will be carefull to avoid Nor againe doth that of our Saviour in Luke 22.25 denie the titles of civill honours to men of the Church Titles of civill honour are not their denied for it doth not as shall appeare forbid honour and authority or the titles thereunto belonging but ambitious seeking of it or them together with that tyrannicall using of it which the wicked kings of the Nations through the conceit of their owne greatnesse and soothings of their flatterers proudly take upon them And that this is the meaning of that Text appeareth by these reasons First because Christ acknowledged that the title Rabbi which signifieth a Master an honourable person or a man that is eminent by reason of his many dignities and places of honour that he holdeth was a title of right belonging to him Hee disclaimed it not but embraced it Ye call mee Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am Iohn 13.13 Secondly Iohn Baptist was called Master and not refused it Luke 3.12 Thirdly although Saint Paul and Barnabas (*) Act. 14.15 denied to be worshipped with Divine honour yet when Paul and Silas were reverenced with civill honour and called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords by the Master of the Prison they made no scruple of it but onely sayd Beleeve in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16.30 Fourthly the change of Abram to Abraham and of Sarai to Sarah witnesse no lesse for their names being thus changed were not onely a token of confirming the promise but also an honourable favour which God himselfe vouchsafed to them Dr. Willet ex Mercer in Gen. for their greater grace and respect among those with whom they lived as was seene when Abraham communed with the Children of Heth who answering sayd unto him Heare us my Lord thou art a mighty Prince among us Gen. 23.6 And God also told Abimilech that he was a Prophet Gen. 20.7 Fiftly because when Obadiah met Elias he fell on his face and sayd Art thou my Lord Elias He answered yea Goe and tell thy Lord behold Elias is here 1 Kings 18.7.8 Sixtly because Elisha accepted of the like title as it is in the 2 Kings 4.16 In which regard Beza noted not amisse upon these words in Mat. 23.8 Bee not yee called Rabbi c. Ne vocemini id est Ne ambiatis Bee not ye called that is doe not ambitiously seeke after that title or pride your selves in it for otherwise our Sauiour doth not accept against any either for not denying the titles of their office or for not refusing the honour due unto them And here an end of this Section SECT II. THE next thing that followeth is That the people give eare and come where they may heare the Doctrines rebukes and exhortations of their ghostly Fathers For though they be men whom the Lord hath assigned to this holy office yet men to whom hee hath conveighed a peculiar grace 2 Tim. 1.6 ibid. which the Orthodox and right do so stirre up that when they preach they preach not themselves but Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4.5 Heb. 5.4 They have power to officiate but they take it not it is given them before they have it It came to those of Christs schoole from Christ himselfe but was not to end with them for there is a * building which cannot be perfected without it And being therefore appointed for it Ephes 4.12 Mat. 28. ult it hath beene conveighed ever since by the imposition of hands to such as are not otherwise any lawfull Priests of God And finally that care may be had in the conveighance hereof It is the counsell of Saint Paul to Timothie 1 Tim. 5.22 That he lay hands upon no man suddenly Thus then we have it and are by this meanes become persons sacred and have authoritie to deale in holy things We blesse in the name of him that blesseth The dispensation of the Word and Sacraments is committed to us We have power to binde Mat. 18.18 2 Cor. 5.20 wee have power to loose wee are Ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us The message is from Heaven as delivering to you God's blessed will out of his holy Word And therefore to be received 1 Thess 2.13 not as the word of men but as the Word of God So that as we if we love the Lord Ioh. 21.15.16 will feede his Lambes and Sheepe In like manner ye if ye despise not Christ Luke 21.16 Acts 7.51 nor resist the holy Ghost will be content to hearken to the words of those by whom he speaketh For this he doth hee speaketh by us though not by immediate inspiration as some phantastickes fondly dreame yet by our rightly dividing that Word of truth which is properly and indeed the Word of God Aug. cont Epist Parmenioni l. 2. c. 11. In cujus praedicatione spiritus Sanctus operatur as Saint Austine speaketh So that though our Sermons ought to have no greater credit then they can gaine unto themselves by their agreement with the Scriptures yet not dissenting from them they are truely and indeed the Truth and Doctrine of God and though not his Word by immediate inspiration yet the Word of God in a secundarie sence as being the sober explication and application of some such part or portion of the Word as we then pitch upon In which regard the Preachers of it are Co-workers or jont-labourers with God as even the Apostles were For though we cannot bee compared with them in worthinesse