in matters of Civill Iustice as of devotion and holinesse mmmmmm 2 and if so then they must make it as unlawfull and contrary to the Scriptures perfection for any man to make Lawes in matters of Righteousnesse and of the State as in matters of Holinesse and of the Church That beside things in themselves good or evill which Scripture determines by its Lawes expresly things of an indifferent nature whereupon the most of civill Laws are made must be regulated according to the Scripture rules of Piety Charity and Conscience so farre that the expediency and reason of the Law must ever carry and convince the conscience of the Subject that no man is obliged to the obedience of a civill Law in a thing never so indifferent by the authority of the Law-giver but every man whose conscience is not convinced of the piety and charity of that Law is free from all obedience and subjection thereto Thus farre Mr Cotton mmmmmm 3. Eightly what men besides them have made so bold with Kings and Parliaments as not only to break in pieces their old Lawes and to divest them of all power to make new ones but also under the pretext of a divine right to put upon their necks that unsupportable yoak of the Iudiciall Law of the â—ewes for peace and for warre without any power to dispence either in addition or substraction nnnnnn 1 I grant this principle of Barrow is limited by Mr Cotton to such Iudicials as do containe in them a morall equity nnnnnn 2 but this morall equity is extended by him to so many particulars as Williams confesses the whole Iudiciall Law to be brought back again thereby no lesse then by the plaine simple and unlimited Tenet of the rigidest Brownists nnnnnn 3. Ninthly doth any Reformed Church appoint their Ministers to be members of the highest civill Courts with power of voiceing in the election of the supream Magistrate oooooo Do any Divines but theirs since the Bishops were abolished joyne themselves as companions with the Magistrates to draw out of Scripture a body of civill Lawes for the Government of the State pppppp Tenthly did ever any Divines but theirs so evidently mock the Magistrate by instructing him according to their own interest as it were from heaven to contradictory practises in New-England where the Magistrate is in their way to perswade him the necessity under paine of sinne and judgement to kill all Idolaters and false Prophets to destroy whole Cities men women and children who are seduced by a false Prophet qqqqqq Making a path-way by this meanes to the slaughter not only of all Papists and Hereticall Sects but also of many good Protestants who to the Brownists are Idolaters for the reading of Prayer and obstinate enemies of the Kingdom of Christ for their mislike of Independency according to the open profession of the prime Independents rrrrrr Their Doctrine in Old England where the Magistrate is out of their way is diametrally opposite to this for here they make it a Theomachy ssssss a fighting with God to deny a free liberty to Papists to the worst Heresies and Schisms to Iudaism Turcism Paganism or if any errour can be imagined to bee more pernicious I beleeve that few prudent Magistrates when they have well ruminated these and the like principles of the Independents will esteem them much more conducible for their ends then the principles of the Reformed Churches In the point of Schools and Learning how farre they will follow the Brownists I cannot say divers of them have as good a share in learning as their neighbours yet whatever they have of that kinde they got it all before they entred into their new way and whatever learning all of them do possesse it is no more then what was among the Brownists when they did most cry down learning The most of their erudition this day dwels in New-England that any reall course hath ever there been taken for its entertainment and propagation I have not heard much though the Magistrate and the whole Land have beene and are at their Devotion and till of late they had no apparant hope of supplying their way from the Schools of other parts of the world Were we not weary we might go on yet farther in the paralell especially in the doctrinall Tenets of the Independents wherein already they have gone farre beyond the Brownists you had a touch of the Arminianism of some in the reall Sanctification of all baptised Infants of the enthusiasms of others in their contemplations of God without Scripture of the Libertinism of a third blaspheming God as the Authour of the sinfulnesse of sin of the Arminian reprobation the Antinomian Montanistâ—ck and Familistick Tenets of a fourth for which I doubt if to this day they have given any satisfaction The whole City hath been filled these many yeares with the noise of the Socinianism of the fifth many of them are passionate for a full liberty of all Religions in every State The Apologists declare that they will have none cast out of the Church for any errours which are not fundamentall and how farre they will extend this principle who can know only it would seem that all the named errours which do lodge or have lodged as is alledged in their prime Leaders without any censure to this day must be taken within the compasse of errours tolerable not only in the State but in the purest Churches And if Arminian Socinian Anabaptistick Antinomian Familistick Enthusiastick errours be declared not fundamentall and tolerable in a Church what shall we say of Prelaticall Cassandrian and the most of the Popish