bragges that this right remaines onely for him as being Peters successor and so commonly his subjects beleeve But this is an impudent lye fit for Antichrist Our Apellonians doe indeed convince the Pope of sacriledge for his bragging thus and yet they themselves are more impudently puffed up with this power of the Keyes For they confesse and in effect prove that they cannot preach infallibly and yet they cry out that he is guilty of sacriledge who doubts of their possessing their Key now Which impudency is farre greater then that of the Pope For he assumes to himselfe the right of opening heaven because he saith that he hath an infallible Key and truly Apostolicall But these will have the same right ascribed to them and yet doe confesse that they are not infallible Although hee bee an Impostor who promiseth to open the Treasure making shew of having that Key which hee hath not yet hee is a more impudent Impostor who cries out that hee will open the Treasure and yet confesseth that either he hath no Key or if he shewes any Key it is so unfit and rusty that it cannot open the Lock For because the moderne preaching Key wants true spirituality which is the infallibility of truth it is to be accounted a dead body or like a Clock which is moved about with wheels But these are set on work by the weight of honour and gain No otherwise can wee think of the Judiciall or Censoriall Key which in the Apostles by reason of their gifts and power was alwayes just and effectuall For they had a most divine certitude of Judicature so that they conferred Heaven upon none nor debarred any from it but by a sure knowledge and revelation so that assuredly Heaven was shut against them whom they bound and whose sins were retained on earth and it was certainly opened to them whom they loosed and pardoned It is sufficiently evident that these gifts and power were in the Apostles All which as most rare and exceeding humane reach were promised to the Apostles under the power of the Keyes which is apparent to all who will not shut their eyes wilfully against the light of truth Whence it is cleare that the Keyes are terminated in the Apostles because those conditions with the gifts which I spoke and which make up the Jurisdiction of the Keyes are ceased with them So with as great right they make the Apostles Office permanent and perpetuall in the Church as the use of these heavenly Keyes So that it is frivolous and ridiculous for Apolonius and the Pope to bragge so much of the power of the Keyes as though hee had power to shut and open heaven to binde and loose on Earth what is bound and loosed in Heaven Whereas hee knowes not whom he shall certainly shut out of heaven or shut in And oftentimes perversly hee looseth and judgeth worthy of heaven whom God bindeth and shutteth out of heaven And contrarily he excludes from heaven whom God thinkes worthy of Heaven so that he who compares the vizard of our moderne Censure and Excommunicacion to that of the Apostles seemes no otherwise to play the foole then the Jewes did who were wont to prate strange things of the sanctity of their Temple and fought for the honour thereof against Titus till they were destroyed And yet they might have known had they not been blind that that was not the old Temple of Solomon because it wanted Urim and Thummim and all the benefites of Divine presence and assistance which made up the particular sanctity of that Temple But there seemes to bee a plainer place Matth. 18.17 Tell the Church and if hee heares not the Church let him bee to thee as a Publican and Heathen In which words they say Christ hath given to the Church Judiciall Ecclesiastick power of excommunication which at this day is in use both amongst the old and new Papists The vanity of this conceit will bee easily seen if wee doe but observe that Christ in these words doth not instruct his Disciples as they were to be the over-seers and Rulers of the Church but onely taught ordinary things which are common to all Christians by the right of fraternity according to that generall Rule given to all by GOD Deuter. 17.19 Thou shalt not hate thy brother but sharply reprove him neither shalt thou suffer any evill in him Which Law CHRIST here sheweth must be kept not onely when a brother shall offend God or others but then also when he wrongs us which brotherly duty Christ will have wisely to bee exercised and with moderation lest this reproofe may seem to proceed from revenge or evill words by which the mind of the injuring brother may bee exasperated hee will have the brothers offence to be covered and not to be divulged but will have the difference to be taken up in private between brother and brother by two other brothers whose admonitions if the offending brother slight Christ permits not that the brother offended shall forsake the brother offending but then will have the brothers offence brought out in publicke that it may be made known to all the Church not to stirre up all odiously against him but that they might save him and that he who could not be brought to concord by the reproofe of one or more brothers may be brought to it by the admonitions of some in the Church or all Which endeavour of the Church being brotherly and charitable if the offending brother goe on to contemne the offended brother is not onely permitted but also commanded to esteem of the other at a Publican and Heathen that is that he shall have no private commerce with him as the Apostle describes and declares this act 1 Cor. 5.9.11 and 2 Thess 3.6.14 For Christ alludes to the custome that then was among the Jewes and of which we have already spoken Hence now it appeares that the old and new Papists have shamefully corrupted this place in turning this brotherly and charitable duty into an authoritative and judiciall Office and very insolently have appropriated the word CHURCH to the Rulers and Over-seers of the Church onely Tell the Church that is saith the Papist tell the Bishop which is truly a foolish interpretation unworthy of refutation Tell the Church that is say our new Papists tell the Rulers of the Church which is an unaccustomed acception of this word For they cannot produce one place out of Scripture in which the word CHURCH is appropriated to the Rulers onely I know the Walachrian Stilt-Walker babbles much every where of the Church representative and that the word Church is given to the Rulers thereof because they represent the Church But because hee learned this not out of Scripture but out of Popish writings the inventors of this I answer him briefly That to him who sayes much and proves nothing of right no priviledge belongs which as it is true in humane things so much more in Divine and sacred matters Whence I now
then Gold is like Drosse For the old Censure first instituted by GOD and used by the Jewes was practised by Apostolicall Churches and that by the command of Christ and his Apostles This consisted first in verball reprehension which all were bound to exercise and that by divine right Levit. 19.17 Heb. 3.13 1 Thess 5.11 12 13 14. Secondly in Separation when they withdrew themselves from their company and avoyded the conversation of such as were not bettered by admonition and reprehension Mat. 18.15.16 1 Cor. 5.9.10 11. Which separation was made for two causes First that by this the contagion of sinne might bee avoyded Secondly that the sinner seeing himselfe despised might be ashamed and so might hence take an occasion to repent The Jewes in Christs time by vertue of this Censure alone debarred Publicans and sinners from their companies in privat whom they could not keep out of the Temple who therefore reproved Christ because he did eat and drink and keep company with Publicans and sinners whose institution Christ did not absolutely reprove but corrected shewing that it was not simply unlawfull to converse with Publicans and sinners but lawfull when any furnished with the gifts of instructing admonishing and reproving like a Physitian cures them of their evils and spirituall maladies This Doctrine Paul urgeth 2 Thess 3.6.14 where hee teacheth that we must not converse with them who live disorderly that being by this separation contemned they might be ashamed but that they should bee excommunicated out of the Church or debarred from Divine worship and meanes of salvation wee read not in Scripture but rather to admonish them to reprove them as brethren but not reject them as enemies And as he teacheth in 2 Tim. 2. v. 25. we must use them with lenity although they make resistance This is the ancient Censure grounded on Divine Precepts and the practice of Antiquity of most Divine right and most fit to remove sinne and scandall out of the Church which had it continued all Ecclesiastick tyranny had been removed out of the Church neither had so much carelesnesse and contagion of scandals fallen among Christians especially their Rulers For each Christian being sollicitous of his own and neighbours salvation by admonishing reproving and separating them when need required hee had removed from his brethren sinnes and scandall yea even from the Doctors themselves by right of this fraternity as we see how Paul reproved Peter when he walked not uprightly and how Aquila and Priscilla did instruct and admonish that famous Teacher Apollos But now here we see the Churches infelicity for the Pride of the Doctors especially among Papists hath taken away this old Censure because it gave too much power to all and singular Christians whom they began to account for Lay-men and thought it unworthy that the care of great businesse should be committed to every member of the Church But Clergie-men took all this upon themselves and made that Office peculiar to themselves which God had granted to all and singular Whence arise these mischiefes which we see this day in the Church First in that the common sort of Christians laying aside all care of the Church and holy mysteries give themselves totally over to worldly businesse leaving the Office of censuring to Ministers altogether Secondly in that the Clergy are so puffed up with this prerogative that they thinke themselves the onely Judges of censures and Manners and that they are armed with such power as if they could by divine priviledge open and shut heaven bind and loose and make of a Christian a prophane man and a Publican which perswasion as soon as it possessed mens minds it first brought Ecclesiastick tyranny into the Church and at length begot Antichristian Popes who by this power of censuring hath subjected to himselfe all Christians especially the Kings of the earth As we may see in that wicked Hildebrand of whom we spoke before who about the yeare 1080. forced Henry the fourth Emperour a man of a degenerate spirit and who had committed adultery with the Whore of Babel Platina to make a journey bare-footed through Ice and Snow to him being then at Canassa where for three dayes togother he did humbly intreat to bee admitted which he could not obtaine without the intercession of dishonest Mythildes and her Ruffians by whose mediation he was admitted at last to fall down at that wicked Popes feet and to receive pardon I confesse at this day the Popes pride is not so great because out of the Revelation wee are taught that many Kings now forsake the Whore and spoyle her But whatsoever he doth at this day in his intollerable pride he doth it under the sole Title of the Sword and of the power of Censuring whose thunder-bolt is Excommunication And though this mocker of all holy things knowes and beleeves that this his thunder is not more valid then a Fart yet he perswades the timerous superstitious people and they beleeve him that it is a thing of great spirituality and force So that one who was too superstitious seeing with what pomp excommunication was denounced at Rome cried out that doubtlesse hee was thrust out of heaven whom the Pope thus excommunicated For he is a pleasant Actor in this Play which is performed with strange running up and downe of Church-Ruffians and the Popes Parasites with great jangling of Bells with a wonderfull kindling of fires and Torches and a sudden putting of them out and although in this he doth nothing but what with as great dexterity is performed daily by Stage-players in their Tragedies yet by a fatall efficacy of error he hath so prevailed with Princes that they beleeve him to be a most holy Father whom they see and often confesse to be a most wicked knave and that his excommunication is a matter of wonderfull force and sanctity albeit they know that hee debarres them not from heaven but from their earthly goods except they resist him by force of armes The chiefe places out of which heretofore the Antichristian Gyants did beat out the Popes Ecclesiastick thunder of the greater Censure are these Matth. 16.19 Matth. 18.17 18. Iohn 20.21 23. 1 Cor. 5.4.5 and that is of chiefe account which Christ promised to Peter in giving him the Keyâ—s of the Kingdome of Heaven that is power to forgive and retaine sinnes and to bind that in Heaven which is bound on earth this is commonly thought to bee given to Peter and the Bishops of Rome by speciall priviledge with which Title the Pope is so proud that he carries the Keyes in his Armes as if he were that Door-keeper or Claviger of hell mentioned in the Revelation and so ascribes to himselfe alone as being Peters successor this power of the Keyes By the perswasion of this superstion he hath subjected the whole world to him For so he threatens that hee will shut Heaven gates against all those who will not obey him The Walachriah Stilt-Walker being instructed in the
Popes school he trumpets out every where the power of the Apostolicall Keyes with so great pride of Jurisdiction and of commanding power that the Popes Keyes and those of Apolonius seem to bee made by the same Vulcan which want nothing but a little better polishing which in time will be done For who ever will turne over the Papists writings and these of Apolonius shall see that whatsoever the Pope proudly bragges of concerning his Hierarchy in the right of Peters succession the same doth Apolonius and the new Walachrian Papists proudly challenge in right of Apostolicall succession Nor do I deny but this hath been too common among divers reformed teachers to be somewhat superstitiously affected with this right of the Keyes and of Excommunication which is not to be wondred at seeing some of the Reformers had been bred in the Romish Church whose Botchers shop was filled with such old trash of Jurisdiction it could scarce be otherwise but that the most part being born there must smell of that mother But afterwards some others treading in their foot-steps and prouder then the former did too much advance this Ecclesiastick power of the Keyes So that we must confesse it hath fallen out with many Reformers as it doth with those who goe about to purge out the Garlick which they have eate who though they doe what they can to purge and remove it yet they cease not to smell more or lesse of it This may bee seen in many chiefly in our Walachrian Stilt-walker who above all others delighting in the menstruous blood of his Romish mother and smelling so rank of it boasts so proudly every where of the power of the Keyes that you shall scarce find his equall whose fooleries that I may now refell this I say That there is nothing more certaine then that Christ in promising the Keyes to Peter and the Apostles did conferre on them no vulgar thing but what was both new rare and excellent and by which he would exalt them above humane reach as it were when he gave them this power of heavens Keyes Whence it is not likely that by these is meant so small and easie a matter as the Church at this day exerciseth For what great or rare matter is this if a Church-Ruler or Preacher say at this day the Kingdome of Heaven is open to thee if thou beleeve if thou beleevest not it is shut against thee Not onely was this the ancient preaching but almost every ordinary man in the Church can say so Yea whoever reads the Scripture or heares but a childe reading them hee exerciseth this judgement of himselfe and useth the Key For if he see any disobedient hee will judge that heaven is shut