of grace and vertue yet in likenesse of office and Ministerie we may and must And indeed t is a perpetuall Sanction Mal. 2.7 that the Priests lippes are to preserve knowledge and that the people seeke the Law at their mouthes for even in this they are the messengers of the Lord of Hosts So that in what way so ever they convey or give notification of the object of faith which is the Word unto the people whether it be by reading or otherwise it is to be of more esteem then when t is done by any other Which I doe not note to deterre Lay-people from reading of the Scripture but to shew the difference that is betweene their reading and ours as also to signifie that no Scripture is of private interpretation 1 Pet. 1.20 as Saint Peter hath declared And now to the amplifying of all this thus I proceed The Lord's Day or Sunday is God's chiefe Schoole-day wherein God's people must come to the Church for that 's his Schoole-house wherein among other duties to bee done they must heare his Word for that 's their lesson Some be Truants and care not for comming Others be Recusants and may not come to joyn themselves with us A third sort be Schismaticks and will not come except where they affect and when they please And last of all others be indifferent and will sometimes come but in respect of the end their comming and hearing is
but of peace and order The seventh and last is the envious hearer not so much against the Priest as against his neighbour Ye may easily know him for he sits like a malecontent very sad and sorrowfull as if he were a deafe man and heard not untill he thinketh that the Preacher hath a speciall ayme at some one or other whom he himselfe hateth upon thought of which he cheeres up his spirits begins to looke like a willing hearer and is exceeding well content to drinke up with greedinesse such a passage thinking it no small happinesse to have his eares blessed with the vineger and gall of that particular But if this be hearing I am much deceived Luk. 8.8.18 For he that hath an care to heare saith our Saviour let him heare yea and take heed likewise how he heareth Not turne aside and stop his eare for then he doth not heare at all Nor heare as himselfe pleaseth for then he hears amisse But heare as he ought that thereby he may heare indeed and so at the last he shall be one day taken to that happy and joyfull place of seeing yea and sing that song Psal 48.8 As we have heard so have we seene in the City of our God SECT III. THis therefore brings mee unto a third thing propounded viz. That the people obey as well as heare The obedience is two-fold Deut. 30.14 Heb. 13.17 concerning Doctrine and Government 1. That of Doctrine is first and is no more but the submitting unto and practising of what their Pastors teach them For except it manifestly appeare Ezek. 33.31 that the Doctrine delivered be false thou art bound to reverence to receive it and to obey it as the word of God Jam. 1.17 Yea though the preacher have much out of humane writers and ancient Fathers for what saying soever is agreeable to the word of God and fitly applyed is to be received as the word because if it be truth it must needs come downe from God who is the fountaine 1 Cor. 4.7 not only of every perfect gift but of every good gift For what good is there in man which he hath not received To which purpose Saint Austin speaking of such truths as are many times delivered even by Philosophers themselves saith Aug. de Doct. Christ lib. 2. Si quae vera Philosophi dixerunt ab eis sunt tanquam ab injustis possessoribus vendicanda in usum nostrum meaning that what truths soever Philosophers have spoken are to be taken from them into our use as from unjust possessours Nay further should the life of the Minister distaste thee yet flye not his doctrine For when the wicked Scribes and Pharisees satin Moses his chaire Math. 23.2.3 they said but did not In which case it was Christs owne advice That what they taught should bee observed but what they did should be avoided Dicunt enim quae Dei sunt faciunt quae sua sunt Aug. contra liter as Petil l. 2. c. 6. as Saint Austin speaketh Whereto I adde that an Eagles eye anâ— an Adders eare are badly chosen for who is there among the sonnes of Men that can acquit himselfe from humane frailties But why doe I talke of frailties The world especially in looking on us is not so charitable as to put a difference between grosse offences and infirmities Nay should we live like Angels Math. 10.24.25 or like Christ himselfe there would not bee wanting some or other to traduce us If we suffer not our selves to be defrauded but seeke for our owne we are accounted covetous and seeke not you but yours although in this we doe but call you backe from that blacke sinne of foule Sacriledge wherein you doe not so much rob us as God Malac. 