the proposition then is true that Jewes and Gentiles make one National Church Hence it is that what God said of the Jew Exod. 19.6 ye shall be to me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation is by Saint Peter affirmed of the Christian Church ye are a chosen generation 1 Pet. 2.9 a royal Priesthood an holy Nation Which when effected our Saviours words were fulfilled other sheep I have which are not of this fold John 10.16 them also I must bring and they shall hear my voice that there may be one fold and one Shepherd Farther yet a prophesie is extant Isa 2.2 Isa 2.2 Mic. 4.1 2 c. Jer. 4.2 Isa 65.1 Zach. 2.11 Zach. 14.9 Psalm 2.8 Psalm 22.27 Matth. 21.43 Rom. 4.17 And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it Let other texts be compared with this which speak the same thing Thus it was foretold and that what was foretold might accordingly be fulfilled our Saviour gave his disciples a Commission in these general words Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost c. Matthew 28.19 And I pray call to minde that when Peter baptized the penitents Acts 2.39 he comforted them with these words for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off even as many as our Lord God shall call And yet after this even Peter himself and the Apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea of this had but a confused notion for when Peter came up to Jerusalem Acts 11. Acts 10. they that were of the Circumcision contended with him about it to whom he was feigne to make his Apology opening to them the vision of the sheet which when they heard these things they glorified God saying then hath God also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life In effect they attested the truth of Peters words Verse 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons looks now no more upon a Jew than he doth upon a sinner of the Gentiles but in every Nation he that feareth him and doth righteousnesse is accepted of him The partition wall being broken down what could they be but one church I can never sufficiently wonder at your words when you call this accesse of all Nations a naughty enlargement What is that which God by Covenant with Abraham promised naught that naught which he foretold should be that naught which Christ gave Commission to his disciples to do that naught which the Disciples did All Nations Isa 2.2 All flesh Isa 66.23 All the kindreds of the earth Psal 22.26 27. A multitude which no man could number of all Nations and kindreds and people Rev. 7.9 are said to be the people of God under the New Testament and yet you will not allow them the name of a National Church But a stronger foundation for this Truth there cannot be than that which Saint Paul hath laid under the similitude of an Olive which had two kinds of branches natural verse 21. and wild 17. Rom. 1â—â— The natural were the Jewes the wild the Gentiles the natural were broken off through unbelief and the wild by faith graffed in These wild now being naturalized are in the same condition that the Natural were before they were broken off But the Natural branches were in the Olive totally the whole Nation they and their children which made the National Church of the Jewes and therefore the wild branches must be so inserted they and their children also which will make the National Church of the Gentiles which is the full scope and intention of the Apostle in that chapter Finally the very same Covenant that was made with Abraham 2 Cor. 6.16 is made with the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.16 I will be their God and they shall be my people As that then was extended to the whole Nation of the Jewes Lev. 26.12 Levit. 26.12 so also is it now to be extended to the whole Nation of the Gentiles so that all those Nations that have had the Gospel preached unto them and answering that Gospel have received the doctrine of Christ submitting to his Ordinances in the profession of his Name are to be reckoned as they were 1 Pet. 2.10 Acts 8.12 13. John 6.66 Acts 11.26 1 Cor. 1.2 1 Cor. 12.13 Matth. 8.11 the people of God 1 Pet. 2.10 Beleevers Acts 8.12 13. Disciples John 6.66 Christians Acts 2. Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 The Church of the Gentiles 1 Cor. 12.13 The Kingdome of Christ Matth. 8.11 Thus have I shewed you that since the whole Church quoad materiale doth consist of Nations there can be no impropriety or absurdity in it when we call any part thereof a National Church or the Church of Beleevers in any one Nation And now let us see what help you can have for the confirmation of this besides Scripture out of the principles of reason 2. We believe in our Creed the Catholique Church and Catholique it is called in respect of all ages and times because before under and after the Law it alwayes was and secondly in respect of persons for there is not any person of what degree sex condition or age that may not be a member of it And thirdly in respect of places in that as formerly the Jewes so now all persons in all Nations have a capacity to be of the Church of Christ Universality then being an attribute of the Church it cannot be found in any one Church limited either in respect of time or place Either then make your Combinational Church the Catholique or you must extend it farther and if so why not to a Province and if to a Province why not to a Nation nay many Nations And be it you should assume the name of Catholique and fasten it to every particular Combinational Church yet particular Societies of Christians can lay no farther claime to it than they can demonstrate themselves to belong to that Church that hath a true and a just title to it which no particular Church can do but by proving that it holds the common faith once delivered to the Saints without heretical innovation Ames lib. 1. c. 31. Sect. 20. or schismatical violation of the Unity and Peace of the Christian world This being the way for particular Churches to demonstrate themselves to be Catholique necessary it is that they be united at least to those Congregations of that Nation whence we may infer that there must needs be a National Church which also that must do and shew clearly that it maintaines whole and undefiled the foundations of faith before it can be acknowledged to be Catholique 2. That which makes men mistake in this point is that they make the Church to be species
whole Gospel In a word the condition required of us is faith hope charity self-denial repentance a careful and industrious husbanding of Gods grace daily prayer for daily encrease and attending diligently to the means of grace To strengthen the faith of Abraham and his seed in the assurance of what was promised and for a memorial of what was to be performed it pleased God to have a seal set in his flesh and in the flesh of his seed for that time which was circumcision To this seal all the males of the Jews had a right and this seal was cut into them yea and as many Proselytes also who were content to become proselytae foederis Proselytes of the Covenant The other whom they call'd the Proselytes of their gates they entred them into the Covenant and bound them to the observation of the seven Commandments of Noah by a kinde of purification by water and the blood of oblation in the same kinde as they admitted their women The Covenant is the self-same under the Gospel that then God made with Abraham on the same conditions of the same extent only it hath another seal theirs was circumcision and ours baptisme the cutting of the flesh gave entrance to them the washing by water gives an entrance and admission to us And about this the question is whether it be to be with-held from the children of any who bear the name of Christians And it is observable how this question fiâ—st grew and what progresse it had At first some good-minded men set it on foot being occasioned by the children of professed Pahists living among them whom they conceived to be Idolatrous and consequently out of Covenant this caused Farel to write to Calvin about it Calvin Ep. 149. whose answer to him is this but not sound Where both the parents are Popish we think it an absurd thing for us to baptize them which are not members of our body and sith Papists children are such we see not how it should be lawful for us to administer Baptisme unto them But sounder by much is that answer of the Ecclesiastical Colledge of Geneva unto Knox who scrupled at the same and grew more rigid and wrote to them that he held it not only unlawful to baptize the children of Idolaters but even Bastards Ep. 283. and excommunicate persons till reconciled to the Church To whom they returned this sentence that wheresoever the profession of Christianity hath not utterly perished and been extinct Ep. 285. infants are beguiled of their right if the common seal be denied them which conclusion as I will by and by prove is sound But I go on for the mistake staid not here for when it came to Mr. Cartwright Anvil he beat it broader for he asserted that none might receive the Sacrament of Baptisme but they whose Parents at least the one of them are by the soundnesse of their Religion and by their vertuous demeanours known to be men of God Hook lib. 5. pag. 155. and by this rule the children of those they called Hereticks Misbelievers and Profane livers also came to be excluded Next the Brownist took it up and conveyed it over to you of the Combinational Church both imparting Baptisme to very few infants Burtons vindication pag. 62. viz. to those alone whose immediate Parents are members of their Congregation Out of you arise the Anabaptists and they peremptorily deny the Baptisme of all infants born to the members of the Combination or to any other till they are able to give an accompt of their faith and enter into a Church Covenant for themselves At last the Shaker comes upon the Stage and gives out of his Cup of trembling a vomit to all Ordinances these are outward Rites Baptisme the Eucharist needlesse seals to any old or young since he and his company are inwardly sealed by the Spirit This was the stratageme of that old Serpent for had he presented this bewitching position to the world at fiâ—st in the last ugly shape it now appears he knew that all men would have with honour heard it therefore he insinuated it and caused it to be taken down by certain gulps steps and degrees that the potion might be swallowed and the poyson not at all perceived Now this errour that I call it no worse in some hath been nourished in that they have not fully weighed the purport of this distinction of the mystical and visible body of Christ This is but one and we usually call it the Church which contains in it two sorts of people either outward Professours or true inward believers These last belong to the mystical body of Christ which therefore is called mystical because the mystery of their conjunction is altogether removed from sense in these their love is sound and sincere and comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned and they no doubt do and shall obtain whatsoever was made over by the second Covenant Those outward professours who either before Christs coming or since his appearing in the flesh have been called by the name of Christians we call the visible body because being Jews or Gentiles they are incorporated into one body have but one Lord whose servants they professe themselves to be have one faith which they all acknowledge one Baptisme by which they are all initiated For although we know the Christian Faith and allow it we are then but entring entred we are not into this visible Church till our admittance by the dore of Baptisme and who they are that enter that way is very well known even to the eye whence we usually call these the visible Church which is not so to be understood as if those of the invisible Church were not visible Christians also For both moleties whether mystical or visible as touching their profession are the object of the eye easie it is for any man to say this man is a Christian that man a Heathen But this distinction ariseth from the sincerity or unsincerity of the professours because we are never able to see and discern who they are that sincerely professe the Truth therefore we call these invisible but because we are easily able to judge of the men who enter by Baptisme therefore the whole is called a visible Church In whomsoever therefore is found the profession of one Lord one Faith one Baptisme those the Church doth acknowledge for her children and all those none of hers in whom they are not found as Jews Turks Heathens c. Others for their external profession are Christians and are of the visible Church of Christ And among these there are some who professe the Truth but not wholly and entirely and these are Hereticks some that professe the whole saving Truth but not in unity and these are Schismaticks some that professe the whole saving Truth in unity but not in sincerity and sanctity and these are hypocrites and profane persons others that professe the whole saving Truth in unity
you the sole wise men were all men blinde till you arose Besides 't is not long since there was an Oath and a Covenant eagerly pressed and then the Covenanters served themselves with these Texts then they sounded in our ears these words of Jeremy Come let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Then the people were terrifyed with the words of Ezekiel I will cause you to passe under the rod and will bring you into the bond of the Covenant Then the Covenant of Moses of Joshua of Asa of Josiah of Nehemiah in a word all places that mentioned a Covenant were pressed and urged to attest the necessity of that Oath What is now Gods Word become a ship-mans hose that it may be worn on either side what Presbyterians and Combinationals justifie their way from the same Texts this cannot be for if it serve one it will not serve the other if it serve to prove a National Covenant as that was it will never prove a Combinational since these two are disparata and admit no reconciliation no more then a National and Combinational Church can be one One of you 't is certain juggle with us and go about to impose upon us and the truth is you do both so as shall appear upon farther examination A custome it was among the Jews when they had revolted from God to Idols solemnly to renew their first Covenant with him and to take him to be their God renouncing all other and to be his people and observe his Laws which gave occasion to all the former practices In Jeremies time for their Idolatry especially the Jews were to be carried into Captivity but the Prophet in this Chapter and the next foretells the ruine of the Babylonians their severe Masters and their return which when it came to passe then saith he they shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward c. It then cannot be denyed but this Text must primarily be understood of the Jews and if ever it were literally fulfilled it was when in Nehemiahs dayes Nehem. 9.38 10.28 29. the Princes Levites Priests made and wrote and sealed the Covenant in which the people engaged wiih them and let me tell you that the Jews in the principal point ever after kept this Covenant and so it may well be called perpetual for after their return from Babel though they were divided into divers Sects to the corruption of sincere Religion and were guilty of many other abominations yet no man can charge them with the worship of strange gods Of the Jews then these words were spoken and in them verifyed and cannot be applyed to the Christian Church any other way but by the way of accommodation For say I shall allow you that the Jewish Church was the type of the Christian then the Christian must be the antitype and what then will you gain by it except the overthrow of your own cause for the antitype must every way resemble the type which in this it will not For this Covenant was voluntary Come say they let us joyne our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant You presse necessity upon mens consciences this explicite Covenant is the essential form of a Combinational Church so that no Covenant no Member of the Church to which Christ hath promised salvation The Covenant in which the Jews engaged was of the whole Nation yours is of a selected people in a Nation They the whole Corporation of them notwithstanding this Covenant continued to be a National Church went up to Jerusalem at their solemn Feasts separated not into private divisions and subdivisions You by your Covenant are enemies to all National Churches make it a distinctive note not of true and sincere worshippers from Idolatours but of those which professe the same faith with you from those of your Congregation that I say not you have as many Covenants as there be factions and fractions among you That every good Christian daily come up closer to his God by joyning in a perpetual Covenant and by renewing his vow made in his Baptisme to renounce to beleeve and obey I exceedingly approve But that this cannot be done except he enter a new Covenant in your Congregation or that he is bound to do it or can be no Member of a visible Church I shall never believe for mark what will follow upon it First there must be a dissolution made of all the reformed Churches of Christendome that there may be way made for this new erection for the Covenant sealed to their Members in Baptisme will not serve the turn till they have a new admission and matriculation by this seal and engagement Then again consider what countenance is hereby given to the whole order of Romane Votaries which to me seem very like to so many Combinational Churches in that every order have their particular statutes to the observation of which they tye all they take into their societies and upon the Vow and Covenant made they are admitted Only that in this they are a little more charitable than you are that they acknowledge such as are out of their fraternities for good Christians and Members of the Catholick Church But you judge those who are not of one or other of your Combinations to be Members of no Church And this is all you have gained by your Text of Jeremy I now come to that of the Prophet Ezekiel 20.37 where we thus read And I will cause you to passe under the rod and I will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant The full scope of this place is at ver 33. a promise made to the Jews that they should be gathered under the Gospel To this end God tells them that I will cause you to passe under the rod which whether it signifies a sharp affliction in which the Jews we know have had their share or else a trial by the rod as a Shepherd doth his flock as was used in decimation I cannot say if thls last then the sense is I will reject the bad and choose the good Jun. in loc Levit. 27.32 and will bring you into the Bond of the Covenant or as Junius reads it in exhibitionem foederis I will impart the Covenant of the Gospel unto you and all the blessings and promises of that Covenant as it is here amplifyed in the 45. ver Now let any man which is not swaid with prejudice judge whether any thing can be picked from hence that can countenance your assertion What is the Covenant that God hath made with his people in the Gospel of no longer extent than the Combinational Church Out of this Covenant I know none can be saved without your Combinational Covenant I know they may or else heaven before you rose would be very empty and the time since you rose being not long you have not sent many thither Monopolize not then thus the mercies of God to your selves and ingrosse not
the primitive Church yet will never grant you that from thence the Church shall be denominated Presbyterial or that if it should vary from thence that therefore it had no more than the Sceleton fashion face of a true Church All these things should have been better cast up before you had been so positive The degeneration then you dream of is grounded upon a false supposition that there was at first such a Presbyterial or Combinational Church that was conjoyn'd in any Church-Covenant beside Baptisme that had the native power of the Keyes c. which you never shall be able to demonstrate The contrary to which Rutherford hath nervously prov'd more particularly in his seventh Chapter of his peaceable and temperate plea to whom I referre you The summe of whose discourse is that there were at Jerusalem Father f. cap. 7. Conclus 4. at Samaria at Ephesus at Rome at Galatia at Antioch Presbyteries which shall be granted but that these Presbyteries were not of one single Congregation From these then you can never prove that the following Church did degenerate because they were not The manner of this degeneration you make gradual and you give us in five steppes descending from the Parochial till it came to the oecumenical Romane as you call it But supposing a degeneration in the degrees you are mistaken for as I suppose the first should be last and the last first which will appear if we examine how the Church was govern'd from the Apostles times to this our unhappy age But first I will transcribe your whole discourse SECT II. The words of the Letter 1. THE first rise of the rottening of the Church was its falling from a pure poor Presbyterial Church which in respect of its primitive constitution was made up of living stones namely lively Members and laborious Ministers being firmly fastened and united to the Lord Jesus as their onely head by faith one to another by a fraternal Covenant of love according to the pattern that was proposed and prescribed in both Testaments Is 44.5 Jer. 50.5 Ezra 20.37 Zach. 11.7 10 14. 2 Cor. 8.5 Ephes 2.13 19 22. Col. 2.2 19. 1 Pet. 2.5 into an impure and unpolished parochial Church At that time when ceasing to elect and ordain a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon and Diaconesse or a Widow in conformity to the heavenly Canon Rom. 12.7 and 15.4 and 16.1 compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 and Titus 1.5 6. it was well content to admit and accept of a Parson a Vicar a Warden an Over-seer of the poor and a Mid-wife By which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God within a short time after the dayes of the Apostles Christs spiritual house and growing as well as living Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Town or Apostatizing Parish The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus one of them being an Elder of the Church at Smyrna and a disciple of John the Evangelist and the other a Pastour at Lyons and a disciple of that Polycarp as any man may easily perceive that will peruse what is to be observed in Eusebius Ecclesiastical history 4. lib. c. 14.15 16. lib. 5. cap. 23.24 2. The second degree of the Combinational Churches corruptions was the Cathedral Churches generation which did presume to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher Pastour Ruler and Deacon into those unscripture-like titles of Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour and Arch-Deacon who ventur'd to usurp the power of excommunication against the Members and Ministers of many Congregations in their Synods and Councels contrary to what was practic'd in that Orthodoxe pattern Acts 15.24 which is laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages whose work it was by Scripture-proofs to confute soul subverting positions and to confirme Christian-doctrines without any manner of authority to censure any mans person being that that is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Thes 3.15 The babe-age of which usurpation is made mention of as newly appearing in the world by what was exercised by Alexander of Alexandria against Eusebius of Nicomedia as well as against Arius in the reigne of Constantius and Constance the sonnes of Constantine the Emperour as it is to be seen in Lib. 2. Socrat. Schol. c. 3. compared with the 32 cap. of 2 book Evagr. lib. 1. cap. 6. 3. The third degree of the Presbyterial Churches degeneracy was its climbing up to the stile of a Provincial Church whose Pastour was not afrai'd nor asham'd to assume the name and office of an Arch-Bishop and Metropolitane leaving the servile and subservient titles of Prebende Surrogate and Vicar-general as termes good enough to the inferiour Officers his underlings Of which proud and prophane Pest-house that Austin which was sent from Gregory the last of good Bishops and the first of evil Popes of Rome is reputed and recorded to have been the father and founder in this Land even then when he was stifly and stoutly oppos'd by the Monks of Bangor Anno Domini 596. and in the reign of King Ethelbert witnesse Fox Martyrol page 119. together with the rest of the Eng. Hist and Evangr lib. 2.8 4. The fourth famous degree of the Combinational Churches infamous defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church when and whence without controversie arose that Jewish imitation and irregularly Religious observation of five frivolous and foundationlesse customes and traditions of which the first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy working-dayes Cursed-Masse Candle-Masse c. The second was the National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels Church-yards The third was of National persons as the Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests and Diocesan Deacons The fourth was of National pious performances as stâ—nted Worship Quiristers singing of Psalmes with the Rubrique Postures And the fifth was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings tithes and mortuaries the which faithlesse and fantastical fashions were the illegitimate off-spring of National Parliaments in this and the Neighbour-Nations Witnesse the publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in that behalf 5. The fifth and highest degree of Church-deformity is the oecumenical Church otherwise call'd Romane Catholique the which in the apprehension of I know not how many Kingdomes is the very best though in the judgment of Christ Jesus it is the very basest because the beastliest and the most blasphemous of all the bastard-Church constitutions that ever were till now Witnesse what is written Rev. 13.1 3 5 6. whose Pastor and other Presbyters the sinne-pardoning Pope Cardinals Abbots with others were owned and acknowledged for to be and that not a few if not of the summond Councels yet in several Synods in sundry Countries Insomuch that Churches abominable iniquities were so increas'd over their heads and their trayterous
strong as you may read in Rutherford and Bayly out of him yet this one drawn from this Apostolike Synod I suppose were unanswerable No Synod can impose Decrees upon any Combinational Church That 's your own Maxime But this Synod did impose her Decrees upon those Churches which you say were Combinational This proposition is evident in the Scripture Acts 15. and verse 22 and 35. Therefore now if this Church of Antioch were subject to the authority of Synods what Church might plead a freedome from the like subjection and consequently none is Independent Thus have I as it were in a Table presented you with the plain face of Truth and sent it you bare and naked as Truth should be If the visage seem old the better 't is as I intended it that hinders not but she may be comely venerable amiable for he that will reverence and love truth he must do it because she is an Ancient Matron For Quod primum verum sed enim in omnibus veritas imaginem aniccedit pâ—stremo similitudo sucoedit Tertull. Praes c. 29. cap. 31. Ex ipso ordine manifestatur id esse Dominicum verum quod sit prius tradijtum id autem extraneum falsum quod sit posteriùs immissum A rule which that learned father often inculcates but nowhere more clearly then in this fourth book against Marcion where he hath these words by aggravation Tertull. l. 4. adversus Marcion c. 5. In summa si constat id verius quod prius id prius quod est ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis pariter utique constabit id ab Apostolis traditum quod apud Ecclesias Apostolicas fuerit sacrosanctum which Chapter is worth your reading for there the learned man refers the Original of Bishops to the Apostles intimates their succession which in many Churches he doth more clearly in the thirty second Chapter of his prescriptions This prime Truth I have here represented with her Ancient Officers about her the Bishops with a Presbytery of which in wisdome she thought fit to raise some higher not in Office but in Degree ne quid detrimenti Ecclesia capiat And this advancement was no new device neither for we read of Metropolitans and Primates before the Nicene Council as I have prov'd after of Patriarchs Yet all this while the Church remain'd a pure Virgin Thebulis being the fiâ—st that corrupted the Church Hegesipp apud Euseb l. 4 c. 21. Tertull. because he could not be a Bishop as did afterwards Valentinus and Marcion upon the same occasion and I had almost said Tertullian himself This certainly shewes that the Office of a Bishop even then was no contemptible dignity For certainly the rejection of such men from the over-sight of a Congregational Church could never work such men to so great discontent Of such parties they were the chief even after they had failed of their expected hopes No question they were of Diotrephes minde John Epi. 3.10 they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they desired to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Primates so old is that word in the Church to which because they could not be admitted they corrupted it with their doctrines Ambition is by Charron call'd the shirt of the soul Charron of wisdome being the first garment that it puts on and the last that it puts off for men while there be men will be of aspiring minds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even a beggar will strive to be chief of his company and a tradesman to be Master over those of his own profession this cannot nor ever will be avoided Such thoughts have alwayes tickled Church-men Now to satisfie this desire God hath appointed higher places in his Church and so they be desired in a fair way and to lawful ends it is commendable 1 Tim. 3.1 ver 31. Conc. Afric Chalced. Sardic Naz. in Athanasij vitâ This is a true saying saith the Apostle If a man desire the office of a Bishop he desires a good work and again in the same Chapter they that have used the office of a Deacon well purchase unto themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a faire step to ascend to a higher degree as first to a Presbyter then to a Bishop And it is written of Athanasius that he ascended by all these steps till he became Patriarch of Alexandria then he was set upon the highest step and yet this advancement of his or any other cannot hinder the government of the Church for being Aristocratical but confirms it rather since in this eminence he was to guide the Church not according to his own pleasure but according to the prescribed Canons of Synods and Councils from which if he erred he was liable to answer to the supreme Court of an Oecumenical Assemblie I have you see laid the foundation of the Churches government in Aristocracy of which Monarchy and Democracy are the extremes If you can shew me any Church that hath deviated from the middle way I shall confesse it to be corrupt And for the first it is easie to instance viz. the Romane Church whose Patriarch affects a Monarchy and his Courtiers and learned Rabbies the Jesuites plead stifly for it But then you must not take that way you do to prove it for the erection of Cathedral Parochial Diocesan Provincial and National Churches through his Patriarchate will never do it Since these were from the beginning in other Patriarchates and in his too when no Monarchy was ever dream'd of or challeng'd That his challenge I acknowledge to be a corruption And if any Church shall affect Democracy I shall say it is corrupted also in that it observes not that Apostolical rule of government and discipline which was then used as I have demonstrated It is then a great mistake in you to make the Presbyterial or Combinational Church to be the sole pure and Apostolical Church and that all Churches that are fallen off from that government are corrupted This if you can confirme fairely and firmly by unanswerable arguments as you make shew of then you have reason to fasten your degeneration and corruption on Cathedrals Parishes Diocesses Provinces and Nations but if this can never be done as I am assured it cannot then I shall affirme that the casting the Church into Cathedrals Parishes c. was not errour since by that the discipline of the Church might be better administred and the Aristocratical government far advanced and furthered And so having express'd unto you my thoughts in the general I now come to examine what you lay to the Churches charge in particular in the discussion of which I hope you will give me leave to prosecute my own method and I shall begin with the Cathedral which you say was the second degree but I conceive it the first Of this your words are SECT III. The words of the Letter The second degree of the Combinational Churches corruption
