Aarons Rod Blossoming, Book 2 · Appendix
An Appendix to the second Book, containing a Collection of some Testimonies not cited before; And first a Testimony of King Iames in a Declaration of his, penned with his own hand, signed and delivered to the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland at Linlithgow, December 7. Anno 1585.
I For my part shall never, neither my posterity ought ever cite, summon, or apprehend any Pastor or preacher for matters of Doctrine, in Religion, Salvation, Heresies, or true Interpretation of the Scripture: but according to my first act which confirmeth the liberty of preaching the Word, ministration of the Sacraments, I avouch the same to be a matter meer Ecclesiastical, and altogether impertinent to my calling. Therefore never shall I, nor ever ought they, I mean my posterity, acclaim any power or Iurisdiction in the foresaids. His Majesties meaning was that he ought not to do this in prima instantiâ, that is, before the person be accused, convict, or judged in any Ecclesiastical Court. (which was the Question at that time, occasioned by Mr. Andrew Melvill his Case) Afterward in the same Declaration it followeth thus.
Christ saying Dic Ecclesiae, and one onelyonly man stealing that dint in a quiet hole, the Act of Parliament reduceth the sentence for informality and nullity of processe, not as Iudges whether the Excommunication was grounded on good and just causes or not, but as witnesses that it was unformally proceeded, against the warrant of Gods Word, example of all Reformed Ki…ks, and your owne particular custome in this Countrey. A little after. I mind not to cut off any liberty granted by God to his Kirk. I acclaim not to my self to be judge of Doctrine in Religion, salvation, heresies, or true Interpretation of Scripture. And after. My Intention is not to meddle with Excommunication, neither acclaim I to my self or my Heires power in any thing that is meer Ecclesiastical and not foreign, nor with any thing that Gods Word hath simply devolved in the hands of his Kirk. And to conclude, I confesse and acknowledge Christ Iesus to be Head and Law-giver to the same. And what soever persons do attribute to themselves, as Head of the Kirk, and not as Member, to suspend or alter any thing that the Word of God hath onelyonly remitted to them, that man I say committeth manifest Idolatry, and sinneth against the Father in not trusting the Words of his Son, against the Son in not obeying him and taking his place, against the holy Ghost, the said holy Spirit bearing the contrary record to his Conscience.
Testimonies taken out of the Harmony of the Confessions of the Faith of the … Churches, R…printed at London 1643.
Pag. 238. Out of the confession of Helvetia.
FUrthermore, there is another power of duty, or ministerial power limited out by him, who hath full and absolute power and authority. And this is more like a Ministry then Dominion. For we see that some master doth give unto the steward of his house authority and power over his House, and for that cause delivereth him his keyes, that he may admit or exclude such as his master will have admitted or excluded. According to this power, doth the Minister by his office, that which the Lord hath commanded him to do, and the Lord doth ratifie and confirm that which he doth, and will have the deeds of his ministers to be acknowledged and esteemed as his own deeds, unto which end are those speeches in the Gospel: I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdom Matth. 16.of heaven, and whatsoever thou bindest or loosest in earth, shall be bound and loosed in heaven. Again, whose sins soever John 20.ye remit, they shall be remitted; and whose sins soever ye retain, they shall be retained. But if the minister deal not in all things as his Lord hath commanded him: but passe the limits and bounds of Faith, then the Lord doth make void that which he doth. Wherefore the Ecclesiastical power of the Ministers of the Church, is that function whereby they do indeed govern the Church of God, but yet so as they do all things in the Church as he hath prescribed in his Word; which thing being so done, the faithful do esteem them as done of the Lord himself.
Pag. 250. Out of the confession of Bohemia.
THe 14th. Chapter of Ecclesiastical doctrine is of the Lords keyes, of which he saith to Peter, I will Matth. 16.give thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven, and these keyes are the peculiar function or Ministery and administration of Christ his power, and his holy Spirit; which power is committed to the Church of Christ, and to the Ministers thereof, unto the end of the world: that they should not onelyonly by preaching publish the holy Gospel, although they should do this especially, that is, should shew forth that Word of true comfort, and the joyful message of peace, and new tydings of that favour which God offereth, but also that to the beleeving and unbeleeving, they should publikely or privately denounce and make known, to wit, to them his favour, to these his wrath, and that to all in general, or to every one in particular, that they may wisely receive some into the house of God, to the communion of Saints, and drive some out from thence, and may so through the performance of their Ministery, hold in their hand the Scepter of Christ his Kingdom, and use the same to the government of Christ his Sheep.
And after, Moreover a manifest example of using the power of the keyes is laid out in that sinner of Corinth and others, whom St. Paul, together with1 Cor. 5. the Church in that place, by the power and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of his Spirit, threw out from thence and delivered to Sathan: and contrariwise after that God had given him grace to repent, he absolved him from his sins, he took him again into the Church to the communion of Saints2 Cor. 2. and Sacraments, and so opened to him the Kingdom of Heaven again. By this we may understand, that these keyes, or this divine function of the Lords, is committed and granted to those that have charge of souls, and to each several Ecclesiastical Societies, whether they be smal or great. Of which thing the Lord sayeth to the Churches, Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. AndMatth. 18. straight after: For where two or three are gathered together in my Name, there am I in the middest of them.
Pag. 253. Out of the French Confession.VVE beleeve that this true Church ought to be governed by that regiment or disc…pline which our Lord Jesus Christ hath established, to wit so, that there be Pastors, Elders, and Deacons, that the purity of doctrine may be retained, vices repressed. &c.