against him if hee repent not If again hee see him convert he will judge that heaven is opened and so will use this Key Neither must Church-men think that they have now more power in using this Key For we finde by experience that Clergy Assemblies Consistories Classes or Synods are no more powerfull in denouncing this judgement then any private man being intent on the thing and carefull to search out the truth so that wee find by experience that one Lay-man hath judged better and hath made better use of this Key then a whole Synod For though Apolonius prate much concerning the speciall assistance of the holy Ghost yet we finde no other effects thereof then what the Pope boldly bragges concerning his infallibillity and yet hee is the lyingest faisister that ever the world saw So then these Church-men are very oftentimes deceived who bragge so much of the power and certitude of the Keyes Let Apolonius witnesse then which no man is a more impudent bragger of this power of the Keyes except the Pope and yet by his preaching Key he hath produced so many lies that he may seem to carry not the Key of Heaven but of Hell with Apollion And that you may not think this to be a personall errour except he will also â—e in this lo the whole Walachrian Classis hath coÌ„ ented to these fictions so that hence appears the false judgement of the Church in the use of the preaching Key because not onely it is not of greater force then a private Christian mans iudgement but oftentimes of lesse validity For at this day the iudgement of Church-men is so corrupted with affections that we may beleeve many whom they condemn to hell shall surely enioy heaven and on the contrary they shall goe to hell whom they iudge worthy of heaven by their Key How ever the matter be it cannot be evidently proved that now Church-men have any greater power in using the Keyes of Heaven then any particular member of the Church whilst in their Sermons their threatnings and promises of life eternall are conditionall Whence it is not likely that Christ gave so little right as this to the Apostles under the glorious title of the Keyes of heaven and of so solemne a promise but that there was in this some high matter and peculiar to the Apostles onely which I place in this because they were the first Heralds of salvation performed now by Christ and of heaven opened by him which was never proper before nor after to any of Gods Embassadours Before the work of salvation was performed salvation was hoped for but then heaven was in a manner shut as yet After Christs Ascension it was truly opened And this priviledge the Apostles had that they were the first witnesses hereof Besides before that time heaven was shut against the Gentiles who as it were by a partition wall were debarred from entring thither so that no man nay not the greatest Prophets before this had power to open heaven promiscuously to all Gentiles the Jewes being forsaken This matter was so high and rare that even the Apostles though illuminate by Gods Spirit came to know this when it was late and not without Miracles too which being understood they without wearisomnesse by a divine wonderful rapture contemning all dangers carried the Gospel almost through all the world so that Thomas himselfe as grave Authours witnesse preached and travelled as farre as India Which indeed was notable and nothing else but the opening of heaven To this was added their infallible power of preaching that they sayd nothing but by Gods prescription For the preaching Key which Christ promised and gave to his Disciples was so excellent and divine that with it he gave unto those first Patriarchs of the Church graces by which they delivered the truth infallibly so that not onely did they shew Heaven opened but by their infallible doctrine as with a Key did open it to every one and declared it infallibly by their divine power of judging to whom it was opened or shut so that what they bound and shut on earth was truly bound and shut in heaven And contrarily This power after the Apostles ceased For what they once opened remaines open nor can it be shut again by any The Pope
same especially being present in spirit with them though absent in the body I saith he though absent in body but present in spirit have judged as being present c. And again You being gathered together and my spirit in the name of the Lord Jesus c. There was then besides the ordinary and brotherly Office of censuring a more grievous correction under the Apostles peculiar only to those divinely-inspired men by reason of their speciall gifts with which being then armen could when need was strike with blindnesse or death or deliver over to Satan stubborn and blasphemous sinners Now if Apolenius think himselfe by vertue of his vocation a Successor to this power we will expect that hee also will give sight to the blind feet to the lame raise the dead command the Divels and deliver mens bodies to bee tortured by them We may see by his Writings that if he could enjoy his own Genius sometimes he would revenge himselfe upon the civill Magistrate with this great Excommunication except they abstain from his Spiritualities But let him know that I doe not much feare if they be delivered over to Satan by him but let him rather feare lest if with Sceva's sonnes hee undertake this exorcisme rashly he heare the evill spirit say Iesus I know and Paul I know but Apolonius who be you So that he be forced to stye away with them having not onely lost his Stilts narrow Chapines but also stript of all his Cloathes Thus I have briefly set down what was the ordinary right of censuring in the Church appoynted by Christ and I have shewed that it was not Judicial or of speciall right but common and brotherly consisting in a verball and brotherly reproofe and in separation from privat Commerce I have shewn also that besides this common way of censuring there was under the Apostles a more heavy correction which they used not against any kind of sinner but onely against such as were infamous for stubbornesse or some heynous offence in troubling and polluting the Church of Christ which then was remarkable and truly divine as depending on the power of the Keyes and divine gifts of which there was such efficacie in those being inspired by God that whatsoever they intended against sinners was not onely ratified in heaven but on earth also had its effect This Apostolicall and terrible kind of censuring how ever it was necessary and usefull for the Church in its infancy whose beginnings Christ would not have to be maintained by the Sword yet he suffered this to dye with the Apostles untill at last it brought Kings themselves to yeeld subjection and of bloody persecuters made them the Churches Patrons preservers and nursing Fathers according as David Esay had prophesied before which being fulfilled a more rigid way of censuring was again revived in the Church by the ordinary power of Princes and Magistrates with which he armed them not onely for preservation of naturall society among men but chiefly to maintain the Church of Christ intire here on earth For though Princes lawes and punishments of themselves they pertain not to the conscience yet accidentally they build up and defend Christs Kingdome whilst they set up that outward and rigid discipline and help the Church against wicked and refractory men who could not by brotherly reproofe be taken off from the pollution of sinne and scandall So that now every man may see that the greater and lesser censures are nothing else but the filthy secundine of that impure mother of the Romish Church and spots cleaving to our Churches from that Nativity which notwithstanding this walachrian Impostor vents abroad for most holy and extells as most spirituall things But to him that will look narrowly it is cleere that all this judiciall and censuring businesse which is urged by the Walachrians and defended under a divine and most holy title is not instituted by Christ or his Apostles but by Man which being by the ancient Papists set out in divers dressings at last brought forth the Pope that great Antichrist and in short time among the Reformed will beget many Antichrists the contemners of civill Magistrates and Princes except they prevent this in time Heretofore divers of the first Reformers being holy and provident men did fore-see this who therefore did their best to extinguish this Antichristian Leaven as their Writings witnesse Therefore for their sakes who perhaps are ignorant of this I will here sub joyne what they have written concerning this matter which may seeme to make very much for our purpose The words of Gualter in a certaine Epistle of his to Carolus Ionvilleus of Geneva are these But if we must speak of excommunication that was never totally and generally condemned by us for it is commanded by our Lawes whereby they are excluded from our private societie and from the enjoying of our publike Pastours who despising publike and private admonitions doe not live according to the Rules of Christianity but that any should bee debarred from our holy Assemblies or the Lords Supper was never practised in our Church nor in many others which notwithstanding no man hitherto could justly accuse eyther for want of purity in Faith and Doctrine or for licentiousnesse of conversation For no man hitherto hath demonstrated by fit and firme arguments that that should be the Symboll of exclusion or Superstition which was ordained to be the meanes of conservation of the Churches unity for which cause the Antients called it a convention or meeting Therefore I wonder my most deare Ionvill why you should say that I bring in a new and unheard of Paradoxe besides all mens expectation in these calamitous times of the Church For why should that be called new or unheard of which hath been received in our Church now from the beginning full 50. yeares Surely Suinglius of blessed memory the first Reformer of Religion among the Helvetians hath written the same things expresly in his friendly Exposition to Luther which we at this day teach and think And though the same was most strictly joyned in friendship and love with Oecolampadius yet hee would never bring into the Church of Tigurum suspending from the Supper and afterward But what Bullinger my Master and reverend Father did think of this matter his Booke against the Anabaptists will abundantly witnesse and chiefly what he writes in c. 9. l. 6. c. What shall we neede to speak of Musculus who whilest the Churches of high Germany did flourish more then they do now taught in Ausburge and afterward in Berne with great applause He every where admonisheth Ministers to bee carefull rather to gather then to exclude any And hee so handles this matter upon the first of the Corinthians that it is cleere he is of our opinion I could adde to these the example of the Church of Constance c. and a little after in our age many learned and godly men have conferred about this matter often times and they have
will be made branches stones trees chickens sheep fish fruits grasse corn and what not Of Preachers and Church-men there will be made not onely Kings Pastors Captaines Housholders as they will have but servants wolves dogs pillars stones bell-ringers pipers walls flames candle-sticks fires and many more to which the Holy Ghost compares them So that if hee should shake the budgets of most abstruse Divinity he cannot compose these things but he shall be laughed at by all This is his errour in that he will out of figurative speeches draw literall conclusions as if out of painted gold he would make a reall crowne of gold Much of this kind he spreads every where chiefly Part 2. p. 28. he doth plainly dispute for the Kingly censuring power of Church-men For saith hee the jurisdiction of the Church is called the right of the keyes and the Churches key is called Davids key which was regall whence he concludes That the jurisdiction of the Church is regall I answer These things are spoken figuratively and to be ascribed to Christ onely if they be taken properly not to the moderne Church which properly wants the keyes of heaven as I shewed elsewhere The chiefe errour is in this that with the Pope he makes of the keyes the Scepter and regall Crowne If all be Kings that have the right of the keyes then the Key-bearers of Temples Cities Hospitalls of Bedlems and of all Cells shall be Kings And whereas he saith that Davids and Christs key is regall and that therefore such is the key of the moderne Church it is all one as if I should say there was a King who carried the keyes of the City therefore all are Kings afterwards who carry those keyes How false this is appeares in Peter who first and properly received these keyes and yet he was a poore Fisher-man not a King Surely if Apollonius had Peters true key yet Christ would forbid in him all Kingly state and pride Mat. 20. saying The Kings of the earth beare rule but it shall not be so with you But Mat. 18. Christ gave to the Church power of judicature which saith he is kingly I answered elsewhere that in this place Christ did not bestow on the Church the right of judicature but only to intercede and to compose differences For the power of judging one to be a Publican or Heathen he gives properly to a Brother not to the Church and so every private man should have regall power Truly if all be Kings that judge there will be innumerable Kings in the same kingdome If Apollonius play not the foole he was a King long since because he carried the keyes and judged many things after his manner His chief argument is out of that place Mat. 28. Christ sending his Disciples to preach speaks first of his regall power saying All power is given to me in heaven and in earth he concludes also from his regall power saying I will be with you till the end of the world thence he gathers That the power not onely of Christ but also of the Church and therefore of Ministers is regall O wonderfull Lindanus indeed and other Papists are ridiculous in their devices but what Jesuite at this day is there of any braine who will not burst with laughter when he shall see and think of these Apollonian scientificall demonstrations to wit that Calvinists by such fictions doe seek after power to reigne in the Church which they have hitherto execrated in the Pope Christ the King of Kings speaking before and after of his Kingly power commanded the Apostles to teach and baptize Ergo he made them Kings and indowed them with Kingly power If Apollonius were as quick-sighted in both his eyes as Lynx he could not see this consequence He reasons thus out of his foolish Dialectick As often as Kings speaking of their Majesty command their Heralds to publish their will and Letters Patents they presently of Heralds become Kings that Herald were worthy of Hellebore who would thus conclude especially if the King in plaine termes should tell his Messenger Although my other servants may command and domineere in their Offices yet I forbid thee to do so neither will I permit thee to reigne for this is the sense of Christs words Mat. 20. The Kings of the Nations beare rule but it shall not be so with you So we need not stay any longer in the Walachrian devices whereas we may every where see that the Pope and Apollonius are both of one minde to wit that they have regall power howsoever Christ and the whole Scripture contradict it but by a Jesuiticall quirk he tells us that their power is not secular carnall or despoticall for these husks he leaves for the Magistrate reserving to himselfe the pure flower of spirituality but Ecclesiasticke holy and celestiall which because it proceeds not from the speciall sanctity of their Church-Discipline as the object nor from the dignity of modern vocation as I have now shewed we must henceforth search into the other lurking holes of the Walachrian Church sanctity least these rattle-mice hide themselves any longer in their under-ground caves of spirituality Therefore having overthrowne the chiefe foundations of the Walachrian sanctity and dominion which are the spirituality of their moderne Discipline and the mysticall sublimity of their calling now I will pursue the Arguments which the Stilt-walker still useth to purchase authority to himselfe among the ignorant which with the Papists he borroweth from the Epithetes and names given to Preachers in Scripture by which he strives to establish his regall majesty in the Church in this playing the canvasse Merchant with Papists which that the Reader may see I will first in generall point at three of his ordinary fallacies 1. In that the most titles are figurative and metaphoricall Fallaciae in titulis out of which he raiseth literall conclusions by which he must needs fall into a thousand absurdities for if this be admitted in Divinity that every one interpret as hee pleaseth figures similitudes and metaphors which are found in Scripture there will be nothing certaine but we may infer any thing out of any thing by this reason I may easily of Apollonius and his other Preachers make stocks stones yea brute beasts for Church-Doctors are called in Scripture Pillars Foundations and watchfull Dogs now we know that Pillars are made of stocks and stumps of trees Foundations of stones and that Dogs are brute and impudent beasts whence the folly of old Papists appears who have erected their whole Hierarchy out of parabolicall and figurative Scripture phrases as famous Marnixius hath merrily demonstrated and because he could find no other new way to set up his regall power therefore the VValachrian Papist walks altogether in his Predecessors foot-steps Apollonius his other errour is that of indefinite Propositions he makes exclusive and understands simply what is spoken respectively this he borrowed also of the Jesuites for Bellarmine commonly thus concludes Christ gave
