which to affirme were slat against the Scripture Acts 2.47 If there were no more Beleevers in Ephesus then twelve as there was Answer viz Aquila and Priscilla which knew no more then Johns Baptisme Acts 18.26 with 24.25 if not others yet there were more in ferusalem then an hundred and twenty even five hundred brethren at once c 1 Cor. 15.6 First though Aquila and Priscilla were at Ephesus Reply yet they were but sojourners there as they were also in many other places sometimes at Rome sometimes at Corinth as appeares from Acts 18.2 Rom. 16.3 But to what place they did belong is not certain Secondly your five hundred brethren at Jerusalem is as slightly collected from 1 Cor. 15.6 For 1. doth the Apostle say that he was seen of those five hundred in Jerusalem He shewed himselfe in Galilee and some other places as well as in Jerusalem 2. Though the place of manifesting himselfe might be Jerusalem must the persons therefore be of Jerusalem Why not appertaining unto Judea Or suppose of Jerusalem why might they not be dispersed before Christs ascension For present afterwards when they chose an Apostle they were not which was yet a Church action and without doubt the major part of the Church would have been present at it Adam and Noah with their Families Answer if they were Churches they were but Domesticall Churches not Congregationall Domesticall Churches enjoying Congregationall Ordinances Reply and congregationall Churches are not divers species of Churches neither doe they differ in their nature or kind but in quantity as one Congregation differeth from another as one small Countrey Chappell differeth from a numerous Towne Church What will ye make of Christ and his Disciples Answer a Church distinct from the Jewish You know Christ did not make a new Church or gather men into it but lived and died a member of the Jewish Church d Answer to to 32. q. p. 14. Had they been called a Church as some housholds are in the new Testament e Phile. 2. witnes T.W. to W.R. you had had some more pretext and yet they are but a Domesticall Church c. 1. Whether Christ died a member of the Jewish Church Reply is questionable But that he gathered certain persons to him and that he instituted Baptisme and the Supper amongst them is most certain which were Ordinances of the Gospel Church and he either thereby prepared them for or laid the foundation of a Gospel Church before his death For immediatly after his ascension they were a Gospel Church as appeareth from Acts 1.14 15. 2. For the denomination of Church we passe not much whether we meet with it or not provided that we find the reality of a Church among any persons 3. Many Domesticall Churches may be in one Congregationall in your sense but not in ours We deny and put you to prove that two or three converted in a Family enjoying some Christian Ordinances but no Church Ordinances are called a Church It is an Argument you will not own Answer seven eight twelve may make a Domesticall Church therefore they may make a Congregationall We acknowledge not any such distinction of Congregationall Church Reply and Domesticall as you presse after But say That the foundation of a Congregationall Church may be laid in one Family and may spread unto many It may be laid in seven or eight and may grow up to an hundred or a thousand or to as many as can meet together constantly unto edification in one place The Church in Abrahams Family was the same which was in the Families of all his sonnes and in the Families of their children after them which afterwards grew up into a nation And though the Gospel Church is not now Nationall as the Jewish was yet a congregation of many Families may spring out of a Church of one Family more easily then a Nation did formerly And if seven eight or twelve may not make a congregationall Church in our apprehension what have you been consuting all this while If seven or eight may make a Church Answer then two hundred persons in a Citie may well make twenty distinct Churches and by consequence so many Independent Judieatures First this collection is made to bring an Odium upon congregationall Churches but it may be thus retorted foure or five in a house may make a family therefore three hundred in an house may make sixtie distinct families Foure or five in a family may make a Domestick Church say you then three hundred in a family may make sixty Domestick Churches two thousand in a Field may make an Army therefore two hundred thousand in a Field may make ten distinct Armies under so many independent Generals Secondly we have declared our selves before that seven or eight may make a Church in the first foundation and whilst there are no more persons fitted and that as more in that place shall be converted the Church of them is to be increased And we are utterly against the unnecessary multiplication of Churches as conceiving such small Churches inconsistent to Christs ends which is edification by Pastors Teachers Ruling Elders Deacons which he hath given to his Church But that a Church of seven or eight should require so many Officers or be able to maintain them we cannot understand And we perceive from the patternes presented in the New Testament that Churches in cities which at first were small grew great by the daily addition of others to them Acts 1.14.15 with Acts 2.41 19.7 8 9 with 18 19 20. Acts 20.17.28 So that we would not have beleevers of one citie be of so many Churches if one congregation will conveniently hold them except there be some eminent reason for it But though there should be many Churches consisting of a few members yet without Officers amongst them we doe not assert them to be Independent Judicatures POSITION III. A visible Church in the new Testament consists of no more in number then may meet in one place in one Congegation The like you have Answer to 32 q p. 9. 1 Corinth 11.20 14.23 If you seek for Congregations meeting for prayer hearing the Word Answer Sacraments in one place or that they were called by the name of Church or that all Beleevers in some Cities and Countries when they might did meet in one place I will not contend We plead for congregations meeting together Reply not for prayer hearing the Word Sacraments alone but for the executing of censures also 1 Cor. 5.4 which you leave out as if Church censures belonged not to congregations as those Ordinances you mention do And we say that there is no sacred Worship or Institution prescribed in the Gospel which may not be observed to have been exercised in or appertained unto the congregations And these congregations are called Churches in the Scripture And further we say not onely that all beleevers in some cities did meet together in one place but that there can no instance be
foundationalls of the Church of Ephesus which were about twelve the number in the first beginning of the greatest Church was small enough in comparison Acts 1.15 p. 9 POS. 3. A visible Church in the new Testament consists of no more in number then may meet in one place in one Congregation 1 Cor. 11.20 14.23 p. 13 POS. 4. A visible Charch in the new Testament is not Nationall as the Jewes was hence we reade of the Churches of Galatia Macedonia Judea not Church of Galatia 1 Cor. 16.1 2 Cor. 8.1 p. 21 POS. 5. When a visible Chuch is to be erected the matter of it should be visible Saints and Believers 1 Cor. 1.2 p. 31 POS. 6. The form of a Church is the gathering together of these visible Saints and combining and uniting them into one body by the form of a holy Covenant Deut. 29.1.10 11 12. by which is plainly shewed that a company of people become Gods people that is a Church by entring into Covenant with God If it be said they were a Church before yet that was when the Church of the Jewes was constituted in Abrahams Family by Covenant p. 37 POS. 7. Every Member at his admission doth promise to give himself as to the Lord to be guided by him so to the Church to be guided by them which is no more then the Members of the Church of Macedonia did in a parallel case 2 Cor. 8.5 p. 44 POS. 8. This particular Congregation is a Church before it have Officers Acts 2.47 p. 45 POS. 9. She hath also full and free power to choose her own Officers without the help of Synod Classis or Presbyterie Act. 1.15 6.3 14.23 p. 46 POS. 10. The particular Congregation though they want Officers have power and authority to ordain Officers as the children of Israel did put their hands upon the Levites Numb 8.9 10. p. 52 POS. 11. When the Apostles were sent out by Christ there was no mention of Ordination in that Commission of theirs but only of teaching and baptizing Mar. 16.15 Mat. 28.19 20. If ordination of Ministers had been such a speciall work there would belike have been some mention of in in their Commission p. 56 POS. 12. The Church hath power to censure her Officers if she see just occasion Col. 4.17 p. 58 POS. 13. These Officers are to be maintained by contribution every Lords Day 1 Cor. 16.1 p. 60 POS. 14. The great Mountain burning with fire cast into the Sea upon the sounding of the second Trumpet Rev. 8.8 9. is applied by some good Writers to those times in which Constantine brought settled endowments into the Church p. 68 POS. 15. There must be in the Church Teachers distinct from Pastors as Apostles are distinct from Euangelists Ephes 4.11 p. 69 POS. 16. This particular Congregation is Sion which God loveth and he hath promised to be present Mat. 18.20 p. 71 POS. 17. So long as a Believen doth not joyn himself to some particular Congregation he is without in the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 5.12 p. 74 POS. 18. The Elders are not Lords over Gods heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 nor do exercise authority as the Kings and Princes of the earth do remembring our Saviours lesson Mat. 20.25 26. Luke 22.25 26. p. 78 POS. 19. The Power of Government is expresly given to the Church where we are bidden Hear the Church which is a particular Congregation Mat. 18. p. 85 POS. 20. Matth. 16.19 Christ directeth his Speech not to Peter alone but to all the Disciples also for to them all was the Question propounded by Christ vers 15. Nor to them as generall Officers of the Churches for that Commission was not yet given them but as Disciples and Believers p. 90 POS. 21. 1 Cor. 5. Paul himself though an extraordinary Officer yet would not take upon him to excommunicate the incestuous person without the Church but sends to them exhorting them to do it and reproves the Brethren of the Church of Corinth as well as the Elders that they did no sooner put him away p. 95 POS. 22. The Lord Jesus reproving the Angel of Pergamus for suffering Balaamites sends his Epistle not only to the Angel but to the Church The Spirit saith not only to the Angel but to the churches Rev. 2.11 And the Church-members are seen by John in a vision sitting on Thrones clothed with white raiment having on their heads crownes of gold Rev. 4.14 Now thrones and crownes are Ensignes of Authority and governing power p. 101 POS. 23. The particular Congregation takes Christ for her only spirituall Prophet Priest and King Deut. 18.15 Acts 7.37 Psal 110.4 Heb. 5.4 Isa 9.6 7. Rev. 15.3 p. 104 POS. 24. Christ left but one way of Discipline for all churches which in the Essentialls of it is unchangeable and to be kept till the appearing of Christ 1 Tim. 6.13 14. p. 107 POS. 25. The Church or the Ministers thereof must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. And therefore the Minister must not perform a Ministeriall act to another Congregation Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 5.1 2. p. 111 POS. 26. Gifted men viz. so reputed by competent Judges though not called to the Ministery nor intended for it may preach They that were scattered abroad upon the Persecution which arose about Stephen were not Church-officers at least not all of them yet these men did preach the Word and Philip which was but a Deacon preached without the calling or privity of the Apostles Acts 11.19 8.14 p. 118 POS. 27. Jehosaphat sent Princes who were neither Ministers nor intended so to be to teach with the Priests and Levites viz. at least to incourage the people to hearken to the Priests and Levites 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9. as Jehosaphat did 2 Chron. 20.20 yea and was their mouth to God in Prayer vers 2.5 to 13. As we conceive something in that prophesying 1 Cor. 1.4 to be extraordinary so we conceive it to be ordinary that some private men grown Christians of able gifts who may have received a gift of Prophecy need no more extraordinary calling for them to Prophesie in the Churches then for Jehosaphat and his Princes to prophesie in the Church of Israel p. ibid. A Defence of certain Positions and Scriptures against an examination thereof by R.H. in which they are charged to be faultie POSITION I. GAthering of Churches in the Name of Christ See almost the same Argument verbatim in answer from New England to 32. q. p. 35. and setting up of Church-Ordinances cannot be unlawfull for want of a Commandement from Man as appeareth by the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles Acts 4.19 5.29 THe Apostles never taught or practised to gather or separate some Christians from others one part of this true Church Answer and another part of that especially persons which themselves converted not to make a purer Church neither with nor without the Magistrates Authority THe Apostles both taught and practised the separating of some Jewes
Gnedah be taken as they may there was but one kinde of Church so combined which was Nationall And in the new Testament we say there is no other combination to enjoy all ordinances and worships instituted in the Gospel but Congregationall and we produce the small countrey of Judea containing a plurality of Churches and thence collect that they must be Congregations and that Congregations are therefore Churches And this is not weakened by what variety of acceptions is brought Furthermore wee do not know that Church or Flock or Lump or Body when referred to God and Christ and is properly taken is used otherwise then in two or three senses either for the mysticall Church Ephe. 5.25 26. or the * 2 Cor. 8.1.19 Congregationall 1 Cor. 1.1 sometimes indeed Rev. 1.4 we reade of it in a sigurative sense as in 1 Cor. 12.28 Gal. 5.9 James 2.2 1 Pet. 5.2 and many more places For though you say That four or five in a Family joyning in the worship of God are the Domesticall Church spaken of by Paul many times in his Epistles yet we conceive otherwise for seeing usually when there were any heads of Families converted some of the houshold were converted with them as we can give many instances wee think that many or the most that Paul saluted had in that sense churches in their Families and therefore Paul would not have singled out and with a note of distinction have spoken of some persons and the churches in their Families for that reason if some other reason had not moved him either then these Families were large and great Families and might be as numerous as some Congregationall Churches or the foundation of a Church might be laid in the persons of a Family but not so to continue but to grow to a Congregation or else some Congregationall Church might meet in such houses which was ordinary in those dayes And for the word Church in Acts 12. either it is to be taken for the mysticall church or else for that particular visible society of Believers which was at Jerusalem though some of them were absent But you proceed to give more particular answers and incounter with a part of the forementioned Position viz. There were Churches in Galatia therefore they were Congregationall Galatia was a large countrey in England a far lesse countrey Answer severall Churches have been heretofore and yet not meerly Congregationall And why are Galatia and Macedonia taken hold of Reply and made use of and Judea left out which in the Position was mentioned as well as they Surely the reason was because in both those countries there was more room for your Nationall Church then in Judea You could not find breadth enough to make a plutality of Diocesan Churches and therefore durst not contend for Nationall But grant wee the largeness of those countries according as you speak were either of them too large to make one Nationall Church wee know you think not so Why then doth not the Apostle knit them all up into one Nationall Church if hee had so intended them But you add The Churches of Galatia might he combined one to another Answer as the Churches of England Scotland Holland France are respectively combined for the Apostle speaks of them as one lump 1 Cor. 5.6 with Gal. 5.9 c. Such a combination wee easily grant to be among the Churches of Galatia as is among the Churches of England Scotland Reply c. and that is none at all or at the most a combination without jurisdiction But if by respectively you mean a combination which each of these Churches hath in it self in all the Congregations of and belonging to it such a combination wee deny to have been in the Churches of Galatia For all our Congregations have been united under one Metropolitane Archbishop of all England and as yet there is none other established and for other combinations such as in Scotland Holland c. without proofe we cannot grant them in Galatia And if Paul had intended by saying A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump that we should gather thence that they were all one Church hee would never have called them churches in the Preface of his Epistle but in a distributive sense it is to be understood For suppose one speak in a literall sense and say a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump doth he thereby make all the dough in a countrey one lump No but of every lump how many soever they be it is to be understood a little leaven leaveneth each of them so of churches a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump that is the whole Church every Church in which it is this maketh not all the Churches in a countrey to be one And the Churches of Macedonia were not so severall Answer but they joyned in one to choose a Brother which I conceive was an authoritative act to go with Paul for the managing of the Churches contributions 2 Cor. 8.18 19. 1. Reply Then to choose an Officer is much more an authoritative act which you grant to appertain unto the people then the people may act authoritatively which is none of our assertion but yours and the people are beholden to you for it 2. A combination of churches without jurisdiction will enable them to such an act nay if there were no combination at all yet when many churches are alike interessed in a businesse reason shews they ought to joyn alike to promove it 3. They did not make him an Officer by this act of choosing him but they deputed him thereby to a particular work which when accomplished all was ended The churches of Judea Answer consisting of Myriads of people did come together Acts 21.20 21 22. to be satisfied of Paul concerning an accusation that they had received against him and are called a Church Gal. 1.13 Acts 12.1 and an House Heb. 3.4 Not the Jewes of Judea alone did gather together Reply but the Jews of all other parts as appeareth from Acts 21.27 But be it that they gathered alone yet are they called one Church the place alledged is Gal. 1.13 I persecuted the Church of God What Church Churches in Judea No Paul saith hee persecuted them unto strange cities and Damascus was one of them The meaning is them that were of Jerusalem he persecuted to strange cities or he persecuted the Saints in generall Who as they are parts of the mysticall Church may be called by a Synecdoche the Church And Herod stretched out his hands to vex certain of the Church What church Either the mysticall or that at Jerusalem or any Church within his reach And his house Heb. 3.4 to be understood of the churches of Judea What strange mis-interpreting of Scripture is this house in that place is all the churches that were then or ever were to be in the world Christ is the builder of them all POSITION V. When a visible Church is to be erected This is not unlike the Answer to 32. q. p.
