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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88695	The persecuted minister, in defence of the ministerie, the great ordinance of Jesus Christ. Setting forth the severall names of Apostles, prophets, &c. [brace] 1. That there is a ministerial office. 2. That the sacrament of baptisme by a lay-person is invalid. 3. That necessity is no plea. 4. That the long omission of the Lords Supper is unwarrantable. With many other things, plainly and methodically handled / by William Langley late of S. Maryes in the city of Lichfield, minister ...	Langley, William, b. 1609 or 10.	1656 (1656)	Wing L408; Thomason E860_4; ESTC R202682	143,990	208

but the satisfying of their own ends which will prove destructive in the end A second thing in which this Office chiefly consists is in praying for and with the people James 5.14 Acts 6.4 The Ministers are Gods mouth to the people and for the people to them in constant preaching for them in fervent praying If people rise up against their Pastors let their Pastors fall on their faces for the people Thus did Moses and Aaron Samuel little lesse 1 Sam. 12.23 God forbid c. Absit à me hoc peccatum Christ that good Pastor and Bishop was earnest in prayer for his own Father keep them and for his Enemies Father forgive them Precatio praedicatio prayer and preaching are holy actions both sisters in Gods service the one must not thrust out the other Saint Paul often practised this as we may read in his Epistles beginning and ending them with prayer He that bids despise not prophecying saith in the same Chapter pray continually 1 Thes 5. In solemn actions it hath ever been the custome of the Church of God to begin with prayer Christ sent not his Apostles without prayer John 17.17 Father sanctifie them through thy truth The Deacons are not chosen without prayer Acts 6.6 Nor Matthias one of the seventy in the room of Judas without prayer Acts 1.24 It was the laudable and commendable custome of the Church to begin with prayer Almighty and most mercifull Father c. Every important action requires prayer much more the preaching of the word Those that represent God and carry his message to the world should be consecrated by publick devotions private prayer is commendable but publick much more pure hands are accepted in every place but especially in the Sanctuary The Lord saith the Psalmist that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Sion he saith not The Lord that made heaven blesse thee upon earth nor the Lord that made earth blesse thee out of heaven but the Lord that made heaven and earth blesse thee out of Sion blessings come originally from Heaven mediately through Sion Humble advise of the late Assembly As we are to pray in every place so more solemnly in the publick Assemblies which are not carelesly or wilfully to be neglected or forsaken when God by his Word and Providence calleth thereunto Now that prayer may have acceptance there is required First that it be made in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through whom our persons are accepted and all our performances are as sweet smelling incense 1 Pet. 2.5 Secondly that it be made by the help of the Spirit who helpeth our infirmities and teacheth us to cry Abba father Rom 8.26 Thirdly according to Gods will 1 John 5.14 for if we require mala things in their own nature bad or not good to us or male good things for bad ends God will not hear us Jam. 4.23 Fourthly with reverence becoming the Majestie of GOD suitable to his Omnipotency and Holinesse Psal 95. falling down c. Eccles 5.1 Not offering the sacrifice of fools It was a tart rebuke that the Emperour Augustus gave to a Citizen of Rome who inviting him to a slender banquet no waies answerable to his greatnesse and majestie tells him Nesciebam me tibi tam familiarem esse I never knew before that thou and I were so familiar So will the God of all the world say unto such as give not that respect unto him befitting his greatnesse and glorious Majestie to whom belongeth all reverence and godly fear Heb. 12.28 Fiftly with humility which is a comely garment for every member of Christ Be ye cloathed with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 humilitatem insinuate as in the vulgar Latine that is in sinu habete cherish it in your bosome with loves heat that it may be both hearty and ready for use when occasion is offered S. Augustine calleth it the first second and third virtue of every Christian the Pharisee goeth from Gods door without an alms he was proud and arrogant but the humble Publican receives a blessing Never did any that begged with humility but either had his desire or better than he desired Reverend Bede writing of the Publican saith Appropinquare noluit ad Deum ut appropinquaret ad illum He would not draw neer that he might draw neer He that will not be a mountain in Christs way must not be a Mountebank of his own virtue but levell himself even with the ground for he fills the hungry with good things but the rich he sends empty away So the rich in their own conceit and proud of their own gifts shall be sent empty from Christs gates Let us empty our selves and deponere magnificentiam abhorre our selves Job 42.6 Casting our crowns and glory the best things we have at the feet of Christ Revel 4.10 Sixtly it must be made in faith for without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Faith is a Mother-virtue without which all things