cannot be the Ordinance of God for the working of grace that is performed without any manner of Commission or Authority For the necessity of keeping that good order which God hath commanded in his Church requires that no man should attempt any thing of that important nature and high concernment upon his own head or by a power derived no higher than from himself Whosoever shall take upon him to preach God's word in order to the Conversion or saving of souls must be able to give a good answer to that question which the chief Priest and Elders of the People put to our Saviour Christ when he was teaching in the Temple By what Authority doest thou these things and who gave thee this Authority He that cannot make a sufficient and satisfactory reply to it and yet shall adventure upon the work may justly be accounted rash indiscreet and more hasty than needeth or than wisedom requireth But such is the Ministry in question undertaken without any Authority or Commission For all the Authority and Commission that a Minister hath in a constituted setled Church he receives in his ordination Before that he had no Authority or Warrant at all to preach the word or to perform any ministerial Act. Now all the Authority that a Minister of the Church of England hath delivered to him in his ordination is expressed in these words Take thou Authority to preach the word and to administer the Holy Sacraments in the Congregation where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto In which words it is plain that the exercise of his Ministry is restrained to lawfull appointment as to the place where it shall be exercised What that lawfull appointment is I need not trouble my self or the reader here to look into seeing the Ministry in question hath not the least colour of it or pretence to it for it is supposed to be in a place where there is another lawfully appointed to perform the same In the Council of Chalcedon where there were 630 Fathers met about the year of our Lord 451 It was thus decreed Neminem absolute ordinari jubemus Presbyterum aut Diaconum nec quemlibet in Ecclesiasticâ ordinatione constitutum Eos autem qui absolute ordinantur decrevit sancta synodus vacuam habere manûs impositionem That none should be ordained absolutely whether Presbyter or Deacon or any in Ecclesiastical orders and whosoever should be absolutely ordained the Holy Synod decreed his ordination void And the 33th Canon of the Church of England â—aith That it hath been long since provided by many Decrees of ancient Fathers that none should be admitted either Deacon or Priest who had not first some certain place where he might use his function For though in ordination the person ordained is made a Minister of the Catholick Church and being ordained to a function he may by the appointment of those that have Authority in the Church or with leave of the Pastour of the Congregation preach any where And although as Mr. Baines observes It is good for a Minister to be like a young Woman so full breasted that she can both feed her own Child and lend a draught upon intreaty to her Neighbours Yet he is not a Catholick Minister of the Church as the Apostles and Evangelists were whose office being extraordinary is long since ceased in the Church and therefore ought not to take upon himself to preach any where Neither yet did the Apostles themselves doe so as hath been proved though their Commission was without Limit as to place But kept within their Line measured forth by God to them It was never God's intention that the two Tribes of Levi and Gad should be confounded one with another nor is it any way agreeable with Scripture rules and order that a Minister should be a wandring star but fixed regularly in some Orb of the Church as a Pastour of some Flock or Congregation of his People Seeing therefore none is lawfully appointed to perform the ministerial function or any part of it in such a place as is in question but the Minister of that Congregation acts of the Ministry done by any other Person that shall intrude himself among them without and against his consent contrary to lawfull appointment and all good constitution that concern admission of Ministers to pastoral charges are done without any Authority Commission or effect and consequently cannot be God's Ordinance who doth not use to send any to preach in order to the working of grace in means hearts without any Power or Authority yea against both ARGUMENT VIII THAT cannot be the ordinance of God as instrumental to the work of grace that instead of building up People in Faith and Holiness demolisheth Christian Duty and in the natural tendency of it produceth sinfull and pernicious effects 'T is true these may accidentally follow through the Corruption of man's nature and Satan's suggestions upon the most right and purest dispensation of God's word and ordinances St. Peter speaks of some that stumble at the word And St. Paul saith to some we are the savour of death unto death as to other some the savour of life unto life The word