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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10399	Tvventy nine lectures of the Church very necessary for the consolation and support of Gods Church, especially in these times: wherein is handled, first, in generall concerning first, the name; secondly, the titles; thirdly, the nature, fourthly, the diuision of the true Church: secondly, of the visible Church ... and lastly, the application of it to all Churches in the world so farre as they are knowne to vs. By that learned and faithfull preacher, Master Iohn Randall, Batchelor of Diuinity, pastor of Saint Andrewes Hubbart in little Eastcheape, London, and sometimes fellow of Lincolne Colledge in Oxford. Published by the coppie perfected and giuen by the author in his life time; carefully preserued and adorned with notes in the margent, by the late faithfull minister of Christ, Master William Holbrooke.	Randall, John, 1570-1622.; Holbrooke, William.	1631 (1631)	STC 20683; ESTC S115641	423,199	550

Secondly I answer that it was so at the first too Luther and others first spreading the Gospell First some of our owne loued beleeued and embraced it by their preaching and then they perswaded others And I know not how our English at Amsterdam can shew any better calling to their Church But they except and say that in England our Church was gathered by proclamation and by the sound of a Trumpet as in Queene Elizabeths dayes so was done by compulsion and was not voluntary I Answer first some did come voluntarily and gladly and therfore at least for them it was a true constitution Secondly the compulsion that was vsed was onely to the outward meanes not to the faith and that is very ●ustifiable Iosiah compelled ill that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God 2 Chron. 34.33 But they say that was at the restoring not at the planting of a Church I Answer I see no Reason but that it is as lawfull in the one as in the other and therefore if it destroy not the true restoring why should it destroy the true planting But we say Queene Elizabeths Act was a restoring too for I hope wee had a true Church here in Queene Maries time though vnder persecution And I am sure then there was no compulsion to ou● religion nor such Gouernment Seruice ministry or people amongst the Protestants as they now except against and therfore it was a restoring Put case the Separatists haue any children or seruants that are negligent cold and backward in frequenting holy Assemblies or performing religious Duties publique or priuate and vpon admontion they will not reforme what will they doe in this case Will they vtterly cast them off or rather will they not punish them and thereby compell them to the outward meanes and to obedience thereunto wherein if God doe blesse their labours so that through his mercy such children or Seruants doe afterwards labour in the meanes soundly and conscionably shall this bee nought because they were brought thereto by compulsion No surely It is great comfort to the compellers that they tooke that course and it is great comfort to the compelled that they were so dealt withall So the compulsion vsed in restoring the Church in Queene Elizabeths time was lawfull and good against all their clamours and exceptions Secondly they except against the Government of our Church and say that wee haue a false gouernment and therefore a false Church But the consequence is false for then it must follow that a true Gouernment makes a true Church which is not true The Antecedent is false too If they had said it makes a faulty Church they had said true But that it makes a false Anti-Christian Church and I know not what it is a meere slander But say they your officers bee Anti-christian I answer the cheifest officers and those that be most spurnd at are the Bishops And they were before Anti-Christ Thirdly they except against our Seruice of God they say wee haue a false Seruice of God and therefore a false Church I Answer if they meane onely some part of our Seruice as they haue no colour so to traduce it all then the Consequence is false but if they meane all then the Antecedent is notoriously vntrue No part of our Seruice of God can be proued false it being performed of those that are truely religious amongst vs in truth and vnderstanding and affection They except first say they it is carnall I answer happly in some those that haue carnall mindes it is so but it is neither so in it selfe nor so in the conscionable performers thereof The Lord being one God an eternall infinite Spirit our hearts and spirits are lifted vp to beleeue in him to goe to him to cry and call vpon him in his Sonne Secondly they say It is Idolatrous your Seruice booke being your Idoll say they I answer that is no Idoll nor our Seruice thereby Idolatry Thirdly they say we haue a will worship inuented by man I answer wee worship not God by any inuentions of our owne or other mens as parts of his worship but onely as outward Carriages thereof And these also are such as our Church is perswaded are agreeable to these generall Rules of Decency and Order which God hath prescribed in his Word Fourthly they except against our stinted Prayers I answer them hath not the Church alwayes vsed stinted Prayers looke into these Scriptures and yee shall finde it so Numb 6.23 there was a stinted prayer appointed to Aaron and his Sons to blesse the Children of Israel withall Thus shall you blesse the Lord blesse thee and keepe thee c Deut. 26.3 to the 15. there is a forme of Confession and Prayer set downe which the people were to vse when they brought the first fruites 1 Chron. 16.7 to the 36. there is a Psalme which Dauid did appoint to giue thankes vnto the Lord by the hand of Asaph his Brethren Praise the Lord and call vpon his Name c And Psal 92. is intituled a Psalme for the Sabboth appointed to bee sung that day And our Sauiour Christ himselfe appoints a stinted Prayer Luk. 11.2 when ye pray say Our Father c And likewise himselfe vseth a stinted Prayer Matth. 