the woman then the inspirated word to dwell in the mind and also it is the ministeriall Word declared written taught and preached for mans instruction and all is one Word for this cause the Apostle Peter saith we have a most sure word of the Prophets to which yee doe well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts and from hence it is evident that the Scripture is the very word of God which proceedeth out of God by inspiration by instrumentall publishing and writing the same and the written Word being the same proceeding word of God even God declared in writing The Scriptures therefore are the Fountaines of living water and the ground of truth for preaching teaching and instruction exhortation and correction And therefore the Scriptures are to be had in Divine estimation for they containe the divine Word it selfe and the Pastors and teachers thereof being thereunto called of God by a full measure of inspiration are to be esteemed the Messengers and Embassadours of God And this is alwayes to be understood that no man can attaine to the interpretation of the written Word by naturall ingenuitie or humane learning or art or industrie though all he needfull instruments and meanes of knowledge but onely by inspiration of the proceeding Word as ver. 2. 1. 20. 21. so that fast ye know this that no prophecie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation For as the prophecie came not in old time by the will of men but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost so must holy men of God speake and interpret the Scriptures as they are moved by the holy Ghost And that we may know the interpretation to be of the holy Ghost being the proceeding Word and hee that indicted the same Word from the Father and the Sonne by inspiration cannot give any other sence or understanding to the written Word then is agreeable to the nature of the Word in the person of the Sonne and of the Father and the Word in the person of the Sonne is the revealed will of God the Father made manifest in the flesh Therefore we may discerne whether the interpretation be of the Spirit of God or no by this Iohn 4. 2. 3. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesseth not that Iesus is come in the flesh is not of God For the confession is not an outward confession of the lips nor an historicall confession of the mind nor a voluntary supposition and opinion of carnall reason but it is the confession of the Spirit of God which declares and manifests to the heart that the Word that is come in the flesh is the very true God as Christ said to know thee and him whom thou hast sent Christ to be the very true God as Peter confessed thou art that Christ that Sonne of God and Christ told him that flesh and blood did not teach him this but his Father revealed it unto him This word of God not having beene after this order knowne and considered hath beene the cause and occasion of much mistake and errours in the Church of God but under standing the Word in the true nature and property of Gods order and manner of working leadeth us by the hand from one gradation to another and stoppeth the mouth of all men that speake against the Scriptures and the holy Spirit For considering the word of God in these gradations we shall evidently perceive and understand that the power and authoritie giuen and committed to the Church is no other thing but the proceeding word of God ministring the begotten Word from the Father manifested in the flesh which ministration is twofold internall by inspiration through hearing of the Word because man is an intellectuall Spirit and therefore a proper Tabernacle for the divine Word to dwell in Also externall ministration because man dwells in an elementary earthly and naturall tabernacle therefore the holy Ghost applyeth himselfe to mans infirmity and doth use in his externall ministration elementary earthy and naturall instruments by which as a meanes and ordinance the proceeding Word and the power thereof is daily communicated unto man both to ingraft him into the Word and to nourish him in the Word unto everlasting life For this manner of externall ministration is necessary for man so long as hee dwelleth in this body or earthly house The instruments which the holy Ghost doth use in the dispensation of the ministeriall Word are either proper as some members of the Church set apart for the worke of the ministery or lesse proper as the signes of the Sacraments I may call those the externall gifts which God gives to his Church for it is said that unto every one of us is given grace or the gifts of the Spirit according to the measure of the gift in Christ For wee may discerne the Church is a compact body knit to the head Christ and consisteth of many members yet in unity of the spirit they are one body and although there be but one Spirit yet are there diversities of gifts diversities of administrations diversities of operations yet all 〈◊〉 and the same spirit and these diversities or gifts make diversities of functions So there are many functions in the Church but God worketh all in all But the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall but peculiar gifts without the which the Church cannot at any time be and therefore most proper of which it is said that Christ ascended on high and lead captivity captive and received gift◠to give unto men as some to bee Apostles some Prophets 〈◊〉 Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers Here is to bee observed that the divine power by internall dispensation is given in common to all and every member of the Church so that all have common interest in the word of God and peculiar power thereby to admonish comfort and instructions another and pray for one another and beare one anothers burdens especially they are all Kings Priests and Prophets in their Families For every Father ought to useth office of an Elder in his house Deut 6. 6 7. Deut. 4. 9. But for the externall dispensation of the Word the power and efficacy thereof is committed unto peculiar men wherof Apostles Prophets Evangelists Pastors teachers are in the first ranke and functions and the power and efficacy which is given them is onely the ministration of the Word they have not that absolute power which Christ hath to know who are his from the beginning and to have compassion on whom he would have compassion and to shew mercy on whom hee would show mercy For Christ had not this absolute power as he was the Son of man but as he was the person of God For as he was Man he came not to do
