Not Lawful to Hear of Have Spiritual Communion With the Church of England, Reason 5
The fift Reaſon.
NOne may heare or have any ſpiritual communion with thoſe Miniſters, which miniſter the holy things of God & work vponupon the conſciences of men by vertue of a falſe ſpiritual calling.
But the Ministers of the Church-aſſemblies of England, miniſter the holy things of God and work vponupon the conſciences of men by vertue of a falſe ſpiritual calling.
Therfore none may heare or have any ſpirituall communion with the Ministers of the Church-aſſemblies of England.
The Major or firſt part of the Reaſon is proved:
1. Becauſe the miniſtration of the holy things of God, is a ſpeciall part of Gods ſpiritual worſhip: and therfore neyther to be done by any falſe ſpirituall calling, nor to be received from any ſo miniſtring. Mat. 28.18.19.20. Act. 20.17.28. Epheſ. 4. 11.12. 1 Cor. 3.8.9. & 4.1. & 5.3.4.5. & 11.23. 24. 25. & 12.4.5.6.13.18.28. 2 Cor. 5.19.20. Col. 4.17. 1 Tim. 3.15. and 6.13.—16. 2 Tim. 4.3.4.5. Heb. 5.4. with Nū. 16.40. Ier. 23.16.21.22. Ezech. 43.8. & 44.6.7. 8.9. Rev. 2.1.2.7. &c.
2. Becauſe the conſciences of the people of God are the Temples of the living God wherin he dwelleth by his Spirit, & ought therfore only to be ſubiect to the Lord, and taught by him in his owne ordinance. 1 Cor. 3.16. & 2 Cor. 6.16.17.18. with 5.20. Ioh. 13.20. Heb. 13.7.17. Rev. 22.16.17.18.19.
3. Becauſe the Lord Ieſus Chriſt alone muſt have this preeminence, & the Church may not ſuffer any whomſoever to beare rule over them at their owne pleaſure. Col. 1.18.19. and 2.18.19.
4. Becauſe in ſubmitting the ſoule to a falſe ſpirituall Miniſtery, men defile the Temple of God, and withdraw their ſubjection from Chriſt, and become the ſubjects of Antichriſts: as it is written, The Temple of God is holy, which ye are: And, No man can ſerve two maiſters: for eyther he ſhall hate the one and love the other, or els he ſhall leane to the one and deſpiſe the other. And, of whomſoever a man is overcome, even to the ſame is he in bondage. 1 Cor. 3.16. 17.18. and 2 Cor. 6.16.17. with Mat. 6.24. Luk. 6.46. Mal. 1.6. Rom. 6. 16. 2 Theſs. 2.3.4, 2 Pet. 2.19.
The Minor or ſecond part of the reaſon is proved, becauſe they miniſter the holy things of God & work vponupon the conſciences of men by vertue of their Miniſtery received of the Prelates, frō their ſpiritual authority, which is vſurped and Antichriſtian; and therfore by vertue of a falſe ſpirituall calling: as hath ben ſhewed before in the ſecond Reaſon, and is proved in*Mr Bradſh. Argum. 10. Mr Iacobs Reaſons for neceſſ. of reform. p. 4.44.52. &c. divers of their owne writings. Yet here is ſomewhat to be annexed for the clearing of ſome exceptions, ſpecially concerning ſuch as are of greateſt forwardnes among them.
Some there be which ſay, they preach not by vertue of their Miniſterie taken from the Prelates, but by vertue of ſome other calling and authority. Let ſuch conſider and anſwer, 1. Why they would ſeem to renounce that calling received of the Prelates? 2. Secondly, if they diſclayme that Miniſtery appointed by Law of the land, why they blame vsus for doing the like? 3. Thirdly, if they preach by vertue of another calling then that they have received of the Prelates, how then they ſtand Miniſters of that Church where no other is allowed? and how they impoſe themſelves vponupon any of their pariſhes or aſſemblies, ſeing the lawes of the land allow onelyonly the Prelacy Prieſthood & Deaconry aforeſaid? 4. Fourthly, how they can avoyd, but needs they muſt be therein both intruders & hypocrites? Intruders, becauſe they take vponupon them & exerciſe a publick office in that Church, againſt the publick lawes and conſtitutions thereof: Hypocrites, becauſe they pretend in ſhow one thing to the Prince, people, and State; and yet performe another thing in deed: They pretend and ſeem to ſtand by the Princes lawes, & by the authority of their calling had from the Prelates (for otherwiſe they could not ſtand Miniſters in any of thoſe aſſēblies): and yet they practiſe the contrary, if they ſtand not by this, but by vertue of ſome other calling and authority, as ſometymes they affirme.
But let vsus ſuppoſe that which is not, namely, that they had ſome other calling which were lawfull: yet alſo receiving or reteyning this vnlawful calling of the Prelates, this were but to halt between two opinions, and to ſet their threſholds by Gods threſholds, and their poſts by Gods poſts, even their inventions by Gods ordinances. Of which kind of worſhip the Scripture witneſſeth, that it is nothing els but to ſet a wall between God and them, and to defile his holy name with their abominations. Ezech. 43.8. with 1 King. 18.21.
