Vindication and Assertion of Calvin and Bezas Presbyterian Principles, Preface
The PREFACE.
THe question concerning the true frame of the Lords Tabernacle, the New Testament Church, in point of Government, hath been a Ball of disput long tost in this Island; this Contest might have long since had its exit, and issued in sound and solid Peace, and union upon this head, had we all with a single heart and eye, looked to the Patern shewed upon the Mount, and listned to the discoveries so often made to us, from the lovely Oracles of the Word, Ezek. chap. 43. v. 11. of the form of the House, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, & all the forms thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the Laws thereof, that we might keep the whole form thereof, and all the Ordinances thereof, and do them. Had we renounced the wisdom of the flesh, and got the penitent heart, and been ashamed for all we have done amiss; and, (as the Author of this Paper well expresses it in his Pre…ace) preferred Religion to Interest, and the power of Godliness to that of Dominion. But restless Ambition, and love of Dominion over the House of God, and over their Brethren, and fellow servants, as they began in the Christian Churches Infancy, and had an early tincture in the Apostles (though our Lord nipt the first budds of this bitter Root, and crusht this Cockatrice in the shell, shewing them, that humble Ministerial Diligence was the apex of their greatness) so the fermentation of this distemper continuing in most men, and by the influence of Satan upon mans wicked heart, diff…sing it self in after Generations, hath been a spreading gangren, still hindering the reception, and improvement of this Ordinance, of the Gospel Church-Government, whereof Scripture and Experience are irrefragable witnesses. The Apostle Paul tells us: the mystery of iniquity was working in his time, and the Embrio of the Prelatical Hierarchy, and a Papistical, consequently, then formed; which we find after stirring in the counteractings, and contradiction of a Diotrophes, (that early aspiring Primat,) even unto the Apostle John. Hence the Apostle Peter in his exhortation to Pastors of the Church, doth so en…xly dehort them from those two grand & Satanical enchantments, viz. Covetousness, and Lording over Gods Heritage; which no doubt had its influence for checking these evils for a considerable time. But the early-sown tears of the Evil one, did by piece-meal discover themselves, first, in the advance of Beza's humane Episcopacy, the fixt Moderator, or proestos, which was next, (by the influence of the restless temper) screwed up to the Satanical, as he calls it, viz. the Diocesion Prelacy, swall…wing up, and enhansing all the decisive Authority and Power of Pastors in Government; then the ascension was made to the Arch-bishops, and Metropolitans… Office, and Power, and by an inevitable necessity to the Culmen of the Papal Monarchy at last. The Lord having in this evening of time, and the days of Reformation, by the light of the Gospel, discovered the mystery of iniquity, and of the Papal Hierarchy consequently; and caused his People to hear his call, to come out of Babylon, and be separated from that detestable Synagogue, the Reformed Churches has generally had so deep a sense of the con…exion of Popry and Prelacy, that together with the one, they found themselves oblidged to reject the other; and in their Confessions, and by the Writings of their most famous, burning and shining Lights, have witnessed against this corruption of Government, as well as against that Synagogues errors in point of Doctrine; whereof the Patrons of Popry are so convinced, that one of them, Nicholas le Maistrie, in a piece, Entituled, The Restauration of the ancient principality of Bishops, dedicated to Cardinal Richeleiu, Printed at Paris anno 1633, In the Dedicatory Epistle informs, that the M…jesty of the Pontifical and Episcopal Iurisdiction is so conjoined, and confederated together, that the enemies cannot so guide their hands, but with the same audacity, wherewith they assaulted the Pope's Crown, they likewise shaked the Bishops Myters, and as it were with one bloody Wound pierced both their sides—that when, and where the Pope's greatness is violated, the splendor of the Episcopal is grown contemptible. Hence we see it comes to pass (saith he) by a certain divine assent and counsel, that the Authority of Bishops should be expelled out of the same Province, out of which unhappy lust had thrust out the Papal Majesty. By what methods the Episcopal Hierarchie hath been retained in our neighbour Church of England, and what has been the issues thereof, what wrestlings against it, what disputs and discoveries of its evils, by the famous Divines of that Church, untill it came to be condemned, and voted against by both Houses of Parliament, and by the venerable Assembly of Divines at Westminster, anno 1600, we cannot now resume, nor shall we trace the long tract of doleful effects, corruption of judgment and practice, barbarous and bloodie Persecution, funest inextricable Broils, and dissentions among all Ranks, advances of Popery, and desolation of our Church, &c. which has attended (as alway before) the late erection of it in this Land, whereof our honourable Estates of Parliament discovered their deep sense, in condemning, and abolishing it in the late happy Revolution.
