qualified with the word of God and by having the Word they are knowne to be sent of God For they 〈◊〉 and preach not themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord and approve themselves messengers and servants to the Saints for Jesus sake For the word of God wee are alwayes to conceive to be the eternall Sonne of God by generation and to proceed from God by spiration in creation and to be communicated unto man since his fall by supernaturall inspiration and united unto man and man unto it by incarnation and ministred unto man by externall dispensation Thus the Word descends unto man by inspiration and dwels in man through the Spirit for the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is the Word for the Word and the spirit cannot be divided nor separated they are one For this cause God useth the externall ministration of his Word and Spirit that he may inspire and regenerate the mind of man After this manner are the ministers and messengers that are sent of God indued with the Word and Spirit of God Therefore let no man say that hee hath the Spirit if hee want the light of the Word neither can any man have the Word but by the Spirit and the Word and Spirit are both made manifest in this that they reveale the hid things of God even the mysterie of God in Christ 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. which in Col. 2. 3. is called a full assurance of understanding in the knowledge of the mysterie of God in Christ for he which commanded light to shine out of darknesse shines into the hearts of the Messengers to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Christ Of the calling of Ministers As the externall Ministration cannot be without the Word and the Spirit so the Church cannot bee without Ministers and messengers of God and as the ministration is publicke and externall so the visible Church and Congregations have power of divine right to call and appoint such as God hath internally qualified to the externall and publicke exercise thereof For as by internall inspiration they are indued with a more then ordinary measure of the Word and Spirit so they ought to be well knowne and conversant in the Congregation or facietie of that Church wherein they live that by a mutuall consent they may be approved and thought worthy to be called to the publick ministration and dispensation of the VVord This was the practise of the Apostles and primitive Church Acts 1. 21. 22 Wherefore of these men that have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out with us beginning from the Baptisme of John unto the same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained to be a witnesse with us of his resurrection and they appointed two Also Act. 6. 1. 3. When the number of the Disciples was multiplied then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples together unto them and said unto them it is not meet that we should leave the ministration of the Word and serve tables wherefore brethren looke you out among you seven men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and of wisedome whom we may appoint ouer this businesse And it is to be observed that nothing was to bee done in the Church either by the Apostles or by those that in the ministration succeeded them without the consent of the whole Church which then at first were called Disciples Of the manner of their externall ordination Touching the manner of their Ordination that we find in the first of the Acts they prayed and said Thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all men shew which of these two thou hast chosen and then they gave forth lots and the lot fell upon Matthias And also afterwards in the sixt of the Acts the multitude of the Disciples or brethren chose seven and set them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands upon them In the first place of Scripture it is said the Disciples appointed two and left the choyce to God and therefore they gave forth lots because it was an extraordinary calling to an Apostleship to succeed Judas But in the second place it is said they chose Stephen a man full of faith and the holy Ghost and Philip and Prochorus and others c. And it is remarkeable that the Church received instruction from the Apostles as a rule to be observed in choosing Deacons and Elders as in the first of the Acts they were admonished by Peter to choose such as were conversant in the Church from their beginning By which I conceive they ought to bee of knowne conversation and men of good report and that they should be full of faith and the holy Ghost as Steven was or men endued with the holy Ghost and with wisedome These are the respects which ought to bee had in choosing Pastors Deacons and Governours in the Church For all gifts of learning and humane Sciences howsoever they be excellent and worthy much praise and honour yet without these Characters of grace they are nothing and not to be esteemed Of the orders and degrees of Pastors and their denominations both under the Law and the Gospell It is evident that the orders and degrees of Ministers and Governours of the Church of God under the Law were Priests Levites and Elders God also sending among them Prophets of extraordinary inspiration for revelation of the VVord to teach admonish and exhort the people The Priests office was figurative prefiguring Christ untill his comming offering sacrifices to figure the sacrifice of his body instructing the people in the promised seed unto the remission of their sinnes whose manifestation in the flesh should be the accomplishment of all figures and shadowes in the law which thereby were abrogated The Levites were given unto Aaron as an addition to his office as in Numb. 3. 