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A29281
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The mysterie of the true ministry unvailed as it was to be before, under, and shall be after Antichrists time, and the unlawfulness of the call of the now ministry. By a witness of the gospel, John Brayne.
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Brayne, John.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing B4329; ESTC R224004
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12,193
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21
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we prove our Ministry from this Jezabel 2. Succession cannot be proved true from any other Church 1. If in all the world the Church were but hid three years and a half Succession could not be proved how then if it be hid 1260 years for how can it be said to be hid when Succession of Ministry can be proved for time place and persons 2. Against those that endeavor to prove their Call from a succession of Ministry set up in this Kingdom in Lucius time I have proved at large in my Treatise called The Resurrection of fallen Churches that there was never any true constituted Church in this Kingdom and then no true Ministry or Succession to be proved hence at all And were it granted a true Gospel Church was set up in the Land in Lucius time or before and that ever since there have been faithful Teachers in the Land 1. For many years they have been but of the two Witnesses whose Ordination of those that were ordained was as corrupt as the Popish Priests nor did they minister in a Church-way 2. Nor was Ordination exercised by them but the Popish Hierarchy who solely exercised the Authority of Church-administrations in publick 3. Nor were their Societies formally and publickly distinguished from the Popish Societies until Luthers time 4. Had they the power of Ordination it must be according to that power ordained them which was Antichristian Object We had Ordination from Luther one of the seven Angels who had his trump from God and was prophecyed of before and so had authority to restore the Ministry 1. We of this Kingdom cannot plead this 2. Could we Yet Luther not changing the Church to its right Constitution nor erecting the Gospel Ministry what ever his Call was the ordinary succession of such as succeeded him could not be Evangelical 3. Nor was the Restauration of the Churches fallen estate given to him to do it being not to be until the flesh of Antichrist be eat and her Antichristian policy burned 1 Cor. 3.15 and she made desolate that is her Ministry took from her Rev. 17.16 Now Luther came as it were at the beginning or in a visible manner seemed to begin these things the fulfilling whereof is reserved for him who as another Luther shall lighten the world but with a clearer and more exceeding glory and none else but he to whom it is given may do it at all Quest If a peoples electing a Minister be not authority sufficient to qualifie him for all ministerial duties Resp. 1. Election is the Peoples Interest 2. Ordination is properly the true Church Presbyteries Interest 3. These two are distinct things and proper to several persons one of which is not to destroy the other nor can one sufficiently qualifie a man without the other 4. Though God hath given the Church as a Church the power of Election yet a company of men in what other state soever have not this power belonging to or residing in them for if they had how is then God said to give it to the Church 5. Now as none have power to elect out of church-Church-society so Elders ordinarily have no power to ordain any that are not thus elected by a people of and in a Church constituted Estate Applic. To Ministers I beseech you in all humility for Gods Glory and your own Peace in the day of Accompt see if the Odinances of God may be administred without a Call if so what need a Call or Paul's so oft pleading for it and whether an Antichristian Call be not worse then none when we rule in Gods House by the authority of his Adversary how intolerable a thing were this to be admitted in our own houses Illustration As Nehem. 7.67 the Priests and Levites sought their Register amongst those that were recounted by Genealogy but it was not found therefore were they as polluted put from the Priest-hood which if all Churches that cannot prove their true and lawful successions were so dealt withall where would there be a Church or Church-Minister And it is observable that the Lord having set apart a particular Tribe for the Ministry of the Levitical Priesthood succession served to continue them their Corruptions not destroying their ministry It is otherwaies now under the Gospel 2. If the Administrations in the corrupt Church of Corinth were but hay wood or stuble 1 Cor. 3.12 what are ours now administred but their like being as far below those administred in the true Church in a right way as stuble is to precious Stones and Pearls Object We had Ordination neither from Pope nor Bishops but from Presbitery Resp Presbitery is a stream from that Fountain which in no wise cannot be purer then the rest of that Hierarchy Appl. to the People Attend to what the Spirit saith unto you 1 Thess 5.12 that those ye are to obey ought to be over you in the Lord Acts 20.22 and the holy Spirit is to make them Overseers So that where these are not the bonds of Government and Authority in teaching are destroyed there being no Power or Authority to be acknowledged in the Church but what is of Jesus Christ Jer. 23.21 and 29.9 God doth condemn the false Prophets for going and he did not send them And in that 23. Jer. 21. God puts sending before speaking as distinct things in which they began to err Appl. To Magistrates Consider the time you are in even at the period of Antichrists allotted time and it will shew you clearly what God is doing and what you are to doe if yâ—â— goe against Gods will and work you will be broken to pieces as others have been before you you will no longer prosper then ye walk in his way and know Gods device is against Babel Jer. 51.11.29 which he will bring about to be done though against your wills yea against your selves The Lord in mercy be a light unto you and through your darkness guide you and preserve you to see the hoped for salvation of God in the Land Ruth 4.11 and the Lord make you doe worthily in Ephrata and famous in Bethlehem Now in that Christ saith Mat. 13.52 Every Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven bringeth forth of his Treasury new things and old I Commend to you for Confirmation of the aforesaid particulars the 54. Cap. of the Proph. Esa In which these severall estates of the Gentile Church are clearly held out with its estate before it was a Church 1. It s estate before it was a Church is set out in Ver. 1. by not bearing and not travailing with child called desolate which estate can no way be applyed to the Jewish Church 2. This farther cleared in that this estate of the Gentiles is opposed to the Jewes they being the married Wife signifying their Church estate as opposed to the Gentiles desolate Condition The 2. Estate of the Gentiels after calling is their married Estate under the Gospel in the Apostles time 1. From ver 1. where the multitude of