Parker But he is there faulty â—n that he vapours such great matters of his modern Câ—â—rch gâ—vernemt which he knows to be so corrupted that it may he turly said what the Prophet saith of the worship in his 〈…〉 and thy Wins is mixed with mitter if Apolleniâ—â— should be 〈◊〉 to a feast where looking to drink Theologicall 〈…〉 should receive from his Hoast wine mixed with much water or pisse would he not complaine of wrong done him and of his cheasing Hoast who thrust upon him such stoffe for good 〈◊〉 after the same 〈◊〉 doth this Night-bird cheat Christians 〈…〉 of this corrupted Church government with that 〈◊〉 the Apostâ—es for his preaching is fallible yea in many things â—ugaâ—orie lying and blasphemous the use of the Sacraments cheifly of the Supper is vendible and serviceable to humane affections oftentimes he 〈◊〉 them to the impure and denies them to the worthie his preaching key is rustie and most unfit to open or 〈…〉 heaven against them to whom God faith in is open and openeth it to them against whom God saith it is sâ—â—t 〈…〉 Key such is he affects is nothing but an incroaching indirectly upon mens fame and estares and the corturer of the conscience in simple and superstitious men as for his legislative power it is nothing else but a spring of novelties childish scruples and feminary of strife or law sutes so that what one approves the other reproves what is ratified to day is abrogated to morrow and so one sute begets another alwayes For because these Walachrian whirlewinds have no certaine starres to direct them or rules of equity and justice which they may follow in working but doe all things at their pleasure so that he shall carry it who with fraud clamours and pertinacie drawes most votes to him hence it falls out very seldome as we see also among Papists that truth and equity prevailes amongst them but rather opinion which depending on the whirligig of mens dispositions and perverse affections with which they boile it s no wonder as experience sheweth if out of this legislative dependencie nothing proceed but what is prejudiciall to the Churches peace directly to the Civill indirectly Lastly their vocation as it is at this day is not only humane but also if the Walachrian be considered as the Stilt-walker useth it it is Simonaicall and defiled with much fraud and perversenesse and to speak freely the Stilt-walker hath no reason to upbraid Magistrates with the carnality of their meanes because he is forced to confeesse that there is no lesse carnality in his Ecclesiastick meanes and indeed in the end and intention of spirituality it yeelds to the Civill which though they use corporall meanes yet there is found in them such as directly tends to Gods worship and mans salvation In the Stilt-walker and such like vermine there is never any direct intent to Gods worship or mans salvation but properly to maintenance worldly honour and a fulfilling of their humours in such as obey or disobey them He scrapes together many things out of certaine circumstances which befell not to the Ecclesiastick but to the Civill power of which if these things be true that he saith he may constitute as formal a difference between the Ecclesiastical and Civill power as he can make between a Crow and a Swan out of their blacknesse and whitenesse yea between one Hen and another for an accident can make no essentiall difference especially such a one as may be common to both subjects The Civil power saith he may be in a child womâ—â— or wicked man it may bee also hereditary all which cannot befall the Ecclesiastick power hence he concludes that there is a formall difference between both these powers I answer if thence a formall or genericall difference should arise then doubtlesse the Kingdomes of France and England should differ formally because there only men here women also reign so these two Kingdomes should generically differ from the Kingdome of Poland because this is elective and not hereditary but those are successive this fiction should have some shew if hee spoke of such accidents as are not to bee found in Ecclesiastick power but most of them are found in Ecclesiasticks those great Ecclesiastick Levits from whom he is still borrowing his sanctity were they not born Levits and being children they had right to this sanctity Samuel the children of the Prophets Jeremie Christ John and Timothy were not hindred from the Church-service because they were children or as yet very young being furnished with gifts for that service it is not the infancy of yeares but of knowledge and piety that debars men from Church-functions in which how much Apollonius is defective this his unsavoury writing shewes who being now many years a Church-man yet is indeed but an old boy who hath not lived long Seneca but hath been long By the Prophetesses Anna Mary and others it appears that God hath not altogether debarred women from Church-affairs as this trifler perswades but when hee saith that Gentiles and wicked men could perform civill offices well hee saith nothing for in the end of the world many shall say have wee not prophesied in thy name and yet Christ will say to them I know you not Apollonius knowes that there are many preachers who are impious and hypocrites whom notwithstanding hee keeps not off from Ecclesiastick functions why then should Magistrates be kept off he hath much more such stuffe which I passe by as being of no validity His chiefe and most beautifull argument which hee often delights in is this Ecclesiastick power and government is heavenly because it is called the Kingdome of Heaven it is not of this world Mat. 13. Joh. 18.13 2 Tim. 24. â—or Christ saith my Kingdome is not of this world lastly no man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affairs of this life hence hee concludes that the civill government is altogether distant from Ecclesiasticall because that is earthly and of this world and they who serve the common-wealth intangle them selves with the affairs of this life yea as wee saw before like hogges they should wallow in them alone I answered before somewhat by the way to this fiction now I will more narrowly look into it for both the members of the antecedent is false and fallacious First I deny that visible Churches are the Kingdome of Heaven for then the Church of Middleburg should be Heaven indeed which is False as may appeare by this marke in that Christ saith men doe not marry nor give in marriage in that Kingdome but in that Apollonian heaven of Middleburg there are marriages daily I confesse that in the visible Church men are instructed and taught concerning the Kingdome of heaven that at length they may obtain it which businesse metonymically is called the Kingdome of Heaven but to conclude thence that the visible Church is properly the Kingdome of Heaven or that the things thereof are heavenly is two childish and repugnant
him nothing is more ancient then to extoll the outward businesse of the Ecclesiastick Ministery for holy spirituall and divine among men * Part 1 p. 116 p. 119. So that every where hee cries out these affaires do belong to heaven not to earth and that the externall things of the Church reach unto the soule and lastly to bee of such a sublime nature that it is impossible the art of Ecclesiastick jurisdiction should be exercised by the authority of the Magistrate so that as often as mention is made of the * Choragium Ampullantur dressing of Church matters they in proud and haughty words affirme that sacred things are not to bee touched Of which notwithstanding there is nothing so high and difficult which is not easie enough to him that is but indifferently exercised For these are preaching and publick Prayer the outward administration of the Sacraments the making of Laws for the outward order of the Church the greater and lesser censure whereof this is by suspending from the Lords Supper that by separation from the whole body of the Church by the uttering of certain words Lastly Election and confirmation to Ecclesiastick Offices All which affaires at this day are known to be performed by ordinary gifts oftentimes in a humane and perverse way even by such who being void of all Christian vertues are laden with nothing else but wickednesse that Apollonius may obtrude superstition after a Popish manner when hee searcheth after such abstruce mysteries of spirituality in the outward works of Ecclesiastick dressing that hee might make men think that what is performed by the Ministeriall function of the Church is of a higher nature then mans capacity can reach unto Whereas the whole dignity of these things as they are performed at this day depends from Christs generall institution and from the common Law of Order Out of these lurking places being driven after the Popish manner he flies to Ecclesiastick Vocation and chiefly to confirmation by imposing of hands which though at this day it be defiled and variously spotted shewing no effects of spirituallity in those on whom it is conferred Yet hee would faine perswade us that it is of wonderfull efficacy for conferring of spirituall right and spirituall prerogative to performe the sacred Offices of the Church that it hath such a speciall prerogative so that hee accounts him * Part 1. p. 87. p. 71. sacrilegious whosoever being destitute of the rights of Vocation and Ecclesiastick Confirmation will offer to put his hand to those internally externall affaires of the Church which hee illustrates by the example of King Uzziah struck with Leprosie Out of which principles at last springs up the speciall Church-Government which though every man may see it to bee in the world and to bee exercised by too worldly meanes and that by them who after confirmation are oftentimes more carnall than any Lay-men yet hee will have us beleeve that this Government is not o◠this world not earthly but heavenly spirituall holy independent from any worldly power in it selfe absolute and as it were of its own * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power by reason of the inseparable subjection of Church-men to Christ as his Legates Whence belongs to them this right to hee Governours Captaines Pastors Fathers under which titles it is lawfull onely for them to proceed to Governe to feed to give laws to punish and that imperiously with power and authority Part. 2. p 323. in the formalities of the Church Whence hee makes a rupture irreparable between the power or government of Magistrates and of the Church Part. 1. p. 91. 93. p. 9◠Because they are so different in the subject end and meanes that he thinks heaven and earth will be confounded if the Magistrate should offer to touch the internall things of the Church For hee will not allow the secular power to bee in but onely about the Church which medleth with the circumstantialls of the Church onely as a separable accident which the Church may easily want and did want under the Apostles and time of the first Reformation So that as hee assevers the Christian and godly Magistrate hath no more to doe with Church-affaires then the wicked hath in respect of right except in cases extraordinary when the whole Clergie wants reformation but yet on this condition too that the judgement of this matter bee left to the Church-men But if the Magistrate should meddle with any thing which hee calls formally Ecclesiastick besides these cases hee cryes out openly that sacriledge and robbery is committed that the rights of Christs Spouse are violated for which Christ shed his blood yea that the state of the Church was happier under the crosse because of her free jurisdiction which then shee used then now if the Magistrate offer to intermeddle with the Church-affaires so that indeed hee counts no better then Gibeonites the religious Magistrates who were not to serve in but about the Sanctuary and were not to meddle with or touch any holy thing but being tide to servile obedience in furnishing necessaries were bound perpetually to acknowledge their fraud and prophanenesse Out of so many naughty rootes of Popery it is no wonder if in Apollonius and some of his followers this fruite proceed not onely in speaking evill of secular Rulers as often as they seeme to Clergie-men to stumble upon the rights of the Church but contrarily they dare in secular affaires prescribe to and command the Magistrate by their Pastorall authority so that no Catechisme seemes to them more holy than that they assure one another that the secular Magistrate is simply to bee debarred from all things which they account Ecclesiasticall and that they are not to be admitted into the meanest part of their modern Ecclesiastick spirituality so faire as they performe the Office of a Magistrate the top of which spirituallity if elsewhere they seem to touch that they must bee resisted with might and maine as profane men either directly or if strength bee wanting indirectly and cunningly Per cuniculos in their private or publick declamations to the people Sure Apollonius seemes in this work to sound the Alarum and by his example to stirre up turbulent Ministers to bee bold upon the Magistrate when opportunity serves and to shake off one time or other their vile and violent yoke I doubt not but such kinde of vermine lurke else-where but dull and as it were sticking fast in their shell of which notwithstanding none doth cherish such dastardly spirits Puliatus but that if this Black coat and rude Wallachrian shall finde good successe in a short time great store of such Zelots will every where appeare I will no more prophesie but now will produce the acts of Apollonius and his fellow Walachrians set out not a few years since which will teach us that long agoe they were resolved and purposed first to prescribe a Law to the Civill Magistrate in
