liuetennant and messenger in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures and especiallie of men and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie to keepe them in that outward obedience which he requireth at their handes Now the minister is the Lordes messenger in an other regarde viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men if they * 2. Thes 1.9 beleeue and obeye his gospell Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord to be the Redeemer of mankinde in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof so confound thedecree of the gouernmeÌ„t of the creatures with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will confound these two callings together And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God is more excellent than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures by so much the more detestable and odious doe they manifest themselues who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made betweene God man do either vtterly reiect their ministery because they think it to base and gainlesse a calling or els as a farther couÌ„tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the funne doe adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall 2. Cor. 10.4.5 that is not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe as by civil authority improsonmeÌ„t c. brin g their matters to passe but mighty in God to cast downe holdes casting down the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed and the onely weapons that are graunted vnto ministers to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat they must commit that vnto the magistrate who beareth not the sworde in vaine Rom. 13.3.4 For it is he and not the minister of the word whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill Now compare the dealings and practises of our bishops and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword which violentlie and wrong fullye their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand to keep the church in bondage but also that this confusion of the magistracie ministerie in one person though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby cannot staÌ„d together with the sinceritie of the gospell the purity whereof also they haue corrupted in the tyrannous superioritie whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers and also ouer the reste of the churche with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God than the impeaching of the libertie of the church For the first point to wit of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church messeÌ„gers of Christ it is intollerable tyrannous directly against a plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testameÌ„t by our Sauiour Christ himself The place is commonlie knowen and hath beene cited for this purpose I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause Luk. 2.24 â— And there arose also a strife among them that is among the disciples saieth the text which of them might seeme to bee the greatest but hee said vnto them the kinges of the nations raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious lords but ye shal not be so In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself to haue plainly forbiddeÌ„ al his ministers either to haue any superiority dominion ouer the church their brethreÌ„ to rule any wise as Lords princes do or yet to be so called Where also three especiall monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited forbidden First they wil be ministers of the gospell and yet be greater then their brethren rule ouer the church Secondly they will be ministers of the gospell and yet beare rule lyke lords Thridlie they wil bee ministers of the gospell and yet called lordes Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauior christ You shal not be so That is you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates Princes and Lordes doe that you shall not bee so called by any names or tytles that do carry with them the honor and the preheminence due vnto princes and lordes They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour are called * Fuergetai a title wherewith the kings of Egipt were honor'd gracious lords but ye shall not be so Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare if wee consider that in forbidding them to kurieuein that is to rule lyke lords he forbiddeth them also to be kurious viz. lordes as farre as that name kurios is a title of worldly honor preheminence and gouernment no farther And no farther I say because the word kurios in the greeke tongue as also the word * Compare the 1. Sanâ—â— 15. 2 Kin. 5.25 with 2. king 6.12 adhon in the hebrew and dominus in latine signifieth a maister or Sir as well as a Lord which is proued Iohn 12.21 20.5 where Philip the apostle our Sauiour Christ supposed by Maric to be the gardiner are called kurici sirs or maisters In which sence it is not forbidden vnto ministers to be called kurioi Which I adde to stoppe theynlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue which alwayes are names of worldly honor and promotioÌ„ in our common speach as it were for them to haue the former greek hebrue latine names attributed vnto them Whiche by the places before quoted to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his ministers to kurieuein viz to rule lyke lordes forbiddeth them also to be called Lords it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vnto the ambition and pryde of proude and ambitious men For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde to desire the name and title thereof than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed So that in forbidding his disciples to kurieuein beare rule as the lords of
