because it was culled and picked out of the popish dunghill the popish and vile masse-book full of all abominations Who knoweth not that many pretious truths may be culled and picked out of the masse-book Good gold may have some drosse and amongst an heap of drosse it is possible to find some good gold A true mans goods may be found in a thieves den or cave and the goods of the church in the possession of Antichrist Antichrist hath either by violence broken in upon or by secret insinuation before his cunning was spied gotten the rich treasures of the church into his hand which the right heirs may lawfully require and take back again not as borrowed from him but as due to them I scarce know how a man should more honour Antichrist or wrong the true church of God then to grant that all the good things that Antichrist doth usurp do of right belong unto him and are borrowed from him For they are the rich legacies which Christ hath bequeathed unto his church to whom properly they pertein The matter then of our stinted form may be from God and proper to the church though picked and culled out of the Masse-book If therefore our stinted Liturgie be Antichristian it is so either in respect of the matter or of the form Not of the matter for that which properly belonged to Antichrist the soul and grosse errours are purged out Not of the form for order and phrase of speech is not properly Antichristian of which more hereafter The Papists cannot sincerely approve our publick service but they must condemn and detest their own their prayers in an unknown tongue their praying to saints departed much more to feigned saints their receiving in one kind their unbloudy sacrifice their reall presence their satisfaction for veniall sinnes and temporall punishment of mortall sinnes their blotting out of the second commandment or at least confounding it with the first with others the like And if for the first eleven yeares of Qu. Elisabeth the Papists came to our churches and service what can we think but that the hand of the Lord was with us at that time for good when without division we sought him and he was pleased so to honour us that our adversaries should at least feignedly submit themselves The Lord grant all estates and conditions wisely to consider the true cause why they are fallen from our assemblies since that time and hardned in their perversenesse every day more and more But to come to the thing it self objected to wit That our book of common prayer is wholly taken out of the Masse-book we are here to note that the Masse in former times did signifie the worship of God which consisted in publick prayers thanksgivings confession of faith singing of psalmes reading and interpretation of the holy scriptures and receiving the sacrament of the Lords supper and so the ancient Masse and Liturgie were the same But now the Romane Masse is put for the unbloudy sacrifice of the body of Christ which the priest doth offer up for the quick and dead And in this sense the word is to be taken when they say our service-book is taken out of the Masse-book But it should rather be said that the Masse was in time added to our communion-book and by the purging out of the Masse it is restored to its former puritie Popery is as a scab or leprosie that cleaveth to the church and the Masse an abomination annexed to the Liturgie Before ever the Masse was heard of in the world or began to be hatched there were stinted Liturgies in the church for substance much-what the same with ours and these at first more pure after stained with more corruption as the times grew worse and worse The Eastern churches as it should seem had their stinted Liturgies first and the Western borrowed many things from them but as the times declined they brought in more and more drosse into the church untill the canon of the Masse was completely framed The ancient Liturgies attributed to James Basil Chrysostom c. are counterfeit as our Divines have largely proved and the Papists cannot deny But divers things conteined in those Liturgies were in use in the primitive church without question In the primitive times they had their appointed lessons out of the Law and the Prophets and the Psalmes and the Evangelists their stinted prayers and forms of celebration with some variety but in substance all one in a manner This is evident if we compare the genuine writings of the Fathers with those counterfeit Liturgies before mentioned whereof some particular instances are given in the chapter following The stinted forms at first were more brief afterwards they were enlarged and as often it falleth out by enlargement corrupted and defiled Corruption by this means as a disease cleaving to the Liturgie it is necessary it should be corrected and thereby recovered to its first integrity or foundnesse Thus Cardinal Quignonius by the commandment of Clement the seventh so changed the Romane Breviarie that for a great part it was more like the English book of prayers than the Romane Breviarie And the English Liturgie gathered according to the module of the Ancients the purest of them is not a collection out of the Masse-book but a refining of that Liturgie which heretofore had been stained with the Masse And if those things were unjustly added to the Liturgie they might be and were justly cast out If it was wholly taken out of the Masse-book I should desire further to know how the Masse-book came to have those things in which are found in the book of Common prayers sound and holy for matter and directly contrary to Antichristianisme If these things were in the book before then all things therein were not of Antichrist but he had usurped them and it is lawfull for the true man to lay claim to his goods whereever he find them If they were not in the Masse-book then all things are not taken out of it but somethings restored out of purer Antiquity which the man of sinne had wickedly expunged The ministers of Lincoln never judged the use of the Book unlawfull never thought it lawfull to separate from the prayers of the congregation never refused to use the book though in some things they desired to be excused The churches of God have been evermore taught to prize and esteem these main and fundamentall truths and ordinances of worship at an higher rate then that some petty dislike of this or that in the externall form when the matter is sound and good should cause Separation The conclusion in brief is That our Service-book is not a translation of the Masse but a restitution of the ancient Liturgie wherein sundry prayers are inserted used by the Fathers agreeable to the scriptures Causelesse separation from the externall communion with any true church of Christ is the sinne of schisme But to separate from the prayers of the
that agreeth to the whole community and not to the officers alone Moreover the power of excommunication is an essentiall property one of the keyes of the kingdome and as necessary as the power to receive in members without which a church cannot be gathered or consist Every society consisting of two or three believers met together to pray is not that church which hath power to excommunicate for then in many Christian congregations and in divers families there should be many churches invested with this authority No one example can be alledged out of scripture or ecclesiasticall story of the ancient church in which the multitude of the faithfull no guides or officers moderating the action did lawfully excommunicate or judge as the Apostle speaketh any member of the society No promise can be shewed in holy writ wherein any such authority is bequeathed to two or three private believers disciples or brethren The sentence of excommunication is to be concluded and denounced by men met together in the name of Christ that is by the commandment and authority of Christ and with the power of Christ but it will never be proved that Christ hath authorized two or three Christian people without officers or guides to meet in his name and by his power to denounce that grave and fearfull sentence The church to whom this power perteineth is an assembly gathered in the name and by the power of Christ for such a purpose which agreeth to them onely who have received power from Christ to do that service and not to every society nor to every one in any complete society of believers And thus the words of our Saviour must be expounded if they have such reference to the precedent matter But they may contein a reason drawn from the lesse to the greater thus If Christ be present with two or three gathered together in his name to ask things agreeable to his will he will much more confirm in heaven whatsoever his officers and servants assembled in his name shall determine and conclude and what sentence they shall denounce upon mature deliberation according to his will If we speak of complete churches such as the Apostles planted it hath power of excommunication which is one part of the power of the keyes but the execution of that power is not essentiall to the church either constitutively or consecutively It is neither the matter nor form of the church nor that which doth necessarily flow from them as an inseparable property The moderate use of excommunication is necessary to the well-being of a church but there may be a true church where there is no discipline of excommunication and where that censure is not put in practice He may be a good physitian who never used section a good chirurgian who hath no saw and the body sound which never suffered the cutting off of a member The conclusion is That all spirituall power is immediately derived from Christ to be exercised by his direction and appointment for the good and benefit of the whole church The power of preaching the word authoritatively and administration of the sacraments perteineth to the Pastours and Teachers onely which power they have received from Christ must exercise for the edification of the flock The power of excommunication formaliter exsecutivè is proper to the company or assembly of guides and rulers in the church derived from Christ to be exercised as Christ shall go before them but with the notice of and due regard had unto the whole society CHAP. XIII An examination of sundry positions laid down by M r Jacob in his Exposition of the second commandement tending to Separation TO know the true sense and meaning the just scope and purpose of the second commandment is of continuall and necessary use and rightly conceived might be a means of unity and peace amongst brethren in matters of worship In this regard M r Jacob as he saith compiled a brief exposition of that commandment and with a mind desirous to maintein and keep the people of God within the bounds of truth and peace I purpose a brief plain and modest examination of his exposition in some particulars concerning the speciall object of the commandment and positions taken by some to be just grounds of Separation By the second commandment we stand bound to embrace all the instituted holy doctrines means and ordinances both inward and outward appointed of God to bring us life to believe that we have to bring us to eternall life a Mediatour and Saviour given us and that he is a Priest Prophet and King These things are not in the first but in the second commandment although they be inward actions of the mind and inward worship This is a private conceit affirmed without ground or reason to support it crosse to the commandment and M r Jacob himself Contrary to the commandment for the first commandment enjoyneth us to take the true Jehovah to be our God as in covenant he hath bound himself unto his Israel But God is not our God in covenant but in and through a Mediatour And therefore the first commandment bindeth us to take the true God in and through a Mediatour that is Jesus Christ to be our God M r Jacob holdeth the tables of the law to be the Lords testimony and convenant wherein all duties whatsoever even the Evangelicall as faith hope and repentance are commanded But in the covenant of grace in what commandment the Lord hath bound us to know believe hope or call upon him in the same he hath obliged us to know him in Christ to believe in him through Christ and to call upon him in and through a Mediatour For God in Christ or God and Christ is the object of Christian religion and since the fall of Adam there is no throne erected unto which man can come no way prepared no liberty granted for man to come no good successe to be expected but in the name of a Mediatour It is impossible to conceive how Christians should believe that God is or that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently but according to his covenant of mercy how they should believe in his free grace and mercy for the remission of sinnes but in and through Jesus Christ our onely Saviour The selfsame precept which bindeth Christians to take the true God to be their God King Father Judge and Saviour bindeth them also to take Jesus Christ to be their sole Mediatour Redeemer Saviour King and Priest and Prophet Not to believe in or worship Jesus Christ is a breach of the first commandment so the profession of Turcisme is against the first commandment To believe in or pray unto Angels or Saints departed as mediatours is a breach of the first commandment All honour and service whatsoever inward or outward which is due unto God by virtue of the first commandment it must be done unto God in and through Jesus Christ
A FRIENDLY TRIALL OF THE GROUNDS TENDING TO SEPARATION In a plain and modest Dispute touching the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie and set form of Prayer Communion in mixed assemblies and the Primitive subject and first receptacle of the power of the Keyes Tending to satisfie the doubtfull recall the wandring and to strengthen the weak By JOHN BALL ISAIAH 8. 20. To the law and to the testimonie if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them PSAL. 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path ¶ Printed by Roger Daniel printer to the Universitie of Cambridge For Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his shop at the Bible on Fleet-bridge 1640. To the Christian Reader sound judgement the spirit of wisdome uprightnesse of heart and sweet communion with GOD. Christian READER IT is commonly professed though not so well known and observed as it ought that Satan is alwayes busie to solicite and our own deceitfull hearts ready to turn aside from the wayes of peace and comfort either to the right hand or to the left To say nothing of the lamentable state of heathen Infidels Turks and Jews who know not God nor believe the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST Amongst them that professe Christianity some are so deeply plunged into superstition that the truth of God and the ordinances of grace are not prized in comparison of their own vain and fruitlesse traditions And others on the contrary do so farre distast all inventions whatsoever as they speak in Gods worship as they reject that which beareth the stamp and image of God and might be greatly profitable to their souls Many come profanely to the Lords table and pollute the holy things of God to their own destruction Others through groundlesse fears of defilement do withdraw themselves from ordinances Divine and the society of the godly because some unworthy are not debarred To satisfie this latter sort who offend out of weaknesse misguided judgement not of stubbornesse and contempt and to settle them that are staggering I have penned this poore rude treatise nothing doubting but the truth will be able to maintein it self and that the beauty thereof will procure favour and acceptance though it come arayed in a very homely garment A stinted form of prayer hath been challenged as an image forbidden in the second commandment a forged and devised worship unlawfull both in them that use it and those that joyn therein To remove this scruple I have shewed the use of a stinted Liturgie lawfull and allowable by the word of God of ancient use in the churches of Christ approved by all reformed churches at this day Upon which occasion many things are disputed touching the meaning of the second commandment the nature of true and false worship and what it is to pray by the Spirit Many are the objections which are made against set forms of prayer and particularly against our book of common prayer all which I have endeavoured to answer severally and not because they are of so great weight but because I desired fully to satisfie every doubt and roll away every stone I met withall If one and the same thing be oft repeated I desire it may be considered that one and the same objection for substance is often brought forth though perhaps in new aray and every plain-hearted Reader for whose use I principally intend this labour is not able to apply an answer once given to sundry objections in colour diverse though for substance the same And I suppose the prudent will think it more reasonable that the wise in heart be burdened with over-much then that the weak should remain unsatisfied through some defect Some stagger at this that ignorant profane notorious offenders are admitted to the Lords table and conceive that communicating with such in the ordinances of religion they are partakers of their sinne And sure it is a thing to be lamented with tears of bloud that the body and bloud of our Saviour CHRIST should be profaned the house and church of God defiled the name of the Lord dishonoured religion blasphemed and the blind notorious profane permitted to rush upon their own perdition But it is not for private persons to take that upon them which belongeth not unto their place nor being invited by CHRIST to excommunicate themselves because such as are notoriously wicked be not admonished kept back or censured The main ground of the former doubt and all others tending to Separation seemeth to be this That the power of the keyes is primitively given to the community of the faithfull as the first receptacle For then they conceive that it perteineth to them to censure offenders or else to separate from them Then likewise it will more probably be concluded as they think That that society which hath not the power of CHRISTS keyes is not the true church of CHRIST Therefore to raze the foundation of Separation and at once to overthrow their main objections this question is more largely disputed wherein is shewed by evidence of Scripture That the power of the keyes is given by Jesus Christ the Lord and King of his church and great Shepherd of his sheep to the church-governours whom he hath appointed to rule and feed his flock in his name and to whom they must give account If any man shall think these things are small and not to be insisted upon he may please to consider How small soever the things in themselves seem to be the evil consequences that follow thereupon be both many and great It is no small matter to bury that under the condemnation of false worship which the Lord the authour of all truth the determiner of his true pleasing and acceptable worship doth allow in his service It is no small offense to forsake the prayers of the congregation to depart from the table of the Lord when he calleth to feast with himself and to break off society and communion with the churches of Christ where he doth cause his flock to rest at noon to fill the hearts of weak Christians with doubts and distractions as not knowing what to do or which way to take to spend time in reasonings and disputations of this kind which might much more profitably be employed in the practice of repentance and holy obedience to expose religion to contempt and the truth of God to reproch amongst them that delight to speak evil These are sad effects of this Separation which is here opposed Is it not lamentable to see poore Christians who sincerely thirst after the waters of life and long to meet the Lord in his holy ordinances cast into doubts and fears about the things which so nearly concern their comfortable walking with God and salvation of their souls May not this tend to the discouragement of divers that are coming on and turn them who are halting clean out of the way The rents and divisions which have been in the
ordinary reading of the Law in the assemblies upon the Sabbath is not commanded by Moses either to the priests or Levites no mention is found of any such practice for a long time together We find not for a long time that the Jews had any synagogues for the ordinary assembling of the people and the Law could not be read in their synagogues untill they were built Will our brethren hence conclude either that the scriptures were not read in the assemblies or that it was a devise of man to reade them in their synagogues It is not good to lay grounds for such conclusions If M r Ainsworths testimony be of any value then mark what he testifieth from the famous Jew Maimonie in Misneh treatise of prayer That the church of the Jews had no stinted Liturgie Annot. on Deut. 6. 13. Our wise men have said saith Maim What service is this with the heart It is prayer And there is no number of prayers by the Law neither is there any set form of this by the Law c. If M r Ainsworth be not crosse to himself he cannot deny the use of a stinted form amongst the Jews in the celebration of the passeover of a stinted form free and voluntary not necessary as prescribed of God And that which is here cited out of Maimonie is no way repugnant thereunto For he speaketh not of the passeover or any observations in the celebration thereof but of prayer and that private by one alone and not publick in the assembly or congregation Now the Jews might well use a stinted form in the celebration of the passeover when yet by the law there was no number set nor form prescribed for private prayer These two may well agree After long search no copy can be found of any stinted Liturgie in use among the Jews till they ceased to be the church of God which is a poore and weak proof of the lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie amongst Christians It followeth not that they never had or used a set form because it is not to be found at this day For many monuments of antiquity are perished Again though forms which now are extant were not entire as now they be untill they ceased to be a church yet many things conteined in them might be in use before So it is in the counterfeit Liturgies which goe under the name of James Mark Basil and Chrysostom they contein many things which shew the whole composure to be late in comparison whereas divers things in them mentioned were of more ancient use in the church of God And if this do not please though there never was any stinted Liturgie or form of prayer to be used in all their synagogues and assemblies yet that is no reason to question the truth of that which the learned have observed touching the stinted form used in the celebration of the passeover and the probabilities at least they bring to shew that our Saviour Christ approved the same which is all that is affirmed in the argument and maketh more for the lawfulnesse of a stinted form of Liturgie then any thing that hath been objected against it As for the reformed churches we are not to consider what they do but what they ought to do It is most true but we must consider wisely and not censure unadvisedly The churches of God are companies of men called out of this world in part onely inlightned subject to errour they have erred they may erre their sole testimony cannot be the ground of divine faith and assurance Neverthelesse the constant judgement of the churches of God for many ages in a matter of this nature in the times of reformation when clouds and darknesse are expelled when the sunne is risen and great light given to the scriptures by the benefit of languages translations and commentaries I say the judgement of the churches at these times and in a matter of this nature is not lightly to be regarded A man should try and examine his grounds and reasons and mistrust himself rather then so many wise learned and godly sweetly consenting in a matter of this nature unlesse his evidence be very good He had need be well advised before he charge them to maintein a worship not allowed an idole-prayer for the spirituall worship of God a strange form of prayer which was never approved whereat a Christian may not safely be present against which he is bound to witnesse Be it that the churches do erre herein yet I hope they be not obstinate and such as will not give consent to the truth when it is shewed and manifested How cometh it then to passe that none of them hitherto have subscribed to their opinion and practice Either their arguments are not sufficient to convince and then their Separation is unjust or they generally want eyes to see the light for they will not say they want conscience to acknowledge what they cannot but see and then in meeknesse they are to be born withall if upon well tried grounds a man be assured that they all and not he himself is in the errour The testimony of the church then is not infallible because it may erre and hath erred and some members of it at this day do erre in the particular differences that be amongst them but yet the constant testimony of the whole church in the times of light and reformation is of great weight otherwise the Apostles would never alledge the practice and consent of churches to confirm the faithfull and stop the mouthes of the contentious We must look to the primitive churches planted by the apostles who are patterns to them and us But the apostolick churches for many yeares had no such Liturgie devised or imposed And therefore it is no ordinance of Christ because the churches may perfectly and entirely worship God without it with all the parts of holy and spirituall worship We freely confesse it to be no ordinance of Christ by speciall institution nor part of his worship It sufficeth that it is allowable in the worship and consonant to the generall rules given in scripture but not of absolute necessitie Whether any stinted forms of prayer were in use in the apostolick churches is more then can be affirmed certainly or denyed That the apostles prescribed none as necessary that is easily beleeved because no mention of it That none was in use our Divines will neither peremptorily affirm nor deny But if that be granted it is no prejudice to a stinted Liturgy nor to the churches apostolick who are to be our patterns For it is more then probable that many assemblies had not the scriptures read in a known tongue at their first planting it is more then can be shewed by precedent or example that they were read in any Christian congregation Some churches converted by the preaching of the Gospel had neither books nor letters It may be others received the book of
