of the Church nor any in the Church but such as are prescribed in the worde which were verie impious to thinke or contained in the gifts of the magrstracie not yet seperated from his outwarde calling For the verie outward calling is it that giueth life vnto the magistracie though the person sustayning it want gifts to discharge the same The reason heereof is euident because the magistracie being an humane constitution a 1. Pet. 2.13 as the holy ghost saith is appropriated vnto his possession vpon whomsoeuer man bestoweth the same if hee bee capable to possesse though vnfit to execute what is allotted vnto him So cannot the ministerie bee vnlesse hee vpon whome the Church imposeth it be made fitte by the Lorde for the execution thereof They who thinke the essence of a magistrate any more to consist in the gifts of courage vnderstanding wisdome fearing God dealing trulie b Exod 18.21 deut 1.13 hating couetousnes the onely properties mentioned by Iethro whence this life of a magistrate is falsely gathered then the being of a minister is contained in his a 1. Cor. 4.7 faithfulnes verie inconsiderately gaine-say the Apostle Peter in the place before quoted because hereby they make the magistracie not to bee an humaine ordinaunce but an ecclesiasticall constitution prescribed in the word The obiection therefore that a minister shold be no more denied to be a minister bicause he wanteth gifts then a magistrate denied to bee a magystrate for the same defect prooueth not woorth the answering Because the Lorde hath tied a mans inherytance no otherwaies vnto him then hee hath the magistracie vnto that person or persons who haue aucthoritie to make a magistrate So that the very magistracie may bee deriued from him by the outwarde calling as well as the substantiall interest of this inheritance by the best conuaiaunce in law No such thing beeing tied vnto the Church in making a minister Because none can say they are in the possession of a ministerie who haue not the same from the Lord. And what ministerie haue our readers from him Any outward thing in the possession of man of which nature all men knowe the magistracie to be may bee conuaied really and indeed ought not alwaies I graunt vnto him vppon whomsoeuer man the possessour thereof will confer the same and there it ought to be inuiolablie inherent as long as man whose right it is to bestow it or take it away wil haue it so Hath a man lesse interest in his money because either for want of witte hee knoweth not how to vse or by his leudnes dooth abuse it Candanles a foole is no lesse a magistrate a far worse I deny not among the Lydians Herod lib. 1. Plato de reip dial 2. then Egesilaus among the Lacedemonians a wise and a politike gouernor The same is to be said of Ioab Benaiah of Licinius a persecutour and Constantine a christan emperor Tib. Ghracchus abuseth his magistracy the senate and people sin because they depriue him not but as long as they tollerat him therin the magistracie is his owne and therefore not lawfull for any priuate man by disobedience to rob him thereof And why so Because the swoorde in his hand is still the Lords sword the sedition tyrannie in him is his owne To come to the ministerie the Church maketh that wretch a minister vnto whom it will be said I a Math. 7.22.23 know thee not thou worker of iniquitie But did the Lorde by enduing him with graces meete for the ministerie say vnto him go prophesie in my name hee did Then there is a ministerie committed vnto him which is neither his nor the churches but the Lordes the same dare not I denie vntill the Lorde take it awaye for the foulnes of his handes Another commeth with the same calling of the church he sayth b I am a plain heardman a Zachary 13.5 neither prophet nor the sonne of a prophet Now Lord if it be thy will bee mercifull vnto them conuert them and disburden thy church of them but I haue my letters of orders from the Lord bishop and am in possession of the liuing I knowe no ministerie he hath And therefore I denie him to be any more a minister for his outward calling sake there Herdonius a traiterous and slauish seruant is a magistrate though by treacherie he with a company of other rogish vagabonds like him selfe hath now gotten possession of the Capitol That the spech may not seeme straunge vnto any let men way but the prerogatiue which the Lord reserueth vnto him selfe in making ministers in hys Church with the priuilege which hir Maiestie hath in ordaining magistrates within hir dominions The whole assembly of Parliament for some causes mouing them ordaine a Lord high Constable of England as France hath hir Maiestie sheweth hir publik disliking therof And that shee will hauen such officer within hir Realme is he a magistrate hee is none neither wil I acknowledge him for any as long as it shal be against hir wil pleasure to haue any such within hir dominions For what magistrate is he in this land which she saith to be none as long as the royall prerogatiue is in hir hand In like maner what minister is he in the Church of God whome the Lord denieth to be any The case is too to manifest The distinctiō that readers are ministers of iudgment that is sent of the Lorde in iudgement to punish the sinnes in this age but not ministers of the mercie and grace of God