〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chap. 14. The conclusion of the War makes it evident that the main Reformation intended was the Robbing the Church of its Lands and the abasing of Episcopacy into Presbytery but no necessity shall ever I hope drive me or mine to invade or sell the Priests Lands which even Pharoah 's Divinity abhorred to do If the poverty of Scotland might yet the plenty of England cannot excuse the envy and rapine of the Church Lands The next work will be Jeroboam 's Reformation Consecrating the meanest of the people to be Priests in Israel to serve their Golden Calves who have enriched themselves with the Churches Patrimony Again be pleas'd to reflect on your displeasure at the Liturgy of the Church of England Some of you are for no Forms at all others are for Liturgy but it must be reformed In the History of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth this passage is observable four Classes of Presbyterians complained of the Liturgy to the Lord Burleigh then Secretary of State his Lordship bad them go and make a better whereupon the first Classis went and fram'd a new one somewhat near that of Geneva this the second Classis dislikes and alters in six hundred particulars which alteration was excepted against by the third Classis and what the third resolved upon the fourth would not consent to Thus your Party expect a satisfaction about the worship of God which is impossible to be given you As to your praying by the Spirit there is a certain doubt in it which hitherto none of you would do us the favour to resolve Either you mean praying by the Spirit of God or by your own Spirits if you conceive the words and matter of your prayer by the dictate of the Holy Ghost then are your prayers as much the word of God as any of David's Psalms or as any part of the Bible and being written from your mouths may become Canonical Scripture If by praying with the Spirit you only mean that you are inspir'd with devout affections then there is nothing in your prayers but what others may pretend to as well as your selves In brief Since you do not pretend to entertain your people with immediate inspirations you oblige them to a Service they know not what to offer up prayers whereof they know not a syllable nor your self neither before you begin if you know them before hand either for matter or words then they cannot be extempore as you would have the people believe peradventure the reason why the people fancy your prayers is their variety they love not to go where they must be always entertain'd with the same expressions but if the sence of our own infirmities which are always the same cannot oblige us to pray why should a set of new words do it Consider those words of the blessed Martyr King Charles the First Some men are so impatient not to use in all their devotions their own invention and gifts that they wholly cast away and contemn the Lords Prayer I ever thought that the proud Ostentation of mens own Abilities for Invention and the vain affectation of variety for expressions in publick prayer merits a greater brand of Sin then that which they call coldness or barrenness nor are men in those novelties less subject to formal and superficial tempers as to their hearts then in the use of constant forms where not the words but mens hearts are to blame I make no doubt but a man may be very formal in the most extemporary variety and very fervently devout in the most wonted expressions Nor is God more a God of variety then of constancy nor are constant forms of prayer more likely to flat and hinder the Spirit of prayer then unpremeditated and confused variety to distract and lose it FINIS In vita Calvini His Commandments are not grievous 1 John 5. 3. In praefacione Monitoria About the Year 1585. See the friendly debate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
Christs Body and Blood revile the Church whereof I cannot say you but your Ancestors were made Members by Baptism with the Names of Superstition and Idolatry Preach your desperate Doctrine of absolute Reprobation and the impossibility of keeping Gods Commandments introduce your own extemporary inventions instead of Liturgy Levy Warr against your Soveraign and all this without any Authority For all these strange things I should think Sir your Ancestors had but need of some extraordinary Mission But perhaps you will Answer and tell us That there have been extraordinary Prophets sent into the World without Miracles as John the Baptist And 2ly That Miracles are no certain Signs of true Prophets As for John the Baptist you may remember the words of the Angel Luke 2. 15. he was filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb he shall go before in the Spirit and power of Elias a Character to which your Brethren will not pretend he was a person prophesied of many Ages before his Birth Isa 40. 3. The Voice of one crying in the Wilderness make strait the way of the Lord c. 2ly That Miracles are no certain Evidences of true Prophets because there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets which shall shew great Signs and Wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect Wherefore if they shall say unto you behold he is in the Desert go not forth behold he is in the secret Chambers believe it not Math. 24. 24. That false Prophets can work any miracle but deceptio visus I do not believe The meaning of our Saviours words is this That if any other Prophet after him shall arise assuming to be that Christ or Messias sent from God though he may pretend to strange things believe him not go not forth after him If new Prophets Sir though they come with a shew of miracles are to be suspected shall we presently receive all the Preachers of new Lights that have not so much as the pretence I find a late Writer asserting That in holy Scripture there be two marks by which together not asunder a true Prophet or one newly sent from God is to be known One is the doing of miracles The other is the not teaching any moral Doctrine adverse to that which hath been already preach'd of old Asunder he saith neither of these is sufficient and for proof alledgeth two places of Scripture Deut. 13. 