sail from the same Port contrary wayes in the world to make Proselytes but meet together in the Antipodes The Popes pretend to Sanctitas when in many things it is mera fatuitas as his Holinesse was sometimes stiled by the Emperour in Goldastus so the men of this generation pretend to Holinesse when as the Devil sends them strong delusions to believe a lye and 't were happy for some of them did they all but believe it who are as like their fathers Stork Stubner and Muntzer as one egg is like another This Nicholas Stork and Mark Stubner born in Germany did like Simon Magus endeavour by divers artifices to gain upon the unwary multitude This by learning and a certain acumen in expounding of Scriptures the other ignorant of letters by popular eloquence Enthusiasms and fame of secret conference with God Both these with their great pomp and cunning no man knows what became of Neverthelesse the third of them viz. Muntzer failed not to make the highest improvement of the fruit of this new Gospel imprinted in the minds of the people by Stubner and Stork The Fanaticks took occasion of dividing themselves into parts and of renting the Church from Luther's book of Christian Liberty first set forth in 1520. Wherein they reading that a Christian man was Lord of all things and subject to no man these words were wrested to a wrong sense by men impatient of their own and others quiet and thereupon first in private and obscure Cottages next in open and eminent places the cruel government of Kings their pillaging of their Subjects was objected in the presence of the People Liberty acquired to all under the Kingdom of Jesus Christ was boasted of complaints were made not onely of the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome but of smaller matters tolerated by the first reformers of the Church And by this means the two pillars of publick order were weakened viz. the dignity of the Magistracy and the reverence and respect of the ministry and the authority of both Hereupon thoughts were had and endeavours used for the setting up of a New and more perfect Church governed by a new kinde of Policy and of initiating it's Disciples by a new Baptism And least that the respect had to their former Baptism should hinder it they declaimed against Infant-Baptism as vain and unlawful as being given to such as were not capable pretending that this Sacrament was not to be administred to any but men of full age and such as were at their own disposal And that this upstart Church might take the deeper root these new Doctors pretended a practice of godlinesse in themselves and endeavoured to inculcate the same into others I sence the ordinary themes of their private and publick meetings were that sin was to be had in detestation the flesh to be kept under and the Spirit stirred up duties of charity to be practised the Crosse of our Lord to be born fastings were often to be held mean garments and moderate diet to be used the dresse of the whole body to be composed rather unto neglect then elegancy and that few words were to be used It is a wonder to see how far by this juggling the common enemy of mankinde transforming himself into an angel of light promoted his own kingdom and how obnoxious these new Gospellers rendred even good men by this feigned scheme and form of godlinesse These new Doctors viz. Muntzer and his companions little moved by the exhortations or invectives of Luther or the threatnings of the civil Magistrate tumult the more for them complaining that Luther and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 savoured of nought but carnal things saying that they had onely broken off some boughs of Antichristianism leaving the tree and root entire which as it ought they would have to be cut up And when they found no shelter for their errours in the word of God they fly to new arts of defending themselves and their errours they brag of Enthusiasms and secret inspirations inculcating into the people that man was to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God and that therefore we are not to search after wisdome in books onely and writings but that we should give diligence according to the prescript of the Apostle that all prophecy Hence every Fishmonger almost brag'd of the spirit feigned revelations invented Enthusiasms after the example of Stork and Muntzer opened the pulpits to Coblers and Cummin sellers and whatsoever the spirit of errour dictated to any of them they obtruded upon
