build in both his house and walls of the City The Ecclesia tunc semper fuâ—t optima quando agebat inte pessiâ—os Luth. Churches have alwayes lost most in times of peace and gained most in times of trouble Whilest the 10. Persecutions contiâ—ued the integrity of the Churchâ—s was best preserved The Psalmist saith Send out thy light and thy truth O Lord Psal 43. 4. and let them leade me unto thine Altar There is no going unto Gods Altar with worship without the leading hand of truth and there is no building Gods house for an Altar without light When God made the world he first made light on the first day as an example unto us in all our workes to work by light Now light and truth do break forth much in troublous times 1. Troublous times are praying times and praying times Reas 1 are knowing times Prov. 2. 3 4 5. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voyce for understanding if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and finde the knowledge of God 2. In troublous times mens hearts are most low and Reas 2 hâ—mbled and so more apt and ready to receive and to be led into any truth You read in Esa 11. that God promiseth that in the latter times the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and in the verses a little before it is said of the Lion and the young Lion that a child shall lead them these two go well together but the stout Lion-like spirit will never be led by the hand of a sucking child till it be brought down and low by troublous time 3. In troublous times God is pleased to communicate Reas 3 himself more freely to his people God is not unto his in affliction as at other times he is most sweet when the world is most bitter It is with a Nation Churchâ— people in their reformation as with a person in his first conversion because of those many temptations that a converting person is to conflict withall God doth more abundantly reveal and communicate himself unto him at his first conversion so with a reforming people because of those many oppositions that they shall meet withall in that work God doth then more then ordinarily communicate himself unto them Thus troublous times do bring forth light and truth God loveth to have a sacrifice from the hands of the children of Abraham out of the thickets and bryars Opposition commendeth reformation in troublous times there is much opposition and therefore in those times reformation is very beautifull The Doctrine is clear then the application easie Thus. Hence we may all see and know what is the work of the App 〈…〉 times even to measure the Temple Now for a long while we have had experience of the first Vision and we have felt the hornes the rising of the carpenters we have seen also And who may not say I have lift up mine eyes and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand Blessed be God that we have lived to see this day to see a man stand with a measuring line in his hand in England And who ever you are that heare me this day you are either such as have this measuring line in your hands or else such as are to be measured If you have the measuring line in your hands then remember this Doctrine the first Proposition Stones of Reformation are to be laid with most exactnesse Herein if you be exact you shall be like unto Jesus Christ who as Salmeron observeth when he came to purge the Temple did not onely admonish chide reprove the money-changers or whip them away but did overthrow their very Tables Ne impium opus facile repeterent Lest they should recover their trade Sacâ—â—dotâ—â— in Templ◠〈…〉 dentes suâ—â—â—â—gellorum dâ—g 〈…〉 Sâ—lâ—ner in Joan. 3. againe In other things you are very exact men are exact in their trades exact in their accounts exact in their reckonings exact in their diet exact in their sleep exact in their haire both of head and face In small things you are exact and will you not be exact in this greatest You know what other Reformed Churches have done the Reformation of all other Churches are round about you you have their writings before you their books their practices their examples and this for many yeeres can you think that God hath set us now for an hundred yeeres upon their shoulders to see no farther into Reformation then they have done If two men be to do the same work the one first and the other after he that doth it first though he doth it never so well yet will excuse himself and say I never saw he work done before me I was faine to invent my very tooles and instruments and you will excuse him though there be some fayling in him But when the second man commeth to the same work that hath a former example and all his tooles to help him you expect more exactnes from him You know my meaning I need not apply this Oh that our God would make England the praise of the whole earth Nothing will do it but our exactnes in reformation Certainly this reformation that is now on foot hath as I may speake with reverence cost our God very dear the liberties the estates the lives and bloods of many of his deare children of whom the world was not worthy Do you think God will lay out all this for an imperfect unexact poor and low reformation Let me present you with the prophesy of Bishop Hooper who when he was in prison called his Printer to him and said You shal out-live these Marian times and see the alteration of the present religion when the Gospel shall be freely preached wherefore remember me to my brethren as well in exile as others and bid them be circumspect in displacing of Popish Priests and put good Ministers