6 7 8 9. to minister unto him to keepe his charge and the charge of the whole Congregation to doe the service and to keepe the instruments of the tabernacle of the Congregation The Elders though every Father of a Family bee called Elder and also the twelve tribes of Iacob yet those are properly Elders who are chosen and appointed to be Governours and Rulers both in Church and Common-wealth For the Governours in Pharaohs house were called Elders and the Rulers in the Church as first in the Tabernacle as Numb. 11. 〈…〉 and Temple were also called Elders And the Lord stirred up Prophets among them both of the Levites and Priests and others as occasion required never leaving his Church without a Prophet and Rulers till Shil◠came And when that faithfull Prophet of God came into the world whose effectuall power and fulnesse of all divine perfection abolished all figures and darke resembling shadowes then in his owne person and humane presence hee spread abroad the glad tydings of his glorious Gospell
causing the light of his truth to shine evident without vaile or vizard notwithstanding he neither altered nor abolished the order of ministration nor the manner of government but established the same by his owne example and the practise of his Apostles And therefore he said that Christ when he ascended on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men As Ephes 4 11. he gave some to be Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers In this place of Scripture he onely setteth forth the principall functions in the Church whereof the first paire as namely Apostles and Evangelists were of immediate calling and appropriated to the time ordained by Christ onely for the propagation and first progression of the Gospell the gifts of prophecie and working of miracles attending the 〈◊〉 of their doctrine As the necessitie of those time 〈◊〉 and as Christ had promised Marke 16. 17 18. And thâ—se signes shall follow them that beleeve in my Name they shall 〈◊〉 devils they shall speake with new tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly person it shall 〈…〉 them they shall lay their hands on the sickâ— and they shall 〈◊〉 The second paire are Pastors and Teachers distinguished by their ordination for these were ordained internally by the outward dispensation of hearing the Word preached by the Apostles then externally chosen by the Church 〈◊〉 Acts the sixth after consecrated by the Apostles by prayer and laying 〈◊〉 of â—â—nds of the Apostles and Elders Acts 14. 23. This order of ministers is ordinarie and to continue in the Church unto the comming of our Lord to Judgement Both these paires are but one and the same function and office and have but one and the same Commission which was given by the immediate ordination of Christ to his Apostles For as God the Father sent his beloved Sonne to bee a light unto the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel in declaring unto them the glad tydings of salvation in his death unto the remission of sinnes So Christ sayd to his Disciples As my Father sent me so send I you John 20. 21 22. The power and authority committed unto them by this commission is the breath of life out of the mouth of Christ proceeding from the Father and the Sonne as it is said Man lives not by bread onely but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Therefore he breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy Ghost For the word which Christ spake or breathed out of his mouth hee affirmed to be spirit and life saying John 6. The flesh profiteth nothing but the word that I speake is spirit and life The substance of this Commission is mandatory Matt. 28. 19. Goe teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost The doctrinall part of their commission is teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and Marke 26. 15. hath it in these words Preach the Gospell to every creature Now the summe of the doctrine which Christ taught is set downe more plainly by St. Luke 24. 44. These are the words that I spake unto you whilst I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law and the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning mee And he who was spirit life and light opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures and said Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and rise from the dead the third day And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem And after this manner doe the Pastors and Ministers blesse teach and sanctifie the people Thus Christ by preaching and teaching unto them the word of God out of his mouth he opened their understandings in the Scriptures and thereby they received the holy Ghost for this is Christs manner of breathing upon them Iohn 20. when hee said receive yee the holy Ghost But in Luke he saith Behold I send the promise of my Father upon you Which is to say I will send a visible token of the Spirit upon you or the efficacie of the Spirit upon you Therefore he sayd Tarry 〈◊〉 in the Citie of Ierusalem untill you bee endued with power from on high Not but that they had received the holy Ghost before but not the manifestation and evident power thereof as afterwards it did fall upon them in the similitude of fiery cloven tongues Acts 2. The smites and operative effects of ministration of the Spirit is set forth Iohn 2. 23. Whose soever sinnes ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sinnes ye retaine they are retained For this is the power and efficacie of the ministeriall Word as hath beene formerly showne which sloweth from the absolute power of Christ which was given unto him of the Father as he affirmed to his Disciples Matt. 28. 18. All power is given me in heauen and in Earth And this ministration of the Gospell is that key of David committed unto Christ by which he should open and no man shut and should shut and no man should open And in the 16. of Matthew 16 17. 