Shepherd and the Bishop of our Souls 5. That he hath used them to enlarge confirm preserve and edefie his Church to this day 6. That he maketh the best of them to be the best of men 7. That he putteth into the hearts of all good Christians a special love and honour of them 8. That he useth even the worser sort to do good while they do hurt especially some of them 9. That Satan striveth so hard to corrupt them and get them on his side 10. That Religion ordinarily dyeth away or decayeth when they fail and prove unable and unfaithful 11. That Christ commandeth men so much to hear receive and obey them and hath committed his Word and Keys to them as his Stewards 12. And hath promised them a special reward for their faithfulness and commanded all to pray for them and their preservation and success And the nature of the things tells us that as knowledge in lower things is not propagated to mankind but by Teachers man being not born wise so much less is heavenly wisdom And therefore it is that God is so regardful of the due qualification of Ministers that they be not blind guides nor novices nor proud nor careless sluggards nor self-seeking worldlings but skilful in the word of truth and lovers of God and the souls of men and zealous and diligent unwearied and patient in their holy work And when they prove bad he maketh them most contemptible and punisheth them more than other men the corruption of the best making them the worst § 48. Therefore let us make a right use of the pride and corruption of the Clergy to desire and pray for better and to avoid our selves the Sin which is so bad in them and to labour after that rooted Wisdome and Holiness in our selves that we may stand though our Teachers fall before us Let every man prove his own Work and so he shall have rejoicing in himself and not in others only Gal. 6. But let us not hence question the Gospel or dishonour the Church and Ministry no not any further separate from the Faulty than they separate from Christ or than God alloweth us and necessity requireth As we must not despise the needful helps of our Salvation nor equal dumb or wicked men with the able faithful Ministers of Christ on pretence of honouring the Office so neither must we deny the good that is in any nor despise the Office for the Persons Faults § 49. Especially let us take heed that we fall not into that pernicious Snare that hath entangled the Quakers and other Schismaticks of these times who on pretence of the faults of the Ministers set against the best with greatest fury because the best do most resist them and that revile them with false and railing language the same that Drunkards and Malignants use yea worse than the prophanest of the Vulgar even because they take Tythes and necessary Maintenance charging them with odious covetousness calling them Hirelings deceivers and what not Undoubtedly this Spirit is not of God that is so contrary to his Word his Grace and his Interest in the World What would become of the Church and Gospel if this malignant Spirit should prevail to extirpate even the best of all the Ministry Would the Devil and the Churches Enemies desire any more The very same Men that the Prelates have silenced near 2000 in England these fifteen or sixteen years together are they that the Quakers most virulently before reviled and most furiously opposed § 50. Nor will the Clergies corruption allow either unqualified or uncalled Men to thrust themselves into the Sacred Office as if they were the Men that can do better and must mend all that is amiss Such have been tryed in Licentious Times and proved some of them to do more hurt than the very Drunkards or the ignorant sort of Ministers that did but read the holy Scriptures Pride is too often the reprehender of other Mens Faults and Imperfections and would make other Mens Names but a stepping-stone to their own aspiring Folly As many that have cryed out against bad Popes and Prelates that they might get into the places have been as bad themselves when they have their Will No wonder if it be so with the proud revilers of the Ministry § 51. There is need therefore of much Wisdome and holy care that we here avoid the two extreams that we grow not indifferent who are our Pastors nor contract the Guilt of Church-corruption but mourn for the reproach of the solemn Assemblies and do our best for true and needful Reformation that the Gospel fail not and Souls be not quietly left to Satan nor the Church grow like the Infidel World and yet that we neither invade nor dishonour the sacred Office nor needlesly open the nakedness of the Persons nor do any thing that may hinder their just endeavours and success we must speak evil of no man either falsly or unnecessarily § 52. I thought all this premonition necessary that you make not an ill use of the following History and become not guilty of diabolism or false accusing of the Brethren or dishonouring the Church And that as God hath in Scripture recorded the Sins of the ungodly and the effects of Pride and of malignity and Christ hath foretold us that Wolves shall enter and devour the Flock and by their Fruits of devouring and pricking as Thorns and Thistles we shall know them and the Apostles prophecied of them I take it to be my duty to give you an Abstract of the History of Papal and aspiring Prelacy usurping and schismatical and tyrannical Councils as knowing of how great use it is to all to know the true History of the Church both as to good and evil § 53. Yea Bishops and Councils must not be worse thought of than they deserve no more than Presbyters because of such abuses as I recite The best things are abused even Preaching Writing Scripture and Reason it self and yet are not to be rejected or dishonoured There is an Episcopacy whose very Constitution is a Crime and there is another sort which seemeth to me a thing convenient lawful and indifferent and there is a sort which I cannot deny to be of Divine Right § 54. That which I take to be it self a Crime is such as is aforementioned which in its very constitution over-throweth the Office Church and Discipline which Christ by himself and his Spirit in his Apostles instituted such I take to be that Diocesane kind which hath only one Bishop over many score or hundred fixed Parochial Assemblies by which 1. Parishes are made by them no Churches as having no Ruling Pastors that have the Power of Judging whom to Baptize or admit to Communion or refuse but only are Chapels having preaching Gurates 2. All the first Order of Bishops in single Churches are deposed as if the Bishop of Antioch should have put down a 1000 Bishops about him and made himself the sole Bishop of their
to think hardly of Religion and the Church for mens abuses 3. And if Micrelius Gutlerbeth Phili Pareus Funcius Carion Melancthon Buchotzer Scultetus Pezelius Helvicus or any other that I have seen had answered the ends which I here intend I should have gladly saved my self this labour and have refer'd the reader to them The Councils are now published voluminously and many young students want money and time to read them at large To such this abridgement may not be unuseful especially to men that have mistaken the case of the great heresies and hereticators and would know what Prelacy and Councils have done to the concord or discord of the Churches The Description of the State of Alexandria recited in the beginning as a Letter from a friend was from Mr. Clerkson a Learned and worthy Minister though silenced now in London The Lord pardon and heal our common faultiness and give better Teachers to his Churches when we are dead and gone who will take warning by all our errours and miscarriages especially to escape a wordly spirit pride Church-tyranny and schism and serving the world the flesh and the Devil by pretence of Authority from Christ. Amen March 31. 1680. London VVhat History is Credible and what not AS the Holy Ghost saith Believe not every spirit I may say Believe not all Reports or History It was not only Ahabs Prophets in whose mouths Satan was a lying spirit As lying and deceiving is his work in the world for the destroying of Holiness and of Souls even when he turneth himself into an Angel of Light so is it the work of his Ministers when they seem to be Ministers of Righteousness when it is oft said Be not deceived and Let no man deceive you with vain words it is more necessary advise and hardlier followed than most men understand As Truth is Gods means to work the will to holy love and lead us in a holy life so Lying is the Devils means to oppose them and of all Lyars none are more pernicious than lying Historians and lying Preachers It is a sad perplexity to the world that when men read and hear even the more confident and plausible Histories and Reports they know not whether they are true or false and if they believe that to be true which is not the effect is worse than this perplexity I will tell you what I take to be credible and what not I. It is presupposed that a man must believe his senses if sound about their proper objects Papists that tell us that all mens senses are deceived when they seem to perceive Bread and Wine in the Sacrament do but tell us that no man then is to be believed and therefore not they themselves II. The History of the Gospel is certainly credible because it was confirmed by multitudes of uncontrouled Miracles wrought by Christ and by his Apostles and multitudes of Christians as the Doctrine it self beareth the Image and Superscription of God III. The Prophets that had Divine Inspiration and Vision had that Evidence which gave themselves a certainty though not to others IV. When History delivereth a matter of fact and sense by the common consent of all men that knew it though of contrary minds dispositions and interests it giveth us a certainty which may be called Natural because Nature hath nothing in it that could cause such a Conspiracy in Lying That it is so credible as to be a Natural certainty that there is such a place as Rome Paris Ierusalem that the Statutes of the Land are not Forgeries while all Contenders plead them against each other and hold by them their Estates and Lives And so that there was such a Person as Jesus Christ and that the Scriptures were written by the Prophets and Apostles c. V. When the History of any person and action is proved by continued or visible effects as that William of Normandy conquered England while so many of the effects of that Conquest in our Laws and Customs are still visible And that the Welsh were the Ancient Britains driven by the Saxons into Wales while their Language Habitation c. shew it And so that Christ instituted Baptism and Church-Communion and the Apostles separated the Lords Day for holy worship when the Christian World hath