Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 138 – Section 141
That which comes next into consideration, is the poynt of succession: wherein, in the first place, answer must be given to a demaund made by M. B. in his †pag. 311.2. book: in which many others also think there is much weight: and that is, why we hold, and reteyn the baptism received by succession, and not the Ministery?Mr B.
For answer vntounto him I would know of him, whether the ChurchI. of England do still, (or did at the first) reteyn the ministery ofAnsw. the Church of Rome, or no? If he say it doth, then I would entreat him, and others not to take it ill, if we call and account them Preists; for such are the Romish Ministers. 2. How can the Church of England forsake the Church of Rome, and reteyn the Ministery which is in the Church, as in the subiect? especially if the Ministery make the Church, as Mr Bernard affirms: for then a true Ministery must needs make a true Church: and communion with the Ministery drawes on necessarily communion with the Church. But if on the contrary he affirm, that the Church of England doth renounce the Ministery or Preisthood of the Church of Rome; then I return his demaund vponupon himself, and ask him, why it reteyns the Baptism of Rome? and so leave him to himself for answer.
2. The Baptism both in England, and Rome, is in the essentiall causes of it, the matter, water, the form, baptizing into the name of the Father, Sonne, and Holy Ghost, Christs baptism, and ordinance, though in the administration it be Antichrists devise: but for the Ministery eyther in Rome, or England it is otherwise. The Ministery of Christ doth summarily, and in the substance of it, consist in the “Act. 20. 28. 1 Pet. 5. 1. 2.feeding of the flock, that is, in providing food for the flock, and in guiding and ordering the same accordingly; in a word, in preaching, and government, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Put what is this to the Preisthood of England, (to let passe that of Rome) vntounto which preaching is not necessarily annexed, nor government so much as permitted? To swear Canonicall obedience, subscribe, conform, read the service book, celebrate mariage, Church women, and bury the dead in form, & order, are essentiall & substantiall parts, or properties of the Ministery there, in the present both practise, and constitution.
The vessels of gold, and silver, which were taken out of the temple in the captivity, and caried to Babylon, and there prophaned, might notwithstanding (being sanctified from their prophanation there) be lawfully caried back to Ierusalem and set vp in the temple newly built, and imployed, as in former times to Gods service: but had these vessels been broken in peices in Bab…lon, and there (being mingled with brasse, and iron, & such b…se mettall) been cast in another mould, they could not th…n have ob…ned th… former place in the temple, nor there have been …d for the holy ministration. Now such is the difference between the Baptism, and Ministery, both in the Romish, and English Church. To form…r, as a vessel of the Lords house, may with the Lords people be brought back from Babylon spirituall to the new Ierusalem and there may (being sanctified by repentance) serve, and be of … to all the ends and purposes for which God hath appointed it. But for the Ministery, or Preisthood, eyther in the one, or other, it is in it selfe no vessell of the Lordes house; it is neyther made of the mettall, which the Lord hath appointed, nor cast in his mould. It is essentially degenerated from that office of Pastourship which Christ the Lord hath set in his house for the feeding of the flock by teaching, and government, as hath been formerly shewed: and is in the true naturall, & canonicall institution of it a very devised patchery, & compound, like “Dan. 2. 30. 32. 33.the image, which the King of Babylon saw in his dream; save that little, or nothing of it is gold, or silver, but all brasse, iron, & clay, & the like base mettall, & stuffe: fitting right well both in the administration of it vntounto the people, and in the subordination vntounto the people, and in the subordination vntounto the Prelacy, for the exaltation of the man of sinne, which hath for that very purpose devised it, and placed it in the Church for his service: that by it, as by an vnderst…p he might climbe up, & advaunce himself into the throne of iniquity, where he sitts exaltedIII. above all, that is called God.