with old dying Priamus to fling weake darts that could not hurt catching at every opportunity which hee thought might either directly or indirectly hinder the Churches Peace or the Magistrates esteem and that not privately but openly entertaining and hugging such occasions as I will shew by one example more Leonard Cepesteyn one of the dregges of Lawyers 5 Example did for a long time gape at the Government of that Common-wealth but being still frustrated and irritated with vaine and long expectation hee was observed for a great while to beare no good will to the Magistrates it fell out that one Lumirius a Knave was found guilty of Treason who having counterfeit himself a foole did first escape the rack and afterward chaines and death Leonard undertook as they say the defence of this fellow partly in hope of booty partly out of desire to raile which hee did so impudently that in open Court hee upbraided the Magistrate with ignorance and injustice so boldly as if hee would have stirred up the multitude which then had filled the Town-Hall to heare this new pleading against the Magistrate The Senate of Middleburgh being moved at this bold and impudent act did a long time resolve to banish this seditious man Yet their revenge went not farther then this to wit that by their Order this Leonard was forbid to meddle with pleading of any more Causes either by word or writ being desirous rather to give then to cut off an occasion of repentance Yet notwithstanding hee being helped by the cunning of Apollonius his spirituality ceased not to search out all the occasions hee could to bee revenged on the Magistrates at last hee found out a notable one by Apollonius his helpe who was able to shake it out of his private Divinity budgets to wit that this turbulent man being debarred from publick pleading or sitting among the Lawyers in open Courts for his sedition and wrongs offered by him to the Magistrate from which publick scandall hee was not cleared might bee admitted among the Elders And truely so farre did this Cepesteyn prevaile by Apollonius his tricks and favour that hee was chosen an Elder of the Church * He was so bad that he was not fit to be employed in the State yet good enough to be employed in the Church c. not that hee might by any goodnesse in him be usefull to the Church but that Apollonius his Presbytery might upbraid the Magistrate with injustice for stopping his mouth from pleading whom they thought fit should bee an Elder But chiefly that the Lawyer might take an occasion to revenge himselfe and wrong all secular Magistrates at least indirectly from the Ecclesiastick tribunall I confesse I write this onely by relation but I doubt not the truth of it For hee that will search the States Ordinances there and the Records or Register of the Magistrates of Middleburgh will finde that I am not further off from Truth then from Reason which doth manifestly shew that Apollonius for a long time with his Walachrians have been striving in thought word and deed by their example to teach other spirituall men of the like stamp to resist Magistrates and Princes and that Pope-like under pretence of the Church-Hierarchie they would dissolve and subject to themselves the carnall authority of secular powers So that now I may seeme to performe funerall obsequies both to the Ghosts of Vedelius as also to keep off the death and buriall both of the â—ivill Government and of the whole Church For experience of all Ages have taught that no sooner hath your authority been rejected but presently these Church-Prelates have ruined and destroyed one another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence nothing can be expected but miserable Anarchy except there should arise another Pope and Antichrist in the Reformed Church This Apollonius is very lavish in railing against you and takes no small delight in presaging that you will prove secular Popes and consequently Antichrists if you but offer formally to meddle with or touch the Modern Church-affaires which hee challengeth to him and his alone with that supreme authority which is given you from God But sure hee was never more mistaken then in this For the Pope is in this very regard the Antichrist because hee challengeth to himself the Supreme and Monarchicall power which is proper alone to You and which against the command of Christ hee abuseth to the destruction of the Kingdome of Christ If Apollonius had weighed S. Pauls prophesie of Antichrist hee might have seen that it is impossible for a secular Prince to bee Pope or Antichrist for hee most divinely foretold that he should sit in the Temple but You Princes sit not in the Temple You alone sit by Gods appointment in the chiefe Throne of the World from whence if you dart the beames of Your Majesty upon the Church of Christ You doe but what by daily experience wee finde in the Sun whose beames though placed in Heaven yet make the Earth fruitfull Hee also tells us that this will bee his property to elevate and extoll himselfe above all worldly powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Popes work and Apollonius his desire but when You come to handle Church-matters You doe not exalt Your authority but submit both Your selves to Christ and Your authority also with which God hath solely intrusted You. Lastly Hee sitting in the Church of God must extoll himselfe above all that is called God or Monarch but You Your selves are called Gods and Monarchs You must needs bee exalted above Your selves if You bee Popes and Antichrists However then You may swell with unseemely pride yet if You meddle with Church-matters which Apollonius feareth You shall not bee like Antichrist to whom it is essentiall to bee proud and to exalt himselfe but rather despising the pride and glory of the world You will kisse the Sun and submit your Scepters to him yet not basely and contemptibly as the Pope doth require of Monarchs and Apollonius would faine procure in Middleburgh Which Plague that God may deliver us from I thought fit to write what You see upon his patcht pieces the sum of which I have set out by this Preface so that now I should end this Proem with a wish Feare not the superstitious paintings of Church-holinesse as if some worldly carnality had made you unfit to manage the moderne businesses of the Church as our new Papists prate To you God hath given the spirit of Adoption that You may beleeve and consecrate your bodies and all yours for a holy sacrifice to him to You by speciall warrant hath God given His word that it might never depart from your mouth To you God hath given chiefe power to propagate honesty the Worship of God and Piety cannot You then direct or performe holy things appointed by God without sacriledge of which at this day there is nothing of such consequence which may not be performed by some prophane impostor or young
the Pope useth to doe but experience shewes the contrary Lastly they are all destitute of the gifts of Miracles in which chiefly Apostolicall Spirituality did shine so that in this power they exceeded all others But I doe not think that it was ever found yet that at the prayers of Apolonius the Church did shake or that lying Ananias and Sapphyra did fall down dead It is not unlikely if he had the power or spirit of Elias to bring down fire from heaven but he would doe it and burn up all his Magistrates though there were fifty of them such is his heat against them This I l'e say briefly That Christ is too rich a King of Spirituall gifts to imploy such poore and naked Embassadours as these who have no Badge or mark of his Embassie except you 'l call him the Kings Embassadour who taking upon him the name of an Embassadour but wanting Letters of Credence and have nothing to shew for his Commission wil in a tumultuous way proclaime the Kings Lawes and in the mean while transgresse the Lawes and for his owne benefit oppose and mock the King What I have sayd of Persons may be observed of Things to wit that there are divers degrees of Spirituality according to the Manner so that in this regard a thing is more holy and spirituall This may be seen in the Jewish Church-government as in a type the Ark Propitiatory Breast-plate Cherubim and other things that were kept in the Holy of Holies were most sacred and spirituall because in them God was in a manner immediatly There was lesse spirituality in the Holy of Holies which contained these things Inferiour to this was the Holy Place whither all the Priests came and yet more inferiour was the outward Court whither all the people repaired then Mount Zion on which stood the Temple and at last Jerusalem within which all these were inclosed All these had not the same sanctity but in many degrees different and he had playd the Impostor who under the Title of a general spirituality had made all holinesse equal and promiscuously removed all from the secret places Now though the Leviticall worship be abolished and external or locall Spirituality yet this remaines in Christian worship and Church-discipline that there is not the same degree of Spirituality but much different in the Manner Gods word is most spiritual which most plainly favours of the Holy Ghost its Authour as being properly ordained for saving of soules Hence it is most true that all things found in this for salvation are most spiritual To this is next true Faith which proceeding from this seed alwayes savours of Spirituality and in whom it is found him it makes spiritual Inferiour to these are Hope Charity Prayer and Confession which borrow their spirituality from it Heb. 11. For without faith it is impossible to please God and consequently to be truly spiritual They differ also in this for these are common to Hypocrites and wicked men so is not Faith Inferiour to these are the outward meanes of begetting faith and other vertues in us such are Reading and preaching of the Word and administration of Sacraments which have this prerogative of spirirituality that they are the proper meanes to conferre salvation and to constitute a Church yet these are much inferiour in dignity to Gods word and Faith For these are of themselves and alwayes spiritual but those are onely spiritual actions so farre as they are conversant about the others as their spiritual objects but chiefly if they be in a lawful and spiritual way Lastly these things are inferiour in degree which in the Church-Discipline belong onely to the wel-being or properly which remove the evil being that may arise from confusion and scandal such are at this day the Calling of Ministers Discipline and appoynting of Lawes All which we see performed and handled by wicked men Nor are they absolutely required to the internal form of the Church because in some sort she may bee without them For so long doe they retaine spirituality as they doe exactly answer the Rules of holy Scriptures especially so long as they carry plainly the markes and Badges of the Holy Ghost as was in the time of the Apostles I have briefly touched the differences and degrees of Spiritualitie that I might resist the fraud of Popery For it was very familiar with old Papists to confound all the degrees of Spiritualitie and principally to vent for chiefe spiritual things their owne businesse and actions which they performe about these properly spirituall things For they despise Gods word which is most spiritual and their onely contention is of the right of handling this Word whence they arrogate power and command to themselves So they make small account of true Faith and truly faithfull men which indeed are truly spiritual but their main strife is about the right of ruling punishing and censuring those spiritual men and in this they place all spiritualitie so that to themselves alone they claime the right of Spirituality and exclude all Christians as Lay-men and not spiritual The new Walachrian Papist with them keeps equal pace For hee doth not place properly spirituality in Gods Word in true Faith and other things truly spiritual For hee knowes that these are common to all Christians but hee seekes all the pretext of spirituality in Actions which are imployed about these things especially in such as hee thinks belong onely to him and such as he is In whom although as they are now there is much carnality but very little spirituality yet hee croakes so proudly of these actions and of the right of performing them as if the whole summe or highest pitch of spiritualitie consisted in them whose Plea is all one as if a Levit of old had compared the sanctity of the outward Court or of Mount Sion to the dignities of the Holy of Holies or Ark within it For as to these the other were ordained so also from these they received all their dignity of holinesse But let this premonition suffice concerning the acceptions of Church Spirituality and Sanctity which in the following discourse I wil handle more at large CHAP. V. How farre these things belong at this day to Church-affaires and Government HItherto I have delineated the acceptions of these words CHURCH SANCTITIE and SPIRITUALITIE under which Cloakes the old Papists heretofore have and the new Walachrian Papists now doe insnare and delude the unwary the summe of which was that clamourously they bragge of the vertues and sanctity of the Church under the Title of Catholick Church and Invisible which doubtlesse is Holy and Spirituall But when they come to the matter they turne aside to visible and particular Churches which oftentimes differ as much in holinesse and spirituality as the Kings Closet doth in cleannesse from a Swines-stigh For this abounds with hypocrites sinners and prophane wretches Again when they boast of the vertues of the visible Church they handle the matter as if they
in expressing the one sense of hearing he hath not excluded the other Besides faith comes by hearing either publick or privat reading Therefore Augustine warned the godly that they pray often and read the Scripture For when we pray sayth he we speak to God when we read God speaks again to us The most holy Ecclesiastick meanes then to beget and preserve faith in us is the reading of the Scripture and it is so much the more excellent in that it is not subject to the will or command of any man but most purely conveyes to us the liquor of divine Truth as it were out of a Fountaine of such uncorrupted sincerity that by reason of this sacred Function alone Christ commanded to heare the Scribes and Pharisees in all that they shall say But Apolonius doth not much strive about this spirituality and priviledge because there is in it nothing imperious but servile rather not would hee cry out that his sacred things were prophaned if perhaps the Magistrate should use this office of reading but would rather say that it is a testimony of civil servitude no otherwise then of old the Gibeonites y for deceiving Ioshâ—a were commanded to minister Wood and Water to the true Priests and Levits Next to reading is preaching Stapleton and the Jesuites are so proud of the priviledge of this Function that they claim a power to themselves to save souls for thus they reason No man can be saved without faith no man can have faith without hearing Gods word no man can heare without a Preacher no man can preach except he be sent to send belongs onely to the Governours of the Church Therefore they conclude That the care and power of saving depends on them By which Title they insult over all as if they were lay men if they offer to enquire more narrowly of matters of salvation as if the businesse of heaven did not belong to such This errour Apotonins breathes every where using almost the same weapons that the Jesuites doe to wit that modern preaching is the sanctified and spirituall meanes and by spirituall right Ecclesiastick belonging onely to Ministers by their right of Vocation But for others especially for worldly Magistrates it is neither lawfull nor possible I confesse that preaching is in some fort holy and usefull for the Church but hee that will compare the manner of it as it is at this day with that of the Apostles he will compare the shadow with the body for they were truly inspired by God and taught by God furnished with all the gifts of Knowledge Tongues Miracles by Divine authority as Christs Embassadours they preached and faithfully dispensed the Mysteries of God God speaking by them and therefore they abstained from all pleasing allurements of Arts and humane affections But at this day whasoever declamatory Art is in preaching it proceedes of humane and secular precepts with that pomp that now nothing in the Church is thought handsous but what savours of Quintilians Tropes or of Aristotles Metaphysicks This is no new thing for shortly after the Apostles departure the subtilties of Philosophers unknown to the Apostles were made use of to edifie the Church withall but with this successe that these Arts brought more darknesse then light into the Church for they layd the foundation of many errours and chiefly of Antichristianisme then springing up Which humane Artifices are now vented with