spiritual gifts shall be lost for lack of buying if a fee be lookt for yea how few are dispensâ—…t freely and fairly from the spirit and not rathet from the slesh i. e. some base corrupt rotten fleshly respect and selfish end or other in the spiritual patrones how little or no spiritual preferment is there to bigger benefices Bishopricks or what ever ecclesiasticall dignity in any almost of the three Hierachies but it s either bruitishly bought for money or basely beg'd for some trencher service or bestow'd on men quâ—… befriended more then qua befitted with Gospel spirits for Gospel service or in some sinister way of legerdemane or other most paultrily purchased but specially under the Papacy where si nihil attuleris ibis Hemere foras Calvin saies vix cente simum quodque beneficium in papatu sine Simonia conferri c. searcely every hundredth benefice is bestowed at this day in the Papacy without Simony as the old writers desined Simony I do not say that they all buy them with ready mony but shew me one of twenty that cometh to a benefice without some by commendation some either kindred or alliance promoteth and some the authority of their parents some by doing of pleasures do get themselves favour Finally benesices are given to this end not to provide for the Churches but for them that receive them therefore they call them benefices by which words they do sufficiently declare that they make no other account of them but as the beneficial gifts of Princes whereby they either get the favour of their souldiers or reward their services I omit how these rewards are bestowed upon Barbers Cooks Moil-keepers and such dreggish men And how judaical Courts do ring of no matters more then about benefices so that a man may say that they are nothing else but a prey cast afore dogs to hunt after Is this tolerable even to be heard of that they should be called Pastors which have broken into possession of a Church as into a farm of their enemie that have have gotten it by brawling in the law that have bought it for money that have deserved it by filth services which being children yet scantly able to speak have received it as by inheritance from their uncles and kinsmen and some bastards from their fathers But this is more monstrous that one man I will not say what manner of man but truly such a one as cannot govern himself is set to govern six or seven Churches A man may see in these dayes in Princes Courts young men that have three Abbacies two Bishopwricks one Arch-bishoprick but there be commonly Canons laden with with five six or seven benefices whereof they have no care at all but in receiving the rev nues Inst. lib. 4. cap. 5. Sect. 6. etc. Thus they yea the Popes studied nothing more saith Helin Geog. p. 184. then to advance their Nephews for by that name the Popes use to call their bastards hence came the saying of Alexander the third viz. the laws forbid us to get children and the devil hath given us Nephews in their stead and though Lâ—…her add Calvin were themselves men of more moderate minds then to purchase preâ—…eminencies titles dignities to themselves yet though somewhat better then at Rome it hath been too bad among the Successors of both in Clerical capacity as to that corrupt kind of climbing to the chiefest punctillioes of earthly eminency they canattain toâ—…yea verily there 's very few of them but they are Papalis Ambitionis homines of Popely aspiring minds seeking superiority gaping after glory of this world not that to come liking to be lookt upon with distinction as men not like other men as men of worth when their worth lies more many times in what they have then what they are affecting to be applauded for their very Sermons to be humb'd when they come to a period in order to which I blâ—…sh to think how they were wont to pause and look foâ—…'t in university pulpits and sometimes too when to their greater shame they went without it and to be thankt for their great pains when they have done thus surfeiting upon self-conceit and being drunk with affectation they erre in affection to the rule of faith for how can yâ—… believe saith Christ when ye receive honour one of another and seek not that honour that cometh from God onely Iohn 5. this honour from beneath is the very element in which and not in God save as they are his creatures these Chaâ—…aelens the CCClergy live move and have their being The aâ—…r of popularity is the breath by which the Heretick lives vain glory the stirroy by which he mounts into such magnitude and towers so high as to overtop not onely all other people but all other Princes also of the earth and to exalt himself above all that is worshipped and called God he lackâ—… to make himself a name like to the name of the great men that are on the earth for the name of Minister or Servant to so plain and disrespected a Master too as the Master Christ was whose name was cast out as evil who made himself of no reputation and would have all hisServants specially the Servants of all his Servants to be of the same mind and follow him through scorn shame suffering and not be above him here if they mean to reign with him hereafter this was too mean a name for him to be known by he must be Dominus Dominorum here KKKing it over the Kings of the earth Paschalis the first caused the Priests of certain parishes at Rome by reason of the neernesse of his person their presence at his election and to honour their Authority with a more venerable title to be called Cardinals they are now Mates for Kings and numbred about 70 Helin Geog. p. 182. And howbeit Christ forbad his ministers the seeking of glory from men in this world as not the time for them to come to the crown in or to any thing but the cross yet his desire was Dicier hic est to be cryed up by the people as Supreme Moderator in all the matters of Christs Church and civil State too against the plain will of the old master in his word and to be sought after as a new Master Our Saviour saith of the Pharisees they loved the praises of men and the present priesthood of the Protestant nations lay this to our charge who are Christs Messengers and Servants to his Churches whom they call Anabaptists calumniating us so far as we are zealous and follow on according to the many covenants which both they and we have taken to reform fully by the word as if we sought nothing but glory and to be seen of men and meerly to make our selves Masters of a sect and such like which if we do we shall dearly answer for the sin of seeking and serving our selves of Christs service at the last as well as they but me thinks if blindnesse in this
