Justification of Separation from the Church of England, Treatise · Section 156 – Section 157
Our 10. reckoned Errour, is that ministers may not celebrate mariage X.nor bury the dead. And this M. B: affirmes we say, but without scriptures.M B:
First, you that charge our opiniō with errour, should so hauehaveAnsw: proved it by the scriptures, or some Reasons from them. 2. You speak against your own knowledge, having seen our wrytings: especially our Apology, where, in the 3. Petition, to the KING, and the fourth braunch of the sixth Position, there are almost twenty severall scriptures, and nine distinct reasons grounded vponupon them, to prove, that the celebration of mariage, and buryall of the dead are not ecclesiasticall actions, apperteyning to the ministery, but civill, and so to be performed. You your self M: B: both affirme and prove in this book from 1 Cor: 12. 4. that “Pag: 131the Lord onelyonly praescribes the dutyes to be done in every distinct office of ministery in the Church. And the Apostle2 Tim: 3. 16. 17 testifieth that the scriptures, being divinely inspired, do make perfect, and fully furnished, the man of God, or minister, to every good work of his calling. Now I suppose M. B: will not be so ill advised, as to goe about to prove that the celebration of mariage, and buryall of the dead, are duetyes praescribed by the Lord Iesus to be done in the Pastours office, or that the scriptures lay this furniture vponupon the man of God for the proper workes of his office. They are then other spiritual Lordes then the Lord Christ, that prescribe these duties to be done by their men, furnished by other scriptures then the divine scriptures, the Bishops scriptures, their Canons, & cōstitutiōs: wherby they ar fully furnished indeed, with ring, surplus, service-book, and other preistly implements for the busines.
The Apostle Paul Eph: 4. 8. 11. 12. teacheth, that when Christ ascended on high, he gave vntounto men such gifts, that is, such ministeryes of the Church as should serve for the repayring of the saynts, and aedification of his body, till the work of grace were perfected in all his: and so he makes the work of the ministery, and the aedification of the body of Christ all one. Now who will say that the celebration of mariage, or buryall of the dead are in themselves matters of aedification, or which further the vnity of fayth. They serve for the generall administration of the world, and so are lawfull amongst Turkes, and Heathens, as to eat, and drink, or to perform any other naturall or civil work: and not for the speciall administratiō of the Church, or body of Christ, and therefore no works of the ministery, which is peculiar vntounto the Church.
The Church is a religious society, and so the ministery which is given to the Church is a religious calling, and so the proper works of the ministery must needes be workes of religion: which if mariage or burying the dead were, then were it vnlawfull for a faythful husband to communicate with his wife being an infidell, or excommunicate, in the dutyes of mariage: or for a brother being a faythful person to ioyn with his brother being an infidell, or excommunicate, in the buryall of their dead father (for with such persons religious communion may not be kept) whereas the scriptures do cōmend vntounto vsus these duties so performed, both as lawfull, and necessary, Gen. 25. 9. & 35. 29. 1 Cor. 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. These are then civill duties, and so practised by the servants of God in all ages: whose practise also for our learning is recorded in the scriptures, and commended vntounto vsus accordingly, Gen. 24. 50. 51. 58. 59. 67. & 25. 34. Ruth. 4: 1. 2. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Math. 27. 57. 59 60. Act. 8. 2.
Whether it be an errour in vsus as in the 11. place …e are accused,XI. to hold: that Ministers ought not to live of tythes, and offerings, but of the peoples voluntary contribution, let the Reader, considering what is answered both by Mr Aynsworth, & Mr Smyth, and what is moreApology. Posit. 7. fully written in the book before named, judge.
But This sayth Mr B. is against the wisdome of God, who alloweth a M B:setled maintenance vnderunder the law: and there is nothing against it in the gospel.
But say I, as the Lord appointed vnderunder the law a setled maintenanceAnsw: by tythes, & offerings, so did he a setled land of Canaan, which was holy, and a sacrament: so did he also appoynt that the Levites to be maynteyned there,*Deut: 1… 1. 2. 3. 4. should have no part, nor inheritāce with the rest of the Israelites their brethren. And hath Gods wisdome so appoynted now? If it had I feare many would not rest in it, so wise are they for their bellyes. And where you adde, that there is nothing in the gospel against this ordinance … the law, the authour to the Hebrewes might have taught you, that the law is abolished by the gospel, in the sense we speak of: and the old testament by the new, in respect of ordinances: whereof this was one. If it be sayd that †Gen: 14. 1…. 20.tythes went in vse, and given by Abraham to Melchizedek Preist of the most high God, before the law, or old testament was given by Moses, I do answer, that so was circumcision ministred, and sacrifices offered before Moses: which notwithstanding were parts of the old testament, and assumed by Moses into the body of it, and so are abolished by the new.
To conclude this poynt, since tythes, and offerings were appurtenances vntounto the preisthood: and that the “Psal: 110 4. Heb: 7. 17. &. …. &. 9.priesthood both of Melchizedek, and Levi are abolished in Christ, as the shadow in the substance▪ and that *1 Cor: 9. 14.the Lord hath or deyned that they which preach the gospell, should live of the gospell, we do willingly leave vntounto you both your preistly order, and maintenance, contenting our selves with the peoples voluntary contribution, whither it be it be lesse, or more, as the blessing of God vponupon our labour, the fruit of our ministery, and a declaration of their love and duety.