consist of heterogeneous parts and so doth yours which if it should marre the constitution of a Church it must needs marre yours as well as others For I hope you will not say that all yours are Saints more than by calling and so are all Christians even those at Corinth and all 1 Cor. 16.2 Cap. 1.12 13. cap. 5.1 cap. 6.15 cap. 11.21 cap. 15.35 cap. 8.12 13. among whom yet were schismatical and contentious persons envying and strife incest and incest tolerated going to Law with their brethren Harlotry coming to the Lords Table drunk a denying of a fundamental point of saith the resurrection little charity to the weak brother Now then if Corinth were a Presbyterial Church certainly in the Primitive constitution it was not composed of living stones onely c. To conclude to the constitution of a Church there can be but two things required the materiale and the formale the matter are a people gathered and united called by the Word to live in a divine policy under Christ their head The forme that unites them to him is as you say rightly faith and charity That they be truly and indeed united to him requisite it is that their faith be lively working by love But that they be united to the body the visible Church which is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no more nor can be no more expected but that they make outwardly a profession of faith and fraternal love For whether either be true unfeigned and sincere or no we can never know and should we stay till those were manifest unto us it would be long enough before we should constitute our's or you your Church pray take this better into your consideration Now I proceed to that wh ch you more aime at viz. 2. That the rise of the rottening of the Church was its falling from a pure poor Presbyterial Church into an impure unpolished Parochial Church TO which I have this to say First that if this position be true then Amesius was mistaken Ames Med. l. 1. cap. 39. Sect. 22. who makes a Combinational Church all one with a Parochial He tells us there of a Church instituted by God and saith that it was not National Provincial nor Diocesan but Parochialis vel unius Congregationis cujus membra inter se combinantur ordinarie couveniunt in eodem loco ad publicum Religionis exercitium If you shall say that this kind of Parochial Church differs from ours at this day because it is combined in Covenant which ours is not I grant it but adde that such a Combination is not necessary For I know no other Covenant requisite but that in Baptisme to make a man a member of any Church as I formerly proved unto you Neither can you give any one instance of any such Covenant before your time was taken by any Parochial Church in Amesius sense Secondly I shall here again put you in minde of that I intimated at first about this word Parochia and give you farther light in it For Parochia hath a double acception eirher as it was at first Selden of tyths cap. 6. Sect. 3. or as it is used in our dayes At first the word Parochia denoted a whole Bishoprick which is but a greater Parish and signified no other than a Diocesse That in these there were Towns and Villages cannot be denyed for the proof of this we need but run over the names of Cities Towns c. of Judea mentioned in the Old and New Testament and all plantations will teach us that in processe of time it comes to be thus at first in greater Cities then in these Religion was planted Among these it cannot be well conceived that the whole hamlet was at once converted but it must be done by little and little till at last the whole Township received the faith Together then they met for the service of God and as the Jewes in their several Towns had to that purpose their Synagogues so Christians began to think of convenient places where they might meet to this purpose as you in New-England they built them Churches and so from meeting in private houses they met in these Where yet they entered not into a Combination to be an absolute and Independent Congregation but did depend on the chief Church where the Bishop was resident and this is evident by what I shall now say The Pastours of these Parishes were such as the Bishop appointed under him to have care of souls in them and those are they Conc. Neoces cap. 58. Conc. Antioch cap. 87. 89. whom the Old Greek Councils call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in the Churches where they kept their cure the offerings of devout Christians were received All that was received in the Bishoprick was as a common treasury to be thus dispensed one part of it was allowed the maintenance of the Ministry another to the relief of the poor sick and strangers a third Conc. Antioch cap. 103 104. to the reparation of Churches the fourth part to the Bishop Thus it was many years before the Council of Nice that the Bishops Parochia extended far and that the whole was under his jurisdiction and consequently had not absolute power within themselves 2. But when the word Parish in that sense it is now used began it is not so easie to avouch yet for it we have these Records Damasus in pontific Euseb l. 2. c. 17. Epiphan Haeres 69. Euseb l. 6. c. 43. Evaristus who lived in Trajans time and succeeded Clemens divided Rome into seven Parishes assigning to every one a Presbyter And it may be easily collected out of Eusebius that it was thus at Alexandria and Epiphanius names many which bore these titles Theonae Serapionis Pierii Persiae Diseae Mendidii Amriani Baucalis c. For indeed necessity required it when the Christians grew to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Cornelius called the Christians and did implâ—re omnia Tertull. Apol. cap. 37. Then they were forced to divide Congregations and assigne several Presbyters to their cures yet in subordination to their Bishops as is evident in all Records of the Church This being so how is it possible that the rottening of the pure poor Presbyterial Church should be the rise of the Parochial when the Parochial in the first sense was the first Church that ever was in the world as I have before manifested In which sense it is that Cyril calls Saint James Cyril Catechis 16. primum hujus Parochiae meaning Jerusal Episcopum and in that signification it is very obvious to be read in the old Councils of both tongues as Filesacus hath observed you then argue ex non concessis For in the first sense the Parochial had the precedency and was older than your new device Your Combinational might corrupt and rotten it but that could never corrupt and rotten that which was not If you take it
is very well and he will I doubt not still do better when a more concerning argument is managed by so excellent a hand Sir be pleased when the Book is printed in case you think it fit and that it be approved by authority to send me a Copie of it into the farre distant place of my retirement that I may be recreated with the worthiest productions of my friend for it will be instruction and refreshment too to Your very loving friend and Brother J. T. TO THE Reader THe Prince of peace knows who bequeathed peace as his last Legacy to all his followers that I am not a man of contentions or have loved to strive this being the first time that ever I set pen to paper in a contestation with any man And to this kinde of any other I have been most averse because I have found by experience in falling upon and passing through the controversies Theological the ardour of devotion hath been abated and many hours that might have been better spent in piety and the study of necessary fundamental doctrines surreptitiously stollen from me When therefore I had set up my resolution to meddle no more with the Polemicks I was awaked by an importunate Letter in which finding many foul aspersions to be cast on my Mother or rather the Catholick Church I mean not the Romane for I never did nor do acknowledge her to be worthy of that name in whose steps the Reformed Church of England hath troden in her Doctrine and Discipline legally constituted I thought my self bound according to my Talent to vindicate her in her constitutions If any man shall say this needed not it having been so often so vigorously done by abler pens yea and confirmed to be wisely constituted by the distractions and divisions which have fallen upon it since those foundations have been shaken and removed by aery brains then which there cannot be a stronger plea for the necessity of that Discipline which is here opposed and vilifyed I must confesse this is true and that by all wise and sober men our Mother hath gained hence thus much advantage that Plus colitur placet atque viget laudatur amatur Yea and her greatest Adversaries were they unbiassed might come to know quae recta sunt although Athenian like for some reasons they are all for news and therefore facere nolle Yet being provoked I held my self bound to answer yea though I did but say over again those things which Wise Learned Pious men had said before me for I intended not to impose upon my Reader which is usual by obtruding that for my own which indeed I have but borrowed from other men Easie it had been for me to vary phrases and in other words so to have dressed up the judicious determinations of the Learned before me who have in this discourse said so much that little can be added that men might have attributed something to me But neither the subject upon which I was to write would suffer it nor yet mine own inclination For suppose I should magisterially deliver the self same truth as from my self with those Worthies yet when were I able to do it with the same vigour and eloquence how could an equal credit be given to my words as to their grey hairs and impartial relations of Church-practice who were eye-witnesses of what they have delivered Besides it more sharply strikes the mind and more deeply seizes upon the understanding and wins belief sooner what the Pillars of the Church have left to us in their Monuments then what I or Cluvienus shall set down And this is the reason that where I found any thing opposite either in Ancient or Modern Divines I have expressed it in their own words and not in such as I could easily have disguised And in this I have followed the judgment and authority of the gravest men who have taught me that in eo laborare quae semel rectissimè dicta sunt nova orationis forma enunties intempestivae est ostentationis Moller praefat in Psalm Therefore whatsoever the Reader shall observe in this Apology spoken to the point in hand I desire he would not attribute it to me but to those who have laboured before me upon that subject whose Disciple I willingly professe my self to be and a Pigmy upon their shoulders Only if the Reader shall find their allegations more aptly and vigorously applyed and pressed home or more perspicuously opened and closely laid together or some defects here supplied and looser discourses fortified I have my aime This Apology had not appeared in publick had not the publication of the Admonitory Epistle call'd it forth For my intent in it was first to satisfie my friend that sent it an old acquaintance though alwayes of a dissenting judgment which yet I hoped had been better bottomed and then to put into the mouths of my brethren of the Clergy to whom I understood the Copy was sent as well as to my self what to reply But when I found it abroad I conceived my self bound to let the World know what might be returned to the imputations for I conceive to the considerate Reader they will appear no more after he hath perused the Reply So fairly I have dealt with the Admonitor that I have not here and there catched at pieces or taking any advantages by wresting any expressions in the letter But deduced the whole into parts and the parts into several paragraphs and resolved every paragraph into distinct propositions framed in the very words of the Letter which the writer cannot deny to be his own assertions and annexed a several answer to them that so the Authour of the Admonitory should not complain that any wrong is done him or his sense mistaken as is usual among Litigants in this kind And I hope withall I have so demonstrated the Truth where the matter was capable of a demonstration that there wil be left no more just cause to wrangle And my hope is in part confirmed by this that the first part of it being sent to the Authour of the Admonitory more than sixteen months since it received no return which gives me just occasion to suspect it is not subject to any notable exception The other two parts have lien by me ever since that was sent and that they were not made companions with the first some reasons there are which I hold it not necessary to make known From any bitternesse of language though sometimes justly provoked to it I dare say the frowardst adversary will acquit me Sarcasms you shall meet with none Astîsmi now and then and that cannot be imputed for it was the honour of Socrates the gravest and wisest of the Philosophers that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Tully said of old age cannot be disliked in any stile severitatem in senectute probo acerbitatem nullo modo That sharpness which having over-much of the sowre will distaste being brought to a right temper pleaseth the palate and
which I have frequently and unfainedly found my self moved and that as I trust from the highest heavens for to make unto the hearer of prayers and the granter of requests This motion is my humble motion for you Tbe Answer to the first Section AMong those different kind of prayers the Apostle mentions and enjoyns Intercession is one 1 Tim. 2.1 That therefore you are pleased to intercede for me at the throne of grace is an act of piety and charity and I heartily thank you for it and desire the continuance and I beseech the hearer of prayers and granter of requests to hear and grant to us both a clear understanding a ready will obedient affections to embrace the naked Truth as it shall be manifested unto us all partialities and sactions or inclination to any parties being set aside For thus much I may assure you that I am of a peaceable and docible disposition Peaceable and hate contention and wrangling well knowing that pruritus litigandi est scabies Ecclesiae Eccles 12.12 it cooles devotion and animates faction I verily beleeve he is the lesse Christian that knows best to wrangle There is no end of making many books especially of Controversie For of these there is no end either for cessation or profit None for cessation because the parties interessed either through self-love or pertinacy rarely are by the most forcible arguments drawn to retract what they have once maintained None for profit because the contenders are seldome bettered or made more religious would I might not say far worse more fierce and of alienated affections This needs no proof since it is too apparent in the encounters of all sides whether for Papistry Prelacy Presbytery Independency c. The Writers pens are for the most part steep'd in gall of which tart juice I promise you you shall not taste one drop it being so contrary to my nature whom the Dove that descended on our Saviour hath embued with mildnesse and a study of peace And as I am inclinable to peace so I am very docible also Wax is not easier to receive an impression than I am the seale of truth but then it must be made evident unto me either by plaine and expresse Scripture or else by some demonstration and deduction evidently drawn from thence for otherwise I must remaine where I was This because I finde not in your discourse my judgement is not upon it altered The words I finde in it many the arguments and proofs in it very few 'T is a pretty Narrative not any demonstration pardon me therefore if I yeild not The gifts and graces you take notice of in me I freely and openly acknowledge are farre short of your conceit they cannot swell me but humble me being laid together with my imperfections and were it not partiality in you you might behold them farre more eminent in many of my companions and acquaintance But your friendly minde hath presented me unto you as an object through a mist which makes it seeme farre bigger than indeed it is Yet your errour of love shall not make me beleeve I am a gyant when I am but a Pigmee and so rich in grace goodnesse holinesse as you intimate being conscious to my own defects However I am what I am 1 Cor. 15.10 and I hope his grace which is bestowed upon me is not in vaine My talent I received from him to him I acknowledge it and give thanks for it Ephes 4.12 and I shall endeavour to employ it to that end it was given for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Hic labor hoc opus And it is my griefe that I am forced to wrap it up in a napkin and me thinks it should breed in them singultum cordis that have forc'd me to it But no more of this It follows in your Letter SECT II. The words of the Letter THat you would call to remembrance and also seriously consider and lay to heart what I in the judgment of rational charity am bound to conceive you cannot choose but know by what Christ did reveale to you and by what you did likewise receive from Christ namely how our God in covenant hath thought meet to constitute three several sorts of visible Churches and no more to be owned and acknowledged as his to be founded and found successively on earth from the beginning of the world to the end of the same Answer OF what you write in this paragraph in general I am not now to consider to wit what hath been the external government of Christs Church from the beginning to this day And how farre I agree with you will by and by come to be examined But in the meane time let me put you in minde that these words God hath thought meet to constitute three several sorts of visible Churches are improper For the Church of God before under after the Law was but one in essence and being so we beleeve One Holy Catholick Church the bonds of whose unity are extant Ephes 4.4 5 6 7. Let then the external government be what it will yet this cannot constitute three several sorts of visible Churches because distinction of species must proceed from internal principles not from extrinsecal accoutrements This then is not properly expressed But if you mean as I hope you do That the visible Church of God hath had a different kind of regiment and existence one from the beginning under the Patriarchs to Moses another from Moses to Christ and a third from Christ to the end of the world I assent to you And I suppose your meaning to be this by your words which thus follow Whereof the first was Oeconomical or Domestical the second the National or Judicial and the third was the Presbyterial or a Combinational Church Reply In the general I told you I assent to you but about the particulars I shal offer unto you some considerations especially about the first and the last 1. You say the two first viz. the Oeconomical and Judicial Church continued of a space of time alotted to each of them of two thousand years or near about Here you are not so exact in your Chronology as you ought for the first continued longer and the last fell short as Junius hath given us the accompt and other Chronologers dissent not much from him For the Oeconomical Church continued two thousand five hundred and ten years and the Judicial and National one thousand five hundred and two onely if you set the period at Christs ascension but if at the final overthrow of Jerusalem by Titus one thousand five hundred forty two For then it may be better supposed was the abolition of the Ceremonial Law when the Scepter was utterly departed from Judah and now your words will run smoothly on in this last and third kinde of Church Government every child of man that is an ingenuous child of God and a conformable member
thereof was Domestical because every father was to teach his houshold and off-spring yet the government thereof was Paternal He that was set over the rest being to be a father to the rest and to performe all Natural Civil and Ecclesiastical offices to them and they again to do all duties to him by which they are bound by the fifth Command Honour thy father 2. Your next words are that this Domestical Church was guided and governed by the first-borne of the family But this must be understood with a graine of salt for this though for the most part yet is not alwayes true for what will you say to Abel who was younger then Cain to Sem younger brother to Japheth as Junius intimates in his notes Gen. 5.32 and proves chap. 10. verse 21. which is therefore thus dubiously rendered by our Translatours Unto Shem also the father of all the children of Eber the brother of Japheth the elder even to him were children borne What will you say to Jacob to Ruben when his primogeniture was lost Necessary then it is that you limit your words that they carry this sense God did consecrate the first-borne of the family as holy to himself to be Priest in his Church and increased their dignity with this princely prerogative that they should be Lords over their brethren and honoured by their mothers children as succeeding their fathers in the government and priesthood unlesse they were rejected from that honour by Gods secret counsels or manifest judgements and others named by God himself to sustaine that charge Thus the clause is clear and true 3. Againe you say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints What then is every professing Saint a King a Priest a Prophet in his own house This I dare not assent to and I hope you will not there were no more words to be made of a Presbyterial Church if this were true for every man might officiate at home and need not subject himself to any Presbytery he might baptize administer the Sacrament c. being authoriz'd by this Type I should rather then say that these were types and shadowes of Christ Jesus who is the King Priest and Prophet in his Church and yet executes all these offices for her good and salvation then make them types of professors in their several houses who nor may nor can ex officio undertake these functions It follows 4. As doth plainly appear to all that do deliberately weigh what is expressed and what is necessarily implyed in Gen. 4.4 Exod. 12.7 These texts I have deliberately weighed and finde not in them neither expressed nor yet necessarily implyed what you produce them for In Gen. 4.4 I reade that Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering but can any man either expressely or by necessary implication ever prove from hence that the first visible Church was a domestical Church or that it was governed by the first-borne of the family that they were types and shadows of Christ Jesus in the several houses of professing Saints Or that this Church did continue from Adam and Abels dayes to the time of Moses and Aarons pilgrimage in the wildernesse That Abel sacrificed to God that the offering he brought was of the best that God respects loves and is reconciled to the person before he accepts his gift and service may easily be collected from hence But I cannot discerne which way to deduce from this text any of the former propositions This text you compare with Exod. 12.7 When I thus reade and they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eate it An injunction I finde here concerning the use of the blood of the Paschal Lamb but not a syllable that can be drawne to your purpose But the best is that what you say for the substance is so clear in the book of Genesis that no man need question it Let the mistake be but notified and we agree and therefore I proceed SECT IV. The words of the Letter THe Chuch of the second sort was a National Church consisting meerly of Jewish persons and their Proselytes for its members who were instrumentally enlightned and led by the Priests and Levites as their ordinary Ministers the which kinde of Church-government lasted among them from the life of Moses to the death of the Messias and no longer as it is exceeding plaine and cleare to any one that can finde in his heart advisedly to compare the several testimonies of the Old and New Testament together which will contribute pregnant light to this particular point such as are Exod. 19.6 Num. 8.10 Deut. 7.7 with Gal. 4 9 10. Coloss 2.14.17 and Heb. 7.12 The Replication THe substance of this Paragraph is agreed on also To wit that the Jews with the Proselytes were a National Church taught and led ordinarily by the Priests and Levites extraordinarily by the Prophets and when they ceased and the Urim and Thummim God spoke sometimes to us so by the Bath Col or silia vocis And that kinde of government began with Moses and ended at the death of the Messias or a little after as I hinted before and rather encline to think For I am sure actually till then it did not howsoever it ought to have done Christs death upon the Crosse putting an end to all the rites and sacrifices of the Ceremonial Law Many things I could here observe about their Proselytes their Priests and Levites their whole government which yet I passe by as not so necessary to the present question One thing onely give me leave to tell you that some of these texts are not so conclusive to your purpose as you conceive For first out of that of Exodus that the Jews were a holy Nation and people will easily be deduced and as much may be said of the Christians is as evident if you compare the place with the first of Peter 2.9 for to this place of Exodus I make no doubt the Apostle alludes when he affirmes of the Christian Church that it is a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar priesthood c. I would gladly know why I may not out of these words as well conclude a National Church of Christians as you do out of the other a National Church of Jews and Proselytes And then your National Church will not be proper to the Jewish State but communicable to the State of Christianity also 2. Out of Heb. 7.12 you conclude rightly that the Priesthood being chang'd there must be a change of the Law that the Ceremonial Law of Moses was quite abolished no more sacrifices to be offered legal purifications to be observ'd no nor dayes moneths times years in a Jewish sense to be kept up Gal. 4.9 10. In a Jewish sense I say for this
5. That these Presbyters teaching and ruling Elders must be of the professing members own voluntary Election and regular Ordination 6. That their Office-extent reacheth from Christs ascension to the Creations dissolution This is granted in a right sense 7. And for all this you bring your proofs out of the Scripture Acts 6.5 Acts 14.23 c. This is the Analysis of the whole and I descend to examine it by the parts and shall open the Scriptures as I conceive they referre to the proposition Proposition 1. That the Church of the last and longest constitution was a Presbyterial or Combinational Church THat the Church you meane viz. the Church of Christ is to be last is easily granted but whether to be the longest or no is more than you or I or any man else can tell But to let this passe Hic opus est Oedipo for I conceive not well the sense of your proposition because you phrase it Presbyterial or Combinational since these two by the contending parties are made Disparata and then must really differ I know not therefore what to make of this Or whether it be here a Divisive or an Explanative particle If you make it Divisive then it seemes not to agree with your following words for you know that those of the Presbyterial Church though they will allow your professing members liberty to elect yet they stoutly and with open mouth decry their power to Ordaine and you allow the Church you speak of to do both If you make Or Expositive then it can but onely declare the sense of the former word Presbyterial and will be farre from your intent which is if I mistake not that all the professing members of a Church be combined in a Church Covenant which you know the Presbyterial Church will never admit For although Presbyters can be content to be in their own sense Covenanters yet they abominate to be in a Church-Combination and again though the Church combiners will joyne in a Church Covenant yet they will not yield to be Presbyterial Covenanters These Disparata then are not hansomely coupled in this place neither can I guesse at any other intent you have in it except it be to Umpire betwixt the two parties by finding out a Church that should be both Presbyterial and Combinational which hitherto the heat of zeale would never suffer the learnedest of both sides to do For the Presbyterians condemne your Combination by a Church Covenant as a Chimera a fancy a novelty a meere humane invention contrary to Christs Ordinance and destructive of all Church power And the Combiners on the other side judge as harshly of the Presbyterian Elderships in the whole reformed Churches as of the Prelacy nay and worse too if Bastwicks words be true which he hath in the Postscript of his second part page 6. viz. The Presbyterial government not suiting with the humour of the Independents they abhorre it and all such as endeavour to establish it and wish rather that the old trumpery were brought in again and professe they had rather have the government of Prelates That which follows I forbear that I offend not Thus Bastwick which if true 't is not possible that a Presbyterial and a Combinational Church should be all one as you seeme to make it And therefore you must forgo one of the termes and make it onely Presbyterial or onely Combinational if you will speak intelligibly in this question But I shall make the best sense I can of your words and in order speak to them both And first of the Presbyterial Church which you call also Combinational upon what ground I know not for I meet with neither of these Epithets fixed to the Church of Christ in the Scriptures nor in any antiquity The first of these is new and and the second naught for I never read of a Combination in a good sense Why can we not speak as good Christians have done before us and call it the Christian Catholick and Apostolical Church but must please our fancies with these new termes of Presbyterial or Combinational Act. 20.28 c. Col. 1.24 and 13. Act. 11.26 Ephes 2.20 I often read in the Scriptures of the Church of God and that this Church is the Body of Christ the kingdom of Christ to whom because it was united by faith it was called Christian And that this Church was built upon the foundation of the Prophets Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone Whence it was called Apostolike And again that this Church is Totum integrale Ames medulla lib. 1. c. 31. Sect 19. of which the parts quae totum integrant are all several and particular Churches diffused in all Nations in all places at all times whence it was called Catholick But of a Presbyterial or Combinational Church I hear not Good Sir consider how harsh it sounds to stile Christs Church the Presbyters Church and the number of the Professors that are united by faith to Christ to be combined in I know not what But now I shall take into consideration these termes severally and first I will begin with the last 1. A Combinational Church The first Author whom I meet with it is Amesius and he defines it to be Parochialis vel unius congregationis cujus membra inter se Combinantur lib. 1. c. 39. Sect 22. cap. 2. Sect. 4. there 's your word ordinarie conveniant in uno loco ad publicum religionis exercitium This your Synod at Cambridge in New England chose rather to call Congregational for the word Independent they like not though I see no cause of dislike if the particular Congregations must not depend one of another but remaine in full liberty as Ames delivers in the same chapter Sect. 20. 26 27. And thus you there define this Congregational Church to be a company of Saints by calling united into one body by a holy Covenant for the publick worship of God But I pray you tell me what needs this combination by a second Covenant would not the first in Baptisme have served if heeded and kept to have done all this and it seemed it did by the very text your Synod produces to prove it Acts 2.42 For the Penitents and beleevers pricked to the heart by Peters sermon gladly received the word and were baptized and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer c. where we read of their Baptisme and continuance in Church-fellowship and in the duty of that fellowship but that this is done by a combination a confederation or holy Covenant a Vow other than that made in their Baptisme we read not 2. And indeed it needs not for what is it that Professors can binde themselves unto by Covenant when they are admitted into the Congregation that they have not in their Baptisme bound themselves to before Whether you shall consider the Mystery the Form or the end 1. In Baptisme for the
Mystery there is an Indument and a stripping Rom. 13.14 Gal. 3.27 which the ancient Church reduced to two words Credo Abrenuncio In the first there is the putting on of the Lord Jesus Christ For as many as are baptized have put on Christ First as Lord acknowledging no other Master whose voice to hear whose doctrine to rely upon but onely his Secondly as Jesus assuring themselves that there is no other Name given under heaven whereby they may be saved Thirdly As Christ as well their anointed King submitting themselves to his will giving their names in to fight under his banner and swearing themselves his subjects As also their anointed Priest resting in his one sacrifice as the onely sufficient in his sole intercession as the onely powerful Secondly In the Abrenuncio or stripping part they renounce and forsake the Devil Gal. 5.20 and all his works the pompes and vanities of the wicked world the sinful lusts of the flesh among which are all Heresies and Schismes 2. For the forme it is by our Saviour appointed in the name of the three persons of the indivisible Trinity and so it is performed neither of Cephas the sirnamed Rock nor of Paul a great Apostle Mat. 28.19 1 Cor. 1.13 The reason wherof you may read in my exposition of the Church Catechisme page 172 173. 3. For the end they which are baptized are thereby made the sonnes of God by Adoption and Grace invested with an inheritance everlasting Gal. 3.26 Rev. 1.5 Mal. 1.11 Rom. 12.1 Col. 3.5 made Priests to God to offer and slay To offer that mundâ—m oblationem pure offering or living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is their reasonable service viz. the cleane and unbloody sacrifice of prayers and thanksgiving and then to slay themselves mortifying their affections and lusts Yea but men may be minded of all this by a new Covenant and upon a second engagement made more watchful to keep their first vow Be it so for this also the Church had provided without this separating combination when she ordained that all baptized children when they could say their Catechism should be brought to the Bishop to be Confirmed which order were it in use and restored to its original purity the wrangle about the formality of a Church Covenant and collecting of members might be quieted and composed There being in Confirmation the substance of what is so much and so hotly contended for and that farre better grounded and bottomed than any new device can be as I shew you in my Catechisme page 6. Thirdly This Elogy you give to your Combinational Church that it is their opinion and practice quietly and cordially to subject their earthy erring and unruly wit to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ That so it should be I confesse and desire but how it is we see and feele ever since the Combination But what now is this but an opinion and onely commendable I thought it had been necessary de fide that it must be so and could not be otherwise For Opino is eutis vel non eâ—tis You shall have it in Amesius words Assensus ille qui praebetur veritati contingenti propter rationem pracipuè probabilem ab intellectu apprehensam Medulla 1. Thes de fidei divina unitate opinio vocatur The truth must be contingent and probable onely of which a man retaines an opinion it may be it may not be if no other reason can be produced for it but a Topical But that all men must subject their earthy will to the heavenly Will of Christ is so certain that it cannot be denyed by any good Christian Hereafter let it passe then for necessary and let it be a principle of faith which is more than opinion 2. But you go on and say This hath been the commendable practice of your Combinational Church But here you must give me leave to think for if I would say what I know I should fetch blood and perhaps pay for it too Your Combination was for the worship of God and that cultus naturalis institutus Amesius so divides it the principles of the first are faith hope charity the acts hearing of the Word and Prayer under which is an Oath Of the last Gods prescribed Will or his Word This is the Rule but what 's become of the practice I will not meddle with your faith which yet you know in many of your Combinational Churches is not sound nor in the Socinians nor Antimonians nor in the Brownists Familists nor the Anabaptists nor the Quakers nor the Singers These you le say are not of you but are gone out from you yet you cannot deny that these are Combinational Churches The practice then of all the Combinational Churches is not commendable in Gods worship in this respect Your hope may be great but I fear it may be presumption when the foundation of faith upon which it should be built is so uncertain and tottering As for the charity of your party in general I finde it dying rather â—uite dead charity teacheth a man to love his neighbour as himself charity to be just and to do to all men as he would all men do to him Amongst your Combinational Churches what 's become of this charity this justice Religiously observant a man may find divers of you of three of the Commandments of the first Table but of the third your practice shews you make little accompt and as for the second Table he who shall lay to heart your actions must needs conceive that you esteeme it but for a cypher I will no farther rake into this wound I wish you had not given me occaâ— on to do it when you affirmed that it was the commendable practice of your Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will quietly and cordially to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ to which I finde their practice so contrary I pray presse me not for instances for I am resolved not to give theâ— you but if you are desirous to be satisfied of the opinions and practice of the Combinational Church I aime at be pleased to reade a book written by Robert Baily a Scot entitled A Disswasive from the Errours of the times Printed in London 1645. and published by Authority Where he makes a large Narrative of the opinions and practices of your Churches in New-England and whether he sayes true or no you can best judge because you were upon the place If true all is not gold that glisters 2 A Presbyterial Church THis is your other Epithet and I suppose you mean by it a Church to be governed by Presbyters The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is equivocal and therefore till it be distinguished nothing can be concluded from it 1. Presbyter in the Old Testament properly belongs to the Elders of the people either in a common notion or as members of the Sanhedrim not any body or persons peculiarly