such pride that all the Majesty of Gods word consisting in simplicity is by them obscured For although there is some use of these Arts against contradictors of the truth yet we know by experience that more contenttions differences and errours are raised then abolished by them â—â—ther did the Church ever fight with better successe then when the adversaries were confuted with pure Scripture Now if there be such failings in their vertues what shall we say of their vices We find by experience that they are destitute oftentimes of all things requisite by Paul in a Bishop and being armed with impudent Fore-heads as we see in Apolonius they rush upon this work with such pride that they make themselves spirituall holy Christs Legats and in a manner the Apostles fellows whereas they labour not alwayes to furnish the pure milk of Gods Word but rather to vent their own affections inventions and fictions and that with such eagernesse and quarrelling that they can scarce abstain from railing Though these things were mended according to the manner and example of the Apostles yet I would say that Apolonius is swelled with Antichrian pride and so are all our new Papists who place more holinesse and speciall spirituality in their preaching work then was ever held of old under the Levitical law or after under the Apostles For albeit that all were debarred from sacrificing except the Levits yet no man was hindered from preaching neither Princes nor Lay-people Moses Joshua David Solomon and other Princes did preach publickly When Josaphat Josiah and other Kings restored the worship of God they sent Priests Levits to teach and so they did likewise Lay-men When Religion was restored under Nehemiah Esdras and the Levits taught but it is added that Inshua and some of the people did publickly read and teach If this was of such speciall right as the Ecclesiastick and Leviticall Office of sacrificing entring into the Sanctuary separating and discovering of Lepers and other things which God granted to the Priests and Levits why was it so promicuously granted to the people Who will not say that the Levits and Apostles were irreligious and tramplers upon their owne holy Function in giving leave so promiscuously for men to preach that they hindered no man from it either publickly or privatly if hee was apt This may bee shewed by many examples Luke 2.46 First when CHRIST being about twelve yeares of age disputed publickly in the Temple with the Doctors For though he might justly doe this having a Divine calling thereto yet the Scribes and Pharisees knew not so much And indeed they were too proud of the priviledge of their Chaire and of preaching to suffer any much lesse a child to meddle with their y Office of preaching had they known that it was not lawfull for any to preach without the solemnities of calling but simply perceiving the gifts and aptitude in Christ to teach not being sollicitous whether he was called or not did make no scruple in permitting him to teach Such another place there is in Luke Luke 4.16 when Christ being at Naâ—â—reth took the Book and read and then preached all his hearers admiring him with attention Whence I gather that then there was no such need of writings to shew their Orders and Callings to preach but any man might preach that was apt For it is most certain that Christ had no ordinary vocation without which if it had been then so sacrilegious a thing to preach as Apolonius would now perswade us doubtlesse they had pulled Christ out of the Pulpit whom the Scribes and
Pharisees would not acknowledge for an extraordinary Prophet The like we read of Paul who on the Sabbath day at Antioch Acts 13. being unknown first heard the reading then the Rulers of the Synagogue sent to him saying Men and brethren if you have any word of exhortation to the people say on Upon which occasion he made an excellent Sermon there If then the sanctity of preaching had been sostrict sure it had not been so easie a matter for Paul to preach without controlment Apolonius in some places shewes at large that Paul was known there For out of his singular skill in Scripture he thinkes that this was Antioch of Syria where hee was well known But hee is shamefully deceived and feeds his Reader with falshoods For Luke expressly sayth that this was not Antioch of Syria but of Pisidia where hee was not yet knowne for that lyeth in Syria over against Cyprus about the Bay of Issicum by the river Orontes But this of Pisidia was over against Attalia at the foot of Mount Taurus and is distant in longitude from the other at least an hundred miles Hee is then as much deceived as if he had confounded Lyons with Leyden which errour is so plain that children may find it out and surely it is not to be suffered in a man so higly puffed up and presumptuous who like a Scribe or Pharisee durst prescribe to the English what they thought of doubtfull and abstruse things when he saw not that which was before his feet For because he knew that this would hinder his fiction if Paul being a stranger should be admitted to preach there he found no readier way then to confound that which the holy Ghost had so exactly distinguished either out of ignorance or out of â—â—lice which he might have easily seen by the circumstances if hee had not shut his eyes For they are sayd to have sat down Then That the Rulers of the Synagogue sayd to them c. For if this had been that Antioch of Syria where he was known they had not suffered him to sit so farre from the Rulets as an ordinary man among the people Therefore they onely conjecturing that Paul had the gift of preaching did not much enquire of the precise and speciall right of calling So the Fable in Aesop may be fitly applied to him of the Asse affecting principality over the other beasts hee covered himselfe with the Lyons skin at which sight the beasts were affrighted but the cunning Foâ— laughed to see how he betrayed himselfe by his long eares and voyce For he brayed like an Asse and did not roare like a Lion I thinke the learned English did no otherwise laugh when they saw this Night-bird with such authority determining of all sacred things as if he were some great Councellor of holy matters whom they found to lye in so plain and ordinary things The like we read of those of Beraea Acts 17. who not knowing of Pauls vocation and finding his doctrine consonant to Scripture did easily acknowledge him for a Teacher There is a more evident example in Apollos Act. 18.24 who being an Alexandrian was admitted to preach at Ephesus being known by no priviledge of vocation but onely famous for this That hee was cloquent and powerfull in Scripture except you will confesse that the hands of the Presbytery were layd upon one unfit and not sufficiently learned For it is known that he had no solemne vocation for the holy Ghost records that Aquila a Mechanick and Priscilla his wife after they had heard him a-part to have taught the way of the Lord more perfectly which differs much from Apolonius his speciall sanctity of preaching who not onely would have kept off Apollos from preaching but if Aquila the Mechanick and Priscilla a woman had dared to instruct him not onely would he have gruntled but with his Rod and Pastorall Sword he had thrust him out of the Church and had it been in his power out of heaven too This case also is notable Acts 11.20 that certaine Cyprians and Disciples of Cyrone being dispersed by the death of Stephen preached to the Greekes at Antiâ—ch as it were in a private zeale which appeares y from hence because the Church of Jerusalem hearing suddenly of this sent Barnabas thither that hee might enquire as of a thing unknown Neither doth it appeare that he made any enquirie concerning their speciall right of Calling but seeing the effects of their Doctrine and the grace of GOD hee rejoyced and approved their endeavours These things being thus performed by the Apostles doe agree with the ordinary institution of teaching in the Church which was that every one that was apt might have leave to teach and prophesie in the Church so it be done orderly one after another onely women were to bee debarred from this exercise for the better decorum Whence it is cleare that under these great divinely-inspired Rulers of the Church the mystery of preaching was not of such speciall right and spirituality as the Treverian Stilt-walker with the Papists would make us beleeve But by a pretty cavill he would faine escape For he distinguisheth between Charitable or Edifying preaching as hee calls it and powerfull or potestative which is with the power of the Keyes and of Gods Legats that sayth he is lawfull for all this onely for Ministers as Gods Legats This invention of his though childish yet I will discusse at large because the businesse here agitate is not of Goats-wooll but of greatest authority in the World under pretence or at least presumption of which our moderne Preachers spue out their railings and reproaches against Princes States and their owne Magistrates and the Pope hath by this subdued the whole world whom the Stilt-walker imitating doth oftentimes urge that he is Christs Embassedour to the people By which he assumes such power to himselfe that he thinkes he preacheth with the same authority that Gods Messengers did so that he who heares him heares Christ who rejects him rejects Christ With which vizard if he deceive Gods people as the Pope hath done it will bee an easie matter for him to babble out his dreames and the affections or fooleries of his distempered minde in stead of Oracles To prevent this I will drive the Night-bird out of his dark holes where hee endeavours to hide his deceits I grant first that Christs true Legat hath very great priviledges and that his Authority is such that wee must obey him no otherwise then Christ himselfe But I deny this to belong to our modern Preachers though never so godly much lesse to the Stilt-walker to be Christs Messenger For to obtain the right of Christs Embassâ—dour two things are required First that he be sent by God to discharge his Embassie in Gods Name Secondly that he be furnished with Gifts requisite for this employment Which two things God hath inseparably united in his Embassâ—dours Hence it is that Paul sayth How shall they preach except
Apostles shadowes healed the sick their imposition of hands then could not be ineffectuall which was then so manifest to all that Simon Magus being moved at the novelty of this thing endeavoured for a sum of money to buy this gift of imposing hands of Peter Nor need we doubt but that this vertue by little and little decreased till at last it quite failed so that questionlesse the Apostles imposition of hands was most sacred seeing it never erred and alwayes manifested its effects but in others it fell out somtimes that it failed both in the choice and effects so that even then Paul warned Timothie 1 Tim. 5. that he lay not hands suddenly on any man It 's no wonder then if this simplicity of mission and vocation with the concourse of so many spirituall gifts did give unto men some divine sanctity which presently shewed it selfe by its effects that I may speak freely if there be now in the world such a caller or any called by such a calling the respect of spirituality is to be given to him above all majesties whatsoever But now we may deplore the unhappinesse of our times and the pride of Clergy-men who though they are destitute of the badges of true divine calling and of spirituall gifts yet are so highly conceited of the prerogatives of their calling that the Prophets and Apostles were much more numble This is an old errour among the ancient Papists that as soon as one is made a Ruler of the Church by Ecclesiastick vocation he is no lesse proud then if he had come downe from heaven endowed with excellency above all other men for they say that the vocation and consecration of the Church imprints an indelible character not onely on the body but also on the soule of the Clergie-men which is observed by Martyr Loc. cem p. 750. From these the Stilt-walker hath borrowed his device as he hath other things in arrogating to himselfe under pretence of vocation above Magistrates a wonderfull sanctity of speciall light by which he alone is to meddle with Ecclesiastick Formalities in a holy manner and formally Ecclesiastick for saith he the whole derivation of Ecclesiastick right and spirituall holy power by vocation is conferred upon the Minister part 2. p. 147. and he affirmes that of this proceeds by spirituall right universall dominion in Ministers and a selfe-commanding power under Christ even over Magistrates themselves whence not in one but in many places he discourseth at large of the misteries of vocation that with this Medusas head he may stupifie superstitious and ignorant people For I confesse that in this as in other things he ploughs with the Papists Heifer and utters many fopperies yet because hee deludes men every where with the Schoole-mens Flowers I will also briefly shake them off Our of them he makes three integrall parts of vocation 1. Slection 2. Triall of life and Doctrine 3. Confirmation or Ordination Where ever he walks he shewes his wit after his manner but if in this division he hath affected acutenesse he is much deceived for he sets Election before Tryall of life and Doctrine For except he deviseth divers sorts of Election he makes of the matter or of the antecedent the forme and perverts altogether the order except Apollonius mean that first one must be called and then must be tried if he be fit to bee called I thinke this is not absurd with him who is versed in the Popish Schooles where they seldome looke into the Popes calling who he is or how gifted but permits him by right or wrong to thrust himselfe into Peters chaire though a knave or a whore let him have it that can and let the possessor possesse it for Peters chaire alwaies findes the Pope holy or makes him holy as they use to say the Stilt-walker is not ignorant of this mystery of iniquity whilest in vocation he will be first elected then examined if he be fit to be elected as if you should put the cart before the horse For if to call rightly is first to elect and then to inquire of life and manners then the husband-man soweth well who first casts his seed into the ground and then inquires whether it be wheat or tares which he sowed He erres also in the third member when he makes Ordination or Imposition of hands an integrall part yea the principle forme of vocation whereas indeed it is onely a consequent or as it were an addition if I would shew my wit as he doeth every where I should thus reason confirmation is a part either of that vocation which is existent or which is not existent if this then it is no part of Vocation for it is not as yet If that then it is no formall part of that which was before I know that the Apostles after Vocation did impose hands but this will not prove that imposition of hands is the formall part of Vocation no more then Christs breathing was of the calling of the Apostles or the Priests declaration of the Cure of the Leprosie Signes do not constitute a thing but shew that it is constituted as giving of the right hand makes not a Bargaine or Covenant 1 Tim. 5. but shewes and confirmes it But where it is said Lay not thy hands suddenly on any man that is make not a Minister or Teacher this doth not prove that imposition of hands is either an integrall or formall part of Vocation for every one knowes it is a figurative speech when the name of the efficient or thing signified is attributed to the effect or signe As if I should say put not the Kings Crowne hastily upon any it does not follow that the Crowne or setting of it on the head doth formally make a King Many have reigned long yea all their lives without the solemnities of Coronation this was the Popes cunning that I may speake this by the way which he first exercised about the yeare 700. upon Charles because â—e annointed and crowned him Emperour This honourable service he first profered to the Emperours as a free thing and so they received it as a matter not needfull but the old Cheater the Pope from hence took a power to make Emperours and Kings from hence it came to passe that though one were Emperour by election yet he was not so accounted till he was confirmed by the solemnities of Papall Coronation and benediction In like manner he playes in Church-matters by this Artifice of Confirmation he confirmes no Bishop till he hath paid him one yeares Revenue of his whole Bishopricke which hee therefore calls Annats he makes no man Archbishop till first he have Peters pall or short cloke which He onely must fell They say that this is made up of holy wool and hath a border of lead guilded over and that it is so short that it scarce covers the shoulder blades to shew forsooth the Popes poverty as if he had borrowed this of Stage-Players I have not such insight