things present and things to come These beasts each one of them hath sixe wings placed round about them and full of eyes within the wings these wings are not for that use that the wings are to the beasts in Ezechiel two to hide the face and two to flye and two to â—ide their 〈◊〉 but they are placed about their bodyes as it were for 〈…〉 erance and assistance in their proper place and not to flye withall from place to place These 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ings therefore signifie Governours and assistants or 〈…〉 by whom the ministers are ayded in their function and doe more swiftly and readily afford succour to every part of the Church These wings are full of eyes within These signifie the inward gifts of knowledge which are not placed in so neere a measure to the Throne as the eyes in the body but they are of the same nature of knowledge in divine things to this end they stand as in a watch tower to behold and discerne every ones manners and conversation and to reprove and exhort privately and to helpe the ministers in Censure and Discipline of the Church therefore Paul saith obey your overseers and leaders and yeeld submission unto them For they watch for your soules as those that shall give account These gifts are limited within and under the wings as to meddle onely with that which is committed unto their power 1 Pet. 5. 2. they are not to be strikers or busie-bodies and they are to watch over Christian people onely for what have wee to doe to judge them that are without 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. They that desire to behold the patterne of Gods Church as she is on earth in Christ consider well this vision and readâ— it seriously as it is more fully expressed by Master Brightmans Exposition upon the fourth chapter of the Revelation This patternâ— is the perfection of the Church militant as she is in Christ and in the judgement of God the Father who onely knoweth who are his The beauty and glory thereof is not seene with mortall eyes for she is not composed of mortall but immortall seed even begotten of the immortall seed of the word of God 1 Pet. 1 23. for it is the ministration of God the holy Ghost communicating the knowledge of the Word unto the hearts of the elect which doth beget them anew or regenerate and unite them unto Christ and those are the supernaturall powers the word of God comunicated â—nto man and gathereth them into one head Christ and by a well compact union makes them one Church all communicating of one spirit one faith and in one Lord and Father of all who is above all and in all and through us all blessed for ever Amen How the VVord is the divine power of God and the authority committed to the Church WHen wee speake of the word of God consider that the word in essence and property of being is God with God in eternity eternitie it selfe as it is described in the first of Iohns Gospell and though it cannot bee divided in it selfe yet it is to bee distinguished after the personall order of the Trinitie Therefore we may say the Word in the person of the Father in the unbegotten Word in the person of the Sonne it is the begotten Word and in the person of the holy Ghost it is the procceding Word So that by the proceeding Word all things flow from the Father and the Sonne By the order of this proceeding power the world was made by the word of God As the Psalmist saith Psal. 33. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the hoast of them by the breath of his mouth By this proceeding power of the Word man was made a living soule as Gen. 2. 7. And God breathed in his face the breath of life and the man was a living soule and Ioh. 1. 4. in it was life and that life was the light of man not naturall reason but supernaturall light which inlightened nature By this proceeding word Adam was restored after his fall by promising to make the Word the seed of the Woman and to breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. for God by the proceeding of the Word saying he will put enmity betwixt Satan whose nature is wicked and evill altogether and the humane generation or seed which Satan had made like himselfe he thereby promiseth that by his proceeding Word he would make his Word the seed of the Woman whereby it should be of a contrary nature to wickednesse of a heavenly pure and holy nature and condition powerfull against Satan Thus by the proceeding Word the word God is made the word of promise and the Promise is made life and thus it comes to pâ—sse that the Just shall live by faith By this proceeding word all the Elect of the Father are called are sanctified are washed are inspired and by inspiration are made sonnes of God Kings Priests and Prophets for by inspiration of the proceeding Word God the Word dwelleth in them for in the proceeding Word is both the begotten Word and the unbegotten Word the Father as Christ saith my Father and I are one and the proceeding Spirit is one with the Father and the Sonne so these three are one in themselves and beare record in heaven and they also agree in one by inspiration in the soules of the faithfull or the Church which makes three to beare record on earth as the water of Sanctification and the blood of justification and our spirit enlightned with the Spirit of God it beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the sonnes and servants of God For this cause the faithfull are called the Temple of the living God 2 Cor. 6. 16. as God hath said I will dwell among them and walke there and I will bee their God and they shall bee my people Also know yee not that your body is the temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which yee have from God Ye are not your owne for yeare bought with a price therefore glorifie God in body and in Spirit for they are Gods As the proceeding Word hath proceeded by inspiration to dwell in man which is his internall ministration so he proceedeth by externall ministration to divulge and write the same proceeding Word by the instrumentall pen and voyce of man for mans instruction at first written by his Prophet Moyses and after by the rest of Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists to feed and preserve their holy faith worship of God among the faithfull As Paul witnesseth 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures of a child which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus For the whole Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach to convince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse Thus the proceeding Word doth proportion it selfe to mans capacity first it becomes the word of promise in the seed of
causing the light of his truth to shine evident without vaile or vizard notwithstanding he neither altered nor abolished the order of ministration nor the manner of government but established the same by his owne example and the practise of his Apostles And therefore he said that Christ when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men As Ephes 4 11. he gave some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers In this place of Scripture he onely setteth forth the principall functions in the Church whereof the first paire as namely Apostles and Evangelists were of immediate calling and appropriated to the time ordained by Christ onely for the propagation and first progression of the Gospell the gifts of prophecie and working of miracles attending the 〈◊〉 of their doctrine As the necessitie of those time 〈◊〉 and as Christ had promised Marke 16. 17 18. And thâ—se signes shall follow them that beleeve in my Name they shall 〈◊〉 devils they shall speake with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly person it shall 〈…〉 them they shall lay their hands on the sickâ— and they shall 〈◊〉 The second paire are Pastors and Teachers distinguished by their ordination for these were ordained internally by the outward dispensation of hearing the Word preached by the Apostles then externally chosen by the Church 〈◊〉 Acts the sixth after consecrated by the Apostles by prayer and laying 〈◊〉 of â—â—nds of the Apostles and Elders Acts 14. 