strength of any part in its place and proportion doth not make it usurp the place or execute the Office of any other nobler part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist The measure of every part is the beauty and safety of the whole which cannot in naturall and ought not in Religious Bodies which are Churches be fitly disposed but only in such a way as God hath appointed for the daily forming building and well-ordering of his Church by such wisdom and Authority as Christ established in it Of which the Apostles and the Churches after them give us most evident testimony But to avoid destructive delusions But we must not be deluded either with the devils fulgurations and flashes or his transfigurations and disguises We must not forsake or stop up Gods fountains of living waters by digging the devils ditches Luke 10.18 I saw Satan fall like lâ—ghtning from Heaven 2 Cor. 11.14 Satan himself is transformed into an Angel oâ— l ght I a. 1.13 Eccl. 5.1 and wells which hold no water nay we may not wash our hands at the Devils Cistern to fit them for Gods service Nor may we take water from his troubled muddy and poysonous streams to water the plants of Christs Church We may not take strange fire from Satans Altar to kindle the sacrifices of God What need we cut off Dogs necks and offer swins bloud when we have so many clean beasts which are appointed for acceptable services that we shall not need any such vain oblations which are but the sacrifices of fools who consider not that they do evill nor look to their feet when they go to the house of God being as ready to stumble and fall and discover their nakedness and shame as they are forward to ascend to the altar of the Lord upon the steps of pride and presumption Exod. 20.26 which were forbidden to be made The humble heart being alwaies most welcom to God while others in vain arrogate to themselves power to perform those things which are not required at their hands Lev. 10.3 God hath said he will be sanctified of all these who come nigh to him in his publike service which is done not only by that inward sanctification of the heart by faith fear and reverence toward God but also by that exact observation of such rules of order power and Authority which he hath set who alone could do it in the publike way of his worship and service before the Sons of men We must not be such Children in understanding as to allow all to be gold which glisters when it will not endure the Touch-stone of Gods word Caiâ—itae Judae â—râ—diâ—orâ— Evangelium oâ—â—entabant Ophitae angelum in omni imunditie assistentem dicebant invocabant Hanc esse perfectioneÌ„ aiebant sine tremore in tales abire operationes quas ne nominare fas est Iren. l. 1. c. 35. Nulla enoris secta jam contra Christi veritateÌ„ nisi nomine cooperta Christiaâ—â— ad pugnandum pâ—â—silire audet Aust Ep. 56. or the probation of the Churches judgment We may not easily think that Gods Spirit in any private men runs counter to that holy order and clear Institution which the undoubted Spirit of God hath clearly set forth in the Scriptures and which the Church in all ages hath observed in the way of an ordeined authoritative Ministry All other or later inventions may well be suspected to be but Satans stratagems and devices There may be so many vermine crawling in a dead body as may make it seem to live and move when yet there is no true Spirit of life or Soul in it So it is no wonder if the various impulses wherewith mens secret and corrupt lusts stir them make some shew as if diviner gifts and endowments agitated them When indeed they have no other ayms or interests than such as Judas Iscariot or Symon Magus might have or those after Hereticks the Gnosticks Maniches and Montanists c. Who almost that had any shew of gifts or parts ever did mischief in the Church without great prefacings of holy and good intentions and pretensious of gifts and the Spirit of God There may be gifted Hypocrites devout devils angelized Satans Be mens gifts never so commendable if they want humility in themselves Miserrimis instabilibus fabulis tantam elationem assumpseruat ut meliores scipsos reliquis prasumpserunt Irenae l. 1. c. 35. de Caynitis Ophitis Judaeitis and charity to others which are the beauties of all endowments if they are puffed up seek themselves walk disorderly run unexamined unappointed unordained in scandalous and undue wayes they are nothing either as to private comfort in themselves or publick benefit to the Church The presumption and disorder of their example doth more hurt as the influence of some malignant stars in a Constellation than the light of their gifts can do they corrupt more than they either direct or correct If any of these Prophets or gifted men be indeed so able for the work of the Ministry that religion may suffer no detriment by them and people may have just cause to esteem them highly for their work sake God forbid they should not have the right hand of fellowship all incouragement from my self and all that desire to walk as becomes the Gospell when they are found upon just tryall fit to be solemnly ordeined set apart and sent forth with due authority to that holy service in Gods name let them be sent forth with good speed If they disdain this method of Ministeriall office and power which hath been setled by Christ and continued to this day in his Church which no wise humble and truly able Christian can with reason modesty or with conscience justly do but they will needs obtrude themselves upon the Church and crowd in against the true Ministers they may indeed be as sounding Brass and tinckling Cimballs fit rattles for Children or for the labouring Moon or for a Country Morice-dance and May-pole Nec veritate seneri nec charitate frugiâ—eri Greg. but they will never be as Aarons Pomegranates and golden Bells usefull Ornaments to Gods Sanctuary in words or works or any way becomming the Church of Jesus Christ which is as the woman clothed with the Sun the light of Truth and the lustre of holy Order And hath the Moon under her feet Rev. 12. not only all wordly vanities and unjust interests but also all humane inventions and novelties which have their continuall variations wainings disorders darknesses and deformities whereas Divine Institutions are alwayes glorious by the clear beams of Scripture-precept and the constant course of the Churches example Both which have held their Truth and Authority in the blackest nights of persecution wherein no untried and unordeined intruder was ever owned for a true Minister of holy things in any setled and incorrupted Church of Christ No more than any man shall be accounted an Officer or Souldier in an Army who hath not
Monarchicall Aristocraticall and Democraticall as in civill policies so also in religious administrations some are for primacy and pâ—iority others for pâ—ucity and parity a third sort for popularity and vulgarity where as indeed the best constitution in any government is rather from the harmonious temperament and proportionate mixture of all three than from the predominance of any one so as to oppresse the other two Men of eminent parts are prone to affect to govern alone without any flatnesse or allay from inferiours Men of moderate abilities are content to goe in a joint stock mutually supplying those defects to which singly they are conscious Men of low and mean endowments are for huddles one and all where no one man is so much confident of himself as indeed he is envious at all others and impatient to see any thing done without him Whereas in true wisdome the eminency of the first the mediocrity of the second and the meannesse yet multitudinousnesse of the third should be fairly modelled and composed as the head hands and other members of the body are to the common welfare And certainly they did of old in the best times and tempers of Christians all meet in a most happy harmony Church-order and constitution no lesse than the humours bloud and spirits doe in healthy and vigorous bodies All experiâ—ience tels us that the disorder of any one of them causeth sicknesse weaknesse or dissolution of Christian charity society and sweet communion as to their extern polity and profession of Religion Which sad effects or symptomes at least of them in this Church this Author with grief and shame beholding hath endeavoured with the greatest serenity and expeditenesse of soul before he leaves this Bacha and Aceldama this valley of tears contention and confusion to ascend himself and lead others as much in him lies to the height and top of that Primitive verity unity and charity which made Christians so much admired and venerated even when they were most cruelly persecuted From which free and un-ingaged prospect both he and they may with a clear and full view behold the later and worser changes in extern matters of Religion wherein various opinions and different designes of Christians have either strayed from or quite crossed the great road of pious and plain hearted Antiquity which no doubt best knew beyond all the censorious Criticks and factious Novelists of after times what was the minde of the blessed Apostles of the Primitive Martyrs and Confessors who most exactly followed those methods which the Apostolical wisdome and piety had prescribed to those Churches they planted watered and preserved chiefly aiming at the Catholick good and common benefit of all Churches From which private fancies aims and interests afterward varying both in opinion and practise occasioned those many uncomfortable schisms and uncharitable factions which in all times and now as much as ever so divide the unity destroy the charity and deform the beauty of Christian Religion That many if not most Christians doe not onely read and hear write and dispute pray and preach but they believe and repent love or hate damn or save communicate with or excommunicate one another most-what out of their naturall constitutions as they are of more calm and cholerick tempers or out of those prejudices and prepossessions which custom and education have formed in them or from adherence to parties and mutuall agitations whereby they hope to drive on some worldly and secular concernments rather than from true and impartiall principles of right reason Scripturall precept and Ecclesiasticall practise which threefold cord twisted into one is not easily broken And which beyond all disputes affords both in doctrine and discipline in opinion and practise as to inward piety and outward polity the surest measures of Religion and bounds of conscience which are then most pure and unblameable when they look directly to those great designes and ends of every wise man and good Christian the glory of God the honour of Christ the peace of the Church and Soules eternall welfare without any sinister squintings to secular ends or warpings to worldly designes which are the moths of Religion the pests of society the overlayings of charity and the Incubusses of Conscience easily seising upon Christians of weak judgements and strong passions for which we need not goe far to see many and unhappy instances For what serious and well advised Christian sees not how vehement drawings and impulses in matters of Religion are made upon men by weak and at first scarse perceptible byasses of opinions and hopes of advantages How want of solidity or sincerity is the greatest motion of violent affections in most men How the lesse they weigh those things they call Religion and Reformation the more eagerly they pursue and extoll them The most wise and gracious men being alwayes the most grave and calm the most serious and constant Vulgar devotion and heats like weak fires and dubious flames are usually kindled by light fewell and fomented with fear materials Blazing like Comets the more prodigiously by how much they have more of grosse and earthly vapours Hence not onely the glory of outward successes and worldly prosperities attending the number policy or prevalency of any faction makes many Christians ere they are aware of it turn Turkes and secretly subscribe to Mahumetanism which for many centuries hath outvived Christianity in point of victorious progresses military advantages and latitude of Empire The current of worldly events like quick-tides easily and undiscernibly carrying many Christians from that course of pious strictnesse and conscientious exactnesse in truth justice and charity which they ought alwayes to steere without any variation according to the clear and fixed Word of God in Scripture and not according to his dark permissions or unsearchable workings in providence which are alwayes just and to be admired as from the divine wisdome and justice but not alwayes to be approved or imitated as from mans wickednesse and folly which like poysonous drugs are in themselves deadly and to be abhorred however the skill of the great and good Physitian God knows how to attemper and apply them as Physick and Theriacals to purge or punish to cure or correct the distempers of his Church and people Nor is it this temptation onely of events in which is a strong delusion able if possible to deceive the very elect which none but steddy judgements and exact consciences can resist But even the smallest differences the most easie and triviall considerations which are but as the dust of the balance in Reason or Religion in piety or prudence these like motes falling into some mens eyes presently appeare as mountaines and so possesse their sight that they will owne nothing for Religion in any men or any Church which appears not just after that colour figure and notion which they are taken wiâ—hall How many peoples Religion consists much in the very extern modes or dressing themselves or others in the fashion of
futility a pueril vanity scarce a venial madness so much the worse in them by how much the contagion of their folly is prone to infect all that look upon them Non solum ipse cùm malè agit dignè perit sed alios secum indignè perdit Ambr. de Sa. dig Praepositorum vitia imitari obsequii genus videtur ne scelera ductoribus ex probrare viderentur si pie viverant Lact. Inst l. 5. for the plague and leprosie of a Ministers life cannot be kept within his private walls There is nothing more delicate and abhorring all sinful sords than the Ermine of Christian Religion and its true Ministry which sets forth the Lamb of God without spot or blemish who came to take away the sinful stains of mens souls by the effusion of his pretious blood The care of all good Ministers is so to live as shall not need the impotent severities of those Reformers who joy as much to finde faults in others as to mend none in themselves and are always eloquent against their own sins in other men Allow us onely to be as Ministers of the Gospel for the Churches good we desire no indulgences farther than the duty and dignity of our Calling doth allow and the strictest Conscience may bear No men shall more welcome mens favors than we shall do their just severities nor do we desire greater testimonies of mens loves to us than such as we use for the greatest witness of ours to them by never suffering them to sin through our silence or flatteries Let the righteous smite us and it shall be a kindness let them reprove us and reform us and it shall be a balm which shall not break our heads Psal 141.5 but our prayer shall ever be That we may not taste of the new dainties of those supercilious censurers and envious reformers of Ministers who are their enemies because they tell them the old truths and make them offenders for a word Isai 29.21 because they will not forbear to reprove their wickedness who heretofore seemed to hear them gladly till they touched their Herodiasses Mark 6.20 The less scandalous Ministers are the more that Hypocritical generation who have set themselves against them are bent to destroy them I intercede onely for such whose greatest offence is Eò acriores sunt odii causa quò magis iniquae Tacit. An. 1. That they give lest offence to any good Christians and do most good to this Church preserving still the purity and honor of their Calling and the Reformed Religion against the many policies of those who lie in wait to destroy it who are honored with and are an honor to the Function of the Ministry whose competent and in some excellent learning and holy lives Eò gratiori lumine quò spissiores tenebrae Tert. makes them still appear like bright stars in a dark and stormy night amidst the thick and broken clouds of envy and calumny which rove far beneath them however they are sometime darkned by their interposing If as to these mens holy Function Ordination and Authority I may be happy to give you O excellent Christians or any others any satisfaction as a Calling useful and necessary to the Church as of Divine Institution and Catholike practise in all setled Churches I shall then leave it to any men of good conscience to infer how barbarous and Antichristian a design it is how bad and bitter consequences it must needs produce by any arts and ways of humanâ— power and policy to destroy and exautorate these men and their Ministry in whose lives and labors the glory of God the honor of Jesus Christ and the good of mens souls are so bound up that theâ— cannot without daily miracles be separated or severally preserved And for the persons of the Ministers which I plead for I hoâ—â— to make it appear That for their casting thus into the fiery furnace 〈◊〉 mechanick scorn and fanatick fury or into the Lyons den of publick odium and disfavor there will be found by impartial Readerâ— of this Apology Acts 4.18 Gal. 4.16 Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth no more cause than was against Daniel or the threâ— children no more than for beheading John Baptist or stoning St. Stephen for beating and imprisoning the Apostles and charging them to speak no more in that Name of Jesus or for the Galatians hating St. Paul or the Beasts slaying the witnesses or the Jews seeking to stone and after crucifying the Lord Jesus Christ 33. Ministers infirmities do not abrogate their Authority or Office Not but that the very best Ministers of this Church own themselves still to be but poor sinful men and so not strangers to the common passions and infirmities of humane nature Men must not be angry that Ministers are not Angels or such Seraphins and flaming fires as admit no dross or defects incident to sinful mortality Though they oft fail as men yet have they not forfeited the Authority of their Calling as Ministers though they have dispenced the Gospel in weakness as earthen vessels yet hath the Treasure of Heaven and Power of God been manifested by them and in them Take them with all their personal failings yet they will hardly be matched or exceeded by any order of men or any Clergy in any Church under Heaven for they have not been behinde the very chiefest of true Ministers and far beyond any of these new pretenders Insomuch That I have oft been ashamed to see the necessity of this Apology Pro desensione samae licita est laus proptia Reg. Jac. 2 Cor. 12.11 and such like Vindications of the Ministry which ungrateful and impudent men extort from the Ministers of England when indeed as St. Paul pleads for himself instead of thus being compelled to an unwelcome yet just glorying they ought rather to have been commended and encouraged by others Truly it is to me a great trouble to finde out by any of their confused Pamphlets and obscure Papers what these Modellers of a new Ministry would be at in any reason of piety or prudence more to the advantage of this Church or the Reformed Christian Religion than hath been heretofore and may still be effected and enjoyed by the true and antient Ministry Would they have better Scholars in all kindes of good learning Acuter Disputants in controversies Clearer Interpreters in Commentaries upon the Sacred Texts Better Linguists More solid Preachers More pathetick Orators more fervent Prayers higher Speculatists in all true Devotionals Exacter Writers in all kindes of Divinity Would they have more grave comely prudent and consciencious dispencers of all holy Mysteries Or nobler examples of all piety and virtue than those which have every where abounded in the Ministers of the Church of England according to the several measures of their gifts and graces No I finde their enemies envy is more than their pity Non laudabisi pietatis aemulatione
performance of those duties which we ow to the One onely true God or to any Creature for his sake That is upon such grounds to such ends and after such maner as God requires them of us in the several relations wherein we stand obliged to him or them Internal Lux est religionis in conscientia lumen in conversatione Bern. 1 Cor. 2.11 1 John 1.3 3.19 Nec deest Christus ubi est fides nec ecclesia ubi Christus nec societas ubi charitas nec templum ubi cor sanctum Cypr. This Religion is discharged by us first Internally in the Receptions and Motions of an enlightned and sanctified Soul to which none can immediately be conscious but onely God and a mans own spirit Herein we conceive the very soul life and quintessence of true Religion doth consist so far as it is to be considered apart from all outward expressions visible Form Society or Church Communion onely as having spiritual inward converse and fellowship with God and Christ by the graces of the holy Spirit although Christians should be in desarts dungeons prisons solitudes and sick beds amidst all forced sordidness disorders and dissolutions of any shew and profession of Religion as to the outward man This sincerity wants nothing of extern fashion or ornament to compleat its piety but is satisfactory both to God and a mans own conscience by that integrity of a judicious holy and devout heart which hath devoted all its powers and faculties to the knowledge meditation adoration imitation love and admiration of God according as he was pleased in various times and maners to reveal himself to it Heb. 1.1 As partly yet but darkly by the light of reason in rational and moral principles seconded with fears and strokes of Conscience which is a beam and candle of the Lord in the soul of man Prov. 20.27 Lucerna Domini Scintillans in intellectu radians in voluntate ardens in affectu fumans in desiderio flammans in amore scrutans iâ— conscientia exhilarans in virtute torquens in facinore Bern. 2 Tim. 3.16 2 Pet. 1.19 Matth. 10.26 Gal. 6.1 Et solidè fundanda ad amussim Scripturâ aedificanda veritate stabilienda charitate consummanda religio August Eò pulchrior est anima quo ad summam Dei pulchritudinem propius accedit Bradward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. N. s but more clearly by supernatural manifestations in dreams and visions in audible voices prophetical revelations or angelical missions By all which religious light was onely occasional and traditional but now most evidently compleatly and constantly in that declaration of his will to mankinde which is contained in the lively oracles of his now written and perfect Word the onely infallible rule of a good Conscience and foundation of true Religion According to which onely we measure it both as to its internals which are summarily comprehended in the love of God and its externals which are compleated in that charity which for Gods sake we bear and really exercise toward all men but chiefly to the houshold of faith that is the Church or Society of those who profess to believe in Jesus Christ as the onely Saviour of sinners This well-grounded and well-guided Religion as it is then an Internal Judicious and Sincere devoting of the whole soul to God as the supreme good offered us in Jesus Christ We esteem the highest honor and beauty of the reasonable soul the divinest stamp or character on mans nature the noblest property and capacity of the immortal spirit in us demonstrating not onely its common relation to the Creator which all things have but the Creators peculiar favor and indulgence to man whom he teacheth to fear enableth to serve and encourageth to love him above all As also mans capacity to attain that knowledge of the divine wisdom and that fruition of the divine love which onely can make it truly and eternally happy For true Religion thus seated in the soul of man 2. True Religion not barely speculative but also practical is not barely a speculative knowledge of God according to what his wisdom hath revealed of himself in his works and word As that he is what he is not as to any defects what he is in all positive excellencies in himself which yet is a great and divine light shining upon mans understanding from experience and from the historick parts of the Scripture But further it also shew us what God is to us in Nature Grace Law Gospel Works Word Creation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niss de prof Chrâ—stians and Christs Incarnation what we are to God in Christ for duty and dependance what all things are to us as they are in God that is in his wisdom will power providence c. either making or preserving or disposing them for our good and his glory According to which light we come to desire to love to enjoy God in all things Eph. 1.23 and all things in him that is within those bounds of honor order and those lesser ends which he hath set in reference to the great ends of our good and his glory which are as a lesser circle in a greater having both the same centres At length God becomes the joy life beauty exaltation and happiness of the believing soul by it s often contemplations of him and sincere devotions to him whence we come to have an humble sight ingenuous shame penitential sorrow and just abhorrence of our sinfulness vanity deformity vileness and nothingness compared to God and apart from him After this our wills come to be enclined to him as the most excellent good and perfecting Beauty drawn after him and duly affected with him to fear him for his power and justice to venerate him for his excellent majesty and glory to admire him for incomprehensible perfection to love him for his goodness in himself in all things and in Christ above all in whom his love grace and bounty is most clearly discovered and freely conveyed to us We come to believe him for his veracity or infallible truth in his Law and Gospel to be guided by his unerring wisdom and directions which are discerned in the mandates of his Word to us and agreeable motions of his Spirit in us which are always conform to each other Virtus Spiritus sancti in mâ—tibus veritas verbi in mandatis suavissiâ—â— inseparabili nexu conjuncta sunt nec magis ab invicem distrahi possunt quà m calor solis à nativo lumine Quum à Spiritu sit veritas ut inveritate sit Spiritus necesse est August We come also to obey him in all things for his soverein Empire and Authority to trust in him at all times for his faithfulness and immutability to hope in him and to wait patiently for the consummation of his rich and pretious promises 2 Pet. 1.4 both in grace and glory All which we believe upon the divine testimony of the written
