mens sinnes to promise life and to rebuke and giue ouer to execration bee taken from Christ or the Church of Christ what remaineth but an Idoll or counterfait Christ an Idol or counterfait Church Here both he proceedeth in his double faced fallation last noted conueying him-selfe by the word power from Christes office to his deuine essence whereby he accomplisheth all thinges in his gouernement whether by the meane and ministerie of men or otherwise as I obserued before in the distribution of his gouernement and also heapeth vppon it an impudent petition of the principle as if the discipline being remooued from the Church foorth-with the woorde shoulde bee without Christes power to bind and loose to remitte or retaine mens sinnes which is not so much to extoll the worthy discipline as he pretended as it is eyther to clogge and chaine vp Christes diuine power thereunto or else to make discipline the diuine force and efficacious power of Christ himselfe which is his essence Whether soeuer of which as one must needes bee graunted not Master Cart-wright but Browne shall bee found the absurd blasphemer in this case The bulwarke of his cause is beaten downe there is not a weapon left him of any strength vnbroken if this be well weyed which is by me deliuered And if the reader consider that although the discipline bee a kind of the authoritie of Christ yet is it not all nor the principall of his authoritie and that although hee vse it many times as a chariot for his holy worde to ride vppon to subdue rebellious spirites yet hee vseth it neither most chiefely nor most ordinarily but the simple preaching of the worde is his continuall scepter and sword wherby hee saueth his people and conquereth his enemies beateth downe euery strong holde pearseth to the diuision of the soule and Spirite and of the ioyntes and marrowe and iudgeth the very cogitations and conceiptes of the heart This I say if the reader consider seeing there are no greater effectes in the whole kingdome of Christ then these which hee executeth by his worde yea when it is not assisted by the discipline for the woorde may stande without the discipline so cannot the discipline without the woorde hee will not only stay him-selfe as in a refreshing shadowe of Christes gracious gouernement where hee seeth the worde deliuered and taught but also acknowledge and testifie that it is a most malicious deuise of Satan practised by such instruments as Browne vnder a quarell for the holy discipline to drawe thousandes of soules from the most ordinary and mighty meanes of Christes gouernment and administration of his kingdome that so lying scattered from the folde they might bee out of all hope of ordinary rescue when the deuourer shoulde find them Let not Browne nowe hence-foorth aske what part of discipline may bee wanting and the Church notwithstanding haue the essence and name of a Church For although Mast Cart. not framing him-selfe to Brownes sense and writings as with whome hee medled not in his letter vseth the woorde discipline in a larger sense as comprehending all the behauiour concerning a Church in outward dueties and so amongest the rest the dayly planting and building by the calling and offering of the woorde by the ministers and the hearing receiuing and obeying of a people yet Browne can-not thinke to vse the worde in that sense sith his owne writings haue bounded him and set him in a scanter compasse namely within the politicall guiding of a Church which I haue lately before spoken of as generally all his writinges and namely his most vnlearned definitions and diuisions Numb 48. doe testifie Where defining the kingdome of Christ to bee his office of gouernement whereby hee vseth the obedience of his people to keepe his lawes and commaundementes to their saluation and well-fare hee deuideth the same in ouerseeing and trying out of wickednesse rebuke and suparation By which place vnlesse we will imagine of a discipline that hath larger limittes then the kingdome of Christ wee see what Browne vnderstandeth by discipline Within the polliticall guiding of a Church therefore must he bee contented to bee restrained in all this disputation of discipline And as for his busie hunting after Contradiction in M.C. his woordes in saying discipline is not of the essence of a Church and yet for want of all discipline to take away the essence and name of a Church his labour is vtterly lost as I haue prooued before in speaking of proper accidents And though in wordes hee vrge the shewe of a contradiction without discipline there may bee a Church and without discipline there can bee no Church Yet is it an empty barrell without liquour For when the reader shall haue added the word some to the former and the worde all to the latter that the first may bee read thus without some discipline there may bee a Church and the other thus without al discipline there can be no Church he shal plainly discerne that Browne did but dreame of a contradictiō After those his shiftings turnings to auoid the euidence of M C. reasons to hoodewinke his reader from the sight of