Tenets that are no wayes so grosse Spalato and others have been at great paines to prove that none of all the Popish errours are fundamentall The Remonstrant Apologists labour to free the greatest Heresies that ever were in the Church such as Arrianism of old and Vorstianism of late from that infamy Certainly though our Brethren had kept in their principle of change and not declared their full resolution to go on farther then themselves or others have yet thought what already they have positively delivered giveth to the world just reason of doubt whither they may go and where at last they will stop their very swift and volant progresse The Testimonies of the sixth Chapter a ANtap p. 243. It was agreed upon that they out of hand should bring in a Narrative of their opinions wherein they differed from us and then should joyne with us in preaching against the Brownists and Anabaptists they never brought in their Narrative untill this day and though at full meetings of the Ministers they have been spoken unto and some Ministers have been sent from the Company to some of them and the Narrative was promised at such a time and then at such a time yet it was never performed and whereas the agreement in writing for our side was left in Mr Calamies hand Mr Nye comes after some
whether natural moral or spiritual which are done in faith But herein Master Smith is wiser then his fellows telling us That all Songs in the Church out of a Book whether in Verse or Prose are Idolatry MMMM yet he admits of singing such Psalms as the Spirit dictates to any person immediately without Book NNNN It seems the Brownists at Amsterdam have recanted their error in this point for all of them sing now in strange tunes the Psalms in meeter of Ainsworths exceeding harsh Paraphrase Preaching of the Word to them is no Pastoral act but is common not onely to all the Officers but to every gifted Brother of the Flock OOOO The word Sacrament to them is traditional corrupt and not to be used PPPP The Baptism of the English Church they make to be vain and nul the seal of no grace but onely of wrath and condemnation QQQQ yet they will not have it repeated They teach that the Lords Supper should be celebrated every Lords day RRRR So preparation-Sermons before and Sermons for Thanksgiving after the Lords Table to them are needlesse They will have all to sit at the Lords Table with their Hats on uncovering of the head in the act of receiving to them is Idolatry SSSS In this the present practice at Amsterdam contradicts their Doctrine for however they sit covered in time of all the reading and discourse yet when it comes to the participation of the elements every man during the time of his eating and drinking sits uncovered They count it lawful to joyn with the Lords Table Love-feasts TTTT They reject all Catechisms being set and so unlawful forms of instruction VVVV After a member is once received amongst them they enquire no more for his knowledge having once gotten satisfaction at his admission to Membership of his sufficient knowledge The Apostles Creed they detest as an old Patchery of evil stuff XXXX Christs descent into hell they count a blasphemous Article YYYY They reject all publike reading of the Word which is not backed with present Exposition ZZZZ They do not any way scruple the Office of Readers and Expounders for they give full liberty of publike and ordinary Preaching to any gifted man of the Flock though he have no Office When the exercise of Reading Expounding Singing of Psalms Praying and Preaching by the Pastor is ended they will have one two three or four to prophesie in order AAAAA and all to have a free liberty of continuing so long as they think meet After all this is done they have yet another exercise wherein by way of conference questioning and dispuâ—ation every one of the Congregation may propound publikely and presse their Scruples Doubts and Objections against any thing which that day they have heard BBBBB And as if all these Exercises were not enough to tire out a spirit of Iron the most of them being repeated again in the afternoon for a conclusion of all they bring in the laborious and long work of their Discipline for which the whole Flock must stay till they have heard debated and discerned every cause that concerns either the Officers or any of the people whether in Doctrine or Manners CCCCC Concerning the Magistrate Master Brown teacheth that he hath no right to meddle at all with any matter of Religion but to permit the liberty and free choice of Religion to the conscience of every one of his Subjects DDDDD The most of Browns followers do leave in this their Master making it a great part of the Christian Magistrates Office to suppresse within their own Bounds Idolatry and False doctrine EEEEE To compel all their Subjects if they will not be perswaded to hear the Word preached albeit no way to enter themselves members of any Church or to hinder any to enter in any Church they will or to erect new Churches of their own framing FFFFF Further if the Magistrate be a member of any Church they will have him were he the King himself to be so far subject to their Church-Censures that a little small Congregation shall have power upon his obstinacy in any sin or errour to excommunicate him and that without all delay without any respect to his Crown more then if he were the poorest servant of the whole Flock GGGGG and which is worst of all the Prince his Excommunication by the hands of so small weak