point of Christianity and will stirre him up to walk worthy the honourable and grave imployment wherewith God and the Church hath dignifi'd him not fearing left he should meet with some outward holy thing in religion which his lay touch or presence might profane but lest something unholy from within his own heart should dishonour and profane in himselfe that Priestly unction and Clergy-right whereto Christ hath entitl'd him Then would the congregation of the Lord soone recover the true likenesse and visage of what she is indeed a holy generation a royall Priesthood a Saintly communion the houshold and City of God And this I hold to be another considerable reason why the functions of Church-government ought to be free and open to any Christian man though never so laick if his capacity his faith and prudent demeanour commend him And this the Apostles warrant us to do But the Prelats object that this will bring profanenesse into the Church to whom may be reply'd that none have brought that in more then their own irreligious courses nor more 〈◊〉 holinesse out of living into livelesse things For whereas God who hath cleans'd every beast and creeping worme would not suffer S. Peter to call them common or unclean the Prelat Bishops in their printed orders hung up in Churches have proclaim'd the best of creatures mankind so unpurifi'd and contagious that for him to lay his hat or his garment upon the Chancell table they have defin'd it no lesse hainous in expresse words then to profane the Table of the Lord And thus have they by their Canaanitish doctrine for that which was to the Jew but jewish is to the Christian no better then Canaanitish thus have they made common and unclean thus have they made profane that nature which God hath not only cleans'd but Christ also hath assum'd And now that the equity and just reason is so perspicuous why in Ecclesiasicâ— censure the assistance should be added of such 〈◊〉 whom not the vile odour of gaine and fees forbid it God and blow it with a whirleâ— out of our land but charity neighbourhood and duty to Church-government hath call'd together where could a wiseman wish a more equall gratuitous and meek examination of 〈◊〉 offence that he might happen to commit against Christianity 〈◊〉 here would he preferre those proud simoniacall Courts 〈◊〉 therefore the Minister assisted attends his heavenly and spirituall cure Where we shall see him both in the course of his proceeding and first in the excellence of his end from the magistrate farre different and not more different then excelling His end is to recover all that is of man both soul and body to an everlasting health and yet as for worldly happinesse which is the proper sphere wherein the magistrate cannot but confine his motion without a hideous exorbitancy from law so little aims the Minister as his intended scope to procure the much prosperity of this life that oft-times he may have cause to wish much of it away aâ— a diet puffing up the soul with a slimy fleshinesse and weakning her principall organick parts Two heads of evill he has to cope with ignorance and malice Against the former he provides the daily Manna of incorruptible doctrine not at those set meales only in publick but as oft as he shall know that each infirmity or constitution requires Against the latter with all the branches thereof not medling with that restraining and styptick surgery which tho law uses not indeed against the malady but against the eruptions and outermost effects thereof He on the contrary beginning at the prime causes and rooâ— of the disease sends in those two divine ingredients of most cleansing power to the soul Admonition Reproof besides which two there is no drug or antidote that can reach to purge the mind and without which all other experiments are but vain unlesse by â—dent And he that will not let these passe into him though he be the greatest King as Plato affirms must be thought to remaine impure within and unknowing of those things wherein his purenesse and his knowledge should most appear As soon therefore as it may be discern'd that the Christian patient by feeding 〈◊〉 here on meats not allowable but of evill juice hath disorder'd his diet and spread an ill humour through his 〈◊〉 immediatly disposing to a sicknesse the minister as being much neerer both in eye and duty then the magistrats speeds him betimes to overtake that diffus'd malignance with some gentle potion of admonishment or if ought be obstructed puts in his opening and disenssive conâ— This not succeeding after once or twice or oftner in the 〈◊〉 of two or three his faithfull brethren appointed thereto be advisâ— him to be more carefull of his dearest health and what it is that he so rashly hath let down in to the divine vessel of his soul Gods temple If this obtaine not he then with the counsell of more assistants who are inform'd of what diligence hath been already us'd with more speedy remedies layes neerer siege to the entrenched causes of his distemper not sparing such servent and well aim'd reproofs as may best give him to see the dangerous estate wherein he is To this also his brethren and friends intreat exhort adjure and all these endeavours as there is hope left are more or lesse repeated But if neither the regard of himselfe nor the reverence of his Elders and friends prevaile with him to leave his vitious appetite then