preach'd like the water of jealousie when it is received into an honest and good heart it doeth it good and makes it fruitfull but when into a corrupt it doeth hurt and causeth it to rot Yet the most proper intent and genuine fruit and effect of it is to doe good to inlighten convince convert and save means souls But the Ministry in question doth directly produce sinfull and pernicious effects and such as a tender heart may tremble to think on I would not have the reader expect that I should here make a particular enumeration of every one of those sinfull fruits and effects that are produced by the Ministry of intruders and upholders of Conventicles for that is a thing no more possible for me to doe than it is for any man particularly to reckon up every one of the many thousands of absurdities that will unavoidably follow in dispute upon one that is granted or yielded to I will content my self therefore and let the reader doe the like with the mention of so many of them onely as I here use arguments against the practice which is the proper cause of them and thousands more First it tends to the breaking of that bond of near relation that is and ought to be betwixt a Pastour and his flock Though it be a truth well known to but a few in this age and little considered by any yet it is nevertheless certain and undoubted that there is a very intimate relation betwixt a lawfull Pastour and his People The Scripture seems to assert a kind of Matrimonial union betwixt them A Minister is after a sort married to that Congregation over whom he is lawfully set and they to him Our legal incumbency on a Church is our Marriage to that Church Hence is that phrase
whilst he would strike his foe They cannot confute it without condemning themselves This unguided zeal will be sure to run far enough from Popery and so runs into it as he that sails round the Globe the farther he goes after he is half way the nearer he approacheth to the place whence he set out The Quakers a considerable part of the Nonconformists railed at Popery till they began to be taken for Jesuits or their Disciples The like Stygma the Apostle St. Iude casts upon such Persons There are certain men crept in unawares c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How disgracefully and disdainfully the Scripture seems to speak of them who irregularly and contrary to good order and lawfull appointment intrude themselves as Teachers into the Church under pretence of Religion They creep in amongst People they come in by stealth as if they came in at a Window or Back-door insinuating themselves into flocks and societies of God's People creeping to Conventicles professing themselves to be the onely Gospel-preachers and pure Worshippers of God as if all Religion were lost except what they bring and profess Whereas they are indeed unless we will mince the Appellation the Holy Scripture fastens on them but a new sort of Creepers gotten into the body of the Church From such saith the Holy Ghost turn away Again St. Paul Now we command you brethren in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ that ye withdraw your selves from every brother that walketh disorderly and not according to the Tradition he hath received from us With more Apostolical Gravity and Authority a Duty cannot be urged on Christians than this of withdrawing or separating from such as walk 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 disorderly The Metaphor say Expositours is borrowed from the custome of War wherein every Souldier hath his proper station and employment appointed him from which when he swerves he becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of his rank Now in an Army every Officer hath his place Company and Command assigned him by his General whereunto he must keep and from which he must not stir And if he should leave his place and take upon him either to make an attempt on the Enemy of his own head without Commission and Orders from his General though with never so good success or Command in another Company than that which is assigned and allotted to him by Authority he is guilty of a breach of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good order and discipline that ought to be in an Army and brings in a most odious and destructive disorder and confusion and so deserves to be either quite cashiered or otherwise by Martial Law severely to be punished Yea so absolutely necessary hath it been thought in the opinion of experienced Souldiers that the Laws and Orders of Martial-discipline in an Army should be strictly observed that whosoever have erred from it though in the least Punctilio have been adjudged worthy of death without mercy Famous to this purpose is that story we reade in Valerius Maximus of Manlius Torquatus Consul of the Romans in the Latin War who commanded his own Son to be beheaded for fighting the Enemy without his Father's Privity and Command though he was provoked thereunto by Geminius Metius General of the Tusculans and although he had obtained a signal Victory