was schisme it selfe and the hatefull thirst of Lording in the Church that first bestow'd a being upon Pâ— elaty this was the true cause but the pretence is stil the same The Prelates as they would have it thought are the only mawls of schisme Forsooth if they be put downe a deluge of innumerable sects will follow we shall be all Brownists Familists Anabaptists For the word Pâ— ritan seemes to be quasht and all that heretofore were counted such are now Brownists And thus doe they raise an evill report upon the expected reforming grace that God hath biâ— us hope for like those faithlesse spieâ— whose carcasses shall perish in the wildernesse of their owne confused ignorance and never taste the good of reformation Doe they keep away schisme if to bring a num and chil stupidity of soul an unactive blindnesse of minde upon the people by theiâ— leaden doctrine or no doctrine at all if to persecute all knowing and zealous Christians by the violence of their courts be to keep away schisme they keep away schisme indeed and by this kind of discipline all Italy and Spaine is as pâ— ely and politickly kept from schisme as England hath beene by them With as good a plea might the dead palâ— boast to a man tiâ— I that free you from stitches and paines and the troublesome feeling of cold heat of wounds and strokes if I were gone all these would molest you The Winter might as well vaunt it selfe against the Spring I destroy all noysome and rank weeds I keepe downe all pestilent vapours Yes and all wholesome herbs and all fresh dews by your violent hid â— bound frost but when the gentle west winds shall open the fruitfull bosome of the earth thus over-girdâ— d by your imprisonment then the flowers put forth and spring and then the Sâ— ne shall scatter the mists and the maâ—ing hand of the Tiller shall rooâ— up all that burdens the soile without thank to your bondage But farre worse then any frozen captivity is the bondage of Pâ— elates for that other if it keep down any thing which is good within the earth so doth it likewise that which is ill but these let out freely the ill and keep down the good or else keepe downe the lessâ— r ill and let out the greatest Be asham'd at last to tell the Parlament ye curbe Schismaticks when as they know ye cherish and side with Papists and are now as it were one party with them and t is said they helpe to petition for ye Can we believe that your government strains in good earnest at the petty gâ— at s of schisme when as we see it makes nothing to swallow the Camel heresie of Rome but that indeed your throatâ— are of the righâ— Pharisaical straine Where are those schismaticks with whom the Prelats hold such hot skirmish shew us your acts those glorious annals which your Courts of loathed memory lately deceas'd have left us those schismaticks I doubt me wil be found the most of them such aâ— whose only schisme was to have spoke the truth against your high abominations and cruelties in the Church this is the schisme ye hate most the removall of your criminous Hierarchy A politick government of yours and of a pleasant conceit set up to remove those as a pretended schisme that would remove you as a palpable heresie in government If the schisme would pardon ye that she might go jagg'd in as many cuts and â— lashes as she pleas'd for you As for the rending of the Church we have many reasons to thinke it is not that which ye labour to prevent so much as the rending of your pontificall sleeves that schisme would be the sorest schisme to you that would be Brownisme and Anâ—baptisme indeed If we go downe say you as if Adrians wall were broke a flood of sects will rush in What sects What are their opinions give us the Inventory it will appeare both by your former prosecutions and your present instances that they are only such to speake of as are offended with your lawlesse government your ceremonies your Liturgy an extract of the Masse book translated But that they should be contemners of publick prayer and Churches us'd without superstition I trust God will manifest it ere long to be as false a slâ— nder as your former slanders against the Scots Noise it till ye be hoarse that a rabble of Sects will come in it will be answer'd ye no rabble sir Priest but a unanimous multitude of good Protestants will then joyne to the Church which now because of you stand separated This will be the dreadfull consequence of your removall As for those terrible names of Sectaries and Schismaticks which ye have got together we know your manner of fight when the quiver of your arguments which it ever thin and weakly stor'd after the first brunt is quite empty your course is to be take ye to your other quiver of slander wherein lyes your best archery And whom ye could not move by sophisticall arguing them you thinke to confute by scandalous misnaming Thereby inciting the blinder sort of people to mislike and deride sound doctrine and good christianity under two or three vile â— nd hatefull terms But if we could easily indure and dissolve