But the Iudgment and Writings of so many Divines, and Churches abroad, stricking against this Hierarchy, being found by the Promotters of that interest, such a heavy bur…en, and gripping argument, there hath several methods been used to shake off, and dissolve the same: Hence, since the late erection of prelacy, several Pamphlets have appeared, endeavouring to reconcile this Hierarchy with the judgment of the Reformed Churches, and the most famed Writers thereof. But with what success they have managed this work, the impartial and judicious have sufficiently discovered, and that in this endeavour, they have been rolling Sisiphus stone which … still returned upon them, and renewed their inextricable Labour.
Among the forraign Divines which have appeared against Prelacy, Calvin and Beza, being for Piety and Learning, men of chief name, and among the glorious Cloud of Christ's witnesses against the beast, since the Reformation, such as not only deserve a place among the thirty, but among the first three, hence it is, that this endeavour has been mainly fixt upon them; and what ever thing in their writings might seem to savour of indifferency a…e…t Presbyterian Government (whereof they are generally acknowledged to have been both by their Writings and Practices, the strenuous and constant asserters) or to cast a favourable aspect upon Prelacy, searched out, and by the outmost Artifice of near drawn Sophistry, and by the most remote consequences, stretched upon the tenter pins, to reach such a Conclusion. Hence, not only their Commentaries upon the Scriptures, and divers Passages of their other Writings, have been pitifully curtell'd and disjoynted, but their very Missives, a…d Letters upon various, and remote occasions from this point, brought in to witness against their avowed judgment to the World, when disputing and handling this question ex professo. Whether resp…ct to truth, or partial respect to their cause, that e…prompted these men to such a practice, is …asie to judge. If the base visage and stain of lying and detractions, and false witness bearing in the judgment even of sober Heathens, and of all men of the most common sense, or morality, had been with a conscientious conviction duely pondered, they had never abandoned themselves to such impious folly. The practice of abusing and counterfiting Writters, for the advantage of their Cause, hath been so much condemned in Papists, (those sl…ves of the man of Sin, given up to the power of lyes and delusions) that Protestants might, even upon this ground, have been long since ashamed of it. It had been every way a more generous undertaking, to have offered their Answers to the Pleadings and Arguments of those Divines against the Hierarchy, and to have endeavoured by, fair wrestling, to wring these Weapons out of their hands, rather thus faintly to abandon the Disput, and pretending an accord with their Antagonists than upon this head. But what has been observed of Ignatius writings, that they suffered Martyrdoom when he was gone, hath been the fate (sure) of the Writings of these Divines, which notwithstanding, have hitherto, and will yet farther speak for themselves.
For the Essays of the Author of this Paper, in this method, I shall not anticipat, what is performed in the ensuing Reply, by offering here a previous large discovery of its unsoundness; only, I may be bold to say, never any was more unhappy than he, in this undertaking, and that upon first reading of the Pamphlet, these things were obvious, and may be so to any considering Person. (1.) That the series and structure of his reasoning do clearly involve Calvin and Beza in contradictions, comparing his inferences with the Passages cited; and that he thus crosses his character of Excellent, which he bestows upon their Writings, 2dly, That disguising the Bishop, making Calvin and Beza to owne, by his Epithet of the President Bishop, he would seem to plead only for the constant Moderator, or Proestos, early brought in, and that he intends no further improvement of these places of Calvin and Beza; or to stretch their principles in Judgment to any greater length, yet notwithstanding in the series of his reasoning, ascribing a preheminence in Office, and Iurisdiction to this President over other Ministers, yea, & such as extends to a whole Province or Patriarchat; he shewes the Inconsistency of this smooth, but foolish pretence, and hath made it as transparent, as the Cristal of the watch, 3dly. Insome of his citations, particularly in that which is adduced to prove Definition. 4th, his abuse and mistaks is so very gross and palpable, that any who reads some lines foreward will find his Inference in terminis contradicted, that it's truly a wonder how any of common sense, or ingenuity, who ever read the place, could be guilty of so bold, or ignorant Forgery. 4thly, That either crassly, or willingly, …e has been ignorant of, and dis-ingenuously cocealed Calvin and Beza's distinction of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Church-Officers, and takes his measures of their Iudgment, anent the constant Government of the Church, from what they speak of the Office of Apostles, and Evangelists; whom, all that ever read these Authors, must needs acknowledge, that they hold to be Extraordinary and expired. 5ly, That as some of his citations are so palpably remote, from what he has adduced them to prove, that they do not so much as relate to one and the same purpose and subject; so all his demonstrations are founded upon gross mistakes of the subject and state of the question; and thus in stead of a mounting to demonstrative Arguments (and these so evident as to be presented in a Euclyds dress of a quod erat demonst…andum) they are pitiful beggings of the Question, and S… phisms f…ow…ng from the ignoratio Elenchi.
