no Gods, but to adore in men what them elves difown is a groffer and more fesfels Idolatry, it flooring to an Idel which hathi a mouth and tongue, wherewith he tells us he is no God: Excellently S. Pant, 1 Cor. 2. 4,5. My Speech and my preaching was not with emicing words if mans wifdem, lut in demonstration of the firit and power, (there's his practice,). But your faith wight not stand in the wifdem of men, but in the power of God: (there's his reafon for it.) Men may lead tis as the Samaritan woman did her Citizens, unto Chrift, but unle's our faith ultimately refolve, as their's did, John 4.42. Now we believe not be cufe of thy words, for we have heard him our felves, and know this is indeed the Saviour of the world. It will ftand totteringly upon a fardy foundation.

Befides, as we muft diftinguish what honour we give to men, fo we mult heedfully obferve the time when we give it unto them. When Chrift is difhonoured, the Church reproached, or her unity broken, then is no time for Chriftians to feek their own honour, in this cafe it is enough that the difciple be as his mafter, and the fe vant as his lord for if they have called the master of the bouse Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of the boufhold, Matth. 10. 25. Twas the high commendation of Valiant and Religious Uriah, that he would not take his eafe in his own houle, when the Ark of God, and his General Foab, lay in the field. 2 Sam. 11. 11. To be difhonoured with Truth, will bring more True Comfort and Peace, and prove a greater Honour at latter end, then to be honoured without it; Thofe (as Mofes) God will honour: Thefe (as the Pharifces) he will bring to fhame. For our indirect honouring, or being honoured by men, occafloneth a farther difhonour unto Truth; who unite to us, will rend from her, and transform Verity into a Confpiracie, and Faith into Faction. Nothing being more certain and explo, ed, then when each hath the honoured head of his own party, feldoni or never any hold the head of truth. S. Paul's carriage towards the factious Corinthians is of excellent ufe, though rarely imi tated. They had eclips'd the Majefty, and broke the LInity of Truth, by fetting too high a value upon, and having his perfon, and the perfons of their other Teachers in an undue admiration, One was of Paul, another of Apolles, a third of Cephas, none for Chriftian Concord or Communion. What doth the ApoAtle in this cafe? Why he tears the Garland from off all their heads, and fets it upon the Head of Chrift, mightily endea vouring that neither Paul, Apollos, or Cephas might be named a

осса

mong

mong them, but onely Chrift, 1 Cor. 1. 13, 14. Like we this way and company, we fhall not travail far, till we meet another Apostle encouraging us to keep in it, and threatning us if we ftir out of it, that we fhall be branded for the worst Hæreticks, for they, as we, have the perfons of men in admiration, Jude v. 16. A bare cauteloufnels, not to be liable to this crime or punithment, may (I fuppofe) be my juftification, for ufing fuch plainnefs and freedom of fpeech with diffenting, and (as I believe) mistaken Brethren. It being each Church-Officers duty, ( in which Catalogue I am, though unworthy, enrolled) by an incutition of Charity, (perhaps Presbyterian parity may carry it further) to obferve, bewail, and endeavor to redrels what he per ceives amifs in his Brethren: Other defign I had not, in examining, and diffenting from the aforesaid opinions. And I hope I have purfued it with demonftration, and kept my self within due limits. Sure I am, I have fpar'd the Image of God in each words to blot paper

Diffenter, and not drop'd fuch becrates in others, he nanies as Grotius in his vote fortes, is not matter of

peace

them: and what he there opinion, but of fact. This fhall fuffice, and I hope will be fufficient to an

2. Object. Or fwer the firft Objection.

Scandal given. But our Boat being cleared of one Rock, another threatens, to all reform'd yea we are charged to dash against Reformed Churche

Churches.