as the time urges such engines of terror God hath given into the hand of his minister as to search the tenderest angles of the heart one while he shakes his stubbornnesse with racking convulsions nigh dispaire other whiles with deadly corrosives he gripes the very roots of his faulty liver to bring him to life through the entry of death Hereto the whole Church beseech him beg of him deplore him pray for him After all this perform'd with what patience and attendance is possible and no relenting on his part having done the utmost of their cure in the name of God and of the Church they dissolve their fellowship with him and holding forth the dreadfull sponge of excommunion pronounce him wip't out of the list of Gods inheritance and in the custody of Satan till he repent Which horrid sentence though it touch neither life nor limme nor any worldly possession yet has it such a penetrating force that swifter then any chimicall sulphur or that lightning which harms not the skin and rifles the entrals it scorches the inmost soul Yet even this terrible denouncement is left to the Church for no other cause but to be as a rough and vehement cleansing medcin where the malady is obdurat a mortifying to life a kind of saving by undoing And it may be truly said that as the mercies of wicked men are cruelties so the cruelties of the Church are mercies For if repentance sent from heaven meet this lost wanderer and draw
confirm Or if occasion shall lead to imitat those magnifick Odes and Hymns wherein Pinâ—darus and Callimachus are in most things worthy some others in their frame judicious in their matter most an end faulty But those frequent songs throughout the law and prophets beyond all these not in their divine argument alone but in the very critical art of composition may be easily made appear over all the kinds of Lyrick poesy to be incomparable These abilities wheresoever they be found are the inspired guift of Goâ— rarely bestow'd but yet to some though most abuse in every Nation and are of power beside the office of a pulpit to inbreed and cherish in a great people the seeds of vertu and publick civility to allay the perturbations of the mind and set the affections in right tune to celebrate in glorious and lofty Hymns the throne and equipage of Gods Almightinesse and what he works and what he suffers to be wrought with high providence in his Church to sing the victorious agonies of Martyrs and Saints the deeds and triumphs of just and pious Nations doing valiantly through faith against the enemies of Christ to deplore the general relapses of Kingdoms and States from justice and Gods true worship Lastly whatsoever in religion is holy and sublime in vertu amiable or grave whatsoever hath passion or admiration in all the changes of that which is call'd fortune from without or the wily suttleties and refluxes of mans thoughts from within all these things with a solid and treatable smoothnesse to paint out and describe Teaching over the whole book of sanctity and vertu through all the instances of example with such delight to those especially of soft and delicious temper who will not so much as look upon Truth herselfe unlesse they see her elegantly drest that whereas the paths of honesty and good life appear now rugged and difficult though they be indeed easy and pleasant they would then appeare to all men both easy and pleasant though they were rugged and difficult indeed And what a benefit this would be to our youth and gentry may be soon guest by what we know of the corruption and bane which they suck in dayly from the writings and interludes of libidinous and ignorant Poetasters who having scars ever heard of that which is the main consistence of a true poem the choys of such persons as they ought to introduce and what is morall and decent to each one doe for 〈◊〉 most part lap up vitious principles in sweet pils to be swallow'd down and make the tast of vertuous documents harsh and sowr But because the spirit of man cannot demean it selfe lively in this body without some recreating intermission of labour and serious things it were happy for the Common wealth if our Magistrates as in those famous governments of old would take into their care not only the deciding of our contentious Law cases and brauls but the managing of our publick sports and festival pastimes that they might be not such as were autoriz'd a while since the provactionâ— of drunkennesse and lust but such as may inure and harden oâ— bodies by martial exercises to all warlike skil and performance and may civilize adom and make discreet our minds by the learned and affable meeting of frequent Academies and the procurement of wise and artfull recitations sweetned with â— oquent and gracefull inticements to the love and practice of justice temperance and fortitude instructing and bettering the Nation at all opportunities that the call of wisdom and vertu may be heard every where aâ—Salomon saith She crieth without she uttereth her voice in the streets in the top of high places in the chief concours and in the openings of the Gates Whether this may not be not only in Pulpits but after another persuasive method at set and solemn Paneguries in Theaters porches or what other place or way may win most upon the people to receiv at once both recreation instruction let them in autority consult The thing which I had to say and those