servant therefore neither the Apostles nor their successors must as Lords rule over the flocke of Christ or over one another Stay heere Christ affoords no such conclusion Hee is pleased to oppose not Kings and Bishops which are in excellent subordination either to other but Gentiles and Christians and he doth not abolish magistracy from Christianity for then his Apostles were ill schollars who taught that higher powers are ordained of God and that they must be obeyed by all under them neither would he abolish an inequality of ministery in the Church for hee himselfe I hope had superiority over his disciples ye cal me master and Lord and ye say well for so I am yea and hee himselfe made first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers which implies an order degree and subordination either to other neither doth hee heere forbid that his disciples should bee utterly excluded from dealing in any matter of right in the Common wealth for then they could easily have replied Lord wee desire not to meddle in secular affaires but to have superiority over one another in the Church But hee labours to prevent the wicked customes of heathen kings in Christian Common-wealthes and Churches that is their ruling by their owne lusts and wills and their ruling for their owne ends without respect to the peoples goods This is to play the Lords to domineere over the people as if they were their vassals and themselves had all Lordship paramount that could bee imagined Now can any man not soaked in malice or prejudice say that our Bishops rule thus like heathens with force and crueltie when they governe according to the lawes and Canons of Church and Common-wealth Is not this to rule with the consent of the people in the lawes of the Common-wealth and with the consent of the presbyterie in the Canons of the Church Yea but now for the exercise of this governement of the Church it is say the Brownists fearefully abused by the Bishops in three particulars 1 In shouldering out such officers in the Church as Christ hath ordained 2 In imposing oathes upon good men to accuse themselves 3 And in base usage of the high censure of excommunication Put case all these were true were this a sufficient cause of separation was Christ no master when his purse-bearer betrayed him and the rest of his servants runne away from him Is his â—eamelesse coate to bee rent in sunder because some of those about him have cast some spots upon it Because they may if they will accuse themselves will they therefore accuse Christ as if his bounty in our Church were not worth the injoyment Because one thing is not well used in the punishment of vice shall all things be neglected and spuâ—ned at that are amongst us for the maintenance of vertue yea shall the holy spirit of God assistant in the meanes of salvation amongst us be belyed as if all the grace they have gotten amongst us were no grace till they had discarded us as some of them doe But let us take a viewe of the particulars and see whether it be so or no and how far First they say that Bishops justle out Christs officers out of the Church And who are these They tell us first of Elders lay governing Elders who should have power in the censures of the church and all matters of order Indeed they had wont to tell us of these much But since Master Smith once of their Church hath pulled downe that tottering wall by proving that there can bee but one sort of Elders proved from the scripture that is Pastours whose governing duty is to feede the flocke of God and that the Apostle to Timothy doth not import a distribution of officers but commendation of severall workes in one office teaching that Elders are to be honoured for two workes well-ruling and laborious teaching as he proves by severall texts compared And since they weigh that a true Church may stand without them because otherwise the first Church of Christians from the death of Christ till these supposed Elders are ordained were not a true Church And especially since they have brought in their new parish discipline whereby all power of governement is in the whole congregation they are not backeward to confesse that a true Church may be without them and that they doe not much stand upon that exception against us as once a Pastour of that Church confessed to mee Therefore neede not I use more words about that But yet they claime their Doctours and Deacons which they say the Bishops have banished out of the Church Indeed wee reade of Doctors to teach the word of God and if in every congregation if maintenance were answerable there were one in whom were the word of knowledge and another in whom were the word of wisdome if these gifts meete not in one man wee would not mislike it But that this must be so as a distinct office and officer in the church this we deny For teaching and preaching may meete in the same officer whether Pastour of charge or Doctour of the chaire Christ went about teaching and preaching the Gospel Paul and Barnabas continued teaching and preaching Timothy must teach and preach And these the Apostle doth not make severall offices he disjoines them not but couples them together Pastors and teachers to signifie that though they bee divers gifts yet they may be and are often coupled in one man And for Deacons which is a name given to ministers and to Christ himselfe wee reade indeed of certaine men not called Deacons there whose worke was to minister to the necessity of the saints that the