any such termes was the Goaler and his converted family forced to make a publike confession to the Church of their faith to give in the evidences of their conversion and to enter into a private covenant before they could be made members of the Church or was the Churches assent required before they could be admitted and made members of it or were ever any of these things they impose upon Christians now required at beleevers hands before these our times and therefore they are to be abominated as vaine traditions and such as by which they break the lawes of God making devisions in the Church and Kingdome and through all the families and houses of the same so that neither masters of families nor parents have any rule over their wives children or servants their husbands goe out one way the wife another their children to this assembly their servants to that congregation and as it was among the Corinthians which Paul blames in them one said I am of Paul another I am of Apollo the third I am of Coephas and so they flutter about like a company of chickings without either heads or wit and none will be under obedience to either parents or masters notwithstanding God hath commanded children to obey their parents and servants their masters no farther than pleaseth their owne humours and all this they have learned by the traditions of the younger and whether I have wronged the brethren in any thing I have now said I report my selfe to all the distracted families in the Kingdome where they have been preaching and the daily experience of any moderate minded Christian and if ever there was a pantheon of all Religions in the world it is now in England by reason of these new teachers to the great dishonour of God the hinderance of Reformation and the allienating of the affections one from another of those that are joyned together in nighest relations And by all that I have now spoke I hope it doth sufficiently appeare that there is neither precept nor example through all the holy Scripture to warrant the practice of these men in the gathering of their new Churches and if a man will but looke a little more upon the practice of Christs seventy Disciples of all the Apostles in the gathering of Churches they shall not find one footstep through the whole booke of God of the gathering Churches after the manner of their congregating of their assemblies as for Christs Disciples they were all sent to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel they went not to gather in converted men from amongst converted men for they were to bring the lost sheep into Christs fold and we are taught there is but one Shepheard and one sheepfold we never read that after they were once folded and brought into the Church that any true Pastors came into the fold and flocks of their fellow-shepheards and picked out all the best and the fattest sheep and the most wholsome and molded them into an independent fould by themselves as seperate and distinct from the others and with the which they would have no fellowship and communion in the Ordinances this was never heard of before these dayes Paul was so farre from getting away of others sheep that he took it for a dishonour to him to build upon anothers foundation Rom. 15. and preached Christ in those places where they had never heard of him before and planted the Church of Corinth himselfe and left Apollo to water it and committed all the flocks that he had gathered as that of Ephesus to the charge and care of faithful Pastors and commands both the flocks and the Pastors and in them all shepheards and folds to keep unity and love one with another Ephes 4. ver 1 2 3 4 c. and forbids them to make seperations and devisions and scismes between flock and flock and this method he used wheresoever he came yea as soon as he was converted and entred upon his ministry as we may see in the first of the Galatians he went into Arrabia and preached there among the poore Infidels he got not other mens sheep from them neither did he ever make any seperation of sheep from sheep yea even in those flocks and Churches as that of Corinth Galatia and Colosse where there were many that walked disorderly and against the rules prescribed and taught false doctrine and heresies and made scismes in the Church and were very scandalous so that if ever there were in any Churches a just cause of making a seperation it was then and yet the Apostles bid not the Christians seperate themselves from the communion and assemblies of the Saints and from the Ordinances for these mens causes but onely that they should look unto themselves and examine their owne consciences that they may not offend and so make themselves unworthy of the holy things and gives them power to cast out the prophane but no way tolerates them to seperate onely he bids them not be familiar with such as walk disorderly that by this meanes they might learne to amend their lives and tels them of what judgements have alwayes happened to such as were wicked and bids them by their example to take heed how they provoke God by the like as it is at large set downe in the tenth chapter and commands them to make no separation but from Idolaters and Infidels and so likewise in his Epistle to the Galatians he sayes for his owne particular he could wish that they that troubled them were cut off yet he biddeth not the Galatians to separate themselves into independent congregations Nothing of all such things were taught before these dayes that true beleevers and the faithfull servants of God should separate from the assemblies of their brethren every way as deerly beloved of God as themselves and such as with the twelve Tribes of Israel serve their God night and day and would suffer any thing for the Gospell and that any Christians I say should make separation from the fellowship of such or that such should be accounted as enemies of Christ it was never heard of before our times by which their so dealing they have made the greatest scisme in the Church that was ever yet made to the scandall of of our holy profession I have been ever taught in Gods holy Word that those faithfull Ministers that preached Jesus Christ and him crucified and opened the eyes of the blind and turned them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ and taught the people that they should repent and turne to God and doe works meet for repentance and that instructed all men that they being delivered out of the hands of their enemies they should serve God without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life and teaching them that the grace of
〈◊〉 164◠Man's dayes are vaine and as a flower they fade Heere 's one proclames whereon man's life is stay'd His sufferings Changes Comforts in strict thrall Shen's GOD alone preserves and Gouernes all INDEPENDENCY NOT GODS ORDINANCE OR A Treatise concerning Church-Government occasioned by the Distractions of these times Wherein is evidently proved that the Presbyterian Government DEPENDENT is Gods Ordinance and not the Presbyterian Government INDEPENDENT To vvhich is annexed a Postscript discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren and the fraud and jugglings of many of their Pastors and Ministers to the misleading of the poor people not only to their own detriment but the hurt of Church and State with the danger of all Novelties in Religion BY JOHN BASTVVICK Dr in Physick 2 CORIN 13.8 For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth 1 THESS 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed by John Macock for Michael Spark junior and are to be sold at the sign of the blue Bible in Green-Arbour 1645. A Treatise proving the Presbyterian Government DEPENDENT to be Gods Ordinance and not the Presbyterian Government INDEPENDENT THe Apostle Saint Paul in the fourth of the Ephesians exhorting all Christians to walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called and to behave themselves as beseemed brethren wisheth them with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering and patience to bear one with another in love And useth a forceable Argument to move them to brotherly kindnesse Because saith he there is but one body and one spirit and one hope of Salvation We all worship one God we are all consecrated to him with one Baptisme and we all hope for one and the self-same glory Therefore as there is but one Lord one faith one Baptisme so be ye also of one minde live in love and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace If ever there was need of this Exhortation there is now singular use of it especially in this distracted Nation wherein we live For the division of a Kingdome is the ruin of it the division of a family destroys it the division between brethren brings a confusion amongst them It hath ever bin observed That diversity of judgement opinion hath made a difference in affection The difference between the Jews the Samaritans in points of Religion made the Disciples desire That fire might come down from heaven to end that controversie The difference between us and the Papists and the diversity of opinions between us made them because they could not bring down fire from heaven fetch it out of hell to blow up the Parliament and because that had not the desired effect and the diversity of opinion stil remaining makes the difference of their affection from us so great that nothing can expiate their indignation against us but the utter internetion and destruction of us all and this and this only next unto our own sins is the cause of all those fatall calamities this miserable kingdome is now imbroyled with And therefore all care and diligence among brethren should be used to get a right understanding one of another and to move them to bear one with another and ever to call to mind the saying of Abraham to Lot Gen. 13. Let not us contend together for we are brethren I am most assured if there were a right understanding of the differences that are now among brethren there could not be such bitter expressions one