The Divine Right of Church Government and Excommunication, To the reader
To the Ingenuous and Equitable Reader.
IT lieth obvious to any ordinary underderſtanding (worthy Reader) that as alwayes we ſee a little portion of God; ſo now, the Lord our God in his acting on Kingdoms and Churches, maketh Darkneſſe his Pavilion, to finde out the foreign and the Demonſtrative Cauſes and true Principles of ſuch bloody concluſions and horrible vaſtations, as the Soveraign Majeſty of Heaven and Earth hath made in Germany, Bohemiah, and the Palatinate, as if they were greater ſinners then we are; and why the windows of Divine Juſtice have been opened to ſend down ſuch a deluge of blood on Ireland; and why in Scotland the Peſtilence hath deſtroyed in the City, and the Sword of the Lord, not a few in the fields, (their Lovers and Friends ſtanding aloof from their calamities) is from the Lord who is wonderful in Counſel; but to finde reaſons to quiet the underſtanding, is not an eaſie ſcrutiny: matters are rolled onIob 37. 23. Iob 33. 13. inviſible wheels. It is enough to us foreign no Men, no Angels can hunt out the tracings of Divine Providence; Nor can we ſet a day of Law, nor erect a Court to implead this Lord, who is not holden in Law, to anſwer for any of his matters: It were our wiſdom to acknowledge that the actions of our Lord, ad extrà, are ſo twiſted and interwoven thred over thred, that we can ſee but little of the walls and out-works of his unſearchable counſels; ſure, Divine Providence hath now many irons in one fire, and with one touch of his finger he ſtirt…h all the wheels in Heaven and Earth.
I ſpeak this, if happily this little piece may caſt it ſelf in the eye of the Noble and Celebrious Judges and Senators who now ſit at the …e…m▪ for I hope they conſider, it is but a ſhort and ſorry Line, or rather a poor Circle, Job 1. 21. Gen. 3. 19. between the Womb and the Grave, between Duſt and Duſt▪ and that they then act moſt like themſelves (Pſal. 82. 6. I have ſaid ye are Gods) when they remember they are ſinful men, and when they reckon it for gain, that the King of Ages gives them a Diurnal of 24 hours to build the Houſe of the Lord, to cauſe the heart of a Widow Church (though her Husband live for evermore) to ſing for joy, and are eyes to the blinde, and legs to the lame; and withall do minde, that when the Spirit is within half a Cubit, or the ſixth part of a Span to Eternity, and Death cannot adjou…n for ſix hours▪ to repent▪ or do any more ſervice to Chriſt in the body, the welcom and teſtimony of God, ſhall be incomparably above the Hoſanna's of men. Undeniable it is, that we deſtroy again what we have builded, if we behead the Pope, and diveſt him of his Vicarious Supremacy, and ſoader the Man of Sins head, in the Eccleſiaſtical Government, to the ſhoulders of any Man, or Society of men on Earth. It is not an enriching ſpoyl to pluck a Roſe or Flower from the Crown of the Prince of the Kings of the Earth. Diamonds and Rubi…s picked out of the Royal Diadem of Jeſus Chriſt, addeth but a poor and ſorry Luſtre to Earthly Supremacy; it is Baldneſſe in ſtea… of Beauty.
An Arbitrary power in any, whether in Prince or … relats, is intolerable. Now to caſt ou… Domination in one, and to take it in in another, is not to put away the Evil of our doings, but to Barter and Exchange one ſin with another, and mockingly to expiate the Obligation of one Arrear to God, by contracting new Debt. Again, how glorious is it, that Shields of the Earth lay all their Royalty and Power level with the duſt before him that ſitteth on the Throne, and to make their Highneſſe but a Scaffold to heighten the Throne of the Son of God? Yea, if Domination by the Sword be the Magiſtrates Birth-right, as the Word of Truth teacheth us, Luke 22. 25, 26. Pſal. 82. 1, 6. Rom. 13. 4. and the Sword can never draw blood of the Conſcience; It is evident that the Lord Jeſus alloweth not Carnal weapons to be uſed within the walls of his Spiritual Kingdom; and if Power be an enchanting Witch, and like ſtrong Drink, which is doloſus luctator, a coſening Wreſtler, we are to be the more cautelous and circumſpect, that it incroach not upon Jeſus Chriſt, for fear that we provoke the eyes of his glory, and cauſe Jeruſalem to be plowed, and Zion become heaps, and many houſes great and fair, deſolate.
