the affections And many are fitted to worke on the affections as Pastors who are not able to teach as Doctors in the Schools So hath Chrysostome and Theodoret observed upon these words Rom. 12. 7 8. Nor doth it move me much that Paul speaketh twice in one verse of the Deacon it is not unusuall to the Spirit of God in divers Scriptures so to doe as Prov. 1. Prov. 2. Psal. 119. How dangerous it is to affirme that all the Officers are not set downe in Gods VVord we may be taught by Papists for Estius giveth a reason why the Apostle setting downe 1 Cor. 12. 28. the Officers in Gods house hath omitted the Pope he answereth the Apostle is not here setting downe the degrees of the Hirarchicall Order for then he should have set downe Bishops Presbyters Deacons which be parts of that Order but onely he setteth downe some chiefe members of the Church indued with rare gifts and commenting on Ephes. 4. he saith The Pope is set downe under the name of Pastors and Doctors because he sendeth Pastors and Doctors to all the world and this was the reason why the Prelate was reputed a Pastor and the onely Pastor because though it was too base for him to preach yet he preached in and through poore Presbyters whom he sent And Salmeron moveth the question why 1 Cor. 12. 28. the Pope Cardinals and Patriarches are omitted in this place and we say Why are Bishops Archbishops Primates Metropolitans Deanes Archdeacons Chancellours Officials c. never once mentioned in the VVord of God But Salmeron answereth 1. They are implicitely set downe here and under the name of helps opitulations Paul hath instituted Deans Archdeans and the foure lesser orders And what else doe divers answer who teach that government 1 Cor. 12. 28. is but a generall and the Church in a prudentiall way under this may substitute and introduce such and such species of governments as they shall finde convenient as ruling Elders ruling Prelates and such like but I would gladly know why the Spirit of God hath particularly set downe the last specified Officers as 1 Cor. 12. 28. Apostles under which are no species of Apostles but onely such individuall persons Matthias Paul c. and hath also set downe Pastors in specie Doctors and Teachers in specie Ephes. 4. 11. under which there be onely such individuall persons who are Pastors and Teachers as John Epaphroditus Archippus Thomas c. and there is no roome left for the Church to subdivide Pastors or Doctors into such and such new spâ—cies as Popes Cardinals c. and yet under the generall of governments many species and new kindes of governments in a prudentiall way may be brought in If Christ have set downe the particulars of Pastors Prophets Apostles according to their last specified nature why hath his wisdome not beene as expresse and particular in all other offices necessary for feeding and governing the flocke of Christ a Pope a Prelate a Cardinall an Officiall would take as small roome in print and in Christs Testament as Apostle Doctor Pastor though I grant they doe take halfe so much more roome in the State and Parliament Of Deacons WE conceive according to Gods VVord Acts 6. that Deacons be of divine institution because when some poore widowes were neglected in the dayly ministration the Apostles appointed seven men of good report and full of the holy Ghost to take care of Tables and provide for the poore that the Apostles might give themselves to the Word and Prayer Object 1. There is not one word of Deacons Acts 6. not one word of the poverty of widows and these seven were but civill curators and tutors of the widows and not Church-officers for any thing that can be collected from Gods Word Answ. The equivalent of a Deacon in name is Acts 6. there are those who are not to preach the VVord but are to serve Tables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some did complaine because their widowes were neglected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if widowes were neglected through the want of a dayly Deaconry the Text must insinuate a Deaconry and a want of a Table to these widowes Secondly it is unknowne divinity that the twelve Apostles in a Church-assembly doe institute and that with solemne prayer and imposition of hands officers meerly civill to tutor widowes Thirdly the daily ministration was the want of sustenance as it is said That certaine women ministred to Christ of their substance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20. 34. Yea your selves doe know that those hands have ministred to my necessities And is it like that the Apostles were civill curators to widowes before this time Object 2. It is evident from the Text that these Deacons were not of divine institution but of a meere temporary erection for the present necessity of the Church First it is said they were appointed Acts 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly they were erected upon occasion of the multiplying of the disciples Thirdly upon occasion of the poverty of widows and therefore when there be no poore there is no need of Deacons and so it is but an office of a temporary standing in the Church Answ. These words in those dayes are not so much referred to the institution of Deacons as to the order of the history Secondly to Satans malice who raised a schisme in the Church when the number of Disciples grew And thirdly are referred to the murmuring of the widows and they doe no more prove that Deacons are a temporary institution and brought in by the Church in a prudentiall way for the Chuches present necessity then the Lords Supper is concluded to be but a temporary and prudentiall institution of the Church because it is said In the night that Iesus was betrayed he tooke bread c. Secondly the occasion of the multiplying of Disciples the neglecting of the widows doth not prove that Deacons are a prudentiall and temporary institution for here I distinguish betwixt an occasion and a motive and cause divers Ordinances of God have both these As the occasion of writing the Epistle to Philamon was the flight of Onesmus a fugitive servant from his master and his willing minde to returne to him againe and upon that occasion Paul did write to Philamon but that will not prove that the Epistle to Philemon is but a prudentiall Letter and obliging for a time because the motive and cause why the holy Ghost would have it written was that it should be a part of Canonicall Scripture obliging to the second comming of Christ. The like I say of the Epistle to the Galathians written upon occasion of seducing Teachers who had bewitched the Galathians and made them beleeve they must be circumcised and keepe the Law if they would be justified in Christ Yet hence is not proved that the Epistle to the Galathians is but a prudentiall Letter and not of divine and perpetuall institution for the cause and motive
