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england_n	church_n	minister_n	ordain_v	2,580	5	8.7933	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64633	The true form of church government first instituted by Christ, novv used and practised in all the reformed churches of Germanie, France, and Scotland: humbly presented to the high and honourable court of Parliament, at this time most happily assembled. Plainly proved by Scripture, rectifide reason, and the testimonie of the Church, some hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time, and the generall consent of the Churches rightly reformed in these latter times, contrary to the Romish, and our archiepiscopall government.	Udall, John, 1560?-1592.	1642 (1642)	Wing U16; ESTC R218880	62,509	79

Churches if the Lawes of God onely being the Housholder must be followed in the Church his House if the Word of God teach us in every good way whereof the Government of the Church is one if God must be glorified in the ruling of his Church which cannot be but by obedience to his Word if nothing be lawfull but that which is of Faith warranted by the Word if God have shewed himselfe as carefull for his Church under the Gospell as under the Law if Christ was as faithfull to give direction as Moses if in the Word be described sufficient Ministers and Ministeries to build up the Church if that Government which the Apostles taught and pract●sed be in the Word if every lawfull office and action in an ordinary building be from Heaven and revealed thence by the Word if God continued the same forme in respect of the substance in the time of the Gospel that was under the Law if every wise carefull King doe set downe Lawes for the direction of his Subjects If the Apostles have taught us to obey that which Christ commanded if both the Governours matter of Government and manner of doing it be set downe in the Word if all that pertaineth to Ecclesiasticall Discipline spring from the Scriptures if wee may bring nothing into the Discipline of the Church but that which the Apostles have delivered us lastly if that be Adulterous and Sacrilegious that is not according to the Word then it must needs follow that God doth describe perfectly unto us out of his Word that forme of Government which is Lawfull and the Officers that are to execute the same from the which it is not lawfull for any Christian Church to sw●rve And contrariwise that is a most untrue assertion to say That the Officers and offi●es are not particularly expressed but left to the discretion of the Church The reasons that they alleadge against this are in effect ●one and their objections to these reasons not worthy to be mentioned CHAP. II. EVery Officer in the Church must be placed in some Calling warranted by the word of God and some Congregation must have need of such a one before hee be called to any Function Wherein are these Propositions 1 No Calling is lawfull in the Church but that which is directly warranted out of the Word unto him that executeth it The Bishops and their adherents think otherwise as their practise in ordaining Archbishops Lord Bishops Deanes Archdeacons Chancellors Officialls c. doth plainly declare 2 The name and office of an Archbishop is contrary to the Word of God 3 No man may be ordained unto any Office in the Church untill there be such a place void as he is fit for T.C. 1 book page 61. They think otherwise as their making of so many Ministers at once proveth and as is holden Whitgift page 222. 1 The first is proved thus If Iohn was constrained to prove his Minister●● out of the Scriptures when the Priests accused him then is no Calling lawfull that hath not his warrant in the Word for if any be priviledged the extraordinary Ministers whereof he was one are specially excepted But hee proved his Ministery by the Word as appeareth by his answer unto them in the 23 verse Therfore no Calling is lawfull in the Church that hath not his wa●rant in the Word 2 The Callings under the Gospell must have as good warrant as they had under the Law because the light of the Gospell is at the least as cleare as that of the Law But there was never any lawfull Calling under the Law excepting those that were by miraculous manner confirmed from heaven which had not his direct warrant out of the Word Therefore no Calling is lawfull in the Church which is not directly warranted in the Word 3 If Corah Dathan and Abiram though they were Levites were punished for that they had no warrant for that which they presumed to take in hand then is every lawfull Calling both in generall warranted out of the Word and particularly layd upon the parties from the Lord But the former is true as the Historie teacheth us Therefore must the latter needs be true also 4 That which giveth comfort unto a man in the time of his troubles must have a warrant out of Gods word But every lawfull Calling giveth comfort unto a man to the time of his troubles Therfore every lawfull Calling hath a warrant out of Gods word 5 That which helpeth Gods people forward in god●ines must have a warrant out of Gods word for God hath promised a blessing to his owne ordinance onely But every lawfull calling in the Church helpeth Gods people forward in godlinesse Therefore every lawfull Calling hath a warrant out of Gods word Therefore if John did prove his calling out of the Scriptures if every calling under the Law was warranted out of the Scriptures if Corath c. were punished for enterprising that which they had no warrant