26.44 and hee prayed the third time saying the same words And therefore stinted Prayer in it selfe is no sinne If they reply that they were so directed by the holy Ghost yet that is no let to vs for their conceiued prayers were also directly from the holy Ghost after a speciall manner yet that is no reason but that we may vse conceiued prayers though they be not so specially from the Spirit as theirs And yet we are not so confined to those set prayers but that we may and do in euery particular congregation before and after preaching inlarge adde alter and supply as occasion requires and that as freely zealously and spiritually as any may doe in other Churches yea but say they your Seruice was all taken out of the Portesse or Masse booke contrary to Gods Commandement Leuit. 18.2.3 Deut. 12.30 c I answer it is well knowne that the Church of Rome hath been a true and sound Church and it is knowne that in that time there was some forme of publike prayer and administration of the Sacraments in vse amongst them And as that Church fell by little and little from her integrity so that forme by little and little was corrupted Now the Church being to be reformed 〈…〉 was to bee reformed too and so it was that which was idolatrous and superstitious was cast out and that which was profitable was retayned partly for peace sake that the better sort might still bee held within the Communion of the Church but specially because it was of good vse euen before Popery so that we take nothing from them but what may in a charitable construction be well endured That which is most questioned is the crosse in Baptisme which we

and naturall Mother that Reas 5 brings forth a Childe of her owne body and after she hath brought it forth nourisheth it with her owne milke So likewise the Church that doth beget us by the Word of Truth and nourish us with the Sacraments is not shee a true Church Sixthly every Tree is knowne by the fruites Matth. 7.16 Reas 6 17. The false prophet is knowne by his false doctrine for so the place intends if that bee a sufficient marke to know them by then true doctrine is a sufficient marke to know the true Church by Seuenthly it is Christs presence that makes a true visible Reas 7 Church therefore the Word and Sacraments outwardly representing Christs presence so as nothing else doth and so making him notoriously present make a true visible Church Lastly frō the sufficient enumeration of the parts of a true Reas 8 visible Church it must be so none are members and parts of it but the Ministers and people now the Ministers doing their duties in dispensing Gods mysteries both for preaching the Word and administring the Sacraments they are the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.1 and the people doing their dutie in obeying that they teach at least outwardly they are the sheepe of Christ Ioh. 10.4 Now which of these markes might be spared or what other are Vse 1 there that neede to bee added Therefore where these are there is a true visible Church The vses of the point are these The first vse is matter of reproofe and that of many aduersaries First it reprooues such as except and say first that other Congregations besides Except 1 the true visible Church have these markes and therefore they are not sufficient nor infallible markes I answere Answ It is true that other Congregations pretend to haue these markes as what Heretikes or Schismatikes are there that will not say they have the Truth and right faith with them this is the generall claime of them all the Scriptures are ours and for us But this is a false pretence for when it comes to the tryall it will appeare that it is but their saying not that it is so in truth for either they will refuse some part of the Scripture or else they will mangle and deprave it or else they will take the Letter for the sense as the Papists doe in the matter of Transubstantiation this is my Body and other Heretikes that because it is said He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire therefore they baptize with fire taking the Letter of the Scripture instead of the sense of it Or else they adde somthing to the word as traditions and such like and so though they doe approue and take it in at the fore-doore yet they cast it out at the backdoore so that indeede they haue it not at all whatsoeuer they pretend we may say truly therefore that they challenge these markes but wee cannot say they are theirs but they still remaine the proper right of Gods true Church Wee know that the Divels policie and the depth of his subtiltie is to imitate apishly the courses of God that thereby hee may deceiue the more cunningly and therefore hee will counterfeit Gods owne markes and cognisance but wee must trie the Spirits 1 Ioh. 4.1 and the proofe will make all cleare for Sathan can transforme himselfe into an Angell of light and his Apostles can transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ and his Ministers as though they were the Ministers of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 11.13 14 15. So then though these lay claime to these markes and say they are theirs yet they have no right to them it is but their vaine bragges their master Sathan himselfe alleageth Scripture and pretends it is for him but hee was shamefully discouered by our Sauiour for hee left out part of it and depraued it as wee may see Math. 4.6 7. And so the harlot Pro. 7.14 said I have peace-offerings this day I have paid my vowes therefore came I out to meete thee she pretends to pray but her intent was to play the harlot And so Zidkiah 1 King 22.24 braggs that hee had the Spirit of Prophecie when indeede it was a lying Spirit that was in his mouth So the Congregations of Heretikes and of Schismatikes lay claime to the Word and Sacraments and say they are theirs when as indeede they are not because they doe either refuse some part of