Apostles be not driven to leave the word of God and serve tables but have not we such who take care for the poore that the worke of the Lord by us be not hindred Are not our Church-wardens and overseers the same for substance of office if they would be also alwaies the same for conscience But say they wee have not the Deacons of Christ I am sure we have Deacons for the assistance of the worke of the ministery who serve it for a better degree if they perofrme it wisely But that Deacons should be such brethren who doe alwaies attend the businesse of the poore and not belong to ministeriall order is without ground mark their qualification which needed not for such a worke men full of the holy Ghost mark their ordination which was with imposition of hands a ceremony ministerial marke their practise Stephen preached and Philip preached and baptized too marke their description they must be proved and found fit and if they performe their office well they shall purchase to themselves a good degree to ascend higher to be Presbyters yea and to be Bishops also And are not our Deacons such were they not yet can wee not bee denied to be a true Church seeing after the
was come home to God command Iudah to serve the God of Israel Did not Iosiah cause and make his people to stand to his covenant to serve even to serve the Lord our God Is it not lawfull for good Princes in reforming to follow these examples may not they binde their people some way by oath bond subscription or taking and giving hands for better performance of duties of religion why may not our good Princes follow those old patternes in reforming They say because it is not found in the new testament Bee it so yet it is found in the old testament and not condemned in the new nor any other order prescribed in such a case Surely seeing in this new devised way they will bee tried by none but the new testament they shall be cast at this bar in their own courses Let them give but one text to prove any man called or ordained to a Pastours office in the church by a company of private men alone and I shall give them another text to prove any thing they please I can yet reade of none but Apostles Evangelists and the eldership that made ministers there If they can shew no text I am sure they have no such Pastours as they ought but I am sure we have true kings who have power in reforming to compell wicked people to be better then they are because they beare not the sword for nought Yea but say they lastly put case they entred upon necessarie knowledge that they made a covenant in receiving the word and sacraments that they were voluntarily or forced yet lawfull professours when they stated a visible church yet they were many of them baptized when they were the seed of them that were not members of the visible church Conceive it thus If a man be a member of the visible church then his children have a right to baptisme before they actually professe the faith by vertue of that promise I will be thy God and the God of thy seede But if hee bee not a member of a visible church as a Iew Turke or Pagan then have they no right to it before they actually confesse as the Eunuch did Now the Brownists keeping a great coile about the jointing of members into a church as if it were all one to be jointed into the body of Christ coapted and fitted to our head Christ for life and salvation and to bee a member of the visible church in outward communion and fellowship of Christ for the outward priviledges of the church they have I say espied among many others this one crime in the Dutch and French churches that they baptize the seede of them that are no members of the visible church much more when they looke upon us whom they account not members of a true visible church must they quarrell if all bee of his mind if our first reformers be not members of a true visible church and yet their children are baptized before they are of yeares to professe their owne faith SECT 9. A question by the way about baptizing Bastards of impenitent Christians I Confesse I never yet talked with any Brownist about this particular yet because I finde too many conscious people hanging after forraigne novelties and gazing upon with admiration the membring and dismembring in visible churches who when they heare of Christians lawfully begotten children denied baptisme beginne to wonder that christians bastards should be admitted Therefore to cleare both as God shall in able I shall labour to satisfie others as I have done some in this question whether bastards are baptizable while their mothers are in their sinnes of adultery or fornication and whether men ought not to stay their baptisme untill they be reconciled to God in open church which is publickely scandalized by her fact and from which she hath dismembred her selfe by her misdeed In this I finde two questions inwrapt in one whether bastards are baptizable and whether men ought not to stay such baptisme till the harlot bee reconciled to God and this be done in the open church scandalized from which by her fact she hath cut herselfe off by her sinne I shall first labour to state these questions and then the cases will more easily appeare The estate of the first may be thus set By bastards such children are meant as come not into the world by lawfull acts of marriage and by baptizable is meant such as have a right to the sacrament of baptisme in the church And the question is not whether bastards in generall are baptizable for