1. To whom the keyes of the church are given 2. What they are 3. What is the extent of this power 190 4. What is the outward instrument of it ibid. 5. What the true church can do by virtue of it And this comprehends these particulars 1. It can gather it self together 192 2. It can appoint its own Orders 193 What rules it is to observe herein 194 3. It can choose its own Officers 196 And here 1. What Officers are to be chosen 197 2. Out of whom ibid. 1. By whom 198 What the true church as the case now stands is to do in point of chusing officers p. 199 And if need be can Reform them p. 200 Or depose them p. 201 4. It can call its own Councels if it need any ibid. Certain reasons why the church may now well want Councels p. 202 And if it will have any what rules it is to observe touching them p. 204 5 It can judge of all Doctrines both of its Officers and Councels p. 205 And thus the judgement of beleevers is to be rectified in these things for the preserving peace among themselves 2. The practice of the true church is to be rectified in other things The practical Rules that are more absolute and general in the way of peace are these 1 That the true Church keep it self distinct from the world p. 206 2. That the true Church content it self with its own power for its own affairs p 207 3. That the true church do not fetch or force men unto it against their wils 209 4. That the true church make void the distinction of Clergy and Laity among Christians p. 211 5. That the true church keep equality between Christians and Churches p. 212 6. That the true church keep the Officers of the church in subordination to the Community p. 213 7. That all true Christians and Churches do take Christ alike for their Head and do not set up visible heads or Ring-leaders to themselves of men no not of the best men p. 214 8. That the true Church keep out all error in doctrine p 215 5 Wayes by which this may be effectually done without the help of the Magistrate p. 216 The great Question touching the Magistrates power to keep out error answered p. 224 9. That the true church do not inforce Uniformity in outward orders and discipline p. 225 Practical rules for peace more special and occasional in point of difference among the faithful Here the weight of things is to be first considered If the things wherein beleevers differ be circumstantial and ceremonial only then there are 5 Rules to be observed for the preserving peace p. 233 If the things wherein they differ be points of Doctrine yet such are not absolutely necessary to salvation then there are 7 Rules to be observed for the preserving of peace p. 235 If the Doctrine wherein the difference lies is such as is absolutely inconsistent with true faith and salvation yet then 1. The person is to be heard p. 237 2. If after full hearing it is manifest to be a Doctrine contrary to the faith of Gods Elect then the true Church ought 1 To condemn the Doctrine p. 241 2 To excommunicate the person ibid. And this is the last punishment the true Church can inflict p. 242 The conclusion of all ibid. THE Way of true Peace and Vnity in the true Church of CHRIST HAving now for a long time time together observed with a said heart and troubled spirit the grievous differences and dissentions among the faithful and Churches of Christ and perceiving also that there is yet no healing of this error many or most of them not clearly understanding wherein their true peace and unity ought to consist and so are still prosecuting former with later mistakes till their wound is become almost incurable I found my heart inclined and engaged by God to propound to others that way of Peace which my self have learned from the Word And this I desire to do not that I might seem to be something or be accounted of any more then the meanest of all Gods people being indeed unworthy to minister so much as a cup of cold water to the Church the Spouse of Christ much less â—o incomparable a treasure as the word of God is in comparison of which all the world is not to be mentioned but meerly out of love and compassion to the infirmities of my brethren whom I see walking in the light of their own 〈◊〉 and in the sparks which they themselves do kindle whereby they are in great danger to lie down in sorrow whilst in the mean time they neglect the true light which alone is to shine in the Kingdom of God till all ignorance and darkness be done away And aâ— my end and scope is to bring all men from all humane doctrines and conceptions of carnal wisdom and prudence to the Word of God so I desire all men that are spiritual and able to judge to allow of no more in this Discourse then they shall finde agreeable to this word and what ever the Word of God in the true sense and meaning of it shall disapprove or condemn so far let them also disapprove and condemn with it as I my self also do knowing well that no Word ought to have any place in the Church of God but the Word of God which alone carries light life righteousness wisdom and power sufficient and enough in it self to do the whole minde and work of God in his Church Wherefore what I have freely learned I shall freely communicate desiring every one to regard his own salvation seeing now after so clear a discovery of truth he can have no cloak nor the least excuse for his sin Now that he that reads may understand it is necessary for me speaking of the unity and peace of the Church to tell you now at first that I intend not to propound any way of peace either between the Church and the World or else between the carnal and spiritual children of the Church