they saw of Christ in word and deed while he was with them in the flesh 1 Pet. 5.1 The ordinary Witness is either a sufferer for Christ or a beleever in Christ discovering to others the knowledg of Salvation by Jesus Christ which God by his Spirit hath manifested unto him Object Some of the Witnesses were ordained by the Popish Ministry Resp. 1. That was before they were called by God to witness else they would not have received ordination from them 2. They witnessed not by that Ordination That which constituted the ministring Witness here spoken of is set down Rev. 19.10 I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the witness of Jesus for the witness of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy So that where God did for this time of the Churches desolation give the Spirit of Prophecy there was witness sufficiently qualified thus about 1160 Valdus of Lyons a rich man on the sudden death of one in company with him brought him to read the Scriptures and teach it his family and after many of the poor in so much that he became a famous light in that dark time of the world and did more good then a thousand ordained Ministers have done since without any Ordination And one Iohn Claydon about the year 1415. had this as an Article by the Bishops exhibited against him taken out of a book that was called The Lanthorn of Light That he held the Bishops License for a man to preach the Word of God is the Character of the Beast Vide Fox Acts and Mon. Now that this sufficiently did constitute the witness for this Ministry during this time I commend this to your consideration 1. That they were to minister no more then God by his Spirit gave them an inward power to do which was to prophecy 2. The Scripture mentions not that they had authority given them to administer the Sacraments as the Apostles had Mat. 28. ver ult and therefore they had none nor durst not administer them 3. Nor during their Ministry were they to be administred they being not to constitute any Church nor was their visible Church to be constituted by them 4. Nor are the Sacraments to be administred but in a true constituted Church which are never mentioned in all the History of the Church but after Babels fall Rev. 18.2 and the Call of the Saints out of her Vers 4. and the Marriage of the Lamb which was the Restauration of the Church to her primitive Constitution Rev. 19.7 then Verse 9 followeth Blessed are they which are called to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb so that before the Marriage or Church-Constitution is to be no Supper by any allowance of Jesus Christ at all 5. There being no true constituted visible Church there was not that power left in any rightly to elect or ordain any to the publike places of the Gospel-Ministry nor will be while the Witnesses time is until God send him whom he will send to restore it 5. I grant that if a right constituted Church were in being that then none may presume to teach by his gifts without the Church call when that that is lawfull is to be had but untill that time come Gods giving to prophecy is sufficient authority without any present call it being Antichristian Applic. Consider I pray to what height of abomination the Sacraments have been put unto it being worshiped as God cast into Tibur to stop the raging of the Seas said to be really the body and blood of Christ by transubstantiation and then the error of consubstantiation came up and was made to bring death which was given for to minister life to the Saints the Cup kept from the Lay-people as they call them and how since under Episcopacy and Presbitery communicated to unbelievers carnal and evill minded men yea prophane and wicked to the offence of godly minded men 2. How hath the Sacrament of Baptism been administred Nationally with Doctrines that corrupted the mindes of men as if in it their sins were washed away and that by this they come to be members of Christ and of his Church which state is no other nor no better then the condemned World 3. Hence God foreseeing to what abomination in this time the Sacraments by Antichrist would be put unto did in the time of this Churches hiding as he did with the Iewes in the time of their being in the wilderness dispence with his Ordinance they being not circumcised we also during this time being not baptized are accepted Baptisme being that visible Ordinance did onely accompany the estate of the visible Church which is yet hid and mainly served to its constitution 4. The Ministry of the Witnesses and their Authority is only to endure while the Church is unconstituted and differs from the Church constituted Ministry in time in call in Ministry and office they being but VVitnesses onely and not Gospel-ministers as Church-ministers 5. God calling them my Two VVitnesses sheweth that he did approve of them and their Ministry during that time and that there were no other Ministers in all the world but these God did allow of or own at all amongst the Nationall Ministry which were multitudes 6. As one of these I now Minister 7. If the Witnesses had not authority to administer the Sacraments then no other Ministry during their time of ministry have or had in all the world 8. As they had not authority to baptize so consequentially they had no authority to constitute a Church nor have any yet received it as I think as it shall be given The Third Change from its Desolate estate to its Restoration again VVhich shall be done by him spoken of Rev. 18. Ver. 1. who comes on the fall of Babel Rev. 17.6 and calls men out Cap. 18.4 celebrates the Marriage of the Lamb Rev. 17.19 administers the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Ver. 9. by whom the Church is adorned with Ministry and Ordinances as a Bride prepared for her Husband Rev. 21.2 For all these there is not mention made of any other Church-ministring Angel but this aforesaid That this Truth may appear more clearly true I shall commend to your consideration these succeeding Conclusions drawn from Mat. 21.15 The Baptism of Iohn whence was it from Heaven or of men Christs teaching ver 23. occasioned the Priests and Elders of the People to question him saying by what authority dost thou these things who gave thee this authority which proves 1. That Teachers ought not to teach without authority 2. This Authority should be lawfull Rom. 10.15 3. Men may lawfully inquire into Teachers authority yea and ought to do it that they may see ground to obey that that is lawfull and reject that that is unlawfull 4. The Priests had good ground to move the question to Iesus Christ 1. Christ being of the Tribe of Iudah and not Levi by the Ceremonial Law could not teach publickly Heb. 7.14 Nor had Moses said any