used all these publickly in all places ever since and do 〈◊〉 them And so that Temples were built for holy worship and endowed when we still see and possess them VI. That History is credible which consentingly speaketh against the known interest of the Author for mans corrupt nature is apteâ— to false boasting than to false Confessions of Sin against a Confessor there needs no Witnesses And this is much of the credibility of the harsher part of the Church-History which I here recite What I say of the miscarriages of Bishops and Councils is mostly in their own words and what I say against Popes is but the recital of what is said by the greatest Defenders or Flatterers of Popes I give you no Reports against the pride contentions and corruptions of Patriarchs and Prelates out of the supposed Hereticks or Protestants I give you not a word out of Lutâ—er who de Conciliis hath very much and especially speaketh much like as I here do of Cyril and Nestorius nor out of Illyricus his Catalogus Testium Veritatis nor out of the Mornay's Mystery of Iniquity no nor out of the Collections of Goldastus Marquardus Freherus Ruberus Pistorius c. But the substance of the common History is taken out of the commonly received Church-Historians Eusebius Socrates Sozomene Cassiodorus Theodorite Ruffinus Evagrius Nazianzen Hierom Victor Niâ—ephorus Liberatus Nicetas and such others and the sum of the Councils and Popes is out of Baronius Anastasius but most out of Binnius and Platina and Aeneas Sylvius a Pope Petavius and such other as are the greatest Papal Zealots When these speak for their Cause I leave you to just suspition but when they speak against it by way of confession or lamentation they are not to be suspected VII The next degree of credibility dependeth on the Veracity or credible fitness of the Reporter some men are much more credible than others For instance 1. One that was upon the place and saw what was done or lived near where he had full information is caeteris paribus more credible than one that followeth uncertain reports or hear-say 2. A wise man is much more credible than a proud self-conceited Confident Fool. 3. One that hath made a matter his long and hard study is caeteris paribus more to be believed in that matter than many ignorant men 4. One that is impartial a lover of peace and not ingaged by faction or interest to one side against the other is caeteris paribus much more credible than a factious interested man 5. A sober calm considerate man that will stay and try before he judgeth is more credible than a passionate or hasty judger 6. A man of manifest honesty conscience and
the fear of God is much more to be believed than a worldly wicked bloody unconscionable man 7. Caeteris Paribus many agreed honest impartial men are more to be believed than one or a few odd and singular persons who have no more advantage than the rest to know the truth 8. The young and unexperienced owe some eoverence to the judgment of their Seniors as more credible by age and experience than their own 9. Accordingly Children to their Parents and Scholars to their Masters and Tutors owe such belief as is answerable to their difference and the use of their learning of them By this you may see on the contrary who is not worthy of belief I. One that pretendeth Inspiration Vision Revelation and giveth the hearer no sufficient proof of it II. One that pretendeth to tell you things beyond his reach as many Philosophers do about the mysteries of Nature spiritual and corporeal Elements or mixt bodies above and below of which the Books of many are full and malignant men that take on them to tell you other mens hearts without just proof that they are hypocrites and intend that which they never did or meant ill when they said or did well and when false Historians will tell you with what unproved ill purposes or deceits persons a thousand miles off and perhaps a thousand years past whom they never knew did say and do all that is reported of them III. When there are but few reporters of things pretended to be known publickly in the world especially when more credible persons contradict them IV. When the person is deeply ingaged in a Party and carrying on all for the interest of his Party doth give you but his word or the report of his own Party for what he saith so that you may perceive that interest byasseth him to partiality V. When the Historian sheweth a malignant spirit that extenuateth or denieth all the good that was in his Adversaries and fasteneth on them as much Odium as he can without just proof and justifieth all the reproach that is used against them VI. When the Historian liveth so far off from the place and time that he is no competent reporter having all his notice but by the fame of his own Faction as uncapable as himself VII When the sober moderate men of his own party contradict him and speak well of the persons whom he reproacheth VIII When the reporter is manifestly a proud worldly wicked unconscionable man especially of a bloody hurtful disposition For as Gods threefold Influence or the Vnderstanding Will and Life is but one so the Devil doth usually vitiate together the Vnderstanding Will and Life and he that is from the beginning an Enemy and a Murderer is also a Lyar Though a wicked malignant and cruel man may yet have an opinionative faith and knowledge and preach the truth when it is for his carnal interest yet when his malice and interest tempteth him against it there is no trusting his word IX When an ignorant proud man thinketh that he must be believed meerly for the reverence and authority of his place X. When the reporter liveth in a time and place where carnal interest hath got the major Vote for falshood and it passeth commonly for truth especially where Tyranny Civil or Ecclesiastical silenceth the truth in Press Pulpit and Discourse that it dare not be spoken by which the Papists have not only made their own writings and reports incredible but by their Indices Expurgatorios and base corrupting of ancient Writers have weakned our certainty of much of the old History and Fathers XI When the reporter is a weak and silly man that hath not wit to sift out the truth XII When he is passionately rash and of hasty judgment and hath not patience to stay and suspend his judgment till he hear all XIII When it is a Novice or raw Student that hath not had time helps and experience to know what he pretends to know and yet contradicteth wiser men of more advantage and experience XIV When present experience telleth us that the party that he writeth against as unlearned or wicked are men of Eminent Learning and the fear of God and that the party that he magnifieth as such are contrary by such marks incredible History may be discerned Qu. But how can we know mens wisdome and piety and honesty and impartiality when we never knew the men Ans. Though hypocrites may much counterfeit truth and goodness its hard so to do it but the contrary which ruleth in them will break out as a sâ—ink will get through narrow passages and though truth and honesty may be much clouded they have like light a self-revealing power To give you some instances as among Physitians Hypocrates and Galen and Celsus of old and of late Montanus Crato Fernelius Platerus Hildanus and such others do speak with that self-evidencing honesty and many Paracelsians with that palpable vanity that one of them will constrain belief and the other unbelief even in them that never heard what they were So among Historians Eusebius though counted an Arrian and Socrates and Sozomen though called Novatians and Theodoret and Liberatus and some others do write so as to constrain belief of things which were within their notice and with honest impartiality Among the Papists what clear footsteps of understanding honesty and impartiality and so of truth is there in Thuanus and much in Commines Guicciardine Father Paulus Servita Hist. of Trent Council and divers others Though Doctor Iames bid us keep Crab because the later Councils are corrupt and all of them must be taken with due Antidotes yet because most of the matter is fetcht from publick Acts and Records they are more credible than most single History Acosta speaketh impartially of the West Indies and Godignus of the Abassians Matth. Paris of England and the Pope and so of some others Of Protestants some do but recite recorded testimonies or publick acts and the very writings themselves of the times they speak of when others do but tell you stories on their bare word Goldastus Ruberus Freherus and Pistorius do but give us Collections of the writings of those former Ages and nothing of their own So doth Mr. Rushworth now in his three Volumes of Collections and Mr. Fuller hath partly done so and writeth moderately Mr. Gilbert Burnet thus writeth the History of the Reformation laying not the credit on his word but on his Evidences and Cambden impartially thus writeth of Queen Elizabeth and in his Brittania Vsher hath done the like de succes Eccles. of the Waldenses and in his de Primordiis Eccl. Brit. of the Pelagians not saying but proving by Records and old Evidences what he delivereth besides the advantage of his known extraordinary learning honesty and impartiality so doth Fox for the most part in his Martyrology give you but the publick Record or proved Histories though Cope call him lyar Melancthon and Bucholtzer were men of such known sincerity as