23. This order of ministers is ordinarie and to continue in the Church unto the comming of our Lord to Judgement Both these paires are but one and the same function and office and have but one and the same Commission which was given by the immediate ordination of Christ to his Apostles For as God the Father sent his beloved Sonne to bee a light unto the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel in declaring unto them the glad tydings of salvation in his death unto the remission of sinnes So Christ sayd to his Disciples As my Father sent me so send I you John 20. 21 22. The power and authority committed unto them by this commission is the breath of life out of the mouth of Christ proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as it is said Man lives not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Therefore he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy Ghost For the word which Christ spake or breathed out of his mouth hee affirmed to be spirit and life saying John 6. The flesh profiteth nothing but the word that I speake is spirit and life The substance of this Commission is mandatory Matt. 28. 19. Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The doctrinall part of their commission is teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Marke 26. 15. hath it in these words Preach the Gospell to every creature Now the summe of the doctrine which Christ taught is set downe more plainly by St. Luke 24. 44. These are the words that I spake unto you whilst I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law and the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning mee And he who was spirit life and light opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures and said Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem And after this manner doe the Pastors and Ministers blesse teach and sanctifie the people Thus Christ by preaching and teaching unto them the word of God out of his mouth he opened their understandings in the Scriptures and thereby they received the holy Ghost for this is Christs manner of breathing upon them Iohn 20. when hee said receive yee the holy Ghost But in Luke he saith Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you Which is to say I will send a visible token of the Spirit upon you or the efficacie of the Spirit upon you Therefore he sayd Tarry 〈◊〉 in the Citie of Ierusalem untill you bee endued with power from on high Not but that they had received the holy Ghost before but not the manifestation and evident power thereof as afterwards it did fall upon them in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues Acts 2. The smites and operative effects of ministration of the Spirit is set forth Iohn 2. 23. Whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sinnes ye retaine they are retained For this is the power and efficacie of the ministeriall Word as hath beene formerly showne which sloweth from the absolute power of Christ which was given unto him of the Father as he affirmed to his Disciples Matt. 28. 18. All power is given me in heauen and in Earth And this ministration of the Gospell is that key of David committed unto Christ by which he should open and no man shut and should shut and no man should open And in the 16. of Matthew 16 17. 18. ver. it is evident that this power of the keyes is onely the power of the Gospell of Christ or rather as Peter confessed the Lord Jesus to bee that Christ that Sonne of the living God which he received not by the intelligence of flesh and blood but by Revelation from God the Father this power changeth the whole corrupt nature of man and gives him another denomination or qualitie making him a strong and immoveable rock turning Peter to Petra Thus after this manner is the revelation and power of the Word given in generall to every one that receiveth the knowledge of Christ to beleeve that he is that Christ that Sonne of the living God God himselfe against this rocke the gates of hell the powers and principalities of darknesse and worldly Governours cannot prevaile But the particular and publicke ministration thereof is committed to the Pastors and teachers of the Church of God by whose ministration and publicke dispensation of the Word the hearts and consciences of men are opened and shut bound and loosed every day as Lydia and others in the Acts in which the Word becomes the favour of life unto some and the savour of death unto others And this ministeriall power is also given unto them for divine censure and publicke correction to roote out abominable and unsufferable vices in the Church and Congregations as shall be shewed in his proper place Of the nominations under the Law and under the Gospell Under the Law it is undeniable that the Ministers and Governours of the Church were called Priests Levites and Elders Also in the Christian Church leaving out the extraordinary functions of Apostles and Evangelists they
ZIONS RJGHTS AND BABELS RVINE OR The Church restored to her Primitive Lustre A TREATISE Concerning the essence and subsistence of the Christian Church defecated and purged from the dregges of erroneous humane invention and erected by the vnerrable patterne of the Word of God JER. 2 13. They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and digged unto themselves cisternes that can hold no water REV. 2. 5. Memor esto unde excideris resipisce Olim quae Romana fides fuit optima sed jam Romanae fidei non adhibenda fides BY WILLIAM FENWICK LONDON Printed by A. N. for Lawrence Blacklocke and Edw. Husbands and are to be sold at their shops in Fleet-street neere Temple-Barre and Vine Court in the middle Temple 1642. TO THE RIGHT Honourable Algernon Earle of Northumberland Lord Percy Lucy Poynings Fitzpaine Brian and Latimer Lord High Admirall of England Knight of the most Noble order of the Garter and one of his Majesties most Honourable Privie Councell Right Honourable THe unworthy oppressed Author hath not long since groaned under the severe censure of the late high Commission for the ensuing speculations which now he adventures to present unto your Honour hoping for a candid acceptance and interpretation of his poore endeavours for the good of Zion Had not the rising Sunne of an auspicious Parliament dispelled those clouds of oppression and tyrannie that menaced a drowning both to me and them they had beene choaked in their embryo and never enjoyed the happinesse they have now attained in your honourable aspect Pardon most noble Lord the enforced presumption of the distressed Author which implores and hopes for your Honourable Patronage and humbly praying for the daily increase of your Honours health and eternall happinesse remaines Your Honours most humble most devoted servant William Fenwick The Errata PAge 1. line 27. for more reade most l. 28. for right r. light Pag. 2. l. 29. for a r. of Line 34 for posterity r. prosperity Pag. 4. l. 24. for endeavours r. endues The second Treatise page 2 line 33. for the r. thy for of r. unto Pag 8. l. 3. for he r. the Pag. 10. l. 21. for in r. from Pa. 11. l. 28 for what r. with P. 15 l. 1. for Angelicall r. Evangelicall P. 20. l. 9. for penitent r. impenitent Pag. 13 l. 6 for A r. As. for of r. to Pag. 25. l. 9. reade are first Pag. 54. l. 14. read omitted Pag. 55. l. 9. reade it is that l. 29. read All And thus ZIONS REQVEST To her Honourable and welbeloved Sonnes now happily assembled in the long and much-desired Parliament of England RIght deare and well-beloved of God your Father in my Lord by whom you are begotten and borne and welbeloved of me not begot of