The Deprived and Silenced Ministers Arguments, Argument 15 – Answer 17
XV. ARGVMENT.
YOur zeale touching the Papiſts for more ſeuerity againſt them hereafter, that thereby they may be the more eaſily conuerted frō their damnable hereſies; is worthy euerlaſting renowne. But may it alſo pleaſe you to conſider, to what ende there ſhalbe more ſeuere lawes made, for the bringing of thē to church, if there ſhal not likewiſe beaAs who would ſay, there can be no ſufficient prouiſion of able Miniſters except Schiſmaticall Miniſters to make vp the nūber. prouiſiō, that when they come there they may hauehave ſuch Miniſters as ſhalbe able ſubſtantially, & ſoūdly to confute their hereſies, & to inſtruct them in the trueth and not ſuch, as against whom, in reſpect of their inſufficiency and weakenſſe, they ſhalbe able to take exception: yea whom alſo they ſhall deride: yea, and finally, by whom they ſhall be more confirmed in their hereſies: or at the leaſt, the more hardened againſt the trueth? Willany manbWhy not? ſay, there may be ſufficient miniſters enough, though all thoſe that are called refractary and vnconformable, be expelled? IcVaine hope. It ſhold ſeeme theſe ſuppliants are but little acquainted with the Vniuerſities. hope the wiſedome of the meaneſt of your Honourable aſſemblie is ſuch, that he wil heare this an hundred times, before he wil beceue it once: For ſith al that now are, and were before any proceeding againſt thoſe before mentioned, were not enough, ſufficiently to furniſh eueryevery congregation, what will the paucity be, when from thoſe ſo manydAn Hyperbole, to make their number ſeeme the greater. hundreds, as able as any other ſhalbe detracted.
Reſolution of the 15 Argument.
It is neceſſary that there be made prouiſion of ſufficient able Miniſters, one in eueryevery congregation, to inſtruct the people in the truth, to confute the Papiſts, &c.
Ergo. The refractary Miniſters muſt needes be reſtored.
ANSWER.
1. AS if there were not able Miniſters enough, (God be praiſed) in both vniuerſities and other parts of this kingdome, (if competent maintenance could be procured for them) ſufficiently to furniſh every Congregation, to inſtruct the people in religiō, to refute the Aduerſary, &c. but that the ſmall handfull of Schiſmaticall Miniſters muſt needes be entreated to make vp the number.
2. Suppoſe there were not able miniſters enough, for this purpoſe: hauehave not the Refractary Miniſters then greater reaſon to iome with their Brethren, in preaching the Goſpell, confuting the Papiſts, &c. then ſuperſtitiouſly to quarell about croſſe and ſurplice, and to ſorſake their neceſſary vocation and function?
3. The Error is, foreign
XVI. ARGVMENT.
TOuching the matters of trouble, and moleſtation to the miniſters, hither to mentioned, viz.aHence appeareth what they be, that the Refractaries are offended with. Why then do they pretend the Goſpel of Chriſt, the ſaluation of the people, reconciliation with God &c. Ad populū phaleras Subſcription, Ceremonies, the ſtrict obſeruation of the booke, and other Conformity, all men know, whatbAnd all by reaſon of the Refractary miniſters obſtinare ſuperſtition. diuiſion and contention there hath beene betwixt the miniſters of the word in this kingdome, and their brethren, as in other Churches reformed, ſo eſpecially in the former part of his Maiesties Dominion in Scotland, and what hath beene written by one part (eſpecially by thecO, Martin was a modeſt man. conformable part)dThey will offend, & yet will not be told of it. in diſgrace and reproch of the other. But eſpecially great hath bin the ē tention and controuerſie heere at home: much more indeed for and about theſe things, then for or about any point of doctrine.
