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<DATE>2009-02-23</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Pip Willcox</NAME>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE
DIFFERENCE
ABOVT
CHURCH
GOVERNMENT
<HI>ENDED:</HI>
By taking away the Di&s;tinction of
Government into Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall and Civill: and
proving the Government of the Civill
Magi&s;trate onely &s;ufficient in a
Chri&s;tian Kingdom.</P>
<P>Written by one that by making peace, prefers to be called a
ble&s;&s;ed childe of God, before preiminence in this world.</P>
<P><HI>J. M.</HI> D. D.</P>
<P>Publi&s;hed according to Order.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON.</HI>
Printed, by <HI>R. L.</HI> for <HI>William Leake,</HI> and are to be
&s;old at his &s;hop at the &s;igne of the Crowne in <HI>Fleet &s;treet</HI>
between the two Temple gates. 1646.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the High and Honourable Court
of PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<P>_HAving penned my Meditations
about Church Government, I
had &s;ome thoughts to commend
them (right Chri&s;tian and Ho|nourable
Senate) to your con&s;ide|ration
and protection. But being
con&s;cious to my &s;elf of my own
weakne&s;&s;e, I was &s;ometime in
&s;u&s;pence, as thinking it too high
pre&s;umption for me &s;o to do. But
for &s;o much as that which I have here written, is, as I am
per&s;waded the Truth of God, and tends to the entituling of
you to that power which of right belongs unto you, as I doubt
not, but yee out of your own profound wi&s;dome are inclinable
to think and hold: (whereby if yee do not &s;peedily &s;et this
power aworke, Divi&s;ions and Errours and Contentions are
likely to increa&s;e amongst us more and more, and &s;o for want
of a timely provi&s;ion made, Iniquity and Here&s;ie to abound
<PB REF="3">
more, to the blemi&s;hing of our Church and Gods high di&s;ho|nour)
I have made bold, as a feeling member of Chri&s;ts my|&s;ticall
body, to pre&s;ent it to your honourable view. And if upon
peru&s;all yee &s;hall think it to be the Truth, I be&s;eech you im|brace
it, and knowing what the power is, which in a Chri|&s;tian
Kingdome ought to beare &s;way both in Church and
Common-wealth, for the curbing and puni&s;hing of all evill
doers, delay not to &s;et it up. And <HI>eadem opera,</HI> quell the di|vi&s;ion
&s;o dangerous, which ari&s;eth from the groundle&s;&s;e di|&s;tinction,
as I conceive, betwixt Government Civill and Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall
amongst us, and let the &s;word of the Magi&s;trate
be regularly &s;harpned against tho&s;e new up&s;tart bla&s;phemous
Seducers, upon whom it &s;hall appeare that the &s;word of the
&s;pirit can do no good, and in this &s;o nece&s;&s;ary a worke the God&punc;
of Heaven direct and ble&s;&s;e your pious endevours, that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word">
already he hath done great and mighty acts by you for the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word">
of the Church and Commonwealth, &s;o he may make you in&s;tru|ments 
of this good to his Church al&s;o. And &s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span">
ving pardon for my pre&s;umption, and that it may be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span">
to a good de&s;ire, I rest ready whether approved or reproved, to
&s;ubmit to your cen&s;ures.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>J. M.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="tract">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>The difference about Church-Government
ended.</HEAD>
<P>_THe great controver&s;ie of the&s;e times being about
the government of the Church, whereby wee
may come into as great danger of cruel di&s;conti|on,
when the pre&s;ent &s;hall by Gods ble&s;&s;ing be
ended, and diver&s;e Books being written, <HI>pro</HI>
and <HI>contra,</HI> by Presbyterians and Independants
here about, whereby the difference is not likely
to be compo&s;ed, but increa&s;ed more and more&punc; Give me leave, though
the lea&s;t and unworthie&s;t of them all, in briefe to declare what I
conceive, and I thinke can &s;olidly prove to be the onely true and
right way wherein we ought to goe. And that God whom I have
&s;ought unto for light herein, make my pure endeavours &s;uccesfull,
that this way being di&s;covered, we may all with one con&s;ent walke
and per&s;evere in the &s;ame: and this is not the way by me fir&s;t di&s;co|vered,
but being &s;tood for by &s;ome others before, that which upo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">
&s;erious &s;tudy and con&s;ideration I am confirmed in more and more.
And it is that in a Chri&s;tian Kingdom the de&s;tinction betwixt Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticall
and Secular power and rule in re&s;pect of the exteriour
exerci&s;e, by cen&s;uring and puni&s;hing offenders cea&s;eth, all this pow|er
being in the &s;ame per&s;ons, <HI>viz.</HI> the higher powers, who are
Gods Vicegerents upon earth, to mannage all Rule and Govern|ment
over all cau&s;es and per&s;ons under their Dominion, whether
Secular or Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, and that Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall per&s;ons ought not
to have any &s;hare or part in this power, but onely to di&s;pen&s;e the
my&s;teries of &s;alvation, the Word and Sacraments, to put up the pe|titions
of the congregation in publike, or of any particulars, as need
&s;hall require, to ordaine new Presbyters, and to joyne man and
woman in marriage and in ca&s;e of variance in opinion ari&s;ing in
the Church to have the chiefe &s;troke in determining the truth in a
<PB N="2" REF="4">
Councel, and the determination by them &s;o made all ought, &s;o
far as con&s;cience can po&s;&s;ibly give leave, to &s;tand to, of what e&s;tate
or degree &s;oever they be, and to be &s;ubject and obedient to them,
or anyone of them in their ordinary admini&s;tring of the Word,
the higher powers compelling their Subjects in all lawf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ll ways by
penalties, who will not otherwi&s;e, to obey and receive their whol|&s;ome
Doctrine in all things.</P>
<P>For proof of all this, and fir&s;t, that all power in a Chri&s;tian
Kingdom is in the &s;ame per&s;ons, the higher powers, See <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1.
