being yet a layman, expounded the fcriptures publicly, and was therein defended by Alexander of Jerufalem, and Theoctiftus of Cæfarea, producing in his behalf divers examples, that the privilege of teaching was anciently permitted to many worthy laymen: and Cyprian in his epiftles profeffes he will do nothing without the advice and affent of his affiftant laics. Neither did the first Nicene council, as great and learned as it was, think it any robbery to receive in, and require the help and presence of many learned lay-brethren, as they were then called. Many other authorities to confirm this affertion, both out of fcripture and the writings of next antiquity, Golartius hath collected in his notes upon Cyprian; whereby it will be evident, that the laity, not only by apoftolic permiffion, but by confent of many of the ancienteft prelates, did participate in church-offices as much as is defired any lay-elder fhould now do. Sometimes alfo not the elders alone, but the whole body of the church is interested in the work of discipline, as oft as public fatisfaction is given by those that have given public fcandal. Not to fpeak now of her right in elections. But another reafon there is in it, which though religion did not commend to us, yet moral and civil prudence could not but extol. It was thought of old in philofophy, that shame, or to call it better, the reverence of our elders, our brethren and friends, was the greatest incitement to virtuous deeds, and the greatest diffuafion from unworthy attempts that might be. Hence we may read in the Iliad, where Hector being wifhed to retire from the battle, many of his forces being routed, makes answer, that he durft not for fhame, left the Trojan knights and dames should think he did ignobly. And certain it is, that whereas terrour is thought fuch a great ftickler in a commonwealth, honourable shame is a far greater, and has more reason: for where shame is, there is fear; but where fear is, there is not presently shame. And if any thing may be done, to inbreed in us this generous and chriftianly reverence one of another, the very nurfe and guardian of piety and virtue, it cannot fooner be than by such a difcipline in the church, as may use us to have in awe the affemblies of the faithful, and to count it a thing most grievous, grievous, next to the grieving of God's fpirit, to offend those whom he hath put in authority, as a healing fuperintendence over our lives and behaviours, both to our own happiness, and that we may not give offence to good men, who, without amends by us made, dare not, against God's command, hold communion with us in holy things. And this will be accompanied with a religious dread of being outcaft from the company of faints, and from the fatherly protection of God in his church, to confort with the devil and his angels. But there is yet a more ingenuous and noble degree of honeft fhame, or, call it, if you will, an esteem, whereby men bear an inward reverence toward their own perfons. And if the love of God, as a fire fent from Heaven to be ever kept alive upon the altars of our hearts, be the first principle of all godly and virtuous actions in men, this pious and juft honouring of ourfelves is the second, and may be thought as the radical moisture and fountain-head, whence every laudable and worthy enterprise iffues forth. And although I have given it the name of a liquid thing, yet it is not incontinent to bound itself, as humid things are, but hath in it a most restraining and powerful abftinence to start back, and glob itself upward from the mixture of any ungenerous and unbeseeming motion, or any foil wherewith it may peril to ftain itself. Something I confefs it is to be afhamed of evildoing in the prefence of any; and to reverence the opinion and the countenance of a good man rather than a bad, fearing most in his fight to offend, goes fo far as almoft to be virtuous; yet this is but ftill the fear of infamy, and many fuch, when they find themfelves alone, faving their reputation, will compound with other scruples, and come to a close treaty with their dearer vices in fecret. But he that holds himself in reverence and due esteem, both for the dignity of God's image upon him, and for the price of his redemption, which he thinks is vifibly marked upon his forehead, accounts himself both a fit perfon to do the nobleft and godlieft deeds, and much better worth than to deject and defile, with fuch a debasement, and fuch a pollution as fin is, himself so highly ranfomed and ennobled to a new friendship and filial relation with God. Nor can he fear fo fo much the offence and reproach of others, as he dreads and would blush at the reflection of his own fevere and modeft eye upon himself, if it fhould fee him doing or imagining that which is finful, though in the deepest fecrecy. How fhall a man know to do himself this right, how to perform his honourable duty of eftimation and refpect towards his own foul and body? which way will lead him beft to this hilltop of fanctity and goodness, above which there is no higher ascent but to the love of God, which from this felf-pious regard cannot be afunder? No better way doubtlefs, than to let him duly understand, that as he is called by the high calling of God, to be holy and pure, fo is he by the fame appointment ordained, and by the church's call, admitted to fuch offices of difcipline in the church, to which his own spiritual gifts, by the example of apoftolic inftitution, have authorized him. For we have learned that the fcornful term of laic, the confecrating of temples, carpets, and tablecloths, the railing in of a repugnant and contradictive mount Sinai in the gofpel, as if the touch of a lay- chriftian, who is nevertheless God's living temple, could prophane dead judaifms, the