others for the word of God though besides or against the written Word A wide gap being thus opened to Enthusiasms any opinions were obtruded upon the ignorant and itching-ear'd people as namely that no Oaths were obligatory under the Gospel they every where preached sedition and the seditious became armed against their Princes insomuch that the most flourishing Provinces were hereby destroyed and died in bloud Muntzer he must be their Gideon who bore this inscription in his Banners namely Thomas Muntzer and the sword of Gideon These things and many more may be read in Spanhemius de Origine progressu sectis nominibus dogmatibus Anabaptistarum and in the Commentaries of Sleiden It does almost superare Annalium fidem for a man would scarce believe what outrages have been committed in Westphalia by John of Leyden Matthew and Knipperdoling whereof this lest was so hardened in his wickednesse that he endured three pinches of a red hot pair of tongs before he implored the mercy of God which amongst other things whereof some are formerly related are recorded by the said Sleiden in the fifth and tenth book of his Commentaries from whence this Story was of purpose translated into English anno 1642. as a warning piece to England especially for London against those things which by woful experience we have found to have come to passe and whether they would have proceeded had not God in mercy turned the stream might easily be foreseen If this be not the spirit of Antichrist that pretends to be so much for Christ and yet so much against him as the very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies I know not what is If this be the very poison in a cup of gold whereof these men speak what is If this be not to make men drunk with the wine of Abomination which they talk of what is If they will have it to be understood without a figure of a material cup of gold even his is as truly verified of the men of this generation as of any inasmuch as this is called a cup of Abomination in reference to some Abomination committed in with or upon some cups of gold and particularly that of Belshazzar's impious feast Dan. 5. when the golden vessels which were taken out of the Temple of the house of God which was at Hierusalem were brought and the King and his Princes his wives and his concubines drank in them And have not the men of this generation done as much in spoiling Churches of their ornaments of their Chalices of their Treasures and they their wives and concubines have drunk in them to their own Gods viz. their covetousnesse their ambition and carnal pleasures deriding their consecration as superstitious and consequently accounting that God a Devil to whom they were set apart The onely pretence they have for this their sacriledge is That Musick Vestments Bishops Cer emonies and Churches have not any footsttp in the New Testament whereby they discover themselves to be the most rigid sort of the Anabaptists As do these men so did the Severians and Cerdonians as St. Austin de Haeresibus ad quod vult Deum testifies I must therefore encounter them within Lists of their own setting I mean the new Testament or not at all Sect. 4. FIrst then for Musick Where do they find it forbidden in the new Testament Nay are we not exhorted to sing in the new Testament viz. James 5. 13. Did not the Disciples of Christ sing an Hymn or Psalm after the receiving of the Sacrament Mat. 26. 30 and Mark 14. 26. Does not St. Paul exhort his Ephesians to speak unto themselves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs singing and making melody in their hearts unto God Ephes 5. 19. And does not the same Apostle advise his Colossions to teach and admonish one another in Psalms and Hymns c. Colos 3. 16. And whether these Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs be different as Grotius notes or the same things as others contend they cannot be sung without musick and this speaking teaching and admonition which are the subjects of these Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs are an evidence that we may nay if the Apostles exhortation be of any force with us we must sing out all things that tend to edification at times convenient The whole Book of the Psalms is a confutation of the Adversaries to this truth in as much as it being the very pith and marrow of the whole Bible contains doctrine admonition blessing cursing prophecying history prayer holy enquiries all wayes of edification and consolation yet these were not only appointed to be sung but were adapted to Organs Virginals Viols and other sorts of Artificial Instruments both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stringed and wind Psal 4. and Psal 5. in titulis But to improve their Objection for them Where do we find Organs and Chromatick Musick to be any more then types and shadows of things to come Whereunto I answer That it cannot be proved by any man that Organs and Chromatick Musick are any more types and shadows of things to come under the Gospel then other vocal Musick is or give not grant that they had been ceremonial they may nevertheless now be used in another acceptation viz. as helps of lifting up of our hearts unto God the better fitting them for hearing and divine meditation Neither did God sayes Calvin upon the 150. Psalm without cause heretofore under the Law require the multiplicity of Musick that he might draw the minds of his people from vain and wicked delights whereunto men are too much addicted to a holy and advantageous gladness and yet all this was too little which gave occasion to the Prophet Amos 6. 