other then a meere begging of the question hee bringeth in the Classes and Synods for his proofe whereas hee should first have prooved that the power which they assume over many Churches is lawfull Before I come to lay downe my particular answers to it I shall entreat him in his next Booke to resolve me these few Questions 1. VVhither the Assembly mentioned in Act. 15. were a Synod or Classis 2. How it can be manifested from that place that both are divine institutions as here is affirmed 3. How hee can naturally from thence rayse this doctrine viz. excommunications and elections of Ministers are actions belonging unto Classes and Synods 4. VVhither it be Iure Divino that Ecclesiasticall Officers of many Churches are necessarily bound to determine by joint authority the cases of many particular Congregations or whither it be a thing arbitrary and left unto every mans liberty 5. Whither all such cases and controversies as are decided by many Ministers combined into Classes and Synods must so stand as that particular Congregations may not if they thinke fit reject the same and practise otherwise then hath bene there determined by joint authority I haue the more hope that Mr. Paget will give a direct answer to these questions Pag. 39. Seeing a good conscience hee sayth suffers not a man to be neutrall nor to suspend his judgement when it is desireously desired but forceth him to beare witnesse unto the truth c. To the point now I doe deny that this place Act. 15. prooveth any such thing for which it is alledged For 1. here was no combination of many Ministers of divers Churches but onely a few messengers sent from Antiochia unto the Congregation at Ierusalem about a controversy there specifyed Hence it is affirmed by many learned men * D. Bridg. pag. 1224. that as this was an assembly of one onely particular Church so it binds * D. Whita De conc Q 2 p. 6. and p. 67. onely but in a speciall or particular meeting 2. As Mr. Cartwright ‡ Refut Rhemist on the place saith Paul and Barnabas went not up to Ierusalem to submit their judgement to the judgement of the Apostles for that had diminished the authoritie of their doctrine then which there was no greater in the Word they being both infallablie directed by the Holy Ghost Onely they went up to conferre with them and for countenance of the truth in respect of men and for the stopping of the mouthes of such deceivers as pretended they were sent * Vers 24. by the Apostles In a word that no suspition might remaine in the minds of the people as if Paul in doctrine differed from the rest 3. If Ierusalem lay north-ward 200 miles from Antioch as I read * Itiner Novi Testo fol. 96. it did Surely then hee hath small reason to bring this Scripture as the ground and foundation of the Classicall Assembly yea and to tell us ‡ Pag. 88. that it is a remarkable place of Scripture to warrant the exercise of that power which wee deny And a little after This one allegation is sufficient to evince the falshood of their assertion But before you make such hasty conclusions haue a little patience to heare us to speake for our selves I pray how can you proove that the officers of these two Churches being two hundred miles asunder were combined and mett ordinarily together as the Classes doe to determine the cases of many Churches Or how doe you proove that there was any Officer at all of Antioch in Ierusalem at this time Briefly or how doe you proove that the Brethren sent from Antioch exercised authority in the Church at Ierusalem yet all this you must make good otherwise you are guilty of abusing and perverting the Scripture in affirming that the power which the Classis exerciseth was practised at Antioch and Ierusalem and by Apostolicall direction This you have spoken but it is untrue Notwithstanding had you rested in Stev Ofw. testimony your fault had bene small in comparison what it is now through your great presumtion to take God for your witnes Ier. 23.31 in a thing which hee never spake Behold saith the Lord I am against the Prophets that use their tongues and say Hee saith it 4. It is certaine Vers 12.22 De Conc. Q 8. c. 3. Qu. 3. c. 3. p. 96.97 that at Ierusalem not onely the Apostles and Elders mett together but as Luke expresseth it the Church also being interested in the thing And therefore gave sentence with the rest to the decree then made Observe what D. Whitaker replyes unto Bellarmine denying the multitude to be called It was alwayes sayth hee the practise of the Apostles in common cases to call the whole Church together and no doubt but they did so here Now there was no need to have it mentioned seeing it had bene their constant custome formerlie so to doe Mr. Parker ‡ Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 12. pag. 108.126.334 affirmes the same So the Authours of the Cent. * Cent. 1. l. 2 c. 9. p. 547.548 And it seemes in Cyprians ‡ Lib. 4. Epist. 16. time the Church was not deprived of her right herein howsoever the Papists * Bellarm. de Conc Ecc. l. 1. c. 16. pag. 39. in those dayes teach otherwise and Mr. Paget and others doe otherwise practise 5. Howsoever the Church at Antioch sent some Brethren with Paul and Barnabas unto the Church at Ierusalem notwithstanding and let it be well observed they did not this as being a dependent body and standing under another Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves For as Mr. Parker * Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 20. p. 301. 314. excellently prooves it the Church at Antioch at this time had absolute power in for her self to haue ended the controversy and might haue done it I say in respect of authority without acquainting therewith any other Congregation at all To the same purpose another sayth * D. Whita Conc. Qu. 1. c. 1. The Church of Antioch sent not to Ierusalem as being bound in duety thereto But in regard it was the chief place of Religion therefore they made choose freelie of that Congregation as knowing them to be best able to resolve the controversie True it is the Hierarchie * D. Whit. g. T. C. 3. deny this of whose opinion Mr. Paget must either be or els the Classes as they now rule must fall to the ground for any relief that this Scripture Act. 15. will yeeld unto them 6. When the Hierarchie alledge Act. 15. to proove their Diocesan and Provinciall Synods lawfull marke how they are answered by the Reformists The particular acts of the Apostles in cases alike Park Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 20. p. 315. 316. must alike be observed If this reason be effectuall as indeed it is against them then it is no lesse effectuall against the Classes Now I haue in part
* Catechism Quaest 85. speaking of the difference betweene the two kees that of preaching and the other of discipline placeth it in this that the former which is the preaching of the Gospell is committed to the Ministers the other because it appertaineth to the Discipline of excommunication is permitted to the whole Church To him wee will adde Ursinus * Catech. p. 799.800 print at Oxford An. 1587. who teacheth thus Christ in these words Mat. 18.17 If hee refuse to heare the Church c. expresly commaundeth all whosoever being after this sort admonished by the Church will not repent to be by the common consent of the Church excommunicated untill they repent And whosoever are excommunicated they againe professing and shewing in their actions amendment are altogether in like sort received into the Church as they were exiled from it Namely by the judgement of the Elders by the consent of the Church and the authoritie of Christ and the Scripture And that denuntiation whereby one is excommunicated is not in the power of the Minister of the Church but in the power of the Church and is done in the name of the Church because this commaundement was given by Christ unto the Church For hee saith expreslie Tell the Church And of this judgement is Piscator a In 1. Cor. 5. Obs 1. Calvin b Inst 4.1.15 Paraeus c In 1. Cor. 5.5 Keckerman d System Theol. l. 3. Hermingius e In 1. Cor. 5 Tossanus f Comm. in 1. Cor. 5. Polanus g Synt. Theo. l. 7. c. 18. Hyperius h Comm. in 1. Cor. 5. Praedirius i In 1. Cor. 5. Munster k In Mat. 18.17 Danaeus l In Mat. 18. Oecolampadius m In Mat. 18. Beza n Annot. in 2. Thess 3.14 and others And now Mr. Paget what thinke you of these men were they not learned and Godly Ministers Reverend and judicious Divines Are they not authenticke witnesses If you confesse it then marke what followes viz. your position that particular Congregations must stand under other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves is hence condemned by a jurie of more then 24 men of your owne chusing for an errour and untruth The reason is because these affirme I say all of them that every particular Eldership with the Churches consent may lawfully proceed among themselves to the excommunicating of offenders whensoever there is necessary and just cause Neither doe they say a word that it is a Divine institution that the Ministers of one Congregation must first aske the leave and consent of other Ministers before they can lawfully administer this ordinance of God And therefore I make some question whither you haue not wronged this multitude of learned and Godly Ministers in reporting things of them to the world which they hold not And I haue the more reason thus to thinke considering what Mr. Bucer a In Mat. 16.19 and P. Martyr b In 1. Cor. 16.3.15 write two great lightes that shined sometime in England to wit that Ecclesiasticall power and government is in the whole Church but the authority onely of administration thereof is the Presbyterie and Bishops So as in old time at Rome the power was in the people direction in the Senate But of this sort of testimonies enought is spoken wee come therefore now to the next Touching the English Conformists the formablest of them are for us in this point B. Whitgift a In his defenc ag T.C. p. 180 182. confesseth that in the Apostles time the state of the Church was popular And two pages after I call it popular saith hee because the Church had interest almost in every thing VVith him D. Bilson b Perpet Gouvernm c. 15 p. 361 agrees and writeth thus In the primitive Church the people did propose name elect and decree as well as the Clergie and though the Presbyterers had more skill to judge Yet the people had as much right to chuse their Pastour and if they most of them did agree they did cary it away from the other Againe * chap. 7. pag. 90. Marke well sayth hee the ordaining of the first Deacons they were chosen by the people Mr. Paget in pag. 22. doth acknowledge that Christ hath appointed but one order for the choose both of Pastour and Deacon As hee speakes there the truth so by it hee quite overthrowes his owne cause for if Pastours must be chosen the same way that Deacons are and they if the Apostles precept be kept chosen by the free consent of the Congregation wherein they are to administer then how comes it to passe that Classes and Synods should haue more authority then the people and may if they will disanull whatsoever the others doe herein I know what the Papists and Hierarchy say to justify their taking away from particular Congregations their due power and setting up a superiour one in the roome thereof The first gives this for a reason * Sculting Hierarch Anacr l. 11 pag. 134. The unrulines of the people deserved afterwards to have their liberty taken away The others say thus Why doe ye call us back to the primitive Church As if wee are to be tyed to the first beginnings of things as if ye would bind little infants in their blankets with swalding bondes And as if it were not lawfull for us to change those primitive rudiments which were not then so proffitable in their first originall as they seeme to be pernicious at this day Againe * Apolog. for Church Gouvernm pag. 81. There was some thing ordained by the Apostles that is no lesse hurtfull for our Churches then it was behoofull for those to whom it was appointed Which of these two arguments hee will make use off I yet know not One of them I suppose hee will and must For to say that this superiour power of Classes and Synods is Iure Divino I thinke hee will not any more doe it There being in the Scriptures no proofe yea I may boldly say nor shew of any proofe for it But because I know not what his answer shall be I will therefore say no more for this time onely I thinke it good to put him in mind of what Gerson * De Vit. spirit writeth the authoritie of the primitive Church is above all Churches and therefore it is not in the power of Pope Councill or Church to change the Doctrines and Traditions delivered by the Apostles And so I proceed To these wee will adde 4 more conformable Doctors of England viz. Whitaker Bell Willer and Taylor The first affirmeth * De Conc. qu. 5. p. 178 that Ecclesiasticall authoritie principallie primarilie and essencially belongeth to the whole Church unto Bishops onely accidentally and secondarily So againe ‡ De Rom. Pont. cont 4 qu. 4. c. 3. pag. 562. The chiefe judgement in all criminall cases is the Churches Bell sayth * Regiment of the Church ch
2 sect 4. Excommunication precisely and chiefely pertaineth to the Church and that she hath authority to commit the execution thereof to some speciall persons for that purpose and chosen for that end To the same effect Willet a Synops cont 4. qu. 4 p. 2. And Tailor b Comm. on Tit. ch 3. v. 10. p. 712. sayth that excommunication is the common action of the Church and not of any private person or persons VVhat more obvious and cleare by these mens testimonies then that every particular Congregation hath power fully in it self to performe all Gods ordinances But hath not Mr. Paget in the meane time just cause to blush who denies to the Churches of God that due power which the Learned of all professions doe grant unto her For the Non-conformists I have already shewed that they consent fully with us Pag. 23. Notwithstanding some thing more I will here speake of them and the rather because time was when Mr. Paget did esteeme them to be a multitude of Godly and learned Ministers and was or at least made a shew hee was of their judgement and practise Hee that reades the controversy betweene Downame and the Replyer shall there see this very point betwixt Mr. Paget and us largely handled The Doctor stoutly maintaineth Mr. Paget position viz. that particular Churches are dependent and stand under another Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves The other sayth otherwise and often affirmeth * Li. 2. par 2. p. 104. that the administration of all Church-matters at first was in everie congregation the right in the Church the execution in the Presbyterie thereof For this purpose hee instanceth Cenchrea * Li. 1. part 2. p. 22.23 howsoever it was the port of Corinth and not farre from it as Radcliffe or lime House to London yet it was a distinct Church from that of Corinth and alike indued with full power ‡ Note of Ecclesiasticall gouvernment Mr. Parker speakes downe right in this thing and prooves by Text of Scriptures judgement of ancient Fathers Confession of Protestant Divines and many unanswereable reasons that a Pol. Eccl. l. 3. c. 6. all Ecclesiasticall power is alwayes in the whole congregation from hence it flowes as from the fountaine and to the same it returneth as to the sea And here by the way I doe demaund of you Mr. Paget seeing every Minister as the Learned b Par. in 1. Cor. 3.2 Park Pol. Eccl. l. 3. c. 12. Tilen Specu Antichri p. 14. D. Whitak de con qu. 5. p. 118. rightly say is the Churches servant and under her authoritie and administreth for her VVhat warrant then you and others haue to make any decree or sentence against the mind and liking of a whole Church and to require them to submit thereto Me thinkes such doing becomes not servants And whither this be not to be Lords over Gods Heritage contrary to Peters charge I desire the humble and Godly to consider In Title page Vnto these wee will adde the Authour of the English Puritanisme a Booke as the Publisher reports containing the maine opinions of the rigidest sort of those that are called Puritaines * He meanes the foreward professours which stand out against the Ceremonies in the Realme of England among other truths 1. They hold and maintaine that every company Congregation or Assembly of men ordinarily joyning together in the true worship of God is a true visible Church of Christ and that the same title is improperly attributed unto any other convocations Synods Societies combinations or Assemblies whatsoever 2. They hold that all such Churches or Congregations communicating after that manner together in Divine worship are in all Ecclesiasticall matters equall and of the same power and authority and that by the word and will of God they ought to have the same spirituall Priviledges Prerogatives Officers Administrations Orders and formes of Divine worship 3. They hold that Christ Iesus hath not subiected any Church or Congregation of his note this to any other superiour Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction then unto that which is within it self so that if a whole Church or Congregation shall erre in any matter of faith or Religion no other Church or spirituall Church-Officers have by any warrant from the Word of God power to censure punish or controule the same But are onely to advise them and so to leave their soules to the immediate iudgement of Christ and their bodies to the sword of the civill Magistrate c. 4. They hold that every established Church ought as a speciall prerogive wherewith shee is indued by Christ to have power and liberty to chuse their owne spirituall and Ecclesiasticall Officers c. 5. They hold that if in this choyse any particular Churches shall erre that none upon earth but the Civill Magistrate hath power to controule or correct them for it c. 6. They hold that the Ecclesiasticall Officers and Ministers of one Church ought not to beare any Ecclesiasticall office in another but ought to be tyed unto that Congregation of which they are members and by which they are elected into office c. There is nothing here sayd but many others of our learned Country-men have sayd the like as D. Ames a Casconsc l. 4. c. 29. Mr. Banes b Dioces Triall conclus 4. Mr. Bates c Pag. 66. Mr. Fenner d Against Bridg pag. 15.16 Mr. Vdall e Demonst. Discipl pag. 24.25 c. In the English Church at Franckford in Queene Maries dayes it was agreed upon that ‡ Discours of troub Frank. pag. 115. the Ministers and Seniours severally and iointly shall have no authority to make any manner of Decrees or Ordinances to bind the Congregation or any member thereof But shall execute such ordinances as shall be made by the Congregation and to them delivered Againe None shall be excommunicated untill the matter be first heared by the whole Church That the Ministers and Seniours and every of them be subiect to Ecclesiasticall discipline as other private members of the Church be Neither shall Mr. Hookers * In his answer to Mr. Pagets 20. quest Answ 11. Testimony be unremembred who affirmeth that a particular Congregation may lawfully and without sinne call a Minister without or against the approbation of the Classis And hee gives this reason for it They which had complete and perfect Ministers before any Classis had power fully to call them But a particular Congregation had perfect and complete Ministers perfectly and completely called before any Classis Ergo c. Thus Reader thou mayst perceive that Mr. Paget hath left the way of Non-conformitie yea and shewes himself to it a great adversary Indeed so sore a one that in his own words I may truely say As Herod to kill one infant Pag. 73. spared not to kill a multitude of other infants so hee that hee might undermine us and blow us up into the ayre hee cared not
