the very least thing but as Commanded by himself first for then they would be Lords which he plainly declares against and absolutely denies to them and that what they do as Commanded by him they should do so in Duty and Service to the Supreme Lord and Subordinately to his Church as not to be called or esteem'd Benefactors for their Services so that it must be evident what their Superior Service is it must be plainly expressed in the Word of God and there at least so determinately set down as to be deduced with greatest clearness to the Understanding and Conscience of Christians and distinguishingly from the Service of other Subordinate Rulers appointed by Christ that so it may be waited for and received according to his Ordinance with Faith and Obedience 3. Seeing Christ appoints none to an Eminency of Service without a suitable Eminency of Abilities as is plain in the Apostles and Evangelists it is therefore reasonable to expect some extraordinary promises of the presence of Christ to those Superior Ministers to assist them in the Conduct of their Superiority wherein they might above any other Ministers of the Gospel Visibly and Experimentally make some approaches to the Eminent Assistances the Apostles and Evangelists had in the time of their Ministry and that they have continued and succeeded in their High Function in the Church of Christ so that the History of the Real Substantial Services of Bishops to Christianity hath come near to the Acts of Apostles and as much excelled that of Common Presbyters as the Order it self is supposed to do Now without these three self evident concurrent marks of Superiority secret invisible Characters are of no signification Quest How then is such a Succession of Bishops in a Superiority over Presbyters so uncontrolably deduced from Antiquity Answ Besides all other Coincident Accounts there is this to be given After the Apostles there was but a Gradual Cessation of Apostolick Men Men of Eminent Graces and Extraordinary Gifts though not of the Infallible Guidance of the Divine Spirit for the Revelation of the Gospel or the writing of Scripture yet of more immediate Divine Assistances in resemblance of Timothy and Titus for the Confirmation of the Churches planted by the Apostles Supervisal over them and Care for them and also for the further propagation of Christianity which being but newly set out had not arrived many places where it was to come and so needed some more than ordinary Assistances Even as Miracles did not immediately Cease no more did these Personages extraordinary in their Endowments Such as these were worthily in a Degree of Superiority over those that had not the same miraculous Inablements nor Knowledge as yet in Christianity Afterwards such Manifestations of the Divine Presence by Degrees retiring and Christianity having fixed it self where it was then to go and the Churches settled the best accounts of the continuing Distinction between those that were upon the same level in regard of their Gifts and Graces were but Humane Prudence and Order which oblige no Man's Conscience beyond the valuableness of the Reasons of that Prudence and Order Except undeniable Holiness Industry and Improv'd Understanding recommend any Person to such Eminency For Eminency and being Taller than others in those Qualifications will make any Person a Bishop in the true sense of one whether so ordinated or not and cannot make him that is a Dwarf in these truly a Bishop however for Orders sake he may stand in the place of that Figure He that excels in his Knowledge of Obedience to Zeal for and Authority in the Word of God seeing that Word conveys all this kind of Power from it self must needs have more of that kind of Power so conveyed than others for the more purely this Word is understood and Preached the more Power goes out of it and along with those that display it and so they become Pastors of a higher Character whether of a higher Order or not CAP. XI Of every Man's Obligation to be wise for himself to Salvation Quest ACcording to all the precedent Accounts of the Church it seems not only reasonable but most necessary every Man should be wise for himself unto Salvation Answ It is certainly so for every Man is to be determin'd by the Word of God to the True Religion to which purpose he is to apply his Mind to search for true Wisdom as for Silver and to seek for it as for hidden Treasure Quest How should Men of so great Disadvantages to such High Things be inabled to Judge Answ Wisdom assumes most justly to it self to be of so high Value that every Man should think it worth his while to Labour and Travel herein and to them that do so it hath promised the most certain Success even the pouring out its Spirit to them and that they shall understand the Fear of the Lord and find the Knowledge of God The Things of greatest moment are not of such difficulty but that they are attainable in the use of Right Means under so great Promises Quest What are those Right Means Answ Bowing down our Ears to the Words of the Wise that is of those that by Inspiration from God have been Wise and written their Wisdom for Future Ages and by applying our Hearts to Divine Knowledge upon which they come to be inlay'd within us and to be fitted to our Lips to be agreeable and well matched to our Discourse and not like a Parable in a Fools Mouth Quest But are not these things spoken and written to the Learned and Elders of the â—hurch that they might know for the People and the People put their trust in them Answ No They are written to thee even to thee that is to every one that they might have their Trust only in God that is find the Rock of Divine Veracity and Infallibility and have no need to trust in Men â—ut to know the