Works of Joseph Hall, Section 27 – Section 28
SECTION XXVII.
FOr our deuiſed office of Miniſtery, you hauehave giuen it a true title.The truth and warrant of the Miniſtery of England. Mat. 28.19. Epheſ. 4.11. … Tim. 2.2. 1 Tim. 3.1. Act. 13. 1 Tim. 3.6. 1 Tim. 5.22. 1 Tim. 2.15. Diſcourſe of the trouble and Excom. at Amſt. It was deuiſed indeed by our Sauiour, when he ſaid, Goe teach all Nations and baptize; and performed in continuance, when he gaue ſome to be Paſtors and Teachers; and not onelyonly the Office of Miniſtery in generall, but ours whom he hath made able to teach, and deſirous; ſeparated vsus for this cauſe to the work, vponupon due triall admitted vsus, ordained vsus by impoſition of hands of the Elderſhip, and praier, directed vsus in the right diuiſion of the Word, committed a charge to vsus; followed our Miniſtery with power, and bleſſed our labours with gracious ſucceſſe, euen in the hearts of thoſe whoſe tongues are thus buſie to deny the truth of our vocation: Behold here the deuiſed Office of our Miniſtery: What can you deuiſe againſt this? Your Paſtor, who (as his brother writes) hopes to worke wonders by his Logicall skill, hath killed vsus with ſeuen Arguments, which he profeſſeth the quinteſſence of his owne, and Penries extractions, whereto your Doctor refers vsus as abſolute. I would it were not tedious, or worth a Readers labour to ſee them ſcanned. I proteſt before God and the world, I neuer read more groſſe ſtuffe ſo boldly and peremptorily faced out: ſo full of Tautologies and beggings of the Queſtion neuer to be yeelded. Let me mention the maine heads of them, and for the reſt be ſorry that I may not be endleſſe.
To proue therefore that no communion may be had with the Miniſtery of the Church of England, he vſes theſe ſeuen demonſtrations. Firſt,Certaine Arg. againſt the Miniſt. of England. Counterpoyſ. Becauſe it is not that Miniſtery which Chriſt gaue, and ſet in his Church. Secondly, Becauſe it is the Miniſtery of Antichriſts Apoſtaſie. Thirdly, Becauſe none can communicate with the Miniſtery of England, but he worſhips the Beaſts image, and yeeldeth ſpirituall ſubiection to Antichriſt. Fourthly, Becauſe this Miniſtery deriueth not their power and function from Chriſt. Fiftly, Becauſe they miniſter the holy things of God by vertue of a falſe ſpirituall calling. Sixtly, Becauſe it is a ſtrange Miniſtery, not appointed by God in his word. Seuenthly, Becauſe it is not from Heauen but from Men.
Now I beſeech thee Chriſtian Reader, iudge whether that which this man was wont ſo oft to obiect to his brother (a crackt braine) appeare not plainely in this goodly equipage of reaſons? For what is all this, but one and the ſame thing tumbled ſeuen times ouer? which yet with ſeuen thouſand times babbling ſhall neuer be the more probable. That our Miniſtery was not giuen and ſet in the Church by Chriſt, but Antichriſtian, what is it elſe to be from men, to be ſtrange, to be a falſe ſpirituall calling, not to be deriued from Chriſt, to worſhip the image of the Beaſt? So this great challenger that hath abridged his nine arguments to ſeuen, might aſwell hauehave abridged his ſeuen to one a halfe. Here would hauehave beene as much ſubſtance, but leſſe glory: As for his maine defence: Firſt, we may not either hauehave, or expect now in the Church that Miniſtery which Chriſt ſet: Where are our Apoſtles, Prophets, Euangeliſts? If we muſt alwayes looke for the very ſame adminiſtration of the Church which our Sauiour left, why doe we not challenge theſe extraordinary functions? Doe wee not rather thinke, ſince it pleaſed him to begin with thoſe Offices which ſhould not continue, that herein he purpoſely intended to teach vsus, that if we hauehave the ſame heauenly buſineſſe done, we ſhould not be curious in the circumſtances of the perſons? But for thoſe ordinarie callings of Paſtors and Doctors (intended to perpetuity) with what forehead can he deny them to be in our Church? How many hauehave we that conſcionably teach and feed, or rather feed by teaching? Call them what you pleaſe, Superintendents (that is) Biſhops, Prelates, Prieſts, Lecturers, Parſons, Vicars, &c. If they preach Chriſt truly, vponupon true inward abilities, vponupon a ſufficient (if not perfect) outward vocation: ſuch a one (let all hiſtories witnes) for the ſubſtance, as hath bin euer in the Church ſince the Apoſtles times: they are Paſtors and Doctors allowed by Chriſt:Vbi res conuenit quis non verba contemnat? Aug. de Ord. n. 2. We ſtand not vponupon circumſtances and appendances of the faſhions of ordination, manner of choice, attire, titles, maintenance: but if for ſubſtance theſe be not true Paſtors and Doctors, Chriſt had neuer any in his Church, ſince the Apoſtles left the earth. All the difficultie is in our outward calling: Let the Reader grant our graue and learned Biſhops to be but Chriſtians, and this will eaſily bee euinced lawfull, euen