in Churches or else their end will be worse then ours He said be circumspect I say be exact And though I do not wish that every morning there might be a boy crying at your doors as once at Philips Mortalises thou art mortall thou art mortall for that the Drum doth sufficiently every morning yet I could wish that this sentence might be sounding in your hearts every morning and night that it might lie down with you and rise with you stones of reformation are to be laid with most exactnes But how shall that be Quest Thus. 1. Be sure of this that you take the right line into Answ your hands Gods word it is our line able to reach unto all particular affaires of the Churches Mistake me not I pray A Church is considered two wayes As a meeting of people men and women Oâ— as a Church meeting a meeting of Saints apparent Beleevers coeâ—us sidelium I doe not say that the Word is to be the onely line and
A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honourable House of COMMONS At their Publique FAST Novemb. 29. 1643. BY VVILLIAM BRIDGE sometimes Fellow of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge now Preacher of Gods Word at Yarmouth REVEL 16. 15. Behold I come as a theef blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments lest he walke naked and they see his shame LONDON Printed for R. DAWLMAN M. DC XLIII TO THE HONORABLE THE KNIGHTS Citizens and Burgesses of the Commons House of Parliament Right worthy Senators ACcording unto your command I have presented these notes unto your hands the worlds view give me leave withall to present my humble thankfulnes for your unwearied labour of love to these three Kingdoms and in them unto all the Churches of Christ for as once the Poles Ambassador said in regard of the Turk Per latus Poloniae petunt Europam I may say in regard of your and our enemies through the sides of England Scotland and Ireland they strike at all that iâ— truely called Christendome your wisdome therefore doth well to make good these passages It is true indeed your work is 1. great but it is for the Sicut calere contra frigidum hoc est repugnare frigâ—do virtutis est atque vigoris sic amareâ—t appetâ—re insuavâ— sivâ— molestum c. Paris de fide great God and Solomon saith The house that I build is great for great is our God 2 Chron. 2. 5. Shall not we do great things for him who hath done and suffered great things for us and by us 2. Your worke is clogged with many difficulties but if it were not so how should the strength of your love appeare either to your God or to your Country a man may be said to love the truth before the winde of opposition riseth but he cannot be said to hold it fast or cleave unto it till he meets with some that would take it from him Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4. Difficulty doth commend duty there was a stone rolled upon Christs grave And there is a difficulty rolled upon every truth or way of God which through the evil of the times hath been buried But when you come to the graves mouth the place where you think to meet with most difficultie Operum difficultates coelotum saaâ—â—tates consequuntuâ— there and then the stone shall be rolled away The more difficulty in doing the more sweetnes in the work done 3. Your work is berounded with many dangers but the Nec mendaâ—ii utilitas est diuturna nec veritatis damnum diu nocet neglect of it is more dangerous and the frown of a Prince may sometimes stand with the favour of God neither shall flattery alwayes hold in credit nor truth ever continue in disgrace 4. Your work is reproached sometimes and calumniated by divers adversaries But as Seneca said to his friend male de te loquuntur homines sed mali so Cur respondet Sacerdoti sed Peninnae non respondeat Anna quia Peninna â—rat persona privata sacerdos autem publica item Peninna loquebatur ex odio sacerdos ex zelo unde allud negligendum eâ—at ille instruendus Mend. in Sam. may I say to you Men speak evil of you but they are evil men and it may be yea t is likely God will heare the language of your Peninnahs make you the more fruitfull especially you doing as Hanna did who though she was willing to answer to the charge of Eli because he did speak from Zeale yet she would not answer the reproach of Peninnah because she spake from hatred Surely Malignants clamours are best answered when neglected Tutius aliquando agit qui calumnias non exaudit Jesus Christ was eclipsed that Gods servants might shine 5. Your work also is or may be disadvantagious unto your own particular interests your publike imployments cannot but hinder your private affaires yet be pleased to remember Moses and Joshua who were men of great service in their generation having as full an opportunity to have made themselves rich as ever men had yet we do not read of any great lot they shared out to themselves or their posterity You are now employed upon Gods service As for your own private affaires if you afford them some Reliques of your love and so much onely as the publike Toleramus potius praesentia quam diligamâ—â— Aug. leaves it is enough for what is too cold for God is hot enough for the world yet as the baggage unto an Army so are things temporall to spirituall and personall estates to publike employments And in the throng of all your discouragements be pleased also to remember how good how honourable how successefull your service is and will be T is good first in regard of the State for you are now in travail for your Countries liberty which though it may stick some time in the birth