for out of the Scriptures if comfort in troubles commeth onely from the Scriptures and lastly if every h●lp to godlinesse is warranted in the Scriptures then c. They confesse all these reasons to be true but doe denie that the Archbishops L. Bishops c. be distinct Ministers from others Whitgift page 303. which we hold T. C. 2. book page 438. and prove it thus 1 Those things that have divers efficient causes are divers Our Bishops and the Ministers of the Word have divers efficient causes for the one is the Ordinance of God the other the Constitution of humane Policie as themselves doe confesse Therefore they are distinct Ministers from others 2 A divers Forme maketh divers things the Ministers of the Word and the L. Bishops have divers formes for their Ordination even in the Church of England is divers seeing one L. Bishop may ordaine a Minister But there must be three to ordaine one of them Therefore they are distinct Ministers 3 Members of one division are distinct one from another the L. Bishops and ordinary Ministers be members of one division for usually the Minist●rs be divided into the Rulers and them that are to be ruled Therefore they are distinct Ministers 4 The things that have divers effects are divers in themselves one from another the L. Bishops and other Ministers have divers effects for the one effecteth Rule and Government the other Subjection and obedience Therefore they are divers and distinct Ministers 5 They that be imployed about divers things are divers one from another The L. Bishops and the ordinary Ministers be imployed about divers things for the one is exercised in generall view of many Congregations and the other in the particular direction of one Therefore they be distinct Ministers 6 That which is perpetuall and that which may be taken away by men are distinct one from another The office of the Minister is perpetuall Ephes. 4.13 and the Bishops may be taken away as themselves confesse Therefore they are

the word of God 3. That which maketh the Church obedient unto Christ must be the direction whereby it is to be governed Onely the Word of God maketh the Church obedient unto Christ Therfore it is to be governed by the rules of Gods Word 4. Every kingdome or houshold must be governed onely by the Lawes of the King or orders of the housholder The church is the kingdome and house of God and his Word is the onely Law that he hath given for the same Therefore it must be governed onely by the Word of God 5. That which was ordained to destroy the church of God cannot be a good rule to governe the same by But such is the cannon law for it was ordained to strengthen the kingdome of Antichrist Abstract Therefore it cannot be a good rule to direct the Church by and consequently it must be governed by the Word for no other rule is offered unto us but the one of these twaine 6. That which was invented by the Dragon that persecuteth the woman and her childe that same cannot be good for the Church which is that woman But such is the cannon law for it was invented by Antichrist which is that dragon Therefore it cannot be good for the ruling of the Church and consequently c. 7. That which strengtheneth the power of darknesse and ignorance cannot be good to guide them that must walk in light and knowledge But the cannon law strengtheneth the power of darknesse and ignorance for it increaseth Popery as appeareth by this that there is scarce an Officer towards it in these dayes of knowledge but he is a Papist Therefore it cannot be good to guide the Church of God 8. That which destroyeth the Church of God cannot be good to rule the same But the cannot law destroyeth it for it crosseth every faithfull Minister in the discharge of his dutie and every go●d Christian walking in the wayes of godlinesse and nippeth in the head every good action as experience teacheth us Therefore it cannot be a good rule to governe the Church by 9. That which hath bred moe trayterous Papists in England than the Seminaries at Rom● and Rhemes that same cannot be good to governe the Church of God But such is the cannon law for it hath kept out discipline nourished ignorance and fostered superstition and popery in all estates of people that never came at those Seminaries Therefore it cannot be a good rule to governe the Church of God by 10. That which nourisheth the hope of Antichrist to returne hither againe cannot be good to direct in the government of the Church But such is the cannon law for it keepeth the cages for those uncleane birds as Archb. and L. Bb. seas arches cathedrall Churches c. Therefore it cannot be a good rule for the direction of the Church 11. That which all the Churches have cast off as unfit for the government of the Church cannot be good for the same But all the Churches that have forsaken the Pope yea they that have not received the discipline of Christ wholly have cast off the cannon law Therefore it cannot be good for the same 12. Yea we our selves mislike it as appeareth by a statute made under Edw. 6. Therefore if Governours are to rule by the same authoritie whereby they are governours if the Church must be governed by that which the Ministers may teach if the Word of God onely make the Church obedient unto Christ if every Kingdome must be ruled by the lawes of their King and if the cannon law be ordained to destroy the Church if it was invented to persecute the Church if it strengthen the power of darknesse and ignorance if it kill the Church of God if it breed moe traiterous Papists than the Seminaries at Rome and Rhemes if it nourish the hope of Antichrists returne lastly if all the Churches that have forsaken the Pope have cast it off also yea if we our selves doe mislike it then must it needs follow that the Church ought to be governed onely by that golden rule of Gods Word not by that leaden lump of the cannon law CHAP. XV THe office of the Church-government is meere Ecclesiasticall and therefore the Governours of the Church may not meddle but onely in Church-matters as for example vocation and abdication deciding of controversies in doctrine and manners so far as appertaineth to conscience and the Church censures T.C. book 1. pag. 206. Discip. Eccle. 