3.8 Or if we will not suffer our selves to be contemned we are proud and ambitious although in this God's honour and the dignity of our callings be defaced Or if we endeavour to have things rectified that be amisse we are accounted busie and troublesome although in this we goe about to discharge the duties of our places For thus can the world extract something out of nothing and multiply molehils into mountaines concerning the steps of our proceedings I excuse not all but rather teach you to be cautelous and well advised in accusing those who bee your Pastours Nor doe I thinke all to be free from scandalous living Howbeit even in this sport not with accursed Cham at your Fathers nakednesse but rather pray with the Church that both by our life and doctrine we may set forth God's true and lively word and rightly and duly administer his holy Sacraments For indeed they preach most who live best and why is that but because such is the nature of fraile mortall men that they are more prone to be led by example than by precept howbeit our Saviours rule directeth otherwise as a little before hath been declared Let it therefore be that you heare and not only so Math. 7.26 Jam. 1.22.24 but that ye heare and doe For he that heareth and doeth not is like unto him who built his house upon the sands or like unto one who beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse who when he hath considered himselfe goes his way and forgets immediately what manner of one he was Therefore be ye hearers of the word Rom. 2.13 and not hearers only but doers also for not the hearers of the Law but the doers shall be justified Deut. 7.12.13 Or as it is in Deuteronomy If thou hearken to my Lawes and observe them then the Lord shall keepe with thee his covenant he shall love thee and blesse thee Nor againe may the nature of the Doctrine distaste thee For in case thou hadst rather have sugar than salt honey than gall oyle than vineger liberty than restraint know that God hath sent his Spirit to rebuke the world of sinne Iohn 16.8 And therefore being reproved out of the word of God neither despise nor murmure but rather remember your obedience shew your thankfulnesse acknowledge your sinnes bewaile your iniquities abstaine from your wickednesse Heb. 3.8 â—8 slack not your conversion nor put it off from day to day lest by delaying your danger be past recovery Ye may vow perhaps to sacrifice your Minister upon the unsanctified Altar of your owne scorne for speaking as you thinke too home unto your soules But doe ye not know that obedience was preferred in a farre better sacrifice than this and rebellion branded withan hellish marke It is divellish sure to disobey 1 Sam. 19.22.23 Disobedience is coupled to the sinne of witchcraft And in Physicke ye also know it is not required that it should please but rather that it should helpe and heale Wherefore although the word to flesh and blood be not tooth some yet let it suffice that in it selfe 't is wholesome For conclusion therefore with that of Saint Bernard and that of Saint Hierom let
to prevent a probable but contingent inconvenience as even the Authour of the Holy Table hath declared Furthermore doubts saith another may be of two kindes either Speculative or Practicall If a doubt be only speculative of the lawfulnesse of such things as lye in a mans owne liberty to doe or forbeare then to doe a thing doubtingly is a sinne Rom. 14.23 But if the doubt bee practicall and the matter of it a thing commanded by authority that doubting doth neither infer nor excuse disobedience Heb. 13.17 The exceptions from this Rule are very few to wit in cases only when Superiours command that which doth expresly oppose an Article of our Faith one of the ten Commandements or the generall state and subsistence of God's Catholicke Church So then bee a man never so zealous strict of life or highly esteemed for his personall endowments yet he may be more timerous than he needs or contentious than hee should For it were a madnesse not to know that the most sanctified and zealous men are men and may therefore have some faults as well as others For though all be not guilty of sinnes in one kind yet In multis labimur omnes in many things wee sinne all And if all in many things then the best have some faults and this whilst thus is one even among those of high esteeme be all their other actions never so good zealous devote or what you please to call them One did I say Yes and that a great one too why else is disobedience likened to the sinne of witchcraft and every soule without exception commanded to obey and submit as formerly hath been shewed Nor is it but augmented also in regard of circumstances for whilst they whom we take to bee good men shall stumble and refuse to yeeld to the government under which they live others are the sooner brought to doe the like and so the Church troubled not only by themselves but by such also as are too forward to tread in the steps of their proceedings Let them be loath therefore to cherish such timerous conceits as shall from an errour in judgement make them at the last be guilty of some sinful practice arising from thence For no mans goodnesse is good in this nor may exempt them from the obedience unto Lawes nor make them be * 1 Pet. 4.15 priviledged to put their hands into bad actions especially since such mens immunity would but incourage others to presume upon the like favour Saint Paul I confesse speaketh to the Romans Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Rom. 14.3 But from thence can bee no warrant to take liberty either for conforming or not conforming for the case is not the same There the marter