have justly deserved farther Censure ANSWER 1. IT is a note as God noteth it by Ezechiel of an unfaithfull sheapheard that hee seekes not that which was lost How directly this note appeareth in Mr. Paget may be seene here and els where in writing For howbeit hee hath set mee and others forth before all men for heynous offendours most sinfull walkers Ch. 33.4 deservers of Church Censures c. notwithstanding to this day he hath not performed a brothers duety Mat. 18.15 16. Lev. 19.17 Prov. 25.9 much lesse a Pastours towards any of us in using meeke and Christian meanes to bring us if wee goe astray in to the right way againe If an earthly father should tell openly his childrens faults abroad but never at home mention them unto them hee would be and justly too greatly condemned for it Then how much more is Mr. Paget to be discommended that did not endeavour to make his people to see their faults untill they did see them out in print under his hand Hee can teach us that it is our duety to advertise him of his defects and neglects in private but it seemes hee takes not the care which he should Pag. 94. to practise his owne doctrine The which thing makes his case the worse for to him that knoweth to doe good Iam. 4. ult and doth it not to him it is sinne That is his offence is the greater and answerable to it without true repentance will his punishment be Luk. 12.47 Our dealing with him hath bene otherwise for wee brought nothing forth publikely against him before wee had used other meanes for his recovery Yea till wee found the wound incurable Mich. 1.9 he in his courses incorrigible so farre I say from giving us any hope of amendement as that hee deprived us quite of all power to meddle any further with him and answered us not much unlike the old Iewes Ier. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them I will goe I know in pag. 15. hee beareth the Reader in hand as if wee had not shewed his sinnes unto him out of the Word of God and hence abuseth a saying in Iob. But many can testify the contrary to wit that his sinnes have bene shewed to him out of the word of God I say many times by many persons not Brethren onely but our Elders too privately and openly as is to be seene in the Records of our Church where they doe protest both against his doeings and the Classis also But saith hee I am not convinced of my errour So may any offendor say although his lies and vanities should be never so soundly refuted It is reported of one Anaxagoras that hee affirmed that the snow was black and when it was alledged that the sence the eye the sight judged it to be white hee answered it did not as much as seeme white to him Cic. in Lucull Aca. Quaest l. 4. because hee knew that the water of which it was concealed is black Men might say what they list against him but they could not satisfy him nor solve his reason If Mr. Paget were not overmuch conceited touching his opinions in question I am perswaded hee would leave them For sufficient hath bene said for his conviction therein 2. For my gooing to the Assembly of the Remonstrants It is true I have bene there and Mr. Paget afterwards had a little speach with me about it But no word of God to my remembrance did hee then alledge to convince * Act. 18. ult 2 Tim. 3.16.17 my conscience of the unlawfullnes of the thing Moreover hee should have done well to have told his Readers what my answer was at the same time unto him I spake as hee knowes to this effect If I goe astroy it is through your occasion in casting stumbling blocks * Mat. 18.6 dayly in my way so many and great that my spirits is even broken within me For your caraiges are so evill against us in seeking to hinder us from the benefit of good Ministers that I cannot live under yours with any comfort What reliefe my poore distressed soule then had of him I shall never forget For I may say and that truely as Iob did in the like case hee was a miserable comforter a Physician of no value Iob 16.2.5 The mooving of his lips was so farre from asswaging my grief that on the contrary hee heaped up words against me to encrease mine affliction In the reading of this accusation it comes to my mind what I have sometimes seene in the Country where I lived viz. many poore sheepe even forced to runne into deserts hedges briars through the impatience rage of some feirce froward Shepheards either in setting their dogs on them or running in themselves furiously amongst them the which folly and indiscretion had they not shewed none of their flocke would have gone astray The application of this I referre to Mr. Paget Let him consider of it take advise and speake his mind and if hee please compare with it Ierem. 23.1 3. If to resort to the Assembly of the Remonstrants be so heynous an offence before the Lord that it deserveth as hee saith the Censure of the Church how then comes it to passe that hee deales in this thing so badly with others Hee is a member of the Classis and hath therein according to his owne doctrine equall authority with the rest over the Dutch Church here in Amsterdam Now it is well knowne to him and such as sitt with him that many of the Dutch members doe resort frequently unto the Assembly of the Remonstrants Notwithstanding doth Mr. Paget tell them of their great wickednesse exhort his fellow Presbyters to admonish them for it and to cut them of from the Church except they repent The truth is as farre as I can understand hee is quite dumbe this way and stirres not at all in it and therefore it is certaine that that which hee here brings in against me is either done out of some disaffection unto my person or els hee shewes great impartiality to say the best of it But it seemes hee is not carefull to have his ministery like a glasse in which all may behold their sports but rather to the spiders web which holdeth the lesser Flyes but lets the greater passe through at their pleasure And here I may well returne backe unto him Arrow against separ pag. 323. liu 31 his owne words having taxed Mr. Ainsworth for partialitie Let all men of conscience iudge what sincerity there is in your course Thus hee can take occasion to blame another and yet fall fouler himself into the same fault 4. Whereas hee intimateth that hee in the name of the Eldership hath admonished me for the open violation of the Sabbath I desire the Reader to take knowledge that no such thing was ever done by him neither did I know that either hee or the Elders had any such thing against me
