A Stay Against Straying, Part 2 · Section 7
SECT. 7.
NOw we come to the 5 Objection, the which is laid down for us, by the Treat. thus: Yet ſuch as heare them, hauehave communion with their office of Ministery, what in them lyes.
It is the manner of ſome to ſet up markes, and afterwardes to ſhew their art, in ſhooting of them downe againe. One would thinke that the Treat. former writings againſt the hearing of falſe Miniſters, were written by him, to be (as it were) his But marke, that thereby he might ſhew his ſkill and witt in ſtriking downe the ſame afterwards. Touching the objection which he here frames for vsus, & vndertakes the confutation of; It is his owne, and vnderunder his owne hand, even word for word publiſhed to the world, and in defence of the ſame thing which he brings it here for vsus: as the Reader may ſee in his manumiſſi on to a manuduction: pag. 5.
But to let this paſſe, hoping it was rather a ſlip in his penne, then a downfall in his judgment: Let us ſee now how he hits the marke, his anſwer to it is thus.
That is, they hauehave no communion at all with it, if it ly not in them to hauehave any, as it doth not. If I hold vp my hand as high as I can, I touch heaven with my finger, what in me lies, do I therefore at all touch it: if ſuch thinke to hauehave, or that they hauehave any ſuch communion, it is their errour and Ignorance, but makes not the thing to be the more then if they thought not ſo.
This is all his anſwer (a capite vſque ad pedes) from head to foot. VntoUnto the which I anſwer: 1. To his peremptory affirmation, (they hauehave no communion at al) may apply the ſaying fathered on the old Philoſopher multa dicti…ſed pauca probat. Ple ſpeakes much, but proues little: For our parts (as I hauehave ſaid) we cannot take his bare ſaying, de iure et de fide, to bee a rule of faith to us, For our conſciences are not (like Sampſons ſhoulders) ſtrong enough to beare it,
2. He dallies & deceives by a generall & ambigious terme of Communion: If it be intended in the order & way of Church-ſtate, it is true then here is no ſuch communion, as hauehave members gathered into a body politick. But if by the word we vnderſtand ſuch a communion, as makes the hearer really pertaker of the ſinne of the Officer; in this ſence here is a communion of fellowſhipp. For 1. Hereby is allowance and approbation given vntounto a work of darknes; I ſay his very preſence there to heare, is an open countenancing of an vnlawfull officer in an vnrghtteous courſe, tanquam legimae et ſacrae actionis approbatio. As Davenat. adeter… Quaeſt. 7. p 40.Slater bExplic. Anal: in 1 Cor. C. 2 p. 92.and others note in the like caſe.
2. It is apparent to a right diſcerning eye, that the miniſters of Antichriſt, in all acts of their miniſtery, do vſe ſuch waies and inventions in worſhipping of God, as are not commanded of God in his word, but be deviſes of men. Now whoſoever joynes with thē in the practice of ſuch worſhip, becomes a pertaker of their ſinne and trangreſſion. Of this writes Ioan. David. cVeridicus Chriſtian. c, 28, p, 7.And the reaſon is, becauſe he commits will-worſhip: for what is well-worſhip? but to worſhip God not after his appointment, but our owne. And hence was Ahaz an Jdolater, eo ipſo, for that as P. Martyr dComment: in 2 Reg, …, 17notes, he tooke the patterne of an Alter from Idolaters to ſerue the true God, with it & by it.
3. When Iſraell did eat with the Moabites, they did communicate eAinſw; Annot, on Numb, 25, 2,with them: but how was it? it was in that the meat there given and taken, was in a publick way of a falſe inſtitution. This holds proportionably true here: for we cannot ſeparate the falſe ſtate of the office, from the adminiſtrations done by vertue of it, that is to make the latter ſo ours, as not to be polluted in one reſpect or other with the foulnes of the former. Zanchie fQuicū que facris ali cuius comunicat, is particeps quoque ; fic ejus, ad cujus c …emmuni onemha bendam et conferuandam ſacra illa ſunt ordinata. de vitio, ext. cult…. Opp. l. 1. Theſ 11.cleares this very well. Whoſoever communicateh in the holy things of another, he is made partaker with him, for whoſe communion the holy things ordained, are kept & obſerued.