so it is certaine that all are not as the bastards of Iewes Turkes and Pagans who have no right to baptisme but by personall confession But the question is whether the bastards of the professours at large in a christian church which is in covenant with God for the outward priviledge of the church at least have right to baptisme of these the inquiry is because in the second part of this question is spoken of the mothers reconciling to God in the open church offended The state of the second question must be laid by considering two things 1 The persons enquired of· 2 The duty of these persons The persons enquired of are Men and it is too generall a terme For it cannot meane any men of that assembly where such a bastard is presented for they have no authority knowne to mee from scriptures to meddle in any censure ecclesiasticall These onely are to meddle heere who are sent and inspired with delegated service and mininistery from Christ either immediately or mediately Neither can it meane the Pastors and deputed teachers of that assembly for they have but a dependent authority according to the lawes of Eutaxy and good order in the church Presbiters under Bishops Bishops under Synods Synods under Councels and Councels under the word of Christ in plaine scriptures Our highest appeale is to our head Christ Iesus For if ordinary Pastours had such independent power in such cases thinke whether it would not set up a Pope in every parish especially considering that wee have neither precept nor president in all the new testament of such power given to any assembly or Presbiter that ever I could yet finde By men therâ—fore wee must understand the publick governours of that church that is the King Prince state Bishop and convocation by their lawes ecclesiasticall for the good of the church The question enquires of those in respect of order decree and command and of these in respect of Canons and executions accordingly Thus I take up the minde of the question or else I know not what it would have Next consider in the question the duty of these persons whether they ought to stay bastards from baptisme By this two things may bee meant denying baptisme but no man would utterly exclude such and suspending baptisme and of this is the question for it makes a double limitation first till the harlot be reconciled to God In this
immediately did excell those that were called by men And among those that were called by men where might bee a rising to an higher degree according as they profited in faith and godlinesse Therefore Paul saith that they that use the office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree Therefore may wee lawfully maintaine a superiority in the ministery of Christ now But it may be they would not stand so much upon this because for ought I can finde there is some inequality betwixt their pretended Pastors and Doctors but that there is a Iurisdiction in our Bishops not onely over the flock but over the compresbyters their brethren It is true there is so and that justly without which wee should have as many religions as parishes and for that I say this Such jurisdiction as is patterned or prescribed in the epistles to Timothy and Titus is worthily exercised in our church of Christ If it bee said that that jurisdiction was personal in them this takes away the comfort of doctrine in all the otheâ— epistles for it may be as well said that the rules of faith and doctrine in them are personall and belong to that age But as this cannot be said so nor that for those rules tended to the government of the house of God and were to be kept to the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ Now that that jurisdiction patterned or prescribed in those epistles was episcopal appeareth thus Set aside matters matrimonial and testamentary which are the wise donation of princes for the conscionable ordering of such affaires and the jurisdiction of Bishops doth stand in two things principally First in ordination for the ordaining of ministers Titus was left in Crete to ordeine elders and the Apostle would have Timothy lay hands rashly on none that is ordaine But say they these ordeined not as Bishops but as Evangelists But this they must prove that they were Evangelists strictly so called Evangelists were immediately called so waâ— not Timothy for according to his good report and the prophesies that went of him for his great use of the church hee was ordained by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Yea but say they that Paul bids him doe the worke of an Evangelist True but may they not as well prove Timothy to be an Apostle because hee did the worke of the Lord as Paul did know therefore that Evangelist may be taken three wayes for a penner of the Gospel by divine instinct so the Apostles were Evangelists For a preacher of the Gospel by divine instinct so they are accounted so properly And for a preacher of the Gospell by ordinary diligence and assistance and thus Timothy an Evangelist may be a Bishop to ordaine though not properly as a preacher yet as made a great overseer for that use But say the Brownists Bishops claime ordination to themselves alone so did not Timothy and Titus who did it with the eldership Whether these did it alwaies with the assistant presbyters is not yet proved there being no set law knowne to us then nor I doubt ever will Indeed for our Bishops they ordaine Deacons alone and so they may according to ancient custome and neither I nor