people ought to obey and we condemne a meere popular government such as our writers condemne in Morellius They adde Government meerly Aristocraticall where all authority is in the hands of the Eldership excluding the people from intermedling by way of power we conceive to be without warrant and injurious to the people infringing their liberties in chusing Officers admitting members censuring offenders even Ministers Col. 4. 16. To which doctrine we oppose these conclusions 1. Concl. Our brethren hold a meere popular government with Morellius 1. Because nothing is left peculiar in government to the Officers which all the people have not 2. Because a greater power of Church-Jurisdiction as I shall prove is given to the people then to the guides for cursing by Excommunication of all the Officers and blessing of them by pardoning their faults and admitting of Members and laying on of hands is the greatest power that can be given to people But this and many other acts of jurisdiction the people have by our brethrens Doctrine 3. The people is no more obedient to the Eldership in teaching then Indians and Infidels who are hearers of the word and are under an obligation to obey the word and under the very same obligation of an Evangelicke offer made to all The people say they are under the obligation of obedience to Pastorall teaching under the paine of Church censures but so are not Indians who may be onely hearers but are in no Church-membership I answer Obligation to Church censures from the Pastors as Pastors lyeth not on the people by our brethrens doctrine 1. Because Pastors as Pastors are not the Church builded on the rocke nor the Spouse of Christ nor any part thereof nor any part of the visible Church to the which Christ hath given the Keys for the visible Church is a compleate Church in esse in operari in their being and Church actions of a visible Church without all Pastors of any Officers as they teach 2. Because Pastors are onely parts of the visible Church as believers and so have the power of the Keyes as believers and this the believers have which the Pastors have not and so seeing the Pastors as Pastors have not the Keyes nor can they use the Keyes or excommunicate as parts or members of the visible Church because as Pastors they are neither parts nor members of the Church but adjuncts and meere accidents of the visible Church and therefore the people are under no obligation of obedience to Pastors as Pastors under paine of Ecclesiasticke censures more then Indians or Infidels who are their hearers 2. Concl. Christ hath given no warrant at all of actuall Church government to all the whole visible Church 1. so the places that I cited before Iadde the styles of Officiall dignity given to Officers because of their government are given onely to Officers and never to the people Ergo the people have no power of government the consequence is sure those who are priviledged of Christ to governe ordinarily should be and duely are Governours But the stile of Gods is given to Church-guides Ioh. 10. 33 36. Ioh. 20. 21. which title for governing is given to Judges Psalm 82. 6. Exod. 21. 6. And his Master shall bring him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Judges Now the people are not Gods nor are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 13. 17. over the people in the Lord. Which word no doubt the Apostle borrowed from the Septuagint so stiling the Rulers not because of their place of preaching onely but of governing also as Jos. 13. 21. Micah 3. 9. Ezech. 44. 3. Dan. 3. 2. Acts 23. 24. Matth. 27. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is given to the Kings or supreame rulers 1 Pet. 2. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so it is frivolous that they say Church-Officers are never called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For these words of officiall power of government are no lesse powerfull and never communicated to any but to Church-Officers such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 watchmen not onely for preaching but also for government Phil. 1. 1. 1 Tim. 3. 2. Acts 20. 28. and the people are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governours 1 Cor. 12. 28. nor are they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 8. nor obliged to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers as they are the visible Church nor should they bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 5. 17. nor are they to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labourers and over the Saints in the Lord. 1 Thess. 5. 12. 2. If all the people as contradistinguished from Officers are to watch over one another and by office to rebuke censure excommunicate ordaine and exauthorate Officers then must they in Conscience attend the judging of all causes of adultery fornication drunkennesse swearing oppressing defrauding one another as they fall under scandall Now this is a calling distinct from their owne calling in respect the holy Ghost alloweth to the Elders stipend and maintenance 1 Tim. 5. 17. yea and hire as to labourers Matth. 10. 10. as to souldiers husbandmen dressâ—rs of vineyards feeders of flocks 1 Cor. 9. 7 8. yea as to the oxe that treadeth out or thresheth the corne vers 9. and by this all the people are made officers and stipendiaries to whom by the Law of God and nature stipend is due Now this looscth them from their own proper callings of Merchandise Trading Husbandry Laws Medicine Manufactures and maketh all these callings sinfull unlawfull to the Saints by calling who are members of a visible Church according to that 2 Tim. 2. 4. No man that warreth in t angleth himselfe with the affairs or callings of this life which is grosse Anabaptisme condemned by Gods Word 1 Cor. 7. 20 21. Eph. 6. 5. Col. 2. 22. 1 Thess. 4. 11. Now certainly if actuall government with the power of the Keyes be committed to all the members of the visible Church the Epistles to Timothy and Titus and Canons of right government must be written to Timothy and Titus not as to Pastors but as to beleevers as the Keyes were given in Peters person and a warrant to binde and loose Matth 18. Matth. 16. as representing beleevers not as to a Pastor then they are to commit the word to faithfull men who are able to teach others and to give up their earthly callings as 2 Tim. 2. 2 3 4. and to lay hands suddenly on no man and not to receive a testimony against an Elder but before two or three witnesses 1 Tim. 5. 22 19. and to war a good warfare 1 Tim. 1. 18. And this must needs follow since Separatists teach That all the people are obliged in Conscience to judge and to be personally present and that by their Office and Church-calling when ever any sentence is given out against offenders for if the Elders be onely present and the people absent the Elders shall tyrannize saith Answorth over the peoples Consciences for the