3. For his compariſon, it is ſoe farre fetch, as that it comes not home to the matter, but is an evill and idle wandring from it. When Saul fought to excuſe himſelfe, he was demaunded of Samuell, e1 Sam. 15.quid ergo ſin vult vox pecuduin aſtarum, what meaneth then the bleating of the ſheepe in my eares: we may aſke the like of thoſe men, who ſay it is no ſinne to heare in falſe Churches. what meanes your vncouering the head and bowing the knee before idol? your keeping companie with Idolaters in their publick worſhip? your obſerving the time and comming to the place of their worſhip? your ſerving of God in ſuch a way? is bring it to the text of the word, compare it with the example of the Prophets, Chriſt & his Apoſtles, bring it to the practice of the primitive Churches: it is quite differing from it.
wee are ſure in a true Church, the bending of the knee‡Pſalme 95. 6., & other ſignes of reverence, is to giuegive honour and countinance to that ſtate. Now the reaſon of contraries is a like, and therefore as Calvin fComment. in 1 Corin. 15.ſaith, the ſame being done in a falſe Church, is no leſſe allowance and approbation of it: J ſay againe every reverend ſubmiſſive geſture,*Deut. 5 9 hoſ. 13. 12 Eze 18 6. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 18. as bowing downe, kneeling, proſtrating, lifting vp of the eyes, and all other like lowly and louely behaviour do appertain and lead to Idolatry.
Againe if the Ordinances of God, do aſſociate and ioyne the the faithfull with God, then the obſervation of ſuperſtitious inſtitutions muſt needs linck men to the ſociety of Idols, and ſo reaſoneth the ſaid Calvin gIbid. 2. 17.And for any to ſay, they do not countinance ſuch Churches and Miniſteries, or they will not; herein their acts giuegive their tongue the lie, for we are not to Iudge of a worke,hNon exarcana intentione operantis, ſed ex manifeſta cō ditione operis. Davan. Quaeſt. Determ. pag 40. by the ſecret intention of the doer, but by the outward condition of the worke it ſelfe. For what Augustine iEo damnabilius agit, quia quod mendaciter agit, ſic agit tamen, vt eum populus veraciter agere exiſtimet. De Civit. 16, C. 10.blames Senica the Philoſopher, may be ſaid and truely applyed to theſe men, in this he did the more wickedly becauſe what he did, he did lyingly, for he did it ſo, as that the people though he did it truely. If the Corinthians ſinned, when they ſate downe at the Idols table, becauſe they kept them company whoſe end was ſuperſtitious, then it follows queſtio…, that where the publick end of a people is to committ will, worſhip, whoſoever hath any fellowſhip with them, is partaker of the ſame vngodlines. Now no man J dare ſay, will affirme, that the publick end and intention of the people, is not to allow, honour, and reverence, their falſe Church, miniſtery, Government &c, therefore howſoever ſome particulars, intend not ſo, yet ioyning with ſuch, as ſo profeſſe and practice, they are guiltie*Society in ſinne bringeth felloſhip in wrath. Forbes Com. in Rev. 18. pa 189. of the ſame ſinne, though I will not ſay in meaſure & degree a like.