your doubtiest reasons in argument we shall more easily beare the worst of your unreasonablenesse in calumny and false report Especially being foretold by Christ that if he our Master were by your predecessors call'd Samaritan and Belzebub we must not think it strange if his best Disciples in the reformation as at first by those of your tribe they were call'd Lollards and Hussites so now by you be term'd Puritans and Brownists But my hope is that the people of England will not suffer themselves to be juggl'd thus out of their faith and religion by a mist of names cast before their eyes but will search wisely by the Scriptures and look quite through this fraudulent aspersion of a disgracefull name into the things themselves knowing that the Primitive Christians in their times were accounted such as are now call'd Familists and Adamites or worse And many on the Prelatickside like the Church of Sardis have a name to live and yet are dead to be Protestants and are indeed Papists in most of their principles Thuâ— perswaded this your old fallacy wee shall soone unmask and quickly apprehend how you prevent schisme and who are your schismatickâ— But what if ye prevent and hinder all good means of preventing schisme that way which the Apostles us'd was to call a councell from which by any thing that can be learnt from the fifteenth of the Acts no faithfull Christian was debarr'd to whom knowledge and piety might give entrance Of such a councell as this every parochiall Consistory is a right homogeneous and constituting part being in it selfe as it were a little Synod and towards a generall assembly moving upon her own basis in an even and firme progression as
This is all we get by demurring in Gods service T is not rebellion that ought to be the hindrance of reformation but it is the want of this which is the cause of that The Prelats which boast themselves the only bridleâ— of schisme God knows have been so cold and backward both there and with us to represse heresie and idolatry that either through their carelessenesse or their craft all this mischiefe is befalâ— What can the Irish subject do lesse in Gods just displeasure against us then revenge upon English bodies the little care that our Prelate have had of their souls Nor hath their negligence been new in that Iland but ever notorious in Queen Elizabeths dayes as Camden their known friend forbears not to complain Yet so little are they touchâ— with remorce of these their cruelties for these cruelties are theirs the bloody revenge of those souls which they have famisht that whâ— s against our brethren the Scotâ— who by their upright and loyall and loyall deedâ— have now bought themselves aâ— honourable name to posterity whatsoever malice by slander could invent ragâ— iâ— hostility attempt they greedily attempted toward these murdâ— ous Irish the enemies of God and mankind a cursed off-spring of their own connivence no man takes notice but that they seeme to be very calmely and indifferently affected Where then should we begin to extinguish a rebellion that hath his cause from the misgovernment of the Church where but at the Churches reformation and the removall of that government which peâ— sues and warâ— es with all good Christians under the name of schismaticks but maintains and fosters all Papists and Idolaters 〈◊〉 tolerable Christians And if the sacred Bible may be our light we are neither without example nor the witnesse of God himselfe that the corrupted estate of the Church is both the cause of tumult and civill warres and that to stint them the peace of the Church must first be sâ—l'd Now for a long season saith Azariah to King Asa Israel hath 〈◊〉 without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without law and in those times there was no peace to him that went out â— or to hiâ— that came in but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries And nation was destroy'd of nation and City of City fâ— God did vex them with all adversity Be ye strong therefore saith he to the reformers of that age and let not your hands be weake for your worke shall bee rewarded And in those Prophets that liv'd in the times of reformation after the Captivity often doth God stirre up the people to consider that while establishment of Church matters was neglected and put off there was no peace to him that went out or came in for I saith God had set all men every one against his neigbour But from the very day forward that they went seriously and effectually about the welfare of the Church he tels them that they themselves might perceave the sudden change of things into a prosperous and peacefull condition But it will here be said that the reformation is a long work and the miseries of Ireland are urgent of a speedy redresse They be indeed and how speedy we are the poore afflicted remnant of our martyr'd countrymen that sit there on the Sea-shore counting the houres of our delay with their sighs and the minuts with their falling teares perhaps with the destilling of their bloody