Word however we cannot by bare humane reason comprehend or demonstrate them oftentimes praying to God as all sufficient omniscient omnipresent and omnipotent supplicating for that from his grace power and bounty which we have not deserve not nor can attain otherways in this lapsed corrupted and cursed estate of our nature Eph. 2.5 By g ace ye are saved Which owes all its reparations onely to the free grace of God manifesting himself in his works and words also in those secret inward operations of the Spirit upon the conscience and whole soul by illuminations Blanda violentia victrix delectatio Aug. restraints terrors convictions conversions sweet yet powerful attractions victorious yet delectable prevailings agreeable to the nature of the soul and the liberty of the will which then recovers its true liberty Quò strictius ad Deum ligamur eo perfectius liberamur à peccatorum pondere pravitatum vinculis nec reatu nec terrore nec infirmitate amplius detinemur aut opprimimur August Non dii facti sumus sed divini non in Dei essentiam transmutamur sed in sanctam hoc est divinam naturam reparamur quantum satanae lapsi tantum Deo reparati confirmamur Prosp when by the cords of Gods love its unwillingness is bound up and its chains of violent lusts are taken off Whence such great impressions and real changes are made upon every rational faculty in the soul as those from darkness to light from captivity to freedom from death to life according to the several representations of Gods excellencies in nature in morals and in mysteries wherein the exceeding great riches of his free-grace and love to us in Christ Ephes 1.9 2.7 hath the most softning melting and transforming influence which fully received upon the soul the whole-man in minde and spirit in fancy understanding judgement memory will appetite affections passions and conscience becomes partaker through grace of a divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 compared to what he was and becomes a * 2 Cor. 5.17 new creature not as to its essence but as to all ends principles motions and actions which are begun and continued designed and ended in holiness that is in humble and unfeigned regards to the glory of God and exact purposes of conformity to the will of God in his written Word New creatures by a newness of grace in which we remain what we were Men but are made what we were not Saints 3. Scripture the only rule of true Religion 1 Tim. 3.15 Heb. 4.12 Acts 7.38 Rom. 3.2 To which Word of God in the Scriptures we being guided and directed by the constant and most credible testimony of the Church of Christ that pillar and ground of Truth so as to receive and regard them They at length by Gods grace on the heart demonstrate themselves by their native and divine light to be the very Word of God those lively oracles which set forth most divine precepts paterns prophecies histories and mysteries proffers also and promises of such good things as the soul would most desire most wants and onely can truly delight in living and dying and to eternity Religion consists in no fond fancies Beyond * Hoc prius credimus non esse ultra Scripturas quod credere debeamus nobis curiositate non opus est post Christum nec inquisitione post Evangelium Tertul. de praes ad Hae. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Niss 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Nos tantum Scripturas sacras habemus plenas inviolatas integras eas vel in purissimo fonte vel in pura translatione bibimus Sal. de Gub. l. 5. Tantummodo sacris Scripturis canonicis hanc ingenuam debeo servitutem quà eas solas ita sequar ut conscriptores earum nihil omnino in eis eâ—rasse nihil fallaciter posuissè non dubitem August ep 19 ad Jeron Si canonicarum scripturarum authoritate quidquam firmatur sine ulla dubitatione credendum est Aliis verò testibus tibi credere vel non credere liceat August ep cap. 12. these Scriptures which we justly call The Word of God understood in their true sense and meaning we do not own any thing for a ground rule or duty in Religion Nâ—r are we at all moved by those bold triflings and endless janglings about Religion Grace Spirit and Inspirations which weak and vain men looking to their own foolish fancies and not to the divine Oracles do scatter too and fro as chaff to blinde the eyes of simple and credulous people which would make Religion a matter of novelty and curiosity of cavilling meerly and contending of censuring and condemning others of self-confidence and intollerable boastings of sequaciousness and feminine softness of custom onely and paternal example or of ease and idleness where out of a lazy temper neglecting all ordinary means Ministry and duties some men expect by special inspirations and dictates to have their defect of pains and industry supplied Or else they place their Religion in the adhering to some party and faction in popular and specious insinuations and pretensions or in admiration of mens persons and gifts or in the prevailencies of power and worldly successes or in unjust gain and sacrilegious thrift or in great zealotries for some new form and way of constituting disciplining and governing Churches or in boldness to affirm to deny and to do any thing or in meer verbal assurances and loose confidences of being elected and predestinated to happiness of being called to be Saints and Preachers and Prophets in a new and extraordinary way to advance such opinions and practises as no holy men of old ever knew acted or owned for Religious or lastly in railing upon despising and seeking to destroy all those that approve not or follow not those self-conceited confidences and violent extravagancies which some men affect in their rude and unwarrantable undertakings Such were the fanatick mad and at last sad Religion of those Circumcellions of old and those Anabaptists and other later Sects in Germany * Sleidan Com. l. 10. ad an 1535. who wanted nothing but constant successes and continued power to have made all men as wilde and wicked as themselves or else to have destroyed them Alas who sees not how far different and much easier to sinful flesh and blood to vain ambition and proud hypocrisies these pretty soft fallacies these froths and fumes those great swelling words 2 Pet. 2.18 and titles of vanity That God is their Father that they are Saints and spiritual inspired Prophets sent of God to call the World to repentance to reign with Christ Those rotten sensualities of Religion as some blasphemously call it those libidinous excrescencies those lying prophecies c. How much easier I say these are than those humble sober exact and constant tyes of Conscience and duties of true Religion by which holy men and women in all ages have given all diligence to make their
Primatum suum non objecit Petrus nec inerrabilitatem sed Paulo veritatis assertori cesset Documentum patientiae concordiae Cyp. ep 71. for deciding controversies of Religion and ending all Disputes of Faith in the Church Catholike countervail the injury of this his usurpation and oppression Considering that nothing is more by Scripture Reason and Experience not so much disputable as fully to be denied by any sober Christians than that of the Popes Infallibility which as the Church never ye enjoyed so nor doth any Church or any Christian indeed want any such thing as this infallible judge is imagined to be in order to either Christian course or comfort If indeed the Bishop of Rome and those learned men about him would without faction flattery partiality and self-interest joyn their learning counsels and endeavors in common to reform the abuses to compose the rents and differences in the Christian World by the rule of Scripture and right Reason with Christian humility prudence and charity which look sincerely to a publick and common good they would do more good for the Churches of Christ than any imaginary Infallibility will ever do yea and they would do themselves no great hurt in civil respects if they could meet and joyn not with envious and covetous but liberal and ingenuous Reformers who will not think as many the greatest deformities of any Church to be the riches and revenues of Church-men Certainly in points of true Religion to be believed or duties to be practised as from divine command every Christian is to be judge of that which is propounded to him and embraced by him according to what he is rationally and morally able to know and attain by those means which God hath given him of Reason Scripture Ministry and good examples Of all which the gifts or graces of God in him have inabled him seriously and discreetly to consider Nor is he to rest in either implicite or explicite dictates presumptions and Magisterial determinations of any frail and sinful men who may be as fallible Magnum ingenium magna tentatio De Orig. Tert. Vin. Lirin 1 Cor. 8.7 Knowledge puffeth up 2 Pet. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.17 Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you Eph. 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes 2.10 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved as himself For whereas they may exceed him in gifts of knowledge they may also exceed him in passions self-interests pride and policy so that he may not safely trust them on their bare word and assertion but he must seek to build his faith on the more sure Word of God which is acknowledged by all sides to be the surest director what to believe to do and to hope in the way of Religion Nor may any private Christians unletteredness that cannot read or his weaker intellect that cannot reason and dispute or his many incumberances of life that deny him leisure to read study compare meditate c. These may not discourage him as if he were a dry tree and could neither bear nor reap any fruit of Christian Religion because he hath no infallible guide or judge Since the mercy of God accepts earnest endeavors and an holy life according to the power capacy and means a man hath also he pardons unwilling errors when there is an obedience from the heart to the truths we know and a love to all truth joyned with humility and charity In order therefore to relieve the common defects of men as to the generality of them both in Cities and in Countrey Villages where there is little learning by the Book or Letter and great dulness with heavy labor the Lord of his wisdom and mercy hath appoint d that constant holy order of the Ministry to be always continued in the Church that so learned studious and able men being duly tryed approved and ordained to be Teachers and Pastors may by their light knowledge and plenty supply the darkness simplicity and penury of common people who must every man be fully perswaded in his own minde Rom. 14.5 in matters of conscience and be able to give a reason of that faith and hope which is in him beyond the credit of any meer man or the opinion of his infallibility 1 Pet. 3.15 However they may with comfort and confidence attend upon their lips whom in an holy succession of Ministry God hath given to them as the ordinary and sufficient means of Faith And however a plain-hearted and simple Christian may religiously wait upon and rest satisfied with those holy means and mysteries which are so dispenced to him by true Ministers who ought above all to be both able and faithful to know and to make known the truth as it is in Jesus Yet may he not savingly or conscientiously relie in matters of Faith nor make his last result upon the bare credit or personal veracity of the Minister but he must consider and believe every truth not because the Minister saith it but because it is grounded on the Word of God and from thence brought him by his Minister which doctrine he judgeth to be true not upon the infallibility of any Teachers but upon that certainty which he believes to be in the Scripture to which all sorts of Christians do consent And to which the Grace and Spirit of God so draweth and enclineth the heart as to close with those divine truths to believe and obey them not for the authority of the Minister but of God the Revealer whose excellent wisdom truth and love it discerns in those things which are taught it by the Ministry of man So that still the simplest Christian doth savingly believe and conscientiously live according to what himself judgeth and is perswaded in his heart to be the Will of God in his Word and not after the dictates of any man Which either written or spoken have no more authority to command or perswade belief as to Religion than they appear to the believer and not to the speaker onely grounded on the sure Word of God and to be his minde and will to mankinde And as it is not absolutely necessary to every Christian in order to Faith and Salvation to be able with his own eyes to read and so to judge of the Letter of the Scripture so it is the more necessary that the reading and preaching of the Word should be committed to able and faithful men not who are infallible 2 Tim. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but who may be apt to teach and worthy to be believed Of whom the people may have great perswasion both as to their abilities and due authority to teach and guide them in the ways of God We read in Irenaeus Irenaeus l. 3. c. 4. that in One hundred and fifty years after Christ many Churches of Christians toward the Caspian Sea and Eastward were very sound in the Faith and setled against
all Heretical or Schismatical insinuations when yet they never had any Bibles or Scriptures among them but onely retained that Faith which they at first had learned and were still taught by their Orthodox Bishops and Ministers which they never wanted in a due succession Of whose piety honesty and charity they were so assured as diligently to attend their doctrine and holy ministrations with which the blessing of God opening their harts as Lydia's still went along so as to keep them in true faith love and holy obedience Since then no man or men can give to others any such sure proofs and good grounds of their personal infallibility as the Scriptures have in themselves both by that more than humane lustre of divine truths in it which set forth most excellent precepts paterns and promises excellent morals and mysteries excellent rules examples and rewards beyond any Book whatsoever Also from that general credit regard and reception which they have and ever had with all and most with the best Christians in all ages as the Oracles of God delivered by holy and honest men for a rule of faith and holy life also for a ground of eternal hope Since that from hence onely even the Pope or any others that pretend to any infallibility or inspirations do first seek to ground those their pretensions of which every one that will be perswaded must first be judge of the reasons or grounds alleged to perswade him It is necessary that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infallibility of the Scriptures must be first received and believed by every Christian in order to his being assured of any truth which thence is urged upon him to believe or do Which great principle setling a believer on the certainty or infallibility of the Scriptures as a divine rule of Faith and Life is never to be gained upon any mens judgements and perswasion be they either idiotick or learned unless there be such an authoritative Ministry and such Ministers to preach interpret open and apply the Scriptures by strong and convincing demonstrations which may carry credit and power with them The succession then of rightly ordained Ministers is more necessary to the Church than any such Papal infallibility in as much as it is more necessary to believe the Scriptures authority than any mans testimony which hath no credit but from the Scripture Which while the Pope or others do seek to wrest to their own secular advantages and ends they bring men at length to regard nothing they say nor at all to consider what they endlesly wrangle and groundlesly dispute about true Religion or the true Church 12. An able and right Ministry is beyond any pretended Infallibility So absolutely necessary and sufficient in the way of ordinary means is a right and duly ordained Ministry which Christ hath appointed to continue and propagate true Christian Religion which ever builds true Faith and the true Church upon the Scriptures That as there is no infallibility of the Pope or other man evident by any Reason Scripture or Experience so there needs none to carry on that great work of mens salvation which will then fail in any Church and Nation when the right Ministry fails by force or fraud If we can keep our true Christian Ministry and holy Ministrations we need not ask the Romanists or any other arrogant Monopolizers of the Church leave to own our selves true Christians and a part of the true Catholike Church of Christ which cannot be but there where there is a profession of the Christian Religion as to the main of it in its Truths Sacraments holy Ministrations and Ministry rightly ordained both for the ability of the ordained and the authority of the ordainers although all should be accompanied with some humane failings Where the now Roman Church then doth as we conceive either in their doctrine or practise vary from that Catholikely received rule the Scriptures which are the onely infallible certain and clear guide in things fundamental as to faith or maners we are forced so far justly and necessarily to leave them and their infallible fallibility in both yet charitably still so as to pity their errors to pray for their enlightning their repentance and pardon which we hope for Where no malice or corrupt lusts makes the additional errors pernicious and where the love of truth makes them pardonable by their consciencious obeying what they know and desire to know what they are yet ignorant of Yea and wherein they are conform to any Scriptures doctrine and practise or right reason good order and prudent polity there we willingly run parallel with and agreeable to them both in opinion and practise For we think we ought not in a heady and passionate way wholly to separate from any Church or cast away any branch of it that yet visibly professeth Christian Religion further than it rends and breaks it self off from the Word Institution and patern of Christ in the Scriptures and so either separates it self from us or casts us out from it uncharitably violating that Catholike communion of Christs Church which ought to be preserved with all possible charity The constancy and fidelity of the Church of Christ is more remarkable in its true Ministry holding forth in an holy succession the most Catholike and credible truth of the Scriptures which at once shews both the innate divine light in them and the true Church also which is built by them and upon them The truth of which Scriptures while we with charity believe and profess both in word and deed we take it to be the surest and sufficientest evidence to prove That we are a part of the true Church against the cavils and calumnies of those learneder Romanists upon whose Anvils others of far weaker arms have learned to forge the like fiery darts against this Church of England For on the other side the new Models of Independent 13. The contrary extreme reducing all Churches to small and single Congregations or Congregational Churches which seem like small Chapels of Ease set up to confront and rob the Mother Churches of Auditors Communicants Maintenance and Ministry winde up the cords and fold up the curtains of the true Church too short and too narrow Shrinking that Christian communion and visible polity or society of the Church to such small figures such short and broken ends of obscure conventicles and paucities that by their rigid separatings some men scarce allow the whole company of true Christians in all the world to be so great as would fill one Jewish Synagogue Fancying that no Church or Christian is sufficiently reformed till they are most diametrically contrary in every use and custom to the Roman fashion abhorring many things as Popish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. In vitium ducit culpae fugasi caret arte Hor. and Superstitious because used by the Papists When indeed they are either pious or very prudential yea many count it a special mark of their true
neglect when they have set us in every corner so many copies of it I answer We have indeed in the Church of England from its first Christianity been wholly without this covenanting way and I think both happily and most willingly we had been so still since there appears no more ground for it in Scripture precept or Churches paterns nor is there any more need of it as to the peace and polity of the true Church of Christ than there is of rents and patches in a fair and whole Garment Who knows not Jonâ—h 4.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that like Jonah's gourd it is filius noctis the production of yesterday risen from the darkness and divisions of mens mindes The fruit of discontent separation and self-conceit for the most part though it may be nursed up by devout and well-meaning Christians yet it looks very like those bastard brats which the Novatians and Donatists of old began every where which were like Ismaels to Isaac mockers and contemners of the true Churches Communion Order and Peace VVe do not think this Covenant any more essential to the Being of a true Church than John Baptists Leathern girdle was to his being a Man or a Prophet It is an easie and specious novelty therefore pleasing to common people because within their grasp and reach which its Proselytes that forsake and abhor the English Churches Order and Communion do wrap and hug themselves in as much as any Papist doth in his adherence to the Roman party or in his hopes to be buried in a Monks Cowl Besides it carries this great temptation with it of gratifying the common professor with some shew of Power and Government which he once covenanted into that Church-way shall solemnly exercise But in good-earnest to sober Christians who have no secret byas of discontent or interest to sway them this new fashion of their Church-Covenant seems to have as no command or example in Scripture so no precedent in antiquity nor is it recommended for any excellent effects of prudence or peace which it produceth either to private Christians or the publick welfare of the Reformed Churches Some look on it as a mark of Schismatical confederacy which carries in its Bowels viperine principles which are destructive to the quiet of States and Kingdoms as well as of Churches If any finde any good or contentment in it as a tye or pledge of love in private fraternities yet they vastly overvalue it to cry it up as a matter no less necessary to the Being of a Church or well-being of Christians than the skin is to the Body when alas it is but a cloak lately taken up which never fell from Elias his shoulders and serves rather to cover some mens infirmities and discontents against this Church of England than much to keep them warm or adorn them as Christians VVe shall give a poor account of former Churches or Christians if this covenanting invention should be of such concernment to Christianity To which it seems to many wise and good men as superfluous as it were to binde a man with wisps of straw when he is already bound with chains of gold with more firm and pretious tyes For every true and conscientious Christian knows and owns himself to have upon his Conscience far more strict and indissoluble tyes not onely of nature and creation but of the Law and Word of God yea and of Christian covenant and profession by his baptismal-vow besides that of the other Sacrament also his private vows promises and repentings c. All which strictly binde the conscience of all good Christians to all duties of piety and charity according to the relations private or publick civil or sacred wherein they stand to God or man And further we see by daily experience That these sorry wit hs of mans invention obtruded as divine and necessary upon Christians and Churches binde not any of these new small bodies or bundles so fast but that they continually are breaking separating and scattering into as many fractions and subdivisions Error sibi semper dispaâ— est discolor quantò magis à veritate tantum ab unitate discedit August Eph. 3.17 as they have heady mindes fancies and humors among them And this they do without any sense of sin or shame yea for the most part with an angry glorying despising and defying of one another when but lately they boasted in how rare a way they were of Church-fellowship and Saintly-communion not as Members of Christs Body the Catholike Church grounded and grown up in truth and love but onely as pieces of wood finely glued together by reciting a form of words which they call a Church-Covenant which a little spittle or wet dissolves Nor do they make any scruple to moulder and divide if once they come to dispute and differ in the least kinde So hard is it for any thing to hold long together which is compacted of weak judgements and strong passions Last of all It is evident in the experience of all wise Christians That this narrow and short thong of private Bodying Church-covenanting cannot extend so far as is necessary for the Churches general peace order and welfare in reference to its more publick relations and necessities which oft require stronger and more effectual remedies Yea these small strings and cords binding each particular Congregation apart as if it were a limb to be let blood makes them at length grow benumed and less sensible of that common spirit of love and charity by which each Member is knit to the larger parts and so to the whole Body of the Church to whose common good they ought wisely and charitably to be more intent than to their particular Congregations which are but as the Pettitoes or little Fingers of the Church Which may not act or be considered otherways than as they are and subsist which is not apart by themselves nor onely in relation to an hand or foot to which they are more immediately conjoyned but as in an higher relation to the whole Body of which they are real parts servient to the whole and as much concerned in the common good and preservation of the whole if not more than of themselves or any particular part or Member A Christian must not deal out his charity by retail and small parcels onely as to private Fraternities and Congregations but also by whole-sale to the ampler proportions of Christs Church according as he stands in large and publick relations the due regard to the peace order and welfare of which is not to be dispenced withal nor shuffled off by saying 1 Cor. 12.21 I am of such a Congregational-Body or Covenanting Church no more than the hand may say I am not of the head nor neer it and so will have no care of it We are therefore so far from being admirers of the small talents and weak inventions of those men in so great a matter as the constituting and conserving of a true Church by