null and giveth no Authority which nullifieth the Roman succession § 56. Decrees about Souls § 57. Leo 10. a Cardinal at 13. and an Archbishop in his Childhood His Wars and bloodshed § 58. Luther The Reformation The end of Charles 5. § 59. Leo's death § 60. Reformers drive the Papists to Learning § 61. All Papist Princes owe their safety Crowns and deliverance from Papal deposition to the Reformation and Italy its peace § 62. The History of the Reformation and of Papists Murders of Martyrs passed by § 63. Freder of Saxony refuseth the Empire and Money and chose Charles § 64. Thirty five cases for which men must be denyed Communion in the Eucharist § 65. Later Reforming Papist Councils § 66 c. The Conclusion what this History specially discovereth § 70. A Poem of Mr. Herbert's called The Church Militant CHAP. 14. A Confutation of Papists and Sectaries who deny and oppose the Ministry of the Reformed Churches CHAP. 15. A Confutation of the prophane Opposers of the Ministry An Account of some Books lately Printed for and to be Sold by Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Arms in Ludgate-street A Supplement to Knowledge and Practice Wherein the main things necessary to be known and believed in order to Salvation are more fully explained and several new Directions given for the promoting of real Holiness both of Heart and Life To which is added a serious disswasive from some of the reigning and Customary sins of the Times viz. Swearing Lying Pride Gluttony Drunkenness Uncleanness Discontent Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness Anger and Malice and Idleness by Sam. Cradock B. D. late Rector of North-Cadbury in Somersetshire Vseful for the instruction of private Families Price bound 4 s. De Analogia sive Arte linguae Latinae Commentariolus In quo omnia etiam reconditioris Gramaticae Elementa ratione novâ tractantur ad brevissimos Canones rediguntur In usum Provectioris Adolescentiae Opera Wilhelmi Baxteri Philistoris Price bound 1 s. 6 d. The lively Effiges of the Reverend Mr. Mathew Pool So well performed as to represent his true Idea to all that knew him or had a Veneration for him Design'd on purpose to befriend those that would prefix it to his Synopsis Criticorum Price 6 d. Moral Prognostications 1. What shall befall the Churches on Earth till their Concord by the Restitution of their Primitive Purity Simplicity and Charity 2. How that Restitution is like to be made if ever and what shall befal them thenceforth unto the end in that Golden Age of Love Written by Richard Baxter when by the Kings Commission we in vain treated for Concord 1661. and now Published 1680 Price 1s The Nonconformists Advocate or an Account of their Judgment in certain things in which they are mis-understood Written principally in Vindication of a Letter from a Minister to a Person of Quality shewing some Reasons for his Nonconformity Price 1s There is Published every Thursday a Mercurius Librarius or A Faithful Account of all Books and Pamphlets Published every Week In which may be inserted any thing fit for a Publick Advertisement at a moderate Rate Directions to the Binder of Baxter's Church History c. After the Title Sheet follows a b c d e then B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S then AA BB CC DD EE FF GG HH II KK LL MM NN OO PP then SS TT VV XX YY ZZ AAA BBB CCC DDD EEE then GGG and so on to QQQ which Signiture ends the Book Church-History OF BISHOPS And their COUNCILS ABRIDGED c. CHAP. I. Of the sacred Ministry Episcopacy and Councils necessary Premonitions and of the Design of this Book § 1. GOD that could have enlightned the Earth without the Sun and Stars could immediately alone have taught his Church and communicated knowledge to mankind But as he is the most communicative good he was pleased not only to make his Creatures receptive of his own influx but also to give them the use and honour of being efficient sub-communicants under him and causes of good to themselves and to one another And as his Power gave Being and Motion his Wisdom gave Order and Harmony and his Love gave Goodness and Perfection felicity and love as he is the creating and conserving Cause of Nature and this in much inequality as he was the free disposer of his own so in the Kingdom of Grace he doth by the Spirit of Life Light and Love 1. Quicken and strengthen the dead and weak souls and awaken the slumbering and slothful 2. Illuminate the dark with Faith and Knowledge and 3. Sanctifie the malignant Enemies of holiness by the power of his communicated love making them friends and joyful lovers This Spirit first filled the Humane Nature of Christ our Head who first communicated it to some chosen persons in an eminent manner and degree as Nature maketh the heart and brain and other principal parts to be organical in making preserving and governing the rest To these he gave an eminence of Power to work Miracles of Wisdom to propagate the Word of life and infallibly by Preaching and Writing promulgate and record his sacred Gospel and of holy love to kindle the like by zealous holiness in the hearts of others To these organical persons he committed the Oeconomy of being the witnesses of his words and actions his resurrection and ascension and of recording them in writing of planting his first Churches and sealing the truth of their testimony by many Miracles promising them his Spirit to perform all that he committed to their trust and to bring all to their remembrance and to lead them into all truth and to communicate instrumentally his Spirit to others the sanctifying gifts by blessing their Doctrine and the miraculous gifts by their imposition of hands § 2. By these principal Ministers the first Church was planted at Ierusalem fitliest called the Mother-Church and after by those that were sent thence many Churches were gathered in many Kingdoms of the world darkness being not able to resist the light The Apostles and Evangelists and Prophets delivered to them the Oracles of God teaching them to observe all things that Christ had commanded them and practically teaching them the true Worship of God ordering their Assemblies and ordaining them such Officers for sacred Ministration as Christ would have continued to the end of the world and shewing the Churches the way by which they must be continued and describing all the work of the Office appointed them by Christ. § 3. The Apostles were not the Authors of the Gospel or of any essential part of the Christian Religion but the Receivers of it from Christ and Preachers of it to the world Christ is the Author and finisher or perfecter of our faith But they had besides the power of infallible remembring knowing and delivering it a double power about matters of Order in the Church 1. By the special gift of the Spirit 's inspiration to found and stablish
such Orders as were to continue to the end and none that came after them might change they being the Ordinances of the Holy Ghost in them 2. Temporarily pro re natâ to make convenient mutable Constitutions in matters left by the great Legislator to humane prudence to be determined according to his general regulating Laws In this last the Apostles have Successors but not in the former No other have their Gift and therefore not their Authority No men can be said to have an Office that giveth them Right to exercise abilities which they never had nor shall have § 4. Christ summed up all the Law in LOVE to God and Man and the works of Love and all the Gospel in Faith and Hope and Love by them kindled and exercised by the Spirit which he giveth them even by the Belief and Trust of his Merits Sacrifice Intercession and Promises and the prospect of the future Glory promised fortifying us to all holy duties of obedience and diligent seeking what he hath promised and to patient bearing of the Cross conquering the inordinate love of the world and flesh and present life and improving all our present sufferings and preparing for his coming again and for our change and entrance into our Masters joy § 5. Christ summed up the Essentials of Christianity in the Baptismal Covenant in which we give up our selves in Faith Hope and consenting Love to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier and in which God receiveth us in the Correlations as his own And all that are truly thus baptized are Christened and are to be esteemed and loved as Christians and to be received into Christian Communion in all Christian Churches where they come until by apostasie or impenitency in certain disobedience to the Laws of Christ in points necessary to Christian Communion they forfeit that priviledge Nor are men to deprive them of the great benefit thus given them by Christ on pretence of any wit or holiness or power to amend Christs terms and make the Church Doors narrower or tie men to themselves for worldly ends Yet must the Pastors still difference the weaker Christians from the stronger and labour to edifie the weak but not to cast them out of the Church § 6. The sacred Ministry is subordinate to Christ in his Teaching Governing and Priestly Office and thus essentiated by Christs own institution which man hath no power to change Therefore under Christ they must teach the Church by sacred Doctrine guide them by that and sacred Discipline called The power of the Keys that is of judging who is fit to enter by Baptism to continue to partake of the Communion to be suspended or cast out and to lead them in the publick Worship of God interceding in Prayer and speaking for them and administring to them the Sacraments or holy Seals of the Covenant of God § 7. The first part of the Ministers Oâ—â—ice is about the unbelieving world to convert them to the Faith of Christ and the second perfective part about the Churches Nor must it be thought that the first is done by them as meer private men § 8. As Satan fell by pride and overthrew man by tempting him to pride to become as Gods in Knowledge so Christ himself was to conquer the Prince of pride by humility and by the Cross by a life of suffering contemned by the blind and obstinate world making himself of no reputation despising the shame of suffering as a Malefactor a Traitor and Blasphemer And the bearing of the Cross was a principal part of his Precepts and Covenant to his Disciples without which they could not be his Followers And by Humility they were to follow the Captain of their Salvation in conquering the Prince of pride and in treading down the Enemie-world even the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life which are not of the Father but of the world § 9. Accordingly Christ taught his chief Disciples that if they were not so converted as to become as little children they could not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18. 3. His School receiveth not masterly Disciples but humble teachable Learners that become fools that they may be wise And when they were disputing and seeking which of them should be greatest he earnestly rebuked all such thoughts setting a little child before them telling them that the Princes of the Earth exercise authority and are called Benefactors or by big Names but with them it should not be so but he that would be the greatest must be servant ofâ— all Luk. 22. shewing them that it was not a worldly grandeur nor forcing power by the Sword which belongeth to Civil Magistrates which was to be exercised by the Pastors of the Church But that he that would be the Chiefest must be most excellent in Merit and most serviceable to all and get his honour and do his work by meriting the respect and love of Volunteers The Sword is the Magistrates who are also Christs Ministers for all Power is given him and he is Head over all things to the Church But they are eminently the Ministers of his Power but the Pastors and Teachers are most eminently Ministers of his Paternal and saving love and wisdom And by wisdom and love to do their work The Word preached and applied generally and particularly by the Keys is their Weapon or Arms and not the Sword The Bohemians therefore knew what they said when they seemed damnable Hereticks to the worldly Clergie that destroyed them when they placed their Cause in these four Articles 1. To have the whole Sacrament Bread and Wine 2. To have free leave for true Ministers to preach the word of God without unjust silencing of proud worldly men that cannot stand before the truth 3. To have Temporal Dominion or Government by the Sword and power over mens Bodies and Estates taken from the Clergie 4. To have gross sin suppressed by the lawful Magistrate by the Sword § 10. Had it been necessary to the Churches Union against Schism or Heresie for Christians to know that Peter or some one of his Apostles must be his Vicar-General and Head of his Church to whom all must obey who can believe that Christ would not only have silenced so necessary a point but also at a time when he was desired or called to decide it have only spoken so much against it to take down all such Expectations Yea we never read that Peter exercised any Authority or Jurisdictions over any other of the Apostles nor more than other Apostles did much less that ever he chose a Bishop to be Lord of the Church as his Successor Nay he himself seemeth to fore-see this mischief and therefore saith 1. Pet. 5. 1 2 3. The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder and a Witness of the Sufferings of Christ and also a Partaker of the Glory that shall be revealed These are his Dignities