as having learned no such thing out of the word of God First Not between the Church and the world for the Lord never intended any reconciliation and agreement between these in the spiritual and eternal things of the Kingdom of God for these are two distinct seeds and sorts of people the one from beneath the other from above the one the seed of the woman the other the seed of the Serpent and between these two God hath put such an emnity that no man can take away Wherefore they who never minding these two different seeds between whom God hath put such irreconciliable enmity would make all the people of one or moe whole Kingdoms a Church at once and would reconcile all of them together in the things of God and in the ways of his worship according to devices and methods of their own these men know not what they do for they walk in the darkness of their own hearts
diversity of gifts are in no wise to divide where there is unity of faith Further among them that believe where there is the more gift there is only the more labour but there is not another or a better Christ and where there is the less gift there is the same Christ equally enjoyed through faith He that had five Talents given him brought in five that he had gained and he that had ten ten but he that brought in most Talents had not more of Christ then he that brought in fewer and he that brought in fewer had not less of him then he that brought in more but each having Christ alike by faith brought in the exercise of his several gifts And so unity of Faith is to keep us one notwithstanding diversity of inward gifts And secondly it is to keep us one notwithstanding diversity of outward works For unity of Faith makes all believers righteous alike though they differ in outward work For in Christs Kingdom each ones righteousness is reckoned by his faith not by his outward works And therefore Paul Heb 13. 7. having reckoned up many excellent works of the Fathers doth not enjoyn us to follow their works but their faith saying Whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation seeing the unity of the Church stands in unity of faith and there may be unity of faith in diversity of works for faith uses freely any outward laws manners forms works so farr as they may tend to the mortifying of our bodies and the edifying of our neighbours wherein faith also will judge for it self and will suffer no body to judge for it and in all change of works faith is the same and changes not and the Church still remains one through unity of faith in the midst of variety and diversity of outward works And therefore where men are accounted Christians for such and such outward works sake and this unity of faith is not taught and received there the gates of hell do certainly prevail And this is the fifth bond of the true Churches unity Vnity of Faith Now they break this bond of the Churches unity that live out of this faith of Gods Elect seeing it is written That the just shall live by faith And therefore they that live by sense in the things of the world or by form in the things of God they live out of this faith and unity of the Church 1. They that live by sense in the things of the world break this bond of the Churches unity even such as minde and affect and love and desire earthly things and have all their joy comfort sweetness satisfaction support and confidence in the creature these live out of the unity of the Church seeing the life of sense is clean contrary to the life of faith Faith carrying us to live in God out of the creature and sense carrying us to live in the creature out of God 2. They that live by form in the things of God whether it be called Conformity as the Prelates called it or Vniformity as the Rhemists do also break this bond of the Churches unity For to live upon this or that form of religion or worship so as to think our selves good Christians therefore and others evil that shall live otherwise is to fall apparently from the faith of the Church seeing faith doth not live upon this or that form of Religion but it lives on Christ only in every duty and whatsoever form it may use for a help to the infirmity of the flesh yet in the use of forms it lives above forms in Jesus Christ and his fulness The sixth bond of the true Churches unity is ONE BAPTISME The true Church which is the body or flesh or Christ hath but one and the self same Baptism by which it is purified which is the Baptism of the Spirit For the Apostle speaks here of that Baptism wherein the whole Church is one which is not the Baptism of the sign which hath often been altered and changed but the Baptism of the substance which comprehends all believers and all ages and under several and various dispensations and was the same before Christs comming in the flesh as since believers both of the Jews and Gentiles of the Old and New Testament drinking all alike into one Spirit though these more plentifully then those So that though many have wanted the Baptism of water yet not one member of the true Church hath wanted the Baptism of the Spirit from whence our true Christianity begins Now this Baptism of the Spirit is the onely Baptism that hath power and efficacy to make Christians one For through the Baptism of the Spirit it is that the Church is made one body as Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Greeks whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one Spirit The true Church drinks all into one Spirit as ye have heard and not into many and through one Spirit are baptized into one body and not into many and believers are never truly one till they partake of this one Baptism Now this Baptism of the Spirit as it is but one so it is administred onely by one Christ as John Baptist witnesseth Math. 3. 