Christians when we have least of a Church in our preposterous zeals our hypocriticall charities our deformed reformings our distorted bodyings our distracted communions our divided unions our fanatick dreams our blasphemous raptures our prophane enthusiasms our licencious liberties our injurious indulgences our irrationall and irreligious confusions our cruell toleratings of any thing rather than sober abiding growing and flourishing in truth which is thy root in humility which is thy flower and in well doing which is thy fruit Praecipuum dilectionis munus â—retiostus quam agnitio gloriosius quam prophetia Irenae l. 4. c. 63. Gratia est fortissima mitissima generosa suavitate omnia agit tolerat vincit Charitas Semper sibi lex severissima Bern. Charitas est motus animi ad fâ—uendum Deo propter seipsum se atque proximo propter Deum Aust de Doct. Christi l. 3. c. 9. 1 Joh. 4.8.20 Ps 133.1.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. 1 Cor. 14.4.5.6.7 Charitas est sibi maxime imperiosa Jeron Thou wert wont to come to us Christians and by us to others in the cool of the day in a still voice in meek intreatings in gentle beseechings like the sweet dew on herbs or soft rain on the tender Grass so that however Christians might be exceeded by other men in strength beauty learning eloquence and policy yet none equalled them in Charity which hath the greatest courage joyned with the greatest kindness and only knows how to crucify it self that it may spare others to deny it self that it may gratify others Hast thou now chosen to come in Earth-quakes in Whirl-winds in Thunders and Lightnings and Fires in tumults in hideous clamors and Wars dost thou delight to wrap thy self in the Garments of Christians rowled in blood to besmear thy fair and orient face with the gore and dust of fratricides and patricides Is it thy pleasure to hide thy self in the thick clouds and darkness of Religious plots reforming pretensions and then to break forth with lightnings and hot thunderbolts with Hailstones and Coals of fire As if the inseparable twins of the love of God and our neighbour were now parted or had slain and devoured one the other Are all thy sweet perfumes thy fragrant Oyntments which were wont to be diffused from the head of our Aaron Christ Jesus to the skirts of his Garments the lowest and meanest Christians are they now all distilled and sublimated by our hotter brains and Chimicall fires into this one drop of self preservation Hast thou lost those Characters which the blessed Apostle sometime gave thee for long suffering for kindness for not envying not vanting not being puffed up for not behaving thy self unseemly not seeking thine own not easily provoked thinking no evill rejoycing not in iniquity but in the truth Bearing all things believing all things hoping all things enduring all things Is thy purity embased with the love of the world of mony of honour of pleasure of applause of victory through self-love Thou that wert wont to be that pure Christalline and celestiall love of God and of man for Gods sake art thou now degenerated to sordid sensuall and momentary lusts Thou that didst feed among the Lillies on the mountains of Spices in the Garden of God on the tree of life the love of God in Christ with eyes and hands intent to Heaven praysing God for his love to thee and praying for the like love to others art thou now condemned to the Serpents curse to goe on thy Belly to feed on the dust to make gain thy godliness 1 Tim. 6.5 and to turn even piety it self into the poyson of meer self-preservation in worldly interests How is thy voice changed from that of a Lamb to the roaring of a Lion thy hands from Jacob's smoothness to Esau's roughness Or is this rather none of thy voice which we daily hear Are these none of thy hands O most unchangeable Charity who art alwaies the same in thy self and to others Are they not the voice and hands of thy disguised enemies tempting us with the Serpents subtilty beguiling us with the fallacy of ravening Wolves covered in Sheeps cloathing and bleating instead of howling yet with no less purpose to devour whose bowels are of brass their hearts of Adamant their Fore-heads of Flint their Teeth and Claws of Iron There Feet are swift to shed blood yea they are dipped in the blood of Christians Thou that wert wont to have but one Head the Lord Jesus Christ and but two Hands the right Hand of affiance leaning on God the lest of pitty supporting the weak Brother art thou now grown monstrous like Hydra with many Heads and as many stings like Briareus with many Hands and as many Swords mutually fighting though seeming to branch from and adhere to the same body of Christianity Is thy God now to be appeased with humane sacrifices or will he drink the blood of Christians Mat. 5.23 1 Cor. 13.3 who would not accept a gift at the altar till the offerer had first reconciled himself to his Brother will he now accept the heads of those that are slain by us Nec Martyrium absque charitate coronanduÌ„ Bâ—c Ep. 7. who would not Crown Martyrdom it self if the Garland of Charity had not first adorned it on earth and so fitted it for suffering and by patient suffering for glory in the Heavens Gratia est quod vivimus quod valâ—mus quod pugnamus quod coronamur Chrysost O let not the Christian world thus mistake thee rather let them never speak or think of thee than thus injure thee while they pretend to advance thee we know O blessed Charity that thou art wholy made up of the love and free grace of God by the merits of Jesus Christ and the liberall effusions of the holy Spirit having in thee as no ingredients of humane merits so less of humane passions secular ends and partiall interests O shew thy self in thy own innocent sweetness in thy pious simplicities in thy lovely lineaments with thy harmless hands with thy beautifull feet which carry the message of good tydings the Gospell of Peace which have the marks of the Lord Jesus on them which art wholy made up of softness and sweetness warming us by the light of the Truth and melting us by the warmth of Christs love set forth thy self in thy sober smiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thy modest eyes thy soft and silken words thy silent-tears thy clean hands thy tender steps How can we love thee unless we see thee like thy self How can we not love thee if once we be happy to see thee as thou art O hide not thy self from us though we have abused thee and mocked thee and scourged thee and crowned thee with thorns and clothed thee with Purple rayment died in the blood of Christians though we have pierced thy heart and almost destroyed thee so that thou art forced to fly from
semper valuit ut quae cunque ab hoc consensu confirmata videam mihi sacrosancta immutabilia videantur Bishop Carleton de Consen eccles cap. 11. cap. 277. and humble Christians do and ever did the constant clear and concurrent which is the truly Catholick testimony of the Church in which so much of the truth Spirit and grace of God hath alwaies appeared amidst the many cloudings of humane infirmities to be far beyond any meer humane record or authority in point of establishing a Christians judgement or conscience in any thing that is not contrary to the evident command of the written word of God However some mens ignorance and self conceited confidence like bogs and quagmires are so loose and false that no piles never so long well driven and strongly compacted by the consent and harmonious testimonies of the most learned writers in the Church can reach any bottom or firm ground in them whereon to lay a foundation of humane belief or erect a firm bank and defense against the invasion of daily novelties which blow up all and break in upon the antient and most venerable orders practises and constitutions of the Church where ever they are yet continued which being evidently set forth to me by witnesses of so great credit for their piety diligence fidelity harmony integrity constancy and charity I know not how with any face of humanity or Christianity to question disbelieve or contradict Under which cloud of unsuspected witnesses I confess I cannot but much acquiesce and rest satisfied in those things which others endlessly dispute because they have not so literal and preceptive a ground in Scripture Quod universa tenet ecclesia nec consiliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi autoritate Apostolica traditum rectissimè creditur August cont Donat. l. 4. In Concil Loodic Melito Episc Sard. missus ut autographa ubique decernat c. Constabit id ab Apostolis traditum quod apud ecclesias fuerit sacrosanctum Tert. ad Mar. l. 4. however they have a very rational exexemplary analogical and consequential authority from thence which is made most clear as to the minde of God by that sense which the Primitive Doctors and Christians who lived with or next to the Apostles had of them and by their practise accordingly in the ways of Religion Thus the Canonical Books of the Scripture especially those of the New Testament which no where are enumerated in any one Book nor as from divine oracle any where commanded to be believed or received as the writings of such holy authors guided by the dictates or directions of Gods Spirit we own and receive as they were after some time with judgment and discretion rejecting many other pretended Gospels and Epistles antiently received by the Catholike Church and to this day are continued So also in point of the Church Government How in right Reason Order and Religion the Churches of Christ either in single Congregations and Parishes or in larger Associations and Fraternities ought to be governed in which thing we see that sudden variations from the Churches constant patern in all ages and places hath lately cost the expence not onely of much Ink but of much blood and have both cast and left us in great scandals deformities and confusions unbeseeming Christian Religion The like confirmation I have for Christians observing the Lords day as their holy Rest or Sabbath to the Lord and their variating herein upon the occasion of Christs Resurrection from the Seventh day or Jewish Sabbath which is not so much commanded by Precept as confirmed by Practise in the Church so in the baptising of the Infants of Christian Parents who profeâ—s to believe in Jesus Christ onely for the means of salvation to them and their children which after Saint Cyprian Saint Jerom and Augustine affirm to have been the custom of the Catholike Church in and before their days so as no Bishop or Council or Synod began it Cypr. ep ad Fidum Aust ep 28. And no less in this of the peculiar distinct calling order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can. Afric in Con. Carth. 1. anno 419. Some things in the Church are setled by Canon others by custom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Con. Nicoen office and succession of the Ministry Evangelical In all which if the Letter and Analogy of Scripture were less clear than â—t is so that the doctrines of those particulars which are among Christians counted divine were â—ike Vines and Honey-suckles less able to bear up themselves in full authority by that strength and vertue which they receive from the Scripture Precept where undoubtedly their root is and from whence they have grown shooted out so far and flourished in all Churches yet the constant judgment and practise of the Church of Christ which is called the pilâ—ar and ground of truth are stayes and firm supports to such sweet and usefull plants which have so long flourished in the Church of Christ whose custom may silence perverse disputes of corrupt and contentious minds And indeed doth fully satisfy and confirm both my believe and my religious observation of those particulars as sacred and unalâ—erable Nor hath any of those things Eucharistia sacramentum non de aliorum manu quaÌ„ prasidentium sumimus Tertul de Coro Mil. Impositionem manuuÌ„ qua Ecclesiae mininistri in suum manus initiantur ut non invitus patior vocari Sacramentum ita inter ordinaria Sacramenta non numero Calvin Inst l. 4. c. 14. sect 2. Amb. l. 5. ep 32. ad Valentin Commends that sentence which the Emperours Father had wrote touching judicatories and Judges in Church matters In causa fidei vel Ecclesiastici muneris eum judicare debere qui nec munere impar nec jure dissimilis constanter assero more clear evidence from Scripture or Catholick practice than this of the calling and succession of the Ministry of the Gospell hath wherein some men after due tryall and examination of their gifts and lives made by those who are of the same function and are in the Church indued with a derivable Commission and Authority to ordein an holy succession of men in the Ministry for the Churches use are by fasting prayer and solemn imposition of hands in the presence of the faithfull people publikely and peculiarly ordained consecrated set apart sent and authorised in the power and name of Christ to preach the Gospell to all men to administer the holy Sacraments and respectively to dispense all those holy duties and mysteries belonging to Christian Religion among Christian people that is such as profess to believe that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of Sinners Which holy and most necessary custom of ordaining some fit men by others of the same function to be Ministers in the Church hath not only the unanimous consent and practise of the Orthodox Christians and purest Churches in all ages from the Apostles times But no Hereticks or Schismaticks who owned any
abilities and willingness would make a Minister of Christ which they will not Certainly no men are so good natured of themselves without hopes of gain or some benefit as of their own good will to undertake and constantly to persevere in so hard and hazardous besides so holy a service as this of holding forth to a vain proud carnal hypocritical Vera cruce digni qui crucifixum adorant Insana religio Cecil Exitiabilis supeâ—stitio Tacit. Annal. l. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Julius Imp. ep 7. 1 Cor. 2.14 Exitiabilis superstitio Author ejus Christus qui Tiberio imperantâ— per procuratorem Pontiuâ— Pilatum supplicio affectus Tac. l. 15. Annal. Miranda etiam pudenda credit Christianus cujus fides impudens esse debet Tert. de Bapt. Sacra sacrilegiis omnibus tetriâ—ra Cecil de Christian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb hist l. 4. c. 14. Else Christian Religion would have failed Multi barbarorum in Christum credunt sine charactere vel atramento scriptum habentes per spiritum in cordibus suis salutem veterum traditionem diligenter custodientes quà m Apostoli tradiderunt iis quibus committebant ecclesias cui ordinationi assentiunt multae gentes Tren l. 4. c. 4. persecuting and devilish world so de picable and ridiculous a doctrine as this of a crucified Saviour at first was and still seems to the natural or onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rational man unless there were by the wisdom and authority of Christ such ties of duty and calling laid upon some mens consciences as onely the mission and mandate of God can lay upon men who are not naturally more disposed to go on Gods errand than Moses or Jeremy or Jonah were And however now the peace warmth and serenity of times hath made the Ministry of the Gospel a matter of covetousness or popular ambition or curiosity or wantonness to many of these new Preachers who with rashness levity and a kinde of frolickness undertake that work which the best men and Angels themselves would not without much weeping as Saint Austine that day when he was ordained a Presbyter or with fear and trembling undertake yet the rigor and storms of primitive times it is very probable would have quenched the now so forward heats and flashes of these mens spirits When to Preach the Gospel and to preside as a Bishop or Presbyter in the Church was to expose a mans self to the front of persecution to stand in the gap against the violent incursions of malicious men and cruel devils To be a Minister of Jesus Christ was presently to forsake all and to take up the Cross and follow Christ to adopt with holy orders famine and nakedness banishment prisons beasts racks fires torments many deaths in one so that unless there had been divine authority enjoyning power enabling and special grace assisting the Ordainers in the Name of Christ sending and so in conscience binding together with gracious promises of a reward in Heaven incouraging the ordained doubtless the glorious Gospel of mans salvation had ere this been buried in oblivion none had believed that report nor heard of it if none had dared to preach it and none would of his own good will have been so hardy or prodigal of all worldly interests honor liberty safety estate and life as to adventure all needlessly and spontaneously on such a message to others so unwonted so unwelcome so offensive to the ears and hearts of men unless he had been conscious to a speâ—ial dâ—ty laid upon him by divine authority which was always derived in that holy and solemn Ordination which was the inauguration of Ministers to that great and sacred Work This indeed gave so great confirmation and courage to the true and ordâ—ined Ministers of the Gospel that believing what they preached of a crucified Saviour and knowing whose work it was in whose Name they were ordained by whose power they were sent to how great ends their labors were designed even to save souls they willingly bare the Cross of Christ Acts 5.41 and counted it a crown and honorary addition to their Ministry to be thought worthy to suffer for the Name of Christ that what any of them wanted in the power of miracles was made up in the wonder of their patience when no Armies no State favored them and both opposed them when they had no temptations of getting a better living by preaching than any other way but rather losing of what they had when they expected few applauders of their boldness and forwardness many persecutors and opposers of their consciencious endeavors to do the duty which Christ by the Church had laid on them when they might not grow restive and lazy and knock off when they pleased but a wo and a necessity and an heavy account to be given to the great Pastor of the Church Christ Jesus always founded in their ears and beat upon their mindes These put them upon those Heroick resolutions to endure all things for Christs sake 2 Tim. 2.10 I endure all things for the elects sake c. 2 Cor. 11. 12. Phil. 1. Tit. 1.11 1 Tim. 6.5 Rom. 16.17 I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Vers 18. For they that are such serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple 1 Cor. 4.1 2. John 10.1 2. and the Churches sake and the good of those souls committed to their charge Nor did they remit their care or slacken the conscience of their duty in preaching diligently the Gospel because of the forwardness and seeming zeal of those that were false Brethren and false Apostles who out of envy or spight or for filthy lucre or any vain-glory among Christians set up the trade of preaching upon their own stock of boldness without any mission from Christ or those to whom he had delegated that power to ordain fit and able men Their seeming good will and readiness to preach did not free them from the brand of false Apostles and deceitful workers Satans ministers and messengers sent to buffet not to build the Church Wolves in sheeps clothing serving their bellies and not the Lord Christ or the Churches good whose order and authority they despise Nor can they be faithful to Gods work unless they keep to his word both as to the truths delivered and the order prescribed and the duties enjoyned and the authority established Christ doth not onely provide food for his family but stewards also and dispensers of it who may and must see to give every one their portion in due season rightly dividing the Word of truth There is not onely plenty but order and government in Christs house nothing less becomes the servants of Christ than this sharking and scrambling way of these new men who will snatch and carve for themselves and dispence to others what when
their pretended gifts Vasa quo inaâ—iora eo sonuntiora Vulgus hominum quae non inâ—elligunt impensius nio antur Jeron Males amorum Christianorum ut phreneticorum hominum delirantium illud proprium est Sibi semper adblandiri de se suisque magna polliceri jactabundi de Thesauris suis divitiis cum sint pauperimi se reges somniant ostentant cum vincti caess laceri sint vel uno hoc miserrimi quod sui ipsorum non miscreantur Erasmus Quartâ Lunâ nati plerunque moriones Lunatici Cardan shewing they are very full of themselves puffed up with their own leven applauded also by some others and blown up by people of their own size who are as prone to flatter confident talkers and undertakers as Children are to fill empty bladders with wind Pint-pots wi l cry up one anothers capacity and fulness till they are set neer or compared and emptyed into quart or gallon vessels 'T will then appear though they were soon full and ran over yet they held but little and are soon exhausted These Behemetick Preachers Spagyrick-Illuminates Familistick Prophets and Seraphick Teachers who pretend to such strange Prerogatives of gifts and new Lights above all other Christians yea and beyond the ablest Ministers like frantick men alwaies bosting of their riches strength treasure beauty c. amidst their sordid necessities If a wise man come neer them he shall find that as to any true light of good learning or sound Religion they are as dark and dusky as if they had been begotten in the Eclips of the Sun and born in the last quarter of the Moon In good earnest I wish I could find any just cause by their speech or Pamphlets to set my hand to those ample testimonials which these gifted men every where give of themselves and their party I have no envy at their parts nor ill will against any of their persons nor have I suffered or at least am not sensible of any particular injury from any of them So that I can without any passion or partiality profess that I never yet perceived any such sparks of eminent gifts either in reason or Religion as renders them either envyable or any way considerable in comparison of those Ministers whom they list to cry down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isoc Magno conatu nugas nihil agunt Portentiloquia fanaticorum Iraen Et sana sanantia verba 2 Tim. 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and disparage Poor men they are indeed admirable but not Imitable for a kind of chimicall Divinity which after much pains and puffing vapours into smoke They are rare for odd expressions and phantastick phrases instead of the antient Scripture forms of wholesome words Nothing is more wonderfull as monsters are than their affected raptures wild speculations and strange expressions imagining that none sees their folly because they shut their own eyes and soar above the common mans capacity in specious nonsense and calling those glorious Truths which are sottish vanities or shamefull lyes What honest hearted Christian can bear the filthy and unsavory expressions of some of these Anti-ministeriall Ranters Shakers and Seekers their metaphysicall mincings of Blasphemy their ridlings of Religion their scurrilous confounding of the Incomprehensible excellencies of God of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Blessed Spirit with the nature of any creature never so mean and sordid that to them it s no wonder if the Egyptian found so many Gods in his Garden as he had Leeks and Onyons or Frogs and Toads Thus amusing their poor and silly auditors with high blasphemies Felices gentes quibus haec nascantur in hortis Numina Juv. Non credentium sed credulorum non sanctorum sed insanorum non illuminatorum sed delirantium Theologia Iraen and most obscure extravagancies Such of old were the rare speculations inventions and expressions of the Valentinians Their Buthi Aeones Syzugiai Pseudevangelia Pleromata conceptio spiritualis umbra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And a thousand such blasphemous whimsyes which Irenaeus tels of in his times So that their Dungeon-like Divinity and Mid-night Doctrines instead of fair explications of Truth by Scripture reasonings and the demonstration of the Spirit therein are rather like Hedge-hogs when they are handled they wrap themselves up into such prickly intricacies as makes them not only useless ugly and untractable but hurtfull and scandalous to sober Christians and all true Religion which these fellows dress up with their foul fingers as Black-Smiths would do fine Ladys fullying all they touch while they would seem to adorn Certainly If spirituall gifts and prophecying of old had been such ordinary stuff such raw and rude conceptions such short thrums and broken ends of Divinity such ridiculous and incoherent dreams such senseless and sorry confusions as some of these Familisticall fancies usually bring forth either extempore or premeditated I do not believe the wisdom of the Apostle would have bid Christians either covet it 1 Cor. 14.1 39. 1 Thes 5.20 or not despise it Both which precepts import that such prophecyings as were of old and are only fit to be used in the Church Merito contemnendi sunt isti nugivenduli Prophetae qui-Ministerii Evangelici contemptores fastuosissimi nihil tamen ipsi profâ—runt praeter nugas nugacissimas mera delmia Zanch. had and ought to have such tokens of excellency and worth in it for the edifying of Christians as may induce wise and good Christians both to esteem it and desire it of which sort I think these presumptuous Propheciers find but a few either to follow them or desire them which is not the least cause of their great envy and indignation against those excellent Ministers who so much stand in their light as far out-shining them in all reall abilities gifts and graces they still retain the best and wisest of the people in some fair degree of order and discretion which forbids them to choose the figs of these new Enthuâ—asts which are very bad before those of their antient Ministers which are very good between whom indeed nothing but extreme ignorance or ranting prophaness can make any comparison Nor will their lowd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bostings of rare discoveries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Profanas vocum novitates affectant qui antiquas doctrinarum veritates deserunt Aust In aliquibus splendor est de putredine Verulam 2 Tim. 3.7 admirable inventions and singular manifestations salve their credit or long serve their turn For what are their rarities and novelties but either old Truths in new tearms purposely translated by such brokers of religion out of the old forms of sound words or else some putrid errors long ago buried which these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 searchers of the graves of old heretiques newly light upon and take for some rare hidden treasures Their splendid fancies like chips of rotten wood may shine for a while and
