Not Lawful to Hear of Have Spiritual Communion With the Church of England, Argument 6
The ſixt Argument, taken out of divers Treatiſes written in behalf of the Miniſters of Devonſhire, Cornwall, Lincolnſhire &c. alſo out of the Admonitions to the Parliamēt, & out of Mr Cartwrights, Mr Vdals, Mr Iacobs, & other of their books, written of like argument.
IF theſe Aſſertions be true, 1. That that Church-calling for which the Scripture giveth no expreſſe warrant, is meerly vſurped & vtterly vnlawfull: 2. That as it is not lawful to bring in any ſtraunge doctrine, ſo is it not lawfull to teach the true doctrine, vnderunder the name of any other function then is inſtituted by God; And, that God hath not onelyonly ordeyned that the word ſhould be preached, but hath ordeyned alſo in what order and by whom it ſhould be preached: 3. That the Word of God conteyned in the Writings of the Prophets and Apostles, is of abſolute perfection, given by Chriſt the head of the Church, to be vntounto the ſame, the ſole Canon and rule of all matters of Religion, and the worſhip and ſervice of God whatſoever: And that whatſoever done in the ſame ſervice and worſhip cannot be iustifyed by the ſaid word, is vnlawfull: 4. That a true viſible Church is a company of men, ordinarily ioyning together in the true worſhip of God: And, that all ſuch Churches and Congregations, communicating after that maner together, in divine worſhip, are in all eccleſiaſticall matters equall, and of the ſame power and authority, and that by the word and will of God they ought to have the ſame ſpiritual priviledges, prerogatives, officers, administrations, orders, and Formes of divine worſhip: 5. That every establiſhed Church or Congregation ought to have thoſe ſpirituall officers and Miniſters which are enioyned by Chriſt in the new Teſtament, and no other: 6. That the ground of Church-government, is the Kingly function of Christ, who is the Head of the Church, and whom it properly concernes to make lawes by which to governe the Church. 7. That the Scripture hath delivered an exact platforme of Pollicie for the Houſe of God which is the Church: And, The word of God deſcribeth perfitly vntounto vsus, that form of governing the Church wch is lawful; & the officers that are to execute the ſame; from the which no Chriſtian Church ought to ſwarve. 8. That the forme of Church-governement in England is an Humane ordināce; yea & the very ſame, by which Antichrist roſe vntounto his intollerable Tyranny in Gods Church. 9. That it robbeth the Church of lawfull Paſtors, Elders, and Deacons. 10. That Dioceſan Biſhops have not any place nor part at all in any true and proper viſible Church of Christ. 11. That it is the naturall and immutable office of a Pastor both to Teach and to Governe (with the aſsiſtance of other Elders) his owne flock. 12. That the right & true Diſcipline Eccleſiasticall in each proper Viſible Church, is one mayne part of the ordinarie meanes of ſalvation appointed by God for every ſoule: and that this in the Church of England is vtterly wanting. 13. That Dioceſan Biſhops, &c. do (by neceſſarie conſequence) deny Chriſt the Saviour to be our intire and perfect Prophet and ſpirituall King (by taking away from him ſome proper parts of his Propheticall and Kingly Offices), impugne the Foundation of ſaving faith, and are contrarie to Gods word. 14. That Chriſt is the onelyonly teacher of his Church, and appointer of all meanes whereby we ſhould be taught and admoniſhed of any holy dutie, & whatſoever he hath thought good to teach his Church, and the meanes whereby, he hath perfitly ſet downe in the holy Scriptures, ſo that to acknowledge any other meanes of teaching and admoniſhing vsus of our duty, then ſuch as he hath appointed, is to receive another teacher into the the Church beſides him, and to confeſſe ſome imperfection in thoſe meanes he hath ordeyned to teach vsus by: If theſe Aſſertions (I ſay) be true, then is it vnlawfull to have communion with the preſent Ministery of the Church-aſſemblies of England.
But the foreſaid Aſſertions are true:
Therefore it is vnlawfull to have communion with the preſent Miniſterie of the Church-aſſemblies of England.