exclufion of Chrift's people from the offices of holy difcipline through the pride of a ufurping clergy, caufes the reft to have an unworthy and abject opinion of themselves, to approach to holy duties with a flavish fear, and to unholy doings with a familiar boldness. For feeing fuch a wide and terrible diftance between religious things and themselves, and that in respect of a wooden table, and the perimeter of holy ground about it, a flaggon pot, and a linen corporal, the prieft efteems their layfhips unhallowed and unclean, they fear religion with fuch a fear as loves not, and think the purity of the gospel too pure for them, and that any uncleannefs is more fuitable to their unconfecrated eftate. But when every good chriftian, thoroughly acquainted with all those glorious privileges of fanctification and adoption, which render him more facred than any dedicated altar or element, fhall be reftored to his right in the church, and not excluded from fuch place of fpiritual government, as his christian abilities, and his approved good life in the eye and teftimony of the church fhall prefer him to, this and nothing nothing fooner will open his eyes to a wife and true valuation of himself, (which is fo requifite and high a point of christianity,) and will ftir him up to walk worthy the honourable and grave employment wherewith God and the church hath dignified him; not fearing left he fhould meet with fome outward holy thing in religion, which his lay-touch or prefence might profane; but left fomething unholy from within his own heart should dishonour and profane in himself that prieftly unction and clergy-right whereto Chrift hath entitled him. Then would the congregation of the Lord foon recover the true likenefs and visage of what the is indeed, a holy generation, a royal priesthood, a faintly communion, the household and city of God. And this I hold to be another confiderable reason why the functions of church-government ought to be free and open to any chriftian man, though never fo laic, if his capacity, his faith, and prudent demeanour, commend him. And this the apoftles warrant us to do. But the prelates object, that this will bring prophanenefs into the church: to whom may be replied, that none have brought that in more than their own irreligious courfes, nor more driven holinefs out of living into lifelefs things. For whereas God, who hath cleanfed every beaft and creeping worm, would not fuffer St. Peter to call them common or unclean, the prelate bishops, in their printed orders hung up in churches, have proclaimed the best of creatures, mankind, fo unpurified and contagious, that for him to lay his hat or his garment upon the chancel-table, they have defined it no lefs heinous, in exprefs words, than to prophane the table of the Lord. And thus have they by their canaanitish doctrine, (for that which was to the Jew but jewish, is to the Chriftian no better than canaanitish,) thus have they made common and unclean, thus have they made prophane that nature, which God hath not only cleanfed, but Chrift alfo hath affumed. And now that the equity and just reafon is fo perfpicuous, why in ecclefiaftic cenfure the affiftance fhould be added of fuch as whom not the vile odour of gain and fees, (forbid it God, and blow it with a whirlwind out of our land!) but charity, neighbourhood, and duty to church-government hath called together, where could a wife man wifh a more equal equal, gratuitous, and meek examination of any offence, that he might happen to commit against christianity, than here? Would he prefer thofe proud fimoniacal courts? Thus therefore the minifter affifted attends his heavenly and spiritual cure: where we shall fee him both in the course of his proceeding, and firft in the excellency of his end, from the magiftrate far different, and not more different than excelling. His end is to recover all that is of man, both foul and body to an everlasting health: and yet as for worldly happiness, which is the proper sphere wherein the magiftrate cannot but confine his motion without a hideous exorbitancy from law, fo little aims the minifter, as his intended fcope, to procure the much prosperity of this life, that ofttimes he may have caufe to wifh much of it away, as a diet puffing up the foul with a flimy flefhinefs, and weakening her principal organic parts. Two heads of evil he has to cope with, ignorance and malice. Against the former he provides the daily manna of incorruptible doctrine, not at thofe fet meals only in public, but as oft as he shall know that each infirmity or conftitution requires. Against the latter with all the branches thereof, not meddling with that reftraining and ftyptic furgery, which the law ufes, not indeed against the malady, but against the eruptions, and outermoft effects thereof; he on the contrary, beginning at the prime caufes and roots of the disease, fends in thofe two divine ingredients of moft cleansing power to the foul, admonition and reproof; befides which two there is no drug or antidote that can reach to purge the mind, and without which all other experiments are but vain, unless by accident. And he that will not let these pafs into him, though he be the greatest king, as Plato affirms, must be thought to remain impure within, and unknowing of those things wherein his pureness and his knowledge fhould moft appear. As foon therefore as it may be difcerned that the chriftian patient, by feeding otherwhere on meats not allowable, but of evil juice, hath difordered his diet, and fpread an ill humour through his veins, immediately difpofing to a sickness; the minifter, as being much nearer both in eye and duty than the magiftrate, fpeeds him betimes to overtake that diffufed malignance with fome gentle potion of admonishment; or if 3 aught |