wounds if they have not quite by this time cast off and almost curst the vain hope of our founder'd ships and aids can best judge how speedy we are to their reliefe But let their succors be hasted as all need and reason is and let not therefore the reformation which is the chiefest cause of successe and victory be still procrastinated They of the captivity in their greatest extremities could find both counsell and hands anough at once to build and to expect the enemies assault And we for our parts a populous and mighty nation must needs be faln into a strange plight either of effeminacy or confusion if Ireland that was once the conquest of one single Earle with his privat forces and the small assistance of a petty Kernish Prince should now take up all the wisdome and prowesse of this potent Monarchy to quell a barbarous crew of râ— bels whom if we take but the right course to subdue that is beginning at the reformation of our Church their own horrid murders and rapes will so fight against them that the very sutlerâ— and horse boyes of the Campe will be able to rout and chase them without the staining of any Noble sword To proceed by other method in this enterprize be our Captains and Commanders never so expert will be as great an error in the art oâ— warre as any novice in souldiership ever committed And thus I leave it as a declared truth that neither the feare of sects no nor rebellion can be a fit plea to stay reformation but rather to push it forward with all possible diligence and speed The second Book HOw happy were it for this frail and as it may be truly call'd mortall life of man since all earthly things which have the name of good and convenient in our daily use are withall so cumbersome and full of trouble if knowledge yet which is the best and lightsomest possession of the mind were as the common saying is no burden and that what it wanted of being a load to any part of the body it did not with a heavie advantage overlay upon the spirit For not to speak of that knowledge that rests in the contemplation of naturall causes and dimensions which must needs be a lower wisdom as the object is low certain it is that he who hath obtain'd in more then the scantest measure to know any thing distinctly of God and of his true worship and what is infallibly good and happy in the state of mans life what in it selfe evil and miserable though vulgarly not so esteem'd he that hath obtain'd to know this the only high valuable wisdom indeed remembring also that God even to a strictnesse requires the improvment of these his entrusted gifts cannot but sustain a soreâ— burden of mind and more pressing then any supportable toil or waight which the body can labour under how and in what manner he shall dispose and employ those summes of knowledge and illumination which God hath sent him into this world to trade with And that which aggravats the burden more is that having receiv'd amongst his allotted parcels certain pretious truths of such an orient lustre as no Diamond can equall which never the lesse he has in charge to put off at any cheap rate yea for nothing to them that will the great Marchants of this world searing that this cours would soon discover and disgrace the fals glitter of their deceitfull wares wherewith they abuse the people like poor Indians with beads and glasses practize by all
severall Pulpits of the City and assembling all the diseased in every pariâ— should begin a learned Lecture of Pleurisies Palsies Lethargies to which perhaps none there present were inclin'd and so without so much as feeling one puls or giving the least order to any skilfull Apothecary should dismisse 'em from time to time some groaning some languishing some expiring with this only charge to look well to themselves and do as they heare Of what excellence and necessity then Church-discipline is how beyond the faculty of man to frame and how dangerous to be left to mans invention who would be every foot turning it to sinister ends how properly also it is the worke of God as father and of Christ as Husband of the Church we have by thus much heard CHAP. II. That Church governement is set downe in holy Scripture and that to say otherwise is untrue AS therefore it is unsound to say that God hath not appointed any set government in his Church so is it untrue Of the time of the Law there can be no doubt for to let passe the first institution of Priests and Levites which is too cleare to be insisted upon when the Temple came to be built which in plaine judgement could breed no essentiall change either in religion or in the Priestly government yet God to shew how little he could endure that men should be tampring and contriving in his worship though in things of lesse regard gave to David for Solomon not only a pattern and modell of the Temple but a direction for the courses of the Priests and Levites and for all the worke of their service At the returne from the Captivity things were only restor'd after the ordinance of Moses and David or if the least