Over whose Walls the crafty malice of Jesuitick Foxes and any other enemies will easily go and break them down Neh. 4.3 when ever they pass which makes many men suspect that these Lay Preachers are but the left hand of Babels builders fit instruments to divide Muros dum erigunt mores negligunt Bern. confound and destroy the Reformed Religion in these British Churches and all those who study to preserve it Which they only can with any shew of reason effectually do by Gods blessing who are workmen that for their Authority and approved skill as well as their good will and readiness to build need not to be ashamed 2 Tim. 2.15 Of whose reall sufficiencies these new bunglers are most impatient hearers and perfect haters because from those Ministers exactness these mens bungling receives the severest reproaches and justest oppositions A man may as well hope that hogs by their rootings and moles by their castings will Plow and till his ground as that such Arbitrary Casuall and contingent forwardness or such inordinate activities of poor but proudly gifted men will any way help on the great work of Christian Religion the propagating of the Gospell or the Reformation of hearts or Churches which require indeed the greatest competency and compleatness both for gifts learning and due Authority that can be had both for the Majesty of Religion and for the defence of the truth as also for the binding to diligence and exactness the conscience of the Ministers no less than for the satisfaction of other mens consciences in point of the validity of Sacraments and other holy Ministrations which have not any Physicall or naturall vertue but a mysticall and Religious only which depends upon the relation they have to the word and Spirit of the holy Institutor and Commander Jesus Christ So that it is indeed a very strange bewitchedness and depravedness in many mens appetites that they should so cry up those mush-room Prophets and Teachers who need more sauce to make them safe or savory than their bodies are worth who are self-planted soon started up in one night as if they were beyond all those former Goodly plants for beauty sweetness and wholesomness which much study care learning pains and prayers have planted in the Church Or that Christians should so far flatter themselves that the soyl here in England since it was watered with civill bloud is so well natured and fruitfull that there needs no such care and culture as was antiently used in the Garden of God either in setting watering preparing or transplanting those trees of the Ministry which should be full of life Rev. 22.2 Supersâ—minationes satanae whose leaves should be for the healing as well as their fruits for the nourishing of mens souls So confident the devill seems to be of the giddiness folly negligence and simplicity of these times that he stirs up the very thistles the most useless and most offensive burthens of the earth which the foot of every vile beast is ready to crush and trample upon to chalenge and contemn the Cedars of Lebanon 2 Kings 14.9 And he would fain perswade reformed Christians to cut down and stub up those goodly trees of the Lord which are tall strait and full of sap as cumbring the ground that those sharp and sorry shrubs those dry and sapless kexes may have the more room and thrive the better pretending that they will at easier rates and with less pains supply all the Churches occasions when the Lord knows and all excellent Christians see by sad experience that they are so far from that length strength and straitness required in the beams and pillars of the Temple that their crooked and knotty shortness will scarce afford a pin on which to hang the least vessell of the Sanctuary Excellent Christians I protest before the Lord that I write not thus out of any desire to grieve quench or exasperate any mans Spirit 17. No design in the Author to grieve any good mans Spirit or discourage his gifts 1 Joh. 4.1 in whom the wise and sanctifying graces or usefull gifts of Gods Spirit do dwell in the least measure with truth and humility but only in the way of trying the gifts and Spirits whether they be of God or no if they be found by the word of God to be proud foolish evill unclean unruly refusing to be bound with any bonds of good order and government such as seems to have possessed some in this Church who seek to bewitch others and to trouble all God forbid we should not all of us strive by fasting prayer preaching writing and all just rebukes of them to cast them out Luke 9.42 notwithstanding their cryings tearings and foamings It is far I hope from my Soul by any envy or undervaluing of any good Christians to damp the Spirit of Christ in them I would have every one study to improove the talents he hath and to be employed according to his reall improovement of which no man being naturally proud and self flatterers is fit to be judge himself but ought to be subject to the tryall and judgement of others both as to that light and heat knowledge and zeal gifts and graces which any may pretend to and wherein they may be really usefull to the publike or any community of Christians whose edifying in faith and love we have all cause both in conscience and prudence dayly to nourish and increase in Gods way which is an orderly peaceable and blessed way wherein only either private Christians or Church societies can hope to thrive and flourish Num. 11.29 I wish with Moses all the Lords people were Prophets Both able to give an account of their knowledge in the mysteries of Christ and also to help on in an orderly way as every wheel or pin doth in the motions of a watch the great and weighty work of saving souls which is the main end of the Ministers calling and pains Better we Ministers be despised than the Spirit of Christ in any gracious heart be justly grieved or any good work of God in the Church hindred But we are well assured by good experience that none would be less despisers or more encouragers lovers and zealous preservers of the true Evangelicall Ministry and its divine Authority than such men who have graces with their gifts and are both able and humble none are more slow to speak to others in the name of Christ James 1.19 than they who cannot hear others Preaching with due abilities and authority without fear and trembling as reverencing God and the Lord Jesus Christ in their Ministers There is no danger of able parts where there are humble and honest hearts no more than we need fear the strength of any part in the body will hurt or offend the whole body or disorder and violate any other Member which is above it in place in honour and in operation or function Reason teacheth us that the ability or
Institutions upon Scripture grounds although we find them to have been led Captive and a long time deteined Prisoners by any unrighteousness policy superstition tyranny covetousness or ambition in the Walls and Suburbs of Babylon Though tares were sown among the good Seed in the Field of the Church while men slept yet we must not be such wasters as to destroy the Corn with the weeds or to refuse both because we like not one Though our Fathers ate sour grapes and our teeth were an edge we must not therefore pull all our teeth out of our heads Divine institutions are incorruptible nor can any corruption of mens minds or matters cease on them any more than * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vt Aurum â—t geâ—â—a itâ— res Diviâ—â— non corrumpâ—ntâ—â— quamvis opprimuntur non vitiantur natura quum polluntur consuetudine Non rei ipsae ut nec veritas erroribus sed nos malè utendo pucrescimus Eras putrefaction on the Sun beams when it shines on a Carkass or Dunghil We may be corrupted but holy Ordinances are like God alwaies the same when restored to their Primitive Institution which is their State of Integrity Riches and honour are not unwelcom though they descend to men from unworthy Ancestors Nor should Religion so far as its title is good by the word of God either in strickt precept and institution or in prudence joyned with piety and decency Good pictures will recover the beauty when the soyl is washed off In a word we retain the truth faith holy mysteries Catholick orders constant Ministry and commendable manners which the later Romanists have derived and continued from the first famous Church in that place nor do we think it either conscience or prudence to deprive our selves of any thing Divine though delivered to us by the less pure hands of men or to cast away the provision which God sends us though it be by Ravens or to Anathematise all the Romish Church hoâ—ds of saving Truths because it hath in the Councill of Trent Anathematised some Truths The Bishops of Rome were alwaies more cunning than to abrogate or cast away those essentials the main foundations and pillars of true Christian Religion as the word the Sacraments the Ministry and Government of the Church on which they knew the vast moles and over grown superstructure of the Pontifician pomp profit pride reputation policy and power through the credulity Vt in reficiendis domibus sic iâ— moribus non destruenda omnia sed repuâ—ganda non diruenda sed resâ—cienda Ber. Ep. ad Abb. of peopâ—e and blind devotion of most men in these Western Churches was built and sustained Nor can any thing more contribute to the Popes depraved content or repair his particular interest in this Western world than to see any so heady rash and mad Reformers as shall resolve to quarrell with and to cast quite away all those things of Christian Religion which ever passed through the hands of the Romish Church or any other never so erronious and superstitious He well knows how meager a Sceleton how miserable a shadow Christian Religion must needs remain to those furious and fanatick Reformers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. Ep. Eudoxâ— Being as much reduced to poverty and meer nothing in the very essentials of Christianity both for Doctrine Duties Sacraments Scriptures order and manners as it would be in the matter of maintenance and Church Revenews where some mens covetous and cruell Reformation is resolved if they may have their will to leave nothing to maintain Religion or its Ministry but the meer scraps of arbitrary and grudging contributions Such will our Religion be if we reject all that was used by those who abused many things and we must afâ—er only adhere to the beggery of Seekers attending new Instructions from Heaven instead of following antient Christian and Catholick Institutions Certainly Church Reformations 3. Of Church Reformations with moderation and charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato de leg 3. Nothing is just but what was wisely moderated in things Religious should be carried on with all acurate strictness and rigor in clear points of saving truths and in things of divine Institution so confessed by all yet also with much charity candor moderation and discretion toward any Christians in other things wherein we must differ from them Yet no further than they seem to us to derogate from the truth and word of God and so become detrimentall to mens souls It is a commendable Schism which separates the Corn from the chaff and the Gold from the Dross neither retaining both in a confusion nor casting away both in a passion In thus doing all things with meekness of wisdom Christians may not only be able upon sober and judicious grounds from Scripture and the Catholick consent of the Fathers to maintain what they do as wise Reformers of abuses but also the better invite others to embrace and to approve our â—ust and well-tempered Reformation in the unpassionate purity whereof others will the easier see as in a smooth and true Glass their yet remaining spots and deformities Reformation of Churches is best done not by cutting off the head of Religion but by taking off those masks and visards which hide its face and beauty Men will best see their errors not by force pulling their eyes out of their heads but by fairly taking away the motes or beams of prejudice error and pertinacy which are in their eyes which hinder them not from seeing at all but from seeing so we l as we in truth think they may and in charity wish they would 1 Thes 5.21 Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moderation is the medium between the excess and defect Neither taking nor refusing all but trying all and holdâ—ng the good True Reformation free from Schism By this shield of moderation and charity proving all things and retaining what is good in all with our pitty and prayers for any Christians wherein we think they erre as differing therefore from us because from the rule which God hath set for his Church in things pertaining to Divine worship we justly defend our selves in this and other reformed Churches that are of the same temper and charity in their Reformations from the sin and scandall of Schism when we fairly and freely declare that we separate no further from the Church of Rome or any other particular Church or Christian man than we are by the word of God perswaded that they separate from Christs holy rule and from the custom and Doctrine of the Catholick Church whose bounds and marks are the samenes of divine truths and the unity of the Spirit in Charity which we retain to all Christians as far as such with whom while we desire such communion of true faith holy order and obedience together with love as they do with Christ and all true Christians we cannot in our own consciences nor other mens censures be esteemed Schismaticks as the Novatians and
and decency but all was easily effected by the conventions of the chief heads and Fathers of the Churches the Bishops and Presbyters in any Province Patriarchate yea and in all the world which had commerce with the Roman Empire where the chief overseers of the Flock and representers of the Clergy met and so were best able to give an account of the state of the Church past and present or to advise for the future welfare of it So that many wise men think it may be sayd of Episcopall government in its right constâ—â—ution and use Platins in vita Pii 2. as Piâ—â— the second said of the marriages of Clergy-men He saw some reason why Marriage should be denied to them as to the honour of their Order and the redemption of them from secular cares c. But he saw much more reason to allow them that liberty which not only Nature Reason and Religion gives them as well as any men but even the honor of the Church required to avoyd the mischiefs and enormities which followed the contrary And beyond all dispute it appears after long dispute that if it be not necessary by Divine prescript and direction to have such Bishops among the Clergy yet there is no necessity made to appear against them either in Reason or Scripture Nor doth either Presbytery or Independency shew any so good title to divine right as Episcopacy doth which includes the good of both those and superads some thing of Order Unity and Excellency beyond them both for the good of Presbyters and people too Yea I have known some Ministers of good repute for Learning and Piety who were sometime great sticklers for the parity of Presbyterie yet they have since the mischiefs ensuing the change have confuted and quenched those former vain hopes and excessive heats confessed to me That they see nothing in an Episcopall priority or Presidency unlawfull as against Scripture or Religion only it was thought by many godly men inconvenient It may be so but those men did not foresee the after inconveniences which grow greater by many degrees So that I perceived that this long hot and bloody dispute which seemed to hold forth the question and title of Divine right for Presbytery without a Bishop was now referrable to the judgement of Prudence rather than of Conscience a matter of policie rather than piety Answer to what is urged in the Covenant against Episcopacy Tyrannicum Episcoporum regimen This calmness at last abates much of that rigor which some men superstitiously urge and impose from the Covenant against Episcopacy in any kind or form as if when Scripture and Reason and Antiquity and Catholique custome are all for a right Episcopacy it were of any force to be battered and Abolished by the Covenant the sense of which was sometime declared to be only against the Tyrannicall abusive and corrupt government of Bishops or those inconveniences which were conceived to be in the present Constitution exercise or use here in England which one that had great influence in composing the Covenant assured others was the meaning of the Composers and the Covenants intent was only to remove what was decayed in that antient Fabrick and so preserve what was sound and good in it The only lawfull and honest sense of this Covenant is sufficiently kept if the former Constitution of Episcopacy in England be so reformed as it easily may be and in reason ought to be in what ever it needed alteration or amendment However that Covenant being no infallible Oracle dictated from heaven but a politique Engine continued and carried on by a company of poor sinfull and fallible men upon whose heads we have lived to see that arrow fall which they thought to shoot only against the face of Episcopacy all its words and senses are certainly to be brought to the rules of every mans place and calling of a good conscience of right reason and of Scriptures Not may these with all Antiquity and the Fathers be forced to bow their sheafes and to do homage to that one Sheaf of humane Combination and novell Erection which holds forth as nothing for a headless Presbytery or Independency So nothing of Reason Scripture or Conscience against a right and primitive Episcopacy Against which to make a Covenant of extirpation must needs be so much a sin as it is against all reason and religion to abjure the use of any thing which is lawfull good and usefull And if it be not necessary as of Apostolike and divine Institution if there be not Precept divine commanding yet there is clear practise directing the Church that way of Episcopall government as best which some men wel knowing to have bin antiently approved and constantly followed by the Catholike Church they used in the Covenant that art against Episcopacy to soder Popery and Prelacy together thereby to bring the greater odium on Episcopacy â— Prelacy to Popery implying that they were both intollerable and inseparable whereas in truth there is nothing more ridiculously false and absurd than to think the Pope to be the Father or Fountain of Episcopacy or to affirm Prelacy to be Popery as now the word is commonly understood to signifie Error joyned with pride and superstition with tyranny There were many godly Bishops and holy Prelates in the primitive Churches which were equal or preceding in time as at Antioch Jerusalem Alexandria c. Episcopatus unus est cujus ingulis in sâ—â—idum pars temtur Cyp. de un Ecc. to any Bishop or Pope of Rome Many afterwards were equall to him in authority as to their severall Provinces Independent also as to any derivation of power from the Bishop of Rome As there are now many in the Christian world and were in the English Church both long before and ever since the Reformation Nor is the Pope by any wise men called Antichristian in any sense as he is a Bishop or Prelate of one Diocesse or Province Nor was he ever thought to be so by any judicious Protestant for then all Bishops in all the world as Bishops had ever been Antichrists and then the whole Church of Christ from the Apostles times must have had no other government ordination or Ministry but Antichristian which is a most impudent and intollerable blaspheming of God and the Lord Jesus and his blessed Spirit and of the whole Church As if Joh. 14.16 in stead of the Spirit of Truth it had received only the spirit of Error and lying in stead of Christs being alwayes with it by the Ministeriall gifts of his Spirit and the Apostles and their Successors Mat. 28.20 Ps 2.6 only Satan had presided in it by falsity and usurpation and as if in stead of all the ends of the earth given to Christ for his possession in the way of an Evangelicall kingdome and Ministry where truth and righteousness charity and order are his Throne and Scepter all had been exposed to Antichrists invasion that he
Governours in every Church as hath been proved than if some one or more cunning fellows should perswade credulous and silly people whom they find or lead into the dark or else blind them that they were indeed stark blind and had no power of themselves to see or open their eyes but must wholly be led by their guidance without having any sight or benefit of the Sun These poor seduced men have no more to do in point of relieving themselves and confuting so gross Impostors but only to open their eyes freely and to use the light of that Sun which they easily and clearly see shining over all the world which is not more evident to sense than this Truth is to judicious Christians That the power of Ordeining Ministers hath alwayes and only been in the Pastors Bishops and Guides of the Church who both ruled well and also laboured diligently in the Word and doctrine And since true Christians in this Reformed Church of England both Ministers and people have been so happy in this Church as to be delivered from the Romish superstitions and Papall usurpations they have now no cause to be less cautious or more patient to be gulled and deluded by popular seductions lest the second error be worse than the first Inasmuch as the furies and confusions of the vulgar are more dangerous than any errors of Popes or Bishops or Presbyters are like to be as Earthquakes are more dreadfull and pernicious than Eclipses or the Cloudings of the lights of Heaven The lights of the Church may recover their lustre and vigour in due time nor do they ever shine so dark but they afford a competent light to shew the way to Heaven But popular precipitancies and licentious extravagancies of the vulgar are likest to overthrow all religion and bury all Christianity by Gothick and Mahumetan methods in Atheism Illiterateness Confusion and Barbarity For as they have least skill in them and no authority given them to order and rule Church affairs so they have most passion and unbridled violence in them least able to distinguish between the abuse and use of things between gold and dross between what is of God or of Man when once they have got power and say that they know not what is become of their Mosesses Exod. â—6â— their divinely appointed guides their duly ordeined Bishops and Ministers the first thing they do is to make themselves molten Images and contribute both their Earings and their Ears their hearts and hands to those Calves which they set us for Tamuzzes Ezek. 8.3 or Images of jealousie and abominations whereby to provoke the God of heaven to wrath to reproach the honour of Christ to affront the true Ministers and to make the Reformed religion and this Church to become an hissing and astonishment to all round about A wise man of Spain saâ—d It is better in Church as well as in places of Civill power and Judicature to prefer corrupt men than weak and foolish The one is as a thief in a Vineyard who will only take ripe grapes till he is satisfied the other as an Asse which eats ripe and green crops the Vines treads down much with his heels and when his belly is full tumbles among them But our Antiministeriall Adversaries are still ready with scorn and laughter to demand What can Ministers 13. The vertue of holy Ordination Object either as Bishops or Presbyters confer more than other Christians in the point of Ordination What vertue or charm is there in the imposing of their hands or in their prayers by which to add to any mans ministeriall gifts and graces or to invest any man in a way of Church power more than is in any other Christians whose gifts and graces may be equall or exceeding their Infirmities far less than many Ministers are What power can they have to give the holy Ghost as they express in the form of Ordination yea whence do they challenge as of right the Name of Clergy-men as peculiar to their tribe and Calling where as all the Lords people are his lot and his inheritance and God is theirs Nor ought they contemptuously as by way of diminution to be called Lay-men or the Laity Since they are all spiritually anointed and chosen of God to be Kings Priests and Prophets I Answer Answ Of the Laity and Clergy Clem. Rom. ep ad Cor. p. 53. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Lay-man is bound up by Lay commands 〈◊〉 keâ— hâ— rank Igâ—â— epist frâ—quently Tertul. Hoâ—â—â— Presbyter qui cras Laicus Laicâ— Sacerdotaliâ— munera injungunt De prae ad haer c. 42. saepe alibi St. Cyprian often So Clemens of Alexand. Differentiam inter ordinem plebem constituit Ecclesiae autoritas honor per ordinis câ—nsessum sanctificatus à Deo Tertul. de exh ad Cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Const Apost l. 3. c. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Vid. Dr. Prideaux Praelect Consuetudo certissiâ—a loquendi magistra utendumque planè sermone ut nummo cui publica est forma Quintil. Jnst l. 1. c. 6. Sermo constâ—t ratione vetustate authoritate consuctudine Id. Vetera verba majestas religio quaedam commendat Id. to this last scruple first as least being not so much a beam as a mote in some mens tender eyes which like Leahs are easily offended As for the names then of Clergy and Laity in which the Nasuter Criticks of this age sent something of pride in the Ecclesiasticks or Ministers and of despiciency toward the faithfull people who are to be animated and flattered any way against the Ministry of the Church They may know that this distinction between the Clergy and Laity hath been used in the Church from the very first Primitive times as the antient Fathers Councils and the Histories of the Churches both Greek and Latin do testifie nor was the one ever intended or upbraided for a badge of vanity to the Ministry nor the other imputed for a brand of scorn to the people The piety and charity of those times were not at leisure thus to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to stumble at straws I am sure as they antiently were so they still are usuall notes of difference in point of office and duty between Ministers and people not only in our ordinary Language yea in the exacter stile of our Laws which give both reall and nominall distinctions with the greatest authority Nor are they at all against the Scripture sense and meaning if they be not just to its words since the word of Christ hath evidently placed as limits of office so Marks and names of distinction between the one and the other as Pastor and Flock Doctor and Disciple Ruler and ruled c. Yea and we may easiâ—y gather from the Scripture dialect that as the faithfull people are in generall Clerus Ecclesia the lot or portion and heritage of the Lord So the Ministers are Clerus Ecclesiae A lot heritage and portion given by