not uttered without premeditation settled and digested or at least which is not immediately suggested by the Spirit in respect of words and phrase of speech If the latter then devised worship is not forbidden in the second commandment but worship devised by another For that prayer which should be pure worship if devised by a mans self is unlawfull worship when devised by another And so devised worship or prayer is not condemned but worship or prayer devised by another man And if this be not the devise of man I know not what is Can this alter the nature of the worship in the hearer or him that joyneth that the words in prayer are invented by another studied by the governour or more suddenly conceived In the judgement of some Divines the three first commandments are thus distinguished each from other That the first commandment conteineth all those our duties towards God which are naturall The second all those duties in Gods speciall worship which are instituted and either of these is both inward and outward The third commandment requireth the well using of both these and of all other things which come of God If this distinction be allowed a stinted form as such doth not at all belong to the second commandment For instituted worship and not the order or manner of performance is the matter of the second commandment Stinted prayer is unlawfull because a man in devising it doth not exercise his own gifts Though he exercise not his gifts in devising it in reading or uttering it as a prayer he may set his understanding judgement faith hope love humility fervency and other graces of Gods Spirit on work And if the minister do not may not the people exercise their gifts in hearing and so though it be unlawfull to him it is not so to them Stinted prayer voluntarily taken up upon a mans self is not so much unlawfull but prayer imposed upon men because in such case they subject themselves to mans ordinance in Gods worship This is a strange description of mans ordinance in the worship of God or of worshipping God after the ordinances of men For thence it will follow that the same devised worship voluntarily taken up hath some allowance as the ordinance of God and ceaseth onely to be of God when it is imposed Whereas the ordinances of men in Gods worship condemned in scripture are not mere matters of order forms of words and phrases circumstances of time and place determined by men according to the generall rules but matters of worship devised besides and against the word of God and are unlawfull whether voluntarily taken up and devised of our selves or imposed by others A prescribed set form is not agreeable to the word of God for circumstance because the prescribing of it is to set apart or sanctifie it for such an use without Gods command and so to idolize it above other prayers In what sense a stinted form of prayer is or may be set apart hath been shewed before But this description of setting apart or prescribing is a mere devise barely affirmed without any shew of reason What is here objected against a prescribed form may be affirmed of a prescribed place time and order for the celebration of Divine ordinances which are of the same nature with it and no more determined by the word of God And suppose the minister or governour maintein some erroneous conceit touching the prescribed form of prayer are the people children or servants hereby authorized to withdraw themselves from such prayers or the prayers themselves made unacceptable to such as know how to use them aright One man is of opinion that a prescribed form is better then another another that a prescribed form is unlawfull one that it is best ordinarily to use a stinted form another that he is to pray alwayes according to the present occasion in a different order and phrase of speech In these cases if the least errour do stain the prayers to others that they may not lawfully joyn together with whom shall the faithfull joyn at all Is not this to fill the conscience with scruples and the church with rents Errours and abuses personall they rest in the persons so erring and stain not others It is harsh to affirm that such hath been the estate of the church ever since the death of the apostles almost if not before that a Christian could not without sinne joyn with any publick assembly in prayer or participation of the sacraments that he must either separate from the prayers of the assembly and depart from the sacraments or derogate from the authoritie of God and worship him after the ordinances of men For if such was the state of the Christian church from that time what is become of those great and pretious promises made to the church in the times of the Messias Did the church begin to draw and give up her breath both in one day Many things were amisse in the church many corruptions did begin to bud in the apostles times and after their departure did put forth with greater vigour and the saints of God I doubt not offended many wayes through ignorance and infirmity which God in mercy was pleased to pardon unto them But that the state and condition of the church was such that a Christian could not hold communion in prayer and the sacraments with the churches of God is contrary to the many promises in scripture made to the churches of the New Testament It is true the scripture doth forewarn us of an apostasie from the faith and the mystery of iniquity began to work in the apostles dayes and after their death things declined more and more But that within an age or two after the apostles departure out of this life things were so corrupted that the godly might not hold communion with the church in prayer and participation of the sacraments is more then an advised Christian will dare to affirm or think But if a stinted form of prayer be unlawfull both to minister and people to him that administers according to it and them that joyn a Christian might not safely joyn in any church-assembly or congregation in prayer or participation of the sacraments within few ages after the death of the apostles if at all Unlawfull commands in matters of religion especially cannot be obeyed without sinne Hos 5. 11. and it is a sinne to walk after them many wayes In matters of religion if the commands of men be contrary to the commands of God for substance or matter of the thing commanded we must obey God rather then men But if the command of man be for substance of matter agreeable to the rules of scripture pressed onely with too great strictnesse or severitie it is not evermore against God nor our superiours nor the present age and posterity nor ourselves to yield obedience If it be an holy form of baptisme voluntarily to baptize into
use And if the Septuagint was corrupted in many things at that time the translations drawn thence cannot be pure Amongst many and divers Latine translations which Augustine saith cannot be numbred there was one more common then the rest and better esteemed by Hierome called the Vulgar who disliketh it and preferreth the translation of Symmachus and Theodotion above it If we give credit to ancient writers we shall find that there were divers customes in the church and rites in the administration of the sacraments not mentioned in scripture and some of them savouring more of superstition then of devotion which the Papists themselves have not onely laid aside but condemned though of ancient and long continuance The particulars are many and well known so that ancient custome is not plea sufficient to prove a thing good nor some abuse crept into and continued in the church cause sufficient why we should voluntarily absent our selves from the Lords ordinances In the second primitive church as some distinguish if not the first they had a stinted form of Liturgie not onely for lessons psalmes epistles and gospels and professions of faith but in prayers for matter and manner not much unlike to ours To the praise of God be it spoken our Liturgie for purity and soundnesse may compare with any Liturgie used in the third and fourth ages of the church And if in those times the faithfull might lawfully hold communion in the ordinances of worship we cannot at this day lawfully withdraw our selves by reason of such faults as be objected This I mention that we might learn to acknowledge Gods mercy walk worthy of what we have received and strive forward towards perfection by all lawfull means Long before the Lord called his people to come out of Babylon what faults soever can be objected against our Liturgie were found in theirs The faithfull therefore may lawfully be present at our service notwithstanding the faults objected against it For the Lord did not onely wink at his peoples weaknesse and ignorance for the time but approve of their non-separation untill he was pleased to call them forth Neither can it be imagined that they might hold communion in other ordinances but not in their stinted Liturgies for in those times of all other parts the stinted Liturgies were most pure God of his endlesse mercy so providing for his church and the comfort of his people in those hard and evil times when the doctrine was miserably dangerously corrupted in respect of Merit of works and Invocation of Saints c. the Liturgies were long preserved pure and free whereby the faithfull might be present with more comfort and freedome of conscience This one thing duely considered would put an end to many scruples and might serve to stop them who out of over-great heat and forwardnesse are ready to except against the means of their own comfort and to cast off what God offereth because they cannot enjoy what they desire The snares of superstition are warily to be declined because we are apt and prone to take infection thereby it being a work of the flesh and agreeable to our nature All sinne is to be shunned and that at all times but the danger of sinning onely is to be shunned by watchfulnesse and circumspection not by omission or neglect of any duty that God calleth us unto or requireth at our hands In a free state and condition the occasions of sin must be avoided because no man is safe who is next to danger and it is no point of wisdome to fish with a golden hook But when God casteth a man upon the occasions of sin in the duties of religion justice or an honest calling he must not omit the duty because of the occasion but resist the occasion and watch over his heart that he be not hurt thereby If a sowre herb or two grow in a good pasture is it not better to heed the flock there then to suffer them to starve The sheep of Christ are wise to discern betwixt things that differ and know where to feed and what to leave And if superstition be dangerous partiall indiscreet misguided zeal is sinfull turbulent and pernicious Whence have most schismes arisen in the church but even from hence that some in place have been over-eager and peremptory to presse the members of the church to professe their belief or approbation of some errours perhaps in themselves small and to be tolerated which they could not professe with a good conscience and not allow them communion in the church but upon such condition Also the frequent drawing out of the sword of excommunication to cut off well-deserving members from visible society with the churches of God for small and trifling matters is a great occasion and cause of schisme Whatsoever man or church saith one doth for any errour of simple belief deprive any man so qualified as above either of his temporall life or livelyhood or liberty or the churches communion and hope of salvation he is for the first unjust cruel and tyrannous schismaticall presumptuous and uncharitable for the second Wherefore such as have power in their hands they are alwayes to remember that this power is given them not for destruction or to shew their own greatnesse but for the edification of others and therefore never to be used but upon speciall and weighty considerations and occasions He that striketh fiercely with his spirituall sword at feathers doth alwayes either wound himself or wrest his arm And of particular private persons it hath ever been most true that a partiall rigid irregular adhering to some branches of holy doctrine hath been no lesse pernicious to themselves then troublesome to others For the fond admiration of their zeal and forwardnesse in this one particular breedeth neglect of Christian watchfulnesse and constant uniform walking with God disregard of Gods ordinances and of the good which may be gotten thereby disesteem if not contempt of others who will not comply with them in the same way and what can follow hereupon but contentions and jarres surmises censurings and uncharitablenesse rents and divisions in the church This danger is the greater because it stoppeth the eare against advise and counsel For being once perswaded that they and they onely do maintein the truth and rightly affect it no reason will enter no perswasion take place to the contrary be it never so evident and apparent And this is most preposterous when the truths wherewith they are so enamoured and which they zealously affect be matters of small or least importance for then the great and weighty truths concerning the very life and soul of religion and the substantiall means of grace are undervalued in comparison of the other We must therefore labour and watch so to keep our selves from the infection of superstition as not to foster indiscreet and partiall zeal which admiring that which is of lesse importance thrusteth into over-vehement contentions and lesseneth
the due esteem of the great mercy the Lord hath shewed unto his church No particular member of a church may voluntarily break off externall communion with the church or refuse to communicate in the publick service and worship of God unlesse the Lord Jesus go before him therein and be his warrant that is unlesse Christ hath withdrawn the presence of his grace or the party cannot be present without the guilt of hypocrisie or approbation of somewhat that is evil For the members of the visible church must hold fellowship in faith and love not onely one with another but with all other visible churches and all others intirely professing the faith of Christ so farre as they hold communion with Jesus Christ And therefore no member can lawfully break off externall communion with the true church of Christ but in that onely wherein and so farre as it hath broken off fellowship with Christ For where Christ is there is his church and where two or three are met together in his name there is he in the midst among them He is that Prince that is in the midst of his people who goeth in when they go in And when Christ calleth his free voluntaries to assemble in prayer or to partake at his table and promiseth to be present with them to heare their prayers and refresh their souls with grace it is not lawfull for a Christian to withdraw himself But in a congregation where a stinted form is used and that in some respects faulty here or there Christ may be and is present in the midst among them Christians are called to come and may be present without guilt of hypocrisie or approbation of the least evil To leave communion when we be obliged by God to continue in it is no lesse then schisme according to the nature of it Obliged by God we are to hold communion with the true churches of Christ in his true worship and service so farre as it may be without sin and wickednesse on our parts So that though there be some errours or ignorances in the publick administration yet if our belief of some errour or approbation of disorder be not required to that communion it is not lawfull to depart from the society of that church which professeth the saving truth of Christ intirely for substance rightly mainteineth the dispensation of the sacraments soundly calleth upon God in the mediation of Jesus Christ and plentifully enjoyeth the means of grace When corruption and externall communion be so involved that it is simply impossible to leave the corruptions unlesse we leave the externall communion of the church a necessity of separation from that externall communion then lyeth upon us But though errours or corruptions of some kind be not onely tolerated but established mainteined and pressed yet if we can hold communion without approbation of the said errours or corruptions Separation in that case is unjust rash and unadvised because the Lord therein doth not go before us The sin of Separation if unjust is so great and heinous the ill consequences and mischiefs so many and fearfull that all Christians should be well advised neither to lay stumbling-blocks before the feet of others which might occasion their turning aside nor to seek or catch occasions of departure but rather to wait and tarry till they be assured that the Lord goeth before them For the first when the Anabaptists in Helvetia opposed humane inventions as unlawfull they were by publick authority and with common consent abolished And that of Irenaeus is well known Variety of ceremonies commend the unitie of faith For the other part the faithfull have ever tolerated weaknesses and infirmities in each other and abuses in the church so long as the foundation was held and they agreed in the main In the primitive church not onely some persons but whole congregations have doubted of many books of scripture and yet lost not their dignity of true churches of Christ How long did the faithfull wait and bear before they departed or rather were driven by excommunication sword and sire out of Babylon This hath been the judgement of the godly learned in all ages of the church They that for trifling and small causes saith Irenaeus divide the body of Christ c. these can make no reformation of such importance as to countervail the danger of a division When good men tolerate bad men saith Augustine which can do them no spirituall hurt to the intent they may not be separated from those who are spiritually good then there is no necessity to divide unity And in another place These two things reteined will keep such men pure and uncorrupted that is neither doing ill nor approving it Although faith be one funiculus colligantiae yet variety of opinions without pertinacy standeth with unity but nothing is so contrary to the church as schisme and departure This matter I will shut up with the saying of Zaga Bishop of Aethiope and embassador of Prester John It is a miserable thing that Christian strangers should be so sharply reproved as enemies as I have been here and other things which concern not the faith But it should be farre more convenient to support all Christians be they Grcaeians be they Armenians be they Aethiopians be they of any one of the seven Christian churches with charity and love of Christ and to permit them to live and converse amongst other Christian brethren without any injurie because that we are all infants of one baptisme and do hold truly the true faith The conclusion is That the externall communion of the church in publick worship is not to be forsaken for some faults neither fundamentall nor noxious which may be espied in her Liturgie Though the bearing and forbearing not onely of small but even of great sinnes also must be for a time yet it must be but for a time and that is whilest reformation be orderly sought and procured Lev. 19. 17. But what time hath wrought in the church of England all men see growing dayly by the just judgement of God from evil to worse and being never aforetime so impatient either of reformation or other good as at this day Moreover a man must so bear an evil as he be no way accessory unto it by forbearing any means appointed by Christ for the amending of it Errours or faults be of two sorts Some grosse notorious manifest such as a man cannot but see to be amisse unlesse he will shut his eyes against the light and must amend or there can be no hope of salvation Others of quotidian incursion frailty and infirmity ignorance or mere weaknesse such as godly men are not convinced of or if they see them at some times to be amisse yet in ordinary course they be overtaken with them from which the most holy be not altogether free In these latter though Christians must labour the help cure and support of each
speaketh of the actuall execution of this power and not of the power it self which onely belongeth to the governours And if the church be the Christian Presbytery as it exerciseth discipline and not the multitude of the faithfull then is this text in vain alledged to proove all power Ecclesiasticall to be originally and by way of execution in the community of the faithfull then the power of hearing examining determining and censuring doth primarily belong unto the Presbytery and not unto the faithfull in common God is the God of order and not of confusion But if the hearing and determining of all causes which may fall out in a society consisting of three or four six or eight ten or twenty thousand persons for so many may be in one society must be referred to the whole community and that upon the Lords day to be joyned with the administration of the word sacraments almes and the rest yea in these cases to go before the other parts of worship lest the holy things of God be polluted by notorious obstinate offenders disorder and confusion cannot be avoyded When shall controversies be decided How shall the community have sufficient intelligence of the state and quality of matters Either businesses must be determined rashly or infinitely protracted before they can be heard of every man and they agreed together In so great a multitude it cannot be conceived how things should be done seasonably moderately in order without partiality and dissension where every one may walk according to his own rule and no man to be guided or directed by another but as pleaseth himself And if spirituall power originaliter executivè be given to every member of and to the whole community of the faithfull then is every member in some sort a ruler and governour And if we search into the records of the church we shall find none example either in the holy scriptures or the histories of the ancient church where the universall multitude of the faithfull none directing or governing the action did lawfully proceed in the determination of spirituall matters of this kind In the old testament not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is rendred Synagoga but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it is translated Ecclesia signifieth an assembly of princes and elders of the people and so of prophets likewise for when the words are generall to note any assembly of men met together whether civil or sacred it is not strange if the congregation of princes nobles elders and prophets assembled be known by the same name In the new Testament the word church is sometimes an assembly or company howsoever gathered together but ordinarily it noteth a society of faithfull Christians as all and every siant are called saints But as the Apostle when he doth grievously reprehend the Corinthians that they had not brought the knowledge of their contentions to the saints he understandeth not the promiscuous multitude but some speciall or chief amongst them So by the church which noteth a multitude or society of believers we must understand some and the chief of the church a church in a church For when it commonly signifyeth a multitude with relation to religion the church-governours set over the flock by Christ assembled to heare and determine matters that may fall out amongst the faithfull is not unfitly nor obscurely called the church And those things are rightly said to be brought to the church which are brought to them that guide the church by the authority and appointment of Christ As the body is said to see when the eyes alone see so the church is said to heare that which they onely do heare who are the eares of the church Not that the guides are substitutes of the multitude in that respect for the eye is not the deputy of the hand or foot but that the power which they have received they have received it from Christ for the whole body and must execute it to the good and profit of the whole They are the stewards deputies ministers of Christ but for the whole body and every member thereof From all this it is apparent that the word church in this text of scripture cannot be taken as it is commonly in other passages of the new Testament For in other texts it noteth the multitude of believers without distinction of sex age or condition but here women and children are excluded as regularly uncapable of that power here spoken of In other places the church signifyeth a multitude of believers saints faithfull or disciples as they are distinguished from their officers and guides which are set as stewards in the Lords family and officers in his corporation but here the officers of the church are necessarily included If the word must be interpreted according to the circumstances of the text and the matter intreated of the matter here insisted upon is no where else touched in all the new Testament for here and no where else is a rule left by Christ how offenders are to be dealt withall and by whom the sentence is to be determined and if the matter be peculiar it is no marvell if the words be taken in a sense restrained The Syriack interpreter useth three words to expresse the greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synagogue or Assembly which is used for the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the old Testament and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new But Matth. 10. 17. he translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Tremellius rendreth in Concilia Boderian in domum judiciorum De Dieu in domum judicum For as among the Hebrewes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so among the Syrians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 2. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 25. 23. The second word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 congregatio Acts 19. 32 39 40. and is used in the old Testament for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when it signifieth the assembly of Judges Psal 82. 1. and in the new for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 5. 27. and 6. 12. and 23. 1 20 28. In other passages they translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 16. 18. 18. 17. Acts 2. 47. 5. 11. 8. 1 3. 9. 31. Rom. 16. 1 4 5 c. which they use for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 7. 8. 74. 2. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 22. 26 27. 35. 12. 40. 10. 89. 6. 