electus superponeretur caeteris Rev. 2. 3. 1. It is Unus it is One not many that the care of the Church might especially belong to one Christ directs his message to the Angel individually of such or such a Church 2. He must be Electus of whom Hierome saith not of that more anon but I dare say considering the time of which Hierome speaks it was not without the consent of the Apostles if not by them 3. Note out of whom he was to be elected it was de Presbyteris and I shall prove unto you after that they were no Lay-men 4. Ut superponerentur caeteris He was to be super over the rest whether Clergy or Laity and that not onely in preheminence honour and dignity but in power of jurisdiction also for otherwise how could the end be obtained here aimed at how could Schisme be restrained and removed Thus far you see what makes for me and now I shall clear up what seemingly makes against me in this testimony 1. The fiâ—st words seeme against me For Hierome saith Idem est Presbyter quod Episcopus But he can meane no more than that the Bishop is sometimes called a Presbyter The Names then may be common that 's true but not the Office Now the Office consists in Ordination and Jurisdiction as I shall by and by make appear That Presbyter and Episcopus was Idem ordinatione and consequenly in Office Jerome could not meane except he should contradict himself Hieron ad Evagium Ordination he reserves to a Bishop and debarres a Presbyter from it Quid facit Episcopus quod Presbyter non faciat exceptâ ordinatione Mark the mood is potential He may not do it He may not meddle with Ordination for that sure belongs to the Bishop in his own judgment In this power then the Identity lies not 2. He must then meane in Jurisdiction and that this is his meaning is apparent by those words Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur which your side catch at too as making for the present Ruling Presbytery as indeed at the first sight they may but throughly lookt into nothing at all I will shew you where the mistake lies First in the word Presbytery for yours apply it to the whole Presbytery Lay and Clergy whereas Hierom as is manifest speaks onely of the Ecclesiastique for it is of the Presbytery that was before or when those Schismes reigned Secondly he saith gubernabantur in imperfecto and when was that in the Apostles dayes for then in a Church that had a Presbytery without a Bishop put case at Corinth or had a Presbytery with a Bishop over them as at Jerusalem Antioch Alexandria Ephesus it is most true Communi Presbyterorum consilio gubernabantur the Presbyters were admitted in partem sâ—llicitudinis It cannot be denied that the Apostles ordaining these Presbyters had power in themselves and might have governed durante vita alone retaining the power when then they gave any power to others it was deligated for I hope they lost none of their power in giving Orders Whence it will follow that the Presbyters when admitted in some acts of Jurisdiction with the Apostles cannot challenge a right of governing affixed to their Order qua Presbyteri because they did assist in subordination and dependencie That the Apostles assumed these Presbyters in acts deliberative and consiliary to assist first at Jerusalem Acts 15. was a meer voluntary act from which example that it was derived to other Churches will not be denied and hence the last clause of Jeromes words will be most clear Noverint episcopi se magis consuetudine Ecclesiae quam Dominicae dispositionis veritate Presbyteris esse majores in communi debere Ecclesiam regere For by the Commission Sicut misit me Pater given to the Apostles and in them to their successors onely they could not challenge it It may well proceeding from the voluntary act of the Apostles be called an Apostolical Tradition and Ordinance but in strict termes Dominica it was not nor Dominicae dispositionis veritas according to Jerome 2. But if this sense of Jeromes words like you not I shall yet offer you another At first as I said the Presbyters by delegation from the Apostles with common advice and equal care guided the Church under the Apostles but after Bishops were appointed the whole care by little and little was derived to one and so at last by custome Presbyters were utterly excluded from all advice and counsel and Bishops onely intermedled with the regiment of the Church This indeed grew onely by continuance of time and not by any Ordinance of Christ or his Apostles this Jerome dislik'd and to that purpose he fixes his Noverint Episcopi c. And that this is likeliest to be Jeromes meaning in that place his following words shew Imitantes Moysen qui cum haberet in potestate solus praesse populo Israel 70. elegit cum quibus populum judicaret The Bishops then ought to do as Moses did What to have Governours equal No but when they might rule alone to joyne with them others in the fellowship of their power and honour as Moses did Moses did not abrogate his superiority above others but took seventy Elders into part of his charge So Jerome would have them And thus much the King was content to grant and restore as you may read in his book cap. 17. about the middle I saith he am not against the managing of this precedencie and authority in one man by the joynt councel and consent of many Presbyters I have offered to restore it c. You see of what Presbyters I am content the prescribed Ministery shall consist and what Presbytrry I shall allow you 2. Or Teaching and Ruling Elders HEre again your words are dark For if by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders you meane those in Orders I shall readily admit them to the Church ministry whether Teaching or Ruling But if you intend under these words to introduce into the Ministry either to teach or rule men that are not of the Clergy so you know we speak and so I must speak for distinction sake for else I cannot be understood in this question I absolutely deny it For there was never any Lay-man ex Officio admitted to teach ordinarily in Scripture called and sent he must be before he did undertake to preach So the Apostle intimates Rom. 10.15 How shall they preach except they be sent If any be gifted I shall allow him ex debito charitatis privately and charitably to make use of his talent to exhort to reprove to admonish but publikely to divide the Word of God and to teach I may not admit him For as a man must have inward endowments gifts and sufficiencie so he must have an outward calling before I shall call him a Teacher in the Church of God And I hear you are not against me in this 2. But about a Ruling Elder I fear you and I shall
to practice what you declaime I must professe I understand nothing But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive what you may answer but I will not now reply to it 2. The other part of your Proposition is that these Presbyters and Ruling Elders be of the Professing Members Regular Ordination THat the Presbyters and Ruling Elders in the sense above given of them have a Regular Ordination is necessary but that they shall have this Ordination from or by the Professing Members I cannot yield That Ordination is an act of the Keys I suppose is an axiome that will be granted on all hands For otherwise your Professing Members can have no right to Ordain who make their claim to it because they are subjectum clavium Rutherfords plea for Presbytery Sect. 6. But that they are not so Rutherford and Bâ—res demonstrate whence it will necessarily follow that they cannot ordain Presbyters and Ruling Elders Before he proves the minor he thus distinguisheth The power of the Keys is given to the Church of believers two wayes First As to the end and object and thus we acknowledge the Keys may be given to the whole Church because it is the object upon which the power of the Keys is to be exercised for what have we to do to judge those that are without and then it was the end why Christ gave the Keys 1 Cor. 5. he gave some to be Apostles c. for the perfecting of the Saints c. Secondly The Keys may be said to be given to them who are the subject Ephes 4. that is to such in whom the power doth rest to use them and who have authority to weild them and in this sense the beleevers in the whole body is not the formal subject of the Keys neither may they authoritatively use them And this is demonstratively thus prov'd For that which is primum proprium subjectum cum suo accident reciprocatur The attribute agrees to it primò Rutherford p. 12. per se adaequatè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as rationale or risibile agrees to man all these wayes so that a man onely is the first and adequate subject of reason or laughter and consequently every individual man reasonable and risible To apply this to my purpose if the body of any visible Congregation be the adequate and proper subject of the Keys the power must of right belong to every individual of that Congregation so that every one hath a power to use them women young men and all for quod competit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 competit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but such a power I dare say you will not put into women and childrens hands Then you must not make the whole Church the subject of the Keys but that some Professing Members have the keys in their hands and that these onely have power to ordain Now let us enquire who these Ordainers must be You say your Presbyters and if I mistake not ruling Elders We say Bishops Austin in Psal 22. or at least Bishops with their Presbytery As Augustine said excellently in another case so say I in this Fratres sumus quarè litigamus non intestatus mortuus est pater fecit testamentum mortuus est tamâ—iu contenditur de haereditate mortuorum quamdiu testamentum profetatur in publicum cum testamentum prolatum fuerit in publicum tacent omnes ut tabulae aperiantur recitentur judex intentus audit advocati silent praecones silentium faciunt universus populus suspensus est ut legantur verba mortui non sentientis in monumento Iâ—c sine sensu jacet in monumento valent verba ejus Sedet Christus in caelo contradicitur ejus testamento Aperi legamus fratres sumus quare contendimus pl cetur amicus noster non sine testamento nos dimisit pater And for this Will the search will not be long nor the trouble much 't is extant John 20.21 As my Father sent me so send I you and presently he enstates them in the power of the Keyes Whose sinnes you remit they are remitteâ— c. John 20.23 Matth. 28.20 And this power was to be perpetual to remain and continue till his second coming for these are his last words Lo I am with you alway unto the end of the world With them personally he could not be for the Apostles are dead this promise then must be made good to them and their Successours They then questionlesse had the Keyes which consisted in Jurisdiction and Ordâ—nation of which I am now to speak And out of our Fathers testament I shall shew you how they used it Act. 8.14 17. Peter and John were sent down by the Apostles from Jerusalem to Samaria to lay their hands on them that should receive the Holy Ghost Philip preach'd and baptizd but he could not give the graces of the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands to make fit Pastours and Teachers for the work of the Ministry The like we finde of Paul and Barnabas in the fore-cited place Acts 14.23 who visited the Churches where they had preached and supplyed them with Presbyters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wh re it were absurd to say that this was done by lifting up of the hands of the people since it was the work of Paul and Barnabas alone And by the way Act. 10.41 though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth sometimes signifie extensio manuum yet alwayes it doth not so for Acts 10.41 we thus read That God shewed Christ openly after he was raised not tâ— all the people but unto Witnesses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ordain'd by God and I could shew you that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a hundred places of the Greek fatheâ—s and Councils But to let this passe I go on 2 Tim. 1.6 Tit. 1.5 Timothy was ordain'd by Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.6 and Titus by him left in Crete to Ordaâ—n and therefore Ordain'd himself For nihil dat quod non habet All these Ordinations we finde in the Scriptures by the Apostles themselves 2. Now if you shall demand by whom these Ordinations were perform'd afterwards I shall answer you by their successours Yea but who were they I answer that it being a matter of fact and story later than the Scripture can reach to it cannot be fully satisfied or answered from thence any further than the persons of Timothy and Titus Epaphroditus c. and the several Angels of the seven Churches who by all the Ancients are acknowledged to be single persons that had power over all other in those Churches but will in the full latitude through the universal Church in those times be made clear by the next and best evidences we have viz. From the consent of the Greek and Latine fathers who generally resolve that Bishops were those Successours So writes Clemens Ignatius Iraeneus Tertullian Cyprian Theodoret Hilary Chrysostome who not Whose Testimonies shall be produced with a wet finger
place to the Romans are five different from these ministring exhorting teaching giving shewing mercy In all sixteen I hope you will not say there must be so many distinct Offices and functions in the Church For so it may happen that the offices may exceed the number of the officers and so every one must have more than two of them Robinsons Justif p. 107. p. 111. three at least or else the Church shall nor be supplied For put case that Robinsons words be true that a company consisting though but of two or three gathered by a Covenant made to walk in the wayes of God known unto them is a Church and so hath the whole power of Christ Answer to the 32. Quest p. 43 even the same right with two or three thousand Generally you know it is received among you that seven will make a full and perfect Congregation and that the association of these few thus separate by a Covenant is the essential forme of the Church Which if true then is it not possible to find so many distinct functions in the Church because in so small a number there cannot be found men for them Let it be then granted that the Apostle in this chapter speaks of diversities of gifts not of functions and the sense will be clear Apostles there were then in the Church and they had all these gifts in a greater measure than any other Prophets there were and Teachers and to these the Spirit divided the gifts as he pleased in what measure and to what persons he best liked to one to work miracles to another to heale to help and comfort to guide and governe to speak tongues to interpret tongues as might best serve to gather the Saints to plant the Church I must professe unto you that I have both now and heretofore looked into this text with as quick an eye as my weaknesse would give leave and could never yet finde it in any thing that made for your Ruling Elders No you perhaps will say do you not finde here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 governments Yes I do but will it thence follow that it must upon necessity be the government of the Lay-Ruling-Elders you dreame of Why might not the Apostles the Prophets the Teachers here mentioned by the Apostle be those Governours here intended for ought you know Of them the other gifts were verified and why not then this also They could work miracles they could heale they could help and comfort they could speak all languages and interpret tongues what should now hinder but they might by the same Spirit be endowed with the gift of government also Which if it fall out to be true as it indeed did yet the Apostles either by themselves or by those they placed in the Churches which they planted who were Bishops and onely Bishops exercised the jurisdiction you shall never be able to conclude out of this or any other place of Scripture that the Governours of the Churches were a distinct company from the Pastours which is I know that you drive at But to gratifie you a little I shall here willingly yield you more than I need That in the Apostolical Church and after till Constantines time there might be certain men chosen by common consent of the Church to judge of all civil debates that might arise betwixt man and man you perhaps would call these Governours I should rather call them Arbitratours because they had no coactive power to compel any Christian to stand to their Arbitration farther than they would binde themselves And in case that any were refractory and obstinate the Pastour might and did make use of the Church-Key and debarre him from the participation of Christian priviledges so that he was by them esteemed no better than a Heathen or Publican 1 Cor. 6.1 c. And now I will shew you the ground of my conjecture 't is out of Saint Pauls words Dare any of you having an action against another a Christian he means go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints Paul did not debarre the Magistrates that were Infidels of their jurisdiction nor create new Judges or Governours for civil offences in the Church it was beyond his calling and commission to do either of them but when he perceived the Christians for private quarrels pursued each other before unbelievers to the great shame and scandal of Christian profession he saith Ver. 7. they were better to suffer losse to take wrong to be defrauded Ver. 4.5 But if this would not satisfie if yet there were who would be contentious then he wills them to choose if not the wisest yet the lest esteemed among them in the Church to arbitrate their causes rather than to expose themselves and their profession to the mocks and taunts of Heathen and Profane Judges These Arbitratours you may call Governours if you please but properly they were not so because they were chosen either by consent of the Litigants or else appointed as I am induc'd to opine by the choice of the Church for that purpose but they could not interpose themselves as Judges authoriz'd by Christ because he himself as Mediatour claimed no such power would use none Luke 12.24 You know his answer to the brother that moved him to divide the inheritance Man who made me a Judge or Divider among you Now grant that all this be true and that such Governours began betime and continued long in the Church even untill the Conversion of the Heathen Emperours Can you hence conclude that they must upon necessity continue still no such matter For the Civil power and the Sword is in the Magistrates hand and he is to take up all debates betwixt man and man of these then there is no use From these then to argue that there must be Lay Ruling Elders in the Church is a fallacy since the causes they were to dcide were other and their Authority by Church-right none at all A d such 't is probable may be found in the Scriptures and in the Church-story but never any other Ruling Elders invested with the power of the Keys except in Orders I have been long upon this place to the Corinths but it was because I would leave no scruple unsatisfied That I be not tedious of it I will adde no more but consider your next proof which you bring out of the Epistle to the Ephesians Ephesians Chap. 4. Verse 7. and Verse 14. Ver. 7. But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ver. 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed too and fro and carried about with every winde of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive Now here I must confesse it befel me which happens to them who search for gold-ore in the vaults of the earth they open the turfe dig delve labour long to effect their desire but at last
and Minister and he and they became subject to the Pastour of the chief City This is evident to me Acts 8. in the conversion of Samaria Socrat. Schol. lib. 1. cap. 19. and in that story of Adesius and Frumentius that converted the Indians And now the whole viz. the City the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these Villages Towns c. thus converted being under the regiment of this Bishop were call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Bishops Diocesse which was the Original of a Diocesan Church 4. But the charity of the first planters of Christianity staid not here they never thought they could bring fish enough into Christs net As they were fishers of men The Romane Provinces as I take it were under Augustus Casar 22. After Marius thus conquered Syria Germany Brittanny c. so they fished still to catch more untill they gain'd whole Provinces Now a province was a large territory conquer'd by the Romanes which they put under the government of a Proconsul or Propretor Such a tract being converted by the foresaid endeavours was put under the government of the foresaid Bishop â—nd so of a Diocesan his Church had the name of Provincial and because the City where he was resident was the Metropolis oâ— Mother-City to that whole Province and under that many lesse Cities with their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Towns and Villages so that Prâ—vince being so large that it was not possible or not convenient for the Bishop of the first seat to over-see all as he ought theâ—efore prudence taught the Church to appoint Bishops in lesser Cities and to assigne them their Diocesses over which yet the Bishop of the chief Cities should have a supervision whom they call'd a Metropolitane after a Primate and in some Churches a Patriarch and all the subordinate Bishops under him Diocesan 5. And again if this Church consisted of Converts of a whole Nation in which there were divers Provinces as it fell out in Africk two and Spain three then the Church had the name of a National Church and there might be divers Metropolitans in it and more Primates of which yet one was chief and under these the foresaid Diocesan Bishops with their Clergy These are steppes in the judgment of reason by which the Church arriv'd to its emâ—nency and therefore if it decay and rot by degrees as you will have it the corruption must begin in the Cathedâ—al descâ—nd to Parochial and thence spread to the Diocesan Provincial and National and settle in the Oecumenical if such a local Church can be found Besides that great reason the propagation of the Gospel why the Church was at the first thus setled one was the exercise of government and the more convenient administration of the discipline thereof For being thus disposed the power of the Keys both in Ordination and Jurisdiction might be more easily and prudently turn'd The great Masters of Policy could never yet acquaint us with any more than three kinds of government Monarchy Aristocracy Democracy Monarchy when the supreme power is in one Aristocracy when it is in more but those the noblest the best the wisest the prudentest Democracy when the people have the power and rule which if it be in many of them they call Polyarchy if in a few onely they terme it Oligarchy The two first of these the learned teach us proceeds a jure divino gratiosâ— for our gracious God having all dominion and power in his hands is pleased out of meer grace to impart of it to one or some choice men that they may use his power and rule us for our good But the last they inform us proceeds a jure divinâ— vindicativo from an angry and revengeful God that puts such power in the hand of the many or few to make use of it for our punishment This is the worst of the three and if any man doubt of it let him call to minde the answer that Lycurgus gave to the Lacedemonian that importun'd him for an erection of a Democratical government in that Common-Wealth go saith he Plutarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and do thou make a trial of that kinde of government in thine own family and if thou finde it advantageous to make thy servants Masters in thy family then renew this suit and I will hear it This is absurd in nature in policy In nature any body with two heads is monstrous and in policy a Ship govern'd by two Pilots or an Army sway'd by two Generals with an equal power hath not been reade of to have good successe To apply this to my purpose The Church of God is a society and then it must be govern'd one of these wayes Either by one or by the best oâ— the most If either of the first two wayes then it is a Deo propitio if the last a Deo irato for I could evidently prove to you if I list that Democracy is a consequent of Gods anger Now for the government of the Church there are who strain the pinne too high there are who let it down too low bewixt both lies the medium 1. Those of Rome that they may advance that man of sinne and make him an oecumenical Bishop contend hotly for a Monarchy The Bishop forsooth of Rome must be accounted the sole Monarch of the whole Church and be put into the definition of it so that no Pope no Church But we acknowledge no such Monarchy nor no such Monarch Christ Jesus alone is the sole head of this body as it comprehends the Church Militant and Triumphant Neither are Bellarmines arguments of any validity for Papal Monarchy In a Kingdome saith he is but one King but Christs Church is a Kingdome therefore There be in this syllogisme foure termes for Kingdome in the major is taken for an earthly Kingdome in the minor for a heavenly whence it will not follow that because in an earthly Kingdome there must be but one King or Monarch therefore in Christs heavenly Kâ—ngdome there must be but one also Then besides there is a great disparity betwixt earthly Kingdomes and the Church of Christ For the Church Militant remaining one is spread in many earthly Kingdomes and cannot well be ordered like one particular Kingdome and therefore it follows not though in one particular Kingdome there be many visible Judges and one supreme that in the Universal visible Church there must be one supreme To that his other popular Argument that Monarchical government is the best and therefore that undoubtedly which Christ instituted for his Church 't is sufficient to answer that a Monarchy is the best forme of government in one City or Country but it follows not it is best in respect of the whole world where the parts are so remote and the dispositions of men so various The Courtiers of Rome go too high Arist Ethic. lib. 8. c. 10. 2. On the contrary side all the Combinational Churches fall too low who plead stifly for the peoples
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes Conc. cap. 8. from the beginning upward they had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to old prevailing custome You see I do not exspatiate beyond the bounds of the first three Oecumenical Councils all which confesse that these Metropolitans afterward Patriarchs were no late nor new device first authorized by the Council of Nice but their right and preheminence was even then an ancient usage and Canon of the Church even from the beginning Now if I may take liberty to conjecture I may strongly presume that the fathers of these three Councils had an eye to the constitution extant in the Apostolical Canons The Bishops of every Nation must know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest the first Apost Can. can 35. the Primate and willeth him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as head among the Bishops of that Province who in the Africane Council is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These three were the three first and most ancient of the Patriarchs To whom the fi st Council of Constantinople erected that Bishop into a Patriarch and for the honour of that City being now called Nova Roma gave the Bishop the second place next after old Rome who remains a great Patriarch to this day and thus there became four As for the fifth it was of Jerusalem and it obtained the priviledge of a Patriarchate in the fifth general Council 1. Concil Constantinop can 5. G. Tyrius de bello sacro l. 14. c. 12. Nic. coue can 7 Thus the case stood Jerusalem being destroyed by Vespasian Caesarea was made the Metropolis and so is acknowledged in the Nicene Council and the Bishop Primate even to â—erusalem A great honour they are content should be yielded to the Jerusalem Bishop or Aeliae as he is there called according to the old custome yet manente metropolitanae civitatis propria dignitate meaning Caesarea In the Council of Chalcedon there was a trial past betwixt the Bishop of Antioch and Juvenal Bishop of Jerusalem about jurisdiction in which it was decreed that the Phaenicia's and Arabia should be given to the Patriarch of Antioch and all Palestina Concil Chalced. Act. 7. jure Metropolitico should be under Jerusalem and so Caesaria lost the Metropolitical right and Jerusalem was preferr'd which afterward in the fifth General Council as I said was advanc'd into the first Patriarchate And now if you shall aske me why I have so enlarged my self to discover the rise the antiquity the institution of these Patriarchs it was that you may see how the Church was govern'd at first There was no Monarchy in it no Democracy but an admirable Aristocracy it was like a well marshall'd army indeed it had the Primates after call'd Patriarchs as it were the Generals the Metropolitans as Major General the Bishops as Colonels The Bishops again with their Presbyteries as a Council of warre The Presbyters of the Câ—ty and Countrey as Captaines and under-officers the people as the souldiers under obedience but without command Never tell me this was a corruption for thus it was ab incunabulis Ecclesiae if credit may be given to all Church stories to Acts of Councils to Records to Fathers and thus it was not in one but in all Churches throughout the four quarters of the world And if you shall yet demand upon what ground of Scripture this Hierarchy was taken up Saint Paul shall informe you where he commands Let all things be done decently and in order Calvin being to set down the forme this very forme of government in the Primitive Church in the beginning premiseth these words Calvin instit cap. 8. Sect. 51 52 53 54. Tametsi multos Canones ediderunt illorum temporum Episcopi quibus plus viderentur exprimere quam sacris litterâ—s expressum erat ea tamen cautione totam suam oeconomiam composuerunt ad unicam illam Dei normam ut facilè videas nihil ferè in hac parte habuisse à Dei verbo alienum And again Sect. 54. Quod autem singulae provinciae unum habebant inter Episcopos Archiepiscopum quod item in Synodo Nicaena constituti sunt Patriarchae qui essent ordine dignitate Archiepiscopis superiores id ad disciplinae conservationem pertinebat By this means all inferiour Clergy were better kept in order informed in their duty contentions were composed which to use his words ex aequalitate nascerentur confusion was avoided dissentionum semina tollerentuâ— cum ad unum omnis sollicitude est delata which he hath out of Jerome Hieron ad Evagrium and if antiquity of the institution may satisfie Jerom derives it from the Evangelist Saint Mark. This form of Government the ancients call'd the Church Hierarchy and it is true that Calvin conceives the name improper but then I pray mark how with in four lines he shuts up his discourse Verum si omisso vocabulo rem intuemur reperiemuâ— veteres episcopos non aliam regendae Ecclesiae forman voluisse fingere ab ea quam dominus verbo suo praescripsit and he means that which I have set down Men are much mistaken Calvin Epist ad regem Polon pag. 140 141. edit Genev. an 1576. who conceive Calvin to have been an enemy to this ancient Church-government let them but reade his Epistle that he writes to the King of Poland about the Reformation of the Kingdome and they will tell me another tale for he there sets down to the King the order of the Primitive Church for a patterne where saith he there were Patriarchs and Primates and subordinate Bishops to tye the whole body together with the bond of concord And adviseth the King to establish Bishops in every Province and over them an Arch-Bishop and Primate of that Kingdome Calvin Instit lib. 4. c. 12. artic 6. and if the Popish Bishops were true Bishops he would allow them some authority not as much as they challenge but as much as he thinks would serve for the right governing of the Church Not so much as they challenge good reason for that for this would set up regnum in regno Independent for sooâ—h then they must be of any but the Pope which Princes have no reason to take well but if they shall be content to move within their proper Orbe of Church-government he is not against it Now with Calvin agrees that learned and judicious Zanchy his words are Non improbamus patres quod juxta variam tum verbi dispensandi tum regendae Ecclesiae rationem Zanch. de relig Christ cap. 25. Sect. 10 11. varios quoque ministrorum ordines multiplicarint quando iis liberum fuit sicut nobis quando constat id ab illis factum honestis de causis ad Ordinem ad Decorum ad aedificationem Ecclesia pro eo tempore pertinentibus And thus he begins the next paragraph Novimus enim Deum nostrum Deum esse Ordinis non confusionis Ecclesiam servari Ordine perdi
