by any neighbour Pastor that like the Pope usurpeth authority over other Churches Nor should any standing Laws at all be made of such things where there is no need especially where the case is mutable and it belongeth to the Pastors function to determine it as occasion serveth 2 Tim. 2. 15. Mat. 24. 45. 30. Whether these Antecedent Determinations of Concordant Pastors in a Synod shall be called Laws or Canons or Decrees is but lis de nomine And also whether this power be called Legislative or Jurisdiction And who will trouble the Church unnecessarily about words and names But yet I think they may be best called Canons or Agreements And I wish that high Titles be laid aside lest it encourage the usurping Spirit that aspireth after too high things 31. Grotius de Imperiâ— summarum potestatum circa sacra hath said so much and so well of all this Controversie that it is a shame to us all that we need any more and a shame to me to trouble the world after him with Writings on that subject so far less useful and to any one to cloud that which he hath clearly and judiciously stated were it not that renewed occasions require it 32. Pastors have not only the charge of right ordering the Assemblies but also of helping and overseeing all the individuals of their charge And to help them in the personal application of the Scriptures to themselves and to resolve their particular Doubts and Cases of Conscience and to reprove admonish and comfort the individuals as there is need As a Physicion is not only to read a Physick Lecture to his Hospital but to Govern each Patient in order to his Cure 33. Ordination is rei ordinis gratia an act of Office by which the Ministerial Office and Power is Ministerially delivered by way of Investiture and Solemnization as a house is delivered by a Key and a parcel of Land by a Turf and Twig by the hand of a Servant appointed thereunto Or as our Church state is delivered to us by Baptism by the like investiture Though yet it is God directly who giveth the Power and that secondarily by his servant thus investeth us in it though not without the previous Call which is necessary thereunto 34. Ordination is not an idle Ceremony which the Ordainer must perform upon the judgement of others Prince or people without his own cognizance of the person or against his Conscience But he that must ordain must first judge the person fit to be ordained and therefore must also try his fitness 1 Tim. 5. 22. 35. So much of the Antecedent power of the Ministry in which it is to be noted that Ordination and Baptism are efficient acts like Generation in nature under God the first efficient as ex Quo omnia and as they are ordinis gratia are the beginning of Government also And Government is an Ordering act as under God the supream Governour ut per Quem omnia And Sacramental entertainment with Christs body and blood in Church Communion is Actus Amâ—ris a final act of friendship under God as the final Cause ad Quem omnia 36. The subsequent part of the Pastoral Government is by using the members of the Church in the exercise of the Pastoral Office according to their several deserts which is by a General and particular application of the Word of God to their Consciences and guiding them in circumstances and judging of actions and persons according to that Word in order to the good of souls and the preservation of the Church and truth Acts 20. 28. Heb. 13. 17. 37. When the whole Church falleth into notorious sin the Pastors must reprove them and call them to repentance And if they apostatize forsake them as ceasing to be a Church 38. When a single member falleth into notorious scandal the Pastor must admonish him and call him to repentance and if he remain impenitâ—nt and obstinate after due admonition and publick exhortation and patience he must as Christs Steward of his Word and Family pronounce him a person unfit for Church communion and require or command him in the name of Christ to forbear it and the Church to forbear his communion declaring him also unpardoned by Christ till he repâ—nt and binding him over to his judgement So that Excommunication is a Sentence of the person as uncapable of Church communion according to Christs Laws and a fore-judging him as unpardoned and condemnable by Christs judgement unless he repent and a command to the sinner to forbear the communion and priviledges of the Church and to the Church to avoid him 1 Cor. 5. Titus 3. 10 c. 39. If the sinner repent the Pastor is Christs Officer in his name to pronounce him pardoned if his repentance be sincere and the Guide of the Church to require them to receive him again into their communion 2 Cor. 2. 7 10 11. Gal. 6 1 2 3. 