149. 1. The Arabick Interpreter useth foure words in the new Testament First of all Gamhon Acts 19. 31 39. which in the old Testament they use for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 35. 18. 74. 2. Psal 1. 5. 82. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and not to give that honour unto Jesus Christ or to give it unto any other is a breach of the first commandment It is true that inward and outward worship both when they are both of one nature or kind are required in the first precept as if I must pray unto God in the mediation of Jesus Christ or pray unto Jesus Christ mine onely Saviour I may kneel or prostrate my self or bow my body in the exercise of religion and these actions must be referred to the same commandment It is also true that the second commandment reacheth to the heart and requireth that we rightly conceive of allow approve and affect the ordinances of instituted worship appointed of God as well as exercise and maintein it but seeing the worship it self commanded is instituted it is also outward Besides there be some things of mere nstitution which pertein to the third and fourth commandments as the institution and observation of the seventh day from the creation in time of the Law and of the first day in the week in time of the Gospel M r Jacob himself saith The fourth commandment in the word Sabbath setteth down one particular even the ordinary seventh day of rest but understandeth all holy dayes instituted of God that they are likewise to be sanctified By his own confession then all instituted doctrines and ordinances are not referred to the second commandment The just and true generall matter of the second commandment is a free and voluntary institution or matter instituted onely or specially in the exercise of Gods worship wherein it hath no way any necessary use of it self This is the generall matter or full extent of the second commandment even in the mind and purpose of God himself the authour of it And it is likewise the just and full definition of Gods instituted worship in generall that is whether true or false This is obscure and doubtfull If the meaning be that all instituted or positive worship of God which carrieth the Lords stamp and approbation must be referred to this commandment and that all worship devised by men for nature use and end one with the worship instituted of God is a breach of the second commandment it will be granted freely and might have been delivered plainly But if the meaning be that all free and voluntary institutions whatsoever must be referred to the second commandment if of God as just and allowable if of men as sinfull it hath no ground of truth or probability For many free institutions cannot be referred to the second commandment and concerning the instituted worship of God God hath left many things undetermined wherein the church may take order and give direction without sinne unto what commandment soever in generall the things may be referred The Lord forbidding to bow down unto or serve an image doth therein forbid all approbation liking or reverence though never so small shewed towards any institutions and inventions of men set up in the room of or matched with the Lords own instituted worship But an invention for nature and use one with the true worship of God and an institution in the exercise of religion are not one and the same There ought to be very clear and plain proof in Gods word to warrant every visible church if the members thereof desire to have comfort to their own souls because this is even the first and weightiest matter in religion that can concern us viz. to be assured that we are in a true visible and ministeriall church of Christ For out of a true visible church ordinarily there is no salvation and by a true visible church and not otherwise ordinarily we come to learn the way of life Therefore above all things it is necessary that every Christian do rightly discern of the divers kinds of outward ordinances in this behalf chiefly of visible churches and withall to understand which kind or form thereof is the true visible church of Christ or kingdome of heaven upon earth which is the onely way and in it the onely truth ordinarily leading to eternall life hereafter For the true visible church of Christ is but onely one questionlesse in nature form and constitution There are expresse and pregnant texts of scripture which shew what is the true visible church of God whereunto Christians may and ought to joyn themselves in holy fellowship in the ordinances of worship As where the covenant of God is there is the people of God and the visible church For communication and receiving the tables of the covenant is a certain signe of a people in covenant For what is it to be the flock sheep or people of God but to be in covenant with God to be the church of God The word maketh disciples to Christ and the word given to a people is Gods covenanting with them and the peoples receiving this word and professing their faith unto God is their taking God to be their God Those assemblies which have Christ for their Head and the same also for their foundation are the true visible churches of Christ It is simply necessary that the assemblies be laid upon Christ the foundation by faith which being done the remaining of what is forbidden or the want of what is commanded cannot put the assembly from the title and right of a church For Christ is the foundation and head-corner-stone of the church The form is coming unto Christ and being builded upon him by faith the matter is the people united and knit unto Christ and so one unto another Now where the matter and form of a church is there is a church Every society or assembly professing the intâ—re and true faith of Christ and worshipping God with an holy worship joyning together in prayer and thanksgiving enjoying the right use of the sacraments and keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is the true church of Christ The Gospel may be preached to Infidels some supernaturall truths may be professed by hereticks the use of the sacraments may be in adulterate churches but the intire profession of all fundamentall articles of faith to be believed and main precepts and morall laws for practice to be acknowledged the dwelling of the truth amongst men and the right use of the sacraments which is ever joyned with true doctrine and to be esteemed by it is proper to them that be in covenant with God The laws and statutes which God gave to Israel was the honour and ornament of that nation a testimony that the Lord had separated them from all other people even the Gentiles themselves being judges This is your wisedome and your understanding in the sight of the people He gave his law unto Jacob his statutes and ordinances unto Israel Thou gavest them right judgements and true laws ordinances and good commandments Who received the lively oracles to give unto us They have Moses and the Prophets Sound doctrine
government onely Therefore to the full complete constitution of a visible church many things are required and that of divers kinds in themselves and of divers degrees of necessity all which cannot be referred to the second commandment but many and they most necessary to the first some to the third some to all And though in things essentiall and unchangeable belonging to the being of the church and matters positive determined by God nothing must be done besides the rule yet in things not determined concerning externall order and the better exercise of that authority which Christ hath committed to his servants some things are permitted to the wisdome of the church according to the generall rules of scripture And if the church holding the true faith as it hath formerly been said shall exceed or fall short in some particulars for such superfluity or defect she is not to be rejected as no true visible church of Christ Every church-ministery made and devised by the policy of men and not instituted of God is against the second commandment c. And all offices and ministeries in the church which are found in the scripture as instituted by God are in the affirmative part of this second commandment The church-ministery in respect of the main and substantiall duties belonging thereunto doth pertein to the second commandment in part not wholly or onely but in respect of things circumstantiall annexed to the ministery it belongeth not to the second commandment And if we consult scripture that is a new or devised ministery which for substance of the office is not of God be the outward calling never so orderly or legall and that ministery is not new or devised which for the substance of the office is of God though the entrance was disordered in the person admininistring many things be amisse and in the execution many defects or superfluities If a minister orderly chosen and ordained shall preach false and corrupt doctrine in points fundamentall or administer false sacraments his ministery is new devised false notwithstanding his lawfull entrance If a minister enter unlawfully either by the tumult of the people partiality of the overseers or corruption of patrones if he preach Christ crucified soundly and rightly administer the sacraments his ministery is true and of God though his entrance be of men If a minister preach sound doctrine in the main though mixed with some errours and administer the holy sacraments though with some superstitious rites his ministery is not to be esteemed new or devised for these weaknesses If some things humane be mixed with Divine a sound Christian must separate the one from the other and not cast away what is of God as a nullity fruitlesse unprofitable defiled because somewhat of men is annexed unto them In the body we can distinguish betwixt the substance and the sicknesse which cleaveth unto it betwixt the substance of a part and member and some bunch or swelling which is a deformity but destroyeth not the nature of that part or member Which of the prophets doth not cry out against the pride oppression covetousnesse tyranny of the priests in the time of the law Their offices were bought and sold they themselves despised knowledge opposed the prophets of the Lord strengthened the hands of the wicked and were enemies to all piety and yet their ministery was not false and devised for the main substance of it It is objected by the rigidest Separatists with great confidence That to communicate in a false ministery is certainly a breach of the second commandment For what do they else but set up an idole yea and bow down unto it which serve God in and by a devised ministery But if first they would consider what a false or devised ministery is and then what it is to communicate in the worship of God with them they would soon forsake this fort wherein they trust For the ministery may be true and of God when the election is disordered and the person unmeet and the execution maimed If this be not granted there was neither church nor sacrament nor ministery in the world for many hundred yeares yea if every superfluity or defect make a nullity of the ministery they that think themselves the onely ministers will be found none at all because they derive their authority from the community of the faithfull it may be two or three onely united in covenant which hath none authority to communicate it as hath been proved before For so we may reason as they do That is no ministery which is derived from them and executed in their name who have none authority to give it What is it to communicate in a false ministery Is it to communicate in the worship of God with them whose calling is not in every respect appointed and approved of God I might entreat them to look to their own standing before they accuse others and justifie their own calling before they seek to draw others from the communion of the church upon such pretenses But if that be their meaning the proposition is weak it can neither stand alone nor be underset with any props For when the prophets prophesied lies and the priests bare rule by their means was their ministery true or false When the priests were dumb dogs that could not bark and greedy dogs that could never have enough was their ministery true or false When the priests bought and sold doves in the temple or took upon them to provide doves and such like things for them that were to offer was their ministery true or false When the scribes and Pharisees corrupted the law by false glosses taught for doctrine mens precepts made the commandment of God of none effect by their traditions and set themselves against Jesus Christ was their ministery true or false If true then an ignorant idole prophane idle ministery which despiseth knowledge opposeth godlinesse prophaneth the holy things of God corrupteth the law polluteth his worship strengtheneth the hands of the wicked leadeth the blind out of the way may be a true and lawfull ministery If false then to communicate in a false ministery is not a breach of the second commandment For the true prophets forbad not the people to heare the priests nor our Saviour his followers to communicate with the scribes and Pharisees in the worship of God He charged them to beware of their leaven to let them alone because they were the blind leaders of the blind but he never laid his commandment upon the faithfull not to communicate with them in the worship of God And therefore to communicate with ministers no better then Pharisees in the true worship of God is neither a vain worship nor an abetting of the party in his sin nor to rebell against the Lord nor to commit spirituall whoredome but on the contrary it is to worship God aright to reverence his ordinances to relie upon his grace to hearken unto his voice and submit unto
his good pleasure If their ministery was true in some respects and false in others then the ministery is not absolutely false which in some respect is not pure as it ought and is to be desired then also it is no sin to communicate in a false ministery in some respect so farre to wit as it hath truth in it and doth carry the stamp of God The priests scribes and Pharisees were of the tribe of Levi which was set apart for the ministery yet might they be strangers thieves robbers murderers which the sheep of Christ will not heare that is follow or be led by them For the ministers whom our Saviour chargeth as thieves and murderers were of continuall succession of Levi and Aaron especially and it is to be understood of them who teach false doctrine and not of them who enter without a lawfull outward calling And to enter by Christ the doore teaching him alone to be the onely Saviour and Mediatour is the note of a good shepherd To heare them is not simply to communicate with them in the ordinances of God which the godly and faithfull among the Jews might not refuse to do with the Scribes and Pharisees who were thieves and robbers but to receive their doctrine and embrace their errours which was evermore unlawfull The thieves and murderers in the church of the Jews sprung up with them and continued amongst them and neither departed themselves nor were cast out by others that had authority In the Christian church divers false teachers ravening wolves Antichrists rose up not from among the Heathen or Jews but in and from themselves whereof some went out from the church and separated themselves others were cast out by excommunication and delivered up unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme others were tolerated in the church either because their heresies were not so pernicious at the first or the better side had not power to cast them out or they preached fundamentall truths but of evil minds These in respect of outward order were lawfully chosen or called and yet false prophets discovered by their doctrine not by their calling and some of them continuing in the church the faithfull are warned to beware of their errours that they be not infected by them but not forbidden to partake at the ordinances of worship because they are present And if we look into the Scriptures of the old and new Testament we shall never find the prophets called true or false in respect of their outward calling but in respect of their doctrine A man may have a lawfull outward calling to the ministery and yet be a false prophet because he preacheth the lying visions of his own heart But we shall never find him called a false prophet who teacheth the truth as he hath received it of God because in some particular his calling might be excepted against And seeing he that speaketh the truth to edification exhortation rebuke and comfort of Gods people according to the command of God is a true prophet he that speaketh the dreams of his own heart is a false prophet It were good if they in whose mouthes the chalenge of false prophets is rifest would better weigh how they themselves expound and apply the scriptures in their writings or prophesyings lest notwithstanding any outward church-state or calling as they pretend they be deeper wounded by the rebound of their accusations this way then their adversaries For whosoever will be pleased to trie and examine the matter unpartially shall find their quotations of scripture to be many impertinent forced wrested miserably abused without all fear or reverence Let no man therefore be dismayed at their great confidence big words multitude of scripture-proofs or pretended grounds from others whose principles they put in practice for if they be particularly examined they will either disclaim the cause or put weapons into thy hands truly to fight against and put them to flight But for the present I forbear to enter into particulars because I desire the satisfaction of the more moderate sort who though they scruple communion in some particulars above handled do yet dislike that totall Separation which others make and that bitternesse of spirit wherewith they prosecute their cause The Lord in tender mercy look down upon his church make up the breaches which sinne hath made remove the stumbling-blocks and occasions of offense recall such as are gone astray cause his truth to shine more and more in our hearts and teach them that fear his name to walk in love and by an holy unblamable conversation in all things to approve the soundnesse of their faith and sincerity of their religion before all men for the comfort of their souls the edification of others and the glory of his great name through Jesus Christ our Lord. FINIS The generall heads conteined in this Book CHAP. I. OF a stinted form of prayer pag. 1. CHAP. II. All things essentiall to prayer may be observed in a prescript form pag. 12. CHAP. III. A stinted Liturgie or publick form of prayer is no breach of the second commandment pag. 23. CHAP. IIII. It is as lawfull to pray unto God in a form of words devised by others as to sing psalmes to the praise of God in a stinted form of words prescribed by others pag. 54. CHAP. V. A stinted form of prayer doth not quench the Spirit pag. 83. CHAP. VI. In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing prayers salutations c. which may lawfully be used pag. 97. CHAP. VII The churches of God have both used and approved a stinted Liturgie pag. 106. CHAP. VIII The people may lawfully be present at those prayers which are put up unto God in a stinted form of words and partake in Divine ordinances administred in a stinted Liturgie pag. 122. CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter pag. 157. CHAP. X. It is lawfull to communicate in a mixt congregation where ignorant and prophane persons be admitted to the sacrament pag. 187. CHAP. XI Of holding communion with that assembly in the worship of God where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15 16 17. pag. 216. CHAP. XII The community of the faithfull much lesse two or three separated from the world and gathered together into the name of Christ by a covenant are not the proper and immediate subject of power ecclesiasticall pag. 231. CHAP. XIII An examination of sundry positions laid down by M r Jacob in his Exposition of the second commandment tending to Separation pag. 282. FINIS Octob. 9. 1639. Imprimatur Cantabrigiae Ra. Brownrigg Procan Psal 50. 15. 1. Tim. 2. 5. John 10. 23. Ephes 2. 18. Rom. 8. 26. 1 Cor. 14. 16 28. Orig. contra Celsum lib. 8. Ambr. in 1 Cor. 14. Hieron ad Heliodor Epitaph Nepotian August De Magist lib. 1 Idem De
and through Jesus Christ To God onely as the chief best and most perfect good through Christ as our Mediatour in whom we have accesse to the throne of grace Prayer is not a work of nature but of grace The principall authour thereof is the holy Ghost Man indeed doth poure out his soul unto the Lord but he is first taught moved and enabled thereunto by the Spirit of grace so that prayer is Gods gift and mans act The matter of our prayer is diverse according to the sundry occasions which happen in this life but ever it must be agreeable to the word and will of God Understanding faith humilitie reverence fervencie holinesse and love are required to that prayer which is acceptable unto God and doth procure audience In prayer with others especially in publick prayer where the minister is the mouth of the people the use of the voice is necessarie for the edification of the hearers for they cannot joyn in supplication and yield their consent unlesse they heare and understand what is prayed for In solitary prayer the voice and words are very usefull but not necessary usefull to stirre up affection and prevent rovings not necessary because it is the soul only that doth animate prayer A man may pray fervently and speak never a word but words be of no worth if the heart be absent Prayer endited by the Spirit and poured out by a sanctified soul is ever sweet and pleasant melodie in the eares of God though the tongue keep silence and the phrase of speech be rough and unpolished But let the outward frame of words be never so smooth and well set together the prayer is not pleasing unto God if therein we crave things unlawfull and impertinent if it be read or uttered without intention of heart understanding faith c. Neverthelesse in prayer with others specially in the publick assemblie words and decent phrase must not be neglected because all things must be done gravely and to edification To place devotion in words is superstition to hunt after quaint terms is foolish vanity but to neglect a decent and comely manner of speech is barbarousnesse Seeing then the use of the voice is not of the essence of prayer no man of understanding will deny that to be an holy and acceptable prayer which proceedeth from a sincere and upright heart feeling its own or others wants and craving supply thereof according to Gods will whether the petitions be put up in the self-same or in other words And yet because the ordinances of God must be kept from contempt in the publick assembly it is good neither to be over-neat nor over-homely but to use such a mean as doth most tend to the glory of God and good of Gods people Here a question is moved Whether a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer publick or private be lawfull in the deviser or user A penned or stinted prayer I call Prayer in respect of the matter and externall form because the matter is delivered in form of a prayer or supplication tendred to God though properly it is not a prayer as it is penned or printed but as it is rehearsed as our prayer with understanding feeling of our wants humilitie confidence c. The controversie is not of this or that prescript form in particular much lesse of one faulty or erroneous but of a prescript form in generall Whether it be lawfull especially in the publick assembly to appoint any prescript or set form of prayer though for matter never so sound and allowable For if the exception be against this or that form in respect of the matter or maner of imposing then the question should be Whether this prayer for matter or manner of imposing be erroneous not Whether a stinted form of prayer or Liturgie be lawfull It is not questioned whether a man may ask things unlawfull or impertinent in prayer for the matter of our prayer must be agreeable to the word of God and our present occasions A prayer for matter and externall form holy and fit may by accident be sinfull in the user viz. when it is repeated without understanding or intention of the heart Of this there is no doubt It is granted also that no one prescript and stinted form of prayer or Liturgie is simply necessary either in publick or private for then our Saviour Christ who would not be wanting to his church in things necessarie would by his Apostles expressely have set down one to be an exact and unchangeable rule to all Christians and churches to the worlds end both for matter and form words and method whereunto they should have been tied and that alwayes But seeing our Saviour hath commanded no such unchangeable form it is not the Necessity but the Lawfulnesse of a stinted Liturgie or set form of prayer that is pleaded for and that as a matter of order not of religion or substantiall means of worship For in this sense there is no means of worship expedient which is not necessary by commandment It was never held that a man should so tie himself or be tied alwayes to a set form without variation that he should never offer up any prayer unto God as occasion is offered and necessitie requireth but what he findeth in his book Such use of a set and stinted form of prayer we do not acknowledge nor seek to perswade But to reade prayer as a prayer upon a book or to make known unto God the desires of our heart in a set form of words devised by others or our selves when the things we beg are allowable fit and necessary and when it is done with right affection is contrary to no precept or commandment directly or by lawfull consequence Amongst them that oppose a set form of prayer we may observe differences in opinion The ancient brethren of the Separation as M r Smith calleth them for distinction condemn all stinted forms of prayer to be used as a prayer Thus they dispute against set or stinted forms of prayer that it is a devise of man an Idole-prayer a stinting of the Spirit the substituting of a book in the room and stead of the holy Ghost a drawing nigh to God with the lips when the heart is removed farre from him That if set forms be lawfull then one may make anothers prayer buy his prayers at a book-binders shop carry them about in his pocket with many the like Which arguments whatsoever their weight be strike at all set forms and not at this or that onely prescribed in this or that manner M r Robinson hideth the matter as much as well he may by such like additions as these of matter and manner The thing saith he you should have endeavoured to prove is That your Divine service-book framed by man and by man imposed to be used without addition or alteration as the solemn worship of your church is that true and spirituall manner of
