non venient rummet con mundus e a practice of the word, because it is their own cafe. Hi profeão Wherefore feeing the generality of the prefent inconcilium, Clergy, are arrived to this height of evil, that ut judicen-they will not be contented to be Servants, but ut emendent will needs make themselves Lords over Chrifts ea quæ ipfo- Flock, plotting and striving to procure and mainfemix,tain their Ecclefiaftical State by Secular Power; deoque tot feeing they have left off to preach Chrift, and mendanda the Gospel, and only preach of Scate-Affairs, rafe clamat, ging and railing against the most just and neceffary altos judica-Proceedings of the Supream Authority of the re fubju- Kingdom, as not fuitable to their Deligns; feeing they are daily depraving the Sayings and Wri tiam retine-tings of men more righteous than themselves; requic- yea, and dare caft a veil of their falfe Expofitions rum obftat over the very Scriptures, to darken them, and libidini,con- make them as Sack-cloth to the World, that the medio tolle- glory of the Father, and the mind of Chrift might re Conabun (if it were poffible) be wholly obfcured; yea, Ep. ad Edw. feeing they are become fo vile, that they had ra fed gare; fuam illam poten quid ipfo culcare, e lext. ther Chrift himself, with his Gospel, and true Church, fhould all perish, than that they fhould fuffer the leaft diminution of their Power, Dignity, Riches, Dominion, and Tyranny: What remains, but that the Societies of Chriftians fhould meet together to reform these evil Officers? And whereas they are now met to Reform the Church, it is far more neceflary, and would be far more profitable, for the Congregations of the Faithful, to meet together to Reform them, if yet they be capable of Reformation; which I confefs is much to be doubted, feeing they Sin against fo clear a Light. 2. If the Officers of the Church prove incorrigible, the Church hath Power to depofe them, feeing they have no indelible Character, whatever the Romish Church affirms. Wherefore as the true Church hath Power to chufe its Ministers, and to continue them, as long as they remain faithful in their work; fo alfo it hath power to remove them, if they forfake the truth and power of the Gospel. For as in Civil Societies, not fubjected to Tyranny, Officers that prove evil, are moveable by them that made them; fo likewife the Church hath power to remove, if it fee caufe, this Spiritual Officer; yea, the Spiritual Officer is fo much the more moveable than the Civil,by how much the more he is intolerable, if he be unfaithful: For the Civil Officer can only hurt in the things of this Life, but the Spiritual in the things of Eternal Life. Wherefore the Church hath the greatest neceffity to remove him, and chufe another; feeing this Salt, when it hath loft its favour, is good for nothing, but to be caft upon the dunghill. And to this, worthy Mr. Tindal, a bleffed Martyr, witneffes, faying, "if they (that is, the Mini- Tindal. Pra"fters) err from the word, then may whofoever ife of Po God moveth his heart, play Paul,and correct him, p. 34 "and if he will not obey the Scripture, then "have his Brethren Authority by the Scripture, "to put him down, and fend him out of Chrifts "Church, among the Hereticks, which preferr "their falfe Doctrines above the true word of Chrift. ་ 4. The True Church hath Potter to call its Councels. pifh Prel. If the Church of the Faithful ftand in need of a 4. Can call Councel, it may call one, if it pleafeth, and it its Councels. hath Power fo to do; and the Councel is not to call and appoint the Church, as is now done, but the Church is to call and appoint the Councel, and the Councel is to have its Authority from the Church, and not the Church from it. And for the World, it can no more call the Councels of the Church, than the Church can call the Councels of the World; the Councels of the Church and the World R 2 being Certain reafons why the true Church may very well want a Councel. being as diftinct, as the Church and the World themselves are. Now I faid, The Church, if it need a Councel, may call one; because the Church of Believers now feldom need a Councel, feeing all things are fo clear in the word of God, with which the Faithful are fo well acquainted. There are many other Caufes why the Right 1. Because Councels, as the manner was, were 2. Because they have, for the most part, been made up of Bishops, and Ecclefiaftical Men, who have only fought the interest and advantage of the Clergy, to the prejudice of the Body of Chriftianity; by which means they have fet up their own Kingdom and Tyranny over all other Chriftians. 3. Because being gathered and met, they have especially medled with outward Rites and Ceremonies; and touching thefe, have made binding and coercive Laws, to the overthrow of Chriftian Liberty, and the enfnaring and enflaving Mens Confciences. 4. Because if they have medled with Doctrine, they have rather perverted and obfcured the clear word of the Gofpel, than truly explicated and unfolded it. 5. Wherein 5. Wherein they have done well, yet this evil hath always gone along with it, that they have made People rather look to Men than unto God, and that in the very things of God; and to take Divine things from them, by a humane Faith, rather than from God himself, and his immediate word, according to the Faith of Gods Elect: And fo have given forth themselves in their Opinions and Judgments, as a Foundation to the Church, in the ftead of Jefus Chrift. 6. Because they always determine the things of God, by the plurality of Votes, and do not weigh but number the Suffrages, and fo the greater part, ftill overcomes the better; and the many that are called, carry the Vote against the few that are chofen. Whereby it comes to pass that the Truth is fubdued, and Error is established, by a plaufible Authority. lium Conci 7. * Because such Councels, commonly attribute * Nam quid to themselves Infallibility, and fo fet them- expe&temus felves up as a peremptory Rule, by which ex generathe whole Church muft walk, and none muftiorum deprefume to fay to them, cur ita facitis? do ye fo? though they do never fo ill. fay, they cannot be judged by any Chriftians, because they are fubject to why terminatioThey nibus,docent nos proxima other aliquot fe none, empla, jam culorum ex inde ab an ni quadragintis aut amplius. Quo enim crebriora coiere concilia, tanto magis invaluit fuperftitio, error in do&rina, abufu in ritibus, fuperbia, luxuries, avaritia, omnifq; corruptio in docentibus, vel facerdotibus, denique fœdissima amais difciplinæ obliteratio, Bulling. Epift. ad Evard. Sextum. but all other Chriftians are fubject to them, Object. Ausw. what hope can there be, that any thing hereafter, fhould be done right among them? 8. And lastly, because after fo many Councels, things have not been the better, but the worfe in the Church, through their means; for it is not dead Laws and Orders, written by men, will do the true Church any good; but the living Law of God, written in their hearts, by the Spirit, as God hath promised to do, faying, I will write my law in their hearts, and put it in their inward parts. For as the law of Sin hath been written in our Natures, to corrupt us, fo the law of the Spirit of life, must be written alfo in our natures to reform us. Wherefore after all their Decrees, Laws, Rules, Orders, c. the Church commonly hath been fo far from being bettered, that it hath become more igno rant of the Word, Superftitious, Formal, Prophane than before. All these things being seriously confidered, the Church may very well want Councels. Now if any fhall fay, Tea, but had not the Church a Councel in the Apoftles times, as we see Acts 15? and did not they order and decree matters in the Church? I Anfwer, the Church had a Councel then, but far differing from the Councels now a days; For, 1. That Councel was not called, nor packed to- |