him all spirituall headship over the Church to the King and Burbillus also But Henric. Salcobrigiensis calleth the King primatem ecclesiae Anglicanae the Primate of the Church of England and â—ges oleo sacro uncti capaces sunt jurisdictionis spiritualis because they are annointed with holy oyle therefore are they capable of spirituall jurisdiction also may saith hee creat propria autoritate by his owne authoritie create Bishops and dâ—prive them See what Calderwood hath said and excerped out of the writings of these men the King as King 1. convocateth Synods 2. defineth ecclesiasticall canons 3. giveth to them the power of an ecclesiasticall Law 4. executeth Church Canons 5. appointeth commissioners who in the Kings authoritie and name may try heresies and errors in doctrine punish non-conformitie to Popish ceremonies may confine imprison banish Ministers 6. descerne excommunication and all Church censures and use both the swords 7. relax from the power and censures of all ecclesiastick Lawes give dispensations annull the censures of the Church upon causes knowne to them give dispensations against Canons unite or separate Parish Churches or diocesan Churches and by a mixt power partly coactive and civill partly of jurisdiction and spirituall the King may doe in foro externo in the externall court of Church discipline all and every act of discipline except hee cannot preach baptize or excommunicate And whereas Cartwright saith when a lawfull Minister shall agree upon an unlawfull thing the Prince ought to stay it and if Church ministers shew themselves obstinate and will not bee advised by the Prince they prove themselves to be an unlawfull Ministery and such as the Prince is to punish with the sword O but saith hee the author of the Survey how shall the Prince helpe the matter shall be compell them to conveene in a Synod and retract their mind but they will not doe this 2. By what authoritie shall the Prince doe this even by extraordinary authority even by the same right that David did eate of the Shew-bread if by ordinary authority the Prince would doe it yet doe you resist that authority also Answ. Though the Prince had not externall force to compell Church-men to decree in their Synods things equall holy juâ— and necessary yet it followeth not that the King as King hath not Gods right and lawfull power to command and injoyne them to doe their dutie force and Law differ much as morall and physicall power differ much 2. If they decree things good lawfull and necessary the Prince hath a power given him of God to ratifie confirme and approve these by his civill sanction but hee hath no power ordinary to infringe or evert what they have decreed 3. And if the Church bee altogether uncorrigible and apostate then wee say as followeth 7. Conclution When the representative Church is universally apostaticall then may the Prince use the helpe of the Church essentiall of found beleevers for a reformation and if they also bee apostatick which cannot be except the Lord utterly have removed his candlestick wee see not what hee can doe but heare witnesse against them but if there bee any secret seeker of God in whose persons the essence of a true Church is conserved The King by a royall power and the Law of charitie is oblieged to reforme the land as the godly Kings with a blessed successe have hitherto done Asa Jâ—siah Jehoshaphat 〈◊〉 in which case the power of reformation and of performing many acts of due belonging to the Church officers are warrantably performed by the King as in a diseased body in an extraordinary manner power recurreth from the members to the â—â—â—â—tick head and Christian Prince who both as a King 〈◊〉 â—â— in an authoritative way is oblieged to do more then ordâ—â—â—y and as a Christian member of the Church in a charitative and common way is to care for the whole body 8. Conclusion The influence of the Princes regall power in making constitutions is neither solitary as if the Prince his 〈…〉 could doe it nor is it 2. collaterall as if the Prince and Church with joynt concurrence of divers powers did it nor is 3. as some flatterers have said so eminently spirituall as the consultation and counsell of Pastors for light onely hath influence in Churches Canons but the Princes power hath onely the power to designe so as the Canon hath from the Prince the power of a Law in respect of us The Kings influence in Church Canons as wee thinke is as a Christian antecedent to exhort that the Lord Jesus bee served 2. concomitant as a member of the Church to give a joynt suffrage with the Synod 3. consequent as a King to adde his regall sanction to that which is decreed by the Church according to Gods Word or otherwise to punish what is done amisse Now that the Prince as a solitary cause his alone defineth Church matters and without the Church and that by his ordinary Kingly power wanteth all warrant of the Word of God 2. The King might have given out that constitution Act. 15. It seemeth good to the holy Ghost and to us which in reason is due to the ministeriall function for these are called Act. 16. 4. the decrees of the Apostles and Elders not the decrees of the King or Emperour either by Law or fact 3. Christ ascending to heaven gave officers requisite for the gathering of his Church and the edification of the body of Christ but amongst these in no place we finde the King 4. If this bee true heathen Kings have right to make Church-Canons though they bee not able and bee not members of the Christian Church and so without and not to bee judged by the Church nor in any case censured Matth. 18. 17. 1. Cor. 5. 11. and this directly is a King Pope who giveth Lawes by a Kingly power to the Church and yet cannot bee judged by the Church Burhillus and Thomson acknowledge that a Heathen King is primat and head of the Church and must hee not then have power aciu primo to make Lawes and to feede the flocke by externall government But Lancel Andreas Biship of Ely Tortura torti saith that a heathen King hath a temporall Kingly power without any relation to a Church power and when hee is made of a Heathen King a Christian King bee acquireth a new power But the question is if this new power be a new kingly power or if it be a power Christian to use rightly his former kingly power if the first bee true then 1. as learned Voetius and good reason saith hee was not a King before hee was a Christian for the essence of the Kingly power standeth in an indivisible point and the essence of things admit not of degrees 2. Then should hee bee crowned over againe and called of God to bee a Christian King and so hee was not a King before which is against Scripture for Nebucâ—adnezzar was to bee obeyed