have justly deserved farther Censure ANSWER 1. IT is a note as God noteth it by Ezechiel of an unfaithfull sheapheard that hee seekes not that which was lost How directly this note appeareth in Mr. Paget may be seene here and els where in writing For howbeit hee hath set mee and others forth before all men for heynous offendours most sinfull walkers Ch. 33.4 deservers of Church Censures c. notwithstanding to this day he hath not performed a brothers duety Mat. 18.15 16. Lev. 19.17 Prov. 25.9 much lesse a Pastours towards any of us in using meeke and Christian meanes to bring us if wee goe astray in to the right way againe If an earthly father should tell openly his childrens faults abroad but never at home mention them unto them hee would be and justly too greatly condemned for it Then how much more is Mr. Paget to be discommended that did not endeavour to make his people to see their faults untill they did see them out in print under his hand Hee can teach us that it is our duety to advertise him of his defects and neglects in private but it seemes hee takes not the care which he should Pag. 94. to practise his owne doctrine The which thing makes his case the worse for to him that knoweth to doe good Iam. 4. ult and doth it not to him it is sinne That is his offence is the greater and answerable to it without true repentance will his punishment be Luk. 12.47 Our dealing with him hath bene otherwise for wee brought nothing forth publikely against him before wee had used other meanes for his recovery Yea till wee found the wound incurable Mich. 1.9 he in his courses incorrigible so farre I say from giving us any hope of amendement as that hee deprived us quite of all power to meddle any further with him and answered us not much unlike the old Iewes Ier. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them I will goe I know in pag. 15. hee beareth the Reader in hand as if wee had not shewed his sinnes unto him out of the Word of God and hence abuseth a saying in Iob. But many can testify the contrary to wit that his sinnes have bene shewed to him out of the word of God I say many times by many persons not Brethren onely but our Elders too privately and openly as is to be seene in the Records of our Church where they doe protest both against his doeings and the Classis also But saith hee I am not convinced of my errour So may any offendor say although his lies and vanities should be never so soundly refuted It is reported of one Anaxagoras that hee affirmed that the snow was black and when it was alledged that the sence the eye the sight judged it to be white hee answered it did not as much as seeme white to him Cic. in Lucull Aca. Quaest l. 4. because hee knew that the water of which it was concealed is black Men might say what they list against him but they could not satisfy him nor solve his reason If Mr. Paget were not overmuch conceited touching his opinions in question I am perswaded hee would leave them For sufficient hath bene said for his conviction therein 2. For my gooing to the Assembly of the Remonstrants It is true I have bene there and Mr. Paget afterwards had a little speach with me about it But no word of God to my remembrance did hee then alledge to convince * Act. 18. ult 2 Tim. 3.16.17 my conscience of the unlawfullnes of the thing Moreover hee should have done well to have told his Readers what my answer was at the same time unto him I spake as hee knowes to this effect If I goe astroy it is through your occasion in casting stumbling blocks * Mat. 18.6 dayly in my way so many and great that my spirits is even broken within me For your caraiges are so evill against us in seeking to hinder us from the benefit of good Ministers that I cannot live under yours with any comfort What reliefe my poore distressed soule then had of him I shall never forget For I may say and that truely as Iob did in the like case hee was a miserable comforter a Physician of no value Iob 16.2.5 The mooving of his lips was so farre from asswaging my grief that on the contrary hee heaped up words against me to encrease mine affliction In the reading of this accusation it comes to my mind what I have sometimes seene in the Country where I lived viz. many poore sheepe even forced to runne into deserts hedges briars through the impatience rage of some feirce froward Shepheards either in setting their dogs on them or running in themselves furiously amongst them the which folly and indiscretion had they not shewed none of their flocke would have gone astray The application of this I referre to Mr. Paget Let him consider of it take advise and speake his mind and if hee please compare with it Ierem. 23.1 3. If to resort to the Assembly of the Remonstrants be so heynous an offence before the Lord that it deserveth as hee saith the Censure of the Church how then comes it to passe that hee deales in this thing so badly with others Hee is a member of the Classis and hath therein according to his owne doctrine equall authority with the rest over the Dutch Church here in Amsterdam Now it is well knowne to him and such as sitt with him that many of the Dutch members doe resort frequently unto the Assembly of the Remonstrants Notwithstanding doth Mr. Paget tell them of their great wickednesse exhort his fellow Presbyters to admonish them for it and to cut them of from the Church except they repent The truth is as farre as I can understand hee is quite dumbe this way and stirres not at all in it and therefore it is certaine that that which hee here brings in against me is either done out of some disaffection unto my person or els hee shewes great impartiality to say the best of it But it seemes hee is not carefull to have his ministery like a glasse in which all may behold their sports but rather to the spiders web which holdeth the lesser Flyes but lets the greater passe through at their pleasure And here I may well returne backe unto him Arrow against separ pag. 323. liu 31 his owne words having taxed Mr. Ainsworth for partialitie Let all men of conscience iudge what sincerity there is in your course Thus hee can take occasion to blame another and yet fall fouler himself into the same fault 4. Whereas hee intimateth that hee in the name of the Eldership hath admonished me for the open violation of the Sabbath I desire the Reader to take knowledge that no such thing was ever done by him neither did I know that either hee or the Elders had any such thing against me
owne blood This hee cannot indure this hee cannot read with patience against this hee proclames open warre gibes often at it and reproacheth every one that sincerely embraceth the same But let him take heed least for calling good evill Chap. 5.20 God bring not the woe in Esai upon his head As for the unreverend terme it self which hee giveth unto Christs instuution we weigh it not neither are we any more discouraged from the holding of it fast then were our fathers of elder time discouraged from embracing the Gospell Act. 28.22 24.5 1 Cor. 1.23 Act. 24.14 because the enimies of it called it schisme faction folishnes heresie c. It is reported of one Theodotius having denyed Christ that hee might not be blamed for it taught that Christ was meere man and not God So Mr. Paget in the case of Church gouvernment that his owne and other mens faults may not be seene in not using or submitting to it doth labour what hee can to discredit the same But whether the power which wee stand for be schismaticall or his Apostaticall I hope by this Treatise the Reader shall be able to judge 4. Hee saith I have bene injurious unto him in spreading abâ—oad so many untruths against him as are before noted Answ 1. I had a just cause to doe what I did both for the truth sake and his owne too For first if every good subject be bound to his power to maintaine the temporall rights and Lawes of Princes whether it be by discovering of treason suppressing rebellion or the like Then much more ought all Christs subjects to doe what they can Rev. 2.25 to preserve the good estate of his spirituall Kingdome Againe who will not draw his brother out of a deepe pit or well if hee see any way or meanes for it The truth is Mr. Paget through Satan and his owne lust is fallen into many great sinnes and therefore out of Christian compassion to his soule I published the booke being confident if there be any farther course to be taken by me for his recovery this is it because now questionles hee shall see if hee will be contended to open his eyes his errours soundly and effectually refuted 2. Whereas hee saith our writings are untruths I say hee speakes untruely in it for there is nothing set downe there but will be prooved as in part I shall doe in this treatise and more I understand is shortly to come forth Besides I doubt not but Mr. Davenport will doe the like so farre as the thing concerneth him 3. Howsoever hee hath made a large discours in his owne justification notwithstanding hee hath not cleared himself at all in the maine things laid to his charge viz. promiscuous Baptisme and the authority of the Classis Yet hee knowes untill hee proove these two points to be lawfull our whole writing standeth firmely and effectually against him As for the many swâ—llâ—ng 〈◊〉 used throughout his booke in his owne praise In my understanding it had beene better Prov. 27.2 if some other had done it and not his owne mouth In the Olympicks games men did not put garlands and Crownes on their owne heads but waited till others did it In truth self prayse is very unseemely Hence in derision they say Hee dwelt by bad neighbours Besides such persons usually are least credited * Ioh. 8.13 and good reason too for the greatest boasters are commonly the worst dooers * 1 Sam. 15 13. Revel 3.15 c. As the emptiest vessels make the loudest sound driest things the greatest flame so those which proclame as with sound of trumpet their owne goodnes have most times least of it That I may be the lesse offensive in my words I will here speake to Mr. Paget in his owne Pag. 61. Certainly it was a want of modesty and prudency in him to make such disputes in his owne commendation For hee hath vainely praysed himself and wrounged us 7. Pag. 10. Yea in stead of clearing himself hee is more polluted His owne tongue defileth him And therefore his glorying is not good The fift thing wherein I am injurious in his conceit is to our whole Congregation to blot the same with report of infamous contention faction c. Answ 1. As they that stirre up warre and strife Iudg. 11.13 1 King 18.18 impute the cause unto others which lyeth on themselves so dealeth Mr. Paget with me For who hath bene the cause and authour to blot our Congregation with report of infamous contention faction c. but hee chiefly For had hee contained himself within his owne bounds not plaid the Diotrephes suffered the Church to have exercised her owne due power not brought in mens devises amongst us wee had not seene and felt the shame and misery which now wee doe And that all may see whatsoever infamy our Church lyeth under that it is come principally by his meanes I desire these things may be taken into consideration 1 The abuses from time to time done to our Elders that which they jointly doe if it fall not in his line hee termeth it an unrighteous law a bone of contention a rocke of offence In his Letter given into the Consistory 11. Mar. 1632. injurious to the Magristrate destroyers of the liberty of the Church ringleaders to faction c. If they in opinion differ from him then hee makes them parties and so disableth them from judging in the case yea professeth hee will not tollerate the thing I doe let passe to speake of his taxing them for insufficiency of his procureing the Classes to censure them Pag. 18.63 how hee rejects their advise and counceill For of all these things wee shall have a fitter place hereafter This onely by the way I say how sleightly soever hee thinkes of Ruling Elders notwithstanding they have a great place in the Church of Christ such power and authority as taking the consent of the Church with them they may call the Pastour to give them an account of his doing Yea and to depose him from his ministery If there be just cause although Classes and Synods take his part Let no man thinke that this is a new doctrine for our chief Divines teach it If any one * Protestat Kings supr pag. 15. Offer Confer pag. 2. of the Ecclesiasticall Officers themselves shall sinne hee is as subiect to the Censures of the rest as any other member in the Congregation If they shall all sinne scandalously either in the execution of their office Repl. to D. Downames defen l. 2. part 2 pag. 109. Discours of Troub at Franck pag. 162. art 65 or in any other ordinarie manner then the Congregation that chose them freely hath as free power to depose them and to place others in their roome And no marvaill if Protestants write thus For the Papists ingeniously say as much The * Ferus in Act. Apost cap. 11. Church may not onely exact an account of her
Ministers but depose them and reject them altogether if they be not fitt Hence then wee see when a Congregation is injured by any of her Officers she wants not power in her self immediately from Christ to redresse it and therefore if she suffer continuall misery it is her owne fault and so deserveth the lesse pitty But to proceed 2. Hee hath made our Church to lie downe in her shame by his invective writing against many members thereof matching them many times with the vilest enimies that ever God had as Corah Pag. 2.3 and the Rebels with him the Apostates Israëlites the murderers of Christ the persecurors of the Saints and other most notorious Hereticks and blasphemers But himself unto meeke Moyses to the good Prophets yea to the Lord and Christ and to Iohn Hus the Bohemian that faithfull Martyr of Christ Againe to say nothing of the contemptible termes which hee useth * Prov. 8.8 nor of his aggravations in seeking to set Magistrates †Pag. 29.30 and Ministers * Pag. 73. and all at variance with us truely his mocking ‡ 72.100.102.103.122.151 Arrow p. 52.65 354. is intollerable In this hee is farre from that gravity which should be in a Minister of God specially in a man of his yeares sober dealing would better become him for as Paul saith such things are not seemely But in truth I find this to be his constāt practise in all his writings I would hee did once see it and consider the dishonour which hee causeth unto the Church by it The Preacher * Eccles 12.10 sought to find out acceptable words and that which was written was upright even words of truth 3. To come more particularly to his accusation why doth hee terme that which wee haue done infamous contention c. so in pag. 4. a faction in the Church I take it hee speaketh this because wee have opposed his courses if this be his meaning then I answer 1. Diotrephes might haue framed the like objection when the brethren withstood him 3. Ioh. and on as good ground too 2. Wee know that the Saints are commaunded to contend * Iude 3. Prov. 28.4 for the faith and to hold fast every ordinance of the Lord. If subjects freemen scholers c. will not loose the previleidges of their Country Cities Houses much lesse should the sonnes of God let goe any of their rights which they have in Christ 3. As for keeping peace either with him or others it must be done * Iam. 3.17 Heb. 12.14 Rom. 15.5 with holynes purity and according to Iesus Christ True it is wee may accord with him but how If wee will make our selves the servants of men and yeeld unto that which our consciences perswade us is most unlawfull It is said of Nahash the Ammonite that hee would not be at peace with the men of Iabesh Gilead 1 Sam. 11.2 unlesse hee might thrust out all their right eyes An unreasonable condition Notwithstanding I shall make it appeare unto all men in all places wheresoever this Booke shall come that Mr. Pagets Termes propounded for reconciliation with us are worse a great deale For either wee must make our selves spiritually blind in things necessary to salvation and cast off some of Christs Ordinances and practise in the place thereof humaine devises otherwise for the present there is no hope to be at union with him But as it is in the Proverbe a man may buy gould to deare even so for my part howsoever I desire from my heart to accord with him neverthelesse my care must be so to have it as that I may accord with God and have peace of conscience Now to the next supposed injury The sixt is