and a dragon stand before you to devoure it before it is borne yet in due time it shal be brought forth and we shall not onely be liberati but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui diruit maceriam eum mordebit serpens qui legum constitutiones impingit non feret impune qui Religionis sacra violat non erit a poena immunis Drusius proverb liberi The Hebrews have a Proverb which they have borrowed of Solomon That Whoso breaketh down the â—edge shall be bitten with serpents The hedges of the State or Church are the Laws as Drusius interprets it or the Ordinances thereof Those enemies of yours or ours that have or would tread down our hedges even to the ground shall not ever goe unpunished When the hedge is lowest the serpent is nearest 2. Good in regard of the Churches for through your paines and labour of love those swelling parts I had almost said wens which engrossed all the outward nutriment unto themselves the direfull presage of a peoples 〈◊〉 in corpore humano cui 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 epistolarum suarum pasâ—buâ— compaâ—aâ— quod si nutâ—imentum luit ad unum membrum ita ut â—noâ—miter ingrossetur alâ—a 〈◊〉 attenuatione demacerentur nonpotest 〈◊〉 sicin câ—rpore Eccles si supeâ—ioreâ— fiant ita graves attractione substantiae quod in 〈…〉 res vix possunt pra inopia se sustinere hoc est signum â—am propâ—nquae ruinae Gersom death and ruine saith Gersom are either taken off or made more proportionable 2. Your service is very honorable for what greater honour then under Iesus Christ to be your Countries saviours and your Lords servants Vpon Moses death it was said Moses the servant of the Lord is dead not Moses the Prince of the people but the servant of the Lord So Psalme 18. in the Title of the Psalme it is said A Psalme of David the servant of the Lord not a Psalme of David the Anointed King of Israel but as if it were more honour to be Gods servant then Israels King t is said the servant of the Lord such honour have
all our Worthies 3. Your service is and will be most successefull t is truth you stand for And though the truth may labour as Hierom Veritas laborare potest vinci non potest Hier. Quid enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lo inexpugnabilius vâ—ritas arcem in coelâ— collocavit Ps 119. Mend. speakes it cannot be overcome For what saith Mendoza is more impregnable then the Heavens and Truth hath built it selfe a towre there Thy word O Lord is setled in the Heavens Psal 119. Wherefore worthy Sirs as heretofore so now much more be alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord in due time you shall reape if you faint not If you want money to carry on your yet not your but Gods publique Designe remember what was promised unto Cyrus who in regard of re-building the Temple was to doe your worke in the type I will Esay 45. 2 3. goe before thee saith God and make the crooked places streight I will breake in pieces the Gates of brasse and cut in sunder the barres of iron and will give thee the treasures of darknesse and hidden riches of secret places And doth not your owne experience tell you thus even thus hath our God dealt by us for the treasures of darkenesse and hidden riches of secret places have beene brought forth unto us Gold and silver that hath not seene the light for many yeares before God is the same God still and his promise which is your Mint the same If you want outward strength and power then remember how often when the Iews were to build the Temple and therein to meet with enemies the Lord inculcates that his Attribute upon them The Lord of Hosts Thus saith the Lord of Hosts thrice in one verse Zach. 15. 3. and five times in foure short verses Hag. 2. Silver is mine and gold is mine saith the Lord of Hosts I will fill this house with my glory saith the Lord of Hosts c. And if you finde not the hearts of the people comming up alwayes to your forwardnesse then your wisdome knoweth how to improve the heates of their hearts while they last all things you know are easie and beautifull in their season And because men know not time and judgementâ— therefore their misery is great upon them But above all things let your eye be upon that most which Gods eye is most upon Truth Reformation and pure Religion State-hypocrites desire truth for peace sake godly States-men desire peace for truths sake warre is for peace but peace for truth Wherefore that I may serve you herein I take the boldnesse to lay these few lines before you The Sermon calleth for exactnesse of Reformation if I have not beene exact whilst I have called for exactnesse your goodnesse knoweth as well how to connive at what is mine as to embrace what is God Goe on right worthy Patriots still to defend your Countrey to contend for truth to be willing to lose and be lost for Christ whilst I live I shall live praying for you and when I dye I hope I shal dye praising God for you Your humble servant in the Gospell of Iesus Christ WILLIAM BRIDGE Die Mercurii 29. November 1643. IT is this day Ordered by the Commons assembled in Parliament that Sir Robert Harley doe give thanks unto M. Bridge for the great paines he tooke in the Sermon he preached this daâ— at the intreaty of the Commons at S. Margarets Westm it being the day of publique Humiliation and to desire him to print his Sermon H. Elsyng Cler. Parl. D Com. A SERMON Preached at the Late Fast before the Honourable House of COMMONS ZECHARIAH CHAP. 2. VER 18 19 20 21. And CHAP. 2. VER 1. 