11. saying I indeed baptize you with water unto reprentance but he that cometh after me is mightier then I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire For as none can give the Son but the Father so none can baptize with the Spirit but the Son for this is Christ proper and peculiar Baptism from the Throne of his glory and no mans whatsoever this he hath reserved in his own power and hath not given it into any mans power And this is the sixth bond of the true Churches unity One Baptism Now they break this bond of the Churches unity that content themselves onely with the Baptism of water being destitute of the Baptism of the Spirit and so remain in the uncleanness of all their old corruptions and lusts and in all the filthiness and pollutions of flesh and spirit by reason of which they can have no true peace and agreement in heart and Spirit and Nature with those who are cleansed from these pollutions and are washed and justified purified and sanctified in the name and by the Spirit of God For what agreement can there be between them that live in all the corruptions of sinful men and them that live in the renewing of the Holy Spirit So that it is not the washing of water but the washing of the Spirit that is the true ground of the true Churches unity and they that want this Baptism of the Spirit though they have been baptized with water never so much live quite and clean out of the unity of the Church The seventh bond of the true Churches unity is ONE GOD AND FATHER OF
outward Orders in the Church must be to procure and to preserve Peace among the faithful and not to break it They are most unhappy and pernicious Orders that do not only offend a few of Christs little ones which it sefâ— is a sad thing but do grieve disquiet and prejudice the peace of the generality of the faithful 3. They must do all things after the wisdom of the Spirit and not after the manner of the world seeing the Church is not to be ordered according to the manner of the world but rather against it as the Apostle saith Be not conformed to this world 4. They must appoint nothing as of necessity For there is no more pestilent doctrine in the Church then to make those things necessary which are not necessary For thus the liberty of faith is extinguished and the consciences of men are ensnared We doubt not but Believers may order any outward things for their own good so they do not impose them necessarily on any as if the observing of them were righteousness and the omission of them sin And so the Church after all its Orders it is to leave indifferent things as it found them that is free and at the liberty of the faithful to observe or not observe as they shall see cause or judge convenient For all these kinde of things are indifferent in their own nature and God regards no more the manner and form and time and circumstances of spiritual duties then the manner and form c. of our eating and drinking and working and marrying and trading for all which it is sufficient if they be done in Christian wisdom and discretion without being tied necessarily to a set and unchangeable form 5. They may perswade their Orders if they see cause by the spirit of love and meekness but must not enforce them upon pain of secular punishment or Church censure as those use to do that make themselves Lords and Tyrants in the Church For these outward things the Church can order onely for the willing but not for the unwilling And so if some Believers shall think good upon just grounds to do otherwise in these outward things then the generality of the Church yet ought the Church to be so far from censuring them that it is to entertain Communion with them notwithstanding any such differences For when Christians are knit to Christ by faith and do receive and walk in his Spirit all other things are indifferent to them to do or not to do to use or not to use at their own freedom And Christ onely being sufficient for all his whatever is besides Christ is a perishing thing and so is so far from being to be imposed that in it self it is not to be valued Now if the Church do appoint any outward Orders these rules it is to observe yea the spiritual Church doth always observe them and never made rules in it self upon other terms then are here set down But on the contrary the carnal Church or Churches of men they especially trouble themselves about these outward things and of these they make Laws and Constitutions yea sin and righteousness and by these things they judge the Church and the members of Christ In such sort that they that will submit to their Rules and impositions shall be the Church of Christ but they that will not shall be reckoned Hereticks and Schismaticks And hereby they declare that they are fallen from the power of godliness to the form and from the substance of Religion to the circumstances inasmuch as they advance empty forms and shadows in the place of righteousness and peace and joy in the holy Spirit And to these we may say with Peter Why tempt ye God in putting such a yoak upon the Disciples and Members of Christ And though this kinde of Church will with these things still be troubling us and biting us by the heel yet in the power and prerogative of the seed of the Woman we will by degrees bruise its head till at last we break it quite in pieces Now one thing more I shall adde touching the Churches power to appoint its own Orders as