Parallels Censures, Letter 1 · Section 12
The twelfth Section.
The next particular of yours is the thirteenth in nomber, viz.
13. That a company truly fearing God if any open wicked joyne with them, are not capable to chooſe them a miniſter over them: which is a truth, though you hold it error: I manifeſt it in this manner.
Firſt, you cannot approve to vsus certainly that you truly feare God.
Secondly, you cannot convince that they who ſuffer wicked men in communiō with them truly doe feare God: bicauſe they live in confuſion with the wicked from whome they ought to be Seperated: & that therfor in that confuſion & eſtate they have no title to chooſe them a miniſter.
Thirdly, let it be graunted for diſputation ſake that ſome fearing God doe conſent with open wicked in choſing a miniſter, I ſay that Miniſter ſo choſen by the good & bad is no true Miniſter: For that mixt people are not the true Church: Seing the holy Ghoſt teſtifyeth, 2. Cor. 6.17. that God wil receave only thoſe that are ſeperated to be his people: & that ſeing thoſe ſuppoſed faithful have the Spirit of God, & the open wicked have the Spirit of Satan, they cannot poſſible combine together, except you wil ſay that the holy Spiritt and ſathan can combine: ſeing then thoſe contrary perſons cannot conjoyne how can they in common chooſe them a miniſter, or if they doe how is he a true Miniſter? ſeing they that chooſe him are not a true Church: I pray you Mr. Ber. in your answer diſſolve vsus this knot, if you can, that we way receave inſtruction.
Paralleles, Cenſures, Obſervations, aperteyning to the twelfth Section.
Mr. Ber. Sep. Schiſme, pag. 151. Saith that this is one of our errors to hold: That our congregations as they ſtand, are all & every of them vncapable before God to chuſe thē Miniſters, though they deſire the meanes of Salvation,
In the beginning of this Section, I ſay, that a company truly fearing God, if any open wicked joyne with them, are not capable to chooſe them a miniſter over them: & afterward in the end of the Section I ſay, ſuch a mixt company are not a true Church, & a miniſter choſen by them is not a true miniſter.
Heer I deſire that it may be obſerved that I doe not deny, but men that are mixt may apoint one to preach the word vntounto them: but that which I ſay, is, that a mixt company of good & bad is not a true Church: & that a man choſen by them to be their Miniſter, is not a true miniſter: If men deſire inſtruction I deny not, but they may appoint one to teach them, & that Magiſtrates in ther dominions may appoint men to preach the word to ther ſubjects for ther converſion, & that it is a lawful thing, for the people to heare ſuch men, & for men of gifts to preach to ſuch a people, this we ſee practiſed Act. 13.42. & 17.19-21▪ & 28.30. & otherwiſe how is it poſſible that men should be brought to the knowledg of the truth & Mr. Ber. if you think that we deny the lawfulnes of this, you doe vsus open wrong: & if his Matie. should diſſolve the parish Eccleſiaſtical aſſemblies & the falſe miniſtery, & should cōmaund men of knowledg & gifts to preach the word to his ſubjects, I doubt not, but al of vsus would herein readily yeeld our ſelves to heare & learne the truth at any ſuch perſons, & ourſelves to teach the truth to ſuch a people: but to ſay that ſuch a people are true Churches, or ſuch preachers the true Paſtors of true viſible Churches that wee deny: & that you shal never be able to prove: but if after ſuch preaching by ſuch preachers the L. work with the people, ſo as that they gladly receave the word, repent, & beleeve, & deſire to walk in the truth, & therevppon do promiſe to the L. & each to other to walk in his wayes, this promiſe maketh them a true Church: & then if they choſe among them men able to lead & ſeed them, & appoint ſuch men to ſuch office, the men ſo choſen & apointed are the true Paſtors which the Scripture deſcribeth: but what is all this to your aſſemblies & Miniſters? who as yet have not caſt of the yoke of Antichriſtian bondage, whoſe communion & miniſtery is not diſſolved, but remayneth firme, the ſame in nature (though much bettered in degre) with the Romane aſſemblies Eccleſiaſtical: & whereas you in this particular object to vsus, that two or three of vsus Seperated from you, & gathered together into the new Teſtament of Chriſt, aſſume powre to make Miniſters, a practiſe (as you ſay) farre from plaine evidence of Scripture, or any practiſe of the Church theſe thouſand yeeres: I answer it is no mater for the practiſe of the Church theſe thouſand yeeres, for Gregory the great Bb. of Rome who lived a thouſād yeeres ſince, hoyſed vp Antichriſt into the higheſt exaltation againſt God & his Chriſt in a manner: & his Succeſſors eſpecially Boniface & ſome other have maintayned & enlarged that Antichriſtian Kingdom even to our dayes: & yet the miſtery of iniquity is exalted in theſe particulars: wherfor this allegation of yours is nothing to the purpoſe, if you be a ſound proteſtant: For if preſcription of a thouſand yeeres bee good in any thing, why not in al things? if not in al things then in nothing. And wheras you alledg that it is alſo far from plaine evidence of the Scripture, I answer the evidence is plaine to them that wil vnderſtand: & I would know what is plaine evidence of Scripture: is not a true natural conſequence plaine evidence? is not this plaine evidence, Math. 18.20. wherſoever two or three shalbe gathered together into my name, I wilbe in the midſt among them? & this, 2. Corinth. 6.17. bee yee Seperated, & I will receave you & bee your Father: & this. Gallat. 3.16. the promiſes are made to Abraham and to his ſeed: So then they that are of Faith are bleſſed with Faithful Abraham. Gallat. 3.9. If Chriſt wilbe preſent with two or three of his Diſciples: If God will receave them that are Seperated, & bee their God: if the promiſes bee given to them that beleeve as Abraham beleeved: Then Chriſt is their Chriſt, God is their Father, the promiſes are theirs, and the miniſtery is theirs by plaine evidence, then they may aſſume the miniſtery & vſe it as God hath appointed, But for this point read the ſeaventh Section, & the Paral. Cenſur. Obſervat. therto aperteyning.