3. The Ministers of the Church now do succeed the *Esa. 66. 21. Ier. 33. 18, 21.Preists, and Levites vnderunder the law, as †Col 2. 11. 12.baptism also comes in the place of circumcision. Now wee read in the scr…p…ures, that such of the ten tribes, as were in Ieroboams idolatrous schism, and apostasie, (thereby as a branch from the root, cutting off themselves actually from the onelyonly true Church of God, which was radically at2 Chro. 30. 11. 18. 2…. Ierusalem, where the Lord had founded his temple, appoynted his sacrifices, and promised his praesence) that such of them, I sa…, as returned to the Lord by repentance, and ioyned themselves unto the true Church, were, by vertue of the circumcision received in that their apostasie, wherein they had no …i…le to *Rom. 4. 11.the seale of the forgivenes of sinnes (which circumcision was) admitted into the tē ple, Ezech. 44. 7. Act. 21. 18.into which, no m…n vncircumcised might enter, and to the participation of the Passeover, †Exod. 12. 48.whereof none vncircumsed person might eat. But that any person, should by vertue of his office of Preisthood received in that, or the like apostasie, have entered into the Lord, sanctuary, there to have done the Preists office vponupon any repentance whatsoever, had been an intollerable vsurpation, & sacrilegious2 King. 23. 9. Ezech. 44. 10. 11. 12. 13. invasion of the holy things of God: yea the sonnes of Aaron themselves, vntounto whom the Preisthood did of right apperteyn, if they thus went astray from the Lord after idols, were for ever debarred from doing the Preists office, notwithstanding any repentance they could make: and were to beare, all their lives long, their iniquity, and shame. Now by that which hath been spoken of circumcision, and the preisthood vnderunder the law, the reader may easily observe the difference betwixt Baptism, and the Ministery now. The particular application for brevities sake I forbear.
4. and lastly, the difference betwixt Baptism, and the MinisteryIIII. is exceeding great, in respect of that speciall, and most necessary relation, which the MINISTERY aboue Bap…ism hath vntounto the CHVRCH: whether we respect the enterance into it, or continuance in it. Wee do read in the scriptures, that holy men, called thereunto of GOD might lawfully administer BAPTISM vntounto fit persons without the consent, or cognition of the Church; as †Act. 8. 12. 38. ch. 9 18. & 10. 47 48. & 16. 15. 33.PHILIP did the SAMARITANS, and the EUNUCH, ANANIAS SAUL, PETER CORNELIUS, PAUL LIDIA, and the IAYLOUR: but now for the appointing of Ministers without the Churches consent, and choise, that did they not, as the scriptures testify, & M. B. himself cōfesseth. And as the enterance of ordinary officers (of which we speak) doth necessarily praesuppose a Church, by whose election, they are to enter, so doth their cōtinuance require a Church, in which, as in a subject, they must subsist, & to which they must minister. For since the †1 Tim. 3. 1o…i… of a Bishop is a work, a man is no lōger a Bb. thē he worketh. It is not with the office of ministery, as it is with the order of knighthood, that once a Minister ever a Minister. The Popish Character is a mere fiction, brought in for the confirmation of the sacrament of orders as they call it.
Whensoever the scriptures do mention “Act. 14. 23. & 15. 2. 4. 22. & 20 17. 28. 1. Cor. 12. 28.Elders, or Bishops eyther in respect of theyr calling, or ministration, they still speak of them, as in or of such, and such particular Churches, and none otherwise. And to imagine an Elder or Bishop without a Church, is to imagine a Constable without a parrish or hundred; a Maior or Alderman without a Corporation, or a publique officer without some publique person, or society, whose officer he is. Herevpon alsoPhil. 1. 1. T…. 1 5. 1. Pet. 5. 1. 2 it followeth, that if the Church be dissolved by death, apostacy or otherwise, the Minister ceaseth to be a Minister, bycause the Church ceaseth; in relation vntounto which (vnderunder Christ) his Ministery consisteth: but on the contrary, a baptized person remayns still baptized though the whole Church, yea all the Churches of the world be dissolved, so long as God, & his Christ remayn the same, into whose name he hath been baptized.
And of the same consideration is it, that a Minister may (for some scandalous sin) be degraded, and deposed from his Ministery, as I have formerly shewed, & as all Churches practise: and so that, which vvas formerly given him, is taken from him, and he no more a Minister, then he was before his caling: yea if he remayn obstinate in his sin, he is to be excommunicated, & so ceasing to be a member, he must needs cease to be a Minister of the Church. But neyther do the scriptures mention, neyther did any Church ever attempt the vn-baptizing of a baptized person. And as a man may justly be deposed from his Ministery, so may he in cases lawfully depose himself, and lay it down: as if by the hand of God, he be vtterly disabled from ministring, as it may come to passe, & oft tymes doth: but for a man to lay down his baptism for any such infirmity, were impious, as it were sacrilegious for the Church to deprive him thereof. To these considerations I might also adde, that if a man forfeyt his Ministery, and so be deprived of it, eyther by deposition, or excommunication, and be afterwards vponupon his repentance judged capable of it, he must have a new calling, or a confirmation at the least, answerable vntounto a calling: so must it also be with him, that is translated from an inferiour office to a superiour; but in baptism there may be no such changing, or repetition. The practise were haereticall.
