too How will he help it If he say the Scriptures came forth from Jesus Christ and so are received so say I our Ordination came from Jesus Christ and so under that consideration our ministers receive it If he say the Scriptures are received in their perfection but the Ordination was vitiated and corrupted I answer the Scriptures also were very much corrupted by the Papists as the Ordination was but among us hath been restored by degrees the beauty of both Let him looke to himselfe the same door he goes out at the same will I. If he can free the Scriptures from Antichristianisme descending to us through the Church of Rome the same way will I free the ministry and Ordination from Antichristianisme notwithstanding it descended to us through the Pope hands But 2. Seing he is so particular in telling us when we had our Ordination from Rome in the 99th page I shall speak somewhat to the clearing of this also he sayes Your Saint Austin the Monk being sent from Rome to establish the Romish faith in this Nation The P. G. Routed he accordingly accomplishing the worke you have your Ordination by succession from thence Very good I am not very unwilling to grant him this Answ Onely all the danger lies in these odious termes which hee makes use of as Rome Romish faith and Austin the Monk I shall discover his underhand deceitfull dealing in using these expressions and the matter will appeare as cleare as the Sun 1. Whereas he sayes Austin came hither from Rome to establish the Romish faith he speaks deceitfully or ignorantly for the Romish faith was then the true christian faith and there was no Christian Church visible on Earth but held communion with the Church of Rome as then it was in the same faith for the maine 2. Austin was not the a Mason de Min Angl. l. 2. cap. 4. Heyl. Geo. p. 469. first that established the Christian faith in England This he is mistaken in too The Gospel was received in England long before Austin was This Nation that is now one Common-wealth was anciently divided into severall Kingdomes some of them had received the faith long before Austins comming if not by the means of the Apostles themselves as some write yet in the Apostolicall times by b Baronius Capgravius Joseph of Arimathaea and then afterward was the doctrine of Christ revived by c Mason l. 2. c. 3. Heyl. p. 469. Eleutherius Anno Dom. 180. which is 1471. yeares fince At which time I hope the Bishops of Rome were true ministers and the Church of Rome a true Church moreover when Austin that he speakes of came hither which as d Beda Epit. Hist Angl Heyl. Geogr. p. 490. history witnesses was about 1058. years since there were several e Florebant apud illos eo ipso tempore septem Episcopi c. Mason secundum Bed L. 2. c. 2. Bishops in England professing and preaching the Christian faith So that if we go this way to work our Ministers Ordination will have an higher beginning then the Collier conceives But if we doe grant that Austin as he would have it did first begin to ordaine Ministers here being sent from Rome and our Ministers Ordination be from him Yet that being as you heard before 1058. years agoe the Church of Rome was then also undoubtedly a true Church of Christ And f Vide obsecro an universalem Episcopum se vocaret Gregorius quod hodie Romae fit An imperatorem Dominum suum jam vocaret Pontifex qued fecit Grego rius Mason de Min. Angl. L. 2. c. 4. Gregory the Great then Bish of Rome whom he to affright and startle ignorant people calls Pope was as farre from taking upon him that Antichristian power that now the Popes of Rome take to themselves as east is from west So that Austin and his companions that were appointed and sent by this Gregory to establish the Church of Christ in England Baptizing such as were added to the Church and setting Pastours over them had a lawfull and valid mission at least for the maine and therefore their Acts both of Baptizing and Ordaining Ministers were valid also 3. Whereas he stiles Austin our Saint Austin the Monk 't is either ignorantly or deceitfully as before for those that were called Monachi which we render Monks in some of those first hundred years after Christ were as much different from those idle gluttons now in the Church of Rome called Monks as the Bishops of Rome then are from the Popes now Divinis rebus vacantes Mason The name signified some wholly devoted to divine things some wholly separating themselves unto the study of the heavenly mysteries of truth And so it was used then 'T is true since the Apostasie this name is become odious by reason of those swarms of luxurious idle belly-Gods that are of that Order in the Church of Rome However it was not so at first nor at that time when Austin was sent in this Nation The g Alsted Parat Theol. de Mon. Incredibile est quantum a majoribus suis degeneraverunt Sayes an Ital. Papist word then had a better acceptation and signification and was taken up no doubt by pious men Wherefore the P. G. Routed doth not deal plainly with his Reader if he knew this as I confesse I think he did not in calling Austin a Monk in contempt when as it was the wickednesse of after times that made this name contemptible and odious that had before a better use 4. Though Austin was a Monk before his mission into this Land yet at his comming over he was Ordained a Bishop h Se Mason de Min. Aâ—gl 〈◊〉 c. 5. either by the Bishops of Germany as Gregory or else by the Bishops of France as Beda writes and so he ordained with the help