THE CHVRCHES Plea for her Right OR A REPLY to an Answer MADE OF MR. IOHN PAGET Against WILLIAM BEST and others WHEREIN The maine points of our present differences are handled And the principall causes of our troubles declared Published by WILLIAM BEST I. Thes 5.21 Proove all things hold fast that which is good Psal 119.128 I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way At AMSTERDAM Printed in the Yeare M. DC XXXV A Fore-Speach To the Christian Reader IT was a seasonable saying of Nichodemus * Ioh. 7.51 standing in our Lords defence Doth our Law judge any man before it heare him and know what hee doth I make no question Well-affectioned Reader but thou hast before this time perused Mr. Pagets Booke and hast there seene many words tending to his owne justification and our condemnation Now the thing that I shall desireously request of thee is that thou wilt haue the patience to read over this my Answer to it And when thou hast seriously studied pondered and examined by the unerring rule of Gods Word all that both parties haue said in the whole caraige of this busines judge then as God shall give thee understanding Wishing thee by the way to remember what folly and shame it is for any as Salomon * Prov. 18.13 sayth to answer or give sentence of a matter before hee heare it There are some things which I thinke necessary first of all to informe thee off and that is touching the reasons why I haue set forth this Treatise Also why in the manner it is For the first to let passe the many insultations and exclamations which I haue suffred at some particular mens handes since his writing came forth as if every thing were true that he hath set downe against me I am oftē by name particularly called upon and singled out to defend our Iust Complaint made against him Besides accused of committing many untruths slaunders lies with other crimes little lesse then blasphemy and this not against himself alone but Magistrates Ministers yea all Reformed Churches If I should therefore under these heavie charges say nothing would not most men hence conclude that I am guiltie And so through my silence I should which I dare not doe dishonour God betray the truth and let goe my owne innocency Moreover I conceive that it lay upon me though the meanest of my Brethren to reply considering that the Booke of Complaints was set forth chiefly by my meanes Now my conscience for my part beares me witnes that I did the thing out of love towards God his truth and people and not as is falsely suggested of contention and a peeuish mind And I was thereto mooved the sooner 1. because the same was in many mens hands already and so rather publicke then private 2. We had waited almost a quarter of a yeare for answer but could not obtaine it although M r Paget was spoken unto many times about it 3. It was given out that hee had writen 12 or 15 sheets of paper against us and intended shortly to acquaint the world therewith when this report was brought unto me I thought it requisite having the copies by me immediately to publish them that so seeing hee would publikely write in confutation thereof men might truely understand what our particular grieveances were And these causes of great and good regard led me to doe what I did Of which more is spoken in another place Lastly whereas I haue had occasion to sit many times in our Consistory Hence I haue taken a more full and certaine knowledge of our common Ecclesiasticall affaires I mean observed the unfreenes of our Congregation and her subjection to the power of the Classis and in this regard as I know my self the better able to give testimony of the truth in the matters betwixt us so I thinke my self the more called to speake what I truely may in the just defence of my self and others For the manner of this writing Whosoever shall consider either the subject here treated off or the persons whom it chiefly respecteth will I thinke confesse that there lay a necessity upon mee to use the best meanes I could to haue it done unto some effectuall purpose But for my part I must confesse and so I would haue all men in all places to know that I am not in my self of the abilitie to compose a worke of this nature And therefore thorow my entreatie and desire others more able haue taken some paines for me herein both in seeking out learned Authours as also setting them downe in the places as they stand On whose fidelity skill and care I haue presumed the publishing of them to the world having this confidence in the person or persons that they will stand to justify all the allegations according to the end and use here produced And if just occasion be offered it may be they will adde some thing more thereunto As for the truth of the matter this I owne under my owne hand And to use here Mr. Pagets words for the testimony of this truth I am not ashamed to suffer that reproach which some lay upon me Though I have allready bene smiten on the right checke Preface yet I am ready to turne the other also rather then to forsake this truth which I iudge to be of great importance Yea if I were cast upon my death-bed ready to deliver up my soule in the hands of the Lord I should among my last words professe before men and Angels that the things here pleaded for by me are the holy precepts of the eternall God The reason why I haue not followed him steppe by steppe throughout his Booke but haue principally insisted upon two points viz. promiscuous Baptisme and the due power of the Church is because on these depend all our differences For if it be true as it is here prooved to be most true that it is unlawfull to baptise any infants whose Parents one at least are not members of any visible Church And that every particular Congregation is independent and may yea ought to practise Ecclesiasticall Government and all other Gods spiritual ordinances in and of it self immediately from Christ Then it will follow that our former protest is certainly true against him And so much the premises granted is by himself acknowledged for thus hee sayth If this Church be deprived of that liberty and power which Christ hath given it c. Preface If the Elders be deprived of their power in Government for the good of the Church If I have subiected the Church under the undue power of the Classis c. If these and the like assertions in their Booke he true then is there cause to complaine of the miserable slavery and bondage of this Church and of Tyrannicall government Then is there cause to commend and preferre the liberty and freedome if the Brownists which are not subject unto the power of any