are to no purpose therefore we are exhorted to ask in faith Jam. 1.6 Cain offered a sacrifice aswell as Abel but it was Abels faith in Christ that made Abels sacrifice accepted Heb. 11 4. Seventhly it must be with fervency for the life and soul of any duty is not the outward action but the inward affection of the heart Lycurgus enjoyned his people to offer little sacrifices to their gods for saith he they regard more the inward affection than the outward action a rule which our great Lawgiver hath given us Mat. 6.7 When ye pray use not much babbling It is said of the Publican Oravit paucis Buter sed affectu multo He couch't much devotion in a little room and yet all the vertues of a true penitent are found in him confession contrition faith and amendment of life If we bring our sheep to Gods Altar and them alone we had as good have left them behinde they are not worth the carriage Isa 1. To what purpose is c. When the Searcher of the reins shall finde a carkas of Religion without a quickning spirit he will turn his countenance from it Deus non habet gratum offerentem propter munera sed munera propter offerentem God valueth the offerer by the gift not the gift by the offerer Non corticis sed cordis Deus He regards not the rinde of the lips but the root of the heart the inward parts Psal 51.6 integer and rectus are joyned together Job 2.3 So we must have these two properties We must be recti straight not crooked and integri sound not hollow our Tabernacles must have gold within as well as without Exod. 25.11 Lastly it must be directed only unto God through Jesus Christ without the Invocation of Saints or Angels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly belong to God Mat. 4.10 Therefore we may not so much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give any adoration to Saints or Angels But fearing I have been too long on

and Abiram had a specious pretence for their usurpation yet fire consumes Corah and his company and the earth swallows Dathan and Abiram They had perverted that order that God had established to continue in his Church and the Lord works a strange work altering the course of nature Now although God doe not thus execute judgment from Heaven when his Ordinances are violated yet this sin is not hereby lessened the punishment mitigated nor the hand of God shortned The Sacraments of the Gospel of Christ are of much more worth and value than those of the Old Testament and are therefore guilty of much sorer punishment Sacred Functions ordered by God must not be prophaned by voluntary usurpations Secondly the sin must needs be great because it fights against this institution which was given for our direction This sin is not only against man but against the Author and Instituter of the Sacraments Shall private persons usurp to be the Lords Messengers to bring his Letters and Seals not called nor authorized It cannot be without dishonour to God without the check and controlement of Jesus Christ who is the Captain of his own host the head of his own body Lord of his own house and the great King of his own Church if therefore private persons administer the Sacraments they sin against God and go beyond the bounds of their calling Atters 3 book of the Sacr. of the Lords Supper chap 20. If they will not be restrained but rush forward their sin lieth at the door I shall here briefly discover to you the greatnesse of their sin that thrust themselves into the calling of the Ministery without lawfull ordination or deputation thereunto First it is repugnant to the Word of God For none but such as are called according to the rules and cannons of the Apostles ought to take upon them this Office No man saith Luther although he be more wise than Salomon or David ought to take this honour unto himself except he be called of God as Aaron was Heb 5.4 though not called immediately by himself yet mediately by Deputies under him Titus was to ordain Elders in every City T it 1.5 The Apostle ordained Elders in every Church Acts 14.23 Separate me Ba●nabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away Acts 13.2 3. besides their extraordinary gifts they must be set apart to this office God commands it his word enjoynes it St. Paul St. Peter St. James call themselves Apostles implying their Commissions for both their calling and their authority is set down in the word Apostles for Apostolos is as much as one sent This sinne that we are now upon is one of those many that hales down judgments upon this Land Secondly it crosses the custome of the Churches of God those I meane purged from superstition who with one consent hold forth this doctrine that it is not lawfull for any man to take upon him the office of publique praying or Ministring the Sacraments before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same witnesse the confession of all the Reformed Churches Whosoever is guilty in this particular we may say of him we have no such custome no nor the Churches of God St. Augustine proposeth a rule and I think it is a good one and it is this he that goeth against Reason is no wise man he that goeth against the Scripture is no sober man and he that goeth against the Church is no peaceable man and it is observed if any make his entrance unlawfull his course and progresse is troublesome it is a step to much Schism and Faction Thirdly it is a breach of that order God hath enjoyned for what greater disorder saith a Reverend Doctor can there be then without order