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
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
Rudiments of the world and not after Christ the outward shew of holinesse which puffes up mens hearts with selfe-conceit being burthened with traditions which having a glorious shew of holinesse of wisedome and voluntary religion wherein men are out of measure superstitious in zeale not sparing their bodily labour The manner of the publike worship of Gods Church from Adam till Moyses In this first age whilest the Church was domesticall in the family of Adam and Noah and Abram The first-borne and eldest of every family was ordained of God by creation to be a King for the common good A Priest to offer prayer to God for them and a Prophet to instruct them Of this royall dignitie we read that God gave dominion unto Adam over his posteritie and all sublunary creatures Gen. 1. 28. This is the fountaine of Soveraigntie succeeding in the birth-right of the dignitie of the first-borne untill Cain lost it by killing his brother Abel C ham lost it for scoffing his Father Noah Esau sold it for a mease of pottage and Reuben lost it for defiling his fathers bed Then God tooke it into his owne hands and reserved soveraigntie and the dignitie of preheminence of the first-borne for his owne onely begotten sonne the first begotten of every creature the Lyon of Judah who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Kings raigne and Princes decree Justice Also man in Creation was the Prophet of God for God breathed in his face the breath of life and made him a living soule even that word which in the beginning was with God and was God was the light and life of man Adam was taught of God before his fall as in the second Chapter of Genesis and also after his fall as in the third Chapter of Genesis the seed of the woman should break the serpents head which doctrine he received of God and taught his posterity His Priesthood was manifest in that hee taught his sonnes to offer sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving to God the outward signes thereof they brought to their Father as their high Priest a figure of Christ Gen. 4. 3. also Hevah gave thanks to God for her issue The services used amongst the Patriarks Their practise and service in this age was plain and simple praise prayer and thanksgiving to God which consisted in confessing their sinfulnesse and acknowledging the mercie of God in his promise as after the birth of Seth and Enoch then it is said began men to call on the name of God Genes 4. 26. And in every family they taught and declared the promise of God to be the word of life as Lamech confessed at the birth of Noah Gen. 5. 29. and Noah and Enoch are witnessed to be Preachers of righteousnesse This manner of worship was more manifest after the flood in the life of Abraham by his obedience his familiar talking with God as in Chap. 15. 16 18 19 20. and Isaacks conversation who went out to meditate and pray in the evening so Jacob worshipped God leaning on his staffe and blessed his sonne Thus the pure and unspotted worship of God which was used both private and publique among his people was onely praise prayer and thanksgiving with teaching and Divine instruction And to this manner of worship none durst adde nor diminish only God himselfe did in the dayes of Abraham add unto this worship the signe of the everlasting covenant betwixt God and his faithfull servant Abraham and his faithfull seed to make a separation and visible distinction betwixt his people and the people of the world the seed of nature under which Covenant was promised the spirit of Regeneration or spiritual Circumcision in these words I wil be thy God and the God of thy seed the seed of regeneration Here we may observe that to the spirituall and Divine worship of God none can add any thing but God alone and God will add nothing but Divine Doctrine necessary to salvation And that figured under plaine and simple signes lest the naturall corruption of man prone to superstition and externall sanctity should leane and cleave to the signes and forget the heavenly things signified and to seeke holinesse in the action The same worship and service practised in the Nationall Church When Israel of twelve tribes became a multitude and a great Nation whom God exercised and humbled under the bondage of Pharaoh that hee might shew forth his mighty power mercy and loving kindnesse to his people Israel hee sent them a deliverer even his servant Moses Moses added nothing to the service of the first age but God added also the Sacrament of the Passeover to declare unto them that as none was to be esteemed the people of God but those that were under the signe of the Covenant of God so none should be delivered from the destroying wrath of God but those that were redeemed reconciled and washed or sprinkled with the blood of the unspotted Lamb of God the promised seed of the woman the word of life made flesh in whose death and shedding of his blood they were saved and delivered from spirituall bondage and death and this was to be observed for a perpetuall ordinance among Gods people for ever And after the Israelites and people of God were congregated and gathered together and brought out of the bondage of Egypt the Lord by the ministration of Moses and Aaron writ divulged and