<HI>Let every &s;oule be &s;ubject to the higher powers,</HI> and as <HI>Bernard</HI> hath
it to Pope <HI>Engenius, Si omnis anima, etiam ve&s;tra,</HI> here by higher
Powers are meant the civill Magi&s;tracie, as 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 13. is fur|ther
explained where it is &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">id, <HI>Obey every humane Ordinance for
the Lords &s;ake, whether the King as &s;upreme, or tho&s;e that are &s;et in
authority under him.</HI> Wherefore all power is primitively in the
King, where the Countrey is under a King, and derivatively in&s;uch
as have commi&s;&s;ion from him, and the&s;e are only Secular men, not
Eccle&s;ia&s;ticks, according to that of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>If yee have judge|ments
in things pertaining to this life, &s;et up them that are lea&s;t e&s;tee|med,
in the Church, 1 Cor.</HI> 6. 4. That is, &s;ome common Chri&s;tians,
no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel. And wherein the Magi&s;trates pow|er
is, he &s;heweth &s;aying, <HI>He beareth not the Sword in vain,</HI> but <HI>for
the puni&s;hment of evill doers.</HI> From hence I argue thus.</P>
<P>They onely ought to rule and govern by cen&s;ures and puni&s;h|ments
that have this power given them of God:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Arg. 1.</NOTE> but the civill
Magi&s;trates onely have this power given them of God, <HI>ergo,</HI> they
onely ought to rule this way. The <HI>Major</HI> here cannot be doubted
of, becau&s;e all power is of God: Nor the <HI>Minor,</HI> becau&s;e it is the
expre&s;&s;e a&s;&s;ertion of the Apo&s;tle.</P>
<P>Again,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Arg. 2.</NOTE> that Government only ought to be in a Chri&s;tian King|dom,
which is nece&s;&s;ary for the welbeing thereof, and any other is
&s;uperfluous: but the government of the Civill Magi&s;trate here is
only nece&s;&s;ary, <HI>Ergo,</HI> none el&s;e ought to be. Here the <HI>Minor</HI> only
can be doubted (for <HI>fru&s;tra fit per plura&punc; quod pote&s;t fieri per pau|ciora</HI>)
but the truth hereof will appeare if we con&s;ider, that there
is no &s;in or errour in any &s;ort of men, but the &s;word of the Civill
Magi&s;trate cuts it down &s;o &s;oon as he hath notice thereof. Again&s;t
<PB N="3" REF="4">
murther, adultery and perjury. Magi&s;trates even in Heathen Na|tions
have bin from time to time very &s;evere, as it is nece&s;&s;ary they
&s;hould, And again&s;t Witches, Idolaters, Drunkards, Theives,
common Swearers and Sabbath-breakers, the &s;word is &s;harpned in
this land, &amp; again&s;t Cheators, Forgeries and all other notoriotyes,
yea, and again&s;t Bla&s;phemers, &amp; Sorcerers, to Lyers, and tho&s;e that
believing them make di&s;turbance of the peace of the Kingdom, and
where the Laws are not &s;ufficiently penall, the penalties may be
aggravated. Our Laws al&s;o have provided, that per&s;ons &s;canda|lous
in their lives living in variance and hatred, rayling and cur|&s;ing
and not reconciled &s;hould be kept from the holy Communion,
and now by Ordinance of Parliament it is provided, that igno|rant
per&s;ons &s;hal be likewi&s;e hereby &s;u&s;pended here from. And what
then remayns, for which there is need for any other power to
come in for, the well governing of the Church of Chri&s;t among&s;t
us, but only to authorize Mini&s;ters, to whom it properly belongeth
to try and find out, and &s;u&s;pend the ignorant, &s;ome &s;hort Cate|chi&s;me
being fir&s;t compiled of the Principles nece&s;&s;ary by every
Chri&s;tian to be know<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">, beyond the bounds whereof no Mini&s;ter
may go in his examinations, or having tryed admit of any through
partiality, that &s;hall come &s;hort of this knowledge, and in his try|all
putting difference betwixt the ancient and the yonger, as Saint
<HI>Paul</HI> directeth, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 1. dealing with them as fathers with the&s;e,
as brethren. And if the Mini&s;ter through envy, pride, or enmity
&s;hall proceed otherwi&s;e with any, then is pre&s;cribed, hee may be
made lyable to give account thereof to the Magi&s;trate; and if he be
found guilty, to puni&s;hment therefore, but if not, the party com|playning
to be &s;oundly puni&s;ht for his fal&s;e accu&s;ation. As for &s;can|dalous
livers, let &s;uch officers, as the Magi&s;trate &s;hall thinke fit, be
appointed in every Pari&s;h, but let them be of the mo&s;t religious and
con&s;cionable, who may be tyed by <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> to pre&s;ent them unto him,
and as he &s;hall find cau&s;e, let him direct his precept to the Mini|&s;ter
to &s;u&s;pend him, till he be reformed. If Officers &s;o appointed be
negligent, let it be commended to the care of any in the Congre|gotion,
who have the &s;pirit of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> in them, to complain of them
to the Magi&s;trate, that upon proof he may be &s;oundly <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> for his
negligence in a matter <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> to his <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word">: of &s;o great impor|tance.</P>
<P><PB N="4" REF="5">
If none,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Arg. 3.</NOTE> but Magi&s;trates be capable of rule and dominion in re|&s;pect
of cen&s;ures and puni&s;hments, then they only ought to have
the rule: but none el&s;e are capable hereof, <HI>Ergo,</HI> none el&s;e ought to
have this rule. The <HI>Minor</HI> which only can be doubted of is thus
proved. The Mini&s;ter of the Go&s;pell is not capable of it <HI>Ergo,</HI> none
el&s;e. That he is not, appears, becau&s;e Chri&s;t oppo&s;eth the order of
Preachers to Rulers, &s;aying, <HI>The Princes of the Gentiles exerci&s;e
dominion over them, but it &s;hall not be &s;o with you, Matth.</HI> 20. 25.
