doctrine to prove this their opinion to be legitimate So that in this point of their beliefe the Papists and the Independents agree against all the current and the whole Schooles of all the most Orthodoxe Protestant Divines who hold they were Christians Secondly they agree in this also that both of them hold that the forme of a church must ever be visible and apparent So that were their never so many Assemblies of Christians in a city or country and all beleevers if they be not cast into such and such a mold and forme then theyare not churches properly so called but in their dialect they are either Heritickes or no Christians but proclaimed enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdom So that according to the Papists doctrine all those Christians that are not within the limits compasse and bounds that they have circumscribed their church with and are not under that visible forme of government they have appointed they accompt them all Heritickes and no churches as all men know And in the same manner do the Independents unchurch all churches in the world but such as in their opinion are cast into a church mould according to the New Testament forme and have their distinct Officers and Members united into one body respectively That is to say speaking in their owne language all such congregations and assembles as are fluid and are not joyned and united together by an explcite particular Covenant fixed in their officers and Members having a Presbytery of their own with absolute Soverainty and power within themselves Independent they are no churches and all those Christians that are not within the compasse and limits of this their new mould or modell they proclaime them enemies of Iesus Christ and his kingdome and accompte of them as a company of infidels and affirme that they are no true churches nor churches properly so called So that we see that both the Papists and Independents agree in this that they bound and limit all churches to such and such an externall forme so that wheresoever that is wanting according to their dialect though otherwise they have the preaching of the Gospel the right administration of the Sacraments and the true invocation of God they are no churches properly so called And both of them farther accorde and agree in this that the forme of their churches consists in the distinction of their Officers and members and the uniting of them into one body respectively they must not be fluid as they speake but they must be fixed in their Officers and Members and having a Presbytery of their owne with absolute soverainty and jurisdiction within themselves Independent But in this the Papists deale far more honestly then the Independents for they have in many large volumes fully set downe the modell of their government and what it is and shew how they are fixed in their Officers and Members and for their chiefe Officers they say they are the Pope and his Presbytery at Rome the Cardinals Patriarchs Primates Metropolitans Archbishops c. and we know where to finde them and what their modell and government is to a hare But what the Independents modell is or will be no man could yet ever learne but by conjecture which I must confesse seemes a wonderfull thing to me that they should thus at pleasure unchurch and unchristian all churches and Christians as not formed into a church mould after the New Testament forme and yet never declare what that forme and mold is And yet this is their daily wicked practice So that all men may see if they will not put out their eyes that in this and many other of their tenents and opinions the Independents are but a company of Mungrell Papists and would have all men belieeve with an implicit faith as their Churches believe and take all they speake as Oracles though it be never so groundlesse But we have learned Christ better then so who is the Prophet and King of his Church and who hath commanded us to heare him Matth. 17. and to obey his voyce Iohn 10. and not to give eare unto strangers And from his blessed Word we have learned these two lessons the first that wheresoever the Gospel of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is faithfully and truly Preached by Ministers sent by him and where this Everlasting Gospell is imbraced and believed and yeelded obedience unto by the people and where there is the right Administration of the holy Sacraments and the true invocation of God they are a true church or churches although they be fluid and be not fixed in their Officers and members and have not that externall forme either the Papists or the Independents speake of and for this our faith we have warrant from Gods holy Word Secondly we are taught out of the holy Scriptures also that there may be a true church or churhes in many nations and kingdomes where they injoy not all the Ordinances in a publicke manner nor where their very meetings together are not allowed unto them by authority for all such as confine a church or churches to these externall formes they speak of they confound the essence and substance of a church with the adjuncts and Accideuts of it whereas churches may be true churches and yet want the externall forme of Government as may by innumerable places of holy Scripture be proved as for instances In Israel where God had set up his owne worship and established a forme of Government and commanded that it should punctually be observed yet we read in the 2 of the Chron. chap. 15. ver the 3. these words Now for a long season Israel was without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without law So that from this place we may gather that their did not then appeare any externall forme of a church no not in Israel when the true God was not publickly known amongst them and yet notwithstanding God had there his true church amongst them yea in the greatest height of Idolatry when all the Prophets were persecuted and lay hid in Caves yet at that time also God had seven thousand that never bowed knee to Baal So that it is evident that it is not the externall forme that is absolutely required for the making of a true church but it may be a true church without that externall appearance they speak of For a church is one thing and the outward forme and discipline is another And truly if a man will not suffer himselfe willingly to be deluded with appearances and naked shaddowes for the truth it selfe and will but consider the great variety and change of the church in respect of the outward alteration of the government of it in all ages after God himself had set it up in Abrahams Family and consider it in all its peregrinations and pilgrimages and that after God had given unto Abraham and his seed such directions for the setting up of his worship wheresoever he and his posterity should come and
only true worshippers who saith that Salvation was of the Iews and that the Samaritans worshipped they knew not what Now to the Church of the Iewes those true worshippers those that were converted by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples and baptized into Christ were added and therfore they were worthy to have been taken notice of by my brother Burton as formed into a Church or Churches if believing in Christ repenting and being baptized in his name and by his authority be sufficient to make men members of a Church for as the Catholicke visible Church consists of many Nationall Provinciall and Presbyterian Churches so did the Nationall church of the Iews of many citie Countries Churches which were in their Dialect called Synagogues which is the same with our Churches both in cities and countries as all the learned well know for in all those Synagogues they partaked daily in the morall worship and had the Preaching of the law and the Keyes of Heaven Now then when those multitudes that I enumerated in my arguments baptized by Iohn and the blessed Apostles and the seventy Disciples were all gathered into Christs fold and made his sheepe and true believers and that by the Preaching of the Gospell and hearing of the voyce of their Pastors and had amongst them all those sealing and discriminating Ordinances that were sufficient not only to forme them into a church or churches but to difference them from Pagans and Infidels as who were Israelites to whom pertained the adoption and the glory the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the promises as Saint Paul speaketh Rom. 9. vers 4. all which I conceive were sufficent and avaylable to make any then living members of Christs Church I say when they had circumcision and the Passoever baptisme and the Law and the Gospell and that worship of God that he had established amongst them and were his peculiar people of whom Christ had given this testimony that they were his true worshippers and when they were also gathered in according to Gods own appointment by the sound of the Gospell and by the preaching of Faith and Repentance and by the Ministry of the Word as all the Prophets had formerly gathered Churches then those that were Baptized by Iohn who was a Prophet sent of God Luke the 3. and sent to baptize Iohn the 1. 33. and those that were baptized by the Disciples who were sent from Christ as he was from his Father who said Go teach all nations baptising them c. all they I say ought by my brother Burton and all the Independents to be taken notice of as formed into a Church or Churches what so ever he and I. S. say to the contrary who in this agree that those that were baptized by John and by Christs Disciples were no Christians much lesse cast into a Church mould according to the New-Testament forme and lest of all that they were members of one Christian Church at Ierusalem These are J. S. his formall words pag. 9. So that whiles these men vvill dispute against the truth they blaspheme and give the Spirit of God the lye for Christ hath said that they that heare his Disciples heare him and that they that heare his voyce are his sheepe novv vvhen all those that vvere converted by their Ministry and vvere in token of their faith and obedience baptized and had given up their names unto Christ they were all incorporated into his fold which is his church his Mysticall body and were moulded into a church or churches and so they are set down to us in the holy Scriptures as believers and true members of Christs church and therefore formed into a church or churches for there is but one Shepherd and one sheep-fold and Christ had then no other church on earth that we reade of but that of the Iewes and which is yet more it was a reformed church for Christ had cast out all the Buyers and Sellers John 2. out of the Temple and cals it his Fathers house and the house of prayer so that it was now a pure church and clensed from all pollutions and in the which all Christs Ordinances were in their purity here was the Preaching of the Gospell the Teaching of the Law and all the sealing Ordinances both old and new here was Circumcision the Passeover Sacrifices and Ceremonies here was Baptisme and the Lords Supper or breaking of bread here was the true Invocation or calling on the name of God and that in the house of Prayer where all Supplications were heard and that before Christs death Here we have all the materialls for the making or forming of a church or churches or casting of Christians into a church mould according to the new-testament forme to speak a little in the Independents dialect for here we have visible Saints in multitudes devoute men and true worshippers from out of all the Nations under heaven Acts 2 here we have Christ and his twelve Apostles and his seventy Disciples Elders and Teachers in abundance besides many Women that followed him and ministred unto him here was no want of Ministers and Officers and Members of all sorts besides innumerable multitudes of believers and cryers Hosanna and all this before Christs death as well as after and all these Christian believers and such as did partake of all sealing and saving Ordinances sufficient to cast them into a church mould and to forme them into a church or churches as well as after Christs ascension and therefore my indefinite enumeration of those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples ought by my brother Burton and I. S. and all the Independents to have been taken notice of as formed into a church or churches without Christ and his blessed Apostles who partaked in all Ordinances be not in their esteeme reputed Christians and formed into a church or cast into a church mould which were blasphemy in any to thinke and therefore is much more the height of wickednesse in my brother Burton and I. S. to affirme and Print for I. S. his expressions I produced them often before I will now set downe my brother Burtons formall words which I cannot but reiterate For your indefinite enumeration saith he of those mulititudes baptized by Iohn and by Christs Disciples we take no notice of them unlesse formed into a church or churches but following the expresse Scripture the first formed church we finde is in Acts 2. These are his words and that in the name of all the Independents saying we take no notice of them So that by this all men may gather that in the Independents language and in their Divinity Iohn Baptist and all Christs Disciples with Christ himself and all Christian believers in Christs time and all that by baptisme were received into Christs fold and church and such as had given up their names to Christ were not worthy to be taken notice of by the Independent brethren who esteeme of
which words there likewise cannot with any reason be understood That Herod and Pontius Pilate with all the Gentiles and the people of Israel did all meet in any one place for all understanding forbids men so to argue or conceive or believe for they well know that there was no place could have contained them all together no not the thousand part of them besides they were all in their several Countryes and aboads and it is well known that before this time Herod and Pilate were not so loving one to another as to come together but it is related they were altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie that wheresoever they dwelt or in what coasts or regions soever their habitations were they all agreed upon one and the same wicked design to be enemies of Christ in this wicked resolution they were epi tò autò that is they all wel accorded and assented together to put the Lord of life to death and to cast of his government So that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are to understand a mentall meeting together and not a topicall local and bodily meeting or convening of all those Kings in any one place by which in all their consultations they were resolved to carry on their wicked design and unlawfull businesse and in that regard they were said to be gathered together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in unum though they did it in severall places and this is the true meaning of epi tò autò there as when any men do carry on a good designe though they be in diveâ—s and severall places they may be said to be gathered together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as now with us the Lords and Commons and divers Committees in both Houses assemble themselves dayly epi tò autò and are but one Parliament though they meet in two severall rooms and more and so a thousand Congregations and Assemblies may be said to meet Homothumadòn epi tò autò every Lords day though they be in never so many distinct places in regard of their common design to serve God on that day So that all reason to any intelligible man from that I have said will clearly evince that by epi tò autò is meant nothing else but that the Apostles were met together with one accord upon the occasion of the feast of Pentecost with this deliberate design and for this very end and purpose to celebrate that feast unto the Lord which was the work of that day the Iews also through all Indaea and from the regions round about being come up to Ierusalem to that fâ—ast to worship God in it and to offer up that service that was due unto his Name and the which were taken up in the Temple and in their severall Synagogues and meeting places in the same imployment the Apostles were of all the which I affirme it may be as really and truly said that they all met Homothumadòn epi tò autò as of the hundred and twenty Names And yet no rationall man would from thence conclude that all the people did or could meet in one place No more can any understanding creature or well grounded solid Christian gather that because it is said the hundred and twenty names were all Homothumadon with one accord epi tò autò that therefore there should be no more beleevers in Ierusalem then did or could all meet in any one place or congregation to partake in all Ordinances as the Independents all gather from the words I assert that such a kind of arguing in any man would argue that he had little brains in his head and therefore I shall be ever able by Gods assistance to maintain against all the Sectaries and Homothumadòn Independents that by epi tò autò is to be understood either some designe whether it be taken in a good sense or a bad which the holy Scripture apparently holds out unto us or if otherwise that epi tò autò in the verse of the second chapter of the Acts is rather to be understood of the time of their meeting then of the place All this I say I undertake by Gods gracious assistance to make good against all the Independents and Sectaries and to prove withall that they do all of them most wickedly for the deluding of the people to gather and conclude from epi to auto that there were no more beleevers then or at any time after in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place or Congregation for indeed to make such a conclusion as this from epi tò autò is not onely to fight against all the light of sound reason but to give the holy Ghost the lye and to resist the spirit of God and to withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse All which I shall by and by God willing briefly make appear But before I come to that should I for disputation sake grant unto the brethren that by epi tò autò in that text were meant in one place as they would have it because we cannot conceive if there be a meeting or convening of the persons of any people together but it must be in a place or at a place as we usually speak would it therefore follow that because any one place or room will hold a hundred and twenty names for they say there were then no more in that company to partake in all acts of worship that it will hold hundreds of thousands or that all the beleevers in Ierusalem did then meet there or that there were no more beleevers then in that Church then could meet in one Congregation or that for ever after there were no more Christians in Ierusalem then did ordinarily meet in one Congregation I am most assured that there is not any intelligible Independent but upon due deliberation would say that he that should so conclude speaks against the very light of all understanding that dictates the contrary and therefore he would not make that inference the Homothumadon brethren make viz. that there were neither then in Ierusalem nor at any time after more beleevers in that Church then could all meet in any one Congregation to partake in all acts of worship But now to shew the vanity and wickednesse of these men and that it may appear they in this may be rightly called Homothumadons in that they do with one accord and with one unanimous consent conspire together to trouble and disquiet the whole Church of God and to disturbe the peace of the three Kingdomes and are resolved to persist epì tò autô in that their wicked designe and that with one accord I shall here lay down some reasons which all that will vouchsafe to read the ensuing discourse shall see more fully set down afterwards I say therefore they extreamly shew their vanity and wicked purpose in this that they all conclude from epì tò autò there were no more beleevers at that time nor ever after in Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place or
all the power in their hands in awe that they durst not so much as open their mouthes against Iohn the Baptist From all which places and many more that might be produced to prove That there were so many Believers in Ierusalem as could not all meet in one place or roome or in one Congregation to partake in all acts of worship I thus argue Where there was an infinite multitude or a mighty City of Believers there they could not all meet together in one place or roome or in one Congregation for the enjoying of all acts of worship and for edification which is required in the Churches 1 Cor. 14. 26. but of necessity must be distributed into severall Congregations and Assemblies and divers divisions that they might be all edified and partake in all Ordinances But in the Church of Ierusalem by the very baptisme and preaching of Iohn there were infinite multitudes and a very City of Believers Ergo they could not all meet together in one place or roome or in one congregation for the enjoying of all acts of worship and for edification which is required in the Church of God but of necessitie must be distributed into severall congregations and assemblies and divers divisions that they might all be edified partake in all ordinances For the major it is cleare by the very light of nature and all reason for there is no one place or house that can contain a whole City or infinite multitude of Believers and if any great place could containe them they could not all be edified and partake of all the acts of worship For if the very great raw-bon'd building of Pauls it self were cramm'd full of people and had a Preacher of the strongest lungs in the City half the people could not hear and be edified as daily experience telleth us so that of necessity if they would be edified and partake in all the Ordinances they must be distributed into divers congregations and severall assemblies I am most assured that there were such multitudes of Believers in Jerusalem that five such buildings as Pauls could not have contained their very bodies within their wals much lesse receive them or entertaine them for edification So that for the major I am confident there is no intelligible man will doubt of it For the Minor it is manifest from the places above produced for our Saviour saith excepting the Pharisees and the Lawyers which were but a little handfull all the people or the generality of them justified God and were baptized and were Believers So that the conclusion from the premises doth necessarily follow But from the former places I argue yet further after this manner Where there was such an infinite company and multitude of Christians and Believers as kept a tyrannicall King in awe and all the Magistrates and Elders in whose hands was all the power and authority and struck such a fear and terror into them all that they durst not exercise their cruelty and tyranny over them though they were their inveterate enemies and desired it There of necessity the number of the Believers must be so great as they could not all meet together in one place or roome or in one congregation for the enjoying and partaking in all the acts of worship but if they would be edified must be distributed into divers congregations and assemblies But in Ierusalem there were such an infinite company and multitude of Christians and Believers as kept Herod himself the tyrant in awe all the Magistrates and Elders in whose hands was all the power and authority and struck such a feare and terror into them that they durst not exercise their cruelty and tyranny over them though they were their inveterate enemies and desired it Ergo of necessity the number of the Believers was so great as they could not all meet together in one place or roome or in one congregation for the enjoying and partaking in all acts of worship but if they would be edified must be distributed into divers Congregations and Assemblies For the Major and Minor of this Syllogisme besides the force of reason and common understanding which were enough to convince any rationall creature of the truth of them the holy Scripture it self as from the places above specified is manifest proves them So that none can doubt of the truth of the conclusion but such as will call in question truth it selfe I might out of the severall places above mentioned draw many more Arguments to prove the conclusion but because I study brevity these for the present shall serve to prove That by the very baptisme and Ministery of S. Iohn the Baptist there were such an infinite company of Believers in the Church of Ierusalem as they could not al meet together in one place or congregation for the injoying of all the Ordinances To these first arguments of mine by which I proved that by the very Baptisme of S. Iohn there were more converted and made Christians and believeres in Ierusalem then could meete in any one place or Congregation Master Knollys answers by denying the minor of my Syllogismes and I. S. by denying they were Christians as we shall see I will therefore reply unto them both in order beginning first with Master Knollys whose words are these pag. 8. I do deny the minor proposition of these arguments saith he Neither hath the Doctor proved that there was an infinite number of beleevers nor a very City of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem The Scriptures quoted by the Doctor speak no such thing Those places in Matthew Mark and Luke tell us of very many who were baptized by Iohn and by Christs Disciples but doe not declare how many of those baptized persons were of the Church of Ierusalem and the Scripture witnesseth Act. 9. 31. That there were Churches through all Iudaea as well as in Ierusalem and for ought I know or the Doctor either many of those baptized persons might be in those Churches yea the most of them and but a few in Ierusalem it may be no more but those hundred and twenty mentioned Act. 1. 13 14 15. to whom were added about three thousand soules who continued in the doctrine of the Apostles and in breaking of bread and prayers Acts the 2. 42 43 44. This is all Master Knollys hath to say by way of answer for the enervating of the strength of my Arguments and Reasons by which I proved there were more converted by Iohns Ministerythen could meet in any one place in Ierusalem Now here before I come to reply I referre my selfe to the judicious Reader whether from the forgoing places which I quoted out of the Holy Word of God from the Reasons and Arguments deduced out of it it was not sufficiently evinced That there were an infinite number of beleevers and a very Citie of them in the Church of Ierusalem and therefore more then could meet in any one place or Congregation I demand I say of any intelligible Christian