18. Then lift I up mine eyes and saw and behold foure borns 19. And I said unto the Angel that talked with me What be these And he answered me These are the horns which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem 20. And the Lord shewed me foure carpenters 21. Then said I What come these to doe and he spake saying These are the horns which have scattered Iudah so that no man did lift up his head but these are come to fray them to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles which lift up their horne over the land of Iudah to scatter it 1. I lift up mine eyes againe and looked and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand ALthough according to our English Translation these words are parts of severall Chapters yet in many Hebrew Copies the second Chapter begins where my Text doth and they have such connexion that I may not part them Three things there are which this Age of ours hath brought forth Malignant enemies Speciall instruments of their ruine And great endeavours for Reformation Accordingly here are three Visions A Vision of foure hornes ver 18 19. A Vision of foure carpenters ver 20 21. A Vision of a man with a measuring line in his hand Chap. 2. ver 1. Every Vision hath its Narration and Explication The Narration of the first Vision at the 18. verse I saw and behold foure hornes The Explication in the 19. These are the hornes which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem So that 1. You have the description of the Churches enemies under the vision of foure hornes who are here described 1. From their number or multitude they are foure hornes according to the foure parts of the world Quatuor cornua sunt quatuor mundi partes 2. From their power strength the horn is a word that in Scripture phrase doth note strength He hath raised up a horne of salvation for us Luke 1. 69. that is strong and powerfull salvation 3. From their mischievous and malignant practice They scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem 2. In the second Vision you have the description of those speciall instruments that are raised up for their destruction under the similitude of foure carpenters or four smiths who are here described 1. From their number foure And 2. From their work which is to scatter the hornes and to cast out the Gentiles 3. Then commeth in the third Vision the endeavours for Reformation under the similitude of a man with a measâ—ring line in his hand which is described two wayes 1. From the instrument thereof a man or as in the Hebrew an excellent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man explained to be Zerubbabel their Governour Chap. 4. 10. 2. From the exactnesse thereof he dâ—th work by line I saw a man with a measuring line in his hand Give me lâ—ave to open the words and draw out some short Observations upon them before I come to the maine truths VERSE 18. Then lift I up mine eyes and saw That is I stirred and rowsed up my self with all intensenes to receive this vision Heavenly relations are not to be obtained in a drowsy and sleepy way And behold foure hornes that is enemies from all parts of the world and especially those foure Monarchies who have all in their
course and turne been vexatious to the people of God It is no new thing for the Saints and Churches to be pushed gored scattered by cruell and beastly enemies Yea the Churches may be so afflicted with enemies that a man shall not know whither to fly for safety for in every part of the world there shall be some opposers I saw foure hornes misery and calamity and persecution arising out of every part VERSE 19. And I said to the Angel that talked with me c. This Angel by Interpreters is said to be Christ himself the Angel of the Covenant who is the best Interpreter of Heavenly visions and of hard Scriptures When we understand them not we should search make enquiry and go to Christ saying as Zechariah here What are these Lord And he answered me these are the hornes which have scattered Iudah Israel and Ierusalem The enemies of the Churches are not said here to have wounded or killed Iudah Israel or Ierusalem but ventilarunt they have tossed them up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were into the aire they have scattered saith the English It is the proper work of the enemies of the Churches to scatter Gods people The Disciples of Christ are commanded to be without hornes Be wise as Serpents and innocent as Doves the word in the Greek is without hornes as Doves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here the enemies are said to sccatter Iudah Israel and Ierusalem that is their work and property VER 20. And the Lord shewed me foure Carpenters The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is such Agents and Instruments as do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fabricavit work with art counsell and deliberation Though the enemies of the Churches be unreasonable and cruell as horned beasts yet the instruments that God rayseth up to suppresse them are full of humanity wisdome and counsell and they are foure too a proportionable strength VER 21. Then said I What come these to do And he spake saying These are come to fray them away and to cast out the hornes of the Gentiles Look how they dealt by Gods people so God will deale by them they scattered Israel and the God of Israel will raise up instruments that shall scatter them they cast out Gods people and they shall be cast out Scattering enemies shal be scattered themselves at last CHAP. 2. VER 1. I lift up mine eyes again Here is