is as if they were sayd to be ministers of an ordinance neuer ordayned now farre be it we shoulde make a ministery of an ordinance neuer reuealed of an ordinaunce that is but temporary And in very deed I cannot but thinke it a very strange matter that these men who make a conscience of that which they teach being also wise and godly learned are not ashamed to be reported the forgers and setters abroach of such shifting and siely stuffe The other obiection concerning the ministery vnder Moses is as faultie For to square the ministerie of the new couenant according vnto the Leuitical priesthood is to require the Consulship of Rome to be framed after the Maioraltie of London besides manye other foule inconsequentes it hath in it I haue alreadie shewed the weaknes herof and if it deserued a further aunsweare I woulde vouchsafe it the same The reasons expressed in the booke are now to be set downe Such of them as are noted with this marke The thinges which they pretend to seeke I imbrace their seperation I detest * are some of the reasons whereby I am necessarily induced vtterly to condemne that course of those I hope fearing God who haue made a separation from those ministers in this lande their congregations who truely preache the worde And although there bee in our godly assemblies manye corruptions and more wants tollerated whiche euery Christian heart must needs abhorre
yet I protest that I would as to my comfort I doe ioyne my selfe in the publike hearing of the worde receiuing of the sacraments praying fasting giuing of almes and other holy exercises which these congregations as the assemblies of Gods people amongst whō publike saluation is to be had and with these ministers as the messengers of Iesus Christ whose commission from him to make known vnto me the way of saluation I dare not deny for my soule because there is some want in the seale I mean the outward calling My reasons are these Where I am obscure the booke may giue light The conclusion for breuities sake I haue omitted in the most The Prosyllogisme or second proof of any doutfull action where it is omitted is afterwarde concluded in the syllogisme which serueth for a proofe of all my reasons where any of them might be thought to be weake Euery one that hath the * life of a minister good or bad or that is a minister in deede is ordained of God for the gathering a Rom. 12.3 1. Cor. 4.11.28 Ephes 4.12 together of the saintes For ther is no other minister spoken of in the word No bare reader is ordained of God for this end Therefore no bare reader is a minister in deede or hath the life of a minister good or bad The faithfull prechers in the Church of England haue and do shewe by the good euidence of their teachinge whereby soules are gathered vnto the church and fed therein that they were ordained of God for this ende Therefore the seperation from them and their assemblies is an vngodly wicked and scismatical rent from the visible body of the churche An vngodly wicked and scismaticall rent I call it vpon good deliberation aduice Because that seperation from the companye where publike saluation is had and professed which is made in such sort as if the sayde company had not the means of saluation sounding in it or worshipped God after a false maner is wicked and scismaticall Such is the rent of these men For as they themselues do anouch they are seperated from vs because in all our meetings the corruptions are so great that we serue the true God after a false maner hold not the foundation and so haue no meanes to be saued among vs. For the men thēselues I hope the Lorde will recall them and I am perswaded the most of them haue fallen into this snare of meare and simple ignorance And woe woe woe vnlesse they repent will be vnto them that in smiting and keeping backe the carefull and harmlesse sheapheardes haue beene the cause of this lamentable dispersion straying of the poore sheep For the course whiche they take in seekinge good things it is to be auoyded as a course very likely to shake them from eternall life that continue in it I know what I say For where is there now any more meanes left for them to be saued without their repentaunce we hauing the onely ordinarie meanes of saluation among vs as before is prooued wheras they seperate themselues from vs as from those who serue the true God after a false maner and plainly shew that they would haue no saluation rather then that whereof wee are by the mercies of God pertakers through the ministery of the worde in our assemblies They cannot deny I desire thē to grant no more then the reasons folowing the former proue in this point but that saluation is to be had by the ministery of our preachers And they also know that there is but one ordinary way to be saued which being accounted but in one assembly to be the way of seruing God after a false manner the passage of saluation is shut vp euery where vnto them that are thus seduced for any thing that I know to be reuealed Shall I because the churche-gouernement is not as yet established a Tit. 1.5 in Creta or is iniuriously kept out and some great corruptions tollerated in steade thereof therefore affirme that those congregations of the Cretians where the word of god is taught by men of fit gifts are assemblies where the true god