certainty of the Words of Truth and be able to answer the Words of Truth either to those that advise with them as Friends or challenge them as Enemies Quest If this was the sense of the Old Testament it is undoubtedly much more so of the New Answ It must needs be so as a higher and more Intellectual State of the Church as much freer and clearer in its Notions of Truth The Apostles Discourse Christians as no Christians if they are not able to Judge as Wise Men what they say If they are not Men in understanding if they attain not to the state of Teachers by skill in the Word of Righteousness and have senses exercised to discern by an Intellectual and Spiritual Gust Things Good and Evil if they cannot give an Apology or Defence of the Hope that is in them that is of their Christianity to every one that asks them a Rational Account of it Quest But in things of Perplexity and Doubt are not Christians bound to submit to the Judgments of their Teachers Answ If they can receive and
discern them but by the Word of Righteousness of which all True Ministers are the Ministers on account of which alone Obedience and Submission to them is due Their bringing that Word in its own Life Evidence and Power is their best Commission Quest But how are they most orderly enstall'd into so high a Function Answ Christ as the Head of the Church hath ascended up on high and given gifts to Men and as the Lord of the Harvest takes it upon him as his Supreme Care to thrust forth Labourers into his Harvest The several Congregations of Christians observing Ministerial Abilities and Meetness to Teach call out to such to help them and herein in the Cessation of Extraordinary Gifts the Schools of Learning and Religious Education like the Schools of the Prophets do best prepare and the Judgment of those that have been Pastors and Teachers before them does most orderly recommend to Choice and Acceptance in the great Service such as are Scribes instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven and commits to them the Charge of Teaching others For in this as in all other Acts the Elders of the Church are to preside with due Respect to the Congregation Quest Is the Lord Christ pleased then to act generally by the Elders and Officers of the Church Answ Generally and ordinarily he does so the Officers are therefore more particularly entrusted by Christ with the Keys even as the Church in general is Thus eminently by the Ministry of the Apostles our Lord founded his Church and so edifies and builds it up in After-ages by Pastors and Teachers and when great Defections have prevailed upon it summons it to Reformation by some rais'd up among those Officers and whom he sends out as such to reform and recover his Church Yet still all this Power is in and according to his Word and no other and so that in all things as much as may be the Knowledge Judgment and Approbation of the Church is to be joyn'd in all the Officers do as having their Interest in the Keys also because they have their Interest in the Word of God in the Understanding Opening and Applying of which to Particular Cases the whole Power of the Keys rests The Apostles Elders and the Brethren or whole Church were together pleased and together joyn'd in that Famous Conciliary Epistle Acts 15. 22. Quest I desire your more full Explanation of the Publick Offices of the Christian Church and the Power accompanying it Answ I will very willingly do as you desire and begin with the Apostles Quest Wherein stood their Power Answ It stood in their Preaching Acting Directing Governing by that Immediate and Infallible Assistance of the Divine Spirit by which they writ and sealed Scripture and by which they were so guarded every way that they could turn neither to the Right Hand nor to the left in any thing wherein they exercised this Power Quest How was this Power Justified Answ By the Divineness substantial Goodness and Reasonableness of all their Prescriptions propos'd in all the Methods of Rational Discourse and manifestation of themselves in Mens Consciences witness'd to by the Holy Spirit and authorised by a Power of Miracles generally of Beneficence or doing good and in some but sparing Instances of infliction of Bodily Pains or Death Quest Did the Apostles never err in their Administration Answ Whenever that Infallible Guidance was not present to them they might err as was before observed in the Apostle Peter's Miscarriage which no doubt was recorded to shew their Power was not in themselves but in the Divine Spirit acting by them that none in After-ages might pretend to dictate as their Successors having not their Power and yet requiring Obedience as if they had it whereas even the Apostles themselves might err and so lose their Power if never so little deserted by the Holy Spirit And therefore what they consigned over to After-ages was winnowed from every thing Humane and Fallible that both Officers and People might know the one Common Rule by which one is to Govern the other in the Application of it is to be Governed Quest Who were next to the Apostles in this Office and Power Answ Evangelists such as were Timothy and Titus who having a Portion of the Apostolick Work to plant and settle Churches and Ordinary Officers in them had also a Portion of their Power to enable them to it it being absolutely necessary there should be such till the General Rule was fully settled and fixed Quest Were not the Apostles and Evangelists above Ordinary Pastors and Teachers Answ They were in this great Point of Difference that they had the Word of God by Immediate and Infallible Revelation committed to them to commit the same to others by direction from the same Spirit who gave them Discerning to whom to entrust it till all