5. to say Woe be unto those that sing to the sound of the viol and invent instruments of musick like David Not that David was the first inventor of those Instruments for it was Jubal the son of Lamech Gen. 4. but that they studied all incitements to luxury defending their fault by the example of David as if David had used Musical Instruments as provocations to luxury and not as incitements to piety Who then can deny that it is lawful for us to use the same sorts of Musick since the use thereof is directed to the same ends and those not typical but moral Under the Law there was a double use of killing of Beasts the one as a sacrifice the other as a sustenance the taking of it away as a sacrifice does not abolish the use thereof as a sustenance The like may be said of any Musick giving not granting it to have been ceremonial and typical that though it might be then typical of things to come yet the use of it at present is tropical h. e. for the rectifying of disorders and for the raising up of our hearts to a holy and heavenly exultation and drawing our minds from prophane and idle songs in use at meretricious meetings Those that deny the use
of musical Instruments under the New Testament will have them nevertheless to be types of praises by which nice distinction they are driven to confess that they are something that is not ceremonial Their deceit they would have lye under the ambiguity of the word Type For 1. it is taken for a material print or impression made by nails or otherwise as John 20. 21. and such types they cannot be 2. For the sum of an Epistle or the like as Act. 23. 25. and such they cannot be 3. For a shadow or adumbration of a thing or person to come and this by their own confession or rather affirmation they are not for this were to make them ceremonies which they will have to be contradistinguished from types 4. For a form of doctrine Rom. 6. but Organs c. and Voices are not forms of doctrine 5. For an Image or Statue Acts. 7. 43. and this they cannot be neither these being the work of Painters and Engravers 6. For examples to be feared 1 Cor. 10. 6. but these they cannot be there being no judgement in all the Scripture inflicted upon any that used singing or musical Instruments no nor threatned against them unless such as abused them to luxury 7. For a samplar to be followed Phil. 3. 17. and as it were a copy given to be taken out by others And such Types they are being proposed to us to be imitated under the Gospel and no other as has been proved by us and confessed by themselves Sect. 5. AS for Vestments the same may be said of these as of Musick That though under the Law they were typical of things to come under the Gospel yet under the New Testiment they are not so but meer distinctions of persons serving and of services to be performed which we learn not from the Law of Moses alone but from that of Nature too The Sacrificers among the Heathen had their Infulaes h. e. Sacerdotates vittas The Druides performed no sacred services without the leaves of Oak and not only the Germans but the Greeks adorned their Altars with green leaves of Oak In the Rites performed to Ceres they were crowned with Oak in those to Apollo with Bayes in those to Hercules with Poplar in those to Bacchus with Myrtle The Victims and Vessels were likewise crowned Sched de Diâ— Germ. c. 1 In all which was a decency intended agreeable to the work they were about It is very obvious how full the New Testiment is of declamations against the abominable practices of the Heathen yet let these men tell me where in all the Epistles of the Apostles these or the like Ceremonies were reprehended I know some would have me say as Pliny does namely that the Druides sacrificed in white garments that they might thence infer our Surplices to be a Ceremony derived from Heathens and abused to superstition And was not the Oak abused by the Druides to superstition being had in so great veneration among them And yet our late Reformers gave order which was universally observed accordingly for the Acorn the fruit of the Oak to be set upon the top of their Maces and Crowns and that instead of the Cross which had never been abused by the Heathen who had it in detestation as a figure most unlike that which is best pleasing to him they worshipped h. e. the Devil Which thing so done by them was nevertheless of happy presage to us viz. That the tree which bore such fruit should like that in the Plains of Mamre serve for the shelter of our earthly Angel King Charles from the heat and fury of Rebellion which was then in the very Noon until the Cross reassumed its place again upon the top of his Crown So unlucky are contentious spirits many times that they confute themselves by going about to condemn others Oh but these men accounting themselves the only Saints and Servants of the most high God any thing they wear or do must be sanctified to them For to the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure And if so then they must prove that our Church consisteth of unbelievers that it teaches and practises the uncleanness and other abominations of the Heathen so often noted by the Apostles yea our very worship of God to be unclean and abominable before they can conclude our Ceremonies to be unclean and unlawful But whilest we maintain the worship of the true God and give up our selves to be ordered by his Laws we are pure and consequently to us all things are pure Tit. 1. 