speake truth knowes that hee obtained this speciall right of Sanctity by the like mysterie of Vocation and that hee hath no other wayes almost bestowed it upon others I know that somtimes things are carried more conscionably and that the abuse of a thing takes not still away the use thereof yet this I dare say that because at this day are wanting men divinely inspired to call and because the bestowing of spirituall gifts is separate at this day from Imposition of hands though it be done by Christs command and for a spirituall end yet in respect of the manner modern vocation is meerly humane because the whole manner is fallible humane and oftentimes corrupted whence the effects must be also humane and oftentimes most vitious so that we have instead of Apollo Apollonius a Sophister for a Prophet a Sycophant for a Bishop But because this vocation is with Apollonius the chiefe Originall of moderne Church-spiritualitie least we should believe there is more in the effect then in the adequate cause I conclude that the power of excercising Church-affaires at this day is not of divine but of humane right and therefore Apollonius playes the Impostor who prates so at random of the sanctity of his Church-affaires and of the speciall spirituall right of exercising them he is not unlike to them that falsifie coyne who wash brasse leaden or iron pieces with a little silver or gold to impoverish others and inrich themselves I confesse that this is the old Popish garlick sticking close to many but he who will looke over the writings of all Divines as hee brags hee hath done may perceive that the most quick-sighted Reformers have found out long since that whatsoever is so highly talked of the speciall right of sanctity is nothing else but the secondine of the Romish mother and the pollution adhering to her sons since their nativity there is none more stubborne then the Stilt-walker who above all others delights in the polluted blood of that Romish Whore and sips up againe her excrements not being content with common Elogies he prides himselfe so much in the right of this priviledge that he affirmeth every where that the Ecclesiastick power is a kind of Majesty and hath in it some thing that is Regall I confesse that the name of Christians puts us in mind of our Kingly Office which as the Catechist saith consisteth in this that we strive against sin and subdue the lusts of the flesh and this is common to all Christians but the Stilt-walker not content with this Priviledge of a Ministeriall right of vocation he makes a right of commanding and raigning in the Church and that speciall censoriall and nomotheticall so that many times he calls this power under Christ imperiall selfe-sufficient absolute and regall I confesse they are but trifles which he spreads every where yet least he should seeme to be neglected because he is not laughed at it will not bee unpleasing to rub his eares a little Par. 1. p. 8. 25 c. Mat. 13. c. He is wonderfully pleased that Christ calls the Church his Kingdome which is not of this world but heavenly and the Kingdome of heaven whence he concludes that the visible Church is a Kingdome and that the Government thereof is like that of a Kingdome and because the power of this Government is in the Church-Rulers that therefore their power is in a manner Kingly such are the Popish enthymemes concerning a spirituall and Ecclesiastick Kingdome I answer here is a fallacy in the ambiguity of the word when they meane every where by the Church the visible Church for when Christ saith that his Kingdome is not of this world but heavenly he meanes the Catholike Church the greatest part whereof is in heaven and there raignes with Christ But because for the accomplishing of this Kingdome the visible Church here on earth is appointed and her Ministery therefore Christ transfers the name of the Kingdome of heaven to the affaires of the visible Church not as if he meant that the visible Church or her Ministery should be held for a Kingdome or for the Kingdome of heaven but by a knowne Metonymie he transfers the name of the effect and end to the efficient which leads to that end no other wayes then we use to say that a man labours for food and rayment whereas he workes for money not as if money were food and rayment but because by it these things are procured he deserves to be laughed at who in silver seeketh properly for food and rayment because figuratively it is called food and rayment as ridiculous are the Papists when they seeke in the visible Church a regall and celestiall Power and dominion because it is called the Kingdome of heaven for no other reason but because it is the medium by which we attain to that blessed Kingdome in heaven This is the old Papists Logick to seek for literall conclusions out of figurative speeches which art almost every where the Walachrian Bapist borrowes from them and chiefly in this Argument for because Christ calls the visible Church and its Government a Kingdome and of heaven figuratively he concludes that the Church-Rulers have a regall power and that they are really and simply heavenly Kings although I suspect that he wrote this and many other things but in jest yet I will drive out this joculary naile with another naile that any one may see the absurdity If the visible Church be the Kingdome of heaven truly and simply as Apollonius saith then I will infer that of necessity the Church of Midleburg is also literally the Kingdome of heaven which if so then I will conclude with another consequence that that Church is literally heaven for England and France are the Kingdomes of England and France Hence further I conclude that as often as the visible Church meeteth in the temple of Middleburg there heaven is literally and by another consequence as often as the Stilt-walker preacheth in that Church he preacheth in heaven then it must follow that while he is there with his Hearers he is not properly on the earth except he will mingle heaven and earth together And againe it will follow that because he is a Ruler in that Church and hath the power of censuring he is not only a King but the King of heaven too as Rhadamanthus is of hell How blessed then is Apollonius who if he doth not reigne in the earthly Consistory of Middleburg yet he is King of Middleburgian heaven Are not then the Magistrates of Middleburg stupid who yet doubt whether the Stilt-walker be worthy of the earthly Kingdome of his Consistory whom long ago they see to be King of heaven That he may reconcile these absurdities he will be forced to confesse that this word of the Kingdome of heaven is figuratively and improperly attributed to the visible Church But if Apollonius may with Papists expound figurative words literally there will be nothing certain in Divinity but Christians
to sense then certainly the Stilt-walker the Metropolitan of the Walachrian Church should be very heavenly whom yet by these his patched peeces wee see to bee very earthly so that the leprosie of the earth sticks not only close to him but is also very familiar to most Kings of this heaven that if that heavenly Kingdome were not contained within compasse by the civill earthly Kingdome those Heavenly Kings would quickly destroy one another so that I may truly say that the earthly Kingdome sustaines that heavenly Kingdome or else it would fall to the ground Another fraud of his is in the other place where Christ saith my Kingdome is not of this world Christ was asked by Pilate if he were a King he confesseth that hee was a King but not of this world that iâ— hee would not exercise his Kingdome in this world hee addes a reason if my Kingdome were such my souldiers would fight for mee whence it appeares that Christ spoke plainly because hee said that he had such a Kingdome which hee did not exercise upon the earth as openly and properly hee did not but in Heaven when hee sat down at Gods right hand The Stilt-walker thinks that by this Kingdome of Christ is to be understood the government of the visible Church which if true then Christ had answered Pilate intricately and captiously because so taking it Christs Kingdom had been properly in the world and a part of the world yea in this Kingdome hee had his souldiers and in processe of time he got more for Kings and Emperours were made the defenders of this Kingdome and Church of Christ although then I should yeeld that in some respect the title of Christs Kingdome and of Heaven belong to the visible Church yet it were absurd in this place so to take it whereas it is here absolutely denied that this Kingdome is of this world but the visible Church chiefely that which the Walachrian deviseth is in the world and of the world and is too full of worldly corruptions And there is no lesse fraud in corrupting that place of Paul which hee preposterously cites with the Pontificians no man warring to God doth intangle himselfe with secular cares the words properly sound thus no man that warreth intangles himselfe with the affaires of this life that hee may please his Generall in which words the Apostle compares to souldiers the Preachers of the Word and also what hee saith that Elders who labour in the Word which consecrate themselves to the Ministery of the Word ought not to intangle themselves in the affaires of this life to wit in merchandizing husbandry and such like so that they intangle themselves and bee so carried away with the businesse and sweetnesse of them as with Demas to forsake their station for the love of this present world This is the plaine sense of that place in Paul how perversly it is corrupted I will now shew out of this place hee concludes that it is altogether unlawfull and unseemly for a Minister of the Word to care for the affaires of this world or any way to meddle with them which not only is repugnant to Scripture but is also a meer Popish fiction Paul indeed would not have preachers intangle themselves that is altogether involve themselves in secular businesse but not to touch them at all or totally to forbeare them hee commands no where Yet the practise of Christ and of his Apostles shew the contrary for I will ask whether fishing be a secular work of this life I think no man will deny it but the Apostles for the three yeares together that they were Christs disciples did still exercise their fishing yea they went to fishing after Christs Resurrection and who knowes whether they did not fish after the Holy Ghost was sent truly Paul himselfe after hee had long exercised his Apostleship at Corinth whilst hee was a preacher with Aquila hee exercised his mechanicall trade of making tents If Paul understood his law as this Walachrian wrests it then hee was a manifest breaker of his own law therefore it is a Popish fiction which this new Papist hath borrowed from the old ones when hee interprets these words so as if it were altogether unlawfull for preachers to meddle with secular businesse this error in length of time hath made Preachers idle and dainty yea it occasioned Antichrist for rich Christians considering with themselves that the taske of preaching was a difficult businesse and required a whole man by degrees they furnished them with so many things out of their own estates that they would have them bee altogether free from the care of things necessary belonging to their food or lively-hood For which end they built Monastries and cloystures and endowed them with great revenues in which the preaching Monkes might live plesantly and commodiously being free from all cares that so they might the more freely give themselves to their studies This institution at first though worldly yet was not evill but in processe of time covetousnesse possessed the minds of the Clergy that like spirituall harpyes they still affected and craved for more untill their covetousnesse grew to that height that the Pope alone became richer then all the Kings of the earth from which vice at last proceeded pride then lasinesse and neglect of theologicall studies and lastly all kinde of luxurie so that these Monasteries became brothell-houses and swine-styes of Sodomites all which sprung up out of the mis-understanding of that place which now the Stilt-walker goeth about to wrest against the Magistrate for because he thinks hee can by these delude ignorant people by perswading them that it is unlawfull and unseemly for preachers to meddle with secular affaires hence hee concludes as in a round that therefore it is unlawful for secular men to handle Church-matters for hee faines them to bee hogges only addicted to worldly things and of this life in which they are still intangled thus not only doth he injure godly Magistrates but impudently patroniseth his Ecclesiasticks for as it is known that many godly Magistrates have been very moderate both in mannaging of secular affaires and also matters belonging to Religion very zealous so experience teacheth that not a few preachers having neglected and contemned their duty in preaching have been so intangled with worldly businesse that as at this day it must not offend Christian eares if some preachers having broke their estates with Merchandizing and taking up money upon use have cheared godly Christians by turning bankerupts which shewes that this Walachrian is an impudent vermine who under pretence of avoiding secular affaires puts so great a difference between Civill Magistrates and Church-Men seeing he is convicted by these Walachrian examples and his own conscience that there is nothing which busie Church-men more affect then the affaires of this world Like to this is another which he is alwayes prating of The civill Power is Monarchicall the Ecclesiasticall should be alwayes Aristocratical ergo Civâ—â—