which it was the sign and seal and we would demand whether Isaac were not in covenant before he was circumcised and whether his circumcision did not seal so much and alwayes this order is supposed First Gods promise Secondly mans faith Thirdly the sign and seal of both in some Symbole of Gods institution so in Baptisme How prove you that Melchisedeck a Priest and Lot Answer which were not of his seed nor family were out of Church-state That a believer is not a son of Abraham if he be not in Church state by covenant which things you seem to imply when you say the Jewish Church was constituted in Abrahams family by Church-covenant the family of Sem was the Church of God long before this 1. We assert not that they were out of Church-state Reply but this we say if they were not circumcised as we read not that they were they were not of Abrahams Church nor had the Passeover been on foot could they have partaked of it any more then Believers could afterward who joyned not to Abrahams family Cornelius may be an example 2. It is one thing to be a son of Abraham as a Believer and heire of promise for so all Believers are and an Heathen is when converted before joyned to any instituted Church and another thing to be the son of Abraham as a professed Covenanter with God and bearing the Symbole of it in his flesh in the former sense Abraham was the father of all Believers though uncircumcised and in the latter a father of the circumcised which were also of his faith as the Apostle shewes Rom 4.11.12 3. Though it be probable that there was a Church in the famimily of Sem yet that place Gen. 9.26 27. proves it not for first it is propheticall of the posterity of Sem and Japhet and respects not so far as we can discern the persons of Sem and Japhet at least not at that time being both as is probable in the family of their father Noah Secondly there might be a Church in Sems family and yet of another constitution then this in Abrahams family this hinders not but that the church in Abrahams family might be constituted by covenant POSITION VII Every Member at his admission See the like allegation in Answer to Pos 9. p. 73. doth promise to give himself as to the Lord to be guided by him so to the Church to be guided by them which is no more then the Members of the Church of Macedonia did in a parallel case 2 Cor. 8.5 The givers are not the Members of the Church of Macedonia Answer as you for your advantage phrase it but the Churches of Macedonia and therefore if this do prove Union or Covenant it is of the members of severall churches and not of one only 1. The allegation in answer to the 9th Position Reply pag. 73. runs in these words As to the Lord to be guided by him so to the Church according to God to be guided by them these words according to God are lest out whether wilfully to make the practice of our Churches the more odious or by oversight we conclude not 2. There was no intent to prove Vnion or Covenant of a Church but subjection of each member to the Church to which he is joyned himself and the officers thereof and the practice of the Churches of Macedonia by way of allusion is made use of it is said it is no more then the members of the Church of Macedonia did in a parallel case The Argument is fetcht à comparatis the members of the Church of Macedonia did as much in a like case they gave themselves to the Lord and to the Apostle and Timothy according to Gods will to be guided by the Lord and directed by them a whole Church or Churches to one or two persons gave themselves and an Argument is fetcht thence thus then may one person that is to joyn to a Church as fitly give himself to the Lord to be guided by him and to the whole Church and the Officers thereof to be directed by them according to the will of God and it is urged that a member should therefore promiseit and to call it Church of Macedonia or churches is neither advantagious nor disadvantagious for though many Churches gave themselves to be guided by one Paul because he was Officer to them all yet a members subjection will be only required to his own Church and the Officers thereof because there is no superiority of jurisdiction of one Church over another and the members thereof We believe you would be ready enough to make use of this pattern to prove that the members of a Congregation must submit to the guidance of their Pastors and why do you except against it because subjection of each member to the Church is endevoured to be proved thence seeing that the Church compriseth the Officers thereof POSITION VIII This particular Congregation is a Church before it have Officers Acts 2.47 In a generall sense a few private men without Officers yea Answer a few women without men yea twenty members of severall Churches may be called a Church but a governing Church they are not the Church hath not received an office of rule without her Officers (b) Cottons Keyes p. 16. Reply We take Churches for such churches Reply as the Apostles planted in all places when they had converted any considerable number of persons into which Saints were wont to be gathered that they might be built up and edified by the Ordinances Acts 9.31 and unto which Pastors were given to reside with them and to oversee them Acts 20.28 and these must be Congregationall Churches for Pastors cannot constantly feed any other Or we take Church as Amesius defines it * A company of faithfull ones by speciall bond betwixt themselves joyned together to exercise the communion of Saints constantly amongst themselves Coetus sidelium speciali vinculo inter se conjunctorum ad communionem sanctor um inter se constanter exercendam such an united company is the Church before it have Officers for it is their priviledge to choose their Officers as you confesse in your Answer to the next Position in which sense if in any sense at all a few private men or a few women or twenty members of severall churches have never been called a Church Now whether this Congregationall church be a Governing church or not because it is not asserted in the Position we have no occasion here of discussing it The Church in Acts 2. had Officers Answer and better Officers then any Church now hath even the Apostles which were the Elders of all Churches 1 Pet. 5.1 2 Cor. 11.28 (d) The Apostles were as Elders and Rulers of all Churches Cotton Keys p. 48 and particularly of the Church of Jerusalem and did act therein as Elders it is not all one to want Elders now they are instituted as before ordinary Elders were not appointed at that time There is a
concession that the Church Reply Acts 2. bad no ordinary Officers for none were then appointed and yet they were a church and Acts 14.23 shewes so much they were churches before the Apostles ordained Elders in them and this is all that the Position drives at And though there were generall Elders which had inspection over all Churches yet neither these nor any other Elders do * Come into the essence of Churches ingredi essentiam Ecclesiarum nor is it any formall reason why a Company of Believers are a Church because they have Elders whether extraordinary or ordinary for were it so then their priviledge to choose their Officers would be when they have Officers for then they are a Church and it would follow that they cannot choose Officers when they want them and have most need of them for then they are not a Church and so can have no such power and it is very uncomfortable for the death of an Officer might be the unchurching of a people But that which may give more satisfaction in this matter is the consideration of such Scriptures where the members mentioned apart from the Officers are called the Church of God Acts 20.28 the Elders are the persons spoken to feed the flock over which the holy Ghost hath made you over-seers the believing Ephesians are the flock who are also called the Church of God purchased with his blood * Acts 20. vers 28. So Phil. 1.1 So that a Christian people united together with an intent of constant congregating to enjoy Ordinances for their edification are a church without officers or if they have them yet without consideration of them POSITION IX She hath also full and free power to choose her own Officers without the help of Synod This though not so fully is asserted by R.M. W.T. to C. H. Classis or Presbyterie Act. 1.15 Acts. 6.3 14.23 In Church-affairs Answer of weighty and difficult common concernment as election and ordination of Elders excommunication of an Elder it is safe and wholesome and an boly Ordinance to proceed with consultation and consent of the churches Prov. 11.14 (p) Cottons Keys p. 55. Reply This Position saith not that a particular Congregation or Church of Brethren have full and free power to choose her own Officers without asking or seeking the help of advice and direction from Synod Classis or Presbyterie nor do we think that there is any such meaning in it but without authoritative help of a Synod Classis or Presbyterie for in all those places of the Acts the churches had the help of direction but they were not strengthened by the interposition of the authority of the Apostles or of any other You will not take upon you hastily to censure the many notable precedents of ancient and latter Synods Answer who have put forth the Acts of power in ordination and excommunication (q) Cottons Keys p. 28. Reply 1. The grave Author of this speech meddles not with election in that place quoted but this Position runs of election 2. He keeps himself from an hasty and peremptory censuring of ancient precedents who have put forth acts of power in ordination and excommunication but he declares his opinion against it and we approve as well of his modesty as we do agree with him in his judgement We hold it a priviledge of the people especially if they proceed wisely and piously to elect their Officers Answer and an injury to obtrude any on them without their consent 1. What people are these that have this priviledge Reply Cottons Keys pag. 12. the Author whom you make use of so oft calls them Church of Brethren is it a people-priviledge or a church-priviledge to choose Ecclesiasticall Officers 2. What if they do not proceed wisely and piously is their priviledge lost must it be taken from them and then it would be no injury to obtrude an Officer on them It is an Officers priviledge to rule the Church but what if he do it not wisely and piously is the privilege then lost it is a Master of a Families priviledge to rule his own house but what if he do it not wisely and piously must it now be taken from him or rather must he not be directed and exhorted to do it rightly and the priviledge remain stil with him so of the people we have Junius of our minde herein (a) Junius Eccles p. 1963 Answer But let us view your Scriptures Seeing that you agree with us in the substance of the Position Reply and yet immediatly bring all the Scriptures brought by us to strengthen the same into question and none of them will passe for currant with you it had been convenient that you should have produced the Scriptures which do sway you unto the asserting of the same thing that it might have appeared to the world that you have found out some better bottome to set such a tenet on then we have produced For we conceive that if the Scriptures you oppugn are not pertinent to prove the Position there will be none found in all the new Testament but they will be more liable to exception then these and it is to be noted that all our modern Writers that we know of that grant any liberty to the people of choosing their own Officers they do it upon the evidence of these Scriptures which are excepted against in so much that we know not what should be the reason why you grant the thing alledged and bring no proofes of your own to confirm it and yet allow not of ours which we bring except you be resolved to contradict all that comes from us But what are your exceptions let us prove what weight is in them you say The Assembly Answer Acts 1. it is likely was not a body politick but occasionall only no part of Church-government being as yet set on foot here were not all but some of the sounder members of the Jewish Church and they had no commission to separate from the Jewes before Acts 2.40 the Company was not without Elders all the Churches and Elder at that time in the world were present if there had been any more Elders they must have conveened upon that occasion the choice was limited by the Apostle Peter First to the persons present Secondly to those that accompanied the Apostles all the time c. and was determined by God whose it was to choose an Apostle by his directing of the lot The meaning is Reply they were not a Christian Church but some of the sounder members of the Jewish Church and not yet separated from the Jewish Church and then 1. There is a contradiction unto some other of the exceptions which follow If they were no Christian Church how were the Apostles Elders of it and how was it an Oecumenicall councell all the Churches and Elders in the world being at it 2. Is there not some mistake in point of truth For those persons who were commanded to separate Acts
by Essentials we mean such particulars included in this System or Comprehension as if any of which be wanting something is detracted from the perfect and compleat order of the Gospel In this sense we say that there are certain Essentials in controversie That only persons righly qualified should be admitted to society in the Church is an Essentall a Isai 5.6.6.7 1 Cor 1.1 Phil. 1.1 Now though this in the generall be not in controversie yet whether this or that be a right qualification is in controversie and so an error in an Essentiall is contended for and made by the erring party either by taking in visibly false or excluding visibly true matter That the members of the Church be united by a right medium is Essentiall b Acts 2.41 Acts 5.13 1 Cor. 12. to Discipline but whether this right medium be I know not what implicit covenant or whether it be an expresse covenant or the legall bounds of the Parish is no small Question at this day That ordination excommunication c. be done by the right Subjectum capax c 1 Tim. 4.14 Titus 1.5 Acts 14.23 of these ordinances is certainly an Essentiall part or discipline But whether the Churches in some cases may ordain by Deputies no Church-Elders or whether in an ordinary way this power be in the Eldership of the particular Congregation or in a compound Classick Eldership is a great controversie But that the holy kisse oyle washing of feet are Essentials we hold not The remainder of your examination though drawn out into seven particulars seems to us to be like the hornes of the Beast called Bonassus Aristot de Nat. Animal which are big enough but yet they are ad pugnam inutilia unusefull to fight withall For though we cannot assent to every thing in your seven particulars yet shall passe them over because they are all peaceably conditioned to the Doctrine of the Elders of New-England For though they were all granted yet it may be cleerly deduced from 1 Tim. 6.13 14. that Christ hath left but one way of Discipline for all Churches c. the reason is because these are no parts of the discipline left by Christ to the Church which in the Essentials of it is unchangeable spoken by Paul in the Epistle to Timothy Horat. de Art Poet. Non semper feriet quodeunque minabitur Areus Lastly whereas you call for a Narrative of our Church-way especially of what we count Essentials we had thought to have taken some pains to have satisfied you herein but that in the nick of time that work is done to our hands by Reverend Mr. Cotton And further we hear that a work of the same nature by the Brethren of the the Congregationall-way members of the Assembly is upon the Anvile and that by the request of the Assembly of Divines at London and we make no doubt but the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim are and wil be better then would be the vintage of Abiezer Yet we know not by what obligation we stand bound to give forth a Narrative of our Way more then the Brethren of the Presbyterian judgement do of theirs who though to this day they call earnestly for a Narrative from us yet have not gratified us with any Narrative of what themselves hold And therefore vouchsafe to touch at least with one of your fingers that which you are pleased to lay though we count it not so as a burden upon us POSITION XXV The Church or the Ministers thereof The like words are found answ to 32. q. p. 11.15 answ to 9. Pos p. 76.77 28. must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 4. and therefore the Minister must not perform a Ministeriall act to another Congregation Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 5.1 2. The Text in Peter speaketh not of the Church or of the Elders