against another and such alienation of affection as is now too frequent and too well known to the common enemy We are commanded If it be possible as much as lies in us to be in peace with all men Rom. 12.18 And the fruits of discord are set down in the 5th of the Galathians verse 15. If saith the Apostle ye bite and devoure one another take heed ye be not consumed one with another and in the 20. verse Hacred saith the Apostle varience emulation strife c. and envyings are of the flesh and they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdome of God A double misery follows those that do these things misery here and misery hereafter it excludes men out of heaven The contemplation of the sad condition that will inevitably come upon that Land Kingdome and Church where those variances and heart-burnings are and where there is such diversity of opinions and by reason of them such difference in affection put me chiefely upon this imployment to see and try if by any possible means I could by shewing wherein the difference between the brethren lyeth be an instrument of a good accord amongst them resolving with my self by Gods assistance whatsoever others do to observe to the uttermost of my abilities the royall Law Jan. 2.8 I do conceive that if there were a right understanding one of anothers opinions the world would wonder there should be such invectives in every pamphlet one against another and such varience among those that are joyned together and that with nighest relations The truth is the mis-understanding of each others opinions and the mis-prisian of each others intentions is the onely cause of this diversity of affection which to the dishonour of God and of our holy profession and indeed to the disgrace of Christian Religion every where too much venteth it self And therefore as Abraham said unto Lot so say I to all those that love the truth in sincerity and wish the Peace of Zion Let not us contend especially with evill language for we are brethren we have one father we worship one God we have one light one truth one way And this I professe to all the world That I contend not for victory but for that ancient light the faith once delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. For that truth which we have heard from the beginning 1 John 2. ver 14. for the old way verse 6. The way the truth and the life Joh. 14. and for the honour of that Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile in the which these are all those undeceiveable marks as are able for ever to declare her to be built upon the foundation of Peter in which the Gospell of Jesus Christ is purely and sincerely both preached and beleeved and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and in the which there is the true invocation of God and all other requisites that make her a true Church and from which there is no just cause of separation That I have dedicated this Treatise to no man nor sought the patronage of any Authority no mortall creature I presume will blame me knowing my Reasons For writing in defence of the Prerogative Royall of Kings against Papall Usurpation I dedicated my book unto the King of great Britaine France and Ireland supposing my self safe under his protection whose honour and imperiall dignity I maintain but all men know what misery to the ruin of me my
of those congregations to governe that Church joyntly in a Colledge or Presbyterie But before I come to the proof of these particulars it will not be amisse in generall to take notice that all the Churches we read of in the New Testament were Aristocratically and Presbyterially governed and were all dependent upon their severall Presbyteries and that the ordering and managing of that government lay only upon the Presbyterie and was their peculiar who had the power of the Keyes Now Christ gave the Keyes to the Apostles and Presbyters only and whatsoever the Apostles did in ordering and setling the government of the Church they did by Christs command and that order and constitution they set down in the Church was to be perpetuated and continued to the end of the world And the violating of this order and divine constitution was the occasion of the rise and growth of Antichrist and the very cause of all those confusions that the Christian world hath for these many generations been wearied and annoyed with and the occasion of all those Schismes Sects and Heresies the world hath ever swarmed with and the re-establishing and reducing of it to its pristine constitution will be a means not only of removing all scandall and taking away of all division amongst Brethren and be a singular means also of establishing a flourishing governments in Church and State and for the procuring of the blessings of God upon the three Kingdomes but a way also of ruining that Man of Sinne and of making an absolute Reformation through the whole world Let us therefore first take notice what government was established by God in all the Primitive Churches Acts 1 â—â— And when they had ordained them Presbyters for so it is i◠〈◊〉 originall in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they beleeved Here are two things observable The first that the government of the Church was committed to the Presbyters The second that the Presbyteriall government was that government that was established in every Church for so saith the Holy Ghost when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church This was Gods ordinance Acts 20.17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Presbyters of the Church Here we see there were many Presbyters in one Church And Vers 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves saith the Apostle and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Here as we may observe that in Gods Dialect Presbyters and Bishops were all one so likewise is evident that the Church was committed to their government this Church therefore of Ephesus was under a Presbytery and was to be regulated joyntly by them by a common-counsell of Presbyters And Paul to Titus chap. 1. vers 5. For this cause saith he left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest put in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Presbyters in every City as I appointed thee If any man be blamelesse c. for a Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God c. From this place likewise we may take notice of the parity between Presbyter and Bishop and that the Presbyterian government was that way of ruling that God appointed not in one City only but in every City and that these Presbyters were the Stewards in Gods house which is his Church 1 Tim. 3. and had the government of those Churches in every City laid upon them which they were joyntly to governe and order by the common-counsell of Presbyters And Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy ch 5. v. 17. Let the Presbyters saith he that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in word and doctrine Still we ever observe that the rule and government of the Church was in the Presbyters hands And the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews ch 13.7 Remember saith he them that have the rule over you who have spake unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation And vers 17. Obey saith he them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules as they that must give an account c. And in vers 24. Salute all them saith he that have the rule over you and all the Saints Here againe he injoynes all the Churches to yeild obedience and to submit themselves unto the government of the Presbyterie shewing them that it is their place to obey and for their Ministers to rule and that so long as they command in the Lord they out of conscience ought to obey them and that for a double reason For they watch saith he for your souls and they must also give an account of their stewardship And in 1 Peter 5 1 2 3. The Presbyters that are among you saith Saint Peter I exhort who am also a Presbyter and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly c. neither as being Lords over Gods heritage but being examples to the flock And Saint James chap. 5. ver 14. Is any among you sick saith he let him call for the Presbyters of the Church He doth not say of the Churches but of the Church So that the Presbyterian government was in every Church and every Church was to submit it self unto the Presbytery And in Acts 15. it is said that Paul and Barnabas went up to the Apostles and Presbyters c. And when they came to Jerusalem they were received of the Church it is not said of the Churches but of the Church and of the Apostles and Presbyters c. and Vers 6. And the Apostles and Presbyters came together to consider of the matter c. and Vers 22. Then pleased it the Apostles and Presbyters with the whole Church c. and wrote Letters by them after this manner The Apostles and Presbyters and Brethren And Acts 21.17 And when we were come to Jerusalem saith Saint Luke the Brethren received us gladly And the day following Paul went in with us in to James and all the Presbyters were present From all which places and many more which might be produced it is most clear and evident that in all Cities there was a Presbytery and that the Presbyters had the power of order namely of preaching and the power of jurisdiction that is of ruling which was ever to be exercised with others and not alone and that consisted in admitting of members and in conventing men before them upon occasion in admonishing if any offended in suspending from the holy Communion till reformation or amendment and if they continued obstinate and incorrigible in excommunicating and casting of them out of the Church and upon repentance in receiving of them in againe and in ordaining of