them or depraue them or adde vnto them their owne Inuentions Secondly that except and say that many visible Churches haue Except 2 not these markes at least not all of them alwayes I answer yes they haue them all Answ and that alwayes in some measure more or lesse els they are not true visible Churches For the better vnderstanding hereof consider these two things first the different estate of Churches sometimes Gods Church doth thriue and flourish and then it hath all these markes without doubt Gods Word is truly preached the Sacraments rightly administred and obedience to them both is professed and yeelded and that in an high degree But sometimes a Church of God is not in such an excellent estate some are but in their beginings newly planted and so cannot haue all at once but hath euery thing in its order place first the Word is tendred to them then the people if they beleeue and submit themselues and professe obedience to it they are to be made partakers of the Sacraments First Baptisme and then the Lords Supper so far forth as it is a visible Church it hath all these marks these Church's are but in their beginnings and therefore they haue but the beginnings of these notes and markes Againe sometimes a Church is in a dying and decaying estate either by reason of Apostacie or persecution if the Church bee in a decaying state by Apostacie what shall I say to such Churches I say that so farre forth as these be true visible Churches so farre forth they retaine these markes if they be but the remainders of a Church then they haue the remainders of these markes if it bee a dying and a decaying Church then it hath dying and decaying markes So then these markes must be found in all true visible Churches according to the state of those Churches if it be a dying Church then the Word and Sacraments and Obedience are dying and decaying too but when it is quite fallen it ceaseth to be a true visible Church nor hath it these markes And so likewise in the time of persecution when the Church is so persecuted that there are none left to make open profession of the Faith and Religion of Christ yet so long as there are any that publikely suffer for the Gospell so long there is a true Church though troubled and brought low for by their suffering they professe obedience to the Gospell and though they are debarred of the publike vse of the Word and Sacraments yet the fruit and effect of them is still visible

may liue peaceably and quietly vnder them in all godlinesse and honesty not onely in ciuill honesty as they are Magistrates but in all goodnesse too as they are Christian Magistrates to be countenanced and established by them where they bee Christians and to be tolerated by them though they be no Christians And surely these Officers of ruling and gouerning spoken of Ro. 12.8 and 1 Cor. 12.28 in all good consideration are to reach to the Christian Magistrate The second question concerning the ciuill Magistrate is wherein his Office consists I answer It consists chiefly in the matter of ouer-sight the last duty we spake of in the former exercise The new Testament is very scarce of proofes for this point because there were then no Christian Magistrates but it is abundantly supplied in the old and the equitie of the thing is the same in both you shall find then that his office consists specially as I said before in ouersight But the particulars wherein his Office consists are these First in calling Assemblies secondly in abolishing false worship and establishing the true worship of God thirdly in looking to the Ministery and their maintenance fourthly in causing the people to serue the Lord lastly in appointing Consistories you shall find these things performed by Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah and Iosiah as you may reade in the 2 Chron. 15. and in the 29. and 30. and 34. and 35. Chapters of the same booke And for the proofe of the particulars First for calling of Assemblies that it was performed by the King as in Ionah 3.7 And secondly for abolishing of false worship wee see it was performed by Moses the chiefe Magistrate Exod. 32.20 as also by King Asa in the 1 King 15.12 13 and 14. verses and for establishing Gods true worship it was done by Iosiah in the 2 King 23.2 3. and by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.3 4 5. And if we looke into Iudges 6. from the 23. to the 26. verse we shall find both these performed by Gedeon And thirdly for looking to the Ministery and their maintenance we may reade how it was done by Salomon in the 2 Chro. 8.14 15. and by Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.4 and Chap. 31.4 and 16. and 17. verses and by Iosiah 2 Chron. 35.2 and by Nehemiah Chap. 13.11 12. verses And fourthly for causing the people to serue the Lord it was done by Hezekiah in the 2 Chron. 30. from the first to the sixth verse And Iosiah compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord 2 Chron. 34.33 and so Asa did the like 2 Chron. 15.13 And lastly for the appointing And lastly for the appointing Consistories you shall reade in the 2 Chron. 