is worshipped after a false manner and yet notwithstanding thinke I may be saued by the worde preached at Philippi continuing still in the same error Whereas they that deliuer the worde at Creta are men endued with as rare gifts from the Lorde for the worke of the ministery as vpright in life and haue called as many to saluation as they had done who are at Philippi I doubt hereof Naye if I seperate my selfe from the assemblies in Creta to go to Philippi it shall not be because I deny them to be meetings of Gods people among whome he ruleth by the scepter of the worde or because I account them prophane synagogs but because I see them too slacke in growing to that perfection whereunto they desire to bee brought so that my departing shall not be a separation but a going forwarde And while I addresse my selfe to goe forwarde I will be sure not to cut of my selfe from the publike meetinges where the worde preached is inioyned A strong maner of reformation for men to cutte them-selues off from the true Churche to the ende they may haue a perfect outward gouernment The practize of these silly men might seeme to be more tollerable if they had ioyned themselues with any Churche vnder heauen Nay I would see what church dareth receiue them as long as they holde these congregations for Idolatrous synagogs where that ordinance of God is by which men are brought out of the kingdome of darknes vnto the kingdome of Christ Euery one of the syllogismes noted with this marke * inferre the former conclusion against their practize I wishe their conuersion from my heart and will be readie to performe any christian duetie as a brother towards them that the Lord hath enabled me Euery minister (2) 2 indeed * of that ordinaunce a Ephes 4.13 which is to continue in the church for the worke of the ministerie to the worlds end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Noe bare reader is a minister of this ordinance For this ordinance is the woord preached Ergo no bare reader is a minister indeed (3) 3 Euery minister is able * to make the elect to be members of b Ephes 4.13 Christ No bare reader is such an instrument Ergo (4) 4 Euerie minister * is a meanes by the worde of the grace of God to giue the elect an inheritaunce among them that are c Act. 20.32 sanctified None of our readers is such a meanes ergo (5) 5 Euerie minister indeede is able to feed the * elect with the food of knowledge and d Iere. 3.15 vnderstanding None of our bare readers are able to do this ergo (6) 6 Euerie * minister at the least in regard of gifts is according vnto the Lords owne e Ierem. 3.15 heart that is his ordinance reuciled concerning his
works of a minister in deed may according to the ordinance of God be performed by those who both haue a function diuers from yea contrarie to these readers function as good is to euill vz. by preachers whose calling being a sanctified calling must needes be in nature not onely diuers from but contrarie to the caling of readers which is not warranted by the worde a calling warranted and a calling not warranted being contrarie and detest without offence vnto Gods children such a ministerie as dumb readers take vpon them Therefore our bare readers though they haue the name and supplie the place of ministers are not ministers in deed And not being in deed ministers it is not left vnto me as a thing indifferent by christian libertie whether I will communicate with thē or no Because that of necessity I am bound to com for the sacraments vnto the ordinaunce of a Math. 21.25 11.11 1. cor 12.4.11 God that is vnto a minister and not vnto the ordinance of the church neither haue I any liberty to attempt the contrarie And as before hath bene prooued euery minister is the ordinaunce of b 1. Cor. 12.5.28 ephes 4.7.11 God not the ordinance of the Church ordained when our sauiour Christe led captiuitie c Ephes 4.8 math 28.19 captiue and not since Nowe our readers being but the ordinance of the Church ordained since that time and the Church hauing no libertie to ordaine sacramentes I haue also no libertie no not in the time of necessitie to come vnto the ordinance of the Church for the sacramentes because there I can haue no more for any thing I know then the Church whence the ordinance is hath power to giue And I pray you what sacrament is that which the bare ordinance of the Church can deliuer These be some of the reasons and I take no delight in the nomber of them wherevpon as on the infallible trueth of Gods sacred word I dare boldly conclude the most within wales supplying the places of ministers to be no ministers in deed and to haue nothing in them that giueth life vnto a minister good or bad And therevpon I dare as boldly affirme the course to bee a wicked and sismatticall course which they take that seperate them selues from the publike assemblies where the word preached is truly taught in this land as from those who serue the true God after a false maner In the examination of whiche reasons I protest with a good conscience that I haue so laboured both at the first edition of the booke some reasons then moouing me to deale more timorouslie in the action since that time especialle as I haue not suffered my selfe to be deceiued by any sophisme or fallation And I prorest before the Lord that vpon