Answer more then of any other men nor of meddling with the affairs of other churches but with other mens matters nor yet every meddling with them but such a meddling as for which they suffered from the Heathens in those dayes Let no man suffer as a busie-body in other mens matters c. Neither do the Elders say that the Apostle speaks of the Church Reply or the Elders thereof when he doth dehort them from suffering as busie-bodies in other mens matters nor is the Text in Peter so much as mentioned in any of the quotations presented in the margent nor once intended to be made use of to prove the thing they were spoken of therefore is it not a grosse wrong to make the world believe that they made use of 1 Pet. 4. to any such purpose Only in p. 11. they make use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Peter makes use of in 1 Pet. 4. but of that Text they make not use when their scope was to appear against dispensing censures Church-priviledges to Christians joyned to no particular Church they say they must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alluding to that place of 1 Pet. 4. where that word is used but not intending to give the meaning of the place Now they might well apply the word to Ministers intermedling without the bounds of their calling because the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it signifie an Over-seer yet usually it is applied by the Holy Ghost to a person over-seeing in spirituall matters and so to a Minister of the Gospel and is translated Bishop therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a person that playes the Bishop in anothers Dioces out of his own bounds most properly therefore might be made use of in a way of application to Ministers though the Apostle speak not of Ministers in that place But what inference do you inferre after you have resuted your own fiction It is of no more strength meaning 1 Pet. 4. Answer against a Presbyterie over particular Congregations then against the power of Parliament over other Courts of Judicature You say true Reply the place which neither meddles with the one nor the other nor was produced unto any such purpose may have no more strength against the one then against the other but there are other Scriptures brought which deny to Ministers that power over other Congregations which the Parliament hath over other Courts of Judicature within their own territories The inference supposeth that the flocks mentioned in these two Texts Answer viz. Acts 20.28 1 Pet. 5.1 2. were two particular Congregations which is impossible to be proved The inference supposeth no such thing Reply only implieth that there is something in those Texts against Ministers their performing ministeriall acts to other Congregations the truth of which we shall make to appear The Texts in Acts 20.28 gives this charge Take heed to your selves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God i. their charge extends to none of them beyond the flock over which they were made over-seers in
A DEFENCE Of sundry POSITIONS And Scriptures alledged to justifie the Congregationall-way charged at first to be weak therein impertinent and unsufficient By R. H. M.A. of Magd. Col. Cambr. in his Examination of them But upon further Examination cleerly manifested to be Sufficient Pertinent and full of Power By Samuel Eaton Teacher AND Timothy Taylor Pastor Of The Church in Duckenfield in Cheshire Isai 26.12 13. LORD thou wilt ordaine peace for us for even thou hast wrought all our works in us O LORD our God other lords besides thee have had dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head Alley 1645. To the Christian Reader IT was not our purpose when these Examinations of our Reverend and beloved Brother and neighbour came forth to have made any Reply to them First because we thought there was that already published to the world on both sides which was more weighty then either the Examinations or Answer to them were like to be deemed Secondly because we apprehended some other persons rather called to this Work then our selves because their Positions and Scriptures brought by them are professedly and nominally opposed as the margent declares Thirdly because we were unwilling to ingage our selves or others in the Controversie further then we should be compelled knowing it to be one evill under the Sun in men and perhaps in some good men that they will strive for Victory rather then for Truth And as it is with an unyeelding spirit it will contend for the-last word So it is in publishing of books who shall Print last in his own Cause We chose therefore rather to practise in silence according to our own light and quietly to follow the Work we are called to in these parts then to implead those that should plead against the Way we walk in Therefore when the Examinations first came down though we read them yet we minded not to answer them for three moneths almost the thoughts of intermedling in the Work now effected by us slept with us At last we were awakened to consider what was fit to be done by us And after some consultation thought our selves bound to vindicate wronged Scriptures Positions Persons that which bred a change in our mind was First an expectation and earnest desire in these parts that something might be answered thereunto or the Cause yeelded Secondly the eyes of many were upon us rather then upon others First because the Author of the Examinations is our neighbour Secondly because many of these things have been discussed betwixt him and us Thirdly because it is thought that some of the Positions have been taken up by him as in discourse they fell from us Fourthly because it is believed by many that there is so much strength in the Examinations or weaknesse in us that we cannot answer them Fifthly because the Examinations are magnified in Pulpits Lastly because the Person whom we most eyed to have vindicated the Scriptures and Assertions built upon them we heare is called away out of the kingdome Hereupon we came to set upon the Work And our request good Reader is this that the plainnesse of the style may be passed over and all weaknesse in expression and if there be any strength of Argument that it be kindly accepted for the truths sake We professe to be friends to the Truth so farre as we know it and shall think it the worst work that ever we did in our lives if we should make any to erre from the Truth We intreat God as we are able to lead both thee and us into all truth S. E. T. T. Mr. Prynne his Judgement touching the only and speediest way for the present Reformation in his last Book called A Vindication page 57. ANd if our Assembly and Ministers will but diligently preach against that Catalogue of scandalous Sins and sinners they have presented to the Parliament and the Parliament prescribe severe temporall Lawes and Punishments against the same and appoint good Civill Magistrates to see them duly executed inflicted I am confident that this would work a greater Reformation in our Church and State in one half yeer then all the Church-discipline and censures now so eagerly contested for will do in an age and will be the only true way and speediest course to reform both Church and State at once which I hope the Parliament will consider of and take care that our Ministers like the Bishops formerly may not now be taken up with ruling and governing but preaching and instructing which is work enough wholly to ingrosse their time and thoughts To our Reverend Brother the EXAMINER Good Brother THough we often encountered one another within private walls yet we little thought to have been Antagonists in print you have provoked us to it and so have those that are either so ingaged to your person or to your Examinations as to make their boast of them We think you will confesse our candor in proceeding we have not stept out of the way to intermeddle with by-standers or by-matters nor have we racked any thing we intreat the like usage from you Take up the pith and substance of the Argument and let alone expressions and matters of that nature and shew us our errour and we shall not be offended but thankfull That deep heavie charge in the first part of your Preface whether it might have been spared till you had seen how you had sped we leave for you to consider As also whether you had honoured your self more and wronged us lesse if your Examinations had come forth without so cutting and stinging a censure Beware of giving such blowes again in words and do it if you can in the weight of your Arguments and you shall be blamelesse We will beare it and amend by it as being Your loving Brethren SAMUEL EATON TIMOTHY TAYLOR The Contents of the Book The Scriptures opened or alledged in this Treatise you have in a Table at the end thereof and the page wherein they are cited The POSITIONS as they are laid down by Mr. R. H. in his Examination of them are the summe and substance of the whole Book as being the Subject herein debated whereof the most of them are explained and defended some in some proofs cited are mistaken as Position 20 and 25. The POSITIONS are these in order following POSITION 1. GAthering of Churches in the name of Christ and setting up of Church-ordinances cannot be unlawfull for want of a Commandement from man as appeareth by the Doctrine and Practice of the Apostles Acts 4.19 5.29 page 1 POSIT 2. Seven eight or nine may make a Church In Adams and Noahs time there was not above seven or eight will you deny them the being of a Church What will you make of Christ and of his Family which were not above twelve besides himself and of the first
from other Jewes Reply and gathering them into a Christian Church while yet the Jewish Church was not dissolved for they ceased not to be a Church of God till the body of them pertinaciously and desperatly rejected Christ Therefore they preached to the Jewes first and thought themselves bound so to doe because they were the people of God Acts 11.19 13.46 And yet they had commanded some to separate from the rest as your selfe acknowledge Acts 2.40 And their communion they had with them in Jewish worships shews that they counted them a true Church And some think that their Church state ceased not while their Temple stood And yet before that time many Jewes were gathered into many Christian Churches as both the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles doe declare And if they might gather out of one Church they might as lawfully have gathered out of twenty or an hundred had there been so many at that time Secondly if the Apostles never taught nor practised such a thing what warrant then have our brethren for their Presbyterian Church which is gathered out of many Churches For they Interpret Matth. 18.17 Tell the Church of a Presbyterian Church which consists of the Elders of many Churches Thirdly why may not one Church be gathered of the members of many Churches as well as many Churches consist of the members of one Church For we read that the Church at Jerusalem was scattered upon Stevens persecution and we read not that they returned again but fell into membership with other Churches as is probable which were planted in severall parts of the world Fourthly such a Church which consists of the members of many other true Churches hath formerly been without exception in the dayes of the Prelates how comes it now to be questioned For at least fourteen yeares since such a Church was extant in Wiâ—â—all in Cheshire the vocall covenant being onely wanting which consisted of the choycest Christians of many Parishes who met constantly together upon the Lords day and enjoyed the Word and Seales of the Covenant and maintained a Pastor to dispense the same unto them and never or very rarely repaired to such Parishes where their habitations were And we think it cannot be denied but Mr. John Angiers Church at Denton in Lancashire hath of long time been such and many other such there have been besides And it was accounted an high happinesse to have liberty to make such a Church but was never accounted by the godly sinfull before But if you should answer That the Church consists of such as lived within such a Parish or Chappell and that the rest were strangers We reply If assembling constantly together and participating in all the Ordinances that the rest doe partake of and contributing with the rest in the maintenance of the Minister of such a place and an adhering rather to such a Minister and people then to any other in affection and action if all these together make members of a Church then these persons of other Parishes were not strangers but members and with the rest made such Churches except it shall be said that habitation alone in other Parishes when all the other are wanting makes membership and constitutes Churches which some of our brethren who are Presbyterians have and doe deny Fifthly are not some Parish Churches constituted sometimes of members of other Parish Churches when many persons have left their own places and removed into other Parishes without any consent Yet this hath been judged pious at least honest sometimes upon one ground and somtimes upon another some to have liberty of conscience in such places whither they have removed others to have better preaching others to meet with better society and others for better worldly accommodation What Christian knoweth not well that this hath been common Sixthly that a Church may consist of persons that have been members of other Churches if such persons have been orderly dismissed from such Churches and have come away with consent will be granted of all For none hold Church-membership to be undissolveable The question then will be Whether the members of Churches may depart without consent 1. According to the present constitution of Churches they may For they come in without consent meerly by removing their habitations therefore they may so depart 2. If consent must be had from whom must it be sought From the people or from the Minister That the people have any power either to give or with-hold their consent hath not been granted heretofore That the Ministers consent should be necessary for the departing of every member when yet himselfe it may be hath had his entrance amongst them without their consent seemes to be unreasonable 3. Suppose consent hath been sought and cannot be obtained may not members withdraw their membership in some cases without consent Suppose some Ordinance be corruptly dispensed without all hope of redresse and that men must partake therein without having any power so much as to witnesse against such corruptions unlesse they will be accounted factious and disturbers of the Churches peace or that by remaining where such corruptions are they be in danger to be leavened with the corrupt lump of such a Church of which they be members 1 Cor. 5.6 what must they now doe Doth not that Rule that bids a Church purge out one person that may endanger the leavening of the whole lump when there are no other means to prevent such an evill give warrant to every member that is endangered to be leavened by the lump to withdraw from such a lump because power to purge out the lump they have none when there is no other means to prevent the evill 2 Cor. 13.10 Church membership is for edification of the members not for destruction But you stumble at this because they converted them not To which we reply Persons whom the Apostles converted were ordinarily committed to others to be further edified and the ordinary Pastors and Elders of the primitive times did almost perpetually build upon anothers foundation The persons that watered for the most part were not the same that planted In Acts 11.20 21. we read of a great conversion wrought by the preaching of the scattered Disciples but we read not that they were gathered into Church-state till Barnabas was sent unto them and both Barnabas and Paul assembled with that Church and taught it which yet they converted not And in Acts 19.1 9. Paul found twelve Disciples converted to his hand though not fully instructed and gathered them into the Church which he planted at Ephesus But Brother how comes this to be a stone to stumble at If you hold a succession of Pastors in the same Church the successors may feed a flock which their predecessors converted and not themselves And if you hold transplantation of members from one Church to another then they may feed the members which were of other Churches which themselves converted not But you will say This must be orderly