the Lord to the Church and set apart or Consecrated by the Church to the Lords speciall service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 13. to serve the Lord and the Church in holy publick ministrations as the Apostles first did into whose order Mathias was by Lot chosen to supply the place of Judas Iscariot Acts 1. To which end Ministers in an holy Succession have ever been placed over the people in the name of Christ by the power of his Holy Spirit yet Good Ministers disdain not to be reckoned among Gods People as children of the same Spirituall Father and brethren in the same Family or houshold of Faith nor will any humble Christians being not in holy orders affect to be called Clergy men by a confusion of language or disdain to be called Gods commons or Lay-men which hath a sober Christian and charitable sense in the dialect of those Christians who know how to call and account their true Bishops and Ministers as Fathers Instructers Overseers and Guides of the Church c. These names then or distinctive titles do but fairly follow according to the use and nature of words and decently express those things which the mind of Christ in the Scripture and all Custom or use of the Church have distinguished for order sake De verbis contendere non est curare quomodo error veritate vincatur sed quomodo tua dictio alterius dictioni praeferatur Aust de doct Christ l. 4. c. 28. Quid est conteâ—tiosius quam ubi constâ—t dâ—re certare de nomine â—ust cp 1. 74. De verbis syllabis intemperantius litigare solent qui res ipsas Ecclesia pâ—cem negligunt Sub 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 umbra 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suam occultâ—re dissimulare student quod et Arrianorum pertinaâ— astutiâ— olim fecit Amb. lib. de fide Jeron de Arrian Hyp. Insignis est indolis in verbis verum amare non verba Aust Sic vigeat humilitas ut non minuatur Autoritas Aust 1 Cor. 12.23 Error est bonestuâ— magnos in loquendo duces sequi Quintil. Orat. Inst l. 1. c. 6. The same supercriticall men will boggle at the words Trinity Three Persons and Sacraments which are not in the letter but in the sense and truth of the Scripture And certainly no religion forbids us to adopt convenient and compendious words to the Churches use since we do safely translate the whole originall Scriptures to any ordinary languages in which most Christians may best use them not in the literall words but in the Intellectuall sense or mind of God A strife about words and syllabicall scruples fits only women or children or peevish passionate men As the Arrians of old who caviled much at the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose syllables were new but their sense old orthodox and sound expressing the same divine Nature in Christ the Son with the Father and that our Emanuel who was born of the virgin Mary was both God and Man But this quarrel about names and words is a very tedious impertinency to those Christians whose serious piety studies only this by apt and usuall words to comprehend and express the truths and orders of Religion who are ready alwayes so to give to each other the right hand of Charity and Unity as members of the same body whose head is Christ as yet to preserve that order and authority in the Church which is divinely Instituted and is as necessary for the Church as it is for the body to have head eyes and mouth distinct from other parts of less honour yet not less usefull in their place As for this pretended grievance then of these words Clergy and Laity We desire not to quarrell farther with our Adversaries and we shall not need to dispute with others that are wise and humble only we pitty the simplicity of people who are thus easily cheated and scared by some sophistry when they are told by their great scrupulosity and censorian gravity that words are as bad as Spels that what ever tearms or Names are not in the Scriptures as they have them translated are not the speech of Canaan but the language of the beast Thus these severe Momusses Thus the Antiministeriall factors for error ignorance and confusion These are among the other small artifices used by those miserable Rabbyes who to ingratiate with the vulgar and lead dâ—sciples after them are content to take away the antient marks of bounds and known distinction of names between Minister and People that so people may take the greater confidence to cast quite away both the name and thing the holy Ordination with all distinction of Office and Function Ministeriall in the Church which if I can solidly maintain against these underminers of Religion despisers of Ordination and vastators of all true ministry I doubt not but I and others may still use these Names of Clergy and Laity without sin or scandall to any sober and good Christians To the main therefore of the Objection which is made against the vertue and efficacy of Ordination 16 Prophane minds prone to cavil at all holy mysteries aswel as the Ordination of Ministers 2 Pet. 3.4 by the Catholick and Antient way of Bishops and Presbyters which they so slight I answer That at the same rate of prophane and Atheisticall reasonings they may as well dispute as Julian would have done and those Scoffers daily do which are foretold should be in the later dayes What vertue is there in the water of Baptism more than any other by which to regenerate a sinner to wash away sins to seal comforts to confer grace to represent the blood of Christ of which a man may meditate every time he sees any water or washeth his hands Hence the mean esteem and contempt indeed with proud and presumptuous Catabaptists have against that holy Mysterie of Baptism which all Churches in all ages have used with reverence and comfort according to Christs Institution and the Apostolicall custome So also the spirituall pride of those prophane Cavillers will argue what efficacy can there be in the Bread and Wine at the Lords Supper more than in other of the same Elements at our ordinary Tables and in every Tavern What doth the form of Consecration by the words of Christ and prayers add to them or alter them Nay since the blasphemous boldness of proud and wicked men will count nothing of outward form sacred no wonder if by the same contradictive spirit they quarrel at not only the Humanity or flesh but also the Majesty and divinity of our Saviour Jesus Christ and seeing the outward meanness poverty and ingloriousness of his life and death many of them scarce own him for a Saviour or for the true Messias And no further than is agreeable to their Seraphick fancies Against whom Irenaus d sputes by which they labour after the like fondness of some in antient times to
and enabled to effect those things which none other can presume to perform without vanity sin and presumption who hath not that gift power or authority consigned to him The right Ordination then of Ministers in the way of an holy succession in the Church of Christ hath in Religion and among true Christians these holy uses and clear advantages peculiar to it 1. 1. It confirms the truth of the Gospel 2 Cor. 8.23 First as to the main end the Glory of God and the saving of mens souls by their believing and obeying this testimony of all true Ministers that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour of the world Nothing gives a more clear and credible testimony to the glory and honour of Jesus Christ and to truth of the Gospel than this uniform and constant succession of Ministers Multi barbarâ—rum in ChristuÌ„ credunt sine charactere vel attramento scriptam babenter in cordibus sum per spiritum salutem et veterum traditionem diligentes custodientes quam Apostoli tradiderunt iis quibus committebant Ecclesias cui ordinationi assentiunt multa gentes c. Iren. l. 3. c. 4. by a peculiar Ordination and authority even from Christ himself in person who at first began this Ministry and sent some speciall men as his messengers to bear witness of him in all the world that so men might believe not only what is written in the word before it was or as it is now written but also as that glorious truth hath been thus testified every where and in every age by chosen and peculiar men as a cloud of most credible witnesses whom thousands at first did and to this day do hear preaching and see them Celebrating the holy mysteries of Christs Gospell who never had or used any written word nor ever read it and for the most part believed before ever they saw any part of the Bible which the constant Ministry of the Church hath under God hitherto preserved chiefly upon the testimony and tradition or record of those that were ever thought and alwayes ought to be most able and faithfull men specially appointed by Christ in his Church as a perpetuall order and succession of Witnesses to testifie of him and to minister in his Name to the end of the world This walking Gospel and visible Ministry consisting as it ought of wise and worthy men Minister est verbum visibile ambulans Evangelium who have good reputation for their piety learning and fidelity running on to all generations is as a continued stream from the blessed Apostles who were the first witnesses immediatly appointed by Christ to hold forth his name and Gospell to the world Acts 1.8 which though never so far off in the decurrence of time from the fountain yet still testifies and assures all wise men that there is certainly a divine fountain of this ministeriall power and so of Evangelicall mysteries and truth which rose first from Christ and which hath constantly run as may appear by the enumeration or induction of particular descents in all ages in this Channel of the Apostles and their successors the Bishops and Presbyters of the Church for the better planting confirming and propagating of the Gospell to all Nations and times As a duty charge or office injoyned by divine command to some men and lying ever as a calling on their consciences Hereby evidently declaring the divine wisdom and Fatherly care of Christ for the good instruction and order of his Church in his personall absence In that he hath not left the Ministry of the Gospell and his holy Institutions which he would have alwaies continued for the gathering edifying of his Church to a loose and arbitrary way among the rabblâ— and promiscuous heards of men which would soon have made Evangelicall truths seem but as vagrant fables and generall uncertain rumors which run without any known and sure authority in the common chat and arbitrary report of the vulgar by which in a short time both the order beauty honour purity and credit of Truth is easily lost among men This holy and successionall ordination of the Evangelicall Ministry gives great proof and demonstration as of Christs personall presence as chief Bishop and Minister of his Church so of the fulfilling of Christs word and the veracity of his promise Mat. 28. after his departure to be with them that were sent and went in his name to the end of the world That the gates of hell neither yet have nor ever shall prevail against the Church While it carefully preserves a right succession holy order and authority of true Ministers the devill despairs of ever overthrowing Christian Religion in its reformed profession in any Country Down with the order Mat. 16.28 and sacred power and succession of the Ministry and all will in a short time be his own 2. 2. Evidenceth the Churches care Agnitio vera est Apostolorum doctrina antiquus Ecclesia status in universo mundo charactere corporis Christi secundum successiones Apostolorum quibus illi eam quae est in unoquoque loco Ecclesiam tradiderunt Scripturarum sine fictione custodita tractatio plenissima lâ—ctio sine salsatione secundum scripturas expositio legitima diligens sine periculo sine blasphemia Irenaeus l. 4. c. 43. In Ecclesia Catholica bacte nus inviolabili observatione tenetar qua potissimum Catholici ab Haereticis discriminantur nimirum ut cujusvis meriti atque praestantiae â—ir fuerit non sua sponte praedicationis munus suscipiat sed expectet donec ab Ecclesia mittatur ab eaque sacris functionibus initietur siâ—que initiatus praedicationi Evangelii mancipetur Baronius An. Anno Christi 44. It is also a notable evidence of the Churches care and fidelity in all ages not only in the preservation of the oracles of the word which it hath done but also of a constant holy Ministry to teach and explain them Also to celebrate those holy mysteries which are divinely annexed to the word as seals to confirm the faith of Christians And lastly to exercise that wholsome discipline for terror or comfort the power of which is chiefly in the Pastors and Rulers of the Church As it is then for the honour of the wisdom of Christ in the originall to have instituted such holy mysteries and such a Ministry so it is for the honour of the Church in the succession of all ages to have thus preserved them and it self in that order which becomes the family of Christ which had come far short of any well ordered family if the Father and Master of it Jesus Christ had left every servant to guess at his duty and all of them to scramble what part they list of employment aliment and enjoyment but the Lord Christ as every wise Master doth hath appointed and his Church hath preserved to this day constant Stewards and dispensers of holy things in his house-hold whose duty t is to
many sinfull evils and snares while they forsake or cast out and despise their rightly Ordeined and duly placed Ministers and either follow and incourage such seducers as are very destructive both to the Churches peace and to mens souls both in the present and after ages or else fall to a neglect indifferency yea and abhorrency of all Religion The Order Power 20. Summary Conclusion of the power and efficacy of right Ordination and Authority then by which right Ordination is conferred on the true Ministers of the Gospel as was here in England although they seem to proud scorners to unstable minds to ignorant and unbelievers as frivolous as the Gospel seems foolishness yet to the humble eye of Faith it appears as the wisdome holy order and commission of God for the continuall teaching well guiding and edifying of the Church of God by truth and peace to Salvation The blessed and great effects of which depend as I have shewed not upon any naturall power or vertue tranfused from the Ordeiners to the Ordeined but upon the Word Promise and appointment of Christ sending them in this method of the Churches triall approbation and ordination In which by the judgement and conscience of those who are of the same function and so best able to examine and judge of gifts and abilities the examined and approved is publickly authorised and declared to be such a Minister as the Lord hath chosen to be sent such as the Spirit of Christ hath anointed and consecrated by meet gifts and graces for the service of Christ and the Church in that great work of the Ministry One who is thus ordeined the Church may in any part of it comfortably receive and own in Christs name One who is partaker duly of the comfort of that promise from Christ Mat. 28. to be with his true Ministers to the end of the world which could not be verified as interpreters observe of the persons of those then living and first sent by Christ who were long since at rest in the Lord but of their lawfull Successors rightly following them in the same office and power Non sunt successores in officio qui ad officium accedunt alio modo quam institutum est Reg. Jur. without which they are not truly their Successors in the Ministry and authority from Christ No more than they can be Embassadors Deputies and Messengers from or to any one from or to whom they have no assignment of any power by letters or other way of commission which when most legally and formally done by deeds and instruments of writing yet these receive no naturall change of their qualities nor is any inherent vertue conveyed to them when they are made instruments to testifie the Will and convey the power of any to another but they have such a change in relation to their appointed use and end as alters them from what they were before in common and unlimited nature The like is as to religious ends and uses where some men are specially ordeined to be Ministers having all their efficacy and authority as to that work from the will of Jesus Christ from whom alone such power is derivable and that not in every way which the vanity of men list but in such as the Church hath constantly used according to the Scripture Canons and directions which are clear to Timothy and Titus which are the great paterns and evident commissions for right Ordination and Succession to the Ministry besides other places Against the undoubted Authority and pregnant testimony of which Epistles and Scriptures joyned to the Churches Catholick custome it will not be easie for any Novelist to vacate and abolish that holy Succession and due Ordination which the true Ministers of England have generally had in this Church which in my own experience I cannot but with all truth and thankfulness testifie to the glory of God to the honour of this Church and those reverend Bishops as Fathers of it who not only with great decency and gravity but with much conscience and religious care ordeined Ministers as very many so very worthy Nor on the other side will these Novellers easily perswade judicious Christians That any upstarts and pretenders in any other way which as it is poor and popular so it comes very short and unproportionate to what is required in and of a Minister can have the power and Authority of true Ministers Habentes cum iis consortium praedicationis habeant necesse est consortium damnationis Tertul. de Haeret. auditoribus Jo. 2.8 having no right Ordination to which no mans pragmatick pride and self-confidence nor the ostentation of his gifts to others by a voluble tongue nor the admiration and desire of his si ly and flattering auditors can contribute any thing either as to the comfort of the one or the other but much to the sin and shame of them both as perverters of Christs order and the Churches peace forsaking their own mercies while they follow lying vanities which cannot profit them 17. Yet meer form of Ordination makes not an able Minister Not that every man that is Ordeined a Minister as to the meer outward form in a right and orderly way is presently of the essence and truth of a Minister in Christs esteem or in the comfort of his own conscience The ordeined may be such hypocrites as Simon Magus was when baptised as have neither reall abilities nor honest purposes aiming at Gods glory or the Churches good but meerly at their own worldly ends and base advantages The Ordeiners also may be either deceived in the judgement of Charity or corrupted by humane lusts and frailties so as greatly to pervert and prophane this holy Institution No man hath further comfort of his being Ordeined a Minister than he hath reall gifts and competent abilities together with an holy and honest purpose of heart to glorifie God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Baz M. ep 187. The antient custom of the Church receives none to be Ministers but upon strickt examination before they are ordeined Concil Nic. 1. and â—he Concil Caâ—ib 1. c 9. takes care that none be Ordeined Presbyters without due examination in the discharge of that holy office and power to which he is by the Church appointed Nor can on the other side the Ordeiners more highly offend in piety against God and charity against the Church than in a superficiall and negligent way of ordeining Ministers which antiently was not done but with solemn publick fasting prayer and great devotion Indeed nothing should be done in the Church of Christ with greater exactness both for inward sincerity and outward holy solemnity than this weighty and fundamentall work of carrying on the Ministeriall power and authority in a fit and holy Succession Abuses here are prone to creep in the Devill coveting nothing more than to undermine weaken and overthrow this main Pillar on which the Church and house of God doth stand Ministers either