to the Classis in defaming their gouvernment and proceedings Answ 1. If Mr. Paget had the ability to proove his bould affirmations with inevitable reasons as a speciall faculty to disgrace men by untrue reports hee would be a Disputer one of a thousand What have wee said about the Classis that hee hath any where in his Booke refuted Indeed much windy take hee useth in the thing that the Classis is ancient Pag. 71.72 other Churches stand in as much subjection to it as his This order was in these Countries before his comming over 18.66.25 The Synods have agreed that some things shall not be proceeded with without the advise of the Classis The Classicall Assembly did judge thus and a great deale more hee writes just to this purpose But the Reader shall find grapes on thornes and figgs on thistles assoone as one sound argument in his Booke to justify that power and authority which there is now exercised Notwithstanding whosoever shall read understandingly his Booke will say that hee hath not left this point unprooved out of forgetfullnes but rather of meere poverty as not having any authenticall records of the holy Ghost under the shadow whereof hee could find any shelter to shrowd his Classicall function as a Divine Ordinance 2. But to come neerer the matter whatsoever wee have said of the Classis wee stand strictly to it and are well able to proove it Two things wee have affirmed 1. That wee beleeve that gouvernment which they exercise over such Congregations unto which they stand not properly Ministers is an undue power 2. That wee have found very hard dealing at their hands For the first I shall referre the Reader to Sect. 7.8 I ouching the later if need be I thinke our Elders * They affirme that the resolution of the Classis deprived the Church of her due power 12. Nov. 1631 Answ 2. to the Classis will be witnesses for me Howsoever sure I am Mr. Hookers case cleares it sufficiently they having made an Act altogether against the liking of our Elders and Congregation that hee should not be admitted to the Pulpit of the English Church for any edification ‡ So are the words of their Act. thereof There went hereupon 40 Brethren or more to the Consistory and there shewed their great discontent against that which the Classis had done and earnestly desired their assistance Upon this two Elders two Deacons and two Brethren were sent unto the Classis to entreat them to revoake and cancill the former Act as being demaunded and given out of all due order yea before our Church had propounded him unto them or desired their consent in the thinge Further it was shewed that no man without the consent of the most of the Consistory hath power to aske the question ‡ Not because we approved of their authority but because wee knew it was in vaine to present him to them whether hee be fitt to be our Minister or not Besides wee told them that wee had not bene with the Magistrates and therefore as yet the matter belonged not to them in a word it was promised that unlesse Mr. Hooker would acknowledge their authority * Ier. 2.14 hee should not be presented to them
at all Many other perswasions by words as a so by writing were delivered in Dutch Notwithstanding for all this they would not revoake their sentence but confirmed it a new Is Israel a servant is hee home borne why is hee spoiled But to the point this record to use Mr. Pagets * Pag. 49. words in the like case is an authentick witnes not lyable to exception for what I have here said is recorded in the Acts of our Consistory * Octob. 12. 1631. And that this was to hard a dealing with us I proove it thus 1. There ought to bâ— nothing as Beza * Epist 83. saith imposed on a people against their wills Now imagen that our owne Eldeâ—ship should decree a thing either to be done or not yet could they not enjoyne us by any Law of God to obey them in it further then wee our selves doe see the same to be lawfull and so voluntarily assent unto it And if it be so then by what authority can Officers of other Congregations require us to stand to their acts specially when wee neither like them nor judge them good It seemes Zwinglius was against such doings Ad Valent. Compar for hee saith Whosoever with a Councill of Bishops shall impose on Christian people any Law or observation at their owne liking hee meaneth without the peoples consent hee invadeth the Churches right by a violent commaund Artic. 64. In another place Such Elders as without the Churches consent decree things at their owne pleasure are in name Elders but indeed Tyrants Cyprian * Cypria l. 4 Ep. 21.34.46.26.32 14.31 in sundry places writes that all matters ought to be determined by the Bishops Elders and the people present and consenting Otherwise sayth hee matters are not firme and sure For this very case Chemnitius * Exa Conc. Trid part 1 pag. 3. condemneth the Councill of Trent viz. because they set downe their decrees as it were uncontroulably and not under the examination of the Churches D. Bilson * Cont. Ap. p. 9â— saith that no Councill can bind a whole Church except there be a generall consent 2. Seeing the authority of particular Congregations is as Mr. Parker ‡ Polit. Eccl. l. 3. c. 13. p. 130. saith and largely prooveth it above all Synodes I cannot see what reason a few men haue to take upon them the subjecting of a whole Congregation to their decrees yea and to * Yet thus dealt the Claswith our Eld. because they admitted Mr. Hooker to the Pulpit contrary to their act De Ro. Pont. pract pag. 2. Censure the Eldership if they though with the Churches liking doe contrary to it It was not the manner of Bishops saith D. Whitaker in the primitive times to assume unto themselves jurisdiction and gouvernment over others 3. If it be right * See Park-Pol Eccl. l. 3 c. 12. p. 88. that the common desire of a particular Congregation in things lawfulll should take place before one mans opposition to it then I take it the matter was not well caried when Mr. Paget prevailed against the Eldership and Church too 4. This practise is contrary to the old rule generally received among the learned That ‡ Amb. lib. de dig Sacerd 3. which concerneth all ought of all to be approoved But some may say how is this to be done I answer in the words of D. Fulke * Learned Discours of Eccles disci p. 86. That the Elders sayth hee may have their sentence to be the sentence of the Church they must when they have travailed in examining of cases propound them to the whole multitude that it may be confirmed by their consent Observe here how according to this mans opinion the Classis should first have propounded the thing to our Congregation and if wee jointly had approoved thereof then might they have concluded that it was a Church Act otherwise not 5. Howsoever the Classes have joyned with Mr. Paget against us and they together deprived us of Mr. Hooker and Mr. Davenport notwithstanding hetherto wee have not seene them to warrant their proceedings by the Scriptures and therefore in this respect wee also take it that they have dealt too hardly with us For who knoweth not that in all questions of this nature no other testimony or argument can strike the stroake to perswade the conscience but the word of God for as one * Chrisost in Psal 95. ad finem well saith If any thing be spoken without Scripture the mind of the heareth halteth now sticking at it sometimes turning from it as frivolous sometimes turning to it as probable But when the testimony of the speaker commeth from Divine Scripture it confirmeth both the speach of the speaker and mind of the hearer But as for the Classis all that wee haue yet heard or seene from them for the justification of their Acts against us hath bene either the order * This is the reason they give in their act against Mr. Hooker why hee should not preach it was against the order of the Churches in these Countries of the Church or custome or tradition Now what saith God by Ieremy ‡ Cha. 10.3 The customes of the people are vaine Whatsoever savoreth against the truth is Heresie even old custome said Tertullian * De veland Virg. Custome saith ‡ Cypr. Ep. 74. ad Pomp. another without truth is the mother of errour And in another place * In l. 2. Ep. 3. ad Cicil. Wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God To the same purpose speakes Beza ‡ In Luc. 23.27 and others As for orders wee are so farre to be ordered by them as they accord with the order of the Gospell Touching Traditions wee know well enought what they say against them when they deale with the Papists Besides doth not Mr. Page tell us and that * Pag. 37. truely that many worthy Divines are sometimes mistaken Why then may not they be mistaken in our differences In truth wee have the more reason so to thinke considering they bring us no proofe for their doings herein saving bare authoritie And here by the way I thinke good to observe a little of Mr. Pagets talke in pag. 25. having set downe a great part of the Acts and sentences which the Classicall Assembly made against Mr. Hooker also what the Deputies of the Synod did in like manner judge of the thing Hee immediately begins to hold up his head and to looke so big upon us as if there were no remedie but wee must needs runne away and veeld him the cause Had these complaynants saith hee bene wise and considerate persons they would rather have sought to bury the memorie of these things then by their importunate complaints compell me in my owne defence to write these things which otherwise I should not have done But good Sir wherein lyeth the weight of this terrible matter what is it
nothing in them tending that way whereto you stretch them wee say and this is the most that the Magistrates will have us to take one that can speake Dutch and one in this Countrie Now may not they require so much and wee doe it and yet wee keepe still our power If Mr. Paget had but read our words charitably hee should haue seene that which hee inferreth from them to be directly in them contradicted For marke all Readers that haue sence wee say the Magistrates will have us to take one c. doth it not then follow that wee confesse they permit us to use the libertie and power which Christ hath given us yea encourage us to it yet so as wee chuse a man to their liking For conclusion then I shall exspect in his next Booke that hee either blot out this slaunder or make acknowledgement of his fault herein and to induce him the more unto it I wish him to read the Wise-mans saying Devise not evill against thy Neighbour Prov. 3.29 seeing hee dwelleth securelie by thee Lastly let it be noted how unprofitable hee is unto the peace of this Citie in that hee seeketh by untrue reports to set debate betwene the Rulers and people The Scripture saith In the multitude of people is the Kings honour As it is a fathers glory to haue a large posterity a shepheards prayse a great flock so it is a Gouvernours dignity and credit to exercise authority over many faithfull subjects But certain it is Mr. Paget hath bene an occasion not onely to drive some families hence but also a principall hinderer of many and those very rich in the world from coming hither the which thing tendeth unto the great hurt both of Church and Common-wealth and what I here speake I can make it good by many faithfull and honest witnesses The 8 injury is to all the Reformed Churches in publishing complaints against such lawfull authoritie as is exercised by them Answ 1. VVhen M. Paget by the Scriptures hath prooved the matters in controversy betweene us lawfull viz. the power of the Classis and his riffrafe Baptisme then I will by Gods grace acknowledge my fault herein till then I shall alwayes professe that hee hath borne false witnesse against his neighbour A thing in his writings too common with him 2. Observe here how Mr. Paget professeth plain Brownisme and condemneth the Church of England and that hee doth so I proove it thus All Reformed Churches use a Classicall gouvernment so saith hee But the English Church useth no such Therefore it is no Reformed Church and so consequentlie false VVhat Apologie hee can make to vindicate his reputation I yet know not but it may be wee shall see something of it in his next booke The 9 injury that hee taxeth me with is to all that seeke Reformation and desire the same Discipline that is practised in these Churches this their Booke being a stumbling block in the way Answ 1. I suppose by the seekers here after his Discipline hee meaneth the English non-conformists Now in this hee abuseth them and his Readers too for howsoever they would willingly shake off the Prelates yoke notwithstanding it is not to come under his Classicall authoritie but rather to erect that single uncompounded Policie which hee seemes to gibe at whereby particular Congregations are made to be independent Not standing under any other Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves And that this is so I can proove it by many testimonies In a certain booke set out under the name of all the unconformable Ministers in the Realme they write thus Wee confine * Protestat King suprem pag. 12.13 and bind all Ecclesiasticall power within the limits onely of one particular Congregation Holding that the greatest Ecclesiasticall power ought not to streitch beyond the same and that it is an arrogating of Princelie supremacie * Marke this for any Ecclesiasticall person or persons to take upon themselves Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over many Churches And a little after Wee hold that those Ecclesiasticall persons that make claime to greater power and authoritie then this especiallie that make claime Iure Divino * This Mr. Paget doth of power and Iurisdiction to meddle with other Churches then that one Congregation of which they are or ought to be members doe usurpe upon the supremacie of the civill Magistrate c. The Refuter of D. Downames Sermon handleth this point largely and prooveth from the Scriptures and best writers that every particular Congregation Repl 1. l. 3. p. 185. l. 1. part 2. p. 22 23.68 ought to haue absolute gouvernment in it self and that no Officer by vertue of his office may meddle with the affaires and matters of any Church except his owne To these wee will add D. Fulke a man famous and of rare learning in his Learned Discours of Ecclestasticall Gouvernment hee saith There ought to be in every Church an Elde ship Pag. 84. which ought to have the hearing examination and determining of all * Note this matters pertayning to the Discipline and Gouvernment of that Congregation I could name many more but it needs not specially because I shall have occasion to speake againe of the thing in another place Yet this may not be forgotten VVhereas there are many hundreds of our Country-men in New-England they have not erected there any Classicall Gouvernment but every particular Church exerciseth her owne I say within her self wholy which is a sure argument to proove that the foreward professours in England approove not of this kind of gouvernment here pleaded for although hee would feigne haue his Reader to thinke so 2. Whereas hee saith that our Booke is a stumbling block laid in the way of Reformation I suppose it will appeare so farre otherwise as that hee himself will be found chiefly in fault this way And therefore I wish him to be well advised what hee writes hereafter least the reasons which hee layeth downe for his gouverning of many Churches be applyed by the Popes men unto the Hierarchy and to as good purpose too And truely I cannot see but this may well be so considering that both their Disciplines tend unto the taking away of the Churches Right the difference is In the Hierarchy one doth it In the Classes more notwithstanding in this they joyne together viz. in depriving Churches of their due and lawfull power Tenthly hee saith I am injurious to all that are grieved for the offence arising by this fact hee being the cause of their grief Answ 1. If any grieve to see errour discovered the truth cleared good men justifyed unjust doers reprooved it is their fault and sinne But the writings published by me serve for this end and use 2. If any haue given occasion unto others of sorrow it is principally himself in that he hath by unlawfull meanes keept from us the profitable preaching of the mord whereby wee should have bene much furthered in the way to life and glory
