SECT. 48.

The State of the Temple, and of our Church in resemblance. Sep.-"How we would have behaved ourselves in the Temple, where the money-changers were and they that sold doves, we shall answer you, when you prove your Church to be the Temple of God, compiled and built of spiritually hewn and lively stones; 1 Kings v. 17, 18. and vi. 7. 1 Pet. ii. 5: and of the cedars, firs, and thyne trees of Lebanon; 2 Chr. ii. 8. framed and set together in that comely order, which a greater than Solomon hath prescribed; unto which God hath promised his presence. But, whilst we take it to be, as it is, a confused heap of dead and defiled and polluted stones, and of all rubbish; of briers and brambles of the wilderness, for the most part fitter for burning than building; we take ourselves rather bound to shew our obedience, in departing from it, than our valour in purging it; and to follow the Prophet's counsel in flying out of Babylon, as the he-goats before the flock; Jer. 1. 8."

How you would have behaved yourself in the Temple to the money-changers, you will answer, when we prove our Church to be God's Temple, built of that matter, and in that form, which God hath prescribed :

And here you send us to 1 Kings v. 17. and 2 Chr. ii. 8: ignorantly; as if, Solomon's Temple had stood till Christ's time; when neither the first, nor second (though called Beth Gnolam) outlasted more than four hundred years: or, as if the market had been under the very roof of that Temple. Whether Herod's were built of the same matter with Solomon's, and in full correspondence to it, I dispute not: it was certainly dedicated to God's service; and that, which you would hardly digest, in a solemn anniversary Holy-Day; though not erected upon the word of any prophet.

But, to let pass allegories; we must prove ourselves the True Church of God:-thus we do it. We are true Christians, for we were baptized into the Name of Christ: we truly profess our continuance in the same faith, into which we were baptized we join together in the Public Services of God: we maintain every point of the most Ancient Creeds: we overthrow not the foundation by any consequence. Therefore, whatever is wanting to us, whatever is superfluous, in spite of all the gates of hell, we are the True Church of God.

Let me ask you: were not the people of the Jews, in the Prophets' and in Christ's time, "a confused heap of dead, and defiled, and," for I will use your tautologies, "polluted stones,

and of all rubbish; of briers and brambles of the wilderness, for the most part fitter for burning than building?" Can we be worse than they? If wickedness can defile a Church, they shall justify us. Did either those Prophets or our Saviour, rather shew their obedience to God in departing from it, than their valour in purging it? You have well imitated these heavenly patterns!

But what! can your charity find nothing but rubbish? Not one square stone, not one living? You will be judging, till God judge you. If you take not heed of these courses, you will so run with the he-goats, that you will stand with the goats on the left hand. That God, whose place you have usurped, give you more wisdom and love!

SECT. 49.

Whether Ministers should endure themselves silenced. Sep.-"And what, I pray you, is the valour, which the best hearted and most zealous Reformers amongst you have manifested, in driving out the money-changers? Doth it not appear in this, that they suffer themselves to be driven out. with the two-stringed whip of ceremonies and subscription, by the money-changers, the Chancellors and Officials, which sell sins like doves; and by the Chief Priests, the Bishops. which set them on work? So far are the most zealous amongst you from driving out the money-changers, as they themselves are driven out by them, because they will not change with them to the utmost farthing."

The valour of our most zealous Reformers hath truly shewed itself in yieldance. As in duels, so here, he is the most valiant, that can so master himself, as not to fight. You, according to the common opinion of swaggerers, blame the peaceable of cowardice, and accuse them of suffering.

Behold a new crime: That they suffer themselves to be driven out!

What should they have done? Should they have taken arms, and cry, The sword of God, and Gideon? You, that will not allow a prince to compel subjects, will you allow subjects to compel princes? God forbid! This were high treason against God's Anointed.

What then? Should they approve the Ceremonies by subscription, by practice? This you exclaim upon, as High Treason against the Highest.

What yet more? Should they have preached with their mouths stopped? This is it, which you have learned of your

founder; and, through not many hands, received; and required, with no less violence. Clamour and tumult, is that you desire. Still let our sin be peaceable obedience; yours, fury and opposition.

Your headstrong conceit is, that it is a sin to be silenced. Men must preach, even when they may not.

All times, before you, would have wondered at this paradox: for, however the Apostles, which had not their calling from men, would not be silenced by men; yet we find that all their successors held, that those hands, which were laid upon their heads, might be laid upon their mouths. Look into all histories. Those Constitutions, which though not Apostolic yet were ancient, in the Seventh Canon punish a Bishop or Presbyter, that, upon pretence of religion, separates from his wife, with deposition: and, if any Presbyter shall shift his charge without licence, τοῦτον κελεύομεν μηκέτι λειτουργεῖν; and, lastly, inflicts the same penalty upon fornication, adultery, perjury. The great Nicene Council takes the same order with some misliked Bishops and Presbyters, in divers Canons". Gaudentius, in the Council of Sardi', takes it for granted, that a Bishop may by Bishops be deposed. So the Second Council of Carthage, Can. 13. so the Fourth Council of Carthage, more than once imposes degradation. So Leo the First threats to put some offending persons from the office of the Ministry". So, that I may not be endless, blessed Cyprian advises Rogatianus, a good old Bishop, which was abused by a malapert Deacon, by the authority of his Chair to right himself; and either to depose or suspend the offender'. Leontius, in Socrates, is deprived of his Priesthood. Yea, what Council or Father gives not both rules and instances of this practice? See how far the Ancient Church was from these tumultuous fancies.