things relating to the Kingdom of God in the Church were sealed in the Canon of the New Testament else they owned themselves Compresbyters as the Apostle Peter stiles himself A Presbyter with Presbyters Quest From all that hath been spoken we are to conclude That the whole Power in the Church and in all things pertaining to Religion is retained in the Word of God Answ It is so For Christ in his Word is the only King and Lawgiver of his Church which Glory he will not give to another Whatever Power can be supposed resident in the whole Church together is no other than in that Word of Truth publickly offered by it The Apostles Power was only the presence of that Word to them by the Immediate Revelation and infallible Guidance of the Holy Spirit for the Preaching it throughout the World and thereby founding the Christian Church Such was the ordinary Power of any extraordinary Ministers under them The and constant Rulership of the Elders of the Church remains unmoveably in the Word which it is their Office to speak Quest Are not those we distinguishingly call Bishops Successours to the Apostles in that Preeminency they had over other Pastors and Elders Answ That Successors to the preeminency of the Apostles may be well established Three things are necessary 1. That there be found and produced Distinct Commands given in Scripture â—o the Inferior Ministers of the New Testament to obey Superior Ministers or Bishops Commands to Christians to obey Inferior Ministers or Ordinary Presbyters as Inferior Ministers with respect to Superior Ministers and those Superior Ministers as Superiors We must find the Apostle distinguishing ordinary Presbyters as Inferior Ministers with respect to Superior Ministers and those Superior Ministers as Superiors as we find him distinguishing Civil Magistrates into the King as Supreme and Governors as those that are sent by him 2. Seeing it is very clear and apparent there is nothing more distant from the Design of the Gospel than to Constitute any thing for the sake of making a great Figure without as great an Use or End and that Christ hath not given Power to his Rulers to Command
Truth out of which Christianity rises the Twelve Apostolick Foundations upon which the Church of Christ ascends sets up its Odd uneven unequal Antichristianism part Christian part Pagan part true part false And this is all the care we need take for the Body of the Roman Church it is not the Body of Christ it is not of the Heb. 12. 23. general Assembly and Church of the first-born written in Heaven It deserves not that love and care due to â—he Body As it is so incorporated it is irreco cilable with the Body of Christ and ought to be so declar'd But there may lye hid numbers among them who like the seven thousand in the Israelitish Baalism who being ignorant of the depths of Satan in that false Religion to whom the Christianity that remains though blended with that corruption separates it self and as oyl rises uppermost to them To these we may allow the charitable hopes of Salvation not for their Popish tincture but for their Christianity For all that is Popish is their danger and their extreme danger It is the Christianity pure separated Christianity that is their only hope and it is only like the hope of an Antidote working in the midst of a great deal of Poyson Or like true Principles of Natural Religion in the midst of Paganism the event of either of which operations must as I have said before be left only to God In the mean time their damning all to Hell for Hereticks that are not of their Communion is but one of the Blasphemies of the Names of which they are full and makes no man among them the safer but his case becomes the more desperate that Protestancy argued from the very charity and compassion of it to be more infallibly the Religion of Christ allows all the compassionate hopes that can be to some who are in the midst of that contagion and yet may be preserv'd from the deadliness of it but cruel Popery as much as it is able prepares flames in this world and that which is to come for all that have not the faith of removing mountains not only of Improbability but even Impâ—ssibility that their monstrous Principles have rais'd and set in the way of Christian Communion with them And thus I have setled the second Head of Discourse concerning the efficacy of Christian Religion to peace That Divine Balsom of love running throughout the Body and particularly to the agrieved parts where there is an union upon the Fundamental Vnities of Christianity and so certainly preserves and secures Peace I come now to the Third Head of Christian Peace 3. The Rules Christianity gives the true Professors of it for the imbodying themselves one with another will shew how sincerely it designs peace For some may think if there be no obligation of mutual Conformity in particular societies of Christians how can there be any such Societies if there may be such Separations among Christians as that there be not requir'd a concurrence in all points of Doctrine Worship and Practise under peril of the dreadful sin of Schism Christianity will be like a general notion subsisting in no distinct particular bodies or like an universe of Atoms without any connexion and then how can they that have nothing to do one with another be at peace one with another If there be no associations of Christians no Churches particularly united and constituted there is no opportunity to practise that peace and submission to order which such Societies oblige to and which the Apostle rejoiced to behold in the Church of the Colossians If all the love and peace of Christians be only that which is extended to the Vniversal Col. 2. 