then to apply Act. 20.28 to the matter in hand whereas Paul appointeth the Ephesian Elders unto the care and charge onely of their owne particular Congregation and no further it followeth necessarily this being writen for our imitation that every Minister under the Gospell is to containe himself altogether within the bounds and circuit of his owne Church and not to exercise any act of his ministerie otherwhere For to doe it is meerely intrusion and a taking of to much upon him 1. Cor. 7.24 Therefore Let every man wherein hee is called therein abide with God Els others will be injured good order broken scandalls raysed and the doer severely punished for his irregular walking Observe againe how Mr. Paget makes use of the Papists argument for thus writeth Scultingius The Calvinists sayth hee object that the authority of Bishops and Archbishops is not from the Apostles Hierarch l. 10. p. 79. because Act. 15. the controversie there was not confirmed by them but by the whole Church Now marke how prittily hee answereth to it This will not follow for the authority of Bishops Archbishops might be exercised at other times in the Apostles dayes although then it were not Thus hee drawes out Antichrist sword against us onely hee puts a new scabbard upon it His third answer is that Pastours and Teachers are bound to exercise some acts of their ministery towards those who are no members of their Church And why so Because they ought to invite and call others even those that are without Prov. 9.3.4.5 Mat. 28.19.20 Answ 1. I would willingly know of him whither his office be so with him and alwayes about him that hee cannot performe some good actions but they must needs be actions of his Ministery I and others are otherwise minded our reason is because wee are told that as a man and wife a father and child so a Pastour and a Flock are relatives Now in my understanding as I am a father I exercise no proper acts of a father but towards my owne children what good soever I doe to others it cannot properly be said to be the act of a father but rather of a freind a neighbour a Christian c. Now let him make further application of it 2. For his two Scriptures 1. Mat. 28.19.20 is very unskilfully quoted for howsoever the Apostles exercised some Acts of their ministery towards men without yet this prooves not that ordinary Ministers may doe so too but onely a thing so conceited of him The other place is answered before 4. Hee saith that a Pastour may administer the Sacraments both of Baptisme and the Lords Supper in neighbour Churches and this hee sayth hee hath prooved against Mr. Ainsworth in Arr. pag. 17.18 and againe from pag. 109. to 114. Answ 1. As Parents love their owne children because they begat them how ill-favored and black soever they are So Mr. Paget in this place applaudeth his old writings because they are the inventions of his owne head I have 3 or 4 times read the places over and I doe assure thee Reader I find not any thing there prooved of which hee here so vainely boasteth For either hee takes that granted which hee is not able to proove to wit that the Elders Deacons and widowes of one Church may administer in another by vertue of office or els like the unwise mans building his whole discours is without foundation Hee tels us that the Eldership of the separated companie of Leiden did help Mr. Ainsworth in his Controversie with Mr. Iohnson VVhat then must it follow that they exercised some acts of their Ministery in another Congregation For sooth so hee concludeth but how truely I will here manifest in this argument If the Magistrates of Amsterdam performe sometime a worke of mercy to the people at Harlem then they exercise there some acts of their Magistracy but the first is true Therefore the second If Mr. Paget will compare his manner of reasoning with this hee shall see that blood is not more like to blood then these two one the other But I gesse what causeth him to erre herein Hee thinketh that Officers of a Church cannot be helpfull in some causes unto other people but they exercise acts of their Ministery But the thing is not so for whatsoever they doe in such cases they doe it not as Officers but as Christians neither can they now doe more though Ministers in other Churches then any other Brother may doe being indued with the like gifts One thing here I cannot let passe and that is touching his unsound reasoning in pag. 110. Hee tels Mr. Ainsworth that his similitude from a Husband is against himself The reason hee gives for it is because a Husband notwithstanding his relation and bond unto his owne wife may yet become a protectour and guide of the poore widow that wants a Husband to performe these dueties If Mr. Paget will stand to justify the true proportion of his argument as it must necessarily hold or els it is mere vanity I will hence proove from his writing that adultery is lawfull for thus I reason That which is the peculiar duety of husbands to be performed towards their wives is to give them due benevolence But husbands notwithstanding the relation and bonds unto their owne wives may performe the peculiar dueties of husbands to poore widowes Therefore husbands notwithstanding the relation and bond unto their owne wives may have the use of the bodies of poore widowes If hee doe not grant this hee reasoneth without reason For I hope hee will not deny but a man that is no husband may performe many kind offices to poore widowes yea I thinke hee will confesse that a man unmaried may doe as many good turnes to poore widowes as any husband If so then of a certainty either hee must maintaine whoordome as I sayd before or confesse that which hee writes here is most impertinent and that the comparison holds no further but thus viz. that any man out of office may in other Congregations performe as much duety as those which are not Ministers there I hope his sinne here was of ignorance rather then of wilfullnes and that hee had a devotion to serve God a right though hee tooke not in this the right way wherein hee will be served And thus much is sufficient to confute whatsoever hee hath there said Let us therefore proceed to the next For his 5 answer I can better understand his meaning then make either sence or good English of it To proove that a Pastour is bound to exercise his Ministery in some acts thereof towards those who are no members of his Church hee brings the example of Classes and Synods where many Ministers doe meet together for the administration of Discipline in them and to determine and decide by a joint authority the cases and controversies of sundry Congregations and this hee sayth is to be seene in Act. 15.1.2 Answ Who seeth not that this plea is none
already shewed how quite contrary their doings are unto the example in Act. 15. unto which this further may be added that the matter caried from Antioch to Ierusalem was agreed upon by the whole Church Pag. 338. and sent thither by their mutuall desire and consent And hence our Divines teach that the power of bringing things from one Congregation to another belongeth not to any one officer but to the whole Church If this be true by what word of God then doth Mr. Paget by his ‡ Thus hee is accused by our Elders in the records of our Church Oct. 6. 1631. owne authoritie and without the consent of the Consistory or any one of them cary matters to the Classis and there hee and they together undoe all that which the Elders with the Churches consent had before jointly concluded In pag. 82. after many bitter reproaches hee asketh Where is the warrant of Will Be. and the rest how proove they that I destroy the power of the Church Wee are not to seeke of good proofe for that which wee have spoken for seeing hee most unlawfully carieth our busnesses away to be determined by the Officers of other Churches in this respect hee goeth about to spoyle us utterly A little after hee demaundeth What is to be done if the Elders be in errour whither the matter should be brought to the body of the Congregation VVhy not came the word onely from the Classicall Assembly are they the people Iob 12.2 and must wisedome die with them are the Brethren all Simplicians all novices is there not a wise man among them to judge of cases Indeed it is the manner of those which inclose in their owne hands the common rights of Churches so to upbraid them and in scorne to taxe them with lightnes rudnes pride contention c. But the Spirit of God giveth a better testimony of them * Act. 24. to 42. Phil. 16.7 1 Th. 3.5.6 1 Pet. 1.7 and counteth them meet ‡ Lev. 8.23 Deut. 1.13 Act. 11.12 1 The. 5.21 1 Ioh. 3.1 both to heare and determine of matters But this sayth hee the Brownists doe VVould hee have his Readers thinke that none but they have ever done it If his intent be so then I must tell him that hee goeth about to deceive them for as I shall shew in another place this was the constāt practise of the primitive Churches viz. to have matters debated and discussed openly before the whole multitude of the Church And that hee may have something in the meane time to looke upon Hee may if hee please looke on a Booke intituled A discours of the troubles in the English Church at Franck ford where hee shall find among other Articles agreed upon by the whole Congregation these Art 62. If all the Ministers and Seniors which have authority to heare and determine c. be suspected or found parties If any appeale be made from them that then such appeale be made to the body * Marke this Mr. Paget of the Congregation the Ministers Seniors and parties accepted and that the body of the Congregation may appoine so many of the Congregation to heare and determine the said matter or matters as it shall seeme good to the Congregation Againe Art 67. If any controversy be upon the doubtfull meaning of any word or words in the Discipline that first it be referred to the Ministers or Seniors And if they cannot agree thereupon then the thing be brought and referred to the whole Congregation What sayth Mr. Paget to this I hope hee will not say they were Brownists Notwithstanding it was their practise to have matters brought unto the body of the Congregation howsoever hee speakes contemptuously of it 7. The thing then and there concluded was divine Scripture imposed upon all other Churches of the Gentiles although they had no delegates there v. 22.28 ch 16.4 8. It is observeable how Mr. Paget stumbleth at the same stone and misapplyeth the very same place of Scripture Act. 15. as they Papists * Rhemist on the place Ioh Barn in Act. 15. v. 3. Casp Vlenberg 16. caus c. 16. p. 527. have done before For thus they write Paul and Barnabas condescended to referre the whole controversie and the determination thereof to the Apostles and Ancients at Ierusalem that is to say to commit the matter to be tryed by the Heads and Bishops and their determination in Councill And indeed such application of it better serves the turne of Iesuits and Preists that seeke to set up the Popes supremacie and a Tyrannicall Hierarchie then those that desire to stand for the Rights and Previledges which Christ hath given unto his Church When I begun to read his 6 Answer I thought to have found some great matter in it because hee promised to come neerer unto the place Act. 20.28 but having well perused it my exspectation was frustrated for hee is so farre here from coming neerer the point that in my understanding hee runns quite from it All that hee saith is to this effect Men doe attend to their flock when they labour that the same may be increased Answ 1. It is true But how must this enlargement be made surely not by opening the doore of the fould to take in Lyons wolves foxes c. but such onely as by their fruites appeare outwardly at least to be the sheepe ‡ Esa 35.8 Zach 14.21 Rev. 21.27 Ioel 3.17 of Christ whereas therefore Mr. Pager bringes into the Church the children of a stranger * Ezech. 44.7 so I am told are the words in the text my meaning is refuseth not to baptise bastards the seed of the adulterer and the whoore when they are brought unto him Hee needs not glory in his number for it is not the increase of God * Col. 2.19 Ezech. 16.26 but as the Prophet sayth of whoordomes against him And I wish hee would well consider when Christ shall appeare in the brightnes of his glory and shall sit as a just Iudge at his second coming to aske a strict account of all his actions what hee will say then for this thing seeing hee is not able to alledge one precept or example for it in the whole Scripture 2. Seeing hee increaseth his flocke by baptising such infants whose parents are without How commeth it to passe that hee takes not more care afterwards of them some say * Chrisoft Tom. 1. p. 324. that children by Baptisme are made members of the visible Church and of this opinion Mr. Paget by his writing * Orels I know not for what end hee writes it here seemes to be if so me thinkes then it is hard dealing in a sheepheard to take sheep one day into his fould and presently after to cast them off take no further charge of them neither acknowledge them more for his then those which never were of his flock at all For that which is in his 7 Answer It is onely a peece of false
gathereth some observations from the place Now for me to answer his nothing with some thing it were worth nothing Therefore I will passe this Scripture over notwithstanding I thinke fit taking an example from him to set downe some notes also 1. If the Ministerie ought to be fullfilled then must not Ministers marre their doctrine with passion girding spightfull speaches willfull oppositiō crosse teaching c. of purpose to discountenance the truth and to hinder the growth of knowledge and sincerity 2. They ought not offensively to publish unto the world the personall and secret fealings of Brethren but in the spirit of meekenes privately seeke to restore them 3. In their writings they should not set downe untruths and slaunders continuall begging of the question many words for that which was never doubted of and not a word to proove the points in question but contrarywise by the Scriptures soundly convince the gaine-sayer Act. 18. ult 4. They ought not to bring mens devises into the Congregation and there to set them up as part of Gods worship 5. If the people must say to Archippus take heed c. then must not Ministers when they are admonished for their unsound doctrines and bad gouvernment reject the authority of the Church and shrowd them selves under the arme of flesh of purpose to continue in their evill courses Lastly if they must fulfill their Ministery then should they not in their old age be worse in life and doctrine then they were in former time As Mr. Paget thought it needfull that his Collections should be observed so let every godly Minister consider whither it be not meet that each of these things should be duely regarded of them The third Scripture is taken from 1. Pet. 5.2 Feed the Elock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof c. To this hee first answereth that sheepheards for the defence and benefit of their Flockes c. have reason to combine themselves together for the performance of some workes of their calling towards the endangered sheep of other flockes as appeareth Esa 34.1 Luk. 2.8 Gen. 29.2.8 Answ Hee wrappeth his owne feet in the snare hee layeth for another for the similitude as hee here applies it makes against himself altogether For 1. Sheepheards are not simply tyed to combine themselves together 2. Neither doe they it but on some speciall occasion 3. For the combination it self it is not to exercise authority over each others Flock but joyntly to help one another in common cases To make now the comparison hold in proportion Ministers of sundry Congregations are not absolutely bound to combine themselves together neither may they so doe but upon some occasion And touching the combination it self it must not be to exercise any power over each others Congregation but either for mutuall assistance to resist the common adversary or to discusse and consider of matters for their better going foreward in piety and godlynes And this which I say is the judgement of our best Divines Wee doe sayth D. Whitaker confidently affirme that at the first Churches were gouverned onely by their owne Ministers Conir 4. Quaest 1. cap. 1. p. 14. and were not subjected to other Churches or Ministers not Colosse to Ephesus not Philippi to Thessalonica not these to Rome nor Rome to any other but they had all equall power in themselves that is independant jurisdiction and gouvernment Neither did they seeke authority otherwhere either from Praelate or Pope Two things our of these words may be gathered 1. That the primitive Churches were all independent bodies not subjected to any other superiour Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction then unto that which was within themselves 2. It was not the manner of members to cary matters away from their owne Church unto men of other Churches under a pretence that they had authority above their owne Eldership and Congregation Notwithstanding contrary to the first of these is Mr. Pagets profession to the later his practise but how able hee is either to refute Mr. Whitaker herein or to justify himself wee shall heare hereafter for hitherto hee hath bene silent in it To his second answer That the word translated feeding doth also signifie to rule and gouverne I grant it Againe where hee sayth If this kind of feeding be restrained unto one Congregation then is all the authoritie and gouvernment of Churches by Classes and Synods overthrowne thereby This I grant too And further that it is unlawfull for Assemblies of Ministers to exercise any act of power in any Congregation besides their owne What doth now follow in his opinion Then Ministers sayth hee may not give their voyces for the decision of controversies in any Congregation besides their owne contrarie to the use of this word of feeding applied to such in Israell as exercised some acts of their Ministerie for the help and benefit of divers Congregations as Ezek. 34.2 c. Answ 1. Doth not Mr. Paget see any difference betweene a Ministers giving of his voyce for the decision of a controversy and exercising an act of power in another Congregation besides his owne indeed it seemes that hee doth not and therefore most confusedly hath here joyned them together But other men can see otherwise and teach otherwise too they can put a plaine distinction betweene a Ministers giving advise and councill in the matters of other Churches and exercising authority and power over them Touching this point learnedly writeth Basil a Epist 48. 52. Cirill b Epist 18. ad Celestin Socrates c Lib. 1. c. 2.14.21.30 Athanius d Apolog. 2. Theodoret e Lib. 2. c. 8 Sozomen f L. 3. c. 10. Mr. Parker g Polit. Eccl. l. 3. p. 335. also affirmeth that when a Congregation seeketh unto others for assistance it is not for office to determine but for their gifts and estimation not to receive precepts but onely for their consent councill and approbation And for confirmation of this hee names B. Iewel D. Rainolds and others which have writen the same Here let it be observed that when wee used the like speach in our Protestation viz. that wee doe reverentlie esteeme of the Classis for councill and advise in all difficult matters c. Mr. Paget very angerly tels us that this is but a lame halting and half reverence no more then that Mr. Iacob and his company did give to Classes and Synods Yea the Brownists themselves doe seeme to give as much Not to speake any thing of his gibing wee say this is as much as God requireth of us and therefore wee may not give more unto them I know Mr. Paget will take this ill for hee loves not to be so streight lased as to haue his authority confined within in one Congregation but let him remember though Adam found more roome when hee was cast out of Paradise then within yet his condition I suppose was never the more comfortable for that 2. For the place in Ezek.