alteration be to be found they had with them inspired men Prophets and it were not sober to say they did ought of moment without divine intimation In the Prophesie of Ez-kiel from the 40 Chapt. onward after the destruction of the Temple God by his Prophet seeking to weane the hearts of the Jewes from their old law to expect a new and more perfect reformation under Christ sets out before their eyes the stately fabrick constitution of his Church with al the ecclesiasticall functions appertaining indeed the description is as sorted best to the apprehension of those times typicall and shadowie but in such manner as never yet came to passe nor never must literally unlesse we mean to annihilat the Gospel But so exquisit and lively the description is in portraying the new state of the Church and especially in those points where government seemes to be most active that both Jewes and Gentiles might have good cause to be assur'd that God when ever he meant to reforme his Church never intended to leave the governement thereof delineated here in such curious architecture to be patch't afterwards and varnish't over with the devices and imbellishings of mans imagination Did God take such delight in measuring out the pillars arches and doores of a materiall Temple was he so punctuall and circumspect in lavers altars and sacrifices soone after to be abrogated left any of these should have beene made contrary to his minde is not a farre more perfect worke more agreeable to his perfection in the most perfect state of the Church militant the new alliance of God to man should not he rather now by his owne prescribed discipline have cast his line and levell upon the soule of man which is his rationall temple and by the divine square and compasse thereof forme and regenerate in us the lovely shapes of vertues and graces the sooner to edifie and accomplish that immortall stature of Christs body which is his Church in all her glorious lineaments and proportions And that this indeed God hath done for us in the Gospel 〈◊〉 shall see with open eyes not under a vaile We may passe over the history of the Acts and other places turning only to those Epistleâ— of S. Paul to Timothy and Titus where the spirituall eye may discerne more goodly and gracefully erected then all the magnificeâ— ce of Temple or Tabernacle such a heavenly structure of evangelâ— ck discipline so diffusive of knowledge and charity to the prosperous increase and growth of the Church that it cannot be wonder'd if that elegant and artfull symmetry of the promised new temple in Ezechiel and all those sumptuous things under the Law were made to signifie the inward beauty and splendor of the Christian Church thus govern'd And whether this be commanded let it now be jâ— dg'd S. Paul after his preface to the first of Timothy which hee concludes in the 17 Verse with Amen enters upon the subject of his Epistle which is to establish the Church-government with a command This charge I commit to thee son Timothy according to the prophecies which went before on thee that thou by them might'st war a good warfare Which is plain enough thus expounded This charge I commit to thee wherein I now go about to instruct thee how thou shalt set up Church-discipline that thou might'st warre a good warfare bearing thy selfe constantly and faithfully in the Ministery which in the I to the Corinthians is also call'd a warfare and so after a kinde of Parenthesis concerning Hymenaeus he returnes to his command though under the milde word of exhorting Cap. 2. v. 1. I exhort therefore As if he had interrupted his former command by the occasionall mention of Hymeneus More beneath in the 14 V. of the 3 C. when he hath deliver'd the duties of Bishops or Presbyters and Deacons not once naming any other order in the Church he thus addes These things write I unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly such necessity it seems there was but if I tarry long that thou maâ—'st know how thou ought'st to behave thy sâ— lfe in the house of God From this place it may be justly ask'â— whether Timothy by this here written might know what was to be knowne concerning the orders of Church-governours or no If he might then in such a cleere tâ— xt as this may we know too without further jâ— ngle if he might not then did S. Paul write insufficiently and moreover said not true for he saith here he might know and I perswade my selfe he did know ere this was written but that the Apostle had more regard to the instruction of us then to the informing of him In the fifth Chap. after some other Church precepts concerning discipline mark what a dreadfull command followes Verse 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things and as if all were not yet sure anough â— e closes up the Epistle with an adjâ— ring charge thus I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Jesus that thou keepe this commandement that is the whole commandement concerning discipline being them ine purpose of the Epistle