intentions which have liv'd within me ever since I could conceiv my self any thing worth to my Countrie I return to crave excuse that urgent reason hath pluckt from me by an abortive and foredated discovery And the accomâ— lishment of them lies not but in a power above mans to promise but that none hath by more studious ways endeavour'd and with more unwearied spirit that none shall that I dare almost averre of my self as farre as life and free leasure will extend and that the Land had once infranchis'd her self from this impertinent yoke of prelaty under whose Inquisitorins and tyraâ— ical duncery no free and splendid wit can flourish Neither doe I think it shame to covnant with any knowing reader that for some few yeers yet I may go on trust with him toward the payment of what I am now indebted as being a work not to be rays'd from the heat of youth or the vapours of wine like that which flows at wast from the pen of some vulgar â— Wordâ— or the trencher fury of a riming parasite nor to be obtain'd by the invocation of Dame Memory and her Siren daughters but by devout prayer to that eternall Spirit who can enrich with all utterance and knowledge and sends out his Seraphim with the hallow'd fire of his Altar to touch and purify the lips of whom he pleases to this must be added industrious and select reading steddy observation insight into all seemly and generous arts and affaires till which in some measure be compast at mine own peril and cost I refuse not to sustain this expectation from as many as are not loath to hazard so much credulity upon the best pledges that I can gâ— ve them Although it nothing content me to have disclos'd thus much before hand but that I trust hereby to make it manifest with what small willingnesse I endure to interrupt the pursuit of no lesse hopes then these and leave a calme and pleasing solitarynâ— s fed with cherful and confident thouâ— hts to imbark in a troubl'd sea of noises and hoars disputes put from beholding the bright countenance of truth in the quiet and still air of delightfull studies to come into the dim reflexion of hollow antiquities sold by the seeming bulk and there be fain to club quotations with men whose learning and beleif lies in marginal stuffings who when they have like good sumpterâ— laid ye down their hors load of citations and fathers at your dore with a rapsody of who and who were Bishops here or there ye may take off their packsaddles their days work is don and episcopacy aâ— they think stoutly vindicated Let any gentle apprehension that can distinguish learned pains from unlearned drudgery imagin what pleasure or profoundnesse can be in this or what honour to deaf against such adversaries But were it the meanest under-service if God by his Secretary conscience injoyn it it were sad for me if I
til the quick and pearcing word enter to the dividing of their soules the mighty weaknes of the Gospel throw down the weak mightines of mans reasoning Now for their demeanor within the Church how have they disfigur'd and defac't that more then angelick brightnes the unclouded serenity of Christian Religion with the dark overcasting of superstitious coaps and flaminical vestures wearing on their backs and I abhorre to think perhaps in some worse place the unexpressible Image of God the father Tell me ye Priests wherfore this gold wherfore these roabs and surplices over the Gospelâ— is our religion guilty of the first trespasse and hath need of cloathing to cover her nakednesse whatdoes this else but hast an ignominy upon the perfection of Christs ministery by seeking to adorn it with that which 〈◊〉 the poor remedy of our â— Wordâ— â— eleive it wondrous Doctors all corporeal resemblances of inward holinesse beauty are now past he that will cloath the Gospel now intimates plainly that the Gospel is naked uncomely that I may not say reproachfull Do not ye Church maskers while Christ is cloathing upon our barenes with his righteous garment to make us acceptable in his fathers fight doe not as ye do cover and hide his righteous verity with the polluted cloathing of your ceremonies to make it seem more decent in your own eyes How beautifull saith Isaiah are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth salvation Are the feet so beautifull and is the very bringing of these tidings so decent of it self what new decency then can be added to this by your spinstry ye think by these gaudy glisterings to stirre up the devotion of the rude multitude ye think so because ye forsake the heavenly teaching of S. Paul for the hellish Sophistry of Papism If the multitude be rude the lips of the Preacher must give knowledge and not ceremonies And although some Christians be new born babes comparatively to some that are stronger yet in respect of ceremony which is but a rudiment of the Law the weakest Christian hath thrown off the robes of his minority and is a perfect man as to legal rites What childrens food there is in the Gospel we know to be no other then the sincerity of the word that they may grow thereby But is heer the utmost of your outbraving the service of God No Ye have bin bold not to set your threshold by his threshold or your posts by his posts but your Sacrament your â— igne call it what you will by his Sacrament baptizing the Christian infant with a solemne sprinkle and unbaptizing for your own part with a profane and