126. but they thinke that Church-governours may also meddle in civill causes Whitegift pag. 749. and their practice that take upon them to be Councellers of state to judge civilly as punish with imprisonment c. But this is disproved and so the former proved by these reasons 1. That which our Saviour Christ refused because it belonged not unto him ruling and teaching the Church that same is not lawfull for any Ecclesiast person to doe But Christ refused to divide the inheritance Luk. 12.14 onely because he came to build a spirituall kingdome for otherwise he being God had authoritie over all things Therefore it is not lawfull for Ecclesiasticall persons to be Judges of civill causes 2. That which was forbidden the Apostles is unlawfull for every Ecclesiasticall Officer for they were the chiefe under Christ and had after a sort all offices in themselves untill they could plant them in others But such dominion was forbidden them as the Kings of the nations and other civill Magistrates have Luk. 22.28 which is to rule civilly Therefore they may not exercise any civill authoritie 3. If necessary duties are to be left rather than our duties to the Church should not be thorowly discharged then may not a Church Officer deale in civill jurisdiction which is lesse necessary unto him But the former is true as appeareth by the words of Christ to him that would have buried his father Luke 9.59.60 Therefore they may not exercise any civill authoritie 4 If he that hath an office must attend upon it then may he not meddle in another for he cannot attend them both at once But the former is true Rom. 12.7 Therefore may no Church-officer meddle with temporall jurisdiction 5 As the Souldier is in his warfare so are Church officers in the ruling of Gods Church But the Souldier entangleth not himself in the things of this life because they are of another nature to his warfare which place Cyprian alledgeth against a Minister that became an Executor to his friends Will Therefore Church-officers may not meddle with Civill-officers because they are of another nature then his calling 6 Those things that in themselves are of contrarie qualitie cannot concur in one subject But the governments of the Church and common-wealth be such not onely in this that they are the next speciall members of one generall but also in that the one is spirituall and the other temporall the one respecteth the soul and the other the body Therefore they cannot be in one man

THE TRUE FORM OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT FIRST INSTITVTED BY CHRIST NOW USED AND PRActised in all the reformed Churches of Germanie France and Scotland humbly presented to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament at this time most happily assembled Plainly proved by Scripture rectifide reason and the Testimonie of the Church some hundreds of yeares after the Apostles time and the generall consent of the Churches rightly reformed in these latter times contrary to the Romish and our Archiepiscopall Government Printed at London 1642. To the supposed Governours of the Church of ENGLAND the Archbishops Lord Bishops Arch-deacons and the rest of that order MAny and most evident have our declarations beene concerning the truth of that government which Christ hath prescribed in his word for the ruling of the Church which we have manifested unto you both by our writings and speeches as occasion hath beene offered never hath any one of you taken in hand to say any thing against it but it hath made his eyes to dazle as the clearest sunne-shining whereby hee hath beene driven to wander hither and thither groping for evasions and yet could not escape but hath fallen into infinite most monstrous absurdities and blasphemous assertions as by their writings yet extant it may appeare so forcible is the truth to amaze the gaine-sayers thereof and so pregnant is falshood to beget and bring forth thousands of absurdities and every one worse then other And will you still continue in your damnable and most devillish course Have you sold your selves unto Sathan to fight for him untill you be damned in Hell with him Have you morgaged the salvation of your soules and bodies for the present fruition of your pomp and pleasure is it because you see not what you should doe It may be so for many are so blinde that they grope even at noone day but mee thinks it can hardly be so unlesse you be they that have eyes and see not for the cause hath beene by the blessing of God so managed that many ploughmen artificers and children doe see it and know it and are able by the word of God to ju●tifie it and condemne you to be adversaries unto the Gospell in resisting it But you think that government not so needfull and your fault but small if it be any in continuing your course begun The