4. Howſoever the compariſō here brought, proues nothing: yet ſo much there is in it, as it overthrowes the cauſe he ſtands for. For be it granted, that a man holding vp his hand as high as he can, doth not touch heaven materially, yet vnderſtanding it in another way or ſence, he may be ſaid, and that truely to do it.‡I deſire our oppoſites to ſpeake here ſincerely as of God, in the ſight of God, whether a man bee leſſe bound to make vſe of any inſtitutiō of Antichriſt, in divine worſhip: then bound, to joyn with a Harlot in any practice of her vncleannes. As for example: ſuppoſe a man with a luſtful deſire, put forth his hand after a woman who is locked vp, & ſo out of his reach, doth he not touch her? yes ſaith Chriſt, and hath committed adultery with her kMat. 5 28.Againe ſay he covet his neighbours monie, and lift vp his hand as high as he can after it: doth he not touch it, though the ſame be out of his reach? yes ſaith God, for he breakes the tenth commandementlExod. 20. 7. In ſhort, imagine, a mā treacherouſly minded, ſtreach forth his hand after the Prince, doth the not touch him, albeit the other be out of his reach? indeed Gods law and mans law too, ſo concludeth. Hence then I conclude thus;
Whoſoever lusteth after aspirituall harlot, committeth with her spirituall adultery. But ſuch as heare the word in falſe Churches do ſo: Ergo, &c.
The later part of the argument, which is onelyonly doubtfull, is proved by opening and applying the ſimilitude thus. As they commit carnall whoredome, who hauehave fellowſhip with harlots in any degree; kinde, or Practice of their whoredomes: ſo in this cauſe, it muſt needs be ſpirituall adultery, to heare the word in the way and manner we deſpute of: becauſe it is to hauehave a fellowſhip or ſociety with the great whoorantichrist: I ſay it is to go all along with him in ſome acts, orders, and deuices of his ſpirituall whoredomes. And what I here lay down, is laid downe by the beſt learned in all ages, viz. that we muſt go out from idolaters, as not to be behoulding to them, for any of their rites, or ders, inſtitutions: neither ſerve the Lord in, or by any helpes, meanes, furtherances of their ſinfull devices, for to do otherwiſe, is to commit ſpirituall adultery with them: ſo write Aguſtine mConfeſ, lib 6, c. 2., Haeimo nComment. 1. Corin, c. 10. v, 17., Calvin oSerm. on Levit. 19 27, p. 207., Bucer pIn cenſu…a c 9, fol. 4. 71,, Martyr qComment. on Iudg c. 2 v 3., Polanus rComment in Eze c 12 p 229, Pareus sComment. in Hoſ c. 2. 16, 17., Zanchus tComment, in Hoſ c. 16, 17., Ainſworth uArrow againſt Idolat. c 2, p 8, Iacob xExpofit; on cōm 2., Marburie yCatech. on cōm 2, Bilſon zAnſw. to the Apol. of the ſemin. p, 22. Ieſuitiſme par, 2, p, 515., D. Humfrey (a) and others.,
5. If a mans cauſe ſhould be judged, onelyonly as his adverſary laies it down, it would bee a great prejudice and loſſe to him. might we hauehave liberty to ſpeake in our owne cauſe, we would bring in more exceptions againſt their delectable thing bIſa. 44, 9, then the state of the officer, albeit the Treat, ſpeakes but little elſe for vsus.
For 1. In this kinde of hearing, men vndertake to doe an impoſſible thing that is to ſerve two Maſters, viz Chriſt and Antichriſt, and each oppoſite to other, and requiring diverſe and contrary ſervice at on and the ſame timecſe a booke intituled a light for the ignorant or the 3. eſtates. ffor the firſt commands that the doctrines of the Goſpell bee heard in a true Church, and Taught by a lawfull miniſter, and forbids the contrary, the later prohibiteth what the former requireth, and requires that the word he heard, in a falſe Church, and taught by an vnlawfull miniſter. Now whether it be right in the ſight of God to obey Chriſt rather then Antichriſt judge ye.dActs 4, 19
2. This is not only to ſimbolize with Idolaters, and to give ſpeciall honour to Antichriſt, as we hauehave before proued: but alſo a reviving of an errour held by certaine old Hereticks, as the Nicolaitans, eIrenaen: l; 1; c. 27, Euſeb: l: 3, c, 29.Biſilides fCent, c, 5, p, 77., Helcheſaits gCent, 3, c, 4, p, 98.Priſcillaniſts hCent, 4, c, 5, p, 403., &c. condemned inſcripture, & by the fathers which lived in them times. Their errour was, that Chriſtians in worſhiping of God, might outwardly conform thēſelvs vntounto the practice of ſuch waies & means as Idolaters had diviſed, yet ſo, as they did inwardly & ſecretly diſlike of the intentió & ends, which the others had in the obſervatiō & uſe of them. Our oppoſites are here (manium inania conſilium) in judgment alike corrupt with thē. For though they daube it over with more artificiall cunning, to make their, deluſion the ſtronger, yet for their principles & maine grounds (aſpis a vipera) they are all one and alike, as I ſhall make it good whenſoever any of them gives me occaſion to reply.