thē hee setteth on as though hee would proue the contrary of M.C. conclusion namely that discipline is of the essence of a Church Wherein when he hath spent three or foure pages with many vaine and abused quotations of scripture after his wonted manner the whole course of his arguing comes all to this that the woorde of God giues the Church authoritie to obserue the behauiours of the seuerall members and to binde and loose remitte and retaine sinnes by ecclesiasticall censures and so exercise the keyes of the kingdome of heauen Therefore such iurisdiction is of the essence of a Church A worthy Captaine of so vnworthy a schisme Set this in a due fourme and I thinke him-selfe if it were possible woulde blush for shame to see it It is thus Whatsoeuer the worde of God commandeth to bee vsed of the Church that same is of the essence of the Church But the woord commandeth the discipline to bee vsed of the Church Therefore is the discipline of the essence of the Church If this bee the good reasoning let vs see whither it will bring vs. Whatsoeuer the word of God cōmandeth to be vsed of the Church the same is of the essence of the Church But the word commandeth good works to bee vsed of the Church Therfore good works are of the essence of the Church Likewise Whatsoeuer the word of God commandeth faith to bring forth the same is of the essence of faith But the word of God commaundeth that faith bring forth good workes Therfore good works are all of the essence of faith And thus it will come to passe that euery commaundement being made of the essence of a Church and of a particular Christian as a member euery transgression likewise shall ouerthrowe the Church and the state of a Christian His
rule in the Church with disauowing their suspendings and callinges of ministers Nay surely sayth hee the least in the kingdome of God shall bee able by the woorde of God in their mouth is to plucke vp and roote out such plants if none other will ioyne with them I meane they shall pronounce them by the worde of God to be abhominable and haue no fellowshippe with them in the Church and so to them they are vtterly plucked out of the Church For they are kings and priests vnder Christ to execute the Lords gouernement against such and therefore ought not to loose their right which is euen their heritage and glâ—rie Now weigh these places with his proposition as I haue put it downe in these wordes Any one of a Church may excommunicate if the rest will not ioine with him The antecedent part hee giueth in these cleare tearmes Euerie Christian is a King and Priest to rule c. and The least in the kingdome of God shall bee able c. if none other will ioyne with them The consequent is prooued in that euery such are abled to execute the Lords gouernment against the wicked Of which gouernement excommunication is a part as himselfe in his diuisions declareth number 48. Nowe in his defence hee hath but one place of speciall harbour and that same also will fall about his eares if it be touched For where he hath those words Yet we say not that euerie one of a Church may excommunicate for we ought to tell the Church c. Immediately foloweth But what if the rest of the Church will not ioyne with vs therein Surely then as we prooued before wee must set our selues agaynst them all we must not be afrayde of their faces as the Lord commaundeth least he destroy vs before them Nowe wherein seemeth this setting of our faces agaynst them to be but according to the nature and original of that obiection in our sole separation of the vnworthie As though hee should say If they will not doe it then we must doe it and so his deniall of the same before to be expounded to holde till time that wee haue laboured in vaine for the Churches consent But when I vnderstood him so I perceiue I did him too much fauour For he will haue it vnderstoode not of separating some one member but of separating the whole Congregation from the Church of God For he sayth We must set our selues agaynst them all by rebuke denouncing iudgement and forsaking felowship In the practise whereof it followeth that either wee our selues forsake a Church of Christ which he denieth in another place or else doe separate the same congregation from the Church of Christ In all which it may truely bee attributed to him in a plaine sense that was ascribed to Ieremie in a mysticall sense namely to bee a fitte man to plucke vp and roote out destroy and throwe downe euen kingdomes and nations according as in those onely wordes he vrgeth the place of Ieremie in his answere to Master Cartwright pag. 26. To that which is from the 60. to the 67. 