mortall or carnall seed but of the immortall seed of the Word neither borne nor brought forth of the mundane wombe of Rome nor sprong from the native bowels of my humanitie but I bore you and brought you forth of my celestiall wombe the eternall councell of God and I have nourished and brought you up in the royall City of divine Salomon my Lord and your God and Saviour My sonnes heare your Fathers instruction and forsake not your mothers teaching for they shall be a comely ornament unto your head and as chaines to your necke You have seene with your eyes and heard with your eares how the strumpet of Babell hath boasted her selfe against me and with her impudent face affirmed her selfe to be Queene of heaven and earth deluding the world with outward apparances whereby many are mistaken by her outward glory supposing her to be my selfe But I desire you my most honourable and deare children to conceive of me aright and be not deceived with vaine and glorious showes and worldly pompe For my glory is internall and heavenly more splendent then the pure gold of more curious embroderers which no eye can see but that Divine eye of right which is given you of your Father For I testifie unto you that I am not to be considered by the pompe and glory of the world nor yet by the wisedome of the wise man or by the nature of flesh and blood for those are not heavenly but earthly sensuall and divelish and doe not cannot nor will not please God but conceive you me to be heavenly spirituall and divine such as your Father hath described me to be A mountaine even Mount Zion a City the City of the living God the celestiall Jerusalem filled with the societie of innumerable Angels and the assembly of the first borne which are written in heaven and with the presence of God in Trinitie sitting upon the Throne Judge of all and with the unity and communion of the spirits of just and perfect men made perfect with that individuall union which they have with Jesus the Mediatour of the New Testament and with the blood of sprinkling which speaketh better things then that of Abel even the remission of sinnes to the imputation of righteousnesse for justification of sinners for he came to save sinners by drawing sinners to repentance And I pray you shake of all carnall apprehensions of mee and conceive me to be really such in nature and condition as my Lord hath reavealed me by the mouth of his blessed servant Peter 1 Pet. 2. affirming mee to bee a spirituall house or temple 1 Pet. 2. 5. built and compact of living stones made a spirituall house a holy priesthood to offer up spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ who is my foundation that living stone on whom I am built though hee be disallowed of men yet chosen of God and precious Neither suppose me to bee a politique body composed of a temporall head or soveraigne Monarchy or a Nationall and positive lawes and customes which though they bee ordained of God yet in substance they are humane inventions and traditions of men nor consisting of civill and humane Magistrates endewed with morall gifts and vertues for the externall government power and posteritie of humane societies politiquely and wisely providing for the defects of depraved nature and preventing the dammage danger and ruine which the malice of Satan and the corrupt nature of man would draw upon the societies of men in their terrestriall abode Though I bee sometimes called a Kingdome in respect of my eternall King the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and of his divine spirituall power and heavenly dominion which never shall have end Yet am I never anywhere in Scripture described to bee a temporall or earthly Kingdome But on the contrary my Lord did plainly affirme and teach that his kingdome was not of this world and prohibited the subjects of his kingdome to take dominion and government upon them one over another nor set up a Hierarchie among them as the Princes and Lords of the world did whose manner is to thirst after preheminence and dominion but that in his divine kingdome hee that would
and suppose me to be a terrestriall Hierarchie to bee governed by positive lawes traditions Decrees and Canons of men which cannot search the reines of the heart nor cure the soule nor lead her into blisse Therefore I request you to take into your consideration the heavie burdens grievous to bee borne which the Scribes and Pharisees of Rome who pretended to sit in Moyses seat have laid upon my shoulders the Episcopall waight whereof you my sonnes have heretofore borne with much griefe whilst they advanced themselves to the chiefe seates and most eminent dignities loving to be reputed great and excellent Rabbies even above you the naturall Peeres and Potentates of State And now I conclude and doe offer unto your sacred considerations the holy Sinode of the Apostles set forth for a perfect patterne of all Counsells and Ecclesiasticall causes In the fifteenth of the Acts where you may observe that Synode consisted of the Apostles Elders and Brethren Their consultation was according to the rule of the written Word there conclusion and sentence was thus It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to lay no more burden upon you then these things necessarie That is that yee abstaine from things offered to Idols and blood which includes all Ceremoniall inventions and bloudy sacrifices and prohibits from that which is strangled with all crueltie and oppression and from fornication which imports uncleane conversation and lusts which if yee forbeare yee shall doe well And though I here claime of you the honour of being your Mother being the body of Christ and Church of God in whom you also have the honour and prerogative to be the sonnes of God yet touching my earthly habitation and abode I am under your Dominion and tuition whom my Lord hath placed over me for my peace and prosperity on earth And that through Soveraigne power and authority which he hath ordained over all men to the end you may give his Gospell a free passage and be nursing and protecting Fathers of mee in your Common-wealth that your Father may give you and your King a blessing of welfare and happy being in my Lord Christ in whom all Nations are blessed and blessed is that Nation whose God is the Lord A Breviate of the ensuing second Treatise THe subsistence of the Church of God composed of a threefold cord 1. Worship 2. Dominion 3. Discipline In the Tractate of worship are declared 1. The nature of Divine worship 2. The nature of acceptable obedience 3. How this worship corresponds with the nature of God 4. The manner of publike worship from Adam till Moyses 5. The Service used by the Patriarkes 6. The same continued in the Nationall Church 7. The service used in the Synagogues 8. The same observed by the Apostles 9. The testimony of the Fathers 10. An amplification and undeniable reasons for the puritie of Gods word and worship In the Tractate of dominion or divine jurisdiction 1. Of the first gradation of this Dominion 2. How Christ ordaines his Vice-royes on earth 3. Difference betwixt Regall and divine power 4. The Glasse of Kings 5. How Divine power is derived unto man from the Father by the Word through the spirit 6. How the Word is the Divine power of God and the authority committed to the Church In the Tractate of Government and Discipline 1. Of the calling of Ministers 2. The manner of their ordination 