:Do P<Jders oblige the prople to take bad ]vfmijlers ~ 78t ------------------------------------~----- --~-----~ Obj. But a ,;;an may b~ a Chri}fian without [avin.( Grace or Godlimjf. ,Anfw. As much ' as hc: rmf' be Godly without Godlinrfl. That is, he may beV1{1bly aCIJrijfi_an and Godly, without finccre f<~ith o~ dodlintfi, but not withoutthe profe!Jion of both. It is not polTJble that rl.1c: protCfijon uf ChriHianhy in the Effr:ntials, can be without the profcJiion of Godlinefi ; For it includeth ic. i 1. To rhe other quellion.I anfwcr, 1. A man th~r .P~ofdfeth Infidelity 0~ Impiety, yea that Pro· fiffttiJuot faith and Godlincf! IS not to be taken f~r a Ml~t.licr or heard as tuch. 2 , Every one that protdfeth to lland to hiS B•pn(mal Covenanr profclfcrh faith and God· lindi. . 3 . Ht: that by a vicious life or bad applic~tion of doctrine contradidrth his profeffion) is tO b~ lawfully accufed of it, and heard fpeak tor lumfelf, and to be calt out by ttuc Church-jufiice, and not by the private ccnfure of a privar~ pC'rfon. . · , 4 . Till this be done, though a parttcul~r pnvate ~?ember of the.Church b~. not h~und to think that the Minifier is Worthy, nor th:lt the Church wh1ch fuffereth ·hJm And rect1verh h1m dOth well, )'Ct they arc bound to judge hi~ one who b~ the C:::~~rche~ r!!;:eption is. i~ p~c~on ; ~nd there~ fore avifible P•fior, and to fubm1t to his publuk,.AdmzniftratloJU; Becaufe It IS not m a pnv.ue mans power but the Churches, to determine who fball be the PaO\.>r. . 5 , But if the cafe be pall Controverfie and notorious , that the man i$ not only fcandalous and weak and duB and neg\ige!'lt, but alfo either J, bttolrrably unable, 2· Or an Infidel, or gwfs 1-Ierctic/t 3• Or ccruinly ungodly, a private man thouId admonifh the Church and him, and in "" cafe rha; they proceed in impenit~nc;y, fhould remove himfelf to a bttter Church and Minillry : And the Church it felf,. lhould difown fuch a man, and commit their fouls to one that is fitter for th<: trufi. - 6 , And that Church or pcrfon who needl<fiy owneth fuch a P;nor, or preferreth him before a fitter doth thereby harden him in his ufurpation, and is guilty of the hurt of the peoples fouls, and of hts own, and of the difuonour done to God. ~efl:. 9 . Whether t/,e people are bound to dVcei-ve or Confent to tili un.godly; intolerable, heretical Paftor,yea or one far lejs fi't and IPOrtlry tba11 a competi.tor, if the Magiftr~te command it, or the 'Bijl1op impojehim ? FOr the deciding of this take thcfe Propofitions. . ' . · 1 , The M ;gillrare is au(horizedby God to Govern Minillers and Churches, according to.the a·r– dt:rs and Laws of Chrili ( and nor againfi them : ) But not toorduin or dtgrade, nor to.malte M:inifiers or ttlm!a~e them, nor 10 d~prive the Chur~h .of the L:berry ~euled on it by the L1ws of ChriJl. 2 , The Bifhr.p; or OrdaJnCrs are authom cd by Chnfi, to JUdge of the fitnefs of the pcrfon to the cfu.;;c in general, and fokmnly to inv~lt him in if, but not to deprive the people: of their freedom, and cx~rcife of the mtuul care of their own falvation, or of any Liberty given them by Chrifi. 3 . Thepeoples Liberty in choofing, or confcnting to their•own P.t.fiors to whom they mufi commit 'the care of their fouls, is partly founded in nature, ( it being they that mull have the benefit or lofs, and no man beingauthorized. to da~n or hazard mens fouls, at leafl. again£\ their wills); And partly fttlcd by Scrip!Ure, and contmucd m the Church above athoufand y~ars after Chrill, at leafi in very I 11 . f ml ny puts of it. S;;eBlonde I! full proof de jurtp!eb~ in rtgim.EccJef.HildtbertuJ Cenoman. (alias Turo~ ~~~~~r~~~eo 1U'Hjii ) even in hi1 time o,eweth that though the Clergy were to lead and the people to follow, yet Empt'rours no man was to be made a S:{hop, or put upon the people without their ow11 coH{tnt: Epijl. 12• Bib!. the Churches Pet•<[ 0 , 3· p. '79· Fil,fa:f!J will dire& you to more fuch tefiimonies: But the thing is pafi Contra... ~e-~fed the . tic. 1 ncc.d ~ot cire to 1he .learned the ~ommo?ly cited tcfiimony o~ Cyfrian, Pltbs maximam habet ,he ~!:P;~~~ potejlatcm mdtgnos rccu{attdl, &c. And 1ndeed 10 the nat~re o! the thmg 1t cannot be : For though impofed on you may drench a mad mans bodyby force, when you g1ve h1m phyfick, you cannot fo drench mens them, and. iOuis, nor cure them.againll their wills. ~~~gr:~~1! efpeci:~lly :at Alexandria and Co#f•ret. after the greateR urgency for th~i~xu~~~~~'~• 4 . Not th•t the Peoples confcnt is nccelfuy to the general office of a Gofpel Minificr, to Preach and E,.;ptizc: ; but vnly to the approptiation or relation of a Miniller to themfelves; that is, To the Being of a Pafior of a p..trticular Church as fuch, but not of a Minifier of Chrifi as fuch~ S• A mans foul i<> of fo great valwc above all the favour of man, or treafurcs of this world, that no nu.n fhould be indiff~rent, to what mans cuehe doth commit it; nor fhould he haurd it Upon the dan... ger of evcrlalling milery, for fear of difplcafing man, or being accufed of fchifm oi diforder. 6. Thche is as great difference between an Able, Learned, Judicious, OrthodoX, Godly, diligent, livdy Teacher, and an ignoranr, Heretical, ungodly, dull and flothful man, as is between a skilful and an Ignorant Pilot at Sea; or between an ~blc, experienced, faithful Phyficion, and an ignQrant, ratfl ancl rrcachcwus one, as to the Caving mens lives. And he that would •not take a Sot or E'mpcr.ick for his
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