ministred the Divine precepts of the law of God the knowledge and perfection whereof man had lost and forgot by transgression Out of which law Moses by the commandement of God extracted Ecclesiastical ordinances for Aaron and the legall Priesthood and Levites for serving of the Tabernacle to instruct the people by types and figures in the Divine and heavenly mysteries of God under the law as by a Schoolemaster till the mysterie of God should be manifested in the flesh and dwell with men And of this Doctrine all the Prophets testified and writ declaring and fore-telling the comming of that Messias All the glory of the Tabernacle and after that the Temple with the typicall Sacrifices was but to set forth that spirituall and Divine glory and power which was to come and to be manifested in the flesh and then the outward and earthly glory should be abolished and done away that the Divine and invisible power thereof might onely remaine and shine in the hearts and soules of the Elect as the Prophet Ioel 2. 28. And afterward will I poure out my spirit upon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie Ier. 31. 33. After those dayes saith the Lord I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I say this is the Covenant which I will make with them my spirit is upon thee my word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed saith
the Lord from henceforth and for ever But in all this they held the daily publique service pure and undefiled without rites or any other ceremonies but only the reading of the word and ministring the Sacraments and teaching on the Sabbath dayes And the Jewes for their Divine Services had their Synagogues in every Citie and Towne and Christ did by his owne practise and presence observe the same upon the Sabbath day as it is Luke the 4. 16. 17. as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read and there was delivered to him the book of Isaiah and Acts 13. 14. 15. Paul and Barnabas went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day The forme of service used in the Synagogues First they began their Service with a generall verball confession which they gathered out of the Prophets Levit. 26. 20. Numb. 5. 6. 7. Nehem. 9. 23. The forme of this confession is set forth in the Jewes Talmond We have sinned O Lord we have done wickedly we have dealt deceitfully in thy sight we thy people and all the house of Israel we repent our selves thereof and are ashamed for the same and therefore O Lord we beseech thee forgive us our sinnes our iniquities and our transgressions as it is written in the book of Moses thy servant Then followed the reading of the Law and the Prophets and then after followed the expounding and exhortation then the Service ended with a generall thanks for all things and as Paul saith for all persons 1 Tim. 2 1. 2. And thus their Service was concluded with blessings upon the people from the mouth of the Minister The same Service and Method observed by the Apostles Christ lest no other forme of Service in Gods worship but onely such as was used in the Church of the Jewes naked and simple prayer praise and thanks reading preaching and exhortation with the ministration of the Sacraments commanding his Disciples to goe teach all Nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Spirit The Apostles observed their Masters commandement in every circumstance proper for the ministration of those Divine mysteries To all that Christ ordained they neither added nor diminished any thing Springing from superstition of time and place and circumstances for they knew that Ordination was not tyed to a day an houre or any solemne time or season but was instituted for the benefit of the soule of man therefore they thought fit to minister the Lords Supper every Lords day Neither did they use any other order or gesture but after the same manner sitting as Christ did institute it fearing the curse of God to adde or diminish And held that manner of order most worthy and fit to be observed in Divine mysteries which their Lord had formerly observed knowing the power efficacie to be of his spirit and not to consist in Rites and Ceremonies or circumstances of time and place After the ascension of the Lord he Apostles and the whole Church consisting of 120 persons assembled at Ierusalem in an upper Chamber and abode together with the 11 Apostles and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication And then and there Peter taught and preached and in the publique assembly and with their whole consent they chose Matthias to supply Iudas his place Acts 1 13 14 15. also 2. 