Popish Priests teach sundry untruths Mr. Paget teacheth many things as they doe therefore Mr. Paget teacheth many untruths If this argument will not passe in Schooles then certainly a great part of Mr. Pagets Booke wants as truth so art too 2. For his reputing me to have the least understanding among the complainants I little esteeme thereof for indeed I know my Talent this way is very small yet I prayse God for it and doe desire to improove the same unto his glory and wish from my heart that as Mr. Paget hath received a greater measure of good gifts so hee would hereafter labour to put them to a better use and not seeke by his witt and learning to discountenance the truth and countenance errour to the dishonour of Gods great Name the generall grief of many good people and to the hardning of sinners in their perverse and crooked wayes Luk. 12.48 Hee knowes well enough were it is written Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required 3. It doth not well become a man of Mr. Pagets place and profession to upbraid any with their simplicity 1 Cor. 1.27 Act. 4.13 Mat. 18.19 Iudg. 6.15 and meannesse gifts considering how the Lord many times chooseth the foolish things of the world to bring great things thereby to passe And truely for mine owne part as weake as I am yet I trust through Christ to be able to defend our just case undertaken against him Phil. 4.13 howsoever I know my self in diverse respects many wayes inferiour unto him And therefore I doe entreat him to lay boasting aside and not glory in the flesh but to follow the truth in love 1 Kings 20 12. without calumniations and evill speaches that so our controversy may the better and sooner be ended 4. But if I am so ignorant as hee reports me to be how came it then to passe that hee and others made an Officer of me the Scriptures forbid that one of the least understanding should be made a Deacon in any Church of God Act. 6.3 1. Ti. 3.8.9 Rom. 12.8 Certainly therefore when I was elected either you Mr. Paget dealt not well with the Congregation in not dehorting them from the action by shewing unto them my great unfitnes or otherwise you have now out of some ill will taken up this thing of purpose against me in hope by the disabling of me to honour the more your self and your owne baddoings by it 5. Such as will impartially read your Booke may plainly perceive that there is in you a very ill property that is in not-carying your self more meekely and gently towards him whom you judge to be the weakest of many Pauls practise was otherwise hee never shewed himself that wee can read froward violent and bitter in speaches unto weake and simple men It was not his manner to gibe 2 Cor. 11.29 2 Tim. 2.24.25 Eph. 6.4 Gal. 6.1 scoffe and gird at them and to publish abroad unto others their infirmities of set purpose to exasperate them and to make them contemptible The more infirme any member is in our naturall bodies the more softly wee handle it But have you Mr. Paget dealt so with me speake out You say I am simple I pray what meanes have you used to make me wiser Have you hitherto taken any particular course for my bettering Saveing of late indeed you have sent forth into the world many untruths against mee If your simple and weake people shall find such hard dealing at your hands what may be stronger and wiser exspect Well may I say in another mans words Is this the long suffering spirit of meeknes in seeking to recover the lost Pol. Virg. 6. If Mr. Paget dare take my testimony I doe assure him there are many that wonder at his great oversight how hee could without blushing mention the Brownists in this thing as thinking to advantage his case any way by it Considering what a chief agent hee hath bene unto some which were some times of them not onely to set their discontented humours upon scandalous enterprises but to gather up himself all the personall fayling which hee could find out among them and afterwards under other mens names to publish it in print whereby to make them odious Oh me thinkes seeing hee knew himself faulty this way hee should have bene therewith so deepely affected as in the words of another said As I have done so hath God requited me Indeed wee read in Scripture Iudg. 1.7 that the Lord many times punisheth men in the same kind and manner wherein they have offended * Exod. 22.23.24.1 Sam. 15.35 Eccl. 7.21.22 Est. 7.10 Frov. 5.22 Psal 7.16 But I perceive Mr. Paget lookes upon others otherwise then on himself and thinkes his neighbours may not take the liberty to returne that backe unto him which hee sends abroad But to leave him in the midst of his owne thoughts I doe desire thee good Reader to take notice how greatly hee hath abused thee and many others by a false report in saying that the Brownists were speciall Actours in the worke chief agents setters of us at worke encouragers of us against him Whereas I speake it in all good conscience that not one of them to my knowledge did ever meddle with our matters or helped us at any time either by word or writing Indeed when I brought the copies to the presse I entreated the Printer as I said before to set it out in a good order and no other assistance was there sought either from him or any other of them Mr. Paget promiseth his Readers in the first page of his Preface to give some light unto them for the better decerning and judging of the differences between us Now truely if this be his best light I hope the Godly wise will take heed how to follow it For in truth the light which hee here sets up is much like unto a false latterne which ill disposed people hang out on some cleft or high place of purpose to cause the Mariners to misse the haven and to runne their Vessells on the rocks Much better therefore hee had done if hee had followed the Apostles precept that is Ro. 14.13 Not have put a stumbling blocke or an occasion to fall in his brothers way For such a practise displeaseth God and bringeth alwayes at last sorrow and shame unto the doer of it SECTION II. TOuching the matter conteyned in his Booke my answer to it if God will shall be thus First I will shew how injuriously hee hath dealt with me in particular Secondly proove that the things which hee maintaineth against us are unlawfull In the 92 page of his Booke hee proclames me to be a man that have given great offence and am become an evill example unto many by the open violation of the Sabbath in mine owne house and by resorting unto the assembly of the Remonstrants and have bene admonished by him in the name of the Eldership and