what need else of causing the pulpit to be washed as I have heard one of our Kentish Clergy men did his after two tradesmen had preached there in his absence they think they are men meliore luto of some better mould and taller by far in Gods affections then the People are This conceit makes them go apart look upon themselves as sons of Anack their Brethren as Grashoppers shun commerce and society with them as with publicans and sinners In detestation of whom as not consecrated they say Odi Profanum vulgâ—…s and in a kind of proverbiall spel procul hinc procul este profani anâ—… as dislike of others so 2. Dislike of their own places is another cause of the Heresies of the Clergy the foot will be the hand or not of the body the hand will be the head or else will be no body at all the Servant regarding neither the Councell nor the command nor the Example of his Master who came not to minister to but to minister and gave in charge that there should be no dominion among his disdiples and bade them that meant to be greatest to be last and least would needs be above his Master and he that was sent greater then he that sent him and by this he entred exceedingly into error the Minister could not indure to be the foot to have the whole body of the Church stand above himself though sure if he were as a king is Major singulis yet he is Minor omnibus and must stoop to the vote of the congregation he could not bear it to be the hand onely to execute what the head directed in but he must be the head to give laws and ordinances of his own Corah could not be content with his place but sought the Priests Office the CCClergy could not be contented with such Shepheardship as the Gospel had at first but they must need be made Priests after that more pompous way of the law nor to be Priests onely in sensu diviso from all the Saints but they must seek the High Priests office too and have Arch-Patriachs Arch-Bishops Lord Bishops c. they could not brook it to be amonst the Saints as them that serve but they must be as they that sit at meat having all others to serve them and in no mean manner neither have some of their Holinesses been served when Kings and Emperours have stood bâ—…e before them bare foot at their dooâ—…s as Henry the fourth Emperour and his wife and son did at Pope Adrians gate before they were admitted to the speech of him and not onely so but held their stirrups also and lay down to have their necks trod upon by him as Frederick Barbarossa did to Pope Gregory saying non tibi sed Petro and was answered again by the proud Prelate et 〈◊〉 et Petro in a word have held it honour enough to kiss his feet In the state Absoloms ambition O that I were a Iudge was the cause of his rebellion and the same kind of aspiring mind after no lesse then all power both in heaven and earth Church and State too made the Clergy when time best served their ambitious turn to rebell so abominably against all civil power as not onely to exempt themselves fully from the jurisdiction of Temporal Princes but most wickedly to subjugate all civil power to such depency on them and their Lord God the Pope that when they have not been slaves to the Clergies Imperious will and carnal concernments he hath took upon him to act according to that power he claimes most blasphemously saying by me Kings raign to force them to surrender their crownes and sacrifice their lives too to his lust witnesse the case of King Iohn here in England and in scorn to kick off the crowns of Emperours with his feet and in testimony of their taking all civill power as well as spiritual to themselves Eugenius the second took on him within the Roman territory the authority of creating Earls Dukes and Knights as the Exarchate had done before him Helin p. 182. also Innocent the third held a councel in Rome in which it was enacted that the Pope should have the correction of all Christian Princes and that no Emperour should be acknowledged till he had sworn obedience unto him Helin p. 184. upon the same ambitious account Pope Boniface the eight by a general bull exempted the Clergy from all taxes and subsidies to Temporal Princes whereupon Edward the first put the Clâ—…gy out of the protection of him and his laws by which course the Popes bull left râ—…ring here in England He. G. p. 184. the same Boniface boasted one day in his pontisicâ—…l attire with the keyes of the Kingdom of heaven in his hand that all spiritual power was committed to him and the next day in the Robes of an Emperour with a naked sword born before him that all civill power was committed to him also ecce duo gladii hic yea after the translation of the Eâ—…pire from France to Germany the Popes began to make open protestation that the Pontifical dignity was rather to give laws to the Emperours then to receive any from them Helin G. p. 188. and as in the state ambition so in the Church the desâ—…re of a change from Membership to Mastership from Servantship to Lordship over the true Clergy is the true cause of the Clergies Heresie and Schism for being raised by earthly power and greatnesse they forgot the sal vation of souls sanctity of life and the commandements of God propgation of Religion charity toward men and to raise armes to make warre against Christians to invent new devises for getting money to prophane sacred things for their own end to enrich their kindred and children was their onely study saith Helin out of Guiciardine Geog. p. 188. 