18. ver. it is evident that this power of the keyes is onely the power of the Gospell of Christ or rather as Peter confessed the Lord Jesus to bee that Christ that Sonne of the living God which he received not by the intelligence of flesh and blood but by Revelation from God the Father this power changeth the whole corrupt nature of man and gives him another denomination or qualitie making him a strong and immoveable rock turning Peter to Petra Thus after this manner is the revelation and power of the Word given in generall to every one that receiveth the knowledge of Christ to beleeve that he is that Christ that Sonne of the living God God himselfe against this rocke the gates of hell the powers and principalities of darknesse and worldly Governours cannot prevaile But the particular and publicke ministration thereof is committed to the Pastors and teachers of the Church of God by whose ministration and publicke dispensation of the Word the hearts and consciences of men are opened and shut bound and loosed every day as Lydia and others in the Acts in which the Word becomes the favour of life unto some and the savour of death unto others And this ministeriall power is also given unto them for divine censure and publicke correction to roote out abominable and unsufferable vices in the Church and Congregations as shall be shewed in his proper place Of the nominations under the Law and under the Gospell Under the Law it is undeniable that the Ministers and Governours of the Church were called Priests Levites and Elders Also in the Christian Church leaving out the extraordinary functions of Apostles and Evangelists they
and suppose me to be a terrestriall Hierarchie to bee governed by positive lawes traditions Decrees and Canons of men which cannot search the reines of the heart nor cure the soule nor lead her into blisse Therefore I request you to take into your consideration the heavie burdens grievous to bee borne which the Scribes and Pharisees of Rome who pretended to sit in Moyses seat have laid upon my shoulders the Episcopall waight whereof you my sonnes have heretofore borne with much griefe whilst they advanced themselves to the chiefe seates and most eminent dignities loving to be reputed great and excellent Rabbies even above you the naturall Peeres and Potentates of State And now I conclude and doe offer unto your sacred considerations the holy Sinode of the Apostles set forth for a perfect patterne of all Counsells and Ecclesiasticall causes In the fifteenth of the Acts where you may observe that Synode consisted of the Apostles Elders and Brethren Their consultation was according to the rule of the written Word there conclusion and sentence was thus It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us to lay no more burden upon you then these things necessarie That is that yee abstaine from things offered to Idols and blood which includes all Ceremoniall inventions and bloudy sacrifices and prohibits from that which is strangled with all crueltie and oppression and from fornication which imports uncleane conversation and lusts which if yee forbeare yee shall doe well And though I here claime of you the honour of being your Mother being the body of Christ and Church of God in whom you also have the honour and prerogative to be the sonnes of God yet touching my earthly habitation and abode I am under your Dominion and tuition whom my Lord hath placed over me for my peace and prosperity on earth And that through Soveraigne power and authority which he hath ordained over all men to the end you may give his Gospell a free passage and be nursing and protecting Fathers of mee in your Common-wealth that your Father may give you and your King a blessing of welfare and happy being in my Lord Christ in whom all Nations are blessed and blessed is that Nation whose God is the Lord A Breviate of the ensuing second Treatise THe subsistence of the Church of God composed of a threefold cord 1. Worship 2. Dominion 3. Discipline In the Tractate of worship are declared 1. The nature of Divine worship 2. The nature of acceptable obedience 3. How this worship corresponds with the nature of God 4. The manner of publike worship from Adam till Moyses 5. The Service used by the Patriarkes 6. The same continued in the Nationall Church 7. The service used in the Synagogues 8. The same observed by the Apostles 9. The testimony of the Fathers 10. An amplification and undeniable reasons for the puritie of Gods word and worship In the Tractate of dominion or divine jurisdiction 1. Of the first gradation of this Dominion 2. How Christ ordaines his Vice-royes on earth 3. Difference betwixt Regall and divine power 4. The Glasse of Kings 5. How Divine power is derived unto man from the Father by the Word through the spirit 6. How the Word is the Divine power of God and the authority committed to the Church In the Tractate of Government and Discipline 1. Of the calling of Ministers 2. The manner of their ordination 3. The orders and degrees of Pastours and their 4. Denominations under the Law and Gospell 5. Of Discipline and censures 6. Of Excommunication The subsistence of the Church of God THe subsistence of Gods Church is composed of a threefold thred which cannot easily be broken 1. The first is spirituall and divine worship worship 2. Spirituall and divine Jurisdiction or Jure Divino dominion 3. Spirituall and divine discipline or government discipline I call this threefold cord of grace Divine and Spirituall because the universall Minister of Gods dispensation of all saving grace is the holy Spirit the third person of the Trinitie These are correlative subsistences in the Church of God so depending one upon another that they