Churches 3. The Office of Presbyters is changed into semi-Presbyters 4. Discipline is made impossible as it is for one General without inferiour Captains to Rule an Army But of this before § 55. Much more doth this become unlawful 1. when deposing all the Presbyters from Government by the Keyes of Discipline they put the same Keyes even the Power of decâ—etive Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of Laymen called Chancellours and set up Courts liker to the Civil than Ecclesiastical 2. And when they oblige the Magistrate to execute their Decrees by the Sword be they just or unjust and to lay Men in Goals and ruine them meerly because they are Excommunicated by Bishops or Chancellours or Officials or such others and are not reconciled And when they threaten Princes and Magistrates with Excommunication if not Deposition if they do but Communicate with those that the Bishop hath Excommunicated 3. Or when they arrogate the power of the Sword themselves as Socrates saith Cyril did Or without necessity joyn in one person the Office of Priesthood and Magistracy when one is more than they can perform aright § 56. And it becometh much worse by the tyrannical abuse when being unable and unwilling to exercise true Discipline on so many hundred Parishes they have multitudes of Atheists Infidels gross ignorants and wicked livers in Church-Communion yea compel all in the Parishes to Communicate on pain of Imprisonment and ruine and turn their censures cruelly against godly persons that dare not obey them in all their Formalities Ceremonies and Impositions for fear of siâ—â—ing against God And when conniving at ignorant ungodly Priests that do but obey them they silence and ruine the most faithful able Teachers that obey not all their imposing Canons and swear not and subscribe not what they bid them § 57. Undoubtedly Satan hath found it his most successful way to fight against Christ in Christs own name and to set up Ministers as the Ministers of Christ to speak indirectly against the Doctrine Servants and interest of Christ and as Ministers of Light and righteousness and to fight against Church-Government Order Discipline and Unity by the pretences of Church Government Order Discipline and Unity and to cry down Schism to promote Schism and to depress Believers by crying up Faith and Orthodoxness and crying down Heresie and Errour Yea to plead God's Name and Word against himself and to set up Sin by accusing Truth and Duty as Sin § 58. II. That which I take for Lawful Indifferent Episcopacy is such as Hierome saith was introduced for the avoiding of divisions though it was not from the beginning When among many Elders in every single Church one of most wisdom and gravity is made their President yea without whom no Ordinations or great matters shall be done The Churches began this so early and received it so universally and without any considerable dissent or opposition even before Emperours became Christians that I dare not be one that shall set against it or dishonour such Episcopacy § 59. Yea if where â—â—t men are wanting to make Magistrates the King shall make Bishops Magistrates and joyn two Offices together laying no more work on them than will consist with their Ecclesiastick work though this will have inconveniencies I shall not be one that shall dishonour such or disobey them § 60. III. The Episcopacy which I dare not say is not of Gods institution besides that each Pastor is Episcopus Grâ—gis is that which succeedeth the Apostles in the Ordinary part of Church-Government while some Senior Pastors have a supervising care of many Churches as the Visiters had in Scotland and are so far Episcopi Episcoporum and Arch-bishops having no constraining power of the Sword but a power to admonish and instruct the Pastors and to regulate Ordinations Synods and all great and common circumstances that belong to Churches For if Christ set up one Form of Government in which some Pastors had so extensive work and power as Timothy Titus and Evangelists as well as Apostles had we must not change it without proof that Christ himself would have it changed § 61. But if men on this pretence will do as Rome hath done pretend one Apostle to be the Governour of all the rest and that they have now that Authority of that Apostle and will make an Universal Monarch to rule at the Antipodes and over all the World or will set up Patriarchs Primates Metrâ—politans and Arch-bishops with power to tyrannize over their Brethren and cast them out and on pretence of Order and imitating the Civil Government to master Princes or captivate the Churches to their pride and worldly interests this will be the worst and most pernicious tyranny § 62. And as it is not all Episcopacy so it is not all Councils that I design this History to dishonour No doubt but Christ would have his Church to be as far One as their natural political and gracious capacities will allow And to do all his work in as much love peace and concord as they can And to that end both seasonable Councils and Letters and Delegates for Concord and Communication are means which nature it self directeth them to as it doth direct Princes to hold Parliaments and Dyets In the multitude of Councellours there is safety Even frequent converse keepeth up amity In absence slanderers are heard and too oft believed A little familiarity in presence confuteth many false reports of one another which no distant defences would so satisfyingly confute And among many we may hear that which of few we should not hear How good and pleasant is it for Brethren to dwel together in Unity And the Concord of Christians greatly honoureth their holy profession as discord becometh a scandal to the world But all this and the measures and sort of Unity and Concord which we may expect and the true way to attain it I have fuller opened in a Treatise entitled The true and only tâ—rms of the Concord of all Christian Churches § 63. When Christians had no Princes or Magistrates on their side they had no sufficient means of keeping up Unity and Concord for mutual help and strength without meetings of Pastors to carry on their common work by consent But their meetings were only with those that had nearness or neighbourhood And they did not put men to travel to Synods out of other Princes Dominions or from Foreign Lands much less did they call any General Councils out of all the Christian Churches in the world But those that were capable of Communion by proximity and of helping one another were thought enough to meet for such ends § 64. And indeed neither nature nor Scripture obligeth us to turn such occasional helps into the forms of a State-policy and to make a Government of friendly consultations And therefore though where it may be done without fear of degenerating into tyranny known times of stated Synods or meetings of Pastors for Concord are best as once a
Cure or ever was And if God will in a Second Volume shall prove the sinfulness and novelty of that sort of Prelacy and answer the chief that have defended it CHAP. II. Of Heresies and of the first Councils § 1. THe Apostle Iames saith ch 5. 19 20. Brethren if any one of you do erre from the truth and one convert him Let him know that he that converteth a sinner from the errour of his way doth savea soul from death and hide a multitude of sins By which it is implyed that Errour tendeth unto Death But what Errour is it Is it all Who then can be saved It is of great use to know what Errours are mortal and what not § 2. There are errours that are no sins and errours that are sins Those which are not voluntary either in themselves or in their antecedent causes are no sins Those which are not voluntary either by the act or by the omission of the will are no sins Those which are unavoidable through a necessity which is not moral but natural are no sin As if Infants Idiots Mad-men erre in matters of which they are uncapable Or if any erre for want of any revelation of the truth As if the Papists did rightly charge those with errours whom they burnt for denying Transubstantiation yet it could be no sinful errour because it is necessary and unavoidable For the first discerning principle is sense And if we are deceived while we judge that to be Bread and Wine which all the sound senses of all men in the World perceive as such we have no remedy For whether sense be fallible or infallible it is certain that we have no other faculties and organs to perceive immediately sensible things by I can see by nothing but my eyes nor hear any other way than by my ears If they say that we must believe that all mens senses are deceived when God telleth us so I answer If we do not presuppose that by sense we must perceive things sensible it is in vain to talk of Gods telling us any thing or of any of his Revelations or faith therein For I know not but by sense that there is a Bible or a Man or a Voice or Word to be believed And as humanity is presupposed to Christianity so is sense and reason to faith and the objects accordingly And to say that all mens sound senses about their due placed objects are fallible is but to say that no certainty can be had § 3. Of those errours that are sins it is not all that are effectively mortal or damning sins Else no man could be saved There is no man that hath not a multitude of errours that hath any actual use of reason § 4. Errours are of three sorts 1. Errours of Iudgment to say nothing of sense and imagination 2. Of Will 3. Of Life or practice The Iudgment is to Guide the Will and the Will is to command our practice Therefore those errours are least dangerous that least corrupt the Will and practice and those most dangerous that most corrupt them But every errour contrary to any useful truth is bad as it is a corruption of the judgment tending to corrupt the will and practice § 5. 