Discipline Which Christ Hath Prescribed for the Government of His Church, Chapter 15
CHAP. 15.
THe office of the Church gouernment, is meere Ecclesiasticall, and therefore the gouernors of the church may not meddle, but onelyonly in church-matters, as for example, vocation, and abeycation, deciding of controuersies, in doctrine and manners, so far as appertayneth to consience, and the church censures, T. C. booke 1. pag 206 Discipl. Eccle. 126. but they thinke that church-gouernours, may also meddle in ciuill causes: VVhitgifte page 749: & their practize, that take vponupon them to be Councellors of state, to iudge ciuilly, as punishe with imprisonment, &c. But this is disprooued, and so the former prooued by these reasons.
1 That which our sauiour Christ refused, because it belonged not vntounto him, ruling & teaching the church, that same is not lawfull for any Ecclesiast. person to do: But christ refused to deuide the inheritance, Luke. 12. 14. onelyonly because he came to buylde a spirituall kingdome, for otherwise he being God, had authoritye ouer all thinges: Therefore it is not lawfull for Ecclesiasticall persons to bee iudges of ciuill causes.
2 That which was forbidden the Apostles, is vnlawfull for eueryevery Ecclesiasticall officer, for they were the chiefe vnderunder christ, and had (after a sort) all offices in themselues, vntil they could plant them in others: But such dominion was forbidden them, as the kinges of the nations, & other ciuill magistrates hauehave, Luk. 22. 28. which is, to rule ciuilly: Therefore they may not exercise any ciuill authority.
3 If necessary dueties are to be lefte, rather then our duties to the Churche shoulde not be thorowly discharged, then may not a churche officer deale in ciuill iurisdiction, which is lesse necessary vntounto him: But the former is true, as appeareth by the words of Christ, to him that woulde hauehave buried his father, Luke. 6. 59. 60. Therefore they may not exercise any ciuil authority.
4 If he that hath an office must attend vponupon it, then may he not meddle in another, for hee cannot attend them both at once: But the former is true, Rom. 12. 7. Therfore may no church officer, meddle with temporall iurisdiction.
5 As the Souldiour is in his warfare, so are church officers, in the ruling of Gods church: But the Soldior entangleth not himselfe in the things of this life, because they are of another nature to his warfare; which place Cyprian alleadgeth againste a minister, that became an executour to his friendes will: Therefore church-officers may not meddle with ciuill offices, because they are of another nature, then his calling.
6 Those thinges that in themselues are of contrary quallitie, cannot concurre in one subiect: But the gouernments of the church and common wealth be such, not onelyonly in this, that they are the next speciall members of one generall, but also, in that the one is spirituall, and the other temporall, the one respecteth the soule, and the other the bodie. Therefore they cannot bee in one man together, and consequently, &c.
7 If the gouernment of the churche, both in eueryevery particular mans office, and in the generall Eldership, be a matter of great waight, & the ability of man, very small in eueryevery good action, then may not a church-officer meddle in another calling, whereby he is made lesse able to discharge his dutie: But the former is true, as all men may see, that looke into the worde of God, what is required of such men, and knowe by the same worde, the manifolde infirmities & vntowardnes of man: Therfore the latter must needs be true also.
8 If the Apostles (who were the most able of all others) found themselues vnfitt for two offices, which were both Ecclesiasticall; then is the best church-gouernour vnfit for two, which be of more difference one from another, as be the gouernment of the church and commonwelth: But the former is true, as appeareth, Actes 6. 2. Therefore the latter must needs be true also.
9 That which we iustly reprooue in the papists, must needs (if we do like) be founde more vnlawfull and intollerable in our selues: But we iustly reprooue the papists, for hauing in their hands both the swordes, that is, the Ecclesiasticall and ciuill iurisdiction: Therefore it is more intollerable, being found in any of vsus.
10 If it be lawfull for an ecclesiasticall person, to exercise the office of the ciuill magistrate, then (on the contrary) it is lawfull for the ciuill magistrate, to exercise the offices of Ecclesiasticall persons, for there is as good reason for the one, as the other: But the latter is vnlawfull; for who would like of any L. Mayor, to step into the pulpit and preach, &c. Therefore the first is vnlawfull also.
11 They may not intangle themselues with worldly offices, but attende vponupon their Ecclesiasticall affaires.Canon. Apost. cap. 80.
12 None of the Clarkes or cleargie,Concil. Calced. cap. 3. & 7. shall receiue any charge of those whiche are vnderunder age, the cause of that decree, is there said to be, for that there were certain ministers, that were stuards to noble men; and in the 7. cannon, that none of them shoulde receiue any secular honors.
13 The BB. shall onelyonly attende vntounto prayer,4. Concil. Carth. cap. 20. reading and preaching.
14 He bringeth diuers reasons to prooue,Caluin Institut. lib. 4 cap. 11. sect. 9. that BB. may neither vsurpe, nor take (being offered vntounto them) any ciuill office.
15 He sheweth how the offices are to be distinguished,Beza. confess. cap. 5. sect. 32. & 42. and in what sort it is sayde, that the fathers delt in the things of this life, and howe the corporal punishments by the Apostles were perticular and extraordinary.
16 When both the offices meet in one man,P. Martyr. vponupon …om. 13. the one hindereth the other, so that he that exerciseth the one, cannot minister the other.
17 There is no man so wise and holy,Bucer vponupon. Matth. 5. which is able to exercize both the ciuill, and Ecclesiasticall power, and therefore he that will exercize the one, must leaue the other.
Therefore, if Christ refused to iudge in temporall causes,The Conclusion because it belonged not to his office; if ciuill dominion was forbidden the Apostles; if necessary duties are rather to be lefte vndone, then our diligence in the matters of the Churche shoulde bee lessened; if hee that hath an office, must attende vppon it; if wee may not be intangled with any hinderance; if the ciuill & Ecclesiasticall functions, be of contrary natures; if eueryevery office in the Church, be more then any one can perfectly discharge; if the Apostles found themselues vnfit for two offices of like nature; if we iustly reprooue the papists for their two swordes; if a magistrate may not preach; if they may not meddle with worldly offices, nor be tutors to Orphans, but attend only vntounto the ministery of the word, if they may neither vsurpe, nor take (being offered) any ciuill-office; if they be to be distinguished to seuerall persons, or els one hindereth the other; lastly, if none be able to execute both, then must it needs follow, that Ecclesiasticall officers may not beare ciuill offices: and consequently the office of the Church-gouernment, is meere ecclesiasticall.
Their obiections hereunto be these.
1 Obiection It countenanceth and maintayneth religion,Obiections for ciuill offices in ecclesiasticall persons. to hauehave ciuill authoritie.
Ansvvere It is (in deed) the papists reason for their two swordes, which M. Caluin confuteth: Institut, booke 4. cap. 11. sect. 9.
2 Obiection It is good to punishe vice by corporall punishment, that Gods word may be the better obeyed.
Ansvvere It is good to preach Gods word to men, that they may obey their prince for conscience sake; may the magistrate therefore preach? wee may not doe euerye thing that is good, but onelyonly that which is agreeable to our callings.
3 Obiection Eli and Samuel, were both priests and Iudges.
Ansvvere They were extraordinary (for God separated those two offices in Moses, and gaue the one vntounto Aaron) and so was Eliahs killing of the false prophets, and Christes whipping of the buyers and sellers out of the Temple.
4 Obiection Peter killed Ananias, therefore …B. may hauehave prisons.
Ansvvere It was by his worde onelyonly, and not by anye ciuill punishment, if they can doe the like, Peters example will serue their turnes, if not, then must it be (with the former) extraordinarie.