that is, ye &s;hal not rule over your brethren, and the mo&s;t faithfull A|po&s;tle
<HI>Peter</HI> exhorting Presbyters to feed the flocke of Chri&s;t com|mitted
to them, when hee comes to &s;peake of ruling, doth it with
this negative <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>not ruling over them, 1 Pet.</HI> 5. 1.</P>
<P>If it be here objected,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> Elders are de&s;cribed by ruling, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.
17. <HI>The Elders that rule well, are worthy of double honour, Heb.</HI> 13.
7. 17, 24. they are three times likewi&s;e de&s;cribed, and &s;uch other
additions made, as that it cannot be under&s;tood of any other Elders,
but Preachers, as namely, <HI>Ver&s;e 7. that have the rule over you, who
have &s;poken unto you the Word of God. Ver&s;e 17. that rule over you,
for they watch for your &s;ouls.</HI> Therefore any Presbyter, <HI>quatenus</HI> a
Presbyter preaching the Word of God, and a Watchman over
&s;ouls is and ought to be a Ruler, and have power to cen&s;ure.</P>
<P>I an&s;wer that the words rendred by ruling are in two of the&s;e
places <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> &s;ignifieth not Rulers, but leaders, but becau&s;e lea|ders,
as Captains, are Rulers, it is rendred Rulers, though all lea|ders
or guides in a way be not Rulers in the &s;en&s;e here &s;poken of.
In the third place <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ignifieth al&s;o &s;uch as goe before, not
properly Rulers or Governours, therefore from hence nothing can
be evinced to the purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>If it be further objected,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> the Keys are given to <HI>Peter,</HI> and by
Keys according to the Scripture phra&s;e government is always un|der&s;tood,
as <HI>E&s;ay 22. 22. The key of the hou&s;e of David I will lay
upon his &s;houlder, and he &s;hall open and none &s;hall &s;hut,</HI> compared
with <HI>Chap. 9. 6. The government &s;hall be upon his &s;houlder, Revel.</HI> 3.
7. <HI>He that hath the key of David.</HI> Here by the key of <HI>David</HI> is
plainly &s;et forth &s;overeigne power in all things, therefore are the
keys of the Kingdome of Heaven given to <HI>Peter, Matth.</HI> 16. the
power of governing in things partayning to the Kingdom of Hea|ven,
<PB N="5" REF="5">
that is, the Church, and what power was here given to <HI>Pe|ter,</HI>
is &s;howed to be given to all the Apo&s;tles, <HI>Matth. 18. 18. What|&s;oever
ye bind upon earth &s;hall be bound in heaven &amp;c:</HI> becau&s;e here|in
the power of the keys is &s;hewed to lye by the words noted in
the place before named, <HI>What&s;oever thou binde&s;t upon earth, &s;hall
be bound in heaven,</HI> and <HI>John</HI> 20. 23. the &s;ame power is given to all
the Apo&s;tles in words to the &s;ame effect, <HI>Who&s;e &s;ins you remit they
are remitted, &amp;c:</HI> and Saint <HI>Paul</HI> accordingly exerci&s;ed this power,
1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 20. by delivering <HI>Hymenens</HI> and <HI>Alexander</HI> to Satan, &amp;
touching the ince&s;tuous per&s;on as <HI>Corinth,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>I have judged,
to deliver him to Satan, 1 Cor.</HI> 5. 3. but this he could not have done,
unle&s;&s;e he had had &s;uch power. And as having power to commit
the like to other Preachers, hee gave <HI>Timothy</HI> a charge over the
Church at <HI>Ephe&s;us, 1 Tim.</HI> 1. 1. 18. and by vertue hereof he was to
charge &s;ome not to preach any other doctrine, Implying a ruling
power committed unto him, and to <HI>Titus</HI> to order things in <HI>Creet,
Titus</HI> 1. 5. and <HI>Timothy</HI> is bidden to receive none accu&s;ation again&s;t
an Elder under two or three witne&s;&s;es, <HI>Chap.</HI> 5 19. And what is he
that orders things in the Church, but a Ruler, or he before whom
accu&s;ations are brought.</P>
<P>To all this I an&s;wer, that <HI>Peter,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> and the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles for|gave
&s;ins, and loo&s;ed by preaching &s;alvation to the faithfull and re|pentant
and retained &s;ins, and damn'd by preaching damnation
to the impenitent, and <HI>Paul</HI> accur&s;eth tho&s;e that teach any other
Doctrine, <HI>Gal.</HI> 1. Yea, and I doubt not, but by vertue of that do|nation,
they and other Preachers their &s;ucce&s;&s;ors, during the time
that the Chri&s;tian Religion was imbraced but by &s;ome, and tho&s;e,
of the meane: &s;ort, the greate&s;t, as Emperours, Kings, and Princes
with&s;tanding it, had a ruling power by excommunications and
other cen&s;ures &s;pirituall to deter the wicked among&s;t them, and
Hereticks and Schi&s;maticks, and to make them a&s;hamed that they
might be brought to repentance, and to relea&s;e them again. But it
doth not hence follow that in a Chri&s;tian Kingdom, where there is a
&s;word &s;ufficiently &s;harpned again&s;t all notorious wickedne&s;&s;es in