till I saw the accusation out in print And what I here say Mr. Paget knowes it to be true although with his pen hee hath writen otherwise Hee complains against Mr. Davenport in pag. 42. for want of sincere and plaine dealing And why because the other without his knowledge did write his words But what cause have I to complaine against him for want of plaine and sincere dealing for publishing against me many untruths Notwithstanding I will not bid him as hee doth me to awaken his frozen and benummed conscience for I have better learned Christ 1 Pet. 3.9 then to render evill for evill onely in all singlenesse of heart as before the Lord I doe entreat him to take more heed hereafter unto his words and that the Law of truth * See Mal. 2.6 may be in his mouth and that hee will speake it from the heart Hee promised the Reader to stand on his watch and not to doe the least wroung to his opposites Preface for the greatest which they had done unto him Thus indeed hee spake but hath hee done so not in the least For I may truely say as the Prophet saith Hee hath spoken and done evill things as hee could Ier. 3.5 Of which wee shall have just occasion to speake more hereafter 5. Howsoever hee hath charged me with open violation of the Sabbath yet to proove the thing so â—ee will never be able to doe it though hee strive till his heart ake And therefore Christian Reader thou mayest see how farre hee is from taking good wayes to restore me if I am fallen as on the contrary hee seekes by blotting my name to keepe me onward still in an uneven walking But to answer him directly if Mr. Paget had bene as foreward to have made inquirie for the truth of the thing as too foreward to publish an untruth about it hee should have heard with his eares and seene with his eyes that I am so farre from offending this way that my care and labour to the contrary hath bene an occasion of some difference in my familie as also of many jests and reproaches from my neighbours about me And here let it againe be observed the great partiality of this man hee taxeth me for Sabbath breaking Now if hee thinke as hee speaketh that it is a sinne to buy and sell on that day Oh how negligent then is hee in the worke of the Lord in not being more Z alously earnest to have the same reformed Hee cannot possibly be ignorant that under his Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment as hee takes it there are many scoores constantly breakers of the day I say many wayes notwithstanding hee suffereth them alone and never admonisheth them thereof But how hee will be able to answer this unto God let hee himself looke well to it It may be hee thinkes to helpe himself with that devise which hee talkes off in pag. 97. viz. a quarter watching but for my part I verily thinke that the Lord will require a strict account * Matt. 25.24 of him for every soule whither English or Dutch that hee hath undertaken to be a watch man unto them and if hee have taken upon him a greater charge then hee is able to looke unto Let him consider whither hee may not justly feare that the Lord will punish him for his presumption and omission too Lastly whereas hee addes the word open to have the Reader thinke that my offence this way is notorious I answer that never to my knowledge was there any doore or window in my Shop opened on the Lords day to make outwardly any shew whereby to draw people into the same In a word that which hath bene delivered to any hath bene for the most part physicall things for the present use of sicke people SECTION III. BEcause the fowler will be sure to kill the bird if hee can Hee therefore chargeth his peece with many shots that so if one doe misse yet another may strike her dead M r Paget in this place comes out against me Pag. 153. 154. much like such a gunner seeking at one shott to shute all terrible bullets into my sids But I shall endeavour the Lord assisting me to avoyd them all by making it cleere and evident to every indifferent Reader that I am not injurious in any one of the particulars wherewith hee most injuriously accuseth me First hee sayth I am iniurious to Mr. Davenport in printing that which hee wrote without his consent ANSWER 1. HOwsoever Mr. Davenport knew not of it yet for ought I knew hee was not unwilling to have it published 2. Though hee wrote it yet the matter jointly concerned us all therefore it was necessary as I thought that it should not ly hid in the hands of a few men seeing most probably by the publishing of it God would be glorified the truth cleared errour confuted and many good Christians comforted 3. Howsoever Mr. Paget here finds fault with me notwithstanding the same thing hath bene sometime his owne practise I pray who gave him leave to set forth Mr. Ainsworth writings or what consent had hee of Mr. Robinson when hee printed certain letters of his sent privately to D. Ames I doe not mention his doings to justifie my owne thereby but onely to shew his great partialty in judging that to be evill in another which himself notwithstanding is most forward to doe Is not Pauls saying here worthy of remembrance Rom. 2.21 Thou which teachest another teachest thou not thy self The second injury which I have done is to some of my fellow-complaynanss who professe themselves as hee saith highly offended at the printing thereof Answ If they be offended the question is whether it be not an offence taken but none given As for Mr. Paget hee hath not yet prooved nor I thinke ever will that I have transgressed in it and therefore hee begs onely the question not being able to bring any word of God to convince me of sinne for suppose I should here reason thus If some of my fellow complaynants doe professe themselves to be highly offended with Mr. Paget for his bad caraiges unchristian speaches and divers great abuses offered unto many good men Then hath Mr. Paget bene injurious unto them But some of my fellow complaynants doe professe thus Therefore c. Now let me see what defence hee can make for himself which will not serve to cleare me every way as well A third pretended injury is because a Brownist did print it with a schismaticall addition in the end Answ I doe deny that addition to be schismaticall but contrary wise holy and good even a duety commaunded in Scripture practised in the best and purest Churches justifyed by the most judicious Divines ancient and moderne as I shall hereafter largely proove But no marvaill that M r Paget is offended at it seeing the Godly are there encouraged to stand fast in that freedome and liberty which Christ hath purchased for them with his