3. The orders and degrees of Pastours and their 4. Denominations under the Law and Gospell 5. Of Discipline and censures 6. Of Excommunication The subsistence of the Church of God THe subsistence of Gods Church is composed of a threefold thred which cannot easily be broken 1. The first is spirituall and divine worship worship 2. Spirituall and divine Jurisdiction or Jure Divino dominion 3. Spirituall and divine discipline or government discipline I call this threefold cord of grace Divine and Spirituall because the universall Minister of Gods dispensation of all saving grace is the holy Spirit the third person of the Trinitie These are correlative subsistences in the Church of God so depending one upon another that they cannot be separated or untwisted without either some defect or dismembring of the Church in her selfe or utter dissolving of her in essence and nature to be any true Church Also without these distinct subsistences in the Church she cannot exercise the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit nor the functions and offices ordained of God for ministration of the Word For this cause I call them subsistences in the essence of the Church like unto the subsistences of the Trinitie in the essence of God himselfe Of Spirituall and Diuine worship The Worship which God requires must bee such as is agreeable to his owne nature and the good pleasure of his owne will therefore true divine worship is tyed to the prescript commandement of God and not to the devising invention of man therefore to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rammes The nature of acceptable Obedience It is a supernaturall and filiall worke of God internally and spiritually wrought seated and invested by Gods Spirit into the intellect making man a new creature created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that he should walke in them being renewed in the spirit of the mind to offer himselfe unto God a living sacrifice in an understanding worshipping of God This worship and sacrifice is described by the Prophet David to be a broken and contrite spirit called a well-pleasing sacrifice to God presenting a sin-offering as Psal. 51. 17. also in the 116 it is called the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving How this Worship is correspondent to the nature of God The Lord doth shew it in the fourth of John 23. and 24. saying the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth that is in the Spirit of sanctification dwelling in the mind helping our infirmities with sighes and groanes which cannot be exprest and in the truth of his Word dwelling in us in all wisedome and spirituall understanding such as these the Father requireth should worship him because God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth and not in the ignorance of the mind nor in the invention and will-worship of man For this cause the Psalmist saith in the 51 6. Thou O Lord lovest truth in the inward affections and in the 50. Psalme he saith Offer to God the sacrifice of praise and pay the vowes of the most high and call upon God for the Lord loveth truth in the inward parts This is the pure and simple worship of God without the glory and beautie of outward Ceremonies agreeing with the simple pure essence and nature of God himselfe Consider wel Pauls Caveat in the Coloss. 2 8. 18. 20 21 22 23. warning all men to beware of humane wisedome and deceitfull inventions and traditions according to the
present And thus wee feed our faith with holy speeches we relieve and succour our hope we make strong our confidence and therewithall likewise fortifie our Discipline and manner of government by the urgent and uncessant rehearsall and renewing of the memorie of good precepts In our Congregations is used likewise exhortations reprehensions and the exercise of sacred censures for their matters are judged with great advisement as is wont to be done of such men as assuredly know that the face of God is towards them Behold and see their doings and it is a great foreshew of the judgement to come if any one amongst us have sinned so deeply as to be excluded from the Communion of prayer and the Assembly and of all manner of having any thing to doe with this societie and fellowship whereof the Elders that are best approved and found most faithfull doe sit as presidents in the Assembly advanced and called to that dignity not through any summes of money but by the weight and sway of the good testimonie which they have given I have onely reported the testimony of these two Authors of the Primitive times to shew the pure simplicity of Gods worship in their publike service which was no other but the same in order and forme with the worship used in the Jewes Church onely in this they differed from the Christians that after their services and exhortation they ministred the Sacrament of Baptisme when there was occasion And then the Catechumeni were dismissed with this word Missa then the Elders which were all the best approved of Congregation were admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords body and blood ministred with prayer under the signes of Bread and Wine and singing of Psalmes then the Minister blessed them and then with the same word Ite Missa the Congregation was dismissed This word did properly signifie depart or be gone or leave to depart but by use it did after signifie the first service and the second service which they called the first Missa and the second Missa and in corruption of time it came to signifie the Masse and Idolatrous sacrifice from hence the Papists lyingly faigne to derive their Masse from the Apostles and the Fathers of the Primitive times Wee may also observe from the Apostles and the primitive Congregations that they had this tradition they ministred the Sacraments every Sabbath and every one did bring something according to their abilitie to the Lords Table of bread meat and wine which was set on a Table in the middest of the house of prayer and this they called an offering the more to encourage the people to this bounty and charity and this was covered till the first service was done and the preaching then the Cloath was taken of and then the Bishop or Pastor or president came to the side of the Table and gave thankes and prayed for all men and after tooke Bread and Wine and consecrated them with prayers Sometimes onely with the Lords prayer rehearsing the words of the Institution of our Lord as in the 1 Cor. 12. 