to usurp the Ministeriall function nothing better becommeth us then order God is the God of order and the three persons in the Trinity put themselves in order to shew how they love it and our Ministry is called by the name of Orders to shew that we are bound to order above other professions Decor in Domo ejus Beauty and comelinesse are in his Sanctuary and must they not be in his Servants Order it is natures beauty the Churches ornament the worlds harmony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Zenoph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a thing excelling all things both for use and grace it is in all things in all places in heaven and Earth hell excepted there is no manner of comliness without it but all out of fashion no kinde of constancy but all loose without it all falls back to the first Tohis and Bohu emptinesse and disordered rude Chaos of confusion Now what greater disorder then for a man to run unsent to the Lords Vineyard to thrust his sickle into Gods harvest to step rudely into Moses chair to climbe in at the Window and not at the door if none durst assume the honour of the Leviticall Priesthood except he were called Heb. 5 4 Evangelicall is much more honourable and it is great boldnesse to presume to assume it without a calling Yea it is a breach of that order God hath enjoyned As is confessed by the Church of England Fourthly the greatnesse of their sin appeareth in that they are guilty of Intrusion and Usurpation These are two freckl●s in the Churches face The sin of Intrusion it is a brand of false Prophets Jer. 14.14 23.21 27.15 The Lord condemneth them in that they prophesied but he sent them not what needs this preposterous haste this running before God It is surest and safest to take him along with us Vix bono peraguntur exitu quae malo sunt inchoata principio Things ill begun are not commonly well ended Neither are the proceedings likely to be good whose beginnings are so greatly out of order They which enter not into the Temple as did Aaron will hardly behave themselves in the house of the Lord as Aaron did Much hast is seldome encountred with good successe Again Of the duty and dignity of the Minist 2 treat the greatnesse of their sin appears in their presumption and violent boldnesse to lay hands upon such a holy function It is a doctrine of Master Perkins That all true Ministers especially such as are deputed in the greatest workes in his Church must be first of all stricken into a great fear in consideration of the greatness of their function yea into an amazement and astonishment in the admiration of Gods glory and greatnesse whose room they occupie and whose message they bring and this he grounds on those words of the Prophet Isa 6.5 Then said I woe is me I am c. He that steps into this function without feare may question his calling When the Lord calleth any of his servants he drives them into fears and amazements as Moses Exod. 4.10 13. Oh my Lord I am not eloquent c. So

poyson Object 5 their own damnation The Minister dispenseth not poyson Answ but a necessary Ordinance if it become poyson it is because of the ignorance sinfull corruption and evil disposition of the Receiver The Minister doth but his duty and therefore having used all lawfull means of informing instructing menacing and the like cannot be guilty of giving poyson Secondly here is not Occasio data sed accepta Not an occasion sinfully given but sinfully taken and the Minister standeth free from the guilt hereof Thirdly a Minister doth but what his calling obligeth him to and if the event be not good the parties contract guilt and pull down vengeance on themselves The power of a Minister to administer the Lords Supper is called by Divines Potestas ordinis or potestas muneris specialis it is a Church-power more special and is distinguished from the power of jurisdiction which is more general and common a Minister ought to exercise and employ for the edification of the Church all the power and authority that he may lawfully exercise I hold the Church saith S. Augustine full of wheat and chaffe I better whom I can whom I cannot I suffer Fugio paleam ne hoc sim non aream ne nihil sim I avoid the chaffe lest I become chaffe I keep the floore lest I become nothing Presbytery the government of the Church is wanting Object 6 that should put in practise severity against all ungodly persons First the want of Discipline is to be lamented Answ 1 It was the saying of Bishop Jewell All Ministers have idem Ministerium sed diversam potestatem I deny not the necessity of Jurisdiction both Corrective and Coactive the one restraining where there is too much forwardnesse the other inforcing where there is slacknesse Secondly all scandalous persons convicted to be such the Church ought to cast out but we are not to cast our selves out of the Church and debarre our selves from the Ordinances of Christ Jesus Thirdly if Presbytery never be setled as is neither improbable nor impossible shall this necessary Ordinance be never dispensed God forbid Fourthly the Sacrament of the Lords Supper hath been truly administred without Presbytery otherwise we shall shew our selves the most uncharitable people that ever breathed to condemn the preceding Church for many generations and throw dirt in their faces that suffered Martyrdome for maintaining the truth and purity of this Ordinance I shall onely instance the administration of the Lords Supper by our Saviour which was most