cannot be separated or untwisted without either some defect or dismembring of the Church in her selfe or utter dissolving of her in essence and nature to be any true Church Also without these distinct subsistences in the Church she cannot exercise the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit nor the functions and offices ordained of God for ministration of the Word For this cause I call them subsistences in the essence of the Church like unto the subsistences of the Trinitie in the essence of God himselfe Of Spirituall and Diuine worship The Worship which God requires must bee such as is agreeable to his owne nature and the good pleasure of his owne will therefore true divine worship is tyed to the prescript commandement of God and not to the devising invention of man therefore to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of Rammes The nature of acceptable Obedience It is a supernaturall and filiall worke of God internally and spiritually wrought seated and invested by Gods Spirit into the intellect making man a new creature created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that he should walke in them being renewed in the spirit of the mind to offer himselfe unto God a living sacrifice in an understanding worshipping of God This worship and sacrifice is described by the Prophet David to be a broken and contrite spirit called a well-pleasing sacrifice to God presenting a sin-offering as Psal. 51. 17. also in the 116 it is called the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving How this Worship is correspondent to the nature of God The Lord doth shew it in the fourth of John 23. and 24. saying the true worshippers shall worship God in spirit and truth that is in the Spirit of sanctification dwelling in the mind helping our infirmities with sighes and groanes which cannot be exprest and in the truth of his Word dwelling in us in all wisedome and spirituall understanding such as these the Father requireth should worship him because God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth and not in the ignorance of the mind nor in the invention and will-worship of man For this cause the Psalmist saith in the 51 6. Thou O Lord lovest truth in the inward affections and in the 50. Psalme he saith Offer to God the sacrifice of praise and pay the vowes of the most high and call upon God for the Lord loveth truth in the inward parts This is the pure and simple worship of God without the glory and beautie of outward Ceremonies agreeing with the simple pure essence and nature of God himselfe Consider wel Pauls Caveat in the Coloss. 2 8. 18. 20 21 22 23. warning all men to beware of humane wisedome and deceitfull inventions and traditions according to the
are called Pastors Teachers Helpers and Governours As these rankes are expressed in the 1 Cor. 12. 28. Of helpers wee reade they were added to the Christian Church in the sixth of the Acts whose office seemes to be in the place of the Levites as they are called Deacons And Governours in the Church as neither the Synagogue nor the Christian Church could bee well governed without called Elders in both Churches As Ambrose speaking in his Homilies upon the fifth of Timothie and the first verse saith to this effect Both the Synagogue and afterward the Church had Elders without whose counsell nothing was done in the Church though in his times they were almost lost as he saith in the same place which saith he by what negligence it is growne out of use I know not unlesse peradventure by their negligence or rather the pride of the teachers whilest they alone would be all and doe all If these governours were so decayed in his time how much more are they now worne out of memorie in these our dayes But who list to peruse the history of the primitive times may observe that so long as this government stood in equall dependancie with their Pastors there could no heresie ever get footing in the Church of God But after it was lost and neglected the Arrian heresie crept into the Church and filled the universall Church and all Kingdomes with ambition contention heresies and warre as in the Revelation The name of Elders is now become an uncouth and abhorred name though it hath beene alwayes used from the beginning both in Church and Common-wealth to signifie both politique and Ecclesiasticall Governours For if we consider the derivation of the word Priest it is no other but Elder as in the Greeke it is called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which in Latine is Senex {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} being rendred Presbiter and in English Elder being the comparative of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in this sence the Apostles called themselves Elders as John in his second Epistle 1. verse The denominations of Pastors Teachers Bishops and Elders in the Church were promiscuously used because though they were distinguished by particular duties and administrations yet all was of one and the same spirit and power As Paul 2 Tim. 1. 