of those strange speculations those unwonted notions those pretty legerdemaines in Religion which some men aâ— Juglers study more than any solid trade of Piety they are hardly able to know a long time where they are as to true Religion or to find and owne any faire path of holy Truth and Order which might lead them out of that Fooles paradise wherein some men take delight to lose themselves and others 2. False and proud pretentions of the Spirit The ordinary Sophistry and craft when men want solid ground and true Principles of right Reason Order Law and Justice of Scripture Precept and holy examples from Christ or any truly gracious Christians whereby to justifie their opinions or practises their * Transgressor pâ—aecepti Dominici spurios sibi sociat Spiritus ad aerendo eis unus efficitur Daemon Bern. Ser. Ben. Ab. retreat is as Foxes when eagerly hunted to hide and earth themselves in this The spirit hath taught and dictated these things to them or impulsed and driven them upon such and such ways which are in congruous uncomely unwonted to and inconsistent with either the Catholick Ten t s or Examples generally held forth in the Church of Christ according to the plain sense and tenor of the Scriptures * The Fryers Mendicant p etended they had a fifth Gospell which they called the Aeternum Evangelium this they preached and defended saying the old Gospels must be abolished and theirs received Mat. Paris an 1154. Nauclerus an 1â—54 This is done with the same falsity yet gravity and confidence as Mahomet perswaded the credulous Vulgar by the help of Sergius a Monk that his fits of Falling-sickness and the device of his Pigeon coming to his Ear where he had accustomed to feed it were Monitions and Inspirations which he had from God by his Blessed Spirit * Whose hypocriticall sanctity Gâ—ilielmus De Sancto Amore vir doctrina pietate illustris opposed Pope Alex. 4. caused their blasphemous book to be burnt Platina Vit Al. 4. Just as weak and confused Writers of Romances having not well laid the plot and design of their Fancifull story are wont to relieve their over venturous Knights with unexpected enchantments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which salve all inconveniences superate all hyperbolies and transcend all difficulties as well as all rules of Reason or Providence So many men defective in their Intellectuall Morall and gracious Principles of true and sound Religion which all sober Christians own to be derived from and directed only by the holy Scriptures both in Faith and Manners they presently pretend the Spirit to be Patron of their most extravagant fancies and deeds the Deviser of their most incredible opinions the Dictator of their most indemonstrable dreams which no Jew or credulous Greek or Gypsy would ever beleive nor any man who were not willing to depose his reason and to suffer a rash and fancifull credulity to usurp the Throne and Soveraignty of his Soul This in generall I may reply to all those that forsake ordinary Precepts and follow New Revelations or pretend the speciall motions of the Spirit against the constant Rules and Institutions of Christ in the Word and I may tell it upon grounds of far greater certainty both of Reason and Religion than any of them can assure me or any man that they have these speciall impulses and graces of the Spirit beyond others who walk in the ordinary way of means and received methods of Christian Religion 1 Joh. 4.1 First discovery by the Word of God V. 3. First We are forbidden to beleive every Spirit because the Spirit of Antichrist may pretend to the Spirit of Christ we are commanded to try the Spirits whether they be of God or no we are told that every spirit which confesseth not that Christ is come in the flesh is not of God but is of that Spirit of Antichrist which is to come into the world as Christ foretold many should come in his Name and say loe here is Christ and there is Christ But beleive them not Mat. 24.23 What I pray doth more deny the coming of Christ in the flesh that is by a visible way of the Ministry to his Church in his person and in his succession then to say he is gone away again without taking any Order or leaving any Command or Institution for his Worship and Service to be continued in the Church by which his first coming might be made known in Preaching the Gospell and confirmed by the Seals of the Sacraments to his Church To say that Christ is so come now in the Spirit here and there by speciall Inspirations that he never came in that other old way of the outward and Ordained Ministry of Word and Sacraments hath so much of the spirit of Antichrist as it is against the evident testimony of the Word of Christ against the practice and the command of the Apostles and against the Catholick custome of the Church of Christ which hath always thus set forth and witnessed the first coming of Christ and must ever doe so till his coming again Which second coming onely shall put a period to the Word Sacraments and that true Evangelicall Ministry which now is by Christ Ordained in the Church As the first coming of Christ did to the Leviticall Priesthood and Ministry by Sacrifices c. We know That as the Illuminating Spirit of God guideth the humble 2. Joh. 16 13. Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth meek and industrious souls into all saving necessary Truths so these Truths are confined to and contained in the compasse of those which are already once revealed to the Church by the Spirit in the Word of God and which are by the Ministry of the Church dayly manifested and in this way are sufficient to make the man of God perfect to salvation 2 Tim. 3.17 Which is that one anointing from Christ and the Father which hath lead the Church into all truth by the sure Word which the Apostles taught and wrote so that no Christians have need that any man by any other spirit or as from this Spirit should teach them more or other as to salvation 1 Joh. 2.27 They that gape to heaven for the Manna of speciall Revelations when they are not in the Wildernesse but in the Canaan of Christs true Church may easily starve themselves or feed on the wind and ashes of fancifull presumptions while they neglect and despise the ordinary provisions God hath made in his Church It is clear that whatsoever is said or done beyond or against this written Word of Christ and surest rule of the Church is to be accounted no other then apocryphal lying vanities and damnable hypocrisies * Hoc prius câ—edimus non esse ultra Scripturas quod credere debeamus Nobis curiositate non opâ—â— est post Christum nec inquisitione post Evangelium Tertul. de prae ad Hae. c. 3. No
Spirit of Christ abstracts any mans faith from the Word or carries his practise against the Truth Order and holy Institution which Christ hath setled in his Church For it is most sure by all experience that the holy Spirit teacheth those Scripture saving-Truths by the ordinary methods and orderly means which the Wisdom of the same Spirit in Christ hath appointed to be used in the Ministry of the Church Ephes 3.10 Ephes 4.12 which who so proudly neglects and so despiseth Christ in them he may tempt grieve and resist the Spirit of God but he will never find the comfort of the Spirit in his unwarranted extravagancies which are but silly delusions and baby-like novelties having nothing in them of Truth Holinesse or religious Excellency beyond what was better known believed and expressed before in words and deeds by a far better way Christians ought never to turn such children and fools as to think Religion is never well unless it be in some new dresse and fashion of unwanted expressions and strange administrations we think that the Spirit of God teacheth all humble constant and exact obedience to the Word of God without any dispensation to any men at any time in things of Morall duty and Divine Constitution or Order according to the severall relations and religious capacities of Christians no reall sufficiency of gifts or graces doth justifie any Christian in any disorderly and unruly course of acting or exercising his supposed Inspirations in the Church no more then they doe in the Civill Offices of State Nor are these motions any thing of Gods speciall call in regard of the outward Order and Policy of the Church where the ordinary way of Calling Admitting Ordaining and sending forth right Ministers may be had in the Church 3. The vanity of of their wayes compared to the Word Be these impulses of the Spirit never so great yet they put no good Christian upon idlenesse or presumption so as not to use the ordinary means of study hearing reading meditating conferring praying and preparing c. Nor shall he either preserve or increase or profitably exercise any such gifts without study industry and preparatory pains which are the means by which God blesseth men with that Wisdome Truth Order and Utterance which are necessary for the Churches good The liberall effusions of some mens tongues their warm and tragicall expressions where there is something of Wit Invention Reading Method Memory Elocution c. in the way of Naturall and acquired Endowments alas these are no such rare gifts and speciall manifestations of Gods Spirit which these Anti-ministeriall men have so much cause to boast of There may be high mountains of such gifts ordinary and extraordinary as in Judas the Traitor which have no dews of grace falling on their barrennesse Nor are these boasters of Inspirations manifested yet either as equall or any way comparable to most true Ministers in any sort by any shewes of such gifts for the most of which they are beholding to Ministers labours and studies with whose heifer these men make some shift to plough the crooked and unequall furrows of their Sermons and Pamphlets A little goes a great way with these men in their supposed Inspirations and where they cannot goe far on they goe round in circling Tautologies snarled repetitions intricate confusions which are still but the same skains of thread which other men have handsomely spun and wound up in better method and order which these men have neither skill nor patience fairly to unfold but pull out here a thread and there an end which they break off abruptly to the confounding of all true Methods of Divinity and Order of found Knowledge The composednesse and gravity of true Religion in Publique especially admits least of extravagancies and uncomelinesse Haeretico conversatio quam futilis terrena humana sine grauitate sine autoritate sine disciplina Tertul. adv Haer. which dissolve the bonds or exceed those bounds by which Christ hath fitly compacted the Church together in a sociall way giving every part by a certain order and allowance established as the Standard in his Church that * Eph. 4 16. measure and proportion which is best for the whole This place and calling every Christian ought to own and to attend keeping within due bounds till God enabling and the Church so judging and approving of his abilities he be placed and imployed in some way of Publique service into which to crowd and obtrude a mans selfe uncalled and unordained regularly by the Church doth not argue such great motions of the Spirit which like strong liquor cannot be kept in any vessell but only evidenceth the corrupt spirits the violent lusts and the proud conceits which are in mens Hearts Certainly all Gifts Graces and Influences of Gods Spirit in truly gracious and humble hearts are in all Motions Habits and Operations as conform to the Scripture which are the Canon of Truth Peace and Order in the Church as any right line is to that rule by which it is drawn or as figures cast in the same stamp and mould are exactly fitted to one another The Truth of the Word and Graces of Gods Spirit cannot be separated or opposed any more than heat can be parted in the Sun from its light or its beams crosse one another in crooked and oblique angles It is no better Austin de Unit. Ecclesiae c. 16. Non dicant ideo verum esse quia illa vel illa miribilia fecit Donatus vel Pontine vel quilibet alius aut quia ille frater nâ—ster vel illa soror nostra tale visum vâ—gilans vidit vel dormiens somniavit Removeantur ista vel figmenta mendocium hominum vel poâ—tenta fallacium spiritum Remotis istis Eccclesiam suam demonstrent in canonicis sanctorum librorum autoritatibus than a proud and Satanicall delusion to fancy or boast that the Holy Spirit of Christ dwels there in speciall Influences and Revelations where the Word of Christ doth not dwell richly in all wisdome Col. 3.16 The lodgings of the Spirit are alwayes and onely furnished with the Tapistry of the Scriptures Else all imaginary furniture of any private spirits leaves the heart but swept and garnished with the new brooms of odd fancies and fond opinions to entertain with somewhat more trim and composed dresse the unclean spirit who loves to dwell thus in the high places of mens souls and hereby seems to make the later end of those filthy or silly dreamers in pride Iud. 8. vain-glory hypocrisie and lying against the Truth blaspheming the true Spirit of Christ contemning his holy and onely true Ministery and Ordinances and in all other licentious Apostasies worse than their beginning was in ignorance errors and terrors or in plain dealing sensualities and downright profanenesse For it is more tolerable to be without the Spirit of God Pope Hildebrand Cum haereticus malesicus sacrilegus esset pro sacratissimo se
ostentabat miranda quaedam Magicis artiâ—us patrabat prunas subinde è manica excutiebat coâ—am populo Car. Sigon ad an 1057. Avent pag. 455. 470. 2 Pet. 2.21 than to lye against it and blaspheme it or oppose and resist it after some knowledge of the Truth It had been better for such men not to have known the way of Christs Spirit in the Scriptures and the Church It is far more veniall to erre for want of the Spirits guidance and light than to shut our eyes against it and to impute our Errors Dreams and Darknesses to it 'T is better to have the heart wholly barren than to lay our adulterous bastards to the Spirits charge when they indeed are issues of nothing but Pride joined to Ignorance 4. Like pretentions of old confuted by mens practises Nothing indeed is easier and cheaper at the World now goes than for * Portentiloquium haereticorum vain and proud men to pretend to speciall Inspirations and Motions of Gods Spirit on them as many in the old times did who yet were sensuall not having the Spirit * Se spiritales esse asserebant Valentiniani Demiurgum animalem virginales Gnosticoâ—um spiritus gloriabantur Iren. l. 1. 3. So the Gnosticks called themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spiritual men as well as knowing men So the Marcionites and Montanists pretended that their Master Montanus knew more than the Apostles had more of the Comforter was the Comâ—orter it self and told him what Christ said his Disciples could not then bear Joh. 16.12 The like lying fancies had the Valentinians Austin de Haeret. Epiphan l. 4. de Haer. c. 40. and Circumcelliones and Manichees who being idle-handed grew idle-headed too not caring what they said nor what they did for they fathered all on the Spirit So the Cathari and Encratitae calling themselves Chast and Pure and Apostolici Apostolicall and above the Gospels both of old and in * Sermo 66. in Câ—ntica Cerdom Apelles Marciontae privatas lecturas habuerunt quas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apellant cujusdam Phihamenae puellae prophetissa libium syllogismorum quibus pâ—obare vult quod omnia quae Moses scripseritâ— de Deo falsa sunt Tertul. prae ad Hae. â— 44. St. Bernards time time and in later times too both in Germany and other places rising to ostentation of Prophesying speciall Inspirations strange Revelations shews of Miracles and lying Wonders fulfilling and interpreting of Prophecies enthronings of Christ c. by which strong delusions they sought to deceive the very Elect if it had been possible but they could never perswade truly excellent and choise Christians to any belief of their forgegeries and follies since neither the temper of their spirits nor their works nor their words were like the rules marks or fruits Sleid an Com. l. 4. Cainit◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fingebant Epiph. Hae. 38. The Cainites pretended they had a book containing the Raptures of Saint Paul what he then heard c. of that holy and unchangeable Spirit of Jesus Christ set forth in his Word and owned in the Church But rather the effects of that depraved spirit which is most contrary to God and most inconstant in it self which after all its fair glozings and praefacings of Purity Gifts and Inspirations is still but * Borboritae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coenoli Tertul. and Austin call those hereticks the Gnosticks Cathatists and others who called themselves Apostolici Pneumatici Angelici purgatores electi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Longinus Manes the Father of the Maniches called himself an Apostle of Christ the Comforter and Spirit chose twelve Disciples despised water Baptism said the Body was none of Gods work but of some evill Genius and his followers full of impure lusts and errours yet said they were called Maniches from flowing with Manna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They said the soul was the substance of God to be purified to that end they mixed the Eucharisticall bread with their seed in obscene pollutions and â—apesâ— ut isto modâ— Dei substantia in homine purgetur Aust de Hae. Borborites a swinish and unclean spirit and differs as much from the Purity Truth Beauty and Order of the true Spirit of Christ which shines in the Word as the most noisome Jakes and filthy sink doth from the most sweet and Crystall fountain of everflowing waters True Ministers find it hard having done all 5. True fruits of the Spirit to obtain those competent Ministeriall gifts and graces of the Spirit which are necessary to carry on that great work of their own and others Salvation to any decorum and comfort which these Gloriosoes pretend as if they were bred and born to * Venit vadit prout vult nemo facile scit unde venit aut quo vadat Ber. Brevis mora rata hora mira subtilitate sua vitate divinae suae artis ircessanter actitat in intimo nostri Idem or were suddenly and at once endowed withall few of these ever think they want the Spirit if they have but confidence to undertake any Ministeriall work and publique Office Yea and the best Christians no lesse than the ablest Ministers find it hard in truth to obtain the sanctifying gracious influenâ—es of Gods Spirit by which with much diligence and prayer they are enabled to private duties nor doe they find it so easie to flesh and bloud to obey those holy directions of the Spirit or in conflicts to take its part against the flesh and to rejoice in the victories and prevalencies of the Spirit Whose publique donations for the common good of Christians edifying them in truth and charity are chiefly manifested not onely by his servants the true Ministers but in the blessing of that very Order Office appointment and function of the Ministry Eph. 4.8 11. both as instituted and aâ— continued so long time by the wisdome and power of this Spirit of Christ And by this great Gift of gifts as by the Sunne in the Firmament all others are ordinarily conveyed to private Christians which chiefly consist and are manifested in true beleevers not in quick strokes of fancy passionate raptures strange allusions and allegoricall interpretations confused obscurings of Scriptures which some men with Origen make so much of In veritate qua illuminaris in virtute qua immutaris in charitate qua inflammaris serenata conscientia subita insolita mentis latitudinâ— praesentem spiritum intellige Ber. but in bringing men from this childish futility of Religion to a manly seriousnesse which sets the heart soberly to attend read hear study and meditate on the Word of God to prefer that Jewell before all the hidden treasure of their own or others Fairy fancies to assent to the saving Truths both of Law and Gospell zealously to love them strictly to obey them by hearty repentance for sins against God or man ingnuous confessions of them honest compensations for them
some Scripturall expressions which they have attained beyond their former selves or their equals were rare immediate and speciall gifts of the Spirit Then because they should seem no body if they carry their small wares in an old pack * Quos diabolus a veritatis via in veleri charitate detinere non pâ—tuit novi itineneris erroâ—e circumscribit decipit Cyp. they invent some new fashion of Religion or some modell of a Church-way which they strongly fancy after they have once brought forth their fancy to any form and shape they are strangely inamored with it all old figures never so uniform Catholick and comely seem deformed ugly Antichristian Then follows those quick emotions and stirrings upon their spirits which have the quicknings only of Self in them these are presently cryed up for motions and * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Marcionites had private lectures which they called Manifestations or Illuminations from a Prophetesse Philumena Tertul. prae ad Hae. c. 44. manifestations and excitations and impulses of Gods Spirit on them then they are easily moved to extraordinary heats and irregular vehemencies as counterfeit possessed are by the looking on and applauses of others whose sillinesse makes them gentle spectators and obsequious admirers of any thing that seems new to them or is above them Nothing troubles these pretenders so much as if you look too neer and too narrowly on their practises * Impostoribus nihil est lumine inimicitius Nothing angers them so much as what they fear may discover them you must not ask them where are their miracles where their Empire over Devils where their languages where their prophecies either as predictions of things to come or as interpretations of obscure Prophecies in the Scripture referring to Jesus Christ These questions though they are but just to be put where extraordinary Inspirations are pretended are too hard for them these pose them and afflict them when they are thus urged by Ministers or any sober Christians who expect no satisfactory answer in any of those particulars which are the proper effects and demonstrations of the Spirit in its extraordinary motions when indeed they observe in these pretenders so little of ordinary sound and saving knowledge so nothing of that meeknesse of wisdome which every true Christian in whom the Spirit of Christ dwels injoyes in some measure so utter desolation of any thing that may argue any thing extraordinary and excellent which may justly own the Spirit of Christ for its speciall Author and infuser But quite contrary grosse ignorance in many things yet puffed up with intolerable pride poysoned with errors kindled with passions sharpned with violence delighting in furies boasting in discords schisms and confusions either begun or increased or continued by the restlesse agitations of their fierce and unquiet spirits whose impetuous temper is impatient of nothing so much as true Christian patience of Peace Order and charitable harmony in any part of the Church of Christ There is nothing they can lesse endure Magi Augures nihil suis actibus successurum Iuliano affirmabant nisi Athanasium primo velut omnium obstaculum sustulisset Ruff. l. 1. c. 32. Hist Ecc. Gal. 1.7 than able learned godly and resolute Ministers in whom dwels indeed a far more excellent Spirit of God full of wisdome of power of courage full of Christ who can and dare detect the deceits and juglings of these vain mindes manifesting their folly discovering their nakednesse emptinesse and nothingnesse in respect of any extraordinary Illuminations or Inspirations of Gods holy Spirit in any way of Religion After all the cry and noise and glorying of these mens inspirings at the best all amounts to no more than the same Gospell the same Duties the same Sacraments the same Jesus the same God who was with far more knowledge purity peace love zeal and constancy owned served and honoured in this and other Churches in that ancient way and holy Ministry which the Church ever used which Christ instituted and with which God was so well pleased that he blessed it as the means to preach the Gospell to plant Religion to settle and govern the Church in first and after times amidst all the persecutions and heresies that opposed it This is the best of their Inspirings the setting of some new glosse and fashion on Christian Religion whose purity and simplicity like gold cares not be thus painted over But take these Inspired men in their degenerations depravings and worstings of Religion and you will easily see how such equivocall generations and imperfect mixtures and meer monsters of Religion presently putrifie and pervert to error faction licentiousnesse violence rapine civill oppressions tyrannies against all that applaud not or approve not the rarity of their conceits and inventions which first kindle with modest sparks Modestiora sunt errorum initia blandientia venena Lactant as if they would enlighten warm and refine the Church Religion and Ministry but after they have got to them vulgar fewell they arise to such dreadfull flames and conflagrations as threaten to consume all that was ever built before them that so the goodly Palaces of ancient and true Religion being demolished they may have a clearer ground where on to set up the feeble cottages of their new framing and erecting Poor men thus once * Omnes tument omnes scientiam pollicentur ante sunt perfecti quam eslocti Tertul. de Hae c. 41. puffed up with their tympanies of self conceptions and getting into some warmer Sun having once over-looked their first errors they never after have leisure patience or humility to discern the grosse yet secret distempers which are in their spirits * Not raptures and gifts but humility and charity give the greatest evidences and surest instances of Gods Spirit and of salvation the many distinctions and disguises and windings by which worldly lusts passions and interests slily creep in and concealedly worke in their hearts even then most securely and so most dangerously when under this blind of Gods Spirit when the Lord shall be intitled to the whole plot and project of their follies and furies both in its softer beginnings and its rougher proceedings Of these fallacies in point of speciall Inspirings and motions of Gods Spirit there are no surer detections than these 1. 9. Evidences of their folly That these so moved and active spirits do always finde lesse content and pleasure in have lesse zeal and contention for the great things of God which are Faith Righteousnesse Peace and Holinesse than they doe for their little novelties and fancies 2. They finde lesse comfort and joy in themselves to be kept within and humbly to walk in those holy bounds of religious Truth and Order which the Word of God hath clearly set before them and all holy Christians and the purest Churches alwayes observed than to be alwayes busily disputing for and acting over those petty parts of their scruples