people and in Mini&s;ters, yea, and Magi&s;trates al&s;o doing unju&s;tly,
that this cen&s;uring power of binding and loo&s;ing in particular
Courts of Ju&s;tice &s;hould bee continued for the rea&s;on before going.
<PB N="6" REF="6">
And thus the objection made from the power given to <HI>Timothy</HI> and
<HI>Titus</HI> is an&s;wered al&s;o, it was but <HI>pro tempore,</HI> when Kings &s;hould
come on to be Chri&s;tians, the faithfull as well as others being then
&s;ubjected to this civill coercive power, in all things as they were
by <HI>Titus</HI> his teaching to be prepared, <HI>Tit. 3. 1. Put them in
minde to be &s;ubject to Principalities and Powers, and to obey Magi|&s;trates,</HI>
and it is reckoned up as one of the black brands of repro|bate
Chri&s;tians, <HI>Jude ver. 8. To de&s;pi&s;e Dominions, and to &s;peake
evill of dignities.</HI></P>
<P>But it will not be granted,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Arg. 3.</NOTE> that if Preachers be not capable of
this rule, that none el&s;e but Magi&s;trates are&punc; for there be other
governments di&s;tinct from Pa&s;tors and Teachers in the Church,
1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 28. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 8. the &s;ame is plainly intimated, when
after the&s;e charges, <HI>Let him that mini&s;treth tend upon his mini&s;tring,
and he that teacheth on teaching, &amp;c.</HI> it is added, <HI>hee that ruleth
with diligence,</HI> and agreeably to the&s;e places 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5. 17. It is &s;aid,
<HI>The Elder that rules well is worthie of double honour,</HI> therefore
there ought to be other Rulers in the Church be&s;ides the Magi&s;trate,
to whom it properly belongs to cen&s;ure in things Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall.
I an&s;wer, it is to be noted that the Ruler &s;poken of, <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 8.
and likewi&s;e the Governments. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 12. 28. are put after not
onely Pa&s;tors and Teachers but Helpes, &s;et forth by <GAP DESC="foreign">
that is Deacons al&s;o, as being the lowe&s;t order in the Church,
whereby is plainly intimated, that they had no power of cen&s;uring,
for then they &s;hould as &s;uperiours have been placed before them,
over whom they had power, or among&s;t whom they had the chiefe
power. 2. In two of the&s;e places the &s;ame word is u&s;ed, which
hath been already &s;hewed, to &s;ignifie nothing but leaders, or men
&s;et over others or goers before, and therefore if there be &s;ome in
each congregation &s;et onely over the manners of men: to ob&s;erve
the irregular, and to admoni&s;h them, and if <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> 
wil not reform, to pre&s;ent them to the Magi&s;trate, &s;uch <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> as the
Apo&s;tle means are not wanting in the Church, but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> &s;hal we &s;ay
to the governments &s;poken of in the third place, doth not this word
imply a power to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> it doth, for Government is nece&s;&s;ary
to the well being of the Church of God<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter"> but becau&s;e he &s;ay<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">, not
Governours, but Governments, the Office<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters"> and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> where|by
<PB N="7" REF="6">
the notorieties of men are brought to light that they might have
condigne cen&s;ure and puni&s;hment may well be under&s;tood by a
Synechdoche, becau&s;e the Governours in whom the power is,
are holpen in their ruling by them. For it is not credible either
that any of the common people &s;hould have power over their
Teachers, or that by governments any other are ment, then &s;uch as
are otherwi&s;e called <GAP DESC="foreign">, as the&s;e Officers may well be,
and yet not in &s;o high a degree as they that preach the Word of
God, for which they are &s;et &s;o low under them. The Government
then goes right, according to the meaning of the Apo&s;tle, when
the higher powers having cen&s;ured they &s;ee to the execution, as
are vigilant to examine privately, and to pre&s;ent the &s;candalous, and
in the primitive times when they did thus officiate to the Presby|terie,
con&s;i&s;ting of grave and learned teachers. If it &s;hould be o|therwi&s;e,
none, it is to be feared, will be found fit in diver&s;e con|gregations,
for &s;uch authority, either for want of knowledge or un|blameablene&s;&s;e
of life. 2 If any be in the&s;e re&s;pects, yet not be|cau&s;e
<HI>homines plebes,</HI> and &s;o &s;ubject to contempt, among&s;t their fel|lows
who would never &s;toop but to their &s;uperiours in outward
re&s;pects, to be ruled by them. 3 If they would, yet &s;uch indigni|ty
&s;hould hereby be offered to Teachers, as were intollerable, and