be feared I say againe those that offend this way may justly feare Gods punishment because hee doth not manifest more displeasure against any sinne then the prophanation of his ordinances nor threatneth to inflict soorer punishments upon any then offenders herein a Levit. 10.2.4 Chron. 13.10 And this is the judgment of sundry of our best Divines viz. Iunius b Anal. expl Levit. c. 10 p. 27. Brentius c Comment in Am. c. 4. v. 4.6 Piscator d Observ 3. in Levit. 10. Paraeus e In Am. 2.12 Cartwright f Catech. pag. 102. and others SECTION VI. HOwsoever I could be well contended in these our differences to deale with Mr. Paget by the Scriptures alone as the booke of all truth knowing as Augustine * De Doct. Christ l. 2. c. 9. sayth that all things concerning faith and manners are contained in them Notwithstanding in regard hee * Pag. 15. vainely boasteth to be caried away with the streame of the Learned who concurre in judgement with him c. I haue thought good to make inquirie about the opinions of men in this matter betwixt us as being loth hee should oppresse the truth and make all men afraid of it by making them beleeve that is desolate and forsaken of all freinds Beginning therefore with our writers I judge it meet and convenient to alleadge in the foremost place the mature sentence of Maister Cartwright In his Reply to D. Whitgift * Pag. 172. l. 1. hee writes thus I doe see that Maister Doctor doth make of the Holy Sacrament of Baptisme which is an entry into the house of God and whereby the familie of God must onely ‡ Note that enter a common passage whereby hee will have cleane and uncleane Holy and prophane as well those that are without the Covenant as those that are within to passe by and so maketh the Church no Houshold but an Inne to receive whosoever commeth * Iust so doth Mr. Paget I will answer therefore all most in as many words as the questions be asked If one of the Parents be neither drunkard nor adulterer the child is holie by vertue of the Covenant for one of the Parents sake If they be both and yet not obstinate in their sinne whereby the Church hath not proceeded to excommunication themselves yet being of the Church * Note their child cannot nor ought not to be refused Againe a few lines after speaking of Papists and other ungodly men Hee affirmeth absolutely that their children ought not to be baptised In the next place wee will consider the Authour of a certaine Booke Pag. 111.112 entituled The Covenant betweene God and man hee there maintaineth this point which wee here professe Baptisme sayth hee is to be administred to them onely that are in the Covenant and that the Reader might understand whom hee meanes to be in the Covenant Hee addeth immediatelie They are such as professe the faith joyne themselves together in a fellowship craue to have their names enrouled and registred in the Church and so partake of the manifould graces of God which are distributed therein To these wee will adde Maister Viret * Ground Reli. p. 230. a rare light of the Gospell and partner with Mr. Farell in planting the Church at Geneva before Calvin came there None sayth hee are to be baptised but the children of the faithfull and beleevers all except these are to be instructed in the doctrine before they be admitted thereunto Piscator likewise is as plaine as can be They onely sayth hee are to be baptised which belong to the Church On Mat. ch 28. Obse in v. 19. For as in old time they circumcised the children of the Iewes because they belonged to the Church and covenant so now c. Mr. Fenner a Doct. of the Sacra sayth the very same so Paraeus b In Mat. 3.5 Erastus c De excom p. 18.24 Melancton d Loc. Com. pag. 383. Keckerman e System Theol. l. 3. p. 453. speaking of the lawfullnes of the baptising of infants gives this as the reason of it viz. because they are members of the Church The like saying wee find in a Booke named a generall confession of Christian Churches Because God receiveth into his Church the children with the fathers Wee say by the authoritie of Christ infants begotten of faithfull Parents ought to be baptized Also Beza * In 1. Cor. 7.14 sayth Such as doe permit all children to be baptized doe a thing unheard off in the primitive Church Neither may Tertullians testimony be omitted speaking as Iunius interprets him of such children as were strangers from the Covenant of God Let them come when they are growne to yeares Let them come when they have learned and are taught wherefore they come Let them then be made Christians when they can know Christ Moreover this is the unanimous confession of all the Reformed Churches to wit that Baptisme appertaineth to such infants as are in the Church and borne of beleevers And for this reason they say they administer unto them the seale of the Covenant viz. because with their Parents they are received into the Church Thus write the Churches of Saxonie a Harm Conf. Art 18. Bohemia b Chapt. 12. France c Art 35. Scotland d Harm Conf. p. 24. Helvetia e Art 20.21 and Belgcik f Art 34. Object 1. But this thing hath been in these Countries a long time practised and therefore it is not meet that so ancient a custome should be laid downe Answ 1. When the truth is knowne sayth Augustine ‡ L. 2. Ep. ad Gaudent let custome give place unto it For * Ambr. l. 4. Virg. wee must not allwayes imitate whatsoever our Elders have allowed but try by the Scriptures whither the things are good which they allowed And thus doe these Churches * A generall Confess of Christ. Church in their writings professe to the world that they judge it of small force in controversie of Religion to be urged with the bare sentenoes of Fathers or with the Decrees of Councills much lesse with received custome or with continuance of time For wee admit they say no other judge in matter of faith then God himself pronounced in his Word 2. By this custome they give the Anabaptists great advantage and nihilate the best argument which our Divines use against them for the lawfullnes of baptising of infants And that this is so let it be observed that the Reason which they in this point doe stick most too is this namely that children of Christians by the same warrant * Calv. in Mat. 18. v. 10. Gerhard Harm Euang c. 12. pag. 352. Cent. 1. l. 2. c. 4. p. 355. D. Willet on Rom. 6. p. 303. Cartwr Christ Rel. c. 37. p. 223. are now to be baptized that the infants under the Law were circumcised Now I haue prooved before
that no infant under the Law was to be circumcised except hee were a member of that visible Church seeing therefore they leave this patterne it must follow as I sayd that they make the argument voyd and of no effect and so refute their owne writings and destroy againe the things which they haue builded 3. Seeing by comparing their practise with their profession they are not so true to their owne grounds as they ought this custome becomes the greater blot and dishonour unto them That they are not true to their grounds I have manifested before To which this further may be added In a Synod held at Dort Anno 1578. it was there agreed that all Parents before they brought their children to be baptized should got unto the Ministers or Elders that so they might give notice unto the Church whose child it was that should be baptized Now for what end should the Parents be enjoyned to acquaint the Church Officers with this thing unlesse their meaning was that none but members children should be baptised If they had intended that things should be as they are now baptise all brought to the Congregation then truely with reverence be it spoken they made a very unnecessary article for what need is there of telling the Church whose children they are if all brought there must be baptised Lastly let it be considered whither the unsound doctrine of the Papists get not countenance by this custome who teach * Aegid Topiar in Epist. Euang. p. 293. that Gods commaundements must sometime give place unto mens traditions Object 2. Compassion towards infants mooveth many Ministers to baptise them Answ Wee may not doe any thing against the expresse will of God under a pretence to shew mercy unto others ‡ 1. King 20.42 that pitty which the godly are to manifest must be rightly-bowelled * 1. Pet. 3.8 that is commaunded of God both for the matter and manner of it It is well knowne that Origen ‡ August de Civit. Dei lib. 21. c. 17 through to much compassion of the wicked thought that the Divels themselves should be saved at lenght unlesse men therefore are carefull to set bounds unto their affections their affections will lead them bejond their bounds To conclude this point my hearts desire is that every godly Minister would be pleased duely to regard these things It was no dishonour unto Iob that hee tooke the councill of his hand-maid Neither did it darken Apollos reputation that hee learned some thing of Aquila and Priscilla A wise Generall of a feild dispiseth not the advise of the meanest souldier in matters of greatest waight Wee are told of a Papist * Picus Mirand an Papa sit supra Concil that wee ought to beleeve a simple plaine Husband man c. if hee speake the truth For my part I should not presume to commend what I haue said to their judicious consideration unlesse I had by diligent inquiry first seene the same to be a truth and so setled my conscience in the certainty of it SECTION VII TO let his scoffes alone which hee merrily puts forth in pag. 71. 72. I will here give him a direct answer unto the thing which hee there demaundeth that is What that due power is by which wee would have the Church to be gouverned and unto which wee would willingly be subjected It is that Polity-Ecclesiasticall which the Lord Iesus the King of his Church hath ordained in the New Testament and given unto all the Churches of his Saints whereby they are to chuse and call into office such as are fit and exercise all other spirituall ordinances in among themselves immediately from him This gouvernment wee hold to be the perfection of all as comprehending in it whatsoever is excellent in all other bodies politicall As man being the perfection of all creatures comprehends in his nature what is excellent in them all Having being with the elements life with the plants sence with beasts and with the Angells reason Those which haue written about the Politike gouvernment of common-wealths as Aristotle a L. 5. Pol. c. 1. l. 3. c. 11. Herbertus b L. 1. Hist Pol. Tolosanus c Lib. 4. c. 5. Bodin d L. 2. c. 7. l. 6. c. 74. Iunius e Par. 1. Qu. Pol. Qu. 4. Danaeus f L. 4. Pol. c. 5. Richterus g Dict. axim 63. Althusius h C. 32. Pol. Contarinus i Hist. Venet. others doe mention three kindes as lawfull and good Monarchicall Aristocraticall and Democraticall Now all these three formes as the Learned ‡ D. Whita cont 4. Q. 1 pag. 14. Refut D. Down Serm. l. 2. par 2. pag. 106. Pet. Mart. loc com Clas 4. c. 5. pag. 783. Keckerm System S.S. Theol. lib. 3. p. 400. judiciously observe haue their places in the Church of Christ In respect of him the head it is a Monarchy in respect of the Eldership an Aristocracy in respect of the body a popular state Further I doe affirme that this Ecclesiasticall gouvernment is unchangeable ordinary best and perpetuall common to all true Churches and unto which all estates must be subject as brethren so every officer likewise And good reason too for it is a matter of faith a point of the Gospell yea of the substance of it and necessary to salvation so farre I meane as other of Gods ordinances But not to speake any more of the necessity and excellency of this Church Gouvernment there being in print many learned Treatises of it I will here lay downe my reasons to proove the former Assertion viz. that every particular visible Church hath from Christ absolute intyre power to exercise in and of herself everie ordinance of God and so is an independent body not standing under any other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of it self And this I will doe if God permit ARGVMENT I. If those Churches planted by the Apostolique institution had power fullie in themselves immediately from Christ to practise all his ordinances Then have all Churches the like power now But the first is true Therefore the second The proposition is cleare and certaine by these Scriptures 1. Cor. 5.2.3 Act. 14.23 2. Cor. 16.2 Col. 2.5 2. Thess 3.14 The assumption is acknowledged by sundry of our best Divines That first gouvernment of the Church sayth Mr. Brightman * On Revel chap. 2 p. 65 edit 3. is common to all times and places and that it is not to be permitted to be at the arbitrement of men to follow what way they list but that alwayes in reforming a Church wee must have recourse unto the first beginnings to the which as our onely rule wee must call back whatsoever strayeth from it and that they are not to be turned tuned according to the crookednes and jarring sound of the succeeding Churches Mr. Parker * Polit. Eccl. l. 1. c. 23. pag. 59. l. 3. p. 95. 300. hath in
effect the very same speach so Mr. Cartwright * Repl. to Whitg l. 1. p. 25. 26. and B. Bilson * Perpet Gouvernm pag. 3. Eccl. Polit. l. 4. p. 148. likewise Hooker gives a reason for it namely because the first state of things was best c. and therefore it must needs follow that customes Lawes and Ordinances devâ—sed since are not so good for the Church of Christ but the best way is to cut off later inventions and to reduce things unto the ancient state wherein at the first they were And this agrees with Tertullians * Cont. Mar. l. 4. c. 5. saying of old That is truest which is first that is first which is from the beginning that is from the beginning which is from the Apostles ARGVMENT II. If Christ in Mat. 18.17 where hee saith Tell the Church doth meane a particular Congregation Then hath every particular Congregation an intyre power in and of it self to exercise Ecclesiasticall gouvernment and all other Gods spirituall ordinances But the first is true Therefore the second The proposition is cleare and certain maintained by the most judicious Divines viz. Vrsinus a Explica p. 2. p. 534. Zwinglius b Explan Act. 8. D. Andrewes c Tort. tort pag. 42. Chemnitius d In Mat. 18.17 Aretius e Idem Pelargius f Idem Hunnius g Idem Vatablus h Idem Munster i Idem Beza k De Eccl. l. 1. ca. 13. Erasmus l Paraph. in Mat. 18. D. Whitaker m De Rom. Pont. cont 4. Q 1. p 86 Cartwrith n Confut. Rhem. in Mat. 18. D. Fulke o Idem Parker p Polit. Eccl. l. 3. p. 79. and others The Assumption is prooved thus That Church which Christ intendeth in Mat. 18. hath absolute power in and of it selfe to performe all Gods ordinances but Christ intendeth in Mat. 18. a particular Congregation Therefore everie particular Congregation hath absolute power in and of it self to performe all Gods Ordinances Moreover let it be observed that this Church in Mat. 18. is given as a plat-forme or example unto all Churches to walke by As Moyses was to make the Arke in every respect proportionable unto the patterne which hee saw in the Mount even so c. ARGVMENT III. Whatsoever was commaunded to the 7 Churches to be practised by each of them apart in and for themselves that no Church of God must now omit But Ecclesiasticall gouvernment was commaunded to the 7 Churches to be practised by each of them apart in and for themselves Therefore no Churches of God must omit the practise of Ecclesiasticall gouvernment apart in and for themselves The proposition cannot be doubted off For as Chytraeus a In Rev. c. 1. p. 29. 54. Artopeus b In cap. 1. p. 11. Bullinger c In Rev. 2. Hom. 8. Brightman d In Rev. 1.2 3. ch and others write All Churches from these ought to learne what gouvernment to exercise what doctrines to teach what persons to excommunicate who to receive and to comfort and the like The assumption is prooved clearely in chap. 2. ver 2.14.20 c. Moreover Mr. Perkins * Expos upon ch 2. v. 20. ch 3. v. 7. speaking of those Churches sayth God gave to every of them power and authoritie to preach the Word administer the Sacraments represse evill men decerne false Prophets to exclude all obstinate sinners from all spirituall priviledges among them ARGVMENT IV. If the Church of Corinth had power and authoritie within her self to exercise Ecclesiasticall gouvernment Yea and did it I meane the Ministerie and the rest of the Church there Then ought not particular Congregations now to stand under any other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves But the first is true Therefore the second The first part is unquestionably certain and of this judgement was D. Willet a Cont. 9. Cent. 1. D. Fulke b Answ to the Rhem. 1. Cor. 5.4 Zanehy c In praecep 4. c. 19. p. 688 Bucer d De Regn. Chr. l. 1. c. 9 Piscator e In 1. Cor. 5. Obser 1. D. Andrewes f Tort. tor pag. 42. Pet. Martyr g 1. Cor. 5. Polanus h Synt. Theo. l. 7. c. 19. D. Feild i Of the Church l. 1. c. 5. Paraeus k In 1. Co 5 de Eccom Zwinglius l Epichir de Can. Missae ad Valent comp and others Againe whereas the Papists and Hierarchy doe say much after Mr. Pagets new doctrine that the Church of Corinth had not sole and alone authoritie in it self to exercise Ecclesiasticall gouvernment our writers viz. Mr. Cartwright * Refutat Rhem. 1. Cor. 5.4 Mr. Parker * Pol. Eccl. l. 3. c. 4. p. 1. 7. 18. c. others doe soundly refute them and proove the contrary by many reasons The latter part is prooved before in the Minors of the 1. and 3 arguments ARGVMENT V. Such actions the Church may lawfullie doe wherein no Law of God is broken But there is no Law of God broken when particular Congregations doe in and among themselves exercise all Gods ordinances Therefore they may lawfully doe it The proofe of the proposition doth arise from the definition of sinne which as Augustine a Cont. Fau. l. 22. c. 27. Ambrose b Lib de Paridis c. 8 truely define it is either a deed or word or thought against some Divine Law Lombard c Lib. 2. 35. Aquinas d Th. 12. Qu. 71. and other Schoolemen as they are called agree hereto The assumption is manifested in our first Argument the first part of it ARGVMENT VI. If the Apostle gave commaundement unto the Eldership of Ephesus for the whole administration of all ordinances in that Church Then may the Eldership of every particular Congregation administer among themselves all Gods ordinances But the first is true Therefore the second The Major is prooved two wayes 1. By Scripture Act. 28. vers 17.28 2. By the testimony of the learned Whitaker * Rom. Pont. Cont. 4. Qu. 1. c. 1. p. 12 Cont. 2. Qu. 5. c. 6. pag. 281. 284. The Minor is undeniable For as Mr. Brightman ‡ On the Apoc. ch 12 pag. 505. sayth there was one forme of gouvernment in all Churches namely that that is delivered us in the acts of the Apostles and the rest of their writings There are extant at this present divers Treatises * See Park Pol. Eccl. l. 2 c. 40. p. 324.325 c. Defen of godly Min. agai Bridg. slaund p. 133.134 c. to proove that Christ hath instituted but one onely forme of Church gouvernment common to all Churches ordinary perpetuall and best Thus wee haue prooved the affirmative part of our assertion to wit that every particular Congregation hath power in and for it self immediatelie from Christ to exercise Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment and all other Religious