whether those Scriptures I cited with the Arguments deduced from them doe not speake and perswade such a thing I am confident all such as know any thing in learning will say they doe But for answer Master Knollys himselfe grants that very many were baptized by Iohn and Christs disciples and none were baptized then but Beleevers as he and all the Independents doe confesse and acknowledge but saith he the Scriptures quoted do not declare how many of those baptized persons were of the Church of Ierusalem for the Scriptures witnesse that there were Churches through all Iudaea as well as in Ierusalem and for ought saith he I know or the Doctor either many of those baptized persons might be of those Churches yea the most of them and but a few in Ierusalem it may be no more but those hundred and twenty mentioned Acts the 1. vers 13 14 15. If a bare denyall of any Argument with a senselesse Reason or two and an it may be were a sufficient conviction of a truth then Master Knollys would be a very precious Disputant and to say Bellarmine thou lyest would be enough to confute all the Papists But in matters of this nature and of so high concernement there is more required then bare denials and vaine evasions and may-bee's And therefore I will take this liberty to tell Master Knollis that hee trifles in Divinity and deales not like a serious nor learned Christian nor to the purpose for this is not in question betweene mee and the Independents how many of those baptized persons through all Iudaea and the Regions round about were resident in the Church of Ierusalem This I say was never controverted betweene us for no man that I know of ever doubted but that all those that came out of al Iudaea and the Regions round about to the Ministry Baptism of Iohn and Christs Disciples returned home againe to their severall habitations and there remained and aboad as those that came out of Ierusalem to Iohns Preaching and Baptisme after they were baptized repaired to their severall houses habitations in that Citie and remained there waiting upon the publick Ordinances this I conceive all men that have any understanding beleeve And the Scripture sufficiently declareth that the multitudes of Beleevers that came out of Ierusalem and were baptized by Iohn the Baptist to speake nothing now of the Apostles and seventy Disciples were numberlesse and therefore were more then the hundred and twenty names yea they were innumerable therefore more then could meet in any one place or a few And if the Reader will but looke backe to the Scriptures above quoted out of which I framed my Arguments and consider the insuing Scriptures and Reasons from them he will easily perceive that Master Knollys is a meere Quibler and a man no way fit for either disputation or any serious imployment The Evangelists speaking of the great concourses of people that came from all quarters to the Preaching and Ministery of Iohn and to be baptized to avoid mistakes doe specifie the severall places out of which they came with the numbers indefinitly set down that came from every place saying There went out to him Ierusalem and all Iudaea and all the Regions round about Iordan and were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sinnes Mat. the 3. Here it is abundantly declared that it was an infinite company that came from Ierusalem as by the word Ierusalem is sufficiently manifest being metaphorically set downe and taken in that place as I said before synechdochically for a mighty part and multitude of people that came out of that City And Saint Marke confirmes this chap. 1. ver the 5. who saith there went out unto him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan confessing their sinnes And the same is further ratified by the words of our Saviour Luke 7. 29. 30. who saith that all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized by the Baptisme of John but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Councell of God against themselves being not baptized So that now by the mouth of three witnesses and by the testimony of Christ himselfe it is sufficiently proved That if Jerusalem and all the people of Jerusalem went out and were baptized by John except the Pharisees and Lawyers that there was an innumerable multitude and therefore more then could possibly meet in any one place or a few and many more then the hundred and twenty names spoke of in the first of the Acts which fond conceit of Mr Knollys is yet more evidently refuted out of the second of the Acts where it is related that there were at that time Inhabitants and Dwellers at Jerusalem devout men that is true Worshippers and Beleevers from out of all the Nations under Heaven To say nothing of Nicodemus and of Joseph of Arimathea and of many other Rulers and of all the people and children that cryed Hosanna and that received Christ into the City with all their acclamations and believed in him the most of which were Inhabitants aud Dwellers in Jerusalem and such as had their aboad there so that by this I have now said the folly and vanity of Mr Knollys and his cavill is apparantly manifest and this truth sufficiently clear to all that there was an infinite number and a very City of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem besides those that were of the other Churches in Judea and therefore could not all meet in one place For the Scripture saith that Ierusalem and they of Ierusalem went out and were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and therefore all good Christians I am confident will ever beleeve the Scriptures and give credit unto the word of God rather then unto Mr Knollys and if they will beleeve the Scripture of truth then they will not onely beleeve there was an infinite number and a very City of Beleevers in Ierusalem and that by the very ministry and preaching of Iohn but that Mr Knollys is a very wicked and blasphemous creature as who giveth the spirit of God the lye and opposeth also all good reason For the spirit saith Jerusalem and all they of Ierusalem except the Pharisees and Lawyers were baptized by John and all these were inhabitants at Jerusalem and Mr Knollys affirmeth the contrary and confuteth all the Evangelists whether therefore he be not a very precious disputant I refer it to the judgement of all sober-minded Christians that love sincerity truth and plain dealing And this might suffice to shew the vanity and wickednesse of the man and what a vain caviller he is that thus abuseth pretious time to abuse himselfe and miserably to delude ignorant people But for the farther confirmation of my Minor I will produce one or two testimonies more out of the eleventh of Mark where there is mention made of two great companies and parties of beleevers and those all Inhabitants in Ierusalem the
The summe of my Arguments is this Where there was an infinitemultitude or a mighty City of beleevers there they could not all meete together in one place or roome or in one congregation to injoy all acts of worship for edification but in the Church of Ierusalem by the very baptisme and preaching of Iohn there was an infinit multitude and a very City of believers ergo they could not all meete together in any one congregation This is the sum of my first Argument The second is this Where there was such an infinite company and multitude of Christians and believers as kept a tyrannicall King in awe and all the Magistrates and Elders in whose hands was all the power and authority and struck such a terror into them all as they durst not exercise their cruelty and tyranny over them though they were their inveterate enemies there of necessity the number of them must be so great as they could not all meet together in one place or congregation to partake in all Acts of worship But in the Church of Jerusalem there was such a company of believers by the very baptisme of Iohn ergo they could not all meete together in any one place or congregation This is the summe of my arguments which I made good out of the Word of God and from sound reason as they that have read my booke with judgement I am confident will acknowledge Now heare how J. S. setteth them downe with his answer to them pag. the 8. and 9. of his booke The Doctors first proposition is saith he that there were many Congregations and severall assemblies in the Church of Jerusalem c. for proofe whereof saith he he bringeth the multitudes of Converts to Iohns Baptisme the people of Jerusalem all of them and all Iudaea c. whereby saith he all became Christians or members of the Christian Church for Iohns baptisme was into Iesus Christ and the very same with that of the Apostles Thus I. S. sets downe my Arguments which I affirme is not candidly done of him for the ignorant Reader cannot see into the strength of my arguments they being delivered in such obscure tearmes and set down also to the halves the whole truth not being specified For not one of ten thousand had ever seene or read my book I dare say not one of an hundred of the Independents had ever vouchsafed so much as to looke into it for I was made so odious unto them by their blasting language as they abhorred my very name with all howsoever they boasted at the first coming of it out that there were twenty pens at worke in answering of it yet not one of them ever appeared till three moneths after it was printed Now all the Copyes that were printed were all gone in one weeke so that the answers coming out so long after and my arguments not being known to the people and being in this obscure manner and in such darke expressions and but to the halves set down every vulgar understanding can never see into the weight and strength of them especially they having not my booke before them And to say the truth all the Independents ordinarily use this method in their pretended answers as first to let the bookes they reply unto be forgotten and after that to blurte out something against them concealing the truth and then they crow out as victors and conquerers that they have beate up our quarters and puld downe the pillars of our discourse as I S. doth vainly in this his Pamplet when it will appeare to all intelligible men that he hath onely cast a squib or two at them and then as a meere fresh water Souldier speedily ran away and left that worke to others as he unaduisedly in the tenth page and in his wise Epistle confesseth sayning indisposition of body when indeede it was his want of wit learning honesty and courage As I haveset downe the sum of my Arguments and compared his expressing of my meaning with it I will also set downe the summe of his answer to them which he giveth in the name of all the Independents saying we answerd to your reason and then set downe his own words in their full length that all men may see my faire dealing with him For I. S. doth not here deny my minor as Master Knollys did or accuse me of false Musters as he vainely and impiously doth in his answer to my second Arguments But plainly denieth that those that were baptized by Iohn Baptist were Christians to whom my brother Burton assenteth page 16. of his book saying that those beleevers that were baptized by Iohn Baptist into Christ to come according to the Papists doctrine were not formed into a Christian Church or Churches as after Christs resurrection Christians were These are my brother Burtons formall words who not only assenteth to I. S. in this his opinion but also bringeth in the authority of the Papists to confirme this their doctrine and so in this the Independents agree with the Papists to overthrow the truth and to maintain their abominable errors And this I conceive was the cause that moved my brother Burton in the ninth page of his booke in the beginning of his answer to say `as for your indefinite enumeration of those multitudes baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples we take no notice of them This is his expression there concerning the which in due place Surely if my brother Burton had thought them Christians he would have demeed them worthy to have been taken notice of but in this he agreeth with I. S. and the Papists Now I will give you the summe of I. S. his Arguments in way of answer by which he denieth that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were Christians The first is because saith he they were baptised into Christ that was to dye and not dead therefore in his dialect they were no Christians The second they were not baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire therefore thy were no Chrstians The third they were no more Christians then the Iewes that passed through the red Sea but they were no Christians ergo they also that were baptized by Iohn were no Christians The fourth The baptisme of Iohn was not perfect ergo those that were baptised by him were no Christians The fifth those that were baptized by Iohn did not only hasitate but were scandalized at the true Messiah and under the forme of Iohns baptisme did fight against the true baptisme and baptiser the Lord Jesus ergo they were no Christians Sixthly they that were baptized by Iohn were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme neither were they members of one Christian Church at Jerusalem ergo they were not Christians and this Argument is brought in by way of a corallary This must needs be the scope of his answer or else he sayth nothing to the purpose in denying my Arguments which were not only to prove that those
out of the third of Matthew where Iohn saith I baptize you with water but there comes one after me who shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire this is nothing to his purpose nor nothing against my opinion For as I said before it was never my beliefe that the baptisme of Christ and Iohns baptisme was all one seeing Saint Iohn the Baptist hath taught the contrary as in the words alledged it is sufficiently declared But I demand of I. S. whether the Apostles all whose names were written in heaven were not as good Christians and Beleevers in Jesus Christ by Iohns baptisme before they had received the gifts of the Holy Ghost and were baptized with fire which we read of Act. the 2. as they were after the cloven tongues appeared unto them ver 3. If either he or any of his fraternity shall deny it then they must deny the sixteenth chapter of Matthew and the sixt of Saint Iohn where we finde that honourable confession of all the Apostles where they testifie their faith in Christ into whom they had been baptized before that yea they must deny the whole Scriptures of the New Testament which affirme the contrary And if the baptizing of any with the Holy Ghost and with fire be that thing onely that makes men Christians and Beleevers then none that were not so baptized were good christians for the gifts of the Holy Ghost as the diversity of tongues and working of miracles were not promiscuous and given to all as Saint Paul doth sufficiently declare 1 Cor. 12. 30. Have all the gifts of healing Do all speak with tongues So that all the people were not baptized with the Holy Ghost and therefore by I. S. his learning were no christians Neither was that the worke of the Apostles but it was Christs work onely who first breathed the spirit upon the Apostles and after his ascenâ—ion first poured down those gifts upon them Acts the 2. and after that at many other times through the prayer of the Apostles and putting on of their hands upon the Beleevers Christ for the confirmation of their Ministry and to manifest to all those that were converted by them that they were sent by him shed down those miraculous graces upon many but gave them not to all and it is also declared that they first believed and then they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and wee have but one President that I remember in the holy Scripture that any received the gifts of the Holy Ghost before they were baptized with water and that is those of Cornelius his house but all the rest were baptized with water before And therefore those gifts made them not Christians but declared them to be beleevers and were the effects of their faith which notwithstanding were not conferred by the Apostles but were immediately given by the spirit of Christ So that those visible gifts were not essentiall for the making of any Christians and Beleevers for they were alwayes Beleevers before they received them and if those gifts had been essentiall and absolutely necessary for the making of any Christians then all that had received them should have been saved which they were not besides then many hundred thousands of the primitive Christians should not have been true Beleevers and Christians indeed for all men generally received them not as I proved before and all the Christians for ought I know since the Primitive times and all that now live should be no good Christians for they were not and now are not baptized with the holy Ghost with fire So that al men may see with how little reason this I. S. speaketh in these his argumentaâ—ions and how vain and impious he is in all his cavills this shall suffice to have spoke concerning his second answer And now I come to his third which is as good as the two former His words are these 3. Therefore now saith I. S. by Iohns baptisme they were not all made Christians no more then the body of the Iewes before John were turned Christians by being baptized in the red Sea c. For they were baptized into Christ by their baptisme 1 Cor. 10. 3. I deny not but this baptisme of John was to prepare men for Christ and did beare a more immediate relation to such a worke then any Ordinance before but it did not make them absolute Christians It did not absolve and perfect the new Church I mean not so far as that Ordinance of baptisme was to do afterwards Thus I. S. blasphemeth rather then disputeth For that he saith is impious in the highest degree for it is an apparent giving of the spirit of truth the lye and a confuting of Christ himselfe and Saint Paul and an opposing of the generality of all the Independents as every understanding man will easily gather for the Scripture everywhere and all the orthodox Divines yea and all the Independents that ever I talked with or read of before I. S. and my Brother Burton acknowledge that those that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples before Christs death were Christians and Beleevers for otherwise they could not have been baptized Notwithstanding I. S. out of his learning denyeth not onely that they were Christians but affirmeth also that those that were baptized by Moses in the red Sea were no Christians whether therefore this be not to beat up the quarters of Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and the quarters of Moses the servant of the Lord and of all the Independents and to pull down the very pillars of the holy Scriptures and be not a horrid blasphemy in I. S. I leave to the judgement of the learned Our saviour saith Luk. the 7. v. 29. 30. And all the people that heard him the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Councel of God against themselves being not baptized of him Here we have Christs testimony who asserteth that the Lawyers and Pharisees only excepted all that heard Iohn of which innumerable multitudes of them came from Jerusalem for all Ierusalem went out to him did justifie God and did not reject his Councell that is to say they were Believers for the councel of God in the ministry of Saint Iohn to all the people was that they should repent and believe in the Messiah and in token of their faith that they should be baptized now this sweet councell for the obtaining of free grace and favour offered unto them by God in the ministry of Iohn did the Pharisees and Lawyers reject to their own perdition for they would not bring forth fruits meet for repentance that is they would neither believe in the Messiah nor repent nor be baptized and therefore as a company of Infidels and unbeleevers they despised the councell of God and his grace and favour but all the other that heard Iohn saith Christ justified God and did not reject his councell that is they acknowledged that
I did is not this the Christ then it is said they went out and came unto him and many of them beleeved for the saying of the woman which testified hee told mee all that ever J did but many more beleeved because of his owne word and said unto the woman now wee beleeve not because of thy saying but because wee have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world The Scripture saith they beleeved before upon the womans relation but wee now coroborated in their faith and so it was with Iohns Disciples and followers But shall there be any therefore from that bee so stupid as to thinke that any of Iohns Disciples that had the best and frequentest instruction concerning the Messias could either doubt or be scandalized at him because the people followed Christ and John sent his Disciples to him No surely none would so conclude but I. S. and his Fraternity Much lesse would they say that others did under the forme of Iohns Baptisme fight against the true Baptisme and Baptizer the Lord Iesus which is I. S. his second reason or rather folly and madnesse and upon this their wicked conceit and groundlesse opinion inferre that they were no Christians as I. S. doth For there is not any one word in all the Holy Scripture that does relate that any that were baptized by Iohn did under the forme of that Baptisme fight against the true Baptisme and Baptizer the Lord Jesus what a wicked and abominable Fellow then is this I. S. that dares thus at pleasure traduce the generation of the just and falsely accuse all Iohns owne Disciples and all those that were baptized by him to be enemies of Jesus Christ the Messias and upon this bare opinion of his to unchristian them all it may now be no wonder to any good Christian that the whole rout of the Independents unchurch us and make no Christians of us and asperse and speak all manner of evill of us at pleasure calling us the profest enemies of Jesus Christ his Kingdom seeing upon all occasions they doe the same to all those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples all which I. S. proclaims to be no Christians as his words doe sufficiently speak But from the testimony that he produceth to prove that Iohns Disciples were scandalized at Christ I gather the contrary for the reasons above specified and conclude with al that there were innumerable multitudes daily converted by Christs and Iohns Ministry were all made good Christians for it is said in the chapter quoted by him that all men came to him Iohn and they were all baptized so that not a few congregations could contain all them that came from Ierusalem for all Jerusalem came out to John and our Saviour sent this message unto Iohn in the 7. of Luke as one of the miracles he wrought that the poor received the Gospel that is not onely the poore in spirit but the multitudes of people that were poore and indigent in respect of these outward things and wanted those riches that others abounded with and he affirmes of these that they received the Gospell and imbraced the free grace and favour of God and that they were the Pharisees and Lawyers only that reiected the counsell of God against themselves but for all the poore saith he and all others that heard Iohn they imbraced the Gospel and were Gospel Christians and such as believed aright and as they ought to beleeve and therefore if the testimony of Christ may be credited they were cast into a Church mould according to the New Testament forme and were very good Christians and that in mighty multitudes for all Jerusalem and the poore received the Gospel and therefore they could not meet in one and a few congregations together at any one time But because I S. so peremptorily affirmes that were it granted that all the people received Iohns Baptisme yet it would stand me in little stead to prove the conclusion viz that they were made Christians These are his words adding with all much lesse that they were cast into a Church mould according to the New Testament forme and lest of all that they were all members of one Christian Church at Ierusalem which is one of their chiefe Arguments by which I. S. they of his fraternity uphold their opinion of Independency and by which they unchurch all other churches but their own at this day I say in all these regards I will spend the more time about this argument the which howsoever it be brought in by I. S. but as as a corallary yet it may stand for his sixth Argument and the best in the bunch to maintaine and uphold there with their way of Independency therefore I will first put his words into a Syllogisticall frame then consider the waight of the reasons contained in them All such as were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme and lest of all were members of one Christian church in Ierusalem they were not made Christians but all they of Ierusalem that went out to Iohns baptisme and were baptized by him were such as were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme least of all were they members of one Christian Church in Ierusalem ergo they were not made Christians This is I. S. his Argument which he sets downe by way of a corallary the Minor of which I deny affirming they were cast into a church mould as the sequell wlil shew But because by this Argument the Independents do not only unchurch and unchristian all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist but indeed unchurch and unchristian all the Protestant Churches through the world and all other churches but their owne I shall be something the larger in examining it with the severall termes and expressions of the same and then shew and discover the futility and vanity of it by which I am confident the errors of their wayes will the better appeare for by that it will be manifest that the Independent doctrine is but an old peece of Popery in new clothes though varnished over with fine colours that it may come forth into the world more lovely and lesse suspected and it is as little prevalent to maintaine their cause as the Papists is to uphold their Babell The Papists and the Independents here agree in these two things First They both deny that those beleevers that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist into Christ to come were formed into a Christian church or churches for we have I. S. his formall words in this his answer in the name of all the Independents confidently denying that they were made Christians and my brother Burton in expresse termes page 9. of his booke accordeth unto him saying in the name of all his brethren we take no notice of them as formed into a church or churches and pag. 16. of his booke he produceth the Papists
then the whole multitude of all those Believers could not all meete together in one place and in one congregation for edification to communicate in all Ordinances So that any judicious man without the help of any great Schoole-learning may perceive the invalidity and vanity of such argumentations And truly were it not that they are Brethren and that I desire in the spirit of meeknesse to deale with them I would have made it appear that it is so poore a way of disputing that it did not beseeme men of gravity much lesse of learning and that there were many wayes to evade the dint of such reasoning and to prove the nothingnesse of the Argument and that by the words of the Text the people there spake of to be in Solomons Porch are to be limited and confined within the number of those that were converted by the last miracle and some other new miracles of the Apostles which they were then working in Solomons Porch for there is the place where the Apostles and they were together and I doe acknowledge that as many as were then and at that time in Solomons Porch with the Apostles were of one accord But doth this with any rationall man conclude that every Believer in Ierusalem both Men and Women and all the Christians Disciples in Ierusalem were then together in Solomons Porch and in one Congregation I am confident that no wise man will thinke so for without all controversie there were then such multitudes of Believers in the Church of Ierusalem as neither many Porches nor many Temples could have contained their bodies much lesse could they have all met in any one congregation to edifie But I say I will not deale with Brethren so rigidly as I might and therefore wave many things that I might justly here utter But grant it were so that now in the beginning of the Christian church and if I may so speake in the infancy of it That all the Believers then in Ierusalem might all meet together in one place doth it follow that they might ever so doe in succeeding times when there was such infinite increase of Christians daily added to the church all reason wil contradict that assertion Within this seven yeares as all men know one place and congregation would have contained all the Independents but will one place now or ten containe them And there is no man as I conceive will deny but that the Apostles and those Primitive Ministers had another manner of converting faculty then our Brethen for the Apostles as it is well known did not build upon others foundations yea they took it as a disparagement unto them for so Saint Paul in the 15. of the Romans v. 20. affirmeth Now our Brethren they build upon others foundations and gather the sheep and them the good and the fat sheep with good fleeces on their backs yea the Velvit-sheep and the Plush-sheepe and the Sattin and Taffity-sheep out of other Sheepheards folds and while they seeme to gather Churches they scatter them and the poorsheep But I will proceed to the other Argument out of the sixth of the Acts where it is related That when the number of the Disciples was multiplyed here we may take notice of multiplication There arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews because the widdows were neglected in the daily ministration And the Apostles called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and gave them liberty to choose their Deacons and it pleased the whole multitude saith the Scripture From thence our brethren conclude That all the beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem came here together to the Apostles and were then no more then could all meete in one congregation as if our brethren should thus argue As the wheel-barrow goes rumble rumble even so is Prelaticall Episcopacy better then the Presbyterian Government But to be serious Should I grant unto the Brethren That at this time all the beleevers that were in the Church of Ierusalem did then come together and were all in one place and might meet in one congregation doth it follow when there was a dayly increase of more beleevers and that of multitudes of them as this very chapter signifies that then also they might all meete together in one place or in one congregation in succeeding ages I suppose no man will think or believe so But I must confess that I cannot grant unto them that by the multitude of beleevers here spake of is to be understood every individuall Christian or the greatest part of them much lesse that all the whole body of them came together and that for warrantable reason to the contrary For the controversie and murmuring here spoken of was not among all the Disciples and beleevers in Ierusalem but onely between two Nations of them viz. between the Greeks and the Hebrews Now we are informed out of the second of the Acts verse 5. That there were dwelling in Ierusalem Iews devout men out of every Nation under heaven for so in expresse words it is said of the which the Greeks were but one Nation and the Hebrews another So that all the Christians and Beleevers of all the other Nations were of one minde and in good accord among themselves as the foregoing Chapters tell and were at peace one with another so that there was no murmuring amongst them nor no controversie contention or variance and they all continued quiet in their severall houses and lived in love and were none of that multitude here spoken of so that of necessity by the multitude in this place we are to understand the Greeks onely and the Hebrews for so in expresse words it is specified and this every rationall man can easily perceive Againe by multitude here is to be understood not a confused company going in a tumultuous way but a considerable number of rationall men of each differing and dissenting party and such as were called and sent for by the Apostles as it is commonly seen in those that go by way of complaint to petition to any councell they send a competent multitude of understanding and able men to grace their cause and to mannage the businesse and not every particular and individuall person men and women to negotiate it which could not be without mighty confusion which was not in this multitude and therefore by multitude and the whole multitude we are to understand that both those parties that came to negotiate this businesse were well satisfied with the Apostles Order and they obeyed it but from hence if any man would infer and conclude That every one of the beleeving Hebrews and every individuall beleeving Greek that was then in Ierusalem and that all the Greek Church and all the Hebrew Church both men and women not one person excepted were all in one place together before the Apostles the whole world would judg that this man thatshould thus argue were very much crased in his brain but much more would it argue a great imbecillity of wit