impious forefinger as if when ye had layd the purifying element upon his forehead ye meant to cancel and crosse it out again with a caracter not of Gods bidding O but the innocence of these ceremonies O rather the fottish absurdity of this excuse what could be more innocent then the washing of a cup a glasse or hands before meat and that under the Law when so many washings were commanded and by long tradition yet our Saviour detested their customes though never so seeming harmlesse and charges them severely that they had transgrest the Commandments of God by their traditions and worshipt him in vain How much more then must these and much grosser ceremonies now in force delude the end of Christs comming in the flesh against the flesh and stifle the sincerity of our new cov'nant which hath bound us to forsake all carnall pride and wisdom especially in matters of religion Thus we see again how Prelaty sayling in opposition 〈◊〉 the main end and power of the Gospel doth not joyn in that â—sterious work of Christ by lowlines to confound height by simplicity of doctrin the wisdom of the world but contrariwise hath made it self high in the world and the flesh to vanquish things by the world accounted low and made it self wise in tradition and fleshly ceremony to confound the purity of doctrin which is the wisdom of God CHAP. III. That Prelatical jurisdiction opposeth the reason and end of the Gospel and of State THe third and last consideration remains whether the Prelats in their function doe work according to the Gospel practizing to subdue the mighty things of this world by things weak which S. Paul hath set forth to be the power and excellence of the Gospel or whether in more likelihood they band themselves with the prevalent things of this world to overrun the weak things which Christ hath made chois to work by and this will soonest be discern'd by the cours of their jurisdiction But heer again I find my thoughts almost in suspense betwixt yea and no and am nigh turning mine eye which way I may best retire and not proceed in this subject blaming the ardency of my mind that fixt me too attentively to come thus farre For Truth I know not how hath this unhappinesse fatall to her ere she can come to the triall and inspection of the Understanding being to passe through many little wards and limits of the severall Affections and Desires she cannot shift it but must put on such colours and attire as those Pathetick handmaids of the soul please to lead her in to their Queen And if she find so much favour with them they let her passe in her own likenesse if not they bring her into the presence habited and colour'd like a notorious Falshood And contrary when any Falshood comes that way if they like the â— rrand she brings they are so artfull to counterfeit the very shape and visage of Truth that the Understanding not being able to discern the â— ucus which these inchantresses with such cunning have laid upon the feature sometimes of Truth sometimes of Falshood interchangeably sentences for the most part one for the other at the first blush according to the suttle imposture of these sensual mistresses that keep the portâ— and passages between her and the object So that were it not for leaving imperfect that which is already said I should goe neer to relinquish that which is to follow And because I see that most men as it happens in this world either weakly or falsly principl'd what through ignorance and what through custom of licence both in discours and writing by what hath bin of late written in vulgar have not seem'd to attain the decision of this point I shall likewise assay those wily Arbitresses who in most men have as was heard the sole ushering of Truth and Falshood between the sense and the soul with what loyalty they will use me in conuoying this Truth to my understanding the rather for that by as much acquaintance as I can obtain with them I doe not find them engag'd either one way or other Concerning therfore ecclefial jurisdiction I find still more controversie who should administer it then diligent enquiry made to learn what it is for had the pains bin taken to search out that
many worthy Laymen And Cyprian in his Epistles professes he will doe nothing without the advice and assent of his assistant Laicks Neither did the first Nicene councel as great and learned as it was think it any robbery to receive in and require the help and presence of many learned lay brethren as they were then calld Many other autorities to confirm this assertion bot◠〈◊〉 of Scripture and the writings of next antiquity Golartius hath collected in his notes upon Cyprian whereby it will be evident that the Laity not only by Apostolick permission but by consent of many the aucientest Prelates did participat in Church offices as much as is desir'd any lay Elder should now do Sometimes also not the Elders alone but the whole body of the Church is interested in the work of discipline as 〈◊〉 as publick satisfaction is given by those that have given publick scandal Not to speak now of her right in elections But another reason there is in it which though religion did not commend to us yet morall and civil prudence could not but extol It was thought of old in Philosophy that shame or to call it better the reverence of our elders our brethren and friends was the greatest incitement to vertuous deeds and the greatest