conceiving it very necessary to be known and that is this That the true Church hath power to appoint these outward Orders not for it self onely but also for its Officers which also are part of it self and it is not to suffer its Officers to frame or impose such on it For the Church is not the Officers but the Officers are the Churches as Paul hath taught us saying to the Church All things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas And so the Officers are the Churches and are to be ordered by it in these things but are not to order it And if the Officers of the Church forgetting that they are servants shall presume by themselves to order outward things for the Church without the Church as now is done the Church still remains above the Officers and hath power to interpret change or wholly take away all those things as it sees occasion to wit so far as they are a stumbling block to the weak and a grief to the strong and tend to work division among the faithful Presumptuous Officers are they and know not where Christ hath set them who instead of being ordered by the Church go about to order it and make themselves the Lords of the Church being but the servants of it 3. The true Church hath power to chuse its Officers and if there because to reform them or depose them The Church hath power to chuse its own Officers True indeed it is that as in the natural so in the spiritual body every member is in office and that the Ministry of the New Testament being the Ministration of the Spirit is common to all that have received the Spirit Wherefore if every Believer hath received the Spirit to profit withall and hath power and priviledge as opportunity serves and necessity requires to speak the word that the power and vertue of Christ may be declared through them all there is no doubt but any Community of Christians may by a common consent chuse one or mo to speak to all in the name of all Agreeable to this is that of Paul 2 Tim. 2. 2. where he commands That the office of teaching be committed to faithful men who are able to teach others Where the Apostle contemning all superfluous ceremonies and pomp of ordaining onely seeks that the Ministers may be fit and able to teach and without any more ado commits the Ministry of the word unto them More parricularly in this matter we shall enquire after these three things 1. What Officers are to be chosen 2. Out of whom they are to be chosen And 3. By whom they are to be chosen For the first What Officers are to be chosen Paul teaches us this saying They must be faithful men apt and able to teach others For as among natural men in the world they
violence and to perswade peace but not to threaten or enforce it For such is the nature of the Church that inward perswasion is required nowhere more then here For none may be compelled to the faith against their wils and God will be loved with the whole heart and also hypocrisy is a sin chiefly hated of God Whereby it comes to pass that the whole manner of governing the Church must have this scope that they that are perswaded may be first called unto it and after kept in it upon the same account And so the more this manner shall be free from dominion so much the more fit it is to govern increase and confirm the Church And this way onely was used as long as the Apostles lived and those that succeeded them in the same Spirit and that unquestionably for 300 years after Yea and when the Church come to be countenanced by worldly authority yet this same freedom still was allowed of which shall produce a few testimonies I read that Constantine the Emperour would have no man enforced to be of one religion more then another Also the same Constantine in his Epistle to his Subjects inhabiting the East saith Let no man be grievous one to another but what every man thinketh BEST that let him DO For such as are wise ought thorowly to be perswaded that they onely mean to live holily as they should do whom the Spirit of God moveth to take their delight and recreation in reading his holy will And if others wilfully will go out of the way cleaving to the Synagogues of false Doctrine they may at their own perill As for us we have the worthy House or Congregation of Gods verity which he according to his own goodness and nature hath given us And this also we wish to them that with like participation and common consent they may feel with us the same delectation of minde And after Let no man hurt or be prejudiciall to his neighbour in that wherein he thinketh himself to have done well If by that which any man knoweth or hath experience of he thinketh he may profit his neighbour let him do the same if not let him give over and remit it till another time For there is a great diversity between the willing and voluntary embracing of Religion and that whereunto a man is forced and constrained I read also that Ethelbert King of Kent Being converted to the faith ann 586. after his conversion innumerable others dayly did come in and were converted to the faith of Christ whom the King did especially embrace but COMPELLED NONE for so he had learned THAT THE FAITH AND SERVICE OF CHRIST OUGHT TO BE VOLUNTARY AND NOT COACTED The Church then at first consisted onely of the willing and such as were perswaded unto it by the word till Antichrist began to prevail and then they fell from perswading to forcing and they no longer went about to make men willing by the word but to get power from the Kings of the earth to force them against their wils And this main piece of the mystery of iniquity was perfectly brought forth by Boniface the