and that their were more precious Churches in that street then in all England besides and he did confidently believe it And I was no sooner passed from him but turning on the right hand I saw many of the Independents going into the Nags-head a Taverne a little above Coleman-streete there they call their Parliament and make Committees and Chayre-men for preparing of businesses for the great Councell and for the advising of them what to do and there they order how they will deale with the Presbyterians and this is one of their meeting houses also whither the Saints resort upon all occasions to consult together about the affairs of the Church State and that is the holy drinking Schoole of the Saints for they say they are all Saints and to the pure all things are pure and therefore they must have a pure drinking Schoole But passing from Toleration-streete and leaving their drinking schoole and they together Let us consider their practices and what Master Knollys saith who tells us that some godly and learned men of approved gifts came to Sojourne in this City and preached the Word of God both publickly and from house to house and daily in the Temples and in every house they cease not to teach and preach Jesus Christ I demande of any of the Independents now whether or no wheresoever any of those gifted men preach they have not a congregation to preach to and whether or no wheresoever any of them hath a gatherd Church as they call it he hath not there â—n his meeting house a Congregation and assembly and whether or no wheresoever they have preaching of the Word and breaking of bread amongst them they have not a Church or Congregation there I am confident they will none of them deny it Yea they will acknowledge that in as many places as the Word of God is preached amongst them and the Sacraments administred that in all those they have a severall Church congregation and assembly this very reason will dictate unto any man And therefore if in this City there be many Congregations and assemblies in all those places where they preach publikely and from house to house and in every house not onely because Mr Knollys saith it but because every mans reason will convince him of it after the same manner every man will conclude That in the Church of Ierusalem there was many Congregations and Assemblies for the Scripture relates That the word of God was preached publikely in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and that the Saints brake bread from house to house and that the Apostles ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ in every house and therefore all Christians are bound to beleeve this because the mouth of the Lord hath spoke it yea and it is acknowledged by Master Knollys from all which it doth now evidently appear to all the world that there were many Congregations and Assemblyes of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem which Mr Knollys notwithstanding doth wickedly deny affirming there were no more beleevers in Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place and so he not onely contradicts himselfe and fights against the very light of reason but which is more he gives the spirit of God the lye and therefore he ought by all those of the seven Churches to be severely dealt with as a wicked impostor and deceiver and ought indeeed to be thrown out of all their Congregations as a jugler and a false prophet Having thus evidently proved that there were many Congregations in the church of Jerusalem before the persecution I will by Gods assistance make good that there were also many Assemblyes under the persecution and after the persecution and this I do the rather undertake because some of the brethren have said that howsoever it could be proved that before the persecution there were many severall Assemblies yet by reason of the dispersion of the beleevers the Church of Ierusalem was so wasted and scattered that there were no more left then could all meet in one Congregation And were it so that after the scattering of the Beleevers and Christians in Ierusalem it could never be evinced and made good that there were more then could meet together in one place yet all this were nothing for the enervating of the argument for we must ever look upon the first constitution and government of the Church and what it was originally and by divine constitution and not what it was accidentally and through persecution and oppression and by the violence of men for governments of Churches are often changed from their Primordiall State through many casualties as it happened often in the Church of the Jewes and therefore in all reformations things are to be reduced to the first rule and originall pattern and we are not to look upon them as by occasion they vary and change through the injury of the times And therefore if we look into the Church of Ierusalem as she was in her youth and in her most flourishing age we shall finde her consisting of divers Congregations and many Assemblies and all them governed by a Common Councell and joynt consent of a Presbytery which must be the patterne of all Church Government to the end of the world if wee will in our Reformation conforme our selves to Gods Ordinance and to the first constitution But because I say they think it so difficult a thing to prove many Congregations in Jerusalem after the persecution I will now God willing make it evident and not onely after the persecution but even in and under the persecution and I will do it first out of that very place our brethren bring against us and by which they labour to evince the contrary the place is in the 8. of the Acts verse 1 2 4. In these words And at that time there was a great persecution against the Church which was at Ierusalem and they were all scattered abroad through the Regions of Iudea and Samaria except the Apostles verse 3. As for Saul he made havock of the Church entring into every house and haling men and women committed them to prison Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word From whence the brethren gather that there were no more beleevers left than could meet in one Congregation Before I come to prove my Assertion I must give some Reasons to evince and make good that this dispersion and scattering of the Beleevers here spoken of was not so generall and universall and so great as that there might not yet remain more Congregations in Jerusalem and more people then could possibly meete in any one place or two for persecution is the bellowes of the Gospell which blowes every spark into a flame so that this their division proved their multiplication at home and abroad as wee shall see after I have set down my Arguments and Reasons so that it was no cause why we should conceive that there were fewer assemblies in the Church of
also the word is capable of this construction as may be proved if need required so that the conclusion doth follow And truly that of Saint Paul in the first of the Galatians is an excellent Argument to evince that there were more Congregations in Ierusalem then one where proving that hee had not received the Gospel which hee preached from men but from God hee useth this reason That if hee had received it from men it must bee from the Iewes and from the Apostles for the Gentiles were ignorant of it and hee was to carry the Gospel unto them and therefore they could not teach it him and to prove that hee received it not from the Apostles hee thus speaketh of himselfe When it pleased God to reveale his Sonne unto mee that I might preach him amongst the Heathen I immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood neither went I up to Ierusalem to them that were Apostles before me but I went into Arabia Then after three yeares I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and aboade with him fifteene dayes but other of the Apostles saw I none save James the Lords Brother Out of the which words besides the singular testimony wee have that the preaching and writings of Saint Paul are the Gospell of Iesus Christ and the Word of the living God against the Papists we may evidently gather against the Independents that after the persecution there were more believers in Ierusalem then either did or could all meet in one place for in saying that he was with Peter fifteen dayes but in all that time saw none of the Apostles save Iames this I say is a sufficient Argument to prove more Congregations and assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem which so imployed the Apostles in their severall Ministeries asthey had not so much spare time to visit Paul and that Paul also was so taken up in preaching there that he had no leisure to visit them And for the diligence of the Apostles in their Ministry it is said in the sixth of the Acts That they gave themselves continually to prayer and to the Ministery of the Word and therefore they were never idle and that the Apostles either all or the most of them continued resident for many years in Ierusalem before they distributed themselves into severall Nations and Countries and that very few of them were sent abroad there are frequent testimonies in the Acts of the Apostles neither as yet did I ever hear it scrupled or call'd in question whether the Apostles were then there or no when Paul was at Ierusalem for it is taken pro confesso that either all or the most of them were at that time in Ierusalem neither doth Saint Paul say I saw none of the other Apostles because they were absent or were gone to Preach the Gospell in other places And for Saint Paul we reade that wheresoever he came he went into their Synagogues and into their Assemblies to Preach and that he preacht from house to house and he that gave so strict a charge to Timothy and in him to all Ministers that he should Preach in season and out of season he himselfe without all doubt would not neglect his duty who in the 20. of the Acts sets his owne example before all the Presbyters for their imitation in their diligent preaching and he ordinarily preached by the day and by the night as is manifest out of the same Chapter and many other places and surely the time he remained with Peter in Ierusalem he was as diligent in Preaching as he was in any of the other Churches and he professeth of himself that the care of all the Churches lay upon him that he laboured more then all the other Apostles in their particulars so that it standeth with all reason that while he was in Ierusalem he was very sedulous in Preaching as who had both strength of body and Gods speciall assistance and his immediate inspiration alwayes to help him in his Ministery so that I conceive as of charity I am bound that Paul was daily in one assembly or other now if there had been at that time no more beleevers in Ierusalem then could have met in one place congregation and Assembly then of necessity Paul must have seen the other Apostles there as well as Peter and Iames for they also were good Church-men to speake a little in the Prelats dialect and they never left the Word but were alwayes taken up either in praying or preaching amongst them in the Temple and from house to house yea in every house and if there had been but one Congregation or Assembly of beleevers in Ierusalem the Apostles would daily upon all occasion have been with their flock Now in that Paul saw them not in all that time he was in Ierusalem it is evidently apparent there were more Congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then one and more Christians then could all meet in any one or a few places But to proceed to a place or two more for the further confirmation of this truth Acts 12. verse 24. It is said there that the word of God grew and multiplped Here also we have another good effect of a new sierce persecution in Ierusalem it increased the number and multitude of Believers there after the Persecutor was taken away For the Word of God grew and multiplyed saith the Holy Ghost Out of which words I thus argue Where the Word of God daily more and more grew and multiplyed after the persecution that is to say where there were more multitudes and greater numbers of Believers added unto the Church through the Ministery and preaching of the Gospell then was before which notwithstanding was then so numerous as they could not all meete in any one place or roome to enjoy all the Ordinances to edification there of necessity they must be distributed into diverse assemblies and congregations to enjoy all the Ordinances to edification But in the Church of Ierusalem after a double persecution the Word of God daily more and more grew and mnltiplyed that is to say there were more multitudes and greater numbers of Believers added unto the Church through the ministery and preaching of the Gospell by the Apostles then was before which notwithstanding was then so numerous as they could not all possibly meet in any one place and roome Ergo there was a greater number of Beleevers after the Persecution then before and therefore of necessity they could not all meete in any one place or roome to communicate in all the Ordinances but must be distributed into severall Congregations and Assemblies if they would all be edified For the Major I conceive it is so evidently clear as no man of ordinary understanding will not see the truth of it For the Minor the Text proveth it and if we will compare Scripture with Scripture the truth of it will by and by be out of controversie for in the 15. of Iohn verse 16. Our Saviour
assemblies Ministers immediately sent them of God and inspired with the holy Ghost every one of the which had the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven given them by Christ himselfe with a promise to be with them to the end of the world and that whatsoever they loosed on earth should be loosed in Heaven and whatsoever they bound on earth should be bound in Heaven and that his spirit also should leade them into all truth the which Ministers likewise taught them whatsoever Christ had commanded them and that dayly in the Temple and in every house Ergo all and every one of those Assemblies and Congregations respectively and severally taken were true and compleat churches properly so called For the Major no well grounded Christian will deny it especially the Independents cannot gain say it for if two or three met together in the fellowship of the Gospell and in Christs name make a true visible church as those of the congregationall way hold and teach then much more where two or three hundreds are met together in the fellowship of the Gospell and in the name of Christ and in the which also they partaked in all the saving and sealing Ordinances as in the preaching of the Word and Prayer and in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper and that by lawfull Ministers and Officers appointed and sent by God himselfe I say by far better reason such a congregation is a true and visible and compleate church properly so called as all rationall and intelligible men will easily conclude and therefore this cannot be denied by the Independents especially when as I noted before it is their owne Doctrine taught in all their writings and Preached by every one of the congregationall way and confirmed by their own daily practice And to passe by many books writ of late by the Ministers of New-England and some of the Independent Ministers here amongst us I will only at this time pitch upon one who hath in my opinion dealt more candidly then any of his brethren for he kepes no reserves Donec ad triarios redierit res but sets downe plainly what they hold I will make bold therefore with his new blasing lights lately set up upon that learned Beaken called Truth gloriously appearing from under the sad and sable cloude of obloquy In the which treatise pag. 22. and 23. the author in the name of all the Independents declares their judgement concering this businesse whose words I will set down at large desiring to deliver their minde in their own expressions rather then in mine that they may not hereafter accuse me to have pickt and chose what made most for me and against them and left the rest His words are these Object It may possibly here be objected how will it appeare that so small a number as two or three joyned together in the fellowship of the Gospell do constitute a visible Church Answ It will appeare evident by this insuing argument Christ hath given his power and promised his presence to two or three ioyned together in the fellowship of the Gospell therefore two or three so joyned together do constitute a visible church The Antecedent is proved from the Words of Christ Matth. 18. If thy brother offend thee tell him of it if he refuse to heare thee take two or three if he heare not them tell it to the church if he neglect to heare the church let him be unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican I say unto you whatsoever you shall binde on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven Loe Here 's their power given them by Christ The presence of Christ is promised by them vers 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them The consequent cannot be denied for what people in the world may be called a church if they may not to whom Christ hath given his power and promised his presence If the gifts of Christ be of any force if the power of Christ be of any efficacy then they have a right to be so called Neither is this destitute of learned men who have given their suffrage to it Humfred de religione vera conservanda pag. 24. Ecclesiam cum dico non unum aut alterum sacerdotem aut ministrum sed legitimum ac Christianum catum nomino et innuo Besides the definition of a visible church will prove the consequent A visible church is a mysticall body whereof Christ is the head the members be Saints called out of the world united together into one congregation by an holy covenant to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in all his holy Ordinances This definition though it properly looke upon a compleate church it is appliable to two or three that are joyned together in the fellowship of the faith of the Gospell 2 Object But is it like that two or three there is taken for the church mentioned vers 17. to which Christ hath given his power Answ I do not say that it is alwaies so taken for because the church doth frequently consist of many but this I say that it may be so taken as the very coherence of the words shews Beside it will further appeare thus if two or three may meet together clothed with Christs power and honoured with Christs presence then two or three may be the church mentioned vers 17. but two or three may meet together clothed with Christs power for they meet in his name as the text speakes 1. e. clothed with his power for name signifieth power in severall Scriptures Prov. the 18. 10. Philip. 2. 10. and honoured with his presence and therefore two or three may be the church there mentioned 3. Object But such a company being destitute of Officers can be no church Answ If it had been said they could have been no compleate church I would have consented But to say that they are not a compleat church therefore they are no church is a Non sequitur A man that wants a hand or foot or both is notwithstanding a man though a maimed man Officers do not concurr to the esse or being of a church but to the bene esse or well being of a church for otherwise put case the Officers of a church dye then must the church be unchurched and so Toties quoties as such a thing happens which in times of mortality may be often Againe a company of believers ioyned together in the fellowship of the Gospell hath the matter and forme of a church even before it hath any Officers and therefore is a Church without them it hath the matter of a Church a company believing 1 Cor. 1. 2. Ephes 1. 1. and it hath the forme of a Church viz. a combining and uniting of themselves together into one body by the bond of an holy Covenant I have spoke some thing the more in this particular to strengthen
is apparent to any that will not wilfully put out their eyes In the time of the Prelates raign every ceremony they brought in was excepted against as a human tradition and that worthily and every invention and tradition of man was rejected as Popery and will-worship was abhorred as Antichristian and to serve God by the precepts of men and by a service established onely by humane authority was rejected as a thing displeasing unto God and thought unsufferable and to have Prelates set over them to Lord it over Gods heritage was thought the highest point of tyranny and for the removall of them root and branch with all their trumpery and appertinances all the Independents themselves with the whole city and the greatest part of the Kingdome petitioned the great Councell of the Kingdome and not onely so but many of them have ventured their lives in the just defence of their Christian libertie and have offered their estates and exposed themselves and theirs to greatest dangers in this good quarrell which will ever be to the immortall honour of them all to all succeeding ages and they will be an example to other Nations to do the like Yet behold every one of these things revived now and brought in amongst the ignorant people and contended for with all severity and eagernesse as for the Oracles of God notwithstanding ding they are but the inventions of men there being neither precept nor president for them in the whole Word of God nor any practise of them in any of the Apostolicall and Primitive Churches and therefore it doth necessarily follow That their whole service and Discipline with all their concomitants are but their own appointments for which there is no warrant or pattern in the whole Word of truth and as for their Ministers and Pastors both in New England in their new Congregations here they Lord it over the poor people in as high a manner as can be proved as ever the lordly Prelates did in respect of their supercilious behaviour and yet the people swallow all these things as Gods Ordinances and bind themselves by their unholy Covenant to observe them which in any understanding mans judgement that knows what his Christian lâ—berty is and in the which he is commanded to stand fast in Gal. 5. ver 1. is the most intolerable yoak of bondage which the world yet ever saw And thus having briefly discovered some of the errors of their definition and shewed the absurdities of it and the inconveniences of such a Church as they would have and evinced also that according to that there has never yet bin a true formed Church on earth and that all the congregationall Churches if they will be included within the compasse of that discription they must necessarily be Dependent I will now come to my last and main conclusion which is to prove that none of the Churches of the Congregationall way are true Churches as not consisting of all visible Saints and therefore not to be communicated with in holy things which I shall do from their own argument For thus they dispute against us Those Assemblies say they or Churches in which the Members are not visible Saints called out of the world and united together into their severall Congregations by an holy Covenant to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in all his holy Ordinances they are no true formed Churches according to the New Testament forme and ought not to be communicated with in holy things but are to be separated from unlesse they will be made companions with such kinde of Saints as Job would not set with the doggs of his flocke being tagg ragg with whom godly soules can no more converse then with heathens But the Parochiall Congregations through the whole Kingdome are such Ergo they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and ought not to be communicated with unlesse c. This is the Il-dependents doctrine they teach their Disciples concerning our Churches as appeareth in all their Pamphlets as in that of I. S. and my brother Burtons especially and this is one of the capital arguments which they use to maintain their separation from us and upon which they ground the gathering of their new Congregations the futility and vanity of the which every one that shall but vouchsafe to read this book shall finde in many places discovered I will therefore in this place make use of the same against themselvs to prove that their Churches and new gathered congregations are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme as not consisting of all visible Saints and therefore not to be communicated with in holy things as the severall insuing arguments will declare which I desire the Independents themselves would without any prejudice seriously consider and ponder that they may the better discern into the errors of their wayes and in time repent of all their unrighteous and uncharitable dealing towards their brethren I thus argue Those Churches and Congregations the Members of the which are not visible Saints called out of the world and united together into their severall Assemblies by an holy Covenant to serve the Lord in all his holy Ordinances but are joyned together in a wicked conspiracy and combination against the people of God and his Ordinances and to hinder the reformation of the Church they are no true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and the Members of them are not true visible Saints and therefore ought not to be communicated with in holy things but to be separated from But all the Churches of the Congregationall way are such Ergo they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme and therefore by their own doctrine not to be communicated with in holy things but to be separate from and that for the same reasons the Il-dependents falsly pretend they sever themselves from our publique Assemblies The Major of this Syllogisme is their own and therefore they cannot gainsay it the Minor therefore being proved the conclusion will necessarily insue And as for the Minor I thus evince it Those Churches and Congregations whose Members are raylors révilers slanderers covenant-breakers with God and man ordinary lyars notorious calumniators and false accusers such as in holy Scripture are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devils heretiques open seducers and causers of division and offences contrary unto the doctrine of Christ such as all Christians have a special command to take heed of and to shun and are prohibited to receive into their houses or bid God speed or so much as to eat with they are no visible Saints nor good Damons and therefore no true formed Churches nor to be communicated with in holy things But the churches of the congregationall way consist of such Members Ergo they are not visible Saints and therefore no true formed churches nor to be communicated with in holy things For the Major of this Syllogism it is grounded upon Godsown word and has its warrant for