15. a thing which cannot be said of them whilest they would have any error in doctrine or worship yea blasphemy it self to passe unpunished which is the whole drift of this their Sions groans Wherefore desinant maledicere malefacta ne noscant sua Let them look into themselves and their own practises and they will find little reason to think themselves in Heaven much less to pull up the ladder after them as if none were worthy to follow St. Paul pleads not for this decency only but for order two 1 Cor. 14. which doubtless was used also among these Sacrificers And therefore as well for the expediency of the thing in it self as the avoiding of the imputation of rudeness and confusion wherewith the Grecians here were apt to load them the Apostle concludes the Chapter with this Canon Let all things be done decently and in order since therefore they can prove nothing but decency order and usefulness in such ceremonies as we use what they say against them must go for nothing and prevail as little with us as a Rationale would with them Which should I produce whereby to give an account of particularities it would not make me justly liable to the dicterium of Beza in his Epistle to the Prince of Conde put before his Translation of the New Testament cast upon those who as he saies collabentibus adium fundamentis de instaurando fastigio laborarunt Sect. 6. AS for Bishops there are some we read of in the Scripture who had the appellation to be called Bishops but were not distinguished into a superiour order above others Others were both called so and distinguished into an order superiour unto others and these are the Bishops here meant by us Such were Timothy and Titus as we learn from the several Epistles written unto them by St. Paul Such were the seven Angels of the seven Churches of Asia in the Revelation in the judgement of Dr. Reynolds in his conference with Hart in the end of the third and the beginning of the fifth Division and in the judgement of the Archbishop of Armagh of the Original of Bishops and Metropolitans both printed together Those who by these Angels would have the Churches to be meant do manifestly contradict the Scripture For saies Christ there the Gandlesticks are the Churches and the stars are the seven Angels of the Churches I wonder therefore saies Grotins what
spirit of contradiction carries men away that they dare confound things which the Spirit of God so manifestly distinguisheth de Imp. sum not circa sacra c. 11. And I more wonder that these men should say that there is not one word for them in the New Testament or that they should be set up by us as Antitypes of the high Priests under the Law No Christ is onely that Neverthelesse in regard of the distinction which was an Ecclesiastical thing among the Jewes I say that the Bishops do resemble the High Priests and the inferiour Clergy the other Priests For there were in this respect many High Priests at once of whom we read many to have been assembled together Mark 14. 1. every one of which was summus sacerdos istius Classis the High or chief Priest of that Rank These ranks had their several courses Zachary was of one of these courses viz. of that of Abia Luc. 1. 5. not all these but one only was typical shadowing forth Jesus Christ unto them And even in this High Priest there was something besides the representation as is plain by St. Paul who yielded his obedience to the High Priest as governour of the people Acts 23. 5. and that after the Type was expired which had been unlawfull had there not been somewhat remaining in him besides the figure Eleazar in Aaron's life-time was Princeps Principam or Praelatus Praelatorum Num. 3. 32. and yet not reputed a Type of Christ and 2 Chron. 35. 8. we read of three at once one onely whereof was the High Priest which was the Type of Christ the rest were not so yet by reason of their dignity paramount to others might resemble Archbishops themselves And the other forementioned High Priests in regard of the place they held above the rest of their Classe are in a sort resembled by our Bishops And that this may not seem strange to any 't is a matter obvious to our observation that scarcely any Ordinance or Order under the New Testament can be named which is not derived from others under the Old by some kind of resemblance intended between them Imposition of hands by the Apostles was taken up in imitation of that practised under the Old Testament for the designation of successors as Moses used it towards Josuah Num. 27. 