principles for sometime they say the Apostles gave out this decree as Apostles and sometime there is nothing here done by a meere doctrinall power such as Paul had over Peter or one single Pastor hath over another now it is sure that Paul had no Apostolick power over Peter and that one Pastor have not Apostolick power over another 2. When our brethren say here that the Apostles as Apostles by an infallible spirit gave out this Decree they doe in this helpe the Papists as Bellarmine Becanus Grâ—â—rut and in particular the Jesuit Lorinus who saith decrâ—um authenticum cujus inspirator spiritus sanctâ— and so saith Cornelius a lapide visiâ—m est nob is inspiratis decretis a Spiritu sanctus therefore saith hee the councell cannot erre and so Salmeron and Cajetan say and expresly Stapleton saith this Apostosack definition flowed from the instinct of the holy Ghost observandum saith Stapleton quanta habenda sit ecclesiae definienth authoritâ—s hence our brether here must yeeld either that all Synods are infallible as Papists say this Synod the patterne of all Synods being concluded by an Apostolick spirit could not erre and so neither can councells erre or they must with Socinians and Arminians say there is no warrant for Synods here at all And certainly though wee judge our brethren as farre from Popery and Socinianisme as they thinke wee detest Anti-Christian Presbytery yet if this Synod bee concluded by an Apostolick spirit it is no warrant to bee imitated by the Churches and wee have no ground hence for lawfull Synods Whittakerus Calvin Beza Luther and all our Divines do all alledge this place as a pregnant ground not of Apostolick but of ordinary and constant Synods to the end of the world and Diodatus good to the holy Ghost because they did treat of ecclesiasticall reders concerning the quietnes and order of the Church wherein ecclesiasticall authoritie hath place the Assembly used this tearme it seemed good to us which is not used neither in articles of faith nor in the commandements which meerely concerned the conscience and to shew that authoritie was with holy reason and wisedome there is added and to the holy Ghost who guided the Apostles in these outward things also 1. Cer. 7. 25. 40. 2. If our brethren meane that the Elders and brethren were in this Apostolick and immediatly inspired Synodicall determination not as collaterall penners of Scriptures joyned with the Apostles but onely as consenters and as consenters by power of an ordinary holy Ghost working consent in them more suo according to their capacitie as ordinary Elders 1. They yet more helpe the Papists because they must say onely Apostles and so onely their successors the Prelates had definitive voices in this Synod the Presbyters and Brethren did no more then Papists and Prelates say Presbyters did in generall councells of old and therefore the Presbyter is to subscribe Ego A. N. Presbyter consentiens subseribo whereas the Prelate subscribed say they Ego A. B. Episcopus definiens subscribo wee crave a warrant in Gods Word to make an Apostle or a Prelate a Synodicall definer having a definitive voyce and the Elder Brother or Presbyter to have a consultative voyce for here all the multitude if there was a multitude present doe make Synodicall decrees by consulting and consenting yea all the nation may come to a nationall Synod and both reason dispute and consent because matters of doctrine and government of the Church concerneth all therefore all have an interest of presence and all have an interest of reasoning and 3. by consequent all have an interest of consenting yea of protesting on the contrary if the Synod determine any thing against the Word of God If they say there is a threeford consent in this Synod 1. an Apostolicall 2. a second Synodicall agreeing to Elders as Elders and a third that of the people or a popular What a mixt Synod shall this be but 1. then as the Epistle to the Tlxssalonians is called the Epistle of Paul not the Epistle of Silvanus and Timotheus though Silvanus and Timotheus did consent so these dogmata or decrees should not be called the decrees of the Apostles and Elders as they are called Act. 16. 4. Act. 15. 6. Act. 21. 25. but onely the decrees of the Apostles seeing the Elders did onely consent and had no definitive influence in making the decree by this doctrine as Silvanus and Timotheus were not joynt pen-men of Scripture with Paul 3. When as it is said the specification of actions must not bee taken from the efficient cause but from the formall object and all that a done in this Synod might have beene done by a single Pastor I answer wee doe not fetch the specification of this rebuke and of these decrees from the efficient causes but from the formall object for an Apostle might his alone have rebuked these obtruders of circumcision and made this decree materialiter for Paul did more his alone then this when hee wrote the Eâ—istle to the Romans but yet one Pastor could not have Synodically rebuked and given out a decree formally Synodicall laying an Ecclesiasticall tie on moe Churches then one there is great ods to doe one and the same action formally and to doe the same action materially and I beleeve though actions have not by good logick their totall specification from their efficient cause yet that ordinances of God as lawfull have their specification from the efficient causes in part our brethren cannot deny For what made the difference betwixt Aaron his fire offered to the Lord and Nadab and Abihu their strange and unlawfull fire that they offered to the Lord but that the on fire had God for its author the other had men and the like I say of Gods feasts and the feasts devised by Jeroboam else if a woman preach and administrate the Lords Supper in the Church that preaching and sacrament administrated by her should not have a different specification and essence if wee speake morally or Theologically from that same very preaching and celebration of the Supper performed in the Church by a lawfull Pastor it is as I conceive of the essence of an action Synodicall I say not its totall essence that it cannot bee performed by one in a Church-way and with an ecclesiasticall tie but it must be performed by many else it is not a Synodicall action and it is true that Paul Rom. 14. and 1 Cor. 8. 10. hath in substance the same Canon forbidding scandall which is forbidden in this Canon prohibiting eating of meats offered to Idolls and blood in the case of scandall but I pray you is there not difference betwixt the one prohibition and the other yea there is for Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 8. 10. it hath undenyably Apostolick authoritie here it hath onely Synodicall 2. There it is a commandement of God here it is a Canon of the Church 3. There it commeth from one man here from a