Finally, whatſoever they pretend of another calling, ‡Mr Hild. to Mrs N. Mr Iacobs compariſon of mariage. His Reaſons for neceſſ. of reform. p. 50. Offer of Conf. pag. 39.by their Churches or peoples chuſing, accepting, willing ſubiecting to their Miniſtery, &c. yet it is evident that in very deed they preach the word & miniſter the Sacraments, and execute all duties of their Miniſtery, by vertue of their calling taken from the Prelates: As may appeare by theſe reaſons following:
1. Becauſe they cannot ſtand publick Miniſters of the Church-aſſemblies of Engl., vnleſſe they receive of the Prelates the Deaconry & Preiſthood aforeſaid. And at their ordination, they have this authority given them of the Prelates, when the Biſhop delivereth to every one of them, the Bible in his hand, ſaying,*Book of ordering prieſts. fol. 14. Take thou authority to preach the word of God, and to miniſter the holy ſacraments in the congregation, where thou ſhalt be ſo appointed.
2. Becauſe that alſo by the law of their Church, they are†Canons of Anno, 1603. Can. 8. excommunicated ipſo facto, if they affirme, that they who are made Biſhops, Prieſts, or Deacons after their fourme of making and conſecrating them, are not lawfully made, nor to be accounted by themſelves or others, to be truely Biſhops, Priests, or Deacons, vntill they have ſome other calling to thoſe Offices.
3. Becauſe the people, even the beſt & moſt religious among them (as now they ſtand in the confuſion and bondage of thoſe eccleſiaſticall aſſemblies, officers, canons, & proceedings) have not the liberty of the Churches of Chriſt, nor power in that eſtate to chooſe and ſubmit vntounto the true and lawful Miniſtery appointed by Chriſt. Of which point ſee further, in the Treatiſe of the Ministery of the Church of Engl. p. 119.120.121.
4. And laſtly, becauſe without & againſt the peoples conſent (by whoſe approbation and ſubjection to their Miniſtery they would ſeem to ſtand) they are by the Prelates alone, ſilenced, deprived, and degraded, from exerciſing any Miniſtery in thoſe aſſemblies. Whereby even themſelves profeſſe to the world, that they have their Miniſtery from the Prelates; that they exerciſe it by vertue of their calling received from them; & that they ſtill remayne in bondage vnderunder their Antichriſtian authority. Not to ſhew further in particulars, how their eſtate is ſuch (whatſoever they think or pretend otherwiſe) as both themſelves, their Miniſtery, and people ſtand all of them ſubiect to the Prelates, and to their Antichriſtian Courts, ſuſpenſions, excōmunications, abſolutions, and all other their proceedings, officers, canons, and conſtitutions eccleſiaſticall.
In the Scriptures wee read, that the Apoſtles, being true Miniſters of Chriſt, would not at the commaundement and threatning of the lawfull Magiſtrates and Rulers leave of to preach in the Name of Ieſus, Act. 4.5.6.7.8. &c. And why ſhould not theſe preachers, if they were in a true Miniſterie, much more refuſe to leave it at the appointment of the Prelates, who are vnlawfull vſurpers of the juriſdiction which they challenge and exerciſe in the Church? Yea if ſo be their offices and authority were lawfull, yet when they forbid that which God hath commanded, all the Scripture teacheth in ſuch caſes not to yeeld obedience vntounto them any more then the Apoſtles did to the Rulers of Iſrael in the matter afore ſaid.
If it be ſaid, that the Apoſtles had an immediate calling of Christ, and therefore refuſed to obey the Rulers: We anſwer, that they had in deed an immediate calling of the Lord, but they made not this the ground of their refuſall, neyther might ſo have done, if the Magiſtrate cō maundement ſayd vponupon them had ben lawfull. Here therfore two things are to be obſerved: Firſt, that in all lawfull things, the Apoſtles aſwell as any other Chriſtians were bound to obey the Magiſtrates in the Lord. And ſo they both did themſelves, and taught others to do, ſaying, Let every ſoule be ſubiect to the higher powers. Every ſoule, aſwell the Apoſtles and Prophets, as any other whoſoeuer. Rom. 13.1. 1 Pet. 2.13-17. Secondly, the Apoſtles being at that tyme ſo injoyned and threatned by the Governours of Iſrael, layd this for the foundation and ground of their anſwer and refuſall, that they ought to obey God rather then men. Act. 4.19. and Act. 5.29. Which is a duty as neceſſarily required of all Miniſters and Chriſtians, as it was of the Apoſtles, namely, to obey God and not Man, when Man forbiddeth that which God commaundeth, or commaundeth that which God forbiddeth.