18 20. That the whole frame of Church Government answers to the like order and distinction of persons and offices in the Old Testament is evidenced by the learned Bishop of Winton in a scheme to that purpose thus drawn viz. Aaron should be resembled by Christ Eleazar Archbishops Princes of Priests Bishops Priests Presbyters Princes of Levites Archdeaâ—ons Levites Deacons Nethinims Clerks and Sextons And hereunto he is led by the opinion of the ancient fathers who seem to be of the same mind viz. that the same form should serve both so is St. Cyprian so St. Hierome St. Leo and Rabanus de vita clericor The Government of the Church of the Old Testament saies the Archbishop of Armagh was committed to Priests and Levites unto whom the ministers of the New Testament do now succeed in like sort as our Lords day hath done unto their Sabbath So he in his Original of Episcopacy and if it were reasonable for Christians to take the Jewes for their pattern in drawing their scheme of Church government much more is it for modern Christians to follow the ancient a thing which our Church has done in her reformation which has retained all things of ancient usage in the Church of Rome lest men should be scandalized at us whilest we seemed to set up a new Religion instead of reforming the Old The very Lords Prayer hath much of conformity not only to the forms used by the Jewes as others have observed but also as it seems to me to the very design of the sacrifices of the Law which are all reducible to three kinds The first was the whole burnt-offering to God as absolute Lord of Heaven Earth and as one to whom belongeth honour from us should he never bestow any special favour upon us The second was the peace-offering whereby to obtain at his gracious hands all those blessings and the degrees thereof whereof men stand in need whether publick or private as also to expresse a thankfulnesse for all blessings and for all those gracious returns he makes to the prayers of his people from time to time or at any time The third was the sin-offering for the expiation of all or any transgressions of his holy and divine commandments and for health of soul In conformity whereunto our Saviour hath in that perfect and absolute form taught us to offer by him a spiritual holocaust to the honour of his name who inhabits eternity in these words Our Father which art in heaven hallowed be thy name Secondly a spiritual peace-offering for the advancement of his Kingdom in us and the adimpletion of his will by us as also for a supply of all outward necessaries in these words Thy Kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our dayly bread Thirdly a spiritual sin-offering for the forgivenesse of sins past and for prevention of sin for the time to come in these words And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil And these not without a doxology as a spiritual Libamen or meat-offering without which no burnt-offering was to be made under the Law in these words For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen And so having not only proved the order and distinctions of Ecclesiasticks under the New Testament but also the first Liturgy so the Lords Prayer is proved to be by Cassander in Liturgicis ex Dionysio and stands undeniably true to be instituted in resemblance of the like under the Old Testament I come now to prove the jurisdiction that they have one over another and over the rest of the Church wherein two things are to be considered in relation to our Bishops viz. 1. Their power 2. The distribution of this power As for the first Their power is so connatural that the chief Judge in Areopagus was a Priest hence Cohen in Hebrew was a common name to Magistrates and to Priests Gen. 41. 45. Potipherah was Priest h. e. Prince of On. The Druides among the Galls were of the noblest stock of kindred they were so in Epirus and Cappadocia it was usual as well among the Grecians as Romans for Kings to be Priests and as Schedius de Dis Germ notes out of Fenestella the Priest was never made a distinct person from the civil Magistrate till the expulsion of Kings out of Rome and that this power so challenged by the voice of Nature in the Heathen themselves is warranted by the Scriptures of the New Testament I shall have occasion to shew anon in answer to their objections
would never have been brought to pass in England had the Kings referred themselves herein to Pope or people And whereas they urge that it makes for the security of Princes to give libehty to all I answer That then this security must be either from God or man from God it cannot be in as much as he that gives liberty to all religions evidently shews that he has no regard of any but meerly as to the notion of it in which case what security can he expect from God neither let our present adversaries think they please God in pleading for a liberty of blasphemy though they pretend that their very soul abhor it from man it will not be for thereby he will create as many interests as Religions which will unite against the lawfullest of all which they know will aim at an uniformity though they shall no sooner have beaten down this then they will fall a squabbling among themselves In which regard it may be said of them as Plutarch speaks of Caesar and Pompey namely that it was not their dissension which was the cause of the civil war as was commonly supposed but their union rather in as much as they first went about to ruine the authority of the Senate and of the Nobility and then they quarrelled among themselves a thing saies he which Cato many times foretold and prophesied Those that aim at usurpation catch most fish in these troubled waters Thus did Jeroboam whom our adversaries instance in as if it made for them when indeed they could not have found an example in all the Bible or in all the world that makes more against them They say that Jeroboam wanting faith to believe that his new kingdom could any ways be secured to him or kept from going back to the linage of David unless he devised some new way of worship to keep the people in their own land and for his so doing he thought he had much reason of state whereupon he took counsel and made two calves of gold 1 Kin. 12. 