Let the Appeal be to the Spirit that ſpeaketh to the Churches in the Word: The Golden Reed can meaſure every Cubit of the Temple; as well the outer Porch, as the Holy of Holieſt, and all the dimenſions, the length and bredth of the City which is named foreign ▪ The Lord is there. If the Scripture be no Rule of Church Government, but the Magiſtrates Sword be upon the ſhoulders of Chriſt, as the prime Magiſtrate; we come too near to the Jewiſh, Earthly, and Temporary Meſ…iah. And if Excommunication and Cenſures, and that Miniſterial Governing which was undeniably in the Apoſtolick Church, be Fictions, we are in the dark. I confeſſe, we know not whether the Veſſels of the Houſe ſhould be of Gold and Silver, or if they ſhould be but Earthen Pitchers.
It is ſaid, That all this is but a Plea for a Dominion of an higher Nature, even over the Conſciences of men by Cenſures. But why a Dominion? Becauſe a power of Cenſures? Surely, if they were not Spiritual Cenſures, and ſuch as hath influence on the Conſcience, we ſhould yield a Domination were the buſineſſe. But this power of Cenſuring Spiritually, is as ſtrong as Authoritative in Diſpenſing Rebukes, Threats, Goſpel-charges and Commands in the Word Preached, as in Cenſures; The power is Miniſterial only in the Word, not Lordly; and why ſhould it be deemed a Dominion, and an Arbitrary power in the one, and not in the other?
If the will of the Magiſtrate may carve out any Government that ſeems good to him, and the Word of God in this plea be laid aſide, as perfect in Doctrine, but imperfect and uſeleſſe in Government, we fall from the Cauſe. But if the Word of God ſtand as a Rule in matters of Church-Government; then the Queſtion is only, on whoſe ſhoulders the Ark ſhould be carried; and by whoſe Miniſtery doth Jeſus the Lord and King of the Houſe puniſh (if I may uſe this word) Scandalous men? And whether doth the Head of the Church Chriſt, in laying Judgement to the Line, and Righteouſneſſe to the Plummet, uſe the Magiſtrates Sword for a Spiritual and Supernatural end of the Service and Miniſtery of his Church; or doth he ſend Paſtors and Teachers as his Ambaſſadors for this end? But if you were not Diſputing your ſelf, and not Chriſt (ſay ſome) to make Preachers the Alpha and Omega of mens Conſciences, and the Circle which beginneth and endeth at it ſelf, you would be ſatisfied, if Scandals be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate: Is not the Magiſtrate a Chriſtian as you are? Paul was glad that the Goſpel was Preached, he made no account by whom. But I ſhould be grieved that ſuch a hard concluſion ſhould be drawn out of ſuch innocent Principles: This were to extract Blood out of Milk, a Domination out of a meer Miniſtery; and I confeſſe, Self is a great Sophiſt in Debates, and that any man is inclinable to miſcount himſelf, and to think he may ſtand for an hundred, when the product is ſcarce one, if not a cypher. I conceive nothing is here taught, that may reach a blow to the Honour and Majeſty of the Godly Magiſtrate. The Magiſtrate is a Chriſtian as well as the Preacher; and in ſome ſenſe, ſo all the People were holy, as were Moſes, Aaron and the Levites. Uzziah who burned Incenſe was a Member of the Church of the Jews, and Circumciſed no leſſe then the Sons of Aaron: Yet I hope theſe ſtretched themſelves beyond their line, when they uſurped what was due to the Prieſts and Levites. Its another thing to puniſh evil doing with the Sword, the Magiſtrate is to do this. But there is a Spiritual removing of Scandals, by the ſaving of the Spirit in the day of the Lord, 1 Cor. 5. 5. Matth. 18. 15. 2 Cor. 10. 8. and a gaining of the Soul of an Offender. This Spiritual removing of Scandals, doth only bring Chriſt and the Goſpel in requeſt, in the hearts of both ſuch as are within and without the Church; as Scandals raiſeth up an evil report of Chriſt and the Truth. Now the Sword can never this way remove Scandals; and becauſe Chriſt hath appointed Spiritual means, and Spiritual Cenſures, to reſtore the Lord Jeſus to his Honour, 2 Cor. 2. It is preſumption (with all ſubmiſſion I ſpeak it) for men to horſe out, and decourt ſuch Cenſures Spiritual as the Apoſtles in the Spirit and Wiſdom of Chriſt uſed as moſt ſutable to that end, and which the Lord commandeth in the ſecond Command, and to ſubſtitute in their room, nothing but a Sword void of all activity on the Conſcience.