11. And brake the Bread and the Wine was poured out and distributed to the people thereto admitted The rest of the offerings were given to the poore the needy and the widowes by the Deacons And Platina in the life of Telesphorus saith that in the Apostles times all things were done nakedly plainly and simply in the action of this mysterie And in Rome where the mysterie of iniquitie was to take roote and bee seated all things continued and were done after the same order doctrines and traditions as the Apostles taught As Irenaeus doth witnesse for twelve Bishops successively from the Apostles unto Eleutherius Nay the simplicitie and puritie of worship continued without addition or diminution untill Constantine the great his time An amplification what undeniable reasons for the puritie of Gods Worship and service It is evident and undeniable that Gods worship and the Divine service hath beene ever from Adam and practised by his posteritie in the first age plaine simple pure and naked prayer praise and thankes without any invention of man or externall Ceremonie nor yet any Sacramentall signes save onely that Adam taught his sonnes to bring unto him as to their high Priest presenting the person of the promised seed before the incarnation their first fruits in thankfulnesse having onely the naked and simple ministration of the word promised to be made man preached by Adam Seth and Enoch and Noah to feed their holy faith God enlightning them with the inspiration of his spirit making them the Prophets of God And the Divine reasons why God used no Sacramentall signes nor figurative Sacrifices was for that Adam and his posterity had not altogether forgot that Divine light of life which hee was endued with in his creation though hee had newly lost the possession thereof yet he was more capable of inspiration then the next generations were who had smothered even the light of nature by multiplying their transgressions And this was a principall cause why they lived in this age above 960. But in the second age God did not onely for their overgrowth of sinfulnesse cut short the dayes of man but hee also did choose himselfe a people from the loynes of Abraham and renewed unto him the promise of his blessed seed and made him a great Nation and Church unto himselfe and to this Church and people God gave Sacramentall signes to distinguish them from all other Nations to be his owne and ordained them Statutes Lawes and ordinances to instruct them as under a Schoolemaster and by signes to lead them unto the spirituall power and efficacie of the Incarnation of Christ and his death unto the remission of sinnes But it is undeniable and manifest that hee required no other manner of worship and service of them then hee did of the first people for God is unchangeable in his nature therefore he cannot nor will not have any other kinde of worship but one simple pure worship of praise prayer and thanksgigiving and feeding of this worship with the plaine ministration of his promised word of life preached unto them But why was this second age burthened with ordinances and figures because this age was drowned with the growth of sinne and incapable of light for sinne by the law became more raging and sinfull and the law was weak and could not prevaile with man because of sinne for mans sinfulnesse was so great that the spirit of the law which is righteousnesse could not dwell in flesh and blood but it must be consumed for this cause the law became death unto man and man by the law became dead for the law did not onely reprove but condemne But in this third age the righteousnesse of the law became incarnate and was made man that man might be made the righteousnesse of the law Thus that Christ who was promised to the first age is become our righteousnesse so that
now the spirit is communicated in a fuller measure and more evident and powerfull then it was unto the Jewes in figurative types and ceremonies And this is the reason why all things are become more spirituall and God will have his worship now to be known to be onely spirit and truth for through him we are become new creatures unto God the Father created in Christ not to a new worship but to the same worship more pure and perfectly to worship in spirit then heretofore The reason why Christ would institute no other worship nor allow none to be true-worshippers but those that worshipped in spirit and truth simply plainly and nakedly is extracted from Gods owne Essentiall nature God is a spirit and therefore will be worship'd in spirit and truth Also God is one simple pure spirituall Essence therefore he will have no invention nor no mixture of any Rites Ceremonies or observations but plainenesse And againe God will with the simple plainenesse of his worship and preaching confound the wisedome and superstitious curiosity of man for the naturall corruption of man not savouring nor discerning the beauty and sweetnesse of spirituall things doth out of a slavish feare and superstitious curiosity seeke a will-worship of his owne invention which God hates But the enlightned soule sees most heavenly and glorious delights in the plaine and simple ministration of Gods word for the minde not sticking in the outward forme and signes of the mysteries shee flies with the wings of Divine speculations into the presence of God and his Angels as Tertullian saith speaking of the soule We have a sister saith hee among us unto whom is given the gift of Revelation in the middest of Divine Service she is cast into an extsse she is brought into the company of Angels and sometimes into the presence of the Lord himselfe Againe according to the Scriptures that are read the Psalmes that are sung the Sermons that are made and prayers which are offered new matter of vision is administred and offered unto her Now those that have not this spirituall sence and eye to taste and see how good and gracious the Lord is and to behold how beautifull his Tabernacles are they think it was the ignorance or poverty of the age that suffered the worship of God and his ministration to be clad in such base and meane array and cloathing and comparing her to the worldly pomp of Idolatrous and superstitious worship they were ashamed to show the Church in such plaine roabes before the Gentiles and Iewes therefore every Metropolitane after the Nieene Counsell having got the sole government into their hands devised some sentences out of the Scripture to beautifie the service and the Sacraments and some rites and ceremonies to correspond both with Iew and Gentile in serving God All which things though at the first the Inventers had a good intent and the words and rites carried a glorious show of holinesse yet because they were not the things that God ordained nor thought fit to be done or to have done in his service and ministration therefore they brought forth in the end a malignant effect both in worship and Doctrine Idolatry and Superstition with damnable heresies in the end which the first Inventers never dreamed of For when man adds other words or some other thing to the Sacraments then Christ did use in his institution doth hee not disallow of the wisedome of God and thereby make his owne filthinesse appeare under his skirts as the Lord saith Exod. 19. last verse where man is prohibited invention To beware of this Cyprian in his Epistle to Adrian the Emperour adviseth to hold our selves fast to the institution of Christs the Apostles did so as appeares by Paul 1. Cor. 11. 