An example in deed there is of Uriah the Prieſt, who at the commaundement of the King of Iudah made an altar after the faſhion of that of Damaſcus, and ſacrificed thereon. 2 King. 16.10.11. But therein he ſinned greatly: notwithſtanding that he offered vponupon that altar to the Lord, ſuch burnt-offerings, meat-offerings, & peace-offerings, and at ſuch tymes of the morning and evening ſacrifice, as God himſelf had appointed. And if in that tyme of the Law he ought not to have done this though the King of Iudah commanded it, but ſhould rather have loſt his life for refuſing it: much leſſe may the Church-Miniſtery now vnderunder the Goſpell, at the appointment of any Princes (Chriſtian or other) beframed or exerciſed after any new maner deviſed by Man, and leaſt of all after Antichriſts that Man of ſinne: Yea though in that Miniſtery many doctrines of the Goſpel be taught, and ſuch Sacraments adminiſtred as Chriſt hath ordeyned. For the other was but contrary to an ordinance given by Moſes, whereas this is contrary to an ordinance given by Ieſus Chriſt, who being the ſonne is worthy of more honour then Moſes the ſervant. Heb. 3.3.
And here agayne concerning ſuch as plead, that they teach the truth and many excellent points of doctrine: It is to be obſerved, that yet none may therefore heare their Miniſtery vnderunder colour of learning the truth and receiving comfort from them; neyther may for this cauſe cō tinue in ſubjection to their Miniſtery and ordinances: becauſe that although men heare much truth from them, yet in yeelding to heare & receive it from Antichriſts Miniſtery, they defile the Temple of God in themſelves (if they be the Lords) even their ſoules and conſciences, and become the ſubjects of Antichriſt the ſonne of perdition. Not to ſpeak of the many errors and falſehoods, which they alſo teach and mainteyne. And for the truth which they preach, it is no new thing (as we have ſhewed before) that the Miniſters of Antichriſt ſhould in divers things teach and bring the truth with them. For when Sathan cannot by falſehood vtter his wares, merchandize, ordinances, Miniſtery, worſhip, &c. he will be glad to vtter the ſame by teaching the truth. He is beyond meaſure ſkilfull in framing deluſions, and making them meet that they may be received: & therefore when he perceiveth that he cannot get men to ſubmit thēſelves to his ordinances by hereſies & falſehood, he yeeldeth himſelf to bring the truth with him, to the intent that his ordinances may thereby be received which otherwiſe would be rejected, and to the end they may be had in eſtimation and obyed even for the truths ſake which they bring with them. Of which thing ſee what is further ſpoken here before, in the other Reaſon, Pag. 66. &c.
And Mr Beza againſt Saravia hath a good ſaying concerning this point, which he ſheweth by the practiſe of Chriſt and his Apoſtles (ſpoken of in Mark. 1.24.25. Luk. 4.34.35. Act. 16.16.17.18.) vidz, vide licet that although Antichrist teach that which is moſt true, as ſometimes he doth, to the end he may vnderunder colour of the truth more eaſily ſeduce men to beleev his lyes, yet the truth is not to be heard and received from his month, but even then ought we to ſtop our eares, least vnderunder this pretence talking with him we be deceived by him: for the truth is not to be received from the ſpirit of lies and vntruth. And I would to God (ſaith he) that this were diligently obſerved of thoſe wiſe Mediatours, who think that compoſition and agreement may be made with Antichriſt: ſeeking a mean there, where it is not at all to be found. Beza contra Sarav. cap. 25. p. 193.
Moreover, who knoweth not that Antichriſt and his Miniſters have bene and ſtill are in ſhow hypocriticall frends, but in deed great enemies of Ieſus Chriſt, even vnderunder the name of Chriſt fighting againſt Chriſt? Which thing how could they do, if they did not profeſſe and teach many truthes of the Goſpell of Chriſt? For if they ſhould deny every truth thereof, and ſay plainely that they were not the Church and Miniſters of Chriſt, then were they preſently eſpyed to be ſuch as they are; & who would follow them any longer? But Babylon is*Rev 17.5. 2 Theſ. 2.7. a myſtery: and therefore not eaſily perceived or avoyded, till God reveale it and draw vsus out of it. And whoſoever will aright diſcerne the condition of Antichriſts apoſtaſie, muſt with Iohn be caried as into the wildernes in the ſpirit, that we may look vponupon it, not according to the ſhow and account it hath in the world, but as it is in deed eſteemed of the Lord and diſcovered in his word. Rev. 17.3.4.5.6. And when it is ſhewed vntounto vsus, yet are we in our ſelves like Lot lingring and finding delayes, till God being mercifull vntounto vsus, take and draw vsus as it were out of Sodom: whereas we ſhould be like mynded as David who ſaid, I have conſidered my wayes, and turned my feet into thy teſtimonies: I made haſt and delayed not, to keep thy commaundements. Pſal. 119.59.60. with Gen. 19.1-16. Rev. 11.8. and 18.4.5.