these grounds I both assuredly know their course of whome I haue spoken to be dangerous and detestable and am also as surely perswaded that menne not ordained of God for the gathering of the saints are no ministers whatsoeuer calling they haue in the Church as I beleeue the blessed apostle Paule to haue beene an apostle sent from God And bicause I am one daye to bee reckonad with before the iudgement seat of Iesus Christe of my sinceare dealing in both those points and liue now in the church of God the least member whereof Woe be vnto me if I offende because also I liue vnder hir highnes a Christian Magistrate whose sacred ancthoritie I subiect my selfe vnto reuerence as the royall ordinance of gods owne maiestie and whose positiue lawes and proccdings as far as I may with a good conscience tollerate their imperfections I dare not gain-saye because likewise what I haue written shal be recorded and called in question in the church of God when I am gone the way of all flesh vnto whome I am afraide to commend my name as a brocher of newe doctrines therefore I haue beene carefull to sette down nothing but that which will abide the triall of all whosoeuer and abide firme against all If any of my godly teuerēd lerned brethren of the church of Englande will doe me the fauour which thing I earnestly request at their hands in short syllogisms to communicate with mee in writing their reasons for the ministerie of these ignoraunt men I shall haue cause to praise the Lord and thanke them for their loue towards me in this point also and the easier satisfie whatsoeuer may be sayd on the behalf of this vnlearned I woulde vnknowen ministerie I greatlye reuerence many godlye and learned that are contrary minded vnto me in this cause I know my yeares to bee subiect vnto that bolde temerity hoat and heady rashnes which blessed Timothy in a 1. Tim. 2.22 consideration of his age was bidden by the Apostle to auoide notwithstanding in regarde of the cause in humilitie before the Lord his elect angels and children bee it spoken I may iustly for beit I should contemne and despise almost not vouchesafe to answer whatsoeuer man or angell can bring against it And I dare arest and attaint of high treason against the maiestie of the highest all those both men and aungels who either defend the communicating with them lawfull communicate with them or tollerate them as ministers vnder their gouernement TO THE LL. OF THE COVNSEL ANd for asmuch as both in this place for tollerating the dumb ministerie and in the book page 36 for suffering non-residents and the papall Lordships of our 4. L. Bb. in Wales I affirm our gouerriours to be guiltie of fearefull sinnes before the Maiestie of God I am with all the humilitie reuerence and submission my heart can conceiue to vse a speach vnto your HH my Lordes of her maiesties priuy Coūsel The cause that moueth me heerevnto is the discharge of my dutie towards the Lorde my God towards his Church towardes my natiue Countrey and towardes your Honours which could not stand with my silence in this point concerning the Lord because I am a poore wretched sinner vppon whome he hath shewed great mercie in calling mee to the knowledge of his son and pardoning my dreadfull sinnes I haue taken a bond of my selfe by his grace to be come an enemy vnto sinne in my selfe especially and in all others as far as my calling will permitte without respect of persons time place estate or condicion of life whatsoeuer And therfore your Hh. are not to marueile if I seeke the ouerthrowe of these places callings and corruptions L. Bishops readers and non-residents I mean whose continuance standeth with the lords most notable dishonour and detest sinne euen in your Hh. whose aucthority good name credit estimation and high places next vnto her royall Maiesties I ought and by the grace of God will defende against all the detractours there of with the losse of my life when it shall be needfull As for the Church of God wherevnto I haue bene begotten through the word preached by means of my abode
in Englande in these peaceable dayes of her highnes I haue wholye dedicated my selfe to seeke the flowrishing estate thereof By labouring to beautifie the same both in the plucking vp of those filthie Italian weeds wherewith now it is miserablie deformed and planting therein whatsoeuer may bee to the cōlines of gods orchard For my pore country because it hath pleased the Lord of life that therein I first saw the light of the son and haue beene by my parents there liuing brought vp in both the vniuersities of this land I haue vowed my selfe dutifully to benefite the same whether by my life or by my death I do not greatly weye And wherein shall I stand my deare countrimen in any stead if not by speakinge in their cause that are not able to make knowne their owne wantes If not in blessing the deafe eares in remouing the stumblingblock from before the eyes of the blind if not in labouring to bring them to heauen who of their owne natures should liue eternally in a worse place to their own wo. The aforenamed callings and corruptions standing as enemies in the way to hinder my brethren from eternall life I professe my selfe to seeke their ouerthrowe and confusion And by the Lordes assistance as longe as I liue I will neuer leaue