Selected quad for the lemma: christian_n
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A37205
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The power of Congregational churches asserted and vindicated in answer to a treatise of Mr. J. Paget intituled The defence of church-government exercised in classes and synods / by John Davenport.
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Davenport, John, 1597-1670.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing D362; ESTC R24876
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69,647
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176
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have an immediate right in all Church-priviledges which I do not grant nor believe but that as the Church looks upon them tanquam in lumbis parentum so also if the grown Members of the Church observe vicious qualities and practises in them they do not deal with them immediately in those steps of proceeding required in Mat. 18. to bring matters to the Church but they deal with their Parents to discharge their duty in educating their Children according to the rule in Ephes 6.4 To this sense Dr. Ames applyeth that text in 1 Cor. 7.14 Ames medulla Theolog lib. 1. cap. 32. art 12 13. Infantes tamen non adeò perfecta sunt membra Ecclesiae ut possint actus Communionis exercere aut admitti ad omnia ejus privilegia participanda nisi priùs incrementum fidei appareat ab iis vero quae pertinent ad initium fidei et ingressum in Ecclesiam non sunt excludendi 2. Nor may their Children be baptized till themselves have taken hold of the Covenant with the Church in their own right For the Children of Church-members when they come to age for not taking hold of the Covenant with the Church do become non-members and are to be so looked at by the Church if they desert Church-fellowship either departing from them in place as Esau into mount Seir or withdrawing from their communion or if the Church withdraw from them In such cases they are not so much as implicitely members Therefore their Children may not be baptized For the right that Infants have unto Baptism is in their next and immediate Parents 1. Because the Apostle in 1 Cor. 7.14 doth so limit it 2. Because the Apostacy of the next Parents takes off the federal holiness of their Seed as we see in the posterity of Ismael and Esau 3. Because if Infants should have this right in their Grand-fathers where shall we stop shall it be extended to a thousand Generations as some mis-apply that promise in Exod. 20.6 That cannot be true for then the Children of the Jews and Turks and Heathen all the world over have a right to Bapism in some of their Ancestors within that time contrary to Rom. 11.17 Coral ∣ lary 5 Then Church-covenant is no formidable matter but desirable Is it a yoke 1. It is Christs yoke which is easie Mat. 11.29 30. he will make it easie Depend upon his faithfulness as Surety of the Covenant of Grace for ability to be faithful in your discharge of your Covenant with the Church 2. It is not a yoke of bondage but of precious liberties whereby you have right in all the outward priviledges of the Gospel 3. Nor is Church-fellowship a prison but if God call they must consent to your remove from them and follow you with their prayers It is indeed a strong but sweet ingagement of all upright-hearted Christians to please Christ and to be to his honour in that state So doth the Marriage-covenant oblige those that are in that state 1 Cor. 7.34 11.7 From whence the Apostle argueth for the like care in particular Churches and the Members of them Ephes 5.24 2 Cor. 8.23 which also was a special end and use of the Covenant wherein Abraham and the Church of the Jews stood bound unto God Gen. 17.1 2. and 2 Chron. 34.31 32. and the contrary discovered the insincerity and hypocrisie of others Psal 78.37 In like manner it bindeth the Members of the Church to all the duties of their Church-relation mutually both Officers and People and quickneth them thereunto through the influence and assistance of Christ the head of the Church by his Spirit in them all Ephes 4.15 16. 1 Cor. 12. to 28. And therefore I cannot but wonder that some who do approve and plead for all other Covenants viz. National Conjugal Social Covenants should yet dislike and oppose Church-Covenants Coral ∣ lary 6 From the premises we may see when the Church-Covenant is broken and how great their sin is who do scandalously and contumaciously persist therein CHAP. IV. Concerning the quantity and compass of a Christian Church THE Church which Christ calls his Church he telleth Peter that he will build it Vpon this Rock Mat. 16.18 I will build my Church Where the verb is in the first person and in the future tense 1. He speaketh in the first Person not in the second to shew that though he will use men as his instruments in this work yet it is his presence and blessing that causeth the work to prosper in their hands Mat. 28.19 20. 1 Cor. 3.9 It is by the Spirit of the Lord that Church-work is carried on succesfully Zech. 4.6 2. See Mr. Bradf Answ to the Arch. B. of York in Mr. Fox his Act Mon. in a Conference between them and the Bishop of Chichester in the Compter in Breadstreet He speaketh in the future tense not in the praeter or present for though Christ was in all ages the builder of the Church yet he thus speaketh of the Church under the New Testament because it was to be constituted after his Death Resurrection and Ascension when the Gospel should shine forth so clearly that it should obscure the light of former ages as the Sun rising in its strength doth the light of the Stars and it should appear Tit. 2.11 bringing Salvation to all men even to the Gentiles and they should be gathered and joyned unto Christ that one Head 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.6 2.13 14 and become Members of his Body together with the believing Jews in Church-communion visibly the partition Wall being broken down And because all Nations could not be joyned together in one visible Church as the Nation of the Jews might be and was to have their solemn set meetings together to worship God thrice a year or once in an age the Lord Jesus instituted a Congregational-Church among Christians and invested every such Church with sufficient Church-power within it self for attainment of all the ends of Church-communion This is the Church which Christ saith he will build and appropriates it to himself My Church 1. Because it is his Institution 2. Because his Name is called and put upon it The Members of it are not Moses his disciples but Christs and therefore were of old called Christians Act. 11.26 This title of Church though it be given some times to a civil Assembly Act. 19.41 yet so it is not taken in this place For Christ no where calleth a civil Assembly his Church Therefore it must signifie an holy Society And in that sense the Scripture applieth this title sundry wayes 1. To Godly Families Rom. 16.5 Col. 4.15 Phil. 2. where the Church in such an house is distinguished from the Congregational Church For Paul writeth to the Congregational Assembly to salute Aquila and Priscilla and the Church in their house Their house it seemeth consisted all of Godly persons in Pauls judgement else he would have