Adde vntounto these things, that as a man once baptized is alwayes baptized, so is he in all places, and Churches where he comes (as a baptized person) to enjoy the cōmon benefits of his baptism, & to discharge the cōmon duties, which depend vponupon it. But a Pastour is not a Pastour in every Church, where he comes vponupon occasion, neither can he require in any other Church, saving that one, over which the H: Ghost hath set him, that obedience, maintenance, and other respect, which is due to the officers from the people; neyther stands he charged with that Ministery, and service, which is due to the people from the Officers: & if you Mr B. say otherwise, you make every Pastour a Pope, or vniversall Bishop. “Col. 4. 12.Epaphras, though he were at Rome, was one of them (that is a Minister) of Collossus: so were *Act. 20. 17. 28.the Elders of Ephesus, though they were at Miletum, the Elders of Ephesus onelyonly, but of none other Church; and charged to feed the flock over which the holy Ghost had set them, but none other; for over none other had the holy Ghost set them. And as a Maior out of his Corporation, a Shiriffe out of his County, a Constable out of his Parish, or Hundred, is no Maior, Shiriffe, or Cō stable, (but in relation to that particular body of which he is) neither can he perform any proper act of his office without vsurpation; so neyther is a Bishop, or Elder, a Church Officer, save in his owne particular Church, and charge, and in relation vntounto it, neyther can he without ambitious vsurpation perform any proper work of his Office, or Ministèry, save in that Church by, and to which, in his ministration, he is designed.
And thus much to shew the difference betwixt that relative ordinance of the Ministery, and that personall ordinance of Baptism in the Church; as also to prove, that we do lawfully, and with good warrant disclaym, and renounce the Ministery received in Rome, & England, notwithstanding we reteyn the Baptism received both in the one, and the other. To which also, I could adde (if there were need, or vse) both the judgement of the learned at home, & abroad, and the practise of the reformed Churches, where we live, for the continuing of the Baptism in Rome received, but no more of the Masse preists for Ministers, then of the Masse it self, for which they were ordeyned. But it is more then tyme I come to the mayn controversie about succession; which might be layd down summarily in these words: whether the reformed Churches were bound to submit (notwithstanding their separation from Rome) vntounto such ministers onelyonly, as were ordeyned by the Pope, and his Bishops: but for the better clearing of things I will enlarge my speach to these three distinct considerations.
First, whether the Ministery be before the Church, or no.
2. Whether the delegated power of Christ for the vse of the holy things of God be given primarily, and immediately to the Church, or to the Ministers?
3. Whether the Lord hauehave so linked the Ministery in the chayn of succession, that no Minister can be truely called, and ordeyned, or appointed without a praecedent Minister.
Touching the first of these Mr Ber: affirmeth as in his †pag. ….former book: that the Officers make the Church, and give denomination vntounto it: so expresly in his *pag. 18….2. book, that the Ministery is before the Church. And noting in the same place a two fold raysing vp of the Ministery: the first to beget a Church: the second, when the Church is gathered; he puts the Ministers in both before the Ch: in the former, absolutely, in the latter, in respect of their Office, and ordination by succession from the first: In which discourse he intermingleth sundry things, frivolous, vnsound, and contradictory.
Now for the first entery, I desire the reader to observe with me that the quaestion betwixt Mr Bernard and me is about ordinary Ministers, or officers of the Church, such as were the first Ministers of the reformed Churches, and as Mr B: and I pretend our selves to be: and not about extraordinary Ministers, extraordinarily, miraculously, or immediately, raysed vp as were Adam, and the Apostles by God, and Christ: whom he produceth for examples. Admit the one sort (being called immediately, and miraculously) may be before the Church: yet cannot the other, which must be called by men, and those eyther the Church, or members of the Church at the least.
Besides, the word Minister extends it self not onelyonly vntounto Officers ordinary, and extraordinary, but even to any outward means, whether person or thing, by which the revealed will of God is manifested, and made known vntounto men for their instruction, and conversion. Yea it reacheth even to God himself: & so far Mr B. stretcheth it, where he makes *First book pag. 144.God the first preacher Gen. 2. 3. As though there were a controversy between him, and me, whither God, or the Church were first. I see not but by the same reason he might avouch, that the Ministers of the Church could not all dy, or be deceived, bycause God is free from these infirmityes. It is true which Mr B. sayth, that the word is before the Church, as the seed, which begetteth it, and so is that which brings it, yea whither it be person, or thing, which may also be called a Minister, and be sayd to be sent of God, as it is an instrument to convey, and means to minister the knowledg of the same word, & will of God vntounto any. So if any private man, or woman should be a means to publish, or make known the word of God to a company of Turkes, Iewes, or other Idolaters, he or she might truely be sayd to be their Minister, and the Lords Ambassadour vntounto thē, as you speak. Yea if they came to this knowledg by reading the Bible, or other godly book, that book or bible, as it served to minister the knowledg of Gods wil in his word might truely in a generall sense be accoūted as a Minister vntounto thē. But what were all this to a Church-officer, about whō our quaestiō is? These things Mr B. shuffles together, but the wise reader must distinguish them, & so doing, he shall easily discover his trisling.