No, no, M. R., we well find, it is doing, that undoes the Church; not suffering. If your fellows could have suffered more and done less, the Church had been happy.

As for our Church-Officers, you may rail upon them with a lawless safety: there is a great ditch betwixt you and them: else, you might pay dear for this sin of slandering them, with

b Brown, Reform. without Tarrying.

· ἔπιμενων δὲ καθαιρεῖσθω.

"We charge him not to serve any more."

So Can. 15. Can. 25. Cùm compertum fuerit, deponatur. Can. 10. De Clericatus honore periclitabitur. Can. 2. E Clero deponatur, et sit alienus à Canone. Can. 17 et Can. 18. A Ministerio cessare debuerit.

f Concil. Sardic. c. 4.

5 Concil. Carth. iv. c. 48 et 56, 57.

Leo Ep. 1 sect. 5.

k Socr. l. ii. c. 21.

Cypr. 1. iii. Ep. 9.

their cheap penny-worths. How idly do you insult over those, whom your money-changers have driven out of their pulpits; when you confess, after all your valour, that they have driven you both out of Church and Country! Who can pity a miserable insulter?

SECT. 50.

Power of Reforming Abuses given to the Church: and the Issue of the Neglect of it.

Sep. "For the wafers in Geneva and disorders in Corinth, they were corruptions, which may and do, or the like unto them, creep into the purest Churches in the world: for the reformation whereof, Christ hath given his power unto his Church; that such evils, as are brought in by human frailty, may by divine authority be purged out. This power and presence of Christ you want; holding all by homage, or rather by villanage, under the Prelates: unto whose sinful yoke you stoop, in more than Babylonish bondage; bearing and approving, by personal communion, infinite abominations.

You, that can grant there will be corruptions in all other Churches, will endure none in ours. If England should have either unleavened wafers, or drunken love-feasts, though no other blemishes, she could not but be Babylon. We envy not your favours.

These, or whatsoever like enormities, Christ hath given power unto his Church to reform:

But what if the Church neglect to use it? What if those evils, which are brought in by human frailty, will not by divine authority be purged out? Now the error, by your doctrine', is grown fundamental: so Christ is lost, and the foundation razed.

If we shall then assume, against our friends to convince our enemies, the Church of Geneva hath been seriously dealt with in this corruption, and dissuaded by vehement importunity, yet still persisteth; how can you free them, and charge us? See how we love to be miserable, with company!

This power to purge out all corruptions, Christ hath not given us. If he hath given it you, you must first begin to purge out yourselves. You have done it: but still there remain some. Would God, we had as much execution as power! Our Church should be as clean, as yours is schismatical. If you should measure faculties by their exercise, natural rest

'Barr. against Gyff. pp. 27, 28.

should be the greatest enemy to virtue, and the solitary Christian should be miserable.

This power of ours is not dead, but sleepeth. When it awaketh unto more frequent use, which we earnestly pray for, look you for the first handsel of it: none can be more worthy. As it is, we offend not more in defect, than you in excess of whom, that your Lazarello of Amsterdam, G. J., could say TM, That you have Excommunications as ready, as a Prelate hath a Prison.

m

Christ is in many, that feel him not: but we want not the power only, but the presence of Christ :

How so? he was with us, while you were here. Did he depart with you? Will the Separatists engross our Saviour to themselves"; and, as Cyprian said of Pupianus, go to heaven alone? yea, confine the God of Heaven to Amsterdam?

What insolence is this! we have him in his Word: we have him in his Sacraments: we have him in our hearts: we have him in our profession: yet this enemy dare say, we want him:Wherein? I suppose in our censures. We have Peter's Keys, as his true successors both in office and doctrine our fault is, that we use them not as you would. What Church doth so? Your first Martyr doth as zealously inveigh against the practice of Geneva and all other Reformed Congregations in this point, as against us: both for the wooden dagger, as he terms it, of Suspension; and for their Consistorial Excommunications.

Woe were to all the world, if Christ should limit his presence only to your fashions! Here you found him; and here you left him. Would to God, we did no more grieve him with our sins, than you please him in your presumptuous censures! In the rest, you rail against our Prelates, and us. Can any man think, that Christ hath left peaceable spirits, to go dwell with railers?

Indeed, yours is freehold so you would have it, free from subjection, free from obedience. This is looseness, more than liberty: you have broken the bonds, and cast the cords from you.

But you miscall our tenure. We hate villenage, no less than you hate peace; and hold, in capite, of him, that is the Head of his Body, the Church; Col. i. 18: under whose easy yoke

m Troubles and Excommunications at Amsterdam.

"An tu solus Ecclesia es? Et qui te offenderit à Christo excluditur? Hieron. Epiphan.

Cypr. Solus in cælum ascend. Pupianus? Et ad Acesium Novatianum Constan. Erigito tibi scalam, Acesi, et ad cælum solus ascendito. Socr. 1. i. c. 7. P Barr. Gyff. Ref.

So some of their own have termed their excommunication. Confess. by M. Johns. Enquiry p. 65.