of truth nor cause vs to forbear this most excellent and comfortable ordinance of the Lord Iesus wherein is to be seen and heard the variety and harmony of the graces of God for the aedifying of the Church v. 4. and gayning of the vnbeleevers v. 24. 25. That the Apostle in this Chapter directs the Church in the vse of extraordinary gifts is most evident neyther will I deny but that the officers are to guide and order this action of prophesying as all other publick buesinesses yea even these wherein the brethren have greatest liberty but that he also intends the establishing of so takes order and gives direction for an ordinary constant exercise in the Church even by men out of office I do manifest by these reasons First bycause the Apostle speaks of the manifestation of a gift or grace common to all persons as well brethren as ministers ordinary as extraordinary and that at all times which is love as also of such fruits and effects of that gaace as are no lesse coÌ„mon to all then the grace it self nor of lesse continuance in the Churches of Christ to wit of â—dification exhortation comfort v. 3. compared with 1 Thes. 5. 11. 14. Secondly verse 21. he permits all to prophesie and speaks as largely of prophesying as of learning and receiving comfort But now least any should object may women also prophesie the Apostle prevents that obiection and it may be reproves that disorder amongst the Corinthians ver 34. by a flat inhibition inioyning them expresly to keep silence in the Church in the presence of men to whom they ought to be subiect and to learn at home of their housbands v. 35. and not by teaching the mâ—â— to vsurp authority over them 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. which the men in prophesying do lawfully vse Now this restreynt of women from prophecying or other speaking with authority in the Church both in this place to the Corinthians and in the other to Tim doth clear the two former obiections In that Paul forbids women he gives liberty to all men gifted accordingly opposing women to men sex to sex and not women to Officers which were frivolous And againe in restreyning women he shewes his meaning to be of ordinary not extraordinary prophesying for women immediately and extraordinarily and miraculously inspired might speak without restreynt Exo. 15. 20. Iudg. 4. 4. Luk. 2. 36. Act. 21. 17. 18. The Prophets here spoken of were not extraordinary bycause their doctrines were to be iudged by other Prophets and their spirits to be subiect vnto the spirits of others v. 29. 32. where the doctrines of the extraordinary Prophets were neyther subiect to nor to be iudged by any but they as the Apostles being immediately and infallibly inspired were the foundation vpon which the Church is built Iesus Christ himself being the cheif corner stone The Apostle vers 37. makes a Prophet and a man spirituall all one whom he further describes not by any extraordinary gift but by that common Christian grace of submission vnto the things he writes as the commaundements of the Lord. Vnto whom also ver 38. he opposeth a man wilfully ignorant teaching vs that he doth not measure a Prophet in this place eyther by the office of ministery or by any extraordinary propheticall gift but by the coÌ„mon christian gift of spirituall discerning It is the commaundement of the Lord by the Apostle that a Bishop must be apt to teach that such Elders or Bishops be called as are able to exhort with sound doctrine and to convince the gainsayers Now except men before they be in office may be permitted to manifest their gifts in doctrine and prayer which are the two mayn works requiring speciall qualification in the teaching Elders how shall the Church which is to chuse them take knowledge of their sufficiency that with faith and good conscience they may call them and submit vnto them for their guides If it be sayd that vpon such occasion triall may be taken of mens gifts I do answer first that mens gifts and abilities should be known in some measure before they be once thought on for officers and 2. that there is none other vse or tryall of those gifts but in prophesying for every thing in the Lords house is to be performed in some ordinance there is no thing throwen about the house or out of order in it and other ordinance in the Church save this of prophesying is there none wherein men out of office are to pray and teach which therefore they ought to covet v 39. and in it to be excercised and trayned vp that when officers want the Church may not need to set vp men as it were to play their prizes nor send them like school-boyes to be posed as your fashion in England is And that minister that is not called vpon the Churches experimentall knowledge of his sufficiency in these things comes not in by the dore which Christ hath opened nor may be accounted a true minister of Christ and his Church Lastly eyther men not yet in office being accordingly qualified may preach the truth of Christ or it is not possible that the people should be taught in lawfull manner eyther in nations vniversally heathenish or vniversally apostate vnder Antichrist before there be true Churches gathered by which the officers are to be chosen for as it is not very like that heathenish or antichristian preists will sincerely teach the truth neyther is it lawfull for them to administer or for any to joyn with them in their administrations by vertue of any heathenish or antichristian calling or ordination Rev. 14 9. 10. 11. 1 Tim. 5. 22. And howsoever the Church of England hath preferred a dumb masse and profane preisthood with a service-book before this ordinance yet the truth of Christ is otherwise and so the Church of Christ is taught to practise which you also Mr B might do well in modesty to acknowledge though you want liberty to vse it I haue insisted the longer vpoÌ„ this point both for it self and bycause it serveth effectually to prove the other point in hand For if the brethren have liberty in this ordinance of prophecy they haue also liberty in the other ordinance of excommunication for they are both of the same nature Look to whom Christ gave the one key of doctrine to them he gave the other key of discipline and they that may handle the one may have a finger vpoÌ„ the other they that may bynde loose by doctrine reproof comfort they may also bynde or loose by application of the same doctrine reproof or comfort to the person obstinate in sin oâ— penitent for it As the one of those doth necessarily establish the other so take away eyther and the other cannot stand And here I gather an other argument agaynst your exposition of Math 18. Lastly as the Elders principally to be imployed in teaching cannot
them and the blessing of peace-makers vpon their heads Of Mr B. disswasive probabilities THe next thing that comes into consideration is certayn probabilities likelyhoods as the authour calls them consisting for the most part of personal imputations di graceful calumniations whereby he labours to withdraw the harts of the simple froÌ„ the truth of God unto disobedience as Absalom did the people into rebellion against the K. by slandering his goverment 2 SaÌ„ 15. But if Mr Bern. followed his sound judgement in this booâ— as he professeth in the Preface and so laboured to lead others he would neyther go himself nor send them by vnstable guesses and likelyhoods as he doth The truth of God goes not by peradventures neyther needs it any such paper-shot as likelyhoods are to assault the adversary withall The word of God which is profitablâ— to teach to reprovâ— to correct and to instruct in righteousnes is sufficient to furnish the man of God with weapons spirituall and those mighty through God to cast downe strong holds and whatsoever high thing is exalted against the knowledge of God And if M. B. speak according to the Law and Prophets his words are solid arguments if not there is neyther light in him nor truth in them and so where truth is wanting must some like-truthes or images of truth be layed in the place like the image in Davids bed to deceive them that sought after him when he himself was wanting 1 Saâ— 19. 13. The first probabilitie that our way is not good is The noveltie thereof differing from all the best reformed Churches â—â— Christendome It is no noveltie to hear men plead custome when they want truth So the heathen Phylosophers reproched Paul as a bringer of new doctrine so do the Papists discountenance the doctrine and profession of the Church of England yea even at this day very many of the people in the Land vse to call Popery the old law the profession there made the new law But we for our parts as we do beleeve by the word of God that the things we teach are not new but old truthes renued so are we no lesse fully perswaded that the Church constitution in which we are set is cast in the Apostolicall and primitive mould and not one day nor hower yonger in the nature and forme of it then the first Church of the new Testament And whether a people all of them separated sanctified so farr as men by their fruits can or ought to judge or a mingled generation of the seed of the womaÌ„ and seed of the serpent be more ancient the government of sundry Elders or Bishops with joynt authority over one Church or of one Nationall Provincial or Diocesan Bishop over many hundred or thousand Churches the spirituall prayers conceived in the heart of the Ministers according to the present occasions or necessityes of the Church or the English service book the simple administration of the Sacraments according to the words of institution or pompous and carnall complements of cap coap surplice crosse godfathers kneeling and the like mingled withall I do even refer it to the report of Mr B. owne conscience be it never so partiall Now for the differences betwixt the best reformed Churches as Mr B. calls them granting thereby his owne to be the worst and vs they ar extant in print being few in number those none of the greatest weight But what a volume would these differences make betwixt those reformed Churches and the vnreformed Churches of England if they were exactly set downe And yet for the corruptions reproved by vs in the reformed Church where we live I do vnderstand by them of good knowledge and sincerity that the most or greatest of them are rather in the exequution then in the constitution of the Church Our differences from the reformed Churches Mr B. aggravates by two reasons 1. The first is our separation from them 2. the 2. certeyne termes of disgrace vttered by Mr Barrow Mr Greenwood agaynst the Eldership which Mr Bernard will have vs disclayme For the first it is not truely affirmed that we separate from them What our judgment is of them our confessions of fayth and other wrytings do testify and for our practise as we cannot possibly ioyn vnto them would we never so fayne being vtterly ignorant of their language so neither do wee separate from them save in such particulars as we esteeme evill which we also shall endeavour to manifest vnto them so to be as occasion and meanes shal be offered And secondly for the taxations layd by Mr B. and Mr G. vpon the Eldership or other practise in the reformed Churches wherein they were any way excessive we both have disclaimed alwayes are and shal be ready to disclayme the same Onely I entreat the godly reader to coÌ„sider that those things were not spoken by them otherwise then in respect of those corruptions in the Eldership els where which they deemed Antichristian and evill Of which respective phrase of speach more hereafter Lastly if it be likely that our way is not good for the difference it hath from the reformed Churches and that thâ— greatneâ— of the difference appeares by the hard termes given by some of vs agaynst the government there vsâ—d thâ—n surâ—ly iâ— is much more likely that the way of the vnreformed Church of England is not good which differeth far more froÌ„ the reformed Chuâ—ches which difference appeares not onely in most reprochfull termes vsed by the Praelates and their adhaerents against the seekers of reformation comparing them to all vile haeretiques and seditious persons but in cruell persequutions raysed agaynst them and greater then against Papists or Atheists The second marke by which Mr B. guesseth our way not good is for that it agreeth so much with the antient schismatiques condemned in former ages by holy and learned men Luciferians Donatists Novattans and Audians Can our way both be a novelty new devise and yet agree so well with the antient schismatiques condemned in former ages Contradictions cannot be both true but may both be false as these are The partyes to whome Mr B. likeneth vs were condemned not onely for schisme but for heresy also as appeares in Epiphanius Austine Eusebius and others And as we have nothing no not in sâ—ew like vnto some of them nor in truth vnto any of them in the things blame worthy in them so if Mr B. were put to iustify by the word of God the condemnation of some of them it would put him to more trouble then he is aware of The Audians dissented from the Nicene Councell about theyr Easter tyme. The Luciferians held the soule of man to be ex traduce and were therefore accounted Haeretiques as indeed it was too vsuall a thing in those dayes to reiect men for haeretiques vpon too light causes And for the Donatists vnto whom Mr Gifford others would so fayn