This is euident, not onelyonly by moſt bittereHeat of contention may carry men farther then were expedient. But are the Refractaries milder in this kind? Witneſſe all their pamphlets and Libels written againſt vsus. inuectiue ſermons priuate raylings, and publike diſgracefull bookes against them: (the moſtfA diſgracefull terme. But do they acknowledge themſelues Non conformitanes and ſchiſmaticall? CōformitantsgSuam ſcabiem aliis affricant. thinking that they never preach, ſpeake, or write any thing well, except in their preaching, talke and writing, they ſcourge thoſe whom they call Puritan, preſciſe, ſchiſmatical, and refractary miniſters) but alſo by the actuall ſeveritie againſt them. For it may be truely ſaid, that inhA malicious lye. There are few or none in the Church of England, ſo ignorant, & ſo ſcandalous in the Miniſtery as here the Suppliants inſinuate: & if any ſuch be amongſt vsus, ſure I am, that (vponupon complaint or intimation otherwiſe) they are ſeuerly cenſured & puniſhed for it. Yet I muſt giuegive them to vnderſtand, that Scandalous Miniſters for life, are more tolerable in the Church, then ſuch as be factious, ſchiſmaticall, or ſcandalous for doctrine & phanaticall conceipts, Plus enim nocent doctrinae ſcandala, quàm morum delicta. one yeare, and in one Dioces, more hauehave beene for theſe cauſes ſuſpended and deprived, then in full 46. yeares throughout the whole Realme of England, either for vnſufficiencie, or for any matter of ſcandall: albeit it cannot bee denyed, that in ſome one Dioceſſe, there are more ignorant & ſcandolous miniſters worthy of deprivatiō thē there arejAnimpud …t and loud lie, without any ſhew of probality. cōformable miniſters in al Dioceſſes.
By this controverſie and contention among the miniſters, there hath beene no leſſe diſſention and alienation of mindes and heartes, betwixtkThe more hauehave the Schiſmaticall Miniſters to anſwer for, by whoſe default all theſe ſtirres and broyles are rayſed in the Church. other of his Maieſties ſubiects for the ſame things: yea, much ſeparation of many from their miniſters, as likewiſe betwixt themſelues. Now how dangerous this is for his Maieſtie & for the whole Land, as it doth appeare by thelAnd all by reaſon of the pertinacy of the Refractary Miniſters. encreaſe and courage of the common adverſaries the Papiſts, according as the miniſters and people for thoſe cauſes hauehave bin moleſted & diſgraced, ſo it is further evident by reaſon. Becauſe as the concord peace, and good agreement is a principall part of the ſtrength of a King & kingdom ſo their diſcord & contention, cannot but bee dangerous for King and kingdome. For our Saviour himſelfe (ſpeaking according to the cōmon ſpeech of other, ſaith, That a kingdom mWherefore then do not they ioyne themſelues vntounto the Church, and ceaſe to make a diuiſion amongſt vsus?divided againſt it ſelfe, cannot ſtand. Mar.
What is therefore to be done in this caſe? How may theſe contrverſies and contentions be wel pacified, & beſt compounded Verily by imitating therin God him ſelfe, the God of peace. For as he is and muſt be acknowledged beſt of alſo herein alſo, he hath given vsus the beſt preſident, the beſt patterne. What is that?nforeign. The time of the old Teſtamēt being exſpited, Chriſt aboliſhed the Ceremoniall law, and ordained the new Teſtament What will they conclude from hence? When he ſaw the great diviſion and hatred betwixt the Iewes and the Gentiles, he tooke away the partition wall betwixt them, which was alſo called by the name of hatred, becauſe for it the Iewes had hated the Gentiles, and the Gentiles likewiſe the Iewes. What was the partition wal? The law of commandements ſtanding in ordinaunces, that is, in Ceremonyes, which hee himſelfe had given to the Iewes. Ephe. 2.14.15. For therby, cannot be vnderſtood the moral law, which from the beginning had as wel concerned the Gentiles, as the Iewes: But the Ceremoniall law being that, in reſpect wherof, the Iewes in pride had cōtēned the Gentils, & for which the Gentils likewiſe, in no leſſe malice had envied the Iewes, as hauing ſuch a law by themſelues as for the which, they neither would nor might communicate with the Gentils in their heatheniſh worſhip: the Lord therefore did altogether remoue the ſame, that ſo not only they which were once far from God, might bee made neere by the bloud of Chriſt (whereby the partition wall was broken downe) but that they alſo that had bin before twaine, might be made one (as it were two houſes made one, by breaking downe of one wall, or two fieldes layd into one by taking away of one hedge) that ſo there might be peace.