thing is found there follow all necessarie requisites to the true and complete being thereof But a prescript from of prayer sound and fit for matter grave for the manner of penning and read or uttered as our prayer with knowledge faith reverence and fervencie of affection hath the true matter and form of prayer For the matter of our prayers are those common blessings and speciall good things which according to the will and pleasure of God we are to beg of him for our selves and others The true form of prayer I speak of prayer uttered with the voice is the outward disposition and frame of words and the inward elevation and lifting up of the heart to God by the holy Ghost Will any man say that all these things cannot be observed in a stinted form of prayer common experience will confute him Who knoweth not the matter of many prescript forms of prayer to be good and necessary for all men All our wants and particular occasions are not mentioned or laid open in the prayers conceived by the minister or governour of the family and yet no man judgeth them for that cause unlawfull though imperfect It is not then prejudiciall to the lawfull use of a prescript form that many particulars which we stand in need of are not therein mentioned Can it not be read or uttered with right disposition of heart how then can we sing with joy or praise God with cheerfulnesse in a stinted or set form of words Is it not easier to cry for what we need with feeling then to return praise with love and joyfulnesse for what we have obteined He that will confesse it possible to give thanks aright in a set form of words devised by others or invented of himself cannot deny the same in prayer with any shew of truth or colour of reason Men may read it viz. the Lords prayer and humane liturgies with understanding and feelling saith M r Ainsworth Again If in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed then a stinted form of prayer may have the true matter and form of prayer or all things required in prayer may be observed in a stinted form But in the ordinary use of the Lords prayer publick and private without addition or variation all things required in prayer by the word of God may be observed For the matter there is no word in the Lords prayer which doth not ordinarily in great measure and in the main alwayes concern every Christian mans estate though he cannot reach unto all things comprehended in this prayer And all our wants are conteined within the compasse of the Lords prayer and may be deduced thence though they be not in â—lat terms expressed Infinite things are included in the Lords prayer which the weak and imperfect faith of the godly cannot reach unto but such and so much reach the weak faith hath that the child of God doth and may with comfort and profit use the Lords prayer as a prayer The Lords prayer is both the foundation of our godly prayers and the prayer of prayers Some weights and measures may be as rules to others and used as weights and measures themselves Concupiscence is both sin and the cause of sin Of ancient times the Lords prayer was used in all publick Liturgies and was of frequent use among private Christians Tertullian fitly calleth it The law of prayer and breviary of the Gospel Calvine The rule That it may be used with right disposition and affection of soul is confessed by them that dislike all stinted forms and testified by the experience of all Christians Therefore the Lords prayer may lawfully be used as a prayer both in publick and private by ministers and people weak and strong But first we are willed to note That the forms mentioned in scriptures of the old Testament are but for some speciall occasions and commanded to the church not from every ordinary church-officer priests and Levites but onely from the Prophets who had an extraordinary immediate calling from God who might as well deliver for scripture-oracles the truth of God taught by them as any forms of prayers and praises This we have observed and do acknowledge the forms of psalmes prayers and praises given by the Prophets immediately called and chosen of God to be parts of the sacred Canon to which it is not lawfull for particular churches or the whole church in generall to adde the least jot or tittle But this is not to the point in hand For we do not reason thus That seeing the Prophets by extraodinary and immediate calling gave speciall forms of prayer or praises to the church upon speciall occasion which are parts of the Canon therefore the church may do the like But thus we conclude and that according to the truth That seeing holy men have prescribed and the faithfull have used these forms not by extraordinary inspiration or speciall prerogative but upon grounds common to them and us the like forms may be prescribed and used without speciall commandment And seeing the Prophets and holy men of God by inspiration gave certain psalmes or forms of prayer and praise unto the church to be use upon speciall occasion which have the true matter and form of prayer and praise when they be used as a prayer or thanksgiving in faith reverence humility c. according to the present occasion therefore prayer uttered in a stinted form of words or read upon a book as a prayer may come from the spirit and be tendred to God with right affection A man may reade when he prayeth and the eye may guide the heart when the holy Ghost doth lift up and make it able to poure forth its desires unto the Lord. And if those forms of prayers and praises which are parts of the scripture may have the true nature matter form of prayer c. when they be used in faith and by the power of the holy Ghost enabling us to pray or praise the Lord in that form other forms of prayers or praises fit for matter may have the true matter form of prayer or praise when they be used in faith by the power of the holy Ghost as occasion requireth For the prayers recorded in holy scripture have not the true nature and form of prayer in respect of us because they are recorded in scripture but as they are used by us in holy manner upon fitting occasion and other forms fit for the matter used in such manner as God commandeth in faith humility reverence c. by the quickening power of the Spirit have the true matter and form of prayer as well as they But those forms are not the devise of man as be the other True as they be part of holy scripture they are of God both in respect of matter and form but as
quench the Spirit Why so Because the Spirit is straitned by forms devised by men which is as much in plain terms as to say It is stinted in our sense because it is stinted And the like might be noted in other arguments Where is the consideration of the people had when the forms now are the same for matter and manner that they were almost an hundred yeares ago and at the first dawning of the Gospel the same for the Court Universities and the meanest congregation in the Countrey Might not the same be objected against the use of a set translation singing of psalmes the use of the Lords prayer for this fifteen hundred yeares without alteration for these are the same now that they were many yeares agone or at least may be the same for Citie Countrey Court Universitie and the meanest villages There are some common blessings which we and others dayly stand in need of and those it is lawfull to ask dayly in a set form of words Thus we may pray euery day for encrease of faith patience love meeknesse the forgivnesse of sinnes the continuance of those outward blessings which we enjoy freedom from or victory over temptations c. Thus there is no petition in the Lords prayer which doth not alwayes in the main concern every Christian mans estate And if the matter of our prayers may be the same daily in the Citie the Countrey Court and Universitie in this and former ages the same phrase of speech method and form externall may be lawfull fit and expedient For it is not the repetition of the same words in prayer every day that displeaseth the Lord but the ignorant rash cold customary superstitious and irreverent pouring out of words before him that is distastfull to his Majesty Variety of phrase doth not delight the Lord neither will he reject the desires of an humble and contrite heart because they are tendred often in one and the same phrase of speech And if the matter of prayer be the same in places of greatest wealth and poorest condition and the same form of blessing baptizing singing of psalms and putting up their petitions to God be fit and decent for them all it can be no prejudice to a stinted Liturgie that it is the same in all places and throughout all ages if the language be the same For this doth argue it to be the more not the lesse fit and that the greater not the lesse regard is had to the people The reason in brief is this It is lawfull to ask the same common blessings of God every day in all assemblies and congregations both of the City Country Court and University met together to call upon God therefore the same stinted form of prayer or Liturgy may be lawfull in the greatest city and meanest village in this and the ages following whether read or uttered out of memory for pronouncing cannot make an evil matter good nor reading simply make prayer good and holy to become sinfull Publick prayers offered up by the minister in the church-assemblies must be framed according to the present and severall occasions of the church and people of God which cannot be done when men are stinted to those forms Occasions are ordinary and common or more speciall In a stinted form prayers may be offered up by the minister according to the common and ordinary occasions of the church and people of God assembled though not according to the speciall occasions which may happen now and then or more particularly concern this or that person For if the same blessings are dayly to be craved he prayeth according to the present occasions that asketh the same blessings of God If it be said There be many occasions of particular use for the congregation and others which are not mentioned expressely that proveth not That a man cānot in a stinted form pray according to the severall occasions but that some stinted forms do not meet with all and every particular occasion which is easily granted But if a stinted form meet not with every mans occasions or not so particularly as it ought doth it hence follow that in a stinted form a man cānot pray according to the present occasions at all If this be the conclusion I fear we shall find few conceived prayers which must not come under the same sentence It may argue the imperfection of a stinted form not the unlawfulnesse it maketh somewhat against the sole use of a set form at all times against the simple use it maketh nothing It is found by lamentable experience that when men began to observe that custome there was great quenching of the Spirit and very few there were who did know and observe the true nature and the manner of prayer How is this confirmed by experience If ever the Christian church had no stinted form of prayer lamentable experience will testifie what great coolings and decayes there was in the church before a stinted form was in use If ever the faithfull did by the Spirit of adoption cry Abba Father they have learned to pray by the Spirit since the use of a stinted form as well as before Whatsoever may be thought of the two first ages for the space of fourteen hundred yeares the churches have had their stinted Liturgies The reformed churches since God was pleased to restore light again to the world have approved a stinted Liturgie Was there none or few in all this tract of time who did know or understand the true nature or manner of prayer none or few that in spirit or truth did call upon the name of the Lord The securitie of all ages hath been lamentable both before and since the use of a stinted form but that a stinted form was the cause of securitie and dulnesse can never be proved CHAP. VI. In scripture there be prescript forms of blessing prayers salutations c. which may lawfully be used IN scripture we find prescript forms of blessing prayers and thanksgiving both ordinary and extraordinary approved of God which might be used by the priests Levites and Saints or faithfull people and that upon deliberation usually constantly as occasion was offered and not by the immediate motion of the Spirit I say not that the preists in blessing or the Saints in prayer were necessarily bound to those very words and syllables But they might lawfully use them and without sinne We find also stinted forms of salutations valedictions and blessing which have been often used and may lawfully be used still without variation though we be not necessarily obliged thereunto Our Saviour also prescribed a set form of baptizing which we observe constantly without addition or variation though we be not tied by absolute necessity to rehearse the same words in the same syllables No substantiall change is to be admitted which may alter the sense but the very form of speech
speech may be used also as occasion shall require For none is absolutely commanded and all things required by the word of God in prayer may be observed in the one no lesse then in the other In this whole answer therefore which cometh so often in the second branch they strengthen our reason as much as can be desired against themselves In the other they look not to the point in hand nor the force of the reason Those forms mentioned 2. Chron. 29. 30. are in the same place expressely said to be composed by those that were Prophets and Seers as in other places of purpose as it were to prevent imitation an ordinary rise to imagery The forms mentioned were given no question by the inspiration of the Spirit and so is the Lords prayer the form of baptizing and other psalmes registred in holy scripture But the application of those particular forms to this on that purpose was not by an extraordinary motion of the Spirit but upon grounds common to others with them upon like occasion or in cases analogicall And if in that respect it be not lawfull to imitate their practice I would gladly know by what warrant we sing the psalmes of David or other holy prophets inspired of God or use a set translation c. Upon what grounds may they compose a catechisme for the edification of the people of their particular charge or gather together and alledge scriptures in their studied sermons either for instruction exhortation rebuke or comfort If they have not warrant from these and such like practices of the people of God it will prove in their construction but the precept or devise of man The composure of those psalmes was by the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost wherein no man not immediately inspired may presume to imitate them but forms given by inspiration are thus farre for our imitation that we may use the same words or other words devised of our selves to the same purpose sc to expresse and lay open the conceits and desires of our soul Hezekiah did not compose that form but commanded the Levites to make use of it being already composed But how imitation herein should be a rise to imagery I cannot conceive To adde unto or detract from the word of God or his ordinances is great presumption to imitate the Saints in that particular which they did by immediate inspiration and could not do without such inspiration is intolerable boldnesse But where God hath given a pattern of prayer thanksgiving or administration of the sacraments to imitate our samplar in the selfsame words or other words devised by our selves or others is no rise to imagery If this be a rise to imagery every time a Christian maketh use of the Lords prayer in his prayers or the prayers of holy men recorded in scripture he setteth up an image he that deviseth a set form of prayer for one that needeth and he that in case of necessity useth such a devised prayer setteth up an image and every time they pray preach catechize administer the sacraments or meditate of holy things with reference to the scripture they set up images These consequences I am assured they detest let me entreat them to consider whether they do not follow necessarily upon their premisses Those that mean to defend the imposition of a stinted form of prayer to any purpose do what they can to bear us in hand that these prayers are of like nature with those in scripture and speak of them as if the composition and framing of them were by some propheticall or apostolicall Spirit or at least which will be all one in effect by a Spirit or gift extraordinary What opinion the true church of God hath had of a stinted Liturgie we shall see in the next argument But that she hath ever or at any time born us in hand that those prayers were of like nature with those in the scriptures that is given by immediate inspiration or parts of canonicall scripture is an unjust imputation For they know that all reformed churches since the light of the Gospel began to shine forth unto the world untill this day do allow and maintein the use of stinted prayers catechismes confessions and professions of faith a stinted form of singing psalmes c. did ever any of them bear the world in hand that their prayers or composures are propheticall or from an extraordinary spirit Divers godly and learned ministers have soundly and to purpose mainteined the lawfulnesse of a stinted form against them of the Separation in former times did they ever write or speak that the prayers or Liturgie was framed by an Apostolicall spirit I have not seen all men that have written upon this subject upon any occasion and therefore cannot say that never any man did so speak of them but sure I am if any man have so written he is neither the onely man nor the chief which hath set his hand to maintein the expediency of a stinted Liturgie If any one hath spoken unadvisedly the cause hath no credit by his defense nor can it receive prejudice by his weaknesse It hath been objected against some dislikers of a stinted form that they conceit their extemporany prayers to come from the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost and if a man should rake into every writing and set every speech upon the tentours he might say as much for it as can be said in this particular But at the best this is but to go about the bush This is that which I hold and plead for That by the word of truth a stinted Liturgie or form of prayer is allowable and in some respects expedient CHAP. VII The churches of God have both used and approved a stinted Liturgie THE Jews before the coming of our Saviour Christ used a prescript form of prayer and praise or thanksgiving in the celebration of the passeover and that which they used was as it is probable approved of our Saviour Christ himself The Christian churches of ancient times for the space of this fourteen hundred yeares at least if not from the apostles times have had their stinted Liturgies and all reformed churches at this day do not onely tolerate but approve as very expedient a set form of prayer or Liturgie There is no mention from Moses to Christ of any Liturgie devised by man Which might not have been concealed if it had been for the edification of the church to set up such means of worship as Liturgie read publickly for the prayers of the church That there was no prescribed Liturgie particularly ordained and determined of God is freely confessed but that there was none in use is not proved by the silence of the scripture For the scripture was given to be the perfect rule of faith and manners but setteth not down particular customes or observations according to the generall rules of religion To let passe many take this one for instance The
congregation simply because a stinted form is used is causelesse separation from the externall communion of the church Weigh all the reasons brought to prove it lawfull and they will be found too light If we look to our guide and captain Christ doth not goe before us therein Dare any man affirm that they be not met together in the name of Christ or that he is not present in the midst of them that joyn together in a stinted Liturgie Is there any duty publick or private which God requireth of people holding communion together in ordinances of worship which may not be performed of each to other when a stinted form of prayer is used without Separation But by that unwarrantable course of voluntary separation they make an unlawfull rent in the church deprive themselves of the comfort of Gods ordinances weaken the faith of many cause divisions among brethren and advantage the adversaries of true religion CHAP. IX It is lawfull for a Christian to be present at that service which is read out of a book in some things faultie both for form and matter ONe reason alledged to prove the lawfulnesse and necessity of Separation from our publick service in particular is this That the prayer-book in question is corrupt in many things which is thus amplified The matter of some petitions is such as we cannot say Amen to it in faith as in the collect on the XII sunday after Trinitie it is prayed that God would forgive us those things whereof our consciences are afraid and give unto us that our prayers dare not presume to ask c. To omit divers others the very â—itting of Collects to certain dayes for holy fasts and feasts not sanctified by God savour of superstition as speciall prayers for Lent serving to countenance the keeping of it as a religious fast c. the manner of praying vain repetitions as the often repeating of the Lords prayer and GLORY TO THE FATHER and LORD HAVE MERCY UPON US c. disorderly responsories the clerk taking part of the prayer out of the ministers mouth c. Moreover the book perverteth the right use of the scriptures dismembreth and misapplieth them for making of gospels epistles lessons and collects appointed for feasts of mens devising and derived from the Papists and it reteineth a corrupt translation of the psalmes and bringeth into the church Apocrypha writings and the errours conteined in them To them that look at all humane Liturgies as images forbidden by the second commandment this objection is of small force because the thing it self and not the corruption cleaving to the Liturgie is disallowed But lest this accusation should breed scruple in the minds of some not altogether disaffected to stinted forms of prayer or Liturgies I will examine not the qualitie of the exceptions whether justly or unjustly taken but the weight of the reason if the particulars should be granted For this objection it self doth free the Liturgie from grosse errours either fundamentall or such as border thereupon respecting faith or practice in the prayers themselves or that which concerneth the administration of the sacraments For the corruptions objected are Misapplication of some text si of scripture Frequent repetitions of the same things Disordered responsories and Breaking petitions asunder c. and these not dispersed throughout the whole book but in some passages onely which concern not the main grounds and chief heads of Christian religion but are such faults or slips as may peaceably be tolerated amongst brethren Therefore not to insist upon any particulars mentioned I lay down this proposition That a Christian may lawfully and with good conscience be present at such service and prayers which are read out of a book though somethings therein are or may be supposed to be faultie for form or matter in things not fundamentall nor bordering thereupon not pernicious or noxious but such as may be tolerated amongst brethren these not dispersed through the whole body of the book but in some passages onely It is one thing to allow corruption another to be present at the service of God where something is done corruptly For the Lord chargeth us to keep our selves free from all pollution but alloweth not to separate from abuses unlesse he be pleased to go before and as he goeth before us It is one thing to approve of abuses in a Liturgie another to tolerate what we cannot reform For a Liturgie should be framed so not that things may be construed well but that they cannot be construed amisse But many things may be suffered which are not so well ordained when it is not in our power to redresse them The Lord needeth not mans lie neither doth he allow us to do evil that good may come thereof and therefore I must not subscribe to an errour against conscience though never so innocent nor professe approbation of that which in conscience I cannot allow though never so small to the intent I might enjoy externall communion with the church of God in the ordinances of worship But I must tolerate many things for the maintenance of peace and unitie and the preservation of Gods worship For if there be not mutuall toleration and forbearance but each man will rigidly stand upon his own opinion and presse others to be of his mind and follow his practice in all things and every tittle of necessitie all things must fall into confusion and the church be rent almost into as many pieces as there be men The proposition is proved first Because they that alledge the foresaid faults or corruptions against communicating with us in our publick Liturgie or stinted prayers do themselves put small strength or none at all in this reason For suppose a chapter be somewhat unfitly divided and break off in the midst of the matter or now and then separate verses which should go together or a verse be ill distinguished or the preacher misalledge a text of scripture or something be found amisse in his prayer when he exerciseth his own gifts must I of necessitie separate from that ordinance of God or reject the good for that which is amisse Hereunto this answer is returned When the minister exerciseth his own gift Gods ordinance is observed wherewith I may communicate in praying as well as preaching notwithstanding his infirmities in either which are but personall and in such cases the rule warranteth men to trie all things and to hold that which is good 1. Thess 5. 21. But when the Liturgie is read an ordinance which is not of God but of man is introduced into Gods worship contrary to the second commandment and therefore I must reject it and have no communion with it Is not this in plain terms to grant that the corruptions alledged can be no cause of Separation but this onely Because it is the devise of man The corruptions alledged are not the cause because they may be found in translations the distinction of chapters and verses the preaching