moderation for Paul saith you yourselves do wrong and defraud your Brethren therefore hee farther perswades them that if they would goe to Law they should remaine within the Church which was then separated from the unfaithfull Magistrates and that they would among themselves take up their quarrels He useth many reasons for this purpose especially this that no faithfull man should be so unfit to judge but that hee may easily be able to judge an Infidell or wicked man for he saith that faithfull Christians shall judge the world whence he concludes if the godly are reserved for judging of such great matters it were absurd if they were not able to judge of triviall and worldly matters Whence appeared their absurditie in choosing wicked and unfaithfull Magistrates for their Judges for they were inferiour to Christians they did all one as if they had made the basest amongst them their Judges passing by those that were worthiest to this Pauls words tend they that are of least esteem among you make them Judges which ironically he speakes not that hee approved that Judges should be chosen of the meanest persons but contrarily he dislikes that evill custome for hee saith presently I speake this to your shame is there never a wise-man among you who may judge between brother and brother By which words he doth plainly shew that he doth not like their custome in going to law before Infidels because in doing so they made the meanest men their Judges but this he saith is preposterous because this belongs rather to the wiser sort so that he upbraids them for want of wise men and in that they passed by their brethren and made Infidell Magistrates Judges of their differences whom they exceeded or should have exceeded in wisdome This is the plaine meaning of Pauls words which overthroweth the Stilt-walkers fooleries He thinks that Paul here made a perpetuall and absolute Law as if they that sate on the Benches and were Judges of secular affaires that is Magistrates were in respect of their Magistracy the meanest persons alwayes whereas on the contrary Paul considers this meanesse in respect of infidelity because they were then Infidelis that bare the office of Magistracie Whence it followes that Pauls reason ceaseth in Magistrates when they become faithfull And whereas they are such under whom now the Stilt-walker lives hee is injurious to ubpraid them with this meannesse which Paul expressely imposeth onely on Infidells Apollonius his other perversnesse is in calling Magistracie base and the Magistrates base in respect of their office when as Paul assevereth that the office of a Judge is so excellent that it should not be committed to the basest but to the wisest So that he reproves them for want of wise men among them that they were forced to appeale to Infidells who were not wiser or worthier then Christians but rather because of their infidelity baser And therefore they did ill when they made them their Judges by which meanes they accused themselves of unfitnesse and unskilfulnesse and preposterously conferred the office of judicature upon base and unworthy persons So then Paul affirmes the office of judicature and Magistracie to be most worthy and therefore to belong onely to wise men so it be not transferred upon Infidells for then it is accidentally conferred on the meanest Is not then the Walachrian injurious to account faithfull Magistrates base whom Paul thinks worthy of honour and the prerogative of wisdome I have now examined the arguments or rather scoffs and fallacies with which the Stilt-walker would perswade us that Magistrates are so carnall and vile that they neither can nor should meddle with the holy and spirituall affaires of the Church such as they are at this day And so unbridled he is in his language that he could not raile with greater audacity if he had the sole Dictatorship in the State of the united Provinces For what Nathan Eliah or Paul who were divinely inspired durst thus raile against impious Magistrates as he doth against godly ones You saith he are onely a separable accident of the Church your power is not in but about the Church you are the basest members in respect of your Magistracie you are onely carnall and worldly who are not to meddle with the affaires of heaven but of earth and if you would ascend higher to handle the holy affaires of our Church-government it is impossible for you to handle or touch them so that you cannot meddle with spirituall things and belonging to the salvation of soules by your selves but by us you are not to prescribe lawes to us in Church-matters or abrogate without the consent of Church-men the lawes prescribed by Church-men controversies and Church-censures are not to be judged by you nor can there be from hence appeales to you yea whatsoever Church-men shall in Church-matters ordaine or judge that you are by your cumulative power to approvâ— and put in execution and to submit your selves and all yours if you do otherwise you are monsters amphibious animals Church Lay-men Popes that is Lay Antichrists out-lawes part 1. p. 16 2 Thes 2. Christs enemies men of sin and sonnes of perdition You will be sacrilegious tramplers upon the Churches priviledges and Christs blood you will offer violence to Christs Spouse and such like I onely proferre the gleanings he that will have the whole crop let him repaire to his patched peeces and they will see that he is no lesse mad then if he had been hired by the Pope or Spaniard to stirre up the people against the Magistrates and united States For no man is so ignorant that seeth not the lawes which he positively sets downe to be broken by the Magistrates in their Synods and other Church-businesses and that therefore they deserve as being wicked and sacrilegious to be destroyed by the people and thrust out of their Magistracie that these things are indirectly intended by those Walachrian Sticklers every one may see who is not blinde I recommend the care of this businesse to the Magistrates as Fathers of the Countrey and I will further shew with what priviledges God doth honour them in Scripture what power they had in Church-affaires in the old and new Testament and consequently what their office is at this day That is a famous elogie above the rest Esa 49.23 60.16 which God gives to Kings and Magistrates in that they were to be the nursing Fathers of the Church which Prophesie is twice repeated in Esay by which metaphor is shewed that Magistrates should be as it were keepers and nurses to nourish and feed the Church Which if it doth belong to the Magistrate in respect of his office how should he be without the Church For who will not say it is an absurdity that the nurse who should feed the infants of the family must be placed without the house no other wayes then if a Ship-master or Pilot be placed without the ship The Stilt-walker stormes against this title and saith That it must
saith that among the offices of the Church there were Governours and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presidents or Bishops Which offices because they were separated from the generall government of the Apostles it is not to be doubted but that they consisted in the speciall power of censuring and curbing of Christians Rom. 12. against Ataxie and alse of defending the Church Whom therefore Aretius thinks were Laics who had inspection over mens manners Lib. 4. Instit c. 20. and discharged the office of Magistracie So Calvin saith that there were grave men who had charge of manners which is all one with the Civill power that under these may be commended every kind of just government Lastly I will prove by a necessary reason that there were then in the Church who judged of secular matters that is were Magistrates For we know out of 1 Cor. 6. that there were among Christians controversies about secular business Hence I necessarily collect that their Judges were either within or without the Church If they were without onely then the Corinthians did well in going to them or else they must have left them still unjudged But the former is repugnant to Pauls reprehension the latter to equity and reason Hence necessarily it followes that within the Church there were such as decided controversies or might have decided them and I pray what else were these but such as Magistrates at this day So that here I hold this Walachrian Batt by both his wings fastned with ten-peny nailes to the doores of his Church where having discovered his deformity he may spend his dayes in biting and chirping But what if it were as certaine as the Walachrian would have it that there were not Civill Magistrates under the Apostles and consequently that then there were no right and operations of non-entities how will his Logick prove that it must be so continually except he will perswade us that Magistrates should be alwayes infidels and enemies of the Church because they were such under the Apostles which assertion were impious and monstrous and contrary to experience For three hundred years after Christ Emperours as it was fore-told kissed the Son Psal 2. were made the Churches nursing Fathers and Patrons as it was apparent in Constantine and others Whence we see the Stilt-walkers madness for he disputes no other wayes then if I should say of Nebuchadnezzar so long as he was a beast he was unfit for government and therefore had no command in his Kingdome Hence I should collect that this was perpetuall and that he never had his Kingdome againe whereas we know that as soone as he was restored to his reason he was also restored to his kingdome and honour and betooke himselfe to his ancient government or if a Master of a Family should be unfit to rule his house because he is distracted in minde so that he must guide it by some other but if he recover his health who will say that he must not return to guide his family again This is the intent of these Walachrian Sophisters because impious Magistrates were sometimes mad and unfit Fathers to guide the family of Christs Church that therefore now they are still unfit although they be restored to their wits and albeit that God hath honoured them with faith piety knowledge prudence and all other gifts fit for a Father yet they must be accounted mad still and must be kept out of the Church bound fast in Bedlam that these unnaturall sons alone might rule as they please I will rather thus reason because Magistrates did not in the Apostles time rule the Church which they alwayes should have done by Gods owne institution because they were Infidels and enemies therefore now they are bound to rule her in that now they are made by faith tutors and nursing fathers of the Church This is all one as if we should say of the Israelites that they must never use husbandry and mechanicall trades because God for 40 yeares together sent them Manna from heaven and kept their utensils from wearing so that neither their clothes nor shooes were worne for experience taught the contrary And although perhaps many would have been well content to have been idle and to enjoy that benefit still yet as soone as they went over Jordan Josh 5. Manna failed them and their utensils began to weare whence they were forced to returne to their agriculture and mechanick trades I will then hence inferre since Magistrates are become Christians they are to be admitted into the whole ancient right which out of the Old Testament we have shewed what that was So that there is now nothing in the whole Church-government which is not lawfull to them by Divine right both for matter of action rule and care This is not my opinion alone but Calvin himselfe every where infinuates this in his Writings Although Christ would not have the beginnings of his Kingdome to be helped by the sword Com. in Deut. 13.5 c. yet he had not prescribed to himselfe an eternall law but at last he forced Kings to obey him c. and of persecutors made them keepers and patrons of the Church Magistrates at first exercised tyrannie against the Church because the time was not yet come that they should kisse the Sonne of God and having laid aside all violence should become nursing fathers of her whom they persecuted In his Commentarie upon 1 Tim. 2. he saith that Magistracie in the Church is as the earth by whose fertility as the corne is procreated so by the Magistrates office the Church is nourished In his Comment on Mat. 20. saith that by this command of Christ we see the Anabaptists fury in excluding Magistrates from the Church of God for it may be that he who was Lord of a towne or village might also in case of necessity performe the function of a Teacher It is then plaine that this man was of a far other opinion then the Walachrians who under pretence of hostility exercised by Nero in the Apostles time against the Church goe about to debar Magistrates for ever from medling with Church-business This was the cunning of growing Antichrist to keep off Magistrates from Church-affaires as being holy and not to be touched so that like another Aeolus he swaggers alone in the Church court Neither have there been wanting at all times some Hermaphrodites halfe men soft and effeminate Princes who with Sardanopalus laying aside all their masculine vigour have submitted themselves to Ecclesiastick whores Such was among the rest Theodosius the younger who wrote to the Synod of Ephesus That it was unlawfull for any man who was not in the catalogue of holy Bishops to meddle with Church queries But much more carelesly Basilius the Emperour who in the 8. Synod said That no Laey-man of what dignity soever ought to move questions in Church-matters this belongs to the Patriarchs Bishops and Priests who have power to bind and have the Church keyes and not to
distinguished by Paul as if it were not lawfull for some to preach for that is against the place Act. 20. where he calls Presbyters promiscuously Bishops and bids them all feed the flock which is properly to teach both had then liberty to preach But because some did it freely and according as their affaires would permit but others againe spent their whole life in labouring casting away all secular businesses as the Apostles Evangelists and Prophets did Hence the Apostle saith that they labour properly in the word And by reason of this duty and office they were not to be Emperors or Potestative Kings as the Papists prate but Oxen treading out the Corn and hired Labourers to whom not only honour as to others but profit also is due that is wages and maintenance out of the Publique purse Surely now in modern vocations all the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit cease with which the church did then abound in Gods just judgment So that if God were now willing to use his bounty the vices of those that are called would hinder him Now then there is almost nothing left of their vocation nor in the Walachrians intention but reward or a yearely stipend whence it appeares that Preachers have no speciall right of sanctity by their vocation but only that leaving their secular affairs which they are loath to do they spēd their whole life about divine worship not as Princes but as Mercenaries who are hived by the States from whom they expect their wages So that of their mercenarie worke they have nothing to brag above other worthy Members of the Church especially the godly Magistrates For they are as foolish as if in an Army the common souldiers who are hired to watch and ward and performe other military duties should brag against that Prince who hires them or against those Voluntiers who freely venture their lives who are therefore more happy and worthy then others because they are not hired but fight out of meere honour and may when they please lay down the dangers and burthens of warfare But this is sufficient for the vanity of the first distinction His other fiction he gathers out of Thomas and the Schoolmens old trash that he may yet the more stoutly keepe off Magistrates from touching his holy things For if this which he seared bee evinced that Magistrates or Lay-men can bee formally Church-men as surely they are when they be chosen Elders because Presbyters by the Apostles institution were all Bishops Pastors and therfore Preachers Act. 20.21 that he may put in a cavill for his speciall sacred things he affirmes that whatsoever Magistrates doe is nothing because they do only imperatively not elicitivelyly in which destinction as in most he seemes to affect obscurity of tearmes that he might cheat with such canvasse ware country people cheaters with multitude of words and nimblenesse of hands hide their trifles and oftentimes cry out Let not one Artificer confound another If the Stilt-walker should cry this a hundreth times yet he could not save his impostures from being ridiculous which now I will in few words shew If he understood his owne distinction this is his meaning that Magistrates must not meddle with modern Church-businesse by themselves that is they must not preach pray publikely administer the Sacraments call or doe the rest Immediatly which with him is to do elicitively and properly to doe for this he saith to doe were a great sacriledge in the Magistrate What then the Magistrate can do all Church-matters imperatively that is he can command Preachers who are alone specially sanctified that they handle Church-matters diligently For which purpose he can heape benefices upon them he may admonish them will veverence as Fathers and if they be quite negligent he may compell and punish them but not by himselfe for this were sacriledge to touch those annointed except it be by Ecclesiastick persons and even in the case of Rebellion and Sedition Church-men ought to be Judges This is that he meanes by acting imperatively elicitively by which pleasant devise hee thinkes he hath obtained a meanes to delight Magistrates with words and wind and whereas he seemes to ascribe much yea all to them in Church-matters yet indeed he gives them nothing 1. Then I answer this fiction is grounded on false suppositions and meer