and very much and rich spoil Satiâ—s esse judicans patrem forti silio quam patriam militari disciplina carere Judging it better that a Father should be deprived of a valiant Son than that his Country should want Military discipline The Church is by Christ twice together in one place said to be an Army with banners he that is the Commander in chief is God himself holy just and wise not the Authour of Confusion but the institutour and lover of order and the hater and punisher of such as wilfully transgress such good rules of wholsome discipline as he either immediately by himself or mediately by his Deputies on earth shall establish amongst his People And is Discipline so needfull in an Army and can it be thought needless in the Church Is our spiritual warfare of less danger of concernment than our bodily Shall it be thought to be a venial offence to be committed without danger when a person shall undertake to intrude himself into the place and company of another and lead on and engage a Party in the Church militant into ways of schism and profaneness in opposition to the way of true Religion and Worship of God established not onely without any lawfull allowance but contrary to all Law and Discipline both Civil and Ecclesiastical The baseness and wickedness of such doings is excellently displayed by Learned Doctor Henry More in his Apology annexed to the second part of his enquiry into the Mystery of iniquity Because some men saith he think themselves of more popular gifts for Prayer and Exhortation for these to spur out and run on in a Career without attending the direction of their Superiours were as if the Toy should take those Troopers that are best horsed to set madly a gallopping because they find their horses will goe so freely and so turn the orderly March of the Army into a confused Horse-race and put themselves into a rout even without the assault or pursuit of any Enemy Can it be pleasing to Christ that any should follow such men in their irregular and hare-brain'd ways when his Apostle bids all men from such to withdraw To what end should there be such flocking after them unless their followers could be partakers of some spiritual benefit from them But this cannot be For their disorderly walking and busie medling where they have not to doe renders all they doe unprofitable and is in effect a spending of a great deal of pains to no purpose wearying themselves out to weave the Spiders Webb and to sow to the wind The Apostle doth most excellently express it in a most elegant allusion of words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 working not at all but are busie-bodies Their work is neither lawfull nor profitable For seeing that the Ministers of Christ are disposed of in the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the dispensation of God it doth follow that those things which they teach or doe receive their force and effect not from their own wills and authority but from the Authority Approbation and Concurrence of him that sends them And therefore what a Minister doeth contrary to the will of God cannot be of any force or effect at all as to the accomplishment of the end on mens souls for which God ordained the Ministry for he is bound to preach not onely those things but in that manner as God hath appointed God's Command for a separation and withdrawing from such dividing house-creeping and disorderly Persons must needs argue their Ministry not to be his ordinance since he so brands it and gives such Cautions against it ARGUMENT VII THAT
of the Apostle to the Corinthians I am jealous over you with a Godly jealousie Sumpta est metaphora à procis zelotypis as Beza notes a Metaphor taken from the manner of a Person espoused to a Woman who cannot endure any one to be a Companion or sharer with him in her affections For as a King cannot endure a rival with him in his Kingdom nor an Husband in the Marriage-bed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So neither can a Minister in his Parish And though in regard of internal spiritual everlasting and inseparable union Christ himself is the Husband of the Catholick Church Yet in regard of external and ministerial duty a particular Minister of Christ may be said to be married to that particular flock or portion of God's People over whom in a regular and orderly manner the Holy Ghost hath set him This made St. Ambrose expound that place of St. Paul A bishop must be the Husband of one wife allegorically unius uxoris Si ad superficiem tantum literae respiciamus prohibet digamum Episcopum ordinari si vero ad altiorem sensum conscendamus inhibet Episcopum duas usurpare Ecclesias If we respect the Letter of the text saith he St. Paul forbids any that hath had two Wives to be ordained a Bishop but if we ascend to an higher sense he forbids a Bishop to take to himself two Churches And St. Hierome argues out of those words Eph. 5. Husbands love your wives Audiant Episcopi audiant Presbyteri audiant Doctores subjectis suis se esse subjectos Let Bishops Priests