doth 2. We allow the case to be much different For when we live under a Christian Magistrate inteuding and endeavouring Reformation we are raised up unto an expectation of having all the wayes of Christ countenanced and confirmed by his authoritie which would be a very blessed thing which we have no such ground to look for living under a Heathen Magistrate But how the case is different in your sense we understand not For the Christianity of the Magistrate or his piety and sedulity in intending and endeavouring Reformation cannot take any person or persons off from their dutie which they would be bound unto if a Heathen Magistrate bore sway The Magistrate and the Ministers and the people must each doe their part because each stands engaged for himselfe to Jesus Christ unto the work of his own place The impediments that come from any unto other cannot be a discharge unto any Would our Brethren in New England allow a Presbyterian Church Answer or but a new Independent Church to be erected in New England against the will and mind of the Magistrates and Churches there 1 T. W. to W.R. p. 31. 1. The question is not what they would allow Reply but what a company of people planted there which cannot without unfaithfulnesse to their own light be subject to any other government save the Presbyterian ought to doe Whether if their livelihood lie there and that they cannot remove they are not bound to keep Faith and a good Conscience what ever it be that they suffer for it 2. Our beliefe of New England is this that they would suffer the godly and peaceable to live amongst them though they disser in point of Church-government from them Because so farre as we could ever learn they never banished any but unpeaceablenesse together with desperate erroneousnesse was the cause of it Our Brethren at London I heare doe hold it at least unseasonable Answer to gather Churches now how their opinion and yours are reconcileable I see not If you had said Reply some of them did once think it unseasonable you had not much missed it But what crossing is in this which should need a reconciliation The Position saith it cannot be unlawfull the Brethren say it was unseasonable for that time Many things may be unseasonable at least in opinion and yet not unlawfull It may be the Brownists Answer Anabaptists Antinomians Familists and other grosse Hereticks and Schismaticks in old or new England doe also pretend the Doctrine and practice of the Apostles for the setting up of their Churches yet our godly and conscientious Divines doe therein oppose them If grosse Heretikes and Schismaticks doe so pretend Reply they must be found to be liers and so their practice will be found to be unwarrantable whether they have or have not the commandement of man yet this will hinder nothing but that those which not in pretence but in truth have the Doctrine and practise of the Apostles with them may lawfully practise according to it though they want the commandement of man to warrant it The false Apostles pretended to be true Apostles but the Church of Ephesus tried them and found them liers and rejected them and yet accepted of those that were Apostles of Christ indeed POSITION II. Seven eight or nine may make a Church In Adams and Noahs time there was not above seven or eight will you deny them the being of a Church What will you make of Christ and of his Family which were not above twelve besides himselfe and of the first foundationals of the Church of Ephesus which were about twelve The number in the first beginning of the greatest Church was small enough in comparison Acts 1.15 The case of Adam and Noah was extraordinary Answer there were no more in the world and therefore could be no more in the Church You grant in an extraordinary case seven eight Reply or nine may make a Church The Position saith not that more may not make a Church but if there be but so many the truth and being of a Church cannot be denied them We say further that such a number may but make a Church in the first foundation or while there be no more persons sitted for membership For when more Saints by calling offer themselves they are to be received and so the Church will be increased Acts 19.7 8 9 18.19 20. Adam and his wife Answer and first sonnes yea Adam himselfe was the Church if then there was any yet you hold not that two or three yea one may make a Church We conceive that the Church is Christs body Reply and that every body consists of members If all were one member where were the body How therefore one Adam could have been a Church we understand not Put this we hold that look how few have ever made a Church since the beginning of the world the same number may still make a Church And the reason is because God hath not precisely determined what number doth make a Church Cain lawfully married his own sister may other men doe the like Answer Have we not a manifest prohibition of such marriages in the Scripture Reply so that though sometimes they were lawfull yet now they are not lawfull But what Scripture have you against this that what number of beleevers have formerly been a Church such a number may yet be a Church And no greater number is required to the simple being of a Church Twelve are more then seven or eight Answer and an hundred and twenty are a competent number yet it appeareth not that they were called or counted a Church till they were more increased First Reply though twelve be more then seven or eight yet twelve is not more in the truth of constitution of a Church then seven or eight Is there more of the essence of a Church in twelve then in seven or eight Except you mean it so you declare onely in saying so that you can number twelve And if you so understand it we shall demand proof of you for it Secondly the Scripture determines not what number is competent and what not competent to the being of a Church How come you then so to passe your verdict about it when further you adde That it appeares not they were called or accounted a Church till they were more increased that is till those three thousand persons were added to them Acts 2.41 If so are you not then the more presumptuous in saying that an hundred and twenty are a competent number to make a Church Notwithstanding if you will you may see them a Church before they were so increased For they performed one great act of a Church in electing an Officer to be over the Church Acts 1.23 And when three thousand were added to them they came into their state and if their state were not Church state then neither were they made a Church by this addition for let three thousand be added to no Church and they are still no Church
given in all the new Testament that Christians ordinarily meeting together in divers places are yet called one Church except where Church is taken improperly in a distributive sense And therfore in cities where they might and did meet together they are called a Church and in countries where they could not all meet in one but in divers places they are called Churches Many such Churches or Congregations we have in England Answer We say so too Reply and add that either we have such in England or none at all For what other besides such can you shew us And the Beleevers in every Christian Church Answer even in the Church of England and in the Jewish Church also might and did at first meet 1. Reply Can you shew that the Beleevers of any Christian church met onely at first in one place and then afterwards being increased they met not in one place but many places except at some time of hot persecution 2. If Beleevers in England ever met together in one place it was when there was but one congregationall Church in England As for the Jewish Church in it Exo. 34.23.24 Deut. 16.2.16 both at first and afterwards all the males wore to meet by speciall appointment in one place at some seasons though not alwayes and in some ordinances though not all to shew that they were but one Church To say nothing that all the people of the Jewes being about six hundred thousand Answer are called one Congregation and are frequently in the old Testament said to come together and that * One Myriade is 10000. Myriads did come together Act. 21.22 They were one church and therefore did and ought to congregate together and are therefore called one congregation Reply and yet neither they nor those Myriads spoken of Acts 21.22 did then nor can such a number now ordinarily come together Now our Position is to be understood that a Gospel visible church consists of no more then can ordinarily come together into one place nor of so many as sometimes in an extraordinary way have met together How will you make out this Inference The Church of Corinth did meet in one place and so did Antioch Jerusalem Answer therefore no Church in the new Testament must consist of more then can meet in one place You must take the Argument in the scope of it Reply such and such Churches did meet constantly in one place and there is no mention of any Church which did not meet together in one place therefore no Church in the new Testament doth consist of more then can meet in one place the Consequent is now good For we think that patterns that are uncontrolled either by precepts or other patterns have doctrine in them and do teach how things ought to be carried To say there was a Church in Adams house and in Noahs Answer and also in Philemons Aquila's and Priscilla's houses therefore the Church in the old and new Testament must be domesticall is an inconsequent illation contrary to plain Scripture We confesse it and for the reason you render Reply because contrary to plain Scripture Now if you could have shewed us the repugnancy to plain Scripture of the inference which you oppugne wee should have confessed a great oversight in it It is one thing and more warrantable to derive an inference from patterns when they all run one way and be patterns of one kind and another thing and lesse safe to draw an inference from patterns when there is diversity of kinds of them about the same thing Is not the Argument as good if it run thus All the believing Corinthians were of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1.1 2 Cor. 6.11 Answer The Smyrnians and Laodiceans of the Church of Smyrna and Laodicea Col. 2.1 4.16 Rev. 2.8 3.14 Whether they were more or fewer Hence in every city and every church seem to expound one another Acts 14.21.23 with Tit. 1.5 Acts 16.4 5. And it cannot be shewed that any church how numerous soever it grew was divided into two or more churches therefore the believers in any one city or town may be but one church whether they can meet in one place or no. No brother not so Reply because as appeares to us there is light of Scripture gain-saying it For though all the believing Corinthians were of the church of Corinth which yet you seem to contradict in the after part of your Answer while you say that Gaius the Corinthian was the host of another church besides that of Corinth which if true then all believing Corinthians were not of the church of Corinth and though in all other cities all the believers of them were of the church in each of them yet such an inference would be naught because it was so for a speciall reason and in regions and countries where that reason took not place it was otherwise All the Believers in Jerusalem were of one church there because they were not so many but that they might come constantly together into one place and did so But all the Believers in Judea were not of one church there but of many churches because they could not meet constantly in one place And if believers in cities meeting in divers places are yet but one church for this reason because they were of one city as you would seem to inferre then shew but any probable reason why believers meeting in divers places in countries may not be one church because they were of one countrey especially the believers of Judea being but a small countrey and under the same civil government The reason why city and church expound one another was this because there was not more converted in a city then could meet together in a congregation or church And when you can shew us out of the new Testament that believers were so multiplied in any city as that they could not all meet in one place then will we shew you that such churches were divided into more churches Paul writes not only to them which might Answer and did meet in one place but to all that in every place not throughout the world at appeares 2 Cor. 1.1 written to the same persons 1 Cor. 5.1 2. with 2 Cor. 2.1 2. neither is this a Catholique Epistle but that in all Achaia call upon the Name of the Lord. Paul writes and sends this Reply and applieth it to the Corinthianss and to them alone as appears almost in every chapter of the Epistle and in many of the verses of each chapter For all along proper and peculiar things belonging to the Corinthians and not to the Achaians nor Saints in all the world are spoken of in commendation and discommendation and proper reproofes directions exhortations are given yet he intended it for the use and benefit of all Achaia and of the whole world also And it may as properly be called a Catholique Epistle as an Achaian Epistle for the use redounds to the world as well as to Achaia
And if it be not so how can it be said to be Canonicall Scripture And how comes it to be the foundation of our Sermons that wee preach out of it Besides doth all in every place and Saints in all Achaia expound one another What Commentator hath ever said so And doth 1 Cor. 5.1 compared with 2 Cor. 2.1 inforce such an exposition That which you would suggest is that hee writes to the same Corinthians in the second Epistle that he writes unto in the first for more your Scriptures import not and wee grant it But the inference you draw is this ergo all in every place here and Saints in all Achaia are all one a strange consequence If the second Epistle be written to the same persons as the first Why do you not expound the subject persons of the second by the subject persons of the first and say though the Saints in all Achaia be mentioned only yet under them the Salnts every where in the world are meant as in the first Epistle it is expressed This would have been a more naturall exposition But we shall declare the Apostles naked scope as we understand it The Corinthians not the Achaians in generall for the Cenchreans joyned not with them that wee reade of had written to Paul Chapt. 7.1 and Paul had received sundry reports concerning them not concerning all the Saints in Achaia for of the Cenchreans hee had heard nothing that wee reade of chap. 1.11 5.1 and hereupon he writes unto them but because this letter might be of common use and profit and especially to the Saints which bordered next upon them therefore he would have the Achaians their neighbours to peruse it yea the Saints every where to reade it for their edification Therefore in both his Epistles hee mentioneth the Corinthians as the proper subject thereof but the Achaians he mentioneth but in one and the Saints every where in another And he brings them in collaterally rather then directly it is to the church of Corinth but with the Saints in Achaia and withall that in every place call on the name of the Lord Jesus as it were on the bye And this is Pareus his exposition upon 1 Cor. 1.2 and he takes occasion of confuting the vain conceit of Pighius and other Jesuits because they would have Pauls Epistles to extend to the particular uses of those times and not to Saints in all places and ages And therefore those words Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides that being but a supposition they put nothing in being and may fitly be translated in id ipsum for the same or in one which though they met in an hundred places they might do Acts 4.26 with Psal 2.2 1 Chron. 