1. Answer.

Our contro

cular men.

t

Antw. 1. The diligent Reader need not to be remembred how feldom I have mentioned Churches in this difpute, my bu verfie is not finefs was and is with particular nien, with whom fuppofing the with Churches, worst, that I have dealt too courly, yet am I to learn that they but with parti- Calvin, Beza, &c. are fo many particular Churches, or that all of them together (with whom I have to deal by name) be one Church, funce they are all Minifters. But if Marefius his figure Synecdoche must be brought into this place alfo, and we must by a part for the whole, accompt them Churches, because they were Minifters, then I fay, This will come little fhort of feating them in feveral Chairs of Papal Authority and Infallibility: and we must be wary not to meddle with any of their, Errours, leaft (as the Pope) they threatenus with a Catholick Church falling about our Lars. Reafon tells us, That a City is not tainted with the Treafon of a few Inhabitants; and the Scripture affures is, that the eleven were not degraded by Judas his apoftacie. If the fubfiftence of any body, did depend upon the abfolute foundnefs of every part, i could not long continue: The Head or the Heart may ake, an dthe body do well in time notwithstanding.

S. Paut

• S.Paul reckoned up the several Factions in the Church of Corinth, made or abetted by her prophets and leading men, for which he very frequently and feverely checks them by name, which affuredly he would never have done, if it had injured the Catholick or that Church in particular. This might ftop the mouth of the objection, would not clamorous Spirits hale it to Churches, and cry out, That (notwithstanding this evafion) I fcandalize all reformed Churches. Of neceffity therefore I must adde fome thing more, though if I did not believe Truth dictated it, I would conceal it.

2. Reformation is a thing easier pleaded then proved: All 2 Answer. that faith it is reformed, is not. Reformation (as Titles upon By diftinguish ing ReformaApothecaries Boxes) may be written on the forehead where cor- tion into ruption and deformities in the brain. Primitive Hereticks promifed others liberty, while themselves were the fervants of corruption. What faith it is, no more then what seems to be, is not the fame. But we are yet too general, that we may therefore refolve our Reader whether we have fcandalized all or any Reformed Chur ches, we shall confider Reformation, as it falls under confideration in a two-fold notion.

Concilia cogum

1. Proper. Reformation, properly fo called, hath the fame 1. Proper. relation unto Formation,as Resurrection unto Life: that's of the fame Body, this muft be of the fame Church: The Church is then reformed, when she is restored to her primitive conftitution: what that was, may be collected from what hath been already handled in this difcourfe: but I know with whom I have to do, and am beforehand aware of how little credit whatever I fhall fay, will be with them. May they therefore hear what Revetur, ut reforrend Zanchy faith in this matter: He faith, Councils are to be con- mentur ecclevened for the Reformation of the Church: Churches are to be refor-fis, ecclefia med according to the best Form of all: a better Form of a Church funt reforcannot be found out, or imagined,then that according to which Chrift formam omniby himself and by his Apostles in the beginning inftituted and framed um optimam. his Church: What was the form of that old and Apoftolick Church Melior ecclein the time of Christ and of his Apostles, plainly and certainly ap-fie forma inpears in the Books of the Apostles and Evangelifts, and probably out veniri,aut exof the other most antient Ecclefiaftical Writers, after the Apostles: poteft illa, cogitari non Therefore all Churches are to be reformed according to the Form of the ta quam antient and Apoftolical Church. Thus he.

mande, ad

Chriftus per fe

& per fuos Apoftolos, ecclefiam initio conftituit, & confirmavit. Qualis fuit illa veteris & Apoftolica ecclefia forma tempore Chrifti & Apoftolorum liquido & certo apparet, ex libris Apoftolorum, Evangeliftarum probabiliter autem, ex reliquis poft Apoftolos antiquiffimis ecclefia fcriptoribus. Et paulo poft. Sunt igitur ad formam veteris, & Apoftolica ecclefia, omnes ecclefia reformanda. Żanch. de regula Concilii. Y