which they have of the fruits which they bring forth What truths of God have these Antiministeriall adversaries ever brought forth or further cleared and illustrated than was before What weighty controversie or other question in Divinity polemicall or practicall have they learnedly and solidly stated What part of obscurer Scripture have they well interpreted What body of Divinity have they blest this Age withall beyond what it formerly enjoyed in great variety and plenty What cases of Conscience have they more cleared or better decided Is either Law or Gospell beholding to them yea rather how have some men studied to make void the Law by immorall licentiousnesse and the Gospell too by such not free but rather profuse and prodigall grace as excludes those holy conditions of repentance Jam. 2.17 and good workes which the Gospell requires as necessary concommitants and fruits of true and lively Faith What Scripture have they handled which they have not tortured mangled and broken the very bones of it What controversie have they not more studied to pester and entangle What truth have they not darkened with their cloudy words and senselesse notions which they call glorious heights What heresie have they not revived What poysonous Error have they not tampered with What sin and enormity have they not palliated or excused or applauded as the effect either of Christian liberty or necessity How many simplier Christians Faith have they subverted perswading them they never had Christ rightly preached to them nor were in any saving Church-way till these Inspired Teachers came to direct them how to cast off and despise their Ministers and the whole Office of the Ministry 10. How short they come of that Spirit which shews it self in true Ministers Neither then the Word of God nor right Reason not sober Sense will give testimony of any speciall gifts of the Spirit in these men either in knowledge or in wisdome or in utterance or in any grace or vertue In all which they are nothing in regard of many Ministers and others who as far excell them as gold doth brasse and silver lead Nor are their fruits to the publique and to others any way proportionable to their boasting against the Ministers which is as far from truth as it is from humility if these may be measured and esteemed not by proud swelling words of themselves or by high scorns and rude contempts of others but by the exactnesse of holy walkings and the fruitfulnesse of publique labours on the hearts or lives of others Hanc habet invidia in seipsa poenam aut non videre aut nolle videre aut maligne videre virtutem alienam quam nescit imitati Gerson Herein no ignorance or envy or calumny can be so wilfully or resolvedly blind but onely in these men as not to see and acknowledge That God hath given witnesse from heaven against the crooked and perverse generation of these detractors from and destroyers of the honor of the Ministry of England by the eminent Learning Piety Zeal Industry Fidelity Charity Patience Constancy and vigilancy of many centuries yea many thousands of able and godly Ministers both in the restauration and preservation of Truth Purity and Power of the Christian Reformed Religion in this Church others have sought the goods of this Church but these the good of it I could here fill many Volumes as many Ministers both godly Bishops and Presbyters in this Church have done by their acute solid devout and most profitably pleasant writings with the histories of many of their lives some of which are registred to posterity by commendable pens others by tolerable ones whose gratefull design is good but their historique faculty far short of those merits which they seek to eternize How eminent have they been as Moses in all good learning how indefatigable in their labours how dear usefull and desireable to all good and excellent Christians in their lives and deaths What Trophies they have not gained over the adversaries of our Christian and reformed Religion by their Prayers Sermons and most incomparable Writings No lesse have been their many and renowned Victories which they have obtained over the very Devils whom a long time they kept as it were in awe and in a chain How many sinners have been redeemed from his snares and converted from the evill and errours of their wayes by their powerfull Ministry How many fiery darts of Satan have they quenched How many weak hands and feeble knees have they strengthened How many remorselesse soules have they wounded piercing between the scales of Leviathan by the two-edged sword of God in their mouths How many wounded Consciences have they like good Samaritans healed with the balm of Gilead How many doubting and despairing spirits have they revived and established How many mouthes of aliens have they stopped by the unanswerable pregnancy of the truths which they have cleared and mightily maintained In fine before ever the croaking Frogs of Egypt spread over the land and filled every place with their importune and insignificant noises against the Ministers and Ministry of this Church seeking by their muttering clamours to contend with the Nightingales and to silence the sweet fingers of Israel how were the excellent Ministers of this Church and the famous Ministry hereof esteemed at home and abroad among the chiefest blessings for use and noblest beauties for ornament which this or any Nation and Church ever enjoyed Being as the two goodly pillars of Solomons Temple sustaining the burthen and adding to the beauty of Religion being sacred Oracles for holy direction and great examples for vertuous imitation In what part of good learning have not some of the Ministers of England excelled and some of them in all What divine or humane truth have they not handled cleared and asserted What controversie in Religion have they not rightly stated fully disputed and solidly determined What part of practicall piety and Devotion have they not illustrated and adorned in their Writings with most sweet suasive and pathetick flowers of holy Oratory mixed with truths gathered out of the gardens of God the Scriptures and their own pure Consciences What Scripture have they not commented upon learnedly methodically clearly and succinctly Yea what Text almost in the whole Bible Old or New Law or Gospell History or Prophesie Psalmodicall or Epistolicall have not the Ministers of England preached and printed upon with accuratenesse and judgement So that the quintessence of the Sermons set forth by them in this Church would in the judgement of the learned Lord Verulam make one of the most exact and absolute Commentaries on the Bible that ever was It were endlesse to enumerate the names the excellencies the learned works the holy fruits and blessed successes which have attended the Ministers of this Church whom one would have thought to have been set so above any such envy and malice and sacriledge never any Reformed Christians would ever have so maligned and despised as to have sought to
destroy them and their function Nor can I indeed in charity think any doe so that are truly such The excellencies of the Antiministerials As for their bitter enemies and rivalls these Inspirators on the other side I am ashamed to shame them so much as I must needs doe if I should shew the world their emptinesse shallownesse penury meannesse nothingnesse as to Reason Religion Learning common Sense pack-staffe Oratory How grosse confused raw flat insipid affected they are in speaking or writing how dark in doctrine how disorderly in disputes how impotent in perswasion how impertinent in reproof how unauthorative in all they say and doe as Teachers What perfect Battologists they are what circles they make and rounds they dance in their Prayings and Sermonings strong only in cavilling and rayling and calumniating against true and able Ministers And for their writings with which they have lately so crammed and abused the world how little have they set out to any other purpose save onely to wast a great deal of good paper and to make the world beleive they were richly laden because they spread so large sayles How doe their pamphlets cheat the well meaning buyers and readers with the decoy of some very specious and spirituall title as if all were Manna and Aarons rod which were in their Arks when there is nothing but such emblemes for the most part 1 Sam. 6.4 of Mice and Emrods as the Philistines put into the Ark of God as memorials of their sin their shame and punishment What Reader may not tear their books with turning the leaves to and fro before ever he findes acutenesse or solidity learning or piety Truth or Charity Divinity or Humanity Spirituals or Rationals but onely antick fancies and affected words strangely deforming antient and true Theology in its morals mysteries and holy speculations How much better had they wrote nothing than so much to so little good purpose to so evill an intent onely to amuse the simple reader with shews of rare notions and by spiritlesse Prefacings to lead on their ruder steleticks and declaimings against the Order Government Religion Ministers and Ministry of the Church of England in which their scriblings they mixe so much copperass and gall with their ink that they eat out all characters of Truth Candor or Charity in their Papers never affording them any word that may either savour of civility as to ingenuous men or of Justice as to men of good learning and some merit but all is written to deform them their calling and Ministry to expose them to vulgar scorns to fit them for publique victims to the cruell malice of the enemies of the reformed Religion Indeed against the Ministry and Ministers of England they chuse to write with Aqua fortis rather than any ink and covet red ink rather than black trusting more to their swords than their pens nor doe they confide so much in their Brains as their hands their insolency being far beyond their inventions which tempts them rather to pistoll Ministers by desperate Assasination than to dispute with them in the Schooles or by the Presse Nor is this any envious or injurious diminution of these men 11. It is no detraction or injury to prefer the Ministers of England before these pretenders to Inspiration 2 Cor. 12 11. who owe most of the good feathers they have to the preaching and writings of the Ministers of England and not to any Inspirations but it 's a just representation of their ungratefull vanity and the Ministers reall worth who have excelled wherein soever these pretenders are most defective And defective they are in all things wherein able and true Ministers have most excelled If this stroak of my pen seems any thing of uncomely boasting they have compelled us to it and so may the better excuse and bear with this our folly which is not yet such by their provoking examples of vapouring and vanity but that we know by Gods grace how to own what ever is of God in any of them and to ascribe what ever is good in Ministers Pro defensione famae licita honesta est laâ—â— propria Reg. Jur. Deseâ—sio est non arrogantia Amb. s 118. to the grace and bounty of God who hath magnified his power in their weaknesse And however wee now living be Nothing yet our excellent Predecessors by whom the honour of this holy function hath been rightly derived to us have merited from us and all good men this acknowledgement to the praise of Gods grace The blessings which have come to this Church and Nation by the true Ministers That the godly able and faithfull Ministers in this Church of England have by Gods blessing been the great restorers and conservators of good learning in this Nation the liberall diffusers of ingenuous education the valiant vindicators of the reformed Religion the commendable examples of piety and vertue in all kinds restraining and reforming all sin error excesse profanenesse and superstition by their good lives and doctrine Teaching and encouraging all manner of holynesse civility candour meeknesse gravity and charity throughout the whole Nation What noble worshipfull or ingenuous family hath not or might not have been bettered by them if they did not entertain them at illiberall rates and ignoble distances as too many used to doe below the honour of their calling and merit of their worth What City or Country Village hath not been beautified and blessed by them Where ever such Ministers lived as became the dignity of their place and profession there hath alwayes followed a good sense of piety and a comely face both of Civility and Religion And more might have been improved in every corner of the land long ere this if what hath been oft vapoured and flourished had been really performed that is the setling of a competent maintenance every where for a competent Minister Cogit ad turpia necessitas Non habet virtus inimicam praeter paupertatem invidiam Eras Et ornamentum munimentum urbis Ecclesiae Ambrosius Scandalous livings have been no small cause of too many scandalous Ministers whom necessity oft compelled to things uncomely both for their society and support Upon whose sores these flesh-flyesâ— the enemies of the Ministry are alwayes lighting and biting loth to see or hear of those many incomparable Ministers who have been in many places of this Church as Saint Ambrose was said to be in Millain both the ornament of the City and defence of Religion In stead of whom some new Jesuitick Modellers would fain bring a company of Locusts and Caterpillers upon the face of the land a sort of illiterate and unordained Teachers who like ambulatory Arabs or wandring Scythians must every week or month change their quarters as fast as they have devoured silly widows houses These in a short time will not be much beyond Cantors and Vagrants As the old Circuâ—celliones like rowling stones neither getting mosse themselves
their judgements conceive or in their upright consciences laying aside all partialities and obliquings to worldly interest but meerly regarding the glory of God the good of soules and the honour of the reformed Religion if they shall conclude that there is indeed more evidence and power of Gods Spirit both in gifts Ministeriall and in holy successes in those men that stile themselves inspired men speciall Prophets and new modelled Preachers if they be found to have more of godly learning of sound wisdome in the mysteries of Christ of sincere piety zeal and charity to the glory of God and mens soules good if they are filled with divine endowments for praying preaching duly exhibiting the holy Mysteries for edifying the Church for maintaining the truth of the reformed Religion and the peace of this Church and Nation if they have greater courage constancy industry and conscience to carry on the great worke of saving soules if they have more authority from the word of Christ from the Apostles practise from the Catholick precedents of the Church of Christ in all ages and places by which to clear their call to the work of the Ministry beyond what is produced for the ancient and ordained Ministry of this Church Truly we do not desire to be further injurious or hinderances to any mens soules God forbid the Ministers of the Church of England should be so much lovers or valuers of themselves or envious to other mens excellencies or enemies to your and the Churches welfare as not to be willing to be laid aside that these new mens more immediate and greater sufficiencies higher inspirations and diviner authority may doe that work to which we are found so unsufficient defective and unworthy But if these pretenders to more spirituall prophecying preaching and living be by wise and godly men who love not to mock God or dally with matters of salvation and eternity which is the end of Religion weighed in the ballance of the sanctuary of the divine institution of Christs mission of the Apostles succession of the primitive custome and of the Catholick order in all ages and Churches if the grounds of right reason of good order policy and government be duely considered which require distinction in all societies sacred and civill and avoid confusion most in the things of God if the judgement of the most learned usefull and holy men in all ages be pondered if these new mens Spirits and gifts be throughly tryed by the touchstone of Gods Word if their secular aims and warpings to the world be narrowly looked into if the deformitie of their words and works be considered if their simple or scandalous writings be duly examined if the successes of their endeavours and essays hitherto in many places be seriously thought of which are evidently proved to be very sad and bad little promoting either truth or peace holinesse or comfort to any peoples souls nor any prosperity and advancement to this Church or any Christian reformed Religion if they be found in ignorance and weaknesse or in factiousnesse and insolencies or in pride and avarice or in erroneousnesse and licentiousnesse so farre too light that they are not so much as the dust of the ballance compared to the reall excellencies of those true Ministers of this Church which have been and still are and may be in this Church if men be not all given over to lusts and strong delusions God forbid any excellent Christians should be tempted by fear or flattery or any fallacy of novelty gain or liberty to desire or endeavour or approve a change which will be so shamefully and desperately pernicious both to themselves and to their posterity BUt these Antiministeriall adversaries 4. Calumny or Cavill Against humane and secular learning in Ministers who would fain impose upon the credulous world with the pretentions of some speciall gifts and Inspirations of Gods Spirit which are as yet no way discovered by them in word or deed as I have shewed being conscious to themselves that indeed they come short of those common endowments by which the mindes of men are oft much improved through study and good learning they seek to oppose and decry that in all Christians and especially in Ministers which they despair of themselves So that not a dumb spirit but a silly prating and illiterate one possesses them which cryes out against all humane learning and usefull Studies as the divels did against Christ What have we to doe with thee Matth. 8.29 Great calumnies and contempts are raised by these men and their Disciples against all liberall Arts and Sciences all skill in the tongues and histories against all Books but the Bible and some of them can hardly dispense with that too since they take all books to be of the same nature with those conjuring Books which were burnt Act. 19.19 against the Schooles of the Prophets and all Vniversities as heathenish Antichristian marks of the Beast as deformities darknings and impertinencies where we have Scripture light Also prejudiciall to that more immediate divine teaching or Institution to which they pretend and by which they say they learn and teach all true Religion which they tell us is so sufficiently furnished and fortified as the new Jerusalem with its own walls Revel 21. made of pretious stones the impregnable strength of truth and the splendour of the Spirits gifts that it needs none of these mudwalls and bulwarks of earth which men have cast up Beautified enough with its own native innocency and glory it desires not any of these raggs and additionall tatters of humane learning which they say hath so tossed and torn Religion with infinite and intricate disputes that the solidnesse and simplicity of true Divinity is almost quite lost and confounded Christ is almost oppressed by the crouds and throngs of such as are called Rabbies and learned men who may well spare their pains in the Church of Christ Isai 54.13 Ioh. 14.26 Ioh. 16.13 where the Lord hath promised that all shall be taught of God that his Spirit shall teach them all things and lead them into all truth Answ I see the Devill is never more knave Answ 1. The craft and folly of this cavill against humane learning than when hee would seem to turn fool How willing is he to have all men as ignorant weak and unlearned as these Objecters are that so none might discern his snares and gin◠of which these Ignato's are to be his setters fain would he have all Christians yea and Preachers too such * Hos 7.11 silly birds without heart that they might easily be circumvented by his strategems and catched with his devices The better to act those Tragedies which he intends against the Reformed Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. he would have the windows shut up and the light shut out These are the Fauxes with dark lanthorns to blow up all and the Judasses who are guides to them that
are more easily and fully instructed more speedily improved in all the riches of wisdome and knowledge which are part of the glory and Image of God on mans nature By this which we call good learning all Truths both humane and divine naturall politick morall and Theologicall usefull either for speculation or practise are more clearly extricated and unfolded out of the depths darknesse and ambiguity of words which are but the shadows of things by the * Languages unlock and open Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phal Ep. skill in Languages which are the scabbards and shels wherein wisdome is shut up The inscription on Christs crosse is in three languages Hebrew Greek Latin Luk. 23.38 Intimating as the divulging of the Gospel to many tongues and Nations so that the mysterie of Christ crucified is not to be fully and exquisitely understood without the keys of these three learned and principall languages with which the Church hath flourished Certainly it is not easie for unlearned men to consider how great use there is even of Grammar which is the first and roughest file that good learning applyes to polish the minde with all for much of the true sense even of the holy Scriptures as well as of other Records depends upon the true writing or Orthography the exact derivation or etymology and the regular Syntaxis or conjoining of words yea that Criticall part of literature which is the finest file or searse of Truth wherein some mens wit and curiosity onely vapour and soar high like birds of large feathers and small bodies yet it is of excellent use when by men of sober learning it is applyed to the service of religion Many times much Divinity depends on small particles rightly understood upon one letter upon such a mood or tense or case and the like many errors are engendred and nourished by false translations and mistakes of words or letters many truths are restored and established by the true meaning of them asserted upon good grounds and just observations which hath been done with great accuratenesse by * Erasmus Drusius Hensius Grotius Salmasius Fullerus Lud. de Dieu and others men of incomparable excellency in this kinde these last hundred years equall to if not for the most part beyond the exactnesse of the ancient Fathers or writers Herein infinite observations of humane writers are happily made and usefully applyed as to the propriety of words and phrases used in the sacred originalls of the Word of God so as thereby to attain their genuine and emphatick sense also for the clearing of many passages and allusions which are in the Scriptures referring to things naturall and historicall in the manners and customes of the nations This once done Logick disposeth Qui logica carent materias lacerant ut catuli panes Melan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. all Truths are by the methods and reasoning of Logick easily disintangled and fairly vindicated from the snarlings sophisms and fallacies with which error ignorance or calumniating malice seek to obscure or disguise them or therein to wrap up and cover themselves darkening wisdome by words without understanding After this they are by the same art handsomely distributed and methodically wound up in severall clews and bottomes according to those various Truths which that excellent art hath spun out That thus digested they may again be brought forth unfolded and presented to others in that order and beauty of eloquence which * Rhetorick communicates to others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Naz. or 23. Rhetorick teacheth By which truths have both an edge and lustre set on them doe most adorn them and enforce to the quickest prevalencies on mens mindes and the firmest impressions on their passions and affections that so their rationall vigour may hold out to mens actions and extend to the ethicks or morality of civill conversation which is the politure of mens hearts and hands The softner and sweetner of violent passions and rougher manners to the candor and equity of polity and society This civility was and is the preface and forerunner of Religion the great preparative to piety the confines of Christianity which never thrives untill barbarity be rooted up and some learning with morality be sown and planted among men Nor did Christian Religion ever extend its pavilion much further than the tents of Learning and Civility had been pitched by the conquests and colonies of the Greeks and Romans Thus by this golden circle and crystall medium of true learning the short dim and weaker sight of our reason Matth. 6.23 whose very light is become dark by sin bleared with its own fancies and almost put out by its grosser lusts and passions may as by the help of perspective or optick glasses be mightily strengthened and extended while it sees History 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. as with the united vigor of the many thousand visuall rayes and eyes of those who saw before us That so those few conjectures those dark and ambiguous experiences which any mans short sight and single life can afford him may be ampliated cleared and confirmed by those many testimonies and historicall monuments which others have left in their learned writings which draw as it were the lesser rivulets of various observations from severall times pens and places to meet in one great and noble current of true Religion which is the wisest observer and devoutest admirer of what true learning most sets forth the providence justice power goodnesse patience and mercy of the wise great and holy God the Creator ruler and preserver of all things Psal 8. but chiefly the regarder of the sons of men God hath therefore blest his Church with good learning that those small stocks and portions of wisdome which any mans private patrimony affords him either by innate parts or acquired experiments which for the most part would amount to no more than the furnishing of a portable pedlers pack with small wares toyes and trinckets fit to please children ideots and countrey people may be improved by a joint stock Humanus s nsus cum sarcitur alieno invento câ—to attenuatur de propâ—io Cassiod and united commerce of prudent observations that so men might drive a great and publique trade of wisdome to the infinite inriching and adorning both of Church and State both of Polity and Religion These two being the great luminaries and excellencies of humane Nature the one to rule the day wherein wee stand related to God in piety the other to rule the night wherein we are related to each other by humanity equity charity and bonds of civill society Which innate vertues and properties of mans nature Reason and Religion once neglected and until'd for want of that culture which good learning and that sof ening Barbarity succeeds the want of learning as darknesse the Suns absence which ingenuous education brings to