owne blood This hee cannot indure this hee cannot read with patience against this hee proclames open warre gibes often at it and reproacheth every one that sincerely embraceth the same But let him take heed least for calling good evill Chap. 5.20 God bring not the woe in Esai upon his head As for the unreverend terme it self which hee giveth unto Christs instuution we weigh it not neither are we any more discouraged from the holding of it fast then were our fathers of elder time discouraged from embracing the Gospell Act. 28.22 24.5 1 Cor. 1.23 Act. 24.14 because the enimies of it called it schisme faction folishnes heresie c. It is reported of one Theodotius having denyed Christ that hee might not be blamed for it taught that Christ was meere man and not God So Mr. Paget in the case of Church gouvernment that his owne and other mens faults may not be seene in not using or submitting to it doth labour what hee can to discredit the same But whether the power which wee stand for be schismaticall or his Apostaticall I hope by this Treatise the Reader shall be able to judge 4. Hee saith I have bene injurious unto him in spreading abâ—oad so many untruths against him as are before noted Answ 1. I had a just cause to doe what I did both for the truth sake and his owne too For first if every good subject be bound to his power to maintaine the temporall rights and Lawes of Princes whether it be by discovering of treason suppressing rebellion or the like Then much more ought all Christs subjects to doe what they can Rev. 2.25 to preserve the good estate of his spirituall Kingdome Againe who will not draw his brother out of a deepe pit or well if hee see any way or meanes for it The truth is Mr. Paget through Satan and his owne lust is fallen into many great sinnes and therefore out of Christian compassion to his soule I published the booke being confident if there be any farther course to be taken by me for his recovery this is it because now questionles hee shall see if hee will be contended to open his eyes his errours soundly and effectually refuted 2. Whereas hee saith our writings are untruths I say hee speakes untruely in it for there is nothing set downe there but will be prooved as in part I shall doe in this treatise and more I understand is shortly to come forth Besides I doubt not but Mr. Davenport will doe the like so farre as the thing concerneth him 3. Howsoever hee hath made a large discours in his owne justification notwithstanding hee hath not cleared himself at all in the maine things laid to his charge viz. promiscuous Baptisme and the authority of the Classis Yet hee knowes untill hee proove these two points to be lawfull our whole writing standeth firmely and effectually against him As for the many swâ—llâ—ng 〈◊〉 used throughout his booke in his owne praise In my understanding it had beene better Prov. 27.2 if some other had done it and not his owne mouth In the Olympicks games men did not put garlands and Crownes on their owne heads but waited till others did it In truth self prayse is very unseemely Hence in derision they say Hee dwelt by bad neighbours Besides such persons usually are least credited * Ioh. 8.13 and good reason too for the greatest boasters are commonly the worst dooers * 1 Sam. 15 13. Revel 3.15 c. As the emptiest vessels make the loudest sound driest things the greatest flame so those which proclame as with sound of trumpet their owne goodnes have most times least of it That I may be the lesse offensive in my words I will here speake to Mr. Paget in his owne Pag. 61. Certainly it was a want of modesty and prudency in him to make such disputes in his owne commendation For hee hath vainely praysed himself and wrounged us 7. Pag. 10. Yea in stead of clearing himself hee is more polluted His owne tongue defileth him And therefore his glorying is not good The fift thing wherein I am injurious in his conceit is to our whole Congregation to blot the same with report of infamous contention faction c. Answ 1. As they that stirre up warre and strife Iudg. 11.13 1 King 18.18 impute the cause unto others which lyeth on themselves so dealeth Mr. Paget with me For who hath bene the cause and authour to blot our Congregation with report of infamous contention faction c. but hee chiefly For had hee contained himself within his owne bounds not plaid the Diotrephes suffered the Church to have exercised her owne due power not brought in mens devises amongst us wee had not seene and felt the shame and misery which now wee doe And that all may see whatsoever infamy our Church lyeth under that it is come principally by his meanes I desire these things may be taken into consideration 1 The abuses from time to time done to our Elders that which they jointly doe if it fall not in his line hee termeth it an unrighteous law a bone of contention a rocke of offence In his Letter given into the Consistory 11. Mar. 1632. injurious to the Magristrate destroyers of the liberty of the Church ringleaders to faction c. If they in opinion differ from him then hee makes them parties and so disableth them from judging in the case yea professeth hee will not tollerate the thing I doe let passe to speake of his taxing them for insufficiency of his procureing the Classes to censure them Pag. 18.63 how hee rejects their advise and counceill For of all these things wee shall have a fitter place hereafter This onely by the way I say how sleightly soever hee thinkes of Ruling Elders notwithstanding they have a great place in the Church of Christ such power and authority as taking the consent of the Church with them they may call the Pastour to give them an account of his doing Yea and to depose him from his ministery If there be just cause although Classes and Synods take his part Let no man thinke that this is a new doctrine for our chief Divines teach it If any one * Protestat Kings supr pag. 15. Offer Confer pag. 2. of the Ecclesiasticall Officers themselves shall sinne hee is as subiect to the Censures of the rest as any other member in the Congregation If they shall all sinne scandalously either in the execution of their office Repl. to D. Downames defen l. 2. part 2 pag. 109. Discours of Troub at Franck pag. 162. art 65 or in any other ordinarie manner then the Congregation that chose them freely hath as free power to depose them and to place others in their roome And no marvaill if Protestants write thus For the Papists ingeniously say as much The * Ferus in Act. Apost cap. 11. Church may not onely exact an account of her
