The Nature and Use of Things Indifferent, Argument 2
II. ARGVMENT
The Miniſterie of the Goſpel is not only for earthly men, Supplicat.but alſo for heauenly Angels. To ſpeake for the Miniſterie and Miniſters thereof, is to ſpeake not only for God, but alſo for the Angels.
Ergo, The high Court of Parliament is bound to plead for the Miniſters: otherwiſe by Sparing Speech, they ſhal prouoke both the Lord himſelfe, and alſo the whole hoſt and armie of heauen againſt them.
ANSVVERE.
THe Defender, diſdaining to follow the reſolution which I had made of this Argument, and vnderſtanding not his Auctor, thus inſpidely and vnfitly gathereth the Reaſon. By the Ministerie of the Gospell, the Angels of heauen receaue diuine reuelation to their farther ioy. Ergo. To ſpeake for the Ministerie and Ministers of the Gospell, is to ſpeake for Angels. To ſay nothing how he gathereth this Antecedent from the Suppliants Reaſon; what is this Concluſion to the Court of Parliament? how doth it inforce them, to ſpeake for the ſchiſmaticall Miniſters? or are the Angels ſo diſtreſſed, that they need interceſſors? But I anſwere, as in the Conſideration.
I. To the Antecedent.
I.
That the Miniſters of the Goſpell is for Angels, Anſwere.is an ambiguous and perplexed ſpeech, and ſauours of a Paradoxe. For how will the Suppliants vnderſtand this ſaying? Is the Miniſterie of the Goſpell, ſo ordained for Angels, that they ſhould bee Miniſters thereof? Vnpoſſible. Is the Miniſterie ordained to conuert them, and to preach repentance vntounto them? Abſurd. Seeing they neuer ſinned. Or is it becauſe thereby they might learne and know the Wiſdome of God? But ſo doe they alſo by all other the creatures and actions of God.
The Defender replieth: No paradoxe at all. Reply.Neither had the Anſwerer any cauſe, to make the firſt two queſtions. That which he oppoſeth to the third, againſt the knowledge of the Wiſedome of God by the Goſpell, may as well be oppoſed to mens knowledge of the Wiſedome of God by his word: for they are alſo taught the Wiſedome of God by his creatures and workes.
But I neuer denied, Reioynder.that the Angels vnderſtood the Wiſedome of God by the preaching of the Goſpell, as appeareth manifeſtly by my words; wherefore vaine and idle is this needleſſe defence. Yet the Defender at laſt, leauing his Auctor lying flat vponupon his backe in the plaine field, to ſhift for himſelfe, ſaith, The further meaning of this argument, in any ſpeciall manner differing from other, I leaue to the Auctor himſelfe: who is able, no doubt, to defend his meaning, or to yeeld better reaſon to the contrarie. To the contrarie of what? to the contrarie, that the Auctor cannot defend himſelfe? I know not what the Defender ſhould meane by theſe laſt words, to the contrarie: but whatſoeuer his meaning be, he confeſſeth plainly, that he is not able to defend the Auctor of the Supplication, and ſo leaueth him to our merciemercy.
II.
What can this make for the Suppliants? Anſwere.The Controuerſie betweene them and vsus, is not concerning the Miniſterie of the Goſpell, but touching a few petie accidentall circumſtances: for which, if any man forſake the neceſſarie function of his Miniſterie and calling, he hath the more to anſwere for.
The Defender, Reply.faining that this ſecond anſwere hath receiued ſufficient ſatisfaction alreadie; (but where?) addeth. Whereas he chargeth vsus, to forſake our Ministerie for a few petie accidentall circumſtances, therein he diſcouereth the nakednes of the Prelates, in inflicting ſo materiall and ſubſtantiall puniſhment, for ſo few petie accidentall circumſtances. For iuſtice requireth a proportion betwixt the offence and the puniſhment. But we acknowledge no offence.
Very well. They acknowledge no offence. Therfore, Reioynder.they doe not offend. A found conſequence, I warrant you. As touching the Prelats, I anſwer, that in inflicting the puniſhment he ſpeaketh of, they doe but their dutie, by executing the lawes vponupon offenders, in obedience towards the ſuperiour Magiſtrate, for the peace and quietnes of the Church: and let all the World iudge, whether it be more meet & fit, that theſe ſelf-conceited refractaries ſhould dutifully conforme themſelues, or that the Magiſtrate, to ſatisfie their wrangling and reſtleſſe humour, ſhould diſſolue the whole frame of ſo well ſetled gouernment.
III.
EueryEvery man is bound to promote the Miniſterie of the Goſpell to his power, Anſwere.and alſo to helpe and further a Miniſter thereof, as he is a Miniſter, not as he is in error, or caried away with faction.
The Defenders replie is, Reply.In his third anſwere, he proclaimeth againe, but proueth not our error and faction. If we erre, or be factious, let vsus in that reſpect be puniſhed (ſo notwithſtanding that the people be not puniſhed with vsus) and let vsus be holpen, as we are Ministers.
I hauehave proued ſo much as the Defender deſires alreadie at large, Reioynder.in my booke De Adiaphoris, neither was I in the Conſideration to make any idle digreſſions, but to keepe my ſelfe ſtrictly to the point and queſtion in controuerſie there handled. The refractarie Miniſters are puniſhed, only as they are in error, and factious, as eueryevery man knoweth, and hauehave as much fauour as they can deſire, as they be Miniſters. And for the people, neither are they puniſhed with them, nor for their ſakes: but both are and ſhall be ſufficiently prouided for, without their helpe, ſeeing they doe ſo vndutifully forſake them.
II. To the Conſequence.
I
It doth not follow, Anſwere.that becauſe the wiſe and iudicious aſſemblie of Parliament iuſtly refuſe to intermeddle in the quarell of Schiſmaticall Miniſters, farther then to admoniſh them to deſiſt from their ſingularity and turbulent dealing, that therfore they ſhall prouoke the Lord of Hoſtes, and all the Angels and Saints in heauen againſt them. But rather it followeth on the contrarie.
II.
If that Honorable Court ſhould take part with Schiſmatikes, and intercede for them, to detaine both them and the people ſtill in faction and error, then certainly they ſhould prouoke the wrath of God, and the whole Hoſt of heauen againſt them, Pſal. 50.17.18. &c.
What ſaith the Defender to this? Replie.I reaſon from your owne words against you. The wiſe and iudicious Parliament will not intermedle in the quarrell of Schiſmaticall Miniſters, further than to admoniſh them to deſiſt from their ſingularitie. But the Parliament hath further intermedled for vsus. Ergo, We are not Schiſmaticall.
I anſwere. To let paſſe the forme of this Syllogiſme; Reioynder.the Aſſumption is a foule and ſlanderous imputation malepertly and vniuſtly laid vponupon the high Court of Parliament: The Defender ſlandereth the honorable Parliament.moſt impudently charging and challenging that honorable Aſſemblie, not onelyonly to fauour their ſeditious faction, but alſo, as a partie in their ſchiſme, to hauehave intermedled and dealt in their behalfe, contrarie to the knowledge of the whole kingdome. For what hath the Parliament done? what hauehave they ſpoken for them? where is their decree and ſtatute? Are two or three, the whole Parliament? What reward the Defender deſerueth for this bold ſlander againſt the Parliament houſe, I leaue to their wiſe conſideration and cenſure, whom it concerneth and more neerely toucheth. His error is, Crimen falſi.