at large by others I do answer that as it was vnlawfull to communicate with Corah or with Vzziah though they burnt true incense or with Ieroboams Preists though they offered true sacrifices so is it vnlawfull to communicate with a devised ministery what truth soever is taught in it Secondly the Lord hath promised no blessing to his word but in his own ordinance though by his superaboundant mercy he oft tymes vouchsafe that which no man can chalendg by any ordinary promise Thirdly no man may partake in other mens sinns but every Ministery eyther devised or vsurped is the sinn of him which exerciseth it And as no good subiect would assist or coÌ„municate with any person in the administration of civil iustice to the Kings subiects no not though hâ— administred the same never so equally and indifferrently except the same person had commission from the King so to do so neyther ought the subiects of the kingdome of Christ to partake with any person whomsoever in the dispensation of any spirituall thing though in it self never so holy without sufficient warrant and commission from the most absolute and sovereigne King of his Church Christ Iesus And where Mr B. speaks of hearing the true word of God onely preached he intimates therin that if we would heare him preach it would satisfy him wel and so teacheth vs with himselfe and others to make a schisme in the Church in vsing one ordinance and not another It is all one whether a man communicate with the Minister in his pulpit or with the Chauncelor in his consistory both of them minister by the same power of the Bishop The Chauncelor may iudge iustly who knowes whither or no the Minister will teach truely And if he do not but speak the vision of his owne heart what remedy hath the Church or what can they that hear him do May they rebuke him openly according to his sin and so bring him to repentance or must they not beare his errors yea his heresyes also during the pleasure of the Bishops even their Lord his And would you Mr B. be content your people should heare a masse Preist or Iesuite though he professed as loud as you do that he would teach the true word of God And think not scorne of the match for you have the selfe same office with a masse Preist though refyned If he be ordayned by a Bishop though it be the Bishop of Rome he may minister in any Church of England by vertue of that ordination And besides masse Preists preach some and those the mayne truthes and the Ministers in England neither do nor daâ—e preach all no nor some which it may be the others do Is it not better then for the servaÌ„ts of the L. Iesus to exercise aedify themselves according to the model of grace receaved though in weaker measure then to be so simple as to come to your feasts though you cry never so loud vnto them thinking that because your stoln waters are sweet and your hidden bread pleasant that they have no power to passe by but must needs become your guests Lastly Mr B. even to make vp the measure of his mallice as he formerly reproached vs by the oppositioÌ„s dissentioÌ„s which he hath heard of amongst vs so doth he here by the vnity and love which himselfe hath seen in vs comparing it page 64. to the love of Familists and Papists and other wretched and graceles companions So that belike whither we love or hate whither we agree or disagree this man wil be sure to fynd matter of reproch vnto vs and of stumbling to himselfe as the Iewes did both from Iohns austerity and from Christs more sociable course of life Math. 11. 18. 19. Our fourth sin is abusing the word of which all are guilty by misalledging and wresting places of Scripture c and this Mr B. proves because some have accused some of the principall of vs with it If accusation be conviction Mr B. needs not speak of some or any other he himselfe hath most mightily coÌ„vinced vs for he hath most hatefully accused vs of any man a live The fifth sin supposed is our wilfull persisting in our schism lightly regarding reverend mens labours and sinfully despising weaker meanes c. It is well knowne that Mr B. how earnestly soever he pleads with vs for the contrary doth himselfe as much neglect save for his owne purposes the iudgment of other men as any other neyther is there one minister in the land I am verily perswaded with whoÌ„ he suiteth but a right Ismael is he lesse or more having his hand against every man and every mans against him Well I deny our separation to be schism as we take the word much lesse do we persist wilfully in it And for the iudgment of other men as we despise not the meanest so neyther do we pin our faith vpon the sleeves of the most learned The other exceptions of shifting and evading the scriptures of perversnes of spirit in conference I pretermit as being both frivolous despitefull onely something must be answered before we passe this poynt to the charge layd vpon vs Pag 98. touching corruptions in the Churches Apostolicall and reformed And first obiect to them sayth he the corruptions of the Churches Apostolicall and theyr answer is eyther that we mayntayn our corruptioÌ„s by the sinnes of other Churches or els they were in a true constitution And how can you with modesty reiect this answer you say we misconstrue your intendement which is that corruption make not a false Church We grant it except they be essentiall but this is that we say that what Church soever alledgeth the corruptions of other Churches with a purpose to coÌ„tinue in the like theÌ„selves which is your estate that Church maintaynes her corruptions by the sinns of other Churches And for the second poynt I do affirme that merely by vertue of a constitution there may be a true Church of God though abounding for the present in sinne and iniquity yet another assembly not rightly constituted or gathered into covenant with God no true Church though lesse impieties be to be found in it The Prophet Ieremy complaines that the iniquity of the daughter of his people namely Ierusalem was become greater then the sinn of Sodom and the Prophet Ezekiâ—l affirmes that Ierusalem was more corrupt by half then Sodom and Samaria And yet was Ierusalem the true Church of God which neyther Samaria nor Sodom were no nor yet any other place in the world where not halfe the wickednes was wrought that was to be found in the better of them This poynt I will further examplify by a symilitude A woman free and separated from all other men and ioyned in civill covenant to a man is his wyfe yea though shee prove very stubborn and disobedient yea and dishonest also till the bill of divorcement be given her but
the constitution even of Rome as now it stands is not simply false but onely in this that respect So far as it separates fro heathenish Idolatry Idolaters vnto the true God reteynes any truthes of God remaynders of Christs testament so far it is not false or feyned and yet is her present constitution false she vncapable of the Lords covenant To come nearer the matter The constitution of the Church is the orderly collection and coniunction of the sayncts into in the covenant of the new Testament 〈◊〉 the saynts are the matter the covenant the form from which two concurring the Church ariseth and is by them constituted Now for the word it is an outward instrument preparing and preserving the matter but no more the constitution of the Church then the ax is the coÌ„stitution or frame of the house and for externall profession it manifests the fitnes of the matter for the form and by it the saynts enter covenant which covenant also the sacraments confirm as sâ—ales annexed to that end And where Mr B. affirmeth we cannot prove their Church coÌ„stition false by any playn doctrine of scripture we will consider the scriptures he himself alledgeth and the doctrine of them which as so many touchstones do discover the counterfeyt constitution of the same The word saith he is the constitution of the Church His meaning is or should be at the least that the word is the ordinary outward meanes for the collecting and constituting of the Church of God I graunt it But how considered Not the word in mens bibles alone for then all the Haeretiques in the world are true Ch nor yet the word preached simply for Paul preached the word to the scoffing Athenians to the blasphemous Iewes yet I think he will not say that eyther the one or the other were Churches truly constituted How then the word published vnderstood beleeved and obeyed outwardly at the least as the spirituall sword or ax hewing the stones in the rock and trees in the forrest and preparing them to be the Lords spirituall house And thus much the very places produced by Mr B like Golyahs sword drawn out to cut off his owne sword do evidently declare Math. 28. 19. which is the first place shewes that such as by preaching of the word were made disciples for so much the word importeth were to be gathered into the Church baptised Mar. 16. 15. shewes the same especially if you adde vers 16. inferring that men by preaching must beleeve and so beleeve as they have the promise of salvation which I note the rather to shew the vanity of that verball profession in a profane conversation which els where Mr B. makes so much of The places 2 Cor. 5. 19. 11. 2. cited by you do prove that the worâ— of reconciliation and ministery of the gospell beleeved obeyed to the forgivenes of sinns and to the preparation sanctification of the Church to Christ is the means of gathering and building vp the same to which that of Iob. 33. 23. 24. consorteth The two places Act. 2. 14. 37. 38. 41. and 16. â—2 32. 34. are of the same 〈◊〉 with the former and do provâ— that sundry of the Iewes at Ierusalem by Peters preaching and that the â—aylours housholâ— at Philippi by Pauls preaching were brought to repentance and faith in Christ and so added to the Church But what wil be the conclusion of all these premises The Proposition is this The true Apostolick Churches having a true constitutioÌ„ were gathered constituted of such men and women as by the preaching of the gospel were made disciples had faith and repentance wrought in them to the obteyning of the forgivenes of sinns promise of life eternall and to sanctification and obedience Now though my logick be not much better then yours Mr B. yet since my cause is I will help you with an assumption or 2. Proposition But the Church of England was not so gathered after Popery but on the contrary without preaching of the gospel of men women for the most part ignorant faythles mispenitent disobedieÌ„t to whoÌ„ no promise of the forgivenes of sinns life eternal appertâ—ynes whervpoÌ„ the coÌ„clusioÌ„ necessarily followeth that the constitution of the Church of England is not true or Apostolick but false counterfeyt and apostaticall Secondly the scriptures sayth Mr B. make externall profession the visible constitution of the Church His meaning must be that profession of faith is required of such persons of yeres before they be admitted into the visible Church Which truth the place cited by him Act. 8. 12. 37. 38. doth iustify to which one place many other may be added to the same purpose as Act. 10. 46. 16. â—4 18. 8. But what is the Church of Worxsop better for this what profession of faith did the particular members make when at the first of an Antichristian Synagogue as in Popery it was it became or was constituted a true Christian Church was not the house built at the first as it is at this day repayred Let a man but hire a house within the precincts of your parish he is a ioyned member in your Ch ipso facto though he cannot manifest the least kernel of faith or repentance yea though he professe himself an atheist horetick â—orcerer blasphemer or that which is worse if worse can be All you do is to vse the woodden dagger Mr Barrow tells you of to suspend him from the Lords supper it may be to get him excoÌ„municated by the officiall if he have neither freinds nor mony And this very excommunication shewes him to have been a member of you for onely a brother is to be excommunicated Math. 18. 15. 16. 17 and onely he that was within may be cast out 1 Cor. 5. 12. 13. And here as before I will help to form your argument The members of the Apostolick Church which were truely constituted were admitted by their personall profession of faith and confession of sin Math. 3. 6. Act. 8. 37. 38. and 10. 46. 16. 14. 1â— â— 19. 18. But the members of the Engl. assemblies neyther were nor are so admitted but according to the parish perambulation whatsoever impiety they professe Therefore their constitution is proved false by the evidence brought to iustify it Lastly for the sacraments as they are not the constitution of the Church but do necessarily presuppose a Church constituted vnto which they are committed as the oracles and ordinances of God vnto Israel so is not the Church of England the Israel of God the seed of Abraham a peculiar people unto the Lord but a mingled seed as Ezra 9. 1. 2. uncapable of the sacraments the seales of the covenant of grace And the places Mr B. brings forth are so far from iustifying the constitution of the Church of England by the sacraments as they do most notably evince the prophanation of the sacraments