3. Gloriae secularis â—…ucupium a desire to be somebody Iudas Thudas Simon Magus are Instances of it which Simon sin'd and erred so grossely out of his vain glorious desire to be lookt upon as some great one as to offer to buy the gift of the holy spirit for money of which sin and error of Simon no men under heaven are more guilty then the CCClergy for as they endeavour to to get gifts and endowments for the honour office of ministry in the Church by laying out money at Schooles and purchasing to themselves degrees as if the spirit must undoubtedly gift men for the Ministry that mean to bestow themselves that way when once they are train'd up to be Masters of Arts in the university so to say nothing how they pay for their ordination and actual admission into the function it self when so fitted though themselves call it Simony or the sin of Simon to buy spiritual livings these with them we see are the gifts of the holy spirit yet such is their unsatiable greedinesse after glory and greatnesse in the world that as hateful a sin as Simony seems to be among them few of their
reasons for baby-baptism be strong and solid your Reader if rational will receive them if weak as you say they are he is a Reader scarce worth writing reason to who will be prevailed with by your desire so to cover their weakness as in charity to suffer himself to be overcome and carried away by them notwithstanding that their weakness to close with you in your cause and to be beaten into a belief of your baptism as good though it hath but broken reeds and bulrushes to maintain it by the force of bare beggings and beseechings or if in this request of yours to us to cover the weakness of your Arguments your meaning is not that we should be so silly as to build our belief and practice upon them though weak by your own confession whose they are but onely that we should not publish discover and divulge their weakness to the world but in charity be content to think our think or to see and say nothing truly Sirs what others will do at your request in this kind I know not but I assure you I cannot possibly for my part grant your desire in this case forasmuch as your selves have engaged me several waies not to be silent on pain of giving away the cause which if it were onely my own too the matter were so much the less you should have it with all my heart yea verily and my own life too to do your souls good for I know I could freely part with it to be a means of effecting your salvation but since it is the cause of God which he hath intrusted me with the pleading of against you who presume to enter the lists against it with such silly tools and weak weapons on behalf of a Babish-baptism which is not from heaven but of men I dare not give place so far as in foolish pitty to spare the Cittie Babylon or in Charity not to bewray a Breach or weakness in her walls of defence when I spie it for that were in Charity to betray the truth of of God and such Charity is more Antichristian by far then Christian what ere you call it and such as could have small hope of acceptance before God however esteemed of among men wherefore I desire you to have me excused if I cannot in charity cover the weakness of your Arguments for in Charity to poor souls that are led aside from the way of truth by your piteous pious pretences and weak reasonings for your way and I am concerned in the very next place after I have done with this of yours to the Reader to discover to the world the weakness of them besides sith you have made so bold with your selves as to proclaime the weakness of your own Arguments for Infant-baptism I hope the Counties of Kent and Sussex will consider this that their choise Ministry that stood up to maintain Infant-Baptism at Ashford did after in their own Account theerof give out of their own accord that there was weakness in the Arguments they brought for that purpose men mutire nefas I hope it shall be no offence to you for me to second you in your own saying 't is you who have publisht your arguments to be weak my business shall be only publickly to prove them so to be as you assert them yet if it be offensive to you it shall be no wonder to me for I know already that you can bear it better to have your Disputation ly under disgrace and disparagement under shame and censure of weakness from your selves in print then from your supposed Adversary and true Friend my self so much as in a private Letter only and that some men as the Proverb is may more safely steal the horse then some so much as peep o're the hedge Pre. Not to suffer the cause to be wronged thorow the defects of those who had more zeal to maintain it then abilities c. Post. T is both usual and lawfull for us to judge of causes by the effects that naturally and necessarily flow from them for qualis causa i. e. naturalis per se talis effectus Retró e. g. Infant-sprinkling hath been a cause efficient and per se from whence much evil hath necessarily crept into the world for it hath been a means of confounding the Church and the World together of letting the Gentiles or Nations by whole sale into the outter Court of filling the world with meer nominal Christians and carnal Christianity whereby they have got advantage ever since to tread down the holy City and true worship and worshippers as Heresie Hereticks of bringing