1. No errour is effectively damning which turneth not the Heart or Will in a predominant degree from the Love of God to the Love of the Creature from the Love of Heaven and Holiness to the prevalent Love of Earth and sinful pleasure riches or honour therein from things Spiritual to things Carnal For God hath prepared unconceivable glory for them that Love him The Kingdom of God consisteth not in meats and drinks but in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost And he that in these things serveth Christ doth please God and is acceptable to good men Rom. 14. 17 18. § 6. 2. I think no errour is effectively damning which a man doth sincerely desire to be delivered from at any rate and when he that hath it doth faithfully endeavour to come to the knowledge of the truth in the use of such means as God vouchsafeth him He that searcheth the Scripture with a Love to truth and sincerely prayeth for Gods illumination and sincerely practiceth what he already knoweth and is willing to hear what any man can say to his Further information God will hide nothing necessary to his salvation from such a man For this is a work of such dispositive Grace as shall not be received in vain § 7. Obj. But may not one that believeth not in God or Christ or the Life to come say all this that he desireth and endeavoureth to know the truth Ans. 1. These things are so Great so Evident and so Necessary that they cannot be unknown to one that hath the Gospel who hath the foresaid sincere desires and endeavours And as for them that have not the Gospel I have spoken to their case before 2. God that giveth so much grace doth thereby signifie his willingness to give more § 8. Obj. This intimateh that Grace is given according to Merits Ans. 1. Not the first Grace But to him that hath and improveth it shall be given and from him that hath not such improvement shall be taken away even that which he hath 2. No Grace or Glory is given according to Merits in point of Commutative Justice as quid pro quo as if it did profit God But to him that asketh it shall be given We must have a Beggers Merit Begging and thankful accepting And yet that also is of antecedent Grace § 9. On the contrary 1. All errour is damning which excludeth the life of faith hope love and sincere obedience For these are of necessity to salvation without holiness none shall see God Heb. 12. 14. The wisdom from above is first pure and then peaceable and must be shewn out of a good conversation by works with meekness of wisdom Iam. 3. 13 17. He that Loveth not God Heaven and Holiness with a predominant Love ' doth damnably erre § 10. Secondly Therefore all errour of judgment which effectively excludeth the belief of any of the Essentials of Godliness or of Christianity where the Gospel is is damning errour Because a Mans Will and Life can be no better than his belief or judgment is No man can love that God that he believeth not to be amiable nor obey him whom he believeth not to be his Governour nor seeks for a happiness which he believeth not And it is in the face of Christ a Redeemer and Saviour of lost Sinners that Gods amiableness suitably appeareth unto man And it is by his Word and holy Spirit that Christ reneweth Souls § 11. And an ungodly carnal worldly man though he be a learned Preacher of the Truth is damnably erroneous and hath really the sum of manifold Heresies 1. He erreth about the greatest and most necessary things He taketh God to be less amiable than the Creature and Heaven than Earth and Holiness than the Pleasure of
Sin 2. His errour is practical and not only notional 3. It excludeth the contrary truth and is predominant so that what contrary truth he acknowledgeth he doth not soundly practically and prevailingly believe § 12. Were it not besides my present purpose I might manifest that every carnal ungodly man among us 1. Doth not truly believe any one Article of the Creed with a serious practical belief 2. Nor doth he consent to the Baptismal Covenant 3. Nor sincerely desire and put up one Petition of the Lords Prayer rightly understood 4. Nor sincerely obey one of the Ten Commandements 5. Nor can sincerely receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Nor 6. Is a sincere Member of the holy Catholick Church nor can sincerely hold Communion with the Saints He is an Hypocrite and damnably erroneous even while he seemeth to be Orthodox and pleadeth for the Truth and cryeth out against Heresies and Errours which he may easily and ordinarily do § 13. It hath still been one of Satans effectual Snares to deceive and damn ungodly men by to hide their own practical errour and wickedness from their Consciences by seeming to be Orthodox and crying down Errours and Heresies in others But alas how unfit persons are they for such Work And how dreadfully do they condemn themselves It is a pitiful thing to hear a man that is false to the very essence of his Baptismal Vow to revile and prosecute a poor Anabaptist though erroneous for holding that Baptism should be delayed till years of discretion that it may be the better kept Or to hear a man that obeyeth not God himself but his fleshly Lust to cry out against every Dissenter how conscionable soever for not obeying the Church in some questionable points or to hear a man that sticketh not at any wickedness that maketh for his worldly ends or pleasure to cry out against those that in fear of Perjury or Lying or other sinning against God dare not take some Oath Subscription Profession or Covenant which is imposed As these notorious Hypocrites who live quite contrary to the Christian Religion which they profess do use to call those Hypocrites that labour in all things to please God if they do but mislike any thing in their Lives So also while they are drowned in damnable Errour they cry out against Errour in those that practically hold all the Essentials of Christianity and are certainly in the way of Life if they do differ in any thing from them or are ignorant of any thing which they know He that never puts up a sincere Prayer to God for his Grace nay that would not have it to make him holy and deprive him of his sinful pleasure will yet call others erroneous and Schismaticks if they pray not by his Book or in all his Circumstances while his Heart and Family are prayerless and God's Name ofter heard in Oaths and Curses than in Prayer § 14. Because bare opinion may consist with worldliness and fleshly lusts therefore it hath long been the trick of the ungodly to seem zealous for the true Church and for right opinions and to over do here to quiet their Consciences in Sin And it hath been a Snare to many conscionable People to tempt them to suspect and dislike the Truth because ungodly Men thus stand for it and to think it must be some bad thing which wicked men seem so zealous for when as they do it but for a cover for their Sin as Hypocrites and Oppressors use long Prayers which would not serve their turn if there were not some good in it § 15. And yet Errour is such a blinding thing that it 's very usual even for grosly erroneous men to cry out most fiercely against Errour For they know not themselves and they are proud and self conceited and oft by malignity apt to suspect and condemn others What did the Jews persecute the Christians for For supposed Heresie and Errour What did the Heathens cast them to wild Beasts and Torments for For supposed Impiety and Errour because they would not erre in their Idolatry as they did What hath disquieted and torn in pieces the Christian World but erroneous and worldly Popes Patriarcks and Prelates inordinate out-crys against supposed Errours For what have they silenced hundreds and thousands of faithful Ministers of Christ for Errour For what have they racked tormented burnt to ashes and slain by the Sword so many thousand and hundred thousands O it was for Heresie or Errour And are not these men perfectly free from Errour themselves that have so great a zeal against it No so grosly erroneous are they that they deny credit to all mens Senses and know not Bread and Wine when they see and touch and taste it and would have all those destroyed that will not deny belief to sense as well as they So erroneous are they that they pretend a mortal man to be the Church Governour of all the Earth so erroneous that they think God well Worshipped by praying in words not understood and dare deny half the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to the People which they confess that he instituted and all the Church did use so erroneous that they think the flames of Purgatory will help them the better to love that God that doth torment them How foul and many are their Errours that kill and burn and damn others as erroneous But S. Iames hath told us Iam. 3. That the Wisdom is not from above but is earthly sensual and devillish which hath an envious striving zeal and that if it work not by â—eakness of wisdom and be not pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and hypocrisie sowing the fruit of righteousness in peace by peace-making but hath bitter contention it is not of God but bringeth confusion and every evil work § 16. The Arians were cruel Persecutors on pretence of zeal against Errour as they accounted it They banished godly Pastors they killed them they cut out the Preachers Tongues they reproached them The Emperours Valens and Constantius were more fierce than the Arian Goths themselves Macedonius that denyed the Deity of the Holy Ghost was a great pretender to Orthodoxness and a great decryer and persecuter of others as erroneous and Hereticks Nestorius though somewhat worse judged of by Cyril than he deserved was justly condemned were it but for his heat and fierceness against others He fell presently upon the Novatians and other Parties and began with this overdoing zeal at his entrance O Emperour give me a Church without Heresie and I will give-thee Victory over the Persians that is Destroy all these dissenting Parties and God will prosper thee And very quickly was he deposed condemned and at last banished even to misery and death as an Heretick whether justly or no I shall say more anon The Eutychians were as great Zealots against Errour and Heresie as any of the rest They took Cyril for their Captain whom Theodoret and