Gods Clergies I know not what it is to admit of none though beleevers and already baptized but such as will come in upon their owne tearmes and keep out the poore either altogether or as long as pleaseth them without any other reason but because they are poore and cast them out againe upon every slender occasion I say if all this be not a most diabolicall tyranny lording it over Gods Clergies I referre it to any moderate man to judge of and if to unchurch all churches but their owne and at one blast to proclaime them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and to deny all church-fellowship with them be not more than a Diotrephian prelaticall and papall authority there was never any in the world and if this be not to lord it over Gods Clergies there was never any knowne Now I say if the Independent Presbiters doe so timely begin their absolute lording of it what would they doe if their government were established by authority Their ministry and government is farre different from that of Christ and his holy Prophets and Apostles for they invited all the poore to come in and to buy milk yea to come in and buy milk without mony Isa 55.1 and Saint Paul for the encouraging the poore to come in saith not many mighty not many noble but the meane and contemptible things hath the Lord made choyce of intimating unto the poore that they have as good right to Heaven as the greatest and chiefest and our Saviour Christ saith come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ye shall find rest unto your soules Our Saviour has no respect of persons but the poore are with him as acceptable as the rich if they be weary and heavy laden with their sinnes for that is all the condition that Christ requires in all that desire to be admitted members of his Church Now when these Presbiters already make so great difference between the poore and the rich and between beleevers and beleevers as they will admit none but at their owne times and upon their own conditions I do conceive that this is a most tyrannically lording it over Gods Clergies and inheritance which when they daily doe it and the Presbiters of the Church of England doe it not it is most apparent that their rule and domination is more prelaticall and more to be feared than that of the Presbiters of the Church of England for from the independent Presbiters they can never expect any appeale for reliefe and redresse whatsoever wrong or injury they have sustained by them and therefore there is no just cause why any should so traduce the Presbitry of the Church of England as to think they will lord it over the people from whom they may ever expect farre better measure than ever they can from the independent Presbitry which if it should once be established would tend to nothing else but to enslave the whole Kingdome and to bring in a confusion upon both Church and State But now it will not be amisse before the conclusion as we have compared the Presbiters of the Church of England with the Presbiters independent both in regard of their doctrine and discipline so now likewise here to paragonate them together in their proceedings for the advancement of Christs Kingdome that all men may see in that regard also which of their endeavours tend most to the advancement of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ and which of them ought to be preferred before other and which of them doth more really and truly tend not onely to Gods glory but to the peace also of the Church and State For the Presbiters of the Church of England they labour and endeavour as there is but one body one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father over all who is above all and through all and one true christian Religion Eph. 4. so that this only may be established through the three Kingdomes and that all erronious wayes of worshipping and serving God and that tends to lead men to perdition and make disturbance in Church and State may not publikely be tolerated The Independents on the contary both publikely and privately and in all their bitter railing and intolerable pamphlets as that of the compassionate Samaritan the storming of Antichrist and that of the arraignment of persecution and in many more of their scurrilous writings plead for a toleration of all Religions under pretence of liberty of conscience whatsoever they be as Judiansme Turcisme Popery Paganisme and all manner of sects and for the confirming of this their diabolicall tenent they bring in the example of the heathen Nations who suffered all Religions amongst them and the example of Poland Transsilvania and Holland those pantheons of all Religions and tell us of the Parable where Christ commanded that the Tares and the Wheat should be suffered to grow together till the harvest the day of judgement And use or abuse rather some other places of Scripture which as they conceive make all for a toleration of all Religions To all which their pretences I shall at this time briefly answer after I have set downe some grounds out of holy Scripture and produced some examples of Gods deare children friends and servants out of the same which must be the warrant of all christians to follow to the end of the world for whatsoever was written before was written for our learning 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 15. and by the Word of God and from the example of Gods serants we are ever taught that diversity of Religions amongst Christians ought not to be tolerated And first to begin with Abraham the Father of the faithfull and his seed whose examples all that are his and their children oughtto set before their eyes for imitation The Lord called Abraham as it is in Joshua 24. out of his Father Terah's house and from his kindred when they served other Gods made a covenant with him as it is at large set downe in the 12. of Genesis and in divers other places of the same book and in speciall in the 17. of Genesis verse 1 2 3 c. where the Lord reneweth his covenant with him and his seed and sets downe the conditions of his covenant with Abraham which was that Abraham should walk before him and be perfect and that then he would be his God al sufficient to provide for him and protect him wheresoever he came which covenant the Lord ever kept with Abraham and his seed delivering them out of the hands of all their enemies when they served him according to the conditions of the covenant walking uprightly before him as he will doe to all his children to the end of the world walking in father Abraham's steps and of Abraham the Lord sayes this in the 18. of Genesis ver 17 18 19. Shall I hide from Abraham that which I doe seeing that Abraham shall become a great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of
that is that the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach preach Jesus Christ. That is to say they preached both publickly and privately and the very places where they preached are set down as in the Temple and in every house So that of necessity there must be severall congregations and assemblies of Believers in Jerusalem according to that in the 2. of the Acts vers the 46. where it said That they continued dayly with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread from house to house which by all Interpreters is understood the administration of the Lords Supper and that the severall assemblies and congregations were wont usually to meet in private houses is frequent mention in the holy Scriptures as in the 16. of the Romans verse the 5. and in the 1. of the Corinthians chap. 16. vers 19. Col. 4.14 and Saint Paul in the 20. of the Acts vers 20. saith That he kept back nothing that was profitable unto them but taught them publikely and from house to house so that they had their Assemblies as well private as publicke even in the Church of Ephesus where they did partake in all acts of worship and in that Church also they had many Presbyters and yet were but one Church But now I will passe on to the sixth chapter where in the 1 2 3 and 7 verses it is said That in those dayes when the number of Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widdows were neglected in their dayly ministration Then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and said It is not reason that they should leave the Word of God and serve tables Wherefore brethren look you out among you seven men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and wisdome whom we may appoint over this businesse But we will give our selves continually to prayer and to the ministery of the Word vers 7. And the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the faith In the which words we may take notice briefly of these observables The first of the cunning and policy of the Devill who when he cannot by all his wiles and stratagems assault the Church without then he labours to assaile it within as here with civill discords and differences among brethren and in other Churches in all ages even in and from the Apostles times by dissentions in opinions by Sects Schisms Factions and Heresies and by these his wiles and craft he first bringeth in difference in opinion and afterwards diversity of affection and that among brethren and all this he doth that in fine he may bring ruine upon them all And thus he began with the Church of Jerusalem raising a controversie between the Hebrews and the Greeks who complained That their widdows were neglected in the dayly ministration as either that they were not made Deaconesses as the widdows of the Hebrews were or that there was not an equall distribution of the Almes according to the intention of the Church who sold their possessions and goods to that end that they might be parted to all men as every one should have need Acts 2. vers 44 45. chap. 4. v. 35. And this their supposition was the cause of that controversie The second abservable is To whom the differing and dissenting parties did apply themselves and appeal and that was to the Presbytery or Colledge of Apostles not to any one of them particularly but to the twelve as in that difference at Antioch Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas and certain other of the Brethren in the Church of Antioch appealed to the Apostles and Presbyters and in both those differences all the Churches