dissuasion from unworthy attempts that might ◠Word◠Hence we may read in the Iliad where Hector being wisht to retire si ō the battel many of his forces being routed makes answer that he durst not for shame lest the Trojan Knights and Dames should think he did ignobly And certain it is that wheras Terror is thought such a great stickler in a Commonwealth honourable shame is a farre greater and has more reason◠For where shame is there is fear but where fear is there is not presently shame And if any thing may be done to inbreed in us this generous and Christianly reverence one of another the very Nurs and Guardian of piety and vertue it can not sooner be then by such a discipline in the Church as may use us to have in aw the assemblies of the faithful to count it a thing most grievous next to the grieving of Gods Spirit to offend those whom he hath put in autority as a healing superintendence over our lives and behaviours both to our own happines and that we may not give offence to good men who without amends by us made dare not against Gods command hold communion with us in holy things And this will be accompanied with a religious dred of being outcast from the company of Saints and from the fatherly protection of God in his Church to consort with the devil and his angels But there is yet a more ingenuous and noble degree of honest shame or call it if you will an esteem whereby men bear an inward reverence toward their own persons And if the love of God as a fire sent from Heaven to be ever kept alive upon the altar of our hearts be the first principle of all godly and vertuous actions in men this pious and just honouring of our selves is the second and may be thought as the radical moisture and fountain head whence every laudable and worthy enterpri◠issues forth And although I have giv'n it the name of a liquid thing yet is it not incontinent to bound it self as humid things are but hath in it a most restraining and powerfull abstinence to start back and glob it self upward from the mixture of any ungenerous and unbeseeming motion or any soile ◠ewith it may peril to stain it self Something I confesse it is to ◠' d of evil doing in the presence of any and to reverence the opinion and the countenance of a good man rather then a bad fearing most in his ◠ght to offend goes so farre as almost to be vertuous yet this is but still the feare of infamy and many such when they find themselves alone 〈◊〉 their reputation will compound with other scruples and co◠close treaty with their dearer vices in secret But he that holds himself in reverence and due esteem both for the dignity of Gods 〈◊〉 upon him and for the price of his redemption whi◠he thin◠〈◊〉 visibly markt upon his forehead accounts himselfe both a fit person to do the noblest and godliest deeds and much better worth then to deject and defile with such a debasement and such a pollution as sin is himselfe so highly ransom'd and enobl'd to a new friendship and filiall relation with God Nor can he fear so much the offence and reproach of others as he dreads and would 〈◊〉 at the reflection of his own severe and modest eye upon him◠if it should see him doing or imagining that which is sinfull though in the deepest secrecy How shall a man know to do himselfe this right how to performe this honourable duty of estimation and respect towards his own soul and body which way will leade 〈◊〉 best to this hill top of sanctity and goodness◠above which there is no higher ascent but to the love of God which from this self-pious regard cannot be assunder no better way doubtlesse then to let him duly understand that as he is call'd by the high calling of God to be holy and pure so is he by the same appointment ordain'd and by the Churches call admitted to such offices of discipline in the Church to which his owne spirituall gifts by the example of Apostolick institution have autoriz'd him For we have learnt that the scornfull terme of Laick the consecrating of Temples carpets and table-clothes ◠he railing in of a repugnant and contradictive Mount Sinai in the Gospell as if the touch of a lay Christian who is never the lesse Gods living temple could profane dead judaisms the exclusion of Christs people from the offices of holy discipline through the pride of a usurping Clergy causes the rest to have an unworthy and object opinion of themselves to approach to holy duties with a slavish fear ◠nd to unholy doings with a familiar ◠ldnesse For seeing such a wide and terrible distance between religious things and themselves and that in respect of a woodden table the perimeter of holy ground about it a flagon pot and 〈◊〉 corporal the Priest 〈◊〉 their lay-ships unhallow'd and ◠Word◠they fear religion with such a fear as loves not and think the purity of the Gospell too pure for them and that any uncleannesse is more sutable to their 〈◊〉 estate But when every good Christian throughly acquainted with all those glorious privileges of sanctification and adoption which render him more sacred then any dedicated altar or element shall be restor'd to his right in the Church and not excluded from such place of spirituall government as his Christian abilities and his approved good life in the eye and testimony of the Church shall preferre him to this and nothing sooner will open his eyes to a wise and true valuation of himselfe which is so requisite and high a