12. It is truth saith Cyprian seeing that neither any Apostles neither Angels from heaven could declare any thing unto us beside that which Christ hath once taught I cannot but mervaile how against all Angelicall and Apostolicall Doctrine men dare to offer in some places water in the Cup Again he saith they should ask counsell of those whom they follow for if in the sacrifice which is Christ we should not follow any other then Christ it must of necessity follow that wee must obey and doe as Christ hath done and commanded us to doe so he saith in his Gospel If you doe the things I command you to doe I will call you no more servants but sonnes And the Father doth witnesse that Christ is onely to be heard saying from heaven this is my beloved Sonne heare him thereupon we are not to regard what those before us have judged meet because we are not to apply our selves to follow the customs of man but the truth and verity of God And the same Author to stop the mouth of all will-worshippers saith if any of our predecessors either through ignorance or foolish simplicity have held otherwise then the Lord hath taught either by his precept or by his example God will pardon such his simplicity through his rich and abundant mercy But unto us now who are forewarned and taught the contrary by himselfe it cannot be pardoned These enforcing and undeniable reasons cannot be withstood but teach and stirre us up to seek the first purity simple and plaine manner of worship and to shake off all rites ceremonies and superstitions and to rest satisfied with the simplicity of preaching and to cleave to the prescript Institution of Christ in using the Sacraments Thus much for the worship of God Of Divine Iurisdiction the second subsistence in the Church of God AS Divine worship is the first subsistence in the unitie of the visible Church of God in which all the faithfull are congregated as it were in one body into the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace even so Divine dominion must be the second subsistence dwelling in the Church and filling the Church with life and vigour through all members as the soule in the body also it is like sinewes and arteries knitting and coupling together the body by every joynt for the Furniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of every part receiving increase of the body unto the edifying of it selfe in love Now all powers are of God from above from the Father of light as from a fountaine from whence all good gifts and gracious givings doe proceed by his mighty Word through his holy Spirit flowing into the vessels of humanity and running through them with a perpetuall successive duration returning into the Ocean of Gods glory The first receptacle of all divine power and dominion communicated from the Father is Christ the Mediatour God and man to whom all power is given both in heaven and in earth who is the first begotten of every creature And as Daniel saw in his Vision one like the Sonne of Man come in the cloudes of heaven and approach to the Antient of dayes
enlighten his mind and mollifie his heart Which if it prevaile with him hee falleth upon his knees and desireth the Congregation to pray for him which done the Pastor pronounceth unto him the remission of sinnes if the Church judge him penitent if they find him still obstinate and of an unrelenting heart then they pronounce him debaâ—red from the holy Communion of the Supper of the Lord and continue him upon the stoole of repentance with much exhortation patience and long forbearing till they convince him or otherwise separate him from the Congregation for a time if after hee continue in his foulenesse of sinne then hee is againe called to the Congregation and admonished which if then it take no effect hee is excommunicated by laying on of the hands of all the Elders after that hee is accounted as an enemie or as Paul saith Anathema to the Church and wholly and finally given over to Satan according to the words of our Saviour the 18. Matth. 18. Whomsoever yee bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whom yee shall loose on earth shall bee loosed in heaven Judge I pray you if all the politicke wits in the world could ever have devised such a pure and subtile discipline as should spie into the inward secrets of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and should purge the conscience and should cut off the consuming cankers and rotten members from the body of the Church What Romish Apothecary could ever have composed such a soule-saving medicine Observe how the holy Spirit hath commanded this discipline to bee alwayes practized in the Church When Achans covetousnesse troubled the Congregation by moving Gods wrath against them a diligent search was commanded to bee made and being found out Achan and his house were cut off Josh. 7. And also if there bee a scorner or contentious person saith Solomon cast out the scorner and so strife will goe out and so contention shall cease Also Rom. 16. 17. 18. Now saith Paul I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the dâ—ctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And more plainly in the 2 Thess. 3 6. 10. Wee command you brethren in the Name of Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes inordinately and not after the instructions which yee received of us And in the foureteenth verse he saith If any man obey not your saying note him by a letter and have no company with him that hee may bee ashamed yet account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother But if he come to the last degree Excommunion then saith our Lord Christ let him be anathema But if you would see the Apostles practice in this discipline See 1 Cor. 5. chap. 4 and 5. verses Paul having certaine intelligence that there was odious fornication among them hee writ thus unto them When yee are gathered together and my spirit in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that such a one I say by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ bee delivered unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And out of this text make a profitable observation that Paul will not have Excommunication though but in the second degree executed in any private manner but by the publicke assembly gathered together neither doth hee allow it to be done in any name but in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Neither doth hee attribute the power either to himselfe or the Church but onely to the Lord Jesus Now and lastly I must conclude with the last part of Discipline that is Synodicall assemblies which are of three degrees The first is particular to every Congregation which consists of the Pastors the Deacons and the Elders of that Church whose customes is the best reformed Churches to meet once a wâ—eke or as need requires to take an account of all things that concerne the duties of the Elders and the Church-revenues the Pastor being their chiefe guide Those things about which they chiefly busie themselves are first to catalogue the Professors of their Congregation their Catechâ—â—inists distinguished from those that are thought fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ their Baptized their Penitents their Excommunicates their number of Elders and Deacons Pastors and Teachers one or two as the place requires In this their assembly they consider the spirituall estate and condition of the flocke examine the revenues of the Church and the necessities of the poore and what things soever they â—ind meet to edification The Pastor exhorting the Elders to diligence care and zeale in the worke of the Lord the Deacons to honesty compassion and a good conscience The second order of Synodes is in the reformeâ— Churches called the assemblies of the Presbyteries held monethly or quarterly under which they comprehend the Pastors and Church Elders for every Pastor brings with him two or three Elders after the quantity of the Congregation and this Synode is a company of Pastors and Elders of a shire or wapontake In these Assemblies they examine the spirituall condition of every parish take view of their order diligence doctrine and manners as well the doctrine and manners of the Pastors and Elders as of the younger people And there they proceed to such further order and censure as by