at all Many other perswasions by words as a so by writing were delivered in Dutch Notwithstanding for all this they would not revoake their sentence but confirmed it a new Is Israel a servant is hee home borne why is hee spoiled But to the point this record to use Mr. Pagets * Pag. 49. words in the like case is an authentick witnes not lyable to exception for what I have here said is recorded in the Acts of our Consistory * Octob. 12. 1631. And that this was to hard a dealing with us I proove it thus 1. There ought to bâ— nothing as Beza * Epist 83. saith imposed on a people against their wills Now imagen that our owne Eldeâ—ship should decree a thing either to be done or not yet could they not enjoyne us by any Law of God to obey them in it further then wee our selves doe see the same to be lawfull and so voluntarily assent unto it And if it be so then by what authority can Officers of other Congregations require us to stand to their acts specially when wee neither like them nor judge them good It seemes Zwinglius was against such doings Ad Valent. Compar for hee saith Whosoever with a Councill of Bishops shall impose on Christian people any Law or observation at their owne liking hee meaneth without the peoples consent hee invadeth the Churches right by a violent commaund Artic. 64. In another place Such Elders as without the Churches consent decree things at their owne pleasure are in name Elders but indeed Tyrants Cyprian * Cypria l. 4 Ep. 21.34.46.26.32 14.31 in sundry places writes that all matters ought to be determined by the Bishops Elders and the people present and consenting Otherwise sayth hee matters are not firme and sure For this very case Chemnitius * Exa Conc. Trid part 1 pag. 3. condemneth the Councill of Trent viz. because they set downe their decrees as it were uncontroulably and not under the examination of the Churches D. Bilson * Cont. Ap. p. 9â— saith that no Councill can bind a whole Church except there be a generall consent 2. Seeing the authority of particular Congregations is as Mr. Parker ‡ Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 13. p. 130. saith and largely prooveth it above all Synodes I cannot see what reason a few men haue to take upon them the subjecting of a whole Congregation to their decrees yea and to * Yet thus dealt the Claswith our Eld. because they admitted Mr. Hooker to the Pulpit contrary to their act De Ro. Pont. pract pag. 2. Censure the Eldership if they though with the Churches liking doe contrary to it It was not the manner of Bishops saith D. Whitaker in the primitive times to assume unto themselves jurisdiction and gouvernment over others 3. If it be right * See Park-Pol Eccl. l. 3 c. 12. p. 88. that the common desire of a particular Congregation in things lawfulll should take place before one mans opposition to it then I take it the matter was not well caried when Mr. Paget prevailed against the Eldership and Church too 4. This practise is contrary to the old rule generally received among the learned That ‡ Amb. lib. de dig Sacerd 3. which concerneth all ought of all to be approoved But some may say how is this to be done I answer in the words of D. Fulke * Learned Discours of Eccles disci p. 86. That the Elders sayth hee may have their sentence to be the sentence of the Church they must when they have travailed in examining of cases propound them to the whole multitude that it may be confirmed by their consent Observe here how according to this mans opinion the Classis should first have propounded the thing to our Congregation and if wee jointly had approoved thereof then might they have concluded that it was a Church Act otherwise not 5. Howsoever the Classes have joyned with Mr. Paget against us and they together deprived us of Mr. Hooker and Mr. Davenport notwithstanding hetherto wee have not seene them to warrant their proceedings by the Scriptures and therefore in this respect wee also take it that they have dealt too hardly with us For who knoweth not that in all questions of this nature no other testimony or argument can strike the stroake to perswade the conscience but the word of God for as one * Chrisost in Psal 95. ad finem well saith If any thing be spoken without Scripture the mind of the heareth halteth now sticking at it sometimes turning from it as frivolous sometimes turning to it as probable But when the testimony of the speaker commeth from Divine Scripture it confirmeth both the speach of the speaker and mind of the hearer But as for the Classis all that wee haue yet heard or seene from them for the justification of their Acts against us hath bene either the order * This is the reason they give in their act against Mr. Hooker why hee should not preach it was against the order of the Churches in these Countries of the Church or custome or tradition Now what saith God by Ieremy ‡ Cha. 10.3 The customes of the people are vaine Whatsoever savoreth against the truth is Heresie even old custome said Tertullian * De veland Virg. Custome saith ‡ Cypr. Ep. 74. ad Pomp. another without truth is the mother of errour And in another place * In l. 2. Ep. 3. ad Cicil. Wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God To the same purpose speakes Beza ‡ In Luc. 23.27 and others As for orders wee are so farre to be ordered by them as they accord with the order of the Gospell Touching Traditions wee know well enought what they say against them when they deale with the Papists Besides doth not Mr. Page tell us and that * Pag. 37. truely that many worthy Divines are sometimes mistaken Why then may not they be mistaken in our differences In truth wee have the more reason so to thinke considering they bring us no proofe for their doings herein saving bare authoritie And here by the way I thinke good to observe a little of Mr. Pagets talke in pag. 25. having set downe a great part of the Acts and sentences which the Classicall Assembly made against Mr. Hooker also what the Deputies of the Synod did in like manner judge of the thing Hee immediately begins to hold up his head and to looke so big upon us as if there were no remedie but wee must needs runne away and veeld him the cause Had these complaynants saith hee bene wise and considerate persons they would rather have sought to bury the memorie of these things then by their importunate complaints compell me in my owne defence to write these things which otherwise I should not have done But good Sir wherein lyeth the weight of this terrible matter what is it