them vnles they leaue the massakring of the soules of my brethren In respect of your HH seinge I receiued the former blessings throgh your hands by meanes of the outward peace whereof her right excellent Maiestie hath made the whole kingdome partaker from the Lord I canot of conscience but in most submiss reuerend and humble sort put you in minde of the estate wherein you stand before the Lord at this day I affirme therefore and I would to God I coulde tell howe more dutifully to expresse in wordes that whiche in heart I haue most dutifully conceiued that all of you are in a feareful manner both in this life and in that to come subiect to the intollerable masle of Gods wrath the execution whereof shall vndoubtedly come vpon you and your houses vnles you preuent the fiercenes of his indignation And that for these 2. causes First inasmuch as the whole countrie of Wales for the most part all this time of the Gospell in England hath bene without the publike seruice of God in the publike meetings of your people in such sort as most parrishes within Wales haue wanted the means of saluation all this time of your gouernement The trueth of this assertion is manifested in this little booke because they haue wanted a Ia. 2.21 1. pet 1.25 Iob. 33.23 1. cor 1.21 rom 10.14 eph 1.13 2.17 act 20.32 prou 8.34.35 isai 53.11 preaching and I haue elswher to my power laboured to make it known vnto her Maiestie the parliament Consider my Lordes what care you haue had of the soules of men and howe in the day of account these things will be answered Consider how lamentable a case it is that in the flowrishingst gouernment for outwarde peace that is againe vnder the coape of heauen where publicke idolatrie hath bene bannished not one familie or one tribe but a whole nation should perish and be destroyed for want of knowledge And see whether I haue not sufficient cause to deale with you in the behalfe of my countrimen My crie my crie is not the crie of guiltles and innocent a blood b Deut. 21.8 which were verie wofull but of lost and damned soules which is most lamentable giue eare vnto it my LL. lest the blood of soules be laid to your charge required at your hands If I be thoght to report an vntruth in regard of the estate of the Church in my countrie let me bee brought face to face for the triall hereof with those vnto whom the care I should say the spoile of the Church there is committed and being conuinced to haue vttered an vntrueth let me haue no fauor but die the death before your Honours and my blood bee vppon mine owne head for impeaching the credit of the princes of my people vndutifullie by publike writing whose estimation I know it to be vnlawfull for mee euen in thought once to violate I do here therefore before your HH offer to proue that the most congregations in Wales want the verie essential outward marks of a true church and so the meanes of saluation and the comfort of faith by the right administration of the sacraments I also offer to proue that you shal be reckoned with without your speedie repentaunce because that in this point you haue plowed but iniquitie and sowed wickednesse and so as Iob saith you shall reape the same Belieue them not that tell you all is well Iob. 4.8 vnder your gouernment in Wales and that they are a sort of clamorous and vndiscreet men that affirme the contrarie Beleeue them not that tell you that it belongeth not vnto your dutie to be careful of the estate of the Church that the Lord requireth no more at your hands but to maintain outward peace As though men committed to your gouernement were but droues of bruit beastes onely to be foddered and kept from externall inuasions and inrodes giue care rather vnto the woordes of the prophet who with a loude voice crieth vnto you why will you die you your families Ierem. 27.23.14 and your people by the sword by the famine and by the pestilence and why wil you be damned as the Lord hath spoken against I may allude without iniurie to the word all those gouernours that will not a Ezra 7.17.23 psal 2.10 101 2. chro 29.10 30.9 34.27 exod 20.10 gen 18.19.2 chron 15.12.13 17.7 see their people prouided of the meanes of saluation Therfore heare not the wordes of the Prophetes that tell you you shall neither see sworde or famine though you be still as careles of your people as you hytherto haue bene looke the punishement both of the flatteringe prophets and of those that are deceiued by their flatterie Ierem. 14.16 Heare them not I say but obey the Lorde in the execution of that dutie which he efflagitateth at your handes by calling of your people vnto the knowledge of his sonne that you may liue for why should this land bee made desolate for this your carelesnes Ier. 27.17 They prophesie vanity a lie vnto your HH that saie peace peace vnto you while in this point you despise the Lorde and walke still in this secure course or else a Iere. 23.16.17 Ieremie is deceiued if they be prophets And if the word of the lord be in their mouthes b Ierem. 27.18 let them intreat the Lorde her Maiestie and your HH and stirre you vp to see that the miserie of helplesse Wales may be considered off You are in a miserable taking my LL that either you haue none about you to tell you of these things or that men dare not tel you of thē you are more