16 17 18. and said unto them it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem behold thy God O Israel which brought thee out of the land of Egypt which policy of his procured this event which God denounced against him saying I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone And 1 Kin. 14. 10 11 for the sin wherein he made Israel to sin is he branded to all posterity c. whereunto they adde by way of application be wise new therefore O ye Kings Ps 2. Answ They should have said be wise now therefore O ye Rebels such Jeroboam was This Jeroboam an obscure fellow and servant to Solomon 1 Kin. 11. 26. rebelled against his King and by his artifices drew away ten tribes after him from Rehoboam and the house of David under which the true worship of God remained and flourished Now Jeroboam considering that he was but a rod sent to scourge Gods people and to be thrown into the fire at last used all means to cross providence and to perpetuate the Kingdom to himself and his posterity which he knew to rest chiefly in the business of Religion Then well weighing that if he suffered the people to use their old way of worship it would prove a means to reduce them to obedience to their lawful Sovereign He therefore perswades them that they need not go to Jerusalem saying that the Calves which he had set up the one in Bethel and the other in Dan were the Gods which brought them out of the Land of Egypt for which the curse of God lighted on his family as our adversaries have noted and he was branded with a note of perpetual infamy so often repeated in the history of the Kings of Israel viz. Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin Just so was it here we had a Jeroboam who rebelled against his King after whose death which he contrived too he carried away the proportion of ten tribes after him and the better to assure them to himself told them they need not look after Churches and Steeple-houses nor the Religion which was there taught and practised by those that frequented them that they might set up the golden calves of their own spirits and adore them where they pleased made priests of the lowest of the people which were not of the Tribe of Levi. That is sent those to preach and pray that had neither Ordination nor learning Now he is gone and how much more of this dunghill is swept away I cannot precisely tell but this note of infamy will rest upon him namely that he made England Scotland and Ireland to sin And thus we see how their own argument ab exemplo in every particular makes against themselves and against that liberty they contend for so unlucky they have been in it Sect. 16. IN the next place they press the liberty granted to tender consciences by the Kings Majesties Declaration from BREDAH Ans And so they had it till that fell out which might be foreseen viz. A making use of it to an insurrection in London which might have put all the Kingdom into a flame had they not been as fanatick in their undertake as in their opinions perswading themselves that one of them should chase a thousand And why this Liberty was restrained is set forth in the Kings Majesties Proclamation to that purpose by whom it was never intended to grant a Liberty to others which might put a restraint upon his Majesties own self at last As for what they urge out of Dr. Taylor Lord Bishop of Down and Conner in his Liberty of prophesying and his Epistle Dedicatory to it I say that he might think it high time even for the Orthodox to cry up a liberty of opinions amongst the rest when the cry of others had prevailed for the liberty of all Religions but the true and our Adversaries to render their present cry the greater produce the testimony of the ancients in the margin But to make up the number 15. which they promised in their Title Page they have made some of them separatists from themselves by dividing Minutius from Faelix Sulpitius from Severus Socrates from Scolasticus for otherwise they had had but a petty Jury this they never took from that learned Bishop since then male describendo yea and male vertendo too these have made them their own my task will be to answer them only The thing insisted on this that for the first 300. years there was no sign of persecuting of any man for his opinion though at that time there were many horrid opinions commenced Answ That this is either generally to be understood h. e. of Christianity in general persecuted or else of any man