of others those Ministers that were ordained here So that now see what is become of his great leading Argument The Ministers of England are Antichristian because their Ordination came from the Pope by the meanes of Austin the Monk who was sent hither to establish the Romish faith The History being fully cleared up it appears to be a meer bug-bear and so far from making against our Ministers that it abundantly vindicates them and their Ordination As for the truth of the relation I have pointed at some in the margent for the confirmation of the same And whoever is verst in History knows it to be as certain as History can make a thing and that is as certaine as any thing is that we doe not see No man knowes that there was such a one as Austin or a Bishop of Rome that sent him hither but by humane History and by the same know you that my relation of this matter is true I speak to the weak As for his five other Arguments they being nothing else but an heap of most malicious and wicked slanders I shall say nothing to them He sayes our Ministers are Antichristian because 1. The P. G. Routed They doe not Christs worke 2. They desire to sit in Christs seat 3. They are belly-gods 4. They are enemies to the fellowship of the Saints 5. They set up something like truth in the roome of truth in opposition to truth These are his five other Arguments to prove them Antichristian Answ This poysonous froth thou mayest easily scum off if thou hast but a little of the Spirit of the Gospel in thee I intend my Discourse principally for honest hearts wherefore saying no more I shall take my leave of The Pulpit Guard Routed having I think sufficiently scattered his worthy hoast of answers and Arguments which he hath gathered up against Christ and the truth I shall onely advise thee Never credit boldnes more for this mans sake But seriously weigh all things in the ballance of the Sanctuary Try all things hold fast that which is good A POSTSCRIPT Advertisement To the READER THere is another dangerous pestilent blasphemous Booke of this Colliers against Ordinances yea and against the Person and Offices of Christ which I did endeavour to get while I was answering this but could not I know not whether he will make reply to this that I have written Possible he may 'T is easie for a man to multiply Answers if he take no care to speake pertinently If he should Print another such answer to me as The Pulpit Guard Routed is to Mr Hall I shall promise him never to take the pains to reply Thou mayest well think he spake his best in answer to Mr Hall and if that notwithstanding all his boldnes and confidence in writing be so weak absurd and impertinent as thou mayest perceive by reading my reply sure if he should put on double the confidence in writing another answer I suspect and so mayest thou 't will be for strength of Argument like the former which if it be I shall be coutent to suffer him to have the last word supposing that none of those whose good I aim at will count his cause best that speaks last This that is now swollen into a Treatise was intended at first onely as a Monitorie Epistle in two or three sheets to stop the gangrene of his Errours from spreading among Christians I ut I met with such variety of absurdities so boldly and dangerously laid downe in his Discourse to entrap the weake that I could not well be shorter then I am The Lord give thee understanding in all things February 14. 1651. IMPRIMATUR Edmund Calamy
a true Christian hath an effectuall and practicall knowledge of by the Spirit but a naturall man may know the same onely his heart is not sanctified through the Truth Truth is not in him in power The work of the spirit is to bring that into the heart which by outward means and helps may be brought into the head Now then 4ly I honour I admire I prize this blessed work of Jesus Christ by his Spirit in his Saints revealing Truth in them But this no way opposes the expediency and needfullnesse of outward helps to bring men to the knowledge of truth which is that I plead for The Spirit is pleased to make use of them not that it elfe needs them but because we need them The Spirit can communicate truth to souls without reading hearing meditation c. and yet seing the Lord hath declared that he hath appointed these as the meanes that he will onely in an ordinary way make effectuall to the enlightning of the soul I hope 't is no dishonour to the Spirit of truth to say that without these men cannot come to the knowledge of the Truth Even so the Spirit can by Extaticall Revelations or an immediate inspiration give in truth unto the Preachers of the Gospel now as he did to the Prophets and Pen-men of Scripture of old but because as ha's been proved in confutation of the fourth Errour God does not now reveal himselfe to any after that manner the Scripture rule being perfected I hope it takes nothing from the honour of the Spirit to say that the outward help of Learning c. is expedient and needfull for a Minister of the Gospel and that Scripture cannot be well opened and cleared without it Alas these men are mistaken of the work of the Spirit one part of which is as I hinted before to stir up souls unto a faithfull diligent use of the outward means afforded for to lead them unto the knowledge of his mind in the word The work of the Spirit is to stir up private Christians to make use of the means they have as Reading Hearing c. And to stir up Ministers to make use of their helps and to bring in to the service of Jesus Christ in this great work of the Ministry all that knowledge both divine and humane which they can attain unto Not as these men would have it to cast away as uselesse all outward helps and fit still waiting when knowledge will drop into their mouths without any use of meanes But you may smell what these men drive at 1. They are loath that any sort of men should be thought to have any thing more then themselves 2. They would faine have their owne spirits or phansies to be the judge of the sence of Scripture that so their glosses on the same may goe for currant though they have no affinity at all with the true Grammaticall sence and then his Exposition shall be best that ha's most boldnesse and confidence in asserting it Oh the wantonnesse and vanity of a proud heart Let Christians take heed I have spoken I suppose sufficiently to this matter Whereas he sayes The P. G. Routed The Spirit of Christ is enough to make men able Disputants such as can convince gain-sayers 1. You may see how true it is by himselfe Answ who pretends to more gifts of the Spirit then ordinary If he can dispute no better then he writes I undertake that the meanest of the Romish Emissaries will easily argue him out of all his Religion 2. How evident is it to every mans experience that there are thousands of precious soules that have the truth so deeply engraven upon their hearts that all the powers of darknesse cannot take it from them and yet are not able to maintaine it in dispute against cunning opposers Of which number was that Martyr that said I can die for Christ though I cannot dispute for him But let this suffice you in short as a defence of Humane Learning so much slighted I confesse 't is but a very small portion of it in comparison of many of my Brethren that I ever attained to being soon taken off from the University by the breaking forth of our Civil Wars But as for that little which I have I may say of it as Luther did of his skill in the Hebrew Language I would not change it for all the riches in the World Neither indeed should I know what to doe in the Ministry without it Though withall I must professe too that God ha's been very gracious to me I must speak it to his praise in blessing mine endeavours very much upon the little stock I have Unto which blessing especially I must attribute that sufficiency I have unto my Ministeriall duties 'T is said Learning ha's never any adversary to withstand it but Ignorance I have so much learning as makes me see the worth and usefullnesse of Learning And truly my experience of the same enforces me to speak upon this subject among other things which I know the squeamish stomacks of many will not relish very well However I shall take comfort in this that I have done my duty His Eighth Error That the Ministry of ENGLAND is Antichristian THis lies in the end of his Book and I beleeve to perswade men of this is his end First in his intention though last in execution His designe is not so much to make more Preachers as to vilifie those that are already as Antichristian and no Ministers 'T is an heavy charge this that he brings in not against some but all Ministers I shall examine the strength of what he urgeth to make it good That which he speaks is either in answer to what is pleaded on their behalfe by his Adversary or else something that he urgeth against them I shall give you mine answer to every thing in its order so as that you shall easily perceive that what he writes is grounded either on pittifull ignorance or else on certaine slanderous reproachfull uncharitable calumnies springing out of his unsanctified malicious spirit in which he cannot expect to be beleeved by any but such as have made ship-wrack of love and godlinesse as he himselfe I am much afraid ha's Mr Hal in his Book ha's six Arguments to prove that the Ministers of England are not Antichristian before I take off his answers to these Arguments I shall reply to somewhat that he ha's to say against something that Mr Hall speaks in Answer to an Objection to this purpose The Authority of a Minister doth not depend on the persons Ordaining but principally on Christs inward call discerned by gifts c. We have our Ordination from Christ by Bishops and Presbyters c. To this he gives answer in these words You your selves have concluded the Bishops Antichristian in their calling The P. G. Routed and is yours Christian A Riddle Did ever any of those that have pleaded against the usurped power of Bishops Reply say
and unchristian hell-borne a scandall this is as applied by him I leave to any modest Christian to judge I professe it even makes mine heart tremble to read him He hopes if he can raile and revile roundly some thing will sticke though all bee not beleeved Is this christianity But let us see what he has to shew for an answer to the six Arguments urged to prove the validity of the Ordination of the ministers of England The First Argument Those whose Ordination was right for substance though it fail in some circumstance Arg. 1. yet is valid But the Ministers of England their Ordination was right for substance in that they had the inward call and the outward too being examined for life and learning approved of and set a party by prayer exhortation c. Therefore their Ordination is valid notwithstanding some failing in circumstantialls He denies not the first proposition it being indeed unquestionable and against the second he sayes severall things As for