another vision brought to the same purpose in generall to uphold and comfort the distressed sâ—rvants of God When the the condition of the Saints is low and their fearâ—s great there is need of repeating comforts Then visions promises and consolations must be oft repeated I lift up mine eyes again And I looked and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand That is for to build exactly The second verse tells us it was for to measure Jerusalem which cannot barely be understood littâ—rally for ver 16. of Chap. 1. It is said I am returned to Ierusalem with mercies saith the Lord my house shall be built in it and a line shall be stretched forth upon Ierusalem c. which promise in its latitude was never yet fulfilled litterally but it is to be understood of the New Jerusalem especially mentioned in Revel 21. Where we find a man also at this measuring work So that we may yet say though the afflictions of the Churches be very great and their desolations many yet if a man will lift up his eyes and stirre up himself he may and shall behold a man with a measuring line in his hand And thus you see that there is â—ardly a word of these three visions but affordeth some speciall instruction But because I have not time for all I shall especially close with those three Doctrines that are especially held forth in these three visions Thus. 1. In that here are four hornes that appeare first you may Doct. 1 observe this That when God intendeth good and salvation to his Churches he doth first suffâ—r many potent malicious enemies to rise against them 2. In that these foure Carpenters do appeare immediatly after these foure hornes as it were in the same vision you may observe That though God do suffer the enemies of his Churches and people to be exceeding strong many and most mischievous yet he will raise up an answerable strength against them Foure Carpenters against foure hornes which shall fray them away and deale by them as they have done by others 3. In that the man with a measuring line doth immediatly follow upon these you may observe that when God shall please to raise up speciall instruments to suppresse the Churches enemies then and then especially Reformation is to be much endeavoured which is to be done with exactnes even by Line I begin with the former vision of the foure hornes and the Doct. 1 first Doctrine namely that when God intendeth any great good and salvation to his people he doth first suffer malignant potent and many â—nemies to rise against them Was it not so with Israel whâ—n God intended to bring them out of Egypt Then their Taskemasters arose and doubled their work and were more inimicitious to them then formerly Was it not thus with the Jewes when God brought them out of Babylon to build the Temple opposition they met withall in their remove in their journey and all along in their Temple-work Was it not thus with the Israelitâ—s when they went to execute justice upon that malignant Tribe of Benjamin for the great sin of Gibeah If you look into the 20. of Iudges you shall find that before Benjamin was punished they got two great victories upon Israel Israel if you count the numbers of their souldiers wâ—re twelve to one Israel had the best cause and their work was good they went forth to do justâ—ce on that delinquent Tribe yet if you consult the story the Tribe of Benjamin first slew of them down to the ground forty thousand mâ—n This is Gods way still He seldome or never destroyeth his enemies but out of Zeale The Zeale of the Lord of Hosts hath done this saith the Prophet Now Zeale is nothing else but angered love and three things there are in the world that God doth love especially His people His truth and His worship When the enemies prevaile they spoile his people they defile his worship they scorne his truth so his love is angred his Zeale is stirred and then his enemies are confounded But what reason is there why God should suffer his precious Quest servants and people to be thus handled oppressed gored scattered by cruell enemies Good reason for it Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Answ so many enemies so many school-masters Make plain my way before me saith the Psalmist because of mine enemies but in the Hebrew it is because of mine observers our enemies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inimicus qâ—asi obserâ—ator dictus quod semper obserâ—et et contempletur quibus malefacial
rule to the Church in the first respect so reason may be a rule to men as men but in the second respect it is the Word is able to reach unto all things belonging unto a Church as a Church Our Commission is not larger now then the Apostles Commission was and their Commission ran thus Goe teach and baptize c. teaching men to observe what ever I command you Mat. 28. If not commanded by Christ then not to be preached by them nor by us Jesus Christ was and is as fully Christ in his Propheticall as Priestly office and his Priestly satisfaction reached unto all our sinnes though they were never so small therefore his Propheticall direction reacheth to all our duties though they be never so little That which commeth not from heaven can never bring you into heaven If you say There are some things indifferent It is true but Christs command is to keep them so then and not to alter them If you say that Circumstances are left unto the Church Either you meane all Circumstances or some If you meane onely some then you conclude nothing for a particular Proposition cannot make a generall Conclusion If you