12.17 prove no more that those to whom Paul writ were of one congregation then James calling the twelve tribes seattered abroad one Assembly Synagogue or Church Jam. 1.1 with 2.2 5.14 or Pauls mentioning the Hebrewes assembling themselves together Heb. 10.25 doth prove that the scattered Hebrewes were no more then one particular congregation which might and did meet in one place 1. Reply You give us another exposition of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and would referre them to an identity of things and not of place they were together in one thing but not together in one place But 1. These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are sometimes conjoyned with the Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 1 Cor. 11.20 14.23 and then I hope it will not be denied but that place is principally meant 2. Except the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do hold forth a coming together into one place their meeting at all any of them together though in an hundred places will come to be overthrown For what gives more light to the coming together of any of them at all into one place then these words If the words do carry any respect to place then seeing it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole church they will be in force to prove that the whole church came together into one place 3. When these words are found without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Act. 2.44 is not the sense darkned if not overthrown by such an interpetation And all that believed were together and had all things common shall it be thus rendered And all that believed were in one thing or minde So they might be though every one were in his own house and none of them together in the same place But how doth it cohere with the next words and had all things common if they met not together in the same place Besides will those words bear such an exposition in Acts 3.1 Now Peter and John went up together into the Temple shall it be thus translated They went up to the Temple for the same thing not together in company but for one end then they might go one after another if they only met in an onenesse of businesse and not of place but severall passages in the story do flatly contradict it and do shew that they ascended together in company one of another into the Temple But Acts 4 26. compared with Psal 2.2 is alledged to confirm the exposition of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which wee answer that wee see nothing but that the conspirators against Christ met in one place For Psal 2. saith They took counsell together and how can that better be done then by meeting in one place Acts 4.27.5 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies they came together into one place and they might do it easily because all the persons mentioned were in one city and the story makes it plain that the Rulers and the people of Israel and Pontius Pilate and the Gentiles gathered together and there is nothing repugnant but that Herod might meet with them especially seeing that we reade that Pilate and he were made friends 4. Wee do not stand in need of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to prove that the churches of the Gospel met in one congregation frequently for there are other words that carry it cleerly as may appear from Acts 2.46 5.12 14.27 15.22.30 1 Cor. 5.4 and 1 Cor. 11.17 2. Though you yeeld the translation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it respecteth place yet you say it proves no more that those that Paul writ to were of one congregation then James's calling the twelve Tribes scattered one Assembly To which we reply that there is a palpable difference betwixt the places alledged by us to prove a meeting in one place and those alledged by you against it from James and from the Hebrewes For 1. Your places are not so full for a meeting in one place and 2. James 1.1 contradicts and makes impossible such a meeting of all the Hebrewes in one place And therefore we must take it in a distributive sense If there come into your Assemblie that is into any of your Assemblies send for the Elders
every one of them and the whole is the flock of each amongst them and each of them hath as full power over the assemblies that he never saw as over that from which he came and which sent him as in the representative civill body every Knight and Buegesse hath the care of the kingdome upon him and each hath equall authority of inspection and decision of matters concerning cities and countries which hee knowes not as of those whence hee came Now if it be so the Question is whether each be not a Passor to every purpose as well as unto one And whether hee be not to feed by doctrine as well as by the rod of discipline all such assemblies which are under his charge Which thing is yet impossible to be done And what warrant there is of non-residencie with the flock unto purposes that do most concern the flock seeing themselves are Christs Ministers and substitutes and have not power of appointing Ministers and substitutes under them and what ground there is why they must joyntly rule all the assemblies but severally teach each man the congregation to which he is designed without care of the rest Or if there be any such combination of assemblies in a Nation what is there to warrant it more then the combination of all Christian assemblies in the world represented in an oecumenicall councell the members of which must be universall Pastors having power over and care of all churches under them For if a Congregationall church must depend upon a Nationall church as the lesser upon the greater then a Nationall church must depend upon the universall as the lesser upon the greater For look what a Nation is to a Congregation that the universall is to a Nation and if Nations may be independent of the universall Congregations may be independent of the Nationall And if an universall visible instituted church be acknowledged why are there not universall representative conventions What a defect is this in Christendome And what a fault that all Christian nations do not endeavour it But we conceive that they are so farre from the endeavouring it that if there were any such though they might make use of them for advice yet they would be loth to subject themselves to the binding decrees of them Nor say wee that the Scriptures do mention a Nationall church Answer for the supreme Magistrate was an enemy to Christian Religion and Regis ad exemplum c. Believers it is like were not so many as to beare the name of a Land or Nation nor could they have liberty safely to meet in Nationall Synods Shew mee a Nation of Magistrates and people converted and I will shew you a Nationall church Ultra posse non est esse whether Nationall churches be lawfull or unlawfull 1. Reply You might have said Shew me a Nation of Magistrates and people converted and I will shew you a Nationall Christian church framed like the Jewish church with one Nationall Bishop over it one Nationall Cathedrall in it c. for so would Prelaticall men and the Pope himself argue No one Nation was converted then and therefore there could be no Nationall Pastor Many nations were not converted then therefore there could be no universall Pastor But what hinders but that there might be afterwards when a Nation and when the world should come to be converted 2. Though there was no Nation converted wholly and therefore as you say no nationall church could be yet Christs will and minde in that matter might easily have been dictated in the Scriptures had he intended any such Church afterwards as Moses tells the Jewes Deut. 12.8 9 10. That they should not do when they should come to Canaan every man what he listeth as they did in the Wildernesse but there should be a place appointed and thither should they bring their offerings and tythes and though there were not Nations converted yet there were so many in a Nation converted as made many Assemblies In little Judea there were Congregations and why together with the Church at Jerusalem might there not have been a Diocesan or Classicall Church There were enough converted for such a purpose But shew the sootsleps of a Diocesan or Classicall Church and it shall serve the turn then wee will yeeld there might in time be a Nationall Arguments taken from the appellation of the word Church Answer or Churches are very unsatisfactory because of the various acceptations of the words Kahal Gnedah Ecclesia Synagoga which we sometimes translate Church but should alwayes translate Convocation or Congregation a company called out or gathered together In this answer you labour to overthrow our Argument Reply for Congregationall churches setched from the appellation of the Apostle when he speaks of Countries and Provinces where more Congregations were he calls them perpetually churches in the plurall number and not church by these suggestions rather then arguments 1. That the words Kahal Gnedah Ecclesia Synagoga should alwayes be translated Convocation a company called out or gathered together if this be yeelded wherein it will advantage you we know not A nationall Convocation or Congregation or gathering together will sound harsher then a nationall Church for every one knows that we have no Nationall Congregation in England But 2. You suggest The English word church Saxon Cyrick and Scots Kirk Answer are derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Cambd. Rem or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Sr. Hen. Spelm. which as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the place of meeting Hence we reade of robbers of Churches or Temples Acts 19.37 Kahal whence our English word call is sometimes Metonymically understood of the place The Heathen enter into the Sanctuary which God hath forbidden to enter into the Church Lam. 1.10 with Deut. 23.3 Nehem. 13.1 To come together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is if it be rightly translated to come together in one place and so Ecclesia is opposed to the buildings or houses in which they did eat and drink 1 Cor. 11.19 20 21 22. Synagoga is evidently taken for the place of meeting Luke 7.5 Acts 18.7 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the proper signification Reply is appertaining to the Lord and may more properly relate to people appertaining to the Lord then to place because the people do more appertain to the Lord then the place 2. Though Kahal once perhaps and Synagoga oftener may be understood of the place yet Ecclesia never That place in Acts 19.37 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 robbers of Temples not Churches That place in 1 Cor. 11.18 When yee come together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to be rendered in one place Pareus upon those words utterly denies it And there is good reason why they should rather be referred to the people as a church then to the place For the meaning is when yee meet in the church when yee meet as the church that is to perform Church-work For they
might meet in the place even those very persons and yet not meet as a Church as it might be said when such meet in a Synod it 's meant as a Synod to act some thing as a Synod * As convenire in Senatum is to meet as a Senate not so much referring to the place as to the persons so meeting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 misacrum conventum Beza ibid. i. for a holy meeting Musculus in coetu sacro queÌ„ liâ—vocat Ecclesiam i. in a holy Assembly which he calleth the Church Item Pet. Mart. bid It referres not to the place nor to the persons barely meeting but to the persons meeting as a Synod to act Synodically Besides though Kahal and Synogoga may by a Metonymy be referred to place because there were places built and set apart for Church-services yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new Testament cannot be so taken because they had no set stated appointed places for the Christian churches to meet in your self assert so much p. 26. Nor is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opposed to the buildings and houses in which they did eat and drink in 1 Cor. 11.19 20 21. The words are or despise yee the Church of God which respects the people the godly amongst them which told them of their fault and other Churches also as Pareus upon that place observes Unlesse you will say there must be a reverent observance of the place where the Church meets more then of all other places They met in Woods Dens Caves many times in times of persecution and must those places be more respected then mens houses where they did eat and drink in But what would you inferre if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Church were taken for the place Would it profit you Yes for you say afterwards The Scripture calls them Church or Congregation often Answer and sometimes in respect of their severall Synagogues Psal 74.4.8 No wonder therefore if that Christians of one countrey meeting in severall Synagogues James 2.2 Heb. 10.25 Acts 19.8 9. 22.19 Acts 13.15 16 43. and houses Acts 12.12 Rom. 16.5 do receive the denomination of Churches which in Scripture phrase is all one with Assemblies many whereof we confesse were in Galatia Macedonia The place you bring from Psal 74.4.8 is impertinently alledged Reply for the Church of the Jewes which was one is not called Congregations in vers 4. in reference to divers Synagogues they met in vers 8. But Congregations there is Metonymically used and is all one with Synagogues and signifieth the place and not the people at all They roare in the midst of the Congregations that is in the midst of those places where the Congregation met which places were many but the Congregation but one having one high Priest for their chief Pastor though meeting in its parts in many places So that the Church of the Jewes is not called Congregations as Mollerus shewes upon that place Neither can you shew as wee suppose that ever any one Church was called churches in the plurall number either in the old or new Testament in reference to plurality of places they met in For if it were so how comes it that a Church in a city such as Jerusalem Corinth Ephesus and Rome which met and assembled in many places as our Brethren of the Presbyterie say are never called Churches but alwayes Church And yet a Church in the countrey meeting and assembling in many places are called Churches and not Church And you say there is no wonder of it for this reason because the Houses and Synagogues in the countrey were many in which they met See brother whether you do not in this assertion crosse your self In the city you can finde many meeting houses and but one Church but in the countrey you can finde so many Churches as meeting houses But the truth is it is not place but the combination of a Christian people to meet together for Ordinances that makes a Church For the same Church may meet sometimes together in one place for Church worship and sometimes asunder in many places for Christian worship but they are not therefore divided into sundry Churches And many distinct Churches or parts of them may meet occasionally in one place yet they become not one Church hereby but combination to enjoy Church ordinances together in a constant way makes a Church and all in a city were in this combination to enjoy ordinances together therefore they were a Church But all in a countrey could not be in such a combination to meet together constantly therefore they were not a Church but churches But you go on and say The word Kahal and Gnedah do signifie a dispersed multitude Answer that never met together that the people of Israel though divided into severall domesticall assemblies to keep the Passeover are called one Church That an Assembly is all one with Kahal Ecclesia whether it be good or bad lesse or greater that when the Israelitish men women and children were together they were but one Congregation And when all did not meet though searce half or a third part met yet they were called all the Congregation And when there was a great Assembly then the Scripture tells us there was a great Church accounting no more persons of the Church but those that were then assembled Yea Simeon and Levi's assembly is called a Church and those many which were gathered to pray in the house of Maty are called the Church though many were absent Yea four or sive in a Family joyning in the worship of God are called a Church But suppose there be truth in all that is said what are all these acceptions of the words Kahal and Ecclesia to the purpose Reply Among all these can you finde that ever any one Church is called two or more Churches For except there can be brought instances of this nature the air is but beaten all the while and our assertion stands immovable We find many churches in little Judea in which of the ennumerations of acceptions of those words Kahal Ecclesia doth it appeare that a Church that is really but one multiplies into many and is called churches and yet is but one If you finde not this we cannot believe that a whole Nation or Province of Believers are but one Church in the dayes of the Gospel Besides is your scope to confound and lose your Readers in the various acceptions of the word Assembly or Church so that when they reade the word Church or Churches they shall not be able to know what to make of it How then will they understand your Nationall Church at which your Discourse drives It had been your part to have taken your Reader by the hand and to have shewed him when the word Church is taken properly and when improperly Both you in your Nationall and wee in our Congregationall understand a people combined together into one body to worship God And in the old Testament let the words Kahal