11. accounted himselfe a Preacher and teacher of the Gentiles aswell as an Apostle But there is no name that belongs to the functions of the Church of God that doth so much trouble the Church and the whole world as the name Episcopus Which though I find it but once or twice named in the New Testament as though the holy Ghost thought it not convenient often to use that name foreknowing and foreseeing how much mischiefe it would bring forth to the Christian Church yet I finde it a name much and frequontly used by the Antient Fathers and Historians insomuch as for the reverend and high esteeme it got among them it is advanced to signifie preheminence and a spirituall office and dignitie and honour above temporall Monarchs or rather at least in some of their owne conceits and expressions higher then a Monarch a Pope of universall supremacie above all that is called God Notwithstanding that the name derived from the Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} signisieth no more but to survey to consider of the deportment of the flocke by God committed unto his charge as of which he is to â—enderian account so that the etymologie of the word will not imply that lording power which they doe arrogate unto themselves But {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifies busie-bodyes or medlers in other mens matters derived of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Latine alvis and the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is in the language of this age usually rendred Bishop seemes to me a very opposite word to decipher the lording Bishops of our times which like the Aâ—gels that left their primitive station omitting the proper worke of their ministeriall functions doe moue in an improper orbe of secular affaires and so may well be called ' {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Busie-bodies or busie Bishops If any desire to know the office and dutie of a Bishop as the holy Scripture setteth it forth let them reade the third Chapter of Paul to Timothie and also the first of Peter the fifth Chapter the second and third verses where the office of a Bishop is described under the name of an Elder Of antient and primitive government of the Church of God The antient Apostolike and Primitive Government was under Pastors Deacons and Elders in every Congregation The manner of their government was twofold the first part whereof was particular to every man in his function The second part was joyntly and publickly together and none without another The Pastor Teacher or Bishop his particular function or office was as a President overseer and director not only as a Teacher but also as an Elder watching over the health of their soules and outward manners and conversation caring for the spirituall good and salvation of every one whose office is set forth in the first of Timothie the 3. chap. 2. 3. 4. 6. verses Hee must be a man blamelesse continent vigilant sober of good behaviour given to hospitality apt to teach not given to wine no striker nor greedy of filthy lucre no brawler not covetous one that ruleth well his owne house having his Children in subjection with all gravity hee must not be a novice lest through pride he fall into condemnation and he ought to be of good report among the adversaries that the word of God be not evill spoken of Also Peter exhorts Bishops under the name of Elders acknowledging himselfe also to be an Elder saying Feed the flocke of God which dependeth upon you caring for it not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind not as though yee were Lords over Gods heritage but that ye may be ensamples to the â—locke And as Paul advised Timothy to preach the word of God Bee instaâ—t in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine And after the same manner and in the same sence Christ excited Peter that the more he loved him the more he should labour to feed his lambes his sheepe his flocke But Lordly preheminence Christ did not onely forbid saying The Lords of the Gentiles have power over them but it shall not be so among you but also â—aith Hee that would bee the greatest among you let him doe most service to the rest But that fearefull admonition of Christ me thinkes should shake the hearts of our Bishops with feare that use predominance over their fellowes and Church of God Mat 24. Who is a faithfull and wise servant whom God hath made ruler
enlighten his mind and mollifie his heart Which if it prevaile with him hee falleth upon his knees and desireth the Congregation to pray for him which done the Pastor pronounceth unto him the remission of sinnes if the Church judge him penitent if they find him still obstinate and of an unrelenting heart then they pronounce him debaâ—red from the holy Communion of the Supper of the Lord and continue him upon the stoole of repentance with much exhortation patience and long forbearing till they convince him or otherwise separate him from the Congregation for a time if after hee continue in his foulenesse of sinne then hee is againe called to the Congregation and admonished which if then it take no effect hee is excommunicated by laying on of the hands of all the Elders after that hee is accounted as an enemie or as Paul saith Anathema to the Church and wholly and finally given over to Satan according to the words of our Saviour the 18. Matth. 18. Whomsoever yee bind on earth shall bee bound in heaven and whom yee shall loose on earth shall bee loosed in heaven Judge I pray you if all the politicke wits in the world could ever have devised such a pure and subtile discipline as should spie into the inward secrets of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and should purge the conscience and should cut off the consuming cankers and rotten members from the body of the Church What Romish Apothecary could ever have composed such a soule-saving medicine Observe how the holy Spirit hath commanded this discipline to bee alwayes practized in the Church When Achans covetousnesse troubled the Congregation by moving Gods wrath against them a diligent search was commanded to bee made and being found out Achan and his house were cut off Josh. 7. And also if there bee a scorner or contentious person saith Solomon cast out the scorner and so strife will goe out and so contention shall cease Also Rom. 16. 17. 18. Now saith Paul I beseech you brethren marke them diligently which cause division and offences contrary to the dâ—ctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And more plainly in the 2 Thess. 