the name of God figured the visible Church of god so that this matter toucheth M. C. very neerely For if it be true that as all sacrifices then so all sacraments now are rebellion against the Lord being ministred without the visible Church of God then that sinne which he calleth a fault shalbe found to be more then a fault euen rebellion falling away from the Lord. And this is a sinne of execration euen abomination in the eies of the Lord to measure the visible church of god by a compasse of ground by a nuÌ„ber of housholdes by slint of tythes tenthes as we see in our parishes For the place maketh not the church neither is the church or true religioÌ„ to be measured by the place as Christ him selfe teacheth vs for neither in the mountaine where the father worshipped neither yet at Ierusale the citie of god was God any more to be worshipped but the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit truth By which words Christ meaneth thus much first that the spirit trueth being shewed by the outward good profession declare the outwarde Church of God and not the places neither temples nor cities nor parishes For in whome we see the spirit that is the graces of the spitit by their outward good works and the trueth that is the lawes and word of Christ which is true to be kept obserued them only we must call the Church of God And therefore in Isaiah it was shewed beforeâ— that with those only which turne from iniquitie in Iacob will the Lord make his couenant euen his spirite which is vpon them and his words which he hath put in their mouth Secondly by those wordes Christ teacheth that al the Iewish ceremonies shuld be abolished because the chiefest euen Ierusalem and the Temple should be no more For the temple at Ierusalem circumcision were the chiefest How great the citie and the Temple were it appeareth by that prayer of Salomon 1. Kinges 8. 29. And by sundry other places Deuteronom 12. 11. Ierem. 3. 17. Ezek. 43. 7. c. And of circumcision Paul reasoneth with the Galatians That if they be circumcised they are bounde to keepe the whole ceremoniall lawe for it being one of the chiefest ceremonies if they still obserued it they should also obserue all the rest but if they reiected the chiefest they should also reiect all the rest And to that ende Christ reasoneth that seeing all things are nowe to be verified in spirit and trueth therefore all ceremoniall and superstitious worship shoulde cease As also Paul reasoneth That if they be led by the spirit they are not vnder the ceremonies of the lawe So then it appeareth that tithings because they were ceremonies belong not to the Church And because such abomination is committed by them namely the due planting and gathering of the church is hindred and the libertie of the Church for remouing euil ministers stopped they are euen the execrable things which Achan did steale For if the common wealth as it ought had long agoe taken from the ministerie those tenthes and Popish liuings then Iericho being once destroyed I meane the Antichristian churches once put downe had not so soone bene built againe but nowe such tythings benefices and Bishoprickes remaining they haue builded by them an other Iericho in steade of the first in deede somewhat differing from the first but as contrary to Gods church and holy citie as was the first yea and Master Cartwright also wil iustifie that execrable stealth of Achan and call Iericho I meane those woefull assemblies and Parishes the visible church and citie of God But cursed be the man before the Lord saith Ioshua that riseth vp and buildeth againe this citie Iericho he shall lay the foundation thereof in his eldest sonne in his yongest sonne shall he set vp the gates of it Satan is that enuious and malitious man which hath builded againe this citie his eldest sonnes were the first beginners of this lamentable state whome God did afterwarde scourge and cal to repentance in the time of Queene Marie and brake their enterprise and his youngest sonnes are these latter reformers whome God also will certainely plague except they repeÌ„t But to come againe to Master Cartwrights proofe let him not say that we count any assembly whether they haue a dumbe minister oâ— haue none to be the outwarde Churches of God except they keepe the couenant by the outwarde discipline and gouernement of the Church Further Master Cartwright saith that in such assemblyes the dumbe minister is not chiefe but Christ and that wee make nothing of the dumbe minister and yet will needes haue him to be the head of those Churches Indeede we make nothing of him concerning any goodnes that is by him for he helpeth nothing thereto but concerning the mischiefe and hurt which he doeth or the sinne that is by him let him not say wee make nothing of it For if they be beastes as it is written so that by their want of vnderstanding and conscience the flockes of the pastour be scattered and perish shall we say it is nothing If they be those foolish shepheardes whome the Lorde saith by Zecharie he will raise vp in iudgement to sell and to slay the sheepe to eate the flesh of the fat and to teare them in pieces which also shall not looke for them that are lost nor seeke the tender lambes nor heale that is hurt nor feede them but rather feede them selues vpon their flesh shall we make nothing of such ministers But go to he sayeth that Christ is the head of those assemblyes and not the dumbe ministers That Christ is their head or fouÌ„dation he can not prooue as was shewed before wherefore for any thing he can prooue the dumbe ministers in the absence of the Bishops and their officers are the chiefe and heades ouer them That they are alwayes chiefe we saide it not for when the Bishoppes which are greater vsurpers are present then they are heades and both the dumbe ministers and hireling preachers may serue well ynough to bee the tayle For Satan hath all wayes by such as by the taile of the dragon drawing the third part of the starres of heauen and cast them to the earth What shall we vnderstande by heauen but the shewe of the church as it were set in heauen by the starres but the children of the church falling to wickednes and loosing their light Such are the people of those assemblies whom Satan hath cast vpon the earth as starres â—out light He bringeth another proofe by Corah and his company For they saith he were not cast foorth of the lords host by Moses therefore should not these assemblyes also which haue a dumbe minister thrust vpon them be reputed for runnegates from the Lorde well let vs see was not in deede Corah with those that claue to him put apart from the hoste