di&s;couraging to &s;ome, either to enter the Mini&s;try, or to continue
in it.</P>
<P>Fourthly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Arg. 4.</NOTE> no &s;uch government ought to be in a Chri&s;tian King|dom,
but what hath been by Gods own direction or allowance a|mong&s;t
his ancient people, the I&s;raelites: but there was never any
government Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall di&s;tinct from the Civill. <HI>Ergo,</HI> none
&s;uch ought now to be in a Chri&s;tian Kingdome. For the <HI>Major</HI> it
appears to be true, becau&s;e neither Chri&s;t nor his Apo&s;tles taught
any thing, but what there was ground for in the Law and the
Prophets. <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> mu&s;t have the things of <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> the Mini&s;ter that
Preacheth the Go&s;pell mu&s;t live upon the Go&s;pell, as they that
wayted upon the Altar, of the Altar. To preach and pray belongs
to his office, as to the Prie&s;ts to teach and offer &s;acrifices for the
people. And as none might pre&s;ume to doe this Prie&s;tly office, but
the Prie&s;t, &s;o none may preach, unle&s;&s;e they be &s;ent; that is, be or|dained
according to the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">ection of Gods holy Word, that is, be|ing
<PB N="8" REF="7">
fir&s;t proved, then having the impo&s;ition of the hands of the
Presbytery, con&s;i&s;ting, not of Laym<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">n in part, but altogether of
Preachers, for as much as wee no where read of the impo&s;ition of
hands by any other. For the <HI>Minor, Mo&s;es</HI> was fir&s;t the &s;ole Ru|ler,
and when this burthen was thought to be too great for him a|lone,
&s;eventy two more were joyned with him to help to beare it,
<HI>Numb.</HI> 11. being cho&s;en by &s;ixes out of every Tribe, of which
Tribes <HI>Levi</HI> was counted none, there being twelve Tribes be&s;ides
to make up this number. After this the Judge and the &s;eventy two
ruled in all things. Light and direction to proceed according to
Gods will, they were indeed to &s;eek of the high Prie&s;t and Prie&s;ts,
<HI>who&s;e lips mu&s;t pre&s;erve knowledge, and they mu&s;t enquire the Law
at his mouth, Mal.</HI> 2. 7. So <HI>Jo&s;hua&s;h</HI> mu&s;t &s;eek to <HI>Eleazer</HI> the high
Prie&s;t, <HI>Numb.</HI> 27. 21. and in any difficult ca&s;e they mu&s;t come to
the Prie&s;ts, <HI>Deut.</HI> 17. 9. but the Judge and the Coun&s;ell of &s;eventy
two had all the power. Afterwards when Kings raigned in <HI>I&s;rael,</HI>
King <HI>Solomon</HI> put <HI>Abiather</HI> the high Prie&s;t from his office, &s;etting
up <HI>Zadoe,</HI> and <HI>David</HI> di&s;tingui&s;hed the cour&s;es of the Prie&s;ts and
other Godly Kings from time to time ruled in things Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
and Prie&s;ts never, till that after their return from the Babyloni&s;h
captivity, Princes failing in the time of <HI>Antiochus, Epiphanes,
Mattathias</HI> the Prie&s;t, and his &s;onnes being nece&s;&s;itated to it took
the government upon them both in things &s;ecular and &s;pirituall.</P>
<P><HI>Matth.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ob.</NOTE> 18. 17. <HI>Tell it to the Churches,</HI> and why to the Church,
but becau&s;e it was his will that the Church &s;hould have power of
cen&s;uring, and if &s;o, then not the Magi&s;trate alone.</P>
<P>By the word <GAP DESC="foreign"> rendred Church,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> is not always under&s;tood
the Congregation of Chri&s;tians, but &s;ometime any a&s;&s;embly, as
<HI>Acts</HI> 19. 41. Here therefore may well be under&s;tood the judicatory,
that then was among&s;t the Jews before &s;poken of which yet con|tinued,
and among&s;t them when any &s;hould afterwards be &s;et up,
of what per&s;ons &s;oever it con&s;i&s;ted, and not any whole congrega|tion,
that were &s;uch a government as was never heard of in tho&s;e
times, or the times preceding neither is it nece&s;&s;ary that they &s;hould
be Officers properly Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, but any of the more honoura|ble
among&s;t people who have al&s;o power in the Common-wealth,
may con&s;titute this judicatory, but for the power of binding and
<PB N="9" REF="7">
lo&s;ing &s;poken of <HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 18. it belongs not to them, but to Preachers
for which he changeth the per&s;on, &s;aying, <HI>What yee bind upon earth
&s;hall be bound in Heaven,</HI> hereby giving them power <HI>pro tempore,</HI>
that the inordinate might be awed till that Magi&s;trates being
converted they might be otherwi&s;e curbed. To cleere which the
more, take this for a paraphra&s;e. If thy brother &s;in again&s;t thee
by doing thee any tre&s;pa&s;&s;e or traducing thee, or detracting from
thee, or offering thee any violence, and neyther by private telling
him of it, nor by mediation of friends hee will be brought to ac|knowledge
his fault, and ask thee forgivene&s;&s;e, tell the Judges of it,