fables as appeares by what is said before concerning the speciall sanctity of Church-affaires which wee cannot find to be such as should exclude any of the faithfull or who belongs to Christ from touching or immediate handling of them for all are of common right and sanctity Again if any thing in Church government were in a speciall manner objectively holy at this day there should be now no medium to obtain this special divine right for performance of that sacred businesse for no man is born with this right as the Levites were of old no man is sent from Heaven as the Apostles and Prophets were no man is called by divine calling or confirmed by a spirituall imposition of hands conferring any extraordinary spirituall gifts as of old under the Apostles but the whole modern vocation in respect of the manner is purely humane and oftentimes abounds with many vices and fraudes so that there is nothing more sure then that such a vocation cannot make one spirituall and holy by speciall right For there should be more in the effect then was in the adaequare cause and so of a bad tree should come good fruit Modern vocation doth nothing else but only for orders sake tye one to his office of performing divine worship in such a place So that what others who have the gifts may doe as voluntary souldiers he is alwayes bound to doe as a Hireling For which cause hee is by the States and Magistrates set down in the catalogue of Hirelings And the treasurer is commanded to reward him for his service as a mercenary To perswade us that by this vocation a man is made spirituall holy and in a special maner sanctified is like children to make us believe that of chalk clay or sand loays pies or marchpain can be made For so they out of their infancie bable among themselves whom the Stilt-walker truly imitates when he would perswade swade the English and all Magistrates as if they were Babies that modern vocation is of such esscacy the contrary whereof he and others who are thus specially sanctified shew by their example So that now we see it is a meer fiction that Magistrates as such cannot elicitively by themselves properly and immediatly performe all the businesse of their Church-government For this they could do in the Old Testament why then can they not do it as well in the New in which the ceremoniall precisenesse is taken away and all faithfull men are made truely holy and sanctified to be Prophets Priests and Kings as Peter speaketh and so Calvin doth openly confesse that a Lay-Governour of a Place or Village may teach in case of necessity wee
Magistrates cannot rule the Church This argument also is made up of divers lies for it is false that the Civill Government is alwayes Monarchicall the Government of our Country is Aristocraticall such also is that of the Venetians Helvetians and others another lye is that the Church-Government is alwayes Aristocraticall because under Heli Samuel Macchabees and others it was Monarchicall yea in the New Testament it was not still Aristocratical but oftentimes Monarchicall For I ask when Christ lived upon the earth and ruled the Church whether the Church-government was not then Monarchicall Doubtlesse it was if ever it was Again when Paul alone was at Antioch and in Syria was not then the government of that Church Monarchicall For who was to be compared with so great an Apostle Lastly when John the Apostle was alone in the world for he lived longest had not then the Church on earth a notable Monarch Surely if such a Doctor at this day could be found in the world he should be as it were the Monarch of the Church and worthy to whom the whole Christian world should rise and give honour Whence the Pope makes no bad consequence in calling himself the head and Monarch of the whole Church and not Kings and Princes because they rise and give honour to him if it be true what he brags that hee is Peters successor and endowed with the gifts of infallibility as well as Peter But because experience teacheth that he wants all Peters gifts chiefly that of infallibility and on the contrary to be nothing els but a monster and load of all vices hence it is that he is a meere Impostor and a mocker of Christianity and Princes are miserably deluded in yeelding so much to so unworthy and wicked a man All then that the Stilt-walker babbles for Oracles are meere lies But this I will add that though Christ and his Apostles were by right Monarchs of the Church yet they still ruled the Church with that moderation that their government seemed rather Aristocraticall then monarchicall so that hence it appeares there is no necessity that he should alwayes rule monarchically who hath the right of Monarchie for he may use it aristocratically If this be true of Ecclesiasticks why should it not also hold in civill Princes that though they be Monarchs yet they may handle Church-matters in an Aristocraticall way as oftentimes Kings do And so the Kingdome of the Church shall not be monarchicall though a Monarch live in it ruling Aristocratically He ascribes much strength to this Ram which he is still shewing as if it had exceeding great Hornes whereas indeed it is a horn-lesse calfe The power formally Ecclesiastick depends immediately from Christ the Mediator the Churches husband who gave Apostles Prophets Teachers par 1. p. 37. and Pastors to his Church but not Magistrates Ephes 4. And hath placed this power in the Church Mat. 18. But Magistrates are not the Church whence he gathers that the Magistrates office is neither requisite nor belonging to the Church and consequently that it appertaineth no wayes to them to use the Churches power He parted this one Argument into divers I have gathered his fooleries together in one bundle that I may fling them downe together First wee must note that this is an old and oftentimes refuted device of his in perswading us that Ecclesiastick power hath for its author Christ the Mediator and Spouse of his Church but not the Civill Power I have shewed before and now will more at large demonstrate that this is a most notorious lye His principall Argument is par 1. p 37 that while Christ lived on the earth he did all Church functions either by himselfe or by his Apostles but did not meddle with the Magistrates office but refused it and prohibited it to his Apostles whence Anabaptist-like he concludes that Magistracie hath neither Christ for its Author not belongs to the Church all which are a meere heape of lyes For first I aske whence learned he that no Function is required for the Church till the end of the world but what Christ must discharge either by himselfe or by his Disciples living upon the earth The Scripture saith no such thing but is the meere fiction of Apollonius otherwise let him tell me when did Christ or his Apostles performe the Precentors part in the Church because Martyr doubts whether in the Apostolicall Church there was any use of publique singing which wee borrowed at best from the Jewish Church many offices ceased in the Churches upon the Apostles departure to supply which Necessity hath gathered together many things mans industry hath found out without any sin or blemish if Antichrist had not corrupted all with multitudes His other lye is that Christ and his Apostles did not here discharge the Magistrates office that Fiction I have already refelled for they used a co-active externall power equivalent to the sword Christ with a whip purged the Temple Mat. 21. John 8. he suffered the judgement concerning the Adulteresse to be referred to him with his word he cast to the ground the Souldiers that came to apprehend him and chiefly when on the day of Palms sitting upon an Asse he rid to Jerusalem in a Princely but humble pompe suffering the acclamations of the People and their garments to be spread in his way Mat. 21. as if he had been a King which is so manifest that Mathew adds Zacharies Prophesie to be fulfilled Behold thy King cometh to thee meeke c. So the Apostles inflicted in the Church corporall punishments as death blindnes c. All which evince that however they despised and avoided the pride and earthly pompe of Civill government yet the office it selfe they discharged in the Church when necessity required But saith he Christ being exalted gave to the Church gifts and offices necessary for it among which the office of the Magistrate is not mentioned whence he concludes that this is not requisite fore difying of the Church I answer among these offices mention is made of Governours 1 Cor. 12. and of Rulers Rom. 12. which Calvin and Aretius on those places shew to have been censures of life and manners supplying the Magistrates office Lastly suppose that in those places no mention is made of Magistracie did he therefore not ordain it Yea Peter did plainly institute this and chiefly Paul Rom. 13. and 1 Tim. 2. as I have at large shewed before neither needs he tell us that Christ himselfe gave these offices by himselfe but Magistracie he commended onely by the Apostles this is but a frivolous cavill for he sent the Apostles onely immediately then the Apostles instituted the other functions and after them Timothy Titus and others whence it appeares that Christ the Mediator being exalted is no lesse the author of Magistracy then of Church offices because that by a most famous Elogy of the same Apostle is ratifyed in the name and authority of Christ exalted by whose government alone
now all things in heaven earth and under the earth are ordained and ruled as I have often shewed He objects that these offices and gifts were given to the Church but not Magistracy I answer that these were given indeed to the Church or in the Church as it is said 1 Cor. 12. but Ephes 4. the Apostle sayth that they were given to men using a generall word so Paul gave and instituted to the whole world the office of Magistracy but under them also to the Church because he makes him to have the charge of every soul except he will say that Churchmen want foules whence it followes that Paul hath also subjected the Church to the Civill powers so that she must be by them defended in good things and punished in evill What wise man then will deny that Christ hath instituted Magistracy and hath not given it to the Church when as he by Paul hath ordained the Magistrate for his alone Legat upon earth to whom alone he will have all soules be subject and therefore Ecclesiasticks also and that for conscience sake by whose sword and authority he will have the Church defended in good things all these are so cleare in this place of Paul and in other Scriptures that by no meanes can they be darkened I know this Divinity doth not please the Stilt-walker who is possessed with papisticall furie that the Magistrates office is not Ecclesiasticall that is necessary for the edification and conservation of the Church yet he rather placeth this office without the Church not within or in it par 1. p. 24. because that phrase is too ambiguous to him and repugnant to Divine right and therefore placeth the Magistrates office onely about the Church or Churchmen so that he speakes no other wayes of Magistrates then Heccius and other Cornuted Asses of Luther who comming to the Conference at Wormes was not presently admitted into the full Assembly where the whole Quire was of holy Church-men but was lead first apart into a private closet which these Cornuted Beasts said was well done and according to Scripture for it is written Without shall be Dogs and Witches Not much more reverently doth this Walachrian prate of godly Magistrates whom every where he fasteneth to the cares of this world as carnall men but elevates the Church and Churchmen above the world even to the Skies but these are meere chimera's the Scripture on the other side doth so extoll Magistracy as a thing perpetuall in the Church and so necessary that it cannot be parted from her and without this shee cannot subsist but must wither no otherwise then corne that wants earth as Calvin speaketh which I will shew hereafter more at large He prates every where that the Church under the Apostles and at other times wanted the civill Magistrate but these are Lyes which I have already refuted and will hereafter refute more and if this impossibility should fall out that the Church were totally destitute of civill government yet it should not cease to be an office in the Church and as it were a part necessary for the constitution thereof for as a body that hath lost a foote remaines yet without that foote but lame being destitute of a necessary part so the Church may consist without Magistracy but not long and that with much difficulty for presently there would arise Anarchy and every one would do as he listed which because Apollonius doth what he can to bring into his City under hope of a new Popery hence arise so many railing devises by which he endeavours to hisse out the Magistrates as meere worldly men that they must not meddle with Church-businesse how ever the matter be because the Church hath often wanted godly Teachers Sacraments and other things requisite for her I might also as well inferre that these belong not to the Church but are accidents circumjacent which were most absurd to the Stilt-walker Perhaps he will object if this were true then Christ had made the Churches power imperfect and lame which must depend from an outward civill power but this is repugnant with Mat. 18. tell the Church where he hath furnished her with full power I answer That all these are Jesuiticall fictions which they have devised for their Hierarchy and which he hath borrowed from them for first I deny when Christ said tell the Church that he understood by these words as if he had armed Church-men being discriminated from Lay-men with full power of exercising Government among themselves excluding the Magistrate For I said before that by the word Church is understood in Scripture any kind of meeting whether meerly Ecclesiastick or Ecclesiastick and Civill yea any tumultnary Assembly called together to determine businesse Act. 19. Act. 15. and oftentimes the whole body of the faithfull in opposition to their Rulers somtimes the body of the Church with their Rulers but never for ought I know the Rulers separate from the body Now here Apollonius must needs goe to consult with the Delphick three-footed stool that he may divine to us what Christ meant here by the Church seeing he did not define it in this place nor do we see it elsewhere explained in Scripture Apollonius doubtlesse with the Papists having a watchfull eye over his merchandise rather understands it of the Church-Rulers for this is all his care that this wonderfull Ecclesiastick power by many windings and turnings being snatched from the body of the Church and chiefly the Magistrate may be setled onely in the Governours as in the Center that is in the Consistory and because Deacons are onely positively Church-men as bellowes in a paire of Organs Elders onely comparatively as the pipes which of themselves sound not hence at last the whole power ends in Preachers superlatively Ecclesiastick as if they were Masters of the musick and so sing and play upon that Ecclesiastick Organ that every pipe shall yeeld no other sound then what pleaseth these Organists Thus the old and new Papists doe play the Philosophers upon this there tell the Church as if Christ had meant tell the Pope or the Clergie or the Preachers of the Gospell but of this never a word in Matthew yea it is contrary for Christ being so understood should have named a Judge who was neither then nor long after in the world What an absurdity had it been for Christ to have said to the godly that you may free your consciences from strife with your brother go to the Consistory or Church-Rulers which were not then nor to be in many years after Whence it is more likely that Christ by the Church meant there a Judge or Arbitrator in controversies indefinitely and as I said elsewhere without any expresse quality that is such a one as they could repaire to whether consisting of Ecclesiasticks and Civill Magistrates as the Sanhedraham was then or onely of Ecclesiasticks as afterwards under the Apostles or of Civill Magistrates as was in the Church after Magistrates became Christians