exact and perfect in the point of Essentials and a pattern for the Church for after-times it wanted nothing Essentially belonging to the true dispensation of it insomuch that Saint Paul sticks close unto that pattern and telleth the Corinthians What I have received c. 1 Cor. 11. Now at that time I think none will affirm that the Church was presbyterated and that there were Lay Elders amongst the Apostles or that it appeareth out of Acts 2.42 20.7 1 Cor. 11.24 That those that received the Lords Supper were all examined by an Eldership Ieanes otherwise no admittance the Lords Supper hath no essential dependance on an Eldership as that it cannot be without it It is no such necessary antecedent as that the Lords Supper is to be omitted or forborn for the want of it for if Presbytery never be established shall the Lords Supper never be administred God forbid The exercise of Discipline as I said before is not necessary for the essence of a visible Church but onely necessary to the welbeing of a Church But now all doe say That the Sacraments are though not absolutely yet in some degrees necessary to the essence beeing of a Church So then if you compare together these two duties Exclusion of scandalous and ignorant persons from the Lords Supper and the Celebration of the Lords Supper the Obligation unto the Administration of the Lords Supper is of the two the greater and more weighty For the Lords Supper is more the worship of God lesse separable from and more necessary to the Church than exclusion of scandalous and grosly ignorant persons from the Lords Supper Therefore it is altogether improbable that this latter viz exclusion c. should be an Antecedent absolutely necessary unto the former viz the celebration of the Lords Supper That the Passeover and Circumcision were omitted to the Children of Israel in the wildernesse is most true yet that makes nothing to this purpose For after the first celebration of the Passeover all future celebrations were by expresse and plain command to be in the Land of Canaan Exod. 13.4 5. Deut. 16. from the 1st to the 8th therefore this Argument concludeth nothing CHAP. XI Contains the end of the Ministeriall Office which is threefold set down by the Apostle Ephes 4.12 perfecting of the Saints work of the Ministery and edifying c. OF the first Perfecting of the Saints where let us consider what is meant by Saints and what by Perfection Saint the Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and cometh from a privitive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terra denoting that holy men should be unearthly holinesse is in opposition to earthliness Oh how few are the number of Saints in these dayes that grovel altogether on the Earth GOD is in their Mouth the World in their Hearts like the foolish Comedian they cry O Coelum and point the finger downward Oh how is this pretious name abused and by many assumed as the Devil Samuels mantle to deceive driving on their own ends and interests and rising to honour and preferment by the staires of pretended Saintship As Religion is the best thing so the Corruption of it the worst Corruptio optimi est pessima and the greatest villany and michief hath marched under the flagge of Religion Either intended by the seduced or pretended by Hypocrites their own hypocrisie deludes them so that they grow amorous of their seeming virtues if they can appear good there is little care taken how to be good as if all Religion consisted in appearance whereas it should be from God the coal of our zeal should be fetcht from heaven for God and the furtherance of his glory not our own ends and interests 1 Cor. 10.31 according to God both for the quality of the matter and quantity of the intention of affection according to that of the Apostle Gal. 4.18 It is good alwaies there is the quality of the matter to be zealous in a good thing there is the quantity of the intention of the affection But to come to the word Saints it admits of a double signification either by External profession or Internal regeneration The first is known to us the other to God for the foundation of God standeth sure and the Lord onely knows who are his the one are his in the judgment of charity the other in the judgment of infallibility People outwardly professing Religion and manifesting to the world lives conformable may be called

were initiated into the Baptisme that is the doctrine of S. John but were not partakers of the Baptisme of water Others that being baptized by S. John they were afterwards baptized into the name of JESUS that is adorned with the wonderful gifts of the Holy GHOST Tertull. de Bapt. pag. 707. Cypr de Bapt. cap. 1. pag. 430. Ans Tom. 7. cont Petil. c. 7. col 498. Tertullian Cyprian Augustine and others of the Fathers are of opinion that Johns Baptisme and Christs were different But Zanchy Bucanus and our later Divines are of opinion that Johns Baptisme and Christs are the same In the Author substance doctrine signe ceremony effect or signification for the same Sacrament is instituted of God and the same forgivenesse of sins and grace of the holy Ghost is signified offered and sealed whether it be John that administers the Apostles or succeeding Ministers The only difference is touching the circumstance and manner of the manifesting of Christ John baptized into him which came immediately after him that is to say into Christ which should shortly suffer and rise again but the Apostles and after them all Ministers