submitted themselves to the Apostles Order and that willingly and this example of the Apostles is the Rule for ordering of all controversies that all the reformed Churches set before them deciding all debates in Religion by the Word of God and according to the president they have laid down unto them by the Apostles and Presbyters in Jerusalem Here I say the whole Presbytery and Colledge of the Apostles determined the businesse neither do we reade that the Assemblies of the Hebrews and Greeks at Ierusalem or the Church of Antioch pretended their own Independent authority though severall Congregations or challenged a power within themselves of choosing their own Officers or determining of differences amongst themselves or pleaded that they had Authority within themselves to make their own Laws by which they would be ordered or that they challenged any such priviledges unto themselves but they all appealed unto the Presbytery at Ierusalem as the supreamest Ecclesiasticall Court and freely submitted themselves to their arbitrament and to the Order they set down as the story specifieth The third observable is the imployment in which the Apostles were all taken up and the effect of it and their imployment is said to be continuing in prayer and the Ministery and preaching of the Word and the effect of this their Ministery was That the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith By all which it is most apparent that such multitudes being dayly added to the Church and where there was such variety of teachers and so many Apostles and all of them taken up in preaching and where there was so many different Nations and such diversities of tongues and languages as was in the Church of Ierusalem they could not all meet together at any one time or in any one place to edification and that they might all communicate in all the Ordinances but of necessity they must be distributed into severall Congregations and Assemblies if they would avoyde confusion and all that I now speak is evident by the very light of Nature and all reason and therefore it followeth That there were many Assemblies and Congregations in Ierusalem and yet all made but one Church and that that Church was Presbyterianly governed But that I may make this truth more evidently yet appear I will first out of the former discourse frame severall Arguments and then go on to the ensuing history And out of all these six chapters I thus argue Where there were eight thousand new converts besides women and children by virtue of some few miracles and Sermons after Christs Resurrection added to the Church of Ierusalem and the society of beleevers besides those that were converted by Iohn the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles Ministery before his sufferings and to the which also there were afterwards great multitudes of Beleevers both of men and women and a great company of the Priests joyned in so much that they kept the very Officers and Souldiers in awe and struck a fear and terrour into them there they could not all meet together in any one
do when the Prelates were in their ruff But out of this place I thus argue Where there were twelve of the most ablest painfullest and diligentest preachers in the world and that gave themselves continually to prayer and the Ministery of the Word and at such a time as there was most need of preaching and when they could not publikely come together by reason of the persecution and where there were innumerable multitudes of beleevers of all Nations to be taught and preached unto in their severall Languages and tongues there of necessity there must be severall Congregations and assemblies for the imployment of them all both Preachers and hearers But in the Church of Ierusalem in the time of the hottest persecution there were the twelve Apostles the most able painfull and diligent Preachers in the world and that gave themselves continually to prayer and the Ministery of the Word and when they could not publickly come together by reason of the persecution and where there were innumerable multitudes of beleevers of all nations to be taught and preached unto in their severall Languages and tongues Therefore of necessity there must be severall congregations and Assemblies for the imployment of them all both Preachers and hearers For this Syllogism all and every part of it is so cleered by what hath formerly been said as I am most assured no rationall man will call either of the Propositions in question But from the former place I thus further argue Where there were such multitudes of beleevers of all Nations and Countries still remaining even in the hottest time of persecution as had for many yeares imployed and continually taken up above an hundred painfull Ministers and Teachers there they could not all meet together in any one place or room but of necessity must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and much more now they were forced unto it if they would avoyde persecution and provide for their own safety But in the Church of Ierusalem in the hottest time of persecution there were such multitudes of beleevers of all nations and Countries still remaining as had for many years imployed and continually taken up above an hundred painfull ministers and teachers Ergo they could not all meet together in any one place or room but of necessity must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified and much more now were they forced unto it if they would avoid persecution and provide for their own safety The Major of this Syllogism by the very light of nature and reason which we may not in a matter of disputation especially relinquish is manifest and evident For the Minor it is also apparent from the foregoing discourse by which it is proved that their preachers onely were scattered and all those Ministers that were at the choosing the Apostle Matthias chap. 1. and many more that instructed the people but for the people and beleevers they remained still in Ierusalem the conclusion therefore is firme but I will now go on to evince that after the persecution there were more believers still in the Church of Jerusalem then could all meet in any one place and room together and therefore of necessity they must be distributed into many Congregations and Assemblies And for proof of this Assertion the places following will suffice and first that in the 9. chap. of the Acts verse 31. Then had the Churches rest through all Iuden and Galilee and Samaria and were all edified and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplyed Out of which words it may evidently appear that persecution is but the bellows of the Gospell and that which the enemies of the Gospell think to be a means of extinguishing the light of it makes it but more gloriously shine forth and the farther to spread its rayes for by blowing and puffing at it they spread it the more and extend it here and there farther abroad as we see by this persecution and scattering of those Preachers and Ministers of the Gospell for this their dispersion by which the persecuters had thought to have wasted the Churches was an occasion of the multiplication of them and the cause of the increasing of beleevers every where And here we may also observe That by how much more the rage of the enemy is great and violent by so much it is lesse dureable for this great persecution was but short And it cannot be conceived but they who were scattered by persecution would upon the ceasing of it return again to Ierusalem as most people commonly do to their own Countries Cities and places of habitation after persecution And this also must needs be a great Argument to induce others to the love of that Religion which they see God so much favoureth the lovers and prefessors of the which the Lord so preserveth comforteth and followeth with so many mercies and upholdeth in all their afflictions and tryalls never forsaking nor never leaving them But if those that were scattered had never returned that maketh nothing for the weaking the truth of this Proposition that there were many Congregations and Assemblies still in the Church of Ierusalem for this Text proveth that it was not decreased after the dispersion Out of the which words I thus argue That Church before the persecution and dispersion of whose Ministers and Pastors was so numerous and had such multitudes of beleevers in it of all Nations as they could not all meet in any one place or room for edification and to partake in all asts of worship but were forced to preach in divers and sundry places as in the Temple and from house to house and after the persecution ceased and the Church had rest was greatlier yet multiplyed than before and whose companies were more and more in number increased they of necessity could not all meet together in any one place or room for edification and to partake in all acts of worship but must necessarily be distributed into divers and sundry congregations and assemblies if they would all be edified But the Church of Ierusalem before the persecution and dispersion of her Ministers and Pastors was so numerous and had such multitudes of beleevers in it of all nations as they could not all meet in any one place or room for edification and to partake in all acts of worship but were forced to preach indivers and sundry places as in the Temple and from house to house and after the persecution ceased and the Churches had rest was greatlier yet multiplyed than before and whose companies were more and more in number increased Ergo Of necessity after the persecution there were more beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet together in any one place or room for edification and to partake in all acts of worship but must necessarily be distributed into divers Congregations and Assemblies if they would be edified For the Major besides