describing the Church to be a company of faithfull people yet do the divine scriptures speak otherwise which I will clearly manifest and therein also free the Parable Math. 13. which you bring in for proofes from that violence which you and others offer them forcing Christ clean against his will to plead for Antichrist And with the scriptures I do affirme against you that the Church of Christ is no such mingled meslyne or monstrous compound but a body simple vniform one proportionable in every mēber vnto the head informed by one spirit and called in one hope Ephe. 4. 4. And for wicked and vngodly persons so farr are they from being the true naturall members whereof the body consisteth as the whol of the parts as they serve indeed for no other purpose then to infect and corrupt the rest and if redresse be not had in time to eat out the very hart of the whole But before I come to the point in controversy I will lay down two cautions for the preventing of errour in the simple of cavelling in such as desire to contend First it must be considered that where the quaestion is about the visible or externall Church which is by men discernable and not of that Church which is internall and invisible which onely the Lord knoweth we speak here of visible and externall holynes onely whereof men may judge and not of that which is within and hid from mans ey For we doubt not but the purest Ch vpō earth may consist of good and bad in Gods ey of such as are truely faythfull and sanctifyed of such as have onely for a tyme put on the outside and vizard of sanctity which the Lord will in due tyme pluck of though in the mean while mans dim sight cannot pearce through it 2. I desire it may be remēbred that the question betwixt Mr B. and me is about the true and naturall members whereof the Ch is orderly gathered and planted and not about the degenerate decayed estate of the Church members for we know that naturall children may become rebellious the faithful city an harlot the silver drosse and the wyne corrupt with water the noble vine so planted whose plants were all naturall may degenerate into the plantes of a strange vine But as it were fond Phylosophy in the description of wives and children and their true naturall properties to make rebellion a property of a child because many children prove rebels against their parents or to make whoredome a property of a wife because many wives prove vnfaithful that way so is it as prophane divinity to make vngodly persons the true matter of the Church their profanenes a true property of the same because many seeming saynts at the first do so creep in and do afterwards discover their owne shame are oft times through want of zeal too long tolerated in the Church to the dishonour of God prejudice of the gospel And so I come to manifest by an induction of particulars that all the visible Churches gathered and planted by the Lords line level frō the beginning of the world were in their collection cōstitution simple vniform and vnmixt consisting of good alone in the respect in hand And first the Lord created a Church of Angels in heaven which wer all good holy without mixture til some by sin fell frō their first and originall estate so leaving their own habitation were cast down to hel After that God created a Church of mankind in Paradise consisting of two persons both holy good And thus the Churches of creation were gathered of angels and men without mixture Now if any man object that in these instances I fetch my beginnings too farr of my answer is that the Lord had hath the same ends and respects in the creating restoring of his Ch which are his own glory their happines And if it were the will of the Lord that persons notoriously wicked should be admitted into the Ch then should he ditectly crosse himself his own ends should receive into the visible covenāt of grace such as wer out of the visible estate of grace should plant such in his Church for the glory of his name as served for none other vse then to cause his name to be blasphemed Hereupon I frame an Argument thus That order for the gathering of Ch which directly crosses the mayne ende◠for which the Lord would have his Church gathered is not of God But the order for which Mr B. pleads which is that apparantly prophane persons may with the godly be gathered into the visible Church crosses the Lords ends of gathering Churches and therefore is not of God The former proposition is without controversie the latter is thus manifested The mayne ends for which the Lord gathereth and preserveth his Church vpon earth are that he might have a peculiar people separated vnto himselfe from all other peoples to call vpon his name in faith and to glorify him theyr heavenly father in their holy conversation whom he also might glorify in the end of their fayth the salvation of theyr soules But for wicked vngodly persons in the Church as they serve no no way for these ends but the cōtrary causing Gods name to be blasphemed and his wrath to come vpon their disobedience so to gather or admit them into the Church is vtterly to frustrate Gods ends and to gather for Satan rather then for God To proceed In the restoring of mankind planting the first Ch in the covenant of grace established in the seed of the woman there were onely saynts without any such mixture as Mr B. makes Now as all true churches from the begining to the end of the world are one in nature and essentiall constitution and the first the rule of the rest so the first being gathered of good matter not bad declares both Mr B. Church and opinion to be bad and not good And when in processe of tyme Cain which was of the evill one bewrayed himself he as a degenerate branch was broken of driven out of the visible presence of God Gen 4. 14. it is further imputed by Moses for sin to the sonnes of God that they maryed with the daughters of men Now if it were still be unlawfull for the godly to contract with the wicked in the civil covenant of mariage how much more in the religious covenant of the Church communion of Saints To discend lower God gave vnto Abraham and his family the covenant of circumcision Gen. 17. 10. which the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. calls the seal of the righteousnes of faith Now to affirm that the Lord would seale vp with the visible seale of the righteousnes of faith any visibly unrighteous faythles person were a bould chalenge of the most High for the profanation of his owne ordinance And the same covenant which God at
of it out of Antichristianism or Paganisme out of Babylon Egypt Sodome spiritually or civily so called or out of any other society or Synagogue which is not the true visible body of Christ must be is constituted and compact of good onely not of good evill The Lords field is sowen onely with good seed vers 24. 27. 38. his vyne noble and all the seed true his Church saynts and beloved of God all and every one of them though by the mallice of Satan and negligence of such as should keep this field vineyard house of God adulterate seed and abominable persons may be foysted in yea and suffred also which the scriptures affirm and we deny not But our exceptioÌ„ in this case is first that the Church of England was never truely gathered the Church of England I say that that is the National Church consisting of the Provinciall Churches and those of the Diocesan Churches and the Diocesans of the Parochyall Churches according to their parish precincts with their governours government correspondent That there were true visible Churches in the land gathered out of Paganism at the first I will not deny but that ever the whole Land in the body of it was a Church is an affirmatioÌ„ of them which consider not what is eyther the matter whereof or the manner how the Church of the new Testament is to â—e gathered 2. Graunt that the way of the kingdom of Christ the Church were now so wyde that a whol nation might walk a brest in it and that England had been some times that Canaan the holy land wherein none vncircumcised person dwelt yet in the apostasy of Antichrist it could not be so accounted but was in the body of it divorced froÌ„ Christ with Rome whereof it was a member except you Mr B. will affirm as many do that Rome remaines still a true visible Church and that antichristianism is true Christianism Antichristians true Christians the body which hath the Pope the head the true body of Christ so except the Church of Engl. had been sowen with good seed without tares since that general apostasie it cannot be the L. field The Iewes were forbidden by God vnder the law to sow their field with divers seeds and will he sow his own feyld with divers yea with coÌ„trary seeds wheat tares What husbandman is eyther so foolish or carles as to sow his field with tares wheat together And yet this fair field of Engl of whose beauty all the Christian world is enamoured is so sowen this pleasant orchyard so plaÌ„ted this â—lourishing Ch so gathered A few kernels of wheat scattered amoÌ„gst the tares here there a few good plants amoÌ„gst the wilde branches a smal strinkling of good meÌ„ amoÌ„gst the great retchles rowt of wicked graceles persons And was this field sowen this orchard planted this Church gathered by the Lords hand And as was the root so are the branches as were the first fruits so is the whole lump To conclude this point thus I reason The Lords field is sowen with good seed onely though tares may in time be conveyed into it by the Divels mallice and mans negligence But the Engl nationall Ch was not so sowen but with tares wheat together Therefore it is not the Lords field And thus I hope the indifferent reader wil easily see what succour Mr B. findes amoÌ„gst those tares under whose shadow he would so fayne shrowd all the Atheists Papists other flagitious persons in the Church Now for the Parable of the draw net Mat. 13. I confesse the bad fishes may be wicked persons in the Church but undiscerned as fishes vnder the water between which the good no difference is seen If the fishers and they that drew the netts did know of the bad fishes in them and had meanes of voyding them they would never burden themselves and the nett with them except you will have as foolish fishermen here as you had husbandmen before but till they do discern them to be as they are they must take theÌ„ as they hope they are though with you all be fish that come to the net yea good fish too till the CoÌ„missaries court judge otherwise And lastly to your saying wel it were that all were saints but that is to look for a heaven vpon earth I answer that the Church is heaven vpon earth and if you were not a straunger to the true Church and to such scriptures as speaks of it you should find as in many other places so espetially in the Revelation the Church visible oft dignifyed with the name of heaven and with no name oftener Yea to seek no further then these two parables brought in by you to speak against heaven that is against the true natural coÌ„stitutioÌ„ conservatioÌ„ of the visible Church Christ himself that with his own mouth gives the Church no worse name then heaven and the kingdom of heaveÌ„ the onely ordinary beaten way which Christ hath left to heaven in heaven is heaven on earth which way soever you please to guide men The sixth insimulation against vs is that we hold That the power of Christ that is authority to preach to administer the sacraments and to exercise the Censures of the Church belongeth to the whole Church yea to every one of them and not to the principall mâ—bers thereof If Mr B. were but as able to confute vs by just reason as he is willing to bring vs into hatred by unjust and odious accusations we should then have as much cause to feare his skill as now we have to complayn of his mallice Onely herein his skill is to be commended that where he findes not our opinions such as he thinks wil be disliked by the simple multitude he makes theÌ„ such and so deales against them Here come in many things of great weight to be discussed and although it were in it self the readyest way to reduce things to some heads and so to prosequute them in order yet since I have taken this task vpon me to trace Mr B. in the particulars therfore I purpose to follow him step by step notwithstanding all his vnorderly wandrings and excursions And first Mr B. charging vs with errour for giving authority to preach minister the sacraments excercise the censures to the whole Church and not to the principall members thereof playnely insinuates that the authority to do all these things amongst them is in the principall members of the Church But the truth is otherwise in the parish Church of Worksop and in all other the parish Churches in the land You have one onely member that hath power and that vnder the ordinary to any of these things and that your self the parrish Priest though perhaps the parish clerk may by speciall indulgence be licensed to bury the dead Church women read service on light holy dayes and do some such like drudgery in your absence But
be begun without officers Yea even where officers are if they fayl in theyr duetyes the people may enterprise matters needfull howsoever you will have the minister the onely primum movens and will ty all to his fingers And to let passe the godly Kings of Iudah which were no Church officers about whom the question is which sundry tymes set the Preists a work other with them in Church matters as 2. Chro. 17. 7. 8. 9. and 29. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. c. and other instances in the old Testament which in the handling of the particulars will fall into consideration Peter himselfe was called by such as were no Apostles or other officers to render a reason of his going into men vncircumcised which he also did to Gods glory and the Churches satisfaction v. 18. Now how soever they which so contended with him erred in the matter and it is like dealt too contumeliously with him in the manner yet had it been simply vnlawfull for them to have propounded and begun a matter of that kynde Peter would have reproved and broken off theyr disorderly course and not have pertaken with them in their sinne by vndertaking the answer of the matter which in the generall he doth approve by his orderly and satisfactory answer Furthermore where the Lord Iesus Math. 18. 