necessity of the thing is many wayes apparant both in th●t it hath so plentifull warrant from Gods owne word as the course of this Book doth evidently declare and also in that the Gospell can take no root nor have any free passage for want of it and the greatnesse of your fault appeareth ●y this that in so doing you are the cause of all the ignoran●e Atheisme schismes treasons poperie and ungodlinesse that is to be found in this Land which we challenge to prove to your faces if wee may ind●fferently be heard and whereof in the meane wh●le we will give you a taste for the first it is cleare that you are the cau●●r of that damnable ignorance wherein the people are so generally wrapped for that you have from time to time stopped the streames of knowledge in th●se places where the Lord in mercy bestowed the same and in stead of able and painfull Ministers have pe●●ered the Church either with presumptuous proud persons that are esteemed learned and take no paines to bring the people unto the knowledge of Iesus Christ or which is the greatest ●u●ber such ignorant asses and filthy swine as are not worthy to live in a well ordered Common wealth and that you are the c●us● of all Atheisme it is plaine for one may as in deed many doe p●o●●sse it and you say nothing to him for it If the most filthy liver will ●awne up ●n you and bribe your servants you will not onely favour him but assist him against any godly Mini●ter whatsoever but if any that feare God refuse to come under the least of your Popish c●remonies he shall be molested till his purse be empty or else ●y your tyrannous dealing hee have made shipwrack of a good conscience And are not you the cause of all Schismes that make a h●tch-pot of true Religion and Popery and so give some an occasion to fall into this course and others into that And it is as cleare that you are so far●e the cau●e of all treasons ●s without you they had not beene for if every Church had had her govern●ent according to Christs i●stitution our young Ge●tlemen and Stud●nts had not beene f●r want of teaching and carefull oversight mad a prey unto the seducers and consequently to th●se pract●s●s which have brought the bodies of so many unto Ty●orne and their soules into hell and who ●ut you be the caus● of Popery whi●est you use them so wel let them doe what the li●t yea and keepe them in office and authority under you yea which m●re is give them such offices as none that 〈◊〉 Popish can execute I speake not of the ignorance which by 〈…〉 every wh●re which as they confe●●e 〈…〉 their devot●●n and you are the wretched father● of that 〈…〉 wh●r●by you mu●t needs ●e grandfathers 〈…〉 kind of Popery And who can without blushing denie 〈…〉 be the cause of all ungodlinesse seeing your government is that which giveth leave to a man to be any thing saving a sound Christian For certainly it is more free in these dayes to be a Papist Anabaptist of the Family of Love yea any most wicked one whatsoever then that which we should be and I could live these twenty yeares any one of these in England yea in a Bishops house it may be and never be much molested for it so true is that which you are charged with in a Dialogue lately come forth against you and since burned by you that you care for nothing but the maintenance of your dignities be it to the damnation of your owne soules and infinite millions more Enter therefore now at the last into the serious consideration of these things remember that one day you must be presented before the tribunall seat of Iesus Christ to be arraigned for all the Soules that have gone to hell seeing you will needs be the Rulers of the Church since the Gospe●l ●irst appeared in this Land then shall you not be excus●d with this The Queene and Councell will have it so nor with that Our state cannot beare it For it shall be sa●d unto you why do you not informe them better of my will why taught you them not to worship with trembling and feare and to kisse the Son lest he 〈◊〉 angry why did you not tell them that all States must be rul●d 〈◊〉 my Word and not my word by them and their polic●e● Whe● these things shall be laid to your charge your con●ci●nces sh●ll ●n●wer that if you had done so you should have lo●t your dig●i●ies which you loved and sought for especially then shall you wish that the mountaines would fall

unto the poore also Acts. 6.2 Therefore no man can in any tollerable measure discha●ge the office of a Minister and Deacon also and consequently the Deacon is to attend upon distributing onely 4. If the Ministeries of the word bee perfect without the Deacon then may ●ee not meddle in the same for how may one lawfully labour in that wherein there is no neede of him But such is the ministery of the word where the severall Ministers thereof are named Ephes. 4.11 wherein the Deacon is not contained as Whitgift c●nfesseth pag. 308. 