19.8 how it was done by Iehosaphat and commanded by God Deut. 17.8 Vse 1 The vses of the point are these First this shewes how God doth grace his Church in this world that he will haue the Sword to maintaine the Word and Princes that are the shields of the world to bee the shields of his Church and Kings and great Potentates to be her Seruants Vse 2 Secondly this serues for the reproofe first of the Papists that say that the Magistrate hath no power in the Church but vnder the Minister these are enemies to Gods ordinance and they rob Kings and Princes of their chiefest grace and greatest part of authoritie and also they rob the Church of her best defence vnder God on earth I am perswaded that if any Churches in these times of Christ and his Apostles had liued vnder a Christian Magistrate the Apostles would haue added somewhat expresly and particularly touching the Magistrate too Vse 3 Lastly this teacheth vs to giue glory to God for his great mercy towards vs that wee liue vnder a Christian Magistrate that the Word and the Sword goe together that the Church flourishes and her enemies goe to wracke that Christs Kingdome is mightly aduanced that the Gospell hath free and full passage This wee are to praise the Lord for and to pray for the continuance of his grace and care and continuall supply of such Magistrates and also we are to mourne and bewaile the losse of such hopefull successors and heyres when we see the breath taken out of their nostrils that should haue been the breath of our nostrils This we are euery one to mourne and to humble our selues for by fasting and by prayer if we cannot doe it publikely we must be carefull to doe it priuately for this is a grieuous iudgement and a fearefull token of Gods anger And surely if wee doe not turne vnto God and humble our selues for our sinnes we are to expect and feare some more heauy and fearefull iudgement to befall vs. The eighteenth Lecture of the Church AFter wee had spoken in the first place touching the duties to bee performed in the Church-gouernment we came in the second place to speake of the persons or Officers that are to performe these duties where we shewed first what manner of persons they ought to bee and secondly what they were by name Now we come to the third point namely the Rules and Lawes that these persons and officers spoken of in the second point are to bee directed by in the execution of these actions and duties spoken of in the first point that is the point wee are now to speake to All businesses to be done do necessarily require certaine Lawes and Rules to bee performed by and surely Gods businesse requires it much more It is not enough that the workes of God bee done but as they are good in themselues so the carriage must be good too they must be well done The Lord is very precise and iealous ouer his owne Ordinances and therefore as hee hath giuen expresse commandement that they be obserued for the matter and substance of them so also he hath prescribed certaine rules and directions how they are to be proceeded in for the manner and circumstances of them and therefore to performe the duty commanded neglecting the directions prescribed for the managing of them is like Sauls obedience which is said to be disobedience at the best it is but halfe obedience the Lord accepts it not For our sound and intire obedience to God consists in this when wee doe that which the Lord commands and when we doe it as hee commands it to bee done according to that in Exod. 39.42 43. where the children of Israel are commended because they did that which the Lord commanded them and in euery point as he commanded them Now the Rules here to bee obserued that these duties may be well done are many for order and plainenesse sake wee will reduce them to these three heads First the warrant must be good by which they are guided in the doing of them Secondly the manner must bee good whereby they are carried Thirdly the end must be good which we aymed at in the doing of them Wee will begin with the first The Rules and Lawes whereby these Persons and

no more of an antient Church than of one that hath beene within these two hundred yeares Let vs take the meane betwixt both these embrace them reuerently where they are not contradicted by the Word and so they are a sufficient warrant in those cases if wee bee destitute of better And so much bee spoken for the warrant of those things which are to bee done in Church-gouernment Now we come to the second generall head the manner whereby they must be carried that must be good too as well as the warrant whereon they are grounded for many times good things are marred by ill handling therefore that these good things may not bee marred with ill handling Obserue touching the manner of the carriage of them these Rules First that the most necessary and materiall duties bee first and chiefly prouided for secondly that all things bee done decently and in order thirdly that the peace of the Church be not troubled fourthly that whosoeuer hath any right in the performance of this businesse be not contemned or restrained of their right Lastly these duties must be so carried so farre as may be as best fits the ciuill Gouernment wherein wee liue We will begin with the first that is That the most necessary and materiall duties must bee first and chiefly prouided for and they are the Word and Sacraments and Prayer and the Ministery these must bee first looked to so our Sauiour himselfe takes this course he first prouides for these Matth. 28.19 Go teach all Nations baptizing them c. And so the Apostle Peter in Act. 2.37 38 c. First he preacheth and baptizeth And so the Apostle Paul in the 1 Cor. 15.3 First of all saith he I deliuered vnto you that which I receiued how that Christ died for our sinnes c. First hee preacheth Faith and Repentance and the Reasons are plaine for this for these are the foundation of Religion therefore these must bee first laid else there can bee no building secondly these are the gatherers of Gods chosen if they haue not these none can be conuerted at all thirdly these are so effectuall to the being of a Church that where these are found there is a Church and where they are not there is none therefore these must bee first and chiefly prouided for The due obseruation of this Rule if it were carefully looked into would preuent much ignorance and dissention and other inconueniences many there are that nuzzle the people vp in Ceremonies onely and goe no further as the Popish Church This is a cause of horrible blindnesse and ignorance the people for the most part resting there and thinking they haue Religion enough if they obserue such and such Ceremonies and so are carelesse of true growth in Christianity by the true vse of the Word and Sacraments These are Pharisaicall courses to tythe Mint and Annise and to leaue the weighty matters of the Law Matth. 