betweene God man do either vtterly reiect their ministery because they think it to base and gainlesse a calling or els as a farther couÌ„tenance vnto the most glorious vocation vnder the sunne d ee adde the ciuill magistracie there-vnto Whereby they shewe themselues indeede to haue made a shamefull apostacie from the doctrine and practise of our sauiour Christ and his Apostles The weapons of whose warfare were not carnall 2. Cor. 10.4.5 that is not such as wherwith men by an arme of fleshe as by civil authority improsonmeÌ„t c. bring their matters to passe but mighty in God to cast downe holdes casting down the imaginations and euerie high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captiuitie euery thoght vnto the obedience of Christ Heere are the onely weapons that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles vsed and the onely weapons that are graunted vnto ministers to ouerthrow the gayn-sayer And as for the civill punishment of the obstinat they must commit that vnto the magistrate who beareth not the sworde in vaine Rom. 13.3.4 For it is he and not the minister of the word whome the Lord hath appointed to take reuenge of him that doth euill Now compare the dealings and practises of our bishops and what weapons they vse to encounter with those that stand against them and you shall perceaue that they haue not onelie abused the force of that sword which violentlie and wrongfullye their predecessors wrested out of the maiestrats hand to keep the church in bondage but also that this confusion of the magistracie ministerie in one person though the furtherance of the truth were intended therby cannot staÌ„d together with the sinceritie of the gospell the purity whereof also they haue corrupted in the tyrannous superioritie whiche they vsurpe both ouer their fellow Ministers and also ouer the reste of the churche with no lesse breache of the ordinaunce of God than the impeaching of the libertie of the church For the first point to wit of the superiority which they as ministers claime ouer the church messeÌ„gers of Christ it is intollerable tyrannous directly againsta plain moral act set down in the canon of the new testameÌ„t by our Sauiour Christ himself The place is commonlie knowen and hath beene cited for this purpose I thinke by all those that ever dealte in this cause Luk. 2â— 24 â— And there arose also a strife among them that is among the disciples saieth the text which of them might seeme to bee the greatest but hee said vnto them the kinges of the nations raigne ouer them and they that beare rule ouer them are called gracious lords but ye shal not be so In which place wee see the spirite of God by the mouth of the aeternal himself to haue plainly forbiddeÌ„ al his ministers either to haue any superiority dominion ouer the church their brethreÌ„ to rule any wise as Lords princes do or yet to be so called Where also three especiall monstrous corruptions raingning in our Ll. Archb. and Bb. are expresly inhibited forbidden First they wil be ministers of the gospell and yet be greater then their brethren rule ouer the church Secondly they will be ministers of the gospell and yet beare rule lyke lords Thridlie they wil bee ministers of the gospell and yet called lordes Howe standeth this with the ommandement of our Sauiourchrist You shal not be so That is you my disciples shal be so farre from having any superiority one ouer an other after my departure and so far from bearing rule as civill Magistrates Princes and Lordes doe that you shall not bee so called by any names or tytles that do carry with them the honor and the preheminence due vnto princes and lordes They that beare rule ouer the nations saieth our Sauiour are called Fuergetai a title wherewith the kings of Egâ—pt were honor'd gracious lords but ye shall not be so Heere we see plainely that hee forbiddeth his disciples to beare the name whereunto preheminence is joined which may further appeare if wee consider that in forbidding them to kurieuein that is to rule lyke lords he forbiddeth them also to be kurious viz. lordes as farre as that name kurios is a title of worldly honor preheminence and gouernment no farther And no farther I say because the word kurios in the greeke tongue as also the word Compare the 1. Saâ— 1 15. â— Kiâ— â— 25 wâ—â—h 2. king 6 1â— adhon in the hebrew and dominus in latine signifieth a maister or Sir as well as a Lord which is proued John 12.21 20.5 where Philip the apostle our Sauiour Christ supposed by Marie to be the gardiner are called kurici sirs or maisters In which sence it is not forbidden vnto