granted nothing is here alledged but what might be said against communicating with ministers who have their weaknesses or use a stinted form of their own devising ordinarily or be of different opinions either in prayer or sacrament and if we must hold communion with none who dissent from us in any jote or tittle we must never joyn or not long continue in any congregation The personall miscarriages of private persons are not so perillous as the evil acts of the minister whom I make my mouth to God in prayer Neither do the errours of individuall men tainted with corruptions voluntarily broched in prayer or sermon cast that defilement upon them who joyn together as do the unwarrantable opinions of the church and the ministration upon such publick commandment It is a good rule in Divinity oft to be thought upon That every distinction in matters of faith or religion not grounded upon or warranted by the scripture is an humane devise For is not this to adde to the word of God to lay down an opinion as from God which is not to be found in his word at all Now to apply this to the present matter in hand I desire to know from what scripture this distinction can be warranted That the personall errours of the minister in his voluntary administration of the sacraments or prayer do not defile though I do not publickly testifie dislike or absent my self but errour committed in the administration by publick commandment do pollute all that be present Reason why presence should pollute in one case more then the other none can be given Calling from God to testifie dislike it may be I have in neither but least in the latter It being more tolerable for private persons to rebuke the slips and errours of their minister in voluntary administration then for a man to controll the order established by publick authority and common consent when he is not in speciall called thereunto If this distinction be of weight it would go best with the church to have no settled order amongst them for so long as the faults and corruptions be onely personall they defile not them that be present at the ordinances but personall they are untill they be established by common consent or publick authority Moreover by this rule one member may sooner cast out the whole church then the whole church can cut off one member For the church must not cut off a member but upon weighty consideration and apparent just cause and that after conviction with much long-suffering and patience but if this objection hold true one member must openly rebuke the church or withdraw from communion with the church for a stinted Liturgie or for some slip or fault there committed perhaps questionable at least tolerable among brethren Is not my joyning with them that sinne to be reputed an appearance thereof when I professe not dislike thereof It is one thing to joyn with men in sin another to joyn with them necessarily in the worship of God though for the manner of administration something be done amisse If I professe not dislike of what I judge amisse having no calling thereunto my joyning in prayer is no appearance of evil to a right-discerning eye because I am necessarily called there to attend upon the Lord in his holy ordinances Necessary attendance upon his master excuseth the servants presence in many companies where he seeth and heareth much evil which he cannot amend nor reprove and shall not necessary attendance upon Jesus Christ justly and truly excuse the faithfull To say nothing that this exception is crosse to the former and if these exceptions be laid together we shall find nothing but going backward and forward one denying what the other affirmeth If the faithfull by the approbation of our Saviour Christ and his Apostles were present at Divine ordinances as much or more corrupted then they can be supposed to be with us then for such corruptions we are not voluntarily to withdraw our selves For defilement is feared without cause by simple presence where Christ requireth and approveth our presence and hath promised to be present with us by his grace But the faithfull by the commandment and approbation of Christ have been present at Divine ordinances as much or more corrupted then they can be supposed to be with us For the scribes and Pharisees sinned grievously in corrupting the law with false glosses in so much that they neither taught nor practiced what was necessary to salvation They taught many things directly contrary to the law as if a child had vowed not to relieve his parents he was bound to keep his vow and neglect them They defiled the worship of God with their vain inventions And it may well be thought their praying was answerable to their preaching cold fruitlesse corrupt and rotten many wayes Neverthelesse the faithfull held communion and fellowship with them in the worship of God not in their corruptions and that by the approbation and commandment of Christ himself Our Saviour doth not tell the faithfull they were to call upon the Pharisees to fulfill their ministery which they had received and as occasion should require proceed further to declare their dislike in such manner as is meet either absenting themselves or other wayes declaring their dislike so as the whole church may take notice of it But his commandment is they should heare them so long as they sit in Moses chair It is true our Saviour doth not approve their corrupt glosses and sinfull inventions but doth sharply reprove them himself and admonish others to let them alone and beware of their leaven but not to forsake the assembly or absent themselves from the ordinances of worship From which it followeth evidently that simple presence at Divine ordinances is not consent or approbation of the corruptions therein practiced and that we must leave and forsake some in respect of familiar conversation with whom we may hold outward communion in the exercises of religion The sinne of Eli's sonnes in prophaning the holy things of God was exceeding great but Elkanah Hannah and Samuel did not partake with the sinnes of the priests in that they did not abstein from the Lords sacrifices The behaviour of the Corinthians in their unreverent scandalous and almost prophane coming to the Lords table was foul and corrupt yet the faithfull did not forbear nor the Apostle charge them to absent themselves from the Lords table The famous church of Rome was so weak and feeble in the duties of government as they did not or could not separate from them such as preached Christ contentiously and with spitefull minds against the Apostle and the greater number of that church did corruptly demean and carry themselves therein and yet the Apostle never taught the rest to separate and have no communion with them in the ordinances of worship Knowledge before-hand that such corrupt administration will be used
should not be prophaned what conscience should Christians make neither to prophane themselves nor suffer so farre as lyeth in them the supper of the Lord to be prophaned It was a worthy saying of Chrysostome Animam priùs tradam meam quà m Dominicum corpus alicui indigno sanguinémque meum effundi potiùs patiar quà m sacratissimum illum sanguinem praeterquam digno concedam Neverthelesse it perteineth not to every man to debarre the impenitent from the Lords table but it must be done by them and in such manner as the Lord hath appointed For private Christians may not usurp the authority of the church nor the church execute her authority in undue manner That is necessary to them that have received commission from God which is unlawfull to them that want authority In the common-wealth the execution of justice is necessary but private persons must not challenge the sword of the magistrate In a corporation no one must take that upon himself which belongeth to the common councel Holy things must not be given to prophane persons but every one at his pleasure must not deny holy things to unholy persons but unholy persons must be debarred from holy things in such order as God hath prescribed It is a thing illegall altogether and unreasonable that a Christian man laying open claim to his right in the sacrament should by the mere discretion of a minister or private Christian be debarred from it Men would be loth to put their lands nay their goods and cattels and shall we think the Lord hath put their interest in the body and bloud of Christ to a private discretion So should it fare ill with the deserving members of the church and such as most deserved should least feel the severity of this censure The precept then of debarring scandalous offenders bindeth them to whom God hath given this power and them onely so farre as God hath put it in their power But God regularly doth not leave that power in the hand of one singular steward or some few private Christians to discommon one from the Lords table by publick censure And therefore the steward may not by any means keep back the fat ones of the earth from his masters table but warn them fairly of the danger ensuing as Gratian noteth out of Augustine And if one or few private Christians cannot debarre the unworthy from the Lords table it is manifest the ordinance of God is not defiled to them by the presence of the wicked whom they desire to reform or expell but cannot because power is not in their hand to do it lawfully For if it be lawfull for the faithfull to hold spirituall communion together in the ordinances of worship where the wicked and ungodly are tolerated as outward members of that society and have externall society with them in those ordinances then the presence of scandalous men doth not defile the sacrament to the worthy receiver The consequence is evident from the reason given to disswade communion in the sacrament sc because they that partake are one body Now if the same communion for substance be in other ordinances and yet it is lawfull for the faithfull notwithstanding the wicked be permitted to hold communion in those ordinances then it is lawfull to partake at the Lords table though the scandalous and prophane be received But it is lawfull for the faithfull to hold spirituall communion and fellowship together in the ordinances of worship where the wicked and ungodly are suffered as outward members For Moses calleth Israel a chosen people an holy nation the peculiar people of God whom he calleth a stiff-necked people foolish and unwise The Lord protesteth that Israel did rebell against him that they did not understand but were a most sinfull nation yea as Sodom and Gomorrah and yet he calleth them his children and people yea passing Sodom in iniquity and yet the daughter of his people and daughter of Sion his pleasant plant and a noble vine Israel then was the true church of God and the people true members of that society and yet many of them not truly sanctified nor true Saints And if the priests and Levites were set over a people unconverted for the truth of sanctification though holy by externall covenant which they for their parts had broken by their iniquities but on Gods part was undissolved and the faithfull had spirituall communion together in the ordinances of worship when the unwise foolish perverse uncircumcised in heart and life sinfull and laden with iniquity were admitted as members of the same body or society then the faithfull are not defiled with the presence of the ungodly at the sacrament though they that communicate together make one body in externall communion As the common-wealth of Israel consisting of men uncircumcised in heart perverse rebellious obstinate as well as faithfull and obedient was separated into covenant and so one body in externall communion and might lawfully have fellowship together in the ordinances so the faithfull and scandalous received into covenant and living in society do partake in the same ordinances without tincture or infection to the better part As the rebellious and perverse in Judah so the scandalous in the church are separated into covenant and though in course of life they be dogs yet in publick esteem they are not to be reputed dogs nor used as dogs till the church have so pronounced of them Peter calleth the Jews that had crucified Christ Brethren not according to the flesh because his kinsmen but as children of the prophets and of the covenant And if the Apostles might hold spirituall brotherhood with them who were impenitent perverse rebellious yea murderers of the Lord of life why should it be unlawfull to hold externall communion in the participation of the sacraments with persons scandalous and offensive in course of life The common-wealth of Israel was a religious politie and God established them a people unto himself by covenant without exception and so long as the covenant stood undissolved on Gods part though broken on theirs by their iniquity they might hold communion one with another Religion ever since the fall of Adam is one and the same for substance though different in the manner of dispensation the church from the beginning one and the same in common nature and essence though different in the manner of government and measure of gifts fitted to severall ages thereof The mysteries are varied according to the times but the faith whereby we live is in every age invariable As God is unchangeable so is his covenant one and the same that excepted which was peculiar to the manner of dispensation the confederates or members of the church by Gods approbation one and the same and so the common nature and essentiall constitution of all true churches from the beginning of the world to the end thereof In all ages of the church the members of
the church ought to be saints and holy must be such as they ought to be in some measure or they shall not be approved of God They are saints who have made a covenant with God by sacrifice But as for the wicked they have nothing to do with the covenant The end of the calling of the church is holinesse to the glory of God at all times and it is true in one age as well as another that they who are utterly unanswerable or clean contrary affected to the ends of the true church which are holinesse and the glory of God they are not called into covenant or communion with God If in one age of the church the scriptures asscribe not holinesse to a people for some fews sake if the rest be unholy and profane it asscribeth it to them in no age If in one state of the church unclean persons and things do pollute and unhallow clean persons and things and a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump it must hold true in every age in its proportion And therefore if ignorant unwise impenitent uncircumcised in heart and life rebellious and obstinate in course and conversation might be in externall covenant with God and in that respect a separated holy and chosen people with whom the faithfull might hold communion externall in the ordinances of worship then it is lawfull for Christians to partake in the ordinances of Gods worship though scandalous livers be admitted with whom in partaking we must have externall communion For if the scandalous were in covenant then they may be so now If communion with the wicked defile now it defiled then If the godly might then communicate because they could not cast out the ungodly the same reason is good at this day If the faithfull be bound to reprove their delinquent brother and not suffer sin to rest upon him the same duty did concern them in former times If the sacraments be now available and of use according to the covenant of promise which God hath made to the faithfull and their seed and none otherwise as the sacraments are one in their common nature so in their use available onely to the children of the covenant at all times If it be contrary to the main ends for which the Lord gathereth and preserveth his church upon earth that wicked and ungodly men should be received into covenant or permitted to continue in the society of the faithfull it was unlawfull in the Jewish as well as in the Christian churches And therefore if the church of the Jews all this notwithstanding continued the true church of God when it was corrupted in doctrine and manners in officers and ordinances of worship when the teachers were dumb dogs and blind guides the prophets prophesied lies and the priests received gifts and the people rebellious adulterous oppressours an assembly of rebells when the priesthood was bought and sold the temple defiled and made an house of merchandise the law corrupted with false glosses and made void with false and sinfull traditions when errour heresie idolatry oppression rebellion stubbornnesse and all manner of sin was exceeding rife among them If when all these things were amisse and greatly out of order they yet continued the sheep of the Lords visible flock and the Lord was pleased to own them for his people his flock his inheritance if they reteined still the holy law of God and the seal of his covenant and the prophets and faithfull servants of God held lawfull communion with the church in the ordinances of God then the covenant of God is not disannulled with his people because ignorant and prophane persons are tolerated in the assembly nor the godly defiled because scandalous persons are suffered to communicate The word may be preached to heathen and infidels for their conversion Paul preached the word to the scoffing Athenians and to the blasphemous Jews and yet had no externall communion with them as with members of the same body The word may be preached to them that are without for their conversion to the faith to them that be within the church by baptisme and externall profession for their found conversion unto God conversion from particular sinnes and building forward in grace and holinesse The word is preached to heathens and inâ—idels but no communion with them is had thereby because they are not of the Christian society But to scandalous persons first received into the church by baptisme and not cast out by publick censure the word is preached as unto members and not as unto bare hearers and they are admitted to the prayers of the congregation as well as to the hearing of the word and that as members in outward covenant Therefore it is an act of communion in some mens opinions To use one ordinance and not another is to make a schisme in the church And as the preaching of the word not the bare tender of the word but the giving of it to dwell and abide with a people is a note of a true church so is the hearing of the word an act of communion with the church If the presence of the wicked doth not defile Gods ordinance to the worthy receiver then it is lawfull to receive the sacrament in a mixt congregation where scandalous persons are admitted For what but pollution or defilement can warrant voluntary Separation and departure from the Lords ordinance But the presence of the wicked doth not defile Gods ordinance to the worthy receiver The simple presence doth not defile For then the presence of close hypocrites and secret dissemblers who are in truth unworthy though they appear not so to us should pollute and defile Not his knowledge of their unworthinesse For then Judas his presence had stained the ordinance of God to our Saviour himself to whom the unworthinesse of Judas was well known then one man should be bound in conscience to excommunicate another or himself rather before the matter be brought to the church yea for that which in conscience cannot be brought unto the church Not the notorious knowledge of their unworthinesse seeing he hath no power to repell them nor leave from Christ to withdraw or separate himself from the society It is the duty of a godly man to withdraw himself from all private familiarity with the wicked and by no voluntary friendship to ensnare himself with them But it is one thing to avoid the private society of wicked men another for the hatred of the wicked to renounce the publick communion of the church and so of Christ who is present with his people The duties which I ow to a brother in this course I must perform but privately excommunicate him or separate my self from the congregation for his sake I must not because I have no charge from God no pattern from the godly so to do My communion with the
in their meal lest they be sowred with their leaven The comparison of the leaven used by the Apostle is to be understood in likenesse of nature not in their equality of effecting For leaven sowreth naturally and cannot but sowre the meal the godly may be hurt by the wicked but it is not necessary Therefore every member must look warily to himself and do his endeavour to reclaim other or that he may be cast out if notorious and incorrigible but not withdraw himself from the ordinances of grace The doctrine of the Gospel is compared to leaven in respect of its efficacy but all that heare it are not seasoned by it though it be a good means of seasoning The corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees is compared to old leaven but every one that heard it was not necessarily tainted with it It is true if the whole church shall bear with scandalous notorious offenders and do not their endeavour to bring them to repentance or to have them cast out they are polluted and stained by their remissenesse indulgence and this is that which the Apostle presseth upon the Corinthians that they should give all diligence to clear themselves and prevent the danger which might come by their negligence But if the church be remisse or slack the private men who mourn for what they cannot amend and labour conscionably to discharge their duties may not separate from the communion or withdraw themselves from the Lords table For the Apostle who blameth the Corinthians because they suffered the incestuous person doth never blame the faithfull for communicating with him before he was cut off nor intimate unto them that unlesse he did amend they must absent themselves from their assemblies and holy exercises or depart away being come together They that have authority to debarre men from the sacrament sin if wittingly or negligently they allow such to approch as worthy guests to the Lords table who are known unto them notoriously to be unworthy but if authoritie be wanting if we have done the office of private Christians or publick ministers to communicate with the wicked outwardly in the worship of God is none offense And thus the minister may reach the sacrament to an unworthy communicant and yet be innocent For he doth not so much give it him as suffer his communion because he hath not power or authority to put him back He reacheth him the signes as that which he cannot withhold because he is held in by the most prevailing power without which he cannot be debarred In this case the minister is neither actour nor consenter in his admission because he doth it not in his own name but according to the order established by God who will not have any member of the congregation publickly denied his interest and right to the holy things of God by the knowledge will and pleasure of one singular minister If a minister know a man to be unworthy he must yet receive him because he cannot manifest it to the church And for the same reason if his unworthinesse be notorious if it be not so judged by them that have authority he must administer the sacramentall signes unto him not as unto one worthy or unworthy but as unto one as yet undivided from them A man is not onely bound in his place to do his best for the reclaiming of his brother but to see his place be such as wherein he may orderly discharge the duties of admonition otherwise both his practice and place are unlawfull This is not sufficient that we labour by the best means to have manifest evils amended except our places be such and we in such churches as wherein we may use the ordinary means Christ hath left for the amendment of things otherwise our places and standings themselves are unwarrantable and must be forsaken If all places and standings be unwarrantable wherein we may not use the ordinary means God hath left for the amendment of things then all places are unlawfull wherein the greatest part of the church at least do not conscionably discharge their duties and of them which have greatest authority Then the Levites might not abide in their standings when the priests neglected their office nor the prophets when the priests and Levites had corrupted their wayes Then the people might not sacrifice nor receive spirituall blessings by their hands when Eli's sons had notoriously corrupted their wayes nor the faithfull remain in society when the priest and people both had corcupted the law worship offices and manners To speak no more of abuses if this rule hold no place or standing in the church is lawfull wherein three or more private persons who can make Peters confession of faith have not power of the keyes to receive into and shut out of the church to censure and determine authoritatively And so it may well be questioned to say no more whether ever there was any lawfull standing in a constituted church Since the death of the Apostles if they be put unto it according to this position they must confesse there was never any And considering the ignorance infirmities diversities of opinions that be amongst the godly passions distempers and corruptions how is it possible but that the church must fall into as many schismes almost as there be men if each man must renounce others standing as unlawfull wherein he conceiteth he is restrained of some power or hindred of some ordinary means which Christ hath left for the amendment of things No church in the world now hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible presence which the church then had till the coming of Christ It was simply necessary that Messiah should be born in the true church wherein he might have communion and fulfill the law The Lord did afford the Jews even in their deepest apostasie some or other visible signes of his presence and those extraordinary when ordinary failed thereby still declaring himself to remember his promise There was that onely visible church upon the face of the earth tyed to one temple altar sacrifice priest hood in one place and no man could absolutely separate from that church but he must separate from the visible presence and from all solemn worship of God Moreover the Jewish church had not that distinct ecclesiasticall ordinance of excommunication which we now have but that the obstinate or presumptuous offender was by bodily death to be cut off from the Lords people the same persons namely the whole nation being both church and common-wealth according to that speciall dispensation These observations rightly applyed do manifestly overthrow what hath been and is by others objected against communion with us in the worship of God For if it was absolutely necessary that the Messias should be born in the true church wherein he might have communion then a church corrupted in officers and offices doctrine worship and manners may be a true