8 9. the matter of it should be visible Saints and Believers 1 Cor. 1.2 True so it should when an Army is to be raised a City begun Answer a Family set up much more when a Church is to be erected or continued the matter of them should be visible yea reall Saints beloved of God elect blessed Deut. 38.14 Isai 1.21.26 Acts 16.34 Rom. 1.7 Ephes 1.1.2 3.4 And we heartily wish they were all such 1. The meaning of the Position is this Reply Visibility of Saintship is requisite to warrant the setting upon such an action as erecting of a Church else the action for the nature of it is naught might not be performed Better no Church erected then not of visible Saints The rule is broken sin committed Is this granted by you If so why is the position quarrelled at seeing it is all that is asserted 2. But why do you jumble these actions together The raising of an Army the erecting of a City the setting up of a Family and the erecting of a Church As if they were actions of a like nature As if visibility of Saintship to them all were of like necessity Do you conceive that the matter of an Army must either be visible Saints or there must be no Army raised The matter of a city visible Saints or no city erected Doth the nature of those actions necessarily require any such qualification in the subject persons performing them that without such qualifications the subject persons are in a state of incapacity according to Gods true scope and intention to set upon such actions Wee know you hold it not Heathens may raise Armies and wage war and not sin because they do so if the cause be just They may erect cities and remain Heathens still and not sin because they do so for it may be their duty so to do but may they erect a Church to God and remain Heathens and not sin in doing so An Atheist and prophane wicked person may buy and sell and labour in his Calling and not sin because he doth so because it is his duty but may he be one to erect a Church of and to partake in the seal of the Lords Supper and be an Atheist and visible person still without sin Men need not be Believers and Saints to warrant them to perform civill actions or some religious actions for irreligious wicked persons while in that state are called to them but to do them with acceptation and so as to be accounted righteous in the doing of them they must be Believers and Saints But to erect a Church which is Christs body and is called to have communion with Christ in his body and blood in that Supper which he instituted is an action of another nature and requires faith and holinesse in the persons that constitute it to warrant the constitution of it For Church state being holy and the Ordinance of it holy either the subject persons must be holy also or all will be grievously prophaned and God foully dishonoured But why do you say They should not only be visible but reall Saints except it be to cast another mist before the eyes of the ignorant For if an Army were to be raised to fight on the Purliament side against the Cavaliers you would say it must consist of visible friends which seem sincere and cordiall else let it not be raised at all but you would not say it must consist of reall friends for then it would not be raised at all For if it must consist of reall friends God must be the raiser of it and not man who alone knoweth who are reall friends So of a Church if it must consist only of reall friends God alone must erect it and man must not meddle with it And though we reade these phrases Beloved of God Elect blessed yet either they received these denominations from the judgement of Charity because they seemed to be such as Phil. 1.7 or if there were infallibility it was applicable only to a party within the Churches whom the Apostle discerned to be such and not to the whole Church Yet we dare not use unscripturall wayes and means for the procuring and preserving of Church-members sanctity Answer To be wise and holy above the rule is to be foolish prophane presumptuous superstitious Could you shew us out of Scripture that the Church must examine persons that come to be admitted and that they must make any other declaration then professing of faith and repentance and that the Congregation ought to reject such of whose sincerity and sanctity they are not satisfied and that the want of this care in the first constitution of a Church doth nullifie it or make it unlawfull for men to joyn to it or continue in it and that it is necessary to know that a Church was constituted of visible Saints before he can in faith joyn to it we should not differ about the sanctity of the members Here is a deep charge of some things practised by us Reply to preserve the Churches sanctity and purity to be foolish prophane superstitious and presumptuous And there are instances given in examination of persons whether there be the works of Grace wrought in their hearts or no c. We answer for our selves First there are some things fathered upon us which we hold not as 1. That there must be some further declaration besides profession of faith and repentance We contend for no such thing but conceive profession of faith and repentance if in the judgement of charity it may be accounted reall if there be any thing that may serve to give witnesse unto it that it is not meerly verball may be judged sufficient 2. That the want of care to try the sincerity and sanctity of men doth nullifie the Church This is an opinion which we renounce as none of ours 3. That we must know that a Church was constituted of visible Saints before we can in faith joyn to it We hold flatly against such an assertion and do believe a judgement may be made from the present faith and order which any Church holds forth whether it be safe or unsafe to joyn to it or to continue in it Secondly there are other things which some Churches hold and practise which we think cannot be condemned As that a Church must examine persons that come to be admitted whether the work of grace be wrought within them or not Your self will now admit none of whom you doubt to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper till you have first examined them of their knowledge and why may not we examine them of their grace Is the Lords body discerned by knowledge most or by grace Faith is a grace and faith is the best discerner of the Lords body and if we can but finde grace we shall be sure to finde knowledge The Scripture saith Let a man examine himself yet you think not that sufficient unlesse you examine him if it be no Scripturall way to examine others why will
you be so soolish prophane presumptuous superstitious A stranger comes to the gate of a Garrison town professeth to be a friend yet except there be something to witnesse the truth of that profession he is examined over and over again and it is strictnesse that shewes faithfulnesse to the State And shall we be more remisse and carelesse when we receive persons into the Church then we are when we receive them into a town Our too much credulity may shew too little fidelity in the matters of Christ as well as in the businesse of men Besides if the Church be not a common receptacle of all persons but that it consist of a selected number and some are received and others rejected then there are certain rules of reception and rejection And then there must be a triall made by some whether persons be qualified according to those rules and this the light of nature teacheth and the rules of Reason lead to it though there should be nothing in the Scripture expresly mentioning it The most sutable means serving most fitly to atchieve such ends are alwayes enjoyned in the ends though they be not particularly expressed But what think you Is it not as lawfull to try persons that would be Church-members and make some profession in words of saith and repentance but hold forth nothing which may probably give witnesse to the reality thereof as it was lawfull and commendable in the Ephesians to try false Apostles which professed in words to be true Apostles Rev. 2.2 And is it not as reasonable for a Church to seek satisfaction concerning the reality and sincerity of sanctity from persons of whom they doubt as it was just and equall for the Church at Jerusalem to seek satisfaction concerning Saul whether he were a Disciple in truth or in pretence only Acts 9.26 27. But you will say there was cause of suspicion and jealousie in them concerning him because they knew him formerly to be a destroyer of the Church And may not we say there is cause of jealousie when we know externall profession of faith and repentance to be so common and the fruits which are worthy of it Mat. 3.8 to be so rare and scarce to be found If the Gospel and Christian Religion was brought into England in the Apostles times then it was like it was constituted of Saints Answer Church-covenant p. 37. as well as the Church of Corinth c. Because it is uncertain what Congregation was at first constituted of Saints within this kingdome and what was not Reply we neither justifie nor condemn the constitution of any but judge according to the present state of them And if we see any visible Saints as doubtlesse there are many in some Congregations and united also amongst themselves we could wish they were all such and in the mean time for the sake of those few whom we see so united we acknowledge them a Church and in all things so farre as they carry the ordinances uncorruptly we desire to have fellowship with them The Text in 1 Cor. 1. rather shewes what the members of the Church of Corinth were at the time of Pauls writing to them Answer then that they were on ought to have been visible Saints at the first erection of that Church yet it shewes not that all the Church-members he writes to were visible Saints for many known evill livers were known Members The denomination of Saints is a parce meliore that is from the better part c. The Text shewes what they either were at first Reply or ought to have been or what some of them were at that time and ought all of them to have been viz. sanctified in Christ called to be Saints as Hemingius Gualter Pareus upon that place do note for they say a definition of a Church may thence be fetched And what rule soever there is in Scripture requiring that any be Saints the same rule requires that all be Saints And there may many Arguments be brought to hold it forth 1. The end of Church-fellowship is not conversion but edification Ephes 4.11 12. Acts 9.31 For if it were conversion then all uncoverted ones whether they make profession of faith and repentance or no might enter in that thereby they might attain one end for which they enter as we know Because one end of the preaching of the Word is conversion therefore all may partake of it Jewes Turks Heathens because they may attain one end whereto it serves It is supposed then that the persons that enter into the Church are converted already 2. Excommunication is an ordinance in the Church and one end of it is to recover persons that are desperately sick and ready to die it is in the use of it as physick 1 Cor. 5.5 and therefore supposeth the persons to whom applied to be alive therefore all Church-members are to be reputed in the judgement of charity to be living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 3. If excommunication be an ordinance to throw forth visible sinners of all sorts then the Church should consist of visible Saints 1. It appeareth that all scandalous grosse sinners ought to be cast out from 1 Cor. 5. and that all other sinners which are not seandalous if they will not be healed of their lesser faults and brought to repentance ought to be duly proceeded against untill at last it come to an excommunication Matth. 18.15 16 c. He writes to the Church called to be Saints Answer or called Saints not to the Saints called to be a Church or to the Church constituted of Saints which expression rather of the two proves there was a Church before they were Saints See vers 1. Paul called to be an Apostle then that they were Saints before they were a Church He writes to the Church of God Reply and can there be a Church of God before there be Saints What a Church of God is that which had no visible Saints in it when it was first constituted Surely except you will say they were a Church of God while they were Heathens you must confesse that professing to be turned by the power of the Gospel in a time of persecution from the service of Idols to imbrace the living God in Christ they must be judged visible Saints at the first when they were a Church of God And these words Paul called to be an Apostle will not avail you for Paul was a man and a Christian too before an Apostle but what would you have the Church of God to be before they were visible Saints But how appeareth it that all the honourable Titles and Epithets given Paul Answer are given with relation to Church-members The Corinthians were enriched by God in all utterance c. Will you thence conclude that all Church-members must be so c. There are some names which shew the intrinsecall nature of the things to which they are given Reply and they do agree to all of that kinde As if one should write to the Army of
Paul alone did not do it Doth Paul command the Church to deliver the incestuous person to Satan Answer and yet reserve the whole power to himself as he must needs do if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have reference to himself These things being spoken by you in reference to one individuall act under one and the same consideration expressed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altogether inconsistent one with another or with the truth 2. If the Elders abuse the Text by saying that Paul exhorts the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person how will you wash your hands from all wrong offered to the Text whilst you affirm that Paul commanded them to excommunicate him Yes say you Paul writes to them to see if they would be obedient in all things Is this your meaning that Paul writes not to them requiring them to put forth a power given unto them and all other Churches by Jesus Christ but only to exercise an act of power which did not of right belong unto them but to his Apostolicall Function And why by the same reason might not the Apostle then and the Ministers now in their Churches call out one or more and command them to preach or administer Baptisme or the Supper meerly to try their obedience Now this must be your meaning or else your argument will never conclude the thing you professe to conclude For we willingly grant that Paul writ unto them to try their obedience but the very Text imports that there were other grounds of his writing as well as this for he saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore for this I write much lesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this therefore only writ but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this therfore also I writ unto you to try your obedience intimating that there were other grounds And therefore that Paul writ unto them to try their obedience will never afford such a conclusion therfore he writ not to them to exercise an ordinary power purchased for them by the blood of Christ for obedience may be tried by that which is both a priviledge and a duty Paul bids the Colossians cause an Epistle to be read in Laodicea Answer they its like did it in obedience to Apostolicall authority yet it will not bence follow that a Church hath ordinarily the same power over another Church There is a twofold causing by way of authority Reply or by way of morall swasion or endeavour this latter the Apostle speaks of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he work or use your endeavour and the same power hath every Church over other at this day for their good 2. Suppose you could obtain what you desire in all these that Paul did excommunicate not the Church or if the Church did yet it is a wrong to the text to plead for the like power at this day Do you not all this while fight against the Presbyterians whose Cause you pretend to advocate as well as against the Congregationall men whom you professedly oppose For if it will not follow The Church of Corinth whether particular or representative is commanded to deliver the incestuous person to Satan therefore every true Courch hath the same power then whilest the Presbyterian Brethren urge this place to prove the power of a Classicall Presbyterie they wrong the Text For though it may be a question whether this Text gratifie the fraternity of the Church with so much power as we would state upon them by vertue of this Text yet Presbyterians and Congregationall men all except your self that we know agree That whatsoever power the Fraternity and Presbyterie of the Church of Corinth had that the Fraternity and Presbyterie of all true Churches have to the end of the world He bids them purge out the leaven Answer and put away from them the wicked person c. which must not be understood as if Elders and People were equally authorized thereunto c. 1. Reply Is