speakes of as all the learned wil easily by his expressions perceive but hee is a meere novice in all divine learning and al good literature a fellow very wretched worthlesse and such an one as deserves to be exploded out of the schools of the learned and to be thrust out of the society of all orthodox and conscientious honest Christians and indeed if he were dealt with according to his merits hee deserves to be spewed out of the seven new churches of whom before I come to my reply I will take liberty to say yet a little more and as of him so of my Brother Burton and Master Knollys that as they are fratres in malo so they are equally guilty of the same sacriledge unrighteous dealing foras I. S. so they also rob the Church of Ierusalem of all those Members that were converted by Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and his blessed Apostles and Disciples before Christs death as is manifest from their words quoted before and from I. S. his scruples hee speakes of page 8. and 9. where hee unchurches and unchristians all those that were converted by Iohns and Christs ministry hee also with them with-holds the truth from the people in unrighteousnes and as if that had not been enough in the words I have now quoted out of the tenth page besides his denying that I have proved my first Proposition which indeed is a meere Presumptiou and begging the question to use his grollish expression hee to all his iniquity adds transgression and sinne which is the height of wickednesse accumulating error upon error as will frequently appeare for here againe hee first cuts off all those that were baptized by the Baptist from the Beleevers in Ierusalem whom hee deridingly cals Iohns disciples and converts Secondly Hee affirmeth of them all that they stucke in Iohns Baptisme and were but temporary Beleevers and ceased to walke with Christ Thirdly Hee affirmeth that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist did afterwards disperse themselves into severall countries And fourthly Hee asserteth that those that did continue at Ierusalem did gradually grow up into church fellowship Every one of the which assertions of Sir I. S. howso ever they are presumptuously laid downe by him as so many certaine and infallible truths yet I attest there is not the least warrant for any of them in the whole word of God no not so much as a shaddow of any authority to cover or colour them over yea they are all as egregiously and notoriously erroneous as they are uncharitable for they are all contrary to the word of God and to the law of love and kindnesse which thinkes no evill yea they contradict the revealed will of God as wee shall see in some particulars for whereas hee arrogantly amongst other of his false assertions saith That those that did remaine in Ierusalem did gradually grow up into Church fellowship as if they had not by Saint Iohns Ministry been made perfect Christians I say this is contrary to the expresse words of our Saviour Luke the 7. where hee giveth this testimony concerning all those that came out of Ierusalem to Iohns Baptisme all which were Inhabitants and innumerable companies for the Scripture saith Matt. the 3. and Marke the 1. That Ierusalem went out to him and they of Ierusalem that they justified God and rejected not his counsell against themselves to their owne destruction as the Pharisees and Lawyers did but they embraced Gods mercy to their salvation So that by Christs own testimony and witnesse the Pharisees and Lawyers onely excepted all the other were good and perfectly made Christians and in such a Church fellowship as with which they grew up to a perfect stature without any new Church-fellowship and therefore I. S. not onely saying that they were temporary Christians and ceased to follow Christ but that those of them that remayned in Ierusalem did gradually grow up in Church-fellowship afterwards in all hee saith I affirme hee giveth the spirit of God the lye who hath recorded the contrary as that they were perfect good Christians as having not rejected the counsell of God to their owne perdition but imbraced the promises to their salvation so that they were all by Iohns Ministry very well instructed in their duty in all respects Therefore both J. S. my brother Burton and all the Ill-dependents are most abominably wicked thus with their scriblings to unsettle the minds of the people ever pratling about a kind of Church fellowship of which they have neither Precept nor President in all Gods holy Word and which they themselves could never declare unto the world what it was and â—et they are ever babling of this Church-fellowship unchurchying all Churches but their owne because forsooth in their opinion they are not cast into a Church mold after the New Testament forme nor are not in church-fellowship whereupon they rashly proclame us all enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdome and it is no wonder that they thinke so contemptuously of all those that were baptized by the Baptist and that they judge so wickedly of us all for I. S. saith in the words above cited which is another of his great errors that it is suspicious that the three thousand converted at once were not so soone instructed in church-fellowship as converted These are his expressions From which I gather that Sir I. S. and all his complices are a generation of men very censorious and that they are creatures full of jealousies and causelesse suspicions and therefore that they ought by all good men to be shunned and avoyded as both dangerous and treacherous for here wee see they suspect those very three thousand converted by Peter as not well instructed in church fellowship notwithstanding in