contract betwixt God and his Visible Church? Lo, he hath confirmed it by his gracious benedictions; and, as much as may be in silence, given us abundant proofs of his acceptation. That afteract, which makes your baptism lawful *, why can it not make our Church? SECT. 7. Constitution of a Church. BUT, forasmuch as Constitution is the very state of Brownism, let us, I beseech you, enquire a little into the complexion of your Constitution. Whether physic, or law, or architecture have lent you it; sure I am, it is, in this use, Apocryphal. Never man used it thus scrupulously, till your times. Though, what need you the help of Fathers or Schools? New words must express new paradoxes. It is no treason, to coin terms. What, then, is Constitution? Your Doctor can best tell us. "As the Constitution of a commonwealth or of a city, is a gathering or uniting of people together into a civil polity: so," saith het, "the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Israel, and of the City of God, the New Jerusalem, is a gathering and uniting of people into a divine polity. The form of which polity, is Order: which order is requisite in all actions and administrations of the Church, as the Apostle sheweth; and specially in the Constitution thereof: so that, next unto faith in God, it is to be esteemed most necessary for all holy societies. Hence Paul rejoiced in the Colossians' Order and Faith; Col. ii. 5. To this Constitution, therefore, belong a people, as the matter; secondly, a calling, or gathering together, as the form, whereof the Church consisteth. The Constitution of the Church of England is false in both." Why so? Have we not a people? Are not those people called together? To prevent this, you say our Constitution is false, not none. Why false? Because those people have neither Faith nor Order. Faith, the First Part of Constitution. FOR Faith, first. Who are you, that dare thus boldly break into the closets of God, the hearts of men ; and condemn them to want that, which cannot be seen by any but divine eyes? How dare you intrude thus into the Throne of your Maker? Consider, and confer seriously. What Faith is it, that is thus ne * Barrow against Gyff. + H. Ainsworth. Counterp. p. 170. Tertul. de Præscript. Tu, ut homo extrinsecus unumquemque nosti, putas quod vides, vides autem quousque oculos habes: sed oculi Domini sunt alti: homo in faciem, Deus in præcordia, contemplatur. cessarily required to each member in this Constitution? Your own Doctor shall define it *: "Faith, required to the receiving in of members, is the knowledge of the doctrine of salvation by Christ; 1 Cor. xii. 9. Gal. iii. 2." Now I beseech you, in the fear of God, lay by awhile all unchristian prejudice; and peremptory verdicts of those souls, which cost Christ as much blood as your own: and tell me ingenuously, whether you dare say, that, not only your Christian brethren with whom you lately conversed, but even your forefathers which lived under Queen Elizabeth's first confused Reformation, knew not the doctrine of salvation by Christ. If you say they did not, your rash judgment shall be punished fearfully, by him, whose office you usurp. As you look to answer before him, that would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flax, presume not thus, above men and angels. If they did, then had they sufficient claim both to true Constitution and Church, "But this faith must be testified by obedience:"-So it was. If you think not so, yours is not testified by love. Both were weak: both were true. Weakness, in any grace or work, takes not away truth. Their sins of ignorance could no more disannul God's covenant with them, than multiplicity of wives with the Patriarchs. SECT. 8. Order, the Second Part of Constitution, how far requisite, and whether hindered by Constraint. WHAT wanted they, then? Nothing but Order: and not all Order; but yours. Order, a thing requisite and excellent; but let the world judge whether essential. Consider now, I beseech you in the bowels of Christ Jesus, whether this be a matter for which heaven and earth should be mixed : whether, for want of your Order, all the world must be put out of all order, and the Church out of life and being. Nothing, say we, can be more disorderly, than the confusion of your Democracy; or popular state, if not Anarchy: where all, in a sort, ordain and excommunicate. We condemn you not, for no true members of the Church. What can be more orderless, by your own confessions †, than the Trineune Church at Amsterdam? which yet you grant but faulty. If there be disproportion and dislocation of some parts, is it no true human body? Will you *Principles and Inferences concerning the Visible Church. Anno 1607. p. 13. + D. Allis, against the Descript.-Confess, of the Brownists.