19. directs a brother in case order to tell the Church of his brothers offence what can be more playne then that he enioynes a private brother to begin a Church matter Yea though there be Elders in the Church yea though the Elders alone yea the chief of them onely as Mr Bernard would have it be the Church yet must the matter be brought to and begun in the Church by him that is offended and his witnesses To presse this yet a little further if any puliquely scandalous or notorious sin be committed in the Church by a brother and the Elders neglect all means of redressing it yeâ— put the case the Elders themselves be in the transgression and by name that they preach haeresy or both preach and practise notorious Idolatry and that the body of the Church also be corrupted by them and joyn hands with them in their mischief what now must a private brother doe in this case whose heart the Lord establisheth in the truth and whom he plucks as a brand out of the fyre must he goe on and ioyn with that Idolatrous assembly in theyr wickednes God forbid And leave them he may not till he have dealt with them about this Church matter and convinced them of this Church sinn for if Christ would not have a brother cast of his brother til he have dealt with him nor the whole Church to cast of a private member till he refuse to hear it Math. 18. much lesse will he have one brother to forsake all the brethren and officers also or a private member to disclaym the whole Church till he have by the best meanes he can affoard in himself or procure otherwise and after the best manner convinced admonished and exhorted both the Officers and people and so found them obstinate and irreclamable To proceed The Apostle Paul writes to the Church at Rome to observe such as caused divisions and scandalls contrary to the doctrine they had learned and to avoid them and to the Church at Corinth to deliver to Sathan or excommunicate the incestuous person agayn that vpon his repentance they would forgive him and confirme their love towards him and agayn to the same Church that they would have ready their collection for the saints at Hierusalem and gather it on the Lords day desiring further that they might abound in that grace as in faith love and the like to the Colossians that they should say to Archippus look to thy ministery which thou hast received of the Lord that thou fulfill it so writes Iohn to the Church at Pergamus that they should not suffer the Balaâ—mites and Nicholaitans to teach and to deceive as they did and to the Church of Thyatira likewise not to suffer the woman Iezabell calling her self a Prophetesse to deceive Gods servants Now it seems by Mr BERNARDS doctrine that if the officers withdraw in these things and will not endeavour the reformation of them or if they dy or fall away that the silly multitude must beare all evill and forbeare all good they must not mark and avoyd haereitcall and schismaticall whether teachers or others they must not put out the old leven that they may become a new lump nor confirme theyr love to any penitent person or forgive him though his repentance be never so ful or publique nor make any collection in the Church for theyr brethren the saynts nor have any part in that grace nor put their Minister in mynd of his office that he fulfill it nor medle with false Prophets for theyr conviction or restraynâ— but may suffer them to deceive without gaynsaying these are all Church matters Apostles onely and Apostolick men must medle in them both to begin and end them And thus the Ch without the officers help though it caÌ„not possibly be had as a deaf a duÌ„b a blynd a lame yea a liveles senseles body it must both have the eyes put out and the eares stopt and neyther see nor hear it must be tongue-tyed from speaking fast bound hand and foot from doing any thing for the generall and joynt good yea it must not be saved without the officers for other ordinary way of salvation know I none by the revealed will of God in his word but in the vse of the ordinances which Christ hath given vnto his Church ¶ It is the stewards duety to make provision for the family but what if he neglects this duety in the maysters absence must the whole family starve yea and the wife also or is not some other of the family best able to be imployed for the present necessity It is the Pilottes office to guide the ship but what if he ignorantly or negligently or desperately will run the same vpon the rocks or sands must the rest of the mariners forbeare to intermedle and so perish It is the Captaines office to lead the army but what if he or they perfidiously will betray the same into the hands of the enemy may not the body of the army make the best head they can to defend themselves and to offend their enemies vsing the best meanes they have for their present direction Yea even in the most peaceable best governed coÌ„mon-wealthes a private man may in a case of necessity become a Magistrate for a mayne work and that which ordinarily is the Magistrates peculiar The Lord hath given the sword into his hand for the good of him that doth well to take vengeance on him that doth evill and to him it apper teynes to defend the innocent But if this innocent person be assaulted by a theif murtherer or other enemy
old leven to iudge and to put out from among themselves that wicked fornicatour v. 5. 6. 7. 12. 13. of which more hereafter And so I come to the 4. Reason against Popularity as you term â—t but in truth against Christian liberty which is grounded vpoÌ„ Ephe. 4. 11. 12. Your words are these It is most apparant that Christ ascending vp gave gifts for preaching administration of sacraments and government vnto some sorts of men who 〈…〉 e set out there and plainly distinguished from the other saynts the body of the Church Against this hitherto I take no great exceptioÌ„ though the Apostles meaning may be better layd down thus that Christ Iesus the King and Lord of his Church hath set in it certaine sorts and orders of officers rightly fitted and furnished with graces for the reparation of the saynts and aedification of his body to the worlds end This we affirme as lowd as you and with more comfort And therfore after I have observed in a few wordes how little this scripture serves for your present purpose I will in as few more make it appeare how directly it serves against you in many other mayn matters and that you in bringing it have onely lighted a candle whereby to discover your own nakednes This then is that which you would conclude that bycause Christ hath given power and charge to the sorts of ministers here set downe for the reparation of the saynts and aedification of the body that therefore no brethren out of office may medle with the reparation and aedification of the Saynts or Church I do acknowledge that onely Apostles Prophets c. by office and as works of their Ministery are to look to the reparation and aedification of the body but that the brethren out of office are discharged of those duâ—ties I deny any more then the rest of the servants were of watching though out of office bycause the Porter alone was by office to watch Mark 13. 34 37. Yea look what is layd vpon the officers in this place after a more speciall manner by vertue of their office that also is layd vpon the rest of the brethren els where in the same words to be performed in their places as a duty of love for which they have not onely liberty but charge from the Lord. The officers are here charged with the reparation or knitting together of the saynts the same duty in the same words is imposed vpon every brother spirituall and I hope you the Ministers will not be the onely spirituall men in the Church Secondly the officers are here given to aedifie the body the same duety in the same termes is layd vpon every one of the brethren in their places 1 Thes. 5. 11. and vnto these few might be added an hundred places of the same nature Why then should the Ministers of the Lord or any other for their sake envy vnto the Lords people eyther their graces or liberty or thus arrogate all vnto theÌ„selves as though all knowledge were treasured vp in their breasts all power given into their handes as though no drop of grace for aedificatioÌ„ or comfort of the Church could fall from els where then from their lips Moses in the place of numbers before named wisht that all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit vpon them and Paul gives liberty to the whol Church and to all in it women excepted ver 34. to prophesie one by one for the instruction edification and comfort of all but with Mr B and his Church I perceive neyther Moses prayer nor Pauls graunt nor Gods spirit must be avayleable or find acceptance for aedification by any save the Ministers The subjects of Kings vse to complayn much of Monopolyes but the subjects of the Lord Iesus have greater cause of complaint that he himself his power presence and graces wherewith he honoureth all his saynts are thus monopolized and ingrossed The similitude which here you borrow froÌ„ the body of man wherein you say the special members have their speciall vertues in themselves given of God and not bestowed vpon them by the body as the eyes to see the tongue to speak c. for the confirmation of the power of the Lord Iesus or liberty to teach admonish and censure in the hands of the officers alone is faulty in both parts of it and conteynes in it sundry errours both theologicall and phylosophicall And first I do here most justly except against your shuffling together and confounding of the personall gifts graces and vertues of the Ministers and their ministeriall power or office The first in deed they have from Christ and not from or by the Church at all as their knowledge zeale vtterance wisdome holynes and the like with which the Church findes them furnished so appoints them vnder Christ to vse these gifts in office of Ministery whereof out of office they have erst given knowledge this power or appointment which they have from or by the Church thus to vsâ— these gifts is another thing then their personall gifts and qualifications themselves which you Mr B. do very fraudulently confound Secondly it is ignorantly affirmed that God enduâ—s certayn members of the body with speciall vertues and properties as thâ—â—y with seing and the like that they have thes properties not from the body but from God For first the very vertue or faculty of seing is not in the ey but in the soul which vseth the ey onely for the instrument of seing so other parts in their kind Oculus non videâ— sed anima per oculiâ—â— And that not immediately neyther but with the help of the spirits naturall vitall and animall diffused throughout the body which the soul vseth most immediately as the instruments of all life sense motion And so it comes to passe not onely in death where the soul and body are separated but in sundry diseases also of the body that the ey fayleth in seeing and so other members in their service Thirdly as the Elders of the Church I confesse may be compared to eyes in the body and the Deacons to hands in a respect so I deny the similitude to hold absolutely Similitudes as they say do not run vpon four feet to streyn them above that which is intended by the holy Ghost in vsing them is a course full both of vanity and errour The Deacons are the handes of the Church for the distribution of her bodily things to them that need yet I trow you would not have the Church suffer the poore to starve where the Deacons are wanting to minister or fayling in their ministration so are the Elders the eyes mouth of the Church for her government and ministration of spirituall things yet must not the Church perish spiritually for their want or negligence no the Lord is more mercifull to his people then so and doth nor ty them so short in
contention as they and a thowsand worse evils could not but fall out in a Church gathered as yours is of all the prophane rable in a kingdome so when they do arise in a true Church there is power to voyd them out and the persons with them in whom they reigne But if the vnlawfulnes of a Church government might be proved by the pryde contention the like evils arising in it then surely M B. you that know so well how these and other mischeifs reign in your own should lay your hand on your mouth for shame and be affrayd to provoke any man to medle in that mattâ—â— Besides it is apparent both in the scriptures and ecclesiasticall writers that not onely pride and contention but herely and almost all other evils haue sprung from the officers governours in the Church And surely nothing hath more in former dayes advanced nor doth at this day more vphold the throne of Antichrist then the peoples discharging themselves of the care of publique affaires in the Church on the one side and the Preists and Prelates aâ—rogating all to themselves on the other side Lastly the word Church you say must be expounded figuratively to avoid the absurdâ—tâ—s which eâ—s would necessarily follow out of the text viz that the whole Church must speak ioyntly which were confusion contrary to 1 Cor. 14. 40. that women must medle in Church affaires which the Apostle forbids ver 34. that children must speak which were impossible so then it must needs â—e taken figuratively the part for the whole and if one part must be left out why not an other till the cheif of the Congregation be taken who are chosen by the rest as their mouth Touching the exception of confusion I desire the reader to remember what hath been formerly answered adding further that Mr B. herein doth not oppose vs but the Apostles and Apostolicall Churches governed by them yea the H. Ghost it self propounding their examples for our imitation The Apostle Peter Act. 1. 15. c. standing vp in the middest of the disciples which were about an hundred and twenty spake to them about the choise of one to succeed Iudas and it is sayd ver 23. that they that is these brethren to whom he spake presented two as also that the whole multitude Act. 6. 5. presented the seaven for Deacons to the twelve Apostles who are sayd v. 2. to haue called the multitude and to have spoken vnto them v. 6. to have prayed and layd hands on the elect Deacons Now might not any prophane spirit take vp M. B. words and insult over the holy Ghost himself and say what did all the disciples that were in the place an hundred and twenty present Ioseph and Mathias They must needs speak in presenting these two and spake they ioyntly or all at once this were confusion contrary to 1 Cor. 14. 14. did the women speak they must not medle in Church matters â— 34. did children speak it is impossible So for Act. 6. did all the twelve Apostles speak at once v. 2. and pray at once v. 6. did the whole multitude speak ioyntly when they presented the 7. Deaconâ— v. 6. here were the like confusion and besides here were women and children in the Church also Now let the indifferent reader judge what M. B. hath sayd more against vs then any Lucian or scoffing Atheist might obiect against the spirit of God himself and his holy pen-man the Evangelist Yea further by these and the like consequences women and children are vtterly excluded from the Church as no parts of it Luke sayth Act. 15. 