Pag. 257. Out of the Confession of Belgia. VVE beleeve that this Church ought to be ruled and governed by that spiritual Regiment which God himself hath delivered in his word, so that there be placed in it Pastors and Ministers purely to preach, and rightly to administer the holy Sacraments: that there be also in it Seniors and Deacons, of whom the Senate of the Church might consist, that by these means true Religion might be preserved, and sincere doctrine in every place retained and spread abroad: that vicious and wicked men might after a spiritual manner be rebuked, amended, and as it were by the bridle of discipline kept within their compasse.
Pag. 260. Out of the Confession of Auspurge.
AGain, by the Gospel, or as they term it by Gods Law, Bishops, as they be Bishops, that is, such as have the administration of the Word and Sacraments committed to them, have no jurisdiction at all, but onelyonly to forgive sin, Also to know what is true doctrine; and to reject such Doctrine as will not stand with the Gospel, and to debarre from the communion of the Church such as are notoriously wicked, not by humane force and violence, but by the word of God. And herein of necessity the Churches ought by the law of God to perform obedience unto them, according to the saying of Christ, He that heareth you, heareth me. Upon which place the Observation saith thus. To debar the wicked, &c. To wit by the judgement and verdict of the Presbyterie, lawfully gathered together. &c.
A Testimony out of the Ecclesiastical Discipline of the Reformed Churches in France. Cap. 5. Art. 9.
THe knowledge of scandals, and the censure or judgement thereof belongeth to the Company of Pastors and Elders.
Art. 15. If it befalleth, that besides the admonitions usually made by the Consistories to such as have done amisse, there be some other punishment or more rigorous censure to be used: It shall then be done either by suspension, or privation of the holy communion for a time, or by excommunication or cutting off from the Church. In which cases the Consistories are to be advised to use all prudence, and to make distinction betwixt the one and the other: As likewise to ponder and carefully to examine the faults and scandals that are brought before them, with all their circumstances, to judge warily of the censure, which may be required.
Harmonia Synodorum Belgicarum. Cap. 14. Art. 7. 8. 9.
PEccata sua natura publica, aut per admonitionis privatae contemtum publicata, ex Consistorii totius arbitrio, modo & formâ ad aedificationem maximè accomodatis sunt Corrigenda.
Qui pertinaciter Consistorii admonitiones rejecerit, à S. Coenae communione suspendetur.
Si suspensus post iter atas admonitiones nullum poenitentiae signum dederit, ad Excommunicationem procedet Ecclesia.
Melchior Adamus de vitis Germanorum Theologorum, Pag. 342.
CUm que sub id tempus (Anno 1545.) Fredericus Elector Palatinus, qui Ludovico successerat, de Ecclesiarum agitaret Reformatione: composuit Melanchthon, cum evocato venire integrum non esset, scriptum de reformandis Ecclesiis: cujus Synopsin aliquot regulis comprehendit:Cons. Theol. pag. 586. quas addimus.
Vera & salutaris gubernatio Ecclesiae Christi praecipuè in his sex Membris consistit.
PRimum, In vera & pura Doctrina, quam Deus Ecclesiae suae patefecit, tradidit, & doceri mandavit.Gubernatio Ecclesiae in quibus consistat.
Secundo, In legitime usu Sacramentorum.
Tertio, In conservatione Ministerii Evangelici & obedientiae erga Pastores Ecclesiarum; sicut Deus vult & postulat conservari Ministerium Evangelii, & servat ipse sua potentiâ & presentiâ.
Quarto, In conservatione honestae & pia Disciplinae retinendae per judicia Ecclesiastica, seu jurisdictionem Ecclesiasticam.
Quinto, In conservandis studiis necessariae doctrinae & Scholis.
Sexto, Ad haec opus est defensione corporali & facultatibus, ad personas, quae sunt in efficiis necessariis, alendas.
The Irish Articles of Religion. Art. 58.
NEither do we give unto him (the Supreme Magistrate) hereby the administration of the Word and Sacraments, or the power of the keyes.
And Art. 69. But particular and visible Churches (consisting of those who make profession of the Faith of Christ, and live under the outward means of Salvation) be many in number: wherein the more or lesse sincerely according to Christs Institution, the Word of God is taught, the Sacraments are administred, and the authority of the keyes is used; the more or lesse pure are such Churches to be accounted.
Laurentius Humfredus de Religionis conservatione & Reformatione vera. Ad Nobilitatem, Clerum, & Populum Anglicanum.
PAg. 23. Nec satis mirari possum nec satis dolere, cum intellgam in his locis *He wrote from Basil.repudiari disciplinam Ecclesiasticam, & vel nullam esse vel nimis laxam, vel non satis vigilanter administratam, in quibus tamen alioqui Religionis sincera ef…igies cernitur: quasi Evangelium esse possit ubi non vivitur Evangelicè: aut quasi Christus laeto▪ carnali, voluptuario delectetur Evangelio. &c. At in Ecclesia manere debet censura & jurisdictio, non minus quam gladius in Repub. Pag. 25. Sit ergo haec prima Reformationis perfectae ratio, nostri ac peccatorum recognitio & emendatio. Deinde severior adsit in Ecclesia castigatio & animadversio: ut illa laxit as & remissio frnaeetur, quo minus & levius deinceps peccetur.
FINIS.