3. It is ſuch an act of religion as the paltre petigree of it, is only grounded vponupon the witt and will of man, voyd of all ſcripture, yea indeed all ſhew therof, & therfor by learned rightly termed a mocking of God iLuther in Amos c, 7 p. 134, groſse ſuperstition kLavarat in loſ. 22., great rebellion lP. Mart in 1 Sam. 15., & wichcraft.
4.nibid 2128. It is ſo vile a thing as our bleſſed Martyrs, would rather giuegive their bodies to the fier then doe it. witneſſe, Thomas Reed mActs & Monum, pag; 2197, & his wife and daughter, Rafe Allerton obid 2…08:, Iohn Fetty pibid 2256., Iohn Moyes qibid 2217:, John Hallingdale ribid 2222., Joan Waſt sibid 2134., Thomas Whut …ll tibid 2029:, I fabell Foster uibid 2030.Iohn Cavill xibid 2074., Thomas Spicer yibid 2092.Thomas Ha…land aibid 2099., Iohn Rough bibid 2226., Roger Barnard cibid 2098:, Adam Foſter dibid 2099., Robert Lawſon e, John Careleſſe fibid 2114., Alice Benden gibid 2167., Thomas Harding hibid 1117;, William Tims iibid 2078., mother Sem…n & her Soanekibid 2234:, Angels wifelibid 2299., & many more. If any ſhould object but theſe went not to the Church becauſe of the Maſſe: I anſwer; 1. they refuſed to goe thither at all. 2. many of them ſhewed their diſlike againſt this Hearinge in particular, and ſuffered for it greevious perſecution, as the Reader may ſee in the places quoted.
5. By this meanes men breake their vow which they hauehave vowed vntounto God: Among other vows vnderunder the Law, the Ievvs had one vvhichwhich they named Cherem * that is of the curſe, a vvord derived of Charam, to waſt, deſtroy, kill &c. and it implied that ſuch a thing, vvas ſeperated and quite ſet of, and ſo a great ſin, either to-touch it, or put it to any vſe aftervvards, Such a Ʋow doe all the faythfull make, vvhen leaving Babilon, they plant their feete in the pleaſant vvaies of Sion. Their promiſe then is, not to touch the vncleane thing any more, but vtterly to forſake all the orders, cuſtomes, inſtitutions vvaies and vvorſhip of antichriſtiſme, and to practice intirely and onelyonly,iibid 2099., both for matter & †See P. Mart, Comment, in Iudg, c, 1; v; 17. 18. m 1 Cor. 10 14, Eſa: 2. 18. 20.manner whatſoever the Lord their God commandeth: Therfore in going back to make vſe againe, of any of her conſtitutions, and diviſed meanes, whereby to worſhip God: in this men certainly foreſweare themſelves, and ſoe are guilty of fearefull perjury before the Lord.
6 It is a worſhip before Idols, and marke it, not accidentallie but purpoſely preſent before them: and ſuch Idols, as hauehave a religious state in the worſhip: And to do this, is againſt the cleare tax of Scripture.nExo 20 5. 1. Cor. 10. 20. Pſa. 106. 37.