giueth the right hande of societie vnto our English assemblyes which proofe he confesseth not to be so strong yet strong ynough to stay all sudden iudgements and so long to cause silence til on eyther side the light of the trueth doe breake foorth I will not heare enter into that question whether the Churches haue power to sit in mens consciences and to shut vp mens mouthes from testifying their iudgements and consciences for in some matters Master Cartwright doeth giue them that power namely for their verdite and sentence which be true Churches of God What vantage the Pope and Papistes might take hereby for defence of their churches it may be easily iudged and what a clog to mens consciences it were to iustifie and ioyne with all assemblies till all the churches by generall consent did condemne them let euery one iudge But surely Paul witnesseth that the spirit of God in his children searcheth out all things euen the deepe things of God yea it iudgeth and knoweth all things that are of God And againe he saith that he which is spirituall discerneth all thinges yet he himselfe is iudged of no man meaning that indeede worldly men can not rightly iudge of him wherefore the godly may freely both iudge and giue their iudgement euen of all assemblies which they knowe whether they be the true Churches of God And in another place he coÌ„mandeth not onely to minde iudge think on all things that are true and honest and iust and pure but also to doe them Wherefore as we ought to loue the godly and their assemblyes so our loue as Paul teacheth vs ought to abounde more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement that wee may discerne thinges that differ especially that wee may knowe the house of God from a denne of thieues But herein Master Cartwright doeth much abuse vs and also all the Churches of Europe For neither we doe cast out the churches of two whole Ilandes as he saith neither doe they holde them all in For though the fame of the Martyrs of Englande came to their eares and also their doctrine profession at that time as they theÌ„selues wrote it or testified it by mouth was knowen vnto them and then in the time of affliction they tooke them for brethren and churches yet it followeth not that nowe in our securitie they heare of our canon lawes and popish gouernment of our wofull abuses thereby or if they doe heare that notwithstanding they doe hastily iustifie vs. In deede they can not rashly condemne vs because they knowe not our state and rather they should take our assemblies to be the churches of God for the fame they haue sometimes heard of the Martyrs But that we which throughly knowe them should not iudge truely and doe accordingly it is both against reason and duetie For as euery plaâ—nt whiâ—h the heauenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted vp saith Christ so in the next verse he sheweth the way to roote them vp namely that we put away from vs their guiding and gouerning being blinde guides and leaders of the blinde and let them alone And so with Ieremie we shall plucke vp and roote out destroy and throw downe euen kingdomes and nations that is as we saide before wee shall pronounce their wickednesse and iudgement against them and forsake their fellowshippe and so leauing them to the iudgements of God they shall surely be plucked vp and destroyed except they repent Wherefore let not Master Cartwright thinke much if God doe set one man euen against a whole countrey For Ieremie in as good times as ours are was set against the whole lande against the Kinges of Iudah and against the princes thereof against the priestes thereof and against the people of the lande And in another place he woulde vtterly leaue the people and goe from them and dwell alone in the wildernesse And so well did he like their assemblyes that he calleth them all adulterers and an assemblie of rebels And in another place he is forbidden to haue any fellowshippe with them whether pleasant or vnpleasant so that he might neither mourne with them neither reioyce neither eate nor drinke with them And if it bee said that Ieremie had a speciall commaundement which we haue not we knowe that all the commaundements of God vpon the like occasions belong vnto vs. And concerning authoritie and power wee prooued before that the least in the kingdome of God hath it equall with Ieremie or any of the Prophetes Hereby is that also aunswered which Master Cartwright inferreth that if one man bee founde worthie of excommunication the smaller part of an assembly is not to proceede against him if the greater part will not What doctrine is this and what one worde of God doth he name for profe of this diuers other such â—ike For though Kings nations all the would wuold take any knowen wretched liuer to be a brother and communicate with him yet neitheÌ„r the smaller part of an assembly neyther I alone ought to do it For there is a flat law set downe by the Lorde Thou shalt not followe a multitude to doe euill neyther agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrowe the trueth But Master Cartwright will saye that this Lawe was giuen for wittnessing the trueth in publique iudgement and not that euery one shoulde take vpon him to excommunicate We knowe that the common wealth of Israel and their ciuill iudgement did figure out the Lordes Spirituall iudgement in his Church and therefore it is sayde of Saint Paul that wee are nowe no more aliauntes from the common wealth of Israel which wordes doe shewe that their Common wealth did figure out our spirituall fellowshippe But whether it did or no the lawe is generally giuen both for ciuill iudgement and for all dealings in controuersie that wee ought to giue true iudgement and testimonie and not to keepe backe iudgement or peruert the trueth for any mans cause yet we say not that euery one may excommunicate alone For we ought to tell the Church saith Christ and so we should haue the church to ioyne with vs in that action And Paul sheweth that his spirit theirs being met together was ioyned as in one for excommunicating the incestuous person but what if the rest of the church will not ioyne with vs therein Surely then as we prooued before we must set our selues against them all we must not be afraid of their faces as the Lorde commandeth lest he destroy vs before them For they all that knowing Achans sinne refuse being warned to cut him off are guiltie with him in his sinne or if they touch or come neere the tents of Corah Dathan and Abiram they shall perish with them or being in a citie that is fallen away to Idolatrie if they flee not out of it or set not them selues against it they shall be destroyed
not beguiled with the Names of Gods house Church and Citie he him selfe hath giuen it a name as it is written the name of that city shalbe from that day The Lord is there And in this respect also it is called in Ieremie the throne of his glorie As who say that amoÌ„g whoÌ„soeuer we see not the Lord to reigne by his gouernement discipline as it were in the throne of his kingdom them we shuld â—â—dge not to be the city church of God And though the church â—o pray that God would not cast downe the throne of his glory nor breake the conant with them yet Ieremie bringeth in those wordes as a complaint of the penitent and not to proue that the wretched sorte either helde the couenant or were the throne of God Wherefore to conclude this matter The path and way of the Lord is holy as the prophet teacheth no polluted shal passe by it there shalbe no lyon no noysome beast shall ascend by it neither shall they be founde there whereby is meant that open and grosse sinners shall not be suffred in the Church For either they shall be separate by excommunication or els all the godly shall withdraw them selues from them and hold them accursed As it is written If any man loue not the Lorde Iesus let him be had in execration yea excommunicate to death And surely they loue not the Lorde but are his enemies as was shewed before which refuse his gouernment that he can not reigne ouer them And againe it is written This is the loue of God that we keepe his commandemeÌ„ts and he that sayeth I knowe god or I loue god and keepe not his commaudements is a lyar and the trueth is not in him Not that we can keepe his commandements without all breach or offence for wee are not Donatistes as the aduersaries slaÌ„der vs that we should say we may be without sinne or that the church may be without publike offences or if there fall out some sort of grosser sinnes that therefore it should cease to be the church of God we teach no such doctrine but if in any Church such grosse sinnes bee incurable and the Church hath not power to redresse them or rebelliously refuseth to redresse them then it ceaseth to be the Church of God and so remaineth till it repent take better order And here coÌ„meth in that question to be decided whether without the discipline coÌ„manded of Christ any assembly or church may be called the church of Christ M. C. saith that for want of this discipline we giue al the english assemblies the blacke stone of condemnation Howe truely he writeth this of vs his conscience is witnes for we neuer said that all the English assemblyes doe want discipline Thogh this matter be sufficiently debated before yet let vs weigh Master Cartwrights answere H sayeth that faith in Christ is the essence being or life of the church as for discipline it is but accidental and therefore the Church of God may haue her being and life and be named the church of God without discipline what worde of God doeth he bring for all this we knowe in deede that Christ is the life and essence of the Church For except as braunches we abide in him which is the true vine we can bring foorth no fruite we are cast foorth as branches and are to be consumed with fire Christ is the resurrection and the life He is the way the trueth and the life So it is true that Christ is the life of the church as for faith it is but the hand whereby we take hold of this life As it is written he that beleeueth in the sonne hath euerlasting life and he addeth vpon it as a tryall of faith euen our obedience to the sonne and saith he that obeyeth not the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of god abideth on him Nowe it was prooued before that they which are guilty of such horrible abuses so grossely offende by their corrupt and false profession haue not this faith neither do holde Christ the foundation But see how fondly blasphemously Master Cartwright distinguiseth He will haue a dead Christ or an Idol christ to be the life of the church For he will ioyne the church to Christ without the discipline and gouernement of Christ. He putteth asunder the church and the discipline of Christ and so must â—eedes sunder Christ from his owne discipline or gouernement Nowe Paul calleth this discipline