23.23 Others beate first and chiefly on Discipline and would haue that and nothing else taught a preposterous zeale which wrought much dissention as by lamentable experience we may see in our Church for this hath been an occasion that many haue separated from our Church and that many liue discontent in it not being first well grounded in the principall first faith and repentance must bee taught and afterward Church-gouernment The second Rule is All must bee done decently and in order for so is the expresse Rule 1 Cor. 14.40 First then decency is required in Church-gouernment this is required in ciuill and naturall duties and therefore in Christian and religious duties it is required much more Now this is not in all places alike for we must vnderstand that that which is decent in one place may bee vncomely in another that is to be reputed decent in any place which the customes and fashions of the place not repugnant to the Rules of Nature Ciuilitie and Gods Word haue made decent as for example prophesying with the hat on in the Church of Corinth vndecent 1 Cor. 11.4 but in the reformed Churches in France made decent by Custome they being in Gods stead to speake vnto the people they thinke they may bee couered Therefore still such customes are to bee considered and accordingly decency to be esteemed Secondly Order is required in Churchgouernment so it is in all other things specially it must be so in Gods Church he being the Author and God of order and not of confusion This was it that commended and graced Salomons house exceedingly so that the Queene of Sheba was rauisht to see it in the 1 King 10.5 and shall hee that is greater than Salomon the Lord Iesus want it in his house the Church It is a speciall grace belongs to the visible Church and therfore Cant. 4.2 Salomon speaking of the order of Gods Church shewes how comely it is Thy teeth are like a flocke of sheepe in good order which go vp from the washing c. Dauid was enamoured with it Psa 68.25 speaking as vnder a vaile of the godly order which is in Gods Church faith the Singers went before the Players of instruments came after and in the midst were the maides playing with Timbrells Now this order extends it selfe to two things first in things to bee done in the Church secondly in the persons that doe them First in things to bee done there must be order as in prophesying that one speak after another 1 Cor. 14.31 and so in order the Word must bee preacht before the Sacraments be administred prayer must bee before preaching Baptisme before the Lords Supper as also smaller matters must bee layd by while greater are in handling Act. 6 2. sometimes extraordinary cases of necessity may ouerbeare this Rule but generally it must bee thus So there must bee order in Persons the Superiours must bee first respected whether hee bee superior in yeares or in gifts and graces the Pastor must rule the flocke and not the flocke the Pastor Finally it is with vs in the Church as it is with Souldiers in the field euery man is placed by the Captaine and must keepe his ranke And so it must bee with vs wee must keepe our ranke that God hath placed vs in in the Church and not breake out for that is a grieuous sinne I would this were well looked into in our Church that men would not go beyond their rankes for this breedes disorder and confusion in the Church The third Rule is that the peace of the Church bee not broken nor troubled the Apostle in Ephes 4.3 would haue vs whatsoeuer wee doe to keepe peace and hee vseth a speciall phrase there Keepe the vnitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace As if hee should say if yee keepe not peace which is the bond your spirituall Communion is in danger to bee soone dissolued And in the 1 Cor. 11.16 the Apostle teacheth that contentiousnes is not tolerated in the churches of God The enuious Serpent and

ouer and suffer them to trample vs vnder their feete God forbid this were not onely to bring our selues and our soules into our enemies hands but also to deliuer God himselfe as much as in vs lyeth and his cause and Religion into the hands of his enemies If wee be opposed in an outward fight as men wee are ready to take vp armes and to strike againe and to make all resistance where wee should not but in this case wee should rather yeeld and giue place and not resist euill as our Sauiour teacheth vs Matth. 5.39 c. Being therefore opposed as Christians and members of the Church and our faith being dearer to vs then our liues and the Lord hauing giuen vs an expresse charge to resist and fight it out why doe we not then quicken vp our spirits and resist euen vnto blood if neede require that so these aduersaries may not haue their wills on vs. Secondly as wee must fight so wee must fight lawfully as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 2 5. that is as we must fight on a good ground so wee must fight by good and lawfull meanes when wee come to haue bickerings with the wicked wee must not doe by them as they doe by vs to quit them like for like if they wrong vs wee must not wrong them or if they slander or reuile or ouer-reach vs wee must not doe the like by them no wee must fight against them by lawfull meanes such as are infallible by Gods Word we are to deale so by lawfull courses against them as they doe vnlawfully against vs. Thirdly that wee may striue lawfully wee must put on the whole Armour of God Ephes 6.11 as wee must fight so we must be armed our aduersaries come forth armed against vs and shall we goe forth naked against them No wee must be armed too yea they are in compleat harnesse well appointed in euery respect to hurt vs and yet to keepe themselues harmelesse so must wee haue compleat armour too from the head to the foot wee must haue the helmet of saluation the brest-plate of righteousnesse the shield of faith the sword of the spirit the Girdle of verity and we must be sh●d with the