a company must be without all possible relief for he hath no liberty of appeal to any upon earth HHHHH an oecumenike Councel may not assay to loose the knot of that Censure which the hand of the Congregation hath tied But their great Tenent about the Magistracie is this That no Prince nor State on the earth hath any Legislative power That neither King nor Parliament can make any Law in any thing that concerns either Church or State That God alone is the Law-giver That the greatest Magistrate hath no other power but to execute the Laws of God set down in Scripture IIIII That the Judicial Law of Moses bindes at this day all the Nations of the world as well as ever it did the Jews KKKKK They tell us that whatever God in Scripture hath left free it may not be bound by any humane Law whether Civil or Ecclesiastike and what God hath bound by any Law in Scripture they will not have it loosed by the hand of any man They lay it upon the Magistrate to punish by death without any dispensation every Adulterer every Blasphemer every Sabbath-breaker and above all every Idolater LLLLL. And here is the great danger that by Idolaters they will have understood not onely Pagans and Papists but the far greatest part of all Protestants all absolutely who are not of their way for the using of a set Prayer were it the Lords own Prayer to them is clear Idolatry MMMMM 1. For all this they will not permit any Magistrate to hang any thâ—ef at all MMMMM 2. Against the learning of the Times they make large Invectives the Universities and all the Colledges in them they will have razed to the ground they professe them to be worse then the Monasteries that justly were abolished NNNNN whatever Arts and Sciences are taught in the Christian Schools they count them idle and vain Grammar Rhetorick Logick Philosophy are all unlawful Arts OOOOO The Heathen Writers which are used in any Faculty such as Aristotle Plato Cicero and the like they would have them all burnt as the Authors of unlawful Arts. They reject all School-Degrees such as Batchelors Masters of Art Doctors of any faculty PPPPP They wil have no Students of Divinity QQQQQ They tell us that youths mis-spend their time and exceedingly abuse themselves by studying of those things which usually are recommended unto them as preparations for the Ministery whether Common places Commentaries upon Scripture or Protestant writers of Controversies all such Books they will have laid aside RRRRR yea it is their
eeeeee Secondly doe not their principles hold out of the Church and deprive of all Christian consolation which flowes from any Church priviledge the farre greater part if not absolutely all Kings and Princes that are this day in the Christian world and have been since the dayes of the Gospel or ever are likely to be upon earth to the worlds end how exceeding few of all that are or have been Members of Parliament of either House of all that have been or are Magistrates in England if their principles might be put in practice would be admitted to the Lords Table or yet their children be baptised or themselves be reputed Christians and Members of any lawfull Church Thirdly of these exceeding few Kings Princes Peeres Commoners and Magistrates of the Land which they could take into their Congregations how many could have assurance to live any long time in a Christian condition as Members of a Church according to their principles Since they tell us that they are to Excommunicate without any delay the greatest Kings for any fault either in beliefe or life which doth subject the poorest servants to censure how many and frequent these faults may be it is hard to judge but the worst is when the greatest Kings and the chiefe Members of Parliament without any respect to their dignity are cast out of the Church for themselves and their children by the peevishnesse or errour or malice of a few in a small Congregation they have no meanes under heaven to redresse themselves of their injury they and theirs must live as Pagans out of the Church till they who did cast them out be perswaded and become willing to take them in should all the Divines all the Assemblies all the Churches of their Dominions see cleerly as the light their notorious wrong yet there were no possibility to helpe it by any mortall hand till the injurious Congregation it selfe of its own accord should be pleased to repaire it Fourthly they permit none to be Magistrates where they have power not so much as to be a member of their smallest civill Courts except they be fully for their way and be admitted members of their Church as it hath ever been their practice in New-England to this day but the Magistrates they admit of who are of their minde they debase their power so low as to suspend it all on the will and pleasure of the promiscuous multitude not only to limit the Soveraignty of Princes within the bounds of their just Lawes and to confine them unto the Counsell of their Parliaments but to bring both them and Parliaments and all Magistrates to their first originall and Makers to the free will of these whom they use to stile the prophane multitude ffffff Fifthly have any of the Reformed Churches now for an hâ—ndred yeares and above given to Magistrates such occasion to feare an unjust insurrection as they in the few yeares of their being have already furnished To passe by all their threatnings in this time of confusion gggggg while their strength is yet inconsiderable and their mighty endeavours to get Armes