40. Because Magistrates and people as aforesaid cannot attend so great a work as this without the neglect of their particular Callings and are not to be supposed so â—it as the Pastor and because God hath made it the work of his Office the people are to rest in his judgement about the fitness and Title of those that have the publick Church communion with them though they are the Judges and Choosers of their Domestick and private familiars And they must not separate from them that are thus regularly admitted 41. Yet when the Pastors by mal-administration give them just cause the flock may seek their due remedy of which more anon 42. This power is essentially in the Ministerial Office and therefore is in every single Pastor and not only in some few or in the abler sort or only in a Synod Mat. 16. 19. 43. When a Church hath but one Pastor he must exercise it alone with due consideration and advice But when a Church hath many Pastors they must exercise it and all Church guidance in a way of Concord and avoid all dissentions among themselves Ephes. 4. 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 1. 10. John 17. 21 22. 44. Therefore in such a case a particular Pastor may be obliged oft to suspend some such acts because the Major Vote of his Syn-Presbyters are against it Not that they are his Governours for the Majority of Vote but because the Laws of Concord require the Minor part to submit to the Major 45. The same is the reason why in Elections Consents and other acts belonging to the flock the Major Vote should carry it in things lawful not because the people have any true Church Government but because they are obliged to Unity and Concord And in that case the Law of Nature calleth the Minor part to submit to the Major lest there never should be any Concord had 46. And the same is the reason why in Synods and Councils the Major Vote of the Bishops must prevail in lawful things not forbidden of God 47. If any Pastor in the world
Rebellion are to be disowned by all that will be true to God and to his Officers In my Sermon to the Parliament the day before they Voted the Restoration of the King I said somewhat of the difference of the Protestant and Popish Religion in this point And a Papist Gentleman first wrote an Invective against me as if I had given no proof of what I said And several persons of unknown names wrote Letters to me to urge and challenge me to prove it Blindly or wilfully overlooking the undeniable proof which I had there laid down from one of their General Councils viz. The Decrees of approved General Councils are the Papists Religion The Decrees of approved General Councils are for the Popes deposing Temporal Lords if they exterminate not such as deny Transubstantiation and giving their Dominions to others Ergo The Popish Religion is for the Popes deposing Temporal Lords in that case and giving their Dominions to others The Major is not questioned The Minor besides the Concil Rom. sub Greg. 7. which determineth that the Pope may depose Emperours I there proved from the express words of Concil Lateran sub Innoc. 3. Can. 3. which uttereth it at large And if any Protestant do with Dr. Tailor Dr. Gunning and Dr. Pierson doubt of the authority of those Canons that 's nothing to the Papists who justifie it as an approved Council and vindicate it as you may find with copiousness and confidence in the printed Answer to the last named Doctors What impudency then is it in these men to challenge me to prove and yet overlook my proof 99. CHRISTIANITY according to the Scripture and primitive simplicity in Doctrine Worship Government and Life doth constitute a CHRISTIAN and a Christian Church The making of humane additions and mutable adjuncts to seem things necessary doth constitute a SECT And alas how small a part of the Christian world is not entangled in some such Sect. To be united to all Christians in the bond of Christianity is to be a Catholick To trouble the Churches peace by striving to set up one Sect or Faction and suppress the rest is to be a Schismatick and Sectary So then if some will by a superstitious unscriptural rigour of Discipline make every Pastors power arbitrary or the peoples which is worse in judging of mens inward holiness and will lay by the Scripture Title which is a sober Profession of the Baptismal Covenant and think by this strictness to advance the honour of their party as to purity They will but endlesly run into divisions And by setting themselves at a greater distance from common Christians than God alloweth them provoke him to cast on them some greater shame And if any others will make their unnecessary forms of Synods and other adjuncts to seem so necessary as to enter into Leagues and Covenants to make them the terms of the Churches Unity God will not own such terms nor ways nor will they be durable while the ground is mutable And if in the Countreys where Popery and Church-tyranny prevail any other more lofty faction shall perswade the people that there must be no King any longer than their domination is upheld and shall seek to twist the corruptions grandure or mutable adjuncts of their function by Oaths into