the nations into one Catholick Church whereof the Pope was universall Bishop or overseer for ages together thorow the eyes of his creatures the Clergy the very Stirrup whereby he and his Ministers who have blended themselves into a blind and beastly uniformity have become Masters of the Kingdomes and have got up to ride them a plea and president for traditions it being one it self which ever make Gods commands void and mens worship of God in vain an inlet of these and innumerable more mischiefs and absurdities for posito hoc uno absurdo sequuntur mille therefore it is undoubtedly an ill cause also t is lawfull to judge of a cause by the common Consequents which come from it not as caused properly but meerly occasioned by it and in respect of which it is called only causa sine quâ non i. e. that without which the other would not be and yet no other then the bare accidentall occasions of those effects which flow from something else as the cause thereof perse and most especially when those consequents are declared by the word of God to be such as will upon that occasion universally and unavoidably come to pass and thus we may give a shrew'd guess that our cause is good viz. that our Gospel Ministery Church-way and Baptism is the true one because we see it is seconded now and ever hath been with what it was of old seconded and foretold also that it should ever be even every where to the worlds end viz. divisions in families two against three and three against two the Father against the Son the Daughter against the Mother c. offences of friends and fleshly relations the account of Heresie and baseness hatred of men persecution cavils stits tumults about it by which things Christs people Gospel Ministers and Ministrations are ever proved to be his Luke 12. 52. 53. Math. 24. 9. 2. Tim. 3. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 27. 2 Cor. 6. 4 5. So that where there 's none of this I avouch the Gospell in its purity is not there though where these are the Gospel is not the cause for that is men lusts and flesh fighting against the light but the only the occasion whereupon they arise when Satan the strong man holds the house the goods are all in peace but when Christ the stronger man comes to storm him out there 's contention
their nonage as if in infancy they be admitted to both it may so fall out and mostly it did among the Iewes that a lifting up to heaven in respect of participation of outward priviledges and ordinances may prove an occasion unhappily through their abuse of it of their sinking deeper into hell His next Argument is drawn from Deut. 29 10. 11. 12. a place that doth as well prove that all the wives and the servants and the slaves even all the hewers of wood and drawers of water are to be taken into Covenant with God as his and admitted into Church-membership upon the Membership of Masters and Husbands as little ones upon the membership of the Fathers and so indeed it was in those daies wherein the whole body of the Nation was inchurched together though not so now therefore though I might easily discover that yea he is blind that sees it not in the same chapter notwithstanding it is alledged in that allusion of Paul in the tenth chapter of the Romans to that place to be no other then that covenant which was made with the nation in particular which God brought out of Aegypt yet I shall trouble my self to say no more to it then so His 13 Argument is from Rom. 4. 11. where circumcision is said to be a seal of the righteousnesse of the faith which Abraham had is answer'd above where I have given out the genuine sense of that place and disproved that crooked construction which is by others aswell as him commonly made of it therefore I le say no more to it here His 14 Argument is also answered but a little above where I have shew'd the inchurching of that fleshly seed to be ceremonial and also what it typed out therfore no more of that also in this place His 15. plain Scripture-lesse proof for infants present churchmembership and baptism is this viz. If all infants who were members of any particular Church were also Members of the Universall Visible Church then certainly the Membership of infants he means by vertue of the membership of their parents is not repealed But all infants who were c. Ergo. The consequence saith he is beyond dispute because the universal Church never ceaseth here yea the whole Argument so clear that were there no more it is sufficient To which as unanswerable as he judges it I answer first by denying the consequence of his Maior as most flatly false and inconsequent Secondly by saying as Mr. T. did whose answer is both solid and sufficient viz. that infants membership in the universal visible church was only by reason of their then membership in that particular national church neither can Mr. Ba. while he breathes prove them to have bin members of that universal visible as he calls it but as they were members of that and therefore when that particular nationall church of the Jewes ceased the standing of infants as members upon the meer account of their parents membership ceased also therewith as one of the things that were not essentiall to a church but circumstantial onely to that church as one of the particular accidental ceremonies pertaining onely to that individual nationall church for accidental ceremonies Mr. Ba. himself confesses and must confesse did cease still with that particular church to which particularly they related otherwise he will be paid home with his own weapon and in his own coin yea if Mr. Baxters consequence be true and if it be not so as we say that accidentall ceremonies and so this accidental ceremony and circumstance of infants being members upon the membership of their parents did cease with that particular church