nor natures light doth warrant us to unjust appeales or to any thing against equitie and reason but that supremacy of power should bee in a Congregation without any power of appealing I thinke our brethren cannot teach for when the Church of Antioch cannot judge a matter concerning the necessitie of keeping Moses his Law or any difficill dogmaticall point they by natures direction Act. 15. 2. decree to send Pau ' Barnabas and others to Jerusalem to the Apostles and Elders as to a higher judicature that their truth may bee determined and this they did without any positive law that wee can imagine for Mr. Mather and Mr. Thomson as also the Author of the Church government of New England teach that the Church of Antioch had jus power to judge and determine the controversie but because of the difficultie had not light â—o judge thereof Ergo they must acknowledge appeales by natures light warrantable as well as wee for suppose wee that a Congregation inclineth to this that Arminianisme is the sound doctrine of grace opposite to Stoicisme one man is cited before the Congregation for holding the contrary hee knoweth all the Congregation in those points to be Pelagians would not our brethren say that this man so unjustly accused for holding the truth against the enemies of grace may appeale to a Synod I thinke they must teach this by their grounds though by the way I thinke the brethren erre in this to teach that Antioch had power to determine the controversie Act. 15. in this case 1. when the Churches of Syria and Cilicia to their knowledge were troubled with the like question as v. 24. may cleare 2. when as the partie against the truth was so prevalent within the Church of Antioch Act. 15. 2. as that they opposed the Apostle Pau ' and Barnabas also in this case I doubt much if they had power to determine a question that so much concerned all the Churches for that was proper to a Synod of many Churches 2. When the greatest part of a Church as Antioch is against the truth as is cleare Act. 15. 2. I beleeve in that they lose their jus their right to determine eaâ—enus in so farre for Christ hath given no ecclesiasticall right and power to determine against the truth but onely for the truth and therefore in this appeales must bee necessary Mr. Mather and Mr. Thomson against Herle c. 2. p. 17. 18. say we do much Judaizein that we multiply appeales upon appeales from the Congregation to a Classe then to a Synod then to a nationall assembly then to an â—eckmenick councell and this way while the world indureth causes are never determined and Synods cannot alwayes bee had even as in Jerusalem the supreme judicature was farre remote from all proselytes as from the Eunuch of Aethiopia Act. 8. and from the remotest parts of the holy Land But God hath provided better for us in the New Testament where every Congregation which is at hand may decide the controversie Answ. 1. The speedinesse of ending controversies in a congregation is badly compensed with the suddainnesse and temerity of delivering men to Satan upon the decision of three Elders without so much as asking advise of any classes of Elders and with deciding questions deepe and grave that concerneth many Churches which is a putting a private sickle in a common and publick harvest 2. All appeales without just warrant from Christs will wee condemne as the abuse of appeales to a court which is knowne shall never bee 3. Antiochs appeale to a Synod two hundreth miles distant as our brethren say in so weighty a question was no Judaizing but that which Paul and the Apostles was guiltie of as well as wee 4. Matters concerning many Churches must bee handled by many The Doctrine of the Presbyteriall Churches of Jerusalem Corinth Ephesus Antioch vindicated VVEe are convinced from the numerous multitude of beleevers and the multitude of Pastors at this famous and mother Church of the Christians at Jerusalem to beleeve the frame and mould was presbyteriall and that it cannot bee so much as imagined or dreamed that it was moulded to the patterne of one single Congregation which could all meet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into one place The frame of an independent single Congregation is such as no more doe meet ordinarily in one house then may conveniently bee edified in partaking of one Word and one breaking of bread that is one Table at the Supper of the Lord nor can wee imagine that the first mould of a Christian visible Church was so inconvenient as that it crossed edification and conversion which is the formall effect of a Church-meeting Now the multitude was such as could not neither morally nor physically meet in one house For at one Table many thousands and multiplied thousands could not meer and therefore consider their number they were Act. 1. a hundreth and twentie met in one place but I shall not bee of the opinion that this was all seeing 1 Cor. 15. 6. Christ after his resurrection was seene of Cephas then of the twelve after that hee was seene of above five hundreth brethren then in one day at one Sermon about three thousand soules Act. 2. 42. and ch 4. 4. though they were apprehended who preached the Gospell yet many of them which heard the Word beleeved and the number of the men was about five thousand I deny not but worthy Calvin saith id potius de tota ecclesia quam de nova accessione intelligendum this was the whole number including the three thousand that were converted c. 2. but first hee saith Potius hee inclineth rather to this opinion but secondly the Text saith of those which heard the word it would seeme to mee at the second Sermon of Peter and Augustine Chrysostome Bedâ— Basilius Oecumenius Hieronym Ireneus make this number divers from the former so doe Cornelius a Lap. Salmeron Stapletonus l Sanctius Lorinus Lyranus Cajetanus but we shall not contend about the matter nor yet whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includeth women which it often doth in the Greek as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Demosthenes doth also yet the wisdome of God in the Apostles cannot admit us to imagine that five thousand could ordinarily meet to the Word Sacraments and government in one house and after this many thousands were added to this Church 1. Our brethren say it is one thing to say that they could not meet in one place by reason of extrinsecall impediments of persecution and through want of a capacious and large roome and another thing to say that it was unpossible that they could bee one Congregation and meet in one place for though wee prove they could not meet because of persecution wee doe not prove that they were so numerous that they could not conveniently meet in one place Answ. Though it bee