they know any thing against it But for the ordination of Presbyters as it was in the primitive Church so our Lawes require that the Bishop should have his assistants the power of ordaining being in him and the liberty of approbation in these Secondly the jurisdiction of Bishops stands in redressing things amisse Titus was left in Creta to redresse things amisse not onely in the people but Presbyters Over Presbyters I say they had a power to command as Paul saith to Timothy I left thee at Ephesus that thou mightst charge some that they preach no other doctrine to judge therefore he saith against an Elder receive not an accusation under two or three witnesses which was a juridicall proceeding and to silence as occasion is offered for whose mouthes must be stopped saith Paul to Titus Which power if it be onely by verball conviction as every Minister of the New Testament is bound to doe as he is able and not by reall suspension as hee is over Presbyters the precept is altogether in vaine and idle For words doe but breed words and contentious spirits will never have an end But say they the Apostles would not suffer themselves to be silenced no more should wee If we cannot doe our office in publike we should doe it private This is true of the Apostles and they did well in it but there are two sorts of Preachers such as were immediately called who had their gifts and matter and calling immediately from Christ these none but Christ can silence they are his elect vessels as Paul to carry his Name And such as are immediately called who have their matter and gifts by reading and industry and their calling by and from the testimony of man Now because some mens sinnes goe before and some mens follow after they that gave power and testimony according to appearance may according to after appearance take testimony away from the unworthy except they could prove themselves Apostles But yet say they grant all this true yet are there divers exceptions against our Bishops what such as may justifie a separation Let us heare them Put case Timothy and Titus were Bishops yet were they not such as ours that is Diocesan Bishops what then were they parish Bishops I wish them read in Church stories of the best times without which they can never understand some passages of scriptures of the practise of the Church I am sure this they should finde that Timothy and Titus had some compasse of jurisdiction allotted wherein there were Churches at least according to cities wherein there were many presbyters to be overseene and ordered and what was this but a Diocesse which as the Church increased increased with it But these say they for all that had no princely authority and Lordly command over their brethren That is true neither is this absolutely necessary to the calling or of the essence of it yet doth it not overthrow it but adorne and strengthen it when it is well used If a Bishop were called a beggar it doth not overthrow his calling so neither if he be called a pallace who knowes not that that proceeded from the favour of our Princes that they might be Barons of the parliament to direct the conscience in deepe matters of state But say they this is against the word of God Be not Lords over Gods heritage saith Peter and saith Christ the Lords of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever wil be great among you let him be your minister and whosoever would be chiefe among you let him bee your
there be a defect any where it is in Law not in Bishops Courts If there were any common Law for the poore Minister to recover his Offerings and other petty dues for the officers of courts to procure their fees whereof both must live or sterve would they ever run to the dreadfull sentence of excommunication It proceeds not from any order or sentence of our Bishops but from a meere want of other law for which I hope they will not separate from the common-wealth get some law to recover their rights other wayes and then excommunication shall shine in its glory Yet in the meane time thus much I am sure may be said to quiet a tender conscience A man askes his dues and it is denied so hee that denies it is an unrighteous person He askes it againe and it is denied in choller so he that denies is a contentious person hee askes it againe and hee is reviled so hee that doth so is a reviler Now the holy Ghost saith that contentious persons shall have indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish that unrighteous persons theeves and revilers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Therefore they are bound in heaven while they are so Is not this reciprocall then those that are bound in heaven should upon due conviction bee bound on earth and those that are so bound on earth shall bee bound in heaven But these that will not pay just fees dues if they bee able upon conviction and contumacy are bound in heaven therefore upon their contumacy thâ—y may lawfully bee excommunicate Yea but say they the Bishops officers should have no fees at all in spirituall cases Should they not live so it may bee some would that would doe what they list But when they spend their time and strength in rectifying disorders as they can by law shall they have no reward Indeed it were a gracious thing if there were a common treasury to maintaine them that they might heare no more of they eate up the sinnes of the people yet because they must bee maintained one of these two wayes either out of the common purse of the