attributeth the same operations and the same attributes to both nature His sixth proof is from the testimony of Ibas Edes apud Facund l. 6. c. 3. Geâ—ad Const. ibid l. 2. p. 77 78. Iohan. Antioch Theodoret c. § 20. For my part I again say past doubt that neither Nestorius nor Cyril were Heretical de re but that they were of one mind and that one spake of the concrete and the other of the abstract that one spake of Christus qui Deus and the other of Christus quà Deus But pardon truth or be deceived still ignorance pride and envy and faction and desire to please the Court made Cyril and his Party by quarrelsome Heretication to kindle that lamentable flame in the World But sin serveth the sinners turn but for the present and becometh afterward his shame All the Bishops would not follow Cyril At this day the falsly Hereticated Nestorians saith Breerwood Enquir p. 139. inhabites a great part of the East for besides the Countries of Babylon Assyria Mesopotamia Parthia and Media they are spread far and wide both Northerly to Cataya and Southerly to India Marcus Paulus tells us of them and no other Christians in Tartary as in Cassar Sarmacham Carcham Chinchintalas Tauguth Suchir Ergimul Tenduc Caraim Mangi c. so that beyond Tigris there are few other Christians The Persian Emperours forced the Christians to Nestorianisme Their Patriarch hath his Seat at Musal in Mesopotamia or the Monastery of St. Ermes near it in which City the Nestorians have 15 Temples They are falsly accused still to hold two Persons in Christ They say as Nestorius himself said You may say that Christ's Mother is the Parent of God if you will expound it well but it is improper and dangerous They take Nestorius Diodorus Tarsensis and Theodorus Mopsuest for holy Men They renounce the Council Ephes. and all that owned it and detest Cyril They Communicate in both kinds They use not auricular Confession nor Confirmation nor Crucifixes on their Crosses Their Priests have liberty for first second or third Marriages c. Breerwood ibid. p. 144. § 21. I need no other proof for my opinion that these Bishops set the World on fire about a Word being agreed in sense than the reconciliation of the Patriarchs Cyril and Iohn when forced and their Parties professing that they meant the same and knew it not Obj. But they all condemned Nestorius Ans. To quiet the World and to please the Courtiers and violent Bishops And the Emperour himself saith Socrates l. 7. c. 41. one that excelled all the Priests in modesty and meekness and could not away with persecution was the more against Nestorius because he was a persecutor himself Read Theodoret's Homily against Cyril Bin. p. â—07 and Iohan. Antioch ibid. But neither the one side Nestorius haeresiarcha impiissimus nor the other side Cyrillus superbus blasphemus should signifie much with men that know what liberty adverse Bishops used § 22. As for them that say Nestorius did dissemble when he asserted the Vnity of two Natures in one Person and is not to be judged of by his own words I take them to be the firebrands of the world and unworthy the regard of sober men who pretend to know mens judgments better than themselves and allow not mens own deliberate profession to be the notice of their Faith § 23. When the Emperour saw that there was no reconciling the Bishops but by force he authorized Aristolaus a Lay-Magistrate to call Cyril and Ioh. Antioch to Nicomedia and keep them both there till they were agreed whereupon Iohn communed with his Bishops and they yielded having no remedy to the deposition of Nestorius the Ordination of Maximinianus in his stead and communion among themselves This is called another Council It would grieve one to read the Emperour Theodosius importuning Simeon Stylites a poor Anchorite to try whether by Prayer and Counsel he could bring the Bishops to Unity and concluding This discord doth so trouble me that I judge that this only hath been the chief occasion of all my calamities Bin. p. 928. § 24. CXIV An. 433. There was a Council called at Rome to clear Pope Sixtus from an accusation of one Bassus of ravishing a Nun. § 25. CXV There is talk of a Council at Rome to clear one Polychronius Bishop of Ierusalem of accusations of Simony But contradictions make this and the former to be altogether uncertain § 26. CXVI The Armenians in Council are said to condemn Nestorian Books § 27. CXVII A Council was held at Constant. to decide the Controversie between the Alexandrian and Constant. Bishops which should be greatest and rule the East where it was carried for Constant. And Theodoret pleading for Antioch Dioscorus the Alex. Agent hated him ever after as he saith Epist. 86. § 28. CXVIII An. 439. A Council at Regiense of 13 Bishops did somewhat about Ordinations c. § 29. About this time Leo at Rome was fain to forbid bowing toward the East because the Manichees joyned among them and bowed to the Sun and could not be else distinguished from the Orthodox Bin. de Leone § 30. CXIX A Council at Aransican repeated some old disciplinary Canons § 31. CXX Leo held a Council at Rome of Bishops Priests and Laymen to detect the wickedness of the Manichees and warn men to avoid them § 32. CXXI An. 445. Leo held a Council at Rome against Hilary Bishop of Arles for disobedience to his Decrees § 33. CXXII A Council called General in Spain recited the Profession of Faith against the Priscillianists CHAP. VI. Councils about the Eutychian Heresie and some others § 1. CXXIII CYril had by many words so carried the business at Ephesus against Nestorius and himself so often said that after the Vnion the Natures were one that his Admirers took that for a certain truth But when that quarrel was over Truth was truth still and the Orthodox would not fly from it for fear of being called Nestorians for they disclaimed Nestorius but disowned the Doctrine of One nature Eutyches an Archimandrite and Dioscorus Successour to Cyril belived that they did but tread in his steps and hold to the Ephes. Council But that would not now serve when the Scene was changed § 2. Reader It is useful to thee to know truly the state of this Tragical Controversie which had more dividing and direful effects than the former The Eutychians say that Christ before their Vnion by incarnation had two natures that is considered mentally as not united but after the union had but one nature They took up this as against Nestorianisme The truth is Though they still go for desperate Hereticks I verily believe that all the quarrel was but about ambiguous words some of them understood the word Nature in the same sense as their Adversaries took the word Hypostasis or Person And it's sad that it should be true but most of them confounded Vnity undistinguished and Vniting
Good Evil and the most certain Truths by the name of Perverse and unjust Doctrines against the Lord and Mens own Souls What heed to take of these Mens words when they seem zealous against Sin and Error § 16. Perhaps you will ask How could any but Idiots be so ignorant Whither did they think the Setting-Sun went Or what did they think the Earth stood upon Answ. The easiest things are strange to Men that never learnt them it 's pity that it should be true that Lactantius and other Ancients yea Austin himself were ignorant of the Antipodes but yet they had more Modesty than to hereticate and excommunicate them that affirmed it Few Bishops had much Philosophy then Origen and Apollinaris that were most Philosophical had been hereticated and disgraced it Clemens and Tatianus sped not much better Councils had forbid Bishops to read the Books of Heathens Austin had a truly Philosophical head being the Father of School-Divinity but he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and had little from his Teachers You may see in a great Hereticater Philastrius what they thought then of the course of the Sun by what he saith of the Stars As it was one Heresie to call the Star◠by the names of living Creatures so it was another to deny that the Stars were Luminaries arbitrarily moved that by Angels were set out at night to light the World and at morning retired inwards or were taken into their place again as Men set out lights to the street at night and take them in again I confess that no General Council declared this as they have done worse things but you see what kind of Men were hereticated by Pope Zachary St. Boniface and St. Philastrius and such Bishops and how little it signifieth in such Writers whether you read a Man called a Saint or a Sinner an Orthodox Catholick or Nefandissimus Haereticus as they use to speak I speak it only of such Men. § 17. For Reader I must still remember thee that this Folly Pride and almost Fury was not the Genius or Character of the true spiritual Ministers and Church of Christ but of a worldly ignorant domineering sort of Men that made it their business to get Preferment and have their wills God had all this while abundance of faithful Ministers that sate down at the lower end and humble holy People that set not up themselves in worldly Grandure and came not much on the Stage but approved themselves in secret and in their several Places and Conversations to God some Lay-men some Priests some Bishops some of their names are come down to us in History but those are few They strove not for great Places nor did their Works to be seen of Men nor looked to Men for their Reward § 18. Some of the Canons and Councils of these Universal Pastors were answerable to their Excommunications In Zachary ' s 12th Epistle to his Vassal St. Boniface he giveth him the resolution of many doubts One is After how long time Lard may be eaten And it is resolved by the Pope That there is yet no Canon or Law for this by the Fathers but he determineth himself 1. That it must not be eaten before it be dried in the smoke or boiled or basted with fire But if you list to eat it raw it must be eaten after the Feast of Easter Binnius p. 209. What would become of the Church if there were not a Judge of such Controversies and an infallible Determiner of such Questions § 19. CCXXV. I told you before how the Pope commanded Boniface to call a Council to eject him that asserted the Antipodes I must next add a French Council called by King Carolomannus to Reform the Clergy an 742. and to recover Christian Religion which in the dayes of former Princes dissipata corruit being dissipated was ruined and to shew the People how they may come to save their Souls who have been hitherto deceived by false Priests They are the words of the King and Council Bin. p. 210. c. 2. Where it was decreed that Priests be not Soldiers unnecessarily That they keep not Hounds to go an hunting with nor Hawks That every Religious Fornicator shall in the Jayl do Pennance with Bread and Water If the Fornicator be a Priest he shall be first scourged and