3 6. 10. Wee command you brethren in the Name of Christ that yee withdraw your selves from every brother that walkes inordinately and not after the instructions which yee received of us And in the foureteenth verse he saith If any man obey not your saying note him by a letter and have no company with him that hee may bee ashamed yet account him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother But if he come to the last degree Excommunion then saith our Lord Christ let him be anathema But if you would see the Apostles practice in this discipline See 1 Cor. 5. chap. 4 and 5. verses Paul having certaine intelligence that there was odious fornication among them hee writ thus unto them When yee are gathered together and my spirit in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that such a one I say by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ bee delivered unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may bee saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And out of this text make a profitable observation that Paul will not have Excommunication though but in the second degree executed in any private manner but by the publicke assembly gathered together neither doth hee allow it to be done in any name but in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Neither doth hee attribute the power either to himselfe or the Church but onely to the Lord Jesus Now and lastly I must conclude with the last part of Discipline that is Synodicall assemblies which are of three degrees The first is particular to every Congregation which consists of the Pastors the Deacons and the Elders of that Church whose customes is the best reformed Churches to meet once a wâ—eke or as need requires to take an account of all things that concerne the duties of the Elders and the Church-revenues the Pastor being their chiefe guide Those things about which they chiefly busie themselves are first to catalogue the Professors of their Congregation their Catechâ—â—inists distinguished from those that are thought fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ their Baptized their Penitents their Excommunicates their number of Elders and Deacons Pastors and Teachers one or two as the place requires In this their assembly they consider the spirituall estate and condition of the flocke examine the revenues of the Church and the necessities of the poore and what things soever they â—ind meet to edification The Pastor exhorting the Elders to diligence care and zeale in the worke of the Lord the Deacons to honesty compassion and a good conscience The second order of Synodes is in the reformeâ— Churches called the assemblies of the Presbyteries held monethly or quarterly under which they comprehend the Pastors and Church Elders for every Pastor brings with him two or three Elders after the quantity of the Congregation and this Synode is a company of Pastors and Elders of a shire or wapontake In these Assemblies they examine the spirituall condition of every parish take view of their order diligence doctrine and manners as well the doctrine and manners of the Pastors and Elders as of the younger people And there they proceed to such further order and censure as by the holy Scriptures they are taught And in these Synodeâ— all errours in opinion heresies and Schismes that are found noysome to the Congregation are reproved and the parties exhorted and admonished In these their Synodes they alwayes from time to time choose one President to guide the affaires and thus they avoyd that preheminence which Episcopacie greedily hunts after The third degree is the superlative assembly of Presbyteries which is either Nationall or Provinciall which in some Churches are held yearely or otherwise as occasions fit over which the prince and Soveraigne is the Principall Elder and the Presbyters and Elders appoint one Pastor for the time President of the assembly who moderates and guides the affaires The matters handled in this Synode are a generall review of both the former Synods and specially to take care of the preservation of the puritie of Doctrine and suppressing of Heretickes and errours and all misdemeanours and Schismes in the Church And whatsoever is done in any of these Synods is certified from one to another and through the Nationall Church of all their most materiall censures which may concerne them in generall wherby the Church is preserved in a sweet and pleasant decorum unitie puritie and peace The unerrable patterne of these Synods is taken from the practise of the Apostles Acts 15. shewing by what rules of temperance and wisedome they ought to judge and give sentence taking the Scripture for their rule the holy Ghost for their guide not laying any burden on the Church by Lawes Decrees or Canons as I have before
the Lord from henceforth and for ever But in all this they held the daily publique service pure and undefiled without rites or any other ceremonies but only the reading of the word and ministring the Sacraments and teaching on the Sabbath dayes And the Jewes for their Divine Services had their Synagogues in every Citie and Towne and Christ did by his owne practise and presence observe the same upon the Sabbath day as it is Luke the 4. 16. 17. as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read and there was delivered to him the book of Isaiah and Acts 13. 14. 15. Paul and Barnabas went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day The forme of service used in the Synagogues First they began their Service with a generall verball confession which they gathered out of the Prophets Levit. 26. 20. Numb. 5. 6. 7. Nehem. 9. 