5 The Admonition chargeth him with this conclusion that one default of a congregation in separating the vnworthy may disanull it for being a Church I neede not goe farre for proofe of this if the handling of the last point be remembred For if one may cast off a whole congregation when hee cannot obtaine their voyces to the separating of some offendour and hee will not say that a man may cast off a congregation of Christ it is manifest hee holdeth that one default of separating the vnwoorthie disanulleth a Church His answere hath not the strength of a rushe in it His owne woordes are If any one such open and manifest offence as is open murther idolatrie adulterie bee founde amongst anie and they are become so negligent or wilfull or are brought into such spirituall bondage that they will not or can not cure such offendours but that offences remaine and reigne still among them incurable Then the couenant is broken with them all And this is but to feede his disciples with winde For hee will againe at his pleasure interprete this negligence wilfulnesse and bondage to bee whensoeuer a Congregation consenteth not to the motion of separating the vnworthie as besides the places alreadie cited these may further testifiie In the 18. pag. agaynst Maister Cartwright hee sayeth Those that holde the couenant to day may breake it to morrowe This is but a short time to prooue either bondage wilfulnesse or negligence Againe hee sayeth Any grosse wickednesse committed by all is the breaking of the couenant by all Nowe hee will interprete it grosse wickednesse when anie Congregation consenteth not to the motion of one or some fewe for the casting out of any wicked one Let these woordes bee witnesse And is not this a message from Christ when one or a fewe persons doe iustly rebuke a Congregation for ouerthrowing the Lordes discipline and treading his scepter vnder foote And is not his scepter cast downe and his kingdome polluted when hee which is manifestly knowne and prooued to deserue separation cannot bee cast out This one defaulte of separating the vnwoorthie hee accounteth the treading vnder foote of the scepter of Christ yea compareth it in the same place to bee equall with Apostacie therefore grosse wickednesse and therefore also by his doctrine of force to disanull a Church Wherevpon it followeth as the Admonition truely inferreth that seeing Saint Paule calleth the Corinthian Church a Church of God notwithstanding their grossest kinde of negligence and vile continuance in securitie touching the separating of the incestuous person either Saint Paule was to bee blamed for so dooing or else Browne is a daungerous schismatike in teaching such doctrine contrarie to him The mystes which hee casteth before his disciples eyes to extenuate this sinne of the Corinthians are scattered and brought to nought in my second answere to the question of communicating What hee can make of this worde incurable or any other tearmes of vauntage hee can deuise the rest of his writings here cited being considered let the godly reader iudge The manifolde conclusions of heresies which hee woulde make the reader beleeue to bee in my assertion declare but the full swarme that lurketh in his waspish breast My answere is either they are no heresies or none of mine To that which is from the 67. to the 72. 6 It maye plaine ynough appeare to the wise reader that the Admonition taketh such a course in setting downe the sixe corrupt opinions of Browne as that the former for the most part openeth the way and giueth light to that which followeth So here considering what hath bene proued in the last point afore going to witte that one breach of dutie in the practise of gouernement breaketh the couenant and disanulleth a Church it followeth hereof necessarily that he iudgeth the couenant betwixt God and his Church to
the state of being in Christ by the same also doth another and consequently many together euen till you haue reckoned the whole number of the Church militant Now for the kingly authoritie and gouernement of Christ sith no corner of the world no not the vttermost borders of his enemies are without it how can his Church whereof himselfe is the head be imagined to be without it And yet it followeth not because the Church nor no action therein cannot be exempted from hys rule and gouernment that therefore hys rule authoritie or gouernment should be of the essence thereof I haue shewed before that though proper accidents be perpetually in theyr subiects yet are they not of theyr essence And heere I say furthermore that if Christes power and authoritye be of the essence of all assemblyes whych are subiect vnto it then is it of the essence of Popish and Heathenish Synagogues for hys throne is also pight in the middest of hys enemies Agayne if it followe that where Christes gouernment and authoritie is not made thus essentiall there it may be concluded Christ is not made essentiall it followeth equally on the contrarie that where hys authoritye is so made essentiall there he is graunted to be essentiall also and then seeing Browne will haue it to be of the essence of the assemblyes where it is admitted he most vnwarely maketh Christ of the essence of Popish and Heathenish companyes as I sayd before for as much as they are all vnder hys kingly authoritye and gouernment and as well sitteth he to direct the course of hys enemies in all poynts of theyr rage and malice to theyr owne destruction as hys elect in the waye of righteousnesse to theyr saluation euen so the Scriptures in all places and namely the