the Combinational was not in the erection of either because the combinational never was before either What was it precedent to Saint James his Cathedra in Jerusalem I marvail when it should begin His was then set up before the Apostles departed to preach to the whole world and under him it is not possible to conceive the Church could be Combinational Acts 1. 2. Acts 4.41 Acts 4.4 Acts 5.14 Acts 6.1 for upon necessity in that Church at that time there must be more than one Congregation for from 120. to 3120. to these were added 5000. which makes 8120. and yet more multitudes of men and women were added and still the number of disciples were multiplied And out of doubt the increase staid not here God adding to the Church dayly such as should be saved That so many thousands should meet together in any house to performe their Christian duties was impossible they must be divided into several Congregations Had these been Combinational then Saint James had been by the Apostles made Bishop of Jerusalem to little purpose for he could nor must not have taken the over-sight but of one of them the rest had been out of his jurisdiction which I suppose no wise man will ever think since the Apostles no question had the same charity and would have the same care of the rest as of that one and then would have set up as many chaires as there had been Congregations But of such we hear not of this one we do which is a sufficient evidence to me that all the Christians of that City at least if not of all Palestine were under his jurisdiction and subject to his Cathedra Out of which it will necessarily follow That the Cathedral Church was the prime institution not the Combinational and that therefore the Combinational Churches corruption was not the Cathedrals generation but rather the contrary which we have lived to see that the Combinationals generation is the Cathedrals corruption And what I have said in particular of the Church of Jerusalem is as true of all other Churches the Apostles planted and in others planted by their patterne Antioch Corinth Atheus Rome c. for the same reason holds in all these Cities where the multitudes of beleevers grew so numerous one Congregation could not hold them I aske now had the Apostles put case Peter or Paul there present had they jurisdiction over them all or had they not If they had then the Combination and Independency of Churches is at an end in the Primitive Church If they had not I wonder they should stay for divers years in one place having no more to do than to supervise one single Congregation besides that then there must be as many as there were Pastours in those Churches of equal power in their several Churches with the Apostles which he that can beleeve may digest any thing Ephesus was a great City Rev. 2.3 and had in it those who took upon them to say they were Apostles the Angel be it Bishop or Colledge of Presbyters is commended for trying them and finding them lyers if they were not of his own Congregation what had the Angel to do to try them if your Tenet be true he deserves no commendation at all but rather reproof for being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But that they were is more than ever you can prove I am apt to beleeve that if it had been so the Epistle had not been directed to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus but to the Angel of such or such a Congregation in Ephesus Verse 24. And the like may be said of the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatyra Verse 18. the last being reproved for suffering the woman Jezabel calling her self a Prophetesse to teach and seduce For if the Angel had not power over all the Congregations of that City say that this Jezabel had taught in another Combinational Church which is very possible and not in his the answer had been easie Jezabel is out of my reach out of my jurisdiction and therefore you have nothing against me for her misdemeanour This that I have said destroyes clearly the subject of your Proposition the Combinational Church and that being gone what you affirme of it will fall of it self I shall therefore hereafter desire you to lay your foundation deeper before you go about to build or to speak more properly to destroy any thing upon such a groundlesse supposition which you and I have reason to suspect were it onely but for this that all the Churches of the Christian world East West North South for these 1600 years and more have been of another constitution Were it Rome alone I should suspect but when all are otherwise none Combinational no not those who scarce ever heard of Rome and all Cathedral I cannot be perswaded that the love of Christ hath been so cold to his Catholique Church to suffer this Cathedral corruption as you call it so long so universally to over-spread her face It seemes to me contrary to his promise behold I am with you to the end of the world And so I end what I had to say to this Proposition I now come to the next in which you tell us what this corruption was viz. Proposition 2. A presumption to alter and to elevate the places and appellations of the Teacher Pastour Ruler and Deacon into those unscripture-like Titles of Lord-bishop Deane Chancellour Arch-deacon TO this I in the first place shall returne you the words of Zanchy Quid quod in Ecclesis etiam Protestantium non desunt reipsa Episcopi Archiepiscopi Zanchy append de fide Aphorism 11. quos mutatis bonis Gracis nominibus in male Latina convertimus vocant superintendentes generales superintendentes Sed ubi etiam neque illa vetera bona Graeca neque haec nova malè Latina nomina obtinent ibi tamen solent esse aliqui primarii penes quos est authoritas De nominibus ergo fuerit controversia verum eum de rebus convenit quid de nominibus altercamur This first 2. Next to your Distribution I say that perhaps by Teachers and Pastors you may intend two sorts of Ministers in the Church for so I know some distinguish that Pastours in Saint Paul were such as had not onely the office to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments but had also the Church and care of souls committed to them Teachers those who laboured in the Doctrine but received no charge of Sacraments or souls Some make the Teachers to be publike professors of Divinity and Governours of Ecclesiastical Schooles but Pastours to be the Ministers of particular Congregations which I will not deny but it may be true but I shall remember you that four of the Fathers Jerome Austin Chrysostome Theodoret were unacquainted with the nicetie for they thought the Apostle express'd what belong'd to the Pastoral office under two names that the Pastour was to be Doctour to remember he must
and from hence it was borrowed and brought into the Church that the chief of the Capitulum should be called Decan which I think is Arch-Presbyter 3. I come now to your other two dislik'd Appellations Chancellours and Surrogates That the Bishop was at first the chief Judge in his Church I have before proved and then no dought he might appoint his subordinate Officials This being a confessed rule in the Law that when any cause is committed to any man he is also conceived to receive full authority in all matters belonging to that cause When the Emperours became Christian they judged it equal and pious to reserve some causes to be tried in the Christian Court in which they constituted the Bishop to be the Judge These causes were properly called Ecclesiastical such as were Blasphemy Apostacy Heresies Schismes Orders Admissions institution of Clerks Cooks Reports fol. 8. Rites of Matrimony Probates of Wills Divorces and such like To give audience to these the Bishop otherwise imployed could not alway be present and yet there was no reason that for his absence justice should not take its course And in some of these had he been present great skill in Civil Lawes is requisite that they be ended aright This gave occasion to the Bishop to appoint his Chancellour and Surrogate A Chancellour who had his name à Cancellis within which he was to sit a man brought up in the Civil Lawes and therefore fit to decide such causes that did depend upon those Lawes who being at first a meere Lay-man and therefore having no power of Exommunication therefore the Bishop thought fit to adjoyne a Surrogate to him that in case that high censure were to be passed this man being in Orders and therefore invested with power actu primo and by Commission with the Bishops power actu secundo sub Episcopo rogatus being demanded and an Officer under the Bishop Actu primo might pronounce the Sentence This was the original of their names and power Now prudential necessity first instituted them and prudence where Episcopal power is of force continues them If a Superiour shall be pleased to revoke some of these causes which were by him made of Ecclesiastical cognizance and cause the litigants to take their trial at Common or Civil Law Vide the book of Order of Excommunication in Scotl. Hist of Scot Amon 2. pag. 46. then in the Church I confesse there will be no use of the Chancellour And if the rest shall be tried by the Bishop and his Presbytery as they were at first neither will there need much a Surrogate But now if that rule of the Presbytery should prove to be true who do challenge cognisance of all causes whatsoever which are sins directly or by reduction then they have power if not to nullifie yet to give liberty to play all Courts and Judicatories besides their own and must bring in thither Sollicitours Atturneys Counsellours Procters c. which will be as un-Scripture-like names as Chancellours and Surrogates Cinod de off Eccl. Joannes Epis Citri in respon ad cabasil Naz. Testam 4. The fourth Appellation that offends you is the Arch-Deacon who was a very ancient officer in the Church and of great esteeme in the Greek Church Neither was he chosen to that place by the Patriarch but came to it by seniority the name then gave him no power but onely this prerogative to be chief of the Deacons of the Church as if you would say of the eldest standing In the Church of England he was more than a Deacon for he was a Presbyter and his office was to be present at all ordinations to enquire into the life the manners the abilities and sufficiency of him who was to be ordained and either to reject him if he saw occasion or to present him to the Bishop to be ordained to induct into any Benefice that man who was instituted by the Bishop to have the care of the houses of God were kept decent and in good repair lastly to take account of all who had to do with the poors money And this last was it which gave him the name of the chief Deacon Ambr. lib. 1. de off c. 41. Prudentius for when the charity of the Church was great and ample gifts were bestowed to the relief of the poorer Christians the Church stock was ample as appears by Lawrence the Martyr who was Deacon to Sixtus Bishop of Rome martyred under Valerian This being committed to the Deacons care that no fraud might be committed as it hapned too oft in money-matters the Church thought fit to set one of the Deacons over the rest who might call them to account as ours were to do the Church-wardens and Overseers of the poor to whom they gave the name of the Arch-Deacon Now speak impartially what harme was in all this What that may offend you Deacon cannot and Arch should not since you know it signifies no more but chief or prime as in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarch And that you may carry some affection or at least not a loathing to it I pray call to memory that a worthy Martyr of our Church John Philpot adjudged to the fire and burnt in Queen Maryes dayes Fox Martyrol An. 1553. primo Mariae resigned up his soul in the flames being then Arch-Deacon of Winchester And that with him Master Cheiny and Master Elmour that refused to subscribe to the doctrine of Transubstantiation in the Convocation-house were both Arch-Deacons 5. But now I return back again to that Appellation Lord-Bishop at which so many have stumbled and been scandalized that others before you have done it I have reason to attribute to envie an evil eye but in you I shal onely impute it to inconsideration Gen. 24. 1 Kings 18. 2 Kings 2. 2 Kings 4. 2 Kings 8. For you are mighty in the Scriptures and therefore might have known that the Hebrew Adoni or the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Latine Dominus which in the Spanish is Don in the French Sciur in English Sir is onely a name of civility courtesie respect reverence By this Rebecca calls Abrahams servant Drink my Lord. By this Obadiah the Prophet Art thou my Lord Elijah By this the children of the Prophets the inhabitants of Hiericho the Sunamite and Hazael the Prophet Elisha By this Mary the Gardner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord or Sir if thou have taken him hence with this civil respect the Greeks accost Philip John 20.15 John 12.21 1 Pet. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sir we would see Jesus In all which places the word imports onely a courteous and respectful compellation And St. Peter commends the woman that shall with this name endear her husband proposing the example of Sarah that obeyed Abraham and call'd him Lord. To a Bishop double honour respect reverence is due for he is comprised under the name of father in the Commandment and whom we
his deeds i. e. as all Expositors agree by his Apostolical power to proceed against him From the Apostles I descend lower First to the Angels of the Churches who were commended for not bearing with them that were evil and for trying them who said they were Apostles Revel 2.2.6.20 1 Tim. 5.19 20 21 22. Tit. 3.10 but found upon tryal lyars and again blamed when they neglected their duties They were neither worthy of praise nor yet blame-worthy had they not had authority in their hands Timothy is commanded to do the like at Ephesus Titus at Crete Yea but perhaps it may be replyed these directions were not given to Timothy and Titus as single Bishops but as chief of a Presbytery well then the conclusion will hence easily follow that a Bishop with his Presbytery may excommunicate If so then I pray tell me what usurpation it can be for Bishops assembled in a Synod or Council to do the like They being chief cannot want that authority which the Presbytery hath and why then should they not use it From an inferiour to a superiour power the argument follows strongly The Justices may punish such or such a Malefactour much more the Judges but much more the Superiour that empowred them The reason is the same The Bishop with the Presbytery may cast a scandalous person out of the Church therefore much more the Bishops themselves assembled in Councils because among them there is a subordination And what a lesser power may do that a higher may which is empowred to that end Thus have I wrestled with your assertion and foil'd it I come next to grapple with your reason and if that prove to be weak your affirmation will fall of it self You say Proposition 4. That this was contrary to what was practised in the Orthodox pattern Acts 15.24 which was laid down and left as well for the imitation as information of after-ages FIrst I thank you that you grant this Synod to be a pattern for after-ages to imitate and be informed by For first then we have from this a sufficient authority to call Synods and Councils Secondly a pattern to imitate in making Decrees that it be by way of deliberation declaration and decision Act. 15. ver 7. For the acts of this Council which the Presbyters and brethren used were disputative or in genere deliberativo they disputed Saint Peters act was declarative and when there had been much disputing Verse 12. Ver. 19. Peter rose up and said c. and the like was that of Barnabas and Paul But Saint James his act was decisive wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I judge or give sentence Thirdly There ought to be a President in a Council who is to moderate the whole action and to pronounce the sentence Fourthly That the Synodical decrees materially and Ecclesiastically are obligatory Ver. 22.23 Acts 16.4 Acts 21.25 and tye the absent as this did the Churches of Syria Cilicia yea and all the Churches of the Gentiles who had no Commissioners in that Synod as well as those of Jerusalem and Antioch Fifthly that the chief man of a Council is that you say by Scripture-proof to confute soul-subverting positions and to confirme Christian doctrines as it was in this But this was not the sole end for another there was viz. to cast out of the Church Disturbers and Hereticks as I shall by and by make good unto you and so your position of usurpation in Bishops of the rod will not prove true But this you say was contrary to the orthodox pattern how so I pray if a contrariety then it must be opposite and I have never yet heard that subordinate ends come under any species of opposition A man bindes his son Prentice his end is that he learn and be skilful in his profession but yet he hath a farther reach which is that he may get a livelyhood the first he intends lesse principally the last chiefly and can a man say now that these two ends are contrary or thwart one the other when indeed they are but subservient the one to the other and the like is to be said of all intermediate ends For that rule of the Civilians is most true finis principalis non tollit accessorium to apply this the chief end of the Apostolical Synod was to confute false positions and establish the truth suppose now that they had there pronounced an Anathema against those Jewish Christians who would be still zealous for circumcision and the observation of Moses Law after the publication of their decree had this been contrary and opposite to their first and prime intent you cannot say it Neither is it then contrary when a company of Bishops meet in a Synod or Council to illustrate and hold forth the truth and condemn heresies that they passe also a censure upon the Hereticks I can finde no contrariety or opposition in this Yea but you 'll say here 's no pattern for it Neither is it necessary it sufficeth that here is a pattern set to compasse the chief end of all Councils as for the accessories they may be regulated by prudence A Prince calls a Parliament in it there be good Laws established for the peace of his Territories and not one delinquent punished or censured Must this particular Session be such an absolute pattern to all following Parliaments that shall onely make good Laws and never call to question or passe sentence upon any offender I hope you will not say so neither can you say it in this case For I find the Apostles singly as I have proved and out of Council to have done it and therefore I doubt not that if being in Council assembled they had done it it had been no errour Yea but this you 'll say could not be done For it follows Proposition 5. To censure any mans person is the expresse priviledge of the Presbyterial Church 1 Cor. 5.4 5. 2 Thes 3.15 PRiviledges and Prerogatives are tender things and it behoves those who stand for them to produce infallible Records lest it appear their claim be louder than their right A Corporation struggles hard for a priviledge fees a Lawyer to plead their Charter he picks out some weak words in it that may look that way at last the Judge tells him that he hath betrayed his Clients cause for the words in the Charter carry no such meaning The like I must say to you A priviledge you plead for your Corps the Presbyterial Church the evidence you give for it is out of Gods great Charter 1 Cor. 5. 2 Thes 3. Now if you had studied to betray your case you could not I believe have lighted upon two more weake evidences For doth Saint Paul assert a priviledge of the Presbyterial Church in that place of the Corinths where he makes himself the Judge where he passeth censure himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have decreed or judged he asketh not their consents he prayeth not their aid he referreth not
Councils who have been hitherto received with so much veneration by the whole Church of God For in every one of these we finde the Heresies and the Heretiques censured In that of Nice Arius and Arianisme in that of Constantinople Eunomius Arius Macedonius Photinus Apollinarius and their Heresies in that of Ephesus Nestorius and Nestorianisme in that of Chalcedâ—n Dioscorus Eutyches Caranza in his Council and Eutychianisme I verily beleeve these grave Fathers the flower then of the Christian world renowned for piety honoured for learning and integrity would never have ventured to have passed so dreadful a Censure upon any mans person had they not been verily perswaded that from the Word of God they had a sufficient warrant to authorize them unto it I shall shut up this point when I have told you that it seemes to me very unreasonable that a few met together as in a Congregational Church they cannot be many should have a priviledge to do that which the Catholique Church assembled in a general Council should not be able to do or if they did should be noted with the black Character of usurpation or presumption and so much of this I come next to that corruption which you say was brought upon your Combinational or Presbyterial Church by the Parochial Of which your words are these that follow SECT IV. The words of the Letter Mr. Matthews THE first rise of the rottening of the Church was its falling from the pure poor Presbyterial Church which in respect of its primitive constitution was composed made up of living stones namely lively Members and laborious Ministers being fastly and firmly knit unto the Lord Jesus as their only head by faith and one to the other by a fraternal Covenant of fervent love according to the pattern which was proposed prescribed in both Testaments Is 44.5 Jer. 50.5 Ezek. 20.37 Zach. 11.7 10 14. 2 Cor. 8.5 Ephes 2.13 19 22. Col. 2.2 19. 1 Pet. 2.5 into an impure unpolished parochial Church At that time when ceasing to elect or ordain a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon or Diaconesse or Widow in conformity to the heavenly Canon Rom. 12.7 15.4 16.1 compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 and Titus 1.5 6. it was well content to admit and accept of a Parson a Vicar a Warden an Over-seer of the poor and a Mid-wife By which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God within a short time after the dayes of the Apostles Christs spiritual house as well growing and living Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Town or Apostatizing Parish The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus one of them being an Elder of the Church at Smyrna and a disciple of John the Evangelist and the other a Pastour at Lyons and a disciple of that Polycarp as any man may easily perceive that will peruse what is to be observed in Eusebius his Ecclesiastical history lib. 4. c. 14. 15. lib. 5. cap. 23. 24. The Reply That my answer may be the clearer to what you here propose I shall cast your words into this method For first I will consider of 1. The constitution and description you give us here of your Presbyterial Church and the proofs you bring for it out of both Testaments 2. Whether the rottening of this Church was the falling of it from a poor pure Presbyterial Church into an impure unpolish'd Parochial Church 3. Whether your assertion be true that when it ceased to elect or ordain either a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon Deaconesse or Widow in conformity to the Canon Rom. 12.15 16. 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1.5 but admitted of a Parson Vicar c. that then it was corrupted and became an Apostatizing Parish 4. Whether the beginning and breeding of this Apostacy and corruption began in Polycarps and Iraeneus dayes These four points being examined the weaknesse of your aspersion will very evidently appear And first to the first 1. You say That the Presbyterial Church in respect of its Primitive constitution was composed and made up of living stones namely lively members c. NOw here I must put you in minde of an old Proverb Cantherius in porta For you stumble in your first setting out and go about to impose upon me by a fallacy which if you will not grant I shall clearly deny your description for you discourse à dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter I am confident you will not deny but your Presbytyrial Church is a part of Christs Militant Church visible with us on earth And that is compared to a Net in which be good and bad fish to a field in which are wheat and tares to a Barn-floor in which is Corn and Chaffe to a house in which are vessels of honour and dishonour Your visible Presbyterial Church for ought I know then must be like all other Churches have in it professours as well as true beleevers hypocrites as well as sincere worshippers which if you should deny I would ask you whether the Church Acts 2. or any that the Apostles planted were Presbyterial Churches or not If they were not there was never any if they were then there may be hypocrites and profane persons in them For in those we read of Ananias Sapphyra Simon Magus Hymineus Alexander Demas Diotrophes the Nicolaitans and those that said they were Apostles and were not How then was the Primitive Church composed and made up of none but living stones Here then lies the fallacy à dicto secundum quid The Church in respect of the Elect who to us are invisible that belong unto the mystical body of Christ is composed of living stones namely lively members c. and thus much those texts you produce very strongly prove But the Church as it is Militant and visible of which you must speak because you speak of a Presbyterial Church comprehends all sorts in it who though they be true real and univocal parts of the visible body yet they are but aequivocal parts of the mystical and to them your description belongs not To argue then from the part to the whole is a fallacy Some in the Presbyterial Church are living stones therefore the whole Presbyterial Church is in its Primitive constitution composed of these is fallacious We grant that it were earnestly to be wish'd and all lawful means would be diligently used both by Pastour and people to have all the members of a Church most holy and gracious But to say a Church hath no right constitution where all the members are not such is a foule errour For never yet was their any Church of such a constitution not the Domestical under the fathers not the Jewish or National under Moses not the Christian under the Apostles themselves and therefore assume not that to your Presbyterial Church which yet never was in any nor never shall be All Churches as visible
true in your sense yet one example will make no rule again a servant she might be and yet not such as you intend for if you will admit of Ignatius description of those servants and he was near the Apostles age and could best describe them I dare say you will not acknowledge your Deaconesses to be such his words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignat. Ep. ad Antioch But to yield to you all you can ask Aretius gives you a reason why they may be spared You advise that these places be compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 I suppose it should be the 11. And then Expositours will tell you that Saint Paul speaks not all of Deaconesses but of the wives of Deacons and other Church men enjoyning that they be grave Matrons no Slaunderers but sober faithful in all things Your last place Tit. 1.5 6. makes clearly against you for if Titus were left in Crete to ordain then the Combinational Church was not to elect and ordain Pastours Teachers c. Here I can finde no Canon for that Logicians observe that those arguments have little force in them that mutatis mutandis may be returned for they are but like Tennis balls that are banded from hand to hand and serve onely for sport Will you have but patience then while I return your discourse The first rise of rottening the Church being it's falling from a poor pure Apostolical Church which in its primitive constitution was made up of living stones c. was at that time when ceasing to elect and ordain Bishops Presbyters Evangelists Teachers Catechizers in conformity to the heavenly Canon 1 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4. Titus 1.5 6. Ephes 4.11 2 Tim. 4.5 Gal. 6.6 it was well content to admit accept of Approvers Ruling Elders Lecturers Itinerants by which wisdome of the flesh being no better then enmity against God in this last age of the world long after the Apostles dayes Christs spiritual house and growing as well as spiritual Temple was turned and transformed into a carnal and dead Congregation an Apostatizing Combinational Church No question the argument thus returned will displease and yet there is as much strength in this as in the other This may make us both wary how we make use of such Cothurni reasons that as buskins may be drawn on either leg That which in the last place you alledge is 4. The very beginning and breeding of which Parochial Church is seen to have been in the time of Polycarp and Irenaeus WHat 's this I read a Parish Church of that antiquity Parsons Vicars Wardens Over-seers of the poor then What these while Saint John might be for ought we know yet alive For Polycarp you confesse was his Disciple and in it you say true for thus Irenaeus witnesseth Polycarpus non solum ab Apostolis edoctus Iren. lib. 3. c. 3. conversatus cum multis ex eis qui Dominum nostrum viderunt sed etiam ab Apostolis in Asia in eâ quae est Smyrnis Ecclesia constitutus Episcopus This is greater antiquity for a Parish Church in that sense you intend then I or any body else could ever finde before That which deceived you as I am apt to beleeve is the translation by Hanmer who renders the words of the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna unto the Parishes throughout Pontus Euseb l. 4. c. 15. not understanding that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word is often taken and most usually in the eldest of the Greek Writers for regiones suburbicariae the neighbouring habitations before there was any distinction of Parishes Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Laodicea were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in respect of secular jurisdiction so also in Ecclesiastical regiment when then the Smyrneans directed their letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they meant no other then those Churches which were under the Smyrnean jurisdiction But admit it were true in your sense what have you gained by it nay rather what have you not lost for to say your Combinational Church should fail in the Apostles or his Disciples time by the setting up of the Parochial will give such encouragement to the adverse party that they will not doubt to say That was well done which was then done especially when they cannot finde for sixteen hundred years any man that opened his mouth against it And the self-same answer will serve to your other instance of Irenaeus Of these two worthies you affirme that one of them was an Elder of the Church of Smyrna the other Pastour of Lyons And I pray why could you not as well have called them by other names I am sure your Authour Eusebius doth For of the last thus he saith Euseb l. 5. c. 5. that when Pothinus of the age of ninety years had ended his life Irenaeus succeeded him in the Bishoprick He was a Bishop then but if you take Pastour in that sense as it is almost taken in Church Records we agree But yet I must remember you that Lyons was a great City and somewhat more than a Parish as you mean As for Polycarp your Authour tells you that he was President of the Church of Smyrna and so Irenaeus calls him Episcopus ab Apostolis constitutus and under that title Ignatius writes to him Ignat. Epist ad Polycarp and in all probability he is that Angel of the Church of Smyrna to whom that Epistle was written Rev. 2. He was then capable of a higher title then of an ordinary Elder he had indeed in his Church many Elders even a whole Presbytery and therefore Ignatius gives this direction to those of Smyrna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Idem Epist ad Smyrn In this elegant gradation you see he makes a distinction of Laicks Deacons Presbyters and a Bishop and therefore Polycarp was more than a common Presbyter to whom he perswades all the Presbyters to be in subjection And which is yet more which makes clearly against your Combinational Churches for you grant there were Parishes at Smyrna in the close of his Epistle to Polycarp he perswades them to continue in the unity of God and the Bishop his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In which unity had we remained we had not lived to see the Church so rent and overcome with so many Heresies as we behold and lament at this day I come to your third degree of corruption SECT V. The words of the Letter The third degree of the Presbyterial Churches degeneracy was its climbing up to the stile of a Provincial Church whose Pastour was not afrai'd nor asham'd to assume the name and office of an Arch-Bishop and Metropolitane leaving the servile and subservient titles of Prebende Surrogate and Vicar-general as termes good enough to the inferiour Officers his underlings Of which proud and prophane Pest-house that Austin who was sent from Gregory the last of the good Bishops and the first of the bad Popes of Rome is reputed and recorded to have
