1!54 May jilenced Minifters preach ftill ~ ------------~------------------------------ Qgell:. 8o. May or muft aMi11ijler Jilenced, or forbid to Pre.!C/) the Gofj>el, qo 011 jtill topreacb it, againjt the Law ~ 6 Anfiv. DlllinguiCh between, r. Juft filmcing and Vnjuft; 2. NectjfJry preaching) and mmc- . ceff"'Y· • I· Some men .are juftly forbidd~n to preach the Gofpel, as r. Thofc that arc Hlterly mtah!r, and do ":or~e than not~mg when they don. 2. Thofc r.hat arc HeretickJ and {ubvcrt the Eff'emiah of Chri– fham~y or Godhntf!: . 3. T~ofe that are fo ImpzoUJ and Mo~1ignant, lhar. they turn all againit lht: Pra6hce of that Rehgwn wh1ch they profefs; In a word, All that do ( dm:dly) more hurt thang~ol!. :2. In fomc placesthcr~ are fo mar:y able prea~htrs, that fame to~erable men may be: fpared, if· not accounted fitpernumennes ; and the Church w1ll not fuffer by theu filcnce. But in other Coum:reys either the Preachers are Cofew~ or fo bd, O~r the people fo very ignortJnt, and bardemd and un~od!y, or fo gfeat a number that arc m deep necefiHy, that the need of preaching is undcnyable. And to J conclude, 1. That he that is juftly filenced, and is :mfit toPreach, is bound to forbear. 2· He that is filence~ by jufi P11n'er thou~h u~jnfll~ in a Countr~y1 thu .~.ttdeth not ~is .Preaching, mullfqrbear thtre, and tf he can, MUll go 1"nto anothcrCountrey wh~re he may be more fdviceable. · 3· M•giftrates may not EcclefiaOically OrdainMiniflcrs or dtgradl them, But only eirher give them W~m~~~u~b~~ ., ' 4· Magifirates are not the foHntain of the Minifterial Office, as the Soveraign is of all the Civil power of infetiour Magi{hates; But buth f>fficts are immediately from ,God. 5· M;~giftrates have not power from God to forbid men to Preach in all cafes, nor M they pltafe, but jujlly oTII'J and a<;li()rding to Godr Laivr. • 6. Mm be not made MiniOers of Chrill only p'ro tempore or on tryaI, to go offagain if they diflikc it; But are abfolutcly dedicated to God, and take their lot for better and for worfe ; which ·maktrh the Romanifts fay, that Ordination is a Sac'ramlnt (and fo it may be aPtly called ; ) and char we re– 'ceive an indelible cbaralJ.er, that is, an oblif.atZon during life, unlefs God himfc:lf difable us. 1· As we arc merlier devottd and relaud to God, than Church l~nds, goOdJ, and ump!u ar~, fo the {11r:rilcdge of alicnating a confocratcdpfrfon unjuftly, is greater and more unque'Hionab!e rhan rhe facr:– Jedge of aliena~ing Confccrated houfes, lands or things. · And therefore no Minifler may S;crilegioufly alierlatc himfelf from God and his undertaken office and work. 8. we mufl do any Lawful tbi1zg to .procure the Mugijlrattt Lictnce toPreach in his Dominions. 9· AUmen fifenced or forbidden by Magifhates to Prtach, are not thereby Obligtd or warranted to forbear. For, r. The Apofrlcs expreily determine it, Act. 4· I9· Whether it be bttJtr to btarJ:.!n t3 God r;tbtr tban toyfm, judge ye. 2. Cht1fi oft for~tofd his ff:rvants, thatrhey mutl Preach againft the will of Rulers, and. fuffcr by them. 3· The Apofiles and ordinary Mihillcrs alfo for 300 years aftes: Chtill did generally preach againll the Magillrates will, throughout the Roman Empire and rhe World. 4· Th~Otthodox B1fhops commonly took themfelves bound to Preach when ArriaiJ or other Hereti– cal Emperours forbad·~hern. 5· A moral duty1of Hated neccffity to the Church and mens faivation is riot lubjtCl:ed to the will of men for 014er fake: For o,J,, is for the thing o,dmd and for the' EY.d. Migillrares canndt difpenfe W'i-th os, fof·not Loving our Ntighbours, or not }herring mercy •to the 'poor, or [avi.ng tbe liver of the needy in famine and dithcfs. · Elfe they that atlafi 01all hear, I was hu 11 gry dltd )e ftd me not, 1rPaJnak_ed and)'e cloat~;d me 1Jot, I was in pri.[ou and ye vifited me not, might oft l~yll oul Phrenu, Maftm 'dr Ma'giftraw fodJad _ur. Yet alrffir Moral dmy may be forbidden'by the Magl– flr'ate'for~he fake of a1greatcr, bccaufe then 1 it i-f no f1ntyindced, and may be for born if he forbid it not; As to fave one mans )ife, if it would prove the death of a multitude; or to favc one· mans houfe on fire, if fo doing would tire many. }"herefore, ""xO. 1t is Iawful'and a duty to forb-::frfome certain time or number of Sermons, Prayers or Sacra~ mems, &"t. when cithtr the prefint U"/t"'of themwould apparently procure more burt ·tban good, or when theJorheara~c"e were like to prctilre moregood than rhe tking of them: For ther are all for our Ediftcalio>t, abcf'"~ matl!fot' man ~nd not man for them (though for God. ) · As if forbearing this day would procure me liberty for many dayes fervJce afterward, &c. r [.'lt'is not' Ja,(,t'UI it thcCbmmando"f man to for fake or forbear our Calling and duty, when it is to be judged 'NrcrjJJiy to the h<lnbur cif· dod, tb the good of the Church, and of merls fouls: that is, wh{'n -a5~'n 'Danidt t!aff, D9n/6. our ·Religion it felf ~nd our owning the true God, doth feem filfp~nded by the·{i.<fpr!nce'of our du"ty! Or when the multitrcde of ignoram, ha:tfmed Ur.godly foufs, and the waN of ilt men for 1mmbcr and quality, doth put it pa{i Controverfir, thar our work is grea:ly ntcc[{>~ry. ~ht. ~8. ::0. 12· ThoCe th:a are not fmrnediately called by Chrifi as were the Apoflles, but by men, being yet ;~C~~-~;: ;:: (tattd!y ohl:grd ro the dearh when rhcy are caL'£d, may uuly tay as Paul, Ntctffity Ulaid upon me, and Aft. 5 • 41 • Wflf bf!o me if I preach not the Go[pel. · . . • . , . . , & 10, 42. I)· P2pilis at1d Protdtancs concurr m thts }u3gemenr. Pap:lh will preach when the Law forbtds ~ Tim. 4 r, ::-. them : And the: judgement of Proceflants is, among others, by BJl10p Bil{on of fubjcdicnl and Bifhop ~~-5~-J~ .• lz, Andr£n's Tortur. 'ttJrt· plainly fo aifcrted.
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