they left a patterne and president to all ages for severall congregations and assemblies in a City or vicinity to unite into one Church and for the Officers and Presbyters of these congregations to governe that Church jointly in a Colledge and Presbytery And for a third instance as the Apostles and Presbyters met together in a Synodicall way and the Apostles in that assembly acted not by an apostollicall and infallible spirit no more then the Presbyters did as when they were writing of Scripture but stating the question and debating it from Scripture in an ordinary way as it is at large discussed in Act. 15. which we never reade they did when they writ the Scripture and having by disputing arguing and searching the Scripture found what was the good and acceptable will of God thereupon they determined the question saying it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us as the assembly now of Divines or any other for ought I know upon like assurance of Scripture warrant may doe In this action also and their so doing the apostles and Presbyters left an example and president to all the Presbyters of all succeeding ages what they should doe upon the like occasions for the deciding of controversies and differences of opinions in Religion viz. To congregate and meet together in some one place to state the questions and to debate them from Scripture and to follow the written Word as their rule in all things and whatsoever they doe to do it by joint consent and the common councell of them all or by the most voices but in all this their proceedings they must ever cleave to the rule of the Word of God or warrantable authority and evidence of reason deduced from thence as then the apostles and presbyters did yea the very name of the Presbyters in Jerusalem signifieth the Judges Counsellors Magistrates and Rulers of that Church who had the keyes committed unto them as well as the apostles and by their place were more peculiarly overseers of that Church as they were tyed unto it then the apostles as the Presbyters of Ephesus were in that Church and were assigned in their severall places to execute their office and to looke to their particular charges in the government so that whether the apostles were present or absent the presbyters had the government laid upon their shoulders and if the apostles themselves had taught contrary to this constitution or an angell from Heaven Gal. 1. I am confident the Presbyters would not have obeyed them nor have relinquished their authority neither ought they but would still have kept that rule power and authority which God had put in their hands so that for my owne particular I looke upon the apostles in all these severall actions and in all those acts of government joyned and met together with the Presbyters as I looke upon Counsellors and Judges in the great councels of Kingdoms where all the judges have equall power authority in decisive voting and I do verily believe that the Presbyters siting at any time in councell with any one or more of the apostles did act as authoritatively as the apostles themselves I am ever able to prove it and make it good against any man that the Presbyters might as wel conclude It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us as well as the apostles and may say we have written and concluded as well as the apostles as any two or three of the Parliament whether of the Lords or Commons may as well say we have made such an Ordinance as any twenty of them or the whole councell and that without disparagement or impeaching the dignity of any when they joyned with them in that worke and assented to it and in this very notion I looke upon the presbyters in Jerusalem joyned with the apostles and consider them as in my contemplations I looke upon the Lords and Commons now sitting in the great Councell as the grand civill presbytry of the Kingdome where all binding Ordinances are to be passed by the joynt consent and Common-counsel of them all and whose place and office it is to command and rule and the peoples office and place to obey and yeeld subjection to whatsoever they command and injoyne according to the will of God and for the common good and preservation of themselves and the whole Kingdome and that whosoever should resist this their just authority are guilty of contumacy and are high offendors and delinquents for God hath layed the government upon them and left the duty of obedience to the subjects who may not without a publicke cale intermeddle with matters of government And so in the matters of Church government I looke upon Presbyters as Gods peculiar servants and as upon the Stewards Councellours and Magistrates and Judges in the Church as men set apart by God himselfe for this purpose to be the teachers and rulers of their flocks committed unto them in the Lord to whom in the matters of their soules all people under their severall Presbyters so farre as they command in the Lord and according to the written word are to yeeld obedience and much to reverence and honour them and this according to Gods command for it is his ordinance And they are not to be looked on and slited as the fagge ends of the Cleargy as many black mouthes and prophane lips speake of them for the Presbyters they have their authority as well grounded in the word of God as Kings and States have theirs and therefore as they are imployed in a more supreame orbe and in matters of eternall concernment so they should be venerated as men watching over our soules and all contumelious speeches against them deserve severe punishment and ought not to be tolerated and so much the more the Presbyters of this Kingdome in these our dayes have deserved better from the Church the Parliament and the whole Kingdome then any of their predecessors not onely in desiring a perfect and through Reformation in both Doctrine and Discipline but in that they have stood now so cordially to the comon cause and more for the liberty of the Subject then any before them and have cleaved most faithfully to the Parliament have bin also a most singular means of keeping the people whersoever they were suffered to Preach in obedience In all these respects I say they deserve well yea better not onely from the Church but from all the Kingdome for the present than any of their predecessours and their memories ought to be famous to all posterity for this their good service And that government that God has given unto the Presbyters if the Lords and Commons shall now labour to establish it in the Kingdome and to settle it on them they may not onely promise unto themselves a blessing from heaven and peace unto the Church and State but also immortall praise from all succeeding ages Having taken leave to make this digression I will now to my businesse and prove that
seeme to contend for the liberty of the people they plainely overthrow it for they grant that the Apostles left the Presbyters and people to the exercise of that right belonged unto them in all Churches the right therefore of the keyes of government and jurisdiction belongeth properly unto the Presbyters in every Church who are the Officers and Magistrates appointed by God himselfe for that purpose Act. 20. ver 28. and therefore when the Apostles writ to the Church of Corinth to excommunicate that incestuous person although his Epistle be directed to the whole Church yet the Presbyters in that Church onely executed that act of government which of right belonged unto them though the people also assented unto it even as we see dayly and experience teacheth us in all well ordered Corporations when the King or Counsell writes unto any City ot Corporation though their mandats be directed to the whole City or Corporation for the raising either of men or moneyes or about any other imployment of publike concernment the Majors Aldermen and Common-Councell and the Officers under them onely manage the businesse for that is their right and place and the people under them do yeeld obedience and submit themselves to what they order and command and intermeddle not in that imployment as knowing very well it is their right and place onely to obey And even so it was in the Church of Corinth the Presbyters onely exercised the government and ordered all according to the Apostles injunction and the people assented unto it and submitted themselves to the order and the mistaking of that place and many more hath been the cause of so much confusion in the Church at this time when not onely the men in every assembly but the very women in many of the new Congregations as Members challenge a power and right both in the electing of Church Officers and of admitting of Members and of casting out and excommunicating which before these our times was never heard of in the world when as the right of jurisdiction and of the keyes as I have often proved peculiarly belongeth unto the Presbyters and the people neither men nor women ought to intermeddle with it for if they should in short time it would overthrow all government in Church and State and bring confusion into the world But I conceive the cause of so grosse a mistake of that place concerning the excommunicating of the incestuous person arose from this that they looke upon the Church of Corinth and the other churches spoken of in the New Testament not as corporations as they were indeed but as on their now sucking independent new Congregations and Assemblies such as many of those be whereas those severall Churches are to be considered under another notion as consisting of many Congregations as that of the Church of Ierusalem united into one Church or body in the severall Corporations and each of them governed by a Common-councell of Presbyters and by the joint consent of three severall Presbyters all these severall congregations making but one Church though never so much daily increased and keeping still the name and denomination of such a Church either from the place city country or nation or severall language as the Church of the Iewes the Greeke Church the Latine church or from the Cities as the church of Ierusalem of Ephesus Rome c. though they consisted of never so many Congregations and Assemblies they ever