and Doctours learn in this that when they have married themselves to a Flock or Congregation they are become subject to their Subjects How subject to their Subjects What are they become inferiour to their Flocks In no wise They are over you in the Lord saith St. Paul underlings then they are to none of them But they are so subject to their flock as an Husband is subject to his Wife and no otherwise Now she is to be subject to him and he by God's Law to rule over her So that the subjection he means is the subjection of Love As Pliny told Trajan the Emperour Nihil magis à te subjecti animo factum est quim quod imperare coepisti A King doeth nothing so like a subject as to love his subjects to devise ways and to use his power for their good Such a subjection is that of the Husband to the Wife and that of a Pastour to his flock to whom he is married and to no other Whence as Mr. Prinn observes he is stiled Parochus and his People Parochia by the Canonists and Lawyers because he is espoused to that peculiar Parish And to this agreeth the 15 th Canon of the Nicene Council matrimonium inter Episcopum Ecclesiam esse contractum c. There are several things that prove a very near relation betwixt a lawfull Pastour and his People 1. The titles the Holy Ghost gives in Scripture to Ministers and their People They are called watchmen and shepherds Es. 62. 6. These their flock over whom they watch and whom they keep Act. 20. 28. They are called Fathers 2. King 6. 21. 1 Cor. 4. 15. 1 Thes. 2. 11. These their Children 1 Cor. 4. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 13. â—al 4. 19. 1 Tim. 1. 2. Philom 10. 1 Ioh. 5. 21. Ministers are called husbandmen and builders and their people God's tillage and building 1 Cor. 3. 9. They are called steward their people God's household to whom they are to give their portion of meat Luâ— 12. 41. 2. The duties imposed by God on either party prove a very near relation betwixt them As a Minister is commanded to take the oversight of them to feed them and to perform the office of a faithfull servant of Christ that he may give an account to him for his flock So the People also are charged with many duties towards their Pastours As 1. To know and love them dearly as the Galatians did St. Paul and as he enjoins all Christians to doe toward their Ministers We beseech you Brethren to know them that labour amongst you and over you in the Lord and admonish you and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake Indeed the vulgar Latin reade it ut noveritis But Beza renders it ut adnoscatis that you acknowledge them as your Pastours and Teachers And as Learned Zanchi pro pastoribus vestris ac patribus reverenter amplectamini that ye reverently receive and embrace them as your Pastours and Fathers And as David saith in theâ—â—â—â—lms I will not know a wicked perâ—â—â— where not to know is to contemn so to know is to have in reverence and honour Thus our Saviour professeth to wicked men I never knew you Which places are urged both by Beza and Zanchi to prove their exposition And that you highly esteem them in love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some reade it abundantly Some exceedingly It properly signifies more than exceedingly Love in abundance in an overflowing measure an overplus of love Beza renders the same expression in another place summâ cum exuperantiâ with the greatest exuberance of love And here ut supra modum charos ducatis that you account them above measure dear to you 2. To obey them and submit to their pastoral office and rule over them Heb. 13. 17. 3. To afford them an honourable and liberal maintenance Matt. 10. 10. 1 Cor. 9. 6-15 Rom. 15. 27. Gal. 6. 6-8 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. Not out of charity as a free gift but of justice as a due debt 3 Ioh. 9. 4. To seek their comfort and to give them all duâ—â— encouragement that they may doe the work of the Ministry among them with joy and not with grief Heb. 13-17 All which duties would not have been enjoined on both parties pastour and people were there not a very near relation between them Whereas none at all of these are required either of a stranger to them or of them to a stranger And this is the Language both of the Presbyterian and Independent Ministers when they speak of the relation that is betwixt them and their People they say they are married to their Flock Now where one of these Demagogues and Patrons of Conventicles shall intrude himself into a Town or Parish and take upon him there to set up a course of house-preaching to administer the Sacraments to visit the sick and such like duties to the Ministry as they doe it tends directly to the breaking this bond and near relation that is betwixt Pastour and People and breeds such alienation of affection in them towards him as was betwixt the Iews and Samaritans between whom the Scripture saith there was no â—onverse For they being conscious to themselves of the guilt of that which upon a general presumption they cannot but believe he can in