4. Whether the Lord Jefus as King and Head over his Church, hath not inftituted fufficient Officers and Offices for the adminiftration of Holy Things in his Houfe, to whom no more can be added without a defperate undervaluation and contempt of his Wisdome, Headship and Soveraignty over it?

5. Whether the Officers inftituted by Chrift, are not onely. Paftors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons and Helpers?

6. Whether the Offices of Arch-Bishops, Lord-Bishops, Deans, SubDeans, Prebendaries, Chancellors, Priefts, Deacons, (as an order of the first step to a Priesthood) Arch-Deacons, Sub-Deacons, Commissaries, Officials, Proctors, Regifters, Apparitors, Parfons, Vicars, Curats, Canons, Petty-Canons, Gospellers, Epiftallers, Chaunters, Virgers, OrganPlayers, Querifters, be Offices any where instituted by the Lord Jefus in the Scripture?.

7. Whether the calling and admiffion into these laft mentioned Offices, their adminiftration, and maintenance now had, and received in Englnad, be according to the Word of God?

3. Whether every true vifible particular Church of Chrift, be not a felect company of People, called and separated from the world and Falfe Worship thereof, by the Spirit and Word of God, and joyned together in the Fellowship of the Gofpel, by their own free and voluntary confent, giving up themfelves to Chrift and one another according to the Will of God?

9. Whether a company of People living in a Parish (though the most of them be vifible Drunkards, Swearers, &c. or at leaft ftrangers to the work of regeneration upon their fouls) coming (by compulfion or otherwife) to the hearing of Publick Prayers or Preaching, are in the Scripture account Saints, and a Church of Chrift according to the Pattern given forth by him: Or rather, be not to be esteemed. Daughters of the old Whore and Babel, spoken of in the Scriptures?

10. Whether in fuch a Church there is, or can rationally be fuppofed to be,a true Miniftry of the inftitution of Chrift?

11. Whether the Book of Common-Prayer, or ftinted Lyturgies, be of the prescription of Chrift, and not of mans devifing and in

vention?

12. Whether if one part of a Worship ufed by a People, be pollured, the whole of their Worship be not to be looked upon, in a Scripture account, as polluted and abominable, according to 1 Kings

18.

18.21. 2 King. 17. 33. Ifa. 66. 3. Hof. 4. 15. Ezek. 43. 8. Zeph. 1.5? fo that if their Prayers be naught and polluted, their Preaching be not fo too.

13. Whether a Miniftry fet up in direct oppofition unto a MiniAtry of Chrift, which rifeth upon its fall, and falls by its rife, can by fuch as fo account of it be lawfully joyned unto?.

14. Whether fuch as have forfworn a Covenant Reformation ac cording to the VVord of God, and fwear to a Worfhip that is meerly of humane devifing, that have nothing of the effentials of a Miniftry of Chrift to be found upon them, may be accounted of as his Minifters, and be adhered to?

15. VVhether fuch as fhall fo do, be not guilty of cafting contempt upon the Inftitutions of Christ, and disobedience against his Royal Edicts, commanding them to feparate from perfons of fuch a complection? To which many others of the like nature might be added.

CHA P. X.

Arguments for the lawfulneß of hearing the prefent Ministers of England; 1. From the fuppofed Precept of Chrift, Mat.23.1.(whether the Scribes and Pharifees, Mat, 23.1. were Magiftrates or Minifters, debated: If Minifters, that their Office and Calling was lawful, proved. That Chrift neither commands nor permits his Difciples to hear them,proved.) 2. From the practice of Chrift and his Apoftles. 3. From Phil. 1.15. 4. From their preaching truth. 5. From Judas his preaching. 6. From their being good men. 7. From the practice of Learned and Good men in former dayes, and now. 8. From the Magiftrates com 9. From the pretended Plea of their being true Minifters because they convert fouls. 10. From perfons not knowing whither to ge to bear: Fully answered.

mand.

Having hitherto been upon the confirmation of the Truth affer

ted by us, viz. That 'tis not lawful for Saints to hear the prefent Minifters of England, we come now to confider, what is in this. matter objected by our diffenting Brethren. This is that they fay, Object. 1.

Christ commands (or at least permits) his Difciples to hear the Scribes and Pharifees (who were men as corrupt in their Doctrine, as vitious in their lives, as the prefent Minifters of England can be fuppofed to be) Mat. 23. 1,2. Therefore it is lawful to hear these.

Answ

Anfw. This being the main Objection ufed by our diffenting Bre thren in this day (as it was by others in times paft) their very Achilles in this controverfie, we fhall speak the more largely to it: Many things are fuppofed by the Objectors,and taken for granted (and mult be fa by all that judge any weight to be in what is from this supposed command of Chrift argued) which they will never be able to prove ; and yet are the very bafis upon which the ftrefs of the Objection lies.

As I. 'Tis fuppofed that the Scribes and Pharifees here fpoken of, were in the Minifterial Seat, Teachers and Expounders of the Law, which at firft veiw feems to be a difficult task for any to demonftrate. That fome of the Scribes and Pharifees (which were particular Sects among the Jews, as is known) were fo, cannot be denied; that these here mentioned by our Saviour are fuch, is not fo evident. They are exprefly faid to fit in Mofes Seat (not Aarons) who though he were of the Tribe of Levi, yet was not the Minifterial, but Magiftratical Seat committed unto him. To the Pofterity of Aaron did the Office of Priesthood appertain (as is known to all that have but in the leaft turned afide to confider of this affair) nor is it altogether frivolous, that is by fome obferved, That thefe Scribes and Pharifees are especially charged with the omiffion of Judgment and Mercy; things moft nearly relating unto the Office of Magiftracy, to whom it doth especially appertain to look thereunto. Now will it in the leaft follow, That fuppofing Chrift enjoyned his Difciples to attend upon the Scribes and Pharifees, acting as Magistrates, and conform to what is justly and righteously prefcribed by them as fuch: That therefore it's lawful to attend upon the prefent Miniftrrs of England. But let this be granred; Suppose,