kept the name of unity and were accounted but one Church in their severall places as at this day the Church of Geneva though it consist of many Congregations is counted but one Church as it is so that I say the conceiving of the Church of Corinth and those seven churches in Asia under the notion of one of their congregations caused through this mistake that great confusion that is now in the church and was the originall cause of the opinion of Indepency when notwithstanding it is manifest that those very churches were not Independent but made their appeale to the apostles and presbyters at Ierusalem upon all occasions as that of Antioch and it is said that the Apostles and presbyters came together to consider of that matter which meeting of the Apostles and presbyters for Synodicall acts of government is no weake proofe of meeting for presbyteriall acts of government unlesse men will suppose that they who were carefull to assist other churches did neglect their owne churches committed to their peculiar charge and take no course of governing them Yea Act 15.2 it doth most certainly prove a presbyteriall government in Ierusalem out of the which place I thus argue Where the Apostles and Presbyters did governe and many congregations were by them ordered and governed yet so that all these congregations were one church there was a presbyteriall government but in the church of Ierusalem the Apostles and Presbyters did governe and many congregations were by them governed yet so that all these congregations were one church ergo in the church of Jerusalem there was a Presbyterian government all which is sufficiently manifest out of the places above specified and from all the former discourse For in the 21. chapter it is asserted that there were many ten thousands of beleevers in Jerusalem which could not all be contayned in a few places but must of necetssity be distributed into many and severall congregations and assemblies all which notwithstanding make but one church as is evident Act. 8. ver 1. and many other places the which congregations could not be one politique ministeriall church except onely because they were united under one Presbyteriall government and therefore of necessity the Church of Jerusalem must be aristocrattically and presbyterially governed yea the very mentioning so often of the Presbyters meeting together proves that they met together about acts of government from which I thus argue That Scripture which proves a Presbytery in Jerusalem or an association of Presbyters in that church proves that the presbyters of the church of Ierusalem did meet together for acts of governement and did really governe that church But the places above coted prove a presbytry in Ierusalem or an association of presbyters in that church ergo they prove that they did meet together for acts of government and did really governe that church and that the church of Jerusalem consisting of many congregations was presbyterially governed For the major the Brethren cannot deny it for the very name of presbytery signifieth a company or common-councell of rulers governours and magistrates now all men know that governouts in common cannot do their duty but must of necessity neglect the worke committed to them if they do not meet together for acts of government Neither can they deny the minor unlesse they will deny the Scripture for that expresly declareth that James and the Presbyters met together and our Brethren take their warrant from that place for the Presbyters meeting apart from the multitude to consult and to prepare matters Yea
of God he was both ordained and put in office without the approbation and consent of the people who knew nothing of the businesse but onely stood amazed and said Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem and came hither for that intent that he might bring them bound unto the high Priest The Ministers in those dayes when they were all taught of God they onely admitted members by their owne authority into the Church without the approbation of the people but in these our dayes wherein people have gotten itching eares and teachers after their owne humours such as S. Paul speaks of in his Epistles to Timothy they teach a new doctrine and bring forth new borne lights to the darkning of truth it selfe and to the bringing in of confusion on all things See what Saint James saith in his 5. chapt to all Churches and Christians in the world It any man sick saith he let him send for the Presbiters of the Churches and let them pray over him c. and the prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins they shal be forgiven him The Apostle James here sends all Christians to the Presbiters of every Church who had the power of the Keys delegated unto them for spirituall comfort and whose office onely it was to pronounce pardon and remission of sinnes unto the sick upon their true repentance if they had offended and sinned against God in the time of their health and so scandalized the Gospell and the Church and it was the Presbiters place and office to admit them againe into the fellowship and communion of the Saints upon their cordiall and unfained repentance and that without asking the Church any leave for as the Presbiters onely had the power of casting out offenders out of the Church so they onely had the authority of receiving them in againe upon their repentance and not the Church so if we look into all those Epistles that were written unto the seven Churches of Asia in the 2. and 3. of the Revelations we shall find them all directed to the Angels of the seven Churches which is as much as to say to the presidents of every severall Presbitry established and constituted in every one of those Churches which is a sufficient argument to me to prove a Counsell or Colledge of godly Ministers in every one of those Cities according to that of Paul to Titus chap. 1. ver 5. for this cause left I thee in Creet that thou shouldest ordaine Presbiters in every City not one but many And in the 14. of the Acts ver 23. And when they had ordained them presbiters in every Church c. many Presbiters a Colledge of them was appointed to every Church and so in the 20. of the Acts there were many Presbiters who had the charge and government of that Church committed unto them in common ver 28. there was a Colledge of them constituted in that church and therefore for order sake which the light of nature teacheth they must have a President who by the way of excellency and to distinguish him from the other is called an Angel as the inscription of the Epistle Rev. 11.1 declares saying Unto the Angel of the church of Ephesus As in our dialect when we speak of the great counsell of the Kingdome or of the reverend assembly of Divines if there be occasion of distinguishing the Presidents of those councels from the other Judges in those assemblies we say Master Speaker in the House of Lords or Commons or of the President of the Ministers we say Master Prolocutor and if any have occasion to write to either houses or to the Assembly they direct their letters to the Speakers or to the Prolocutor who communicates them to each Assemblies as being the Presidents of each Society and yet none of all these Presidents by that their place of honour and eminency have any more power or authority then the rest but onely in the casting voyce when the parties upon any occasion are for number equall and for appointing of the times and places of meeting and for the methodicall and orderly carriage of the businesses yea it is ever observed wheresoever there is a President there is a colledge or councell or a court nature dictates this and the custome of all nations proves it and withall by the same light of reason that counsell or colledge to whom God himselfe writes and directs his letters for redressing of abuses has the power in their hands for the rectifying of things amisse that it peculiarly belongeth unto them as to the Magistrates invested with authority to order things according to direction and to punish and cast out offenders and that by their owne power without the consent and approbation of the people as it is now in the great Counsell and Parliament of the Kingdome who make not the people acquainted with what they have to doe but so farre as it pleaseth themselves and not out of any duty and so it was in the government of Gods Church by the first constitution every Church consisting of many congregations were governed by a colledge of Presbiters as that of Jerusalem and this of Ephesus and the other six Churches in all the which the Presbiters by their sole authority governed them according to Gods Word without taking the people in to counsell with them who were no where joyned in commission with them and therefore it is most apparent by those examples I have now produced and many more that might be added and from the commission that Christ gave to the Apostles and in them to all Ministers that the people had not their voyces either for the admitting of any to be members in any church or in the easting out of any for their delinquency much lesse have they authority to require a publike confession of their faith to be made unto the congregation or to exact of them to bring in the evidences of their true conversion or to require that they should walk with them some time before admission or to enter into a solemne private covenant before they be admitted as members for we have no president for any of these things in Gods Word much lesse any command only in Acts the sixt there is mention made that the Apostles for the freeing of themselves from all unnecessary incombrances and that they might the better attend upon their ministry and preaching gave the people liberty to make choice of their owne Deacons but still keeping the power of ordaining them in their owne hand which alwayes was arbitrary in them whether they would exercise it or no neither would the Apostles have ordained them unlesse those that were to be ordained had been man so qualified as they had appointed for otherwise it lay in their choyce whether they would ordain them or no. But that ever the congregation or people had the power of admitting of members or