baptize into Christ that hath suffered and is risen again But against this truth the Councel of Trent thunders If any shall say that the Baptisme of John hath the same force with Christs baptism Let him be accursed But for all this it is a truth First We have the same doctrine the same word the same promise the same repentance the same forgivenesse of sins the same element of water Secondly The Baptisme of John was consecrated in the person of Christ Thirdly The outward form of Baptisme was the same for as he baptized with the same matter why should we imagine he observed not the same form that Christ commanded to his Apostles Fourthly Neither Christ nor his Apostles rebaptized any that were baptized with the Ministery of John Apollos that was baptized with Johns baptisme we read not that he was baptized again Fiftly If a difference then Christ was baptized with another baptisme than we are or he himself commanded Our baptisme was sanctified in the person of Christ the members have the same baptisme with the head Sixtly Christ himself testifieth that the baptisme administred by John portained to the fulfilling of all righteousnesse Mat. 3.15 And Luke testifieth that the Publicans being baptized of him justified God but the Pharisees despised the counsel of God against themselves and were not baptized Luke 7.29 It is very evident that Christs and Johns baptisme was the same that is but one baptisme and therefore whosoever observes not Christs institution but baptizeth contrary to his injunction for so doth a private person brings in a baptisme different from Christs overthroweth this one and so maketh none It is an old received opinion Objection Quod debet non fieri valet factum that it may be valid when done which ought not to have been done The falsity of this will appear Answ if we compare things done by a calling with such as are done without a calling whereby we shall see that to have a lawful calling to doe a thing giveth life liking and allowance unto the doing for we must not onely consider what is done but also who is the doer Joab killeth Abner and Amasa and is reserved for judgment Phineas killeth Zimri and Cosby and it is imputed to him for righteousness Peter is reproved for drawing the sword yet the Magistrate commended Rom. 13. Phineas was stirred by God to the execution so was not Joab Peter was a private person to whom God said Thou shalt not kill But the Magistrate is a publick Officer ordained by God to take vengeance on those that doe evil There is more to be considered than the deed done seeing the same deed performed by a person that hath a calling is lawful which done without a calling is unlawful The Heathen Poet acknowledgeth this Duo cum idem faciunt saepe ut possis dicere Atters 2 book of Bapt. cap. 3. Hoc licet impune facere huic illi non licet Non quod dissimilis res est sed is qui facit that is Though two attempt an act in substance one as doth befall Yet one we oft as lawfull like th' other unlawfull call Not that the deed is differing the doer is all in all so it is with a private person that attempts the Sacrament of Baptism in regard he hath no calling nor commission he makes a profane washing and administers no Sacrament of the Lord Calv. in lib. Ep. p. 85. but is ungodly and unlawful What if it be administred by a Boy in sport or by a Fool or Madman by a Turk or Atheist using the words of institution must it be a good lawful and perfect Baptism What is more unreasonable and absurd I cannot see how a quod fieri non debet valet factum will make Baptism administred by a private person valid and lawful to whom God never committed the administration of his Sacraments It is a Maxime Object 2 Accedat verbum ad Elementum fit Sacramentum Joyn the word of Institution to the outward sign and there is made a Sacrament This Rule of the Father is undoubtedly true if rightly understood Answer The meaning is that if there be the matter the outward sign and the form the word of institution which presupposeth a Minister then there is a Sacrament as for example if there be the matter and form of an house we conclude it an house Yet we presuppose a builder without which it could not be that prepared the matter and ordained the form so this principle must be understood There must be a Minister or else no Sacrament so that from what hath been said it is evident that the administration of Baptisme by a private person is no Sacrament but invalid and to no purpose I conclude with Attersoll We affirm that neither the Sons of Romulus at Rome 1 Book of the Sacr. in gen chap. 5. nor of Remus at Rhemes shall ever be able to shew and prove that they are to be acknowledged and received as Sacraments of the Church which have no warrant of the word to command them CHAP. V. That it is a grievous sin in such as being not lawfully called offer to take upon them the Ministerial Function IT is the usurpation of anothers office alieni muneris usurpatio One of the highest offices in the world which sin God hath visited with grievous judgments as Vzza who was smitten with sudden and unexpected death 2 Sam. 6. only because he exceeded the bounds of his calling in putting up his hand to stay the Ark from falling which onely belonged to the Levites although his intent and purpose was never so good yet it displeased God he had no word nor warrant for it Azariah is made a Leper to the day of his death for attempting one act of the Priests office and but once 2 King 15. Corah Dathan