the inward Call sayes he That upon your owne account is no part of Ordination The P. G. Routed and the ouâ—â—â—rd call came by succession from Rome To the latter clause The outward call came from Rome Reply c. I will reply when I come to answer his Reasons to prove the Ministry of England Antichristian But as to the first The inward call is no part of Ordination upon your owne account I answer Do we say any such thing viz. That the inward call is no part of Ordination Nay do we not say on the contrary that the inward call is the very life and soul of Ordination What is this mans forehead made of think you 'T is true the inward call is no part of the outward Ordination as the soul is no part of the body but yet is in the body and is an essentiall part of the man even so this inward call is part of that compleat Ordination that makes a Minister yea it makes that ordination which in respect of its externall part may be defective and lame to be for the maine valid where it is as the presence of the soule in the body that is maimed or diseased makes a true living man Ah! this he would not have you see if you do then farewell to his whole cause But he hath som what more to say against this Argument which is to this purpose The inward call say little of that The P. G. Routed intimating that our ministers have not the inward call And the imposition of hands examination of life and learning prayer c. you so much boast of is nothing but an Antichristian forme without power for neither they nor you know what the gift calling or worke of the ministry of Christ is c. This is his answer Answ Now if any man can put so much confidence in him as to take his word for this when there is no proof of it yea when t is contrary to every unbiassed mans knowledge and experience he may But if you can but beleeve as I thinke no modest christian can choose but doe 1 that those many hundreds of godly ministers that are in England have an inward call from God 2. That imposition of hands examination and approbation with prayer and exhortation are some thing besides an antichristian forme being commended in Scripture both by precept and president 3. That those that did ordaine and those that were ordained did any of them know what the gift calling or worke of a minister is if you can I say beleeve any of these particulars then for ought is in his answer hee gives you leave to conclude that our ministers ordination is valid and of force And I desire to leave the controversy to the reader upon these termes too for I thinke him not worthy to bee disputed with that hath so far made shipwrack of ingenuity and charity as to deny any of the particulars before mentioned The 1. and 3. being so fully testified by experience the 2. by Scripture The Second Argument The next Argument to prove the validity of the Ministry notwithstanding it hath run downe to us through channels somewhat impure is the validity of Baptisme Arg. 2. which hath come the same way to us Thus if our Baptisme be true Baptisme then our Ministry is a true Ministry But our baptisme is true baptisme c. Ergo. Here he is glad he hath the advantage to speake as bad of our Baptisme as of our Ministry for he denies both as Antichristian Grant one absurdity and a thousand will follow He sayes You have now hit the nail upon the head The P. G. Routed c. I deny either their or your Baptisme to be any Baptisme at all c. I answer 1. Reply You must know this Argument was never framed to convince an Anabaptist There are others beside Anabaptists that question the validity of the Ordination of the Ministers of England and to them this Argument will prove unanswerable For if the Ministry because it came downe to us running a while through a dirty channell be therefore null then Baptisme which descended to us by the same way must be null too He that can deny that there is any Baptisme or Baptized persons in any of the Churches whether Independent or Presbyterian of England New-England Scotland France c. will make light of this Argument but it will make others of more modest Principles to be at a stand And here let me advise such as being no Anabaptists doe yet conclude the Ministry of England no Ministry and the Churches thereof no Churches to examine their Arguments well and see whether by the same Arguments may not be also proved as well that their owne Baptisme is no Baptisme I am afraid they will find it so and a hard task to answer the Anabaptists plea against them But to returne to my Router 2. He denies our Baptisme as well as our Ministry because of its descending to us through the Church of Rome But what will become of his Baptisme then If that be true which he confesses page 97. That none can give that which he hath not himselfe None can ordaine a Minister but he that is a Minister and so none baptize but he that is baptized How then is he or any of the Anabaptists in England baptized When 't is knowne that when they did set up their Dipping within these few years two of them went down into the water and one dipt the other and so they the rest Could either of them be a baptized person by his owne rule Sure 't is time for him by that time he hath well thought upon this to deny his owne new Baptisme or to own ours And if he owne our Baptisme then he must our Ministry too The Third Argument If the Papists disclaime our Ministers as having no call from them Arg. 3. then their calling cannot be Antichristian But they disclaime our Ministers c. Therefore