23. The forme of this confession is set forth in the Jewes Talmond We have sinned O Lord we have done wickedly we have dealt deceitfully in thy sight we thy people and all the house of Israel we repent our selves thereof and are ashamed for the same and therefore O Lord we beseech thee forgive us our sinnes our iniquities and our transgressions as it is written in the book of Moses thy servant Then followed the reading of the Law and the Prophets and then after followed the expounding and exhortation then the Service ended with a generall thanks for all things and as Paul saith for all persons 1 Tim. 2 1. 2. And thus their Service was concluded with blessings upon the people from the mouth of the Minister The same Service and Method observed by the Apostles Christ lest no other forme of Service in Gods worship but onely such as was used in the Church of the Jewes naked and simple prayer praise and thanks reading preaching and exhortation with the ministration of the Sacraments commanding his Disciples to goe teach all Nations baptising them in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Spirit The Apostles observed their Masters commandement in every circumstance proper for the ministration of those Divine mysteries To all that Christ ordained they neither added nor diminished any thing Springing from superstition of time and place and circumstances for they knew that Ordination was not tyed to a day an houre or any solemne time or season but was instituted for the benefit of the soule of man therefore they thought fit to minister the Lords Supper every Lords day Neither did they use any other order or gesture but after the same manner sitting as Christ did institute it fearing the curse of God to adde or diminish And held that manner of order most worthy and fit to be observed in Divine mysteries which their Lord had formerly observed knowing the power efficacie to be of his spirit and not to consist in Rites and Ceremonies or circumstances of time and place After the ascension of the Lord he Apostles and the whole Church consisting of 120 persons assembled at Ierusalem in an upper Chamber and abode together with the 11 Apostles and continued with one accord in prayer and supplication And then and there Peter taught and preached and in the publique assembly and with their whole consent they chose Matthias to supply Iudas his place Acts 1 13 14 15. also 2. 42. and they continued in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer In which words is set forth the whole form of their Service and worship used in the Apostolique times which consisted in preaching the true Doctrine of Christ their unity of faith and love ministration of the Sacraments and Prayer The Testimony of the Fathers On the day saith he which is called Sonday that is the Lords day there is an assembling and comming together of all manner of people dwelling either in the Fields or in the Cities into one place and there are read the Acts or Records of the Apostles and the Writings of the Prophets so long as the time would suffer then when the Reader hath left off reading that is to say he which was President or Chiefe in the assembly the Bishop or Pastor delivered an admonition or exhortation by way of discourse tending to the stirring of them up to follow and practise those good things Afterwards wee rise all at once and send our prayers unto God And prayer being ended the bread and wine is brought and he that directeth the action delivereth with all the power and might he hath prayers and thanksgiving the people assenting say Amen Then followeth the distribution to every one present and the communicating of the things which were blessed by thanksgiving and they send of the same to those that were absent by the Deacons In the end they which are of ability and are moved therewithall give every one according as it pleaseth him and that which remaineth abideth with him that is president with which he makes provision for the fatherlesse widowes sicke persons captives and needy strangers The same Author in another place of the same Apologie After saith he that we have washed that is baptized him that hath received the faith and joyned himselfe with us wee bring him into the Assembly and Congregation of the brethren where they are come together to make their common prayers both for themselves and for him and for all manner of persons whatsoever When prayers are thus ended wee salute one another with an holy kisse and then there is brought to the Pastor the Bread and the Cup and hee giveth praise and glory to the Father of all things in the name of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost and maketh a great thankes-giving for that hee hath vouchsafed to make them worthy of these things which being ended the people joyne and put their blessing thereto saying Amen Afterward the Pastor blessing them those whom wee call Deacons gives to every one who are present and they carry to those that are absent And this food is called the Sacrament of thankes-giving which is not lawfull for any one to receive which hath not before received the truth of our Doctrine of Faith and hath not beene washed with Baptisme of regeneration for remission of sinnes Also Tertullian in his Apologie about few yeares after Now saith he I will declare unto you the practises of the Christian function to the end that when I have refuted the evill I may shew you the good We come together into one Congregation to have recourse unto God by prayer forcing him as it were by joyning together of all our prayers and this violent enforcement is very well pleasing to God Wee pray for Emperours for their Officers and Potentates and for the estate present for the quieting of matters wee come together for communicating of the holy Scriptures as the present times doe presse us or to prevent somewhat to come or to make acknowledgement of the