42. and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer In which words is set forth the whole form of their Service and worship used in the Apostolique times which consisted in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ their unity of faith and love ministration of the Sacraments and Prayer The Testimony of the Fathers On the day saith he which is called Sonday that is the Lords day there is an assembling and comming together of all manner of people dwelling either in the Fields or in the Cities into one place and there are read the Acts or Records of the Apostles and the Writings of the Prophets so long as the time would suffer then when the Reader hath left off reading that is to say he which was President or Chiefe in the assembly the Bishop or Pastor delivered an admonition or exhortation by way of discourse tending to the stirring of them up to follow and practise those good things Afterwards wee rise all at once and send our prayers unto God And prayer being ended the bread and wine is brought and he that directeth the action delivereth with all the power and might he hath prayers and thanksgiving the people assenting say Amen Then followeth the distribution to every one present and the communicating of the things which were blessed by thanksgiving and they send of the same to those that were absent by the Deacons In the end they which are of ability and are moved therewithall give every one according as it pleaseth him and that which remaineth abideth with him that is president with which he makes provision for the fatherlesse widowes sicke persons captives and needy strangers The same Author in another place of the same Apologie After saith he that we have washed that is baptized him that hath received the faith and joyned himselfe with us wee bring him into the Assembly and Congregation of the brethren where they are come together to make their common prayers both for themselves and for him and for all manner of persons whatsoever When prayers are thus ended wee salute one another with an holy kisse and then there is brought to the Pastor the Bread and the Cup and hee giveth praise and glory to the Father of all things in the name of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and maketh a great thankes-giving for that hee hath vouchsafed to make them worthy of these things which being ended the people joyne and put their blessing thereto saying Amen Afterward the Pastor blessing them those whom wee call Deacons gives to every one who are present and they carry to those that are absent And this food is called the Sacrament of thankes-giving which is not lawfull for any one to receive which hath not before received the truth of our Doctrine of Faith and hath not beene washed with Baptisme of regeneration for remission of sinnes Also Tertullian in his Apologie about few yeares after Now saith he I will declare unto you the practises of the Christian function to the end that when I have refuted the evill I may shew you the good We come together into one Congregation to have recourse unto God by prayer forcing him as it were by joyning together of all our prayers and this violent enforcement is very well pleasing to God Wee pray for Emperours for their Officers and Potentates and for the estate present for the quieting of matters wee come together for communicating of the holy Scriptures as the present times doe presse us or to prevent somewhat to come or to make acknowledgement of the
against unpenitent sinners and his mercy in Christ to the penitent man as he hath taught and revealed for this power doth not follow the judgement and will of man nor succession of profession but is tyed and limited to the power of the Word and will of God Therefore what they hind on earth by this ministeriall power Christ bindes in heaven by his absolute power By this there is no power of coaction given to the Church over the body nor purse nor life but onely over the soule and conscience and to rule by instruction admonition and correction That makes men civill and sociable and restraineth vice for feare of punishment this other makes men spirituall and divine meeke and lowly and full of loving kindnesse and rooteth out sinne in the heart making men refraine and shun sinne and wickednesse for the love of God and goodnesse it selfe Herein the kingdome of Providence and Grace doe both agree to make man happy and blessed in this life and in the life to come for this cause it was said to Abraham In thy seed all nations shall bee blessed And David saith Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord For no Kingdome nor Common-wealth can be blessed which doth not entertaine the true Church of God in her bosome or in which the Church is not involved For this cause God doth make good Kings a blessing to his people and commands his Saints to pray for Kings Princes and Governours that they may lâ—ad a peaceable and happy life under them and that there his Gospell may have a free passage And so Kings and Princes become nursing fathers and nursing mothers And in this combination betwixt Church and Common-wealth righteousnesse and peace doe kisse each other But if they be wiâ—ked Princes then they are sent for a punishment and scourge of God to the the people and when God hath whipped his people then he burnes his roddes with judgements Therefore bee wise yee Kings be learned ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce in trembling kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burne blessed are all they that trust in him The glasse of Kings The glasse wherein Kings are to see themselves by reflexion and the pattern whereby they are to distribute judgement justice and equity is the Divine nature and holy Trinity of God himselfe For as the nature of God is strong and mighty full of pitty and compassion slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and truth whose purity of nature expelleth and consumeth every impure and imperfect thing even so doth God require his King should be like unto him on earth as he is in heaven for he hath