third who was the first that used these words in the Church Volumus mandamus statuimus ac praecipimus We will we require we appoint we command which is not the voice of the true Ministers of Christ but the true voice of theeves and murderers And from that time the peace of the Church decayed apace when there were moe unwilling forced unto it then willing perswaded And true peace will never be restored to it again till men shall abandon the power of force and onely use the perswasion of the word that the Church may consist onely of a willing people The fourth Rule is To make void the distinction of Clergy and Laity among Christians For the Clergy or Ecclesiastical men have all along under the reign of Antichrist distinguished themselves from other Christians whom they called the Laity and have made up a distinct or several Kingdom among themselves and separated themselves from the Lay in all things and called themselves by the name of the Church and reckoned other Christians but as common and unclean in respect of themselves Whereas in the true Church of Christ there are no distinctions nor sects nor difference of persons no Clergy or Laity no Ecclesiastical or Temporal but they are all as Peter describes them 1 Pet. 2. 9. A chosen generation a royall Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people to shew forth the virtues of him that called them out of darkness into his marvelous light And so all Christians through the Baptisme of the Spirit are made Priests alike unto God and every one hath right and power alike to speak the word and so there is among them no Clergy or Laity but the Ministers are such who are chosen by Christians from among themselves to speak the word to all in the name and right of all and they have no right nor authority at all to this office but by the consent of the Church And so Presbyters and Bishops or which is all one Elders and Overseers in the Church differ nothing from other Christians but onely in the office of the word which is committed to them by the Church as an Alderman or Common Councel man in the City differs nothing from the rest of the Citizens but only in their Office which they have not of themselves neither but by the Cities choice or as the Speaker in the House of Commons differs nothing from the rest of the Commons but only in his office which he hath also by the choice of the House and thus and no otherwise doth a Minster differ from other Christians as Paul saith Let a man so esteem of us as of the Ministers of Christ and dispensers of the mysteries of God But Antichrist he hath cast out the simplicity of Christian people and brought Sects into the Church dividing it into Clergy and Laity and this distinction they have made visible by their garments disguising their Clergy in their habit from other Christians that they might appear holier then they and of another order from them And this distinction hath proved a Seminary of implacable discord and heart-burning in the Church For hereupon the Clergy have prefer'd themselves above others Christians and have exercised authority and coercive power and domination and very tyranny over them and have made themselves their Lords and given them Laws rules forms orders after their own mindes and agreeable to their own advantages and would not so much as suffer them to judge whether they were agreeable to the word of God or no as if other Christians were their Subject Slaves Vassals yea very dogs And hence again the Laity as they called them have envied and maligned them and hated and opposed them and as they could get power have been subduing them and have looked upon them as men of a different sect and interest from
several manner and among all these families there is no external uniformity and yet they all agree well enough in the unity of a City Nay further to bring but one man to an uniformity of life and practice by an outward Law would be the most absolute tyranny in the world and make his life worse then death To compel every man by a Law every day in the week or every Munday Tuseday c. in the week to an uniformity of life that he shall rise at the same time use the same postures speak the same words eat the same food receive the same physick sit and stand and walk and lie down at the same set times who ever heard of such a cruel bondage What an absurd and intolerable thing then is uniformity in the life of a man taking away all freedom of the soul But how much more evil and intolerable is uniformity in the life of a Christian or of the true Churches of Christ taking away all freedom of the Spirit of God who being one with God works in the freedom of God and is not to be bound with any authoritative or coercive power of poor dark ignorant vain foolish proud and sinful men What now then do the Presbyters mean by uniformity Would they have the word preached and the Sacraments administred and the name of God called on and all this done in Spirit and truth in the Churches of Christ this truly is unity and not uniformity and such an unity as no man can compel But would they have the Word preached the name of God called on Sacraments administred the spiritual Discipline of the spiritual Church mannaged the vertues of Christ and graces of the Spirit in the Saints exercised and all this in one and the same outward form or uniformity This is the burthen of the Saints the bondage of the Church the straitning of the Spirit the limiting of Christ and the eclipsing the glory of the Father And how wise so ever these men may be in natural and carnal things yet their wisdom is