Church we read of is Acts the second that consisted onely of visible Saints and yet had neither Deacons nor Presbyters at that time nor distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and wanted that part of Discipline also of casting out corrupt Members as my brother Burton asserteth pag. 10. So that by this it evidently followeth That those Congregations that consist of visible Saints though they have not distinct Officers within themselves and want Discipline may be true formed Churches after the New Testament form as the Church here of Jorusalem was which at that time it was a true formed Church by my brother Burtons confession had no Deacons nor Elders nor dictinstion of officers members nor that part of Discipline for casting out corrupt Members and yet I say notwithstanding it wanted all these things by their own concession it was at that time a true formed church that because the Members of that Church consisted of visible Saints from all which I may draw these two infallibleconclusions The First that all such congregations as consist of visible Saints such as beleeve the Gospel and make profession of the Christian Faith and are baptized and continue stedfastly in the doctrine of the Apostles in breaking of bread and in prayer are true formed Churches after the New Testament forme although they want both distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and although they want that part of discipline for casting out of corrupt Members This first conclusion I say I infallibly gather from the Independents doctrine The second is this That whatsoever Congregations and Assemblies they be that have both distinction of Officers and Members and Church discipline and all other outward performances if the Members of them bee not visible Saints they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme for all true formed Churches after the New Testament form are such as consist of visible Saints without which they are but shadows of Churches and no true churches for substance but all the Independent congregations are such as only glory in outward performances consist not of visible Saints Ergo. And this shall suffice to have spake to all that Mr Knollys I. S. my Brother had to reply against all my Arguments for the proof of my first Proposition viz. that there were many Congregations and severall Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem in the which they injoyed all acts of worship and all the saving and sealing Ordinances amongst themselves and that before the persecution and under the persecution and after the persecution And now I come to what Master Hanserdo I. S. and my Brother Burton have to answer to my second third and fourth Propositions insuing and after I have dispatched that worke I will then in like manner reply to whatsoever either Master Knollys I. S. or my brother Burton have to say to all my Arguments concerning the gathering of Churches and touching the liberty of conscience or the toleration of all Religions and because they are not so large in their answers to them as they were to my fore-going reasons and to speake the truth speake little to the purpose but for the overthrowing of their owne opinion and for the corroborating of mine I shall be the briefer in them But first I will set downe my Propositions and shew how farre the Jndependents assent unto them and I will then also faithfully relate their owne words so far as they are for their purpose or any way make against my Arguments or are in any respect advantagious to their cause My second Proposition now followeth viz. That all these congregations and severall Assemblies made but one Church And for proofe of this I shall not need to use many words or any great dispute for the brethren themselves acknowledge that all the beleevers in Jerusalem were all Members of that Church and they accord farther that it was but one Church And it is manifest out of the holy Scripture for it is said they that were converted were added to the Church and therefore Members of it and that they continued in the Churches communion and in the Apostles doctrine and put their estates in the Churches common treasury and â—hose Officers for the Church and all this I say our brethren doe acknowledge and take this fellowship of these Members for a paterne of ordinary Church-communion and therefore this my second assertion is without controversie it being in expresse words set downe in the 2 3 4 5 6. chapters of the Acts and many places in the same Storie and assented to by the brethren To this Proposition and the Reasons of the same Master Knollys in the eleventh page of his Pamphlet thus replyes To which J also saith hee consent but the brethren have not acknowledged neither bath the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers and therein I must manifest my dissent from the Doctors opinion promising him if he shall soundly prove it in expresse words of Scripture which he hath undertaken I will acknowledge it This is all Master Knollys hath to say to this Proposition I will first therefore reply to him and in doing that insert my brother Burtons answer to it with what I. S. hath to say and answer to them all in order Now whereas Master Knollys affirmes that the brethren have not acknowledged nor the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in all hee saith I am most assured all that shall without prejudice reade my fore-going Arguments and seriously weigh and consider what my Brother Burton Master Knollys and I. S. have written will conclude That Master Hanserdo is a man of very shallow capacity and of as little honesty and no way to be credited in what either hee saith or writeth Neither ought Master Knollys in this controversie especially when the debate is yet sub Iudice to bee both party witnesse Iury and Iudge in his owne cause as all wise men will gather and therefore I leave it to the judgement of the learned whether or no I have not by Scripture sufficiently proved there were many congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in that one Church and whether I have not by expresse words of Scripture and from my brother Burtons and Master Knollys his owne words abundantly evinced it all this I say I leave to the judgement of all impartiall and understanding Christians who I am confident will grant that I have sufficiently proved there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and therefore I challenge Master Knollys his promise and expect that hee should acknowledge his error and so relinquish his fond opinion of Independency which if he doe not hee cannot be an honest man and a true Saint as not keeping his word for David describing a
as my Brother Burton sayes be the Gospel form of a Church and the Church of Jerusalem wanted that part of discipline then it was not a formed Church but so he speaketh of it in the tenth page where I observe a notable contradiction to usurpe his one Language And here I leave him a while to reconcile it But now to speak breifly by way of answer to these my Brother Burtons grolleries First Whereas he joyning with the Papists unchristians and unchurches all those that were baptized by the Baptist he is very erroneous in so doing and dealeth most wickedly and unchristianly with all those glorious Saints for they were as good Christians and beleevers as he or any Independents in the world As who all of them have Christs own testimony for their true faith in him and their unfained repentance towards God which are sufficient characters ever to make any people good Christians and of all them our Saviour saith Luke 7. 29 30. That they justified God and rejected not his counsel against themselves as the Pharisees and the Lawyers did that is all those that were baptized by the Baptistâ— repented and beleeved in Christ and imbraced the Promises and therefore by our Saviours own witnesse they were all good Christians as any in the new gathered Churches And therefore my Brother Burton as a notorious Papist and a calumniator ought to be reproved especially by the seven new Churches which hold That all that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were beleevers and good Christians And this shall suffice to have spake to his first grollery His second is That he makes excommunication the form of a Church as we may see page the twentieth of his Book where answering unto my Argument by which I proved our Churches to be true Churches viz. Because the saving Truth of the Gospel of Iesus Christ was preached received and profest in our Churches To the which Argument of mine he there thus replyes If you saith he mean the whole truth of Christ it is well But do not you know saith he that there dre three special visible marks of a true visible Church The Gospel purely Preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline rightly practised All which marks to gather the Church of England for ought I know is yet to seek So that by these words of my Brother Burton it is manifest That in his opinion the Gospel-Form of a Church is to have Discipline rightly Practised So that where Discipline is wanting by his learning there is no true Gospel formed Church But before I answer to this his grollery I will say thus much to my Brother Burton That Discipline rightly practised is not one of the special visible marks of a true visible Church and that for these Reasons First Because the Holy Ghost who better knew the essential marks of a true visible Church then my Brother Burton yet he in setting them all down omitting that of Discipline saith Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers So that according to this unerring discription of the essential marks of a true visible Church Wheresoever the Gospel is truly Preached and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and where there is the true Invocation of God which is the third essential mark in Gods Dialect of a true visible Church there there is a true Church although there be no Discipline and therefore I gather that Discipline though a most excellent Ordinance and much to be desired and had long since been obtained had not the Ildependents hindred it makes not for the esse but the bene esse of a Church And I will ever beleeve the Holy Ghost in this point rather then my Brother Burton And withal I will live and die in this opinion That the Church of England is a true Church notwithstanding whatsoever all the Sectaries can say to the contrary because in the Church of England the Gospel is truly Preached and the Sacraments are rightly Administred and the Name of God is truly called upon all which if they were sufficient to make the Church of Ierusalem a true formed Church yea and the first true formed Church according to my Brother Burtons own learning then they are sufficient to make the Church of England a true formed Church But a second Reason to prove that Discipline rightly practised is not the forme of a church is from my Brother Burtons owne words for hee everywhere saith that the church of Ierusalem was a true formed church and yet shee wanted that part of Discipline of casting out corrupt Members so that Discipline there could not then be rightly practised if that church wanted that part of Discipline and if it were not there at all as hee saith and therefore for that marke it does not make for the esse of a church and for the bringing in of a Gospel forme as is said before and which is yet more if excommunication be the Gospel forme of a true visible church then all the Synagogues in Ierusalem in Saint Iohn the Baptists time were true formed churches after the Gospel forme for Synagogue and Church in the holy Scriptures are all one and in all the Synagogues they had excommunication as in many places it is evident and for instance these Iohn 9. 22. For the Iewes had argued already that if any man did confesse hee was Christ hee should be put out of the Synagogue and in the fourtieth verse in terminis it is said that they cast out the young man and in the twelfth chapter verse 35. it is said there that amongst the chiefe Rulers many beleeved in him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should bee put out of the Synagogue Many places more to the same purpose might be produced to prove that there was that part of discipline even in the Synagogues and that in Johns time howâ—oever it was abused as excommunication daily is amongst all the Sectaries at this day and if we duly weigh and consider all things this part of discipline was taken from the Jewish Synagogues and from them brought into all Christian Churches so that if that part of discipline be the Gospel forme of a true visible Church or one of the essentiall markes of a true visible Church as my Brother Burton saith I shall not need to take a great journey from Ierusalem and Iohn Baptists Churches as my Brother Burton would have me goe to visit all the other Christian Churches to find in them excommunication that Gospel forme of a Church I will leave that journey to their Itinerary Independent Predicants who have nothing else to doe and will content my selfe with the Christian Synagogues and Churches amongst the which John Baptist and Christ himselfe both conversed preached and performed all the offices of true Pastors and in those Synagogues and Churches of Jerusalem in all and every one of them I find the Gospel
like manner if they will still persist go on in these wicked and ungodly courses to seduce his people and pretend that they have authority from him for their preaching and practising of all these things notwithstanding they have neither precept nor example for them in all the holy Word of God that he may in justice let the devil loose upon them for the beating of them all out of their TUBS Certain I am they by all these their dealings highly provoke the Lord to jealousie and that daily so that if the Christian Magistrates do not take some speedy course for the vindicating of Gods Honor I do verily beleeve the Lord will from Heaven shew some fearful judgement upon this whole Kingdom and visit it with so many plagues and such sore calamities as all the Inhabitants thereof will desire wish that the Mountains may fall upon them and the Hills cover them from the presence of the Lamb and from him that sitteth upon the Throne the which that they may not happen upon this Nation shal be my daily constant prayer And this shal serve to have spake concerning the Church of Ierusalem the first formed Church and concerning the ordinary admission of members in it I will now come to the Church of Samaria and that of Corinth and Ephesus all formed Churches according to the Gospel-Form and briefly shew how members were admitted into them all and by whom and upon what conditions that all men may see there is no want of presidents to convince the Ildependents of their Grolleries In the eighth of the Acts it is related there that through the miracles of Philip and through his preaching the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Iesus Christ they were baptized both men and women from the greatest to the least Verse 10 12. And were all admitted unto Church-fellowship and that by Philips sole authority and this his method of gathering of Churches was ratified by the authority of the Apostles Peter and Iohn and the whole Colledge of the Apostles at Ierusalem And this was a true formed Church after the New Testament Form For in this Christ himself had planted a Church and converted many as it is at large set down in the fourth Chapter of the Gospel of Saint Iohn and here it is said That the people with one accord gave heed unto those things that Philip spake and that there was great joy in that City Verse 6 8. And that they were all baptized both men and women Here we have neither any walking required at their hands for he better assurance either of Philip or the Church of the soundnesse of their conversion Here is no publike confession of their faith required before their admittance into Church-fellowship Here is no evidences of their conversion called for Here is no particular explicite covenant demanded of them Here is no consent of the people desired before their admission into Church communion and yet this was a Church established according to the Gospel-form So that according to the practice of the two Mother churches in Iudea and Israel all beleevers were admitted members and received into Church-fellowship without the conditions those of the Congregational way now require of all those of their new gathered Churches Whether therefore it be not a high presumption and arrogancy in all the Independents to slight the Laws of Christ the King of his Church and the example of Christ himself and the example of all the blessed Apostles I leave it to the judgement of all prudent and advised Christians I will now to satisfie my Brother Burtons desire visit some Churches of the Gentiles formed according to the New Testament Form and I will first in this visitation begin with that Church which he himself hath set before all Churches for a patern of imitation viz. the Church of Corinth In the eighteenth of the Acts it is recorded that when Silas and Timothy were come unto Paul to Corinth the Jewes refusing to receive the Gospel of Iesus Christ that hee shooke his rayment against them and said unto them your blood be upon your own heads I am cleare from hence-forth I will goe unto the Gentiles and departing thence hee entred into ones house named Iustus one that worshipped God and preaching the Gospel there it is said that Crispus a chiefe Ruler of the Synagogue beleeved on the Lord with all his house and many of the Corinthians hearing beleeved and were baptized Here wee see in a Church put into a Gospel forme the Members of that church were admitted by the sole authority of Saint Paul and that barely upon their hearing and beleeving for the Apostle required no other conditions of them for their admission into church Fellowship hee said not unto those many that were baptized that before they could be made Members of that church they must walke some time with the church that they might have experience of the truth of their conversion neither did he injoyn them for satisfaction of the people to make a publicke confession of their faith or to bring in the evidences of their conversion or to enter into any particular explicite covenant or to have the consent of the whole church nothing of all this did Paul require of the Corinthians in this church after the Gospel forme but following Christ the Kings commission upon their Faith Repentance and Baptisme hee hy his owne and sole authority admitted them The same way of admitting of Members wee shall find in the Church of Ephesus as it is at large to be seene in the nineteenth chapter of the Acts where the manner of admission of Members there is fully set downe and that was a Church also my Brother Burton sets downe amongst those that must be brought in for the making up of a compleate paterne now in all those Churches they were all admitted upon Christs owne termes and by the Apostles and Ministers sole authority without either walking sometime with the Church or without any publicke confession of their faith to the Congregation or bringing in their evidences or entring into any private explicite Covenant or without the consent of the people How unsufferable a thing therefore is it now then in all those of the congregationall way to demand other conditions of all their Members before they can be admitted into Church-fellowship with them then those that Christ the King of his Church and all his blessed Apostles demanded If this be not the highest point of presumption that was ever heard of I leave it to the consideration of the very ruggedest Independents upon due deliberation desiting they may all seriously lay it to heart and timely repent of it for if they doe not they will indeed be found fighters against God and dis-throners of Christ the King when they shall slight both his Lawes and example and the example of his blessed Apostles and the practise of all those glorious Gospel formed Churches and set up new Lawes and
examples of gathering Churches and of admitting of Members whereas in all the New Testament wee have but one way of admitting of Members whether in an ordinary way or an extraordinary for they that are made Members of any particular Church by vertue of that they are made Members of the Catholike and those likewise that are made Members of the Catholike Church may by vertue of their admission into it be Members in any particular Church as I shall prove by the Independents owne Principles And as for the ordinary way of admitting of Members I have proved it from the fore-going examples and the Primitive practise that it was upon condition onely of Repentance Faith and Baptisme and Christ required no more and for the extraordinary way if it bee evinced that that was after the same manner and upon no other conditions then all men may see into what a desperate condition of Rebellion all the Independents have by their new wayes plunged themselves into and may withall well perceive the vanity of all those cavils my Brother Burton and Master Knollys made against my following Arguments Now that they may see how and upon what conditions all Christians were admitted into the catholicke visible Church it will be worth their paines to looke upon the practice of the holy Ministers of the Gospel both Evangelists and Apostles who were all directed in what they did by the speciall command of Christ himselfe And therefore farre more worthy of imitation then our Independents practises Now we may take notice that when the Angel appeared unto Cornelius in the tenth of the Acts hee sent him unto Ioppa to call for one Simon whose surname was Peter hee did not send him unto the Church in Joppa And it is related that when Peter came to Cornelius and that hee had recited unto him the manner of the vision and that hee was commanded by the Angell to send for him it is further also declared what Peter there did and that he said of a truth J perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him And after a Sermon made unto Cornelius and all that were assembled there with him It is said that the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word and that all the beleevers that came with Peter were astonished at it for they heard them speake with divers tongues and magnified God Then answered Peter can any man forbid water that these men should not bee baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as wee And hee commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Here wee see first that Peter was sent unto and not the Church Secondly that he admitted Cornelius and those that were with him into the number of beleevers and into the fellow-ship of the Church by his owne authority and never consulted with the Church to aske their leave or voyce but concludes the busines with an interrogation which hath a greater force of binding that no man ought to hinder any beleever from comming into the society of the church and communion of Saints in whom the graces of Gods spirit evidently appeare as in these so that if either the Ministers come into their houses or they goe into the Ministers and make sufficient testimony by themselves of their faith and that they feare God of what nation soever they bee they are by the Ministers to bee admitted the congregation hath nothing to doe to hinder any such nay they may not it is more than belongs unto them neither did those that came with Peter intermeddle in that busines or require a covenant at their hand or a publik confession of their faith Againe when the Lord of his infinite mercy was purposed to reveale himselfe unto the Eunuch in the 8. of the Acts he sendeth Philip the Evangelist unto him whom hee found reading in his chariot the prophesie of Jsaiah and after that hee had interpreted unto him that prophesie and preached unto him Iesus and Baptisme in his name it is related that when they came unto a certaine water the Eunuch said unto him what doth hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou beleevest with all thine heart thou maist And hee answered and said J beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God and hee commanded the chariot to stand still and they went downe both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and hee baptized him Here wee see that Philip and not the church was sent unto the Eunuch and that Philip by his owne authority and upon the Eunuch his owne testimony without any reference unto any church or without consulting with any Congregation admits him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of the church and here was neither a publicke confession required of him by any of the church or any Covenant exacted by the people and so when Saul in the 9. of the Acts was fallen downe out of astonishment and afterwards was converted as the Storie there fully declareth the whole manner of it the Lord sent one Ananias a Disciple and Minister unto him hee did not send the church unto him neither did Ananias when hee came to Saul say unto him I will consult with the church to see whether they will admit thee to be a member for thou hast greatly wasted the church and made havocke of the Saints and therefore I will have their approbation and consent and I will have thee first walke with the Church some time that they may behold thy conversation and then thou shalt make a confession of thy faith publickly before the Congregation and give in thy evidences of the truth of thy conversion and enter in a private and solemne covenant and so be received and admitted But without all this adoe he baptizes Paul and admitteth him into the number of beleevers and makes him a member of this formed Church that by his sole authority and he was received immediatly among the Disciples at Damascus without any reluctation or so much as any scruple and strait-way hee preached Christ in the Synagogue that hee was the Son of God hee was both ordained and put in office without the approbation and consent of the people who knew nothing of the busines but onely stood amazed and said Is not this hee that destroyed them which called on this name in Ierusalem and came hither for that intent that hee might bring them bound unto the high Priest The Ministers in those dayes when they were all taught of God they only admitted Members by their owne authority into the church without the approbation of the people but in these our dayes wherin people have gotten itching eares and teachers after their owne humours such as S. Paul speaks of in his Epistles to Timothy they teach a new doctrine and bring forth new borne lights to the darkening of truth it selfe and to the bringing in a confusion