2. The Scribes and Pharifees to be the Preachers and Expounders of the Law in that day, the Seat mentioned, to be a Minifterial Seat; yet this will not at all help them in the matter in controverfie, except it be granted to them, that the Scribes and Pharifees were not a lawful, but a falfe Miniftry, that had furreptitiously climbed up into this Ministerial Seat (for who fees not the invalidity and nothingness of this Argument, 'Twas lawful to hear the Scribes and Pharifees which were the lawful Church-Officers of that day, of the appointment of the Lord, acting by vertue of an Authority derived from him; Therefore 'tis lawful to hear perfons that have not any fuch Authority from Chrift, but are meer Intruders and Minifters

of

of Antichrift) (as the prefent Minifters of England have been proved to be.) Now this upon that fuppofition, that they were Ministers,we cannot yeild, for thefe Reasons. 1. The Pharifees are exprefly faid to be Priests and Levits, John 1, 19. (and this is the record of John, when the Jews fent Priests and Levits from Jerufalem, to ask him, Who art thou? ver. 24. And they that were sent were of the Pharifees) which were the ordinary lawful Minifters of that day. 2. Thefe of all others were most apt to question the Authority of fuch. as taught the People: So when John appears Preaching and Baptizing, and profeffes to them, that he was not the Chrift,norElias,nor Prophet (who was expected by the People of the Jews)they immediatly question his Authority, John 1.25. Why baptizest thou then? which they could not be fuppofed to have the face to do, if they themselves, of all others, had been the greatest Intruders. Nay, 3. When they question Chrift himself about his Authority, he asks not them, From whence they had. theirs (which doubtless upon that occafion, he would have done, had they not been lawfully feated in the Seat they did poffeis) but from whence John had his, who was esteemed as a Prophet. 4. We have the Lord Jefus many times crying out above all others, against the Pharifees, condemning them of Pride, Hypocrifie, Avarice, &c. but not the leaft tittle of the ufurpation of Mofes-feat, is by him charged upon them, or in the leaft intimated, which doubtless would have been had they been guilty thereof. But let this alfo be granted, that we may hear this Argument speak its uttermoft, The Scribes and Pharifees fit in Mofes feat; this Seat is a Ministerial Seat, and they fit not here by vertue of any lawful Authority, but are meer intruders; what follows from hence? why this, if it were lawful to hear the Scribes and Pharifees, perfons vitious in their lives, corrupt in their doctrine, having no lawful call to the place they poffeffed: then it undeniably follows, that it's lawful to hear the prefent Minifters of England, though they have no lawful Authority or Call to the Office they affume. It must it feems, then 3dly, be granted, that when Chrift fayes, What they fay unto you,do, he is to be interpreted, to command, or at leaft, to permit an attendance upon their Miniftry. But this is that we deny, and dare confidently aver, That it never entered into the heart of Chrift to permit, much lefs to command any to attend upon the Ministry of the Scribes and Pharifees: Nor is any such thing in the least int mated in the words under confideration. For firft, the words are in

the

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bave

the original, ἐπὶ τη Μωσέως καθέδρας εκάθισαν οἱ γραματεῖς, καὶ οἱ φαρισαῖοι: male voce av sin u,&c. which may more ftrictly be rendered, the Scribes & Pharifees have fat in Mofes Chair,all things therefore whatfoever they have faid unto you,&c. (i.e. whatever in times past, you heard delivered by these men, according to the mind of God, do you not now reject because of that Hypocrife, Pride, Coveteousneß, &c. you are made to fee is predominant in them. Let the words be as they are rendered, whatever they bid you observe and do, that obferve and do. Yet 2ly, who, that hath but half an eye can chufe but fee, that an attendance upon their Miniftry is remote enough from being their intendment? We had alwayes thought, that they might have been fufficiently acquainted with, and been in a capacity of hearing and knowing what had been faid by these men through their particular occafional meeting and discourse with them, though they had never spent one hour in attending upon their Ministry. Which that our Saviour did not enjoyn, no nor fo much as permit by that expreffion,we fuppofe may be cleerly demonftrated from the enfuing confiderations.

1. There are not a generation of men of whom the Lord Jefus doth speak more contemptuously (and charges with greater enormities) than he doth of that generation of Scribes and Pharisees. In this very chapter he enforms us of their Hypocrifie, ver.5,23,25,27, 28,29. and Pride, ver 6,7. and tells us plainly that they shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against men, neither entering in themselves, nor Suffering those that are entring, to go in, ver. 13. That they make their Profelytes twofold more the children of Hell than themselves, v. 15. that they are blind Guides, ver. 16, 19, 24,26. perverters of the Scripture, fuch as make void the Commandments of God by their Traditions, ver. 16, 17, 18. that they are Serpents, a generation of Vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of Hell, ver. 33. yea, such as shall kill, crucifie, fcourge, perfecute the Meffengers of the Lord, ver. 34. And can it be imagined, that Chrift fhould have no more tenderness to poor fouls, than to direct them to an attendance upon fuch perfons as these for teachings- Credat Apelles! Are thefe likely motives to perfwade, or enforce any thereunto? Yet this is what he immediatly fubjoyns, having faid, whatever they bid you observe, that obferve and do.

2. The Doctrines owned by them are known: The Teffera of their Sect, was, Juftification by the works of the Law, which is diametrically oppofit to the work Chrift was then upon, and the Doctrine preached by him.

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-3. That