the power of our Lorde Iesus christ So if wee seuer christ and his power what is he but a dead christ Also by his discipline and gouernement he hath ouer vs he is our king as againe it is written the scepter of thy kingdome is a scepter of righteousnesse So if we seuer christ and his discipline rule and gouernement what is he but an Idol christ If Master Cartwright say that by the scepter there is meant nothing else but the power of the worde of God I graunt it as Paul saith I will knowe not the speach or wordes of these men but the power For the kingdome of God is not in worde but in power saith he and in the psalme The Lorde shall sende the rodde of this power out of Zion And the weapons of our warrefare are mighty through God as againe he writeth So then if the power of the word to bynde lose to remit or refaine mens sinnes to promise lyfe and to rebuke and giue ouer to execration be taken from Christ or the church of Christ what remaineth but an Idol or counterfet christ an Idol or counterfet church Thus while M C. wil haue faith in christ to be the life of the church without discipline he doth leaue christ himselfe without life as one that is dead or turned into an Idol yet further he proceedeth in his absurdities blasphemies saith that fayth only is the essence being or life of the church and that besides faith nothing is necessary to the very essence and being of the church Thus be like children which yet through want of discretion can not haue faith shall be without the essence life of the church How corrupt doctrine this is I neede not heere stand on it If he say that by the faith of the pareÌ„ts they haue life esseÌ„ce in the church the scripture is against him For by the promise the couenant made to the righteous to their seed are their childreÌ„ reckoned in the church not by their faith Therefore the faythful are called by Paul the children of promise For we are sayth he after the maner of Isaac children of the promise and againe to the Romans the children of the promise are counted for the true seede of Abraham But that by any mans faith his children or others should haue life essence in the church is the same false doctrine we refuted
shall he be of God If he say a thing may be lawfull before men which before GOD is not so and therefore that men maye take it as lawfull before God Let hym remember himselfe that hee speaketh of vnlawfull ministers euen before men yea whome hee himselfe knoweth and calleth vnlawfull So that beeyng vnlawfull ministers both before men and before God how shall they be ministers of god Wherefore they are of the Deuill and plantes which the heauenly Father hath not planted and therefore shall hee rooted vp and christ sheweth the way to roote them vp namely that we let them alone blinde guides leaders of the blinde and haue nothing to doe with their guyding and ministerie For christ did gather his disciples aparte from the Pharisees disciples so that the Pharisees were to haue no charge nor ouersight on christes disciples This appeareth in vâ—ry many places of the Euangelists Againe he distinguiâ—eth that he is a minister and leaueth out his wordes of lawfull and vnlawfull of god and not of god So he woulde fray vs with the bare worde minister If they bee Satans ministers shoulde we receiue them because they beare the name of ministers There are prophets also which come to vs in sheepes clothing shoulde we receiue them being false prophets because they beare the name of prophets Therefore these are vyle and vngodly mockeries wherewith Master Cartwright woulde delude vs Further he distinguisheth that to the dumbe ministers them selues their ministery is a matter of destruction but to the church it is he can not tell what good thing or gratious benefite from Christ. Wee shewed before that they doe good to others like those foolish shepherdes named in Zechary whom God did raise vp in iudgement to sell and to slay the sheepe Also like Corah and his companie by whome so many thousandes perished Or like the priestes of Baal or the Shepheardes spoken of in Ezekiel which did eate the fat and clothe them selues with the wooll and slewe them that were fedde but fed not the sheepe the weake they strengthened not the sicke they healed not neither bound vp the broken nor brought again that which was driuen away neither sought vp that which was lost but with crueltie and violence doe they rule them as these doe by their cannon power and spirituall courtes For they the Byshoppes and their officers are those that thrust with side and with shoulder and push with their hornes all the weake of the flocke till they vtterly scatter them abroade It is a wonder that any man should speake of any good the blind ministers doe For through their woefull ministerie and through that lamentable bondage of popish discipline we may well say with Ieremie that wickednesse is gone foorth into all the lande They strengthen also the handes of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse They are all vnto me saith the Lorde as Sodome and the inhabitantes thereof as Gomorah But let vs see what are those things of Christ which he saith the dumbe ministers can giue vs. Forsooth the Sacraments and the reading of common seruice Indeede they haue gotten the censers of Corah and his companie and they are made priestes of such places and churches as the Lorde as yet doeth not choose to put his name there Wherefore as as we shewed before both their censings and their offrings that is their prayers and sacraments are reiected of the Lord as execrable things They are those strangers named in Ezekiel and in Nombers which are not of the Leuites nor of the seede of Aaron but doe pollute the Lordes house and can not offer the sweete incense and pure offerings which Malachie speaketh of Their Sacraments are stollen and