The Propoſition agreeth with that of the former Argument, and addeth weight vntounto it. For, beſides that which there is ſayd, it cannot ſtand with the Homage due vntounto Chriſt the King and Head of the Church; with the ſound acknowledgement of the ſufficiency of the Scripture & word of God; with the carefull vſing of the means of ſalvation appointed by God for every ſoule; with the faithfull renouncing of all humane ordinances in Gods worſhip, and vtter deteſtation of Antichriſt, &c. to have cōmunion with the Miniſterie of the Church-aſſemblies of England: ſeing they are not lawfull Paſtors or Miniſters, having the naturall and immutable Offices appointed by Chriſt, nor performing the worſhip of God according to the Canon of his word; but ſtand in ſubiection to Provinciall and Dioceſan Biſhops, receiving their Miniſtery from them, and executing it vnderunder them, who are contrary to Gods word, and againſt the Prophecy & Kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt: &c. So as to heare and communicate with their Miniſtery, were to worſhip God after an vnlawfull maner, and to acknowledge other offices and meanes of teaching and governing the Church, then ſuch as Chriſt hath appointed: and conſequently to receive an other Teacher & King into the Church beſides him, and to confeſſe ſome imperfection in thoſe offices and meanes which he hath ordeyned to teach & governe vsus by. &c.
The Aſſumption is their owne, acknowledged & confirmed by themſelves in divers of their books: Namely, The Removall of certaine Imputations layd vponupon the Ministers of Devon: and Cornwall, pag. 22. 39. T. C. reply, 1. Pag. 83. Engliſh Puritaniſme, p. 1. 5. 6. 12. 13. 24. The Demonſtrat. of Diſcipl. pag 1. Admonit. to the Parliam. treatiſe, 1. and 2. Sermon on Rom. 12. pag. 36. 37. Mr Iacobs Reaſons proving neceſsity of reforming the Churches in England, pag. 33. 35. 51. 52. 53. The Abridgement of the Book delivered to his Maieſty by the Lincolnſhire Miniſt: pag. 31. 32. 77. 78. &c.
And let it here be obſerved, that although the caſe be thus cleare, by their owne writings, againſt their Church and Miniſtery: yet*Mr. Bradſh. Argum. 12. London Miniſters Protest. Mr Iacobs, Mr Hilderſ. Mr Stones, & others writings. &c. they ceaſe not to impute ſchiſme vntounto vsus for ſeparating from them in ſuch eſtate; they pretend that the mayne cauſe of our ſeparation, is becauſe of their Ceremonies; they hold and plead that the Churches of England, as they be establiſhed by publik Authority, are true viſible Churches of Chriſt; and that their Ministers, are faithfull Pastors, and true Ministers of Christ, &c. Accuſations, pretences, opinions and pleas, that ſort very ill with their Propoſitions and Aſſertions: and are ſo much the more ſtraunge in them, as they have, beſides all the former Poſitions & many other the like, affirmed expreſſely, that they lack both a right Ministerie of God, & a right governmēt of his Church according to the Scriptures; that they have an Antichristian hierarchie; & a Leiturgy culled & picked out of the Popiſh dunghil the Maſſebook full of all abominations; and that the controverſie betwixt the Prelates & them, is not for a cap a tippet or a ſurplus, but for greater matters concerning a true Miniſterie and Regiment of the Church according to the word. Which being once eſtabliſhed, the other melt away of themſelves. Admon. to the Parliam. treatiſe, 1. & 2.
Thus have they written and iudged themſelves heretofore. Now if their Church and Miniſtery were altered, it would be knowen. But ſeing it is not, how is it that they keep not more to the greater matters in controverſie; but inſiſt ſo much vponupon the leſſer, which would melt away of themſelves, if the other were once establiſhed? And why blame they vsus, for ſeparating from their falſe Miniſterie, vnlawfull worſhip, and Babyloniſh conſtitution of their Church? Or why conſider they not, that the extent of their Propoſitions and Aſſertions reacheth, not onelyonly to their Ceremonies, but alſo to their Miniſtery, Leiturgie, and Church it ſelf?
Now therefore if they can make to accord together, their judgement with their practiſe, their writings with their walking: it is more then tyme & needfull that they did it, & that they did it ſoundly from the word of God. For as yet what do they els, but with one mouth both bleſſe and curſe; and with the one hand build vp that which with the other they deſtroy, and ſo make themſelves treſpaſſers? Gal. 2.18.