of the truth but also in writing suffering for the truth and death-bed-confessions of the truth These worthy men in their owne bowells as Occam Petrarcha Gerson Mirandula these who in their death bed renued confidence in merits Saints Images were the true Church and the other side the false Church all the Churches of Asia excommunicated by Victor as Bellarmine saith and Binnius Pope Stephen then and his Councell denying communion to Cyprian and fourescore of Bishops must bee the Separatists and Cyprians and his adherents the true Church 2. In this division we are united to the true Apostolick to the ancient Church to the true ancient Church of Rome which opposed the Apostate Church of Rome but an immediate and personall adherence to and union with the ancient Church is not essentiall to a visible Church The separation from a true Church where the Word of God Orthodox is preached and the Sacraments duely administred wee thinke unlawfull and the place for separation mainely I would have vindicated 2 Cor. 6. 14. Be ye not unequally yoaked together with unbeleevers c. Robinson will have this strong for their separation and saith 1. It is true he findeth fault with the beleeving Corinthians communicating with the unbeleeters in the Idol feasts but with all it must be considered that the Apostle up in this particular occasion deliveâ—eth a generall doctrine as from â—â—â—â—â—tion 1 Cor. 5. to forbid commingling with fornicators with 〈◊〉 persons with Idolaters c. and as he forbiddeth partaking with the wicked in their evills yet then therein did he forbid all religious communion with them since their very prayers and other Sacrifices are their evills wherein whilst the godly doth communicate with them what doe they else but acknowledge their common right and interest in the holy things with them Answ. 1. It is good that Robinson with the interpreters doth acknowledge that Paul forbiddeth communicating with unbeleevers aâ— Idol feasts as the place will command us to separate from the Masse Service and therein let it be that hee inferreth a generall Ergo you are to separate from all the worship of the Gentiles Idols and are not to be mixed with them in their service which they give to their false gods but this is not the generall which includeth separation from a Church in the service of a true God the service being lawfull and onely evill to some worshippers and by accident because they eate to themselves damnation but not damnation to others 2. But he forbiddeth saith he all partaking with the wicked in their evills I distinguish their evills in their evills of their personall sins in not worshipping the true God in faith sincerity holy zeale that I deny and it is to be proved Christ himselfe and the Apostles eated the Passeover and worshipped God with one whom Christ had said had a devill and should betray the Sonne of man and was an uncleane man Job 13. 11 12. 18. He forbiddeth all partaking with the wicked in their evills that is in the unlawfull and Idol-worship or in their superstitions and will-worship that is true but nothing against us or for your separation If it be said Judas was neither convicted of his Traitory to Christ nor was he knowne to the Apostles by name to be the man for some of them suspected themselves and not Judas to bee Traytor but you communicate with such as be professed and avowed Traytors and persons knowne to be scandalous and so you acknowledge you have a common right in these holy things with these persons Answ. 1. Christ shewed to the Disciples that they were an uncleane societie and that one had a devill and therefore though they knew not the man by name who had the devill they knew the societie to have a devill and to be uncleane for that one man his cause and so neither Christ nor his Disciples should have taken part with the evills and the Prayers and sacrifices of the wicked for in so doing they acknowledge that they have commune right and interest in the holy things of God with some who have a devill and with an uncleane societie but you cannot condemne Christ and the Disciples communicating at that Supper 2. Though the scandalous person bee not convicted of the scandall that doth make the scandall more grievous and haynous to the scandalous person in that he dare remaine in a sin though he be convicted of his guiltinesse by the Church but it doth not make the persons scandall to be no scandall and no uncleannesse at all for magis minus non variant speciem more or lesse of sinne doth not vary the nature of sin now if Paul will the Corinthians to meet together to eate the Lords body as hee doth 1 Cor. 11. and know that there bee amongst them carnall men such as goe to Law with their brethren before Infidels such as deny the resurrection such as come drunke to the Lords Supper though they bee not convicted of these sinnes by the Church yet if they be knowne to others as Paul doth declare them in that Epistle they must pollute the Lords Table before the Church convict them no lesse then after the Church hath convicted them though the pollution may bee more and greater after Church-conviction then before yet Paul willeth all the Corimbians to acknowledge their communion with the sinnes of the non-convicted and with their abominable and wicked sacrifices and prayers which none can teach or beleeve of the Apostle led by an infallible spirit and therefore to communicate with them is not to take part of their evills 3. He saith at last They who communicate at the same Table with scandalous persons what doe they else but acknowledge their commune right and interest in the holy things of God with such scandalous persons And this is that which Master Coaâ—hman saith This banquet of the Lords Supper is the nearest fellowship that the Saints have in this world what lying signes and decâ—avable demoustâ—ations dâ—e these make who communicate they care not where nor with whom but thinke if they examine themselves it is well enough forgetting that it is an act of communion for if we sever the word Sacrament from communion we put out Gods tearme and put in our owne But I answer 1. These who are baptized by one spirit unto one body as all the visible Churches are 1 Cor. 12. 13. professedly heare one Word preached doe thereby acknowledge they have one communion right and interest in these holy things to wit in a communion with Christ in remission of sinnes and regeneration sealed in baptisme and in one common Saviour and common faith preached in the Gospell and is this communion unlawfull and this fellowship a lying signe because all baptized and all hearing one Gospell and that in an avowed profession are not knowne to be regenerated Then should no Infants be baptized except they know all in the visible Congregation baptized with them to