counterfet badges and howe then shoulde we receiue them as markes of the true church of God They offer the incense of Nadab and Abihu For their stinted forme of seruice deuised by the Byshoppes and translated from the Massebooke can neuer be prooued to be incense made by fire from the Altar of the Lorde But yet Master Cartwright will iustifie their Sacraments and reading of seruice Let vs therefore see to his proofes One proofe is this the Scribes and Pharises might be heard preaching true doctrine therfore the dumbe ministers may be heard reading seruice a goodly proofe For it was lawfull for the Pharisees to bee preachers of the trueth and it was a parte of their office and ministerie but it is not lawfull to be a blinde reading minister neither is it any parte of the ministerie to reade ouer such a stinted forme of seruice Wherefore though I may heare and like of that which is truely preached yet doeth it not followe that I shoulde heare like of or ioyne with that which is vngodly and blasphemously spoken vttered or done Againe he abuseth that place in Matthew saying that it was coÌ„manded by Christ to heare the Scribes There is no coÌ„mandement giuen to heare but to do as they knewe the Pharises taught truely And though by occasion they might heare them teaching trueth yet were they separate as was shewed before from being their disciples they were not vnder their charge and ministerie as those are nowe vnder the dumbe ministers charge whome Master Cartwright doeth iustifie in hearing them and receiuing the Sacraments of them Hee can not shewe that the Pharises were no Leuites nor Priestes and yet offered the sacrifices as the Priestes And yet these doe minister the Sacramentâ—â— and will be Priestes ouer the people beyng neither to bee counted brethren nor Christyans And though the Pharises or Scribes had so farre vsurped yet shoulde not the people haue partaken with them in the sacrifices no more ought the people at this day to partake in the Sacraments with such blinde ministers But why doth not Master Cartwright perceiue that his owne proofe is against him selfe For if the Scribes and Pharises were to be heard because they preached trueth then are these dumbe ministers not to bee hearde because they are no preachers But this proofe fayling Master Cartwright prepareth another namely this The Scribes and Pharisees were as vnfit and as vnlawfull ministers as our reading ministers and yet might be heard therefore our reading minysters may bee heard Howe vnfitte ministers the Pharisees were it is after examined We saye not but that the dumbe ministers may be heard For if standing on the gallouse to be executed they say they woulde come downe I knowe we maye heare them But the question whether we may be vnder their charge and guiding and so daily and vsually heare them as our spirituall guides pastours watchmen for our soules and ministers in the church This Master Cartwright can not prooue and therefore his proofe serueth for another matter quite besides the question Yea if he looke well this proofe serueth against him For the disciples of Christ were not to heare the Pharisees as being their
disciples and vnder their charge therefore may not we be vnder the dumbe ministers charge to heare them as our teachers and guides in Christ. Another proofe he giueth thus The dumbe ministers haue a calling by the Church as the scribes and Pharisees had therefore wee may lawfully heare them and receiue them as ministers In this proofe wee haue these matters to consider whether our dumbe ministers haue as good a calling as the scribes and Pharisees had Whether the bishops and their officers that call ministers are to be counted the Church whether if the church shoulde appoint and receiue a dumbe minister he had thereby any whit more authoritie or were any whit the rather to be receiued It is certaine that Ezra was a Scribe and a priest also of the sonnes of Aaron as wee may reade in the booke of Ezra and Nehemiah And in other places other Scribes also were mentioned which were both writers and preachers of the Lawe and worde of God And therefore Christ saith that they sure in Moses seate That is as it is in the 8. of Ezra They were chosen being men of vnderstanding to preache and minister to the people as their office required Yea by the Priestes and Elders consent of the Congregation were they chosen But dare Master Cartwright say that our dumbe ministers are thus chosen and called or dare he say that they sit in Moses seate If then he bring it for a good profe That the Scribes Pharises were to be heard because they fate in moses seat then it is also a good or better proofe That these dumbe ministers doe not sit in moses seat and therefore are not to be heard and receiued as ministers In the Church and assemblyes of the Iewes there could be 〈…〉 dumbe ministerie suffered as an ordinarie office and calling For herein consisted their ministerie To teach Iaacob the iudgements of God and Israel his lawes to put incense before his face and the burnt offering vpon the altar And so the dumbe minister can haue no office nor calling in the Church seeing there is no such ministerie nor parte of ministerie as to be a reading minister Furthermore if Master Cartwright saye that the Bishoppes and their officers are the Church and that therefore the dumbe ministers are called by the Church First it is to bee shewed that Master Cartwright can not prooue them to bee the Churche yea it was prooued before that they are not the Churche of God Then also he is against him selfe herein for he confessed before That the dumbe ministers are thrust vpon the Churche and howe then can they bee called by the Churche Thyrdely if they were called and then both the maner of calling bee altogether blasphemous and wicked and the office whereto they are called