He addresses in his Preface the moderat Presbyterian, but certainly the man Proselyted to this Perswasion of Calvin and Beza, as pleading from Scripture, for the Divine Right of the President Bishop, with Preheminence in Office and Iurisdiction over the Pastors of a whole Province, or Patriarchat, (which is the white of the Mark, that all his proofs are levelled at) ceases to be either Moderat, or Presbyterian; not Presbyterian, because imbracing a Perswasion, and principles diametrally opposit to that Government; not moderat, because assenting to the power of a Prelat, which is beyond all limits of equity and moderation, and encroaches upon Presbyters and Pastors Office and Authority, allowed them in Scripture, and likewise, because holding no just or moderat opinion of Calvin and Beza, who never asserted such a thing, but do hold the quite contrary.
The Author offers his Essay to the Moderat Presbyterian's Censure and Ingenuity; and I am hopeful, that what is here replyed, shall be found such a just and ingenuous Censure, and Discovery of his mistakes, as do merit his acknowledgments, and will obtain the same, if he be endued with that Moderation, Charity, Self-denyal, and love to the power of Godliness, which he has here pro…est; and however, will come under the favourable Construction of a just and ingenuous Censure, with all who are truely of this frame.
One thing I am fully agreed in with this Author, viz. That if picques and recentments were kendled into Charity, and prejudices, and worldly designs laid aside, Religion preferred to Interest, and the power of Godliness to that of Dominion, the powers of Hell could not make this Protestant Church divide about Church Government. I am confident, were we all sincerly of this Frame, We should quickly unite, in acknowledging the true Government of the House of God, which has had so evident an influence upon the power of Godliness, and joyntly, and zealously oppose that Prelatical Hierarchy, which has had so deplorable an influence upon profanity and Error, and has been the great bane of both Purity and Unity in his Church, and I am bold to add, That had we all been so happy, as to be under the influence of this excellent Soul-frame, here described, we had never seen such a Pamphlet as this Essay of his, nor any of this nature, wherein there is so sad a presence of Picques and Resentments, to Charity, prejudices of Education, and Worldly designs, Interest, and an unlawful Hierarchical Dominion, to true Religion, and the power of Godliness; and no doubt, if that Prayer of his for purity and Vnity, in order to the ends which he mentions, be so hearty, as be professes, the discoveries here made, will set him to endeavour our Vnion upon other grounds and principles, than these presented in his Pamphlet, viz. by an adherence to that Presbyterian Government, now happily restored in this Church, which Calvin and Beza do so enixly and evidently plead for, as being recommended (to use his own method and words in arguing) by the Divine institution, the Apostolick practice, the reception of the primitive Church, and the solemn approbation of a Revelation from Heaven. Otherwise if he, or such as he, professing Learning and knowledge, and by the more polite Logick Methods, to plead for Truth, and to lead us in to the sense of Calvin and Beza upon this head, continue to ply such Artifices, they will deserve such a lash, and Censure, as I find Lactantius in another case, put upon a Philosopher, in his time. Nam si qui nostrum affuerunt quantumvis temporum gratia conticerent, animo …amen d…risete, ut pote cum vidissent hominem profitentem se illuminaturum alios, cum ipse caecus esset, reducturum alios ab errore, cum ipse ignoraret ubi pedes suos poneret, eruditurum alios ad veri…atem, eujus ille ne scintillam quidam unam vidisset, quippe cum sapientiae professor, profligare sapientiam niteretur, O Philosophum adulatorem ac tempori servientem! verum hic pro sua inanitate contemprusest, qui & gratiam quam speravit, non adeptusest, & gloria, quam captavit, in culpam reprehensionemque conversa est. Lactantius Lib. de justitia, cap. 2. The same Lactantius upon this ground, will put this lesson to them, who profess to study, or teach Wisdom, in reference to Truth and Simplicity in this endeavour. Est enim nesas eum qui veritati s…ude…, in aliqua re esse fallacem, at |que ab ipsa quam sequitur virtute, discedere. In hac justitiae virtutumpque omnium via. nullus mendacio locus est. Itaque viator ille verus ac justus, non dicet illud Lucilianum, homini amico ac familia…i non est mentiri meum, sed etiam inimico atque ignoto existimabit non esse mentiri suum. Nec aliquando commiter, ut lingua interpre… animi à sensu & cogitatione discedet, de vero cultu, cap. 18:
