Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 142 – Section 143
One thing more you adde, which is, that Ministers may be the Mr B.Church, as they are Christians, and that they are Ministers in respect of an office bestowed upon them in their state of Christianity: wherein youAnsw. speak (and that truely) sufficient to overthrow not onelyonly your particular errour in this place, but well nigh your whole writing. For therevpon it followeth, First that the Church is before the Ministery, bycause men are a Church as they are Christians, & Christians, before they be Ministers. 2. That Ministers make not the Church but become such by an office bestowed vponupon them in their state of Christianity, that is, in their Church state. Thirdly, that the Christian brethren though not in office are part of the Church, Math. 18. since even the officers themselves are acknowledged the Church, or of the Church, as they are Christians.
I come now vntounto the 2. consideration, and do affirm against Mr Ber. that the delegated, and communicated power of Christ is given primarily, and immediately to the Church, and not to the officers.
This point I hauehave formerly handled at large, vnderunder two generall heads opened in the former part of my †pag. 125. 126. &c.book, vntounto which I do entreat the reader to look back, yet will I for further satisfactionI. breifly annex a few things.
First, bycause *Rom. 3. 2. & 9. 4. E. phe. 2. 12.vntounto the Iewes were of credit committed the Oracles of God, vntounto whom also did the covenants apperteyn, and all the priviledges of them, as to the common wealth of Israel.1 Cor. 3. 22 23.
2. Bycause the Ministers themselves are given to the Church, & the Churches immediately, as the Church is Christs, & Christ Gods. II.And if this holy thing the Ministery be the Churches immediately, then other things also as well as it, in respect of right, and possession, though she vse the service of the Ministers ordinarily for the dispensation, & exequution of them. It is not denyed, but that the officers in such works, as they perform vntounto the Ch…in the name of the Lord, as ofdoctrine, exhortatiō, admonitiō, & the like, stand in a more imediate relatiō vntounto the Lord, then the Church doth: but it must also be remembred, that this no more advanceth the order of their Office above the order of the body, then it doth one private bother, performing the same work orderly in the exercise of prophesying, or otherwise.
3. The Officers are to dispense, and exequute the holy thingsIII. of God, as the Rom. 15. 31. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 5. Col. 1. 24. 25.servants, & Ministers of Christ, & his Church: and whatsoever they do in their office, they do it, as the servants, and ministers both of Christ and of the Church. Now common sense teacheth men, that, what power, or authority soever the servants, or Ministers of others hauehave, or vse in their places, that authority and power, they hauehave first, whose servants and ministers they are: and that therefore the holy things of God are primarily, and immediately the Churches vnderunder Christ, and in the last place the Officers, as the servants of Christ, and his Church, for execution, in the order, which Christ hath left.
The last, & greatest quaestion now comes into handling▪ namely whether Ministers may be made by such as are no Ministers. For this phrase of making Ministers Mr B. affects much, belike with referēce speciall to the Ministers of England, and Rome, who are fitly sayd to be made by the Bishops, & to be the workmanship of their hāds.
Mr Ber. vehemently v…geth the negative part, namely, that no Minister may be made but by a minister: & tying, as he doth the Ch: to the Ministery, & the Ministery to successiō, ther is cause he should. For if the chayr of succession should break, both the Ch: & Ministery of England must fall to the ground.
The onelyonly Argument he brings for his purpose, is an historicall narration (as he speaks) from time to time, without any one instance to the contrary: & the constant practise of the Church of God from the dayes Mr B.of Adam hitherto.2. book. 186 … Book. 144 Answ.
I desire the Reader in the first place to take knovvledge from me, that I deny not, but confesse, that the Churches of God, more particularly, and the Churches of the new testament continuing, and abyding in that state, †Col. 2. 5.…ayth, & order, wherein they were set, & established by the Lord in the hands of his servants the Apostles, & E…angelists, were to receive their ministers constantly by successiō, after a sort, namely so far, as that all succeeding Ministers were to be ordeyned by Ministers, and no otherwise. But would any man, save eyther a marked servant of the Pope, or one that cared not what he wrote for some praesent seeming-advantage, argue as this man doth, from the estate of the Churches of Christ, and in particular of the Church at Rome, in Peter, and Pauls time, to the estate, wherein now it is, or was an hundred years since, in which estate we are to consider of it? But of this more hereafter.
The historicall narration before spoken of, Mr B. divides into 4. tymes or ages: the first wherof is from the beginning of the world, till the giving of the law: the 2. from the law, till Christs cōming: the 3. from Christ, till the end of the history of the new testament:p. 184. 185. the 4, and last from that tyme, hitherto.