is none of the church offices and callings of what weight or authoritie shall their calling be Shall wee haue strange offices and ministeries in the Church which God hath not appointed or shall wee giue any authoritie or reuerence vnto them because men account of them shal the blasphemie and wickednesse of a number though they be named the Church make me any whit the more to receiue a dumbe minister because they doe wickedly and blasphemously call and authorize him Nay I ought not to followe a multitude to doe euill For it is not as Master Cartwright would haue it that the moe which sinne in a matter the lesse the sinne is but rather it is the more grieuous and more to be abhorred And Paul giueth this libertie to Timâ—thie That though other men euen the Elders and people shoulde choose any vnmeete minister yet hee shoulde not partake with them in their sinne And if in the acte of chusing the authoritie of the church is not to be regarded when it shamefully abuseth her authoritie then also in the wickednesse sinne that is wrought by the choyse it is lesse to be regarded For the reading ministerie is abominable wickednesse and as it first ouerthrewe the Churches of God and brought in Antichrist so it is still the doore and high way to all ignorance dissolutenesse and all wicked practises and customes Wherefore let Master Cartwright laye away his fonde distinction that they are ministers though they be vnlawfull ministers For if the reading ministerie be no office nor calling appointed by christ then is it an office of Antichrist And why then shoulde he sticke so much on the worde minister if they be Antichristian and deuelish ministers And what will he make of the Church It is indeede the house of the liuing God the piller and grounde of trueth But Master Cartwright will haue it to presume aboue Christ and so will make it an Antichrist For if it ordeine strange ministeries and offices in the church which christ and his Apostles neuer coulde doe nor woulde do doeth it not presume aboue Christ Christ and his Apostles coulde not thrust no not lawfull ministers vpon any congregation Neyther coulde he commande any Congregation or Church to receiue vnlawfull ministers and take them for their guydes Yet by Master Cartwrightes saying we may receiue such and if any such be thrust vpon vs we must account their ministery to be sanctified for the Churches sake which calleth them Surely if the Church doe vsurpe and chalenge such a power of ruling and such a holines in sanctifying which christ neuer had it becommeth the church of Antichrist and quite ouerthroweth the kingdom and priesthood of christ But let vs see further what M C. sayeth He pleadeth for the dumbe ministers by comparing them still with the Scribes and Pharises also with the priestes and teachers in the olde lawe with the chiefe Priestes at Christs comming and with vnsufficient and vnable Magistrates He wil haue them to haue as lawfull a calling and ministerie as any of these The Scribes sayth he taught vntruely were deceiued in the chiefe grouÌ„ds of religion yet were to be heard of the people therefore our dumbe ministers are as lawful ministers as they Likewise he saith of the priests of magistrates that some of the priests were dumbedogs some false teachers and some had not so lawful calling also that some Magistrates are not lawfull sufficient Magistrates and yet neither the Scribes nor the priestes nor the magistrates were to be reiected as no ministers nor Magistrats What true or false doctrine there is in all this we will shew by and by But graunt it true which he sayth of the scribes Priestes and Magistrates namely that they were so euill as he sayeth or taught such false doctrine yet he him selfe hath giuen the answere before to condemne him selfe For he sayde that the Scrybes were not to bee heard but in that they taught trueth and that our dumbe ministers were to be heard and receiued so farre as they can giue vs any thing that is of Christ. Nowe it is shewed that a
both for the sinnes of the priests and of the people which doeth plainely prooue that by one common doctrine they acknowledged all to bee sinners and to haue neede of the grace and mercie of God What then is to be meant By those heauie burdens which they layde on mens shoulders Master Cartwright sayeth They were the burdens of the morall lawe that is the dueties of righteousnesse which all men perpetually ought to obserue and doe Surely this burden both Christ him selfe and all the Apostles and prophets doe lay on vs more straightly then euer did the Pharisees For what strayght commaundements doeth Christ geue Against vnaduised anger reproching offences against lust of the heart wanton lookes and all occasions of sinne Also against swearing against reuenge against hatred against hypocrisie against distrustfulnesse and a number such like And he threatneth in the fift of Matthewe That for breaking the least commandement a man shall bee thrust out of the kingdome of God And howe often is the burden of the Lorde the burden of the Lorde repeated in the Prophetes wherefore that burden or yoke is rather meant which is named in the Actes That they tempted God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare This burden was the ceremonies of the olde Lawe which were more intollerable to others then to the Scribes and Pharises For they being most of them Priestes and Leuites were not to bring their tythes first fruites and offringes to Ierusalem as did others from all quarters round about For they dwelt at or about Ierusalem especially those whome Christ rebuketh or else came to Ierusalem to minister in their course And they tooke tythes and payed none saue onely the tenth parte of the tythes that were brought them They did very straightly looke to their tenthes and to all clensings purifyings