22. that the whole Church sent messengers to Antiochia and Paul 1 Cor. 14. 23. speakes of the whole Churches comming together in one to exercise themselves in prayer prophesying and the like parts of Church communion but children neyther could send messengers nor pray nor prophesie nor the like and women might not speak in the Church and therefore both they must be left out of the Church and if one part why not an other so till we come to the cheif of the congregation that they alone may be the Church and all in all as it is iust with God that he which opposeth the truth should oppose himself also so doth Mr B. in this very place intaÌ„gle himself in the same absurdities wherin he would ensnare vs. First he affirms the Church Math. 1â— must be the principall of the congregation Then Mr B. is not your congregation the true Church of Christ for the principall of your Church namely your self hath no power to excommunicate And say not for shame the Archdeacon or officiall are principalls or lesse principalls of your congregation Again which is the cheif thing I desire may be observed you say these principalls must be chosen by the rest of the Church be their mouth and stand for the whole And how chosen must the whole Church speak joyntly when they chuse them that were confusion must women speak that is contrary to the scriptures Yet are they members of the congregation and so are young youthes childreÌ„ and servants I adde further the Church you say is two or three principall members Well then they two or three must speak to the party how can he els heare but for two or three to speak together is confusion and contrary to the coÌ„maundement 1 Cor. 14. 31. for all must speak by one one And by this time I hope you are ashamed of such tristing as here you vse I do therefore answer in few words it is not necessary that every one of the people should speak to the offender no nor of the officers neyther If but one officer do sufficiently evince and reprove the party what needs more speak The rest both Officers people may manifest their consent eyther by voice signe or silâ—nce yet so as liberty be preserved for any in place and order to speak eyther by way of addition limitation or dissent And for women they are debarred by their sâ—x as from ordinary prophecying so from any other dealing wherin they take authority over the man 1 Cor 14. 34. 35. 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. yet not simply from speaking they may make profession of faith or confession of sin say Amen to the Churches prayers sing Psalmes vocally accuse a brother of sin witnes an accusation or defend themselves being accused yea in a case extraordinary namely where no man will I see not but a woman may reprove the Church rather then suffer it to go on in apparent wickednes and communicate with it therein Now for children and such as are not of yeares of discretion God and nature dispenseth with them as for not communicating in the Lords supper now so vnder the law for not offering sacrifices from which none of yeares were exempted neyther is there respect of persons with God in the common duties of Christianity And for that so oft reinforced objection of authority given to
by the people and so vnder their excommunication is their deprivation comprehended If the Pastour and so of the rest of the Officers be a brother in the Church as all Gods children are the saynts brethren then must the Church not suffer sin to rest upon him but must admonish him and if he remaine obstinate cast him out For the Lord Iesus subjects every brother indefinitely and without respect of persons to this censure Mat. 18. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11 12. 13. From which last scripture another Argument of the same nature may be drawn which is that if the Pastour and so of the other officers be within and not without and vnder the Lords judgement then are they under the judgement of the Church gathered together in the name of our Lord Iesus which you confesse to be the multitude yea I see not how the Pastour or officers may be admonished by the Church if they may not be cast out or how the Collossians may say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministery if they may not censure him if he be heedlesse for he that wil not heare the Church must be excommunicated or which is a description of excommunication by an effect must be accounted an heathen or publican They that are without vnder the Lords iudgement are exempted from the Churches judgments but they which are within the Church must iudge and therefore if the Ministers be within and not without and under Gods iudgements they must vndergoe the iudgements of the Church If the Pastour and the like reason is of the rest may not be excommunicated for sin by the Church then he and they want a meanes of salvation which the brethren have yâ—â— the onely folenin meanes of salvation in the case of obstinacy â—o which they are as subâ—ect as any other being frayl men as the rest And the reason is for that as the preaching of the gospell which is the one key of the kingdome is the power of God to salvation vnto them that beleeve so excommunication being the other key is the power of our Lord Iesus for the destruction of the flesh or humbling of the offender that his foule might be saved Now what a miserable priveledge this were all men truely fearing God will easily observâ—â— And for mine own part knowing mine owne infirmities and that I am subiect to sinne yea to frowardnes in sin as much as the brethren are if by mine office I should be deprived of the romedy which they enioy that blessed ordinance of the Churches conâ—ures I should think mine office accursed and my self by it as frustrating and dissappointing me of that mayn end for which the servants of Christ ought to ioyn theÌ„selves vnto the Church of Christ furnished wiâ—h his power for their reformatioÌ„ And sinâ—e the cheif thing which after the glory of God the saynts are to regard is their salvation and that their salvation is no way indangâ—red but by obstinate impenitency and that obstinate impenitency hath none other solemn ordinance for remedy but excommunication what cause of sorrow had I for the want of this soveraigne remedy and meanes of salvation by mine office which without it I might enioy As on the contrary God is my record how in the very writing of these things mâ— soul is filled with spirituall ioy that I am vnder this easy yoak of Christ the censures of the Church whereof I am and how much I am comforted in this very consideration against my vile and corrupt nature which notwithstanding I am perswaded the Lord wâ—ll never so farre suffer to rebell as that iâ— shall not be taymed subduâ—d by this strong hand of God with out which it might every day and hower so hazard my salvation That doctrine which advanceth an inferiour and meaner estate in the Church above that which is superiour the cheif that is vnsound and in deed serving in a degree for the exaltation of thâ—â— man of sinne a 〈◊〉 all that is called God But this doctrine of Mnâ—stâ— setting the Elders without and above the iudgements and censures of the Church doth advance an inferiour above a suporiour Ergo. The point then to be proved is that the order of saints or sayâ—tship in the Church is an order superiour vnto and above the order of officers or of Bishoptick or Eldership which I thus manifest 1. The order of servants is inferiour to the order of them whose servants they are But the order of Church Officers is an order of servants and they by their officâ— to 〈◊〉 the people Ergo. 2. The order of Kings is the highest order oâ—â—staâ—â— in the Church But the order of saynts is the order of Kings wee are Kings as we are saynts not as wee are officers Ergo 3. As the Apostle proves the woman to be inferiour vnto and lesse excellent then the man 1. bycause 〈◊〉 is not of thâ— woman but the woman of the manâ— and 2 bycause the man was not created for the womuns sake but the woman for the mans sake â—o by necessary consequence and iust proportion it followeth that the Elders are inferiour and lesse excellent then the Church as being both of and for the Church and not the Church of nor for them 4. As the Lord Iesus did prove against the Scribes Pharisees that the temple was greater then the gold bycause it sanctified the gold and that the altar was greater then the offering bycause it sanctifyed the offoring so by proportion the condition of a saynt which sanctifieth the condition of an officer as our generall calling doth our speciall calling is more excellent and greater then it is To our saynt-ship and as wee have fayth is promised the forgivenes of sinnes the favour of God and life eternall but not to our office or in respect of it The estate of a saynt is most happy blessed though the person never so much as come neare an office but on the contrary an officer if he be not also and first a sainct is a most wretched and accursed creature Infinite others are the reasons to disprove the pretended charter by which this popish Clergy would exempt it self from the coÌ„mon condition of Christians in the coÌ„mon Christian ordinances of the Church as though their office ate vp their brotherhood their speciall calling of officers their generall calling of Christians And I cannot more fitly resemble this exemption of one or more officers from the ecclesiasticall censures vnto which one or so many brethren are subiect being in the same sinne then to the like exemption or priveledge springing as it seemes from the same root in civill judgements coÌ„monly called The benefit of clergy For as by it a malefactour if he can read vt clericus as they speak shall escape death which others do so he should without that benefit vndergoe so by the benefit of clergy here the person
delinquent is freed froÌ„ the dint of the spirituall sword the ceÌ„sure of the Church which others do and so he should without that priveledge vndergoe as well as they Where me thinks it were more meet as that he which can read and so hath or may have greater knowledge should be the more severely punished civily so that the officers in the Church should vndergoe if it were to be found an heavier ceÌ„sure for their sinne as being both more scandalous and lesse excusable And so the Lord by Moses expresly manifests his will to be in enioyning the Preist a greater sacrifice a bullock for his sin where a goat which was lesse might serve in the like case for the suâ— of one of the people And this may well serve for a seventh reason to prove that the officers are by the law of God lyable to as deep censures for sin as the people and so the Pastour as any one of the brethren Yet for the further more full opening of the iniquity of those proud and popish exemptions and exaltations of Church officers whereof from these scriptures alledged by Mr B. and the like they boast so much and by which they affright and abuse the simple people in all places I will breifly as I can lay down certayn such different respects and relations vnder which the officers of the Church do come as being rightly vnderstood iustly applyed will give good light to the discovering of this mystery First then the officers of the Church are to be considered in respect of the thing which they minister and that is the word and revealed will of God in which regard they are infinitely above superiour vnto all men and angels and in the very stead of Christ and of God himself And in for and according to this message or ambassage of God and of Christ they are absolutely and simply to be obeyed as is the meanest officer about the King carrying with him his warrant and authority by the greatest Pere in the kingdome In the 2. place they must be considered of vs in respect of their office by vertue whereof they do administer And in this regard they are inferiour vnto the Church as being by it called to a place of ministery to serve the Church and not of Lordship to reign over it The 3. consideration they vndergoe is in regard of their persons and as they are brethren saynts christians for they cease not to be Christians bycause they are Ministers but must manifest their generall calling in their speciall partakers of the same coÌ„mon graces and subiect to the same common infirmities with the rest and in this respect they are equall with the brethren standing in need of the same meanes both for their edification and reformation and so particularly of the censures for their humiliation if they be so farre left of God as they may be and oft times are as they will not otherwise be reclaymed And I had as leiv you should tell me that bycause the Deacons are to distribute the Churches almes therfore the Church is not to releiv them though they be in daunger to starve bodily as that bycause the Elders are to minister the Churches judgmeÌ„ts none must iudge them though they be thorough impenitency in daunger to perish spiritually Now for the particulars which Mr B. obiecteth it is true the people are sheep but not the Ministers but the Lords sheep Ezech. 34. 6. 8 31. neyther are these sheep for the Ministers as the naturall sheep for their sheepheards but for the Lord and the sheepheards for them The people are indeed an house but not the officers house but the Lords house for him to dwell in Ephe. 2. 20. 21. 1 Tim. 3. 15. Secondly the people are sheep yet not vnreasonable beasts but men Ezech. 34. 31. so to be looked to by the sheepheards as they are also to look to themselves Act. 20. 28. Luk. 17. 3. They are so a house as they consist not of dead but of living stones 1 Pet. 2. 5. so built vp by the Officers as they are also to build vp themselves Iud. 20. And which is especially to be minded for the purpose in hand the officers are so sheepheards as they are also themselves sheep if they be not goates Math. 25. 37. Luk. 12. 32. Rom. 8. 36. They are so fathers as they are also brethren Mat. 23. 