church wherewith the faithfull may hold communion without sin or at least the faithfull may lie hid in such a corrupt society and hold communion with them in the exercises of religion without sin And if the Jews had not power to cast out an offender the materiall part of that church was not visible Saints whom God was pleased to take into covenant but the whole body of the Jewish nation ignorant impenitent prophane obstinate even all that were not cut off by bodily death the sacraments must not be dispensed according to the promise made to the faithfull and their seed but promiscuously to all that came of the loins of Jacob according to the flesh the faithfull might and ought to have communion as one body with the wicked and prophane who remain in unbelief and both revile and persecute the truth Then a company of impenitent sinners might and did remain the true church being to the judgement of men irrecoverable then such as are altogether averse to the end of their holy calling may be received into covenant and though the society be never so much sowred with the unclean conversation of the ungodly yet the faithfull may dip in their meal and live in that society without fear of pollution dishonour to God encouragement to the wicked or scandal to the brethren And what then is become of the heaps of quotations whereby they would prove that the members of the church must be holy visible saints a people converted in covenant separated to the Lord and that the church is onely true whiles it continueth such and false when it degenerateth from this disposition and of their confident arguing That if it were the will of God that persons notoriously wicked should be admitted into the church then should he directly crosse himself and his own ends and should receive into the visible covenant of grace such as were out of the visible state of grace and should plant such in his church for the glory of his name as served for none other use then to cause his name to be blasphemed That all true churches from the beginning to the end of the world are one in nature and essentiall constitution and the first the rule of the rest and if it was not lawfull for the godly to contract with the wicked in the civil covenant of marriage how much more in the religious covenant of the church That God gave unto Abraham and to his family the covenant of circumcision which the Apostle calleth the seal of the righteousnesse of faith And to affirm that the Lord would seal up with the visible seal of the righteousnesse of faith any visible unrighteous and faithlesse person were a bold challenge of the most High for the prophanation of his own ordinances These and many the like are broken to pieces by this observation That the whole nation of the Jews sinfull laden with iniquity corruptours revolters in course of life were Gods separated people by covenant and might lay claim unto and could not be debarred from the visible seals of the righteousnesse of faith though in themselves faithlesse and unrighteous And if it was no pollution to the Jews to suffer notorious wicked ones amongst them so they discharged such other duties as were enjoyned them by the Lord because they had not power to cast them out it is no pollution for private and particular Christians who have not the power of excommunication in their hand given unto them by Christ to suffer such as be ignorant and scandalous to communicate in the ordinances of grace with them if they perform all other duties which God requireth at their hands Moreover if the Jews had not power to cast out a wicked person they had power to cut off the presumptuous and the neglect of the one is as inexcusable as of the other And so the whole controversie turneth upon this one hinge Whether one or two or some few private Christians have power to cast out and excommunicate whole societies churches for some remissenesse or abuse in bearing with or admitting scandalous offenders in the societies so long as the doctrine of grace is purely taught the sacraments rightly administred for substance Christ is pleased to tolerate and bear with their manners continueth the visible signes of his presence among them and is present by speciall grace to blesse his ordinances to the worthy receiver A few words one would think might suffice in this matter but seeing the strength of the cause lieth therein in the chapters following it shall be handled more at large In the church of Corinth there were divisions fects emulations contentions and quarrels and going to law one with another for every trifle and that under the infidels Pauls name and credit was despitefully called in question there whom they should have honoured as a father the resurrection of the dead which is the life of Christianity was denied that wickednesse was winked at there which is execrable to the very heathen the Lords supper was horribly profaned in that some came to it drunken there was fornication and such like sins not repented of things indifferent were used with manifest offense and idolatry committed in eating at the tables of idoles meats sacrificed to devils Notwithstanding all which abuses that societie is called and was the church of God and the faithfull did and might communicate with others without pollution The Galatians had so farre adulterated the Gospel of Christ that the Apostle telleth them they were removed to another Gospel pronounceth that they were bewitched and if they still persisted to joyn circumcision and the works of the law with Christ they were fallen from grace and Christ could not profit them and yet they are called churches of Galatia Ephesus was extremely decayed in her first love she was not onely cooled a little but had left it In Pergamus there were some that held the doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitanes In Thyatira the woman Jezebel was suffered to teach and seduce the servants of Christ Of Sardis the holy Ghost saith she had a name to live but was dead her works were not perfect before God there were but a few there who had not defiled their garments Of Laodicea it is recorded that she was neither hot nor cold and then it is not hard to conceive how she was overgrown with disorders and yet Christ was present with her by his grace and the faithfull are exhorted to repent or beware of her sinne and not to forsake her society Of the abuses in the church of Rome something hath been noted before Of corruptions and disorders in other churches the scriptures give plentifull testimony But you shall never find that the faithfull are warned to separate from the worship of God in these assemblies but to keep themselves pure and undefiled and labour the reformation of others by all means lawfull In the
primitive church after the apostles the discipline of the church was in some cases very severe partly to prevent the abuse of Gods ordinances partly to maintein the dignitie and authority of the censures neverthelesse the godly were compelled to tolerate many disorders which they could not redresse not in doctrine and worship but in manners and conversation For as soon as Christians began a little to breathe from the fear of bloudy persecution they fell into dissolute idlenesse and began to nourish debate strife hatred emulation pride c. to heap sinne upon sinne as might be proved at large by the complaints of the Fathers made of the sinnes of the times in all sorts ministers and people men and women But it was and ever hath been the judgement of them who did so grievously complain of the sinnes of their times that the godly did not communicate with others in their sinnes although they did continue with them in the communion of the sacraments If a church depart from the Lord by any transgression and therein remain irrepentant after due conviction and will not be reclaimed it manifesteth unto us that God also hath left it and that as the church by her sinne hath separated from and broken covenant with God so God by leaving her in hardnesse of heart without repentance hath on his part broken and dissolved the covenant also The Lord Jesus threatneth the churches for leaving their first love and for their lukewarmnesse that he will come against them speedily and remove their candlestick that is dischurch them except they repent and spue them as lothsome out of his mouth It is true the Apostles mention corruptions in the churches with utter dislike severe reproof and strait charge of reformation and the Lord Jesus threatneth the churches for lukewarmnesse and leaving their first love But neither Christ nor his Apostles did ever blame the faithfull for holding communion in those churches in the ordinances of worship or give them charge to depart if disorders and abuses were not forthwith corrected and amended Not to enquire what is due conviction Not to enquire what is due conviction or when a church is to be deemed obstinately impenitent it is most untrue that the toleration of disorders or maintenance of corruptions of some kind by some yea by many in the church is to us a manifest token that God hath left it The history of the church from the very first plantation thereof unto this very day doth evidence that many and foul abuses disorders and corruptions have continued in the churches of God when yet the Lord did not utterly take from them all tokens of his visible presence This is confessed of the church of the Jews And if they continued the church of God when they had broken covenant for their part so long as the Lord continued the signes of his visible presence among them how dare any man think or say that God hath utterly left or forsaken that people amongst whom he dwelleth plentifully by the means of grace and unto whom he imparteth the graces of his Spirit though for their sinnes they deserve to be cast off The Lord is God and not man therefore the sonnes of Jacob are not confounded The Jews at first were chosen to be the people of God not for their righteousnesse but of the rich grace and mercy of God They continue to be his church not for their righteousnesse but according to his free and gracious promise And so long as Christ doth of his mere grace and love bear with the manners of his church and giveth her not a bill of divorce it is not for men to say or judge that he hath utterly left and forsaken her And seeing the faithfull must follow Christ dwell with Christ and abide with him so long as Christ doth dwell in the assembly by his presence and plentifull means of grace it is not lawfull for them voluntarily to depart and break off communion CHAP. XI Of holding communion with that assembly in the worship of God where we cannot perform all duties mentioned Matth. 18. 15 16 17. VVHosoever neglecteth Christs rule in proceeding with his minister or others of the church both partaketh in their sin and sinneth against Christs command Matth. 18. If he be ignorant of Christs rule and order yet he sinneth but if he know it and do it not then his sin remaineth Now the rule prescribed by Christ is That one brother offended should warn any member of the same church whereof he is a member if he offend him yea though it be his minister And if he reform not he must proceed to warn him more solemnly taking two or three with him doing it in the name of Christ If this admonition take not effect for reformation he must tell the church If the church then will not do their duty he must clear himself protesting against their neglect therein Hos 2. 12. The brief and plain meaning of this objection is That every Christian is bound to perform all those offices mentioned to every delinquent brother in society or communion and that it is not lawfull to abide in society or communion where a man cannot perform all those duties without defiling or undoing himself And therein is implyed that seeing the Jews had no such order for excommunication established amongst them therefore they might hold communion not withstanding the corruptions that were found amongst them To trie the strength of this argument let it be granted that our Saviour speaketh not of private managing of civil affairs and private injuries whereby we might recover what we lost by the injurie of our brother for that is an indulgence or benefit no commandment of rule and duty yea sometimes it is a fault not to suffer wrong but of church-admonitions and censures and that order which he hath set for the winning or punishment of offenders But then by a delinquent brother we must not understand onely one of the same particular society or fellowship but any one of what countrey or condition soever with whom we have religious fellowship If thy brother If any man that is called a brother thy brother that is a Christian For our Lord hath appointed no such course to be taken with them that are out of the church Suppose Christians of distinct societies living remote one from another do trespasse one against the other is not the innocent party bound to hold the course here prescribed with the delinquent brother The rule of our Saviour is not That one brother offended should admonish any member of the same church whereof he is a member that is an addition which the text will not acknowledge but If thy brother trespasse against thee Christ speaketh here unto his Apostles but not unto them simply as Apostles but as disciples Christians and followers of Christ because the things here commanded are common to all
Thyatira Laodicea Pergamus and Sardis are all reprehended What then must the faithfull do leave their standings and depart from the ordinances of grace whilest God is pleased to dwell amongst them or neglect the duty which God calleth them unto and so partake in other mens sin The community or congregation it self is oft divided remisse the greatest part many times the worst so that the best cannot be heard amongst them truth cannot take place In Corinth there were so many sects and divisions that the house of Chloe was constrained to complain of them to the Apostle most of them were puffed up in the case of the incestuous man that it had been in vain for the better sort to seek his casting out if the Apostle had not sharply admonished them of their duty And their disorder in coming to the Lords supper was generall so that the better sort might bewail but could not redresse it In the primitive church there was such contention oftentimes about the choise and election of ministers the Pastours divided from the people and the people one from another to the committing of many outrages that if the godly must not hold any place in the church but where they could perform all offices injoyned in the text of scripture before alledged they must welnigh go out of the world In this and such cases then what should the faithfull do Tell the church they cannot for that is divided and it may be the greatest part holdeth the worst cause Depart they must not for the Lord doth not go before them and if they depart without him they depart from the Lord himself What remaineth then but that with mercifull affection they dislike reprove and correct as much as in them lieth what they find to be amisse what they cannot amend that they should patiently endure and suffer and in loving sort bewail and lament till God do either correct and amend it or make way for their enlargement as they may see the Lord to go before them But in the mean space it will be said they do not their duty in telling the church Nay rather the Lord requireth not that particular duty at that time because they have no opportunity or means to do it The rule prescribed concerneth visible and particular churches as a solemn ordinance of Christ for the humbling and saving of an obstinate sinner but a Christian may be a true member of a visible church when he is hindred and cannot do the thing that is there prescribed For our Saviour speaketh of a brother that doth justly truly and according to equity reprehend admonish or complain and of them who being set in office do rightly and lawfully perform the office whereunto they are appointed of God of the church who doeth what becometh her keepeth herself within the bounds prescribed of God and rightly executeth what is committed to her trust But in the true church of God which Christ is pleased to grace with the visible tokens of his presence all things may fall out clean contrary that such as be in office do not truly discharge their office that the church doth not keep herself to the rule nor fulfill the trust committed unto her In the Law they that were thought unclean were to be restrained from the sacrifices the eating of the passeover entrance into the temple And not onely legall pollutions but sinnes of all kinds whether by errour or ignorance of the law or fact or voluntarily committed were to be expiated according to the prescript of the law which doth necessarily presuppose uncleannesse and that accompanied separation from the altar and the participation of the holy things The legall ceremonies which were outward and carnall did represent spirituall and internall to the minds of the faithfull as the uncleannesse of the body did the inward filth of the soul The wicked are oftentimes upbraided that they durst come into the presence of God The scriptures testifie that the Lord acceteth the sacrifices of righteousnesse of a broken and contrite heart that he is not pleased with the sacrifices of wicked men whose hands are full of bloud And the Lord often giveth commandment that he which shall do so or so or shall not do this or that shall be cut off from his people All which whether they conclude the use of excommunication amongst the Jews let the learned judge But howsoever this is most certain Many things were required which the wicked altogether neglected the godly could not redresse nor complain of to them that should or if they did no regard was had thereunto no reformation followed and yet the godly left not their standings as unlawfull nor the society as left and forsaken of God because they had broken covenant with him nor the ordinances of God as if externall communion with the wicked as one body had polluted and defiled them Put case a brother offended make a complaint to the church of some private injury or wrong received by one of the same or another socity and the church to whom the complaint is brought deal remissely either through ignorance partiality carelessenesse or the like must the innocent party stand to the decision of the church although they do not see right exactly restored and the delinquent brought to repentance or must he protest against their neglect and depart from the society as not to be communicated with because they tolerate a wicked and ungodly person among them If the first then simply to be present at the worship of God where wicked men are tolerated is not to partake in their sin If the latter then the accuser may be judge in his own cause and not onely hold him an heathen whom the church esteemeth holy and honest but hold the church it self heathen then because they account him not so blame-worthy whom he accuseth then which what is more contrary to the rule of our Saviour And so if true examination be made they that leave our societies because they cannot observe the rule prescribed by Christ do of all others most neglect it in their separation because they challenge that authority which Christ never gave them and wait not upon him to go before them If iniquity be committed in the church and complaint and proof accordingly made and the church will not reform or reject the party offending but will on the contrary maintein presumptuously and abett such impiety then by abetting the party and his sin she maketh it her own by imputation and enwrappeth her self in the same guilt with the sinner and remaining irreformable either by such members of the same church as are faithfull if there be any or by other sister-churche wipeth herself out of the Lords church-rolle and now ceaseth to be any longer the true church of Christ And whatsoever truths or ordinances of Christ this rebellious rout still reteineth it but usurpeth the same without right unto them or
promise of blessing upon them both the persons and sacrifices are abominable This peremptory censure is as directly crosse to that which followeth immediately in the same authour as any thing that can be spoken For if the toleration or maintenance of one sinner against reproof and conviction do necessarily dischurch a society how then did the church of the Jews continue the true church of God wherein sinne was generally impudently impenitently committed and that by such as should have censured it in others where the offenders were countenanced and the reprovers persecuted imprisoned put to death If no church in the world now hath that absolute promise of the Lords visible presence which that church then had till the coming of Christ if the Messiah must be born in the true church and the Lord did ever afford the Jews some or other visible signes of his presence in the greatest apostasie this is nothing to the purpose For if the maintenance of one wicked ungodly wretch wipeth a church out of the Lords church-roll then the Jews who did both countenance offenders and commit wickednesse themselves and that with greedinesse had blotted themselves out of that book And if the Jews continued the church of God notwithstanding their great impiety and obduratenesse because the Lord continued the visible tokens of his presence among them then if a church or some in the church shall tolerate or countenance iniquity in others or practice it themselves so long as God shall be pleased to bear with their manners and vouchsafe unto them the signes of his gracious presence and holy ordinances it is to be reputed the true church of God wherewith the faithfull may hold communion in the branches of worship If therefore the authour had well pondered his own words or consulted the rule of our Saviour this labour might well have been spared But more fully to open the weaknesse of this objection Errours as in doctrine so in practice are of two sorts some fundamentall or bordering thereupon which concern the very heart and life of religion and cannot stand with faith and holinesse others not fundamentall which strike not directly at the soul of religion though they hinder the working somewhat or stain the work In matters fundamentall as the profession of faith must be intire in all points of simple belief so must the doctrine of the church in all things concerning practice but errours of inferiour alloy wherein godly men dissent pardonably one from another both concerning faith and practice may be found and mainteined in the true church Again sin and iniquity is mainteined either by teaching or by doing in our own persons and tolerating in others whom we should reform but do not If the church by doctrine maintein fundamentall evils as the worshipping of angels murder adultery c. she is to be esteemed hereticall But if the life be corrupt not from corrupt doctrine but contrary to the doctrine received the church is not to be accounted false because wicked ones which should be cast out are nourished in her bosome It is true the service which wicked men tender unto God is abomination as were the sacrifices which the Jews brought when their hands were full of bloud but the worship which the faithfull offer unto God in that corrupt society is pleasing and acceptable unto his majesty The prayer of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer of a wicked minister in respect of his office as the prayer of the congregation is effectuall and accepted for the faithfull who seek unto God with lips unfeigned The prophet commandeth us Plead or Contend with your mother contend with her because she is not my wife nor I her husband that she take away her whoredomes from before my face c. therefore if the church be remisse in her duty the children of the church must protest against her The meaning of the prophet is That the godly whether in Judah or Israel should contend with the ten tribes who by their idolatry had fallen from the conjugall covenant which God had contracted with them and had deserved to be put away with a bill of divorce because they had transgressed their matrimoniall troth and forsaking the true God had sought them other Gods whom they did love and worship And in like case no question but the faithfull may publickly and sharply rebuke the abominable idolatries of a false-claiming church such as Israel was at that time But if this be applyed to the true church in respect of every abuse or remissenesse we shall pervert the words of the prophet and run our selves upon the rocks True it is all abuses may and ought to be reproved in the time and place according to the nature and quality thereof but for every offense we cannot say truly in the name of God The church is not the spouse of Christ nor Christ her husband Every abuse in worship is not the adultery of the ten tribes If this had been the meaning of the prophet the prophets had gone most contrary to their own rules of all others for they sharply rebuked the personall sinnes of Judah as they received commission from the Lord other sinnes they touched but sparingly if at all but they never protested against her as no church of God they never charged the faithfull to depart from all communion with her lest they be partakers of her sinnes Here the Lord goeth before the faithfull in their contention with their supposed mother they must say what the Lord putteth into their mouthes and behave themselves toward her as the Lord is pleased to give them precedent by the tokens of his presence But they that take liberty to break off communion with their true mother and spouse of Christ because of some abuses sport and blemishes they speak of themselves when they charge her to be an adulteresse and not the spouse of Christ to maintein an idolatrous antichristian devised worship and they run of themselves without commission or authority when they voluntarily withdraw themselves from the ordinances of grace and communion with Christ in the same Therefore to conclude this point as corrupt and unworthy members can be no cause why those that are whole should forsake the body or neglect the offices perteining to the body though they be hindred in their working so no open grosse communicants can be any cause why the faithfull should forsake the church or communion with Christ or neglect the duties which in particular concern themselves though they cannot do all things that pertein to them with the whole body as being overborn or restrained by others without whom they cannot work CHAP. XII The community of the faithfull much lesse two or three separated from the world and gathered together into the name of Christ by a covenant are not the proper and immediate subject of power ecclesiasticall POwer might or efficacious force is not all one with authority or power Matter Sense