the very Constitution of the State Like the Trent Oath swearing the Subjects to obey the Church yea putting the Church before the State and swearing them not at any time though commanded by the King to endeavour any alteration in that Church-Government no nor to consent to any that so the subjects may be as fast bound to them as they are by the Oath of fidelity to their Kings It is time in such a case to pray God save the King and to write on our doors Lord have mercy on us And a true subject in such cases when it comes to swearing must learn Seneca's Lesson No man more esteemeth vertue than he that for the love of it can let go the reputation of it And must be content to be called Disloyal disobedient factious that he may not be so nor betray his Soul his Prince and his posterity 100. But to put my self out of the reach of any rational suspicion besides what is said I profess that I ascribe all that Power to Kings which is given them by any Text of Scripture or acknowledged by any Council General or Provincial or by any publick authentick Confession of any Christian Church either Protestant Greek or Popish that ever I yet saw And if this be not enough as to matter of Religion leaving the Cases of Law to Lawyers I can give you no more Object Eccles. 1. 18. In much wisdom is much grief and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow 7. 16. Be not righteous over much neither make thy self over wise why shouldst thou destroy thy self 9. 2. As is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an Oath Isa. 59. 15. Truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey 1 Kings 22. 13. Let thy word I pray thee be like the word of one of them and speak good Answ. V. 14. As the Lord liveth what the Lord saith unto me that I will speak Luke 12. 4. I say to you my friends Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But c. 1 Thess. 2. 15 16. They please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sins alwayes for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost Acts 20. 24. But none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I might finish my course with joy and the Ministry which I have received c. 1 Cor. 4. 17 18. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding eternal weight of glory While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Sept. 21. 1669. Addition Of the Power of Kings and Bishops out of Bishop Bilson and Andrews LEst you should wrong the sober Episcopal Divines so as to think that they claim as jure Divino and as Pastoral any Coercive forcing power but only an authoritative perswading power and that of the Keyes of the Church I will transcribe some of the words of that Learned Judicious Bishop Bilson in his Tract of Christian Subjection By which you will see that all forcing power claimed by them is only Magistratical as they are the Kings Officers and not from Christ. Note also that constantly he distinguisheth the Magistrates power from the Pastors by the Sword as the instrument of execution which even about Ecclesiastical matters is proper to the Magistrate As the power of the Word and Sacraments or Keyes of
the Church is the Pastors And these are the shortest plainest and least ambiguous terms and more clear than Internal Ecclesiastical and Civil which have all much obscurity and ambiguity Pag. 238. Princes only be Governours in things and Causes Ecclesiastical that is with the Sword Bishops be no Governours in those things with the Sword Pag. 240. We confess Princes to be Supream Governours Supream bearers of the Sword We give Princes no power to devise or invent new Religions to alter or change Sacraments to decide or debate doubts of faith to disturb or infringe the Canons of the Church But of these two last I must tell you what we Puritans as they call us hold 1. That the King may and must decide doubts of faith in order to execution by the Sword as who shall be banished or imprisoned as a Teacher of Heresie 2. And that Canons circa sacra not takeing the Pastors proper work out of his hand may be made by the Magistrate even if he please without the Prelates And if Pastors make Canons the◠are but in order to their proper way of execution Pag. 252. And if Princes shall not bear the Sword in things and Causes Ecclesiastical you must tell us who shall Since by Gods Law the Priest may not meddle with the Sword the consequent is inevitable that Princes alone are Gods Ministers bearing the Sword to reward and revenge good and evil in all things and causes be they Temporal Spiritual or Ecclesiastical unless you think that disorders and abuses Ecclesiastical should be freely permitted Page 256. This then is the Supream power of Princes which we teach That they be Gods Ministers in their own Dominions bearing the Sword freely to permit and publickly defend that which God commandeth So may they with just force remove whatsoever is erroneous vicious and