who have authority to proceed again&s;t offenders that they may, if
it be po&s;&s;ible by threatning him with puni&s;hment cau&s;e him to re|pent&punc;
but if not &s;o, give him over for an heathen incorrigible and
no true Chri&s;tian, and let the Mini&s;ters of the Church exclude him
from the Sacrament or Communion of Chri&s;tians &amp; con&s;equently
from life, neyther let him contemne, becau&s;e they that exclude
him are but two or three d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;picable Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel, who
have none authority or power in this world. For what&s;oever yee
thus proceeding binde &s;hall be bound, &amp;c. Yea, if there be not
two but only one in that Church, for as it is here &s;ayd, <HI>What&s;oever
yee bind</HI> in the plurall number, &s;o <HI>Matth.</HI> 16. It is &s;ayd, <HI>What&s;oever
thou binde&s;t.</HI> And by vertue of this Commi&s;&s;ion <HI>Paul</HI> alone delive|red
<HI>Hymeneus</HI> and <HI>Alexander</HI> to Satan, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1. 20. If it be de|manded,
&s;hall he not be bound from comming to the Congregation
al&s;o? <HI>An&s;.</HI> By no means, becau&s;e even Heathens came into the
Congregations, as may be gathered, <HI>Jam.</HI> 2. and if not, how &s;hould
they be converted? wherefore <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> excommunicating wholly our
of the Church for any &s;in is lawfull.</P>
<P>1 <HI>Cor.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Object.</NOTE> 5. <HI>Paul</HI> requires the <HI>Corinth:</HI> Church <HI>to put the ince&s;tuous
man from amongst them,</HI> which argues authority to cen&s;ure in the
Church.</P>
<P>I deny not,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sol.</NOTE> but in tho&s;e times, there being yet no Chri&s;tian Ma|gi&s;tracy
it was nece&s;&s;ary, that there &s;hould be &s;ome authority in the
<GAP DESC="foreign">, who preached the word to &s;entence gro&s;&s;e offenders,
who would other wi&s;e have <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> to the greater blemi&s;hing
of Chri&s;tianity. But this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> that it ought &s;till <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> be in a
Chri&s;tian Kingdom, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 span"> can be &s;uffered,
<PB N="10" REF="8">
although there be no Church Government to animadvert again&s;t
him.</P>
<P>Having this proved, that the Government in all things in a
Chri&s;tian Kingdom is and ought to be in the Civill Magi&s;trate, let
us now con&s;ider the other part of my generall Propo&s;ition concer|ning
the Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pell. That to them it is committed to
Preach and Baptize, and admini&s;ter the Supper of the Lord is plain
from the la&s;t words of Chri&s;t, <HI>Go teach all Nations baptizing them,
&amp;c. Matth.</HI> 28. and from the charge at the In&s;titution of the Lords
Supper. <HI>Do this in remembrance of me.</HI> And they only may do the&s;e
things, in any other it is pride and pre&s;umption highly di&s;plea&s;ing to
God to do the~, as in <HI>Saul</HI> to &s;acrifice &amp; in <HI>Uzziak</HI> to burn Incen&s;e.
2 That to them al&s;o it belongs to put up the Petitions of the Congre|gation
&amp; of particular per&s;ons in di&s;tre&s;&s;e, we may gather from Gods
Ordinance that the Prie&s;ts &s;hould offer Sacrifice for the Congrega|tion,
and for any per&s;on having tre&s;pa&s;&s;ed, but now troubled for it,
of the Prophets, praying al&s;o in the Congregation, &amp;c. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.
and for the &s;ick, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5. 16. Kings have &s;ometimes prayed publikely
al&s;o, though they might not Sacrifice, as <HI>Solomon</HI> at the Dedication
of the Temple, and <HI>Hezekiah,</HI> when many kept the Pa&s;&s;over, who
were not cl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">n&s;ed, piety putting them on to it, and no prohibition
lying again&s;t it. But the&s;e were rare and extraordinary acts and not
be ordinarily drawn into imitation, as neyther that of <HI>Phineas</HI> a
Prie&s;t killing <HI>Co&s;by</HI> and <HI>Zimri,</HI> and afterward going as a Captain
again&s;t the <HI>Midianites.</HI> For not <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> but <HI>Aaron</HI> mu&s;t ble&s;&s;e or
pray publikly for the Congregation, <HI>Numb.</HI> 6. 23. And when the
plague was in the Ho&s;t, he, not <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> mu&s;t go up with his Cen&s;or
by offering incen&s;e to &s;tay it. 3 For ordayning Elders or Bi&s;hops
it is committed to <HI>Titus</HI> and <HI>Timothy</HI> not to others, who were not
Preachers, or Elders them&s;elves, and <HI>Acts 14. 23. Paul</HI> and <HI>Barna|bas</HI>
ordained Elders in every Church. 4 For joyning man and
wi&s;e together, becau&s;e it ought not to be without prayer, ble&s;&s;ing
and in&s;tructing, and that in publike, who is &s;o fit to doe it as a Mi|ni&s;ter.