the holy Scriptures they are taught And in these Synodeâ— all errours in opinion heresies and Schismes that are found noysome to the Congregation are reproved and the parties exhorted and admonished In these their Synodes they alwayes from time to time choose one President to guide the affaires and thus they avoyd that preheminence which Episcopacie greedily hunts after The third degree is the superlative assembly of Presbyteries which is either Nationall or Provinciall which in some Churches are held yearely or otherwise as occasions fit over which the prince and Soveraigne is the Principall Elder and the Presbyters and Elders appoint one Pastor for the time President of the assembly who moderates and guides the affaires The matters handled in this Synode are a generall review of both the former Synods and specially to take care of the preservation of the puritie of Doctrine and suppressing of Heretickes and errours and all misdemeanours and Schismes in the Church And whatsoever is done in any of these Synods is certified from one to another and through the Nationall Church of all their most materiall censures which may concerne them in generall wherby the Church is preserved in a sweet and pleasant decorum unitie puritie and peace The unerrable patterne of these Synods is taken from the practise of the Apostles Acts 15. shewing by what rules of temperance and wisedome they ought to judge and give sentence taking the Scripture for their rule the holy Ghost for their guide not laying any burden on the Church by Lawes Decrees or Canons as I have before
spoken And this Divine rule and patterne was kept and observed throughout all the Primitive times till the great Councell of Nice as by the Chronography of Socrates scholast. may be observed yet the earthly glory of Babel hath so long dazeled the eyes of most men that they call the truth novelty But if men were of a â—ree spirit and cleere judgement not inthralled with prejudicate opinions nor darkned with the more then Egyptian mists of Rome they might here behold the virgin puritie of the Church of God both in her Worship Jurisdiction Doctrine Government and Discipline to have beene from the beginning of the world one and the same Thus have I adventured to present unto the eyes of men the true â—ace of the Christian Church shining in her spirituall Iustre and Christ Jesus our Lord raigning and ruling over the soules and consciences of man not intrenching upon the temporall power of Kings and Princes Now the Lord give unto us understanding in all things and with the holy Apostle Paul I will bow the knees of my soule unto the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ of whom is named the whole Family in heaven and in earth that he may grant us according to the riches of his glory that wee may be strengthened by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in our hearts by Faith that wee being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge that we may be filled with all fulnesse of God Unto him therefore that is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us be praise in the Church by Jesus Christ thorough all Generations for ever Amen Eph. 3. 14. Soli Deo Gloria FINIS Prov. 1. 8. Iohn 18. 26. Math. 20. 25. Col. 1. 26. 27. Col 1. 15. 16. 18. 19. â— Chro. 1â— â—2 Ephes 4. 7 8. Ephes 4. 11. The subsistence of Gods Church threefold The nature of God is the rule of divine worship 1 Sam 5. 22. Ephes. 3. 10. Rom 12 1. The law required a bloudy sacrifice the Gospell a contrite heart A Caveat The domesticall Church 1 King Prophet 2. Gen 2. Ioh. 1 6. Priest 〈◊〉 1. The primitive worship Circumcision The nationall Church Passeover The word first ministred by God himself to Adam in the Garden then by Adam Seth Enoch Noah then by Moses Aaron and by the Prophets The publike worship under the law Acts 1. 13. 14. They avoyded Rites and Ceremonies as burdens not lawfull to be layd on the people of God Iustinus Martyr Apolo 2. about the yeare 130. Tertullian The faigned and false originall of the Masse Platina To tie the Ministers people of God to set uniforme prayers is to incarcerate the Spirit of God In the whole time of the primitive Church we find no other uniform prayer save the Lords prayer used in administration of the Sacrament Why God used no sacramentall signes Why God shortned the dayes of mans life The reason why the second age was clogged with Ceremonies Why Christ did institute no new worship but approved and practised the old 1 Cor. 2. Why man studies to invent new worship The first in-let of set prayers compiled into a Service-book Mans invention in the worship of God is of dangerous consequence to the Church Eph. 4. 4. Rom. 12. 1. Colos. 1. 15. Dan. 7. 13. The kindome of God is threefold Provider Grace Glory * God the anointed man Of God the only proper Saviour Iesus God by his Incarnation hath united himselfe to his creatures and supporteth and preserveth all things by his mighty power The word of God is the patterne and rule of all good lawes Dominion was by God given first to Adam the first-borne of man Gen. 1. 28. This Dominion lost by the sons of Adam Then to be conferred upon Christ the Son of God and man Restored in Christ to man Dan. 2. 21. A d'gression Civill government is to cut sin by the midle but super naturall is to pull it up by the rootes The Church of God is the soule of a good Common-wealth and as a sensitive soule is bestial without the rational so is a body politique without the Church bestiall and tyranâ—â—icall 2 Psal. The Trinitie a true patterne to a Christian King Prov. 34. When God withdrawes the love of subjects Ioh. 18. 26. Math. 20. 25 26. As the Scriptures were first given so are they to be interpreted by inspiration A way to know the interpretation to be of the holy Ghost The Papist confesseth Christ in name but denieth his power in the flesh in that they say his death is not sufficient for actuall sins thence are penuance pardons satisfactions Purgatory The Church of God considerable in a twofold aspect Ioh. 16. 15 16. The first ordination of the ministration of the Word Pastors ought before their admission to be well known to the Congregations where they are to reside The Priest Numb 3. 10. The Levite The Elder Apostles and Evangelists Pastors and Teachers Their Commission The Authority committed The substance of the Commission Blessing them The doctrinall part of it Helpers in government Governours The good effects of this government in the primitive times Elders derived Episcopus unde quid sit The office of a Bishop delineated by Scripture The primitive government twofold The Pastors function Pet. 1. 5. 1 â— 3. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Matt. 20. 25 26 27 28. * With those that are drunk with the desire and coveting of power and riches The Deacons office The office of Elders Ambrosius * 〈◊〉 Thus the Church is incorporated in the Common-wealth the Common-weale in the Church A cleare difference and remarkeable distinction betwixt Elders of the Church and Common-wealth 1 Tim. 5. 17. The necessity of Church Elders Rules of private admonition Another duty of Pastors and Elders Bishop our superintendent Verse 23. The Apostles practise is the best of patterns Ordination * Or superintendour Dic Ecclesiâ— non Episcopâ— non Pastori tantum The private admonition by Elders The Assembly or Synod of Presbyteries within a shire or Wapontake The generall Synode