Col. 2. 21. SERM. demned as unlawful, make no bones of it; which tendeth to II. all profaneness. Others say, "Touch not, taste not, handle not;" which speak of things indifferent as merely unlawful, which imagination ends in superstition. A mean way would 1 Cor.7.35. be holden between them both, that neither "a snare be cast" on men's consciences, by turning Non expedit into Non licet, nor Gal. 5. 13. our "liberty" in Christ be made an "occasion to the flesh," by casting Non expedit out of doors. For the Spirit of Christ is the spirit of ingenuity, which will freely submit itself to that which is expedient, even in things of their own nature lawful. The not observing whereof with good heed and discretion, hath in old time filled the world with many a superstitious imagination; and in our days hath healed the imagination. and superstition and hypocrisy with another of riot and licentious liberty, as bad as the former, yea a great deal worse. 2. Imaginations in the cere mony. 13. 40. Imaginations touching the ceremony. First, I take it to be a fancy to imagine there needs none; for without them neither comeliness nor orderly uniformity will be in the 1 Cor. 11. Church. Women will "pray uncovered" (an uncomely sight) 1 Cor. 14. unless the Apostle enjoin the contrary: therefore, "Let every thing be done decently and in order." Now, to advise what is comely and orderly in each age and place, is left in the power and discretion of the governors of each Church: Visum [Acts 15. est Spiritui Sancto et nobis. And the custom of each Church 28.] is peaceably to be observed by the members of it. In a matter ceremonial, touching the veiling of women-after some reasons alleged, which yet a troublesome body might quarrel with-thus doth St. Paul determine the matter definitively: "If any list to be contentious," Nos non habemus talem consuetudinem, nec Ecclesiæ Dei. As if he should say, In matters of that quality each Church's custom is to overrule; as from Cal. 52. ad that place St. Hierome and St. Augustine do both resolve. It hath been ever thought meet, saith St. Gregory, that 118. [al.54. there should be in unitate fidei consuetudo diversa; that is, s. 2.] [S. Greg. the diversity of customs should be in divers Churches, all in Epist. 43. al. 61. circ. the unity of one faith, to shew the Church's liberty in those med.] matters. And therefore the "eating of things offered to idols," wholly restrained the Churches of Syria and Cilicia, seemeth in some sort permitted the Church of Corinth, in case no man did challenge it. 1 Cor. 11. 16. Ep. 28. finem.] Ep. 86. [al. 36. s. 2.] 1 Cor. 10. 27. And as for divers Churches this hath been judged requisite, so hath it likewise been deemed no less requisite that every person should inviolably observe the rites and customs of his own Church. Therefore those former ordinances which were not urged upon the Corinthians-upon the Galatians within the compass of the regions where they took place as we see they were urged (as the Fathers interpret those places) under the pain of Anathema, which censure is Gal. 1. 9. due to all those that "trouble" the Church; as those do who for Gal. 5. 12. setting light by the customs and orders of the Church are by St. Paul concluded within the number of persons "conten- 1 Cor 11. tious" and troublesome. 16. manner of Imaginations touching the manner of delivery. For even 2. In the in it also, for failing, men must imagine something, that delivery. when they can take no exception to the matter yet they may itch after a new manner, and hear it after such and such a sort delivered, or they will not hear at all, and therefore after their own liking "get them a heap of teachers." 1. They must 2 Tim. 4.3. hear no Latin, nor Greek; no, though it be interpreted. A mere imagination. For the Apostle writing to the Corinthians which were Grecians, hath not feared to use terms as strange to them, as Latin or Greek is to us- "Maranatha," 1 Cor. 16. Belial," "Abba." All which he might easily enough have 2Cor.6.15. expressed in their vulgar, but that it liked him to retain his liberty in this point. 66 22. Rom. 8. 15. 14. 2. Nor none of the Apocrypha cited. Another imagination; for St. Jude in his Epistle hath not feared to allege Jude ver. out of the book of Enoch, which book hath ever been reckoned Apocrypha. And by his example all the ancient writers are full of allegations from them; ever to these writings yielding the next place after the Canon of the Scriptures, and preferring them before all foreign writers whatsoever. 3. Nor any thing alleged out of the Jews' Talmud; a third imagination. For, from their records, St. Paul is judged to have set down the names of the sorcerers that "withstood Moses" to be "Jannes and Jambres;" which in Exodus, or the 2 Tim.3.8. whole canon of Scriptures, are not named. As As many other things in the New Testament from them receive great light. And the Jews themselves are therein clearly confuted. 4. But especially no heathen example or authority-for 5.] dis Eth nicorum Scriptis. De Vitâ Mosis. SERM. with allegation of the ancient Fathers I have often dealt—a II. matter which the Primitive Church never imagined unlawful. In Strom. For Clemens Alexandrinus, by allusion to Sarah and Agar, for. I. teacheth the contrary. So doth Basil, in a set treatise; and De Legen- Gregory Nyssen, out of the twenty-first chapter of Deuteronomy, by the rites touching the marrying of heathen women taken captive: and last of all, St. Augustine most plainly. And these all reckoned of the contrary, as a very imagination. Which they did the rather, for that besides divers other Acts 17. places not so apparent, they find St. Paul in matter of doctrine alleging Aratus a heathen writer, in his Sermon at 1 Cor. 15. Athens. And again, in matter of life, alleging Menander, a writer of Comedies, in his Epistle; and thirdly, in matter of report only, without any urgent necessity, alleging Epimenides, or, as some think, Callimachus. De Doc. 2. 40. 28. 