ordinances wee will now speake a little of the other part that is proove that particular Congregations doe not stand under any other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves viz. Classes and Synods ARGVMENT VII Such Offices and callings without which the Church of God is complete and perfect for Gonvernment are superfluous and humane But the Church of God may be complete and perfect for Gouvernment without Classicall and Synodicall Offices and callings Therefore these Offices and callings are superfluous and humane This argument the Protestants haue used against the Pope and the Reformists against Bishops Arch-Bishops Chancellours c. Now the same is every-way as firme and good against Synods Classes for without them the Church of God is fully brought to complete perfection and unity D. Fulke * Learn Disc Eccl. Gouv pag. 10.11 confidently affirmeth so much That which D. Whitaker * De Conc. Qu. 1. p. 22.23 writes of generall Councills is by Mr. Parker * Polit. Eccl. l. 3. p. 133. applyed and rightly unto particular Synods The Church of God sayth hee can well subsist without them for she was sometimes without them besides wee are not bound by any speciall commaundement of God to haue them ARGVMENT VIII Whatsoever Gouvernment cannot be found commaunded in the writen Word of God ought not to haue any place in the Church of God But the Gouvernment of Classes and Synods over many partioular Congregations cannot be found commaunded in the writen Word of God Therefore it ought not to haue any place in the house of God The first part is grounded upon these Scriptures Esa 8.20 Mat. 2.8 ult 1. Thess 5.21 Gal. 5.1 2. Tim. 1.13 Likewise this is the judgement of many learned men Athanasius * Epist in prae ad Orthod sayth The Ecclesiasticall Canons come from the Apostles Cyprian ‡ Diaco c. quae Athan. Apo. 2. inseritur sayth From the Scriptures doe spring and thither doe returne whatsoever the Ecclesiasticall Discipline doth require Iulius * Repleo D. Whitg l. 1. p. 25. sayth Not shew of eloquence but Apostolicall Canons are required Mr. Cartwright ‡ sayth Nothing should be placed in the Church but what God in his Word hath commaunded The like Theodoret a 1. Cor. 11. Ambrose b In 1. Co. 7 Ignatius c Epist 2. ad Smyrn Augustine d Epist. 119 Cyrill e In Ioh. 1. and others The second part is also as manifest for if wee once grant as all Learned haue granted that the Churches of the Apostolique constitution were independent bodies and exercised Ecclesiasticall gouvernment in and of themselves then it must follow that Classicall Assemblies c. haue their rise wholy from the pleasure and will of man ARGVMENT IX That Gouvernment which meerly tendeth unto the taking away from particular congregations their due power is unlawfull But the Gouvernment of Classes and Synods as they now are doth meerly tend unto the taking away from particular congregations their due power Therefore that Gouvernment is unlawfull The Major of this argument may easily be prooved by sundry places of Scriptures viz. 1. Thessal 4.6 3. Ioh. 9. Prov. 22.28 Deut. 19. â—4 Gal. 5.1 Also it is grounded upon the definition of justice which is as Tully a L. 3. Offic. Iustinian b Instit l. 1. tit 1. p. 2. and others say to give every one his owne And so much imports the word according to the Etymologie or precise signification of it both in Greeke c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist l. 5. Ethic. c. 7. and Laten d Im à jure Funger Ety Triling p. 4050. The Minor is as manifest 1. by Mr. Pagets owne testimony in pag. 66. where hee confesseth that they haue concluded among themselves in their Synods that no particular Congregation without the leave and consent of the Classis shall proceed to the election of Ministers excommunication of offenders and the like As they have gone in this act farre bejond their calling for as Mr. Barlow * ‡ Expos on 2. Tim. 1. v. 13. doct 6 pag. 357. sayth No man under the degree of a Prophet or an Apostle may prescribe Gods Church and children patternes so by it is the whole power of Churches in a manner taken quite away For instance say the Classes and Synods will not permit that a Congregation shall reject some convicted Heretickes then they must if they will beleeve Mr. Paget let them alone in their communion against Gods expresse commaundement and so obey men rather then God Tit. 3.10 Againe put case some Churches doe want Ministers yet notwithstand if the Classes and Synods will not give them leave to chuse any except unfit and insufficient persons then it seemes by this Synodall Canon they must take such or remaine destitute still Againe this is cleare by their practise likewise for albeit they are no members of our Church notwithstanding they take authority over us and over our Eldership too yea in truth so much authority as any Lord can doe over his servant for so long as hee doth what his maister will haue him doe hee is left alone but if hee meddle with things against the others liking hee is immediately commaunded to cease and so must not proceed further Now what is our case otherwise so long as wee doe that which contenteth Mr. Paget and them wee are suffered otherwise though wee doe jointly conclude an action yet it must not stand for wee are told it doth not belong unto us * So saith Mr. Paget in his answ to a certain writing given in the Consist Mar. 12. 1632. and therefore must give it over So that in the words of the Prophet ‡ Ier. 4.13 See before pag. 16.17.18 wee may justly complaine Woe unto us wee are spoyled ARGVMENT X. It is a sinne against God to add any thing to that forme and manner of ordering Churches which Christ our heavenly Prophet hath set forth unto us in the New Testament To subject particular Congregations under any other Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of themselves is to add unto that forme manner of ordering Churches which c. Therefore it is a sinne to doe it The proposition cannot be excepted against for the Scriptures herein are evident Deut. 4.2 Iosh 1.7 Prov. 30.6 Gal. 3.15 Rev. 22.18.19 If it be a capitall crime to adulterate the Kings coyne How much more c. And of this judgement are many learned men viz. Augustine a L. 30. c. 18. cont Faust Basil b Moral c. 14. Chrisostome c In Agg. c. 1 Cyrill d In Levit. l. 9. Bede e In 1. Pet. 5 Cope f In Prov. 30.6 D. Abbots g Agai Hill pag. 15. Brentius h In Exod. 35. p. 168. Mr. Cartwright i In Prov. 30.6 Melancton k Vpon Col. 2 23. p. 381. Elton and others The Assumption cannot for shame be denyed onely because the weight of the
controversy leaneth upon it I will speake further of it in the next Section There are yet other reasons to proove our Assertion the which I will here lay downe more briefly 1. If every Eldership haue alike and equall power as Hierome a Ep. ad Ena Cyprian b L. de unitâ— Eccles Bucer c De Bâ—gâ— Chr. l. 1. c. 15. and others affirme then may not the Officers of one Congregation seeke by authority to suppresse the acts and decrees concluded in another 2. It is against sence that a Minister should undertake the care of more Churches then one onely who reads in Scriptute of a steward over many families a sheepheard over divers Flockes c. Nature hath ordained sayth Aristotle * Lib. 1. c. 2 one unto one 3. Is it alike thing that the Classicall power should be of Gods approoving and yet hee never mention it in his word This argument the Hierarchy ‡ Iew. Defe Apol. 2. par c. 3. divis 5. use against Popish Offices and the Reformists * D. Laten Syons Plea p. 9. against theirs Now let the discreet Reader judge if it proove not the point in hands as well Here I may not omit Zwinglius * Zwingl Art 8. expl speach speaking of Synods Wee willingly beleeve sayth hee that you are a representative Church for a true Church you are not But I pray you shew us whence you fetch this name Who hath given you this name who hath given you power to make Canons impose things on mens shouldiers grieve their consciences c. And a little after hee sayth Of this representative Church I find nothing in the Holy Scriptures out of mens devises any may faigne what they list wee rest in the Holy Scripture against which thou mayst not attempt any thing if thou be a Christian. 4. Whosoever shall deny our afore-said assertion must of necessity hold two distinct formes of Church gouvernment to be lawfull one where particular Congregations doe in and of themselves exercise all Gods ordinances the other where they stand under another Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves Now to hold this is directly all one as to hold two wayes to heaven distinct and opposite in themselves which is very scandalous in Religion and that which cannot stand with truth 5. Let it be observed that for this reason among others the Learned ‡ D. Whita cont 4. qu. 4 Chamier l. 6. conject 2. say the Pope is Antichrist viz. because hee will haue men to appeale from their owne Churches unto him and to stand unto his sentence and decree And doe not the Classicall Assemblyes and Synods take upon them an authority much like to it in subjecting many Congregations to them requiring appeales to be made to them and that the Iudicatory as Mr. Pagets * In his Letter given into the Consistory phrase is belongeth to them as if their power were above all Churches 6. VVhat more meet and reasonable then that every mans case be there heard and determined where the fault was committed so sayth Cyprian * Cypr. lib. 1 Epist 3. It is not fit that they over whom the Holy Ghost hath made us overseers should goe too and fro Hee speaketh of carying matters away from their owne Church unto others * See pag. 35.36 7. Note the effect if it should be otherwise which is that every particular Congregation must hence necessarily loose her owne proper right in gouvernment and so of a Mistres become a servant in stead of being superiour wilfully vassall and enslave her self which thing is contrary to Gods will revealed in his word * Gal. 5.1 1. Co. 7.23 2. Ti. 1.13 Heb. 4.14 Revel 2.25 8. Seeing the Apostles wheresoever they constituted any Church with doctrine immediately established in it Ecclesiasticall gouvernment ‡ Park Pol. Eccl l. 1 20 for without this as D. Ames * De consc l. 4. c. 24. pag. 214. sayth there could have beene no conbling of the parts and members together It must needs follow that the Primitive Churches were independent bodies and stood not under any other Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves Now how Mr. Paget will be able to proove a change of this gouvernment I doe not yet see especially considering that the Learned as I shewed before * Pag. 72. doe hold that there is but one certaine necessary and perpetuall forme and manner of ordering Churches And this also is the judgement of Calvin a Calv. ad Sad. P. Martyr b In Rom. 3.21 D. Bilson c Perp. Gov. 338. c. yea the Confession of the Churches of France d Harm conf art 29 of the Low Countries e Harm art 30. and Scotland f Treat of the Discipl of that Church in a word to this the Papists g Sander visib Mon. l. 1. c. 6. ascent 9. By the titles given to all particular Congregations it appeares evidently that Ecclesiasticall authority is or at least ought to be in every one of them distinctly wholie intyrely viz. a Kingdome h Mat. 3.2 Family i Eph. 2.19 a Body k 1. Cor. 12.20 a Queene l Psal 45. c. For what more senceles then to say a Kingdome or family standing under another Politicall or Oeconomicall gouvernment out of themselves a body having all parts and members and yet may neither receive in nor put out without anothers leave and consent many such absurdities * See Park Pol. Eccl. 3. p. 23. 321.322 Iun. Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. D. Whitak cont 4. Qu. 1. p. 38. followeth Mr. Pagets lately-devised Tenets 10. The acts of the Apostolique Churches proove directly our assertion For it is without all contradiction that they elected their owne Ministers excommunicated offenders sent messengers and performed all other Church matters among themselves Lastly let it be observed that Mr. Paget in this accordeth with the Papists * Bellar. de Eccl. l. 5. c. 5 and Hierarchy * D. Downa D. Bridges others for they say as hee doth that particular Churches are not independent bodies but stand under another Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves The which thing our writers deny and proove the contrary By this time I suppose the indifferent Reader perceiveth that the Scriptures are every way for us and against Mr. Paget in this controversy betwixt us Now hee should doe well seeing wee dispute about a matter of faith appertaining to life and salvation to rest in them as the onely touching for triall of all truth Notwithstanding considering hee makes so much a doe about the multitude of learned and Godly Ministers being of the same judgement and practise with him Pag. 73. according as Festus knowing Paul to haue appealed unto Caesar did reasonably resolve saying Vnto Caesar shalt thou goe so I am well contented to heare what reverend and judicious Authors doe say herein And if Mr. Paget will stand unto their
