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Show An AddrefJ to Proteflants. VoL. I. t679• The Apoftle yet informs us, for this &td, fays he, Cbrijl borh dyed ond ~ rof~ again, that be mi,gbt he Lord botb of the Dead and Ltvmg : IJJJt why l'art II. do}! thou judge Ihy Brother? Than which nothing can more exprefly oppole Sea. 6. the lmpojition~ Excom_mu_nication, and !~rfecution that arc a":'ong us ; 'Tis ttom. 14- 9, as if he had fa1d, Chnft IS Lord ofCbrijl~anr, by what Aurhomy dolt tho~ to. pretend to judge his Servants? Thou alfo art but one of them: A Brother at moll:. Thou haft no Dominion over their Faith, nor haft thou Commiffion to be Lord over their Confciences; 'tis Chrift's Right, his Purchafe, he has paid for it: For this E1td be both dyed and rofe again, that be might be Llrd of Dead and Living; that he might refcue them, from the Jaws of Oppreffion; from thofe that ufurp ov~r their Confciences, and _make l Prey of their Souls But why do{ltbou 1uJge thy Brother? If not ;utfge; then not Perfecute Plunder, Beat, Imprifon to Death our Brethren; that mufi needs follow. Come, let us Protejlant.r look at Home, and view our A8:ioos, if we are not the Men. llomo 1•: S· In fhort, Let every jlian be fu_lly perf waded in his- .'wn lt1ind, and if .my Thing be jhort, Godw1U reveal tl; let us but he pattent. lt was not Flefh and Blood rbat revealed Chriflto Peter, they are Chrift's Words, therefore let us leave off the Confultation, and Weapons of Flejh and Blood, and truft: Chrift with his own Kingdom : He hath faid, tbot the Gat<s of HeO jh"O not prevail againU it ; and we cannot think that he would have us feek to JfeU's GtZtet to maintain it: And if it is not of this World, then not to be maintain'd by Force and Policy, which are the Props of the Kingdoms of lhis World. God, the Apoltle tells us, b,u cbofen the weak Tbingt of this World, to confound the Mi,ghty: Therefore h~ ha_s not chofen the Strength and Power of this World, to fupprefs confctennous P~ople,_ that as to humane Force, arejuftly accounted weake!t and moft defhtute, mall Ages, of Defence. I will here conclude my Scripture-Proofs with this i.xhortation or In-tCor ·7· 2]. junfiion rather of the Apo~le. Teare bought ffJith a Price-,_ be nor ye t~e Servmrt.r of Men. The Subje8: here is not bf~'"1m, wher_e1~ human Ordt· nances are to be obeyed ; that is not the <bteftton ; but D1vme; and thofc that for Fe:tr or Favour of Men defert their Principles, and betray their Confciences, they renounce their Lord, deny him that bought them, and tread his Blood, the Price of their Souls, under their Feet : It 11re bought uitb a Price Chrift has purchaPd you, you are not your own, but his thJt bought you: therefore be not the Servants of Men, about God"s Things or Chrift's Kir.gdom; vail to no Man's Judgment, neither make Man's Determinations, your Rule of Faith and Worfhip. Stand faH in the Liberty, wherewith be btU made you free, and be not entangled again, into Bondoge, for we are nor come to that Mountain that we cannot toucb, to Sinai: We are Gal.~. Heb. 12. Heb.l. John 10, Mar. 16. not now to be kept under like Scbooi·Boyt or .Minors: That lmpofition might be ufeful then, which is a Bondage now. Mofes was God's Servant and faithful, he faw. heard, and went up to the Mount for the People; but CbriUitZn.r are come to .Mount Zion, to Jerufalem, the A1ot!Jer b[ PetZct and Freedom." Much then depended upon the Integrity of A1ofes, a.nd yet God fent for the People near the Meunt, that they might fee his Glory i .and wrought W"onders and Miracles to engage their Faith and vindicate the Integrity of Mofe.r his Servant (as the 12, 13, 141 15, and 16 Chapters of "J\T11mher.r declares) and which none now can pretend to vonch the Exercifc of their Authority: 1 fay it pleafed God then to appear by thofe Ways; but now the Ltw is brought Home to every Man'.r Heart, and every onefkaU • know God for hinifelf, }1om the leafl to the gretrteft, Aly Shap, fays Cbnft, bear my Voice. And let us remember that there is no Poffibility of Deception here, where there is no Ncceffity of trufting. In fine, Teare bougfu with a Price, he not ye the Servants (lf Men. One is Lord, rven Cbrifl, and Je ore Brethren. But methinks I hear a fiout ObjeB:ion, and 'ds this: ./It thir Rate;•ou will overtbroro aU Churcb·Difcipline, aU Cenfure of Error.r, if no .illan or 1l1tn ton determine. My Anfwe1 is ready and fhort, No Scripture ChurchDifcipliue VoL. I. An AddrefJ to 'Proteflantt; 3aJ • Difcipline is heiCby oppugned or We3kned : ) olc!'ceupon the Conjclenu unconvinced. Let w:;u n_ot tbeSenttnceendin T'i· 16]9. fou be according to true Church-Difci Ji 0 W~U expound or determine, ~ them only, who bave willingly joyn'd th p fiei W~lch can be exercifed on PJrr. II. on, ~~d w_hich proceeds only to a Separa~i~n e fr~~n ~at Covena.nt ofUni- S'eil:. 