vowes and offrings c. for they were their liuing and maintenance Wherefore it being a great trouble and burden to others to come from all places of the worlde to Ierusalem euery yeere as the Lawe then did bynde them also to pay their vowes and their tenthes and first fruites and to obserue their purifyings c. and no trouble at all to the Scribes which kept at Ierusalem no maruaile though Christ say they layed heauie burdens vpon other meÌ„s shoulders but would not touch them them selues with the leact of their fingers For there being an hundreth occasions in the yeere whereby the people might become vncleane as by touching tasting handling by the death of any that should dye by them by diseases by ignorances and escapes c. they were to bee cleansed by the sprinckeling water and to bring their offeringes to Ierusalem But Master Cartwright might haue alleadged a more likely proofe then these out of the Romanes namely That Israel sought not righteousnesse by faith but as it were by the workes of the Lawe for they haue stumbled at the stumbling stone For answere hereto we shewed before that the Israelites made a profession of their faith in the Messiah euen till the tyme that he plainely shewed him selfe and then they reiecting him and yet beleeuing that he was still to come their faith became as no faith they beleeued in a Messiah which was to come but they stumbled at him which was come And so he was vnto them that stumbling stone and rocke of offence And so this worde as or as it were is well added of Paul For hee meaneth that their doctrine and profession was not openly nor directly to seeke righteousnesse by the bare Lawe but by their rebellion against the Messiah that was come they did as much and as they tearme it indirectly So as it were they sought righteousnesse by the Lawe when they kept the ceremonial law without the Christ that was come though not simply without the Christ they looked for yea they â—eleeued that the ceremonies did still offer and represent Christ vnto them so made profession that to keepe the ceremonial law was to keepe their faith and beleefe in Christ But they hauing refused Christ coÌ„e alreadie and christ hauing abolished that law they might well be said to seek righteousnes without faith in christ Thus it is manifest that the doctrine sacrifices of the Iewes was to haue righteousnes and atonement by Christ whome their sacrifices did signifie but their deeds and practise in refusing Christ was as much as to seeke righteousnesse by the law Nowe those which refused christ and beleeued not in him were vtterly separate as was shewed before from the communion and fellowship of the churche And therefore this matter is altogeter against him As for that place of luke he abuseth it too much for the parable of a pharise which speaketh of matters as though they were when in deede they were not he alleadgeth for proofe of all the Pharisees doctrine First the fault of one Pharise if he had bene faultie can not prooue them all faultie then also the parable of a fault doeth shewe it to be no fault committed but imagined or supposed as if it were committed Thirdlye Christ in that place mindeth not to rebuke any doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees but as the text sayeth he spake a parable vnto certaine which trusted in them selues that they were iust and despised others None are named to teeche any such doctrine but certaine are rebuked for trusting in themselues wherefore the like proofe to this might I alleadge against him namely that very many in England both preachers and others doe trust in their riches or power or wisedome or good workes c. Therefore the preachers in Englande doe teach men to trust in theÌ„selues But as this proofe is fonde so the conclusion that followeth is according For he concludeth that the dumbe ministerie is as lawful and good as the ministerie of the Scribes which taught vntruely saith he in the chiefe grounds of religion Although he cannot proue such vntrue doctrine yet howe doeth it followe that their ministerie which faileth in all poyntes shoulde bee as good as theirs which fayleth but in some poyntes For the dumbe ministers wee prooued to haue no parte nor worke in the ministerie And the Scribes hee confessed before to sit in Moses seate to teache true doctrine to haue a calling by the Churche Agayne they must needes edifie more which preache much trueth then they whiche are no preachers at all But the Scripture is playne that if anye preache muche trueth and yet doe preache heresies withall they are to be auoided as it is written Reiect him that is an heretike after once or twise admonition And though the Churche is to admonishe such yet if it will not or can not then any man particularly hath this libertie to admonishe except for his scornefulnesse and obstinacie he be vnworthie And then we are forbidden to receiue them to house or
false message as if it were true Againe that anye dumbe dogges which coulde not barke did minister the sacrisices Master Cartwright can not prooue yea before we haue prooued the contrary For the sacrifices were alwayes ministred as is shewed before by Priestes that coulde preache and did preache The occasion for which the sacrifice was offered was shewed before The sinnes of those that brought the sacrifice was confessed ouer the head of the Sacrifice c. All these thinges are manifest in the olde Lawe Indeede there were dumbe dogges among the priestes for there were diuers cities which belonged to the Priestes onely yet none snche being able nor vsing to minister the sacrifices wee speake not here of Idolatrous sacrifices I saye it is follye to imagine that the people did bring their sacrifices to such But yet if they did bring we haue prooued before that they ought not to haue done so If Master Cartwright saye that the