not this to insinuate that the Elders of New-England and Mr. Cotton affirm that the Elders and People are equally authorized to cast out the incestuous person and not only quilibet in suo gradu every one in their degree There is nothing in the place by you alledged that doth import thus much They say the Apostle reproves the one as well as the other The King for a miscarriage in a Cause may reprove the Jury as well as the Judge and yet there is no such implication that Elders and People Judge and Jury are equally authorized to the respective acts of Judicature The Elders of New-England infer from hence that all Church-power is not in the Officers alone do they therefore affirm that there is as much in the people as in the Elders Whereas in answer to Q. 15. p. 60. they shew certain acts of power in the Eldership which are not in the people and Mr. Cotton (a) Cotton Keys cap. 4. and 5. expresly gives all authority properly so called to the Eldership allotting only a popular power of interest and liberty to the people 2. And lastly for the rest of your expressions about this matter I take to be but of the train and retinue of this grand misprision and so passe them over lastly I say when you say that he bids them purge out the old leaven and put away the wicked person which must not be understood as if Elders and People were equally authorized thereunto but quilibet in suo gradu a man would think you did acknowledge that the People in suo gradu are authorized to purge out the old leaven and put away the wicked person which questionlesse are acts of some kinde of governing power and yet in the Catastrophe of all this Discourse you wipe the Fraternity of the Church cleerly of all acts of governing power when you say So when he speaks of acts of gouerning power it is to be understood of Elders and not of Believers Are not these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are purging out the old leaven and putting away the wicked person acts of governing power And are Believers authorized in suo gradu to perform these acts and yet doth no act of governing power belong to the Believers of the church Let him assoyle this Riddle that is an Oedipus able to do it for our parts we cannot Thus much of your 21. Section POSITION XXII The Lord Jesus reproving the Angel of Pergamus for suffering Balaamites sends his Epistle This is alledged by Answ to 32. q. 45. and 49. not only to the Angel but to the Church The Spirit saith not only to the Angel but to the Churches Rev. 2.11 And the Church members are seen by Iohn in a vision sitting on Thrones clothed with white raiment having on their heads Crownes of gold Rev. 4.14 Now Thrones and Crownes are ensignes of Authority and governing power To make good your charge against the Elderss of wrong offered to these Texts
the world all the Churches in the world are guilty of it The reason is the same obligation that lies upon a Classicall Church to reform the severall Congregations in the Classis the same lies upon a Provinciall Church to reform the severall Classis in the Province and the same lies upon a Nationall Church to reform the severall Provinciall Churches in the Nation and the same lies upon the Oecumenicall Church to reform the severall Nationall Churches in the world and therefore though all the inferiour Churches should fail yet the Oecumenicall is bound to see it reformed and if the Oecumenicall fail all in the line of Oecumenicall communion that is to say all Churches in any Nation in the world are guilty POSITION XXIII The particular Congregation takes Christ for her only spirituall Prophet Priest and King Deut. 18.15 Acts 737. Psal 110.4 Heb. 5.4 Isai 9.6 7. Rev. 15.3 To make good this charge you say Answer Seven or eight you say are the fewest will make a Church but five or six yea any one particular Saint though out of Church-fellowship by excommunication may take Christ for his only spirituall Priest Prophet and King c. How comes it to passe Brother that your margent that hath in most places born witnesse to your Text reserves it self in deep silence Reply as if it were afraid to be accessary to this wrong offered to the Brethren of the Congregationall Way That the Congregationall Way eatenus in that it is Congregationall is conformed to the will and lawes of Christ appoined by him as King of the Church delivered by him in his Word as Prophet of the Church we constantly affirm and shall be ready to justifie before all the word till we be convinced of our errour in that particular That the stated Classicall Provinciall Nationall and Oecumenicall Way of Church-government importing a power of jurisdiction in point of Ordination Excommunication c. over particular Congregations is not sutable to the Will of God delivered by Christ as Prophet nor to the Laws of God delivered by Christ as King of the Church as it is sutable to our light So we shall endeavour pro virili nostro according to our power with all meeknesse and brotherlike affection to defend as God shall give opportunity But that ever we have read in the writings of any Congregationall man truly so called as they stand in opposition to others of a different judgement both upon the right hand and on the left with whom alone you professe in your Preface to have to do I say that ever we have read in the writings of any Congregationall man these places applyed to prove the Position as it is by you controverted that is to say that the particular Congregationall Church takes Christ for her only Prophet Priest and King as if in these his Offices he were so only hers that no five or six or one particular Saint though out of Church-fellowship no Classicall Presbyteriall or Nationall Church no not the Nationall Church of the Jewes it self doth or notwithstanding some failings in government may take Christ as their only spirituall Priest Prophet and King as we do not remember so in whose Sack soever this cup of abomination be found yea though it be in Benjamins let him suffer according to his demerits But if any of us have thus expressed our selves whereby we have made all particular Believers not joyned to some Congregationall Church the renowned Scotish and Belgick Churches and all other reformed Churches not Congregationall yea the Nationall Church of the Jews it self at least as you would insinuate strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel yet are we unjustly condemned by you we mean in that sense in which Salvian saith a L. 7. de Gub. Dec. p. 282. Socrates when he writ a book perswading that all mens wives should be common was unjustly condemned by the Judges Injustè damnatus dicitur à judicibus verum est Rectius vuim haec talia praedicantem genus damnaret humanum In like manner we say we should be unjustly condemned by you for all the Churches of God yea all the people of God might deservedly condemne us 2. But suppose it cannot be made out by you that ever any Congregationall man truly so called held the Position you speak of in the sense insinuated in your examination where then is your ingenuity that you professe in your Preface viz. If any of the Brethren seem in my apprehension to come neerer the truth then others I willingly take notice of it Is this your willing taking notice of our neerest approaches to the truth to fasten upon us an imputation of wresting so many Scriptures to the maintenance of an opinion that never entered as we verely believe into the hearts and we are confident is not to be found in the works of any Congregationall man which if it be said and that you cannot make out the contrary it is well for you that you lived not in that over rigorous age spoken of by Ludovicus Vives in Commentary upon Augustine Lud. Vives in August de Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 9. de Civitate Dei in which it was a capitall fault and punishable with death to write or act any thing derogatory to the good name of any man For you have indeavoured to cast the odium of the most detestable pride and censoriousnesse upon many thousands Ministers and People that are of a precious anointing for learning or piety or both and in particular of a singular eminency for that rich grace of humility yea such a blot have you laid upon them whilest you say that we cleerly him that Christ doth exercise his Kingly Priestly and Propheticall Office only in Churches meerly Congregationall yea that Christ did offer himself a sacrifice for all the members of a Congregationall Church and only for such a thing of the greatest abhorrency to our thoughts if it fall on this side blasphemy against the Holy Ghost such a blot I say you have laid upon them that you will not easily wipe off for Machiavels rule is too true Calumniate fortiter saltem aliquid adhaerebit Slander boldly at least somewhat will cleave POSITION XXIV Christ left but one way of Discipline for all Churches This is found in Answ to 32. q. p. 72.73 and the like is in R. M. and W. T. to C. H. pag. 8. which in the essentialls of it is unchangeable and to be kept till the appearing of Christ 1 Tim. 6.13 14. To prove that these words are injurious to the Text alledged you say It seems by the words Thou O man of God I give thee in charge Answer that thou keep this Commandement viz. which immediatly precedes concerning faith and holinesse in the Ministery of the Word to be directed to Timothy himself or if to his successours then it must be to the ordinary Elders for Euangelists that succeeded him wee know none not to the Churches for example not to the
Church of Ephesus to whom Paul writes nothing (a) Do these words Eph. 4.11 12. nothing concern government of government though in his Epistles to Timothy he writ almost concerning nothing else and chargeth the Elders to take heed to the flock and look to Wolves Acts 20.28 But if you will need have the words this commandment extended to this whole Epistle you had need of good warrant for this exposition If you will acknowledge that the things written to Timothy concern Elders Reply Deacons and Believers out of Office according to their severall capacities respectively We shall easily grant that all the things contained in the whole Epistle are directed to Timothy himself but not for his own personall use but for the use of the Church also Now in this sense it will nothing befriend you in making good your charge For still the many rules contained in this Epistle in reference to the Church in generall to Bishops Deacons Widows and Members in particular may be in force yea by vertue of this Text to the appearing of Christ 2. If by these words to be directed to Timothy himself you mean that the Commandment immediatly preceding concerns none by way of obligation but only Timothy you heat upon a harsh string For must none flee these things fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternall life by vertue of this Text but only Timothy Yea your self seem to be jealous of this interpretation when you say or if to his successours then it must be the ordinary Elders not the Church and yet you have not mended the matter For will you restrain these words That thou keep this Commandment vers 14. to those vers 11 12. Flee these things follow after righteousnesse c. and when you have done determine it to Elders only Then it will follow that only Elders must flee envie strifes railings evill surmisings perverse disputings covetousnesse That Elders only and not Believers at least by vertue of this Text must follow after godlinesse righteousnesse faith love patience meeknesse That Elders only and not ordinary Church-members must fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternall life Now lest this as well it may should seem incredible to make it Testimonium side dignum you tell us that these words This Commandment relate only to that which immediately precedes and that which immediately precedes relates only to faith and holinesse in the ministery of the Word I answer 1. If you make these words Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternall life the commandment immediately preceding yet it is not necessary they should be understood only of faith and holinesse in the ministery of the Word which is but one part of the good fight of faith whereas the good fight of faith is fought in the universall conflict of an Euangelists conversation against the world the flesh and the devill as well as in the dispensation of his Euangelicall function 2. But with what good reason can these words Fight the good fight of faith c. be conceived to drink up the whole meaning and utmost extent of those words That thou keep this commandment without spot c. For though I do believe that your thoughts are ready to gratifie you with all pleasing accommodations for overthrow of one only stated discipline out of the word yet I cannot but think it would seem too grosse in your thoughts to teare by piece-meale the continued exhortation of the Apostle vers 11 12. but thou O man of God flee these things follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse Fight the good fight of faith c. and to apply only this latter part of the exhortaion to those words That thou keep this commandment And therefore cannot but wonder that you should affirm that the Commandment Timothy is commanded to keep should concern only faith and holinesse in the ministery of the Word Therefore notwithstanding what hath been said we still affirm that these words relate to the rules concerning Church-government in the former part of the Epistle and this will further appear 1. If you consider the coherence of these words with the former The Apostle having in the former part of the Epistle insisted upon the severall duties of the Officers of the Church he commands them in the latter end of the second verse of this Chapter to teach and exhort these things 2. He arms him with instructions how he should carry himself toward those that should teach and exhort the contrary giving at once the character and censure of such men vers 3 4 5. and having made a digression vers 6 7 8 9 and 10th he falls on again to resume the former Argument and to exhort Timothy to flee the courses of these corrupt teachers and both as a Christian and Euangelist to approve himself to God in all holinesse of conversation vers 11 12. But thou O man of God flee these things c. q. d. Though some others may prove corrupt in doctrine and vicious in life yet do thou walk with God in the power of a holy conversation and particularly though others will spot this doctrine Bishops Deacons c. yet do thou keep it without spot and unrebukeable and cause it to be kept so by others for an Apostle Euangelist or Bishop never keeps the faith as an Apostle Euangelist or Bishop aright unlesse he cause it as much as in him lies to be kept so by others and so much is the import of the Apostles words 2 Tim. 4.7 I have kept the faith Now lest the Euangelist Demonstration of Discipline p. 5.7 or others to whom this Word of God might come should conceive that these things given in charge to Timothy were of a temporary nature and to cease with the Primitive times therefore he saith vers 13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickeneth all things c. that thou keep this commandment unrehukeable and without spot to the coming of Christ i. e. keep them thy self and deliver them in charge to the Church and principally to the Elders to be kept till Christ his second coming 2. That which Dr Whitakers against Duâ—aeus urgeth is not without strength That the Apostles have writ these Lawes speaking of Discipline not for a day or for the first age but to endure for all times to come and therefore hath ratified them with a most earnest obtestation saith he 1 Tim. 6.14 that these commandments should be kept unto the day of the Lord. That the Essentials of Discipline set down in Scripture are unchangeable Answer I grant but whether any Essentials be in controversie or how many and which they are you tell us not c. By Discipline Brother we mean the whole System Reply and comprehension of divine Rules Precepts or Precedents for the externall Eutaxie order of the Church which are not of a temporary but of a perpetuall use and equity till the appearing of Christ and