1 2 3. compared with Matth. 24. 24. Our blessed Saviour and his Apostles fulfilled both these marks First in their Miracles Acts 2. 22. Secondly they taught no Doctrine of Morality opposite to that which they found already established Christ came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it saying none other things then what Moses and the Prophets did say should come to pass But he Preached a Doctrine which had all the obliging Characters of Vertue and Goodness of Peace and Love witness his excellent Sermon on the Mount non vox hominem sonat There he presses the necessity of Moral Goodness and keeping the Commandments of God otherwise methinks then Calvin hath done I shall instance a remarkable passage in the Second Book of his Institutions the seventh Chapter and fifth Section Quod autem impossibilem legis observationem diximus id est paucis verbis explicandum simul confirmandum Solet enim vulgo absurdissima sententia videri ut Hieronimus non dubitavit Anathema illi denunciare at quid visum sit Jeronimo nihil moror impossibile appello quod nec fuit unquam ne in posterum sit Dei ordinatione decreto impeditur I shall now saith he explain and confirm what I have said of the impossibility to observe the Commandments which commonly seems a very absurd assertion insomuch that Jerom doubted not to denounce it accursed but what seemed to him I do not care I call that impossible which never was and which God hath decreed that it never shall be Vertuous Doctrine if the Commandments be impossible and that God hath decreed them so nemo tenetur ad impossibile Alas we are of our selves too prone to take an allowance of Sin without this License from Mr. Calvin To be short the Church of God may and ought to reform themselves in case of error or corruption of manners But if we once admit others to do it unauthoriz'd or unsent we open a wide door to all Sects and Heresies and another consequence is we shall rest no where but be tossed too and fro as Saint Paul speaks and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine with the various lights of all Pretenders This one would think hath been apparent enough in the experience of our Age. Not that we deny our need of amendment and Reformation in this World of imperfection but we give heed to the admonition of our blessed Saviour John 10. 1. Verily I say unto you he that enters not by the door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way the same is a Theif and a Robber not entring in at the door signifies entring without any Authority either extraordinary when the Doctrines are new and strange or ordinary when they are already known and confest For grant saith Bishop Sanderson for the suppression of Idolatry in case the Church will not do her Office that it is lawful for any unauthoriz'd Persons such as Knox c. to take upon them to reform what they think amiss there can be no sufficient cause given why by the same reason and upon the same grounds they may not take upon them to make Laws raise Forces administer Justice execute Malefactors Malignants or do any other thing the Magistrate should do in case the Magistrate slack to do his duty which if it were once granted as granted it must be in case your Presbyterian Reformation be justifiable every wise man seeth the end can be no other but vast Anarchy and confusion both in Church and Common-wealth whereupon must un avoidably follow the speedy subversion both of Religion and State Second Sermon ad Clerum on Rom 38. This is our present case you a private Person pretending to no extraordinary things say all things are amiss the Magistrate and he a Christian too is of opinion yea perswaded in his Conscience that you do all things amiss who shall be Judge The Scripture 't is a ridiculous answer The Scripture is a Law and no Law can ever pronounce either for one or t'other but in the mouth of some Judg. From all these premises I perswade my self your Ancestors were no Prophets sent from God but intruded themselves into the Divine Function and as the Prophet speaks they followed their own Spirits and prophecy'd out of their own hearts To add one word more consider all the Prophets mentioned in Holy Scripture Samuel Elias Isaiah Jeremy Hosea c. At the beginning of their Prophecies that the World might understand their Divine Mission they usually declare how and in what manner
A LETTER TO A Non-conformist Minister OF THE KIRK SHEVVING The NULLITY of the PRESBYTERIAN Mission or Authority to Preach the Gospel LONDON Printed for B. Tooke at the Ship in St. Pauls Churchyard 1677. TO THE Reader READER IT is not now the Order or Character of our CLERGY nor their power of Binding and Absolving Sinners which the PEOPLE have any great regard for but onely our Lungs and faculties of PREACHING hence it comes to pass that by this curiosity after Preaching the People are betray'd to the cozenage of every new Light and Impostor in Religion who is commonly a zealous and eloquent Preacher and so profound a Dissembler that we are not otherwise able to detect him but by enquiring into his Mission A LETTER TO A Non-conformist Minister OF THE KIRK Shewing the NULLITY of the Presbyterian Mission and Authority to PREACH the GOSPEL SIR I Should be very much oblig'd to receive a Satisfaction from you which I could never give my self concerning the Validity of your Presbyterian Mission I conceive it to be the most material thing in difference between us and that it ought to be considered in the first place there being no Imposture like that of assuming to be Preachers of the Gospel without lawful Authority I shall here trouble you with the Reasons of my dissatisfaction in this matter First then I must crave your pardon to look backward as far as your first Reforming Ancestors from whom Presbytery does more immediately derive it self Mr. Calvin in Geneva Mr. Knox in Scotland c. And then permit me to ask a certain Question which hitherto none of you would do us the kindness to resolve Who sent Them to reform the Church or as you phrase it to Preach the Gospel and How should they Preach except they were sent Rom. 10. 