a man or no. It is taken for a thing out of controversie yea that this is no question at all Whether or no doth an erroneous conscience so bind that we can doe nothing against the standing enditement of an erring conscience for the Scripture is cleare in this Rom. 14. 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing of meat-kind now under the Gospel uncleane or unlawfull to eat of it selfe but to him that esteemeth any thing to bee uncleane in the light of his il-informed and erroneous conscience to him so thinking it is uncleane that is to this man now under the actuall darknesse and errour of an ill-informed conscience it is not lawfull to eat but hee must abstaine from eating not simply from eating but from eating â—â—li modo So all who have commented on the place Calvin Beza Parâ—us Rollocus c. and of the Fathers all who either commented on or handled the text occasionally as Theodoret Chrysostome Basilius Augustine Cyprian Ambrose Origen Anselm all the Popish writers Lyra Hugo Cardinalis Aquinas Toletus Pirerius Estius Cornelius a Lapide c. yea Adrianus Vasquez Pezantius say it is manifestly against the Scripture and hereticall to say it is no sinne to doe contrary to the commandement or prohibition of an erring conscience 3. Hence the conscience carrieth to the agent from God a twofold obligation most considerable here 1. one from the action it selfe to be done or not done and this commeth wholly from the oblieging Law of God and not from the conscience there is another obligation that consisteth not in the action and commeth not from the action but in the manner of doing and this obligation commeth from conscience it selfe and that is that we doe nothing in such a manner that is against the light or inditement of our conscience for this is an imbred Rose Flower of divinifie and majestie that groweth kindly out of conscience according to that high place of some sort of royaltie that it hath to bee something of God a little breast-God a little Deputie and Judge not to bee contemned so when a proconsull bringeth to mee a forged commandement from my Soveraigne and Prince I may receive it with non-obedience if I know it to bee a forgery but I am not to despise and put any note of disgrace upon the proconsull be cause hee is in respect of his office the deputie of my Soveraigne though in this particular mandat hee doth prevaricate and not represent the soveraigne power and Prince whose deputie otherwayes he is by vertue of his office so is this the deputed royaltie of conscience that it standing to me bic nunc as representing a message from God though it represent it falsely that I can doe nothing in the contrary that deputry and message standing actually in vigor 4. I desire that these two obligations of conscience bee carefully kept in mind hence I say that conscience carrying the former obligation of Gods Law from which formally the action hath its lawfulnesse and in an eccentrick and irregular discrepance from which it hath its unlawfulnesse it doth not obliege mee to the action because it is conscience simply for when it offereth an action to mee as lawfull which in very deed and a parte rei in it selfe is unlawfull I am not oblieged to that unlawfull action for as God hath given to no ruler made of clay any royall power to bee a tyrant and to destroy where as his office is as a father to save and governe so hath not God given to conscience any power to obliege me to sinnes yea and conscience remaineth conscience when it representeth forged and illegall mandates under the notion of things good even when men love to goe to hell by reason yet in that false representation conscience is not Gods deputie therefore though if a man judge some doctrines to bee errors though they bee in themselves truths to him that so judgeth they are errors yet are these truths not to bee rejected simpliciter and absolutely by him who judgeth so ony they are to be rejected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in some respect as they come in under the notion and garments of errors also if any suffer death for an error which in conscience he conceiveth to be truth that error is to him truth Distinguo it is to him truth that is he conceiveth and dreameth that it is truth that is most true but to him it is truth that is it ought to bee beleeved by him as truth and practised as lawfull that is most false for it ought to bee rejected both in point of beleefe and in point of practise and the erroneous opinion thereof should bee rejected and therefore if hee receive it as truth and professe it and die for it hee dieth not for righteousnesse sake but hee dieth for errour and for the dreames of his owne head and so is not blessed as one who dveth for righteousnesse for this vaine reason saith 1. that it is no sinne for the mind to beleeve a lie to bee a divine truth and it is righteousnesse upon the beleefe whereby I beleeve a lie to bee a truth to suffer for a lie under the notion of a truth Both these are false the former is false for the mind is under Gods oblieging Law to conceive aright of all divine truths as all the faculties of the soule are under a Law 2. The latter is false for to beleeve lies as divine truths and suffer for them because the erring conscience saith they are divine truths is not righteousnesse but sinfull credulity and blind zeale 1. Because wee are not to beleeve what our conscience dictateth as truth under this formall reduplication because our conscience thus doth dictate and saith it is truth but because Gods spirit saith to our conscience it is a divine truth not because our owne spirit and our owne dreaming and misâ—ed conscience saith so This is the controversie betwixt us and Papists anent the authoritie of Gods Word but with a little change for our conscience or the testimony of our conscience as such is no more the formall object of our faith and the formall medium and reason why with a divine faith I beleeve a divine truth to bee a divine truth then the testimony of the Church or the Pope is the formall reason of my faith so An â—baptists make a Pope and an infallible spirit of their owne conscience but the whole formall obligation tying mee to receive this and this point as a divine truth is because God hath revealed it in his Word the consciences representing of it is but a necessary condition of my beleeving but not the formall object of my beleeving the conscience is the cause why I beleeve it tali modo after a rationall way and by the evidence of practicall reason but it is not the formall cause why I beleeve it simpliciter for Papists Arrians Macedonians and the most