last quotations do apparantly testifye By thys that is sayd I hope it is cleerely proued that Ma. C. vpon good groundes hath delyuered that Christ is the head or foundation and the assemblyes or particular Churches are vnited vnto or builded vpon hym by faith and that nothing besides faith in the Sonne of God is necessarye to the very being of a Church Also hauing found the essence of a Church it followeth that all thyngs else attributed therevnto and namely Christes gouernment as occupyed in that subiect are referred by the learned to the place of accidents and so was it well ynough gathered by Browne him selfe saue that where he interpreteth the word accident by the word hang by he rather poynteth at the desert of an Heretick then noteth out the nature of such an accident Thus much to hys proposition His assumption beguileth with a grosser kinde of sophisme as from the denyall of any thyng in part to conclude the denyall of the same thing in the whole For vpon the denyall of discipline followeth not the denyall of all Christes power authoritye and gouernment except Christ haue no further authoritye and gouernment then is to be executed by the Elderships of Churches But I haue proued before that Christes gouernment is absolute ouer both freends and enemies professours and not professours of his name And heere further concerning his Church I say the administration of hys gouernment is twofold proper and communicated By hys proper gouernment I meane that which he hath reserued onely to himselfe as not being limitted or shut vp within any boundes of lawes or orders reuealed vnto the creature but is executed according to his infinite wisedome by the secret hand of his diuine power and that both extraordinarily and ordinarily and both wayes to the calling and fauing of his elect which are the true beleeuers and to the hardening and condemning of the reprobate which are the counterfeite Christians The extraordinary wayes are seene in hys immediat iudgements to the confounding of the wicked and succouring the godly The ordinarie by making the word of exhortation and reprofe and euery thing of ordinary edifying the sauour of life vnto life to those that are saued and the sauour of death vnto death to those that are damned Hence flowe calling comfort reioysing and growing vp to perfection to the former but reiecting horror continuall hardening and finall perdition to the latter His communicated gouernment is that which being limitted within the compasse of certayne Lawes and Cannons of hys holy word he hath committed to be outwardly executed by the hand of the members of particular Churches accordingly This consisteth in their outward vsing the Word Sacraments c. and in their politicall guiding concerning both the manners and necessities of all and euery of them This latter part onely of the communicated gouernment which is the politicall guiding of the Church is that same discipline which generally all Ecclesiasticall Writers speake of and which is now with vs in question whether it be of the essence of a Church Let therefore the godly Reader consider what an odious iangler Browne is who vpon any denyall of the last and most inferiour though yet no base but a worthy part of Christes gouernment in his Church concludeth a denyall of all and euery whit of his power authoritie and gouernment therein And therefore where the Reader findeth in Brownes writings Discipline and Christes gouernment matched together as though they were synonymies that is dyuers wordes but of one signification there let hym smell thys hys Sophistry and reiect the lewd seducer so offering it And though he pretend the place to the Corinths to approue hys phrase saying Paule calleth this Discipline the power of our Lord Iesus Christ beleeue hym not For the Apostle speaketh not there of Christes power as it is taken for hys authoritye and office of gouernment but for hys diuine might strength and efficacious power by which he is with hys Church to the end of the world and promised to be in the middest of two or three that should be so gathered together in hys name Heerevpon Paule doth not call as he sayeth Discipline the power of Christ but encourageth the Corinthians to minister the discipline of Excommunication vppon the incestuous person arming them therevnto with the mighty presence of Christ by which it should bee made effectuall This double vse of the word power I preuented before And nowe let Browne knowe that whereas by alleadging the Scriptures he shifteth I may say coggeth in a diuers sense the pitfall of Homonymie which he prepared for his reader is discouered and so become a snare vnto himselfe Next from two or three places that set forth the efficacie of the worde by magnificent and worthy titles as 1. Corinth 4.20 The kingdome of God is not in worde but in power Psalm 110.2 The Lorde shall sende the rodde of his power out of Syon And 1. Corinthians 10.4 The weapons of our warre-fare are mightie through God from these places I say he concludeth thus So then if the power of the woorde to binde and loose to remitte or retaine