5 For obedience and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion unto them, though they
have no power by cen&s;ure in judiciary proceeding to compell, yet
con&s;iderig the command, obey them that go before you in doctrine,
and life, and are your Leaders, and &s;ubmit your &s;elves to them, as to
<PB N="11" REF="8">
them, <HI>that watch for your &s;onis, Heb.</HI> 13. 17. There is no good
Chri&s;tian&punc; of what e&s;tate or degree &s;oever, but for con&s;cience
towards him that commands this, will readily do it. For when <HI>Ze|dekiah</HI>
and the Princes of <HI>Judah</HI> would not obey <HI>Jeremiah.</HI> &s;peak|ing
to them in the name and word of the Lord, what grievous
things did they &s;uffer by the <HI>Caldees.</HI> 6 For the Mini&s;ters or
Presbyters power in Councel, to manage controver&s;ies in point of
Religion, &amp; to determine, that which was done in the fir&s;t famous
Councel at <HI>Jeru&s;alem, Act.</HI> 15. &s;peaks plainly, &amp; therefore it hath
been followed as a pre&s;ident in the pure&s;t times, by all the Chri&s;tian
World, and that not without good &s;ucce&s;&s;e in many ages, to the
&s;uppre&s;&s;ing of mon&s;trous errors, and to the keeping up of the u|nity
of faith. Thus I have, by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;tance, made good my
whole propo&s;ition, which if it might in all parts be &s;ub&s;cribed to,
Oh! what great good would en&s;ue to us all thereby? The great
controver&s;ie touching Church Government &s;o greatly troubling
and di&s;turbing the whole Kingdom would be &s;opi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ed, the diffe|rence
betwixt Presbyterians and Independants ended, the many
&s;trange and mon&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="2 letters">ous errours lately &s;prung up, extirpated, cla&s;hing
and enterfeeing betwixt two &s;orts of Governments removed, wick|ed
men and Hereticks, who feare not the word, nor regard Church
cen&s;ures, terrified, and peace throughout the whole Kingdom
&s;etled. Now that I may yet more effectually move the mindes of
all my brethren who &s;hall read this, I &s;hall add, that as it is law|full
for the civill Magi&s;trate to take all the gove<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">nment into his
hands, even in things Ecle&s;ia&s;ticall, as hath been &s;aid, &s;o it is mo&s;t
expedient for us of the Mini&s;try that they &s;hould &s;o doe, becau&s;e
being exempt from this trouble, we &s;hall be the more free to prayer,
reading, meditation, preaching, and other holy offices properly
belonging to our function, That thus we ought to bee, appears
from the rea&s;on given by the Apo&s;tles, why they would have Dea|cons
cho&s;en to be over matters concerning the poor, <HI>viz.</HI> that they
might wholy give them&s;elves to prayer, and the mini&s;try of the
Word, <HI>Act.</HI> 6. 4. For if the preacher mu&s;t not be troubled about
matters of charity, to gather and to di&s;tribute collections among&s;t
the poor, but &s;ome others of the congregation mu&s;t have this of|fice,
how much le&s;&s;e ought he to be troubled by keeping Cour<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">s
<PB N="12" REF="9">
at &s;et times, and hearing and cen&s;uring &s;ins complained of there,
1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 4. 13, 15. he mu&s;t give him&s;elfe wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">ly to reading, prayer,
exhortation and Doctrine, and in &s;o doing hee &s;hall &s;ave him&s;elfe
and tho&s;e that heare him.</P>
<P>2&punc; We &s;hall be le&s;&s;e liable to the emnity of the wicked, who can|not
be without a grudge again&s;t &s;uch as puni&s;h them, as experience
hath taught in &s;ome other Church, wherein a ruling power is com|mitted
to Mini&s;ters among&s;t others. It is true indeed, that a faithfull
Preacher cannot avoid the hatred of the wicked, for they hated
Chri&s;t aad therefore will hate them: yet becau&s;e they can le&s;&s;e en|d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">re
to be cen&s;ured by them, whom they know by birth to be mea|ner
then them&s;elves, e&s;pecially &s;ome of them, it is more convenient
that for this they &s;hould be dealt with by men of eminencie in out|ward
re&s;pects, that their prejudice again&s;t the Preacher may be the
le&s;&s;e, and &s;o he may be in more po&s;&s;ibility, by his teaching, to doe
their &s;ouls good. And for the like rea&s;on, no godly man of mean
quality in any congregation can conveniently be &s;et up as a Ruler
over others&punc; becau&s;e &s;o he &s;hall become more &s;ubject to conterupt
and deri&s;ion, and be made le&s;&s;e able to doe good among&s;t his neigh|bours
in private by &s;tirring them up to love and good works, as
hath been already &s;aid.</P>
<P>3&punc; We are Emba&s;&s;adours of Chri&s;t, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5. 20. and therefore
not to exerci&s;e power by cen&s;uring in anothers Kingdom, &s;uch as
the world of the wicked is: for they are under the Prince of the
Ayre, and therefore by us to be dealt with, not by puni&s;hment, but
by entreaty.</P>
<P>4&punc; The Preacher being but a man, and ye&s;terday as it were, but,