set none above him on earth Therefore as God is in purity of essence a law unto himselfe and a consuming fire of evill so ought a King in his politique capacity to be a law unto himselfe by conforming himselfe in a spirituall assimilation to the nature of God in purity of justice punishing the evill and cherishing the good Also as the person of the Father in its essence is the fountain of his eternall law which he hath begotten and ordained with himselfe for himselfe to doe all things by so is the King in his politique capacity the fountaine of politique lawes which hee hath as iâ— were begotten in his body politique to rule and governe his people by And as the eternall law of God is the begotten Counsell of the Trinity in the Deity so are the lawes politique the begoten Counsell of a politique Trinity which is the Soveraign the Nobles and Magistrates and the Councell of Commons resembling the Divine Trinity in Unity the indivisible subsistence of a Kingdome So that Kings are by this pattern and rule bound to keepe the lawes of their Kingdomes inviolate and to doe all things by their lawes as God doth all things by his word And this is the greatest prerogative of a King that he keepe his owne lawes freely without compulsion like God himselfe And likewise as the holy Ghost is the universall Minister and Divine Dispensator of all divine powers gifts and graces of God proceeding from the Father and the Sonne even so are the Peeres Princes Judges Magistrates and Ministers of Justice in a Common-wealth proceeding from the King and his lawes The universall Ministers of the Royall powers and lawes of the Kingdome For though they be many as members in diversity of Dispensation of Justice Judgement and equity of the lawes yet are they all but as one spirit of the body politique as the spirit of God being one is by reason of the diversity of Administrations properly called the seaven spirits before the throne of God Revel. 1. And as the individuall unity of this distinct Trinitie is the subsistence of the God-head Even so is the unity of the King with his Lawes and his Princes and Magistrates the subsistence of a body politique or Common-wealth Therefore Solomon saith Judgement and Justice is the establishment of the Throne For this similitudes sake Kings Princes and Magistrates are called Gods I have said saith the Lord yee are Gods but yee shall die like men for they are in all things to bee in their Common-wealth as God himselfe Therefore wee are taught to pray Thy will O God be done on earth as it is in heaven that Kings may rule by thee and Princes decree Justice on earth as thou dost in heaven This is that orbe wherein Kings are to walke as the Sunne in his spheare but if Kings make their owne will and lust their law and rule of Justice Judgement and equitie then they are exorbitant and then God in whose hands are the hearts of Kings causeth their Counsellers to goe as spoyled and makes their Judges as fooles and he looseth the collar of Kings and girdeth their loynes as with a girdle and leadeth away Princes as a prey and overthroweth the mighty or Powreth contempt upon Princes and maketh the strength of the mighty weake Job 12. 17 18 19 20 21. How divine and supernaturall power is derived unto man from the Father by the Word through the Spirit A civill ministeriall power of Justice is derived of Kings Princes and Magistrates from Christ as he is the Son of God and first begotten of every creature and therefore most worthy to have preheminence above all in whom all things consist for the temporall blisse and happinesse of man on earth So is divine and supernaturall power derived from Christ not onely as he is the first begotten Son of God but also as he is the light and life of man without whom man cannot be a living soule and as he is the eternall Mediatour betwixt God and man that promised seed the Redeemer of the Elect of God the predestinated Lambe slaine from before the foundation of the world for the remission of sinnes their ordained King Priest and Prophet of God the
qualified with the word of God and by having the Word they are knowne to be sent of God For they 〈◊〉 and preach not themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord and approve themselves messengers and servants to the Saints for Jesus sake For the word of God wee are alwayes to conceive to be the eternall Sonne of God by generation and to proceed from God by spiration in creation and to be communicated unto man since his fall by supernaturall inspiration and united unto man and man unto it by incarnation and ministred unto man by externall dispensation Thus the Word descends unto man by inspiration and dwels in man through the Spirit for the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is the Word for the Word and the spirit cannot be divided nor separated they are one For this cause God useth the externall ministration of his Word and Spirit that he may inspire and regenerate the mind of man After this manner are the ministers and messengers that are sent of God indued with the Word and Spirit of God Therefore let no man say that hee hath the Spirit if hee want the light of the Word neither can any man have the Word but by the Spirit and the Word and Spirit are both made manifest in this that they reveale the hid things of God even the mysterie of God in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. which in Col. 2. 