means how they may suppresse the venting of such rarities and such a cheapnes as would undoe them and turn their trash upon their hands Therefore by gratifying the corrupt desiâ— of men in fleshly doctrines they stirre them up to persecute with hatred and contempt all those that seek to bear themselves uprightly in this their spiritual factory which they forseeing though they cannot but testify of Trâ— th and the excellence of tâ— at heavenly traffick which they bring against what opposition or danger soever yet needs must it sit heavily upon their spirits that being in Gods prime intention and their own selected heralds of peace and dispensers of treasures inestimable without price to them that have no pence they finde in the discharge of their commission that they are made the greatest variance and offence a very sword and fire both in house and City over the whole earth This is that which the sad Prophet Ieremiah laments Wo is me my mother that thou hast born me a man of strife and contention And although divine inspiration must certainly have been sweet to those ancient profets yet the irksomnesse of that truth which they brought was so unpleasant to them that every where they call it a burden Yea that mysterious book of Revelation which the great Evangelist was bid to eat as it had been some eye-brightning electuary of knowledge and foresight though it were sweet in his mouth and in the learning it was bitter in his belly bitter in the denouncing Nor was this hid from the wise Poet Sophocles who in that place of his Tragedy where Tirefias is call'd to resolve K. Edipus in a matter which he knew would be grievous brings him in bemoaning his lot that he knew more then other men For surely to every good and peaceable man it must in nature needs be a hatefull thing to be the displeaser and molester of thousands much better would it like him doubtlesse to be the messenger of gladnes and contentment which is his chief intended busines to all mankind but that they resist and oppose their own true happinesse But when God commands to take the trumpet and blow a dolorous or a jarring blast it lies not in mans will what he shall say or what he shall conceal If he shall think to be silent as Ieremiah did because of the reproach and derision he met with daily and all his familiar friends watcht for his halting to be reveng'd on him for speaking the truth he would be forc'â— to confesse as he confest his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones I was weary with forbearing and could not stay Which might teach these times not suddenly to condemn all things that are sharply spoken or vehemently written as proceeding out of stomach virulence and ill nature but to consider rather that if the Prelats have leav to say the worst that can be said and doe the worst that can be don while they strive to keep to themselves to their great pleasure and commodity those things which they ought to render up no man can be justly offended with him that shall endeavour to impart and bestow without any gain to himselfe those sharp but saving words which would be a terror and a torment in him to keep back For me I have determin'd to lay up as the best treasure and solace of a good old age if God voutsafe it me the honest liberty of free speech from my youth where I shall think it available in so dear a concernment as the Churches good For if I be either by disposition or what other cause too inquisitive or suspitious of my self and mine own doings who can help it but this I foresee that should the Church be brought under heavy oppression and God have given me ability the while to reason against that man that should be the author of so foul a deed or should she by blessing from above on the industry and courage of faithfull men change this her distracted estate into better daies without the lest furtherance or contribution of those few talents which God at that present had lent me I foresee what stories I should heare within my selfe all my life after of discourage and reproach Timorous and ingratefull the Church of God is now again at the foot of her insulting enemies and thou bewailst what matters it for thee or thy bewailing when time was thou couldst not find a syllable of all that thou hadst read or studied to utter in her behalfe Yet ease and leasure was given thee for thy retired thoughts out of the sweat of other men Thou hadst the diligence the parts the language of a man if a vain subject were to be adorn'd or beautifi'd but when the cause of God and his Church was to be pleaded for which purpose that tongue was given thee which thou hast God listen'd if he could heare thy voice among his zealous servants but thou wert domb as a beast from hence forward be that which thine own brutish silence hath made thee Or else I should have heard on the other care slothfull and ever to be set light by the Church hath now overcom her late distresses after the unwearied labours of many her true servants that stood up in her defence thou also wouldst take upon thee to