places so ought all men that are under obedience to learne their duty and not to take upon them that which God never gave unto them as to have their voice either in making of members in Churches or casting of them out or of ordaining of officers or of imposing laws upon others either of making publike confessions before the congregations or of producing evidences of their conversion or that they should walk with them some time that they might behold their conversation or of imposing a Covenant upon any that shall be admitted for all rule and government in the Church is put into the hands of the Presbyters and does not belong unto the people or multitude neither may the Presbyters usurpe authority but they also must exercise it onely according to the commission given unto them by Christ they may not transgresse it or go beyond it in the least thing and therefore when many of the brethren call for a publike confession of mens faith to be made in their new congregations and the evidences of their conversion to be produced and impose a Covenant upon them before they admit them to be members of their Church as if they had lived before in infidelity Who notwithstanding were known to be holy and godly Christians and as true beleevers as any that now live in the world and think them onely Christians and Beleevers that doe as they would have them and count of others that will not conforme themselves to their customes and novelties but as the off-scowring and refuse and no Christians I say it is an intolerable usurpation and a thing that was yet never before practised in the world in any Church either Jewish or Christian till these dayes and therefore they go beyond their commission in so doing for God in his commission to his Apostles and all Ministers bids them admit of all that come in and beleeve and are baptized he quencheth not the smoaking flax nor breaketh the bruised reed now then when they know thousands in this Kingdome that do beleeve and are men of unblamable lives and such as would lay down their lives for the faith once delivered unto the Saints and are baptized what have they to do to lord it over them and to hinder them from communicating in the Ordinances and to be admitted into Church fellowship with them or to debarre them from the communion of the Saints Me thinks the vision to Saint Peter in the tenth of the Acts should teach such men their duty when God said unto Peter rise kill and eat Peter said not so Lord for I have never eaten any thing that is common and unclean and the voyce said what God hath cleansed call not thou common And this saith the Scripture was done thrice that by the mouth of two or three Witnesses this truth might be confirmed to Peter and all other Ministers not to call those people common prophane and unclean and to count them but rubbish whom God hath graced with the gifts of his holy Spirit and hath sanctified and such as beleeve in Jesus Christ and are baptized as well as themselves and such as stood to the truth when they durst not shew their faces but ran from the Cause and deserted it or at least temporized and such as if the like occasions were offered would manifest unto the world by Gods assistance that their lives and all they have should not be dear unto them for the restimony of Jesus and yet such as these must be debarred from the communion in their Assemblies unlesse they will conforme to their new-born traditions for these are no traditions of the Elders but of the younger and if Christ in his time sharply reproved those that brake the Commandements of God through the traditions of men and deeply reproved the Ministers in those dayes for teaching the people to preferre the traditions of the Elders before the commandements of God and for teaching them the fear of God after the precepts of men What shall we think those Ministers will have to answer at the dreadfull day of judgement when they set up their traditions in the Church of God and preferre them before the Commandements of God and what can any man think of the condition of that people that account of such novelties as the Oracles of God and violate the law of Love and make rents and schisms in the seamlesse garment of the church through these traditions Surely whatsoever they may promise to themselves their condition is very dangerous for our Saviour saith Woe be to those by whom offences come Matthew 18 and whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that beleeve in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea And whether this be not to transgresse the the Commandements of God through their traditions and to offend those little ones that beleeve in Christ when they will not receive such into the communion and fellowship of the church as beleeve and are baptized but count them as aliens and strangers yea infidels and rubbish I referre my selfe to any that is but of ordinary understanding For Gods command unto all Ministers was that they should admit all such into the church as beleeved and were baptized upon their desiring it without any confession either private or publicke or entring into any covenant Now this command of God they trangresse by their traditions and keepe out many thousands of Beleevers through the Kingdome as unholy and as having no right to the Ordinances because forsooth they will not obey their new-borne Lawes and Traditions for where did ever God command that no Beleevers should bee admitted into the church except they made a publicke confession of their faith and walked some time in fellowship amongst them and then gave in the evidences of their conversion and entred into a private covenant and gave the Church satisfaction Or where was it ever practised by any of the Primitive christians either by those that were converted by Peters Sermons and the other Apostles or by Pauls preaching was Lydia when God opened her heart to beleeve Pauls preaching admitted into the church upon any such termes was the Goaler and his converted family forced to make a publicke confession to the church of their faith and to give in the evidences of their conversion and to enter into a private convenant 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 breake the Lawes of God making divisions 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
Congregation For it is most certain that the beleevers that were in Jerusalem at that time were innumerable and those inhabitants for the Scripture is clear in this point for to say nothing of those that cryed Hosanna and cut down branches at Christs coming into Ierusalem which all made profession of him with the little children that cryed Hosanna also to the highest whose Parents were all inhabitants in Ierusalem and without doubt had taught all their children their lesson which they thought they might better shew publickly then themselves The Scripture in the third of Matthew and in the first of Mark and in the third of Luke saith in expresse termes That all Ierusalem which being taken Synecdochically must needs signifie an innumerable company of all sorts of men came out to the Baptisme of John and were all baptized by him in Jordan confessing their sins and all these were inhabitants And in the fourth of Iohn it is expressed there that Christ made more Disciples then John and that his Disciples baptized more so that necessarily there were infinites of beleevers then in Ierusalem yea it is expressed in the twelfth of Iohn ver 19. that the world went after Christ that is beleeved in him therefore there was a numberlesse company of beleevers in Jerusalem and all inhabitants there and all these were good Christians and true beleevers though I. S. most impiously affirmeth the contrary and pag. 8. 9. of his Pamphlet asserteth That they were not Christians to whom my brother Burton in the 16 page of his briefe answer assenteth Now that they were all good Christians and true beleevers that were baptized by John and Christs Disciples all good Christians are bound to beleeve it if any credit be to be given unto Christs words whose testimony I conceive is rather to be credited in this controversie then that of I. S. and my brother Burton for his witnesse is infallible who knew not onely their outward conversation but their very hearts also and therefore could give a true testimony of them and yet he concludes of all those that were baptized by the Baptist that they were all very good Christians and true beleevers Our Saviours words are these Luke 7. ver 29 30. And all the people mark I pray his expression All the people saith Christ that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the baptisme of John But the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsell of God against themselves being not baptized of him which words of our blessed Saviour are to be beleeved before the words of men and angels though they should all speak the contrary as wâ—cked I. S. and my brother Burton both do Now our Saviour in those words proclames all those that heard John the Baptist and were baptized by him to be good Christians and the Scripture saith that Jerusalem and they of Ierusalem came out to his baptisme and were baptized by him in Iordan Matth. 3. And in Aeâ—on neer to Salim there was much water John 3. 23. So that all these were inhabitants of Ierusalem and such as had their aboad in that City yea our blessed Lord and Saviour that true witness who out of his bare word ought ever to be believed doth not onely say they were good Christians and true beleevers but proves it by many arguments The first of the which is this that they justified God that is they acknowledged that God was a most just righteous and a mercifull God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and keeping promise unto his people which was 2 Chron. 7. ver 14. that if his people which are called by his name shall humble themselves and pray and seek his face and turn from their wicked wayes that then he would hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land This promise of God and all his other gracious promises those that were baptized by Iohn did beleeve for saith oâ—r Saviour they justified God declaring unto the world by their profession that they beleeved in him and imbraced his promises which is yet farther manifest from Christs second argument which is this they rejected not saith he the counsell of God against themselves as the Pharisees and Lawyers did Now if we consider but what the counsell of God was to the people in the ministery of Iohn the Baptist we shall find it in the third of Matthew where the Baptist preaching unto all Ierusalem that came out unto his baptisme as it is also clear in the third of Luke he says there repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand warning them to fly from the wrath to come exhorting them all to bring forth fruits meet for repentance telling them of the danger that would otherwise ensue if they did not repent and beleeve in the Messiah who was to come shortly after him with his fanne in his hand who would throughly purge his floore and gather his Wheat into his garner but burn up the chaffe with unquenchable fire and therefore he exhorted them all again and again to repent and beleeve in the Messiah this good counsell did Iohn the Baptist give to all those that came out of Ierusalem to his Baptisme and our Saviour affirmes and witnesses of them all that they rejected not his counsell as the Pharisees did to their own destruction but imbraced it to their salvation and therefore they were all true beleevers if our Saviour knew who were beleevers which yet he proves by a third argument saying that they were all baptized of him confessing their sins in token of their repentance and of their faith in the Messiah they were all baptized by John saith Christ and therefore they were all very good Christians and true beleevers all these arguments for brevity sake may be reduced into one argument after this manner All those that justifie God and imbrace the counsell of God that do repent confesse and forsake their sins and beleeve in Iesus Christ and in token of their faith and obedience are baptized into him they are all good Christians and true beleevers but all these saith Christ that heard John the Baptist with the Publicans except the Pharisees and Lawyers were such Ergo they were all good Christians and beleevers and all Jerusalem consisted of such for Ierusalem went out to Joâ—n the Baptist and were baptized by him in Jordan confessing their sins and yet more then these were converted by Christ his Apostles and seventy Disciples ministery and all inhabitants in Jerusalem And therefore all these could not possibly be contained in any one place or a few and all these were then in Jerusalem as well as the hundred and twenty names and therefore all the beleevers at that time in Jerusalem though they were all epi tò autò as well as the Apostles yet they were not all in one place as the Homothumadon brethren would infer for those that the first chapter of the Acts speaks of ver 15. those hundred and twenty names which met together
Church at one time without all controversie it was impossible that they could all then meet together in any one place and for farther confirmation of this truth and for the putting of this controversie for ever out of doubt the Holy Ghost saith in the fifth chapter verse 14. And Beleevers were more added unto the Church multitudes both of men and women Marke I pray the expression multitudes Now by multitude all men know is to be understood and that in all Languages a very great Assembly or congregation or company whereupon the Scripture saith follow not a multitude to doe evill so that by multitude is ever understood some vast Assembly or Congregation of people and here the Scripture saith speaking in the plurall number that multitudes and that both of men and women were added to the Lord that is to say many great Congregations and Assemblies were added to the Church yea the expression doth as it were intimate that they came in so fast that they could not now any longer be counted as it were by retayle or enumerate companies as when they came in by small numbers as three thousand and five thousand at a time which might easily be told and reckoned but that now they came into the Church in such great bodies as they were forced to set them downe by whole sale and therefore the Holy Ghost saith that Beleevers were added unto the Lord multitudes both of men and women that is to say many great Congregations of Beleevers of both sexes yea and that there might yet be no mistake in this busines the Scripture saith in the last verse of this chapter for the great multitudes of them that the Apostles daily in the Temple and in every house ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ So that here by the testimony of the Holy Ghost wee are ascertained there were divers and severall Congregations of Beleevers at that time in the Church of Ierusalem for they had their meetings not onely in the Temple but in every house or from house to house which is all one that is to say they had many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers at that time in severall private houses as well as in the Temple so that this truth being confirmed unto us not onely by reason but by the mouth of so many infallible witnesses as that out of the second chapter where it is said they brake bread daily from house to house and two more witnesses also in this fifth chapter where it is recorded verse 14. that multitudes both of men and women that is to say many great Congregations of Beleevers of both sexes were added to the Lord and in the last verse that there might be yet no scruple made of the busines the places of their meetings are also expressed viz. in the Temple and in every house so that all good Christians are bound to beleeve that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers at that time in the Church of Jerusalem and therefore more then could all possibly meet in any one place or congregation So that if I should say no more the truth concerning this point is so evidently apparent to all judicious and understanding men that they cannot doubt of it except they will deny the Scripture it selfe yet that the truth concerning this controversie may yet more fully be cleared I shall for the farther coroborrating of it and for confirmation of the same produce a few testimonies more In the sixth chapter verse 7. The word of the Lord increased saith the Holy Ghost and the number of Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith Here wee find multiplication upon multiplication of Beleevers and more additions of them and that in Ierusalem and amongst these multitudes there was a great company of Priests that is a great company of their Ministers and learned Rabbies were converted and all these severall admissions of Beleevers into this Church of Jerusalem were without any of the conditions those of the congregationall way require now of their new Members for it is not said that they demanded of them that they should walke some time with them before their admission or that they should make any publicke confession of their faith or bring in the evidences of their conversion or enter into any particular explicite Covenant or come in by the consent of the people before their admission nothing of all these things were required at their hands in this Mother-church and therefore all the practise of this kind of admission in our new Congregations is without any president or example and therefore those of the congregationall way doe most wickedly to pretend they have the Church of Jerusalem for an example for their practise of admitting of Members But I say the thing chiefly to be observed here is the multiplication and the increase of many more Disciples to the former adding withall that amongst those Disciples and Converts that were added to the Lord there was a great company of the Priests now what an increase of Beleevers may any man suppose there must then needs follow when so many of their Ministers were converted without doubt when the people saw their Priests turne Christians and heard them also in their preachings give in their reasons for their imbracing of the Gospel and saw withall the daily miracles of the Apostles for the confirmation of this their doctrine they did infinitly multiply so that if there had beene no conversion of men before spak of yet the conversion of these very Priests in a short time would have procured the conversion of many more then could have met in any one place or a few and this all reason will perswade for wee find it by hourly experience how many hundreds are daily mislead and seduced by the error of a few temporising unstable Presbyters who are turned Independents and what a deale of mischiefe they have done here amongst us so that not a few places can containe their Proselytes and all this without the helpe of any miracles and we see daily if but any rich and crased Gentlewoman or any confounded Lady turne Independent or if but any unstable man of any eminency revolt from the Presbyterian way what a noyse there is by and by made at it and how many giddy headed men and women especially are seduced by it and that without any prodigies Now I say all reason will perswade any intelligible man that truth should much more prevaile then error and that in the hands of so great a multitude and of such learned Rabbies and those also in so great honour and esteeme amongst the people having withall the helpe of Miracles amongst them and that to the speedy conversion of many thousands yea the Scripture saith that the Word of God increased that is to say converted many and that the number of Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly not in a small manner and that a great company of the
Priests were also added unto the Lord so that if there were a great Congregation and Assembly of the Priests as the Word of God relateth there must necessarily be many more Congregations of the ordinary people and all these are to be yet reckoned upon a new account and upon a new List so that there were numberlesse Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem if any credit may be given to the Holy Scripture and that in the very infancy of the Church so that I am most confident that this truth is now evident and perspicuous to all those that have but ordinary understanding But because this is the onely busines as the Independents say and that will put an end to this controversie betweene us for they have often said prove once but clearly unto us out of the Word of God that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and then wee will grant you the day I say in this regard I shall briefly adde some other Arguments to prove there were more Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all possibly meet in any one Congregation or a few for to these that were daily converted and added to the Church wee heare upon all occasions of additions upon additions and of increase upon increase of many more Beleevers for in the ninth chapter verse 31. it is recorded that the Churches having rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria they were multiplyed for so it is in the Oâ—iginall Now Ierusalem was the chiefe Church in Iudaea and therefore shee also multiplyed and increased in Disciples daily which being added to the former spake of it makes it an impossible thing that they could all meet together in any one place or a few And in the 12. chapter upon the miraculous death of Herod it is said verse 24. that the Word of God grew and multiplyed in Ierusalem that is brought forth great increase of ' Beleevers and made them exceedingly daily to multiply so that all these additions upon additions of Beleevers made it an impossible thing that the hundreth part of them could meet in any one place But omitting many Arguments that I could produce from the multitudes of their Preachers and the diversity of the nations and the infinit number of the Inhabitants and from the Miracles in Jerusalem that necessarily called for many Congregations and Assemblies that one place in the 21. of the Acts may for ever silence all Gain-sayers and abundanly prove unto rationall men that there were many if not numberlesse congregations of Beleevers then in the church of Ierusalem If we will but take notice what Saint Iames and all the Presbyters of Jerusalem spake unto Saint Paul who being all Inhabitants there and the Ministers and Preachers of the Word in that Church must all necessarily know not onely the condition of the Beleevers there but for the most part the number of them now I say it will be worth our paines and attention to observe and take notice what is there confirmed by the testimony of many witnesses yea a cloud of witnesses and all of them without exception there was Iames the Apostle by name and all the Presbyters of Ierusalem all Synodians whose witnesse was true and for ever to be beleeved and yet they give in this evidence to Saint Paul concerning the Beleevers in Ierusalem that there were many ten thousands of weake Brethren here how many ten thousands more may we suppose were there then of strong Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem seeing for the most part in all Churches where there are able and learned Ministers it is ever observed that there are three strong brethren to one weak one at least more strong brethren then weak ones Now when there was a whole Colledge of Apostles for the most part resident in that Church and a whole colledge of Presbyters fixed Ministers there and able Preachers besides a multitude of Priests and all painefull and laborious that preached unto them night and day instructed them all in their Christian Liberty and confirmed them in it with miracles and when they had also for a farther strengthning of them in that their Christian Liberty called a Councell and Synod in Jerusalem and ratified the abrogation of the legall Ceremonies and that from the Holy Scripture and the Spirit of God and did daily preach unto them all this their Christian Liberty we are bound by the Law of charity to beleeve there were many more thousands of strong Christians then weake in that Church yea our daily experience will perswade any man to beleeve this Doctrine Now let us heare what Saint Iames and all the Presbyters witnesse unto Saint Paul concerning this point verse 20. Thou seest Brother Paul say they how many ten thousands for so it is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Iewes there are which beleeve and they are all zealous of the Law out of the which words wee may observe that those Saint Iames and the Presbyters speake of were all Inhabitants in Ierusalem for they could witnesse nothing of strangers those that dwelt in other places neither could they have said thou seest them if they had not beene Inhabitants or if they had beene here to day and gone to morrow for then they could not have beene taken notice of but they speake of Inhabitants as by many Arguments may be proved and of all these they asserâ— these things First for the number of them that they were many ten thousands Secondly that they were all Beleevers Disciples and very good Christians yea very zealous ones Thirdly they doe witnesse that all these many ten thousands were but weake Brethren and therefore gave Saint Paul counsell yea an order somewhat to connive at their weaknesse for a time that hee might the better ingratiate himselfe into their favour the story is there fully set downe Now I say if there were many ten thousands of weak Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem how many more ten thousands of strong Beleevers may any rationall men suppose were then there in that church where there were a colledge of Apostles forthe most part and a standing Colledge of able Presbyters all miraculous Teachers and assisted immediatly by the spirit of God Surely a few hundred of houses or places could not possibly have held their very bodies much lesse could a few hundred of houses have held them to partake in all the Ordinances so that all men that have not absolutely resolved to give the Spirit of God the lye yea to wage warre against Heaven must acknowledge that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem especially when it commeth confirmed by so many witnesses of divine authority By which it appeareth that there were many Congregations of Beleevers there as in every house one So that for this point I am most assured it is now without controversie that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers
was the generall fear of all the great men in Jerusalem and of all the Courtiers and Officers under Herod therefore it is said that Herod and all Ierusalem with him was troubled So that Tyrants and their complices never have any reall peace But in this sense also it cannot be understood that Ierusalem went out to John and was baptized it must therefore by a Senecdoche be taken for all the common people promiscuously or for a mighty multitude of all sorts and of all ranks of people and of all professions as Publicans Souldiers and the ordinary Inhabitants and in this sense the word Jerusalem must be taken for a mighty multitude of men in Jerusalem that were made Christians for otherwise the Evangelist would have said many went out of Ierusalem also as well as out of other places but in saying that all Iudea and all the Regions round about and Jerusalem went out this metaphoricall expression doth signifie That an infinite number of people in Ierusalem it selfe were made Christians and Members of the Church and that it is so to be understood the places following will evidently evince it for in Matth. 11. 12. our Saviour saith That from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist untill now the Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force then the which there could nothing be spoke more emphatically to set forth the growth and increase of Beleevers and the multitude of Christians as Luke also in ch 16. v. 16. expresseth saying That the Law and the Prophets were untill Iohn since that time the kingdome of God is preached and every man presseth in to it that is the generality of the people became beleevers and were baptized as it is yet more evident from Luke 7. 29 30. by the very testimony of our Saviour who saith That all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized with the Baptisme of Iohn but the P harisees and Lawyers rejected the councell of God against themselves being not baptized of him So that by the witnesse of our Saviour Christ except the Pharisees and the Priests all the people or the generality of the people in Ierusalem were baptized and became Christians and imbraced the Gospell and this was accounted among the miracles that was wrought in those dayes and as a thing of speciall observation and as a matter of wonder as we may see in the message our Saviour Christ sent unto Iohn the Baptist by his Disciples when he bad them relate unto their Master what they had seen and heard in the 22. Verse Tell him saith he That the blinde see the lame walke the Leapers are cleansed the deafe heare and the dead are raised and the poore receive the Gospel this I say was among the miracles that the generality of the poore imbrace the Gospel and were baptized and made Believers which must needs import a mighty multitude and a great increase or else it would not have been a thing of such wonder and have been sent unto Saint Iohn as a miraculous thing and a thing worthy to prove Christ himself to be the Messiah looked for for no meere man could have wrought such a work asto draw the hearts of the the people to imbrace the Gospel but the Messiah himself For Paul may plant and Apollo may water 1 Cor. 3. but God only the Messiah must give the increase he must move the heart to imbrace the Gospel and to believe for faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. and therefore this was the wonder that the generality of the people did believe and were baptized and this was the sole work and operation of Christ and therefore proved him to be the Prophet they looked for And it stands with all reason that there were infinites of people in Jerusalem that believed and that Iohn was greatly magnified of the people and publickly followed because for a time Herod himselfe countenanced Iohn Mark 6. 20 and feared him knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly And although we read not that he was baptized by Iohn yet he highly honoured him till Iohn reproved him and told him it was not lawfull for him to have his Brothers Wife And in this interim of his seeming favour we may conceive that the Courtiers also and the great men would do as their Master did for if we observe the manner of all Courts to this day what the King does the Courtiers also do if the King laugh though there be perhaps a cause of mourning they will all laugh and if he frownes though there be a cause of cheerfulnesse and smiling they will al frown and if the King commends any man they will all admire him and if he hears any Minister gladly they will all heare him willingly and if he when he is reproved be angry and displeased and will cut off his head whom he had so honoured but the day before then all the Courtiers they will helpe him and further the worke as we may see not only in the example of Iohn Baptist but in Haman as soon as the King frownd upon him the Courtiers they covered his face and up they trussed him be it right or wrong it is all one to Courtiers But in that interim I say that Iohn Baptist was in favour with the King without doubt it animated the people greatly to follow him and by hearing him many thousand Saints were converted and the multitudes of them were numerous as is manifest from Matth. 14. 5. for it is said That when he would have put him to death he feared the multitude because they counted him as a Prophet Here are two observables the one That he that feared not God was afraid of his servants The second that it was a mighty multitude of Believers that were in Ierusalem for a few could not have awed the King and kept him in feare and therefore he was forced to defer the cutting off of his head till he had got to him all the strength of Galilee all his Lords and high Captains and his chiefe Estates and Commanders Mark 6. 21. And when he thought himselfe strong enough then he exercised his tyranny Yea when Iohn was taken away yet the multitudes of the people continued stedfast in the faith as we may see in Luke 20. by the confession of the very enemies for when our Saviour asked them concerning the baptisme of Iohn Whether it was from Heaven or of Men And they reasoned among themselves saying if we shall say from Heaven he will say why then believed ye him not and if we say of Men all the people will stone us for they be perswaded that Iohn was a Prophet Here by the confession of the very enemies all the people or the generality of them were Believers and it must of necessity be a mighty multitude that kept all the Priests and all the Elders that had