ministers to be called kurioi Which I adde to stoppe the vnlearned and foolish cavils of our aduersaries who go about to proue it as lawful for our bishops to be called lords in the English tongue which alwayes are names of worldly honor and promotioÌ„ in our common speach as it were for them to haue the former greek hebrue latine names attributed vnto them Whiche by the places before quoted to any man of vnderstanding in the tongues appeareth to bee a cavill vnworthie the aunswere And that our Sauiour Christe forbidding his ministers to kurieuein viz to rule lyke lordes forbiddeth them also to be called Lords it is most cleare in that otherwayes he should open a wide dore vnto the ambition and pryde of proude and ambitious men For it is a farre greater token of pride and ambition for a man who cannot by any right haue the dignitye of a lorde to desire the name and title thereof than for him to be so called that is a Lord indeed So that in forbidding his disciples to kurieuein beare rule as the lords of the nations doe he forbiddeth them also to bee called and tearmed by their titles I know what hath beene obiected by the Archb. vnto these thinges and will againe bee said if it be not prevented namely that our Sauior forbiddeth tyrannous lordship and tyrannous bearing of rule in the former place not just vpright and lawfull government Where I beseech your Hh to lend me your attention you shall see the intollerable boldnes of this man in peruerting the truth who is not ashamed wheÌ„soeuer it may be for his behoofe to teach points of doctrine meere directly against the words mind of the Lord Iesus I demand then of him whether our Sauiour Christ did not in the place afore cited so aunswere his disciples in the pointe whereof they doubted as hee did fullie resolue them He dares not deny it I am sure For in pointes that are needfull to be knowen reuealed our Sauiour being demaÌ„ded one thing doeth not frame his answere vnto that whereof no question is made and so leaue his church vnsatisfied What was the question then Was it
the kings of the earth because hee is Lorde of all kingdomes and common wealths to dispose and rule them at his pleasure euen as he is man or els it considereth his government as he which is the head ruleth his bodie which is the Churche heere vpon earthe by ceratine offices and ministeries which hee hath appointed to be in his bodie to wit the Church for the gathering together of his Saints for the worke of his ministerie and the aedification of his bodie Ephes 4.12 In both these regards he is said in the day of judgement to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For whereas now as he is Lord of kingdomes and coÌ„mon-vealthes he ruleth by the ciuill Magistrate otherwayes by his power even in the midest of his enemies he shall in the daye of judgement put an ende vnto this regiment when all his enemies are put vnder his feet and so deliuer the kingdome vnto his Father Again because in the day of judgement when we are all mett together wee shall not stand in neede of anie aedification so the meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Looke Reu. 7 1â— 21.22.23 22 â— being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12. â— 14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable that anie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archbard â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Arch b. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his king dome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things be had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinanceis a thing vnlawful in it self but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords
meanes thereof by the preaching of the word the administration of the sacramentes c. shall cease the government of Christ also as far as it is performed by these meanes shall cease And so in this respect hee is said to deliuer the kingdome vnto his father For after that day hee will no longer governe and rule vs which are the members of his body by meanes as he now doth but he which is the Lamb Lonke Reu. 7.17 21.22.23 â—2 5. being in the middest of the throne of God shall immediatlie governe vs by himself and bring vs to the liuelie fountaines of waters Now the kingdome of Christ being taken in this latter sence for that government of the Church ordained vnder the new testament wherby he which is the sonne being manifested in the fleshe to take vpon him the regiment of his owne house doeth nowe from heauen by the operation of his spirite guide and governe his Church is such as no part thereof must be administred by any offices or officers saue onely by those whome in his worde he hath apointed therevnto The which case standeth vpon such manifest grounds of aequitie and iustice that their madnes is apparantlie wicked who go about to attempt the contrarie For seeing no office can haue anie place in the kingdome and bodie of Christ viz. the Church which is not a * Rom. 12.6 1. Cor. 12.8.14.27.28 member thereof and seeing our Sauiour Christ hath not left his Churche vnperfect but absolute and compleat of all hir members otherwise he should bee an vnperfect builder of