Church The Church may by communion of Churches upon orderly recommendation receive the members of other Churches unto fellowship of such Ordinances as are for the comfort and strengthning of the Saints as the Seals are and the Officers may administer them to such being accepted by the body for we have a warrant for so much from the Rule Rom. 16.1 3 Joh. 9. but not to act in judgement For the Church hath this priviledge proper to be judged by and to judg only those that are within 1 Cor. 5.12 whereas I alledged this Text against Mr. Paget to prove that Church-Ordinances belong only to the Members of some particular Church Mr. Rutterf meeting with that expression saith Mr. D. will have Pastors so far strangers to all Congregations save their own that he saith other Churches are without and have nothing to do to judge them and alledgeth for this 1 Cor. 5.12 But by those that are without Paul meaneth not those that were not of the Congregation but he meaneth Infidels and Heathen as in other Scriptures For Paul judged and excommunicated Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1.20 who were without the Church at Corinth Had Mr. Rutt been pleased to cast his eye upon my own defence of that passage In my Apolog Reply pag. 312 313. printed sundry years before he put pen to paper in these disputes about Church affairs he might have found that written by me touching the sense and my application of that Text which might have prevented his exagitating that matter Nor doth he with any congruity argue from Pauls Excommunicating Hymeneus and Alexander who he saith were without the Church at Corinth to prove that Pastors have any thing to do to judge judicially or excommunicate the members of other Congregations For Paul was an Apostle an extraordinary Officer had an illimited commission and a fulness of delegated power both in every Church and to administer Church-Ordinances without the fellowship of a particular Church when it could not be had and to execute all Offices in any Church where Officers were wanting But Pastors are ordinary Officers have a limited commission to do only the acts of the Pastoral Office and those only to that particular Church by which they are called unto Office Act. 20.28 1 Pet. 5.2 Therefore though Paul might excommunicate one that was not of that particular Church at Corinth yet the Pastor to the Church at Corinth might not Yet Paul could not excommunicate one that was no member of any Church but without as Infidels and Heathen are For that implies a contradiction To conclude The Apostle doth so appropriate Church-judgment to those that are within that particular Church 1 Cor. 5.12 Ye judge them that are within that he exempts from it in a due proportion all that are not members of that Congregation though there are degrees of being without some being totally without all Church-communion as Infidels and Heathen others though in Church-communion else-where yet not in communion of membership of that Church to whom he wrote to put away from them not one that was a member of another Church but him that was a member of that Church And in this sense Mr. Rutt saith Hymeneus and Alexander were without the Church at Corinth though members of some other Church for which cause the Church at Corinth could not excommunicate them yet Paul might and did by his Apostolical Power Thus by his own confession some are without a particular Church who yet are not Heathen or Infidels To conclude one may be said to be without this or that particular Church two ways 1. Simply and absolutely so Infidels and Heathen that are of no Church 2. Comparatively so the Members of other Churches compared with those that are of this Body 4. Corollary Then Churches gathered and Officers ordained in these days without Apostles are true Churches and true Church-Officers according to Christ and Churches thus Organized according to the Rules of the Word are true and intire Churches and the first subject of all Church-power as well as those Primitive Churches planted by the Apostles For the concurrence of the Apostles is not put into this Charter whereof we speak as a conditional Clause which might not have been omitted if Christ had intended that it should be always necessary He doth not say upon this Rock my Apostles shall build my Church and to my Church built by them I will give the Keys of the Kingdom but upon this Rock I will build my Church viz. by such Instruments as Christ will raise and use and bless in that work in every Age and to this Church thus built he gives the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Object But Christ gave the Commission of gathering Churches to his Apostles in Matth. 28.18 19. And when he ascended up on high he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ Ephes 4.8 11 12. Answ Those and the like Texts of Scripture do indeed shew that God used Apostles principally in this work but not only For as to Teach and Baptize is common to other Teaching-Officers as well as Apostles so the gathering of Churches by making men Disciples of Christ was done by others besides Apostles even in the Apostles days Act. 11.20 21. The dispersed Disciples planted the Church at Antioch the Members whereof were first called Christians a Church whose planting Barnabas approved ver 23. 2. They shew that God would use Apostles herein for a time but not alwayes which I prove 1. From the proper work committed to them which was to make the first Models and Patterns of planting and gathering Churches which ordinary Instrumentts are bound to attend in the gathering and constituting of Churches 1 Cor. 3.6 10. and in that sense their work continues to the end of the World though their manner of working viz. from an immediate Call Inspiration and Infallible assistance proper to Apostles in making those Patterns was extraordinary and ended with their Office in the first Age since when there never have been Apostles in the World For though Matthias succeeded in the place of Judas by Gods Election Act. 1.26 yet after James was beheaded no Apostle was chosen to succeed him though the Apostles lived long after 2. The Apostle John who lived longest of the Apostles describeth by Revelation from Christ all the Officers that should be by Gods Ordinance in Christian Churches after that Age under four sorts of living Creatures which note the four sorts of ordinary Officers to continue in the Church after that Age viz. Pastors Teachers Ruling-Elders and Deacons Revel 4.1 6 7. Vers 19. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven Whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven THese words hold forth the Ratification of Christ's grant of the Keys unto a Congregational-Church with the chiefty