Congregation Therefore no Pastour can rightly administer the Sacraments but in his owne Congregation The last of this argument which onely may be doubted of I proove thus That which is a proper worke of an Apostle is not to be done by any ordinarie Minister To administer officiallie in more Congregations then one is a proper worke of an Apostle Therefore c. The proposition is certain the assumption is taught generally by learned men For in this very thing they doe distinguish ordinary Ministers from Apostles the first being tyed to one onely Flock The later having power and libertie to exercise their Ministerie any where Plainly to this purpose writeth D. Whitaker The Apostles saith hee received the kees from Christ and power of teaching and remitting sinnes as common Bishops of the whole World but all others of their owne Churches In these things therefore which the Apostles had extraordinarily Bishops succeed them not that is in that power which is truely and properly Apostolicall Marke what hee counteth Apostolicall namely to be a common Bishop that is to exercise a power in more Churches then one Here I will passe over Rom. 14.5.23 because I find nothing in his answer which concerneth the matter in controversie betweene us The Scriptures following are these viz. Act. 11.21.26 Gen. 17.10 Rom. 4.11 Act. 2.39 But before hee comes to answer those Scriptures in particular hee makes a great complaint unto the Reader against Mr. Davenport and his opposite Brethren for some unjust doing in the question betweene them and their trespasse is because they have sayd promiscuous baptizing of all infants without difference Hence hee rayseth this observation A man that reads their writings might easilie be brought to doubt whither Turkes or Iewes Mahometists or Heathens or infidelles of what Nation or sect soever did sometime present their children to baptisme and that it was the custome of the Dutch Church to baptise such being presented Answ I will not contend with him whither it may be possible that any should be such Simplicians as to make so groundles an inference But this I say and will proove it also that Mr. Paget goes about to deceive his Readers in that hee would have them to conceive that it is not their manner to baptise all infants brought to them but they make a distinction admit some others not And whither this be so I appeale to his owne conscience are not Bastards received constantly to Baptisme If the Parents are knowne to be drunkards swearers blasphemers excommunicates Hereticks c. notwithstanding their children are still baptised if they are brought to the Congregation Yea more then this If the Parents come not at all to nod the head of which thing wee shall speake hereafter yet this hinders not the infants baptising for it is enought if a girrle of 16 or 17 yeares doe bring it and there bow with the rest to some questions propounded to them Now then let all judicious Readers judge If wee had not just cause to name it a promiscuous baptising Seeing as I said those which are not members of any Congregation nor worship God in any Congregation but live rather without God in the world make a mocke of sin and count it their grace that they are graceles even those vile varlets when they will may haue their seed baptised I say as freely and ordinarily as those which are members and men knowne to feare God As for his mentioning of Turkes Iewes c. it is vainely done for all know that such doe not present their children to our baptisme and therefore I wish him hereafter rather in sincerity to seeke the truth then with shifts cavills and evasions the maintenance of his case and credit Notwithstanding this I must tell him I am verily perswaded that it would require all the witt and skill Mr. Paget hath to proove that such Parents whose children hee and others sometime baptise are not a great deale worse in life and conversation then many Iewes Turkes and Heathens The next thing undertaken by Mr. Paget is to proove that men may be reputed in the Covenant by testification of their faith and repentance though it were by a word or gesture of the body witnessing their consent thereunto so farre as to procure the admission of their infants to have the seale of circumcision or Baptisme as appeareth from the holy records Answ 1. Hee layeth downe here a manifest untruth to speake the best of it in affirming that the Iewes under the Law might lawfully admit infants to the seale of circumcision before the Parents of them were joyned actuall members to that visible Church For this I gather to be his meaning from these words So farre as to procure the admission of their infants to have the seale of Circumcision Besides it must either thus be understood or hee understood not his owne saying For our question respects onely such infants whose Parents are not joyned to any Church And therefore this must needs hold a just proportion with it Now whither this be not a great presumption in him let all judge that are wise to sobriety for to affirme a thing against the expresse commaundement of God and continuall practise of the Saints of purpose to uphold by it and unlawfull and sinfull practise Hee that feares the Lord and his righteous judgements as hee ought will take heed not to devise such unsounds tenets 2. For the 20 Scriptures or more which hee hath here quoted the truth is Pag. 152. not one of them either hurts our case or helpes his For 1. I would know of him whither to say Yea Amen so be it whereby an externall profession of faith love and thankfullnes is shewed towards God his meaning be that this consisteth in the pronunciation of the letters syllables or words Againe whither by nodding with the head hee intendeth simply the gesture without any respect to the fitnes of the doer of it If hee say hee meanes nothing saving bare speaking and bare bowing Then I say it is a blasphemous saying for it is possible that a bird or a beast may doe so much But on the contrary if hee say hee respecteth the qualification and condition of the speakers and nodders then his whole matter fals to the ground because the speakerss and nodders in question are altogether for the present unfit and uncapable to performe any Religious worke for as I sayd they are knowne to deny God in workes Psal 50. and hate to be reformed what then haue such to doe to take Gods word into their mouth or if they would yet what calling hath Mr. Paget to put such a thing upon them Briefly though hee will doe it yet what reason haue wee to repute them for all this in the Covenant seeing wee find in Scripture no warrant to justify the action 2. Be it granted that the Church and people of God in some cases haue declared their consent by saying Yea Amen so be it or by a gesture