that were baptized by Iohn Baptist were Christians and beleevers but also that they were in such multitudes as they could not all possibly meete in any one place or congregation to communicate in all the Ordinances and all Acts of worship to edification The dint and force of the which Argument he thinkes he sufficiently evadeth by denying that they were Christians at all So that if this Answer be well looked into and examined it will appeare that whiles he boasteth and glorieth that he hath beate up my quarters he beates up Saint Iohns quarters yea Christs quarters and all his Disciples quarters before Christs death and Ascension and all the quarters of all Christians that now live in the world For if none are well Baptised and made Christians indeede but such as are Baptised with the Holy Ghost and with fire then all those that were baptised before Christs Ascension were no true Christians nor no Christians in these our times nor many Generations before us who were not baptised by the Holy Ghost and with fire and by these his fond cavills he overthroweth the Scripture it self and all Divine and humane Authority and gives the Spirit of God the lye And truly such a peece of impious ignorance with such impudent confidence my eyes yet never beheld before I. S. and his complices came into the World So that it stranges me eceedingly that such men as he and they are should be suffered by those of the Congregationall way to go unpunished who may shame them all as indeed they are a shame to all Christian Religion For I appeale to the judgement of all such as have any knowledge in Religion or love to the truth or have any moderation or good temper yet left in them whether this be a thing tolerable in any that has the name of a Christian to play not only the juglers to deceive and delude the poore people but to give the Spirit of God the lye and then to vapour and brag of it as of a conquest But now I will set downe his Arguments in his owne words and give my answer to them severally We saith he answer to your reasons So that he writes in the name of all the Independents as one of the Commanders and Captaines in their Militia and as one of their Champions and therefore in the name of them all sayeth We answer to your reasons Now take notice what he answers in the name of the whole Fraternity 1. Iohns Baptisme was into Christ but it was in Christum moriturum not in Christum mortuum This is J. S. his first answer Truly one that should but looke on all his Answers to my Arguments would wonder what the man meant by them and to what purpose he uttered these words for they are a manifest fighting against the Scripture of truth as all the judicious and learned will wel perceive And I have heard both learned pious men say that they did not beleeve that I. S. did well understand himselfe when he writ this book and there is some reason of this their opinion for hee confesseth in his wise Epistle that hee was in a course of Physick at the wels who knowes but the man might then be somewhat distemperd in his braine and so might doe the actions of a man crased and his very language doth in a manner speake as much both in this his Answer and in many other passages of his Book as in their due places will appeare yea the very title also and his Epistle being senselesse calling his Pamphlet Flagellum flagelli and the beating up of Doctor Bastwicks quarters when he never came nigh them and the taking hold and shaking of the Pillars of his discourse when hee never so much as touched them with many such other expressions all which have no correspondency amongst themselves and shewes that the man is either a very stranger in Rhetorick not knowing how to keep himselfe to his Metaphor or else that hee is crased indeed and truly so every one will conceive if they duly weigh and consider all passages in his booke especially this answer of his to my Arguments by which hee labours to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were no Christians no Beleevers which he doth by very senselesse reasons the first of which I have related viz. that they were baptized into Christ to dye and not dead and therefore in his opinion they were no Christians I omit his latine expression as thinking it a vaine thing in him to insert latine sentences writing in the vulgar tongue especially in handling points of divinity those of great concernment which the people should have set before them in perspicuous and plaine termes But now take notice how the man contradicteth himselfe in his answer for the drift of it is to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were no Christians and yet hee sayeth they were baptized into Christ Then they were Christians by his owne confession for Iesus Christ was yesterday and to day and the same for ever Heb. 13. and He was ever the Messiah the seed of the woman that should breake the Serpents head that Rocke upon which the Church was built against which the gates of Hell should never prevaile Mat. 16. So that they that were baptized into Iesus Christ whether whiles hee was living or dead whether before his Nativity death or ascension or after are all good Christians therefore he contradicteth himselfe in saying they were not Christians for it is not the circumstance of time that makes an alteration in the substance and essence of any thing for the Passeover in Egypt was the same for substance that it was in the Wildernesse and in the land of Canaan for otherwise it should follow that the Supper of the Lord celebrated by Christ himselfe before his passion and in memoriall of his death should not be the same with that it was after Christs Resurrection and Ascension and that the Apostles that received the Lords Supper were not Christians then as well as after his death which I thinke I. S. will not dare affirme but if he should I am confident all the well grounded Christians in the world would be his adversaries in this for the Apostle Saint Paul in the 1. of the Corinth 11. 23 24 25. makes them all one for substance and as the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was the same for essence before Christs death that it was after so was the Sacrament of Baptisme to all that were baptized and hee was as good a Christian that was baptized in to Christ before his death as hee that was baptized into him after his Ascension as all good reason will perswade for Christ was ever the Messiah and King of his Church which will yet more evidently appeare if wee compare earthly things with heavenly I demand therefore of I. S. or any of the congregationall way whether all such subjects as take the oath of allegiance
or sweare fealty to any King who is owned by the people and whole Kingdome to be their lawfull King as appointed and set over them of God and is openly proclamed through the whose Realm to be their King though at that time hee be in an other Countrey and but now comming to take the possession of his Kingdome I say I demand whether such subjects as take the oath of allegeance and sware fealty unto him before he comes and sits visibly upon his Throne be not by this their oath become that Kings subjects as truly and as really as if the King were bodily present I demand further when hee is in person come into his Kingdome and visibly amongst them saluted and entertained and owned by the people for their King whether or no those subjects that then take their oath of allegeance and promise by that their oath their subjection unto him bee not as really and truly his subjects as those that after hee is inaugurated and gone into one of his other Kingdomes take then the oath of allegeance and sware subjection unto him in all his just commands I am confident that all men that are but a little skilled in politicks or any good learning will acknowledge that either of the former subjects are as truly and really subjects unto him though they never saw him as many hundred thousands never did their Kings as those that tooke the oath when hee was gone in triumph into an other of his Kingdomes And thus it was with those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist that great Officer of Christs kingdome and the blessed Apostle those Stewards Secretaries privie Counsellors Embassadours of his Royaltie who all baptized those that came unto them into Iesus Christ the King and Messiah as well before his death as after and all they owned him as well then for their King as after crying Hosanna thou sonne of David and strowing their garments in the way saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord peace in Heaven and glory in the Highest Luke 19. vers 4. and therefore it is a senslesse reason yea contradictory unto it selfe that I. S. bringeth considering there is no difference for the substance of the matter though there be some variety in respect of the circumstance of time and in this fond error of I. S. is my brother Burton and the Papists who thinke there was a great difference between the Baptisme before Christs death and that after his death when indeed for substance there was none no more then was betweene the Sacrament of the Lords Supper before Christs death and after And therefore all those that received either of those Sacraments or both of them before his passion were as good Christians as those that received them after for hee was owned by them at that time to be the Lambe of God that was to take away the sins of the world of beleevers and to be the King of the Iews the Saviour of his people to be the anoynted Christ they took the Sacraments upon it which is as much as the oath of allegeance to any King which were sufficient to make them as good Christians as any that should come after them and therefore they that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist into Christ to dye which I. S. doth acknowledge they were all as good Christians as any now baptized by the Independents and therefore that hee faith to the contrary and in opposition to this truth is a meer babble and a contradiction of himselfe And this shall suffice to have spoke to his first answer to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were as good Christians as any other that were baptized after Christs death His second is as senselesse which is this To say saith he that the Baptisme of Iohn was the same with Christs and the Apostles is flat contrary to the assertion of Iohn himselfe and the Apostles Mat. 21. 25. Act. 18. 25. I baptize you with water saith he but there comes one after me who shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire These are the words of his second argument to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were no Christians In the entrance of this his answer he beats the ayre and fights with his owne shadow and falsifies my words for I never said nor thought it that the Baptisme of Iohn was the same with Christs for the Scripture relateth that Christ baptized not at all Iohn 4. vers 2. I said indeed it was the same with the Apostles and that is manifest out of many places of the holy Scriptures as out of the 3. of Luke ver 2. Iohn the 1. v. 33. where Iohn himself speaking saith hee that sent mee to baptize with water the same said unto me c. Yea one of those places quoted by himselfe Matth. 21. vers 25. sufficiently declares that Iohn had his Commission from God himself whose Prophet he was to baptize with water and the Apostles themselves before Christs death and Ascention baptized but with water and had no other Commission but that Saint Iohn the Baptist had and Iohn baptized with the Baptisme of Repentance saying unto the people that they should beleeve on him which should come after him that is on Christ Iesus Act. 19. vers 4. and the very Apostles Baptisme before Christs death vvas no other but the Baptisme of repentance and to beleeve in Christ yea faith and repentance was the summe of all the Preaching both of Iohn and of all the holy Apostles both before Christs death and after as wee may see Acts 20. vers 21. where the Apostle saith Testifying both to the Iewes and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Now when the Baptisme of Saint Iohn and the Apostles both before Christs death and after was all one for substance and all into Christ as wee may yet further see Acts the 8. 16. where it is said they were baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus It was no error in mee to say that the Baptisme of Iohn was into Christ Iesus and the very same with that of the Apostles for the Holy Ghost which is the spirit of truth hath so taught mee and therefore all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were as good Christians and beleevers as those that were baptized by the Apostles if repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ and being baptized into him could make good Christians which were blasphemy to gain-say and nothing else but to give the spirit of God the lye and therefore J. S. affirming that there was a difference between the Baptisme of Iohn and that of the Apostles and denying that those that were baptized by Iohn were Christians gives the spirit of God the lye for the holy word of God which was penned by his spirit asserteth the contrary And for that text that he citeth
God was just faithfull mercifull and gracious and therefore beleeved his promises and repented and were baptized and were all as good Christians and Beleevers as any were if any credit may be given to Christs words Whether therefore we ought rather to beleeve the words of Christ and his testimony or I. S. his language I refer it to the judgement of the advised reader Christ declareth they were Beleevers and Christians for they justified God and rejected not his councel but imbraced his grace and favour and free mercy I. S. saith the contrary It is true that the name of Christian was not given to beleevers till they were called so at Antioch yet to beleeve in Christ and to be baptized into Christ made them as well Christians before his suffering as after for otherwise Abel Enoch Noah Moses Abraham David and all those Martyrs spoke of Hebrewes the eleventh and all those baptized by the Apostles before Christs death should not have bin Christians which were wickednesse to think when the Scripture affirmeth that they not only lived by faith but did all those wonders by vertue of their faith in Christ and that they all injoyed the promises and therefore it must necessarily follow they were Christians as all beleeving in Christ and living and dying in that faith So that howsoever they had not the name of christians and were not so called which makes nothing against the reality of the thing for we contend not about words yet they were all true christians they being all built upon that Corner stone and upon the foundation Jesus Christ and differing nothing for the essence and substance or object of their faith from any that did succeed them in all ages to come And therefore I. S. affirming that by the baptisme of Iohn the beleevers then were not made Christians and that the Israelits Baptised by Moses in the cloude were no Christians overthrowes the holy Scriptures and gives Christ the lye and confutes Paul himself who in the 10. of the 1 of the Cor. ver 1. 2. 3. affirmes that our fathers were under the cloude and all passed through the Sea and were all baptised by Moses in the cloude and in the Sea and all eate the same spirituall meate and did all drink the same spirituall drinke for they all drank of the same spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ by the which testimony of the Apostle they were as good Christians as the Corinthians for he comparing them together sheweth that they were equall to them in priviledges and were as good Christians as they according to that of Peter Acts the 15. vers 9. and put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith as he had proved that the Israelits were equall in Priviledges with the Corinthians and all other Christians so he declareth likewise if the Corinthians and all other Christians did offend against God as the Israelites did they should likewise be equall to them in punishments For God was no respector of persons but as inevery nation he that feareth God worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Acts 10. ver 35 so whatsoever Christians of what Nation so ever whether Iewer or Gentiles shall offend as the Israelites did they shall be equally punished So that by the witnesse and testimony of Paul in this tenth chapter of the 1 of the Cor. and the 11. of the Hebrewes and from the above cited Scriptures all our fathers under the cloude and all the Patriarkes and all those Martyrs and all those that were baptised by the Baptist and Christ Disciples were all as good Christians as any Baptized after Christs death or now by those of the Congregationall way or any Christians in the world and all that I here say is most true if any beliefe may be given to the holy Word of God And therefore I. S. affirming the contrary blasphemeth And now I come to his fourth Argument Which is this The learned and judicious know saith he that Iohn was but the Messenger before Christ Mal. 3. ver 1. And his baptisme was but as the streaming of light in the Heavens before the day and he did only bring and restore all things to their legall perfection by water the element of the law but Christ Iesus he comes and Baptizes with fire consummats all things with this transforming powerfull element even his spirit Thus I. S. speaketh To examine all the errors in these words would take up much time and require a large discourse but I study brevity As for the first part of this his answer where he saith the learned and Iudicious know that Iohn was but the Messenger before Christ c. it is a peece of vanity in him to produce the testimony of men to prove that Iohn was a Messenger of Christ when the holy Scripture in many places assertsit and when Christ himself hath declared that Iohn the Baptist was that Elias that was foretold should prepare the way before the Lord and make his pathes straight but this I may truly say of I. S. that he is a meere stranger in all good learning and as ignorant in all Divinity and in the holy Word of God as those judicious he speakes of were singularly excellent and mighty in the Scriptures and all sound theologie whose works and godly solid writings if ever he had read with understanding he could never have bin so prodigiously blasphemous as he is in all his discourse and chiefly in these his answers for there is not any one of them in which there is not great impiety to be discovered as in this to accuse Iohns Baptisme and Ministry of imperfection and to say they were but as the streamingsoflight in the Heavens before the day when notwithstanding Christ himself hath often given so many honourable testimonies of Iohn and his Ministry saying in the 5. of Iohn 32. that he bare witnesse of him and that his witnesse was true and in the 35. ver in expresse words affirming that he was a burning and shining light and that the Iews for a season did rejoyce in his light And yet I. S. boldly and peremptorily affirmeth that the Baptisme of Iohn was but as the streamings of light and that they were not consummate Christians that were baptised by him Who shall we beleeve I. S. or Iesus Christ Christ saith Iohn was a burning and shining light I. S. sayeth he was but as the streaming of light if this be not to give Christ the lye I know not what it is Christ in the seventh chapter of Luke and the 28. verse sayth That Iohn the Baptist was the greatest Prophet that was ever borne of women Then he was inferior in his Ministry to none of them no not to Moses himself of whom the author to the Hebrewes chap. 3. vers 5. saith with a verily that he was faithfull in all the house of God as a servant for a testimony of those things that were to be spoken
after Now if Moses did his worke perfectly as he did and baptized those perfectly in the Cloude and in the sea as Paul asserteth 1 Cor. 10. and did all he did in perfection and according to the paterne shewed him in the Mount and according to the will of God and did perfectly consummate his Ministry then Iohn the Baptist also did the like for Christ saith that amongst those that are borne of women there is not a greater Prophet then Iohn the Baptist that is there was not one more faithfull and that did his worke more compleatly and with more perfection which Christs owne words in the third of Matthew do yet more fully declare vers 15. saying suffer it to be so now for thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousnesse Now if the Baptist did fulfill all righteousnesse in his Ministry then he did it compleatly and made those that were baptized by him perfect compleat and consummated Christians for he in his Office fulfilled all righteousnesse if therefore there were any imperfection as I. S. saith in the Baptisme and Ministry of Iohn then he did not fulfill all righteousnesse and then Christs words should not be true which is a high point of blasphemy to thinke much more to say and print as I. S. doth for he that fulfills all righteousnesse in his Office doth it perfectly and compleatly but Iohn did so ergo all those that he baptized were compleat Christians I demand therefore of I. S. my brother Burton and of all the Independents whether Christ was well baptized or no by Iohn the Baptist I presum they will not deny but that he was perfectly baptized And if Christ himselfe was well baptized then all that were baptized by John were also well baptized and were perfect and compleat Christians for John was sent of God to baptize and he obeyed Gods command in this his Ministry and in that also fulfilled all righteousnesse and therefore all those that were baptized by Iohn by the Apostles before Christs death and ascension were as perfect Christians as any that were baptized after Christs resurrection and if they were not well baptized then Christ was not well baptized which were high impiety to affirme neither will I ever be induced to beleeve that Iohn Baptist did not know as well how to make compleat Christians as I. S. or as any of the Independent Ministers for I know Iohn was sent of God for this worke and that he fulfilled all righteousnesse in it and I know also that he was faithfull in his Ministry to the death and feared not the face of Herod nor of any Mortall creature for all this the Scripture ascertanieth unto me but that our Independent Ministers were ever sent of God and bid to set up their new lights and to preach up their congregationall way or a toleration of all Religions I doubt it For first I know that they ranne back-ward and forward to and fro before they were ever sent and that they preach that they were never commanded from God and that when they should have preached andstood to witnes the truth many of them ran away and deserted it and did not stand to it as Iohn Baptist did but like those hirelings Christ speaks of Iohn the tenth when they saw the Wolfe comming cowardly ranne away and left their poore flocks to the fury of those beasts and many of them now have left their flocks in the wildernesse and have deserted their charges contrary to the command of God Acts 20. vers 28. who saith by the Apostle Take heede therefore unto your selves and to all the flocke over which the holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feeds the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own bloud In all these respects and many more that I could name I greatly doubt whether the Independent Ministers were ever sent of God but for Iohn I know he was and I know in like manner that he fulfilled all righteousnesse in his Ministery and made those he Baptized perfect Christian I know likewise that he made innumerable multitudes of them and that Jerusalem came out and was Baptized also which when I. S. denyeth I assert he is a wicked and blasphemous fellow and that if he had his due deserts he ought to be spued not only out of their seven new churches here in London but out of all their severall new fangled congregations through the Kingdome as an Alien and stranger from the common-wealth of all learning and goodnesse And this shall suffice to have spoke to the fourth learned answer I now come to the fifth as good as the rest his words are these So farre was it saith he that all that were Baptized by Iohn were made Christians that even Iohns owne Disciples who had the best and frequentest instruction not onely hesitated but were right downe scandalized at the true Messias Iohn 3. ver 26. and others did under the forme of Iohns baptisme fight against the true baptisme and baptizer the Lord Iesus So that I conceive saith he this Argument were it granted that all the people received Iohns baptisme will stand in little steade to prove the conclusion viz that they were made Christians much lesse cast into a Church mould according to the New Testament forme and least of all that they were all members of one Christian Church at Ierusalem These are his formall expressions by which he laboureth to prove that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were no Christians in these his words there is a double Argument by which he indeavours to unchristian all those that were Baptised by the Baptist The first is because as he falsly supposeth they were enimies of Christ The second is in that they were not rightly moulded So that in this his last Paragraffe or Section we have two Arguments together Which being added to the former make up six in all by which the profound disputant J. S. unchurches and unchristiâ—ns all those that were baptised by John Now because I. S. and his complices do place so much strength in these two last Arguments I shall desire the reader the more seriously to weigh and consider them with the conclusions deduced from them by I. S. and my reply to them First whereas hee denieth that all that were baptized by Iohn were made Christians as it is a begging of the question so in his thus speaking hee overthrows the whole Ministry of Iohn the Baptist and contradicts the Holy Scriptures and all those places I quoted out of them in my former reply and which is more hee contradicteth himselfe for hee confesseth that Iohn Baptized in to Christ and he baptized none as all the Independents acknowledge but beleevers therefore they were Christians by his owne confession and yet here as often formerly he denieth they were Christians But because I have spoke of this before I will now come to his reasons His first reason to prove they were not Christians is because saith he Iohns