Churche indeede might refuse the false prophetes and put them from the sacrifices but not euery particular man in the Churche I aunswere that the question is not of forbidding and debarring from the sacrifices but of withdrawing our selues from wicked companions in the sacrifices And so it followeth that if the whole Churche ought not to communicate with such in the sacrifices then no part nor member of the Churche ought to communicate and if the whole Churche doe sinne and commit wickednesse by communicating with suche then if any amongest them will refuse to communicate they shall doe well and shall not sinne thereby That the whole Churche ought not to communicate but to cast out such from amongest them it is prooued before But here is that place of Paul to be answered which the aduersaryes lay against vs whiche is that some preache Christ of enuie and strife and some also of good will and Paul reioyceth that Christ is preached all manner wayes By which wordes they woulde gather that we may communicate in the Churche with false teachers false prophetes heretikes and vngodly wretches Howe shamelessely they gather this euen Paul in the same Epistle answereth them for he biddeth them beware of dogges beware of euill workers beware of the concision Woulde Paul haue dogges and euill workers to communicate in the Churche Nay doeth he not call them concision from the Church meaning that if they preached circumcision they must needes be cut off from the Church and others also with them And so their circumcision shoulde rather be concision that is a cutting and renting of the Churche in sunder Paul is so farre from reioysing in such preachers that in the eighteenth verse he geueth warning of them with weeping teares and calleth them enemies of the crosse of Christ belligods proude and worldly men and appointed to damnation And Paul would not onely not suffer the churche to communicate with such as is largely prooued before but wisheth they were euen dead and destroyed which so did disquiet the churche What is then to be meant by Paules ioy that Christ was preached all manner wayes Surely this that so the church and the discipline thereof were kept vpright we neede not care for the enemies thereof yea and if in the churche also the doctrine of hypocrites doe more good then their secret faultes can doe hurt we are therein to reioyce For Paul â—peaketh of the enuie and contentious minde of such preachers and not of anye grosse wickednesse that brake foorth by them Further if some be deceiued in doctrine and bee otherwyse mynded then the trueth is God shall reueile the same vnto them sayeth Paul he meaneth so long as they are weakelings and not obstinate enemies For ignonorance so long as it is not a sotted nor wilfull ignorance nor ioyned with other grosse wickednesse is to bee borne with But if any man abuse his ignorance so that he breaketh but the least commaundement and teacheth men so as Christ hath tolde vs he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen that is he shall be cleane cast out of the kingdome or if any man by his ignorance or false doctrine be contentious we haue no such custome saieth Paul neither the Churches of God Yea the custome of the Church is as it is written againe To marke those diligentlye which cause diuision amongest vs contrary to the trueth we haue learned and to auoyde them Howe then shoulde Paul reioyce in contentious preaching Surely as Paul reioyced so Christ desired to haue contention in the worlde Contention I say in the worlde but not in the Church For I came not sayeth Christ to giue peace on earth but rather debate I am come saith he to put fire on the earth and what is my desire if it were alreadie kindled For from hencefoorth there shall be fiue in one house deuided three against two and two against three The father against the sonne and the soÌ„ne against the father c. Now there is a lawful ioy in this coÌ„tention not that meÌ„ shuld be so wicked nether that such contention shoulde be among the true professors but that the warfare against wickednes is begun and that the treuth worketh and preuaileth thereby This was Pauls ioy and this should be our ioy if meÌ„ in the world fall out contend and disagree about the Gospel for then shall the trueth be sifted and boulted out and the Church of Christ shalbe builded and growe the more mightely But Paul discommendeth contention in the Church and saith that when they come together into one place with such dissention among them this is not to eate the Lordes Supper And here also is that place answered that some men did build hay or stubble in the spirituall buylding so their worke caÌ„not abyd the fyer of Gods word but shall burne yet they shalbe safe theÌ„selues Paul thereby rebuketh their vaine eloquence other insirmities in preaching as being but haâ—e and stubble that shall burne but they them selues being purified from such infirmities as it were by fire shall be safe yea and though some be false apostles yet if they worke so deceitfully and so cunningly transforme them selues that none can prooue them to be obstinate false teachers nor charge them with open grosse wickednesse they are to bee suffered as brethren in the churche But it is beâ—ere sufficiently prooued that if any be an obstinate heretike or an open wicked wretch he is not to be suffered Againe the aduersaries doe set the practise of the Apostles and brethren against vs which did communicate as they say in the offerings and sacrifices of the wicked Iewes and persecuting priestes And Master Cartwright bringeth in Christ who commanded the leprous man purged from his leprosie to shewe him selfe to the priest and to offer his oblation To them both we answere that neither the Apostles brethren did communicate with the wicked Iewes and persecuting priestes neither also