into their hand to enable themselves with the evident hazard of the whole Isle to doe what they please by force hhhhhh Let men only look over to the fruits of their principles in New-England not many yeares agoe there upon a very small and so farre as I know very groundlesse suspition to have somewhat of their Government altered by the King contrary to their Patent they did quickly purchase and distribute Armes among all their people and exact of every one an Oath for the defence of their Patent against all impugners whosoever Mr Williams opposition to this Oath as he alledgeth was the cheife cause of his banishment iiiiii What principles could these be that moved the same people a little after to doe and say such things for which their Magistrates did disarme so many of their Church members not only elsewhere but even at Boston upon fear of an apparent insurrection for the killing of the principall Magistrates and overturning the whole state of that Countrey kkkkkk 1. Few Magistrates will hereafter confide in these principles which saved not the Governour and generall Court of New-England from extreme danger by the members of Mr Cottons Congregation at New Boston Sixthly doe the Independents principles give to the Magistrate any Ecclesiastick power at all will they submit to his civill power in any Ecclesiastick affaires will they be hindered by the Magistrates sentence unlesse it be executed with violence to erect Congregations within his Dominions at their own pleasure will their principles permit them upon the command of King and Parliament to refuse to take into their Congregations the members of other Parish Churches without a dismision or take and admit upon the Magistrates command within their number any whom they account unfit for membership or to recall for the Magistrates pleasure any of their Church censures have they not very lately declared to the Parliament that they esteem all matters of Religion free and exempt from their sword and power That all matters both of worship and doctrine that all things of the mind as they speak or matters of opinion and all matters of outward forme wherein uniformity is required according to our Covenant are so farre to be ruled by every mans own conscience his own light and reason that the Parliament is not in any such matters to interpoâ—e their power whither this bee the true sence of their openly avowed and repeated letters to the Parliament it selfe let every intelligent man consider who reads the words kkkkkk 2 Seventhly are any of the Reformed Churches or any Churches or persons of the whole world so injurious to Magistrates as their principles force them to be who â—poyl Christian Kings and Parliaments of their whole Legislative power they will have us to beleeve as good Divinity that it is not only unlawfull for Church-assemblies to make Ecclesiastick Canons but that it is alike unlawfull for any Prince or State to make a Civill Law llllll That the placing of a Legislative power in Kings or Parliaments is to usurp the property and prerogative of God mmmmmm 1 These Principles cannot be very favourable to the State which at one stroke annihilate all the Acts of Parliament that now are in force either in this or any other Kingdom and make it impossible if they were beleeved to have any more in any place of the earth to the worlds end Look back upon what I have cited from the chiefe of the Brownists writings I grant the New English polishers of Brownism doe not expresse their Tenets in tearms so hugely grosse yet see how neare they come to them in substance when they tell us that no Magistrate may make any Lawes about the Bodies Lands Goods Liberties of the Subject which are not according to the Lawes and Rules of Scripture Scripture being given to men for a perfect rule as well
rhyming and paraphrasing the Psalms as in your Church and against Apocrypha and Erroneous Ballads in rythme sung commonly in your Church instead of the Psalms and other Songs of holy Scripture LLLL Rob. Apoâ— p. 20. Nego eandem esse rationem precationis cantionis ipsi Psalmi quorum materia precatione aut gratulatione constat in hunc finem proprie primo formantur a prophetis in cantiones Psalmos spirituales ut nos edoceant quae vota illi in angustiis constituti ad Deum fuderint quasque liberati eidem Deo gratias retulerint ut nos eosdem Psalmos sive psallentes sive legentes institueremus nos ipsos sive publice sive privatim sive docendo sive commone faciendo sive consolando ad Dei gloriam in cordibus nostris promovendam MMMM Smiths Diff. p. 4. That the reading out of a Book is no part of spiritual worship but the invention of the man of sin that Books and writings are in the nature of Pictures and Images that it is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in singing of a Psalm NNNN Smiths differences Vide supra cap. 1. E. OOOO Confess p. 34. Such to whom God hath given gifts to interpret the Scriptures ought by the appointment of the Congregation to prophecy and so to teach publikely the Word of God until such time as God manifests men with able gifts to such Offices as Christ hath appointed to the publike Ministry PPPP Bar. Disc p. 116. Shall I speak according to the times and say Be no true Sacrament or rather leave that traditional word which ingendreth strife rather then godly edifying and say Be no true Seal of the Covenant QQQQ Vide supra F. RRRR Johns Plea p. 291. Whether it be not best to celebrate the Lords Supper where it can be every