8. Act. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 8. â—â— yea as they are sonnes also in a sence as the Levite was in sundry respects both Michaes father and his sonne Iudg. 17. 1. 11. They are so workmen or builders as they are also part of the house Ephe. 2. 22. 2 Tim. 2. 20. so seeds-men as themselves are also seed and a part of the harvest Math. 13. 38. These distinctions rightly observed will both teach the officers how to govern and the people how to obey and both officers people how to preserve themselves and one another vnder the power of Christ given to his Church And where you demaund in this place by way of digression how a few of vs become a Church we answer in a word by coÌ„ming out of Babylon thorough the mercies of God and building our selves into a new and holy temple vnto the Lord. But where you affirm the Ministery that is the office of Ministery or the word so ministred to be the Lords onely ordinary meanes to plant Churches or to vrge men to ioyn vnto them you streyten the Lords hand and wrong his people When the woman of Samarta spake to her neighbours of Christ and called them vnto him they both beleeved and came but had you been amongst them it seemes you would have done neyther the one nor the other except a Minister had called you I confesse indeed the Churches in England were very manneâ—ly this way would not so much as forsake the Pope of Rome till their masse-priests went before them who being continued in their office did by the attractive power of King Edwards proclamation at the first and Queen Elizabeths afterward and by their statute lawes gather heir Parish Churches vnto them vnder their service book as 〈…〉 doth her chicken to be brooded vnder her wing But the â—â—formed Churches were otherwise gathered then by Popish preists continued over them the people first separating themselves from idolatry and foâ—oâ—â—ing together in the fellowship of the gospell were afterwards when they had sit men to call them into the office of Ministery and so they practised as appears in the Epistle of Melanctbon to the Teachers in Bohemia in D. Tileâ—us his answer to the Earle of Lavall and in Peter Martyr vpon the 4. of Iudges It is true indeed that the Lord Iesus sent forth his Apostles into the world for the first planting of Churches though even in their times Ch were planted men turned to the Lord by the preaching of private brethreÌ„ Act. 8. 1. 4. 11. 19. 20. 21. therefore
costly stones of cedaâ—s firres and the like special trees and those all prepared before hand hewed and perfit for the building so that neyther hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron was to be heard in the house in the building of it * By the gates of the house were the porters set that none that was vnclean in any thing should enter in Vpon the altar there might be offered no vnclean beast no nor that which was clean having a blemish vpon it And is any rubbish and riâ—rat now good enough for this †spirituall house and temple of God the Church whereof the material temple was but a carnall shadow may the porters the officers let into it the clean vnclean without difference may dogges and swyne and all vnclean beasts and byrdes promiscuously be offered vpoÌ„ * the altar we have in our spiritual tabernacle God forbid And far be it from the servants of the Lord to prepare his Maiesty such a house to dwell in or to defile his holy things with such vnclean persons or to offend his nostrels with the stench of such sacrifices Yea whosoever shall bring me this doctrine that a man of known wicked conversation without such appearance of repentance as the Church by the word of God rule of charity is to judge true may by warrant of the word or practise of the Apostles be received and admitted into the Church by the pratling of a verball profession I will hold that man yea though he were an angel from heaven accursed And for the places which Mr B. brings for this purpose they are so evident against him as when I read them I do even wonder with what conscience modesty or wisdome he could set them down They do speak in deed of faith and the profession of faith in and by such as were received into the Church but of what fayth of a dead faith without works as Iames speaks or fruitfull in evil works which is worse nothing lesse but of such a faith as hath the expresse promise of life eternall annexed vnto it even of that faith which purifieth the heart and worketh by love towards God and man The places of scripture are these Rom. 10. 9. Ioh. 1. 12. 3. 36. Ioh. 17. 3. Act. 2. 36. 8. 37. 9. 20. 11. 26. 16. 31. 33. 19. 4. â— â—8 28. Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 3. 11. Godly reader view the places one by one and see if any one of them speak of a verball faith onely begot in the mouth or of such a profession of faith as hath ioyned with it a prophane conversation the contrary will appear as cleare as the sun and in it how evill a conscience this man vseth thus to pervert the scriptures to the maintenance of a vile opinion and prophane practise Your 4. Reason to prove that the profession of the mayn truth before layd down is of force to make a true Christian is that by it the man so professing doth differ from Iewes Turks Pagans Papists He doth in deed for he is so much worse then they by his verball profession of the truth taking Gods name in vayn and dishonouring it farr more then the other 1 Tim. 5. 8. Isa. 52. 5. Rom. 2. 24. And what matter is it from whom he differs that differs not from but is one of the men of the world a lim of Sathan and an habitation of his spirit Lastly â—â— fire it may be considered whether you be not a partiall and 〈◊〉 judge betwixt the Papists and your selves They for shutting â—â— their works at a third or fourth hand with faith in the 〈…〉 f salvation must be judged â—â—â—se matter and their errour against the 〈◊〉 of faith in the Sonne of God and destroying it against he truth of the gospel bycause it is against the sacrifice of Christs Preisthood and yet you though you yoak Antichrist with Christ and the Popes Canons with Christs Testament in the spirituall government of the soules and bodyes of his people and so sin against the scepter of his kingdome must be reputed true matter your errour no way against the nature of faith or truth of the gospell as though true faith did not as well apprehend Christ a King as a Prophet in the cause of salvation though not in the act of iustification and as though the order which Christ hath left in the Evangelists Actes and Epistles to Timothy and Titus for the gathering and government of his Church were not as well a part of the gospel and so the obiect of faith as any other portion of it Yea to conclude I tell you Mr B. and not I but the holy Ghost and I pray you consider it well that a lewd coÌ„versation and evill conscience is as damnable a sin and as directly against the nature of faith in the sonne of God and the truth of the gospel and doth as plainly destroy faith and prejudice salvation as any eyther Popish or other haeresy in the world Luk. 24. 47. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Gal. 5. 19. 20. 21. Ephe. 5. 5. 6. 1 Tim. 1. 19. 5. 8. 1 Ioh. 1. 6. But graunt as you would have it that profession in word with an apparant denyall of the same in deed made a true Christian or true matter of the Church and that the Apostles built the Lords house of such stones which for me to graunt were both solly and impiety as it is in you to affirm it yet would it no way advantage you nor iustify your Church For the profession by which the Apostles and Apostolike Churches received meÌ„bers was voluntary and personall freely made by the particular persons which ioyned themselves vnto the Lord as the scriptures by you quoted prove as every one that readeth them may see but where was or is any such personall and particular profession vsed or required of any men or women in the replanting of your Church after Popery A man may go out of these countryes wher I now live as many do and hyre a house in any parrish of the land â—e is by the right of his house or fâ—rm a member of the paâ—rish Church where he dwels yea though he have been nousled vp all his life loÌ„g in Popery or Atheism though he were formerly neyther of any Church or religion Yea though he should professe that he did not look to be saved by Christ onely and alone but by his good meanings and well doings yet if he will come hear divine service he is matter true as steel for your Church yea be he of the Kings naturall subiectes he shall by order of law be made true matter of the Church whether he will or no. And what profession of faith in this very case of salvation the body of your Church makes or would make if men freely spake their thoughts a Minister of good note amongst your selves shall testify out of his own experience The
become one body with them he the head and they the members as it is betwixt him and his Church 1 Cor. 10. 17. 12. 12. 27. Lastly no Woman having a former housband alive may take a second or be lawfully maryed vnto him but wicked prophane persons have a former husband yet living even the law or sin taking occasion by the law to work in them all manner of lust ruling over them as the husband over the wife to which also they are bound as the wife vnto the housband Rom. 7. 1. 2. 3. 5. 8. therefore cannot be maryed vnto Christ nor become his wife The 2. similitude followeth A man professing obedience to a king as his alone sovereign and obeying his lawes in the general though he transgresse in some things openly greatly is that Kings true subiect notwithstanding You deal vnfaithfully put the case wrong The question is of a man professing himself in word the Kings loyall subiect his alone but in deed truth the sworn slave of his professed enemy an apparant rebell against the Kings majesty And whether such a one be a true subiect vnto the King or no for such and no better are wicked profane men whatsoever in word they professe even slaves and vassals of the Divel and rank rebels against the L. Iesus Right now you would have Rome a true Church now you will have Iesuites the Kings true subjects for such they professe themselves as boldly as falsly And yet no Romish Preist or Iesuit is more treacherous to the Kings person state then is a prophane vngoldly man professing Christianity to the crown dignity of Christ Iesus The 3. resemblance is of a man professing one onely trade though bunglingly or carelesly whom none will call a false trades-man but eyther no good trades-man or vnprofitable yet truely that trades-man by his profession Here as before you mis-put the case you should instance in a man professing a trade or faculty but practising the contrary in his generall course For example a man professeth himself in word a surgeon or physition but is observed and found in deed and practise to poyson men and cut their throtes and this to be his resolved course Now so charitable is Mr B. as he will have this man still called and that truely a Physition or surgeon though not good nor profitable But the truth is he is a false and treacherous homicyde and murtherer and so to be abhorred of all but of none eyther to be called or accounted a true physition or surgeon eyther good or evil Such a one and no better is he to his own soul that vnder the profession of Christianity in word practiseth wickednes and impiety and hath his conversation in them The authour having thus ended his defence for the bad and naughty matter of his Church so granted by him in effect comes to speak of false matter but so breifly and darkly withall as it appears plainly he is loth to meddle with it least in the handling his bad matter should prove false matter as it comes to passe with counterfeyt coyn That he sayth then is that false matter is contrary to this true matter that is to the true matter of which he hath spoken Wherevpon it followeth that since the true matter he hath spoken of is wicked and vngodly men though professing Christ and that holy and godly men are contrary to men wicked vngodly that therefore godly and holy men are contrary to the true matter of his Church and so by his reckoning false matter To conclude this point What is false but that which hath an appearance of truth but not the truth it self whereof it makes shew in which respect the scriptures also speak of false Christs false Prophets false Apostles false brethren false witnesses false ballances and the like pretending themselves to be that which they are not and to have that truth in them which they have not of all which there is none more truely false nor more fitly so called then that man is and is called truely a false christian or false matter of the Church which 〈◊〉 in word he looks to be saved by Iesus Christ and yet continues in a lewd and wicked conversation having a shew of godlines but denying the power thereof and professing the knowledg of God but by works denying him Wherevpon I do also conclude that the body of the Church of England being gathered generally and for the most part of such members visibly cannot be the true visible body of Christ except a true living body can be compact of false and dead members That which comes next into consideration in Mâ— B order is the visible form of the Church as he calls it which he makes truely the vniting of vs vnto God one to another visibly in his 2. book the covenant by which Godsets vp a people to be his people and they him mutually to be their God This description he illustrateth by a similitude borrowed from a materiall building whose form ariseth from the coupling together of the stones vpon the foundatioÌ„ which he also further manifesteth by comparing it with the form of the invisible Church by which the faithfull are vnited to God through Christ invisibly and one vnto another Of the termes of which comparison and their proportion wee shall speak by and by I do onely in the mean while intreat the reader to observ with me these two things The former that Mr B having in the beginning of his book censured vs very severely and that with D. Allisons concurring testimony for misapplying 1 Pet. 2. 5. to the visible Church which sayd they was meant of the invisible Church here notwithstanding he interprets it of the visible Church even as we do The latter that speaking of the invisible Church and the form of it he brings in sundry scriptures as so to be expounded which are apparantly intended of the visible Church amongst the rest these three Ephe. 2. 22. and 4. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 13. the last of which he himself also within a few pages following expounds as meant of the visible Church and the properties thereof Now for the comparison betwixt the form of the invisible and visible Church wherein if Mr B. observed due proportion and made the form of the visible Church the same visibly externally in respect of men which he doth the form of the invisible Church invisibly internally and in respect of God and so layd down things in simple and playn terms the truth in the point would easily appeare much needles labour be spared on both sides The form of the invisible Church he noteth first and on Gods part to be raysed by the spirit by which invisible hand God taketh men immediately by the hart and sayth he wil be thâ—â—â— God 2. and on mans part by â—aith by which invisible hand the beleevers