I do alſo here plead for the perfection of the Word of God againſt Humane Ceremonies, which are deſervedly by the Honorable Houſes of Parliament, and Reverend Aſſembly laid aſide; Religion needeth not any ſuch Ornaments, except men would make the Worſhip of God, when naked, under ſhame, and ſo under ſin (for Juſtice Married ſhame and ſin once.) But as Roſes, Lillies, the Sun, and other glorious Creatures, are moſt beautiful without Garments, and not capable of ſhame; ſo is the Worſhip of God. I confeſſe, Ceremonies were the Seas and Rivers that Prelats delighted to ſwim in; and if their Element be dried up, they have the leſſe pleaſure to live: But if they would repent of their bloody Perſecution, that their Souls might be ſaved, no matter. Ceremonies, as they have nothing of Chriſt in them, ſo have they been injurious to Magiſtrates. It is but a Ceremony that the Emperour kiſſe the ſole of the Popes foot, becauſe there is indented on it a curious Crucifix. And when Prelacy was yong, and its beard not grown, a Deacon was ſent to Theodoſius the Emperor by the Prelats to chide him, becauſe he preſumed to ſit in the Chancel, a place too holy for Lay-men.
What I have here ſaid againſt Eraſtus, a friend too dear to worthy Bullinger and Rodolp. Gualther, (often we love both the Friend and his Error) I humbly ſubmit to the Judgement of the Godly and Learned: But I conceive, I am unwilling that Error ſhould lodge with me willingly; and I profeſſe I am afraid, that wrath is gone out from the Lord againſt the Rulers, if they ſhall after a Reformation obtained with the Lives, Blood, Tears and Prayers of ſo many of the Saints, whereof a great number are aſleep in the Lord, rear up a building to the Lord ſo maimed and lame, as Jeſus Chriſt ſhall ſay, Offer it now Mal. 1. 8.to your Governour, will he be pleaſed with you, or accept your perſons?
But it is a Controverſie (ſay ſome) whether the Government of the Church of the New-Teſtament belong to the Magiſtrate or to the Church? to which I ſay; 1. It was a Controverſie created by men willing to pleaſe Princes, with more power in the Courts of Chriſt, then ever the Lawgiver and Apoſtles gave them, and that againſt the minde of glorious Lights, the firſt Reformers, and the whole Troops of Proteſtant Divines, who Studied the Controverſie againſt the uſurped Monarchy of the Man of ſin, more exactly then one Phyſitian, who in a curſory way, diverted off his road of Medicine of which he wrote Learnedly, and broke in on the By upon the deepeſt Polemicks of Divinity, and reached a Riders blow unawares to his friends. 2. In things doubtful, Conſcience hath refuge to the ſureſt ſide: Now its granted by all, and not controverted by any, That in the Apoſtolick Church, the Government of the Church of the New Teſtament was in the hands of Apostles, Pastors, Teachers; and therefore Conſcience would ſway to that in which there can be no Error, except on ſuppoſal of abuſe; and Chriſtian Rulers would not do well to venture upon Eternity, Wrath, the Judgement to come, confiding on the poor Plea of an Eraſtian Diſtinction, to incroach upon the Prerogative Royal of Jeſus Chriſt. This very God of Peace build Zion, and make her an Habitation of Peace▪
Yours in Jeſus Christ, S. R.