preparation of the Gospell of peace Besides as they are furnished by the diuell their captaine so must wee by God our captaine vpder whose colours we fight we must put on the whole armour of God and that this may be pressed the more vpon vs the Apostle doubleth his exhortation in 13. verse and saith For this cause take vnto you the whole armour of God Fourthly we must watch so the Apostle cōmands vs 1 Cor. 16.13 and Peter 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober and watch wee must watch for first our aduersaries are many secondly euery one assaults thirdly they watch to ouerthrow vs fourthly they haue much craft and subtilty amongst them euen as much as the Diuell can put into them and therefore wee had neede to watch continually and to stand on our guard and to haue our eyes open and to cast euery way about vs to discouer and preuent the enemy and to saue our selues remembring still that the enuious man preuailed in his purpose against the good seed while men were sleeping Matth. 13.25 that is while they were not watchfull and wary to preuent him The fifth duty which we must practice is that with our fighting and watching we take all opportunities and aduantages for our owne defence wee must learne of our aduersaries who are exceeding wise in doing euill so wee must be wise in doing good as they spie out their best aduantages when they are strongest and best prepared and when it will be most for their benefit and our hurt and when wee are weakest and most vnprouided not so able to make our party good against them so must wee doe against them specially wee must take such aduantages as God affoords vs in his Word when wee read how others of Gods children haue defended them selues in such assaults let vs take aduantage by their example and still in all our assaults let vs lay vp something for our defence against another time Sixthly Let vs throw away all hindrances 2 Tim. 4.2 no man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life c. Souldiers carry little with them to the warre but cast away all that is troublesome to them so must wee throw away all hindrances that may trouble vs in this fight as the loue of the world and of our selues and of pleasures yea and if neede be we must loaue father and mother wife and children too and throw them all away rather then they should comber vs in this battell wee must rid our hands of all things but what necessity ties vs to that so we may be free from incombrances in the mannaging of this spirituall warfare The Apostle in the 1 Corinth 9 26 27. propounds himselfe for an example in this case so fight I saith he not as one that beateth the ayre but I beat downe my body and bring it in subiection c. hee knew that if hee did not beat downe his body and so cast this hindrance away he should but beat the ayre teaching vs that wee must throw away all that hinders vs in the mannaging of this Spirituall fight The seuenth duty is confidence in Gods loue wee must cast our selues by faith vpon the power of God as the Apostle exhorts Ephes 6.10 My brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might and if we doe thus it shall goe well with vs in this our battell and this faith and confidence is nor onely a part of this fight but the very victory it selfe as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.4 this is the victory whereby we ouercome the world euen our faith and in this respect it is called a shield to quench all the fiery darts of Satan Ephes 6. The eighth duty which we are taught from hence to practise is the duty of prayer this is a speciall meanes to preuaile in our fight therefore the Prophet Dauid saith Psalme 56.9 when I cry then mine enemies shall turne backe and this the Apostle Paul practised in his spirituall fight when the messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him and the same Apostle Ephes 6.18 exhorts vs hereunto in many termes pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watch thereunto with all perseuerance wee must haue helpe and strength else wee cannot withstand our enemies they being so strong and we so weak and whence should we haue helpe but from God And how shall we obtaine it of him but by prayer and therefore wee must pray alwaies vnto God that he would helpe and strengthen vs in our fight and that hee would daunt and draw all good successe from our enemies that so they may not preuaile against vs but that wee may preuaile against them Exod. 17.11 When

Moses held vp his hand Israel preuailed and when hee let his hand downe Amaleck preuailed so it is with vs when we hold vp our hands to God by prayer wee shall preuaile against our spirituall enemies but if wee let downe our hands neglect this duty this dutie of prayer they will preuaile against vs. The last duty which wee are hence taught to practise is patience wee must possesse our soules with patience holding out to the end of the fight and being well content with our present portion sighing for deliuerance and yet waiting the Lords good leasure with an expectation of helpe and comfort to all our crosses and a seasonable and ioyfull deliuerance from all our crosses and a recompence in heauen with a Crowne of glory for all the crosses and miseries which wee doe heere endure And so much for the first point that the Church of God hath many aduersaries c. The second point is who and what these aduersaries are Surely they are very many in number In generall they are all they that are not of the Church for so is our Sauiours Rule Luke 11.23 Hee that is not with me is against me The particulars are many and therefore not easily to be comprehended within one artificiall diuision therefore take euery one by themselues The first aduersary or opposite is a false Church that is such as pretend themselues to be the Church when indeed they are not but are destitute of that which giues the true being of the Church that is of Christ Iesus want of Discipline and such like materiall