Testimonies I doubt not but to make it manifest that as the Scriptures so they are also with us and so much shall be declared in the next Section SECTION VIII THe allegations of the Learned which I purpose here to set downe shall be taken 1. From Papists 2. Lutherans 3. Calvinists 4. English Conformists 5. The Non-Conformists 6. Ancient Writers And lastly the Confession of Reformed Churches Howsoever Romes-Champions * Bellarm. de verb. Dei l. 3. c. 5. Rhem. in Mat. 18.17 1. Cor. 5.2 Aegid Topi. Conc. in Ep. Euangel p. 280. Stapl. de auth Eccl. cont Whita c. 1. c. 1. Sect. 5. will haue none now to meddle with Church-Gouvernment but Preists Bishops Prelates c. yet they doe acknowledge that in the primitive Church according to the precept of Christ in Mat. 18. offenders after the first and second admonition were brought to the whole Congregation met in one place together that is the Christians with their Bishop or Pastour and there if they continued impenitent by the consent and approbation of all they were excommunicated by the Minister * Sculting Hier. Anar l. 11. p. 134 Marke I pray thee Reader the marvelous efficacy of the truth which forceth a testimony thereof even from them that are to it the greatest enimies It is here acknowledged as the truth is the right of Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment at first was in the body of every particular Congregation there lay the due power I doe not say chiefly but wholy so that what spirituall power is now assumed above this whither it be Papall or Episcopall whither it be Classicall or Synodall they are humane ordinances and apparent violation of a divine institution Others of them speake * Saravia cont Bez. pag. 62. Schol. Paris in Pol p. 6. as plaine All Ecclesiasticall authority primarily properlie and essentiallie belongeth to the Church to the Officers instrumentallie Ministerially and so farre onely as it respecteth the execution of it Here is nothing sayd to justify Ministers in taking more authoritie to themselves then they grant their congregations but a testimony to the contrary For what they doe is onely Ministerially as the servants of the Church and therefore a most unseemelie thing without the Churches fore knowledge liking and consent to make acts or decrees but more to bind men to the keeping thereof whither they will or no. To these wee will adde Alphonsus a L. 2. c. 24. de inst Har. de Costro and Franciscus Victoria b In relect de potest Eccl. Qu. 2. the Maister of Canus both these affirme that all Bishops doe receive jurisdiction and power immediately from God If so then one needs not to seeke anothers authority for every one in his owne Church may lawfully administer all Gods ordinances whither others otherwhere doe like or not Thus God who brought light out of darkcnes ordered these mens tongues to give witnes unto his truth Neither may Cusanus * De concor Cathol l. 1. c. 11. c. 14.15.16 words be unremembred who speaking on this place To thee will I give the kees sayth this promise of Christ must be referred unto the whole Church Sanders ‡ De visib Mon. l. 1. c 6. Scultingius * Hierarch Anarch l. 4. pag. 103. and others of them give the same exposition viz. that when Christ promised Peter the kees hee in person presented the bodie of the Church According to these mens writing the power of binding and loosing election of Ministers deposition and the like is in the bodie of the Congregation if so then Classes and Synods have it not I mean of right Iohn Ferus a Frier of S. Francis Order but godlier then the ‡ Such as Bucanan describeth in his Franciscanus common sort intreating in his Commentaries writen on the Actes of the example of Peter how hee was required to render a reason of that which hee had done maketh this note upon it Peter the Apostle and chiefe of the Apostles is constrained to give an account to the Church neither doth hee disdaine it because hee knew himself not to be a Lord but a Minister of the Church The Church is the Spouse of Christ and Lady of the House Peter a Servant and Minister wherefore the Church may not onely exact an account of her Ministers but also depose them and reject them altogether if they be not fit So did they in old time verie often But wicked Bishops now will not be reprooved no not of the Church nor be ordered by it as though they were Lords not Mlnisters * Fer. in Act. 11. What can be more for us then this For hee absolutely grants us the thing which wee stand for that is that the Church is above her Officers and therefore may require when there is just occasion a strict account of their actions Yea more if she find them unfaithfull whether it be in carying themselves more like Lords then servants or in stead of executing the degrees and sentences of the Church devise Lawes against her or in stead of maintaining her right freedom and priviledges seeke to bring her into bondage she may put them downe and place better in their roome But it seemes by Mr. Pagets question in pag. 82. if hee had bene in Peters place hee would not have had his matter debated and discussed openlie before the whole multitude of the Church notwithstanding I cannot see how hee could haue avoyded it seeing there was then no Classes for him to haue made his appeale unto I could here produce others of them viz. Gratian a Caus 11. p. 3. 6. Gregorie b Lib. 4. Epist 8.2 P. Aeneas Silvias c De gest Conc. Basil lib. 1. Pope Anacletus d Dist 21. c. in nov Test Sixtus Senensis e Bib. San. l. 8. annot 171. Thomas of Aquine f In 4 sent dist 2.4 qu. 3. art 2. Alexander of Ales g Sum. Theo. part 4 qu. 20. me 5.6 Iohn Scott h In Magist sent l. 4. dist 19. art 1. c. some affirming that the greatest authoritie is in the Church that the kees were given to all the Apostles others that all Bishops are equall in power and the like But wee will leave these men and come to more authenticke witnesses It is affirmed by the Centuries of Meydenburg that from Christs ascension unto Trajans * Cent. 1. c. 4. Cent. 6.7 Col. 591. time which is about a 100 yeares everie particular Church was gouverned by the Bishops Elders and Deacons of the same Moreover describing the state of Christian Churches from Trajans * Cent. 2. c. 7. p. 134. 135. raigne unto Severus that is from the yeare of Christ 100 to 195 thus they write If any read the approoved Authours of this age hee shall see that the order of Gouvernment was popular for all Churches had equall power of teaching purelie the Word of God administration of the Sacraments excommunication of
Hereticks and wicked persons loosing the penetent the election and ordination of Ministers and the deposition of them againe for just cause Mr. Brightman * On Rev. ch 12. pag. 505. 506. comes Lower downe even unto Constantines time and is of opinion that the primitive puritie of Church Gouvernment was not yet defloured with the dregges of mans invention Neither had Satan brought in Prelaticall pride into the sheep fould of the Lord but the Pastours looked every one to the health of his owne Flocke Hence it appeares that for the space of 200 or 300 yeares after Chrlst * See Mr. Iacob necess Reform pag. 57. c. every visible Church had power to exercise Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment and all other Gods spirituall ordinances the meanes of salvation in and for it self immediately from Christ And this is a thing so certainly true as I thinke Mr. Paget himself will not haue the face to deny it What authoritie then to use anothers * B. Bilson agai Semin p. 221. speach had others after the Apostles death to change the Apostolike Gouvernment But seeing they haue done it what must wee doe Thus leave their inventions and returne backe to the Churches of the Apostolique institution and from them take our patterne and platforme to walke by and thus God teacheth a Eze. 20.18 Exod. 23.2 Mat. 15.24 c. us to doe and learned men also viz. Arnobius b Lib. 2. con Gent. Ignatius c Epist. ad Philadil Iulianus d De Bapt. Heret B. Iewel e Defe Apol. 6. pa. c. 16. div 2. pag. 762. D. Rainolds f Confer 195.459 and others But to goe foreward with our witnesses From these let us ascend to the very first worthies who haue brought us a great part of the light of the Gospel in this later age Zwinglius ‡ Hee was no Lutheran and Luther The first sayth thus * Ad Valen. Comp. Excommunication is not in the Bishops gathered together in a Synod but the right and power thereof is in the Congregation And therefore according to Christs commaundement in Mat. 18. Offenders ought to be brought to the Church whereof they are members ‡ Art 31. Explat Epichirisis de Canon Miss and being obstinate by the Church the Pastour pronouncing the sentence are to be cut off Againe concerning calling to the Ministery hee sayth ‡ Ecclesiastes The right of election is in the whole Church Mr. Luther another excellent witnes of Christ affirmes * Tom. 2. pag. 374. that the Church hath the right and power to judge of any doctrine also of calling the Ministers of the Gospell or if they cease to be faithfull to depose them But is not this contrary to Mr. Pagets new opinion yea altogether For though a Congregation should haue just cause to put downe some Officers notwithstanding by his grounds if they appeale unto Ministers of other Churches and they judge them fit to continue in their places then must they be left alone how vile soever they are so that to speake the truth the power which hee alloweth unto particular Congregations is just nothing Chemnitius another famous man and of rare learning among the followers of Luther is herein with us likewise for hee testifyeth that election * Exam. par pag. 226. 227. 228. Harm in Mat. 18.17 excommunication examination of sentences ‡ Exa Con. Trid. part 1. p. 3. c. belong unto the whole Church Againe observe what hee attributeth in another place to the Congregation what to the guides thereof To the first power * Exam. c. 6. to the later the administration of it Melancton * Loc. com tit de reg Christ hath the like distinction I could here mention many others of them which consent with us fully as Sarcerius a In Mat. 18. Brentius b Exeges in Ioh. 12.23 D. Rungius c In 1. Cor. 5.3.4 Hunnius d In Mat. 16. Osiander e Harm in Mat. 18.17 Salneccer f In Act. 6. Pelargus g In Act. 6. 14. D. Mylius h In 1. Cor 5 Hegendorphin i In Act. 14. c. none of these hold as Mr. Paget that particular visible Churches are noun-adjectives cannot stand without Classes and Synods but on the other side they grant them I mean to the Eldership and Brethren right and power to practise in and among themselves all Gods ordinances For those now whom for distinction sake wee name Calvinists these men I take it are the multitude of Godly and learned Ministers which doe as hee sayth agree in judgement and practise with him Now before I come to lay downe their particular allegations touching our point in controversy This I desire may be observed that it cannot be manifested as I am perswaded that there is among them all one Authour which hath in his Commentaries on the Scriptures taught the doctrine maintained by Mr. Paget here against us It is true some of them grant to the Eldership greatest authority others to the body of the Congregation Notwithstanding none haue bene so erronious as to say that the whole Church I meane Officers and Brethren wants authority to performe in and for it self all Church-services Now for the Authours Peter Martyr a Class ch 5. sect 9. in his common places making the Church a Monarchy in respect of Christ an Aristocracy in respect of the Elders addeth also that because there are matters of great weight and importance referred unto the people as excommunication absolution choosing of Ministers and the like it hath also a consideration of a popular gouvernment Of the same judgement was Iunius b Eccl. l. 3. c. 1. The whole Church sayth hee ought to chuse that is the body consisting of the Eldership and people by equall and common voyces This is the right manner of choosing Ministers With them joynes Musculus c Com. Pl. elect Mini. Viret d Groung Relg l. 3. ch 1. Bullinger e Decat 5.4 Danaeus f In Tim. 5.22 Gualter g Hom. in Act. 13.2 13.22 Sybrandus h Respons ad Hug. p. 159 D. Mornaeus i Hist pa. 542. c. Morell k Tom. 4. fol. 534. Tilenus l Respons ad Com. La Vat. Qu. 8. Epist 14 c. all these I say doe directly affirme the same thing viz. that all particular visible Churches haue full power to ordaine and chuse among themselves fit Ministers Neither can it be gathered to my knowledge anywhere in their writing that unto a full and complete calling of Church Officers any more Ecclesiasticall authority and power is required then that which Christ hath set in every Congregation distinctly and apart To the same purpose they write about excommunication and the absolution or the reconciliation of the excommunicate those are actions they say common to the whole Church and not of any private person or persons Bastingius
nor spared not with the gunpowder of his fiery contention and reproaches to blow up with us a multitude of Godly and learned Ministers being of the same iudgement Howsoever I haue mentioned already some testimonies of the most ancient times after the Apostles downeward even while any soundnes of the Gospel did shew it self in the world Notwithstanding that this right and due power of the Church for which wee stand may not be thought a Noveltie as Mr. Paget jestingly intimates and so unbeseeming Christians to embrace it I haue thought it convenient to write some thing further herein that is to shew that the best approoved Authours after the Apostles are directly with us in this thing also affirming that every particular visible Church of Christ hath power to exercise Ecclesiasticall gouvernment and all other Gods spirituall ordinances in and for it self immediately from Christ And this God willing I will doe in order according to the times in which they lived To begin first with Ignatius who was as some ‡ thinke Euseb l. 3. c. 22. Pastour of the Church at Antioch in his writings wee find it manifested that it was then * Anno 90. the manner of visible Churches to come together in one place * Ad Philadelp ad Magnes a Trall to worship God having Bishops Elders and Deacons unto their Officers whom the people freely choose by voyces or lifting up of hands Is it not hence apparent that Congregations in this age were free and could exercise among themselves all Gods ordinances Tertullian relating the manner of Christian Assemblies in his time * Anno 200 sayth * Tertull. Apol. c. 29. They came together into one Congregation for to pray unto God for to reherse the Divine Scriptures and with holy Words to nourish faith stirre up hope and fasten confidence And they used exhortations reproofes and divine Censure Origen * In Iosu Hom. 7. Anno 225. writes much to the same purpose Such as were brought in the third place for sinne unto the Congregation if they stood obstinate by the iudgement of the whole Church were excommunicated from the body the Elders of the Church pronouncing the sentence Observe here hee sayth not that the matter was caried to a Classis and there first determined c. but names onely the Congregation and Elders thereof notwithstanding had there bene any such superiour judicatorie Assembly is it likely hee would haue omitted it and mentioned a subordinate and inferiour one Cyprian Bishop of Carthage * Anno 225 Cypr. l. 3. Epist. 14. 10. sheweth how causes were not handled before the Elders but the whole multitude without whose consent also no thing was done And speaking of calling to the Ministery hee sayth * Li. 1. Ep. 4 the people have power principallie to chuse worthy Ministers and refuse unworthy ones VVhat can be more full and absolute to our purpose then this Eusebius a Anno 305 testifyeth that the Churches of the most famous Cities were in their constitution first but one ordinary constant Congregation as Ierusalem b Eus l. 3.11 Ephesus c L. 3.28 Alexandria d 3.13 Hierapolis e 4.1 Corinth f 3.32 Sardis g 4.22 c. This being so then it followes that primitively they were independent and stood not under any other Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves Athanasius often sayth that * Anno 330 Epist in pers ad Orthodox Eist ad Soli. vit dege Epist conâ— Nicae c. 9. Eccl. Hist elections excommunications c. according to the Apostles precept ought to be done in the publicke Congregation by the Ministers they taking first the peoples voyce or consent To these wee will adde Epiphanius Ierome Ambrose Cyrill Hillarie and Greg. Nazienzen writers in one age * Anno 380 Touching Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment these to this purpose speake Particular Churches may lawfully ordaine their owne Bishops without other Presbyters assisting them h Epiph conc Haer. 73. and among themselves excommunicate offenders i Id. l. 1. Haeres 30. To. 2. haer 5 In every Congregation there ought to be a Senate or Assembly of Elders k Ieron ad Gal. qu. 10. The power of chusing them is in the people l Ad Rustic Hill ad Const Augu. Ciril in Ioh. 20.21 these with spirituall bridles order men m Amb. Off. l. 1. c. 1. Naziaâ—z in Orat. fâ—r de patr c. VVhat more certaine then that the thing for which wee stand is here justified by all these Ancients They haue not writen dishonorably of the Churches of God sought to disable them from practising Christs ordinances subjected them to other Ecclesiasticall authority out of themselves But contrary wise acknowledged as the truth is that every particular CongregatioÌ„ hath an intyre jurisdiction within it self and so power liberty to chuse her owne Officers excommunicate offenders and the like I say without the approbation of Classis yea against it if there be just cause There are others besides which beare witnes to this truth viz. Augustine a Li. 1. c. 17 de doct Chr. Chrisostome b De Sacerd. l 3. c. 4. Basil c In Constit. Monach. l. 4.14 6.2 7. c. 35. Socrates d Lib. de Offic. Isidorus e Ad Eugen. Bernard f Conci Cart. 3. Can. 22. Nicen. Conc. 330. Concil Constantinop Anno 682. c. Moreover some Councells haue granted so much and Christian Emperours ‡ Distinct. 61. cap. Sacror Codex de Episco l. 38. 29. by their Lawes confirmed it Of all which it may be another time wee shall haue occasion to speake more fully Touching Reformed Churches If wee may take the Confession of their faith for testimony then surely wee haue their consent also with us The Confession of the Bohemian Churches * Harm Conf. ch 14 hath these words The keyes that is Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment are given in trust and graunted to the Pastours and to each severall Ecclesiasticall Societie that is ordinary Congregation whither they be small or great To this the Churches under the Palsgrave ‡ Publicke Catechism in the end of part 2. likewise consented For election of Ministers the Helvetian * Art 16.17 Confession sayth It is right when it is done by the Churches voyce giving and the laying on of hands of the Minister The Confession of the French * Art 30. Churches is the same so Auspurge ‡ Art 14. Also the publicke order set forth in these Low-Countries * Art 31. accordeth therewith The Synod of Middelburgh * 1581. hath these words Let the election of Ministers be in the power of the Church and let it be done by voyces publickely in the Temple The Synod of Tilleburgh in Nasovia determined the like as Zepperus * Polit. Eccl. in fine writeth There is extant a publicke order published in Middelburgh Anno 1602. agreeing with all the former