innocent or out of the purses of the guilty Iudge whether it be more equal that one man should spend for another mans sinne or that a man that will sinne should be driven to spend for his owne that if he feare not sinne yet at the least he may feare the weakning of his purse And thus at the last by Gods blessing have I done with the first general plea of the Brownists against us that we are no true Church We have all their pleas about the nature of a true Church the enterance into a true Church the head of a true Church the members of a true Church and the government of a true Church In al which thorough Christs assistance I have so cleared our Church and shewed the vaine singularity of theirs that if they will not come to us yet wee shall keepe where we are and not forsake the fellowship in our assemblies SECT 14. The Brownists second opinion upon which they forsake our Church because we have not a true ministery WE are now by Gods favour come unto their second opinion upon which they ground their separation from us to be just and necessary that we have not a true ministery and therefore alasse they pitty me and others of my brethren They doe or should know that the best ministery now is the opening and applying the word by them that are sent that which Paul saith of prophecying that it is a speaking unto men for exhortation edification and comfort is this same with the best ministery And if they that doe it be sent then surely it is right as it should bee Now to the sending of this ministery there must bee three acts the act of Christ the act of the Church and the act of the parties sent To Christ all authority and power is given and he useth a double act an immediate act when he doth in calling extraordinarily fit men with knowledge and power to do his work so he fitted the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists A mediate act when he doth it the ordinary way by meanes and degrees Men by his grace take heede to doctrine and to themselves give attendance upon reading and attaine to these foure things integrity of life by which they get a good report even of those that are without Soundnesse in christian Doctrine by which they are able to teach exhort reprove correct and instruct those committed to them Dexterity in teaching by which they are apt to teach and communicate their knowledge to others And lastly willingnesse by which they feed the flocke of God willingly and of a ready minde out of love and zeale to Christ Of all these no ordinary man can judge but hee that findes them in himselfe may say I thank God I find this act of Christ in sending me which opens the doore The act of the Church is the Porter that doth let us in and stands in foure things presentation probation ordination and election Presentation is when those that are to be called are presented Thus the Disciples presented or set before the Apostles Ioseph Barsabas and Matthias as after they set before them the Deacons that were to be called Probation is a triall of their gifts and life as Paul saith Let them first bee proved and then let them minister if they be found worthy Ordination is when they are consecrated and set apart with imposition of hands and prayer Thus Paul and Barnabas ordained the Elders in every Church and Titus was left in Creta for this end Election and calling is when they are assigned for execution of their Office to their particular titles and allotments as Matthias to his Apostolicall jurisdiction and Timothy and Titus to Episcopall in Ephesus and Creta which Election though it may bee conceived to goe before Ordination in respect of the office to which they are elected yet not in respect of the execution of it in their particular places The Act of the party sent is a desire of the Office for the glory of God and a purpose to spend and to be spent upon that service They must have ordinarily a desire of their office and to addict themselves to the Ministery of the Saints as the house of Stephanas If it seeme to be unlawfull for a man to desire it because Moses and Ieremy were unwilling to undertake such high service and all the Apostles were called without their owne seeking and above their desires yea and some ancient worthies have been found to hang backe when such offices have beene tendred yet when wee consider the willingnesse of Esay here am I send me we must learn to judge aright If any desire it when they are not meet and qualified it is a wickednesse against justice and charity against justice in taking the hire when
such as the Apostles converted in the first planting of the Churches of the Gentiles It is certaine that it is as true a conversion from any sinne to sanctification as from infidelity to faith For Iohn Baptist was sent to turne the disobedient Iewes and Peter after his fall was to be converted and Ephraim was to say turne thou me and I shall be turned and the remnant of Iacob was to returne to the mighty God But say they this may be done by private persons as by the woman of Samaria and by the good wife who winnes her husband by her conversation Who doth doubt that as the base carriage of Christians doth make religion blasphemed so the faire carriage of theÌ„ doth win aliens to like it Who doubts but the perswasions of others may draw men to Christ or his followers to bee informed in good wayes Who doubts of Aquilas and Priscillas taking Apollos a man mighty in the Scriptures and making him understand the wayes of Christ better Yea and Christ if hee please may use them as meanes for thorow conversion But what is Christs ordinary way hee hath now given Pastors and Doctors not onely for the setting of the Saints in joynt and edifying of the body of Christ but for the worke of the Ministery and what is that It is to open mens eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctifâ—ed by Faith in Christ Therefore our Ministery having done thus are not these true Ministers No say the Brownists and therefore doe they make exceptions against us They like not our ordainers our titles our callings our infirmities nor our maintenances therefore we are not true Ministers Let us follow them with Christs light It is as if they should have said though we cannot overthrow the substance of your Ministery yet we reject you because of the circumstances of it as the children of Israel who could not out-face Elishaes calling from God yet could in scorne say come up thou bald-pate thou art not without thy blemish till the Beares stopt their mouthes Let them take heede If a King have all the substance of right and Kingshippe yet if in his inauguration hee have not a pleasing â—nnointer title acclamation maintenance or have some infirmities is hee not a right King I doubt if these spirits had power in their hand neither true King nor true Priest nor true people should scarcely be found to stand before them But to the particulars They say wee are ordained by Bishops who are as they are such the very limbes of Antichrist That they are the blessed governors of our Church according to the patterne and rules Apoâ—tolicall of Timothy and Titus I have shewed before And by whom should wee be ordained but by such Can a good man dreame that the body of a people of men and women have a power to ordaine and consecrate presbyters when if he runne thorough the whole new testament he can never find but bresbyters ordained by presbyters If ours bee Bishops yet they are presbyters and more They have an order and jurisdiction by right above us as Titus in Creta yet I hope that doth not exclude presbytership from them The inferiour orders may stand alone but the superiour comprehends all A Bishop may reade administer sacraments and doe other offices of the inferiour orders and often doth whereas the other inferiour offices have no jurisdiction over their brethren where the blessing of Bishops may by the favour of times and Princes bee setled according to the word of God That which is their weapon heere I suffer to runne unto my heart not to wound it but to comfort it that I have not beene brought up in other Churches to receive my ordination from the presbytery which yet is good in case of necessity when our way cannot be had but that I have received it by the hand of a Bishop as well as presbyters which makes the practises and rules of scriptures about ordinations the lesse defective the more compleat But these Bishops of ours say they doe ordaine us Priests which is not a ministery of the new testament And what if we be so called in our ordination Is it so contemptible a name which is put upon all Christians both kings and beggars may not we be called so as ministers as well as we and they too as Christians Indeed popish Priests had an ill name when they ruled our people which made it a name of disgrace and proud and scornefull people will cast it upon us with disgrace who doe deserve better but by Christs helpe I shall never bee ashamed of that name which I must labour to answer in my office if I will bee found faithfull Christ as a Priest maketh intercession and I as a Priest must pray for my people as Paul did often Christ as a Priest did offer a sacrifice I as a Priest must minister the Gospel of God that the sacrificing of my people may be acceptable as Paul of the Gentiles And why should any bee offended at that name by which the holy Ghost calls us for when Esay speaketh of the ministers of the new testament hee saith of them will I take for Priests and Levites saith the Lord. What matters it what wee are called so long as wee offer no idolatrous sacrifice but onely in our office commemorate the sacrifice of Christ and doe other services for his honour Put case wee may bee Priests in name and Presbyters indeed yet say they wee are not called by the people whose souls we feed but are put upon them by lawes and Canons This is in part true but not fully for while Presbyters are put into parishes by law they come unto them by their owne consent For have not the people chosen knights and Burgesses to draw up and to consent to lawes for them And have not Presbyters chosen clarkes synodically to meete to make rulâ—s and Canons for them And doe not both these settle Presbyters in every parish Therefore they are inducted by all ministers and peoples consent But put case it were fully true were wee not therefore true ministers Did we never heare of a man and woman that were married together against the will of one party by the power of parents who yet being married were true man and wife and by an after combining lived lovingly together so may it bee in this case a free consent of minister and people after in the true worship of God may supply and make up that defect But is it certaine that the people have such a right in calling their Presbyters Let us looke into the sure word of God I see the right of Christian Magistrates in choosing them unto their places Take thou unto thee Aaron for the Priests office saith God and thus did Moses See also