Church which I grant is true and the end of the Ruler should be onely preservation of peace and the externall tranquillity of the Common-wealth yea I say from the Word of God that externall peace is too narrow an end and it doth belong to the second Table the Kings end as Nurse-father and his a like care is to preserve the first Table and as a Nurse-father to see that the childrens milke be good and wholesome though the milke come not from his owne breasts and so his power hath a kingly relation to all the Word of God and not to externall peace and naturall happinesse onely And the King as the King his end is edification and spirituall good of soules also but alwayes by a kingly power and in a coactive way by the sword whereas the Church are in their care of edifying soules to use no such carnall weapons in their warfare 2 Cor. 10. 4. For which cause that learned P. Martyr and 〈◊〉 Parker and also the Professors of Leyden say that Ministers deale with consciences of men Quoniam Spiritus Sanctus inquit Martyr vim suam adjungit cum praedicationibus orthodoxis the holy Spirit conjoyneth the power and influence of grace with sound preaching and the Magistrate doth onely exercise externall discipline And Parker reasoning against Whitgift and 〈◊〉 proveth well that the Church visible though externall yet is Christs spirituall Kingdome and that Church discipline is a part of Christs spirituall Kingdome and that the externall government of Christ by discipline is spirituall every way according to the efficient 1 Cor. 12. 1. according to the end spirituall â—dification Ephes. 4. 12. according to the matter the Word and Sacraments 2 Cor. 10. 3 4. according to the forme of working by the evidence of the Spirit 2 Cor. 2. 4. 13. And this is the cause I conceive why great Divines have said the object of the Magistrates power as a Magistrate is the externall man and earthly things because he doth not in such a spirituall way of working take care of the two Tables of the Law as the Pastor doth and yet the spirituall good and edification of the Church in the right preaching of the Word the Sacraments and pure discipline is his end It is true whether the blasphemer professe repentance or not the Magistrate is to punish yea and to take his life if he in seducing of many have prevailed but yet his end is edification even in taking away the life for he is to put away evill that all Israel may feare and doe so no more but this edification is procured by the sword and by a coactive power and so the Church power and the kingly power differ in their formall objects and their formall ends But Spalato speaketh ignorantly of Kings Who saith as the internall and proper end of the Art of painting the Art of sailing c. is not life eternall but onely to paint well according to the precepts of Art and to bring men safe to their harborie though the persons who are painters and sailers may direct works of their Art to life eternall so saith he the end of the kingly Art is not life eternall but onely the externall peace of the Common wealth hence inferreth he that there is no subordinatim betwixt the power of the Magistrate and the power of the Church but that they are both so immediate under God as the Church cannot in a Church way regulate the King as a King but onely as he is a christian man the Church may rebuke the King while as he abuseth his kingly power to the destruction of soules and that the Church power as such is not subordinate to the kingly power onely the King may correct with the sword the Pastors not as Churchmen and Pasâ—ors but as men who are his subjects But 1. whereas it is certaine the King in respect of politick power is the immediate Vicegerent of God and above any subject in his Dominions so doth the Bishop make the Shoe-maker the Painter the master-fashioner immediate unto God and censurable by none as they are Artificers even as the King is censurable by none as King and so the King is dishonoured who by office is the Lords annoynted and a little God on earth Psal. 82. v. 1. 2 The intrinsecall end of kingly power is no more the advancing of godlinesse and the promoving of the Kings daughter towards life eternall by the sincere milke of the Word as the Lords Vicegerent and Nurse-Father of the Church then the Painter as a Painter or a Sea-man as a Sea-man is to advance godlinesse for this mans intrinsecall and is onely a safe harbour and shoare to temporall lives not the harbour of salvation to soules and his end is onely a faire Image of Art in Paper or Clay not the Image of the second Adam and by this the King as King is interdicted of any Church businesse or care of soules to be fed by the Word or Sacraments to keepe them cleane if he looke to any of these as an end that is not the eye or intention of the King as King but of the King as a godly Christian saith Spalato hence to care for the spirituall good of the Church and the promoving of the Gospel is as accidentall as to say an excellent Painter such as Apâ—ies intendeth in his painting life eternall so the King by this looketh to the Law of God to Religion and the eternall happinesse of the Church by guesse by accident and as King hath neither chaire nor roome in Christian Synods nor a seat in the Church 3. If the meaning be that the King as King that is rightly exercisng the office of a King is subordinate to no Church power that is he cannot be justly and deservedly rebuked by Pastors that is most true but nothing to any purpose for so the Pastor as a Pastor Jeremiah as he doth truly and in the name of the Lord exercise the propheticall office cannot be deservedly censured nor punished either by the Church-synodrie or the King and Princes of the Land but thus way all members of the Church an I any one single beleever doing his duty should be as immediate and independent and highest next on earth to Christ as the King and his three Estates of the Honourable Parliament are in civill matters and as an Occumenick Councell or in our brethrens meaning independent Congregation which is against reason But if the meaning be the acts of a King as aberring from justice not as a King but as a fraile man may be censured and rebuked deservedly by Pastors in a Church way this way also the Pastor as a Pastor is not subject to the Church but onely as a fraile man and so nothing is said to the purpose in this more then the in the former But if the meaning be thirdly that which onely maketh good sense that the acts of the King abstracted from good or bad or as kingly or