The particulars follow. And first he affirmeth, that God made Adam Mr B.a Minister, to whom he gave a wife to begin the Church, and as Adam was before his wife, so is the Ministery at the first before the Church.
If Adams wife began the Church, then is your mayn foundationAnsw. overthrown; namely that the ministers make, and denominate the Church, except you will say that Eve was a Minister. Secondly it is not true you say, that God made Adam a Minister, before Eve was created. In the same place you make (and truely) a Minister, and Ambassadour which brings the word all one: & vntounto whom could Adam eyther minister the word, or be an Ambassadour to bring it before Eve was formed? There was nothing but bruit beasts, and senceles trees, and to them I suppose he brought it not. The truth is, Adam and Eve were the Ch. not by his, but by her creatiō, which made a company, or society: & thus we are in the first place to consider of them, and of Adam as a teacher in the second place; the speciall calling here, and ever, following after, and vponupon the generall.
Of the same force with your first proof is your 2. which youMr B. take from Ephes. 4. 11. 12. where it is sayd, God gave some not onelyonly to confirm the Church, but to gather the Saynts to make a Church.
To let passe your boldnes with the words, I except against yourAnsw. exposition, & application of them. The word gathering vponupon which you insist, is in some bookes turned repayring, and is the same in the Greek with that which is restoring, Gal. 6. 1. of which I have spoken formerly.
Againe, Paul in that place speaks not onelyonly of Apostles, & other Ministers of the first raysing vp: for the begetting of Churches: but of Pastours, and Teachers which were taken out of the Church, and of the 2. raysing for the feeding of the flock. You will not deny but the Apostles and brethren at Ierusalem were a Church of God, Act. 1. 15. 16. when as yet no Pastours or Teachers were appointed in it: and how then can your doctrine stand, that the Ministers spoken of Ephe. 4. 11. 12. (amongst which were Pastours and Teachers) were before the Church, out of which they were taken, and raysed vp of God to beget a Church? Yea it is evident that the very office of Pastour vvas not then heard of in the Church; whereby the falsity of your other affirmation is discovered, to wit, that the Office of such Ministers as are of the second raysing, & which are taken out of the Church, is before the Church.
Thirdly, the Apostles themselves (howsoever extraordinary officers immediately called, and sent forth to beget other Churches both of Iewes, and Gentiles) were Christians before they were Apostles, and members of the Church before they were Officers. And the scriptures do expresly testify, that †… Cor. …. 28.God ordeyned, or set in the Church Apostles, amongst other Officers: and this their setting in the Church doth necessarily praesuppose a Church, wherein they were set, as the setting of a candle in a candlestick, praesupposeth a candlestick: as in deed the Church is the *Rev 1. 2. Math. 5. 14 15.Candlestick, & the officers the candles, lights, and starres, which are set in it.
Lastly, it is a senceles affirmation you make, that a man sent to win people is a minister to the hidden number, not yet called out, whichMr B. are also his flock potentially though not actually.Answ.
The “Ioh. 10. 3 pag. 302.scriptures, and you accordingly in another place, make it a property of a good Minister to call his own sheep by name, that is, as you expound it, to take notice of his people & of their growth in religion &c. & now here, you wil hauehave a minister of the hidden number whereof he can take no notice at all: nor can tell whether or no, he shall find one sheep amongst them. Besides you cōmit a Logicall errour in raysing an actuall Minister from the relation he hath vntounto a flock potentially: you may as truely affirm, that a single man towards mariage is an housband, and a father, bycause he may have wife, and children. Any man, that vponupon a just calling, or occasion, opens▪ and makes known the Gospel of salvation vntounto a company of Turks, or Pagans, may in that generall sense be called the Lords Minister sent vntounto them: but a Church Officer, of whō our quaestion is, till he have by his Ministery called, and separated them vntounto the Lord, and be by their election, called, and separated to his office, can he neyther be, nor be called.