the officers replyed saying That never man spake as this man ver 47 48. Then answered the Pharisees are ye also deceived Doth any of the Rulers or the Pharisees believe in him But this people that knoweth not the Law is cursed Take here notice of the confession of the very Pharisees excepting themselves and the High Priests they acknowledge that the generality of the people believed in him Here was increase upon increase of Christians and Believers all the people generally believed in him certainely one place could not have contained them all And which is yet more to be observed that whereas the Pharisees said none but the cursed people believed in him and none of the Rulers in this very chapter we finde one Ruler one Nicodemus Vers 50. none of the least of the Rulers And in Iohn 12. 42. it is affirmed That among the chiefe Rulers many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out the Synagogue And in Verse 11. of the same chapter it is asserted That many of the Iewes went away and believed on Iesus here was multiplication upon multiplication of Believers And in Vers 19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves perceive ye how ye prevaile nothing behold the world is gone after him These words the Pharisees spake in private among themselves deliberately and confest that the world of men were turned Christians all Ierusalem swarmed with Believers without doubt all these could not meet in one place And indeed through all the Evangelists we shall reade of infinite multitudes that believed in him and the reason is given Matth. 7. 29. Because he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes and did such works of wonder and wrought such miracles as in Iohn 7. 31. they confest none could do but Christ and in Chap. 12. Vers 11. it is related that the raising up Lazarus from the dead made many believe on him and was the cause that such multitudes of people followed him and did so highly honour him and magnifie him and did receive him comming into Jerusalem with such an acclamation crying Hosanna as in this 12 Chapter is specified and is more largely set downe in Matth. 21. 8. where it is related That a great multitude spread their garments in the way and others cut down branches and the people that went before and they that came after cryed Hosanna and said this is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth they all believed in him and confessed him before the world Now our Savionr saith He that shall confesse me and own me before men I will confesse and own him before my Father in Heaven Here is a whole City of Believers and Confessors Yes the very children believed in him and openly and in the Temple cried Hosanna And Christ himself allowed of their testimony and avouched they did well and accordingly as was written And in Luke 19. 47 48. it is said That he taught dayly in the Temple but the chief Priests and Scribes and the Elders of the people sought to destroy him and could not finde what they might do for all the people were very attentive to heare him The universality therefore of the people by all these places were believers and such as followed Christ So that a man may wonder how that Ierusalem it self though it were a mighty City could containe such multitudes of people as believed in Christ so far improbable it is that any one place or Congregation could containe the hundreth part of them And we may also gather that the great miracles at his Suffering and at his Resurrection and the apparition of so many that rose from their graves and went into the holy City made a great increase and addition of Disciples and new Believers so that the number was daily augmented we finde no diminution but if some that followed Christ for bread that were but Hypocrites left following him yet in those places we read again and again of numberlesse companies that daily came in and believed in him And to all this we may adde that Iohn the Baptist and his Disciples a little before his death and Christ and his Disciples by reason of the increase of the multitudes of Believers were forced to baptize in severall places For so it is in Ioh. 3. 23. After these dayes came Iesus and his Disciples into the land of Iudea and there he tarried with them and baptized and Iohn also was baptizing in Enon neere Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized And very reason will tell all men that of necessity there must be an innumerable multitude of beleevers for none were Baptized but beleevers that must take up an hundred preachers or thereabouts for our Saviour had twelve Apostles and 70. Disciples as we may see in the 9. of Luke and in the 10. chapter of the same book and Iohn had also many Disciples though not so many as Christ and all these were imployed in preaching the Gospell and many of them in working miracles and wonders so that the very Devills were subject unto them as they rejoycingly confest to Christ when they returned to give him an account of their Ministery And without doubt if these miracles wrought so with the very Disciples they prevailed much more generally with the people to make them beleeve so that infinite multitudes of people came in and were Baptized as the Scripture it selfe informeth us And of necessity so many Ministers must have severall places to Preach in and severall congregations and Assemblies to Preach to and severall places to Baptize in for otherwise there would have beene great confusion for but one of them could speake at once and all these Disciples were taken up in their severall Ministeries and had their hands full as the Scripture it self sufficiently declareth in expresse words for it is said That Christs Disciples Baptizedin Indaea and Iohn in Enon neere Salim because there was much water there It seemes there was too little water to Baptize them in in others places which expression is worthy to be taken notice of And amongst those that came to be Baptized multitudes of them came from Ierusalem And if wee compare times with times which will make much for the evidencing of the truth and consider the divers passages in the holy Scriptures wee shall find the like division of the people in those dayes some standing for Christ and Iohn Baptist and speaking in the justification of them and their Ministery and others that were of the Pharisaicall faction and of the high Priests company as is even in these our dayes betweene them they call Caviliers and those they call Parliamentiers Now what twenty or thirty places in the Citie of London can containe all the Parliamentiers to partake in all acts of Worship Or what ten places can hold all those of the Prelaticall Faction that contend for their Bishops and Service and all their other trumpery
Jerusalem then before for although I should grant that this persecution was very great in respect of the intention of the persecutors as reaching to imprisonment and death of all sorts chap. 22. verse 4. and although I should likewise accord that in regard of the extent of it it reacheâ—h to all sorts both Preachers and Christians because it is said They were all scattered abroad through all the Regions c. except the Apostles both which notwithstanding I cannot yeeld unto for some reasons following but I say should I grant all this yet I affirme that this persecution rather made more Congregations in Ierusalem then fewer then there were before though they might be smaller and lesser then so to wast them and bring them to such a paucity as they might all meet in one Congregation for this their division was a cause of their multiplication at home and abroad as I said before and will afterwards appear And even as it was here in England in the time of the Prelates power when any assembly of those they called Puritans were at any time found together they were haled before Authority as the whole Kingdome can witnesse and these people were all scattered yet so as they still had their meetings in lesse numbers and whereas before they met perhaps a hundred in a company now this hundred was divided into three or four severall assemblies which were so many severall Churches for in all these they enjoyed all the acts of worship and did partake in all the Ordinances as fully as if they had been in the most crowded assemblyes but this they did for their own safety and that there might not be such notice taken of them for commonly if men see a good company of people goe into a house and none of them come out again they will by and by gather that there is something there to be done more than ordinary and that there is some exercise of Religion or some consultation and plotting about some designe or other and therefore it stirs up the people to take more notice of it and then they begin to examine the occasion of that concourse and to pry into their proceedings whereas if they come but in slender companies they conceive it to be some ordinary entertainment and think no farther of it so that they then more peaceably enjoy the society and fellowship one of another without any interruption which they could not so well have done if they had come in greater assemblies and companies And even so it was among the Beleevers and Christians in Ierusalem in that persecution they could not now meet in the Temple nor possibly at their wonted meeting houses and yet even then they had their assemblies no terrours could make them forsake the companying of themselves together For in that persecution that is spoken of in the 12. of the Acts we finde the Church assembled in severall places for they were praying in the house of Mary verse 12. there was one Congregation to which Peter comes and relates unto them the manner of his delivery and bids them go and tell it James and the brethren and there was another assembly and without doubt Peter went unto a third for he would not goe among the enemies and it stands with all reason that in this persecution also they were as zealous as then and therefore did not forsake the assembling of themselves together Neither would the Apostles be idle who gave themselves continually to prayer and the ministring of the Word which they could not have done if there had been but as many Christians in Ierusalem as could all have met in one place and in one Congregation for one or two of the Apostles could have preacht unto them all and then to what end or purpose did all the other Apostles tarry in Ierusalem who in all their motions and stayes were directed by the Spirit of God unlesse it were to comfort and support the Church there in the heat and rage of this persecution when they had scattered their other teachers from them From all which it may evidently appear that there was a very great multitude of beleevers at this time in Ierusalem and that they were not diminished or scattered though all their Pastors and Ministers saving the Apostles were And I have very good reason to induce me to beleeve That this persecution did not extend to all Christians promiscuously and that all the Beleevers were scattered and disperst except the Apostles as our brethren conceive For if wee consider the usuall method of the persecuting Jews and the manner and custome of all the enemies of the Church in all ages wee shall ever observe that they chiefely aymed at the taking away and extirpating of their teachers and Ministers and those that instructed them So the Iews malice was greatest against the Prophets in all ages as we may see Matth. the 5. verse the 12. For so they persecuted the Prophets and in the 23. of Matthew our Saviour saith verse 29. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hyprocrites because ye build the tombes of the Prophets and say if we had lived in the dayes of our Fathers wee would not have been partakers with them of the blood of the Prophets and therefore ye witnesse unto your selves that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets Wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them you shall kill and crucifie c. Here our Saviour Christ declares what method they had formerly used in their persecutions and that was chiefely to persecute their teachers and what method they would for the future take and that was principally To kill and crucifie the Prophets Wisemen and Scribes which Prophesie of Christ was here in this persecution manifestly fulfilled for here it is said They were all viz. their teachers scattered abroad and persecuted except the Apostles It was I say ever the method and custome of persecutors to ayme principally at the rooting out and taking away of those they supposed were ablest to teach and instruct the people and this enraged them against Iohn the Baptist and Christ himselfe and that made them at this time so mischievously to persecute their Ministers and Teachers Neither do I read in all the New Testament before thss persecution that as yet they were come to the massacring of the common people they had slain the Lord of Life and stoned Stephen and after in the 12. of the Acts we read How Herod slew James and because it pleased the Jews he proceeded to take Peter they alwayes had their eyes upon their teachers and haled them to prison as they did Peter and Iohn in the 4. of the Acts but for the people the onely punishment they under-went till this persecution was this That they were cast out of the Synagogues if any of them did publickly professe Christ Indeed in this persecution their violence extended to the haling of men and women to prison
But before we read of no violence offered unto the people onely they railed on them reviled and reproached them as all wicked men whose tongues are set on fire from Hell use to do on all the generation of the just The same method did the Prelates here in England use they chiefly and more principally persecuted the faithfull and painfull Preachers and Ministers every where and such as they thought best able to instruct the people and selected but here and there some private families for to scare others and this method Antichrist and his complices had learned from the devill and the Jewes So that when it is said they were all scattered except the Apostles it is to be understood that all their Preachers and Teachers the Apostles only excepted were scattered For the word all in this place must be understood either of all the Beleevers or of all the Teachers and Officers in the Church of Ierusalem except the Apostles But it cannot be understood of all the beleevers that they were all scattered and therefore it must be understood of all the Teachers and that for many reasons The first if all the beleevers had been scattered and none left to what end then should the twelve Apostles have remained in Ierusalem They were not to Preach to the walls neither would they have remained there idle but would rather have shaken off the dust of their feet as Christ commanded them for a witnesse against them Luke 10. And would have departed and have gone away with the rest of the Teachers as all good reason perswades A second reason is because if this particle all be alwayes exceptive or taken to the utmost and in the largest extent as some of the brethren imply and would have it then there should not one believer have been left in Ierusalem besides the Apostles which is expresly against the Text for vers 3. It is said That Saul brake into houses haling men and women committing them to prison and this he did at Ierusalem at this time as he acknowledgeth himselfe Acts 26. ver 10. And therefore of necessity it must follow That all the beleevers were not scattered abroad for some of them were in prison in Ierusalem And for ought I can gather all the rest were in their severall houses or else the Apostles could have had no harbour for if all their friends had been scattered by this tempest and if all the sheep had been drove away and the whole flock dispersed their Pastors without doubt would have followed them for he would be counted a very bad Shepherd that should not follow or look after the poor sheep that were scattered by the Wolves Neither can we imagine that the Apostles that were the Pastors of the flock of Jesus Christ and to whose care he had committed his sheep and his Lambes with a speciall charge that they should feed them would relinquish their care and choose rather to dwell amongst a company of Wolves from whome they could expect no faire measure then amongst the sheepe But in that all the Apostles still remained in Ierusalem I rather gather and that without all controversie they continued there for this very purpose that they might comfort and support the Church there and refresh the Beleevers in this heate of Persecution when they wanted the helpe of their other faithfull Ministers and Pastors Thirdly it is very evident from the Text they were onely the Preachers that were scattered for verse 4. It is said That they that were scattered went every where preaching the Word which expression in the Originall as may be proved by innumerable places signifieth such teachers as were Ministers by Office and such as preached by way of Sermons to a multitude though they might likewise in private conference instruct which their publike Ministery did not exempt them from And although private Christians may teach and instruct one another as Aquila and Priscilla taught Apollos and as all Christians are commanded to instruct one another Col. 3. verse 16. Yet this text speaks not of such a teaching but of preaching They went every where saith the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preaching the Word For teaching may be an act of Charity but preaching is an act of Office for how can they preach except they be sent Rom. 10. So that by vertue of their Office they might both publikely preach and in private converse also instruct others wheresoever they came whether they were sent out by persecution or by mission As I do conceive of any of those Godly Ministers that were not many yeares since drove from their habitations and that were persecuted out of their places by the Prelates that they might have preached publickly in any Congregation as Ministers and men in Office and might also have instructed privately but the one was an act of duty as it was their Office and the other of love and charity And so may a well gifted private Christian instruct and teach others upon occasion and in private conference which is an act of love but hee cannot properly be said to Preach which is an act of one in Office and belongs onely to the Presbyters and Pastors and such as for their sufficient learning and abilities are called unto the Ministry and ordained and set apart to this Office and such onely were those that were scattered except the Apostles and by all probability these Ministers and Preachers that wee scattered were those that were at the choosing of Matthias the seventy Disciples and many more So that for ought I can gather all the beleevers in Ierusalem yet remained in their severall habitations and dwellings except those that were haled to prison And therefore of necessity there must bee many Assemblies and Congregations yet in Ierusalem that made all the Apostles abide and continue still among them all which makes exceeding strongly to prove that there were innumerable multitudes of Beleevers still in Ierusalem which of necessitie were forced to divide their assemblies into more distributions and lesse Congregations then formerly and therefore rather multiplyed their assemblies then otherwise that by such Privacy they might avoide persecution as in our times good Christians here in London were wont to doe when the Prelates were in their ruff But out of this place I thus argue Where there were twelve of the most able painfull and diligent 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 Jerusalem in the time of the hottest persecution there were the twelve Apostles the most able painefull
for we see what a tumult a few zealots of the Law by stirring up the people against Paul made in the Temple Now if all the Beleevers in Jerusalem besides women and children had met together and some of Pauls enemies had beene there also and suggested to the people that hee was an enemy of the Law of Moses what a confusion may all men conceive would there then have beene Besides there was no one place could have contained them all and therefore Master Knollis his prattle is not only against all reason and the very opinion of all orthodox Interpreters but indeed against the judgement of the learnedst of his owne party who by multitude in this as in many other places understand the more eminent and chiefest of beleevers and men of gravity and wisedome to manage a busines and not a confused company as this man saith so that what I have replyed in way of answer I perswade my selfe it sufficiently satisfieth all well grounded Christians of the truth of my first Position to wit that ther were more beleevers in Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place or a few to communicate in all acts of worship Yet before I passe on to shew the confusednesse and senselessenesse of this Master Knollys his following discourse I thinke it fit out of his owne Interpretation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to frame an Argument for the corroborating of the truth His words are these Although the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe sometime signifie ten thousand yet not alwayes but for some great number which cannot suddainly be told I will not quarrell his English and the manner of his expression though it is none of the best as in many other places lest I should seeme to be like him and his abbertors to trifle about words But thus I argue out of his words Where there was not only some great number of beleevers that could not suddainly be told but many such great somes there they could not all meet together in one place or Congregation to communicate in all acts of worship But in the Church of Jerusalem there was not onely some great number of beleevers which could not suddainly be told but many such great somes Ergo they could not all meet together in any one place or Congregation to partake in all the acts of worship for the Major it is evident yea so apparent by the very light of reason that no judicious Christian can deny it for all men know that ten thousand may suddainly be told if five thousand may suddainly be sed and they likewise know that ten thousand cannot meet together in any one place or roome or in any one Congregation to communicate in all the Ordinances this I say all men know by the very light of naturall understanding and as by daily experience they are taught much more by the same reason they will be convinced that many such great numbers cannot meet together in one Congregation to communicate in all Ordinances all this the very light of reason suggests to any man and therefore cannot be denyed so that the Major of my Syllogisme is undeniable and for the Minor besides the holy Scripture that asserts there were many ten thousands wee have Master Knollys his concession that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometime signifieth ten thousand but alwayes is taken for some great number that cannot suddainly be told and the word of God saith there were many Myriads that is many such great numbers therefore by Master Knollys his owne interpretation of the word it followeth that there were more Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet in any one place or a few to partake in all acts of worship And now I will briefly examine his following discourse though it be little to the purpose the vanity of the which having been so often againe and againe discovered in the forgoing treatice And then I will come to my brother Burtons answer Master Knollys his words are these Neither can the Doctor make good from those Scriptures he produceth pag. 62. to wit Acts the 1. vers 21. 22. Chapter 6. ver 2. 4. and chapter the 8. 1. that there were almost an hundred Preachers and Ministes besides the twelve Apostles in the Church of Ierusalem c. for answer in a few words I boldly affirme what the Scripture teacheth me viz that before the persecution we read of in the 8. chap. v. 1. and before the dispersion and scattering of the believers besides the Apostles there were in the Church of Ierusalem almost an hundred Preachers and Ministers And for this the Word of God is cleare and evident as in Acts the 1. verse 21. 22. Wherefore saith Saint Peter of these men which have companyed with us all the time the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst us beginning from the baptisme of Iohn unto that same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordayned to be a witnesse with us of the resurrection and they appointed two Ioseph called Barsabas and Matthias Out of the which words these insuing truths doe necessarily follow first that they that were assembled here with Peter and the other Apostles were ancient Disciples for saith the text they were such as had companyed with the Apostles all the time the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the Baptisme of Iohn c. and therefore must needs be such as had been diligent Schollers all that time in Christs Schoole and such as were well instructed in all Christian principles as is easily gathered out of the very words for any one of them were thought fit in the Apostles judgement to succeede Iudas in his place and to be an Apostle in regard that they had heard and seene all things Christ both spake and did till his death and ascension for otherwise they could not have been witnesses of all things to his resurrection All this I say in the first place doth necessarily follow Secondly this truth also doth insue out of the forgoing words that either all those men were Ministers or the most of them for in expresse termes it is related that they had accompanied the Apostles the time the Lord Iesus went in and out amongst them beginning from the Baptisme of Iohn untill Christs ascension Now amongst those that conversed with the Apostles besids Iohn schollers Christ had seventy Disciples all Ministers which he sent out two by two into all Cities to preach and to worke wonders who came back again to him rejoycing that the Divells were subject unto them and they stil wayted upon Christs Ministry we reade also of many of Iohns Disciples that came unto Christ all which were Ministers likewise and such as preached and baptized and all these were with Peter and the rest of the Apostles at this time continued with them till the persecution for we reade of no departure of them or separation till then and all these were men