but authority and power onely to apply that power to him whom they chuse The power of the Imperiall dignity is not in the electours of the Emperours nor the power of that office and authority whereunto a minister is elected in the church who chuseth him to that office If we consider what men give or give not universally it must be denyed that any men can make ministers because they do not give the office gifts or authority which is from Christ alone And therefore as they receive their office and graces from God so they execute their office in the name of Christ and not of the church whereas if the church did virtually and out of power make an officer he should execute his office in her name as we see with those whom the king maketh in the common-wealth But the church dealeth in the election of ministers in a steward-like manner ministring to the sole Lord and Master of the house and receiveth them into the house not in her own but in the Lords name and to do their office not in her name but in the name of their Lord and Master who onely out of power did conferre that office upon them Whence it followeth that ordinary power of the keyes with the execution thereof is not given to the communitie of the faithfull or the whole multitude much lesse to two or three knit together in covenant The keyes of the kingdome of heaven were promised and given to Peter as to a faithfull man and so to all the faithfull or to the communitie of the faithfull By the keyes is meant the Gospel of Christ opening a way by him and his merits as the doore into the kingdome and we must take heed of this deep delusion of Antichrist in imagining that this power of binding or loosing sinnes is held to any office or order in the church Whereupon it followeth necessarily that one faithfull man yea or woman either may as truly and effectually loose or bind both in heaven and earth as all the ministers in the world Either this is not to the purpose or the power of the keyes and so all communicated power ecclesiasticall with the execution thereof is committed to every faithfull man and woman as truly as to the Apostles That private Christians yea women and children may exhort rebuke or comfort ex officio charitat is generali out of the generall office of charity we confesse that by such exhortations people have been brought to the faith we also believe But that power to preach per modum legationis by way of embassage or power of the keyes hath been committed to them we never find rather this power was proper to the ministers ex Divino instituto speciali by speciall Divine institution and established upon speciall promise Unto Peter making confession was the promise of the keyes made but not to him as a confessour but to him and the rest as they should be Apostles sent forth with authoritie and commission to preach the Gospel plant churches bind and loose c. Otherwise not onely the communitie of the faithfull but every faithfull man or woman might excercise those acts of feeding binding and loosing and ruling implyed in the power of the keyes In phrase of speech to deliver the keyes unto a man is to make him an officer steward or dispenser in the house under his lord and master to give him authority to open and shut bind and loose When our Saviour said to his Disciples Whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted As my Father sent me so send I you Go teach all nations Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven doth he not appoint them to chief offices in his house and what doth he give them more then the keyes of the kingdome A legate or messenger is not sent without authority power and jurisdiction nor the keyes of the house committed to his trust and care who is not in office The keyes of the kingdome import not onely authority and jurisdiction but power of exercising and for that reason some have thought Peter to be a sociall type of the whole church because the church doth exercise the keyes But the community of the faithfull are not officers in the house to exercise the power of the keyes to open and to shut And if Peter received the keyes from Christ as a faithfull man then the Apostles and their successours received their order and jurisdiction their authority and power of exercising from the faithfull and not from Christ immediately Thus Protestant Divines dispute against the Papists If Bishops receive their authority and power of exercising immediately from Christ by mandate mission and commission then they derive it not from the Pope And by the same reason if the power of the keyes be the immediate gift of God to the Apostles and their successours then they derive not their power and authority from the people or faithfull in covenant There is a key of supreme Authority proper to God alone a key of Excellency given to Christ and proper to him a key of Ministery given to the Apostles and their successours and if any be pleased so to call it a key of Charity given to all the faithfull who are able to exhort rebuke comfort and instruct For every Christian may admonish rebuke comfort exhort and so convert a sinner from the errour of his way and cover a multitude of sinnes but this is onely an act of love and charity an office or duty which by right of brotherhood every one oweth unto his neighbour without any speciall calling or authority Whereas the matter we speak of is the spirituall power which Christ hath given for the preservation and government of his church the exercise whereof consisteth in acts of order office ministery or function whereunto they are in speciall designed and called And so if the matter of the exhortation rebuke or admonition be one for substance the order function authority commission power of exercising and calling to exercise is not the same And therefore the power of the keyes promised to Peter which doth note power and authority of function was not promised nor given to the communitie of the faithfull much lesse to every faithfull man or woman The power of the keyes given to the Apostles was given to the church intuitu ejusdem tanquam finis totius The flux of ecclesiasticall authority from the church is two fold per intuitum as in them that be immediately called of Christ per interventum as in them that are called mediately It is true the Apostles were given to the church intuitu ejusdem tanquam finis and the power they received was for the good of the whole but this is not enough that power may be said to be received immediately by the church as the first receptacle of it and from it derived unto others but this power must be in the community as the
good government of all and every memeber of that society And in this sense it is not true that Christ hath given his whole power first and immediately to every person or every company two or three gathered together who receive him Every believer man or woman hath received Christ as well as every company or communion of people hath every one received power to preach the word administer the sacraments feed rule bind and loose censure and absolve women and children as well as men two as well as two hundred private persons as well as guides with or without consent of the rest as well out of as in case of necessity Every sound believer is knit to Christ as a branch to the Vine as a live-member to the Head or a wife to the Husband and receiveth the sap of grace sense living and motion immediately from Christ the true Vine and Head of his church But every believer or company of believers must not challenge that power and authority immediately which Christ doth communicate to his ministers and guides for the right managing of all things in his church or to the church with the guides and officers for the edification of the body All power of the naturall body must be together but it is not so in the spirituall And if it was the society must grow up into a perfect body complete in all parts before it can have or exercise the power of the whole which two or three gathered together ordinarily cannot be in politicall order as may be shewed hereafter The church is a Queen a Mother a Lady a Spouse and to whom should Christ first commit his power but to his Queen we know well the church is the wife and spouse of Christ and the Ministers stewards Cant. 8. 9. Ephes 5. 29 30 32. 1. Cor. 4. 1. To let passe that this title of Spouse or Queen may be applyed to one believer as well as two or three and that the guides and officers are known by those titles and relations as well as believers not in office Considering this power is not a Lordly power but a power of doing service to the church for Christ his sake and his kingdome therefore it is fit it should be committed to some persons and not to the whole community which is the Queen of Christ For Christ the King of his church hath not committed power to his Church or Queen to serve her self properly but to have persons who in this relation should stand distinguished from her who are in his name to do her service The power of priesthood was not first in the church of Israel and so derived to the priests but immediately from Christ seated in Aaron and his sons The community of the faithfull have neither the power of government nor the use of that power Not the power for it is immediately from Christ seated in such officers or principall members as Christ himself the King of his church shall authorize and not in the body considered apart from the officers Nor the use of that power because that cannot be enjoyed without officers And if it may stand with the honour of the church to want the exercise or dispensation of that power or authority it derogateth nothing from the prerogative of the faithfull to want the power it self For it is as much for the welfare and good of the church that Christ out of respect to his Spouse hath given her commandment as his steward to elect and choose officers according to his appointment who should receive power and authority from him for such and such offices and services in the church as that he should seat the power it self in a few or many believers to be derived from them unto others according to pleasure For though their authority and power be from Christ and not from the church yet the service and authority is for the church in the name of Christ and in that sense they are subject to the church In the church the officers are the ministers of Christ to execute and administer the judgements and censures of God against the obstinate but for the church They are for the people but not ministers of the people as if they drew their authority from them and were to execute their judgements But though the community hath not power given unto them yet such estate is put upon them by Christ the King and Husband of his church that all power is to be executed in such manner as standeth with respect to their excellency If spirituall and ecclesiasticall power be in the church or community of the faithfull the church doth not onely call but make officers out of virtue and power received into herself and then should the church have a true lordlike power in regard of her ministers For as he that will derive authority to the church maketh himself Lord of the church so if the church derive authority to the ministers of Christ she maketh herself Lady or Mistresse over them in the exercise of that lordlike authority For as all men know it is the property of the Lord and Master to impart authority Did the church give power to the Pastours and Teachers she might make the sacrament and preaching which one doth in order no sacrament no preaching for it is the order instituted of God that giveth being and efficacy to these ordinances and if the power of ruling feeding and dispensing the holy things of God do reside in the faithfull the word and sacrament in respect of dispensation and efficacy shall depend upon the order and institution of the society If the power of the keyes be derived from the community of the faithfull then are all officers immediately and formally servants to the church and must do every thing in the name of the church rule feed bind loose remit and retein sinnes preach and administer the sacraments then they must perform their office according to the direction of the church more or lesse seldome or frequent remisse or diligent for from whom are they to receive direction how to carry themselves in their office but from him or them from whom they receive their office whose work they are to do and from whom they must expect reward If their office and power be of God immediately they must do the duties of their place according to his designement and unto him they must give account But if their power and function be from the church the church must give account to God and the officers unto the church whom she doth take to be her helpers If it be said that God will have the church to chuse officers to execute the power committed unto her the answer is Either God will have her elect officers of his designement to do his work according to that power he shall give them and by his direction and then they are Gods servants and not the churches and receive their charge and function
immediately from God and not from the people or he leaveth it to the arbitrement of the church to chuse according to pleasure such as must receive charge and authority from her and then they must execute their office in her name so as shall seem good unto the church and neither longer nor otherwise For if the ministers of the church be subject to God and Christ by the intervention of the faithfull onely that they preach or administer the sacraments rule or feed they have it from the people and not from God And if they depend immediately upon the faithfull to wit two or three gathered together in covenant they must derive and draw from them what in order they are to preach unto men in the name of the Lord For from him must the embassadour learn his errand from whom he receiveth his commission Moreover if the power of the keyes be given first and immediately unto the community of the faithfull what reason can be given why in defect of officers the church might not rule govern feed bind loose preach and administer the sacraments or if any fail in any office why she might not supply that want by her power For the power of the keyes doth contein both authority and exercise power being given to this end that it might be exercised as it is vouchsafed But the church when she is destitute of officers cannot execute those acts of rule nor by her power supply the want of any office onely she hath a ministery of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ he may have power of office given him in the vacant place In the church of Christ the officers are called servants and in that relation the church may be called a Lord And if Christ truly call the Sonne of man Lord of the Sabbath because the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath we may also call the church in a respect Lord of the officers for the officers are for the church and not the church for them The church-officers are the church-servants and it is strange men should have no command over their servants If the officers of Christ be both of and for the church or people and community the people may not onely in some respects be called their Lords but indeed they have a true lordlike power over them But the church hath no lordlike power over the ministers of Christ whom he hath set over his house to rule and guide it by authority received from him and according to his direction whose ministers properly they are who is the Prince of Pastours The object about which the ecclesiasticall ministery is exercised is the church and their function is for the good of the church but the principall cause and Lord of the ministers upon whom they depend is Christ and not the church When our Saviour saith The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath he speaketh of himself alone rather then of man in generall For to be the Lord of the Sabbath that is to have the Sabbath in his power so as he might dispense or do contrary to the law is proper to the Law-giver But not to insist thereupon the ministers are appointed for the good of the flocks committed to their charge in the name of Christ but the flocks neither are nor ought to be called Lords or Masters of their Pastours or Teachers As in the naturall body all power is first in the community or totum and afterwards in a particular person or part so it is in the body ecclesiasticall All that is true in the body naturall or politick cannot be applyed to the mysticall body of Christ For analogum is not in omni simile for then it should be the same with the analogatum All the power of hearing seeing c. are in the whole man which doth produce them effectually though formally and instrumentally they are in the eare and eye and the reason is because these powers are naturall and whatever is naturall doth first agree to the community or totum and afterward to a particular person or part But all that is in these bodies cannot hold in Christs mysticall body In a naturall body the power is first in the community in a particular person from it but all ecclesiasticall power is first in our King before any in the church from him In naturall bodies the power of seeing is first immediately in the man and for the man in the eye In the mysticall body the faith of the believer is not first immediately in all then in the believer but first of all and immediately in the personall believer for whose good it serveth more properly then for the whole every man being to live by his own faith One man is capable of grace which cannot agree to the whole community immediately The power of Apostleship or of ordinary ministery was not first in the church and so derived to the Apostles and ministers but immediately from Christ seated in the Apostles and ordinary Pastours and Teachers For seeing power ecclesiasticall was first in Christ as in a prince not subject to the church or dependent upon her consequently it perteineth to him as prince to take order concerning his embassadours and substitutes whose power is derived from him not from the church who of her own nature is not a mistresse in spirituall things but the servant of Jesus Christ redeemed by him Christ is the first authour of this spirituall power upon whose will and institution all things depend as for the church she can give no spirituall power to few or many one or more as please herself for what time she will but must submit to that which Christ hath left for her spirituall good and comfort The words are as clear as the sun Tell the church that is the congregation or assembly whereof the offender is a member which rule concerneth all the visible churches in the world since the power of excommunication is an essentiall property one of the keys of the kingdome the onely solemn ordinance in the church for the humbling and saving of an obstinate offender and as necessary as the power to receive in members without which a church cannot be gathered or consist But what are we to understand by the church or assembly A company consisting though but of two or three separated from the world whether Unchristian or Antichristian and gathered into the name of Christ by a covenant made to walk in the wayes of God made known unto them though they be without any officers among them which company being a church hath interest in all the holy things of Christ within and amongst themselves immediately under him the head without any forrein aid or assistance For a set company of believers must needs be a constituted visible church Two or three or more people making Peters confession Matth. 16. are the church There were churches
and intire profession of the truth is to be found in the church alone and is conteined in the belly of the church as light in an house whereby it may be discerned The law shall go forth of Sion it is not elsewhere to be found My word shall not depart out of the mouth of thy seed c. The sacraments are seals of the covenant of grace and symboles or testimonies whereby the people of God are distinguished from all other nations The sacraments when for substance they be rightly used are tokens and pledges of our admittance into and spirituall enterteinment in the Lords family This is my covenant that I make with thee Go teach all nations and baptize them into the name of the Father c. Amend your lives and â—e baptized The sacraments do necessarily presuppose a church constituted unto which they are committed as the oracles and ordinances of God unto Israel Baptisme rightly used is within and not without the church It is a seal of the covenant which is the form of the church as some call it to the faithfull and to their seed It is the sacrament of initiation whereby members are solemnly admitted into the body of Christ To have Pastours which feed with spirituall knowledge and understanding is a gift of matrimoniall love which God vouchsafeth unto his church And I will give you Pastours according to mine own heart And though all that heare do not receive the love of the truth yet where God giveth his word it is a signe that some in those places belong to the kingdome of heaven The Apostles first gathered churches and then ordained elders in every citie So that it is proper to the church to be fed and guided by true spirituall Pastours who do both teach and blesse in the name of the Lord. The true worship of God is an inseparable and infallible mark of a people in covenant with God For where Christ is there is 〈◊〉 church but Christ saith Where two or three are met together in my name there am I in the midst among them This is the priviledge of the saints that Christ the prince of his people is in the middest of them and goeth in when they go in And for certain they are gathered in the name of Christ who being lawfully called do assemble to worship God and call upon his name in the mediation of Jesus Christ In times past the church was acknowledged by these signes of continuance in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer of true fear intire service holy profession and religious prayer The weightiest matter therefore in religion that concerneth a Christian is to know God and Christ to repent heartily and believe unfeignedly which is ever accompanied with holinesse of conversation if God give time and opportunity because without these there is no salvation to men of age and discretion It is a matter of weight and importance also to know where and how God is to be worshipped and the right use of his ordinances as of prayer and the sacraments because otherwise we cannot know how to joyn our selves in holy communion with the people of God in the ordinances of worship which is a necessary duty if God give opportunity But to know the externall order or constitution of a particular ministeriall politicall church is not a matter of weight or importance to be matched with either of the former And if M r Jacob comprehend all these things under the name of the church his speech is false deceitfull and confused because he distinguisheth not things that be of different kinds If the latter it is most inconsiderately spoken and weakly proved For out of the catholick invisible church or society there is no salvation but out of a particular visible ministeriall church salvation is to be had Internall society with the members of Christ and communion with Christ himself which is invisible is necessary externall not so Christ is the Saviour of his body and saved he cannot be by Christ that is not a live-member of his body Noahs ark builded by Gods appointment for the safety of all such as were obedient to his preaching was a type and figure of this onely holy catholick church not of a visible particular ministeriall church for as none of the sonnes of men besides such as entred into Noahs ark were saved from the deluge so whosoever entred into the ark were saved from the deluge And so Noahs ark was a type of that church into which whosoever entreth he shall be saved But this cannot be affirmed of the visible church Peter speaking of the ark wherein few that is eight souls were saved by water he saith The like figure whereunto even baptisme doth also now save us not the putting away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience inwards Gods by the resurrection of Jesus Christ His meaning is that Noahâ— ark was a type of that church out of which there is no salvation in which there is most certain salvation and the waters by which such as entred into the ark were saved a type of baptisme But of what baptisme Externall No Externall baptisme and the ark of Noah were types of the same rank both types and signes of that internall baptisme which is wrought by the holy Ghost by which we are incorporated into the body of Christ and become more undoubtedly safe from the everlasting fire then such as entred Noahs ark were from the deluge of water If the ark which Noah built did save all such from the deluge as entred into it how much more shall that holy and catholick church which Christ hath built and sanctified by his most precious bloud give eternall life to all such as in this world become live-members of it Such members they are made not by becoming meÌ„bers of the visible church but by internall grace or sanctification There is not the same reason of externall and internall communion with the church The inward is and was ever necessary the externall necessary when it may be enjoyed Some may be of the church in respect of the profession participation of the ordinances and other inferiour priviledges who are not of the invisible church that is do not communicate in the most perfect work force and effect of saving grace And some that be not full members of the true orthodox and visible church may notwithstanding be found and live members of the mysticall body of Jesus Christ For all that truly believe are in the state of salvation and all that be in the state of salvation be members of that church out of which no salvation is to be hoped for or can be obteined which doth comprehend all the faithfull and them that shall be saved They are in act and in deed both in and of that church and not in desire and wish onely