6. or dtfow~mg, and that only in Cafe of fall· f t. e ~cct, a dJfavowing, oncer~cetved,_ or about known Treli ffi I~l\ rofu Pnnctples or Praaices Pecumary Pumfhment. The rw .A pa es: ·. ut ~ever to any Corporal or Be aft which carries th~ Whore. 0 rms of Anu-Chrdt, or rather of the great But let us obferve what fo t f Ch h me~d.s. Avoid [oolifh JiueU~on~ urc -Gover~tncnt the A poftle recorn- . Stnvrng 4h0111 the Law· for tbe ' and Gencalogtes., and Contentions and . an H~retick, ~fur rhe fon and ~;~:/:/'f{//j:;f{j0 trnd '!lain: A ~lo~ that is ~. TJm. 4, s; that IS fucb, Js fub,•erted, and finneth b . J.' re;e8~rkno~mg that he 2 !im.t: 21~ or Self· condemned. , etng con emned o; (or rn) Himfe/f; T 1t, 3• 9· It's very remarkable Firfl Th3t th. Tittl$ to itand upon Nicetie; 3 d fl ~~~rear Apofile, infteadof exhorting Enjoyments for Opinions of Reti~ion a~n. ce . Mh~n'$ Natural Comforts and them; leaving the People to their' lnJOYTb ~~ to fhun Difputes about thofe Matters. as reputin the L (; fwn ~ug t~ ~nd Apprehenfions in Gain that could a rife fromg fflch a~ su. Peacj ~ t~nvt~g, greater than the :tgrees with another Pafl'age of his. z:;ty an n ormtty: . Which exactly be ti}IJJhf!!iltded; tZnd if in any Thin; ye b:~~~!:.;{%e 4f d J11b j be perfefl, Phil. 3: I~ event 1.r unto yo11• He did not f:~y ou (h 1l be/i mrn .e ' a jh"O reveal cllttd 3.nd.flllng. into Prifon, if ye be ~ot o/our Mf:f• plUaged, Excommt~ni- 2d/y, That, Jn the .Apoftle's Definition R : . Perfon, c;me ~onfcious to himfelf of Etro; :~ obft."ck I~ a. &If-condemned notconfc_tenuous Diffenters; for many te Th f; ~a~y Jn ~t; bu! thJt are they beheve, and dBfent from the nati n ou. a!l s m thts NatiOn act as pie of Confcience to .1\.lmighty God . 3°~1 Rel~~Lhn Pl.! rely upon a Princicould do it upon Conviction or with '3n~ S "":0£: a· eamly ~onform if they And with Men of any Tende;nefs or c a us a . lOn to !heu own Minds: Sufferings in Perf on and Efiate · and th.m.mpn _Senfe, thetr continual gre.lt monftration, or there can be 'none in tbu attence under th~m, .3re a DeHumour or Intereft is at Bottom. ~ World, that Confcience and nor Nor can their Perfecurors difprove them t fi h 1 and that is a little ~00 far for a fallible sPi~i~ et s t . ey ~ou d learc~ He~rts,' One they deny. So that the Apoftle makes 0 hea.li;, a~ an I~fa1hble the Side of Mif..believing or not comin not t ~ eretlc/l to he upon Knowledge, but upon the' Side ofJflil{uOy gT. u~ ~0 t;" ~b~rce of Faith and: condem'!edly, maintaining, Things inc~fift=~tu:i~~?\ Fur_athelyp, 3nd SelfProfpenty of the Church. t e an , eace and Granting us then not to be Ob!!inate and Self-condemned Diffi d you cannot reafonably refufe it u H d enters, an ot~c~ Part ? AJ1 Pattiea plead S~rip~:re, 0 a~~u t~~~vfo;st~!roneous in the [i£~K~~v{~~:!~~~~;[.:~:L? fli'h~T:JMdei:~~t jt~i~~~;~;::~~~~ d d ' ft"ll e ore; or en are apt to be no le(s confii .e~, tn yet :ue J up~n as uncertain Grounds: If the lafi this muft en er e Jn external or 3n mternal Judge· If an exttntal k you are w_irh_out pointins J for there ftands nothin betw:e~o~u now where ~f ~~t .~1dcipl{ : ~fan '·ntNernal Judge, either it i~ our (elve~ or 3~~ ~:i~ Th. n we m.g 10 us · ot our felves, for then the Rule would be the th ~~~ rwjd, lihlch cannot be; and if it be the Spirit of Chrift]efus and l e ;nP0 e te. Bus, Rom. B. That unlef.r we have rhe Spirit ffJe are n;ne of ~'Jr1J' f• then Is the Neck of Impofition broken; and what halt thou to Jtgm. -~ o to JUdge me ? Let ~e ft~nd or fall to my own Mafter: And upon this ~o.ot when Luther, Z~fmglrm, Calvin, Melanflhon, Been, BuDinger Zan- UIIJ Abroad , and Tmdal, Barn.r, Cranmer, Ridley, Hooper, J~ru/: BraJ .. fori |