of ordaining of Officers it is no where extant in Gods Word But that the women should have a voyce in the Church either for receiving in or casting out of members or officers or should have any thing to doe with Peters Keys it is against the law of God and nature For Paul in the first Epistle to the Corinths 14. makes it one of the marks of confusion in any Church where women have their voyces saying God is not the Author of confusion but of peace as in all the churches of the Saints and in the next verse following in expresse words saith Let your women keep silence in churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are comanded to be under obedience as also saith the law and if they wil learn any thing let them ask their husbands at home for it is a shame for women to speake in the church And what S. Paul writ to this Church of Corinth he writ to all Churches and proclaims that what he writ to them were the commandements of the Lord ver 37. so that God had commanded that the women should not speak in the Church and sayth that it is a shame they should and yet in these our dayes and in many of the new congregations they have their voyces in choosing of officers and admitting of members and have all of them Peters Keys as their Girdle and make learned parts of speech in the congregation and dispute questions and debate of matters and give their reasons con pro as it is credibly reported and others of them set forth and print learned Treatises in polemicall divinity with great applause and admiration of the Independent Ministers who cite their authority and quote them in their writings as classicall authors to the shame of the Nation and ludibry of Religion and howsoever there is not any that shall more honour the truly vertuous and pious of that sex than my selfe yet I must confesse when I see how farre they become transgressors of the law of God do those things that the holy Apostle hath not onely forbidden but proclaimed a shame I cannot but exceedingly blame them those Ministers that allow of and approve of such rebellion against God and nature And as if it had been the special care in the Apostle to prevent this evill of womens intermedling in matters of the Church he foreseeing the confusion that would be brought in upon it In his first Epistle to Timothy and in him to all Ministers to whom the government of the Church was committed he gives him direction how to behave himselfe in the house of God which is the church of the living God in cap. 2. ver 11.12 he saith Let the women learne in silence with all subjection for I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silence for Adam was first made then Eve and Adam was not deceived but the woman being deceived was in the transgression c. Here the Apostle again and agun twice in these few words enjoyns them silence in the church and imposes upon them subjection and obedience I suffer not saith he a woman to teach or to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silence and he giveth his reasons of this his command because saith he Adam was first made not by the woman nor of the woman but the contrary and therfore she may usurpe no authority over the masculine sex especially in Gods matters and shee is to be the disciple if the man and not the man her schollar and therefore that superiority that the God of order had established upon the man in the first creation he doth now re-establish upon him againe in his holy Word after all things through sinne had been disordered and confused and commands the woman to be both subject and silent especially in the Church Another reason of this his command is because the woman was first in the transgression and was the cause of Adams fall as he accuses her and her disputing and voycing of it then brought confusion upon all mankind and for this her so doing S. Paul concludes for ever hereafter that she ought to hold her peace be in subjection to her husband and ought to learne in silence at home but more especially in the Church for if they come to voyce it once again in the Church as Eve brought confusion upon mankind by her disputation and reasons so these with their loquacity and babble and confusion of voyces will bring in a new Babel into the Church and State as they have prettily well already begun to doe Saint Paul saith I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurpe authority over the man but to be in silence Here the Apostle as in the place above cited out of the Cor. chap. 14. commands them silence and permits them not to speak and expresly forbids them to usurpe authority over the man that is the virill sex Now I appeale unto any understanding creature whether or no to make large parts of speech in the Church as many of them upon occasions doe and dispute and give their reasons con pro be not to speak in the Church and whether to have their voyces in either admitting of members or officers or in the casting of them out be not to usurpe authority over the man for all the world knowes that they that have the power in their hands of either admitting of any into the fellowship or communion of the Church or of hindring their comming in or have their voyces for the casting of them out when they are received exercise and usurpe authority over those they so deale with and therefore they doe against the expresse prohibition of the Apostles and all those women that have usurped this authority and all those Ministers that have permitted them so to doe or tanght this doctrine unto them are all guilty of great contumacy against God and ought seriously to repent for this their temerity and rebellion and it will be the immortall honour of those women that have not intermedled if there be not some speedy course taken by authority to forbid such disorder we may promise nothing to the Church and whole Kingdome but confusion It has ever been observed that Hermaphrodite counsels in any Kingdome or country when women that are subjects intermeddle in government and matters of state that that Kingdome and country is very crased and not far from ruine and destruction and we need not look into many ages or countries for presidents of this kind if hermaphrodite counsels in Kingdoms has ever been so fatall unto them what may any man think in time will become of this Church and Kingdome when the women have gotten Peters Keys at their girdle and have their voyces in many congregations and a power of ordering and disposing of things in Church affaires certainly nothing but confusion can be expected for this their doing is
suffered them then to have preached up their Religion in all their Pulpits In Turkey at this day Christians in many places have the liberty of their consciences amongst themselves and have their places for worship to assemble in but they are not so much as permitted to come into their Temples much lesse to preach up their Religion in their Pulpits In France the Protestants are permitted to preach but it is onely in such places as are appointed for them they may not preach in popish Pulpits that is not permitted unto them In the Low countries there is liberty of conscience which they so much plead for of which afterwards and yet the divers sects that are there are not suffered to preach out of those places assigned unto them or to preach publikely in any of their Pulpits against the Religion established by authority neither are they permitted to unchristian them or unchurch them and publikely and in print to proclaime them enemies of Christs government and if any should dare attempt such a thing or goe about to disgrace their Ministers and church-government or in the least intrench upon the Mrgistrates authority they would be made fly like lightning before thunder And yet the brethren among us have the liberty of all the Pulpits through the Kingdome without controle and vent all their new wayes and their new-borne truths and set up their new lights without any molestation and have all respectfull usage and the onely esteem of the people and are more followed than all our learned godly and painfull orthodox Ministers and yet they cry out of persecution and unchurch and unchristian us all and proclaime both Ministers and people all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and count of us little better than of Infidels and keep our children from baptisme and debarre us from communion with them and exercise a kind of absolute lordship over all their brethren so as Deotraphes never did the like nor the Pope more and yet they cry out of persecution against the Saints and lay odious aspersions upon their brethren and fellow-Presbiters perswading the people that the presbiterian way will be as bad or worse than that of the Prelats But if we as duly examine the manner of the Independent government and compare it with the Presbiterian as we have done the manner of their preaching with theirs we shall find there is little reason why they should so villipend the Presbiterian and magnifie their owne and why they should make it so hatefull and odious to the people laying aside therefore all prejudice let us examine things with deliberation and then it will be soon evident that the Presbiterian government is not as bad or worse than that of the Prelats nor so lordly as that of the Independent government which is also Presbyterian and they as well Presbyters as their brethren It is well knowne that the Prelats assumed and arrogated unto themselves to be the onely Pastors of their Diocesses and ruled all the Ministers and people under them by their owne authority and spoyled all both Minsters and people and the severall congregations under them of their liberty and made them all both Ministers and people their vassals and slaves and from whose Courts there was no appeale Whereas the Presbiterian manner of government is not as that of Lords