A Stay Against Straying, Part 2 · Section 3
SECT. 3.
THe Treatiſer for this oppoſities, hath framed 16: objections: the which (as himſelfe ſaith*Pag. 13. he hath either heard from others, or could conceiue of himſelfe, ooulerably againſt the practice by him propounded. The firſt is laid downe thus:
No man may ſubmit his conſcience to be wrought vponupon,Object. 1. by an unlawfull and antichriſtian ministery: neither hath God promiſed, or doth afford†Theſe vvords in a different letter, are the Treat. ovvne, and vve diſclaime them. any bleſſing upon it, neither can any have the ſanctified vſe thereof.
His anſwere hereto is this. The office of the miniſtery workes not vponupon the conſcience of the hearer properly: the office gives onelyonly power and charge to the Teacher, to teach in ſuch aplace: it reſides in the perſon of the officer alone, the communion lawful or unlawfull which any hath with it, is in regard of the lawfull or unlawfull relation and vnion foregoing between the perſons, and not in any working of the office vponupon the conſcience of any: God may and doth bleſſe the truths taught faulſ miniſters.
Anſw. It was Heiroms kPaulum quotieſcunque lego videor mihi non verba audire, ſed tonitrua: cont. Iovinian.cenſure of Pauls Epiſtles, that when hee read them He thought he heard not words but Thunder. This cannot be well applied to his reply here. For ſhould I ſpeake my conſcience, it is a meere Phraſiologie, words without weight of reaſon.
1. He denies our firſt aſſertion: But how cleares he it to the contrarie? As is his ground, ſo are his proofes: Only bare ſaying: Sit pro ratione voluntas.
That the Office of the Miniſter, workes upon the Hearers conſcience; It is certaine, and not to be denyed, without loſſe of credit, both to the perſon and cauſe of the denyer in the eye of all reaſonable men:lExo. 28. For this is evident by the Scriptures, whether we reſpect an Office true or falſe.Epheſ. 4, 11. 2 Theſ. 2, Rev. 9.
Againe, if it be conſidered, what we meane by the Office working upon the conſcience; Common reaſon will prove it too: Our meaning is, that the ſtate or povver by which he adminiſters, is herein ſubmitted too. As Magiſtrates are obeyed in civill Juſtice, becauſe of their calling, and were it not for it, men could not for conſcience ſake receive their adminiſtrations: So the conſcience of a Hearer is brought in ſubjection to the ordinance of Hearing, even for the Office ſake of him that teacheth; We intend here Miniſteriall teaching.
It is moſt certaine (ſaith one mMr. Peitry of the Miniſtery of the Church of England: Pag. 37. 38.) Satan ruleth in the conſciences of men, not only by falſe doctrine, but alſo by his falſe power and ordinances; His Kingdome of darknes not only conſiſteth in the lies and falſe doctrine, and worſhip which he hath coyned, but alſo in the falſe and Antichristian Ordinances, which he hath invented for the ruling of his Idolatrous denne: And therefore the Children and Saints of God ought to avoyd both the one and the other. So hee.
2. It is not true, that the Office only gives power and charge to the Teacher to teach in ſuch or ſuch a Church-ſtate. For properly it reſpects not that at all, but rather the Office of the perſon gives him power to preach, pray, adminiſter the Sacraments, &c. according to their Order and Canons. He that that hath not a Church-ſtate to preach in, yet beeing ordained Preiſt, hath power by his Office to doe the worke of a Preiſt any where. And ſo much the Treat. nManumiſ. to a Manuduct, p. 70.in another Booke acknowledgeth: The Office is the very ſtate and function conferred upon a man by his calling, from which Office ariſeth immediate *Note this.power, and charge to adminiſter, and to performe the works of that Office: In the performance of which workes the Office is executed &. power uſed.
And whereas he mentioneth here, the truths they teach: J grant theſe are from God, but the Office which gives them power and charge to ſpeake them, is from Antichriſt: And a ſpeciall Character or Marke (as the LearnedoMr. Symon on the Rev. pag. 120. write) of the Beaſt. Thus ſaid Iohn Chaydon, pActs and Monuments, Edict. 5. pag. 588.a Martyr of Chriſt: The Biſhops licenſe to preach the Word of God, is the true Character of the Beast, that is of Antichriſt. The like Mr. Bale qOn Revel chap. 14. 9., and others.
3. Whereas he ſaith, the falſe Office reſides in the perſon of the Officer alone; Here I might take that exception of the LawrIn teſtimon. dig: de teſtibus againſt him. They who wander against the credis of their owne Testimonies, are not to be heard. Againſt this, we have his owne teſtimony; For thus he ſaithsManumiſs. to a manuduct. pag. 5. thoſe that pertake in the worke of preaching of one, ſent by the Biſhops, doe pertake in what lyeth in them in the authority of the ſender. And this is ſo indeed. The ſinfull Office of the Teacher, becomes his ſinne, who practiſeth will-worſhip with him: For hereby hee enwraps himſelfe into the guilt of the Office; And this thing by another is ſo clearely provedtTreatiſe of the Miniſtery of the church of Englād, by Fran: Iohnſon. Pag. 5, 6, 7, &c., as no man can deny it, that hath any light of reaſon or Religion ſhining in him.
4. What can be vainer ſaid (our enimies themſelves beeing Iudges) then to ſay, God may and doth bleſſe the truths taught by falſe Miniſters: A poſſe ad eſſe n…n valet conſequentia. To reaſon thus, is both againſt Logick and Divinitie. To dispute (ſaith King Iames uA ſpeech in Parliament, anno 1609.) what God may doe, is blaſphemy, but quid vult Deus, that divines may Lawfully, and doe ordinarily dispute and diſcourſe.