then remain in Prison two years But if an inferior Clerk or Monk so fall he shall be whipt and then do Pennance a whole year in Prison and so the Nuns This was somewhat like a Reformation Had it not been done by a King it might have past for Heresie It was at Ratisbonne Boniface presiding Such another Council called Leptinense there was under Carolomannus Another Council at Rome repeated the oft repeated Canons to keep Bishops and Priests from Nuns and from Fornication § 20. An. 744. Another Synodus Suession under Chilperic governed by Pepin condemned again Aldebert that set up Crosses in several places and drew People to himself and another as Hereticks § 21. Another Council in Germany an 745. handsomly set Boniface the Pope's Agent in the Archbishoprick of Mentz First Geroldus the Archbishop is sent out against the Saxons with an Army and he and most of them killed Then Gervilio his Son a Lay-man is made Archbishop to comfort him At another War he pretends a Conference with him that kill'd his Father and murders him this is past by as blameless But Boniface saith That a Man that had his hand in Blood must not be a Bishop and so got him out and was made the chief Archbishop of Germany himself in his place Judge whether he served the Pope for nought § 22. Yet Boniface had not done with the two Hereticks Aldebert and Clemens a French man and a Scot. Boniface sendeth to Rome Bin. p. 216. to desire the Pope that as he had himself condemned these two Hereticks the Pope would also condemn them and cast them into Prisons where none might speak with them Thus the Pope obtained his Kingdom and edified the Church The motive was that Boniface prosecuting them had suffered much for their sakes the People saying that he had taken from them holy Apostolick Men but this was not a Prison The Crimes which he chargeth on Aldebert a Bishop are that he was an Hypocrite an open Crime that he had said an Angel appeared to him and he had some rare Reliques and that he said he was Apostolick and wrought Wonders that he got some unlearned Bishops to make him a Bishop absolutely against the Canons He would not consecrate any Church to the memory of an Apostle or Martyr and spake against visiting in Pilgrimage the Temples of the Apostles He made Churches to his own honour and set up Oratories and Crosses up and down and drew People from other Bishops to himself That he gave his nails and hair to be honoured with the Saints Reliques and would not hear Confessions saying he knew their sins already If all this was true which I know never
contradiction and action in this matter is neither contradiction nor rebellion but the filial honour due to the Divine Father and of you Briefly recollecting all I say the sanctity of the Apostick Seat can do nothing but what tendeth to edification and not to destruction For this is the plenitude of power to be able to do all to edification But these things which they call provisions are not to edification but to most manifest destruction Therefore the blessed Seat of the Apostle cannot accept them because flesh and blood hath revealed them which possess not the things that are of God and not the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who is in Heaven § 196. When the Pope heard this Letter saith Mat. Paris p. 872. Not containing himself through wrath and indignation with a writhin aspect and a proud mind he saith who is this doting old man deaf and absurd who boldly and rashly judgeth my doings By St. Peter and St. Paul if our innate ingenuity did not move us I would precipitate him into so great confusion that he should be to the whole World a Fable a Stupor an example and a prodigy IS NOT THE KING OF ENGLAND OVR VASSAL AND I SAY MORE OVR SLAVE WHO CAN WITH OVR NOD IMPâ—RISON HIM AND ENSLAVE HIM TO REPROACH These things being recited among the Cardinal brethren with much ado asswaging the rage of the Pope they said to him It is not expedient O Lord that we decree any hard thing against this Bishop himself For that we may confess the truth the things are true which he speaketh We cannot condemn him He is a Catholick Yea a most holy man more religious than we are more holy and excellent than we and of a more excellent life so that it is believed that there is not among all the Prelates a greater no nor any equal to him This is known to the whole Clergy of France and England Our contradiction will not prevail The truth of this Epistle which perhaps is already known to many may stir up many against us For he is esteemed a great Philosopher fully learned in Greek and Latine a man zealous for justice a Reader of Theology in the Schools a Preacher to the people a Lover of chastity a persecutor of Simonists These words said the Lord Aegidius a Spanish Cardinal and others whom their own Consciences did touch They counselled the Pope to wink at all this and pass it by with dissimulation lest tumults should be raised about it especially for this reason that IT IS KNOWN THAT A DEPARTVRE WILL SOMETIME COME so far Mat. Paris § 197. Yet neither this Bishop nor the Historian flattered Princes but both of them sadly lament the oppression and other sins of King Henry And the Bishop commanded his Presbyters to denounce excommunication against all that should break the Magna Charta the Charters heretofore granted foreseeing saith Mat. Paris what the King would do And he sharply reprehended the Fryar Minors that would not tell Great men of their sin when they had nothing to lose Cantabit Vacuus c. having chosen poverty that they might be freer from hindering temptations § 198. When he lay on his death bed at Bugden in Huntingtonshire he told Ioh. Aegidius his learned friend that he took them for manifest Hereticks that did not boldly detect and reprove the sins of great men and thereupon reprehended and lamented the sins of Prelates but especially the Roman reciting their putting unworthy and bad men into the Pastoral office for kindred or friendship sake The third day before his death he called to him many of his Clergie and lamenting the loss of souls by Papal avarice groaning he said Christ came into the world to win souls Is not he then deservedly to be called Antichrist who feareth not to destroy souls God made all the World in six dayes but to repair man he laboured above thirty years And is not a destroyer of souls then judged an enemy of God and Antichrist c. Next he goeth on to shew how sinfully the Pope by his non obstante overthrew even the rights that his Predecessors had granted vainly pretending that they bind nothing because par in parem non habet potestatem and what evils to the Churches he had done and addeth I saw a Letter of the Popes in which I found inserted that they that make their Wills or that undertake the Crâ—isado and to help the holy land shall receive just so much indulgence as they give money c. And so goeth on naming his imposing men that cannot preach or strangers of other languages as Pastors on the people and his covetous and greedy devouring all the wealth he could get concluding Ejus avaritiae totus non sufficit orbis Ejus luxuriae Meretrix non sufficit omnis And that he drew Kings in for his own ends making them partakers of the prey Prophecying that the 〈◊〉 will not be freed from Egyptian servitude but by the mouth of 〈…〉 These things are small but worse will follow within three years sighing and weeping out these words his speech failed him and he died And ibid. Mat. Paris saith that the same night that he died wonderful Musical sounds and Ringings were heard near in the Air by several friars and by Fulk Bishop of London then not far off who said when he heard it that he was confident their reverend Father Brother and Master the Venerable Bishop of Lincoln was passing out of the World to Heaven The Bishop being dead the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln fell out in striving who in the vacancy had the power of giving Prebends wherein the Arch-Bishop by Power utterly oppressed them And M. Paris p. 880. affirmeth that Miracles were done after the death of this Bishop by his virtues at Lincoln and yet confesseth some of his faults and his sharp thundring against Monks and Nuns c. § 199. The same Author tells us p. 883. anno 1254. that the Pope was so unmeasureabley wrathful against this holy Learned Bishop that when he was dead he would have taken up his bones and cast them out of the Church and purposed to precipitate him into so great infamy that he should be proclaimed a Heathen a rebel and disobedient to the whole world and he commanded a Letter to that purpose to be written to the King of England knowing that the King would be mad enough against him and ready enough to prey upon the Church But the next night the said Bishop of Lincoln appeared to him in his episcopal attire with a severe countenance an austere look and terrible voice he came and spake to the Pope that was restless in his bed pricking him in the side with a violent thrust with the point of his pastoral staffe which he carried and said miserable Pope Senebald Dost thou purpose in disgrace of me and the Church of Lincoln to cast my bones out of the
still souls are born and bred in darkness and how shall they be saved without believing or believe without hearing or hear without preaching or we preach without sending Rom. 10. 13. 14 15. There is a clearer word in the Gospel for the Ministry then the Magistracy though enough for both Our own call I shall spâ—ak of anon 2. These Malignants set themselves against the Principal members of the body of Christ that are in it as the eyes and hands to the natural body 1 Cor. 12. 16 19 27 29. Ephes. 4. 11 15. The Ministers of Christ and Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. The Over-seers of the flock that is purchased with Christs blood Acts. 20. 28. They are the chief members 1. in office 2. ordinarily in gifts for edification of the body 3. and in grace Now a wound in the stomack or liver is more mortal to the body then in the hand and the loss of an eye or hand is worse then the loss of an ear 3. These Malignants are therefore principally enemies to the Church it self They take on them to be only against the Ministers but it will prove most against the people and whole Church If they smite the Shepherds the sheep will be scattered How can they more surely ruine Christs family then by casting out the Stewards that must rule and give the children their meat in due season even milk to the babes and stronger meat to them of full age Heb. 5. 12 13 14. Luke 12. 42. Mat. 24. 