by their rules: For,Brow. ſtate of Chriſtians. if with them eueryevery Plebeian Artificer hath power to elect and ordaine by vertue of his Chriſtian profeſſion (the act of the worthieſt ſtanding for all) how can they deny this right to perſons qualified (beſides common graces) with wiſdome, learning, experience, authority? Either their Biſhopricke makes them no Chriſtians (a poſition which of all the world beſides this Sect, would be hiſſed at) or elſe their hands impoſed are thus farre (by the rules of Separatiſts) effectuall. Now your beſt courſe is (like to an Hare that runnes backe from whence ſhe was ſtarted) to flie to your firſt hold: No Church, therefore no Miniſtery: So now, not the Church hath deuiſed the Miniſtery, but the Miniſtery hath deuiſed the Church: I follow you not in that idle circle: Thence you hauehave beene hunted already: But now, ſince I hauehave giuen account of ours; I pray you tell me ſeriouſly, Who deuiſed your Office of Miniſtery? I dare ſay, not Chriſt, not his Apoſtles, not their Suceſſors: What Church euer in the world can be produced (vnleſſe in caſe of extremity for one turne) whoſe conſpiring multitude made themſelues Miniſters at pleaſure? what rule of Chriſt preſcribes it? What reformed Church euer did, or doth practiſe it? what example warrants it? where hauehave the inferiours laid hands vponupon their Superiours? What congregation of Chriſtendome in all records afforded you the neceſſary patterne of an vnteaching Paſtor, or an vnfeeding Teacher?
It is an old policy of the faulty, to complaine firſt: Certainly, there was neuer Popiſh Legend a more errand deuice of man than ſome parts of this Miniſtery of yours, ſo much gloried in for ſincere correſpondence to the firſt Inſtitution.
SECTION XXVIII.
Confuſed Cō munion of the profane. Perplexae ſunt iſtae duae ciuitates in hoc ſeculo inuicem que permixtae, d…ec vltimo iudicio dirimantur. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei, l. 13.3. Eze. 18.20. Orig. Vnuſquiſ que propter proprium peccatū morietur, in propria iuſtitia viuet, &c. Fr. Iohnſ. Artic. againſt the Dutch and Fr. Anſw. againſt Broughton. Diſcouer. of Brown. Troubles and excom. at. Amſt. Charact. praef. lidem in publico accuſatores, in occulto rei, in ſemetipſos cenſores pariter & nocentes: Dānant f…ris quod intus operantur.YOur ſcornfull exception at the confuſed communion of the profane multitude, ſauours ſtrong of Phariſee, who thought it ſinne to conuerſe (cum terrae filijs) the baſe vulgar, and whoſe very Phylacteries did ſay, Touch me not, for I am cleaner than thou, This multitude is profane (you ſay) and this communion confuſed: If ſome be profane, yet not all; for then could be no confuſion in the mixture: If ſome be not profane, why doe you not louelove them as much as you hate the other? If all maine truths be taught amongſt ſome godly, ſome profane; why will you more ſhun thoſe profane, then cleaue to thoſe Truths, and thoſe godly? If you hauehave duly admoniſhed him, & deteſted & bewailed his ſin; what is another mans profaneneſſe to you? If profanenes be not puniſhed, or confuſion be tollerated, it is their ſin, whom it concerneth to redreſſe them: If the Officers ſin, muſt we run from the Church? It is a famous & pregnant proteſtation of God by Ezekiel: The righteouſnes of the righteous ſhall be vponupon him, and the wickednes of the wicked ſhall be vponupon himſelfe. And if the Fathers ſowre Grapes cannot hurt the childrens teeth, how much leſſe ſhall the neighbours? But whither will you runne from this Communion of the profane? The ſame fault you finde with the Dutch and French; yea, in your owne. How well hauehave you auoyded it in your ſeparation, let M. White, George Iohnſon, Maſter Smith be ſufficient witneſſes, whoſe plentifull reports of your known vncleaneſſes, ſmothered miſchiefes, malicious proceedings, corrupt packings, communicating with knowne offenders, bolſtering of ſinnes, and willing conniuences, as they are ſhamefull to relate, ſo might well hauehave ſtopt your mouth from excepting at our confuſed Communion of the profane.
SEP.
Shall ſome generall Truths (yea, though few of them in the particulars may be ſoundly practiſed) ſweeten and ſanctifie the other Errours? Doth not one Hereſie make an Heretike? and doth not a little Leuen, whether in doctrine or manners, leauen the whole lumpe? 1 Cor. 5.6, Gal. 5.9. Hag. 2.13. If Antichriſt held not many truths, wherewith ſhould he cou…tenance ſo many forgeries, or how could his worke bee a myſterie of iniquitie? which in Rome is more groſſe and palpable; but in England ſpunne with a finer threede, and ſo more hardly diſcouered. But tow…de no further in vniuerſalities; we will take a little time to examine ſuch particulars, as you your ſelfe hauehave picked out for your moſt aduantage, to ſee whether you bee ſo cleare of Babels Towers in your owne euidence, as you beare the world in hand.