the very same chapter it is related that they were all well taught their duties both towards God and one towards another truly if ever any people were wel instructed they all were in whom all the acts fruits of faith are evident for wheresoever it comes it purifies the hearts of al those to whom God hath given it Acts 15. as here it is manifest it did it in that the soules of all those converts being pursued by the guilt of their owne sinne in crucifying the Lord of life and being sensible of the wrath of God due unto them for this their sinne their consciences also accusing them and aggravating unto them the haynousnesse of it it made them all fly unto Christ and roule themselves upon him and wholly rely on him for mercy and forgivenesse and wrought love also in them all toward God and Christ and charity one towards another the effects of which are set downe by the Holy Ghost and fully recorded in the second chapter verse 42 43. who saith That they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and that all that beleeved were together and had all things common and sold their
was a mighty company for it is related that the people of the City with one accorde from the greatest to the least both men and women believed and were baptized Now if any man shall duly consider and weigh things this City was no contemptible one as appears from that I said before and yet it is asserted by the holy Ghost who is worthy to be believed and credited that all the people of that City from the greatest to the least both men and women believed and were baptized and therfore they could not all meet in any one place or a few neither was any one Pastor able to Teach them all which appeareth in that the Church of Ierusalem at first sent two of the chiefest Apostles Peter and Iohn to Samaria so that all this shews there was an innumerable company of believers in that City all which could not meete in any one or a few places as all reason will easily perswade Besides the Apostles Evangelists and the Ministers of those times had an other manner of converting faculty then the Independents in our dayes who I never yet heard converted any though they have perverted and seduced many For the Apostles and Evangelists and the primitive Ministers there were immediatly sent of God and inspired with the holy Ghost and spake in all Languages and did Miracles such as none could doe but those that came from God as Nicodemus said unto Christ that none could doe such works and miracles as he did except God were with him Iohn 3. 2. for they cured all manner of diseases with their word and shaddow they raised the dead made the lame to walke and cast out Devils and did whatsoever was wonderfull Withall they Preached unto them the glad tidings of joy and peace and of everlasting happinesse after a miserable life here and did also instruct them how to order their wayes and conversations here so that they might live with honour and dye with comfort and be usefull to all men both in life and death and after death And the Apostles Evangelists and Ministers of those times as they did good wherever they came so they lived so holily and unblameably in all manner of conversation and were men of such integrity sincerity and of such plaine upright dealing as the people that beheld their conversation and saw withall their workes of wonder that they did said of them that gods were come downe amongst them in the likenesse of men so that they converted whole cities and countries wheresoever they came yea it was an ordinary thing with them to bring whole Nations in a short time and with a few Miracles to the obedience of the faith as wee may see through the whole Storie of the Acts and from that of Paul Rom. the 15. verse 18. 19. where the Apostle abundantly declareth the effect of the Gospel and Miracles of those times who wrought so powerfully wheresoever they came even to the converting of whole countries and cities and so they prevailed in this citie of Samaria that the people of the same were speedily converted from the greatest to the least both men and women who all beleeved and were baptized and what rationall man will thinke or can beleeve that all the people men and women of a mighty and royall citie could meet in any place or a few to partake in all acts of worship but must necessarily be distributed into divers congregations and churches if they would partake in all ordinances and yet all these made up but one Church as being under one government that of the Presbyterie for there were Presbyters ordained in every Church and in every citie as is apparent from Acts the 14. verse 23. and Titus the 1. And now I have proved that the two Mother cities of Palestine Ierusalem and Samaria consisting of many congregations were Presbyterially and classically governed I will goe on to the other cities of the Gentiles enumerated by my brother Burton and prove that they also consisted of many congregations and assemblies and were all subordinate to their severall Presbyteries and Classes And first I will begin with the citie of Corinth w ch was a famous citie and in the which there was an illustrious church and therfore in it also there was constituted a Presbytery that was many Presbyters to governe and rule that Church and those congregations under them for it is said Acts the 14. that Paul and Barnabas ordained them Presbyters in every church and Paul and Barnabas were Ministers in the church of Corinth yea Paul planted this church and Apollo with Barnabas and the Presbyters watred it and therefore there must necessarily be many congregations and assemblies in that church For one Pastor or Minister would have beene sufficient for owne flocke at least a Pastor and a Teacher or a Doctor would have beene sufficient to have fed one congregation now in that they had many ordinary Pastors and many extraordinary Teachers in it with all good reason it followeth that there were many assemblies and many congregations in that church which will yet more abundantly appeare from its first constitution or planting for wee reade of multitudes both of Jewes and Gentiles in that Citie that beleeved Acts the 18. verse 5. 