points may make an vnwholesome and an vnsound Church but so long as Christ Iesus is truely professed they are true Churches The Turks and the Iewes are false churches hauing a false being because Christ is not professed by them The second sort are those that are not yet admitted into the Church and they are not onely Infidells and Reprobates which neuer were nor euer shall be of the Church but also Gods chosen children before their calling are bitter enemies of the Church as the Apostle Paul hee was as great an aduersary against the Church till hee was called as the world could yeeld The third sort of opposites to the Church are heretikes they are such as stiffely maintaine any grosse opinion against the faith professed in the Church some such there were in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 11.19 and these opposites are of all sorts some are greater heretikes others lesse and accordingly they are more or lesse opposite yet they are all aduersaries and that in an high degree euen to the faith which is the life of the Church at least in such particulars as they oppose All the embracers of heresies are enemies but the broachers of them most of all The 4th sort of opposites are Schismatikes those that make a diuision or rent in the Church withdrawing themselues from the outward fellowship of those that professe the sauing truth of these the Apostle speakes Heb. 10.34 that they withdraw themselues to perdition these are dangerous aduersaries for they doe not onely make a rent in the Church but as much as in them lies they diuide Christ as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 1.13 of both these opposites the Heretike and the Schismatike it may be said as the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 2.19 They went out from vs because they were not of vs Now as Heretikes are opposite to the faith of the Church so are Schismtikes to the vnity of the Church and as Schismatikes are opposite to the whole Church so specially they are opposite to that Church from which they separate The fifth sort of aduersaries are Apostates that reuolt from the faith and fall to their old estate of nature and sinne such was Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 who forsooke the Apostle Paul and embraced this present euill world And this is the fearefullest estate of all the rest for if they so persist as they hardly euer recouer they fall into the sinne against the holy Ghost which shall neuer be forgiuen of such the Apostle speakes Hebr. 6.4 5 6. that it is impossible that they which were once enlightened and haue tasted of the heauenly gift c. if they fall away that they should be renued againe by repentance and Heb. 10.26 If we sin willingly after wee haue receiued and acknowledged that truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne The sixth sort of opposites are persecutors that doe not onely not regard the Church and the truth but they hate and persecute it and those that loue it and that not in a meane degree but for the most part they are blood-suckers and nothing will satisfie them but eyther the soules of professors if they forsake the truth or their bodies and liues if they continue stedfast in the truth The 7th sort of opposites are Hypocrites or Counterfeits such as pretend Religion when as yet they affect it not sincerely and in truth they goe to the Church heare the Word receiue the Sacraments c. but they do it not with a single and sincere affection If these be Ministers then they are false Apostles such as the Apostle speakes of 2 Cor. 11.13 that are deceitfull workers and transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ or if they be of the people they are false brethren such as the Apostle speakes of Galat. 2.4 that are crept into the Church to spye out our liberty these are the more dangerous enemies because they are so neere to vs as it is in a family there is most danger by those of the same houshold if any of them be a thiefe he may set the doores open to let others in they are most dangerous as first being least suspected for if wee did suspect them wee would beware of them secondly as hauing fittest opportunities to doe vs mischiefe because they know our courses and so can the more easily betray vs as Iudas knowing our Sauiours walke was the fittest Instrument to betray the Lord of life Iohn 18.2 Eighthly excommunicate persons are aduersaries to the Church who though they doe not voluntarily depart from the Church as Schismatikes doe yet are they worthily cut off from the Church such was the Incestuous person 1 Cor. 5.5 these are in a fearefull estate for they haue no comfort by the prayers of the Church being cut off from the body they can haue no communion with it and till such times as they repent and are reconciled to the Church they are to be accounted of as opposites as Heathens and as Publicans Ninthly we come to those that are more spirituall enemies the world that is the people and fashions of the world the people of the world they hate vs because wee are none of their society as our Sauiour saith Iohn 15.19 And the fashions of the world which we are not to yeeld vnto in any hand Fashion not your selues according to the world saith the Apostle Rom. 12.2 These are