but foolishness in spiritual things in which there is no more uniformity then in the workings of the Spirit who works severally in several Saints and severally in the same Saints at several times And therefore they that would tye the Church to an uniformity which works not of it self but as the Spirit works in it let them first tye the Spirit to an uniformity and we are contented But these men seem to run a sad hazard who would thus reduce the workings of the Spirit in Christians and Churches to an outward uniformity according to their own mind and fancy and so would rule and order and enlarge and straiten the Spirit of God by the spirit of man seeing it is worse to sin against Christ in the Spirit then against Christ in the flesh And therefore till I be otherwise taught by the word I cannot conceive that there ought to be or is possible to be any such external uniformity in the Churches of Christ as these men strive wrastle sweat contend for I will not say are ready to fight for but that several Churches of Christ having unity of doctrine faith the Spirit ordinances c. may have divers forms of outward administrations as God and Christ by the Spirit shall lead them and that every Church is in these things to be left free and no Church forced by any outward power to follow or imitate another Church against its Will not being freely led unto it by the Spirit of God Neither do I think that God hath set up any company of men or Synod in the world to shine to a whole Nation so that all People shall be constrained to follow their judgement and to walk by their light seeing other Ministers and Christians may have more light and spirit then they Neither hath Christ promised his presence and spirit to Ministers more then to believers nor more to an hundred then two or three And if two or three Christians in the Country being met together in the name of Christ have Christ himself with his word and Spirit among them they need not ride many miles to the Assembly at London to know what to do or how to carry and behave themselves in the things of God And therefore for any company of men of what repute soever to set up their own judgement in a Kingdom for a peremptory rule from which no man must vary and to compel all the faithful people of God who are the very members of Jesus Christ himself to fall down before it upon pain of being cast into the burning fiery furnace of their indignation heated seven times more hot then ordinary through the desired access of secular power to their power is a far worse work in my eyes then that of King Nebuchadnezzars setting up a golden Image and forcing all to fall down before it seeing spiritual Idolatry is so much worse then corporal as the spirit is better then the flesh And therefore I do think let them teach me better by the word that can that uniformity the great Diana of the Presbyterians and the Image that falls down from the brain and fancy of man hath no footing in the Scriptures or in the practise of the Churches of Christ And that the Presbyterian uniformity is neer a kin to Prelatical conformity and is no other then the same thing under another word after the manner of Prelacy and Presbytery and do conclude that unity is Christian uniformity Antichristian And this I have only hinted and that briefly among many occasions to discover to the faithfull that some of the very dregs of Antichristianisme still prevail and domineer under the very name of Reformation And also to give occasion to men of more spirit and abilities and leisure to discourse more fully to this point that the Serpents head of Formality which is so carefully nourished by humane reason may be crushed in pieces by the power of the word 1 JOHN 2. 27. The annointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man should teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you you shall abide in him The spiritual Church is taught by the anointing the carnal Church by Councels FINIS The Building Beauty Teaching and Establishment of the truly Christian and Spiritual CHURCH Represented in an EXPOSITION On Isai 54 from Vers 11. to the 17. PREACHED To His Excellency Sir Tho. Fairfax and the general Officers of the Army with divers other Officers and Souldiers and People At Marston being the Head-quarter at the Leaguer before Oxford June 7. 1646. By WILLIAM DELL Minister of the Gospel attending on His Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax in the Army Together with a faithful Testimony touching that valiant and victorious Army in the Epistle to the Reader Matth. 5. 11. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you
themselves whose prosperity was their ruine and whose power was their inslaving and all this was to the making void Christian brotherhood and communion Wherefore the right Church to preserve in it the peace of Christ must admit of no such distinction of Laity and Clerg but all Christians must equallâ—â—â—main â—â—main it it Kings Priests and Prophets unto God The fifth Rule is To keep equality in the Church and that both between Christians and Churches for this also is an excellent way to preserve peace 1. To keep equality between Christians For though according to our first Nativity whereby we are born of men there is great inequality some being born high some low some honourable some mean some Kings some Subjects c. yet according to our new or second birth whereby we are born of God there is exact equality for here are none better or worse higher or lower but all have the same faith hope love the same God Christ Spirit the same divine