3. is called a full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mysterie of God in Christ for he which commanded light to shine out of darknesse shines into the hearts of the Messengers to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Of the calling of Ministers As the externall Ministration cannot be without the Word and the Spirit so the Church cannot bee without Ministers and messengers of God and as the ministration is publicke and externall so the visible Church and Congregations have power of divine right to call and appoint such as God hath internally qualified to the externall and publicke exercise thereof For as by internall inspiration they are indued with a more then ordinary measure of the Word and Spirit so they ought to be well knowne and conversant in the Congregation or facietie of that Church wherein they live that by a mutuall consent they may be approved and thought worthy to be called to the publick ministration and dispensation of the VVord This was the practise of the Apostles and primitive Church Acts 1. 21. 22 Wherefore of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out with us beginning from the Baptisme of John unto the same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us of his resurrection and they appointed two Also Act. 6. 1. 3. When the number of the Disciples was multiplied then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples together unto them and said unto them it is not meet that we should leave the ministration of the Word and serve tables wherefore brethren looke you out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and of wisedome whom we may appoint ouer this businesse And it is to be observed that nothing was to bee done in the Church either by the Apostles or by those that in the ministration succeeded them without the consent of the whole Church which then at first were called Disciples Of the manner of their externall ordination Touching the manner of their Ordination that we find in the first of the Acts they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew which of these two thou hast chosen and then they gave forth lots and the lot fell upon Matthias And also afterwards in the sixt of the Acts the multitude of the Disciples or brethren chose seven and set them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands upon them In the first place of Scripture it is said the Disciples appointed two and left the choyce to God and therefore they gave forth lots because it was an extraordinary calling to an Apostleship to succeed Judas But in the second place it is said they chose Stephen a man full of faith and the holy Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and others c. And it is remarkeable that the Church received instruction from the Apostles as a rule to be observed in choosing Deacons and Elders as in the first of the Acts they were admonished by Peter to choose such as were conversant in the Church from their beginning By which I conceive they ought to bee of knowne conversation and men of good report and that they should be full of faith and the holy Ghost as Steven was or men endued with the holy Ghost and with wisedome These are the respects which ought to bee had in choosing Pastors Deacons and Governours in the Church For all gifts of learning and humane Sciences howsoever they be excellent and worthy much praise and honour yet without these Characters of grace they are nothing and not to be esteemed Of the orders and degrees of Pastors and their denominations both under the Law and the Gospell It is evident that the orders and degrees of Ministers and Governours of the Church of God under the Law were Priests Levites and Elders God also sending among them Prophets of extraordinary inspiration for revelation of the VVord to teach admonish and exhort the people The Priests office was figurative prefiguring Christ untill his comming offering sacrifices to figure the sacrifice of his body instructing the people in the promised seed unto the remission of their sinnes whose manifestation in the flesh should be the accomplishment of all figures and shadowes in the law which thereby were abrogated The Levites were given unto Aaron as an addition to his office as in Numb. 3. 6 7 8 9. to minister unto him to keepe his charge and the charge of the whole Congregation to doe the service and to keepe the instruments of the tabernacle of the Congregation The Elders though every Father of a Family bee called Elder and also the twelve tribes of Iacob yet those are properly Elders who are chosen and appointed to be Governours and Rulers both in Church and Common-wealth For the Governours in Pharaohs house were called Elders and the Rulers in the Church as first in the Tabernacle as Numb. 11. 〈…〉 and Temple were also called Elders And the Lord stirred up Prophets among them both of the Levites and Priests and others as occasion required never leaving his Church without a Prophet and Rulers till Shil◠came And when that faithfull Prophet of God came into the world whose effectuall power and fulnesse of all divine perfection abolished all figures and darke resembling shadowes then in his owne person and humane presence hee spread abroad the glad tydings of his glorious Gospell