of the Iews t will passe all the braines Mr. Ba. hath in his head to answer his own argument if we retort it on him in proof of that which he denies as much as we do the inchurching of infants upon the fathers membership viz. the inchurching of wives and servants to this day upon the membership of their husbands and masters for whereas he argues thus viz. if all infants who were members of any particular church were also members of the universal visible church then certainly the membership of infants by vertue of their parents membership is not repealed but all c. Ergo What answer will he make if we answer him by arguing back upon him thus viz. if all wives and servants who were members by vertue of their husbands and masters membership of any particular visible church were also members of the universall visible church then certainly the membership of wives and servants hewers of wood and drawers of water by vertue of their husbands and masters membership is not repealed but all c. Ergo. I leave it to wise men to consider and examine whether Mr. Bs. argument doth not as fully tend to the proof of it that the wives and servants ought as of old to stand members in the visible church now upon the husbands and masters membership as infants upon the membership of their parents Several other palpable absurdities are obvious to every observant eye in his amplification of this argument which whoever notes will take heed of pinning his faith implicitly on Mr. Bs. sleeve and of listning to his Logick so as to be led by it besides all sense and reason To say nothing to his universall visible which is little lesse then a visible bull for sensus adeoque visus est proprie solum modo singularium intellectus universalium the proper object of sense and so of sight is particulars onely and universalls onely properly of the understanding yet this universal visible church is the universal vision and dream of the universal Clergy but to bate them the baldnesse of that term and grant that there is a Catholike visible church is there any unversal visible church but what is existent in and made up of all the particular visible churches I trow not yea that was wont to be good Logick and Theology too heretofore to say that all the particulars make up the unversal that the universall visible Church and all the particular visible Churches are adaequate and convertible yea Dr. Featley p. â—…2 makes the universall visible church and all the particular visible churches equivalent the universal or formall church saith he i. e. all the assemblies of Christians in the world the whole is not broader then all its parts collectively taken nor without its parts for omne totum ex suis partibus constituitur ordinatur mensuratur determinatur every whole consists of its parts is measured and determined by its parts and so the whole universal visible Church and all the homogeneall parts of it simul sumtae i. e. all the particular visible churches taken together are of equall latitude so that he that is of a any particular visible church must needs be of the whole and he that is of the whole universall visible must needs be of some particular visible church yea cui adimuntur omnes partes totius
penniworth too yet as oft as they remove to other livings they carry them away along with them in their papers from the people that have already bought and paid for them preach them ore again and so sell them for as much more in other places but I hope the civil power throughout Europe as well as they do in the tenth part of it already will take cognizance ere long that it can be no great ease to truly tender consciences who with the CCClergy are ever stiled Sectaries and Schismaticks to lie under the lash of these Lords over Gods heritage and in tender consideration thereof and compassion to those righteous souls who are vexed with their vanities proclaim such a Iubilee that the true spouse of Christ whom they made a keeper of their vineyard shall have leave to keep her own vine yard go forth from her Apprenticeship to these spiritual Task-masters that their consciences shall be no more yoaked nor captivated to their crude and carnal conceptions and the wings of the CCClergy so clipt that they shall not soare so high as they have done over the faith of all people yea in the name of the blessed and onely Potentate King of Kings and Lord of Lords Christ Iesus I warn all the civil Powers Princes and Potentates of the world that have been bewitched by the sorceries of that WWWhore who corrupts the earth with her fornications that they give up their power and strength no more to be improved to the forcing of the inhabiters of the earth to drink of the golden cup and wine of her fornications but that they improve it rather henceforth to the freeing all men from from her conscience crushing principle of per secution by the civil sword that submit not to her Sinodical constitutions and if they refuse to obey the will of the Lord in this thing and permit not all people to live peaceably in their several forms of worship they behaving themselves civilly and in all subjection to them in civil matters in their several States I testifie unto them that then the hand of the Lord will be so heavy upon them and their PPPriests and people that he will plague them as câ—…rtainly as he did Egypt Pharoah and his Magicians till they let his Israel go forth and serve him as he required Yea O ye Powers if ye shall yet persevere to Tyranize over truth and trample upon tender consciences and force all men to that one faith which the men or rather the woman Rev. 17. the CCâ—…lergy in their counsels make the standard through you several States the Lord Christ will tread you and your people in his wrath and trample you in his fury and stain all his raiment with