7 8. c. and that besides Iustus Crispus also and all his houshold and many Corinthians beleeved and were baptized and the Lord also said that hee had many people in that Citie ver 10. which by the diligent preaching of Paul for eighteene moneths together were converted verse 11. for whose further building up in their most holy faith Paul Apollos Timothy Cephas and many other extraordinary famous Ministers and Teachers besides their owne Presbyters were all constantly imployed in season out of season in preaching the Gospel and administring the holy Sacraments and labouring in word and doctrine 1 Cor. 3 4. all the which imports many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in that Citie Besides both the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians shew that there were multitudes of deceitfull Teachers Seducers and false Apostles which urged the ceremoniall Law and the observation of it and they also had their congregations and assemblies there were also many vaine Instructers and idle Teachers who though they kept the foundation yet built upon it wood hay and stubble Now all reason will suggest that Pastors of such severall minds and teaching such severall discrepant doctrines had all of them schollers followers of the same opinion wherof their several Pastors were as now we see in the several Sects in our times therefore they did not all meet in one or a few places except we understand their meetings for the convention of their Officers with a part of the more choyce people for discipline besides as wee have expresse mention of a Church in Aquila and Priscylla's house 1 Cor. 16. so there were many other meeting places in Corinth where the Christians assembled themselves together for in expresse words there
and seduced and deceived such multitudes of simple people as they have done and that in a short time what multitudes of people may all men thinke those learned Rabbies those Priests with all the Apostles daily converted in Jerusalem when their doctrine was so crowned with so many miracles If the holy Scripture should never have delivered it unto the world that they converted innumerable companies yet common reason would perswade every man that they must needs have converted many thousands by the Ministry of them all but when the Scripture relateth unto us Matt. 3. and Marke the 1. and in many other places that all Ierusalem went out to the Baptisme of John and that they were baptized by him in Iordan and were made good Christians and when it farther also recordeth that there were three thousand converted at one Sermon and Miracle and saith in the same chapter that the Lord added daily unto the Church such as should be saved and when in the fourth chapter it relateth the conversion of five thousand men more and in the fifth chapter saith that more multitudes both of beleevers of men and women were added to the Lord and when in the sixth chapter it saith that the word of God increased and that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith all these places witnesse unto the world that they came into the Church in such great bodies as they could not now bee told for when they came in by by three thousand at a time and five thousand they could speedily be reckoned but when the increase grew so great they were forced then to set them downe as it were by whole sale not in enumerate parcels and spake of them as of numberlesse companies saying multitudes of beleevers both of men and women that is to say mighty congregations and great assemblies of both sexes in such abundance came in as they could not be told and as if this had not beene enough the holy Scripture speakes upon all occasions of the increase of the Word and sets downe in generall termes that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were also obedient to the faith and as if this had not beene sufficient in many other places of the Acts there is mention made of the increase of Beleevers and in expresse words in the 21. of the Acts it is said that there were many ten thousands of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem now all men know that all these could not possibly no not a quarter of them meet in any one place or a few to communicate in all Ordinances to edification neither was there any place or roome spacious enough to containe the very bodies of the tenth part of them and if any place could have held the tenth part of them yet then it had beene impossible that they could then have partaken in all acts of worship to edification for they could not have heard the voice of their Ministers preaching unto them for by daily experience wee see it that in one of our Churches here in London which will not nor cannot hold halfe ten thousand that halfe of them ordinarily cannot well heare the voice of the Minister though hee have a strong paire of Lungs yea I heare men daily complaine that they could not understand the Minister preaching they stood so farre off from him when notwithstanding there were not three thousand then in the Church yea and I my self have been in lesse Assemblies where all the people could not heare to edification and therefore all reason will perswade any man that is not resolved ever to resist