Testimonies I doubt not but to make it manifest that as the Scriptures so they are also with us and so much shall be declared in the next Section SECTION VIII THe allegations of the Learned which I purpose here to set downe shall be taken 1. From Papists 2. Lutherans 3. Calvinists 4. English Conformists 5. The Non-Conformists 6. Ancient Writers And lastly the Confession of Reformed Churches Howsoever Romes-Champions * Bellarm. de verb. Dei l. 3. c. 5. Rhem. in Mat. 18.17 1. Cor. 5.2 Aegid Topi. Conc. in Ep. Euangel p. 280. Stapl. de auth Eccl. cont Whita c. 1. c. 1. Sect. 5. will haue none now to meddle with Church-Gouvernment but Preists Bishops Prelates c. yet they doe acknowledge that in the primitive Church according to the precept of Christ in Mat. 18. offenders after the first and second admonition were brought to the whole Congregation met in one place together that is the Christians with their Bishop or Pastour and there if they continued impenitent by the consent and approbation of all they were excommunicated by the Minister * Sculting Hier. Anar l. 11. p. 134 Marke I pray thee Reader the marvelous efficacy of the truth which forceth a testimony thereof even from them that are to it the greatest enimies It is here acknowledged as the truth is the right of Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment at first was in the body of every particular Congregation there lay the due power I doe not say chiefly but wholy so that what spirituall power is now assumed above this whither it be Papall or Episcopall whither it be Classicall or Synodall they are humane ordinances and apparent violation of a divine institution Others of them speake * Saravia cont Bez. pag. 62. Schol. Paris in Pol p. 6. as plaine All Ecclesiasticall authority primarily properlie and essentiallie belongeth to the Church to the Officers instrumentallie Ministerially and so farre onely as it respecteth the execution of it Here is nothing sayd to justify Ministers in taking more authoritie to themselves then they grant their congregations but a testimony to the contrary For what they doe is onely Ministerially as the servants of the Church and therefore a most unseemelie thing without the Churches fore knowledge liking and consent to make acts or decrees but more to bind men to the keeping thereof whither they will or no. To these wee will adde Alphonsus a L. 2. c. 24. de inst Har. de Costro and Franciscus Victoria b In relect de potest Eccl. Qu. 2. the Maister of Canus both these affirme that all Bishops doe receive jurisdiction and power immediately from God If so then one needs not to seeke anothers authority for every one in his owne Church may lawfully administer all Gods ordinances whither others otherwhere doe like or not Thus God who brought light out of darkcnes ordered these mens tongues to give witnes unto his truth Neither may Cusanus * De concor Cathol l. 1. c. 11. c. 14.15.16 words be unremembred who speaking on this place To thee will I give the kees sayth this promise of Christ must be referred unto the whole Church Sanders ‡ De visib Mon. l. 1. c 6. Scultingius * Hierarch Anarch l. 4. pag. 103. and others of them give the same exposition viz. that when Christ promised Peter the kees hee in person presented the bodie of the Church According to these mens writing the power of binding and loosing election of Ministers deposition and the like is in the bodie of the Congregation if so then Classes and Synods have it not I mean of right Iohn Ferus a Frier of S. Francis Order but godlier then the ‡ Such as Bucanan describeth in his Franciscanus common sort intreating in his Commentaries writen on the Actes of the example of Peter how hee was required to render a reason of that which hee had done maketh this note upon it Peter the Apostle and chiefe of the Apostles is constrained to give an account to the Church neither doth hee disdaine it because hee knew himself not to be a Lord but a Minister of the Church The Church is the Spouse of Christ and Lady of the House Peter a Servant and Minister wherefore the Church may not onely exact an account of her Ministers but also depose them and reject them altogether if they be not fit So did they in old time verie often But wicked Bishops now will not be reprooved no not of the Church nor be ordered by it as though they were Lords not Mlnisters * Fer. in Act. 11. What can be more for us then this For hee absolutely grants us the thing which wee stand for that is that the Church is above her Officers and therefore may require when there is just occasion a strict account of their actions Yea more if she find them unfaithfull whether it be in carying themselves more like Lords then servants or in stead of executing the degrees and sentences of the Church devise Lawes against her or in stead of maintaining her right freedom and priviledges seeke to bring her into bondage she may put them downe and place better in their roome But it seemes by Mr. Pagets question in pag. 82. if hee had bene in Peters place hee would not have had his matter debated and discussed openlie before the whole multitude of the Church notwithstanding I cannot see how hee could haue avoyded it seeing there was then no Classes for him to haue made his appeale unto I could here produce others of them viz. Gratian a Caus 11. p. 3. 6. Gregorie b Lib. 4. Epist 8.2 P. Aeneas Silvias c De gest Conc. Basil lib. 1. Pope Anacletus d Dist 21. c. in nov Test Sixtus Senensis e Bib. San. l. 8. annot 171. Thomas of Aquine f In 4 sent dist 2.4 qu. 3. art 2. Alexander of Ales g Sum. Theo. part 4 qu. 20. me 5.6 Iohn Scott h In Magist sent l. 4. dist 19. art 1. c. some affirming that the greatest authoritie is in the Church that the kees were given to all the Apostles others that all Bishops are equall in power and the like But wee will leave these men and come to more authenticke witnesses It is affirmed by the Centuries of Meydenburg that from Christs ascension unto Trajans * Cent. 1. c. 4. Cent. 6.7 Col. 591. time which is about a 100 yeares everie particular Church was gouverned by the Bishops Elders and Deacons of the same Moreover describing the state of Christian Churches from Trajans * Cent. 2. c. 7. p. 134. 135. raigne unto Severus that is from the yeare of Christ 100 to 195 thus they write If any read the approoved Authours of this age hee shall see that the order of Gouvernment was popular for all Churches had equall power of teaching purelie the Word of God administration of the Sacraments excommunication of