Iur. Illud decitum quod logibus definitum Reg. jur is not true and vertuous liberty but inordinatenesse and excesse Yea and in some cases of severer restraints Prudenter aliquando liciâ—a prohibenâ—tur ne si permitterentur eorum ocâ—â—sâ—â—â—e ad illicita perveniatur Reg. Iur. Ioh. 8.30 Free Indeed Libertâ—â— verâ— Christianae â—â—ferâ—â— aut extrinsecus spoliari nescit quum non minus parâ—endo quam agendo exercetur Aust by which Governors doe indeed trench upon those rationall or religious liberties which God hath allowed to men and Christians yet in these cases a true Christian onely wraps himself up in that liberty of patience which knowes when and how to suffer without injury to the publique tranquillity or to his private peace of conscience still keeping a * 1 Pet. 3.4 meek and quiet spirit with the love zeal and profession of that which he conceives to be the truth of God these are the fruits of that * 2 Cor. 3.17 free Spirit of Christ in Christians which appeared most eminently in Christ which makes us free to all things but not to sin in thought word or deed Looking upon sin as the great * Eo sumus liberiores quo a peccato â—â—â—â—â—â—niores Gibeuf tyrant usurper and waster of the true liberty of every man and Christian It is then as farre from Christian liberty 4. Divels Liberty as sicknesse is from health madnesse or drunkennesse from sobriety rottennesse from beauty or putrefaction from perfection for any Christian to beleeve what he lists though it be a lye or to disbeleeve and deny it Libertas omni servitute servilior Ber. Ep. 47. though it be a truth of God to take up what opinions and wayes of religion he most fancies and to refuse what ever he please to disaffect upon light popular and untryed grounds or openly to speak and dispute what ever he lists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cl. Al. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. and publiquely to act according as his private perswasions passions lusts or interests or other mens tempt and carry him wherein neither right reason nor common order nor publique peace nor conscience of duty nor * 1 Pet. 2.17 reverence of men nor fear of God have any such serious and holy ties upon men as are necessary for the common good In which regard private Christians are never so free as to have no yoake of Christ upon them Haretica conversatio quam futilis quam terrena quam humana sine gravitate sine autoritate sine disciplina cujus penes nos curam lenocinium vocant pacem cum omnibus miscent dum ad unius veritatis expugnationem conspirant Tertul de praes ad Hae. c. 41. no exercise of patience self-denyall mortification meeknesse charity modesty and sobriety together with that comelinesse and decorum which beseemes Religion and a Christian spirit beyond which the most transporting zeal may not expatiate For that is no other than such freedome as water enjoyes when it overbears and overflowes all its banks and bounds or as fire seising on the whole house Such as drunken men in their roarings and mad men in their ravings contend for such as wild beasts and untamed Monsters struggle for yea such as the envious and malicious divels affect and are most impatient not to enjoy In whose nostrils and jawes the mighty * Ezek. 38.4 Esa 37.29 wisdom and goodnesse of God who is Potentissimum liberrimum agens the fountain of all true rationall morall religious and divine freedome hath his hooke of power and bridle of terror not of love Such are those liberties which those * As St. John called Corinthus who was of this sect of Libertines Irenae l. 1. Congredere mecum ut te ad principem deducam vox lascivientium Gnosticorum Nicolaitarum aliorum Haeret. Iren. l. 1. primogeniti Diaboli prime birds of the Divels brood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. Nis v. M. some impudent Libertines and dissolute wretches now as of old aim at who have cast off all sense of justice order shame and humanity while they clamour and act for liberty that is that their blasphemies profanenesses impudicities scurrilities impudencies and violences against all publique civill peace as well as against all religion order and Ministry of the Church of England may be tolerated if not countenanced notwithstanding they professe to hold with us some common grounds of Christian Religion and stand responsible to civill duties and relations True Christians should be as fearfull to enjoy the divels freedome not which he hath but which he desires that is to will and to doe whatever he lists And as they should be zealous for their own true holy and humble liberties which lead them quietly to doe or suffer Gods will in Gods way so they should bee tender of encroaching upon those publique liberties which are by right reason order and Scripture granted to some men as Magistrates and Ministers for the generall good of Christians Men must not so please themselves in any thing they fancy of liberty as to injure others No mans liberty may be anothers injury Nullius emolumentum jure nescitur exalterius damno injuria Reg. Iur. since no mans right can consist in the detriment or damage of anothers rights or dues As then no man rationally can think it a liberty denyed him when he is forbid upon idle visits to goe to infected houses or being infected with the plague to goe among others that are sound or to drink poison and propine it to others no more can any Christian religiously plead for a liberty to broach and publish to others any opinion he pleaseth or to invade any place and office he hath a minde to or to disturb others in their duties and power or to contemne with publique insolence or violently to innovate against established laws and orders in Church or State much lesse hath he any freedome openly to blaspheme or disturb that religion and way of devotion wherein sober and good Christians worship God by that authority and order which is setled in publique according to their consciences and best judgements Here neither Christian Magistrates 5. True Liberty and good government in Church and State agree well together nor Ministers are to regard such pleas for private Liberties as overthrow the publique order and peace nor are they to regard those clamours against them and the Laws as persecuting when they doe but oppose and restrain such pernicious exorbitancies nor are they in this infringers of the peoples freedome but preservers of Liberties which are bound up onely in the laws nor are they oppressours of others mens consciences but dischargers of their own duties * Leges sunt corporis politici nervi sine quibus luxata infirma fient omnia membra Verul and consciences which they bear to Gods glory and the publique good whereto as they stand highly related by their place and power so
to cover with the painâ— and palliatings of Christian liberty Which being a pure and spotlesse Virgin the highest beauty which a Christian can here be inamour'd of and which he courts with all modesty purity and respect on earth hoping to have the full fruition of it in heaven disdains above all things to be abused by those bold and filthy ravishers who like the inordinate monsters of Gibeah Judg. 19. will never think their licentious lusts satisfied untill they have killed the Levites concubine Destroying indeed all true Christian liberty which is preserved onely by good order and government both in the Church and State while they prostitute truths duties institutions Ministry and Magistracy to all manner of insolencies and confusion Assistentem in omni munditia Angelum dicebant invâ—câ—bant Hanc esse aiebam perfectam operatiorem sine tremore ri tales abire operationes quas ne nominare quidem fas est Irenae l. 1. cap. 35. de Cainitis Jâ—daitis Ophitis as if Christians were never free enough till they were without all sense of sin and shame till they neither feared God nor reverenced man till they had broken all the bands of civill justice and cast away the cords of all religious discipline from them as the Cainites Judaites Ophites Adamites and others of old Which most inordinate liberty is no more to be enjoyed or desired by any good Christian than that of the Demoniack who being oft bound with chaines and fetters Luk. 8.29 yet brake them all and was driven of the Devill into deserts among the graves often dashing him against the stones and casting him into fire and water Such will be the sad fate of every Christian Church and State which either affects or tolerates any such impious fanatick unlawfull and unholy liberties contrary to that purity equity order and decency which is necessary to that religion which they professe as Christian Therefore no wonder if the Lord by his word and his true Ministers daily rebukes this unclean spirit and seeks to cast out of this Church such an untamable Divell which hath already got too much possession in many mens mindes Act. 19.27 who are prone to deifie every Diana as an image come downe from heaven if it be but set up in the silvershrine of this popular goddesse Liberty which of all puppetly Idols lately consecrated to vulgar adoration I can least of all Idolize as that which I see to have least of divinity or humanity in it either as to piety equity purity or charity Yet is no man a more unfained servant and votary of that true and divine Liberty which becomes Christians which preserves truth peace order and holinesse among men both in private and publique regards both in Church and State and in this I wish all men my rivalls in the ambition and sharers with me in the fruition which will then be most when we get our hearts most freed from that heavy bondage wherewith errour pride passion self-seeking and the like cruell task-masters under the great oppressing Pharaoh Aegyptiaca est illa servitus sub jugo Pharaonis Diaboli fiunt lutea opera terrena sordida dissoluta ab ipso dantur paleae i. e. leves malae cogitationes quae delectatione accenduntur inde actione coquuntur lateres consuerudine indurantur Ber. p. Ser. 34. Extremà est dementiae in infima servitâ—â—e vilissima captivitate de libertate gloriari quasi cloacarum fordibus immersus totus foedus inquinatus de pigmentisâ—â—uis fragrantia juctitâ—res Erasm the Divell doe seek to enslave the soules and consciences of men by so much the baser slavery by how much they fancy their slavery to be liberty their freedom to sin to be that freedome from sin which Christ hath purchased which dangerous mistake makes them love their bondage to bore their eares and to be most offended with those who seek to shew them their desperate errors and divellish thraldom which is the greatest severity of divine vengeance in this world upon men by giving them over to Satan or up to their own hearts lusts Yet this false and damnable liberty is by some men earnestly contended for and imperiously claimed in the way of publique toleration 7 Some mens impudent demand of an intolerable toleration that they or any men may professe as to Religion what they list being prone through pride and ignorance to think that no opinion they hold or practise they doe is irreligious profane blasphemous or intolerable nor ought by any just severity or penalty bee restrained or punished Carpocraâ—iani Valentiniani et Gnostici c. portentosas quasque libidines non licitas tanâ—am statuebant sed tanquam gradus aliquos quibus in coelum ascendatur Iren. l. 1. Gratâ— revigilantibus â—â—iâ— ea molestia quae non patiâ—◠〈◊〉 tanquam mortifeâ—d sâ—â—no veternoso morbo in terire Aust Whereas Christians truly blessed with tender Consciences and meeknesse of wisdome are most willing to be kept within Christs bounds and loathest to take any liberty either in opinion or manners beyond what in the truth of the Word or in charity to the publique peace and order is permitted Humble knowledge makes Christians most tractable yea and thankfull to those either Ministers or Magistrates whose love and fidelity to them will least tolerate any error or sin in them without reproof and just restraint Others whom ignorance makes proud and pride erroneous and both unruly are ready to esteem all they hold or vent or dare to act especially under colour of religion for in civill affaires they are afraid of the sword to be so commendable at least tolerable that they merit Tunc ei plâ—renetico utilissimus misericordissimus cum et adverâ—issimâ—s molestissimus videtur Aust Ep 48. de coere Haeret. if not concurrence and approbation from all men yet at least coâ—nivence and toleration nor may they be touched or curbed by any authority in Church or State be their extravagancies never so pernicious and blasphemous but presently they make huge outcryes of persecution as if all were persecutors who helped to â—â—inde a mad man or to put a roaring drunkard into the cage which measure of healing them is best both for them and for others too and is not to be used to any but those that are truly such disorderly and distempered spirits I conceive it most clear and certain both in right Reason and true Religion that the prudence piety and charity of Governors in Church and State ought to move in that middleway between tolerating all differences and none in matters of Religion wherein men are variously to be considered according to that profession which they own and make of Religion Sure none are to be tolerated in blaspheming or insolencing that religion which is established by publique consent or laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.1 Tit. 3.11 and which they professe in common with others being in
indifferency in the Angels of the Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira tolerating any thing and condemning nothing the one suffering those that held the doctrine of Balaam and the impure Nicolaitans who taught all libidinous impudicities to be free for Christians the other for tolerating Jezebel under the colour of a Prophetesse to seduce the servants of God The Apostle Paul commands some mens mouths should be stopped Tit. 1.11 Gal. 5.12 1 Tim. 2.20 who speak perverse things in the Church wisheth those cut off that troubled them He gives over to Satan Hymenaeus and Philetus that they might learn not to blaspheme Gal. 1.8 Denounceth a grievous curse or Anathema to any that should presume to teach any other Doctrine than the Gospell that form of sound words once delivered to the Church which is according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 1 Cor. 4.2 He tels us that there is not onely a word but a rod or power of coercion left to the Church and its lawfull Pastors or Ministers for the edification not for the destruction of the Church And however this power Ecclesiasticall which is from God Magistratick and Ministeriall power when united as that other Magistratick be wholly severed and divided in their courses while the Civill Magistrate is unchristian yet when he embraceth the profession of Christianity these two branches of power which flowed severall ways yet from the same fountaine God doe so farre meet again and unite their amicable streams 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Magistratick and Ministeriall Civill and Church power as not to * As those of old that thought Herod to be the Mâ—ssias Terâ—de pras ad Haâ—c 5. confound each other nor yet to crosse and stop one the other but rather to increase strengthen and preserve mutually each other while the Minister of Christ directs the Magistrate and the Christian * As Eusebius tels in Constantine the Greats time who joined with the Bishops and Ministers of the Church in good government Magistrate protects the Minister both of them with a single eye regarding that great end for which God in his love to mankinde and to his Church hath established both these powers in Christian Churches and Societies That neither the bodies nor the soules of Christians should want that good which God hath offered them in Christ nor suffer those injuries in society for the prevention or remedy of which both Magistracy and Ministry are the Ordinances of God for enjoying the benefit of both which blessings as every Christian hath a sociall capacity so every lawfull Magistrate and Minister hath according to their places and proportions a publique duty and authority upon them to see justice and holinesse truth and peace civill sanctions and divine institutions purely and rightly dispensed to inferiours for whose good they aâ—e of God ordained 11. In what case onely toleration of any thing in Religion were lawfull If there were indeed no rule of the written Word of God which Christians owned as the setled foundation of Faith the sure measure of doctrine and guide of good manners in religion both publiquely and privately or if there were no credible Tradition delivered by word of mouth and parents examples which men might imitate for the way of Religion revealed to them by God which was the way before the flood but every one were to expect dayly either new inspirations or to follow the dictates of his own private fancy and reason Nothing then would be more irreligious then to deny all freedom publique as well as private nothing more just than to tolerate any thing of opinion and speculation which any one counted his religion yet even in that liberty of walking and wandering in the dark when no Sun of certain Revelation divine had shined on mankinde Rom. 1.32.2 14. the very light of Nature taught men as among Heathens that some things in point of practise are never tolerable in any humane society But since the wisdome and mercy of God hath given to mankinde which the Church alwayes injoyes the light of his holy Word and a constant order of Ministry to teach from it the wayes of God in truth peace and holinesse not onely every Christian is bound to use all religious means which God hath granted to settle his own judgement and live accordingly in his private sphear without any Scepticall itch or lust of disputing alwayes in Religion But both Magistrate and Minister whose severall duties are set forth and different powers ordained over others in Scripture for a sociall and publique good must take care to attain that good of a setled Religion and preserve it in always of verity equity and charity which may all well consist with the exercise of due authority Nor is it any stinting or restraining of the Spirit of God in any private Christian to keep his Spirit within the bounds of the Word of God Deut. 29.29 wherein the things revealed belong to us and our children Nor is it any restraint to the Spirit of God in the Scripture to keep our opinions and judgements and practises within the bounds of that holy faith and good order which is most clearly set forth in the câ—ncurrent sense of the Scriptures and explained by the Confessions of Faith and practise of holy Discipline which the Creeds and Councels and customes of the Catholick Church hold forth to them Nor is it any limiting or binding up of the Spirit of God in private men for the Christian Magistrate and Minister to use all publique means both for the information conviction and conversion of those under their charge as to the inward man and also of due restraint and coercion as to the outward expressions in which they stand related to a publique and common good But if the negligence of Governours in Church and State 12. What a Christian must doe in dissolute times should at any time so connive and tolerate out of policy or fear or other base passion if through the brokennesse and difficulties of times the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for Magistrates and good Ministers so as the vulgar fury corrupted by factious and unruly spirits are impatient of just restraits but carry on all things against Laws and wiser mens desires to a licentious Anarchy and all confusions in the outward face and publique Ministrations of Religion yet must no good Christian think this any dispensation for any private errours in his judgment or practise In maxima rerum licentia minima esse debet veri Christiani libertas Gib Lex sibi severissima est pura conscientia dei amor Ber. he must be the more circumspect and exact in his station and duty as a Christian when the publique course runs most to confusion tolerating least in his own conscience when most is tolerated by others The love of God and Christ and of the truth of Religion and the respect and reverence borne the order of the Ministry and to the Churches
something different from their primitive majesty beauty and simplicity by putting on what was superfluous rather than pernicious But if there should not be in our dayes so just and noble recantations from this Church and Nation yet as Ministers of Christ it 's fit for us to deserve it we are reduced but to the primitive posture of those holy Bishops and Presbyters who more sought to gain men to Christ than honour and maintenance to themselves Better we cease to be men than cease to be Christs Bishops and Ministers we must do our duties 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost de Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is Pel. till we dy having any opportunities though we have no incouragements from men our lean wasted and famished carkasses such as St. Chrysostome saith the Apostle Paul carryed about the world so much subdued by himself and neglected as if he had not been battered and persecuted enough by others those will serve to be Temples of the Holy Ghost and lively stones or pillars to the reformed Church of Christ as well as if they had the fatnesse of Monkes and the obeseness of Abbots whose fulnesse you will lesse have cause to envy when the pious industry of your poverty shall exceed the lazy dulnesse and uselesse fogginesse of many of them amidst their plenty which no true reformed Christian grudges them when they imploy in industry humility mortification devotion and holy contemplation as some of them doe and thereby shew that plenty is no enemy to piety in them Let us shew that neither is poverty an enemy to vertue in us Though the Roman Clergy rejoice at our penury let not us repine at their superfluity but wish them truth and holinesse as ample as their revenues Above all take heed you doe not gratifie them or any others of meaner spirits with any desertion or abasing of your holy calling and Ministry either in word or in deed Neither adopting a spurious Ministry of novell and popular production nor giving over the consciencious exercise of that which you have received here by an holy and right succession your religious constancy in it will be the highest vindication of it to be of no mean and cravenly kinde which preacheth more out of duty and conscience to God than from secular rewards from them Many of your afflictions have been still are and are like to be as great so of long continuance Such as to which God no doubt hath proportioned his gifts and graces in you that so by this great honorary of suffering as becomes you both God may be glorified further in you and you may be more sensibly comforted and amply crowned by him your losses will turn to your greatest gains and your desertions as from men to your happiest fruitions of God The highest and spring tides of grace usually follow the lowest ebbes of estate Then are holy men at their best and most when they seem least and nothing to man as those stars whose obscurity is recompensed with their vicinity to heaven Your restraints will be your enlargements and your silencings will proclaime the worlds folly and unhappinesse to deprive it self of your excellent gifts and also set forth your humility who know how to be silent with meeknesse and patience no lesse than to speak with wisedome and eloquence I should not need nor would presume here to make any particular addresse to those reverened Bishops learned and godly fathers as yet surviving and almost forgotten in this Church whose worth I highly venerate towards whose dignity I never was nor am either an envious diminisher or an ambitious aspirer whose eminency every way hath made good that abstract and character which I formerly gave of a true Christian Bishop if I did not observe how little they are for the most part considered by any ordinary minds who generally admire the ornaments more than the endowments of vertue Vulgar spirits seldome salute any Deity whose shrines and Temples are ruined Few men have that gallantry of minde which M. Petronius expressed to Julius Caesar when he led Cato to prison whom he with other Senators followed out of the Senate telling him He had rather be with Cato's vertue in a prison * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Xiphilin in Pompeio than with Caesars violence in a palace The worlds vanity is prone to judge those the greatest sinners who are the greatest sufferers whereas thousands perish eternally by their prosperous successes few by their calamitous sufferings The methods and riddles of divine dispensation and love are far different from plebeian censures and flatteries God suffers his Peters to be winnowed and his Pauls to be buffeted yea he grindes in the sharpest mils as holy Ignatius desired the corn he most esteemes casting his gold into the hottest furnaces Absit ut hoc argumento religiosos putemus a Deo negligi per quod confidimus plus amari Sal. l. 1. Gub. de Aff. to make it at once more pure in it self and more precious to himself It is necessary as * Plato in Phado 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato saith for the divinest minds to be abstracted from and elevated above and even dead unto the very best of things mundane and sensible although good lawfull and laudable which a wiser than Plato tels us are to be accounted by Apostolick and Episcopall piety but * Phil. 3.8 as losse and dung in comparison of Jesus Christ which honour and treasure of your souls no envy malice fury or force can deprive you of This no doubt makes it seem not a strange thing to you that the Lord hath thus dealt even with you who have suffered the losse of all things as to those publique legall and temporary rewards of your studies learning and labourers while yet you were uncondemned for any sin that ever I have heard of committed either against the laws of God or man only upon this account because you were Bishops or chief Presidents in the order government and care of this reformed Church * See the judgment of Bishop Cowper a learned and holy Bishop in Scotland in his life written by himself according to the present Laws then in force anâ— agreeable for the main to the practise of all pious Antiquity I need not put your learned piety in minde of that voice from heaven wâ—ich was audible to blessed Polycarp a primitive Bishop and Martyr at Smyrna when he was haled at fourescore years old to exeâ—ution the tumultuous rable crying after him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Away with these wicked ones c. But the celestiall eccho was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Polycarp be of good courage * Euseb l. 4. hist c. 14. and quit thy self like a valiant man a faithfull Christian and worthy Bishop of the Church None merit more to be preserved many times than they whom vulgar fury and faction seeks to crucifie and destroy Nor are any lesse meriting than those who are by such easie