45. What readyer way to ruine the Schools of Christ then by casting out the Teachers that he hath appointed under him Or to ruine his Kingdome then to reject his officers Or to wrong the body then to cut off the hand and pull out the eyes or to destroy the principal parts Was it not Ministers that planted the Churches and converted the world and have ever born off the assaults of enemies Where was there ever Church on earth that continued without a Ministry The great Kingdom of Nubiâ— fell from Christianity for want of Preachers The Nations that have the weakest and fewest Ministers have the least of Christianity and those that have the most and ablest Ministers have the most flourishing state of Religion All over the world the Church doth rise or fall with the Ministry Cut down the Pillers and the building falls He is blind that sees not what would become of the Church were it not for the Ministry Who should teach the ignorant or rebuke the obstinate explain the word of truth and stop the mouths of proud gain sayers What work would heresies and division and prophaneness make if these banks were cut down when all that can be done is still too little It must needs therefore be meer enmity against the Church that makes men malignant against the Ministry 4. The design of the maligners of the Ministry is plainly against the Gospel and Christianity it self They take the readyest way in the world to bring in Heathenism Infidelity and Atheism which Christianity hath so far banished For it is the Ministry that Christ useth to bring in light and drive and keep out this damnable darkness Acts 26 17 18. I send thee to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light c. Why are so many Nations Infidels Mahometans and Idolaters bâ—t for want of Ministers to preach the Gospel to them These Malignants therefore would take down the Sun and banish Christianity out of the world 5. And they hinder the Conversion of particular souls and so are the cruellest wretches on earth Though an Angel must be sent to Cornelius it is not to be instead of a Preacher but to send him to a Preacher Acts 10. Though Christ would wonderfully appear to Saul it is to send him to Ananias for instruction Acts 9. Though the Jaylor must feel an Earth-quake and see Miracles it is but to prepare him for the Ministers words Acts 16. Philip must be carried by an Angel to expound to an Eunuch the Word that must convert him The Ministry is Gods instituted settled way by which he will convert and save the world as truly as the light is the natural way by which he will corporally enlighten them Acts 2. 18. 1 Tim. 4. 16. Mat. 5. 14. Rom. 10. 14. Do you think so many souls would be converted if the Ministry were down Do you not see that the very contempt of them that the scorns of the ungodly and opposition of Malignant Apostates have occasioned doth hinder most of the ignorant and prophane from receiving the saving benefit of the Gospel How many millions of souls would these wretches sweep away to Hell if they had their will While thousands are in damnation for want of the light they would take it from you that you might go there also Do you not understand the meaning of these words against Christs Ministers Why the meaning is this They make a motion to the people of the Land to go to Hell with one consent and to hate those that are appointed to keep them out of it They would take the bread of life from your mouthes They are attempting an hundred times more cruelty on you than Herod on the Jews when he killed the Children or the Irish that murdered the Protestants by thousands as the soul is of greater worth then the body 6. These Malignants against the Ministry are the flat enemies of Christ himself and so he will take them and use them He that would root out the inferiour Magistrates is an enemy to the Soveraign and he that is against the officers of the Army is an enemy to the General Christ never intended to stay visibly on earth and to Teach and Rule the world immediately in person but he that is the King will Rule by his Officers and he that is Prophet will Teach us by his Officers and therefore he hath plainly told us He that heareth you heareth me and he that dispiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. O fearful case of miserable Malignants Durst thou despise the Lord thy Maker and Redeemer if he appeared to thee in his glory to whom the Sun it self is as darkness and all the world as dust and nothing Remember when thou next speakest against his Officers or hearest others speak against them that their words are spoken against the face of Christ and of the Father I would not be sound in the case of one of these Malignants when Christ shall come to judge his enemies for a thousand worlds He that hath said Touch not mine annointed and do my Prophets no harm and hath rebuked Kings for their sakes Psal. 105. 15. will deride all those that would break his bands and will break them as with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces as a potters vessel Psal. 2. 3 4 9. And as he hath told them plainly Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed
and govern the Churches of Christ according to his Laws and to go before the people in the worship of God The Prophets and Apostles did both these both reveal the Doctrine which they received from Christ and teach and guide the Church by it when they had done but the latter sort of Ministers do but the latter sort of the work The Papists and Seekers cheat men by jumbling all together as if there were no Ministers of Gods appointment but those of the former sort and therefore they call for Miracles to prove our Ministry Here therefore I shall first prove that the second sort of Ministers are of Gods Institution 2. That such need not prove their Calling by Miracles though yet God may work Miracles by them if he please 3. That we are true Ministers of Christ of this sort 1. Christ found such Ministers under the Law that were to teach and rule by the Law before received and not to receive new Laws or Massages I mean the ordinary Priests and Levites as distinguished from Prophets These Priests were to keep the Law and teach it the people and the people were to seek it at their mouth and by it they were to judge mens Causes and also they were to stand between the people and God in publick worship as is exprest Deut 31. 26. Iosh. 23. 6. Neh. 8. 1 2 3 8 18. 9. 3. Levit. 1. 2. 4. 5. 7. 13. 14. throughout Num. 5. 6. Deut. 17. 12. Mal. 2. 7. Ier. 18 18. The Prophet had Visions but the Priest had the Law Ezek 7. 26. Isa. 8. 16 20. Hag. 2. 11 12. Num. 1. 50 1 Chron. 9. 26. 16. 4. 2 Chron 19. 11. 20. 19. 30. 17 22. He was called A Teaching Priest 2 Chron. 15. 3. Lev. 10. 10 11. Deut. 24. 8. 2 Chron 17. 7 9. Ezek. 44. 23. 2 Chron. 35. 3. And Christ himself sends the cleansed to the Priest and commandeth them to hear the Pharises that sat in Moses Chair though they were no Prophets so that besides the Prophets that had their message immediately from God there were Priests that were called the Ministers of the Lord Joel 1. 9. 2. 17. and Levites that were not to bring new Revelations but to teach and rule and worship him according to the old For Moses of old time hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 15. 21. The Iews rejected Christ because they knew him not nor the voice of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day Acts 13. 27. And even unto this day when Moses is read the Vail is on their heart 2 Cor. 3. 15. And they that would not believe Moses and the Prophets thus read and preached neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Luke 16. 29 31. 2. And as Priests and Levites were distinct from Prophets before Christ so Christ appointed besides the Apostles and Prophetical Revealers of his Gospel a standing sort of Ministers to 1. Teach 2. Rule 3. And worship according to the Gospel which the former had revealed and attested and proved to the world These were called Overseers or Bishops Presbyters or Elders Pastors and Teachers and also the Deacons were joyned to assist them Acts 14 23. They ordained them Elders not Prophets or Apostles in every Church Tit. 1. 5 Titus was to ordain Elders in every City Timothy hath full direction for the ordaining of Bishops or Elders and Deacons 1 Tim 3. That their work was not to bring new Doctrine but to teach rule and worship according to that received I now prove 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Mark that its the same and not a new Doctrine and that as heard from Paul among many witnesses and not as received immediately from God and others were thus to receive it down from Timothy And v. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth It is not to bring new Truths but rightly to divide the old And 2 Tim. 1. 13. Hold fast the form of words which thou hast heard of me not which thou hadst immediately from God in faith and love which is in Christ Iesus that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us The Holy Ghost is to help us in keeping that which is committed to us and not to reveal more 2 Tim 6. 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God that thou keep this Commandment without spot unrebukable till the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. There was a form of Doctrine delivered to the Church of Rome Rom. 6. 17. And 1 Tim. 5. 17. The Elders that rule well are worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine You see their work was to rule and labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 4. 13 14 15 16. Till I come give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all Take heed unto thy self and unto the Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1 Tim. 5. 6. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Iesus Christ nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained Mark here the description of a good Minister of Christ one that 's nourished up in the words of faith and good doctrine which is the use of Schools and Universities and having attained it makes it his work to teach it and put others in remembrance of it Tit. 1. 7 9 10 11. For a Bishop must be blameless as the Steward of God holding fâ—ast the faithful word as he hath been taught mark that that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convince the gainsayers For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses teaching things which they ought not c. So 1 Tim. 3. 1 5. The Office of a Bishop is to rule and take care of the Church of God To take heed to themselves and to all the Flock and feed the Church of God and to watch hereunto according to the word of Gods grace which is fully and wholly delivered by his Apostles and is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among the sanctified as Act. 20. 28 20 27 35 32. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you this is their Office and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and not revile them as the