share amongst them of their joy but wherefore thoâ— where canst thou shew any word or deed of thine which might have haâ— ten'd her peace whatever thou dost now talke or write or look is the almes of other meâ— active prudence and zeale Dare not now to say or doe any thing better then thy former sloth and infancy or if thou darst thou dost impudently to make a thrifty purchase of boldnesse to thy selfe out of the painfull merits of other men what before was thy sin is now thy duty to be abject and worthlesse These and such like lessons as these I know would have been my Matins duly â— nd my Even-song But now by this litle diligence mark what a privilege I have gain'd with good men and Saints to clame my right of lamenting the tribulations of the Church if she should suffer when others that have ventur'd nothing for her sake have not the honour to be admitted mourners But if she lift up her drooping head and prosper among those that have something more then wisht her welfare I have my charter and freehold of rejoycing to me and my heires Concerning therefore this wayward subject against prelaty the touching whereof is so distastfull and disquietous to a number of men as by what hath been said I may deserve of charitable readers to be credited that neither envy nor gall hath enteâ— d me upon this controversy but the enforcement of conscience only and a preventive fear least the omitting of this duty should be against me when I would store up to my self the good provision of peacefull hours So lest it should be still imputed to me as I have found iâ— hath
point of Christianity and will stirre him up to walk worthy the honourable and grave imployment wherewith God and the Church hath dignifi'd him not fearing left he should meet with some outward holy thing in religion which his lay touch or presence might profane but lest something unholy from within his own heart should dishonour and profane in himselfe that Priestly unction and Clergy-right whereto Christ hath entitl'd him Then would the congregation of the Lord soone recover the true likenesse and visage of what she is indeed a holy generation a royall Priesthood a Saintly communion the houshold and City of God And this I hold to be another considerable reason why the functions of Church-government ought to be free and open to any Christian man though never so laick if his capacity his faith and prudent demeanour commend him And this the Apostles warrant us to do But the Prelats object that this will bring profanenesse into the Church to whom may be reply'd that none have brought that in more then their own irreligious courses nor more 〈◊〉 holinesse out of living into livelesse things For whereas God who hath cleans'd every beast and creeping worme would not suffer S. Peter to call them common or unclean the Prelat Bishops in their printed orders hung up in Churches have proclaim'd the best of creatures mankind so unpurifi'd and contagious that for him to lay his hat or his garment upon the Chancell table they have defin'd it no lesse hainous in expresse words then to profane the Table of the Lord And thus have they by their Canaanitish doctrine for that which was to the Jew but jewish is to the Christian no better then Canaanitish thus have they made common and unclean thus have they made profane that nature which God hath not only cleans'd but Christ also hath assum'd And now that the equity and just reason is so perspicuous why in Ecclesiasicâ— censure the assistance should be added of such 〈◊〉 whom not the vile odour of gaine and fees forbid it God and blow it with a whirleâ— out of our land but charity neighbourhood and duty to Church-government hath call'd together where could a wiseman wish a more equall gratuitous and meek examination of 〈◊〉 offence that he might happen to commit against Christianity 〈◊〉 here would he preferre those proud simoniacall Courts 〈◊〉 therefore the Minister assisted attends his heavenly and spirituall cure Where we shall see him both in the course of his proceeding and first in the excellence of his end from the magistrate farre different and not more different then excelling His end is to recover all that is of man both soul and body to an everlasting health and yet as for worldly happinesse which is the proper sphere wherein the magistrate cannot but confine his motion without a hideous exorbitancy from law so little aims the Minister as his intended scope to procure the much prosperity of this life that oft-times he may have cause to wish much of it away aâ— a diet puffing up the soul with a slimy fleshinesse and weakning her principall organick parts Two heads of evill he has to cope with ignorance and malice Against the former he provides the daily Manna of incorruptible doctrine not at those set meales only in publick but as oft as he shall know that each infirmity or constitution requires Against the latter with all the branches thereof not medling with that restraining and styptick surgery which tho law uses not indeed against the