and Masters over Subjects and Servants but sociall as between equals between brethren friends and colledges who all judge and are all judged according to the Word of God where no congregation is above another congregation no Minister is above another Minister but onely for order-sake where every Presbiter is left to enjoy the whole office of a Presbiter and each congregation to the freedome of a congregation what belongs unto them and they able to performe it and the classes to corroborate and strengthen them And if any man be wronged by the Presbitry he may have the benefit of his appeale and be cleered by more righteous Judges a course ever followed by the Churches and agreeable to the light of nature so that I say if men would without a prejudicate opinion weigh and consider all things and compare the government of the Prelats with that of the Presbiterian they would speedily be undeceived And againe if they would compare the Presbiterian government dependent with the Presbiterian government independent they would have more honourable thoughts of the one and a lesse esteem of the other for in the Presbiterian government independent they exercise a kind of absolute power and soveraignty amongst themselves in every of their severall Churches or congregations so that if two or three of the Presbiters be malicious or self-will'd or corrupt or hereticall as it happens many times and by their learning or eloquence or great abilities of wit and schollership or by their wealth or power the congregation perhaps consisting of many poore people and it may be ignorant who are relieved by them and whose favour they dare not forfeit if they prevailing with the major part of the congregation as commonly the poore people are like a company of wild Gees who which way soever their leader flyes they all follow I say if they do once deliver a man to satan and will not by any art of perswasion be induced to reverse their unrighteous sentence the innocent and wronged man must live under this doome all the dayes of his life without any remedy and must be held by all the Churches of Christ that are after that new modell to whom their sentence is given notice of as an excommunicated person and shun'd accordingly they have no power to absolve or help him and from which he hath no benefit of appeale And this that I now speake there is not any of the brethren that is well verst in the grounds of that kind of government that either will or can deny it And this rigor to my knowledge both in the low Countries in the severall congregations of the English there and in some here in England among us was the cause of making so many severall sects for when they were cast out of one congregation for some particular opinion in the which they differed from them the other churches and congregations of the same mould and profession could not absolve them nor durst not receive them into church fellowship with them without an attestation from the church out of which they were excommunicated of their christian walking amongst them or had given satisfaction to that church of which they had been members and that they would never be brought unto conceiving that the wrong was theirs who complained as unjustly excommunicated neither would they relinquish their opinion as being perswaded it was grounded upon the Word of God whereupon they finding others of their owne opinion joyned themselves into a new society and congregation and had a peculiar church by themselves and this has been one of the chiefest causes of all these rents and devisions we now see every where for
so that here we have one president that the whole Lords day was spent by all those Christians in the works of piety and charity Againe in the first of the Revelations Saint John saith that he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day that is the first day of the week called by Saint John the Lord's day and there the Angel preached unto him that day and commanded Saint John to take so much of his Sermon by writing as God in his wisdome thought fit to reveale unto his Church and he that shall diligently read what is there written will gather that the whole day was taken up by Saint John and spent in hearing and writing and meditating of what he had heard for without doubt Saint John made it his whole dayes work to be spiritually imployed and as the holy Communion is called the Lord's Supper and all the time of that action is holily to be imployed as being ordained by Christ himselfe to that end even so the Lords day being a day dedicated unto Christ and ordained by him for holy duties and for the hearing of the Word and for the administration of the Sacraments and prayer the whole day ought both privately and publikely to be taken up in the imployments and works of piety and charity as hearing reading meditating prayer repetition of Sermons in their Families catechizing and instructing their children and servants singing of Psalmes in visiting the sick and them that are in prison relieving the poore and necessitated c. These examples of the primitive Christians are for our imitation for so Saint Paul in the third of the Phillippians in the 17. verse saith Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example for our conversation is in Heaven And in the 4. chap. ver 8. he saith Finally brethren whatsoever things are true what soever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and heard and seen in me doe and the God of peace shall be with you By the which testimonies to omit many more we are tyed to follow the examples of the Apostles and to imitate them in all that is holy and good and of good report now it is praise worthy and of good report to spend the whole Lords day in holy imployments and we have the Apostles examples and the primitive Christians for so doing and therefore we ought to spend the whole Lords day in the works of piety and charity and by this the sanctifying of the Christian Sabbath which is every seventh day is ratified the prophanation of the which in the reformed Churches and in many places through these three Kingdomes has been one of the causes of all those heavy judgements the whole christian world now groanes under and so much more would the Lord be provoked by the toleration of all Religions amongst us which would give just occasion of violating of all the Commandements of God and of disobedience both to God and man for it is most sure that the morall law is not altered in any thing for substance and that God that by it injoyned but one Religion to the Israelites and commanded them to keep that pure and undefiled and to punish all idolaters blasphemers and seducers hath injoyned the same to all Christians and hath not suffered or permitted them to tolerate all Religions or any sects or heresies which by the Apostle in the fifth of the Galatians are called the works of the devill and that they that doe them shall not enter into the Kingdome of God So that those that would bring in a toleration of all Religions have a desire to send men to the devill For the examples of Poland Transsilvania and Holland they are no presidents to other Nations their politick proceedings are no examples for other christian Countries and Nations to follow for christians are to live by the rule of God's Word and Christ's their Kings lawes and to follow the examples of his own people only in their wel-doing and not in their failings and therfore we are to follow the example of Abraham Joshua Elias the other Patriarchs Prophets and holy Apostles who never tolerated all Religions Yea we are commanded in Romans the 12. not to conforme our selves to this world but that we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds that we may prove what is the good and the acceptable and perfect will of God Now when by the Word of God that acceptable and perfect will of his we are taught that he was displeased with his people the Jewes for tolerating of all Religions amongst them and that he was highly offended with those christian Churches in Asia for tolerating the doctrines of Balaan and Jezabel we are sufficiently taught and instructed that Christians ought not to tolerate any other Religion but that which Christ the onely King and Law-giver of his Church hath taught us and that whosoever should take that authority upon them to tolerate all Religions would be found fighters against God and such as deservedly would bring downe his judgements upon the Land by it for if but conniving at evill and consenting to it be a thing displeasing unto God how would the tolerating of it by a law be abominable unto his sacred and divine Majesty for this were to establish iniquity by a law We are taught in the holy Scriptures that the consenting with a theefe makes a man as guilty before God as the acting of theevery and that they that assented unto Jezabel in killing the Prophets made themselves all as guilty as Jezabel her selfe and that the Heathen Romans Rom. 1. ver 32. who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not onely doe the same but consent with them that doe them made themselves as equally guilty as the actors of them as Paul in his bill and information put up in the Court of Heaven against them sufficiently declareth the same did Elias in his bill of information against the people in his time accusing them all as equally guilty of the blood of the Prophets and destroying Religion as Jezabel and onely because they consented unto it They saith Elias have killed thy Prophets and have broken down thy Altars Which they all the people that assented unto her as well as the Officers and Executioners And so our Saviour in his time accuseth the people as well as Herod for slaying of Iohn the Baptist saying They have done to him what soever they pleased They which they all the Nobles that sate at table with Herod that did not disswade Herod from that bloody and tyrannicall act and all the people that liked well of it the sinne of this Nation who assented unto the bloody decrees and censures