superstitious within their Lands and with external losses and corporal pains repress the broachers and abetters of Heresies and all impieties From which subjection to Princes no man within their Realms Monk Priest Preacher or Prelate is exempted And without their Realms no mortal man hath any power from Christ judicially to depose them much less to invade them in open field least of all to warrant their Subjects to rebell against them These be the things which we contend for and not whether Princes be Christs Masters or the functions to preach baptize impose hands and forgive sins must be derived from the Princes power and Laws or the Apostles might enter to convert Countreys without Caesars delegations These be jests and shifts of yours Page 261. To Bishops speaking the Word of God Princes as well as others must yield obedience But if Bishops pass their Commission and speak besides the Word of God what they list both Prince and people may despise them Page 258. His Word is Truth and therefore your Bishops cannot be Judges of the Word of Christ but they must be Judges of Christ himself that speaketh by his Word which is no small presumption My Sheep hear my voice They be no Judges of his voice Page 259. If you take judging for discerning the People must be discerners and Judges of that which is taught Page 271. Ph. If General Councils might err the Church might err Th. As though none were of or in the Church but only Bishops Or all the Bishops of Christendome without exception were ever present at any Council Or the greater part of those that are present might not strike the stroke without the rest See pag. 350 351 352. Et seq That only Magistrates may touch body or goods Page 358. The Watchmen and Shepheards that serve Christ in his Church have their kind of Regiments distinct from the temporal Power and State But that Regiment of theirs is by Counsel and perswasion not by terror or Compulsion and reacheth neither to the goods nor to the bodies of any men Page 366. As for your Episcopal Power over Princes if that be it you seek for and not to take their Kingdoms from them I told you If they break the Law of God you may reprove them If they hear you not you may leave them in their sins and shut Heaven against them If they fall to open Heresie or wilful impiety you may refuse to communicate with them in prayers and other divine duties yea you must rather yield your lives with submission into their hands than deliver them the Word and Sacraments otherwise than God hath appointed Say you so I promise you Sir if Kings must be dealt so strictly with though it cost you your lives I will be a Non-conformist a little longer though it cost me my livelihood rather than give Baptism the Lords Supper Absolution and the justifying assertions at Burials as commonly as I must do if I conform P. 525. Pastors have their kind of Correction even over Princes but such as by Gods Law may stand with the Pastors Vocation and tend to the Princes salvation and that exceedeth not the Word and Sacraments Other Correction over any private man Pastors have none much less over Princes Princes may force their Subjects by the Temporal Sword Bishops may not force their flock with any corporal or external violence Pag. 526. Chrysostom saith For of all men Christian Bishops may least correct the faults of men by force Judges that are without the Church may compell But here in the Church we may not offer any violence but only perswade We have not so great authority given us by the Laws as to repress offenders And if it were lawful for us so to do we have no use of any such violent power for that Christ crowneth them which abstain from sin not of a forced but of a willing mind Hilary teacheth the same Lesson If this violence were used for the true faith the doctrine of Bishops would be against it God needeth no forced service He requireth no constrained confession I cannot receive any man but him that is willing ☜ I cannot give ear but to him that intreateth I cannot sign that is baptize any but him that gladly professeth So Origen For all the crimes which God would have revenged he would have them revenged not by the Bishops and Rulers of the Church but by the Judges of the world Bishops by vertue of their Callings cannot command others or authorize violence or arms Pag. 541. Parliaments have been kept by the King and his Barons the Clergy wholly excluded and yet their Acts and Statutes good And when the Bishops were present their Voices from the Conquest to this day were never Negative By Gods Law you have nothing to do with making Laws for Kingdoms and Commonwealths You may teach you may not command Perswasion is your part Compulsion is the Princes Page 245. Far better St. Ambrose saith If the Emperour ask for Tribute we deny it not The Lands of the Church pay Tribute If he affect the Lands themselves he hath power to take them no man among us is any let to