30. Bede lib. 2 c. 2. Galfr. Monum lib. 11. cap. 12. Godw. page 45. But the answer which the British Bishops gave to Austin being summoned to give him a meeting where by perswasions threats and all manner of means he endeavoured to draw the Britaine Bishops to an entire conformity to the Church of Rome is so clear an evidence that I cannot see how it can be evaded for the answer was short and peremptory that they might not submit themselves to him having an Arch-Bishop of their own c. And in a second meeting being offended with his pride Sir H. Spelman Conc. Britan An. 590. ex Manusc Saxon. Bed lib. 2. c. 2. Bale Cent. 1. fol. 35. Bede lib. 2. c. 2. because he would not rise to them at their coming into the Assembly they gain-said him in every thing for say they si modo nobis assurgere noluit quanto magis si ei subjici ceperimus nos pro nihilo contemnet This repulse occasioned the slaughter of the Monks of Bangor over whom Dinoth was the Caenobiarcha as Bale calls him who as it is supposed was that holy man in Bede that taught them how to discern whether he was sent of God to them or no. For saith he if he be a meek and an humble man it is an evident signe that he bears the yoke of Christ and offers the same to you but if he be stout and proud he is not of God you may be sure and his deportment was such as I said which alienated the Bishops minds and the Monks with them Our adversaries of Rome take it very ill that Austin should be thus accused of pride and cruelty and use all their wits in his excuse They would perswade us he was dead when this Massacre was committed but Bishop Juel hath evidently confuted their allegations and made it appear that in that Warre he was alive Juel defens Apolog quinta pars cap. 1. divisio prima and the instigator of it Had you then set the saddle upon the right horse and fixed those Epithites of proud and profane upon Austin you had some colour for it But to fasten it upon the whole order upon Arch-Bishops and Metropolitans for one mans sake is want of charity of which he was not the founder neither in this Land as I have proved to you Nor Fox nor any English Historians nor Evagrius say any such thing Evagrius could not for nor Gregory was Bishop of Rome nor Austin sent hither when he writ ended his History All that Fox or any other Historian can say is that Austin was the first Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and that shall readily be yielded you now when I hear how you can improve that concession to your advantage you shall receive an answer I could if I pleased anticipate your objections but I will not now do it because I hasten to what follows SECT VI. The words of the Letter THe fourth degree of the Combinational Churches infamous defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church where and whence without controversie arose that Jewish imitation and irregularly Religious observation of five frivolo s and foundationlesse customes and traditions of which the first was of National times as the fifty yearly Festivals or holy working-dayes Cursed-Masse Candle-Masse c. The second was of National places as the Consecrated meeting houses Porches Chancels and Church-yards The third was of National persons as the Universal Preachers Office-Priests Half-Priests or Diocesan Deacons The fourth was of National pious performances as stinted Worship Quiristers singing of Psalmes with all the Rubrique Postures And the fifth was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings tithes and mortuaries all which fruitlesse and fantastical fashions were the illegitimate legal off-spring of National Parliaments in this and in the Neighbor-Nations Witnesse the publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in that behalf The Reply SIr that affection which I have alwayes borne you as a friend and that duty which I owe you as a Christian moves me in plain words to tell you that the indulgence you bear to the Combinational Church hath in this Paragraph transported you beyond the bounds of moderation and truth For to omit your common Sophisme petitio principii which is the foulest in all Logick that there was at first a Combinational Church and that this did precede a National which is as if you should say the parts are before the whole when the contraty in nature hath hitherto been received for truth that omne totum sive universale sive integrale est prius partibus But to omit this you over-load your assertion with many unnecessary Epithets and those sometimes unapt whereas attributes are ornaments and where they are not decently affixed they become our speech no more than a fair gold lace doth a coarse garment or a rich jewel fastned to a straw hat Thirdly the five frivolous customes and traditions you reckon up are no proper accidents of the National Church but were common to the Provincial Cathedral and Parochial and so no distinct notes to know that the National Church was corrupted more than they should I yield them to be corruptions Lastly you say they were brought in by a Jewish imitation which if granted it would not at all help your cause as I will after make appear These are your undertakings in this Section and I shall not need to analyse it as I have done before because you have methodiz'd it to my hand for which I thank you The first thing then I shall prove unto you is that there is such a thing as a National Church and that it was before your Combinational so that it cannot be true which you affirme that the fourth degree of the Combinational Churches defection was its notably naughty enlarging it self into a National Church 1. That there is a National Church and that this was first is consonant to Scripture to reason to experience 1. FIrst it is very consonant to Scripture God after Adams fall made a Covenant with mankinde for salvation The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head The words of the Covenant were obscure and therefore God was pleased to adde light to them Gen. 3.15 Gen. 12.3 Gal. 3.8 in that promise he made to Abraham In thy seed i. e. Christ shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed That this promise was made to the Church is beyond all question and who were this Church but all Nations not to Abrahams seed after the flesh Rom. 4.13 9.8 but to Abrahams seed through the righteousnesse of faith was the promise made not to the Jewes but to the Gentiles also was the promise made and both go here under the name of Nations and what should hinder now but the Church into which both should be gathered should be called a National Church The argument is drawn à Denominatis Natio is Denominaus National denominativum Jewes and Gentiles Denominatum
specialissima whereas it is Locale genus such are other collective words exercitus Keckerm syst in fin c. de gen respubl which kind of genus being but Analogum must have under it species Analogas not such as are true as it is in true Entities but such as have an Analogy with them and fall into a Logical consideration under that similitude Say then that this word Church is totum universale then it must have partes subjectivas under it and so it hath for Ecclesia Britanica Belgica Genevensis Germanica Scotica c. are as it were so many Species where you may finde so many National Churches that do equally participate of the nature of the Genus and under them so many Individuums as there be particular Congregations in any of these Nations Neither doth Amesius Ames Loc. citato Sect. 18. who affirmes the Church to be a Species specialissima give any teason for it but that nullas habet species propriè dictas which is illogical for I told you that it was Genus analogum and will any Logician expect species propriè dictas it is sufficient for such a genus to have species impropriè dictas by comparison and resemblance onely to a true Genus and such the Church hath as I have proved and therefore there may be a National Church Thirdly that which is capable of the definition of the Church may be called a Church But a National Church is capable of the definition of a Church therefore there may be a National Church The major is out of question and needs no proof The minor I make good by setting down and applying the definition of the Church to it Amesius Ames lib. 1. cap. 31. 7. Junius de Ecclesia c. 2. Trelcat lib. 2. cap. de Ecclesia Ecclesia est caetus hominum vocatorum But his definition though it would serve my turn is a little too short Iunius hath more fully expressed it Ecclesia est caetus eorum quos Deus evocat è natura modulo naturali ipsorum per gratiam in dignitatem filiorum Dei ad ipsius gloriam Trelcatius gives us three definitions one after another First to the Church in common which is Ecclesia est caetus eorum quos Deus gratuita vocatione ad gratiae suae gloriae communionem evocat Matth. 11.29 And secondly that belongs to the visible Church Ecclesia visibilis est caetus eorum quos Deus externa vocatione seu praeditatione verbi Sacramentorum administratione evocat ad cultum gloriae suae Mat. 28.17 A third which belongs to the invisible Church which is Ecclesia invisibilis est caetus praedestinatorum qui vocatione efficaci salutari ex statu corruptionis in dignitatem adoptionis filiorum Dei evocantur Christo tanquam capiti adunâ—ntur non ad cultum tantum sed ad fructum gloriae Luke 1.33 All which definitions especially those of Junius and Trelcatius are full and artificial for Ecclesia is by all put in the predicament of relation and all relations are defined mentione subjecti relati correlati fundamenti Keck syst Log. cap. de Definit quod supplet locum causae efficientis Termini vel finis And in these last we meet with all these The relatum is vocans the correlatum is evocati the subject or materiale Men or more largely those who who have a capacity è natura modulo naturali ipsorum to be called which takes in Angels also The Formale or foundation of this Relation is that gracious call that God gives and the end is that they being adopted for his children may communicate in his worship grace and glory Now what one word is there in any one or all these definitions which are not as well applicable to a National Church Deut. 5.22 Exod. 16.1 as a Combinational Is this caetus kahal an Assembly a Gnedah a Congregation that is much more Doth this consist of men There are more in that Have those in this a Call a gracious call given them by God so have the other Are they adopted and brought into the state of sonnes so are they too I have nourished and brought up children Are these called to worship God to be partakers of grace and glory Isa 1.2 â— Cor. 6.18 So are all Nations whom the Lord our God doth call They then who partake fully of the nature and essence of a Church and to whom all the causes that constitute a Church may be attributed of whom the efficient matter forme end are verified without question are a Church but such is the National as I have declared I pray therefore let it have the name I know your exception lies against the formal cause for that gracious call of God will not satisfie you which hath contented all other judicious Divines before you But you assigne another viz. a Church-Covenant fancying that none can be truly members of Christs Church but who have combined and joyned themselves together in this League of Church-fellowship This say you is the chief essential part of a Church and the true formality of it Amesius teacheth us truly that Ecclesia is à Deo instituta If so let it be shewn where God instituted his Church under this condition produce the precept bring forth the command for it or else you shall never perswade me that this Institution is from God Nay I shall yet descend lower Demonstrate to me the practice of it or the patterne for it either in the Apostles age or any age after it till you arose and you shall carry the cause I know that the wisest among you is not able to shew me one example for it in all antiquity We cannot therefore choose but set upon it the character of Ionah's gourd that is filia noctis a daughter of a nights growth it sprung up so lately The farthest the pedegree can reach is either to the Montanists Novatians or Donatists those children of Separation and yet when all 's done it doth but resemble them neither since I read not that they and their parties were ever bandied together by a solemne Covenant They could think themselves a Church and indeed the sole Church without this formality They had their Bishops under whose jurisdiction all the several Congregations of their profession were And therefore I shall again repeat my words that no pattern for this in any age can be found and I adde to it no not among Hereticks and Schismaticks Secondly we shall give a poor accompt of former Churches and Christians if this Covenant-invention should be of such concernment to Christianity when it is not easie nor as I beleeve possible to finde a Church anciently so bound Farther yet this seems to me altogether uselesse and superfluous and that in two respects First it seems uselesse to them who are so bound for these new small bodies are so loosly tyed together by these sorry wit hs of mans invention that they quickly upon humour anger
and heady animosities fall asunder and break into several fractions and subdivisions so that they by reciting a certain forme of words seem to meet as pieces of wood finely glued together which a little spittle or wet dissolves Then again it is uselesse to them who are bound already by a higher and more solemn Covenant for this is as it were to binde a man with wisps of straw that is already bound with chains of gold For every true and conscientious Christian knows and owns himself to have upon his conscience farre more strict and indissoluble ties not onely of nature and creation but of the Law and word of God yea and of Christian Covenant and Profession by his Baptismal vow besides that bond of the other Sacrament that I speak not of his vowes renewed by often promises in his prayers and repentant promises All which binds the consciences of all good Christians to all duties of piety and charity according to the relations wherein they stand to God and man farre more firmly than any external profession in a Church way can do An external I say for so it is and being meerly external it cannot ingredi rei essentiam make any man formally a Church member that which doth this is the call of God and not the profession of man And now having removed this rub out of my way I shall go on to give you a fourth argument for a National Church 4. That to whom the proper essential and inseparable notes of the Church belong is a Church but to a National Church these notes belong therefore a National Church is a Church The major is certain for it is nota proprii the minor I easily prove The essential notes of the Church as Junius hath excellently demonstrated against Bellarmine Jun. de Ecclesia cap. 16. Doctor Field of the Ch. lib. 2. cap. 2. Whites Orthodox cap. 3. Sect. 6. first the entire profession of these supernatural verities which God hath revealed in his Sonne Secondly the use of such holy Ceremonies and Sacraments as he hath instituted and appointed Thirdly an union and connexion of men in this profession and use of these Sacraments under lawful Pastours and guides appointed authorized and sanctified to direct and lead them in the happy wayes of eternal salvation Now do not these belong to a National Church is there not in it a profession of supernatural verities is not the Word of God publickly preached in it are not holy Rites and Sacraments administred according to Christs institution is there not a succession of lawful Guides and Pastours in it as I have elsewhere proved what then can hinder but there should be a National Church Whatsoever you can say against these notes I have so clearly as I conceive proved that I hold it superfluous to adde any more and therefore I come unto my third proof experience 3. Experience is that wisdome and knowledge of any thing that a man hath by the trial of particulars For when upon a sad examination he finds that so many Individuums agree in aliquo tertio he presently concludes that they all partake of the same nature Let us then take a view of several Churches and those most eminent at first and if it appear that those were National we may from hence easily inferre that the constitution of a Church may be National It is in all Church Histories most evident that as soon as the Gospel was first planted it spread from great Cities into the Neighbour Territories and adjacent Countries which Christians so converted though they exercised the acts of Religion in particular Congregations yet still continued in a fraternal subjection and filial submission to that Bishop and Presbytery which resided in the Mother City It is a foule mistake for men to conceive of the Church of Ephesus Smyrna Thyatyra c. of Corinth Antioch Jerusalem Rome c. as confined to that City whereas he who is acquainted with Histories profane and sacred must know that under these Cities were principalities and so the jurisdiction of that Church was extended to all Christians in that Territory Which to deny is to sleight all Records and to preferre his own single imagination before all antiquity Titus was Bishop of Crete an Island Timothy of Ephesus a Province Polycarp of Smyrna a Territory and what is true of these is as true of all the rest whence we may conclude that a Church may be National for if jurisdiction of one Bishop may extend over so great Cities as they were being then the chief of the world why not then to a Province why not to a Nation especially since by this way mutual peace truth and good order is best preserved This consideration caused the first small company of believers multiplyed from a Church in one family to a Church in many Congregations that could not meet together in one place yet as branches to continue still united to the root Christ Jesus and also to the main body and bulk of the Church by union to that part whence they descended and to which they related For reason taught them that they should be weaker and exposed to more danger if they should be disunited and rent from the body and quickly wither as boughs separated from the stock I need not minde you of that old Apologue of Menenius Agrippa that the head and feet quickly starved and windred away when they would not hear of any longer dependence upon the belly He that would be magnified for Simon Magus or magnus Simon the great and wise for his invention of rarities and Paradoxes in any art or science ought to furnish himself not with popular and specious but with solid and sound arguments if he intend to winne prudent and sober men to be of his judgment for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wise men will not be catch't with those sophisms with which it is easie to take the multitude After the flood there were but eight persons in the world they lived together in a family for some time and Noah as a Prince ruled them But they quickly encreased spread multiplyed grew into those Nations that now live and being dispersed over the earth they yet joyned in societies and for their mutual preservation thought it fit to be governed that way that we now behold Suppose now some great and wise Magus should in these words charme and bewitch the people Non sic fuit ab initio in Noahs dayes the ordering of the world was not as we see it now there were then no mighty Monarchs no surly Lords no Judges no Magistrates Who then spoke of National societies or civil confederations Oh 't was a brave world then when the government was domestical a golden age when no man ruled beyond his own doors but every one was a King at home Could we but contrive a way and live to see it so in our dayes 't would be no question a brave world again When Adam dugge and Eve span who was
then a Gentleman The like argument to this is used by those of the Combination At Rome they finde a houseful of Christians at Corinth another handful met together in the house of Cloe. Rom. 16.5 1 Cor. 16.29 1 Cor. 1.11 In Asia there is mention made of single Churches but by the way that these were bourd together by a Church Covenant and a separate and Independent Congregation that had no relation to the Presbytery in those Cities that is not mentioned not a word of that Then there were no National Churches this was afterwards brought in by lordly Prelates Oh if we might but see the Church restored again and all things done according to the pattern in the Mount then it would be a glorious Church Gods people precious people all Kings Priests and Prophets within their own doors You then of the people even the poorest Plow-man and ignorantest Mechanick should recover his right primo questu and be subject to no other Pastours and Elders then were of your own choosing nor to them no longer then pleased you Now is not this kind of arguing very plausible in the peoples ears Oh how they will hugge themselves when they shall finde themselves to become some body Let us say they but joyne our selves in this Combination and then God knows what goodly great things we may come to be we may come to be Pastours to feed we may come to be Elders to rule the flock we may come to be Deacons and carry the bag and if we sail of these our hopes yet however we have voices in the Election of Church Officers and the highest of them all must depend upon us This is that which tickleth the multitude to reduce the Church to the house of Cloe as those Sophists would do the world to the Ark of Noah Now one of these is as absurd as the other as contrary to reason to bring back the Church to particular houses and Combinations as it is all the societies of men to domestical government Shall an example or two which yet comes not home neither be pleaded against a cloud of witnesses to the contrary when we can instance in Presbyteries constituted by the Apostles in chief Cities which were heads of whole Provinces shall we plead that two or three houses were patterns in the Mount This is so childish a fancy so weak and unreasonable an imagination as if they would reduce themselves to their infants Coats now they are grown men or think they are bound to wear a leathern girdle because Saint John Baptist did so To conclude this point we dare appeal to the consciences of any of these bodying Christians whom charity may presume to be godly and judicious Dr. Gauden whether they finde in Scripture or have just cause to think that the blessed Apostles ever constituted such small bodies of Covenanting Churches when there were great numbers and many Congregations of Christians in any City Province or Country so as each one should be thought absolute independent and no way subordinate to another Whether ever the Apostles required of those lesser handfuls those peti-toes and fingers of the body which might and did Convene in Cloes house any such explicite forms and Covenants besides those holy bonds which by beleeving and professing of the faith by Baptisme and Eucharistical communion were upon them Or whether the blessed Apostles would have questioned or denyed them to be true Christians and in a true Church or have separated from them or cast them off as not engrafted in Christ or growing up in him who without any such bodying in small parcels had professed the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in the due use of the Word Sacraments Ministry who endeavoured to lead a holy life themselves and sought by all means which charity order or authority allowed them to represse the contrary in others The wisdome of these first planters of Religion was so great their charity so warme their perswasions to unity so earnest the Character they set upon those who separate so black that it cannot be beleeved that ever they would admit of a rent in that body which was instructed by one head enlived by one spirit formed by one faith and quickned by one and the same hope And if these excellent Christian vertues had continued we had not seen the seam-lesse Coat of our Saviour rent into such small shreds as we behold and lament at this day And so much of this 2. The next thing that in general you charge the National Church withal is that they took up the customes you name by a Jewish imitation COncerning which I have divers things to reply First if we must be accused for this apish imitation of the Jews yet we are not the only Apes since you for this are no lesse guilty than our selves and then you know qui alterum incusat probri ipsum se tueri oportet For do you not imitate the Jewish Sanedrim in your Elderships why is it else that from it most of your party fetch their defence why from it do they borrow their light to expound dic Ecclesiae Again that the Scripture is not to be read except expounded is your common tenet we presse you for a precept for this and none you do nor none you can bring only you produce the example of Ezra the Scribe Nehem. 8.8 that he read the book and gave the sense and upon this example you do it and tell us it is to be done now what is imitation but the following of an example Besides you your self would have all your Elders stand and sit together in the face and full view of the whole Assembly now what command can you finde for this all you can say for it Verse 4. is the pattern in the former place of Ezra and then I hope you will not deny but you in this are to answer for a Jewish imitation also Your letter bears date the 22 day of the eighth moneth which is you know to speak the language of the old Jew Secondly I ask how ever you can make good that in most of the instances which you alledge that the Christians took their pattern from the Jewes after they were formed into a National Church and were put under the Ceremonial Law If in these they imitated any I may as easily say that they took their pattern from the Patriarchs for these before the Ceremonies of the Law were imposed as you can reflect upon the Nation of the Jews For the Patriarchs had their feasts their places whether to bring their offerings Gen. 8.20 13.18 28.22 33.20 Gen. 2.2 Exod. 5.1 They acknowledge a high Priest Gen. 14.18 They paid tyths Gen. 14.20 28.22 Four then of these five frivolous traditions as you call them were in use before the Jews were a setled Nation and to those old and first people of God the Primitive Church might have an eye when they admitted these usages as well as to
2. c. 8. Marc. 1.39 Maimonides in Tebilla cap. 11. Sect. 1. and the Synagogues were like our Parish Churches of which there were in Jerusalem alone 480. and out of Jerusalem many Synagogues in Galilee Matth. 4.23 Synagogues at Damascus Acts 9.2 Synagogues at Salamis Acts 13.5 Synagogues at Antioch Acts 13.14 Yea their tradition is that whersoever ten men of Israel were there ought to be built a Synagogue and in these our Saviour preached The Church of Christ which began at Jerusalem and held that profession which had not the countenance and allowance of publick authority could not exercise some duties of Christian Religion but in private onely What they did as Jews they had accesse to the Temple and Synagogues what as Christians they were forced otherwhere to assemble themselves which at first must need be private Rooms and private houses And as God gave encrease to his Church they both there and abroad sought out not the fittest but the safest places And it was not long but they began to erect Oratories denominating these places from the principal part of Gods service Prayer to which how our Lord himself stood affected we may acknowledge by that where he calls his Church his house of prayer and such an one Tremellius findes Acts 16.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremell in Acts 16.13 And the thirteenth And on the Sabbath day we went out of the City by a River side where prayer was wont to be made the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he reads it ubi conspiciebatur it should be ubi decernebatur domus orationis for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes not for the action but the house it self In qua te quaero Proseucha Juvenal And then if Tremellius version and note be true we have an early Oratory But be it as it will thus much may easily be granted which I have learned from a great Clerk Selden de decimis yet no great friend of the Church that it cannot be conceived how Christianity should be in any Nation if publickly and generally received much ancienter then Churches or some convenient houses or places in the nature of Churches appointed for the exercise of devotion And therefore in the Apostles time places they had to meet in upon the Lords day perchance at first made of private houses publick dedicated by the owners and accepted and set apart by the Apostles for that use In these publick services was solemnized a woman might not speak 1 Cor. 14.35 In these she was not to be uncovered a man not covered 1 Cor. 11. In these the Eucharist was administred Acts 20. In these the collect for the poor gathered 1 Cor. 16. Other houses they had to eat and drink in and a man that could not make that distinction did despise the Church of God 1 Cor. 11.22 And this place was some noted place otherwise Saint Paul could not have said as he doth 1 Cor. 14.23 If therefore the whole Church be come together into one place and all speak with tongues and there come in one that is unlearned or unbelievers will they not say that you are mad Soon after this we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kirks Dominica set apart to Gods service I mentioned three before the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Nitria in Aegypt the Church where Saint John with his Asiatick Bishops kept his Synod That built by Joseph of Arimathea at Glastenbury Theophilus house in Antioch was consecrated into a Church Clem. Recog lib. 10. Dion in Adriano The Centurists confesse Anno 193. that Severus the Emperour allowed the Christians a Church ad pium usum and before him Adrian had done the like I do not say that these were at first sumptuous the poverty of the Church and the envy that thence might be drawn upon Christians would not permit it But at length when it pleased God to raise up Kings and Emperours favouring sincerely the Christian faith that which the Church before either could not or durst not do was with all alacrity performed Basilicae were in all places erected no cost was spared nothing was thought too dear which was that way spent And their bounty this way was to this day spoken of with honour till the Anabaptists first cast in their exceptions against them and you after them shew your displeasure for some certain solemnities usual at the first erection of them At which you aime when you call these Consecrated meeting houses That there may be some Ceremonies blame-worthy in the consecration of them shall be confessed But yet notwithstanding these that they should be the worse for consecration this we deny For what is intended by consecration more then that we make them places of publick resort that we invest God himself with them that we sever them from common uses 1. It behoveth that the place where God is to be served be a publick place For leave but every man alone to serve God in a Parlour and it will never come to be what it was in the Primitive Christians who were all of one heart and one soul Men may conceive as they list but as experience teacheth men will never be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 busily and piously intent about the same thing till they meet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same place Division of places will not be long without division of minds which the ten Tribes were jealous of Josh 22. when they questioned their brethren for building their Altar Deut. 16.16 and God prevented by requiring the presence of all the males at that place three times a year that he should choose For by this meeting in a publick place the instillation of heretical and schismatical positions may be prevented But this is not all the razor of sharper tongues may be dulled who have given deep wounds and gashes to the reputation of the best Christians even then when they were forced to serve in Grots and Cells Tertull. Justin Epiph. Euseb and retired places The setting apart then of publick places hath both these benefits to attend it that it prevents heresies and scandals 2. By this the place is delivered from common hands and a surrender made of that right which the Owner of the ground might claim in it till this Ceremony that being once past the possession is severd from the free hold His own it was and he might have kept it now it is a Deodate Gods house not his his for no other purpose but to serve his God The Work-man might draw the line and plummet upon it and make it a house but it is the assignation of it to Religious duties that makes it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords house Good it were that some difference were put betwixt Gods dwelling place and our houses Now consecration is that which sets the note of difference by it there is a dedication and assignation given and livery and seizen taken And that you be not so
the same song In these passage Revel 15.3 Bright in lec of holy Scripture we have set formes of prayer somewhere commended somewhere commanded somewhere used somewhere reiterated and all inspired by the holy Ghost and therefore certainly the use of them can be no quenching of the holy Spirit whom we finde to enflame our hearts in rehearsal of these sacred formes 3. And in the last place if we look upon the custome of Gods people find we shall that in all places and in all ages they have made use of publique set and sanctified forms of prayer Hâ—gesippus an ancient writer one that was near the Apostles times writes that St. James chosen Bishop of Jerusalem by the Apostles themselves for a forme of service or common prayer compos'd by him for that Church yet extant was call'd Jacobus Liturgus To omit Justin Martyr in whom I find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common prayers and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prescribed prayers in Origen Just Mart. Apol 2. Orig. lib. 6. contr Cels Cypr. in Orat. dominicae Perk. resut of the real presence Fox Mart. fol. 1275. In Cyprian we find the Priest before prayer using this Preface Sâ—rsum corda and the people answering habemus ad Dominum which forme as Perkins confesses was used in all Liturges of the ancient Church This then was no rag of Rome but as Mr. Fox truly saith was borrowed from the Greek not the Latin Church Which is so true that the Centurists confesse that in the blessed Martyr Cyprians dayes without all doubt formulas quasdum precum habuerunt Be pleased to look in the latter end of my Catechisme where you shall finde the old Lyturgies cited to that purpose And as Christianity begun more and more to flourish so were the Fathers of the Church careful that the people should not be destitute of these excellent means to serve God the Bishops for their several Diocesses composing their Liturgies Basil for Cappodocia and those parts Chrysostome for Constantinople and the Greek Church under his jurisdiction Ambrose for Milan Gregory and Isidore for the Westerne Churches all which are extant to this day and out of these and some more ancient attributed to the Apostles themselves all the famous and known Churches of the world have composed their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we among the rest so that it was no vaine brag which Arch-bishop Cranmer made that if he might be admitted to call Peter Martyr and four or five more unto him he would make it appear that the same forme of worship which was set forth in the Book of Common Prayer had continued for substance even then one thousand five hundred years and give me leave to adde this to the honourable burial of it since it must be buried that before it was authorized and published in that beauty we lately saw it it went under the file fifteen times And by what men even by those who many of them sealed the truth of it with their blood in the fire It should seeme about those former times when those Liturgies were first published there were some so wedded to their own fancies that they preferred their own conceptions before the Churches Ordinances and yet they came not to that brain-sick-fancie as to bring into the Church extempore prayers Angry they were not with set formes but displeased because they might not make them And against these two famous Councels have provided Concil Laod. Ca. 18. Can. 159. Concil Mil. c. 12. Caranza legit comprobatae first that of Laodicea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad horam nonam vesperum celebretur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in Africa the Milevitan Councel more expressely Placuit ut preces orationes quae probatae fuerunt in Concilio ab omnibus celebrentur nec aliae omnino dicantur in Ecclesia nisi quae à prudentioribus tractatae vel compositae in Synodo fuerunt sufficiently divised considered or approved by the wiser men and allowed in a Synod and the reason which the Councel addes is most essectual ne forte aliquid contra fidem vel per ignorantiam vel per minus studium sit compositum Which is the very reason that Master Selden one of the last Assembly gives for the Jewish Liturgy from Ezra's time Seldens notes in Eutychium The Jews saith he about the end of the Babylonish Captivity had their ancient manners as well as language so depraved that without a Master they either were not able to pray as they ought or had not confidence to do it And therefore that for the future they might not recede either in the matter of their prayers through corruption or expression through ignorance from that forme of piety commanded by God this remedy was applyed by the men of the great Synagogue Ezra and his one hundred and twenty Colleagues out of which words Doctor Hammond makes this collection Ham. viero of the Direct Sect 15. That one special use and benefit of a set forme is not onely to provide for the ignorance but to be a hedge to the true Religion to keep out all mixtures and corruptions out of a Church To this purpose 't is no newes to tell you that all reformed Churches abroad have some forme of worship or other that Master Knox in Scotland composed a Liturgy for that Church That those zealous brethren who were so earnest for Reformation in Queen Elizabeths dayes Anno 1585. though they complained to the Lord Burleigh against the Church Common Prayer-book yet professed they were not against Liturgy and 't is evident they were not by the composing of two formes one year after another And here I cannot choose but put you in minde of a passage of Master Cartwright which I have seen in a little Manual of his in answer to one that charg'd him as an enemy to set formes To which his reply was that he was so farre from this conceit that if any were pleased to come to Coventry where he then did preach and hear his Lectures they should before and after his Sermons hear the same prayers used by him except that portion of Scripture upon which he insisted gave him occasion to adde some few words I shall shut up this point with the judgement and practice of Master Calvin Calvin epist ad Protect his judgement he hath fully declared in his Epistle to the Protectour then Quod ad formulam precum c. As for formes of Prayers and Ecclesiastical rites I very much approve that it be set or certain From which it may not be lawful for the Pastours in their function to depart that so there may be provision made for the simplicity and unskilfulnesse of some and that the consent of all the Churches among themselves may more certainly appear and lastly also that the extravagant levity of some who affect novelties may be prevented Thus he And his practice is evident The Liturgy by him composed for Geneva being yet extant I