the truth that there must of necessity be many congregations of Beleevers in Ierusalem where there were such infinite multitudes especially they are bound to beleeve it when the Scripture in so many places as I have quoted saith there were many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in that Church which I have at this time briefly related that if be possible I might at last satisfie Sir I. S. and perswade him to beleeve the Scripture and be satisfied with it if hee will not beleeve mee or be satisfied with any thing I can say to convince him of his error But if all I have hitherto writ will not satisfie his tender conscience and take his scruples out of his mind I shall now before I conclude this point for a Corallary desire him to heare what my brother Burton Saint Hanserdo two faithfull brethren of his society have writ concerning this busines It may be I. S. upon the testimony of two such approved witnesses and great Masters of the Assembly of the congregationall way will be perswaded that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem though he would not be satisfied with any thing I have delivered I cannot but often make mention of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo because all the Ill-dependents judge them to bee very honest men and suppose that they will speake the truth and I beleeve also that Sir I. S. hath a very venerable opinion of them both for their singular wisdome and erudition I intreat I. S. therefore in the first place to heare my brother Burton sapientum octavum it may be his words may satisfie his scrupulous and tender conscience who in the ninth page of his wise booke sayes that the beleevers in Ierusalem when there were but three thousand of them and five thousand at most were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies in severall private hou es to communicate Saint Hanserdoes words are these page 10. 11. The Apostles and all the Beleevers in Ierusalem met together in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house Thus they both declare their faith and opinion cencerning the number and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that in the infancy of it Now then when there were but about three thousand and six score soules at the first and five thousand in all at last according to the computation of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo they were then forced into many congregations and companies as having no convenient place spacious enough as wherein to break bread so that they were forced to heare the Word in the Temple that is one place and in Solomons Porch that is another place and to communicate in severall private houses according to my brother Burtons doctrin and to break bread from house to house or house by house and that dayly or day by day according to Saint Hanserdoes learning that is in innumerable places I say when by the testimony of these two Seraphicall Doctors it is evident that in the very infancy and childhood of that Church There were many Asse blies and Congregations and that in severall private houses or from house to house how many congregations and assemblies of beleevers
being not governed according to the Word of God all which I have sufficiently proved in my foregoing Discourse As for J. S. hee answers nothing to the question as all that shall reade his words may well perceive which are these I answer saith hee no question but the purging and purifying of Church Ordinances and Fellowship which some contend for is to set Christ upon a higher Throne visible to the world then by some other wayes hee is c. Now w hether this be a satisfactory answer to the querie I leave it to others to judge of but from his words I thus argue Where Christs Ordinances and Church-fellowship are polluted there Christ is not set up upon his Throne but in all the new congregations Christs Ordinances are polluted and Church-fellowship contaminated as I have sufficiently proved Ergo Christ is not set up there on his Throne And this shall suffice to have spake by way of answer to all they had to say to my queries But now I shall set down Gods method and the Apostles practice in gathering of churches and the manner they used in making Members in every Church and compare it with the method our brethren the Independents use in gathering of their congregations that all men may the better discerne truth from error and may all be undeceived in this businesse of so great concernment And I will first begin with Christs Commission given to his Apostles and in them to all Ministers and then consider the practice of Iohn the Baptist and of all the Apostles and Ministers in the Primitive Church and the order that God himselfe used for the gathering of those that belong unto his election and for the congregating of the lost sheep of the house of Israel into the fold of Jesus Christ who is that great Shepherd and Bishop of our soules and I conceive that Gods order and the Apostles practice is rather to be followed then any other new found way But to begin with Christs Commission to his Apostles Matth. 21. verse 19 20. Go ye therefore saith Christ and teach all Nations baptizing them In the Name of the Father Sonne and holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I command you and lo I am with you even to the end of the World Amen And in the 16. of Marke verse 15 16. He saith unto them Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospell unto every creature He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned And in the 26. of the Acts Saint Paul after he had declared the manner of his conversion to King Agrippa he likewise made known unto him the commission he had received from Christ Jesus in the words following verse 15 16. 