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-Congregational-Church among Christians and invested every such Church with sufficient Church-power within it self for attainment of all the ends of church-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
forth such a profession of Faith as the Church may in charitable discretion conceive to be true are to be receiv'd Though some of them have been formerly scandalous yet now holding forth repentance they are to be received 1 Cor. 6.11 and though some are at present weak in Faith yet if we may conceive that the Lord hath received them the Church must receive them Rom. 14.1 3. For Christ approâ—â—d this confession of Peter though he was at present but weak in Faith as the following Story in this Chapter v. 22 23. clearly sheweth 6. That none but such be admitted into Church-fellowship For this Chapter limits the Church to accept only such Vpon this Rock will I build my Church i. e. Christ believed on and publickly confessed A meer verbal confession is not that Rock For the Devils made such a confession of Christ yet were not built on him Luke 4.34 But this confession of Peter was such as held forth his Faith in him as appears by Christ's three-fold Elogy or praise of it 1. From its effect Blessed art thou c as Joh. 17.3 2. From the procreant cause of it Not flesh and blood but my Father hath revealed it as Mat. 11.25 26. 3. From the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Peter before promised John 1.42 and now confirmed to him signifying a Stone whereby Christ not only acknowledgeth his faith and that he was thereby a living Stone and fit to have a principal place in this Spiritual Building in which sense Peter applyeth a like title to other Believers 1 Pet. 2.4 5. who yet were inferiour in degree to himself but also giveth him this Prerogative and Honour that he should be the first Planter of the Christian Church both amongst the Jews Act. 2. and the Gentiles Act. 15.7 The Conclusion may be confirmed by two Arguments in the Text. 1. From the name whereby he calleth this holy Society 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Church i. e. a company called out Whence see Joh. 15.19 To what See 1 Cor. 1.2 How Not only by active vocation by mans ministry exhorting them to repent and believe So sundry are called who are not in the least wrought upon to answer that call but put it off as they who were invited to the great Supper Luk. 14.18 with excuse Such are called but no Church Therefore more is required to qualifie for membership of a visible Church viz. passive vocation whereby they are wrought upon to answer Gods call by submission thereunto at least in outward profession though some do it but feinedly Ps 18.44 Saints by internal and invisible calling are such as answer Gods call inwardly and spiritually Saints by external and visible calling are subdued to yeeld obedience to the Word in visible profession Thus all that were called into the Vineyard had so much efficacy of the Spirit in them that they all came into the Vineyard and laboured in it though not with like sincerity Mat. 20. According to this clause of the Chapter the Churches planted by the Apostles were constituted for the materials of them else the Apostles could not have given both the †1 Cor. 1.2 Eph. 1.2 members and * 1 Thes 1.1 1 Cor. 12.27 2 Cor. 11.2 6.16 1 Tim. 3.15 Churches such high titles as they did Nor did they by these titles describe the invisible Church only but visible Churches For to such Paul wrote his Epistles and the like expressions are applyed in other texts manifestly to visible Churches Nor do these titles describe particular Churches only according to the better sort of members but such they did in the judgement of christian charity conceive all their members to be as Paul told the Philippians Phil. 1.6 7. which he could not have said if he had not known the care of the Church in admitting persons into membership with them to be according to the conclusion noted by us Reas 2 From Christ's appropriating such a particular Church to himself owning it for his my Church q. d. I own any Church thus built by my self to be my Church according to that in Act. 2.47 The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved The Lord added them How Not only by giving them saving faith and so adding them to the invisible Church but also by his inclining their hearts to offer themselves unto the fellowship of the visible Church and to profess their faith before them and by bowing the hearts of the Apostles 〈◊〉 Brethren to receive them into visible â—munion of visible Ordinances as appeareth v. 41 42. Thus he added them daily to the Church which cleares it to be an act of the Lords ordinary dispensation and therefore presidential to the Churches in their ordinary practice They who were thus added are said to be such as should be saved That is they were such either in the judgment of the Lord which is infallible or in the judgment of the Church which is fallible The Church looked at them according to their fruits viz. their profession of faith and their Christian conversation observing so much in both that they saw reason in charity guided by rule to conceive them to be in a state of Salvation Such were the three thousand spoken of in v. 41. as appeared by their affectionate and submissive inquiring of the Apostles whom they mocked before what they should do to be saved being pricked in their hearts v. 37. and afterwards by their gladly receiving the Word both of promise for themselves and their Children with faith and of precept to repent and be baptized and to save themselves from that froward generation with obedience True it is that they could not in one day make so large accounts of Gods work upon them as are commonly held forth in our Churches nor do we effect too large narrations but wish such passages as are superfluous left out And at that time less was needful to be expressed than necessity calls for among us ordinarily For the Apostles had a more quick Spiritual discerning than ordinary Officers and Churches have And concerning the three thousand Act. 2. the manner of their offering themselves to Church-fellowship visibly at such a time when such visible confession of Christ was with manifest hazzard to their lives gave good ground to the Apostles and the Brethren of conceiving charitably that they were all of them in a state of Salvation and such as the Lord himself added to the Church In these places and times where Church-fellowship is an honour and drawes after it sundry outward and worldly advantages it will be necessary that the Church be satisfied as by sufficient testimony concerning their good conversation so by their holding forth their confession of faith both quae creditur and quâ creditur of the Doctrine of Faith and of the Gift of Faith how it was wrought and how it works in them As Mr. Rogers in his Treatise of Faith saith it may be known of
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