they teach their children to sing Psalms And Augustine is of the same minde It was then no dull and heavy age such as we now live in in which a man shall scarce hear a Psalm in a shop or out of a childs mouth Now it may well be supposed that this they practised alone that they might be the better able to bear their part when they met in the Quire For here I shall make bold to tell you what I know is true by my own experience I have known Artisans by bearing their part at home grow so skilful in Psalmody that when they met in the Church one would bear the Base another the Trebble others the inner parts so skilfully so Harmoniously that I suppose had you been present you would never speak against a Quire more And this custome so prevailed that there was not any in Congregation but according to his voice could bear his part in such time in such tune that these six notes being curiously varied and carried from the ear to the spiritual faculties of the soul were able With rare divisions of a choice device The hearers soul out of his eares entice Du Bartas If I grate your ears too much upon this subject you must pardon me for from my childhood I have born a great affection to this divine art and glory in it that I am able to sing a Psalme or Hymne to the praise of my God in or without a Quire I come to your last exception 5. And the first was of National payments or spiritual profits as offerings Tyths and Mortuaries For the first and last of these I believe you have little knowledge beyond the names For what were offerings but free and voluntary contributions and I hope you will not be against such who would have your Pastours to be maintained by what the people should contribute But it seems in New-England you were quickly weary of this way for charity growing cold a better provision was made not onely by a proportion of Land but by a certain tax of mony which was laid on by the Magistrate Plain dealing pag. 19. both upon the Members of the Congregation upon all the Neighbours though no Members of the Church yea and others are beholding now and then to the general Court to study wayes to enforce the maintenance to the Ministry But this by the way Offerings were used in the Primitive Church and they were of two sorts Acts 24.17 1. Properly Alms for the Church then raised a stock for the relief of the poor Brethren to that purpose were they collected to which Saint Paul adviseth 1 Cor. 16. 2. Or else they were offerings which the Rich contributed for other uses being like the Jewish Therumaths which belonged to the Priests Out of these there was a treasury made and out of these Selden de decimis cap. 2. Sect. 1. Cap. 4. Sect. 1 2. those who first laboured in the Ministry were maintained and a treasury out of these offerings continued in the Church till such time as Ministers were provided by a setled maintenance then these stipes sportulae mensurnae divisiones ceased After I know none imposed by the Church if any were it was custome brought them in and time continued them and what was freely given might be freely taken And yet I could if I list acquaint you with constitutions against them 2. Mortuaries Mortuaries you needed not have named and I believe you would not had you understood the original of them In an old Synod of Ireland it appears that any man might bequeath his body to be buried in what Abby it pleased him In statut Synod Ms. cap. 9. Seld. cap. 9. of tyths and that the Abbot to whose Monastery the bequest was made should have the apparrel of the dead his Horse and his Cow for a Mortuary Abbots with us there are none and Abbies are dissolved and therefore we have nothing to do with this charge 3. Tythes To give you an answer to this charge I shall referre you to those who now receive them and keep such a buzzle about them I hope they are best able to defend their receipts since they grumble so much when they hear of the least news that they should be taken away Had you asked me when I was in possession of them and if you should ask me an accompt if ever I come to enjoy them again you shall see I can prove and will make my title good jure divino without which I suppose they of your party who pretend they may do nothing without an expresse text of Scripture cannot with a quiet conscience grow so pursie and fat with them You should do well to call them to accompt about this point and it will not satisfie us to tell us of publick Acts Statutes and other Ordinances in this behalf for then we shall tell them in your own words that these were faithlesse and fantastical fashions the illegitimatelegal off-springs of National Parliaments in this and in the Neighbour Nations Pray consult with them about it they are of age to answer for themselves I leave them and returne to your Paper SECT VII The words of the Letter THe fifth and highest degree of Church-deformity is the Oecumenical Church otherwise call'd Romane Catholique the which in apprehension of I know not how many Kingdomes is the very best though in the judgment of Christ Jesus it is the very basest because the beastliest and the most blasphemous of all the bastard-Churches constitutions that ever were till now Witnesse what is written Rev. 13.1 3 5 6. whose Pastors and other Presbyters the sin-pardoning Pope Cardinals Abbots and others were owned acknowledged for to be and that by not a few if not by them of the summond Councels yet in several Synods in sundry Countries Insomuch that Churches iniquities were so increas'd over their heads and their trayterous trespasses were so egregiously grown up to heaven as that the long-forbearing Lord could no longer forbear but was put upon it and as it were necessitated for to take vengeance on their inventions as on Aarons golden Calf and Samuels grievous connivency at the evils of his sons spoken of Psal 96.6 8. The Reply My reply to this Paragraph shall be very short since it concerns not us of the Church of England I had thought at first to have said something of an Oecumenical Church which you know we call usually a general Council but since you otherwise interpret your self that by it you mean the Romane Catholick I will not meddle with it For we no lesse then you are against all Papal usurpations Jun. de Eccl. Rom. cap. 17. I shall onely return you the judgment of Junius about this matter Ecclesia Romana quod divina habet omnia à Deo est quod corrupta habet omnia â—ib ipsa est quod diviâ—a habet omnia Ecclesia est quod eadem habet corrupta omnia Ecclesia corrupta est Ecclesia non
which he doth for we obey'd not his voice We have sinned Dan. 9.14 5. 6. and have done wickedly and have rebell'd even by departing from his precepts and from his judgements neither have we hearkened to his servants the Prophets which spake in his Name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land Yea further that I enter no Apologies no not for them I plead for I set my self now before Gods Tribunal not yours I never read those piercing Scriptures 1. Sam. 2. 3. Jer. 23. Ezek. 33. Hos 4. Mal. 2. I never reflect upon the common conversation in the day of our prosperity and behold Hophni and Phinehas with a flesh-hook in their hand ravening for their fees and wallowing in their lust at the door of the Tabernacle but I find we were highly defective in every duty and thence conclude that our sufferings are not the sufferings of pure Martyrs but of grievous transgressours There is no credit lost by giving glory to God And therefore we shall not stick to acknowledge as much as Cajetan did of the Romish prelates when the Army under Charls the fifth 1527. took Rome He was then upon the interpretation of the 5. chapter of St. Matthew Ver. 13. Ye are the Salt of the earth if the salt have lost his savour what is it then good for but to be cast out c. The Army had then entred the City and had offer'd great abuse to the Clergy in it which he presenting in a Christian meditation inserts these words We Prelates of the Church of Rome do at this time find this truth verified on us in a special measure we who were chosen to be the salt of the earth Evanuimus we are become light persons and unsavoury and therefore by the just judgment of God we are cast out and become a spoile and a prey and Captives not to Infidels but Christians Habes jam confitentes reos and yet I see not what advantage you ever shall be able to make of it no more than Romanists They tell us these miseries are fallen upon us because we departed from them you because we oppose your forms for this you intimate Christ of late years to have borne a loud witnesse against every one of those fire afore-mentioned kinds of deformed Churches But both they and you are mistaken assigning Non causam pro causâ For the cause was not because the Church was either Parochial Cathedral Diocesan Provincial National or a true part of the Oecumenical but that which I have said the abominations that were committed by us our formality and coldnesse in Gods service our ill administration of the keys our not profiting and bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance This hath provoked our God to jealousie This hath moved him to remove for ought yet appears our Candlestick This hath caused him to visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children And for this there be yet those that mourne in Zion and melt in the threns of Jeremy câ—ing night and day unto him Joel 2 17. Isa 18. Exod. 34.6 7. saying Spare thy people O Lord and give not thy heritage to reproach wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God And who can tell if the irreversible decree be not past but the merciful Lord will be jealous for his Land and pity his people For he is a merciful and gracious God long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquities transgression and sinne I will not despair when I shall see a sincere national humiliation for this national sinne or sins rather but God will return and have mercy on this National Church He that would have spared Sodome upon Abrahams request could ten righteous men have been found in it will yet I hope spare this Church Jer. 14.20.21 Isa 5.30 Isa 1.25.26 27. in which there be hundreds of tens who pour forth their hearts with Jeremy We acknowledge O Lord our wickednesse and the iniquity of our fathers for we have sinned against thee Do not abhor us for the name sake do not disgrace the throne of thy glory remember break not thy Covenant with us And that though now if one look unto the land behold darknesse and sorrow and the light is darkned in the heavens thereof yet these penitent sighs and groans will be so effectual that God will turn his hand upon us and purely purge away our drosse and take away all our tinn and will restore our Judges as at first and our Councellours as at the beginning and that afterward our Church shall be call'd the City of righteousnesse the faithful City Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her Converts with righteousnesse This was considered before you returned into the land of your Nativity from which I knew not that you were exil'd before but thought you voluntarily departed and shall be consider'd after your return For you appeal to men of conscience and common sense And now also I shall make my appeal to you whether or no it be not a bitter thing to help forward affliction when God is but a little displeased Remember the insultation of Edom and what came of it Men should take small content in being flagellum Dei For Jerusalem shall be a burdensome stone and a cup of trembling to all them that cry down with it Zach. 12.2.3 Isa 10.5.6 7. ver 16.17 Assur was the rod of Gods anger and the staff in his hand was his indignation sent he was against an hypocritical nation and against the people of Gods wrath to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down as the mire in the streets howbeit he means not so neither doth his heart think so but his heart is to destroy and to cut off nations not a few c. Therefore shall the Lord the Lord of hosts send among his fat ones leannesse and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire and the light of Israel shall be for a fire and his holy One for a flame and it shall burn and devour his thornes and his bryars in one day c. Compare this with the 14. Chapter and tell me then what comfort any man can have in being the rod of Gods wrath against his people An office which I must plainly tell you I read not any of Gods servants ever imployed in Howbeit we shall patiently submit unto it and kisse the rod For thou Lord hast ordained him for our destruction and established him for correction even for our correction to purifie us sons of Levi from our drosse and by his hand who punisheth us for our sins to put upon us Confessours Robes by that contrivance both chastening and covering our sins as the Persians used their Nobles beating their cloaths and sparing their persons Though by it qui foris est the out-side be scorch't yet qui intus est the
I shall put you a case Suppose the Jew should be admitted into a Nation and shall fall to their old work of crucifying children to the scorn and disgrace of our Saviour say that a Heathen should be enfranchized and worship the Sunne and the Moon and all the host of heaven yea and make their children passe through the fire to Moloch Be it that one should say he were God another the Devil a third acknowledge not God nor Devil say there arise false Christs and false Prophets one who will blaspheme and say he is the Messias and rejoyceth to hear Hosanna cryed before him If there be no supreme over a National Church I wonder what order could be taken with any of these suffered they must be to go on and blaspheme still for any power you have to restrain them Convent them before your Congregation they appear not Cast them out if they be of your Combination they regard it not The gangrene goes on the blasphemy increaseth and will increase except you admit of one supreme head in a Nation who may have so much power over the body that he may cut off that part from the body which is like to infect and poyson the whole The mischief that may ensue upon a Church by the admission of this your paradox is unconceivable I can never enough admire the wisdome both of God and man who hath appointed a supreme power in all Nations for the suppression of all inconveniences With their Civil power I am not at this time to meddle I shall only insist upon that which is Ecclesiastical and that you may the better go along with me I shall reduce what is to be said to certain heads 1. The first work of the supremacy is to call Assemblies For for men to assemble together without leave of the supreme power and consult of Religion is to make a Rout. In Israel God commands Moses to make two Trumpets Numb 10.12 and to keep them for that end to call the Congregation Moses had no other right but that of the chief Magistrate In that right he received his Trumpets and in that right he had the property of both Aaron verse 10. had the use but the use only never the right May be if we call flesh and blood to counsel it will be thought more convenient that God delivered one Trumpet to one and the other to the other and so have power to call but God saith peremptorily to Moses erunt tibi they shall be and remain in thy hands and so no man hath power to remove the Camp to assemble the Congregation to found to the Celebration of the solemn Feasts but Moses and his Successours By vertue of this power Joshua assembles all the Tribes Levi and all to Sichem Joshua 24. 1 Chr. 15.4 23.2 3 6. 2 Chr. 15. 20.3 24.5 34.29 David calls together the Priests and other Ecclesiastical persons and for what matters for secular nay meer Church-work first when the Ark was to be removed again when the offices of the Temple were to be set in order things meerly pertaining to Religion Asa Jehosaphat Joas Josias gave a solemn call in matters of Religion But the fact of Hezekiah is of all most memorable He gave forth a precept for the Priests and all their brethren to assemble 2 Chr. 29. Verse 12 c. Verse 15. and to what end ad res Jehovae There be fourteen men chief men of the Priests set down there by name that by vertue of that Writ came together they and their brethren all ex praecepto regis ad res Jehovae for matters meerly of the Church Thus it was while there was a King in Israel But after when the Scepter was departed how was it then how when the fulnesse of the Gentiles was come in who then called the Assemblies A time there was after Christ when Kings were Infidels and the Church under persecution As the Jews at Babylon being under pressures they must meet and did as they could and yet divers such meetings in Synods we finde recorded as I have instanced before which for the present were called by their Patriarchs But no sooner did God raise up Constantine to be a nursing father to the Church but he resumed the right of Moses and his Successours lay claim to them at this day the four general Councils the great Nicene against Arrius the second of Constantinople against Macedonius the third of Ephesus against Nestorius the fourth of Calchedon against Eutichus were all called by several Emperours And by the same power all other National and Provincial Synods have been accustomed to be assembled till this our age 2. And the Church being assembled by this Warrant had power to establish Laws for the Discipline of the Church so they be consonant to the Word of God tend to edification decency and order So that if there be no errour of man concerning their determination the determining of them is to be accompted as if it were divine Though then he who is the chief in any State hath not power to determine judicio definitivo what is sound and to be received in the worship of God yet judicio executivo Synod at Cambridge in New Engl. cap. 2. he may and ought when the Church hath determined command the profession thereof in his Territories and from this I do not see that your Synod held at Cambridge doth much dissent Cap. 17. Sect. 7 8 9. I have hitherto opened unto you what the supreme power may do I shall now shew you by what right he may do it which is indeed by all right jure naturae jure divino positivo First they deceive and are deceived who go about to perswade that the supremacy in Church matters is derived unto any superiour by municipal Laws for this is a right with which he is invested by God himself Declared it may be and made known to the world written more at large and expressed more clearly in Acts and Statute Laws Cook de jure reg Ecclesiae pag. 8. but this jurisdiction was from above whence the Fathers of the Law have thus delivered this truth to us that the Act past concerning Ecclesiastical jurisdiction non novam legem introduxit sed antiquam declaravit Ask the Fathers and they shall tell you the grey haires and they shall declare unto you In the Law of nature it can be no question but causes Civil and Ecclesiastical belonged to one man since the King and Priest was united in one man The eldest ordinarily of the Family being chief Magistrate and Priest And after the partition was made yet the chief power remained in the Superiour Such Religion as the Heathen had was yet ordered by the Princes directions which gave Aristotle reason to say Quae ad Deorum cultum pertinent Aris. Pol. lib. 3. cap. 10.11 commissa sunt regibus and again Imperator est Rex Judex rerumque divinarum ei
cura commissa est A Law there was made by Solon that all Assemblies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Solone were unlawful that the highest authority did not cause to meet Among the Heathen Nebuchadnezzar makes a Law Darius a Decree the King of Nineveh sends forth a Proclamation for a Fast for a Religious service which certainly they had never done had it not been received that they were empowred And among the Romans there was no sooner an Emperour but he took upon him potestatem pontificiam In the Acts we read that the City of the Ephesians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Mr. Selden teacheth us was an Office to take care of the whole worship and Temple of Diana Seld. not in Marmor Arundel Now this could not be done by any warrant from Scripture evident therefore it is that even by the light of nature seen it was that the supreme power is invested with anthority in Religious duties Care they ought to take that God be served as well as the people governed since they have been hitherto taken to be Custodes utriusque Tabulae 2. Thus it was while reason bare the sway But now let us look into the Scripture How is it written in the Law how read you There it was ordained that the King should have a book of the Law written by the Priests and the end was Deut. 17.18 19 20. that he might fear the Lord and keep it And in this Law there be many precepts that concern him as a man many as a Prince for as Austin Rex servit Deo aliter qua homo aliter qua Rex as a man by a holy Conversation as a Prince by making and executing holy constitutions Austin Ep. 50. As he is the Superiour he is there made the Guardian of Gods Law and the whole Law is committed to his charge By vertue of which Commission when the Kingdome and Priesthood were divided Moses the Civil Magistrate made use of his power over Aaron and reproved him for the golden Calf Joshua a Prince no Priest by the same authority circumcised the sonnes of Israel erected an Altar of stone caused the people to put away their strange gods and renewed the Covenant betwixt God and the people And what other Kings did you have heard before These Acts of these famous Kings performed in Ecclesiastical causes shews clearly what power Kings had under Moses Law And one thing more let me put you in mind of that when there was no King in Israel that was a supreme power for it was no more every man did that which was good in his own eyes and that good was extream bad as the story shews 3. Yea but it may be said that thus it was while the Judicials of Moses were in force but why so now Now the Superiours authority is confined to Civil Lawes Now the Kingdome is Christs and he must rule Indeed could we finde in the Gospel any restriction or rather revocation of what power had formerly belonged to Superiours this plea were considerable but since the rule is true that Evangelium non tollit precepta naturae legis sed perficit The Commission once granted to the Superiour by nature and the Moral Law must be good And be it that the Kingdome is Christs and all power in his hands yet this will be no impediment to what I contend for neither That Christ wants no Vicar on earth but as head of his Church doth govern it is a truth beyond exception But this is to be understood of the spiritual internal government not of that which is external because he must be serv'd with the body as well as with the Spirit in an outward forme of worship as well as an inward therefore he hath left superiours to look to that Their power extends not their accompt shall not be given for what is done within for they cannot see nor cannot judge what is done in that dark cell they have nothing to do with the secret affections of the heart with the sacred gifts of the Spirit with the stedfast trust of future things They are only to moderate and direct the outward actions of godlinesse and honesty and what may externally advance Christs Kingdome So that the question is not here of the internal and properly Spiritual but of the external government order and discipline of the Church which when the supreme power administers as it ought it sets up and no way pulls down the Kingdome of Christ These two are then well enough compatible that the Kingdome is Christs and yet the Superiour way make use of his power in Christs Kingdome A Prophesie there was that under the Gospel Kings should be nursing fathers and Queens nursing mothers to the Church Isa 49.23 Nourishment then they must give that ordain'd for babes that for men the Word and Sacraments they cannot give no more then Uzziah could burn incense or Saul burn Sacrifice no nor yet ordain any to do it The sustenance then which Christians are to receive from them must be that of external discipline and government Those that gave such food were call'd nursing fathers those that denyed it tyrants and persecutors without the favour and execution of this duty Christian Religion had never been so highly advanc'd and therefore the Apostle ordains that Christians pray for those in authority that we may live a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse 1 Tim. 2. and honesty Godlinesse comprehends all duties of the first Table Honesty all duties of the second and where those who are in authority are careful both will be observed both shall be preserved because they know they have a charge of both Thus you see reason Law and Gospel have given a supremacy to those in power non solum in ijs quae pertinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam in ijs quae attinent ad religionem divinam I have enlarg'd my self on this subject beyond my intention least you should split upon that dangerous rock of Jesuitisme while out of a dislike of the British King you make him a violent head of the National Church for what you say of him is as true of all others and what is denyed of him is denyed of all others in that their claim and right is all alike and in case it be not just their violence and usurpation is all alike which to affirm is perfect Jesuitisme And wheresoever this doctrin is turn'd into practice it sets up regnum in regno and if it should be brought into this Common-wealth would reduce again what Henry the eight cast out though under another notion for every Eldership of a Combinational Church would be perfect Papacy absolute independent answerable to none to be guided by none in Church matters punishable by none but themselves to which if you will give a right name it is meere Popish power This is it which Superiours have wisely disclaimed and not admitted themselves like children to be
and therefore I hope when you write next you will shew more Christian love To conclude the Corporation of which the British King was head was as I have prov'd both Canonical as adhering to the Canon of the Scriptures and Spiritual as endow'd with the Gifts and Graces of the Spirit and so your reason hath no reason at all in it Well if this will not do it a second shall which is 2. Partly because of the said National Corporations inconsistence with the Scripture precepts Mat. 18.17 1 Cor. 14.23 which doth require its ordinary congregating in one place The words of the Letter A Wonderful demonstration ' The Church must be gather'd together in one place to the service of God as that place of the Corinths proves and must be assembled to exercise discipline as in that of Matthew therefore there may be no national Church therefore no head or governour in that Church Baculus in angulo 'T is as if you should argue thus such or such a County must meet together to elect a Burgesse to the Parliament or to see justice done at a Quarter Sessions or at an Assize therefore it is inconsistent that there should be a head over the Nation whereof they are parts Who sees not the absurdity of such an argument But now in particular to these places The first is Matth. 18. vers 17. And if he shall neglect to hear thee tell it to the Church which is so difficult that St. Austin saith of it dicant qui possunt si tamen probare possunt quae dicunt ego me ignorare profiteor And the reason is because the word Ecclesia is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a term of divers acceptions and from terms aequivocal nothing can be concluded till distinction be made But this I must tell you by the way that no man by Ecclesia understood the Combinational Church til you arose and therefore you can never conclude out of this place that a head of a National Church is inconsistent with Christs precept For the Pope Presbyter Praelate all acknowledge a National Church and a head of a National Church and yet never thought that they did transgresse Christs precept Your proof therefore cannot stand secure til you have everted the claim of every one of these no more then til he who pretends a right to a piece of Land which is in other mens possessions hath shew'd his own title to be only good and all the rest of no force Be not so hasty then with your inference for there 's not one of these who will not say you are an intruder It would fill a book to tell you what is written and what I have read upon this place Whether by the Church you are to understand a civil or an Ecclesiastical consistory or whether a mixt because our Saviour alludes out of question to the Jewish Sanedrim Beza Annot. in locum Rutherf cap. 8. Then whether by the Church again you are to understand the whole Congregation or the chief in that Congregation the Elders say the Presbyters only you as by Rutherfords disputes against you I guesse the whole body of believers or as the Prelates contend those to whom Christ gave the Keys meaning the Apostles and their successours Yet farther whether the wrong to be here tryed by the Church be only that which is private because of those words If thy brother trespasse against thee Lastly whether our Saviour speaks here of any Church censure at all because our Saviour saith not let him be excommunicate but sit tibi Let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican Among many interpretations of these words I shall propose one which I preferre above the rest as that which to me carrieth the fairest evidence with it The Jews were at this time conquered by the Romans under their power and judicatory yet they left unto the Jews so much power as to judge betwixt man and man according to the Law of Moses reserving strangers and Publicans to be tryed in the Romane Court. This being the state of the Jews when our Saviour spoke these words in private quarrels and actions Christ proposeth three degrees of proceeding The first by the Rule of charity If thy brother trespasse against thee tell him privately of the wrong offered thee betwixt thee and him alone and if this prevail not in charity go one step further call two or three Witnesses and rebuke him before them manifest the wrong if he hear thee thou hast wonne thy brother there ought to be an end of the debate This is the first direction 2. But say he be yet refractory then thou mayst proceed further even by the order of Moses Law then convent him before the Mosaical Magistrate the Triumvirate the 23. or the great Sanedrim the 71. Dic Ecclesiae 3. But if he will not hear them to which he is bound by Moses Law then take help from the Romane Soveraignty Let him be unto thee as a Heathen or Publican esteeme him for a brother Jew no longer but proceed against him in that Court where Heathens and Publicans were to take their trial This is the natural and genuine Exposition of these words the precept belongs to the state of the Jews at that time and cannot be applyed to the Christian Church except by the way of Accommadation For it is clear that the case Saint Peter put was of private wrong Master how often shall my brother sinne against me and I forgive him and the case is put of a private wrong if thy brother shall trespasse against thee c. Whereas those cases in which the Church ought to proceed must be notorious and scandalous in which it is not necessary that the two admonitions precede either that private or the other under Witnesses neither after sentence past by the Church is the man to be accompted in the state of a Heathen or Publican for Christ and his Church did never refuse to converse with either So that it as not proper to understand these words of the Christian Church which then was not That yet they may be referred thither I gain-say not but then that which will be collected from hence can be no more but this that in the Church of Christ there must be a Court erected And so there alwayes hath been that it be Combinational onely there is not any man who looks upon this place with an unpartial eye can ever say that in this place there is a precept for it He may with more reason conclude the contrary because the Church concerning whom the precept was given Dic Ecclesiae was the Jewish Church which is confessed at that time to have been National not Combinational In this place then you missed your mark As for the other That to 1 Cor. 14.23 I wonder what you can pick out of it for a Combinational Church much lesse a precept for it The words are If therefore the whole Church be gathred together in one place