them all as no Christians but a deformed church and not cast into a church mould For my brother Burton peremptorily affirmes and that in the name of all the Independents pag. 11. that following the expresse Scripture the first formed church we finde is in Acts the 2. So that they all profâ—sse they reade of no formed church nor of no church cast into a church mould according to the new-testament forme till after Christs death and that expr sly set down for the time of it Acts the 2. So that the Christian church before Christs death and ascension was deformed that is to speake plainly that Iohn the Baptist Christ and his holy Apostles and all Christians made by them were not moulded up as they ought to be and formed into a Church or Churches which if it be not the height of blasphemy I refer to the judgment of any intelligent Reader Amongst them in their new moulded congregations a Pastor a Teacher and two Elders and a Deacon and five or six brethren more and three or four Sisters can make up a formed Church after the New Testament form Now is there any man so stupid and brutish as will not conclude that where Christ was the great Pastor and Shepherd of our Soules and where there were James and John the sonnes of Zebedee two Teachers or Doctors those Bonaerges those sonnes of Thunder and eight or nine Elders with seventy Disciples all Saints all whose names were writ in heaven with multitudes of Beleevers with many women that followed Christ the great Shepherd of our souls who had also a Decon amongst them Judas by name that all these could not or did not make up a formed church or churches when ten or twelve in their whibling congregations so qualified as formerly can make a formed church after the New Testament form I say he that shall not beleeve that the Lord Jesus Christ the great shepherd of his sheep and all his Disciples Schollers and followers cannot as well make a formed church as a few in our new founded or rather confounded congregations is voyd of all reason and understanding And they that shall peremptorily and rashly affirm that they were not a true formed church I proclaim them guilty of blasphemy and deserving most condigne punishment And therfore when my brother Burton and many of the Independents are guilty of this heinous and facinorous crime they ought severely to be dealt with as prevaricators against the divine Majesty of the King of Saints and King of Kings and against the honour of the Saints in Christs time and ought by all Christs true Disciples and such as love the honour and dignity of their King and Saviour Jesus Christ to be abominated as a company of false teachers calumniators and horrid seducers how godly soever they seem to the wrold to be And as all such teachers as my brother Burton and his complices are ought by Christs Saints and Servants to be looked on as a company of grand impostors and juglers So the poor and despised Presbyterians who they terme sinners and carnall people and men of earth and enemies of Christ and his Kingdome may comfort themselves in this that they are like their master and his Disciples and all that were converted by John the Baptist and by the Ministry of Christ and his Apostles and Disciples and baptized by them for they pronounce of us all that we are not formed into a church or churches nor cast into a church mould according to the New Testament forme and that we are not members of any true church nor Saints but enemies of Christ and at best but converts in part as if Christ the authour and finisher of our Faith wrought his worke to the halves this I say may comfort all us the poore despised Presbyterians for the same they say of Christ and his Disciples and of all that were converted and baptized by Johns and their ministry and such as partaked in all Ordinances of all which they affirm That they were not formed into a Church or Churches according to the New Testament form for in their babble there was not a formed church till that we reade of Acts the 2. So that neither Christ nor his Disciples nor John the Baptist and his Disciples nor the hundred and twenty names we read of Acts the 1. in their learning were a formed church nor all the other worshippers the Scripture speaks of Act. 2. nor thought worthy by them to be taken notice of for a church or churches So that by this bold assertion of my brother Burton and I. S. they do not only oppose the truth but indeed many of those of their own party and tribe howsoever they pretend they write in the name of them all who I am most assured will give them little thanks for this their pains for to my knowledge the learnedst of them are against them in this point and disavow their opinion For the principallest of them hold that the hundred and twenty names we read of Acts the first were a true formed church as all their writings and disputes declare and therefore my brother Burton and I. S. affirming the contrary in this they oppose many of their brethren as well as the Presbyterians and for this their temerity I am most confident they will be highly blamed by all the Judicious of that party And truly if the hundred and twenty names were not a true formed church there was then none upon Earth And if they had not been a formed church according to the New Testament forme they could not have given a forme to other churches for all learned christians agree in this That it must be a true formed Church that must make others true formed churches For they cannot give and communicate that to others that they have not themselvs this is one of their own principles and therefore they cannot deny it Now if the hundred and twenty names were a true formed church then all that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples and as many as were converted by their Ministry were a true formed church or churches for they were all formed after one and the same way so that what made the hundred and twenty Names a true formed church made all the other a true formed church or churches if the same cause can produce the same or the like effect And if men would but seriously consider what it is that is absolutely requisite or necessary and indeed abundantly sufficient for the making or forming of a true church or churches or for the making of any man or woman a Member of a true formed church they would soon and without any difficulty perceive That all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples were as well formed into a church or churches as the hundred twenty names and those three thousand my brother Burton speakes of and which he â—alls the first formed church For all those that were baptized by John
to be regarded for all they of that fraternity are generally so given to tell untruths that for my part I never believe them neither when they say true nor when they ly for they wil ly by the day by the night But out of my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words and that in the name of all their brethren I desire the Reader to observe what they both grant And first to consider my brother Burtons expressions for he in them accordeth to these three things viz. First That the Church of Ierusalem was but one particular Church Secondly He acknowledgeth that there were divers companies of Beleevers and that in severall private houses in that Church which did dayly communicate in Gods Ordinances severally Thirdly He asserteth that all those companies in those severall private houses were but so many branches in that one and the same particular Church Now in the second place I shall desire all men duly to weigh Saint Hanserdoes words in his reply to my second proposition and there he aaknowledgeth that the Church of Ierusalem was but one Church notwithstanding in the same page he granteth that that Church consisted of diverse Congregations for he acknowledgeth that they had a congregation in the Temple that is one place and he grants also they had an Assembly in Solomons Porch that is another place and he acknowledgeth moreover that they brake bread from house to house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domatim and thus they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quotidie day by day Here Hanserdo assigneth innumerable places more then the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein the beleevers at Ierusalem communicated and partaked in all acts of worship and that every day and those places were as he assignes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from house to house or in every house for so it is translated by all interpreters and confessed by Mr Knollys So that when Saint Hanserdo hath acknowledged that the beleevers in Ierusalem were in such multitudes that besides the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein they met every day to heare the word they brake bread and heard the word dayly also from house to house and in every house then he in this doth accord with my brother Burton that there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem which Master Knollys neverthelesse denyeth affirming that the brethren have not acknowledged it nor the Doctor by Scripture proved it when Saint Hanserdo neverthelesse Vna fidelia duos parietes hath done both For first he acknowledgeth there were many Congregations there Secondly he proveth it by Scripture as out of the first 5 chapters of the Acts So that Master Knollys I hope will not hereafter say that the brethren have not acknowledged that there were many Congregations in Ierusalem But I do verily beleeve that Master Knollys and all the brethren of the Congregationall way when they shall duly and maturely consider what my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo have acknowledged will give them little thanks for their paines for their doctrine is not onely contrary to all the Independents principles but totally subverteth and overthroweth the tenent of the Congregationall way For all the Independent Ministers through the World preach up and publish in all their Pamphlets that in all the Primitive Churches there were no more beleevers in any one of them no not in the very Church of Ierusalem it selfe then could all meet together at one time and in one place to communicate in all Acts of Worship And this doctrine they have broached to all people wheresoever they come perswading them that this is Gods way and the Gospell way and the right way of gathering Churches and therefore they call it the Congregationall way affirming that all the Apostolicall Churches we read of in the holy Scriptures each of them in their severall Cityes and Precincts consisted but of as many as did all meet in one Congregation and this they call Gods Ordinance And many of the brethren both assembled and not assembled have been heard say and promise that if it could evidently be made appear unto them that there were many Congregations and diverse Assemblies of Beleevers either in the Church at Ierusalem or in any other of the Apostolicall Churches that then they would relinquish their opinion of Independency and acknowledge that the Congregationall way had not any warrant and footing in Gods word and that the opinion of the Presbyterians concerning the combining of many Congregations under one Presbytery and their Dependency upon it and their making of a subordination of many Assemblies under one Aristocracy to be governed by the Common Councell and joynt consent of many Elders was Gods Ordinance This I say all the Independents that I have ever talked with or or by relation heard of have promised and by protestation engaged themselves that if it could be made appear unto them by the word of God that there were many Congregations of Beleevers either in Ierusalem or in any of the Primtive churches that then the controversy amongst the brethren would be at an end Now although I have in the foregoing treatise sufficiently evinced and made it evident that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that they were all dependent upon that one Presbytery yet because it is the chief point of controversie between us and the which being sufficiently cleared is that that will put an end to the whole debate and because also Mr Knollys hath so peremptorily affirmed That the brethren have not acknowledged that there were divers Assemblies of Beleevers there for his farther satisfaction and for the satisfaction of all those of his party and for the satisfaction of all men and that at last the brethren may be the more fully convinced of the error of their wayes and that the simple people also may be undeceived I shall desire them all seriously to weigh and consider what both my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo are forced to confesse though I must needs say thus much of them both That they withhold much of the truth in unrighteousnesse as I shall by and by make appear but this I say I desire all men advisedly to weigh what they are both constrained to acknowledge First therefore I will again set down my brother Burtons words and in the second place I will repeat Saint Hanserdoes expressions For my brother Burton his words are these They were saith he constrained to sever themselves into diverse companies in severall private houses to communicate and which is more he granteth That those severall companies were but so many branches of that one and the same particular Church c. thus he Master Hanserdoes words are these All the beleevers saith he in the Church of Ierusalem met together with one accord in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house and that day by day these are Saint Hanserdoes own words Now I
scandalous so that if ever there were in any Churches a just cause of making a separation it was then and yet the Apostles bid not the Christians separate themselves from the communion and assemblies of the Saints and from the Ordinances for these mens causes but onely that they should looke 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 separate onely hee bids them not be familiar with such as walke 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 down 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 says for his own particular he could wish that they that troubled them were cut off yet he biddeth not the Galatians to separate themselvs 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 dearly 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 anv Christians I say should make separation from the fellowship of such or that such should be accounted as enâ—mies of Christ it was never heard of before our times by which their so dealing they have made the greatest schism in the Church that was ever yet made to the scandall 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 darkenesse 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 workes 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 God bringing salvation hath appeared to all men for this very end that they should deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God of our Saviour Iesus Christ who gave himselfe for us that hee might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes I say I have beene ever taught by Gods Holy Word to beleeve that those Ministers that instruct the people to doe all these things and where the people by faith imbrace and receive this doctrine are the true Ministers of Iesus Christ those congregations under them the church of Iesus Christ and of his sheepfold and that Christ in all such congregations is set up as King in his Throne as who rules in the hearts of his people and the which are swayed and guided by the Scepter of his Word and Spirit and deserve none of those contumelious languages the brethren asperse both Ministers and people with Of the Ministers they thus speak and print That they deny disclaim and preach against Christs Kingly government over mens consciences and Churches so that such a conversion as is wrought by them comes not home to whole Christ and such with their converters do deny Christs Kingly government or at least and best they are converted but in part and that main thing is wanting to wit Christs Kingly office and of all the people and Christian beleevers through the Kingdome that are not in their congregations and new gathered Assemblies they speak and print thus We say the brethren the Independent Ministers exhort them to set up Christ King in their hearts We exhort them to become and professe to be those Saints of whom Christ is King for he is King of Saints Revel 15. 3. but they will not beleeve us say they they will not depend upon Christ as the onely Law giver and King over their consciences Now what would you have us to do in this case say they baptize the Infants of such Parents as will not in this respect professe nor confesse Christ to be their King Why do you not know say they that no Infants have any title to Baptism that are not within the Covenant visibly and how are they within the Covenant visibly but by vertue of their Parents faith outwardly professed and what outward profession of faith is there in the Parents that refuse Christ for their onely King that are ashamed or afraid to professe to be in Covenant with Christ as their King if therefore the Parents professe not yea refuse thus to be in visible Covenant can the children be said to be in visible Covenant and so to have a right in Baptism the externall seal of the covenant here is an obex a barre put These are their own words which I have set down at large the summe of them briefly is this that all the Ministers of the church of England that are not of their fraternity do deny disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly Government over mens consciences and churches and that all the people under their Ministery are men unconverted or at least converted but in part wanting the main thing to wit Christs Kingly office men visibly out of the Covenant of grace who have not so much as an outward profession of faith who deny Christ to be their King to whose persons and infants the very Sacraments and seales of grace with all church communion may and ought to be denyed Another of the Independents amongst many of the contumelious and disgracefull speeches hee uttereth out against the Ministers of the church of England calling them the blackcoats in the Synod who he is afraid will prove more cruell Taskmasters than their Fathers the Bishops who cowardly sit at home and in his apprehension for no other end but to breed faction and division amongst the well affected to the Parliament promoting their own interest which saith he is lazinesse pride covetousnesse and domination and amongst many such expressions as these hee proclaimes them the sworne enemies of Iesus Christ and desiring that the Parliament may be put in mind of their Covenant for he thinkes they have sworne to root out Popery he tels them they have established Tythes the very root and support of Popery which he doth humbly conceive is a contradiction to their Covenant and which will be a greater snare
consider what those false teachers were wee shall find them to be no other but such as under shew of holinesse and piety taught their owne inventions and grolleries and abused the simplicity of the people for their owne advantage and brought them into bondage and devoured them verse 20. as the Phatisees did the Widowes houses under pretence of their long prayers which our Saviour Christ sharpely reproves them for and denounces a woe against them for their so doing after the same manner did these false Teachers amongst the Corinthians who made their owne traditions joyned Members with the Gospel as if they had had a more fine neat eleganter way of gathering of churches and admitting of Members than Paul and the other Apostles But the Apostle bids the Corinthians take heed of all such how glorious soever they seeme to appeare and tels them they cannot teach the way to Heaven and happinesse better than hee and the other Apostles have done and yet neither Saint Paul or any of the Apostles in preaching of the Gospel taught them that they should admit of none to bee joyned Members of the Church although they beleeved and were baptized except they walked sometime in fellowship amongst them that they might have approbation and tryall of their conversation first and after make a publick confession of their faith before the church and did give in evidences of the truth of their conversion to the congregation and entred into a solemne private covenant and were admitted Members by consent of the church Not a word of all this in the Gospel that Saint Paul and the other Apostles taught and therefore all that teach their new wayes their new-borne truths and set up their new lights are wise above that which is written and teach otherwise than Christ and his Apostles have taught or the christians of the Primitive times had received and therefore ought by the Apostles command Gal. 1. verse 8. 9. to be accursed Saint Iohn also in his second Epistle to the Elect Lady verse 9 10. saith Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God hee that continueth in the doctrine of Christ hee hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you that bringeth not the doctrine of Christ receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for hee that biddeth him God speed is a partaker of his evill deeds Now the doctrine that the Independent Ministers teach for the gathering of churches and admitting of members and joyning and jumbling of them together was never taught by Christ nor any of his Apostles for they themselves confesse it is a new way and a new borne truth and a new light and therefore not the doctrine of Christ and therefore such novelties are not to be entertained nor imbraced nor the teachers of them if we will be obedient to Apostolicall precepts I desire therefore those of the Independent brethren to produce any one testimony or any one president out of the Word of God where these things following are taught or have beene practised First that although men and women beleeve and are baptized they are not yet to be admitted as joyned Members till they have walked sometime in fellowship with the church for approbation of their conversation this is the first thing I desire of the brethren either a precept or an example for this in Gods Word The second where it is commanded that those that beleeve and are baptized should not be admitted as Members of the church whithout a publike confession of their faith before the church The third where it is enjoyned that to their Faith and Baptisme they should bring in the evidences of the truth of their conversion before they can be capable of their membership The fourth where it is commanded that they should enter into a solemn and private covenant before they can be admitted to church-fellowship The fifth where it is imposed upon those that beleeve and are baptized that they should not be received into the church without the consent of the congregation Sixthly where it is commanded that the Ministers of the Gospell shall run about from their own places and charges into the sheepfolds of their fellow-shepherds and separate and pick out all their best sheep and bring them into their own folds and debar them from all church-fellowship and communicating with the other beleevers in Gods holy Ordinances and Sacraments or where ever it is commanded that the Preachers of the Gospel shall gather beleeving Christians from among beleeving Christians and separate them from the other sheep into Independent congregations and shall proclame all that are not thus moulded up after this new modell to be people out of covenant and to have no right to the seals of the new covenant neither they nor their children though beleevers All these things I desire the brethren by evident places of the holy Scripture to make good and to confirme or by any president or example to declare to have been practised either by Christ or his blessed Apostles for I look for a law from Christ the King of his church who was as faithfull in the house of God as Moses was and hath not left the ordering and disposing of his church to the will of men but hath commanded the church to hear his voice who is the great Pastor and Bishop of our souls and the teacher of his church his Word therefore I look for for a warrant for the ratifying of all these doctrines and I have good ground and reason to demand of them a warrant and authority out of Gods Word for what they both teach and practice for we are taught by Christ the onely Prophet of his church that they that serve God after the precepts of men offer him a vain worship and it stands with all good reason that if all humane traditions though of never so ancient standing and of never so long antiquity were all cast out of the church because they had no footing or ground in Gods Word that all novelties or new inventions of men which notwithstanding are imposed upon the people as the ways of God should be abrogated and nullified and cast out of the church It is recorded in holy writ Ioshua 9. that the Gibeonites deceived Ioshua and the people of Israel under pretence that they came from a farre country and for proofe of that they produced their mouldy bread and their tattered botles and their old shooes and they taking what they said pro confesse and not consulting with the mouth of the Lord as it is fully related in that chapter were deceived by them and entred into a League with their enemies And thus the Papists and Prelates for these many hundred years have deluded the world under pretence of their mouldy antiquities and tattered raggs of traditions and in all this time they prevailed to mislead the poore people because they consulted not with the mouth of God nor examined things
shall desire all judicious Christians duly to consider both their expressions for all men know that branches either of a vine or tree as we see it in the fifteenth of S. Iohn and in the eleventh of the Romans they are all dependent upon the Vine and root as drawing life and sap from them for being severed and cut off they do forthwith dye and wither Now then if according to my brother Burtons opinion and learning and if his similie be good That there is the same relation between the severall companies in those severall private houses and the whole particular Church in Jerusalem that is between either the branches of the Vine or Tree which ever depend upon their stock or root for sap and life and for the compleating of them then I say by my brother Burtons own concession There were not onely many Congregations of beleevers in that Church but they all of them were dependent of that one particular Presbyterian Church and were all subordinate unto it and were to be regulated and governed Communi consilio Presbyterorum And the same may be concluded out of the words of Saint Hanserdo And whether this be not true or no I refer it to the judgement of all such Christians as have not either morgaged their reason and put it out of their own possession or absolutely sold the fee simple of their understanding and to all such I say as have not been prodigall in eyther of these kindes or have not forfeited all their wit and knowledge and so are to be begged for punies and fools I refer my selfe as most assured they will all say and affirme That my brother Burton with one stroke of this his Phocions hatchet hath cut in two the long thred of all the alribiadian fluent and luxuriant rhetorications to usurpe his own words of all his brethren of the Congregationall way by which they bound and tyed up their ill-shrouded Ill-dependency and by this hath given a fatall stroak to that their Hydra and indeed utterly overthrown their whole Congregationall Fabrick and the same they will conclude concerning Saint Hanserdo Yea I dare in this controversie between us make my brother Burtons and Mr Knollys their greatest friends and my greatest enemies arbiters and judges especially if they be not so wedded to their own resolves and opinions that be they never so adulterated they are yet resolved never to give them a bill of divorce except I say they be men desperately besotted and doting upon their filthy and deformed novelties were they I say much their friends and very much my enemies I dare leave the deciding of this businesse and difference between us unto their judgement and determination And I shall rest most assured and be ever confident if my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words be true and to be credited and if they both stand to what they have said to wit That there were many companies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that in severall houses where they did communicate and that all these congregations were but so many branches of that one particular Church which brake bread from house to house or in every house as they both affirme that they will all accord judge and conclude That they both of them have overthrown the Doctrine of Independency and that of the Congregationall way and delucidately proved That the Church of Ierusalem was Dependent and Presbyterianly and Classically governed And withall by that I have now said I hope that Mr Knollys himselfe will in time be convinced of his errour and will not hereafter so boldly affirme That the brethren have not acknowledged it especially when he shall deliberately read what my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo that faithfull brother and witnesse hath written But as I accused my brother Burton and Mr Knollys before of jugling and of indirect dealing in this so serious and weighty a matter so here I will make it good for First They make all the beleevers of Ierusalem till the receiving of the gifts of the holy Ghost which we read of Act. 2. ver 1. to amount to no more then an hundred and twenty names and so would perswade the poor ignorant people that there were no more beleevers then in Ierusalem which I affirm is a great wickednesse in them both so to betray the truth and to give the spirit of God the lye when it is manifest out of all the Evangelists that there were infinite multitudes of beleevers then in Ierusalem all inhabitants there and when in expresse words in the second of the Acts it is said That there were devout men and true worshippers from out of all the Nations under heaven at that time in that City Secondly whereas it is related in the second chapter That there were three thousand souls at the first miracle and sermon of Peter converted besides many others that the Lord added dayly to the Church ver 47. And whereas it is recorded in the fourth chap. That there were five thousand men more converted by another miracle and Sermon and whereas it is storied in the 5 chap. upon the miraculous and fearfull death of Ananias and Saphira his wife and through the other signs and wonders the Apostles wrought that beleevers were more added unto the Lord multitudes both of men womē v. 14. mark I pray the expression it is said there were multitudes now multitudes among the Romans and in all nations is ever taken for turba or agmen a great company that is for a great Assembly or Congregation and here the word of God affirmes in the plurall number That by that miracle and by those other wonders of the Apostles multitudes both of men and women were added to the Lord that is to say many more great Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers then were before were added to that Church in Ierusalem all this I say is evident out of those words And whereas it is farther related in the sixt chapter ver 7. 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 And whereas in divers other places of the Acts it is witnessed that there was increase upon increase of beleevers in that Church And whereas in the 21. of the Acts it is recorded that there were many ten thousand beleevers there all Inhabitants my Brother Burton and Mr Knollys in their enumeration of the Beleevers in Ierusalem at first and last make them but five thousand in all My brother Burtons words are these Growing saith he from an hundred and twenty Acts 1. 15. to three thousand more chap. 2. ver 41. and then in all five thousand chap. 4. ver 4. and all these but one Church Master Knollys his words are these Page 8 Those places in Matthew and Mark and Luke saith he tell us of very many who were baptized by John and by Christs Disciples but do not declare how many