33. [Tit. 1.12.] [Vid. Wet. Not. in loc.] 14. And surely, if it be lawful to reason from that which “nature teacheth," as St. Paul doth against men's wearing long hair, it 1 Cor. 11. is not unlawful neither to reason from the wisest and most pithy sayings of natural men. Especially, with the Apostle, using them—as in a manner they only are used-thereby to provoke Christian men to emulation, by shewing them their own blindness in matter of knowledge, that see not so much as the heathen did by the light of nature; or their slackness in matter of conversation, that cannot be got so far forward by God's law, as the poor pagan can by his philosophy. That if grace will not move, shame may. II. "the Apo Heb. 10. 25. Imaginations touching "the Apostles' fellowship." For this Touching doctrine received doth incorporate the receivers of it into stles' fel- a fellowship or society, which is called the fellowship or corlowship." poration of the Gospel; and they that "bring not this doctrine,” 2 John 10. are no ways to be received thereto. Which fellowship is not to be forsaken, "as the manner of some is"- -men of imagina1 Cor. 11. tions-in our days, either because there be heresies, for oportet esse; or, for that many at communions "come together, 1 Cor 11. not for the better, but for the worse," for so did they in Phil. 3. 18. Corinth; or lastly, for that many and many "Christians walk" which St. Paul wrote with tears-" as enemies to the cross of Christ;" for so it was in the Church of Philippi. 19. 17. 1 Cor. 12. Now it is plain, there can no society endure without government, and therefore God hath appointed in it governors and assistants, which seeing they have power from God to reject or "receive accusations," and to "judge those that are 1 Tim 5.19. within" and of the fellowship, it is an idle imagination that 1 Cor. 5. 12. some have imagined, to hold "the Church" hath not her judg- Mat. 18. 17. ment-seat, and power to censure her disobedient children. It hath ever been holden good divinity that the Church from Christ received power to censure and separate wilful offenders. Both, with the heathen man's separation, who might not so much as enter into the Church door, (which is the greater Acts 21.28. censure); and with the publican's separation, (which is the less) who might enter and pray in "the temple," but was Lu. 18. 10. avoided in common conversation, and in the fellowship of the private table, and therefore much more of the altar. Of which twain, the former the Apostle calleth "cutting off;" Gal. 5. 12. the latter, "abstaining from." The Primitive Church calleth the former excommunicatos, the latter abstentos. So that, to fancy no government, is an imagination. A government there is. Touching the form of which government many imaginations have lately been bred, in these our days especially. At 2 Thess. 3. the writing of this verse, it is certain that the government of Acts 2. 42. Christian people consisted in two degrees only-of both 10. 1. which our Saviour Christ Himself was the Author: 1. of the Lu. 9. 1; Twelve, 2. of the Seventy; both which were over the people, in things pertaining to God. 11.] These two were, one superior to another, and not equal. And that the Apostles established an equality in the Clergy, is, I take it, an imagination. No man could perish in the "gainsaying of Korah" under the Gospel, which St. Jude [Jude ver. saith they may, if there were not a superiority in the Clergy; for Korah's mutiny was, because he might not be equal to Aaron, appointed his superior by God. Which very humour, Nu. 16. 10. observe it who will, hath brought forth most part of the heresies since the time of the Gospel; that Korah might not be Aaron's equal. Now of these two orders, the Apostles have ever been reckoned the superior to the other, till our times; as having, even under our Saviour Christ, a power to Lu. 9. 49. forbid others. And after, exercising the same power; Silas, one of the Seventy, receiving a commandment, evrov, from Acts 15.30. St. Paul an Apostle to come unto him. As the auditory had 1 Cor. 14. 32; 17. 15. SERM. their "room" by themselves, so among the persons ecclesiastical II. the Apostles had a higher seat, as may be gathered; and in the very place itself were distinguished. Now in the place of the Twelve, succeeded Bishops; and in the place of the Seventy, Presbyteri, Priests or Ministers, and that by the Lib. 3. c. 3. judgment of Irenæus, who lived immediately upon the Apostles' age, of Tertullian, of St. Augustine. And this, till of late, was thought the form of fellowship, and never other imagined. De Præ script. [32.] But not long since, some have fancied another, that should consist of Lay-elders, Pastors, and Doctors, and whether of Deacons too is not fully agreed yet. Which device is pressed now upon our Church, not as a form of more convenience than that it hath, but as one absolutely necessary, and of our Saviour Christ's own only institution, which maketh it the less [2 Pet. 3. sufferable. I know that by virtue of St. Peter's wrench before 16.] mentioned some places may be brought which may seem to give it colour, but that is if we allow those new glossed senses. But if we seek what senses the Primitive Church gave of them, not one of them but will suffer it to fall to the ground. And finding it a stranger to them, I know not how to term it but an imagination. To touch it briefly in a word. 28; Eph. 4. 11, 6, 7, 8.] If we ask Scripture for it, and where we may find it, they pass by the two most evident places in appearance, the twelfth [1 Cor. 12. chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, the twentyeighth verse, because there are no Pastors; and the fourth Rom. 12. chapter of Ephesians, the eleventh verse, because there are no Lay-elders; and lay it upon the twelfth chapter of Romans, the sixth, seventh, and eighth verses. And there, by a strange and unheard of exposition, they will find them all four; but not except that exposition be allowed them, nor if the ancient writers may be heard, what the true sense of it is. There is no Epistle on which so many of them have written. Six only I will name: Origen, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Ambrose, Hierome, Ecumenius; all which have entreated of it. Let their commentaries be looked on upon that place. Not one of them applieth it to the Church government—which by any likelihood cannot be imagined but they would, if it were the main place for it-or findeth those offices in those words, which they in good earnest tell us of, as that 4iákovov |