your blood and strengthen your own Subjects against you and your PPPriesthood IIIezebel that stirs you up whoâ—…e lovers you are with invincible courage and irresistable wrath against you to suppâ—…esse your miserable misgovernment and cast her into a bed and you that commit adultery with her into great tribulation except you repent of your deeds yea he will endlessly imbrole you in wars one against another about your false faiths and Anti-christian Christianities and bring plagues upon you the sword famine death and destruction that he may repay unto you the things that have been done unto his chosen and will hold his tongue no longer as touching the wickedness of that kind which hath been profanely committed but as innocent and righteous blood crieth unto him and the souls of the just complain continually so the Lord will surely avenge them and receive unto him all the righteous blood from among them behold his people hath been led as a flock to the slaughter but he will not suffer them now to dwell any longer in the land of Egypt i. e. under the Lordly tyranny of the PPPriesthood who is that threefold great City BBBabilon which is also spiritually called Sodom for her Spiritual whoredoms and Egypt Rev. 11. 8. the land of Israels captivity in the streets within the territories of which the carcases of Christs witnesses ly dead where also our Lord was crucified But he will bring them out with a mighty hand and a streched out arm and will smite EEEgypt with plagues as before and will destroy all the land thereof EEEgypt shall mourn and the foundation of it be smitten with the plague and punishment that God shall bring upon it like as they do yet this day unto his chosen so will he also do and recompence unto their bosom and he will make the Princes of the earth to know that t is Christs right alone to rule over the consciences of the children of men and that no meer man may sit as a judge there and thou O PPPriest shall know that Christ alone is King in his Church and in the conscience and the true Ministers but meer Ministers or servants unto both and not Masters over either and that the civill state is the element and the Orbe which the Magistrate onely is to move in under him and that only meerly in matters civill and that thy self who art a creature not of Gods but of thy own creating and hast usurp'd a supreme jurisdiction at least a jurisdiction over all these hast nothing but naught to do in any of them at all and as thou art no plant of the heavenly fathers planting so shalt assuredly be plucked up by the very roots from all thy pretences priviledges provinces parishes and other profits and places in which thy earthly father the Pope hath planted thee yea thou shalt be weakned as a poor woman with stripes and as one chastised with wounds so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee would I with jealousie have so preceeded against thee saith the Lord if thou hadst not alway slain my chosen exalting the stroak of thine hands and saying over their dead when thou wast drunken set forth the beauty of thy countenance the reward of thy whordome shall be in thy bosom therefore shalt thou receive recompence like as thou hast done unto my chosen saith the Lord spoiling and destroying them that fear the Lord wasting and taking away their goods tearing them with thy teeth for Tith and casting them out of their houses even so shall God do unto thee and shall deliver thee unto mischief thou shalt be cast down by them as stubble and they shall be to thee a fire look what thou hast they shall spoil it and marre the beauty of thy face and the glory of both thou O poor Princely PPPriesthood and of all those PPPriestly Princes that adhere to thee shall be dried up as a flower when the heat shall arise that is sent over thee Be wise now therefore O yee Kings be instructed ye that are judges of the earth see that you serve the Lord with fear in your own persons according to his own will and way revealed in his word and know that howbeit you are
here allow them settle longer in one place then till they have more means or be more to their minds in another had this piece been propounded by parish ministers and people it had become them as â—…ounding somewhat sutable to their posture and principle for t is the usual tone they talk in when one Pastor having left them to take up another call from Christ or imployment somewhere else to his advantage they addresse to the Committee for the approbation or settlement of such or such a godly Orthodox Divine among them as they have agreed with if they can get the Committees good will for till then all parties are not agreed it seems among either you or them to be their minister but to see them whom I suppose to be Independents for I am sure they are Independent men that propose the next parcel viz. Thomas Goodwin Nye Simpson whose propositions these approve of to see I say Independents flocks depend it may be half a year on Committees to have their Pastors approved on and settled by the Committees among them me thinks is something shameful I reckoned that the Independent Churches had reckoned themselves to have had the sole power not onely of choosing and presenting but of approving settling and ordaining their own Pastors among themselves but I see I am deceived and why may not the Church onely without the Committee approve of her own ministers to be Orthodox and be able to minister in their assemblies and meetings as well as to approve of such of her members to be Orthodox and allow them to speak as she shall judge fit to speak for in the next proposal but one or two it appears you judge she without the Committee may approve of such And what mean you by your Pastors leaving you to take up some other call or imployment are your Pastors also such Idol