Lords day this the Apostles used to do by so doing we shall return to the intire practise of the Churches in former ages SSSS How corrupt is the signe of the Crosse kneeling and uncovering of the head at the Lords Supper and such things which Scripture prescribes not but men have taken upon themselves thus breaking the second command and joyning their Posts and Thresholds with the Lords Men are thus drawn away from the simplicity of the practise used by Christ and his Apostles who sat when they ate and drank and did no more discover then before TTTT Johns Plea p. 294. To have love feasts on the dayes of the Lords Supper it is a thing indifferent to keep or leave them as they shall be used or abused or as every Church shall finde them to be most expedient for their estate VVVV Bar. Refut p. 43. Not here to mention the binding of the Faith of the Church to an Apocrypha Catechism Idem Disc p. 142. They are not ashamed to Preach and publikely Expound in their Church their fond Apocrypha Catechisms XXXX Bar. Disc p. 76. Their forged patchery commonly called The Apostles Creed YYYY His Refut p. 48. What Scripture can you bring for the blasphemous Article of Christs descent into hell ZZZZ Cans Necessity p. 44. Bare reading of the Word and single Service-saying is an English Popery and far be it from the Lords people to hear it for if they would do so they would offer to the Lord a corrupt thing and so incur that curse of Malachi AAAAA Johns Enquiry p. 7. We have in our Church the use of the exercise of Prophecie spoken of 1 Cor. 14. in which some of the Brethren which are for gifts best able though not in Office of the Ministery deliver from some portion of Scripture Doctrine Exhortation Comfort sometimes Two at a time sometimes more BBBBB Johns Enquiry p. 7. Then if there be occasion upon the Scriptures treated or questions propounded and answers made Bar. Disc p. 139. In that his priviledged Tub he may speak of what be list none of his auditory have power to call in question correct or refuse the same presently or publikely CCCCC Rob. Apol. p. 38. Prorsus inauditum ante haec nostra saecula sive inter gentes sive inter Judaeos sive inter Christianos ut Judicia publica aliive actus naturae publicae privatim aut seclusa plebe exercerentur Ibid. p. 51. Per plebem cujus Libertatem Jus suffragandi in negotiis vere publicis asserimus non intelligimus pueros mulieres sed solos viros eosque adultos DDDDD Browns Life and manners of all true Christians in the Preface or Treatise of Reformation without tarrying for any and of the wickednesse of those Preachers which will not reform till the Magistrate command or compel them p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority And hath not every lawful Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not onely shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it But these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. p. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do And it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church The Lords Kingdom is not by force neither durst Moses nor any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church-Government But after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline Discipline that is for a civil forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and inquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward Provision and outward Justice they are to look but to compel Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiastical Government by Laws and Penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church EEEEE Confess p. 32. Leaving the suppression of this Antichristian estate to the Magistrate to whom it belongeth FFFFF Bar. Refut In the Preface We acknowledge the Prince ought to compel all his Subjects to the hearing of Gods Word in the publike exercises of the Church yet cannot the Prince command any to be a member of the Church or the Church to receive any without assurance by their publike Profession of their own Faith or to retain any longer then they continue to walk orderly in the Faith GGGGG Bar. Disc p. 245. When Princes depart from the Faith and will not be reduced by admonition or reproof they are no longer to be held in the Faith of the Church but are to receive the censure of Christ as
out of office did ordinarily preach in the Congregation Ergo it is lawfull to doe so still Answ We may either deny or distinguish the antecedent They that preached in the place alledged were Prophets and so not out of offâ—ce Secondly they who preached there were men endued with extraordinary gifts whose practice can be no pattern to the Churches now a dayes where these gifts are ceased That it is so vers 30. makes cleare where the Prophets doe preach extemporary Revelations Also Mr Cotton himselfe in his last book of the Keyes p. 20. doth grant this and expresly recals what himselfe in his Catechism and both he and his Brethren in their Answer to the 32 Articles had delivered about prophesying This ingenuity is amiable and if it might please God to bring our Brethren off the other points of Brownisme as fairely there might be hope quickly of an happy Accommodation Their second Argument Iehoshaphat and his Princes did preach the word But Iehoshaphat his Princes were not Church-officers Ergo some who are no Church-officers may preach the Word Ans We deny the major for that which is recorded of Iehoshaphat Chro. 2.19 was nothing but the Kings exhortation to his subjects to stirre up the Levites and Iudges to a faithfull discharge of their office this was no exposition of the Law nor any dispensing of that knowledge which the Priests lips were appointed by God to preserve What is spoken of his Princes preaching Chron. 