malady but against the eruptions and outermost effects thereof He on the contrary beginning at the prime causes and rooâ— of the disease sends in those two divine ingredients of most cleansing power to the soul Admonition Reproof besides which two there is no drug or antidote that can reach to purge the mind and without which all other experiments are but vain unlesse by â—dent And he that will not let these passe into him though he be the greatest King as Plato affirms must be thought to remaine impure within and unknowing of those things wherein his purenesse and his knowledge should most appear As soon therefore as it may be discern'd that the Christian patient by feeding 〈◊〉 here on meats not allowable but of evill juice hath disorder'd his diet and spread an ill humour through his 〈◊〉 immediatly disposing to a sicknesse the minister as being much neerer both in eye and duty then the magistrats speeds him betimes to overtake that diffus'd malignance with some gentle potion of admonishment or if ought be obstructed puts in his opening and disenssive conâ— This not succeeding after once or twice or oftner in the 〈◊〉 of two or three his faithfull brethren appointed thereto be advisâ— him to be more carefull of his dearest health and what it is that he so rashly hath let down in to the divine vessel of his soul Gods temple If this obtaine not he then with the counsell of more assistants who are inform'd of what diligence hath been already us'd with more speedy remedies layes neerer siege to the entrenched causes of his distemper not sparing such servent and well aim'd reproofs as may best give him to see the dangerous estate wherein he is To this also his brethren and friends intreat exhort adjure and all these endeavours as there is hope left are more or lesse repeated But if neither the regard of himselfe nor the reverence of his Elders and friends prevaile with him to leave his vitious appetite then as the time urges such engines of terror God hath given into the hand of his minister as to search the tenderest angles of the heart one while he shakes his stubbornnesse with racking convulsions nigh dispaire other whiles with deadly corrosives he gripes the very roots of his faulty liver to bring him to life through the entry of death Hereto the whole Church beseech him beg of him deplore him pray for him After all this perform'd with what patience and attendance is possible and no relenting on his part having done the utmost of their cure in the name of God and of the Church they dissolve their fellowship with him and holding forth the dreadfull sponge of excommunion pronounce him wip't out of the list of Gods inheritance and in the custody of Satan till he repent Which horrid sentence though it touch neither life nor limme nor any worldly possession yet has it such a penetrating force that swifter then any chimicall sulphur or that lightning which harms not the skin and rifles the entrals it scorches the inmost soul Yet even this terrible denouncement is left to the Church for no other cause but to be as a rough and vehement cleansing medcin where the malady is obdurat a mortifying to life a kind of saving by undoing And it may be truly said that as the mercies of wicked men are cruelties so the cruelties of the Church are mercies For if repentance sent from heaven meet this lost wanderer and draw
pretences that may be brought in favour of it CHAP. VI That Prelaty was not set up for prevention of Schisme as is pretended or if it were that it performes not whâ— t it was first set up for but quite the contrary YEt because it hath the outside of a specious reason specious things we know are aptest to worke with humane lightnesse and frailty even against the soliâ— est truth that sounds not plausibly let us think it worth the examining for the love of infirmer Christians of what importance this their second reason may be Tradition they say hath taught them that for the prevention of growing schisme the Bishop was heav'd above the Presbyter And must tradition then ever thus to the worlds end be the perpetuall cankerworme to eat out Gods Commandements are his decrees so inconsiderate and so fickle that when the statutes of Solon or Lycurgus shall prove durably good to many ages his in 40 yeares shall be found defective ill contriv'd and for needfull causes to be alter'd Our Saviour and his Apostles did not only foresee but foretell and forewarne us to looke for schisme Is it a thing to be imagin'd of Gods wisdome or at least of Apostolick prudence to set up such a government in the tendernesse of the Church as should incline or not be more able then any other to oppose it selfe to schisme it was well knowne what a bold lurker schisme was even in the houshold of Christ betweene his owne Disciples and those of Iohn the Baptistaboâ— fasting and early in the Acts of the Apostles the noise of schisme had almost drown'd the proclaiming of the Gospell yet we reaâ— e not in Scripture that any thought was had of making Prelates no not in