And as Pareusocōment. in Hoſ…. 8 p 529. ſaith, is a post a ſie from God, great Idolatry, very ſcandalous in it ſelfe, ahorible abomination in the Lords ſight, and the end of it, cauſeth death and wrath eternally. Rivetus,pcòment. in Hoſ. c. 4, p. 151. writing of the ſame thing, ads thus: Howſoever ſuch worſhippers hauehave their minds voyd of ſuperſtition and intend to ſerue onelyonly the true God, yet in truth (ſaith he) this they do not, but worſhip and ſerve the Deuill. AinſworthqAnnot. in Exod. 20. 5. & Cartwright,rHiſto. Chriſt. lib. 1. pa. 140. ſay the ſame.
7. In this men caſt themſelves vponupon temptations,sP. Mart loc. com. claſ. 2, c. 4 p. 209. Aret, in Mat. 4, 7, p. 155 and provoke the Lord ſo to wrath, as juſtly he may give them up to ſatan & Antichriſt, for to blinde them and harden their hearts.
8. A tender conſcience by it wilbe wounded, & afterwards tanckle inwardly as a thorne in the heele: in that it leads men to equivocation, diſſimulation, reſervation, and in a kinde to a deniall of Chriſt, & to condemn themſelvs in the things which they approve of. Davids heart ſmote him for a little.†See beefore in M. Greſ molds cauſe.
9. It gives juſt cauſe of offencetMelan. in Evang feſt, mich▪ p. 552. vntounto the brethren weak & ſtrong, and lies as a ſtumbling block in their way to hinder the due practice of Gods ordinances.
10. By it Idolaters are cauſed to ſhut their eyes and harden uCornel. a lapide in Epiſt. Ich. Secun p. 505.their hearts againſt the truth: and ſoe conſequently held the longer and ſtronger in the ſnare of the Devill.
11. Jt is for nature and kind the ſinne of the high places: For wherein did the Iſralites offend that way. But becauſe (as Rivetus, wquod fi bi adoratio nis loca arbitrio delegerint in Hoſ. 4. p. 146.ſaith) of their owne accord, they made choyſe of them places for divine worſhip. Iunius xAnnot. levit, 17, 7.ſaith ſoe too: when they ſacrificed in ALIO LOCO in any other place then the Lord had preſcribed, it was offered to D…vils. I will not here diſpute of the materiall place, I meane their temples of woode and ſtone, whether Chriſtians in them may lawfully performe publicke worſhip: But this I do affirme, and will ſtand to it, that it is every way as evill to bring our spirituall offerings unto an Idoll…ſtate, and there in it, by it, or with it, to preſent the ſame vntounto God, as it was vnlawfull for the Iewes vnderunder the law, to offer in the places beefore named: ſome ſay,aLyran. comment. in Amo. 5 27. the former is much worſe, becauſe the ſame was never warrantable, whereas the other ſomtime was, as we hauehave elſe where noted. pag. 18. 19.
12. To conclude this practice takes away the croſſe of Chriſt & perſecution for righteouſneſſe. It decks an adulterer with the ſpoile of the ſpouſe of Chriſt. It maks ſchiſme in the Church in that men breake the order, and bounds which God hath ſet in it.bMelan, in Evan dom. 4. Advent. p 94. Maks way for greater evils as apoſtacie from God, ſliding back to great vngodlines,cPare. in Hoſ. 8. p. 592. and to bee corrupted in the ſubſtance of religion and purity of Doctrine. And what ſhall I ſay more. Jt gratifies the Ieſuits in commendingdMaffeus In vita Ignat Laiola. blind obedience. and argues great preſumptiō & pride of heart, as if man were wiſer then God, & could deviſe either ſome better meanes, or ſome other way for his edefication, then the Lord hath preſcribedeD. Willet Comment. in 1 Sam. 15. 23.
I do not know vvhat engine of vvit and art ſome men hauehave, to elude theſe reaſons, and to batter them ſo dovvne, as to make a ſafe paſſage through for a good conſcience; For my part I confeſſe ſuch do goe bejoynd my line and meaſure of faith, I dare not bevviſe aboue that vvhichwhich is vvriten, it is enough for mee to knovv and beleeve, that in this point vvee hauehave the vvord of God vvith vsus and for vsus.