For the Grounds of my undertaking this Reply, and the manner of performance, take this just and true Accompt. This Paper was, a little after it came abroad, put into my hand by a Gentleman, who, together with a Minister, requested my undertaking the Vindication, of Calvin and Beza, from the Imputation thereof, which I declineed upon seueral Grounds, which appeared to me considerable; for beside my Dissability, and the then publick hurry and consternation upon occasion of the Viscount of Dundee, his prevalency in the North, my own personal Circumstances were such, as did put considerable Remora's and Impediments in my way, which might deterr from such a Work as this, being then far from my Books, lyable to many Tossings, and several important Ministerial Duties, so exercising me, that I could promise my self no suitable opportunities, or help for this performance; espeicially having upon first view of this Pamphlet discovered, that as a full and exact perusal of Calvin and Beza was needful for a satisfying Confutation, so the …uthors mistakes were so palpable, that probably it would be reckoned by the generality of all who should see it, as among those thing—Quae spreta exolescunt; and like Beslus in the Commedie be secured from Censure in its own want of worth; or if any Answer were judged requisit, this Work would be performed by some better hand than mine, and to much more advantage; and indeed I was once informed, that this was done by a person of known ability for such undertaking. But being pressed by the persons before mentioned, to take this Paper to consideration, I did at some spare hours, mould this ensuing Answer, intending at first my own privat satisfaction only, and of some Friends, which after a considerable times lurking, I caused Transscribe, and some having perused it, whose judgment I am bound to reverence, who encouraged to a publication as useful, I have yeilded to this motion, If the Prolixity offend, I have this Apology, that having many diversions while a Writing, I could but now and then take a little touch of it; and b…sides, having at first written the Animadversions, contained in the second Chapter, and upon a review of Calvin and Beza, drawn out these Positions, contained in Cap. 1 I judged it would make this Reply more full & clear to annex them. likeways the Authors Demonstrations being made up of References to his premised Definitions, Postulatums, and Axioms, this put me some way under a necessity of a compendious Resuming of what is Answered upon them; since an Answer to his demonstrations (which are the Elixir distilled from his former Chapters of Definitions, Postulatums and Axioms, and the main Projection thereof) made up of meer References, though in it self sufficient, yet to most Readers would appear too mean, obscure, and superficial. I did also judge it not improbable, that some Readers would in the first place, if not only, view what is Replyed to his Demonstrations; who thus have a compendious view, of what is Replyed to the whole Pamphlet, presented to them, rendring the Eversion of his Demonstrations the more convincing and conspicuous, and likewise the solidity of the Counter-Demonstrations subjoyned.
I have traced the Authors Method, as in the Series of the matter; so likeways in Tendring the Passages cited only in English, except in some few places. It seems he mainly Addressed the plain English Readers, and so do I in this Answer, I hope the Passages cited, will be found justly Translated, and that I am so far from, designing any advantageous Addition or Interpretation, that on the contrary, through study of Brevity, the Weight and Emphasis of some places is obscured.