to the Text to which we answer 1. Here also you fall short of that ingenuity professed in your Preface for doubtlesse Mr. Cotton Reply that denies any ordinary exercise of Prophecy by men not called to the Ministery cannot but in your judgement come neerer the truth then those that say at least as you give it out that gifted men not called to the Ministery nor intended for it may preach which imply to be meant in an ordinary and stated way When you say yet that these did preach ordinarily and usually to the Churches like to Pastors is impossible to be proved Now though you style Mr. Cotton deservedly the Chief of the more ingenuous sort of Congregationall men yet you neither help forward accommodation nor honour Mr. Cottons ingenuity by the least mention of it as you professe 2. You are so far from helping forward accommodation that I know not how to excuse you from making the breach greater then it was For we have consulted advisedly with 73. 80th pages of the 32. Quest and we can find no such Position as you fasten upon the Elders For page 73. they answer the 21. Quest viz. Whether do you hold it lawfull for mere lay or private-men to ordain Ministers in any case And having proved the Affirmative by reasons grounded upon the Word of God they come to urge the consent of some worthy Divines and learned Writers as Doctor Willet Morney Whitakers and others and in the Allegation of Morney they shew that Morney expresseth himself that some of our men expected not the calling of those that under the title of Pastors oppressed the flock but did at first preach without this formall calling and afterwards were called to the Holy Ministery of the Word by the Churches and for this we have examples saith Morney First in the Acts where we read that Philip was but a Deacon preached in Samaria without the calling of the Apostles yea without their privity who for all that gave their allowance to that work So that here he speaks not of an ordinary and usuall course in preaching to the Churches without Office but an extraordinary case of those that because of the corruptions of the times preached to the people without the calling of the Prelates in such places where they had either no Officers or Popish Officers neither doth he speak of gifted men that intended not the Ministery but of gifted men that because they durst not enter by the ordinary door of Prelaticall ordination preached to the people by vertue of their gifts and that internall Prothumie or desire which God had wrought in them and so soon as by the blessing of God upon their endeavours they had so far prevailed as that there were Churches giving them a calling they imbraced that call And this is that he proves lawfull by the Allegation of Philips example So in the 80. page their scope is to shew that the Word may be made effectuall to Conversion though the man that speaks it be not a Church-officer For the people of which they alledge the preaching of those that were scattered by the Persecution of Stephen Acts 8.4 and 11.19 20 21. and Job 4.39 where many of the Samaritans believed upon the saying of the woman of Samaria and that 1 Cor. 7.16 What knowest thou O woman but thou shalt gain thy husband So that you do most miserably wrest their Allegations quite to another purpose then that for which they intended them for they never intended hereby to prove the lawfulnesse of preaching by vertue of gifts without Office but only that those which do preach without Office may be instruments of conversion much lesse did they intend as you would make the world believe that these did preach ordinarily and usually to the Churches like Pastors and received maintenance for they speak of such a kinde of preaching as may be done by a gifted woman as the woman of Samaria or the believing wife 1 Cor. 7. as well as by a gifted man Neither do they speak of the preaching of these that were scattered as it was ordinary and usuall and like unto Pastors but only as performed by men who all of them at least say they were not Church-officers and yet proved effectuall for conversion When we read your marginall note viz. This is but a little altered from Answ to 32. Quest p. 80.73 we imagined at first sight you had made some small alteration in the language and phrase which we could well have born with but we finde that you have made an alteration in the very scope and subject mater insisted upon by the Elders You have taken away their living childe and laid your own dead childe in the room of it so that in your margent we have you though in a mincing extenuating what Ciecro desires his adversary viz. Confitentem reâ—â—â—â— confessing your own guilt which is the greatest expression of ingenulty of all others in this Section 3. But that we may give satisfaction to you and to all men if it be the will of God we shall first declare our judgement concerning the point in debate and then answer your Arguments so far as we conceive them invalid First then we conceive that all the members of the Church so far as their occasions and calling will permit should strive after ability by way of prophesying to speak to exhortation edification and comfort a Hee Prophetiae donum tanquamalus praestantms maximè commendat Apostolus cuiomâ—es studeant 1 Cor. 14.1 2. Parâ—us in Rom. 12. col 1197. i. e. This gift of Propecie as more excellent then the other gifts the Apostle most commends for which all should cover 1 Cor. 14.1 2. 1 Cor. 1 p. 1. and the Hebrewes ought to have been teachers of others though they stood in need to be taught the very Principles of Religion Hebr. 5.12 2. There are for the most part and may alwayes lawfully be some in the Church who devote themselves to the study of the Scriptures and other profitable studies that so they may be the better inabled to understand the meaning of the Word Such were those sons of the Prophets bred up under the Prophets 1 Sam. 19.20 1 King 20.35 2 King 2.3.5 Such were many of our Saviours Disciples who addicted themselves wholly to learn to be fishers of men Such it is probable were some of those Prophets which were in Corinth Antioch and other Churches For the Rules to be observed in the exercise of Prophecie were not proper to the Church of Corinth alone but the same were ordained in all Churches 1 Cor. 14.33 And therefore Prophets whom the Rules concern were or might be in all Churches for having no publike Vniversities or Colledges for Christians 't is probable this was the way of training up men for the work of the Ministery under the Teaching Officers of the severall Churches 3. That ordinarily God chose of those that were sons of the Prophets to be Prophets yet this was not
Princes might preach but as King and Princes gifted and singularly stirred up to the work by Almighty God That a King and Princes eminently gifted and stirred up by an internall prothumie and desire wrought upon their spirits to preach is of perpetuall use in all such cases of defection as was in Jehosaphats time Nor will this confound the matters of God and the Kings matters But still the Priests and Levites shall preach ordinarily by vertue of Office and the King and Princes only occasionally by vertue of gifts And as they may preach themselves in all such cases so they may send forth eminently gifted men though the Churches through corruption should neglect or refuse to call them and this belongs to Civill Magistrates as they are custodes utriusque tabulae Neither are Kings or those sent out by them limited to particular Congregations but may call the people to such places and at such times as they shall judge most to tend to edification Thus Joshua called all Israel to Sechem Josh 24.1 and preached unto them before his death They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the Sea Isaiah 11.9 Thus saith JEHOVAH Stand ye in the wayes and see and ask for the old paths where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls Jeremiah 6.16 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature And as many as walk according to this rule Peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.15 16. A TABLE of the Texts of Scriptures cited Discussed and cleared from mis-interpretations in this BOOK GENESIS 9. vers 26 27. Whether a Church in Sems family page 43 Gen. 12.3 22.16.18 with Gal. 3.17 as Acts 3.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 42 Gen. 17.1.9 Whether it was a covenant only on Gods part p. ibid. EXODUS 12.3.21 Whether the word Congregation and Elders are all one there p. 53 Exod. 12.47 Ingaged by covenant to serve God together page 40 Exod. 34.23 24. All the Churches males must meet together for worship in one place page 14 NUMBERS 8.9 10. with vers 6 7 13 14 18 19. All the Congregation must lay hands on the Levites how page 52 44 55 Numb 11.29 I wish all could prophesie page 125 128 Numb 25. Phinehas his zeal Hence Gods covenant with him and his ergo page 49 DEUTERONOMY 16.2.16 See Exod. 34.23 All males to meet page 14 Deut. 29.1.10.12 Whether a covenant makes a Church page 37 39 40 2 KINGS 2.3.5 Gods will revealed by Prophets and others page 122 2 CHRONICLES 17.7 Princes sent to teach the people page 118 2 Chron. 20.25.20 King Jehosaphat prayeth and teacheth Israel page 118 NEHEMIAH 10.38 Levites were tythed Tythes are a Jewish maintenance page 61 PSALME 30.7 My Mount so strong What page 68 Psal 46.2 Mountains into Sea what it signifieth ibid. Psal 74.4.8 Burnt up Synagogues What page 26 ISAIAH 4.5 Gospel-church is called Sion page 71 Isai 61.20 Gospel in Old-Testaments language ibid. Isai 9.6 7. Christ is the churches King page 104 JEREMIAH 51.25 Fire signifies oppositions page 68 HOSEAH 2.2 Members may plead with the Church page 59 ZACHARIAH 4.7 What is that great Mountain page 68 Zach. 14.19 Gospel in Old Testaments language page 71 MALACHI 3.8 Tithes as offerings are Jewish page 61 MATTHEW 16.19 Of Church-binding and loosing page 89 90 Mat. 18.17 Tell the Church What Church it is p. 2 36 Not a Classicall nor Nationall church c. page 86-89 Mat. 18.20 A Church is Sion and hath the promises to it page 71 73 Mat. 20.25 26. Ministers are not Lords page 78 79 Mat. 28.19 20. In that Commission to the Apostles is no mention of ordination nor in that Mar. 16.15 16. page 56 57 Was not given to them as Apostles page 91 MARK 12.41 The use of the Church treasurie page 67 LUKE 8.2 3. Christ received contribution page 62 Luke 22.25 26. Ministers are not as Lords page 78 79 81 JOHN 8 20. Church treasury for what page 67 Joh. 13.29 From contribution was distribution page 62 Joh. 20.23 The Key given Peter with the rest page 92 ACTS 1.15 A few begin a Church page 9 12 13 Act. 1.15.23 A Church hath full power to choose her own officers page 46 11 9 Act. 1.26 By common vote or suffrage page 49 Act. 2.4.10 Gifts make not officers page 128 V. 40. The Church was separated page 2 48 Vers 41. Whether they they were a church before page 10 13 V. 45. Whole estates put into the common stock page 62 V. 47. A Church before Officers page 45 Act. 4.35 Selling whole estates not binding to all times but extraordinary page 62 Act. 4.17.19.21 5.28 29. Preaching when men forbid to obey Christ page 6 Act. 4.26 Took counsell together how page 19 Act. 5.28 29. Obey and hearken to God most page 1 2 3 4 6 Act. 6.1 Of the Deacons office page 62 Vers 3. The Church must look out seven men page 46 51 Act. 6.4 Prayer one work of a Minister page 57 62 Act. 8.4.12 Preaching without office page 119 Act. 9.26 27. Satisfaction of members before they be received in page 34 Vers 31. The head of Church-fellowship is not conversion but edification page 35 Act. 11.19 Jews were first preached to page 2 Ver. 19. Some not in office may preach page 118 V. 20.21 Some converted others gathered them page 4 Act. 13.2 3. Paul set apart by God and the Church page 49 Act. 14.23 Churches before officers to them page 46 Act. 14.27 Paul and Barnabas sent by Church also page 123 Officers ordained by peoples election page 46 51 Act. 18.2.26 Aquila and Priscilla at Corinth page 11 Act. 19.1.9 Paul separated such at himself converted not page 4 Vers 37. Robbers of Temples not of churches page 25 Act. 20.28 Elders must see to the flock page 107 112 Act. 21.22 Myriads What not all those of one Church but of many churches page 14 15 30 31 ROMANS 4.11 12. Abraham father of the faithfull circumcised and uncircumcised page 43 Rom. 12.6 Of prophecy page 125 Rom. 12.7 8. Teacher and Pastor are distinct page 70 Vers 13. Distribute to the necessity of Saints page 63 Rom. 15.26 Romans to contribute to Jerusalem page 64 Rom. 16.1 2. Recommending members to another church to receive them page 117 1 CORINTHIANS 1. v. 1. All Saints of Corinth of one Church page 15 16 Qu. Whether this be writ to all Saints or no page 16 20 1 Cor. 1.1 2. Church-members to be visible Saints and what triall of Saints herein page 31 Vers 17. Preaching is a Ministers great work page 57 1 Cor. 5.5 6. Purge out the old leaven page 29 30 36 Vers 5. Excommunicating there whether done by Paul or to be by the Churches power page 95 97 98 1 Cor. 5.12 Whether some
believers may be said to be WITHOUT in that sense page 74 75 76 1 Cor. 7.16 Gifted men or women may convert page 120 1 Cor. 11.19 The Church whether it is the place page 25 26 Vers 20. A church meeting in one place page 13-31 1 Cor. 14.1 2.3.33 All must covet the gift of prophecy page 121 124 V. 12.31 Such may page 128 1 Cor. 14.23 This is discussed fully there page 13 to 31 V. 32. Spirit of Prophets subject page 126 1 Cor. 12.8 Pastor and Teachers gifts distinct page 70 1 Cor. 12.9.29 All had not all gifts page 125 V. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Helps put for Deacons page 63 1 Cor. 14.1.3 Prophecying hath something ordinary something extraordinary p. 118 Vers 34. Women to be silent in your churches What churches means he p. 21 Not to use power in churches page 91 95 1 Cor. 15.6 Christ appeared to five hundred brethren at once in Jerusalem page 11 1 Cor. 16.1 2 Cor. 8.1 Churches whether Nationall churches page 21 to 31 1 Cor. 16.1 Ministers to be maintained by the churches contributions every first day scanned page 60 61 Vers 1.2 Every first dayes contribution proved page 64 Qu. Whether those collections were to cease page 65 Hence for maintaining the Ministers proved page 66 2 CORINTH 2.9 Church excommunicates and not Paul alone page 97 2 Cor. 3.1 Letters of recommendation to others page 117 2 Cor. 6.16 A Church is Gods Temple page 71 2 Cor. 8.5 Such give themselves to the Lord and to them page 44 2 Cor. 8.18 19. Many churches may choose one to do them service page 30 GALATIANS 3.16 17. And in thy seed not to page 42 Gal. 5.9.12.15 Church to cut off offenfenders page 95 Gal. 6.6 Opening the communicating to Ministers page 63 EPHESIANS 2.22 A house of stones united page 38 Eph. 4.11 Teachers and Pastors are distinct page 69 Eph. 5.25 26. Is of the Church mysticall page 28 PHILIPPIANS 1.7 Churches to be of reputed Saints page 32 Phil. 4.15 Giving and receiving are acts of communion page 63 COLOSSIANS 4.17 A Church hath power to censure her officers page 58 59 1 TIMOTHY 1.20 Whether Paul alone excommunicated Hymeneus page 96 1. Tim. 3.8 Deacons office is not temporary page 63 1 Tim. 3.10 One unofficed may preach page 58 1 Tim. 4.14 Elders laid on hands page 96 1 Tim. 5.17 Whether ruling Elders must be maintained by the Church page 60 1 Tim. 6.13 14. That Christ left but one way of Church discipline which must be kept to the end of the world page 107 2 TIMOTHY 1.6 Whether Paul laid on hands alone page 96 JAMES 1.1 with Jam. 2.2 Whether all the twelve Tribes were one Church or how called your Synagogues page 18 19 1 PETER 2.5 A Church of living stones page 36 1 Pet. 2.25 Shepheard and Bishop there are one and the same page 69 1 Pet. 4.14 Ministers not to be Bishops in anothers Dioces page 111 1 Pet. 5.1 Apostles were Elders of all Churches page 46 1 Pet. 5.3 Elders are not Lords over Gods Heritage page 78 3 d. Epist JOHN vers 9. Diotrephes that loved preeminence how blamed page 78 81 REVELATIONS 1.6 Kings and Priests distinguished page 127 Rev. 2.11 The Spirit speaks not to the Angel alone but also to the churches page 101 Rev. 4.14 The Church hath Crownes which implies it hath authority ibid. Rev. 8.8 9. A great Mountain cast into the Sea what it means page 68 Rev. 13.1 15.2 Sea put for the Church or the Churches Religion page 68 Rev. 15.3 Christ is the King of the Church page 104 Rev. 21.27 Rev. 22.14 Nothing shall enter into the Holy City the Church that defileth page 38 Some Greek words and phrases opened herein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether in one place or in one minde page 18 20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kak Synagoga and Hebrew Gnedah Kahal What page 24 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every first day cleared 1 Cor. 16.1 2. page 65 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have judged to deliver What page 97 98 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this I wrote page 99 Errata PAge 35. line 4. à fine reade converted p. 36. l. 5. à fine given Paul r. given by Paul p. 37. l. 9. r. 1 Cor. 1.5 p. 49. l. 10. à fine 2 3 23. dele 23. p. 52. l. 4. à fine 19.2 W. r. 19.2 p. 65. l. 9. Matth. 18. r. 28. p. 83. circa med Luke 24. r. 14. p. 110. l. 4. r. presidents p. 114. circa med 2 Thes r. 1 Thes p. 121. r. 1 Cor. 14.1.3 FINIS