Assertions I cannot see how Mr. Paget or any other is able to disproove them It is acknowledged on all sides that in the first hundred yeares after the Apostles Ministers and Brethren of sundry Congregations met sometimes to conferre mutually together of common Church-affaires yet so as every particular Congregation had alwayes as the Centuries i Cent. l. 2. c. 4. p. 391. write power and authority in themselves to chuse their Officers reject Heretickes excommunicate offenders and the like So againe for a hundred yeares next after wee read in Eusaebeus k L. 3. c. 22. L. 5. c. 16. L. 3. c. 19. Iraeneus a L. 3. c. 1.2.3 Nicephorus b L. 4. c. 23. and others that neighbour Ministers came often together when there was any daungerous errour broched or weighty points to be determined serving for generall good but this they did of liberty not of duety partly to preserve mutuall society as Zipperus * L. 3. c. 7. sayth and partly that they might hereby be the more able to resist adversaries as Mr. Parker ‡ Eccl. Pol. p. 329. 330 sayth This ancient combination wee hold to be lawfull and necessary that is when there is just occasion that then Ecclesiasticall Officers and others doe come together to conferre of things yea and conclude if they can what they judge meet and good Notwithstanding whatsoever they doe in such cases the same is of no force at all I mean as to be counted a Church-act or sentence unlesse the Church first know it and give their free consent unto it the reason is because the power and authority to make Church-acts is in the body of the Congregation as wee haue before shewed As for any other kind of combinations of many Ministers together otherwise then wee haue here related as the word of God sheweth it not neither doth antiquity If by antiquity the first and best ages of Christian Churches be understood I will not here dispute how things went about Constantines time because as the Learned say viz. Casaubon a Ad Card. Peron Obs 4. p. 30. 31 D. Whitaker b De Rom. Pont. cont 4 pag. 5. Mornaeus * Hist Pap. pag. 37. 38. Brightman ‡ In Apoc. ch 2 p. 67. and others that men began then to devise a new order and manner of Gouverning Churches according as they thought fittest to agree with the times And so much wee find testified by Cyprian e De Lapsis Epist l. 4. c. 4. Eusaebius f Lib. 8. cap. 1. and Ambrose g In 1. Tim. 5. For the change it self This new created Discipline was not Classicall but rather Episcopall so that howsoever they are both children of the earth notwithstanding this I doe affirme that of the two the Hierarchie is the oldest And howsoever Mr. Beza is very streyt to the people hardly granting the liberty which the very Iesuits * Maldon upon Mat. 18. doe yet hee is constreyned to confesse that the first Deacons were chosen by them but sayth hee ‡ In respons ad Tract de Ministr Euang. de grad c. 22. fol. 154.155 this manner of election was neither essentiall nor perpetuall For after when experience taught that confusion and ambition rysing by the occasion of the multitude increasing was to be prevented The Synod of Laodicea prudently tooke order by their 13 Canon that the election of such as were chosen to the sacred Ministerie should not be permitted to the multitude or people My purpose is not to say any thing now of that Synod how of the 59 Canons mentioned by Gratian * Distinct. 16. some are false others foolish and many very superstitious This onely I desire the Reader to note whereas it is here objected that this Synod prohibited the body of the Congregation from using that liberty and power which they before alwayes had in Ecclesiasticall gouvernment and gave it as hee sayth a little after to assembly of Pastours By this testimony then that which I sayd but now is further confirmed namely that the Classicall authority is neither divine nor ancient for this Synod of Laodicea was held after the death of Iovinian the Emperour Anno 370. or thereabout Thirdly hee pretendeth that the Discipline which hee standeth for is a sanctuarie against Tyrannie ‡ Pref. and if men had not libertie to appeale unto Classes they should have cause to bewaile their slaverie and bondage * Pag. 83. Answ 1. It is a strange course when there ariseth a controversy touching two contrary opinions which of them is true and to be embraced to draw the resolution hereof to the consideration of the usefullnes of the opinions or practises questioned As if because a thing is usefull therefore it is to be concluded it is true And not rather in case it be found to be true yea the very truth of God the rule whereof is Gods word therefore wee ought to conclude it is usefull and be carefull to make such use of it as wee are commaunded But what more common now a dayes then for me to obtrude their owne devises upon people upon a bare pretence of the usefullnes of them in mans judgement But in the meane time doe not those which take such courses for the maintenance of their way manifest hereby that their cause is desperate and that it seemes they haue no grounds for their opinions out of the word of God I say when they runne out unto such divinations as these for the supporting of their labouring and wavering cause As for example if the Scriptures doe directly teach That every particular Congregation hath power to exercise Ecclesiasticall Gouvernment and all Gods other spirituall ordinances in and for it self immediately from Christ shall wee not embrace this for a truth unles it appeare in our phantasie more usefull then the contrary 2. Let it againe be observed that the Papists and Hierarchie for their Discipline give the very same reason viz. to preserve the unitie and peace of the Church a Duaran Dist 8. for the avoyding of sehismes and faction b D. White of the Church l. 3. p. 157.158 that there may be no Tyranny and oppression among Brethren c Sand. de visib Mon. l. 5 c. 4. c. yea the corrupting at first of Church-gouvernment was done to prevent evill d Hieron ad Engr. but as one sayth e D. Whita cont 4 pref p. 3. the remedie was worse then the desease And truely so wee may say of all devises of men brought into the worship of God although the Authours doe it to prevent this or that evill notwithstanding the invention it self prooves and wee haue seene it by experience more hurtfull then the thing pretended against 3. I doe deny that this Gouvernment by Classes and Synods serves better for the Churches wellfaire then that which the Apostles instituted and the primitive Churches first practised Wise Politicians in their institutions of Gouvernment doe
hold for an infallible maxime that to reforme corruptions and abuses in states a better course cannot be taken then to reduce things to their primitive originall Hereto agrees D. VVhites * Of the Church l. 2. pag. 49. saying The first in any kind or sort of things is truest and best 4. If it should be granted that particular Congregations by this kind of gouvernment shall haue peace profit credit and other worldly respects yet this is no sufficient reason to induce them to embrace it For 1. wee must seeke peace by lawfull meanes 2. Outward quietnes is not alwayes necessary for the Church the Truth is like unto Camomill the more you presse it downe the faster it groweth and spreadeth further and smelleth sweeter 3. Religion can subsist without externall peace I say safely in the midst of contentions 4. It is better to want this freedom of which hee speaketh holding fast the truth then in sinne to haue it and perish for it 5. It is a rule among Lawers ‡ Bartol Distinct pag. 2. that publicke profit must not take place against Law this holds firme in all cases of Religion To conclude then in Nazianzens * De Moderat in disceptat Servand words Let no man be wiser then is meet not more just then the Law more bright then the sun streaghter then the rule nor pretend more obedience then God requireth c. This hee speakes of Discipline Another of his reasons is this Pag 72.153 The power for which hee standeth hath bene determined limited and agreed upon in many Nationall Synods And all Reformed Churches use it Answ 1. It is a received opinion among the Learned that Councills may erre yea and often haue as I could shew in many particulars Besides who knowes not that almost all the Fathers as they are called were infected with the errour of Millenaries And almost all the Greeke writers and Latine with the doctrine of free-will merits invocation on the Saints and the like And therefore as one well sayth ‡ Sibrand Lubbert de princ Christ l. 7. c. 10. p. 694. Wee must not conclude a thing to be Apostolicall because the Church observeth it And to the same effect write some Papists * Tho Aqui in quod l. 9. Art ult Abb. Panor de elect c. significat 2. These testimonies are all humaine and therefore it is enought if wee say with our Lord ‡ Mat. 19.8 From the beginning it was not so Or as hee sayd once Woman what have I to doe with thee So in matters of faith what haue wee to doe with men Away with mens writings sayth Augustine let the voyce of God sound unto us Let the Booke of God come amongst us Let us heare what Christ saith and what the truth speaketh For our judgements and expositions without these witnesses have no credit sayth Origen 3. This reason is the same which the Papists use viz. the Decrees a Whitak cont 4. Qu. 5. c. 10. Sarav de Tripl Episc in Prolog Io. Ainsw Large writing 2. of Synods the opinions of the Fathers the custome of men and practise of the Church But marke what answer our Protestant Divines make to it No b D. Rain Confer p. 195.257.459 D. Bilson to the Semina part 4. pag. 360.300.301.299 D. More Apol. p. 2. c. 14. Casaub Epi. ad Per. Car. p. 32.33 humaine proofe is sure in Divinity truth is not to be tried by consent of Fathers Never shall they perswade us any thing in matter of Religion which they cannot proove by Moyses and the Prophets Make us good proofes out of Scriptures Otherwise if ye cite not onely 9 but 9 skore Fathers wee regard it not Now this answer will serve me as well seeing Mr. Paget and they doe use one and the same reasoning Another objection which hee hath against us is Because wee haue not framed our accusation and protestation against him before this present seeing the practise hath continued among us many yeares c. Answ Formy part I never knew that our Congregation was in such deepe bondage untill Mr. Hookers troubles began but thought verely that our owne Eldership with the Brethren jointly together had full power among themselves to practise every ordinance of God And the thing specially which induced me so to thinke was his owne words * Arâ—ow against sep pag. 116. writen to Mr. Ainsworth reporting how hee was first made our Minister hee sayth The Dutch Eldership in this City being desired hath for their counsell and help in his ordination deputed three of their Brethren to assist us in this busines c. this they did not as assuming authoritie ‡ Note to themselves over us but in our name and by our request Being now established when as of late another Minister was called unto our Congregation wee used not their help herein as before but his ordination was performed by our owne Ministerie and Eldership without them If the Classis assumed not then any authority unto themselves over us how comes it to passe that they doe it now Or how will it hang together that their power is ancient and yet 20 or 30 yeares past they used it not This to me seemes grosse contradiction and that hee eates his owne words as Saturne did his children But I gesse what hath caused him to tell two contrary tales namely the difference of the people against whom hee hath writen The first were Separatists and therefore no marvaile though against them hee pleaded for a free Congregation for hee well knew that unlesse hee went this way to worke hee should fall with dishonour in the controversie between them The other are the oppressed and burthened members of the English Church in Amsterdam Now to keepe these under their burden and oppression hee sees that hee must let goe his former hold and on the contrary say wee are not a free Congregation but stand under another Ecclesiasticall authoritie out of our selves Thus a good wit will serve a disputant in good stead for by it if hee list hee can as the Poëts fable of their Proteus turne himself into all shapes Like him who having made an excellent speach in the commendation of justice afterwards spake as wittily to the contrary shewing that there was no justice at all in the world Or like a Gentleman of whom I haue heard that in an Assembly of States such as wee call Parliaments was absolutely the best speaker yet nothing respected and that for a most sufficient reason which was this They knew full well hee could speake as well and as moovingly to that which was quite contrary And I willingly professe that Mr. Paget hath a rare faculty this way to turne a thing which way hee will and make it say either I or no or both when hee pleaseth Notwithstanding this I must tell him the very thing which hee speakes off touching Mr. Robinsons Booke is now true concerning his owne former writing It is sicke of King Iehorams incurable desease Arrow pag. 59. the guttes of it fall out day by day Yea hee openlie pluckes out some of bowells thereof with his owne hands There are some other objections of the like nature which hee useth against us partly to disgrace our persons partly our cause as that wee doe not agree among our selves touching the due power of the Church That the practise which wee stand for is Brownisme c. Answ Such cavillations the a Celsus pag. 802. Lactant. l. 4. c. ult Isod Pelus Epist 90. Heathens haue used sometimes against Christian Religion so Papists b Bellar. de not Eccl. against Protestants and the like they c Brone Serm. pag. 103.104 Casend Answ to Abstract p. 210. c. Whitg p. 888. Loe comp cha p. 47. D. Bridg. l. p. 134. against Reformists Now I will not stand to make any particular answer hereto because the folly and vanity of it is sufficiently shewed by others d Iew. Def. Apol. p. 3.8.2.1 Whitak cont 4. qu. 5. c. 8. Sutclift de Eccl. p. 109. D. Mort. Apol 1. l. 2. who haue had occasion hereto-fore to reply unto such idle objections This onely for conclusion I desire may be noted that whereas hee seekes to disgrace Christs Gouvernment and to haue his owne honoured and embraced in this hee doth as one said in Tully of Hortensis when hee immoderately praysed eloquence that hee would have lift her up to heaven that hee himself might have gone up with her So I perceive Mr. Paget would faine haue the Classicall Discipline advanced that hee by it might haue worldly credit also Ioh. 13.17 If ye know these things blessed are ye if ye doe them FINIS ERRATA For were read where pag. 3. l. 13. For fayling read faylings p. 4. l. 22. For partialty read partiality p. 10. l. 33. For contended read contented p. 12. l. 15. For take read talke p. 15. l. 26. For word read world p. 33. l. 27. For conquest read conquer p. 51. l. 22. For notwithstand read notwithstanding p. 74. l. 15. For touching read touch-stone p. 77. l. 25.