a Boy, and the contemptible &s;on of a man of low degree, and every
Preacher not having grace, judgment &amp; gravity fit for government
if he be inve&s;ted with power, is apt hereby to be puft up, and in u|&s;ing
it, not to &s;erve Chri&s;t, but his own lu&s;ts and pa&s;&s;ions, and there|fore
to avoid this inconvenience, it is better for us to be without
this power, then to have it, that we may be kept humble, and &s;o the
more gracious, and have our Auditours the more ready to hearken
to us. For being in this ruling office, the be&s;t &s;hall hardly e&s;cape the
imputation of pride and although it be fal&s;ly, yet the power of our
teaching will be much hereby weakned, &s;ith pride is contempti|ble
<PB N="13" REF="9">
both to God and man. And here do not, I be&s;eeth you, my
Brethren, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> out upon me and &s;ay, I deal unnaturally thus to &s;eek
to pull down, and bring under all my fellow &s;ervants, and to tran&s;|fer
the honour of dominion from them to the Magi&s;trate even in
things pertayning to their calling. For ye &s;hall &s;till have the highe&s;t
honour in the world higher then Judges, for all men &s;hall be judged
according to your Go&s;pel, then Nobles, for their greate&s;t honour
is to be &s;ent Emba&s;&s;adours by earthly Kings but yours that ye are
Emba&s;&s;adours of Chri&s;t, theirs that they may be the Kings Privy
Coun&s;ellors, yours, that God makes you of his coun&s;ell, for the
Lord will do nothing but he reveals it to his &s;ervants the Prophets,
and again theirs&punc; that they are Generals of Armies to &s;ubdue Re|bels,
and to quell Enemies, yours that ye have weapons and &s;trength
committed to you to overthrow &s;trong holds, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10. 4. and to
root out and de&s;troy Kingdoms and Nations, that be rebellious a|gain&s;t
God, <HI>Jer.</HI> 1. 10. La&s;tly, higher then Kings, for their greate&s;t
honour is that they rule over the outward man, yours that ye rule
and have power in the con&s;cience in &s;uch as have a con&s;cience,
theirs that they bear the &s;ecular &s;word, yours that ye manage the
&s;pirituall, which is &s;harper then any two-edged &s;word, theirs that
they can terrifie by threatning corporal death yours that ye threaten
eternall, and la&s;tly theirs that they are over all other men in things
pertaining to men, yours that ye are over all other men, &amp; them al|&s;o
in things pertayning to God, and to their everla&s;ting welfare to
teach, guide and direct them, and to ble&s;&s;e them, whereby they
may be furthered thereunto, and if yet ye would have more, take
this as the greate&s;t perfection of ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e, that in the regenera|tion
ye &s;hall &s;it upon thrones, and &s;o come to the honour of judg|ing
and reigning with Chri&s;t for ever. And if this be your honour,
though no rulling power be given unto you here, complain not of
being trodden down, but rather joy, that the government &s;hould
be in &s;uch hands as in who&s;e of right it ought to be, and it is mo&s;t
expedient for you that it be, and help what ye are able to bring it
to this, as every one, that prefers the truth before his own advance|ment
ought to do. And ye Magi&s;trates and Rulers of the world
be entreated to u&s;e this your power aright, in Gods way to beat
down errours and notorious &s;ins in every place, and as the &s;emina|ry
<PB N="14" REF="10">
of errours, private preachings by &s;uch as intrude them&s;elves into
this office, beig never called thereunto, as was <HI>Aaron,</HI> &amp; to encou|rage
to learning &amp; piety, &amp; to con&s;tancy in the truth, as being &s;et up
to rule in all things, not for your &s;elves, but for God, who hath of &s;in|gular
mercy thus highly honoured you. If any &s;halthink this to be
written for &s;lattery &amp; not in &s;yncerity, he &s;hal do me great wrong,
who as God knows, have none other end, but to bring the truth,
of which I am per&s;waded to light, as &s;eeing none other way to ap|pea&s;e
the terrible tempe&s;t of contrary winds of doctrine, &s;o dan|gerou&s;ly
to&s;&s;ing the &s;hip of the Church, that it is ready otherwi&s;e to
&s;ink in this State, which God forbid and therefore make every Bro|ther,
that &s;hall read me, not an high-&s;pirited <HI>Diotrephes</HI> who loveth
preeminence, but a lowly minded <HI>Apollo,</HI> who &s;ubmitted him&s;elf to
learne the truth more perfectly, even of <HI>Pri&s;cilla</HI> and <HI>Aquila</HI> al|though
he were a man mighty in the Word, and they but Tent|makers,
how-ever more ver&s;ed at that time then he in the doctrine
of the Go&s;pel. But if any one being un&s;atisfied with that which hath
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;ayd &s;hall have a mind to contend, let me intreat him not to do it
with words comming from a pen dipt in gall and vinegar, but with
&s;olid Argument according to that of <HI>Augu&s;tine, Sacrae Scripturae
authoritate res cum re, cau&s;a cum caus&acirc;, ratio cum ratione con|cer<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="tech" EXTENT="1 letter">et.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="10">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