nature the same precious promises the same incorruptible Crown and inheritance of Saints in light And therefore saith Paul speaking of this true Church There is neither Jew nor Greek nor bond nor free nor male nor female but all are one in Christ Jesus Indeed in the world and before men I say again there is distinction of persons and inequality but in Christs Kingdom and before God all Believers aae equal and this equality preserves peace But when in this Kingdom some will be advancing themselves above others like Diotrephes that would have the preheminence and some will be striving to sit at the right hand and some at the left whilst they leave others to sit at the footstool this is that which breeds difference among the very Disciples who envied Zebedees children for such a desire And therefore Christ to preserve peace forbad Lordship in his Church and commanded service and tells them that the nature of his Kingdom is not to place men one over another but one under another and that the greatest must be the least the greatest in the way of the spirit must be the least in the way of the flesh 2. As equality among Christians is to be kept for the preserving of peace so also among Churches For all Churches are equal as well as all Christians and there is no Church can set it self before or above another all being sisters of one Mother beams of one Sun branches of one Vine streams of one Fountain members of one Body branches of one golden Candlestick and so all equal in all things Wherefore there may and ought to be a consociation of Churches but no subordination which makes void at once both equality and unity And so that Church or those Churches that will set themselves above other Churches that are their equals as the Classical above the Congregational c. they are the breakers of Christian peace and unity and the unskilful vote of the Assembly for the subordination of Churches was not a way to make peace but to mar peace in the Church of God Moreover no Church can be subjected to another but Christ who is present in it and is King and Lawgiver is subjected too which not true Church will either require or allow For if the true Church will not subject the Word of God which they have received to any men or Angels but will judge all by it and will suffer none to judge it much less will they subject Christ the Lord of all to any other power or authority for so they should dishonour and disanul their Head Where two or three are met in Christs name Christ himself is among them and the Head of them and so they can submit to no body else seeing Christ hath made no greater nor surer promise of his presence to any body then to them The sixth Rule is To keep the Officers of the Church in subordination to the whole Church or community and not to suffer them to get head over it seeing the very nature of ruling the Church is not Dominion but Service We reade Act. 11. 2. that when Peter had preached in the house of Cornelius a Gentile or Heathen the Church of the circumcision to whom Peter was Minister contended with him that he went in to men uncircumcised and did eate with them for as yet they knew not that the Gentiles were to be called And Peter was fain to give an account to them of the whole matter and to shew them that he was warned of God in a Vision to do so c. And this was a sign that Peter was a servant of the Church and in subordination to it and no Lord over it And after vers 22. when the Church at Jerusalem heard that the Grecians at Antioch had received the Gospel they sent Barnabas to Antioch to forward and perfect the Work And also the Church at Antioch sent forth Paul and Barnabas to the work of the Ministry in divers Towns and Countries All which are an evident sign that the Church was above the Officers and not the Officers above the Church Now this also will preserve peace in the Church to keep the Officers in their proper place and to let them remain as servants in the Church which Christ hath commanded and not to let them grow up to be Lords and Masters which Christ knowing the evil and inconvenience thereof hath forbidden For if the Officers get above the Church though they be never so good they are masterful and troublesome and though never so bad yet will they get a party in the Church for themselves and so work disturbance but if the Church remain as it ought above the Officers it quits them when they grow evil and unruly and chooses better in their stead and so preserves union Whereas fixed and unmoveable Officers when they do degenerate are the causes of all disturbances and confusions both in Church and State The seventh Rule is For all true Christians and Congregations to take Christ alike for their Head and not to set up visible heads or Ring-leaders to themselves of men no not of the best men For whilst some said we are of Paul others we of Apollos others we of Cephas they were all in this matter carnal and divided both from Christ and among themselves whilst several set up several heads whom they especially owned and after whom they were called Whereas each that believed by the Ministry of Paul or Apollos or Cephas were through the same faith and spirit with them as neer to Christ as themselves were and so were not to set up a fellow member as a Head to the division of the body I say each believer and Communion of Saints hath Christ equally for their Head and so ought not to set up any outward or visible Head for them to joyn to for this is to rend the body in pieces and to work great division and distraction among the faithful And therefore I conceive it