The slow appearance of this Reply in publick, will seem no strange thing to any who consider the account of this Vndertaking, immediatly Premised. If what is here offered, shall be found a Word in season, for Vindicating Truth, and strengthning the hearts of any sincere contenders for the Faith, I have my Design in Writing, and the upright Readers also in the Perusal. If this shall meet with opposition from a proud, hardned, and self-conceited Party of Men, who continue to state themselves in Terms of Contradiction to the true Government of this Church, and her just and legal Establishment, as it will be no surprisal to me (the morning Light of Reformation being to such as the shadow of death) so, under the safe, and honourable Conduct, and Shield of Truth, I will not be afraid, how weak soever in my self, to speak with them in the gate. The weakest Believer, and follower of the Lamb, can do some thing for Truth, and finds the way of Truth their strength, and the strongest, proudest Adversaries can do nothing against it. It is certainly a great piece of the work of our day, to plead for our Mother, according to our capacity, when so many are pleading against her (and her provocations most sadly) as also to plead with her, that her Abominations may be put out of the sight of her provocked jealous Lord. The Adversaries have (Proteous like) formed themselves into various versatile shapes, and taken odd measures in opposing her Restauration. When of a sudden, the Dragon (as it were) was with his Angels cast to the Earth, Prelacy, and Supremacy, together with the Agents and Instruments thereof baffled, and pull'd down by a Parliamentary Decision, these men were for some times amused into a silent Consternation. But streight this Essay pleading for a president moderat Episcopacy, in an Ingine set a-work to restore and heal the Beast of its deadly Wounds, but this project is found ineffectual, Presbyterian Government being Established in the hands of Presbyterians. But behold another Engine and Method of opposition, they do closely but vigorously assist at this time the Armed Rebels, within and without the Kingdom. But these men (the Egyptian Reed they lean to) are broken and brought under, and the Waters overflows this Hiding-place, and Refuge of Lies. Another method of assulting this Church is, to ply the King with their Oratory, or if he be inexorable to them, the Church of England must be set upon this work. and carressed with the outmost Diligence, and Artifices; the English Service must be set up in Edinburgh, in separat meetings, and Pamphlets spread through England, stuff'd, with Tragical complaints of their Sufferings, and with whole Legends of manifold lies and calumnies, cast upon our Assemblies, and the faithful Ministry of this Church, as also upon several persons of eminency concerned in promoting the Lord's Work. If this will not do, and the bright beams of discovered Truth, and our Churches innocency dispel this Cloud, the fruitful invention of these Assailiants sets a-work another project, 'tis an old one made new again, take … in, let us build with you—Addresses are made for receiving them into the Judicatories of this Church, But what wit or honesty hath appeared in their several attempts this way, and in plying this Engine, Time (whose Daughter Truth is) has already in part, and ere long will further discover; (though our Church has always witnessed a willingness to receive them upon terms, consisting with the safety of the Government) This certainly is a project, that of it self, hath much of the Old Serpents subtilty in it; Traitors within the Walls of City, are the most formidable Enemies. We all know the story of the Trojan Horse, and who said, Equo ne credite …eucri, and—timeo Danaor & dona ferentes. The feign'd Submission of a considerable number of Hannibals Army to the Romans, when both Armies were standing in procinctu, and ready to joyn Battel, proved an efficacious Stratagem, whereby that subtile redoubted General gave them a great and bloody overthrow, at the Field of Canna; These new supposed Auxiliaries having thus, because among them a greater advantage to do them mischief in time of the Battel, than any other of his Army. I must here add, That the unsound Tincture (in many things) and dangerous design of a late Paper, bearing the specious Title of, A further Vindication of the present Government of the Church of Scotland, looks very like a correspondence with the same project of her Enemies. But He who is higher than the highest, (whose weakness is stronger than man, and His foolishness wiser than man) regards, and has an early Eye in the Morning Watch, through the Cloud, upon the Egyptians. Let us lament after him, and lift up our ardent cryes unto this great Shepherd of the Sheep, in this signal Iuncture of Difficulties, when the Children are brought to the Birth, and there seems no strength to bring forth, that he would stop the way against Adversaries, give His Iudgments to our King, holy sagacity to scatter the Wicked with His Eyes, and bring the Wheel over them; that He would revive His Work, and People, behold, and visit this Vine, lay yet the Stones of this poor tost-Church, with fair colours, and her foundations with Sapphires, bring back His Glory to His House, and Plant His Tabernacle among us for evermore.