hath not given his holy sacraments to your congregations And where you further adde that God hath moved the harts of all the people of your congregations outwardly to receive both the word and sacraments it is one amongst the rest of your bold but bare affirmations Are there not many thowsands amongst you that vnderstand not the doctrine of the beginning of Christ the very first principles of christiaÌ„ religioÌ„ And hath God perswaded the harts of these to receive the word sacrameÌ„ts in any sence The Lord Iesus teacheth vs in the gospel that every man that doth evill hateth the light neyther commeth to light least his deeds should be reproved And yet you will haue vs beleeve that God hath perswaded the hearts of all the evill-doers amongst you not onely to come to the light but also to receive it Let your own parish Mr B stand for instance There were in it to myne own knowledge when you wrote this book that held most blasphemous errours touching the very Trinity and there are at this day as I am certaynly informed who are so moved to receive the word as that your Church-wardens are driven to spend a great part of the Lords day in hunting them from the ale-house to the temple And if this be your case what is the condition of the most congregations in the Land to which the word of God hath not so much as been offered in any indifferent measure for the moving of their harts to receive it The truth is the people are drawn in the most congregations the most of them and many in all by compulsive lawes to keep their Parish Church to heare divine service to communicate at Easter and to receive the sacraments and other rites as is commaunded in the communion book but how farre the most are from having their harts thus moved as is pretended of all to receive the word of God appeareth too evidently in that great contempt and hatred wherein they have such amongst themselves as do in any sinceritie eyther preach or professe the same To these things I may further adde that since the Lord hath given his word and sacraments to be dispensed to no people but by the meanes which he hath prescribed in his word except the English Preisthood and leitourgy were prescribed by the word of God for these ministrations even in this respect God cannot be â—ayd to have given his word and sacraments to the congregations spoken of Now although this which hath been sayd in answer to your grounds be sufficient to disprove the form of your Church as you your self Mr B. rayse it yet for your further conviction I will adde certayn Arguments to manifest and make playn that wicked and vngodly men and women are vncapable by the word of the Lord of his covenaunt and of all spirituall visible vnion with him so consequently your congregations gathered of such persons at the first and of such still consisting generally with a handfull godly minded scattered amongst them to remayn vnformed by the Lords holy covenant The Arguments are First bycause godly and wicked men are contraries as being guided and led by contrary causes the one sort by the spirit and the other by the flâ—sh which are contrary one unto another Now two contraries are not capable of one and the same form Wicked men and such as hate to be reformed are forbidden by the revealed will of God from medling with his covenant or ordinances and therefore are not by the revealed wil of God received into covenant with him or to the participation of his ordinances which are both one Since wicked men are by the word of God as you your self graunt to be excommunicated that is to be cut off from the visible vnion with Christ and his Church how can they be sayd by the same word of God to be capable of this vnion with Christ and his Church nothing can be eyther more vnreasonably affirmed or more vngodlily practised Lastly the scriptures do expressely debarre men of lewd and vngodly conversation of all fellowship vnion and communion with God If wee say that we haue fellowship with him and walk in darknes we ly and do not truely sayth the Apostle Ioh. 1. Ep 1. 6. and what fellowship sayth Paul hath righteousnes with vnrighteousnes what communion hath light with darknes and what concord hath Christ with Belâ— ill or what part hath the beleever with the vnbeleever or infidel c. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. The former of these scriptures is so directly against you as if it were recorded by the holy Ghost with particular respect to your errour You say that men though of a lewd conversation that is walking in darknes have visible fellowship vnion and communion with God if they professe they beleeve in Christ or so say Iohn on the contrary teacheth that they which walk in darknes have no fellowship with God though they so say but are lyars The other scripture must be further opened and inforced considering how you charge vs in your 2. book with the wretched abuse of it and labour by a long discourse to wring it out of our hands as being our speciall weapon as you say to fight for separation and to defend the same The four heads vnder which you reduce all the particulars about it I will prosequâ—te in order as they are by you layd down 1. the occasion 2. the scope 3. the matter intreated of 4. the persons spoken of For the first it is true you affirm of the Christian Corinthians going to the idol feasts in the idol temples at the bidding of their freinds and kinsfolks the heathen Corinthians which I also acknowledg to haue been the mayn and most immediate occasion of the Apostles writing as he doth but not the onely occasion There was a former occasion of that namely their marying with the vnbeleevers their vnequall yoking with them that way by which the other mischeif was occasioned amongst them as it had been with other the servants of God before them from the beginning of the world Gen. 6. 2. In which respect therefore the Lord in the law forbad the Israelites to take of the daughters of the heathen vnto their sonnes least they provoked them to go awhoring after their Gods which when they neglected and mingled themselves with Idolaters in mariage they presently fell into that monstrous mixture in religion against which the Apostle dealeth Numb 25. 1 King 11. 1. 2. 3. 4. Ezra 9. 1. 2. But where for the clearing of your selves of the very occasion you do adde that you dwell not in civill society with idolaters but vnder a Christian King and with a people professing Christ where no publick Idols are set vp nor any feasting in honour of them you follow your old fashion of bold boasting without measure or modesty Do you not live in civil society with the Idolaters Haue you
The Prophet Ieremy speâ—king in the name of the Lord of the calling of the Gentiles into the new covenaunt or testament as the authour to the Hebrewes expoundeth him testifieth that with whom soever the Lord would make that testament or covenant he would put his law in their mind and write them in their heart and so be their God and make them his people and that they should all know him from the least to the greatest and that he would be mercifull vnto their sâ—â—nes and remember their iniquities no more But your nationall Ch never came within the coÌ„passe of this promise that all in it should know the Lord haue their sinnes forgiven them and his lawes written in their heart Therefore your nationall Church is not within the Lords covenaunt nor ever 〈…〉 nor his people having him for their God Your exceptious in your 2. book to this Argument are insufficient The first is that by this exposition hypocritâ—s should not be under the covenaunt bycause the law of God is not written in their harts But my answer is that hypocrites in respect of God and his secret invisible and approving will and calling are not of the Church nor under the covenaunt but in respect of men of the revealed will of God according to which meÌ„ must judge all that are outwardly holy have their sinns forgiven and the law of God written in their harts And to your 2. exception namely that the place is not vnderstood barely of a member of the visible Church but so of it as withall he be an elect saynt I do answer it is true you say â—oÌ„sidering what bare members of the visible Church you make of what members your Church is most what made even such as ar both bare and empty of all grace and appearance of grace But let them be such in any measure as of whom the Lord in his word gives approbation and whom he entitles to the visible ordinances in his Church and then they are not barely visible members as you speak but elect saynts also in the respects formerly mentioned It is evident that both Ieremy and the Apostle to the Hebrewes speak of the new testament or covenant of grace whereof Christ is the mediatour in his own blood opposed to the old testament and covenaunt of works established by Moses in the blood of bulles and goates and of the persons with whom the Lord makes this covenant and which haue legacies in this will and testament of Christ which he hath also confirmed by his death which do all know God and have his law written in their harts and their sinns pardoned And there is nothing more derogatory to the grace of God and blood of Christ then that any within the compasse of this covenant of grace or having a portion in this testament established in Christs blood should not haue his iniquities forgiven and his heart sanctifyed by the spirit truely or in appearance as he is truely or apparantly partaker of the former graces And here also appears the vanity of your third exception so oft repeated by you to wit that you are not all without the law of God written in your harts and without the forgivenes of sinnes but that some of you have obteyned this grace As though the quaestion were of some few in your Church not of the whole Church If you minded what you had in hand you should see that to prove your Church within the covenaunt of the new testament you were bound to manifest not that some few but that all the members of it were at the least in the constitution partakers of those promises wherein it is established the reason is bycause not some few severally but all the members joyntly considered do make the Church Iohn in the Revelation describing the Locusts sayth of them that they had faces like the faces of men hayre like the hayre of women Doth it therefore follow they were men or womeÌ„ bycause they had eyes mouthes noses some other meÌ„bers that men women haue So neyther is a profane people a true Christian Church or body of Christ for some few Christianlike persoÌ„s vâ—tequally yoked with them since the Church or body as I haue formerly sayd consisteth not of some few but of all the members coupled and combyned together in one communion And thus much to prove that lewd vngodly persons so continuing are uncapable of the new covenant or testament consumed by the death of Christ and that they haue no fellowship or vnion with God in Christ in whom alone he establisheth his covenant and if any man will affirm the contrary not I but Iohn by the word of God reproveth him expressely for a lyar And in deed what more impudeÌ„t untruth can there be affirmed then that an apparant visible lim of Satan should be an apparant or visible member of Christ or that gracelesse persons should be within the covenant of grace and salvation as is that covenâ—â—t into which the Lord gathereth and in which he uniteth his Ch vnto himself For conclusion of this point let the reader observe that as the Church is essentially constituted by this vnion of the meÌ„bers with God and one with another so consider it as an ecclesiasticall policy instituted by Christ the King thereof and then that form or ordâ—r of government which he hath set and which the Apostolik Churches vsed and enjoyed is the form of it as it is in all other poâ—iciâ—s corporations and coÌ„mon wealthes in the world Which form of government the Church of England is so far from enjoying aâ— it hates worse then Papists all that in any measure desire it Now as from the matter form of the Church concurring do arise the properties so would Mr B. in the next place iustify against us that the congregations amongst them have the true visible properties of the Church which he makes three in number the first their continuance in heâ—â—â—ng of the dâ—â—h me of Christ reâ—râ—ved and vsing of the sacraments and prayer 2. the holding out of this truth and the sacraments as banners displayed against the enemy 3. a care for the welfare of all and every one for the whole and each for other though in his 2. book as if it â—ad not been he 1. the hâ—ldinâ— out of the profession of the person covenaÌ„ted with Christ Iesus 2. the holding the words of the covenantâ— the written wâ—â—â— of God 3. the m 〈…〉 ng of the publication of this covenant by the 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 the assemblies are become the properties of the Church as if the Church were as chaungeable in her properties as 〈◊〉 in his And here I must needs take knowledge of Mr B. distinction in his 2. book betwixt the properties and priviledges of the Church and the rather bycause he layes it down with great ostentation for our learning as he sayth His distinction is that properties arise from within the Church