Lord will be altogether with vs to saue and defend vs and altogether against our enemies to confound and destroy them The three and twentieth LECTVRE of the CHVRCH HAuing propounded nine seuerall heads to be spoken to concerning the visible Church wee haue through Gods assistance spoken of seuen of them It remaines therefore now that wee come to the eighth namely the power and authority of the Church A point which was named and pointed at before amongst the Priuileges of the Church For surely the power that God hath endued the Church withal is none of her smallest priuileges if it be not one of her greatest as the greatest priuilege of a King is his Kingly power and authority then wee pointed at it but wee respited the full handling of it to this place partly because in the beginning wee propounded it as one of the principall heads in this question but especially because it is both large and waighty large and so requires waighty and so deserues worthily to be handled in a seuerall Title by it selfe it hath also some affinity neernesse with the fifth head namely the Gouernment of the Church for many of the same things that are incident to the Gouernment of the Church are also incident to the authority of it and such things wee will onely touch as wee meete with them referring you for further knowledge of them to those places that already they haue beene handled in But there are somethings belonging to the power of the Church which could not so fitly be reduced to the gouernment of the Church and these are the points which God willing here wee will speake vnto The power and authority of the Church I call it power and authority for in effect they are both one It is true that they are sometimes distinguished and then this is the difference power signifies an ability to doe a thing and authority a warrant from God to exercise that ability but here they signifie one and the same thing and the reason is plaine because the Church of all other sorts doth absolutely deny her selfe to haue any power to do ought but that which she hath authority and warrant from God to doe The points that I will speake of concerning this matter are these First that the Church of God hath power and authority belonging to it Secondly what manner of power and authority this is And thirdly what it is that shee hath power in First that there is power and authority belonging to the Church for howsoeuer she be weak in outward forces and contemptible in the eyes of the world and for the most part spurn'd out ouer-borne and troden vnder foote by the Potentates of the earth and for the mannaging of any temporall administration or state able to doe little and warranted to doe lesse yet if she be taken within her owne element that is in Church affaires she is armed with much power and great authority euery State and society hath power and authority annexed to it whereby it is vpholden the Church then being the worthiest State and happiest Society that is hath it Reas 1 much more for there are many offices and duties of diuers kindes and sorts daily and necessarily to be performed in the Church wel-doers must be encouraged sinne must be punished lawes must be executed orders must be obserued and obedience must be practised these and such like must be daily performed in the Church Now without power nothing can be done and without authority nothing must be done And therefore the Church must haue power and authority Againe the Reas 2 greatest and waightiest workes that are done in the world are done in the Church the conscience commanded soules conuerted comforted and saued Gods owne life wrought into the hearts of men Christ and his Kingdome of grace that is highly aduanced Satans kingdome and his power quailed and subdued therefore the Church must needes haue great power to effect such great workes Lastly shee must haue this power Reas 3 and authority that shee may be able to hold vp her head against her aduersaries that doe commonly and ordinarily except against her saying By what authority doe you these things as they did to our Sauiour Matth. 22.23 and to Moses Exod. 2.14 Who made thee a man of authority c. so that except shee be furnished with sufficient authority there is no hope that they or their proceedings should finde any acceptance the people were astonished at Christs Doctrine because he taught with authority and not as the Scribes Mat. 7. Mar. 1.27 hee commands euen the foule spirits with authority and they obey him as who should say if he had not commanded them with authority they would neuer haue obeyed him they would know good cause why first This serues first to incourage the Church to the doing of Vse 1 her duty in excecuting Gods Lawes and in aduancing his ordinances seeing shee hath power sufficient in her owne hands to strengthen and countenance her preceedings and to make them effectuall It would neuer grieue a man to bestow time and labour in good endeauours though with much danger and with many opdositions when hee knowes before-hand that he hath power and authority enough to be beare him out in it therefore this should encourage the Church in her duty heerein And also this serues to reproue those that Vse 2 lightly esteeme of the Church and of that which shee doth as if they were nothing worth but let such know that the Church is a powerfull worker and that that Doctrine which she teacheth is a word of great power able to saue or to destroy and the Censures that she passeth are Censures of power able to kill or giue life and whosoueuer withstandeth these shall finde them matters of power to their destruction in hell if they be obstinate but whosoeuer obeyes them shall finde power enough in them to bring them to God and to his Kingdome So much for that first point The second point is what manner of power this is for this wee must looke well into lest mistaking wee goe too farre or come too short each being a dangerous error you shall vnderstand therefore that this power is not humane but diuine Secondly not temporall but spirituall Thirdly that though it be spirituall yet it is bounded and limited First it is not humane that is it is not of men though they be men that exercise it and howsoeuer where it is publikely practised it is vsually and needfully ratified at least permitted by the authority of the temporall State yet it hath not his power from men but it is diuine and hath his power directly from God himselfe the first beginnings of this power is from him as wee may see Matth. 10.1 to 5. where our Sauiour calls his Disciples and giue them power to preach to cast out diuels and to heale the sicke c. and the promise of more power is also from God as his