And

munion with a

And let the Objectors fhew me any one Church formed as the Primitive and Apoftolick Church, which admitteth but of one teaching Order, I will bear the heavy burden of a Scandalizer of Reformed Churches, otherwife he who chargeth me with it, and cannot prove it, will be cenfured for a falfe Accufer. Pref byterians ufually appeal from Fathers and Councils, to the first Church, truly affirming, fhe is the prime Antiquity. All contrary unto her (be it never fo gray-headed) is Novelty, and to be cenfured as fuch. Content we are to attend the profecution of their appeal at that Tribunal, let them prove the Church of Jerufalem, and any under Calvin's Difcipline, to be alike conftituted, we will venerate both as the oldest and trueft Church in the World. What the Church at Jerufalem was, foon appears; fhe was founded by defcended Chrift, in the twelve Apostles and feventy Difciples, confirmed after his Afcention in Apostles and Elders, both of them, Officers diftinct in their Titles, and no lefs in their Office-works, as hath been here and there hinted in this Difcourfe, and fhall be evidenced at large in that concerning the Apostles. Now if Calvin's Church be thus conftituted, we are all agreed, firft, middlemoft, aud laft Church-State is ftill the fame, and the diftinction betwixt ordinary and extraordinaгу officers is returned to the Brains of its firft Forgers, to confume and rot with them. But if this new Church be not thus conftituted, fhe is neither formed as the Church of Jerufalem was, nor reformed according to her Pattern or Example. The Church, like Thefeus Ship, doth not retain an old namie, under new materials, fhe is rib'd, and plank'd with the Tree of Life, Timber which can never rot, nor be worm-eaten, descended Chrift is the Keel of her Miniftry, afcended he builds her tight and Stanch, and will maintain her fo, till the perfecting of the faints, and he as it were again defcend, by furrendring up all (the Mediatorian) power unto the Father, that God may be all in

all. But

2.Common or Secondly, Reformation hath confeffedly another notion; depiangr which for diftinction-fake we may call its common fignification. from a Com-A Church is faid to be reformed, fo far as fhe frees her felf from corrupt the corruption of a deformed Church, with whom she formerChurch, in ly held communion and fellow fhip. This is an act of the highwhich fenfe al- eft nature and most important confideration, to the whole State Church is fcan of Chriftianity, not to be thought of, much less attempted, till dalized by all other means have been tried and found fruitless: that we are this Difcourfe. all one body, minds us not lightly to confent to the abfcifion of

fo no reform'd

any

;

any member, though corrupted, for till peril of gangreening be imminent and unavoidable, the grounds of hope are equal, that by good Medicines, and the ftrength and vigour in the found parts, the corrupt may be affifted to expel the noxious humour, and amend, with thofe of fear, leaft the found be concorrupted by them. Several Churches of Apoftolical plantation, as Corinth, Galatia, &c. were full of grofs humours, and corrupt members, but S. Paul doth not immediately threaten them with an excommunication, and cutting off from all other Churches but contrariwife, he infifts upon councels, intreaties, and prefcribed Remedies, how they might reform themselves. Bnt granting (as there may be) a juft and reasonable cause for such departure and reformation from a corrupt Church; what is done fhould be apprehended and carried with the feeling of a Patient loofing a Limb, and with the Care and Confcience of a skilful Chyrurgion, who cut off no more then is ulcered, and not to be continued without danger to the body. To conclude corruption in all, from unfoundness in fome members, is afsuredly deftructive to every body, eicher Natural, Civil, or Ecclefiaftical. A foul Church hath fome part clean, or fhe is no Church at all. Neither doth Reformation terminate in the uttermoft imaginable distance from her, but in keeping as far from her, as fhe is from her felf when the was primitive. The name Reformation affures us, that once she had a right form, and retains Jome part of it, otherwife fhe cannot be reformed, but must be formed a Church ere he be one. A Mahumetan doth not reform, but turn · Chriftian. Receffion from what a corrupt Church holds in common with the primitive, is no Reformation, but an equal departure from both. Wherefore let the Objector prove, that all Churches thus reformed from Romifh fuperftition, allow of the distin&tion betwixt Ordinary and Extraordinary Officers, and practically admit but of one teaching Order of Minifters, we will take no disadvantage to his prejudice of his former failure, but we are certain he equally failes in this, as in the other, for be fides the Saxonish, Swedish, Danish, (not to mention the Greek and Abyjne) the Church of England (not onely the fairest Flower in, but the Wall and Defence about the whole Garden of Reformation) excludes her felf from their number She being divinely directed in her Reformation unto this bleffed temper, fhe left the corruptions of prefent Rome, and was content to hold Communion with her (if the pleased) in what was Rome primitive, whereby at once the avoided the scandal of Novelty

Y 2