of their Ministery and of their inward calling and of the peoples acceptation and of many things more very plausible to the multitude but in the day of their triall it appeares what small comfort they have in all these and as is their coming in so is their going out since they entered not in by the dore no mervayl though they suffer themselves to be thrust out by the window or to be tumbled over the wall or otherwise to be discharged vpon some small and sleighty occasion But * suppose say you a false enterance yet that no more disanulls the ministery then doth a faulty enterance to mariage disanul that ordinance between two conioyned to be lawful man and wife But first I deny your very office of ministery in it self to be a spirituall ordinance of God as is mariage a civill ordinance 2. If one of these two persons were vncapable of mariage ther would follow a nullity and so is it with you where your parish assemblies are all of them vncapable of the ministery of Christ and the ministrations thereof 3. If this mariage were made without the free consent and choise of the one party were it not to be disanulled and this is your case if you consider it where the minister is put vpon the people without their free choise and election Lastly if two persons were maryed with this condition that they should leave one another vpon the imperious commaund of some great man for some small and sleighty matter or other were this true and lawfull mariage And is not this the estate of your Ministers and people vnder their imperious Lords the Prelates by whom they are in continuall danger of divorce for want of canonicall conformity in some triviall and trifling ceremony Thus much of this similitude as also of this matter That which comes next into consideration is the poynt of succession wherein in the first place answer must be given to a demaund made by M. B. in his 2. book in which many others also think there is much weight and that is why we hold and reteyn the baptism received by succession and not the Ministery For answer vnto him I would know of him whether the Church of England do still or did at the first reteyn the ministery of the Church of Rome or no If he say it doth then I would entreat him and others not to take it ill if we call and account them Preists for such are the Romish Ministers 2. How can the Church of England forsake the Church of Rome and reteyn the Ministery which is in the Church as in the subiect especially if the Ministery make the Church as Mr Bernard affirms for then a true Ministery must needs make a true Church and communion with the Ministery drawes on necessarily communion with the Church But if on the contrary he affirm that the Church of England doth renounce the Ministery or Preisthood of the Church of Rome then I return his demaund vpon himself and ask him why it reteyns the Baptism of Rome and so leave him to himself for answer 2. The Baptism both in England and Rome is in the essentiall causes of it the matter water the form baptizing into the name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Christs baptism and ordinance though in the administration it be Antichrists devise but for the Ministery eyther in Rome or England it is otherwise The Ministery of Christ doth summarily and in the substance of it consist in the feeding of the flock that is in providing food for the flock and in guiding and ordering the same accordingly in a word in preaching and government 1 Tim. 5. 17. Put what is this to the Preisthood of England to let passe that of Rome vnto which preaching is not necessarily annexed nor government so much as permitted To swear Canonicall obedience subscribe conform read the service book celebrate mariage Church women and bury the dead in form order are essentiall substantiall parts or properties of the Ministery there in the present both practise and constitution The vessels of gold and silver which were taken out of the temple in the captivity and caried to Babylon and there prophaned might notwithstanding being sanctified from their prophanation there be lawfully caried back to Ierusalem and set vp in the temple newly built and imployed as in former times to Gods service but had these vessels been broken in peices in Babâ—lon and there being mingled with brasse and iron such bâ—se mettall been cast in another mould they could not thâ—n have obâ—â—â—ned thâ—â— former place in the temple nor there have been 〈…〉 d for the holy ministration Now such is the difference between the Baptism and Ministery both in the Romish and English Church To formâ—r as a vessel of the Lords house may with the Lords people be brought back from Babylon spirituall to the new Ierusalem and there may being sanctified by repentance serve and be of 〈…〉 to all the ends and purposes for which God hath appointed it But for the Ministery or Preisthood eyther in the one or other it is in it selfe no vessell of the Lordes house it is neyther made of the mettall which the Lord hath appointed nor cast in his mould It is essentially degenerated from that office of Pastourship which Christ the Lord hath set in his house for the feeding of the flock by teaching and government as hath been formerly shewed and is in the true naturall canonicall institution of it a very devised patchery compound like the image which the King of Babylon saw in his dream save that little or nothing of it is gold or silver but all brasse iron clay the like base mettall stuffe fitting right well both in the administration of it vnto the people and in the subordination vnto the people and in the subordination vnto the Prelacy for the exaltation of the man of sinne which hath for that very purpose devised it and placed it in the Church for his service that by it as by an vnderstâ—p he might climbe up advaunce himself into the throne of iniquity where he sitts exalted above all that is called God 3. The Ministers of the Church now do succeed the Preists and Levites vnder the law as baptism also comes in the place of circumcision Now wee read in the scrâ—pâ—ures that such of the ten tribes as were in Ieroboams idolatrous schism and apostasie thereby as a branch from the root cutting off themselves actually from the onely true Church of God which was radically at Ierusalem where the Lord had founded his temple appoynted his sacrifices and promised his praesence that such of them I saâ— as returned to the Lord by repentance and ioyned themselves unto the true Church were by vertue of the circumcision received in that their apostasie wherein they had no â—iâ—le to the seale of the forgivenes of sinnes which
there is the right of calling and ordeyning the ministers of the gospell bycause we must fly the enemyes of the gospell as an Anathema And besides sayth he if wee should desyre of them the ceremony of ordinatioÌ„ they would not giue it except we would bind ourselves to renounce the true doctrine other wicked boÌ„ds would they cast vpoÌ„ vs. Neyther therefore ought the true Ch to be without Pastors without the keyes without the voyce of the gospell without forgivenes of â—inns bycause the tyranny of the Bishops eyther drives away or refuses to appoynt fit Ministers And agayn it is the confusioÌ„ of order to seek sheepheards froÌ„ the wolves And lastly this hath ever been the right of the true Church to chuse and call out of her own assembly fit Ministers of the gospel Thus far hâ— In the third place Peter Martyr shall speak who vpon the book of Iudges ch 4. vers 5. sayth thus Touching the ecclesiasticall Ministery we have signified before that it may not be committed to women that they are not fit for it But now wee adde that in the planting of Churches anew when men want which should preach the gospell a woman may perform that at the first but so as when she hath taught any company that some one man of the faythful be ordeyned which may afterwards minister the sacraments teach and do the Pastours duety faithfully 4. Zanchy vpon the fifth to the Ephesians treating of Baptism propounds a quaestion of a Turk comming to the knowledge of Christ and to sayth by reading the new Testament and withall teaching his family converting it and others to Christ and being in a countrey whence he can not easily come to Christian Churches whether he may baptise them whom he hath converted to Christ he himself being vnbaptized He answers I doubt not of â—â— but that he may and withall provide that he himself be baptized of one of the three converted by him The Reason be gives 〈…〉 bycause he is a Minister of the word extraordinarily stirred vp of Christ so as such a Minister may with the consent of that small Church appoint one of the communiâ—ants and provide that he be baptized by him Adde in the fifth place Tilenus who being demaunded of the Earl of Lavall from whom Calvin had his calling answered from the Church of Geneva and from Farell his praedecessour who had also his froÌ„ the people of Geneva who had right and authority to institute and depose Ministers which thing he also confirms by Cyprian Ephes. 14. The sixth and last I will name is Sadeel who writing a treatise of purpose touching the lawfull calling of Ministers against such as agreed with the reformed Churches in the doctrine they taught but excepted against them in this that they had not their Ministers by ordinary succession sâ—ewes that amongst and above other things the ecclesiastical Ministery of Rome is corrupted makes it a shamelesse thing that any boasting of the pure knowledge of God should obiect against them that they did not draw the pure reformation of the ecclesiasticall Ministery out of the drâ—gges of Popery The first argument he vseth to justify the calling of their Ministers is that they are called chosen and received of these assemblyes which do appear by manifest signes and arguments to be true Churches as having the true doctrine of fayth the pure administration of the sacrameÌ„ts the right and sincere â—â—vocation of Gods name observing religiously the discipline instituted by Christ and his Apostles and lastly testifying by the duties of love constancy of Martyrs and reformation of the whole life that they are by the great mercy of God adopted into the number of the faythfull as members of the Catholick Church c. And thus much of the Ministery both yours Mr Ber ours and more particularly to prove that an assembly of faythful people separating themselves from Heathenish or Antichristian idolatry have right within themselves to call and appoint their Ministers Now from this conclusion thus manifested do arise sundry others worthy the noting down for the common controversy As first that such an assembly though without officers is a true visible Church the kingdom of Christ City of God And I suppose it needs no confirmation to any good conscience that the choise of Church officers is a Church action a mayn part of the administration of Christs kingdom and a priviledge of that spirituall City the new Ierusalem and that such an assembly hath the power of Christ and from him authority and commission without vvhich it were intollerable usurpation to praesume to choose his officers especially the cheif officers in his kingdom as are they which administer the word sacraments of whom we principally entreat 2. That the people have power to censure offenders for they that haue power to elect appoint set vp officers they hav also power vpoÌ„ just occasioÌ„ to reject depose put them down so are part of that Church where officers are and the whole Church where they are not of which Christ speaketh Math 18. 17. where he sayth tell the Church Besides that the calling of officers and censuring of offenders are the two mayn administrations of the kingdome of Christ and so both of one nature 3. And lastly that the brethren out of office whether in a Church furnished with officers or vvithout them are not mere private persons as you Mr Ber and others would make them in the exercise of prophesy calling of Ministers and judging of offenders for scandalous sinns Considering them in deed severally one by one or in opposition to the publique officers they may be called private persons but take them joyntly and in these and the like acts of their communion and they are more then so and as the Church is a publique body so are they members of the body and parts of the whole and of the same publique nature with it and not private parts or members of the publique body which were a senseles contradiction and contrary to the rule in ReasoÌ„ The whole and all the partes ioyntly taken are the same When the brethren made choyce of Ioseph and Mathyas to be presented and afterwards of the seven Deacons after that of the Elders in every Church did they make a private choise of publique officers or could they as private persons merely make a publique choise When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church of Corinth which you graunt to be the multitude or body of the Church about the censuring of the incestuous person did he will them to judge and censure him privately for his publique scandalous sin or could they as persons merely private passe a publique judgement The thing then is that when the Church is gathered or come together in one for the administration of the word sacraments censures and other exercises of religion parts of Gods worship the officers if there be any