time being not taken as it is now with us strictly for one determinate Town as London Bristol c. but for a whole people which enjoyed the priviledges and immunities of that republick as in A hens Lacedaemon Corinth c. and is now at Florence Venice and divers other places A holy Temple you say it is and what of that must it therefore be of necessity a Combinational Church this would shrink your Combination to a small number nay to principium numeri to one alone if you presse the Metaphor too far for St. Paul asks every Christian Know you not that ye are the Temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you If any man defile the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3.16.17 2 Cor. 6 16. him shall God destroy for the Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are You see then out of this Metaphor you cannot conclude a Combination Yea and much lesse out of that which followeth a spiritual house For the house of God is taken for the whole Church nay a National Church Moses was faithful in all his house Heb. 3.2.5 and that I am sure was a National Church Again judgement shall begin at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 what shall judgement the judgment of afflictions begin at the Combinational Church only I have hitherto thought it the cup of which all that are of Christs houshold must taste for datum est vobis pati for our Saviours words must be verified Philip. 1.23 Joh. 16.33 In the world you shall have tribulation And to return to this very house of which the Apostle speaks that of the Ephesians over which Timothy was appointed the Bishop St. Paul writes his Epistles to him that in case he tarry long he might know how to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of the living God which is the ground and pillar of the Truth St. Paul calls the Church indefinitely without addition 1 Tim. 3.15 either of National or Combinational the house of God and who can conceive that the Combinational as put case that of Swansea Ilston c. should be the pillar to hold out or the foundation to support the Truth This is somewhat worse then those of Rome who plead these words for their Church with more colour with more reason and yet we believe them not because they are but a particular Church and why then should we believe you Observe farther the absurdity that would follow upon your collection The Church of God is a house therefore it must be a Combinational Church Possibly it may fall out that a house may consist of two persons only Tota domus duo sunt an old man and an old woman and thus much you confesse when you bring your proof for it when two or three are gather'd together Now say that one of these two trespasse against his brother what will become of Dic Ecclesiae to whom shall the Plaintiff complain where be the witnesses he shall bring with him who shall be judge Do not then use to presse Metaphors too far for they will bring you into inextricable difficulties I shall therefore put you in mind of an old rule Kecker 1. Syst log part 1. c. 4. Similitudo seu parobola adaequetur principali scopo intentioni declarantis atque extra eam non extendatur To which had you had a regard you would never have brought these comparisons of a City a Temple a house to prove your Combinational Church Similitudes do very well in a Pulpit they are of excellent use to illustrate to amplifie a doctrin but they are of little use in the Schools because they prove nothing that is not true without them The position must be true in proper and plain words before it can have any truth at all in the improper and Tropical As for example it must be true that the Minister was not to be debarr'd of his just allowance and maintenance before St. Paul could prove it by that text out of Moses thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the Co n. And so you must prove there is a Combinational Church before you produce these allusions to prove it Then indeed I shall give you leave to illustrate your position by them and descant as you please by these excellent Metaphors upon them but not till then For nulla Theologia symbolica est argumentativa and the reason is Chrys in Mat. hom 65. because omne simile est etiam dissimile Whence saith Chrysostome excellently In parabolis non oportet miniâ in singulis verbis curá angi sed cum quid per parabolam Dominus intendat dicimus inde utilitate sumptâ nihil ulterius anxiis cogitationibus investigandum And so as I have shew'd out of your Metaphors is nothing prov'd SECT III. The words of the Letter Of the Provincial Church and its haughty head the Arch-bishop THirdly did not Christs own mouth marvellously condemn the prevailing corruptions of the Provincial Church whereof the chief Prelate or Arch-bishop was the haughty and horrible head which was therefore so much the more absurd and bold head because of its base and blasphemous blindnesse in daring to take up and ascribe to its self such a stile and title as is not communicable to any creature but is proper and peculiar to Christs own sacred person being that besides himself none can be safely said to be an Arch-bishop or chief Shepherd if one of the Eminenst of the Apostles may be believed whose words imply no lesse 1 Pet. 5.4 When the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive an incorruptible crown of glory Who was that Church Minister what was his name or where did he dwell who came once into a capacity to be accounted such a Superlative Counsellour or Comforter as was indued either with ability or authority as to confer a spiritual Crown on any one of the sincere Elders of a Church of Saints which is such a matter as a dying sonne of man should not dare to have much lesse to make any mention of without some measure of amazement in his very soul The Reply Two of your heads I have considered already and now out of your own shop you present me with three more for I never heard any one of them call'd heads before And the first of these is the Arch-bishop about whom you are pleased to open your purse and very liberally to bestow your benevolence presenting him unto me for a haughty a horrible an absurd and a bold head He is haughty that is puff'd up with pride horrible that a man cannot without some amazement approach absurd that acts against reason bold that will attempt any thing I will not deny that it is possible to meet with such an Arch-bishop but then blame the man fly not upon the Office Only before you be over hasty to do it look at home And perhaps you may find that true which hath been
pains for what to deliver but must rely upon that ill applyed promise It shall be given you in that 〈◊〉 Which yet no man but he that hath an addle head will trust too and so your itinerants may be idle and addle heads also Nobis non licet esse tam disertis Most of our Bishops were laborious wise discreet men if all were not so let not the whole order be branded with that black coal of reproach for somes sake I know you would be loth to have the same measure meated out to you 4. But you have reason for what you say and then very good reason you should be heard Reason the strongest that may be given even out of our Saviours mouth and his Apostle Saint Peter There must be no lordly Diocesan so say I to that is no domineering and tyrannical Superiour in the Church and yet they may be called Lords for all that neither are these words of Christ or Peter any prohibition against it as I have shewed you before when I gave you the true intent of those Scriptures whether for the meaning I now refer you And yet one thing more I shall be bound to tell you that if you look heedfully into the Text the word Lord is not in the Original for thus the words are they that bear rule are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefactours or Ptolomy in Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but with you it shall not be so The simple then may be deluded by you but the Learned know 't is a glosse besides the Text your illation no translation of the words There is no more prohibition for being called Lord then for Rabbi or Master or Doctor Mat. 23. v. 9.10 or father as is evident in the Gospel and may not then a man be called Master or father Let an answer be thought upon for these appellations and it will serve for the other without any sensible errour Lord and servant are opposite terms and not Lord and sonnes or brethren now the flock are no servants but brethren and the Pastours no Lords over Gods inheritance but fathers to the faithful what marvail therefore if Christ prohibited a Lordly authority to his Apostles since they were to entreat them kindly as fathers do their children as one brother should do to his brother and not think to command and compell them as their Vassals for this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Saint Peter forbids Such an usurpation tyranny domineering as this would have made your words good and testifyed them to have been lofty Lords and Lordlesse Out-Laws to have been illegal and irregular livers which I shall not yield you true of that Diocesan you speak much lesse that because they were called Lords that this was the cause that their unhallowed dwellings were destined and appointed for hedg-hogs to house and harbour in yea for Iim and Ohim to dance in and for Owls and Vultures to dung on had there been no greater transgression then this I beleeve they might have kept their dwellings still But what now are those that house and harbour in their dwellings become hedg-hogs and hob-goblings and Satyrs good words I pray lest this prove scandalum magnatum should I say so much I fear I should have swords about my ears for consider who they be that have taken possession and dwell in these houses They be Saints I hope not Devils the meek that are to possesse the earth and not prickly hedg-hogs the chast no wanton Satyrs and they 'l have a care no doubt to keep their houses clean so that no Vulture nor Owle shall dare to a light and dung there for they have power enough to drive them away Or if by these houses you mean the Cathedrals themselves pray consider again who hath the use of them who preach in them and are these also hedg-hogs and foul spirits unclean Satyrs Vultures and Owls do these defile these places with their dung should they do so 't were your grief that no man dare drive them away What Phineas birds suffered to defile Gods Temple Deus meliora Yea but so it must be for so it was prophesied of old how could that terrible threat be performed and fulfilled at length it came to this witness the Prophet Isa 13.19 c. For so much you shall evidently confesse if you look but on the first verse of that Chapter where you shall read onus Babylonis The burden of Babylon which Isaiah the sonne of Amos did see and this Prophesie was never fulfilled till England became Babel And so much again if you read but this 19. And Babylon the glory of Kingdomes the beauty of the Caldees excellency shall be as when God overthrew Sodome and Gomorrah Your luck is very ill in alledging of Scripture this I am certain which makes so little to your purpose Had you inferred from hence let Tyrants beware how they oppose the people of God as the Babylonians did the Israelites before they were overthrown by the Medes let them take heed that they commit not Idolatry and serve not Devils in their Temples as did the Caldeans upon whom the words you alledge were fulfilled then you had hit the Prophets meaning for what he foretold came so to passe but to tell us that thus it should be done to our Cathedrals that this terrible threat might be performed and fulfilled at length and that this was prophesied of old and to call the Prophet Isaiah for a witnesse it must be so is to take Gods Name in vain no lesse then if you should take a vain or a false oath I am loth to say it but your impertinent allegation hath forced it from me The words of the Letter FIfthly and finally was it not Christs own foot that hath kick't at and cast contempt and that not a little upon those ill-favoured and condemned Churches which are yet standing in many Countries though they are remarkably reeling and ready to fall I' st no! Christs own voice that is at this time and in most places audibly pleading his own cause against the Parochial Church whereof the preaching Parson being it must not be denyed that many of the Parish Parsons are no preaching Parsons witnesse all the oppressing Impropiators is openly seen to stand upon his Tryal as the odde and the eldest evil head And though this head be the last head and did the least hurt of all the other heads yet the Almighty Lord hath as yet lift up his hand against him yet at this time 't is his turn to lye down under the lash and like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea by taking shame and confusion of face unto himself to receive whatsoever sharp correction shall as a cordial of love be administred unto him for the preventing of the spuing his name out of Christs mouth as is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 Therefore the whole half-blind political body of the Parish Church doth openly appear to be
the Parish Parson being turned out of dores all the ill-favourednesse and unholinesse went out with him 3. Against this poor Parson you are very bitter arraigned he must be brought to the Bar to take his trial And him you endite for luke-warmnesse like he is to the Angel of Laodicea not hot nor cold and therefore condemned he is to lye under the lash and take his correction kindly 'T is manifest indeed that all luke-warme hypocritical Professours shall be spued out of Christs mouth for vomitum faciunt Deo To him they are as luke-warme water to the stomach that procures a vomit and if so 't is good counsel you give him or any other in his case to receive what ever correction shall be as a cordial of love administred unto him for preventing of what may follow But here I must put you to it to prove your enditement the punishment he is under will never do it careat successibus opto Quisquis ab eventu facta notanda putet This will prove him culpable and guilty and so I admit he was but whether he were hot or cold an hypocrite or otherwise is more than you can ever know For zeal and sincerity in Religion are qualities that lye very much inward and he that is cold in it may seem to be very zealous as did Jehu and he whose heart is not upright may pretend to be very sincere as did the Pharisees Now how can you passe your judgment in such a case And it seems you cannot for you confesse there may be hypocrites luke-warme men even in your Combinational Churches which if you knew you would cast out from among you and so would we do spue them out after Gods example Forbear therefore hereafter these harsh and uncharitable censures especially against a whole order of men For they must â—and and fall to their own Master Were they ignorant and scandalous so were these But now I remember it this is no signe of luke-warmnesse in the Parish Parson since they who were truly ignorant and scandal â— were for the most part kept in and those who were knowing and blamelesse were cast out 1. But now I pray tell me in what sense it is that you accuse them is it for being Parsons or for preaching or for preaching Parsons Take it in what qualification you will beware upon whom this blow will light and what a company of precious ones you will presently endite to be like the luke-warme Angel of Laodicea For how many of your Preachers are now become Parsons you know they have the fattest Benefices of this whole Country If plurality were an argument of the Parish Parsons luke-warmnesse it is theirs If non-residence an argument they are guilty of it If handling the flesh-hook too much none more guilty If neglect of Catechizing they cannot be excused If frequent preaching they exceed If forbearance of Sacramental administrations this by them is seldome done That I say not that in life and example they are no whit better In Gods name therefore since in luke-warmnesse they are so like the old odde head the Parish Parson let them lye down under the lash with him and with shame and confusion of face to themselves receive a sharp correction that they may prevent the spuing of their names out of Christs mouth as it is manifest by what is foretold Revel 3.19 One thing onely I may not forget that whereas the old odde head you mention did least harme this last Parish Parson you have imposed upon us does all the mischief 4. In your conclusion yet God be thanked you shew more charity to the Parish than to the Parson of it you say that the whole half-blind political body doth yet appear not to be utterly uncurable You do so load your sentences with strong words that they passe my capacity I know not what to make of this political body of a Parish for I never understood they were under any other policy then that of the Common-wealth or Church in which they lived nor that they were any Corporation at all I profess I understand not what you mean if you intend any thing besides this But whatsoever you intend by it this I finde that you affirme the whole was half-blind they have not yet then lost their sight altogether that little light they have may in good time make them see how they have been deluded and so free them from all the fallacies that have been put upon them which when it happens both you and I are in hope of their cure But that you say must not be expected so long as they remain in their present condition For in respect of its present posture and numerous abominations it is altogether unapprovable and I say the same too and upon the very self same ground because it rejects the Commandments of God that it may observe the traditions of men For what is the whole constitution of your Church but the tradition of men what 's your plea all this while but a tradition of men That a company collected under a Covenant without either Pastours or Elders is a true Church is a tradition of men That they may create elect ordain their Pastours and Elders is another tradition of men That the power of the Keys subjectively and authoritatively to invest and devest is in them is a third tradition of men That there must be Lay-Presbyters which must be Ruling Elders in the Church is a fourth tradition of men That the erection of the Cathedral Parochial Provincial National Church was the corruption of the Combinational is another tradition of men That the Supreme power in any Nation is a violent head the Arch-Bishop a haughty horrible head the Diocesan an idle and addle head the Parish Parson an odde head is another of your traditions That there may be no set forms of prayer used in the Church no singing of Psalms in mixt Congregations That the Scripture may not be read in the Church except expounded That those Rites which you call but falsly Romish and Humane may not be used in the Church That Godfathers and Godmothers may not be used in Baptisme nor the children of those who are out of your Combinational Church baptized That those whom you usually call profane ignorant scandalous persons may not be admitted to the Sacrament That there must be an upper seat erected for the Elders to sit in their ranks as Aldermen upon the Bench in the Church That there must be Tables set up for the maintenance of the Ruling Elders All these are the traditions of men and doctrines of men and therefore I give this counsel to the whole half-blinde political body of the Parishes where you have prevailed most that while they are curable they tender their health and to beware of the Scribes and Pharisees who in vain worship God teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men and to beware lest any man spoile them through Philosophy or vain deceit through the tradition of men
Sacrament For this act was a right significant to the communicants of their table-honour and fellowship with Christ also that the Minister at the Celebration must be uncovered and that in signe of his service to the Communicants as the Lords much honoured children sitting covered when they eat of their fathers meat This irreverence with the reason of it if you disclaim as I hope you do it lyes upon you to shew me a reason why a man may be irreverent at any other part of Gods worship which I interpret the covering of the head out of contempt and obstinacy to be which guilt you may unadvisedly draw upon your self when you impute to us in a scoffe bare-heads 2. These you say should be utterly rejected from being my spiritual Over-seers again What will you cast us aside with the shavelings of Rome not rejected but utterly rejected rejected for a poor Ceremony that we were bare-headed in Gods service never to be made spiritual Over-seers again meerly for this This were a very harsh sentence but you lenifie it with two exceptions that of inward and an outward calling 3. Afore they were inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifying and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience This your qualification is exceedingly to be desired O how happy were the Church if all the Overseers were quickned by that Spirit which would effectually work in them a crucifying of sinne and a new life that their conscience were cleansed by the blood of Christ and a pure faith that her Nazarites were purer than snow whiter than milke that they were more ruddy in body than rubies and that their polishing was as saphire But this is rather to be wished than hoped for while this world stands Saul will be among the Prophets and Judas among the Disciples So then you have here put an impossible talk upon your self and all others to be assured of an Over-seer before you receive him that he is inwardly qualified by Christs sinne-crucifi d and soul-quickning Spirit in a cleansed conscience For this requires a great deal of more ability in the Rulers of the Church than ever can be found in any mortal man For not to speak of the impossibility of a grounded and certain perswasion of true grace in the heart of an hypocrite who hath no grace at all how is it possible to attain to any grounded certainty of true grace in the heart of another man conjectures we may make and in charity judge it is so but this is no evidence of assurance For the hid man of the heart and the new name are not certainly known to any man but he that hath them You must then abate very much of this proposition before any wise man will be of your judgment And if men must not be admitted for Over-seers till you know them to be thus inwardly qualifyed nor you nor we shall ever admit any Over-seers Gifts I graunt they all ought to have before they be admitted into that order but such as men may judge of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abilities in learning outward evidences of grace witnessed by a holy life but whether they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratias gratum facientes that must be left to the searcher of all hearts To us a Bristol stone may glister like a Diamond and till we know the contrary it were folly to reject it 4. And also outwardly and ord rly called by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church This is your second restriction by which you would reject the Parish Over-seers as you call them the old Ministers But now see how farre it will take hold of those among your selves 1. For first if this outward calling be necessary then what will become of your Itinerants who never pleaded this outward call but their gifts only Secondly For those old Ministers that turn unto you and for gaine dance after your pipe they then must renounce their old orders and be newly ordained by you which were as if a man that had received his commission from his Prince should slight that and take up another from the people that I say not it justifies that old exploded maxime laid upon Wickleive Praelatus in mortali peccato existens desinit esse Praelatus Thirdly Here you would fasten upon us again the old Sophisme that there is no outward and orderly calling but by Christs Covenant-servants in a cleansed Combinational Church which you shall make good ad Graecas Calendas Fourthly You say that this outward and orderly calling must be had in a cleansed Combinational Church So that if the Combinational Church be not purifyed and cleansed what assurance can any man have of his outward calling Are the Anabaptist Churches clean Are the Antinomians clean Are the Millenaries clean Are the Quakers clean yet all these are Combinational and they ordain their Ministers It seems then that unclean Combinational Churches both outwardly and orderly call'd or else all these have no Pastours But I proceed with your words 5. If there were an unanimous voting down of all double-reading I mean that babling reading of two Chapters which is not seconded with the opening and expounding of the same being that it cannot but be confessed that it was such a course as is quite contrary to what is commanded and commended in the Scriptures of Truth as all do well know that are acquainted with what is written Ezek. 33.2 Nehemiah 8.8 Luke 4.16 Acts 13.15 1 Cor. 14.23 24. The Reply 1. Reading the Scripture publickly was of great use in the Primitive Church and to that purpose they had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or publick Readers officiated even Julian before he became an Apostate was such a one in the Church of Nicomedia Nazianz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Mart. Apol 2. Tertull. Apol. cap. 39. lib. 2. ad uxorem Chrys hom 3. de Lazaro It was one part of their Liturgy as you may read in Justin Martyr and in Tertullian Commentaria Apostolorum aut scripta Apostolorum leguntur We meet together and there is Divinarum Scripturarum Commemoratio and that you be not mistaken in Tertullians meaning Ibi fomenta fidei de Scripturarum interlectione And here also is double-reading at lest for you for it was interlectio And therefore Chrysostome wisheth the people to get them Bibles and diligently to read them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in their Temples observe that They therefore used not to call the giving forth a Text and preaching upon it the reading of the Scripture Now that reading is preaching that is proclaiming the will of God is evident Moses had in old time in every City those that preach him since be is read in their Synagogues every Sabbath day Dives brethren are sent to Moses and the Prophets and to what end but to read them Acts 15.21 Luke 16. for they were dead and vivâ voce could not preach and had not the reading of them been a sufficient Sermon to reclaime them
and not otherwise and we have done The third place you alledge is Luke 4.16 where we finde that our Saviour read the Text of the Prophet Isaiah and applyed it and so much liberty shall be granted to any Minister if he be able to do it aright The Text was a Prophesie and every Prophesie is obscure till light by the opening of it be brought to it This did our Saviour and this do you and it shall not displease The reading of the Text may be proved from hence and the lawfulnesse of a Commentary or Exposition upon it but that necessity which you would enforce never This is still to be demonstrated The fourth place is Acts 13.15 Which no way proves what you intend for there we thus read after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue sent unto them saying Ye men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation to the people say on then Paul stood up and said Men and brethren 1. Tremellius and Beza observe upon this place that first in their Synagogues there was the reading of the holy books that is the Law and the Prophets which they divided into so many Sections as there were Sabbaths in the year and to every Section out of Moses applyed a Section out of some Prophet that was most agreeable unto it These readings then could not be very short for otherwise they could not go through the whole in one year 2. These readings being ended then a Master of the Synagogue they had who gave liberty to preach Upon which Aretius notes that Admonemur hic observandum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 modestiam in proponenda doctrina quod non observant spiritus phanatici qui solent passim discurrere more furiosorum quosvis caetus interturbare suis clamoribus sine certa vocatione 3. It appears not here that Saint Paul preached upon any part of Moses or the Prophets that was then read neither was he moved by the Ruler of the Synagogue to do it but only to make an exhortation So that you can never conclude from this place that the Scripture may not be read except expounded Your last place is out of 1 Cor. 14.23 24. which makes lesse to your purpose then any of the rest the words are If therefore the whole Church be come together in one place and all speak with tongues and there come in those that are unlearned and unbelievers will he not say that ye are mad But if all prophesie and there come in one that believeth no or one unlearned he is convinced of all he is judged of all The Apostle in this Chapter shews some inconveniences that might happen even upon that gift which then God bestowed viz. an ability to speak divers languages That in this verse is that this their confused ostentation of tongues might alienate two sorts of people the weaker Christians whom he calls Idiots and those who were not yet converted whom he calls unbeleevers For put case that any of these should come into the Congregation and hear them speak confusedly in unknown languages would he not say you were mad for mad men do use to babble that which no man understands but sober men clear words which are intelligible But in Prophesie now there is no such inconvenience to be feared but the quite contrary profit to be expected For if it happen that all in the Church Prophesie that is out of the Oracles of God declare his justice and wrath against sinne his mercy toward the penitent shall enlarge themselves about the true worship of God the obedience and pious life that ought to be in Christians of sanctification of justification by Christ of eternal life a life of joy to the good and believers of a life of pain to wicked men and Infidels These or the like being heard from your mouths Infidels and unlearned men will say God is in you indeed i. e. that you never speak so aptly and wisely of such divine things but by assistance and motion of Gods Spirit This being now the genuine sense of the words I put it to your self to judge whether you can any fair way deduce your conclusion from them That there was then such who did instruct the people and preach unto them all necessary points of salvation may easily be collected from hence and that God bestowed upon them extraordinary abilities to performe that duty But that Scripture may never be read except expounded he that can conclude from hence I shall say that he may as quickly gather that an Ape being like a man in something therefore he is a man The words of the Letter IF there were no news amongst them of any Romish Rites or humane inventions as Matrimonial Bands Marriage-Rings signe of the Crosse white Surplice Quiristers singing Funeral Sermons Idol-sureties of God-fathers and God-mothers c. The Reply Romish Rites are of two sorts either such as are used by the Church of Rome and were of Ancient use in other Churches or such as are meerly Romane taken up and used in the Romish Church after it began to degenerate and was corrupted All those that are of this kinde we have exploded not only because there might be superstition in them but also because they were superfluous burdonsome and full of vanity and folly Those of the first kinde and such are those of which you speak because we have found them of perpetual use in the Catholick Primitive Church we yet retain Hook Eccl. pol. lib. 4. Sect. 3. ad 10. Now whether every Ceremony be to be abolished because it is in use among the Papists be pleased to consult with Mr. Hooker and he will resolve you that it is not And indeed if this were not true we might not kneel and lift up our hands and eyes at our prayers nor enter reverently into the house of God nor put our hand on the book when we take an oath nor sit in our Pues in the Churches when we hear nor preach upon any portion of Scripture because the Papists do so Evident then it is that Ceremonies are not to be excluded quâ Romish but as they have some other vitiousnesse adherent to them 2. Oh but these are humane constitutions that may be granted and yet the Rite nere the worse nor the lesse to be regarded About this point read again Mr. Hookers three first books of Ecclesiastical policy and he will satisfie any man that lists not to be contentious Synod of New Engl. cap. 1. The distinction is your own there are some things essential and some things circumstantial in Religion what is of the essence of it is immutable and must be prescribed by the word but what is circumstantial is circumscribed with general limitations according to the nature of the things themselves and civil Church custome so that if there be no errour of man concerning their determination the determining of them is to be accompted as if it were divine It lies
and sincerity of a good and sanctifyed life and these are true beleevers and good Christians Yet Christians by external profession those all are who carry that external mark I now named yea although they be impious Idolaters wicked Hereticks Schismaticks Hypocrites profane persons and excommunicable yea and cast out for notorious improbity For they are but so cast out that they may be taken again upon their repentance and that without the setting the seal anew which might not be done if they had been utterly cast off There is but one way onely after a man is entred by Baptisme that can make him forfeit his whole estate in Church society and that is a general revolt and Apostacy from his Christian profession as turning Turk Jew or Infidel All these except the sincere professours we deny not may be the Imps and Limbs of Satan even as long as they continue such is it then possible for the self-same men to be the Synagogue of Satan and to be the Church of Jesus Christ unto that Church which is his mystical body it is not possible because that body consisteth of none but true Israelites true sonnes of Abraham true servants and Saints of God Howbeit that they be true and real and not equivocal Members of the outward visible body it is very possible notwithstanding the unsincerity of their profession and the wickednesse of their conversation which is worthily both hateful in the eyes of God himself and in the eyes of the sounder part of the visible Church most execrable If you doubt of the truth of this remember the Parables of the Corne Field the Net the ten Virgins the Barn-floor the house in which were vessels of honour and dishonour And if these satisfie not then look upon those two plain Texts 1 Cor. 5.11 12. There are scandalous persons enumerated a Fornicatour Covetous a Drunkard yet within that is within the Church and Covenant yet a brother of the visible society for all that and indeed except he be looked upon as a brother and as within how could he be cast out by excommunication for what have we to do to judge those who are without The other place is 2 Thess 3.15 Among whom there was a disorderly person yet he was not to be counted as an enemy not to be esteemed as one out of the Church an Unbeliever an Heathen but to be admonished as a brother For lack of diligent observing this difference first betwixt the Church of God mystical and visible then betwixt the visible sound and corrupted corrupted sometimes more sometimes lesse Thirdly in not taking notice of the latitude of the Covenant which belongs to the visible Church as a proprium quarto modo i. e. as an essential mark the oversights are not few nor light that have been committed To passe by others you because Christs true body is made up of none but sincere professours presently conclude that none but sincere professours are of Christs body which is true of the mystical but not of the visible Then you restraine the Covenant as if it belonged to none but the Elect whereas it belongs to all those to whom God said to Abraham I will be to the a God and thy seed after thee whether sonnes ex lege or ex fide Thirdly whereas the Covenant was made with the Catholick visible Church you restrain it to your Combinational so that they who are not Members of that shall have no right to the seals nor to it not any other shall they claim any right at all who are not regenerate whereas this distinction observed would set you right We must distinguish betwixt the effectual benefits of Christ held forth in the Ordinance and a right to the external Ordinance The former right and priviledge belongs only indeed to the regenerate for they only effectually to life receive the seals But the latter to all within the Church to all Church Members for a night they have to the external Ordinance Or you may if you please conceive it thus The Sacrament may be considered in sensu composito that is with the entire fruits and benefits of the Covenant unto which truth of grace and faith is necessarily required and so to the Reprobate the Sacrament belongs not or else in sensu diviso precisely in the Ordinance it self abstracted from those graces and so it is Church-membership alone or external Covenant-relation denominating men subjects sonnes Saints believers disciples brethren Christians that gives men right unto the seal Fifthly You over-hastily and uncharitably censure all Hereticks Papists wicked persons and excommunicable or excommunicate to be without the Covenant and that therefore if they be Parents of children the applying of publick or private Baptisme to their children is groundlesse Which mistake of yours how great it is I shall make it farther appear by these evident arguments 1. That which is unjust may not be done but to debarre a Christians child from the seal of the Covenant is unjust therefore it may not be done Minor probatur It is unjust to punish the child for the fathers sinne Ezek. 18.20 But to debarre from the seal it is to punish the child for the fathers sinne therefore to debarre a Christians childe from the seale of the Covenant is unjust If to the Major it be answered that this is sometimes done and that the child suffers for the fathers offence it may be admitted in a temporal punishment but never in a spiritual of which kind this is and therefore may not be inflicted 2. They who were not to be kept from the seal of the Covenant under the Law for their fathers iniquity may not be kept from it for that cause under the Gospel But under the Law children were not kept from the seale for their fathers iniquity therefore not to be kept from it under the Gospel and consequently not to be hindred from Baptisme The Major of this Syllogisme is easily proved because the Covenant of the New Testament is said to be better than the Old Heb. 7.22 8.6 But to accompt this priviledge of the seal to belong onely to some Christians children which was in common to the Jews is to make it worse in the New Testament than in the Old Calvin institut lib. 4. cap. 16. Sect 6. which is injurious to do Arbitrari Christum adventu suo patris gratiam imminuisse aut decurtasse execrabili blasphemia non vacat Upon this ground then to keep a childe from Baptisme is great injustice Minor probatur This was not done among the Jews for make the Jewish Parents as bad as you will a generation of unbelievers who knew not God that tempted him and grieved his Holy Spirit in the Wildernesse yet for this the children were not to be deprived of the seal for their fathers sinne for Joshua was commanded to circumcise the children of these Rebels So again they came to be worshippers of the golden Calf adored the Brazen S rpent bowed the knees to