of difference was not onely indifferent in the nature of it but was also left so as concerning the use the Church had set down no Law concerning it But is it so with us 't is not and therefore obedience is required on our parts without any question for conscience sake we are else no dutifull Sonnes of the Church but a peevish and perverse generation who are not afraid to act the Vipers part within the bowells of our holy Mother I shall tell you what Saint Austine did That pious Father once in the behalfe of his Mother Monica consulted with Saint Ambrose about the like occasion about matters of ceremonie For she being doubtfull what to doe he went to Saint Ambrose who told him thus When I come to the Church of Rome I fast on the Saturday and when I am here I doe not So thou also unto whatsoever Church thou commest follow the orders thereof if thou wouldest not scandalize any nor have any to offend thee which when he had told to his Mother she rested satisfied In which regard even Saint Austine also giveth this counsell In his rebus in quibus nihil certi statuit Scriptura divina mos populi Dei vel instituta majorum pro lege tenenda sunt Neither doe our owne Stories of the Church but tell us that even such as suffered Martyrdome for the truth made no scruple of conscience against the orders of our Church Bucer for his owne part approved of our English Liturgie although at the first he made some doubt Bishop Ridley went to the stake cheerefully wearing a Tippet of Velvet and a corner Cap and yet as that good old Father Latimer Prophecied at his burning there was such a candle lighted in England as shall never be put out Iohn Philpot was an Arch-deacon and Dr. Rowland Taylour used the Service booke to his great comfort all the time of his imprisonment and commended it at his death a the last token of his love to his deare wife Master Hullier also a godly Minister burnt at Cambridge most joyfully embraced the sayd booke even in the very flames These you will say were good and gooly men but had they sacrificed their lives in a factious quarrell against Clericall habits or other comely ceremonies of the Church enjoyned by King Edward the sixt their Religious Soveraigne the authour of the Acts and Monuments had never numbered them among the glorious Martyrs of Christ as a reverend Doctour well observeth And now also secondly An answer to the 2d objection whereas some make doubt of the lawfulnes of Spirituall jurisdiction or Courts Ecclesiasticall I think there is enough in the former answer to yeeld satisfaction even in this here therefore I shall need to say the lesse For can a Superiour have power to make Lawes and not have power to punish where they bee transgressed or shall the civill Magistrate not hold his sword in vaine Rom. 13.4 and must the Prelates stand for cyphers with their keyes No sayth our Saviour Goe and tell the Church Math. 18.17 But to what purpose if there be in the Church no power of jurisdiction Yes to perswade say some or to rebuke with words Nay sure 't is more then so for in our Saviours speech there is mention made of binding and loosing Verse 18. And what will you sayth Saint Paul shall I come unto you with a rod 1 Cor. 4.21 or in love and in the spirit of weekenesse that is as one truely speaketh will you be perswaded by faire words or shall I exercise my judiciall authoritie over you shall I punish you For punish sure he might or else it had beene to little purpose to have told them of his Rod. But to put all out of question see what the Apostle writes to Timothie the first Bishop of the Ephesians namely that against a Priest or Elder he must receive no accusation 1 Tim. 5.19 under two or three witnesses where I would that you marke these particulars viz. That here is an accuser here is a person accused here is an examination of witnesses here is a judgement and deciding of the matter therefore here is an exercise of
then themselves witnesse that passage which was betweene Abraham and Melchisedech For though when Melchisedech was King and Priest of Salem Abraham also was King and Priest over his owne family yet Abrahams office yeelded and gave place to Melchisedech because hee was of an elder house and so greater then Abraham For this Melchisedech was Sem Hier. tradit in Genes as the Hebrew Doctors also witnesse and made the First-borne not by birth but by his Fathers †Gen. 9.26.27 blessing And indeed seeing that Iaphets sons (*) Act. 2.5 fetch their religion from Salem whom God would perswade to (†) Gen 9.27 fetch it from Sems tents who should rule †Or Ierusalem as in Psal 76.2 Salem where God his Tabernacle should bee rather then Sem Wherein wee may also note that although there were Priests and offerings before yet is Melchisedech the first who is directly said to be a Priest and the first also that in direct termes is said to take Gods portion by the name of tythes Yea no sooner is hee said to be a Priest of God but tythes are * Abraham gave him tythes of all Gen. 14.19 20 not by voluntary contribution but by necessary injunction witnesse both Melchisedechs superiority as also the meaning of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Heb. 7.6 paied to him and those even as was afterwards mentioned