The Pulpits Patronage Against Unordained Usurpation, Part 1 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The fourth Argument.
THat ought to be in every ſetled, well-ordered Arg. 4 Church, that is in every ſetled, well-ordered, naturall, and civil body, and ſociety of men; for the Church is the body of Chriſt, (a)Eph. 1. 22, 23. 1 Cor. 12. 27.which he hath purchaſed and payd dear for. Our bodies, though defective and deformed, yet are given us, and coſt us nothing, and we muſt not be too Eagle-eyed on what is given us, beneficium non ſpectandum à deteriore parte; but Chriſt hath bought his; as he that had little crooked leggs, yet would have the Painter make him handſome ones, becauſe he bought thoſe, not the other. So it is called, the houſe of God (b)1 Tim. 3. 15. Heb. 3. 6., and we may not think our houſes ſhould be neat and handſome, well governed and ordered, and his lie waſte, as the Prophet ſpeaks (c)Hag. 1. 4.: ſo a City (d)Heb. 12: 22.. What therefore ought to be in every naturall body, houſe, or City, ought to be in the Church, which is inveſted with all theſe titles and denominations.
But in every naturall body, family, ſociety, or City, there are ſome perſons ſet a part to attend, and act in their affairs; for the head hath one imployment in the body, the hand another, and the foot another, as the Apoſtle ſheweth (e)Rom. 12. 4, 5.; yea thoſe members of the body, which ſeem more feeble, are notwithſtanding neceſſary (f)1 Cor. 12. 22.; as one ſayes well, caput eſt optimum, ſed non oportet ut totum ſit caput: the Generall in an Army is the beſt Officer, yet all cannot be Generalls; and if the feeble members in a body cannot be ſpared, much leſſe the noble: if one cannot ſpare his hand or foot, much leſſe his head. Yea, though the other members could ſupply the place, and ſerve, yet it would be unhandſome and inconvenient, to ſowe, and thred their needles with their toes, as ſome have done: ſo in a family, though ſervants can act the Fathers part, in correcting or directing of the Chrildren, yet the Apoſtle doth appropriate that Office unto the Father (g)Heb. 12. 9.; ſo many Servants can do the Husbands Office, yet are not ſuffered: In a Corporation that is allowed and legall in the Head-Officer, that would be an uſurpation, and a crime in any other: if a prudent and well-ſpoken Gentleman ſhould ſtep into the Judges place, and give ſentence, and order execution upon offenders, without Commiſſion, it were a crime; as the Wolf in the fable, that came by the Butchers ſlaughter-houſe, cryed out, ſi ego hoc feciſsem, if I ſhould do it, what an uproar would therebe? yet there is not in the word of God, half ſo much ſaid for Government and rule in civil things, as in Church matters, the civil Governours have not ſo manifeſt, and plain Commiſſions in the word of God, as ſpirituall have: if therefore it would be accounted an haynous crime, for a luſty ſerving-man, to put his Lord and Maſter out of bed, and ſtep into his place, becauſe he thought himſelf as able for that ſervice as his Maſter; why ſhould a Miniſter be pull'd out of his Pulpit by one that thinks he can ſpeak better? If a Souldier, well attended, ſhould invade the Lord Mayor of Londons place, and preſume to mannage what he was about, we ſuppoſe the attendants of the Court, and Auditors, would not expect who could do better, but would think fit to interrupt him; or if they were not ſtrong enough, for to complain unto thoſe in Authority, and think their liberties invaded, and their Charters and Powers much infringed: and why Gods people in their publick ſolemn meetings and Aſſemblies, ſhould be diſturbed and interruped, we do not know; Obſta principiis ſerò medicina paratur, cum mala per longas invaluere moras: When every man did what was right in his own eyes, and publick order was neglected, and not looked after, as 'tis ſaid (h)Jud. 17. 6., the Lord was heavily revenged on them for it, as appears in the ſequel of that Hiſtory. If the Church affaires, and Eccleſiaſticall Aſſemblies, be neglected and expoſed, be ſure the Civil will not long be quiet: When Iſrael had been a long time without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law, there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries; Nation was deſtroyed of Nation, and City of City, for God did vex them with all adverſity (i)2 Chron. 15 3, 5, 6,; for the conſcience is the fountain and ſpring of duty, and if that be not directed and awed by the Word of God, in vain are Acts of Parliament and Proclamations made; as if the Spring of a Clock be down, in vain are all the Wheeles kept clean, and put in order: And therefore good Governours have alwayes ſtudied to ſettle that, as Abijah doth, before that bloody and great Encounter between his Army and Jeroboam's (k)2 Chron. 13 4, 5, &c., And ſo the Apoſtle, You muſt needs be ſubject, not onelyonly for wrath, but alſo for conſcience ſake (l)Rom. 13. 5..