2.17 6. beside that it was but once in the time of an extraordinary Reformation the way of that teaching is expounded in the following words not to have been by themselves but by the Levites who carried the Book of the Law they only did preach the Princes accompanied them and by their Civill authority countenanced and assisted them in their preaching That thus it was Mr Cotton confesseth in the above-mentioned place of his Keys avowing that in the Church of Israel none did preach either in the Synagogue or Temple but Priests and Levites except they had an extraordinary call to Prophesy Thirdly What we are commanded to regard is lawfull But the preaching of men out of office we are commanded to regard 1 Thes 5. Despise not prophecying Answ We deny the proofe of the minor for the prophecying spoken of by the Apostle is not the preaching of men out of office but either of such extraordinary Prophets as were in the Church of the Corinthians and other Churches in those primitive times or else of ordinary pastors who oft in Scripture are called prophets Mat. 11.9 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward a Prophet is not without honour but in his owne Countrey A Pagan poet by the Apostle is called a Prophet Rev. 18.24 In her was found the blood of the Prophets and Saints and 22.9 I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren the Prophets Fourthly our Brethren of New-England bring no more arguments The rest of Robinsons stuffe is not so considerable he reasoneth thus The sons of the Prophets did preach 1 Sam. 15.5 2 Kings 2.7 also 4.1 But the sons of the Prophets were men out of office Answ The major is not proved by the places alledged for the first speaks of the Prophets but not of their sons the other two speak of the sons of the Prophets but nothing of their preaching yet we do not deny the major for we think it may be proved from other Scriptures but we deny the minor That the sons of the Prophets were men altogether out of office for their call from God and appointment by the Prophets to wait on that service did give them such a begining and entrance into the office of a Prophet that made them capable of an initiall exercise of their begun gifts so we deny not in the New Testament to men who are destinate to the Ministry and in their preparations for it a power to preach for attaining an habit of that gift wherunto initiall Sermons are a necessary means without which neither the gift nor the calling can be obtained without a miracle Fifthly Robinson reasons thus All these whom we ought to wish to be Prophets may lawfully preach But we ought to wish all the people of God to be Prophets Num. 11.20 Would God that all the people of the Lord were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Ans We deny the major because our desire for the enlargement of Gods honour and the propagation of his truth that many more then are were sent out to preach and baptize giveth not to any man either a gift or a power or a calling to preach and baptize till God and man give the calling Moses wish was not that all the people should prophecy but that all might have the office of Prophets and the spirit of God to enable them for prophecying Sixthly the Apostles before Christs resurrection did preach But the Apostles before Christs resurrection were not in the office of Apostleship Answ The minor must carry that they were men out of all Church office which is evidenâ—ly false for beside that Mat. 10.1 they are called expresly Apostles at their first mission and Iudas Acts 1.25 is said to have had the ministry and the Apostleship they did celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism which the adversary will grant could not lawfully be done by men out of office Seventhly Paul and Barnabas were invited to preach where they were in no office and by those who did not know them to be in office anywhere Acts 13.15 Men and Brethren if yee have any word of exhortation for the Brethren say on Ergo men out of office may lawfully preach Answ The antecedent is false for Paul and Barnabas were men in office true Prophets and Apostles their bounds were as large as all Nations Beside a Pastor in one Church for the relation he hath to the Church universall upon a lawfull call may preach in any Church Also that the rulers of the Synagogue did not take Paul and Barnabas for Preachers is as easily deny'd as affirmd the same both of their preaching miracles might easily have come before or with them from Cyprus into Pysidia Lastly the Scribes and Pharisees did expound and preach the law but the Scribes and Pharisees were in no Church office for all the offices of the Church under the old Testament were in the hands of Levites alone now the Scribes and Pharisees were not Levites but of other tribes Ans The minor is false for the Lord tels us that the Scribes and Pharisees were in Church office that they sate in Moses chaire and were doctors of the Law The confirmation is not good for how will they prove that in these times of great confusion the Levites alone had all Ecclesiastick offices not only in the Temple about the sacrifices but in the Synagogue about the doctrine and discipline Also though this were