shepheards as it may be supposed now and then will leave their flocks for any other imployment what imployment may they lawfully leave their flocks for with whom they are in fellowship so as to stand Pastors no more among them is their any worldly imployment to which the Pastors office must give way so to as to cease for its sake when it comes in place I know but one employment in honour and excellency beyond that good work of a Bishop or overseer among his flock as namely that of Apostleship or Messengership from the Church to convert the world if it be that you mean I le have you excused in choosing you other Pastors to oversee you in the Lord in your Messengers absence from you to preach to the world but other imployment I know none more honourable then the Ministership for which its worthy to be left by them that have food and raiment in it neither count I it perferment but degeneracy for a Minister to be removed from his Ministership and Servantship in feeding the sheep of Christ over which the holy spirit makes him overseer though it be to a Lordship a Mastership a Presidentship a Deanship ore a colledg whether that Colledge be Christs Church also yea or no specially if that flâ—…ck he leaves be left so destitute of another Pastor that it must wait perhaps 12 moneths for another and at last if at long running they cannot have one must be fain to flee all to pieces and dissolve their Chruch and disperse themselves up and down to other Churches Smite the Shepheard with some better employment and then all his sheep that were gathered may be scattered and separate themselves together into severall places I like this but a little and am confident Christ Jesus likes it lesse if you can follow any manual imployment for your livings as Paul and others did and preach the Gospel too to make it as much as may be without charge I like it well but I am jealous you 'l make a trade too much of the Gospel too You propound that none presume under a penalty to speak in any Assemblies or meetings but ministers of the word members of Churches approved except meetings purposely for disputing and that where meetings be kept up likewise persons speak â—…here that have Commission from some right constituted Church or certificate from two or more able godly Orthodox ministers of their sufficiency to speak and soundnesse in the faith except Masters to their families Schoolmasters to their Schollars or others to such as by their callings fall under their government or charge Then at least civil Magistrates may speak any where within their verge without certificate of their sufficiency so to do to the people that by reason of their call fall under their Government and charge but others may not though the spirit moves them unlesse they can obtain a certificate from some Ministers Sirs what mean you to muzzle men up in this manner under penalties from opening their mouths to speak unlesse they bring testimonials and certificates from men if any man speak from God God will give testimony to him by assisting him to speak honestly at least though weakly and plainly if God do not testifie to any man that speaks so but that the hearers judge him insufficient or that he speaks weakly and sillily and see that God leaves him to utter error they may leave him too if they please if it be free for men as it never was under the Pâ—…sthood to refuse what they find not to be truth and as they like it not to leâ—… iâ—… alonâ—… them therefore that are weak in the faith receive and entertain though they have no pastport or orders from men to shew you may sometimes entertain angels unawares and what if God stop that mans mouth as he may do when he pleases the spirit blowing where it lists who has mans testimony of sufficiency from whom ther 's the greatest expectation and does somtimes when men dote on men yea and opens the mouths of them that at other times it may be sate as dumb asses to reprâ—…ve the madnesse of very prophets T is propounded by Mr. Owen Mr. Thomas Goodwin Mr. Nye Mr. Sympson that such as do not receive but oppose those principles of Christian Religion without the acknowledgement whereof the Scriptures do clearly and plainly affirm that Salvation is to be obtained may not be suffered to preach or promulgate any thing in opposition unto such principles But in this verily I am not satisfied at any hand for not to acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the Christ but to deny him to be the Son of God when he is plainly preached is not to receive but oppose those principles of Christian Religion the non-acknowledgement of which where Christ at least is made known is utterly inconsistent with salvation yet thus did the Iews when Christ in person was among them contradicting blaspheming him as also the Samaritans did not receive him yet the civil powers of the world had no power from Christ to curb them and not suffer them to say what
to doâ—…ineer ovâ—…r the Clergy 1 Pet. 5. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. we see therefore God calls the flock and not the Sheepheards muchlessâ—… tâ—…e Sheepsâ—…ers by the name of Clergy but the Pope as if he had projected purposely to betheeve Gods people out of all their priviledges and rights leaves them not so much as their own proper name to be known by but bestows the name of Clergy upon the Creatures of his own creating and leaves them the name of Laicks in its stead tâ—…lling them when they begin â—…o charge his CC Clergy with impropriation of preaching and pay to themselves that they are but a Clergy of Laicks see Featleys Epistle but to say the truth excepting some few of his sons of the Episcopal and Presbyterian CClergy that are come from him two wayes viz. by dissent and descent who may be honester and wiser then the rest and yet are not so wiâ—… as to know their own father the rest are mostly A CCClergy of Lazicks or lazy locustâ—… In like manner hath heâ—…ingrost other titles to himself and his CCClergy all which the Scripture gives to all Christs people as namely that of Spiritual men as if all the world were but Natural at least but Temporal men besides themâ—…elves thus the Bishops were called Lords Spirituâ—…l and other Lordâ—… Lords Temporal so thâ—… of Priests see the book of Common-prayer and of ordination of Priests and Deacons whereas these are titles afforded by the spirit to all the Sâ—…ints of God as well as some 1 Cor. 2. 15. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Rev. 1. 6. 5. 10 yeâ—… I call them by tâ—…se â—…mes because these are now the most common names whereby they are known or â—…lso properly I cannot call them by these nor by any other names whereby they commonly call themsâ—…lves I cannot call them the Spiritualty for not one of many of them hath any Spiritualnesse in him I cannot call them Devines for they are rather Humanes if they have their due whilst they teâ—…ch Gods fear after mens precepts and for doctrines the Traditions of men I cannot call them the Tribe of Levi for Levi though he took Tith according to the Law whereof he was the Priest in the loines of Abraham paid Tithes to the person of that high Priâ—…st that we are undâ—…r viz. Melchizedeck or the King of Righteousnesse Christ Iesus but these are so fâ—…r from paying Tithes to Christ that they most grievously gripe his people if they pâ—…y it not to them I cannot call them Ministers i. e. servants of Christ of the Church for they are rather Lords and Masters over his heritage unlesse Servus Servorum and Dominus Dominorum may stand together I cannot call them Pastors or Shepheards till I can own their Parishes for Christs Sheep for if we denominate them by the General temper of their people they profess to stand Pastors too they seem to be Swinheards rather by their peoples wallowing in the mire I cannot call them Presbyters or Elders though some of them be Seniores annis unlesse they were Saniores Animis then they are for they are not yet sound nor Orthodox in either their judgements doctrine or practise so long as they are against the truest baptism and abide unbaptized I cannot call them Preachers of the Gospel for they preach down that Gospel which was at first preached concerning Christs dying for the sins of the whole world I cannot call them Bâ—…shops or Overseers of Christs flock in the spirits sense i. e. in respect of their care to take heed to or feed it but Overseers in another sense rather I may properly stile them for verily Christs flock is so little and low poor and plain mean and base hated and dispised and themselves so lofty and high minded that as not many noble and mighty so few or none of these wise men after the flesh can stoop or look so low as it is and so for the most part they oversee it and lastly if those be the true Clergy and Priests of God that are obedient to his word as the Scripture saies they are the CCClergy need not find fault as they do with the Mar-priests of these times for in very deed the CCClergy PPPriests and Presbiters have been the truest Priest-biters Claw-clergies and Mar-Priests themselves * Rem enim ndig nam esse putent c. saith Calvin Inst. li. 4. c. 11. 5. 15. they deem it a disparagement that they should be made to answer in their own personall causes before any civil Magistrate and suppose both the liberty and dignity of the Church i. e. the Clergy to ly in an exemption from the common seats of judicature and their laws but the Bishops of old who were otherwise strict enough in pleading the priviledges of the Church did judge it no disgrace either to themselves or their function to subject themselves to civill powers * whose work 〈◊〉 mostly in reading service in old time till the Gospel came again to be preached in these latter daies * Act. 19. 24. to 39. * who saw some truth in their daies wherein t was twilight but not all that is nowtobe seen for though I reverence the men as I do every man that sees truth as far as iâ—… shines clearly in his time yet Luther left much truth unseen to himself be hind him and some of Calvins Institutions too are none of Christs * For verily these Starrs for their light of learning as Dr. Featley confesses p. 165. 166. have been the Authors devisers and broachers of Heresies yea peruse saith he if thou please all the antient Heresies listed by Epiphanius Austin Philastrius Alphonsus a castro Ambrosius de Rusconibus and others and therein thou shall find the Ring-seaders great Clerks and accute Sophisters whence is that true observation of Tertullian Philosophi Hereticorum Patriarchae Philosophers have been the great Grandfathers of Hereticks * Nahum 3. thy crowned are as the locusts O King of Assyria Apollyon in the Antitype * Of which chain of succession of Ministry if but one link fail or chance to be lost so that it meets with interruption you confesse all your Ministry lies on the ground too and cannot at any hand be counted valid or raised again and yet if there was not a breach of that line in the link of Pope Joan aliâs Gilberta an English woman born at Lin who was both literally and mystically the Whore of Rome and therefore far I wot from being a true Presbyter or Minister of Christs Church in which women are forbid to usurp authority then my understanding failes me not a little * Who by Austin the Monk dispatcht an Ordination hither with resolution about infants viz. that in case of necessity they might be baptized by which ordination men have ever since bin authorized to ordain here and such as have been ordained to baptize * For the civil Magistracy may reside in women as is also shewed above who though by Pope