15. which words of St. Paul seem to be a question but are indeed a full and peremptory Affirmation That no Abilities of popular Eloquence can qualifie any persons for Preachers of the Gospel without external and lawful Mission This then I shall lay down as a Foundation to what I have to say That lawful Mission is essential to a Preacher of the Gospel And if so I shall endeavour to make evident That all your Predecessors of the Kirk how able soever as to other qualifications wanted this essential and consequently your self who derive a Succession from them Grant me Sir a little of your patience and consider There are onely these Five imaginable AUTHORITIES from whence they could pretend to have received it 1. The Spirit of God 2ly Themselves or their own internal Spirit 3ly Or the People 4ly Christ and his Apostles 5ly Or the Church of Rome Other Authority or Mission as namely That of the Greek Church you will not pretend to First From the Spirit of God This you know to be the matter in question and the eternal Controversie and the Allegation of all Fanaticks it will be therefore a reasonable demand By what Evidences did it appeare to the World And how shall the Contemners of your Gospel be left unexcusable but by evidence of their Authority who are sent to reveal it In the Affairs of this World Ambassadors you know must not want their Credentials how much less the Ambassadors of Religion Doubtless that of your Ancestors must needs have been an Embassie extraordinary being to Reform the World over-run in their sense with Idolatry and Superstition To this you answer That the powerful gifts and sanctity of those persons were sufficient Evidences of their being Inspir'd by the Spirit of God and that the Conversion of many Thousands from Superstition to Godliness was an undoubted Seal to their Ministry This is the Answer of all Dissenters and Parties of what Name soever Anabaptists Behemists c. That they easily converted many Thousands no body denies but whether from Superstition to Godliness or onely to pride censoriousness and contempt of all Authority is the great Controversie Nay was it never made a Note of a man converted as the excellent Friendly Debate observes That though he have a great many Faults yet he is wrought to an Antipathy to Bishops Common Prayer and Surplice And as to your self I might appeal to your Conscience whether you esteem any man a right Convert that is a FRIEND to these Things As to those powerful Gifts you speak of you do not mean any thing that is miraculous or that other Sects will not as soon pretend to And truly as for the Sanctity of your whole Party observable is the Confession of Mr. Calvin himself in his Comment on the Thirty fourth Verse of the Eleventh Chapter of Daniel and I promise you not to injure him in the Quotation Sed in illorum exiguo numero qui sese ab Idololatriis Papatus subduxerunt major pars plena est perfidia dolis praeclarum quidem zelum simulant sed si intus excutias reperies plenos esse fraudibus Of that small number of persons saith he who profess the pure Gospel the greater part is full of perfidiousness and deceit they pretend an excellent Zeal but if you inspect them narrowly you shall finde them abounding w th Frauds Secondly Themselves or their own internal Spirit It is absurd for so all men may become Preachers of the Gospel that will assume the confidence Thirdly the People Let us allow this Authority for good and then I pray will not Socinians Anabaptists Behemists Fifth Monarchy-men and who not enter in at this Door and plead their Call by the People to Reform the Presbyterians be pleas'd to tell us what People do you mean If those of your own Opinion they will not in some places amount to a Fourth or Fifth part of the People and must all the rest be debar'd from Electing their owne Preachers besides you know it is not the Peoples Election alone that can Constitute a Preacher of the Gospel it is the Mission and Ordination of your Predecessors that I am now enquiring after You cannot be ignorant concerning the popular Election of Ministers that it had been disus'd many Centuries before Calvin for the Tumults Factions and Confusions that attended it the unstable People seldom or never agreeing about the Persons to be Elected and I am sure there is no Precept of Scripture Invests them with any such power Fourthly Or will you derive your Ministry from Christ and his Apostles But all Dissenters proclaim their Extraction from the same Original which of them shall we believe From Christ and his Apostles Give me leave to ask whether immediately or mediately Immediately you will not say if mediately I pray inform us by whom Or from whose hands did your Puritan Ancestors receive their Mission and Ordination Well Fifthly Some body must send them to Preach the Gospel Was it the CHURCH of Rome Yes I have heard you say and is not this to confess your selves the Emissaries of Antichrist that Man of Sin the Whore of Babylon Quid Christo cum