-Brown, State of True Christians. Enquiry into M. White. contract betwixt God and his Visible Church? Lo, he hath confirmed it by his gracious benedictions; and, as much as may be in silence, given us abundant proofs of his acceptation. That afteract, which makes your baptism lawful, why can it not make our Courch? SECT. 7. Constitution of a Church. Br, such & Constitution is the very state of Brownism, let is, Ixxved you, enquire a bite into the complexion of your COU-COO. Wetter posic, or law, or architecture have lent you & sure I a, Ix is use. Apocryphal. Never man used hp on your tumes. Though, what need you the hop of Faces of Schools New words must express new para19333 IANNA, Deris. Wiba, det, a Ceccon Your Doctor can best tell us. "As ne Case for of a city, is a gathering or auIཨཱུ www guler w: so," saith bet, Capsunita de Cameath of srael, and of the City lewensen, a paceeng and mang of people MIS Then when poury, & Order: which Ate a tu ai aves at minstrations of ne Church. Nae Cousticon thereof: བསམབཔལ མ མེན་པར་ ང་ཆར་ ༴ རྐན ་ སངས་ ་ ག་ AT A K cessarily required to each member in this Constitution? Your own Doctor shall define it: "Faith, required to the receiving in of members, is the knowledge of the doctrine of salvation by Christ; 1 Cor. xii. 9. Gal. iii. 2." Now I beseech you, in the fear of God, lay by awhile all unchristian prejudice; and peremptory verdicts of those souls, which cost Christ as much blood as your own: and tell me ingenuously, whether you dare say, that, not only your Christian brethren with whom you lately conversed, but even your forefathers which lived under Queen Elizabeth's first confused Reformation, knew not the doctrine of salvation by Christ. If you say they did not, your rash judgment shall be punished fearfully, by him, whose office you usurp. As you look to answer before him, that would not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoaking flax, presume not thus, above men and angels. If they did, then had they sufficient claim both to true Constitution and Church, "But this faith must be testified by obedience:"-So it was. If you think not so, yours is not testified by love. Both were weak: both were true. Weakness, in any grace or work, takes not away truth. Their sins of ignorance could no more disannul God's covenant with them, than multiplicity of wives with the Patriarchs. SECT. 8. Order, the Second Part of Constitution, how far requisite, and whether hindered by Constraint. WHAT wanted they, then? Nothing but Order: and not all Order; but yours. Order, a thing requisite and excellent; but let the world judge whether essential. Consider now, I beseech you in the bowels of Christ Jesus, whether this be a matter for which heaven and earth should be mixed : whether, for want of your Order, all the world must be put out of all order, and the Church out of life and being. Nothing, say we, can be more disorderly, than the confusion of your Democracy; or popular state, if not Anarchy: where all, in a sort, ordain and excommunicate. We condemn you not, for no true members of the Church. What can be more orderless, by your own confessions †, than the Trineune Church at Amsterdam? which yet you grant but faulty. If there be disproportion and dislocation of some parts, is it no true human body? Will you *Principles and Inferences concerning the Visible Church. Anno 1607. p. 13. + D. Allis. against the Descript.-Confess, of the Brownists.-Brown, State of True Christians.—Enquiry into M. White. URBANO VIII. PONTIFICI ROMANO, JOSEPHUS EXONIENSIS SANAM MENTEM ET CHARITATEM. QUIDNI verò Pontificem Maximum compellare ausit minimus Episcoporum? Non peto veniam; nec opus est: priscâ utor licentiâ. Non ita nimium distabat, olim, ab Eugubio Roma; aut Isca meus à Tiberi. Audi, modò, Pontifex Urbane, quod brevi pro tremendo Christi Tribunali pallidus exaudies. Pastorem Christiani Gregis parùm decent hæ sanguineæ lituræ. Tune, ut ad arma, tristis præco, conclames? Tune, ut Christianos Principes, nimio quàm plenos cruoris, ad profligationem suorum cladémque horrendam acriter ΤΟ POPE URBAN THE EIGHTH, JOSEPH, BISHOP OF EXETER, WISHETH RIGHT WITS AND CHARITY. WHY may not the meanest Bishop be bold to expostulate with a Pope I crave no leave; neither need I: I take our ancient liberty. I wis, there was no such distance, of old, betwixt Rome and Eugubium; or between my Ex and the channel of Tiber. Hear now, therefore, Pope Urban, that which ere long thou shalt hear with horror and confusion of face before that dreadful Tribunal of Christ. These bloody blots of thine little beseem the Shepherd of a Christian Flock. What, is it for thee, like a grim herald, to give the summons to war? Is it for thee, to excite Christian Princes, already too much gorged with blood, to the profligation and fearful slaughter of their own subjects? Were the Keys |