these to administer and order their Church-affaires, in all the con∣cernments
thereof, according to the word of God, in the name and
authoritie of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose properly, all Ecclesia∣sticall
authoritie is.
To his fift argument, we answer,
1. By a demurre, whether God doth oft-times makes use of unsancti∣fied
persons, and the rude multitude (which I doe not under-value,
because I refuse to entitle them to a power in Church-matters
greater then ever the Apostles had) to advance his glory, propagate his
Gospel, promote his worship, vindicate his truth, edifie his Church. A Ju∣das,
a Balaam, a Saul, a Gamaliel, a persecuting High Priest, were not
the rude multitude: unsanctified persons it is like they were, at least
most of them: But God did not oft-times make use either of Balam,
or Saul, or Gamaliel, or the persecuting High Priest, either to propagate
his Gospel, promote his worship, edifie his Church, &c. but the Devill
oft-times made use of them to the contrary, viz. to hinder his Gospel,
to pollute his worship, to persecute his Church, &c. And for the
vulgar multitude, which he commends as none-such, for forward∣nesse
to beleeve, follow, professe Christ, embrace the Gospel, though he
confesseth, that many of them did it for sinister ends; I answer, 1. That
this multitude was but one swallow, (not a multitude of swallows)
and therefore not sufficient to make his spring, of Gods oft-times
using the rude multitude to doe such and such things. 2. They that
beleeve, follow, professe Christ, embrace the Gospel out of sinister ends,
when they decline and fall back (as all sinister-ended Professors are
like to doe first, or last, and as this vulgar multitude generally did)
are like more to hinder and set back the Gospel by their declining,
then ever they propagated or promoted it by their profesion. But
2. Whereas he inferres, that therefore they may well have power to
chuse such persons, who shall and may make Lawes, to promote the Gospel
and Government of the Church of Christ; I answer.
1. That Gods power to make use of unsanctified persons, or a rude
multitude to promote the affaires of his Gospel, Worship, Churches, &c.
is no argument to prove, that therefore men may commit the care
and trust of these affaires to such persons or multitudes, or interesse
them in any such power, which it is ten to one but they will use
rather in a destructive, then promotive way thereunto. Gods power
to powre out a Spirit of prophecie upon a person altogether ignorant