The Lord might hauehave communicated the Ceremonies of the Iewes vntounto the Gētils, or given new vntounto both. But ſith he made this peace onelyonly by removing thoſe Ceremonies altogether, that himſelfe had once inſtituted, and dido)What? Not any? No Sacraments? nor other ceremonies? not ordaine any in their place, then conſider (I beſeech you) in your godly wiſdomes, how much more it behooueth all thoſe Ceremonies & ordinances, which we e onelyonly in vented by man, to bep)They wold bring Cyclopicall ataxie into the church. vtterly removed, having eſpeciallyq)Falſe. They are as it were the bondes of ſocietie, beſides other vſes for edification no neceſſarie vſe, but being rather bones of contention betwixt brethren, and children of the ſame Father & Mother, and coheyres of the ſame inheritance: as alſo people of the ſame Nation, and ſubiects of the ſame King and Soveraigne. Yea, conſider (I beſeech you againe) the more ſeriouſly, how neceſſary it will be, thus to maker)If the Suppliants requeſt were granted in the Ceremonies, yet would the Refractary Miniſters be reſtles ſtill, vntil they had altogether brought in their New Diſcipline: & (peraduēture) more reſtles then alſo then euer they were before. peace, not onelyonly becauſe this peace will be exceedingly beneficiall (as hath beene ſhewed) to King and kingdome, eſpecially the common aduerſaries ſo now combining themſelues againſt vsus) but alſo becauſe it will be a worke moſt acceptable to God. For Bleſſed are the sSound and ſolide Peace will neuer be wrought, but by recalling the Refractary Miniſters frō Schiſme and faction vntounto perfect obedience.peace makers for they ſhall be called the children of God. Math. 5.9.
Reſolution of the 16. Argument.
The matters in queſtion, viz. Subſcriptiō, Ceremonies, the ſtrict Obſeruation of the Booke, and other Conformitie, are not of any neceſſarie vſe, but are cauſes of diuiſion, and bones of contention amongst vsus.
Ergo. They both conveniently may, and ought to be taken away.
ANSWER.
I. To the Antecedent.
1. IF the matters in queſtion betweene vsus, be but Subſcription, Ceremonies, &c. as here the Suppliants ingenuouſly confeſſe, wherfore then hauehave they hitherto mainely cried out, that their contention was about the Cauſe of God & his Word, whole Chriſt and his Goſpell, the Miniſtery thereof and Saluation of the people?
2. Albeit we alſo do not hold Subſcription, Ceremonies &c. to be abſolutely neceſſary to ſaluation, nor to be impoſed vponupon eueryevery Church (for why ſhould not other Churches vſe their owne liberty?) yea and our Church hath power to alter theſe particulars: yet we know, that ſome Ordinances and Ceremonies, are euen neceſſary for the gathering of aſſemblies, eſtabliſhing of a Church, and be as it were the bonds and linkes of ſociety.
3. Yea euen theſe particulars, Subſcription, Ceremonies &c. being impoſed by the Church, and commanded by the Magiſtrate, are neceſſary to be obſerued vnderunder payne of ſinne, ſeeing he that reſiſteth auctority, reſiſteth the ordinance of God. Rom. 13.
4. And that they are things indifferent in themſelues, and may be vſed without ſinne, wee hauehave proued at large, in a peculiar booke writtē of that Argument. Lib. de Adiaphoris.
5. Now that they are become the bones of contē tion, & cauſes of diuiſion among vsus, is very much to be lamēted, ſeeing the free courſe of the Goſpell is ſomewhat troubled, and the common Enimie aduātaged therby. But the faulte teſts on thē, who of meere ſuperſtition and groſſe ignorance, cannot finde in their conſciences to embrace the holſome Ordinances and Conſtitutions of the Church, not any way preiudiciall vntounto the Goſpell, nor repugnant vntounto the word of God, but moſt agreeable and conſonant vntounto the ſame.
16. The Errour is, foreign. And Crimen falſi
II. To the Conſequence.
1. The Antecedent being declared to be falſe, the Conſequence cannot be true.
2. The Errour is, foreign.