then that you here mention must be a greater abomination than any one or indeed all the particulars you before mentioned or else your Yet was not considerately placed What the justling out a Pulpit and placing a Pue instead of it a greater offence than admitting profane persons to the Lords Table what this a stronger plea of Apostacy than the Common service book what is it to tithe mint and annise and cummin and to let passe the great and weightier matters of the Law if this be not it doth God take care for Oxen is he pleased or displeased with Pues with Pulpits with Elders seats No question it is all one with him in what part of the Church or by whom they are set 'T is the inward man of the heart that he looks upon as for these outward accoutrements of his service he hath entrusted to the hands and heads of discreet men And methinks you of all others should least insist upon them who are so great enemies to all outward worship or what may be ordained by men for the decency and order of that worship 2. Farther I think you have misplaced your Epithites and bestowed them on wrong subjects for it were far truer to say the Monarchical Pulpit and the Ministerial Pue for whatsoever was done in the Pue was but meerly Ministerial but since you have invaded and ingrossed the Pulpit you thence dictate and dogmatize like the violent Monarch you before named Thence you damne whomsoever you please I have heard this black sentence thence pronounced that all the old Clergy are frying in an iron grate in hell that they that wil not come to hear you do tread under foot the blood of the Son of God and make a mock of him and thence again you save whom you please as if all the Legislative power were in your hands what you deliver from thence be it never so crude and indigested stuff you call the Gospel of the Kingdome the very Word of God News from Ipswich Apologista c. 3. A man would think you were inclining very far to that opinion of the Apologist for the Jesuites who saith jungantur in unum dies cum nocte tenebrae cum luce calidum cum frigido sanitas cum morbo vita cum morte erit tum spes aliqua posse in caput Jesuitae haeresin cadere I ever took Sermons and so do still to be most necessary expositions and applications of the holy Scripture and a great ordinary means of saving knowledge but I cannot think them or the Preachers of them out of a Pulpit divinely infallible And it may be observed too that no men are more apt to say then they that all the Fathers were but men and might erre and if then they be not transcended the condition of men when they are ascended the Pulpit possible it is that they may erre too But to proceed what an Idol pardon the word it is from your own shop when you call the Liturgy Idol-service and the sureties in Baptisme Idol Godfathers have they made of the Pulpit ever since from thence they dispense all their Administrations The child to be baptized by the Minister in the Pulpit the Sacrament to be sent by the hand of the Deacon to all the Congregation out of the Pulpit The Word and all the prayer then used out of the Pulpit and whether the censures be to be pronounced out of the Pulpit Bayly pag. 121.122 I yet know not So that if there were any sense at all to be collected out of this word Monarchical I should rather attribute it to the Pulpit than to the Pue which I am sure was never guilty of any Monarchy 3. And since we are entred into a comparison of the Pue and Pulpit I shall adde one consideration more which I professe to you I do very unwillingly it having been known to you and others that I have been as industrious in the Pulpit as any other in the Pue The Pue and Pulpit are in themselves inanimate things wood and stone no prerogative can accrue to either from them if there be any priority it must be from the actions that were performed from thence In the Pue we had the Liturgy of the Church celebrated in the other the Word of God explained and pressed on the conscience for practce by the tongues of men if then I would contend for any priviledge of either I should give it to the Pue because in that was celebrated cultus ipse which is the prayers in the other is held forth no more but doctrina cultus a doctrine which teacheth us to worship God in the one there is exercised only actus imperatus a command is only laid upon us do this but in the other there is actus elicitus for we choose to practice what we have been taught which how far it is more acceptable than bare preaching and teaching and hearing read our Saviours words Mat. 7.22 23. As for Sermons I hope men do not undertake to prove that they are as eminent a part of Gods worship as prayer If they do I must lesse blame the poor ignorant people that think when they have heard a Sermon or two that they have served God for that day or that week nor the generality of those seduced ones who place so great piety in hearing and think so much the more comfortably of themselves for the number of hours spent in that exercise which of late hath been made the main Church-businesse and yet is no more than may be done by a Heathen or profane person I shall think him to serve God best that devoutly prayes most and comes oftnest and falls down and kneels and worships before the Lord his Maker It cannot be thought equal that prayer and preaching should be so unwarily placed in competition as that prayer should lose by the comparison There may be alwayes need of preaching but then most of all when the Auditory is unchristian This reason prevailed very much in the Primitive times when it was but in vain and unprofitable to go about to convert the world no otherwise than by our prayers Yet even in those Primitive times which had most cause to call for preaching we shall finde that this duty was of rarer exercise and lesse solemnity than that of prayer as it may abundantly be discovered by the Liturgies of both Churches yet extant Maimonid More Neboch cap. 32. Antioch Hom. 106. Maimenides that profound Doctor of the Jews instituting a comparison betwixt their sacrifices and the more substantial services required instead of all other nameth prayer and Invocation these saith he are nearer to Gods first intention these necessary at all times and for every man With him agrees the Christian Antiochus who affirms of prayer that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a more sublime condition than any other vertue And how our Lord stood affected to this we may acknowledge by that where he calleth the Church his
pastore eodem And they note that what we read the Masters of the Assemblies is in the Hebrew Domini Collectionum First I must tell you that in this Text I read nere a word of the Elders Pulpit and therefore cannot conceive that it is here eminently expressed no nor yet necessarily implied neither in that Domini Collectionum may have another sense then you thought of do but read the Prologue to the book of Ecclesiasticus and you may see what it meaneth The Grandfather to Jesus the Son of Syrach was a man of great diligence wisdom among the Hebrews who did not only gather the grave and short sentences of wise men that had been before him but himself also uttered some of his own full of much understanding and wisdome they that gathered these might well be called Domini Collectionum and Junius not to be blamed when he reads Verba sapientum lectissima For every Scribe instructed to the Kingdome of heaven is like unto a man that is an Housholder Matth. 13.52 Isocrat ad Demon which brings forth out of his Treasury things new and old Isocrates likens such a man to the Bee which lights upon every flower and gathers honey or wax from all so saith he it behoves every man who desires instruction to leave unattempted no Authours but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there you have the word from all places to collect together profitable Rules Maxims Apothegms Parables Proverbs Sentences Arguments c. For when all 's done all will be too little to amend the pravity and obliquity of our nature Now where there is this choice made by the wise Hieron in loc then their words will be both stimuli clavi Goades they will be in the side of every slothful man to quicken and prick him forward to any duty pungunt verba non palpant they do not flatter and bring asleep but they rouze and move every resty soul And because that men that are up are of a flitting nature and apt to fall back being too like a deceitful bow Psal 78.57 whose string being drawn up if not well fastned is apt to slip the nock and relapse therefore their words also are like to nails that being driven in deep fasten and hold together what is joyned by them This then I take to be the true meaning of Solomon in this place that when by the Masters of the Collections there is a good choice made then words are of excellent use both against slothfulnesse and recidivation they will goad a Scholar up that he be not dull in and fasten him to that he fall not back from any duty And to that end they were delivered for they be but tradita given or committed to them and given they were by one and the same Shepherd Junius in loc Ambros that is by Christ whose word alone hath been heard in the Church in all ages For that saying of Ambrose is most true Veritas à quocuuque dicitur à Spiritu sancto est profecta He must have Linceus eyes that can finde any countenance in this Text for Lay-Elders or for their Pulpit What is it not possible that no men besides themselves should be Masters of Assemblies none Masters of Collections no wise mens words be goads and nails besides theirs alone shall no men be entrusted by this one Shepherd and the Holy Ghost but they alone this I hope they will not arrogate to themselves and if there may be a partition made as there must be except they will assume to themselves the Monopoly of all wise words I see no necessity either by implication or eminent expression that your Ruling Elders should be the Masters of the Assemblies that the Preacher means And I am sure he could not for in his dayes there were no such heard of And so not finding their Commission in the Old Testament by your direction I will enquire for them and their Pulpit in the New And the first place you send me to is in the first Epistle to Timothy cap. 4. ver 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery This place I conceive you intended not at all for proof of the Elders Pulpit because no Cart-ropes will be strong enough to hale it that way Only that by it they should have a Commission to transact all the concernments of the City of God and in particular to ordain Church-Officers For I know by the Consistorian Divines it is drawn that way though very violently This is the sole place in Scripture where the Presbytery is named and it seems somewhat strange to me that you should ground and build your foundation of your Lay-Eldership on a place that hath so many sound and sufficient answers as this hath That there was a Presbytery in the Apostolical times I have formerly proved but that it consisted of Lay-Elders it lies upon you to make good before you can derive their Commission from this place Secondly Jerome Primasius Ambrose and Calvin tell us that by Presbytery the function is meant and not the Colledge and then the place will stand you in no stead and that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for Presbyter I could shew you if I list by more than ten testimonies of the Greek Fathers and Councels Thirdly Chrysostome Theodoret Oecumenius Theophilact inform us that Paul by the Presbytery meant the Bishops for a meer Presbyter might not impose hands on a Bishop Neque enim fas erat aut licebat Ambros in loc Calv. institut 4. cap. 3. ut inferior ordinaret majoreme nemo enim tribuit quod non accepit Fourthly Saint Paul himself testifyeth that he laid hands on Timothy which Calvin strongly presseth Lastly granted it must be that Timothy was an Evangelist which function the Presbytery of no particular Church could give him by your tenets This place then being set aside I finde not any other that can carry so much as a colour for the Commission you speak of and that from this they can claim no power I have partly made good here and more fully before and therefore I say the lesse of it One thing only I shall adde that the Latine Fathers expound it abstractly viz. to signifie the Office of Priest-hood that is neglect not the grace of the Presbyterate that is in thee by the imposition of hands and this Erasmus helps by making Presbyterii to depend upon gratiam in regimine reading it thus noli negligere gratiam Presbyterii quae data est per manuum impositionem and such trajections are no new things in Scripture To those places you cite out of the Revelation I have answered before and shewed that they concern not at all your Elders and therefore I shall not need to say any more to them The words of the Letter TO summe up in short the whole summe and substance of what I would shew Untill
our selves that new and clearer lights shine unto us and that we know better how to regulate Christs Church than they Their private opinions do not interest our belief in such points we are as free as they But when we finde in them an universal concurrence and a constant narration of Apostolical constitutions delivered to Apostolical men and by them practised and so handed over from age to age we are deeply obliged to be well perswaded of it and to embrace it before any new invention whatsoever Had the dispute been of Articles of Faith I had forborn this passage for those are of another consideration but when it is meerly of the Discipline of the Church and that which depends upon that Discipline their authorities sway very much with me as all credible Authours must in matters of Fact with all wise men without which it is impossible for any man to be informed and confirmed in any thing that hath passed in the world before he was born I shall desire you therefore to take this into your consideration and not to passe too hasty a censure upon the fathers nor upon me for producing the testimonies of those Fathers It is now high time for me to beg your pardon for assuming so much license to your trouble To another I would have been more sparing but to you I have thus enlarged my self because I heartily desire your information at least that you may see that though I differ from you yet it is not out of a stubborn and perverse minde nor self-will as hath been imputed to me but upon such solid and evident reasons as it will not be easie for you to revel As I told you at first I am not of a contentious humour nor love not to tug at one end of the saw if you or any other take a delight to tug at the other I am sorry for it Far more comfort it were for us so small is the joy I take in those strifes to labour under the same yoke Hookers preface as men that look for the same eternal reward of our labours to be joyned with you in the bands of indissoluble love and amity to live as if our persons being many our soules were but one rather than in such dismembred sort to spend our few and wretched dayes in a tedious prosecution of wearisome contentions the end whereof if they have not some speedy end will be heavy even on both sides The numerous company of Shakers and other Sectaries that have sprung out of your root and the harvest the Pope hath made by these divisions together with the herds of Atheists and profane persons that as the Locusts out of the bottomlesse pit are risen to over-spread the Nation makes me more than fear what will be the end thereof The manifest godlinesse we glory in is to finde out somewhat whereby we may judge others to be ungodly Each others faults we observe as matters of exprobration and not of grief and then it is no marvail if the witty Atheists stand by and laugh and warme themselves at our fire I have here brought my bucket to extinguish it and my earnest motion is to you to bring another I know your endeavour may contribute very much to the cessation of this flame Lay it to heart and set it forward what you may and the God of peace will reward you for it I have somewhere read of an answer that Bishop Ridly then in prison and condemned to dye returned to a friend being informed that Mr. Knox was discontented with some things in the Liturgy which is worthy of Record and worthy to be well weighed Alas saith he that our brother Knox could not bear with our book of Common-prayer in matters against which although I grant a man of wit and learning as he is may produce popular arguments yet I suppose he cannot be able soundly by the Word of God to disprove any part thereof The like say I about the constitution of our English Church and Discipline though the wits of discontented men have been sharpned to finde out what to say against it and their arguments have prevailed too far on weak judgments yet I know that no man can be able to disprove any thing thereof from the Word of God which as to me it seems very far prevailed after that conference at Hampton Court with Dr. Reinolds who after lived a very quiet peaceable and sedentary life never disturbed the Church-government in the least nor disswaded any man from the embracing of the Discipline of this Church it may be his reputation would not suffer him publickly to recede And this let me be bold to tell you so is a great Remoâ—a that hinders many a learned man to confesse his errour and retract To which if that bewitching sin of profit be added the man is charm'd as is the Chobber Chobberim the old Adder that stops his ears at the voice of the Charmer charm he never so wisely And yet for all that I will not despair but will make a trial whether it be possible to charm this serpent Every man that undertakes to execute an office must be sure that his calling is justifiable otherwise though the work he does be good and his intent honest yet he commits a grievous sin There is no office in the Church higher than that of the Minister the duties he is to perform are sacred the administrations holy he ought then to be fully upon certain grounds confirmed that he is called to administer which can never be without he derive his power from those to whom God hath given a Commission That of the people as I have proved is a new a slight a fallacious foundation and for such I shall alwayes account it till I see it demonstrated to the contrary With what comfort then can any man execute his Ministry who till his Commission be assured to his conscience upon Scripture principles sinnes very hainously in every action that he does though done with never so honest a minde The punishment of Nadab and Abihu for offering strange fire of Vzzah for touching the Ark of Vzziah for invading the Priests office ought to sink very deep into the heads and hearts of such men Till they can assure me infallibly that the Power of the Keys is in the people which I am perswaded they will never do I shall never acknowledge their vocation and therefore much fear their doom This I would have seriously weighed and God Almighty give the successe to it then I shall the sooner hope that unity will be restored to the Church peace and prosperity to the Nation Religion will again flourish and the gates of Zion shall be built the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lye down with the Kid and the Calf Isa 11.6 and the young Lion and the Faâ—ling together and a little Child shall lead them and the Cow and the Bear shall feed their young ones shall lie down together
7. and the Lion shall eat straw like the Oxe 8. and the suckling Child shall play on the hole of the Asp and the weaned Child shall put his hand to the Cockatrices den They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain 9 for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea Which that it may come to passe is the hearty prayer of him who is Yours Dâ—o Opt. Max. filio suo Jesu Christo Spiritus sancto sit laus gloria honor in saecula saeculorum Amen Janu. 15. 1656. Amphora caepit Institui currente rotâ nunc uiceus exit FINIS Books printed or sold by William Leak at the signe of the Crown in Fleet-street between the two Temple Gates YOrks Heraldry Fol. A Bible of a very fair large Roman Letter 4. Orlando Furioso fol. Perkins on the Laws of England Wilkinsons Office of Sheriffs 8. Parsons Law 8. Mirror of Justice 8. Topicks in the Laws of England 8. Delamans use of the Horizontal Quadrant Wilbeys second Set of Musick 3 4 5 and 6 parts 4. Corderius in English 8. Dr. Fulks Meteors with Observations 8. Malthus Artificial Fire-works Nyes Gunnery and Fire-works Cato Major with Annotations Mel Heliconium by Alex. Ross 8. Nosce te ipsum by Sir John Davis 8. Animadversions on Lillies Grammer 8. The History of Vienna and Paris 4. The History of Lazarillo de Toroms Hero and Leander by George Chapman and Chr stopher Marlow The Posing of the Accidence Guilliams Heraldry fol. Herberts Travels fol. Man become guilty by John Francis Senalt and Englished by Henry Earl of Monmouth Aula Lucis or the house of Light Christs Passion a Tragedy by the most learned Hugo Grotius Mathematical Recreations with the Horological Dyal by William Oughtred 8. The Garden of Eden or an accurate description of Flowers and Fruit now growing in England with particular Rules how to advance their nature and growth as well in seeds as herbs as the secret ordering of Trees and Plants by Sir Hugh Plat. Knight Solitary Devotions with man in glory by the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury 12. Exercitatio Scholastica Book of Martyrs fol. Adams on Peter fol. Willet on Genesis and Exodus fol. The several opinions of sundry Antiquaries viz. Mr. Justice Dodrige Mr. Ager Francis Tate William Cambden and Joseph Holland touching the Antiquity Power and Proceeding of the High Court of Parliament in England The Idiot in four books first and second of Wisdome third of the Mind fourth of the experience of the ballance The Life and Raign of Hen. 8. by the Lord Herbert fol. France painted to the life in four books the second Edition Sken de significatione verborum 4. The Fort Royal of Holy Scripture by J. H. the third Edition 8. The summe of what is contained in the answer to the first part of the Admonitory Letter THe controversie about the subject of the Keys opened fol. 1. Sect. 1.2 3 4. The Authour studious of Truth and Peace fol. 3 4. The Admonitours distinction of three Visible Churches improper fol. 5. Some observations about the Domestical Church and some mistakes in the Admonitory rectifyed fol. 9. The alledged Texts examined fol. 10. Sect. 5. The words of the Admonitory drawn into Propositions and answered severally The Propositions out of the Letter these 1. That the Church of the last and longest constitution was a Presbyterial or Combinational Church this examined fol. 13. 2. That it is the opinion and practice of the Combinational Church to subject their earthy erring and unruly will to the heavenly infallible and uncontrolable will of Christ 'T is examined what truth may be in this assertion fol. 15. 3. That Christ peremptorily wills and enjoyns all Professourâ— to be indoctrinated and disciplined by the present Ministry This granted 4. That this prescribed Ministry must consist of Presbyters and Teaching and Ruling Elders This proposition fully examined and refuted fol. 18. 5. That these Presbyters Teaching and Ruling Elders must be of the Professing Members own voluntary Election and regular Ordination This also fully examined and refuted fol. 24. 6. That the Ministerial Office must reach from Christs ascension to the dissolution of all things This granted Sect. 6. An answer to all the Texts produced by the Admonitour as Rom. 12.7 8. fol. 31. 1 Cor. 12.28 fol. 33. Ephes 4.14 fol. 36. Revel 4.6 5.6 19.14 fol. 36 37. Sect. 7. A Paraenetical conclusion fol. 39. ad finem The Summe of the second part pag. 46. THe danger to assert the Church brought to a Sceleton Sect. 1. fol. 47. The corruption came not into the Church by such degrees as is supposed in the Admonitory Letter Sect. 2. The government of the Church proved to be Aristocratical 52. ad 59. A Presbytery with a Bishop the Apostles living 59 60. Of Patriarchs Primates Metropolitans Bishops 63. A little knowledge in some men an occasion of errour 66 67. Sect. 3. That the Combinational Churches corruption was not the Cathedâ—al Churches generation 71. Churches at first could not be Combinational 73. Of the names of Teacher Pastour Ruler Lord-Bishop Dean Chancellour Surrogate Arch-Deacon 75. No usurpation for Bishops assembled in Synods and Councils to excommunicate offenders 81 82. This was not contrary to the Orthodox pattern Acts 15. 84. To censure any mans person not the priviledge of the Presbyterian Church 85 86. That Alexander of Alexandria began not this usurpation against Arrius 88 89. Sect. 4. That the Presbyterial Church in respect of its primitive constitution consisted not only of living stones 91. That the rise of the rottening of the Church was not its falling from a poor pure presbyterial Church into an impure unpolished parochial Church 92. Of a Parson Vicar Warden Over-seer of the Poor Widow Midwife 94. Of Polycarp and Iraeneus 97. Sect. 5. The original of the Provincial Church the Metropolitane that this was no degeneration nor wisdome of the flesh 99. The name office of the Arch-Bishop not profane and blasphemous but honorable 101. Of the subservient names Prebend Surrogate Vicar-General 102. Of Austin the Monks conversion of Britane and Pope Gregory 105 106. Of the conversion of Britane to Christianity ibid. Sect. 6. That there is a National Church and that this is consonant to Scripture reason experience 108. That the customes charged upon the National Church taken up by Jewish imitation is more than can be proved or if true yet not therefore to be rejected 116. The five instances examined 1. National times and feasts 120 ad 127. 2. National places as consecrated meeting houses c ibid. 3. National persons as universal Preachers Office-Priests c. 132. 4 National performances as stinted worship Choristers c. 135. 5. National payments as Offerings Tithes Mortuaries c. 146. Sect. 7. The charge is upon the Oecumenical or Romane Church which concerns not the Church of England and therefore let them answer it The Summe of the third
in the last for Parishes as they after were restrained and are constituted at this day you must shew that your Church had the priority of them which you are never able to do else you cannot say that they corrupted it And indeed your allegation that follows is so weak that any man who reads and considers it will suspect that you have little to say for your cause 3. At that time this was when ceasing to elect and ordain either a Teacher a Pastour a Ruler a Deacon or Deaconesse or Widow in conformity to the heavenly Canon Rom. 12.7 15.4 16.1 compared with 1 Tim. 3.1 Titus 1.5.6 it was well content with a Parson a Vicar a Warden an Over-seer of the Poor and a Midwife THE time of this corruption you point out and set it to be when it ceased to elect and ordain a Teacher c. Here again you commit the same errour supposing I am bound to trust and beleeve you on your bare word Ceasing to do any thing presupposeth that there was a time when one might or did do it Now it behoveth you to shew the time when Parishes in general for particulars will make no rule and few very few are to be given did ever elect their Pastour I am sure to ordain him in antiquity you can produce not one example 'T is not possible since the Records of the Church are open and he that runnes may read them that at first the Teacher and Pastour sent to any Church was sent and there placed by the Bishop The instances are so many and the practice of the Church so universal that it were lost labour to produce them yet here I shall ask you onely one question if this were a corruption I wonder why by your pure Presbyterial Church it is retained why are men now elected approved sent and setled to be Parsons and Vicars in Parish Churches who you know are neither elected nor ordained by that Church over whom they are set Remove this beam out of your own eye before you see the mote in you brothers Well but what was the errour this that the Parish contented it self with a Parson and Vicar for a Pastour Teacher and Ruler as if the Parson and Vicar might not be all these might not feed teach and rule his flock what should hinder him for call him by what name you please his office and duty is the same and a Parson and Vicar is bound as much to feed teach and guide his flock as is your Pastour Teacher and Ruler and must answer the neglect of it as well as they this is to seek a knot in a rush Be pleased to translate Parson by a Latine word and you shall alwayes finde it rendred by Pastor or Rector Ecclesiae and how then is the man or his name changed and if the Latines may content themselves to be under the Pastor or Rector I see no reason but the English may as well be content with their Parson He because in case of necessary absence disability of body age or other casualties which may be when the Parish was of a very large extent assumed unto him a helper who because he was vices ejus supplere was called Vicarius this was the original of Vicars and that you look not so strangely at the name in the old Law the High Priest had his Sagan Casaubon Exerc 13. Num. 9. who in case of the High Priests pollution performed his office such was Zephaniah 2 Reg. 25.18 and nAnas unto Caiaphas the Chorepiscopi were of the same kind to the Bishops of old And the Protosincelli to the Patriarchs of Constantinople And in this there was no hurt that came in from Rome when by appropriations of the revenues of the Church to Abbies Monasteries Selden of tyths cap. 12. Sect. 1. c. perpetual Vicarages were erected But this was so late that no injury could be done to the Combinational Church by it since that was corrupted and gone when Parishes were erected many hundred years before and then there were none of these Vicars in rerum natura I see not then to what purpose this name is here inserted except to make up the tale and the same may be said of the Parson also for it is no ancient name A Deacon we retain though in another employment and probably in the very office that Timothy puts Vide sis Aretii loc Commun loc 66. de Diaconis and indeed instead of those that served Tables we have Wardens and Over-seers of the poor which at first was but a meer secular but charitable employment as was a Deaconesse and putting honest men into such an employment though under another name is no corruption of any Churches constitution for it marrs not the matter nor form of it How your Mid-wife comes in I must professe I am to seek for I never heard any man more look upon her as an officious and useful hand-maid of the Church then upon the Mid-wives of Egypt About these two last the Deacon and Deaconesse Aret. in Tim. 1.3 Aretius in his Commentary upon 1 Tim. 3. hath a very good observation that these were very necessary in the first planting of the Church and before there were Christian Magistrates but after that Kings became nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the people of God they took a care that the poor Christians should be relieved in another way than by the Church-stock There were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 erected in Hospitals Almes-houses c. they were provided for then they made Lawes for a common-stock to be collected in every Parish for that purpose and appointed by Statutes Over-seers of the poor and other Officers We saith he therefore have not in our Churches such Deacons and Deaconesses as they had neither is it requisite we should have because the duty is so wisely ordered by the political Magistrate To this purpose that grave and wise Expositour But this you say should be done in conformity to the heavenly Canon and many texts you cite for it but I can finde no Canon at all in any of them for what you aime at Rom. 12.7 I read he that hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him wait upon it But I have told you it is of gifts the Apostle there speaks not of functions 2 Cor. 4.1 6.3 Rom. 11.13 or if of functions the words is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the doctrine of the Gospel is adorned with this title and the Ministers in what degree soever called passim Diaconi Col. 1.7 4.17 1.23.25 1 Cor. 3.5 2 Cor. 3.6 The next citation Rom. 15.4 passeth my reach for I see not how it can be drawn to say any thing to this purpose therefore I passe it by You urge Rom. 16.1 and that indeed speaks of Phaebe as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a servant of the Church of Cenchrea Be it so that una hirundo non facit ver were it