those places where dissention was most rife If Prelaty had beene then esteem'd a remedy against schisme where was it more needfull then in that great variance among the Corinthians which S. Paul so labour'd to reconcile and whose eye could have found the fittest remedy sooner then his and what could have made the remedy more available then to have us'd it speedily and lastly what could have beene more necessary then to have written it for our instruction yet we see he neither commended it to us nor us'd it himselfe For the same division remaining there or else bursting forth againe more then 20 yeares after S. Pauls death wee finde in Clements Epistle of venerable autority written to the yet factious Corinthians that they were still govern'd by Presbyters And the same of other Churches out of Hermas and divers other the scholers of the Apostles by the late industry of the learned Salmatius appeares Neither yet did this worthy Clement S. Pauls disciple though writing to them to lay aside schisme in the least word advise them to change the Presbyteriall government into Prelaty And therefore if God afterward gave or permitted this insurrection of Episcopacy it is to be fear'd he did it in his wrath as he gave the Israelites a King With so good a will doth he use to alter his own chosen government once establish'd For marke whether this rare device of mans braine thus prefeâ— ' d before the ordinance of God had better successe then fleshly wisdome not counseling with God is wont to have So farre was it from removing schisme that if schisme parted the congregations before now it rent and mangl'd now it â— ag'd Heresie begat heresie with a certaine monstrous haste of pregnancy in her birth at once borne and bringing forth Contentions before brotherly were now hostile Men went to choose their Bishop as they went to a pitcht field and the day of his election was like the sacking of a City sometimes ended with the blood of thousands Nor this among hereticks only but men of the same beliefe yea confessors and that with such odious ambition that Eusebius in his eighth book testifies he abhorr'd to write And the reason is not obscure for the poore dignity or rather burden of a â— ochial Presbyter could not ingage any great party nor that to any deadly feud but Prelaty was a power of that extent and sway that if her election were popular it was seldome not the cause of some faction or broil in the Church But if her dignity came by favour of some Prince she was from that time his creature and obnoxious to comply with his ends in state were they right or wrong So that in stead of finding Prelaty an impeacher of Schisme or faction the more I search the more I grow into all perswasion to think rather that faction and she as with a spousall ring are wedded together never to be divorc't But here let every one behold the just and dreadfull judgement of God meeting with the aâ— dacious pride of man that durst offer to mend the ordinances of heaven God out of the strife of men brought forth by his Apostles to the Church that beneficent and ever distributing office of Deacons the stewards and Ministers of holy almes man out of the pretended care of peace unity being caught in the snare of his impious boldnesse to correct the will of Christ brought forth to himselfe upon the Church that irreconcileable schisme of perdition and Apostasy the Roman Antichrist for that the exaltation of the Pope arose out of the reason of Prelaty it cannot be deny'd And as I noted before that the patterne of the High Priest pleaded for in the Gospel for take away the head Priest the rest are but a carcasse sets up with better reason a Pope then an Archbishop for if Prelaty must still rise and rise till it come to a Primat why should it stay there when as the catholick government is not to follow the division of kingdomes the temple best representing the universall Church and the High Priest the universall head so I observe here that if to quiet schisme there must be one head of Prelaty in a land or Monarchy rising from a Provinciall to a nationall Primacy there may upon better grounds of repressing schisme be set up one catholick head over the catholick Church For the peace and good of the Church is not terminated in the schismelesse estate of one or two kingdomes but should be provided for by the joynt consultation of all reformed Christendome that all controversie may end in the finall pronounce or canon of one Arch-primat or Pâ— otestant Pope Although by this meanes for ought I see all the diameters of schisme may as well meet and be knit up in the center of one grand falshood Now let all impartiall men arbitrate what goodly inference these two maine reasons of the Prelats have that by a naturall league of consequence make more for the Pope then for themselâ— Yea to say more home are the very wombe for a new subantichrist to breed in if it be not rather the old force and power of the same man of sin counterfeiting protestant It was not the prevention of schisme but it