It never came into our hearts to thinke, that God may not bleſſe the Truths taught by falſe Miniſters: But this we hold, he hath not in his Word promiſed any bleſſing unto it. And in this Luther is with us. God bleſſeth not (ſaith hexCōment. in Galat. cap. 1. pag. 42., meaning by any ordinary promiſe) their labour, who are not lawfully called to the Ministery.
The injunctionyInjunction 3. of Q. Elizabeth, ſet forth by publick authority, is much to this purpoſe. Workes deviſed by mans fancie, (ſo is every unlawfull Miniſterie, and condemned as Cartwright zChriſt. Cate…h. of R…lig. chap. 16. Pag. 98ſaith in the ſecond commandement) have not only no promiſe of reward for doing of them, but contrariwiſe great threatnings & maledictions of God.
The Treatiſer aIuſtificat. of Separ. pag. 79.was of this opinion too, when he ſaid: The Lord hath promiſed no bleſſing to his Word, but in his owne Ordinance, though by his ſuper abundant merey he oft-times vouchſafe that, which no man can chalenge by any ordinarie promiſe.
And becauſe the Treat. is here ſo breife, a touch and away: As if our Objection had no weaght; I will therefore lay the argument downe in this manner.
Such Churches, unto whome God hath made no promiſe in his Word, to bleſſe the things there done; ought not by Gods people to be reſorted to.
But God in his Word hath made no promiſe to bleſſe the things done in a falſe Church.
Therefore Gods people are not to goe unto falſe Churches.
The Propoſition cannot be excepted againſt: For 1. The Scriptures prove it clearely.*Ier. 23, 21, 22.
Againe, there is no duty charged upon us,Ex. 20, 24 but there is a bleſſing promiſed,Pſa. 134, 3 & 147, 13. unto the due performance of it.
The aſſumption is as cleare, and thus we prove it.
If falſe Churches have not the promiſe of Gods preſence, they cannot from the Word of God, exſpect his bleſſing upon what they doe. But the firſt is true: Ergo the ſecond.
The Major, which is only controverſall, wee prove thus.
If every falſe Church be an IdollbExo. 20. 45., and God require his people to come out thencecRev. 18, 4., threaten to destroy itdRev. 20. 8, 9., and will doe it, and promiſe his preſence unto the true ChurcheMat. 18. 20.: Then is he not preſent *We mean ſuch a preſence of God, as by his Word we can be ſure of it.in the falſe: But the first is true, therefore the ſecond.
Here I might name ſundry learned Men, who give witnes to this thing. Chriſt (ſaith RaynoldsfDe Rom. Eccleſ. idolat. l. 2. c. 1. pag. 99. the Paſtor of his Chruch, doth tell us, that he feeds not in Antichristian aſſemblies; in the denne of Theeves, neither is it his will, that his flock ſhould there reſt at noone: But in the pleaſant pasture, by the ſtill waters, that is in the ſhadowes of the true Chriſtian Churches, deteſting idolatry.
Another thus: They that doe uſurpe Miniſteriall function in the Church,gDr. Slater on Rom. 1. Pag. 8. cannot exſpect Gods bleſſing on their labour. Doctor Ames layes it downe as a reaſon why a lawfull calling is neceſſary; namely, that ſo they may exspect a bleſſing from God.
It is true which theſe men ſay, for our ground for Hearing in church way is not becauſe the ſpeaker is a man gifted, able to open and apply the ſcriptures. &c, But becauſe that which he doth is a a divine inſtitution, an ordinance charged on vsus, to practice, & to which God hath promiſed his preſence and bleſſing.
Let our oppoſites ſhew vsus where it is writen, that the gyfts and perſonall graces of the man, is ſufficient to iuſtifie the hearing of him*We intend Miniſteriall teaching. a Chap. 23 2. but rather the reaſon wherefore we he are him, is, becauſe of the lawfull calling which he hath to adminiſter the holy things of God.
Our Saviour as it appeares by Matthew approves of the hearing of the Scribes and Phariſees; But upon what ground, not becauſe they were able to open and apply, the doctrines of Faith by that Church profeſſed: but) as Piſcator ſaith becauſe they were called and ordained of God, Adeo vocati at que conſtituti ſu…t vt legem Moſis in Synagogis populo praelegant cumque ad … obſervationem exh…tentur. Analiſ. in Mat. 23, v. 2.that they ſhould preach the Law of God in the Sinagogues to the people, and exhort them to the obſervation thereof-Aretius on the place ſaith the like and adds, their calling bound the people to heare them.
Soe then here wee ſee that men, being lawfully called to the miniſtery are to be heard howſoever in ſome qualifications defective: but that ſuch who have taken on a falſe office, are to be heard th…s I deny: and ever ſhall doe, vntill they ſhew me ſome divine precept for it, as wee have for the other, which is (Tantah horto fructus colligere▪) a thing that they can never doe.
For his phraſe Balaam-like to curſe: I paſſe it by: onelyonly I thinke good to put our oppoſites in mind, of that which is writen in I…ſh. 6. 26. Curſed be the man before the Lord that raiſeth vp and buildeth the city lericho.
J am ſure, God of old-hath devoted Babilon to deſtructiō: let men therefore ſee to it that they bring not themſelves vnderunder a greater curſe, by uſing their pens and tongues, to riſe vp againe one part of the Kingdome of the beaſt which the Lord before had conſumed with the ſpirit of his mouth.