his house and far more vnperfecte than Moses is saide to bee Heb. 3.3.6 the contrarie wherof is testified of him in the word the enterprise is intollerable thatanie man shoulde adde of his owne invention vnto that which is most perfect wherevnto that which is added being impertineÌ„t must needes be altogether a burthen vnprofitable and noysome vnto the bodie Because our Sauiour who is the head of his bodie giueth lyfe onely vnto the members of his own appointment making insomuch as if you go about to bring into his kingdome bodie those officers which were not ordained and apointed in the word of God to bee therein you bring in these things that appertaine not vnto the kingdome of Christ Nowe according vnto these grounds Archb. aâ—d â—b doe not belong vnto the kingdome of Christ let vs see vnto what regiment these offices of Archb. and Bb. do belong whether vnto the gouernment of christ or vnto the kingdome of the beast You see if they apertaine vnto the Church of Christ that they wer ordained members thereof in the written worde will of God Heere then we will not be the judges let our aduersaries speake theÌ„ selues whether their offices be apointed in the new testameÌ„t or not for therin must they be mencioned if they belong vnto the kingdome of Christ and are the members of his bodie What wil their answere be in this point Surelie they muste confes that from the beginning of the new testament vnto the latter end of it there is not a word spoken of Ll. Archb. and Bb. So that whensoeuer or by whomesoeuer they had their originall they haue it not from our Sauiour Christe and his word Because he hath ordained no members of his bodie and no offices of his Kingdome since the written worde of the newe testament was penned Whervpon we must needs conclude that they belong not vnto his kingdome Naye wee go further and say that Ll. Archb. and Bb. are so farre from hauing their callings warranted by the word that their verie names much more their offices are by the same made detestable and odious vnto the church as shall presentlie appeare As for their callings the corruption thereof is so great that they the puritie of the gospell together with the liberty of the church cannot stand together Concerning the puritie of the Gospell their callings pollute the same 2. maner of wayes and infringe the libertie of the church by as many Firste they will bee Ministers and civill magistrates too that is they wil bee ministers of the kingdome of Christ and the kingdome of the world all at once Whereby they declare vnto vs that they thinke it not sufficient to bee as their * Mat. 10.24.25 Iohn 18.36 maister was who affirmed his kingdome not to be of this worlde that is that he was not manifested in the flesh to intermedle with the execution of civill functions but to be ruler of a kingdome that consisteth in an other manner of gouernment and dominion than the kingdomes of the world doe Whose example in this point all his true ministers muste needes followe vnlesse they will make a shamefull defection from their maister vnto whome being heere vpon earth though he were the lord of all his creatures it had bene vnlawfull to haue taken vpon him the function of the civill magistrate And therefore we reade that when the multitude woulde haue made him king Iohn 6.15 he withdrew himself out of the way because that hee was not sent hyther to deale in anye thing but in the worke of mans redemption and so if as a Magistrate hee had intermedled with the dispensation of civill things he had not contained himself within the limites of that calling wherevnto he was anointed with the oyle of gladnes aboue his fellowes Not that the calling of the Magistrate being Gods ordinance is a thing vnlawful in itself but that the Lord hath so apointed that hee which is to be the minister of the glad tidinges of the gospell cannot be the minister of ciuill justice and execution By reason that these two ordinances of the magistracie ministerie though proceeding both of them from the Lord do yet flow from him in a diuerse consideration and respecte For the ciuill magistrate is the Lords liuetennant and messenger in respect that the Lord is gouernor and ruler of all his creatures and especiallie of men and therefore hath apointed the civill magistracie to keepe them in that outward obedience which he requjreth at their handes Now the minister is the Lordes messenger in an other regarde viz. In respecte that the Lord offereth peace and reconciliation vnto men if they * 2. Thes 1.9 beleeue and obeye his gospell Vnlesse therefore we would make the Lord to be the Redeemer of mankinde in that respect that hee is the Creator and the gouernor thereof so confound the decree of the gouernmeÌ„t of the creatures with the decree and ordinance of mans redemption we cannot without the breach of the Lords holy will confound these two callings together And surelie by how much the work of mans redemption from the aeternall wrath of God is more excellent than the worke of the creation and government of the creatures by so much the more detestable and odious doe they manifest themselues who being as they would be accounted ministers of that reconciliation made