in the written Law for the service that hee did And what was that speciall service As a (†) For thut doe Iosephus Rabbt Solomon among the Iewes and Cajetan among the the Papists understand the place Num. 6.23 Num. 8.16 King hee brought forth Bread and Wine to comfort both Abraham and his souldiers but as a Priest hee blessed him namely Abraham and then tooke tythes thesa cred due belonging to his holy function It was no Ceremoniall but Substantiall part of the Priests office It was among the Levites afterwards who were chosen in stead of the First-born Yea and hath stil followed the Priesthood from the times of Christ and his Apostles to our very dayes It was done by Christ himselfe Marke 10.16 Luke 24.50 It was by him commanded and a promise granted to second it upon such as readily received them that he sent Luke 10.5 It was also practised by the blessed Apostles and hath as I said still followed the Priesthood ever since For according to that forme in the 2. Cor. 13.14 the Ministers of the Gospel in all ages thereof have continued to blesse the people or if otherwise 't is according to what is else where taught them as in Phil. 4.7 Rom 15.33 Shall then the wages for this service be abolished it cannot it may not it must not be For to whom the selfe same power and duty of blessing belongeth as did to Melchisedech before the Law and to the Priests and Levites under the Law to them from the blessed ought the same dutie to be performed that is the tithes of all but the Ministers of the Gospel have as hath beene shewed the same power and right of blessing the people Therefore tythes are their due as well as the due of the Priests before them Thus then as I said before Priest-hood and Tythes are Relatives Quorum uno posito ponitur et alterum et uno sublato tollitur et alterum For hee blessed Abraham and received tythes of all that for Melchisedech Gen. 14 19.20 Heb. 7.1.2 Deut. 10 9. Numb 18.22 And againe to blesse in his name Wherefore the Lord is their Inheritance and hath given them all the Tenth in Israel That for the Levites Object Object 1 But it is objected that Abraham paied the tythes of his spoyles and not of his other goods and therefore was not necessarily bound to the performance of this duty perpetually at other times and out of his other substance Answ It is answered that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ in Heb. 7.4 translated The spoyles of warre doth signifie the Top the Chiefe the Principal or best of anything as well or rather then the spoyles of warre And therefore as hee gave Tythes of all which is mentioned at the second verse so de praecipuis of the best of all 〈◊〉 that learned Authour speaketh Hee give him the best of all for tythe pag. 〈◊〉 But say wee should grant that at this time Abraham gave onely the tythes of the spoyles yet is it so farre from hindring the right of tythes that it rather confirmeth all more fully For if Abraham gave tythes of the spoyles much more then of his owne goods ordinarily and at other times The vow of Iacob doth well confirme it where I am sure is nothing spoken concerning spoyles For of all saith he which thou shalt give me I will give the Tenth unto thee Gen. 28.22 out of which words it appeareth how generall this practise was of paying tythes It is most manifest that when hee spoke them Gen. 32.10 hee had not wherewithall to performe the duty of such a payment howbeit because hee knew the equity of it and had ordinarily seene the zealous performance of it hee voweth not to be deficient in it whensoever it should please the Lord to enable him for the performance of it as well as others of his kindred Besides if there were no other tythes given by Abraham to Melchisedech but of those spoyles onely why is this compared with Leviticall tythes which were payed yeerely It was therefore a common practise as well then as under the Law to pay their tythes to Gods Priests and so what was done before the Law in these duties can no more cease now after the Law then Christ ceaseth to be a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech Object Object 2 And secondly whereas some object that vowes are onely to be made of things indifferent and not of things necessary Mr. Perrot Append. to Iacobs vow pag 5. It is answered very fitly that to forsake the Devill and all his workes is a duty necessary but wee may not onely vow this in Baptisme but take the Sacrament afterwards of the Lords Supper to bind us to the performance of the same vow Object Object 3 Oh but say some Iacob vowed tythes with condition therefore they are not such as are contained in the Law of Nature Answ It is answered Answ that albeit wee are bound without a vow to the performance of Morall duties See Doctor Carlt. of tythes 6.2 pag. 8. yet neverthelesse it is nothing unlawfull to vow them that thereby wee may be stirred up to the performance of them with the more exact care and fervent zeale For beside that a vow serveth to shew a resolved and willing mind it also serveth to stirre up a diligent care And so though David was bound without an oath or vow to keepe the righteous judgements of the Lord yet hee (*) See also concerning the vowing of morall duties in 2 Chron. 15.12.13 bound himselfe by a