17 18 19 20. And I said who art thou Lord and he said I am Iesus whom thou persecutest but rise and stand upon thy feet for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a Witnesse both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith which is in me whereupon I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision but shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and through all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turne to God and do works meet for repentance Out of these severall places from the Commission of Christ given to his blessed Apostles and to all Ministers and Preachers of the Gospell to the end of the World here observe these things First that their bounds and limits were set them how farre they should go in their teaching all Nations and beyond which they might not passe and they were these that they should teach no other things but what Christ commanded them and appeared to them in and for the which they had his Word and Warrant and so long as they should do this he promised them and all that should succeed them in the Ministery to the end of the World to be with them We also further observe the condition in the executing of this their commission they were to propound unto all Nations and people upon what condition they were to be admitted into the Church and that was â—aith repentance and they were to receive all such as beleeved and were baptized and that upon the profession of their faith and repentance without any further testimony of others unlesse they had been formerly known to be open enemies and persecutors of the church and then they were justly to be suspected till they had given publike evidence by witnesse to the Apostles and Ministers of their true conversion as it hapned to Paul whom for a time the Disciples feared Acts 9. 26 27. till they had better information and proofe that he now preached the faith that he had once persecuted and had suffered for it which is the onely president we have in all the Acts of the Apostles of any that were refused to be admitted into the communion and fellowship of the Apostles as I remember for he was a Minister before but all the other that came in were admitted upon their own offer if they tendred themselves and imbraced the Gospell and were baptized and that without any reluctation or sâ—ruple Now before I come to my third observation out of the commission given to the Apostles I must wait here a little upon the motions of my brother Burtons pen which as it marches along makes now and then some whibling incursions into my quarters and therefore that all men may see my forces are ever in a readinesse and that I am alwayes willing to fight him wheresoever I meet him and that my brother Burton also may see how ready I am to gratifie his desire who Page 7. saith Come on brother let you and I try it out by the dint of this Sword I will here skirmish a little with him to breath him and then go after him in the 15. Page of his book he puts me upon the reconciling of a contradiction which he conceives I made For saith he Page 101. of your book you say The Apostles and other Ministers of the Gospel were to receive all such as beleeved and were baptized and that upon the pr ofession of their faith and repentance without any further testimony of others unlesse they had been formerly known to be open enemies and then they were justly to be suspected till they had given publique evidence by witnesse to the Apostles and Ministers of their true conversion as concerning Paul Acts 9. 26 27. Now here saith my brother Burton I observe First a notable contradiction to what
like manner if they will still persist go on in these wicked and ungodly courses to seduce his people and pretend that they have authority from him for their preaching and practising of all these things notwithstanding they have neither precept nor example for them in all the holy Word of God that he may in justice let the devil loose upon them for the beating of them all out of their TUBS Certain I am they by all these their dealings highly provoke the Lord to jealousie and that daily so that if the Christian Magistrates do not take some speedy course for the vindicating of Gods Honor I do verily beleeve the Lord will from Heaven shew some fearful judgement upon this whole Kingdom and visit it with so many plagues and such sore calamities as all the Inhabitants thereof will desire wish that the Mountains may fall upon them and the Hills cover them from the presence of the Lamb and from him that sitteth upon the Throne the which that they may not happen upon this Nation shal be my daily constant prayer And this shal serve to have spake concerning the Church of Ierusalem the first formed Church and concerning the ordinary admission of members in it I will now come to the Church of Samaria and that of Corinth and Ephesus all formed Churches according to the Gospel-Form and briefly shew how members were admitted into them all and by whom and upon what conditions that all men may see there is no want of presidents to convince the Ildependents of their Grolleries In the eighth of the Acts it is related there that through the miracles of Philip and through his preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women from the greatest to the least Verse 10 12. And were all admitted unto Church-fellowship and that by Philips sole authority and this his method of gathering of Churches was ratified by the authority of the Apostles Peter and Iohn and the whole Colledge of the Apostles at Ierusalem And this was a true formed Church after the New Testament Form For in this Christ himself had planted a Church and converted many as it is at large set down in the fourth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Iohn and here it is said That the people with one accord gave heed unto those things that Philip spake and that there was great joy in that City Verse 6 8. And that they were all baptized both men and women Here we have neither any walking required at their hands for he better assurance either of Philip or the Church of the soundnesse of their conversion Here is no publike confession of their faith required before their admittance into Church-fellowship Here is no evidences of their conversion called for Here is no particular explicite covenant demanded of them Here is no consent of the people desired before their admission into Church communion and yet this was a Church established according to the Gospel-form So that according to the practice of the two Mother churches in Iudea and Israel all beleevers were admitted members and received into Church-fellowship without the conditions those of the Congregational way now require of all those of their new gathered Churches Whether therefore it be not a high presumption and arrogancy in all the Independents to slight the Laws of Christ the King of his Church and the example of Christ himself and the example of all the blessed Apostles I leave it to the judgement of all prudent and advised Christians I will now to satisfie my Brother Burtons desire visit some Churches of the Gentiles formed according to the New Testament Form and I will first in this visitation begin with that Church which he himself hath set before all Churches for a patern of imitation viz. the Church of Corinth In the eighteenth of the Acts it is recorded that when Silas and Timothy were come unto Paul to Corinth the Jewes refusing to receive the Gospel of Iesus Christ that hee shooke his rayment against them and said unto them your blood be upon your own heads I am cleare from hence-forth I will goe unto the Gentiles and departing thence hee entred into ones house named Iustus one that worshipped God and preaching the Gospel there it is said that Crispus a chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing beleeved and were baptized Here wee see in a Church put into a Gospel forme the Members of that church were admitted by the sole authority of Saint Paul and that barely upon their hearing and beleeving for the Apostle required no other conditions of them for their admission into church Fellowship hee said not unto those many that were baptized that before they could be made Members of that church they must walke some time with the church that they might have experience of the truth of their conversion neither did he injoyn them for satisfaction of the people to make a publicke confession of their faith or to bring in the evidences of their conversion or to enter into any particular explicite covenant or to have the consent of the whole church nothing of all this did Paul require of the Corinthians in this church after the Gospel forme but following Christ the Kings commission upon their Faith Repentance and Baptisme hee hy his owne and sole authority admitted them The same way of admitting of Members wee shall find in the Church of Ephesus as it is at large to be seene in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts where the manner of admission of Members there is fully set downe and that was a Church also my Brother Burton sets downe amongst those that must be brought in for the making up of a compleate paterne now in all those Churches they were all admitted upon Christs owne termes and by the Apostles and Ministers sole authority without either walking sometime with the Church or without any publicke confession of their faith to the Congregation or bringing in their evidences or entring into any private explicite Covenant or without the consent of the people How unsufferable a thing therefore is it now then in all those of the congregationall way to demand other conditions of all their Members before they can be admitted into Church-fellowship with them then those that Christ the King of his Church and all his blessed Apostles demanded If this be not the highest point of presumption that was ever heard of I leave it to the consideration of the very ruggedest Independents upon due deliberation desiting they may all seriously lay it to heart and timely repent of it for if they doe not they will indeed be found fighters against God and dis-throners of Christ the King when they shall slight both his Lawes and example and the example of his blessed Apostles and the practise of all those glorious Gospel formed Churches and set up new Lawes and
examples of gathering Churches and of admitting of Members whereas in all the New Testament wee have but one way of admitting of Members whether in an ordinary way or an extraordinary for they that are made Members of any particular Church by vertue of that they are made Members of the Catholike and those likewise that are made Members of the Catholike Church may by vertue of their admission into it be Members in any particular Church as I shall prove by the Independents owne Principles And as for the ordinary way of admitting of Members I have proved it from the fore-going examples and the Primitive practise that it was upon condition onely of Repentance Faith and Baptisme and Christ required no more and for the extraordinary way if it bee evinced that that was after the same manner and upon no other conditions then all men may see into what a desperate condition of Rebellion all the Independents have by their new wayes plunged themselves into and may withall well perceive