because they are actually in the state of salvation the heirs apparent to everlasting blessednesse actuall partakers of the benefits of Christs death which accompany salvation They are given unto Christ set into him as branches into a vine and they that be such be in deed and act not in desire alone members of Christs body All that were not in the ark perished in the waters No member doth live but that which is actually joyned to the head and draweth life from it Baptisme is the seal of our solemn admission into the church but it is not the gate of our setting into Christ but the seal of that admission we have received by grace are partakers of by a lively faith True believers theÌ„ are in the state of grace actuall members of the militant church but of a visible particular ministerial church or congregation they may be members in desire onely For it may so fall out many times that he who is joyned to Christ by a true and lively faith hath not means and opportunity to unite himself unto a visible and ministeriall church The Catechumâ—ni who did truly 〈◊〉 unfeignedly believe in Christ were live-members of his mysticall body and in respect of full effectuall and saving participation of Christs benefits actuall members of the church invisible when in respect of solemn outward and sacramentall admission they were not members of any visible congregation If a Christian be unjustly excommunicated he still reteineth all those things which the best parts of the church have inward or outward and though he be cut off from the meetings and assemblies of particular churches so that he may not bodily be present when the people meet together yet still he hath the communion which onely is essentiall and maketh a man to be of the church in that he hath all those things which the best that remain not ejected have as faith hope love and profession of the whole truth of God He is the friend of God an heir apparent of the new Jerusalem a living member of the mysticall body of Christ And if he be not cut off from Christ from hope of salvation and fellowship of the saints triumphant neither can he be cast out from the fellowship of the church militant for the church militant and triumphant is one The performance of holy duties is an action of them that be already of the church and doth not make a man of the church yea the performance of these duties is a thing of that nature that by violence and unjust courses holden by wicked men we may be hindred from it without any fault of ours Now that it often falleth out through the prevailing of factious seditious and turbulent men that the best part is unjustly and undeser◠〈◊〉 cast out of the visible church is a thing so plain and confessed that it needeth no proof In times of grievous and hot persecution under which the church hath laboured the faithfull have been compelled to meet in woods dens and caves some in one place some in another as opportunity was offered their societies have been broken and set congregations dispersed and scattered when yet they continued the true church wherein salvation was to be had and enjoyed the ordinary means of salvation And if we speak of a visible ministeriall church as it is here meant by you the faithfull who professed the truth of the Gospel intirely and did communicate in the ordinances of worship for the space of this fourteen hundred yeares and upward had not means or at least did not unite themselves into a visible ministeriall church of Christ And if out of this your church ordinarily there be no salvation no means leading to everlasting life the Christian world for these many hundred yeares hath wanted ordinary means to bring them to life and salvation and been in that state in which no salvation ordinarily can be expected If we detest the consequence as dreadfull not standing with the promises made to the church of the Gentiles and the tender mercies of God vouchsafed to his people we must acknowledge the position from whence it followeth undeniably to be most rash and inconsiderate Out of doubt this kind of the visible church is now under the Gospel onely lawfull for us even a particular ordinary congregation onely And whatsoever kind or form of a visible church is instituted or ordained by men the same is conteined manifestly in the negative part of the second commandment that is to say it is simply unlawfull and by God himself here forbidden unto us In the new Testament the church doth signifie a multitude of believers whether assembled or dispersed and whether they be met in one place or separated in place they retein tho same name still The church is a society of the faithfull not an assembly if we speak properly When the word is put absolutely it noteth the multitude or society of the faithfull which is distinguished from their assembly or meeting together for the worship of God For we shall reade the church of God or Christ and so the church of the first-born but never the church of these or them or you or us but assembly or assembling of your selves Now the society may be one when the congregations be divers in respect of place where they do assemble It is not opposite to the unitie of an ecclesiasticall society that the members should ordinarily assemble in divers places for the worshipping of God so long as they be united by the same laws have communion in the same ordinances and be linked under the same spirituall guides and officers When a church did comprehend a citie with its suburbs and the countrey circumjacent I mean the believers who professed that faith within that circuit it might well be that the number did so increase through the extraordinary blessing of God which did accompany the preaching of the word in those primitive times and first planting of that heavenly kingdome that they could not well meet ordinarily in one place and yet might and did continue one society For when a number is gathered in small villages or some added to the number already gathered it is not meet they should be neglected because small nor yet divided from the body because the number not competent to make an intire and perfect body of it self The increase of churches doth require an increase of ministers and if they grow to bignesse more then ordinary an increase of places for their assembling when the essence of the visible church is not changed nor one multiplyed or divided into many And it is more available for the good of the church and further removed from all ambition if the society shall assemble in divers places as parts and members of one body then to constitute a distinct free society consisting of some few believers not fit to make up an intire body contrary to the precedent examples of the apostles In times of hot and
uniting themselves in covenant should be reputed the onely visible and ministeriall church independent from whom the officers should as their servants derive their authority This kind or form of a visible church is so farre from being the onely lawfull and allowed form of a church in scripture as if we speak of a church complete in respect of the inward substance and externall order furnished for all duties and offices required of the church it is not so much as warranted in scripture To the constitution of a visible distinct society or church there is required First an intire profession of one and the same faith and holynesse intire in all fundamentall articles of faith to be believed as necessary to salvation and main precepts and morall laws for practice to be acknowledged A lively operative faith maketh a man a true member of the church invisible and the profession of faith and holynesse a member of the church visible Profession of Divine verities revealed in Christ whom onely the companies and societies of Christians acknowledge to be the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world doth distinguish Christians from Jews The intire profession of faith according to the rule left by Christ and his first disciples and scholars the holy apostles doth separate the multitude of night-believing Christians which is the sound part of the Christian church from all seduced hereticall combinations Secondly there is required an union and communion in the true worship of God and ordinances belonging thereunto appointed of God himself sc prayer administration of the sacraments and dispensation of the word But the time may fall out that the preaching of the word may be omitted and reading or meditation may possesse the place thereof nay mere desire conjoyned with manifold sighs So the administration of the sacraments may be left off as it was in the church of the Israelites for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse But though the being of a church is not absolutely destroyed by the want or omission of these exercises for a time yet they are actions necessary to the well-being of a church and such as flow from the very nature of a church if they be not hindred Thirdly there must be subjection to lawfull guides officers or pastours appointed authorized and sanctified to lead and direct the flock in the happy wayes of eternall life Companies of believers were gathered before elders were ordained amongst them and the church may continue when guides are wanting as in case they be taken away by death persecution banishment but it is not complete or perfect without them neither can it hold communion in many ordinances of worship nor execute many offices which belong to the church consisting of all its parts Fourthly to the making up of an intire visible distinct society orders laws and discipline is required for the perventing of abuses and scandals the preservation of the holy things of God from contempt the recovery of them that fall and suppression of prophanenesse Discipline is needfull in every society without which it cannot long continue but all things will run into confusion It is necessary the members of the church should live Christianly otherwise the profession of faith and administration of the holy things of God must needs be polluted Discipline put for the censures hath no practice but in an united body or church which must needs have a being before it can exercise its power But the excercise of that power in a body complete is necessary not simply to the being but to the well-being of the whole As a city so the church cannot be without those things which belong to the necessary being thereof but it may be without those that belong unto her safety alone though not so well Fifthly the members of a visible church must hold fellowship in faith and love not onely one with another but with all other visible churches and all others intirely professing the faith of Christ and walking in holynesse so farre as they hold communion with Jesus Christ For all visible churches though distinct societies be sisters one in profession fundamentall laws and ordinances and should be one in hearty love and affection And no particular church can be called or be the true church of Christ but as it holdeth union with the catholick From the relation whereby Christ is referred to his members these things flow sc That Christ doth expound to them his word for the food of eternall life and doth hang seals to his word whereby he doth confirm and ratifie it From the relation whereby the members of Christ are referred to him their Head these things flow That whosoever would be accounted for true members of Jesus Christ they must acknowledge and receive that food and those seals appointed by Divine institution If the faithfull must assemble to heare the word of God call upon his name and receive the sacraments then there must be some to preach the word administer the sacraments and blesse in the name of the Lord and that by authority from God If they must receive the word and avouch themselves to be the people of God then they must walk before him in holynesse and maintein the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace If the temple of God must be kept from pollution and the holy things of God from contempt then there must be authority communicated from Christ to censure such as offend to repell the notorious to comfort the afflicted and receive the penitent If all promiscuously may not meddle with the dispensation of the holy things of God to that purpose then there must be order for their election and admission into that office and for the execution thereof being admitted thereunto Where all these things are to be found purely the church is excellent for degree pure and famous Where any of these are wanting or impure the church is so much defective or impure though it may be pure in comparison of others Wheresoever we see the word of God truly taught and professed in points fundamentall and the sacraments for substance rightly administred there is the true church of Christ though the health and soundnesse of it may be crazed by many errours in doctrine corruptions in the worship of God and evils in the life and manners of men Profession of the true faith alone in matters fundamentall and holy prayer with exhortation to obedience is a mark of the true church though the sacraments upon occasion be not there administred so that they be not neglected upon any contempt or erroneous conceit of their not being necessary Where most of these notes are wanting or impure the church is of lesse account in dignity excellency and credit coming short of others according to the degrees of impurity in the marks the deficiency of some marks and the nature of the marks themselves in which the impurity is As impurity in doctrine or administration of the sacraments is worse then disorder in matter of
1. qu. 6. cap. 12. Balthas Lydiat Waldens tom 2. pag. 37 38. Cham. Panstrat tom 4. lib. 5. cap. 1â— whitak De Sacram. pag. 332 333 c. Michael Medina lib. 5. De sacror hom continent cap. 105. Ex quatuor octoginta Apostolicis canonibus quos Clemens Roman Pontifex eorundem Apostolorum discipulus in unuâ— coegit vix sex aut octo Latina ecclesia nunc observat Martin Paris De Tradit part 3. cap. de autoritate canon Apostolicor In illis continentur multa quae temporum corruptione non plenè observantur aliis pro temporis materiae qualitate aut obliteratis aut totius ecclesiae magisterio meritò abrogatis In the Greek Liturgies not before any other publick prayer but immediately before the holy ministration the Priest saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cyprian in orat Dom. Serm. 6. Sacerdos ante orationem praefatione praemissà parat fratrum mentes dicendo SURSUM CORDA ut dum respondee plebs HAEEMUS AD DOMINUM admoneatur Chrysost ex variis locis in Matth. Hom. 9. Clamamus in conspectu sacrificii SURSUM CORDA August in Psalm 39. De done persever lib. 2. cap. 13. See Jewel Defen part 2. chap. 14. div 2. Chrysost in 2. Cor. Hom. 18. The priest and the people at the ministration talk together The Priest saith THE LORD BE VVITH YOU the people answereth AND VVITH THY SPIRIT Of the Lords prayer Hieron lib. 3. Contra Pelag. Apostoli Dominico praecepto ad celebrationem Eucharistiae adhibuere Dominicam precationem August in epist. 59. ad Paulin qu. 3. Quam totam petitionem ferè omnis ecclesia Dominicâ oratione concludit In Liturg. Chrysostomi chorus PATER NOSTER altâ voce Sacerdos QUONIAM TUUM EST REGNUM See Cham. Panstrat tom 4. lib. 6. cap. 9. §. 11 12 13 c. Of the Constantinepolitane Creed see Concil Toletan 3. can 2. Of HOLY HOLY HOLY c. Concil Vosens An. 444. can 6. Of CHRIST HAVE MERCY Concil Vasens can 5. Basil epist 63. August epist 178. Of ALLELUIA or PRAISE THE LORD Sozom. lib. 7. cap. 19. Of GLORY BE TO THE FATHER Sozom. lib. 3. cap. 19. Concil Vasens can 7. Platin. De vit Pontif. Damas 1. Graecis usitatum preces terminare aliquâ Doxologiâ Hinc psalmis addere solitos GLORIA PATRI Salutationi Angelicae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cham. Panstr tom 1. lib. 12. cap. 13. § 32 33. Of the abrenunetation in baptisme Cyrill Hierosolym Catech. mystag 1. Chrysost Hom. 21. ad popul Antioch Renuncio Satanae omnibus operibus ejus pompis ejus omni cultui ejus Consist Apost lib. 7. cap. 42. Tert. De Spectacul cap. 4. omnibus inventis ejus omnibus qui sub ipso sunt Ambr. Hexam lib. 1. cap. 4. mundo ejus Ambr. De iis qui myster initiant cap. 2. Cyrill Alexandr lib. 7. contr Jul. Daemoniorum turbis valedico omnem pompam corum cultum respuo See Cham. Panstr tom 4. lib. 6. cap. 14. §. 14 15 16 17 18 19. Of Sureties and Godfathers see Cham. ibid. §. 20 21. 22. Zepper De polit Eccles lib. 1. cap. 14. lib. 2. cap. 10. Balthas Lyd. Not. in disp Taborit tom 2. cap. 5. De Patrimis The Brethren in Egypt saith Augustine epist 121. are reported to have many prayers but every of them very short as if they were darts thrown out with a suddain quicknesse Not onely the books called Apocrypha but Clements epistles Euseb lib. 4. cap. 23. and the lives of the Martyrs were read Concil Carthagiz 3. can 47. Collectae antiquae nihil habent de intercessione aut meritis nè Apostolorum quidem c. Balth. Lyd. Not. in disput Taborit pag. 133. In the Liturgie of Basil there is no mention made of the Offering of the body and bloud of Christ by the priest nor of Redeeming the living or dead by this work In the Liturgie attributed to James there is no propitiatory sacrifice to be made by the priest but a mysticall no private Masse but all must communicate a confession against merit The sacrament is to be administred in both kinds Jacobus Pamelus scriptor Pontificius ingens volumen Liturgiarum Latinarum edidit Coloniae excusum Ann. 1571. in quibus frequens mentio communionis laicorum sub utraque specie nulla missae privatae vel sacrificii propitiatorii vel aliarum superstitionum impiarum quae postea irrepsorant si quis praesertim secula post tempora Apostolorum observet Illyric Caralog test lib. 1. pag. 70 71. I am assured saith Masius Praesat in Anaph Basil they are free and exempt from that wicked doctrine of that infamous heretick Nestor For having read a great volume of their solemn prayers which they make to God I have found nothing that might offend any man of sound opinion in our religion if it be not this that I suspect them because that they in many places call not the Virgin Mary Mother of God but in stead of this title they call her The Mother of Light Life Object 1. Answ For the practice and performance of duties simply morall commanded in their kind we ought to strain to the utmost and to go as near the wind as may be seeing nothing but apparent sin in the way can excuse the withdrawing from it when occasion of enjoying it is offered Robins Treatise Of the lawfulnesse of heaâ—ing c. pag. 6. Chilling Answer part 1. chap. 4. paragr 13. Dr Jeckson Of the church Great zeal they have against the false church ministery and worship so being or by them conceived so to be and against any appearing evil in the true but little for that which is true and good Robins ubi suprà pag. 10. Argum. 4. Matth. 18. 20. Ezek. 46. 10. See Lavater in Ezek. 46. 10. Rom. 3. 8. He who would have us receive the weak in faith whom God hath received would not have us refuse the fellowship of churches in that which is good for weaknesse in them of one sort or other And this we have so plainly and plentifully commended unto us both by the prophets yea by Christ himself in the Jewish church and apostles and apostolicall men in the first Christian churches in which many errours and evils of all kinds were more then manifest and the same oft-times both so farre spread and deeply rooted as the reforming of them â—as rather to be wished then hoped for as that no place is left for doubting c. Robins ubi suprà pag. 15. Zuingl tom 2. De Bapt. pag. 70. De haeres lib. 4. cap. 62. Contr. Parm l. 2. cap. 1â— Cap. 21. Cusan Catholic concord l. 1. cap. 5. See Calvin epist. 379. Instit lib. 4. cap. 10. §. 22. Damian a Goes De moribus Aethiop Object 1. Robins Against Bern. pag. 16. Answ There are corruptions which eat out the very heart of a thing as well as such as hinder the working onely and stain the work Robins
first subject from whom it cometh to the officers As the power of seeing is not onely given intuitu hominis as the end of it and the totum to whom it agreeth but is in homine as the first subject from whom it cometh to the eye The Apostles and other governours were given of Christ for the church as for the end and all their authority was given unto them for the church as for the whole but the authority it self was immediately derived from Christ and is not in the church as the immediate subject thereof The authority of the Apostles and other guides was for the church given for the good of the whole society and so may be called the authority of the church but the authority is not immediately in the church as the subject nor derived from the church but from Christ the King of the church The authority of governours is given of Christ for a gift to the church but not for a gift absolute that it may reside in the power of the whole church to whom it is given but for a conditionall gift that it may be communicated to the governours themselves for the edification of the whole It is one thing then to ask for what end or whose use the keyes are given another to whom To every one is given the declaration of the spirit for profit that is the good of the church But was this gift given to the community of the faithfull first and immediately No by gift and possession it was given to some but for use and profit it was publick As the Saints are not priests onely for themselves but for their brethren for whom they offer up the spirituall sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving so neither are they kings for themselves alone but for their brethren also having the power of Christ whereby to judge them 1. Cor. 5. 4 12. the keyes of the kingdome to bind and loose them Matth. 16. 19. in the order of him prescribed The order of kings is the highest order or estate in the church but the order of Saints is the order of kings and we are kings as we are Saints not as we are officers Exod. 19. 6. 1. Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 1. 6. Christ maketh every believer a king priest and prophet to teach exhort reprove comfort offer up spirituall sacrifices of prayer and praise and to guide and govern in the wayes of godlinesse But this belongeth not to the spirituall ministeriall power and authority which Christ hath given for the conservation and government of his church For every Christian man and woman is made a king priest and prophet unto God to perform all offices required in that relation but the spirituall power of government with the execution thereof is not committed to every believer in particular nor to any one The officers of Christ do neither feed and teach as prophets nor govern as kings nor offer sacrifices as priests The word it self teaching and feeding is one thing which floweth from Christ as Prophet the administration of the word whence also floweth the act of governing is from Christ as King It is from internall communion with Christ that the sound sincere faithfull and they onely are made spirituall kings and priests unto God but it is from Christ as King governing externally as be beareth the similitude of a politicall head that his servants do feed rule and censure in his name They onely are made true kings and priests unto God who have received from Christ the life of grace but they have received authority from Christ to do service in his church who have not received life of grace nor are made kings or priests unto God The Kingdome Priesthood or Prophesie of Christ doth make no man politically either priest or king or prophet for then all believers should exercise the office of politicall priests kings and prophets in the church which is opposite to the nature of Christs kingdome Christ according to his Person is neither externall King nor Pastour but doth govern his church externally by pastours and ministers yet not as by kings or priests politicall but as servants onely Pastours and teachers are but officers in the church and in no kingly authority by participation of Christs kingly office neither are they as civill governours though the Lords servants yet the peoples lords and masters But it is one thing to be a spirituall king or priest unto God another to be a pastour or teacher in Gods church for that is common to all Christians this peculiar unto them that have received authority of function from Christ The Saints therefore as spirituall kings have not received power from Christ by function or authority to censure their brethren or externally to rule or govern but this belongeth to them who are designed of Christ the King unto this office Every Christian woman may exhort or reprove without any designement of the church is every woman made a prophet externally in the church Is power to administer the sacraments and authoritatively to censure offenders se autoritate muneris not officii generalis or charitatis committed to every member of the society because every believer may exhort and admonish not onely his brother of the same or another society but even them that are without By the keyes of the kingdome power and jurisdiction is noted and not the bare duty of instruction or admonition The power of the keyes is given by Christ as the King of his church as is evident by the generall institution of ecclesiasticall politie and the particular narration of politie instituted but that every Christian was sent forth with authority and commission we never read And if this reason be of any force every believer man or woman is of equall authority to the Apostles in matters of ecclesiasticall government because the order of saints is the order of kings and that is the highest which is directly corsse to the holy scripture and the order appointed by Christ the King and Head of his church They that have received Christ have received the power of Christ and his whole power for Christ and his power are not divided nor one part of his power from another But every company or communion of faithfull people have received Christ John 1. 12. Rom. 8. 32. Isa 9. 6. and with him power and right to enjoy him though all the world be against it in all the means by which he doth communicate himself unto his church This objection is not to be understood of the essentially Divine power of Christ which is proper to him as the Sonne of God nor of the uncommunicated power of Christ given to him as Mediatour nor of that communion and fellowship which every sincere Christian and faithfull soul hath with him in his death and resurrection but of the communicated power of Christ which he hath given to his church or certain officers in the church for the