meane that all Circumstances are left unto the Church then you doe at once and at one stroke cut off three Commandements from the Decalogue the first Commandement Thou shalt have no other Gods but me commandeth the substance of worship the second the means the third the manner the fourth the time and meanes manner and time are circumstances Herein Luther speaks well Whatsoever a man beleeveth or learneth or teacheth besides the Word it is sinne and againe saith he The Church Non enim nostro â—udicio in s 〈…〉 nda est Relâ—gâ—â— sed e 〈…〉 Dei Omâ— a pervertuntâ—â— cum Religio non verbo Dei sed hominum a bitâ—â—â—â—iâ—itur Jewâ—l Conciâ— ad Clerum de verbo Dei is the daughter of Scripture brought up at the feâ—t of the Word O the perfection of that line it is a compleat line a glorious line a blessed line Take this line therefore first into your hands 2. When you have gotten this line into your hand view your ground well and stones well that you are to draw this line over Three sorts there are that are especially to be lined by it The Magistrates the Ministers the Congregations These three the Pope and Prelats notwithstanding their slattering with Princes have especially laboured to degrade and to deprive of that power which was given unto them by Jesus Christ 1. The Magistrates and therefore the man of sin is so described by the Apostle that he shall exalt 1 Thessal 2. 4. himselfe above all that is called God 2. The Ministers and Elders of the Church and therefore you shall observe that from the 7. Chapter of the Revelation to the 14. there is no more mention made of Elders unlesse it be in relation unto that same time In the 4. Chapter the condition of the Church is stated and then the Elders are mentioned so againe in the 5. and 7. but in the after Chapters to the 14. you have the story of Antichrist his rise his reigne and ruine and till the fall of Antichrist which is begun in the 14. and perfected in the 18. we reade no more of the Elders but in the beginning of the 19. after Babylon is falne then come forth the Elders againe praising God and with great joy So in our Service-book the Collect runs thus Send down upon our Bishops and Curats c. as if Ministers and Elders were onely Bishops Curats and had no power but under them 3. The Congregations also have been much oppressed by them therefore * Non iâ—aque insiciamuâ—â—eterem ritum ac morâ—m Episâ—â—pos â—ligendâ— quo plâ—be praesentâ— imâ— â—â—sius suffragiis aliquandâ—â—ligebanturâ—nam in Africa illum moremobservatum esse consâ—at ex electione Eradii successoris S. August in Graecia â—â—tate S. Châ—ysoll ex libro esus 3. de sacerdote qua quidem eligendi Episcopi ratio usque ad Gregorium I. ut constat ex ejus epistolis imâ— ad Caroli Magni Ludovici R. â—â— Imperatorum usque tempor a perduravit Azor. instit Morab p. 2. l. 3. c. 28. Azorius the Jesuite professeth ingenuously that untill Gregory the first and Charles the Great the Congregations had the power of chusing their owne Ministers since Antichrists power the Congregations have lost their power Now belâ—ved in the Lord there is none of all these three but have some power about Church-affaires the Magistrate he hath his power and therefore he is called a nursing Father the Minister and Elder he hath his power therefore he is commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whicâ— signifiâ—th both to feed and rulâ— The Conâ—râ—gation hath its power and therefore well saith that blessed and learned man D. Whitaker who is now in Hâ—aven If you consider the government of the Church in regard of its Head Christ so it is Monarchicall if in regard of the Elders so it is Aristocraticall if in regard of the people who have a power to choose their own Officers it is Democraticall Whether this power of theirs be a matter of priviledge or of jurisdiction I dispute not now but a power they have a power the People a power the Minister and Elder a power the Magistrate and if your line can be so drawn as that every one of these three may have that native power which Jesus Christ hath left them by legacie then have you drawn your line aright view therefore your ground well 3. Which that you may doe in the third place take heed of selfe-ingagements and selfâ—-respects in this worke of Reformation Veritas stâ—t in aperto Campo the truth stands in the open â—ield it sâ—es no house it sees no friend no home And if your eye be upon your engagements your hand will draw the Line awry Chrysostome observeth that when our Saviour propoundeth the Parable of the husbandmen unto Mat. 21. 41. the Scribes and Pharisees saying What shall bee done to these Huâ—bandmen The Jews answered He shall miserably destroy Luke 20. 16. those Husbandmen yet in another Gospel when our Saviour saith he shall miserably destroy them the Jews answered God forbid In one Gospel their answer is related to be He shall miserably destroy them in the other Gospel their answer is related on the contrary God forbid How can these agree Yes sayes Chrysostome for first they say he will miserably destroy these husbandmen but when they perceived that Christ aymed at them then they said God forbid So misleading are all selfâ—-respects and ingagements in receiving the truth Reforming persons therefore must be selfe-denying persons 1. They must deny their owne wits understandings reasonings though they be never so plausible Da mihi baptizatam rationem Give me baptized reason saith one mortified reason Naturall reason may be a drawer of water unto the Temple but no Officer in