the vanity of all those cavils my Brother Burton and Master Knollys made against my following Arguments Now that they may see how and upon what conditions all Christians were admitted into the catholicke visible Church it will be worth their paines to looke upon the practice of the holy Ministers of the Gospel both Evangelists and Apostles who were all directed in what they did by the speciall command of Christ himselfe And therefore farre more worthy of imitation then our Independents practises Now we may take notice that when the Angel appeared unto Cornelius in the tenth of the Acts hee sent him unto Ioppa to call for one Simon whose surname was Peter hee did not send him unto the Church in Joppa And it is related that when Peter came to Cornelius and that hee had recited unto him the manner of the vision and that hee was commanded by the Angell to send for him it is further also declared what Peter there did and that he said of a truth J perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him And after a Sermon made unto Cornelius and all that were assembled there with him It is said that the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word and that all the beleevers that came with Peter were astonished at it for they heard them speake with divers tongues and magnified God Then answered Peter can any man forbid water that these men should not bee baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as wee And hee commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Here wee see first that Peter was sent unto and not the Church Secondly that he admitted Cornelius and those that were with him into the number of beleevers and into the fellow-ship of the Church by his owne authority and never consulted with the Church to aske their leave or voyce but concludes the busines with an interrogation which hath a greater force of binding that no man ought to hinder any beleever from comming into the society of the church and communion of Saints in whom the graces of Gods spirit evidently appeare as in these so that if either the Ministers come into their houses or they goe into the Ministers and make sufficient testimony by themselves of their faith and that they feare God of what nation soever they bee they are by the Ministers to bee admitted the congregation hath nothing to doe to hinder any such nay they may not it is more than belongs unto them neither did those that came with Peter intermeddle in that busines or require a covenant at their hand or a publik confession of their faith Againe when the Lord of his infinite mercy was purposed to reveale himselfe unto the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts he sendeth Philip the Evangelist unto him whom hee found reading in his chariot the prophesie of Jsaiah and after that hee had interpreted unto him that prophesie and preached unto him Iesus and Baptisme in his name it is related that when they came unto a certaine water the Eunuch said unto him what doth hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou beleevest with all thine heart thou maist And hee answered and said J beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and hee commanded the chariot to stand still and they went downe both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and hee baptized him Here wee see that Philip and not the church was sent unto the Eunuch and that Philip by his owne authority and upon the Eunuch his owne testimony without any reference unto any church or without consulting with any Congregation admits him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of the church and here was neither a publicke confession required of him by any of the church or any Covenant exacted by the people and so when Saul in the 9. of the Acts was fallen downe out of astonishment and afterwards was converted as the Storie there fully declareth the whole manner of it the Lord sent one Ananias a Disciple and Minister unto him hee did not send the church unto him neither did Ananias when hee came to Saul say unto him I will consult with the church to see whether they will admit thee to be a member for thou hast greatly wasted the church and made havocke of the Saints and therefore I will have their approbation and consent and I will have thee first walke with the Church some time that they may behold thy conversation and then thou shalt make a confession of thy faith publickly before the Congregation and give in thy evidences of the truth of thy conversion and enter in a private and solemne covenant and so be received and admitted But without all this adoe he baptizes Paul and admitteth him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of this formed Church that by his sole authority and he was received immediatly among the Disciples at Damascus without any reluctation or so much as any scruple and strait-way hee preached Christ in the Synagogue that hee was the Son of God hee was both ordained and put in office without the approbation and consent of the people who knew nothing of the busines but onely stood amazed and said Is not this hee that destroyed them which called on this name in Ierusalem and came hither for that intent that hee might bring them bound unto the high Priest The Ministers in those dayes when they were all taught of God they only admitted Members by their owne authority into the church without the approbation of the people but in these our dayes wherin people have gotten itching eares and teachers after their owne humours such as S. Paul speaks of in his Epistles to Timothy they teach a new doctrine and bring forth new borne lights to the darkening of truth it selfe and to the bringing in a confusion