309. Therefore the Deacon may not meddle with the Ministry of the word and consequently must be implyed onely in destributing c. 5. If there be no qualitie required in the perfect description of the Deacon which is proper to the Ministery of the word then is not be to medle with the same But the former is true as appeareth 1 Tim. 3.8 Therefore the latter is true a so and consequently hee must attend onely upon distributing c. 6. If it belong to the Deacons office to meddle with the Minestery of the word and Sacraments then it is greater then that of the pastor for that the doing of both requireth greater gifts then the one But it is not a greater but inferiour office to the pastor as appeareth by all those places wherein they are described that the Deacon is described after the Bishop therefore his office is not to meddle with both and consequently hee must attend upon distributing c. 7. Deacons are Ministers of tables and not of holy things 8. In the Ministers sicknesse the Deacons shall roade the Homilies of the Fathers 9. The Deacons have neede of great wisedome although the preaching of the word bee not committed unto them and further it is absurd that they should doe both the office of Preaching and caring for the poore concidering that they bee not able to doe both thorowly 10. Although the goods of the CHVRCH increasing there were besides the Deacons subdeacons and Archdeacons and yet the Deacons remained still in their charge for the poore and were not as yet mingled with the Bishoppes or Priests and with the order of them which taught 11. The Office of Deaconshippe was religiously kept in the CHVRCH untill it was driven out by Antichrist 12. This Office must of necessitie bee restored as it is described Acts the Sxth if England for hee speaketh it in the behalfe of our Church will receive the Discipline of Christ 13. Speaking of these Deacons lamenteth that this order is so fallen out of the Church that the name doth scarse remaine 14. Describing the Deacons of the Apostles time saith that wee after their example ought to have the like 15. The office of distributing the goods of the Church is an ordinary function in a CHVRCH lawfully constituted the which Section thirty hee calleth the Deaconship Therefore if Stephen and the rest were imployed onely in distributing the goods of the Church if the Apostle maketh the Deacons office an ordinary and distinct office from all others in the Church if the Apostles were not sufficient for the ministery of the word and distributing if the ministeries of the word be perfect without the Deacon if in the description of the Deacon no qualitie be required that is proper to a Minister of the word if to deal in both would make the Deacon a g●eater officer then the Pastor if the Councels ancient writers and the sound writers of latter times do declare that the Deacons were to be wholly imployed in the distributing of the goods of the Church then must it needs follow that his office is not to meddle with any part of the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments but to attend onely upon the distributing of the liberalitie of the Church unto them that stand in need thereof Their objections hereunto be these two that follow 1 Objection Philip one of the seven Deacons did preach Act. 8.8 therefore Deacons may preach the Word Answer Philip was a Deacon of the Church at Jerusalem while they abode together but now he was not any more so but an Evangelist as he is ever tearmed after by vertue of which office he did preach 2 Object Steven being a Deacon preached Act. 7.2 Answ. He preached not for all that is there was but his Apology at the seat of judgement which every man in the like case may do and which many of the Martyrs have done So that the former proposition being true upon the grounds alledged notwithstanding these objections we are to proceed to the second which is this There ought to be such Deacons as are described in the former proposition in every congregation which is thus proved 1 That office which every congregation hath need of ought to be in every congregation But every congregation hath need of the Deacons office which appeareth by this that they have poore to provide for or else they must regard the necessitie of others and the liberalitie of others to distribute Therefore Deacons ought to be in every congregation 2 That which is indefinitely appointed for the good of the Church belongeth unto every congregation as well as to any one But such is the appointment of the Deacons 1. Tim. 3.8 Therefore there must be Deacons in every congregation 3 Every Church ought to have their office of Deaconship 4 All the reasons or the most of them that are alledged chap. 10. for a Bishop in every congregation and chap. 12. for Elders in every congregation are forcible hereunto Therefore if there be the like need of Deacons in one congregation that is in another if they be appointed indefinitely for the good of the Church if every Church must have their office of Deaconship and L●●tly if there be like reasons to prove them belong to every Church that be for Bishops and Elders then must it needs follow that there ought to be Deacons in every congregation CHAP. XIIII THere ought to be in every congregation an Eldership consisting of a Pastor or Pastors Doctor if there be any and Elders whose authoritie Christ hath ordained to be perpetuall in his Church to govern the same onely by the rules of Gods Word T.C. 1. book pag. 175. Discip. Ecclesiast 123. which containeth these 3. particular propositions defended by us and gainsaid by the Bb. and their adherents 1 The Eldership ought to be in every congregation 2 The office of the Eldership is perpetuall 3 The Church must be governed onely by the rules of Gods Word The first is denied by them Whitgift pag. 627. and by their practise in tying the government of many Churches to the Bb. sea it is thus proved 1 Whatsoever Chr●st hath ordained as a means to keep men in obedience to the Gospel that same must be in everie congregation for particular men are in particular congregations But Christ hath ordained the Eldership for that end as