5. Church or to Christians occasionally in particular every one having his own private apprehensions to himself then is there no room for this more distinct exercise of Love and Peace I shall therefore now address my self to consider the Laws of Christianity for Christians so imbodying themselves that they may display all the general vertues of Christianity in their particular stations in the Churches of Christ and so I shall lay down these three Rules concerning this very weighty Point 1. That the first Congregating of Christians is to Christ himself as to the Head in whom the whole Body is principally united and the Union with him is the Measure and true Law of their Union one with another as the Apostle joyns their Order and Faith in Christ together they give themselves first to the Lord and then to one another Col. 2. 5. This was the Apostles method to preach first Christ Jesus to be the Lord and themselves Servants for Christs sake All 2 Cor. 4. 5. Christians are first Converted to the Faith of Christ and so added to the Church Acts 2. 44 47. And this is most necessary to be considered because if the first gathering of Christians were to the Church the Order and Peace of that Church would be the Rule of all their after-Action and Regulation of themselves and they must take every thing on trust from that but if the first Point of Vnion be Christ and Faith in him that shall over-rule wherein soever a Church may deviate from the Laws of Christ 2. From hence also it follows that the Union of Christians is first with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the general Assembly and Church of the first-born whose Constitution is fixed upon the Essential unalterable and ever the same Points of Christianity and the worship agreeable to them and in which all true Christians must concenter that they may be the Body of Christ. This is that Church against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail it shall never dye it shall never fail which yet we know may befall all particular Churches they have and perpetually may fail Mat. 16. 18. Now thus far I have already shown There is as firm a Foundation of Peace laid as the Understanding of man can conceive in this state of things here below in a degenerate world of humane nature 3. But besides this there are particular Assemblies that are nearer to Christians in particular and to which they ought to Unite as either having received the Profession of Christianity by their Ministry and so having been to them one of those Pillars to which the Christian Doctrine being affixed it hath offered it to all Comers and to them in particular Such Assemblies being a rest or repose â— Tim 3. 15. of Truth the Communication of it hath been made to all that have been near it and particularly to them whom we suppose ought to unite with them or it is the same thing if their Parents incorporated in such Churches and professing Christianity in Communion with them have directed their Education into the acknowledgment of Christ and the Profession of him together with the Christians of such or such a Congregation or that they themselves having considered the whole circumstances of their state in relation to
all parts of the true Church Whose sins ye remit are remitted c. viz by solemn Declarations out of and according to the Laws of Christ even to the utmost distance wherein any rational possibility of extending such Remonstrances and Declarations with success and effect can be found there is not only power but an incumbent duty to do it This Union now is of uncontroulable Divine Right Thus much of National Religion a National Church can by no means be denied to a Christian Nation seeing to be thus of the Church is absolutely necessary to salvation Every man that shall be saved being certainly added to this Church the entrances into which in deed and in truth are by the saving Graces of the Spirit of God and in the judgment of Charity by a serious profession And this is that Catholick Church that compreheâ—ds all lesser Unions but excludes or denies none much less can be excluded by any As therefore every one must be of the Church Catholick and Nations ought to be Christian Nations and protect that profession So this very Catholick Church in every Nation where it is truly found carries with it the name of a Church and as a Nation is by it self and its own Civil Union denominated a Nation so the union of Christians must be the Church in that Nation for it is the Catholick Church in its universal diffusion running through this or that particular Nation and all the vertues and duties of the Catholick Church ought to be exercised in it and if any one denies this he denies the Catholick Church of greater moment than any particular Church can be 2. All the closest and most constant exercises of Christian Religion that Christians are to exercise one with another that cannot be exercised but in Society of this kind are all parts of the publick worship of God Prayer Preaching Sacraments which are indeed or ought to be the same for nature throughout the whole Christian Church but must be actually perform'd in particular Societies Now these Churches may be solemnly erected and constituted by agreement but they are also founded and even grow out of the very nature of the thing for the close Neighbourhood of Christians one with another they having continual knowledg of and acquaintance one with another and thereby daily opportunities of agreeing in that publick worship of God and their common profession all these ingage and also incline them to unite whether in greater Families as the Apostle speaks of Churches in the Families of Christians or in Villages or in greater Congregations of Cities one or more still the obligation is unavoidable The necessity of Duty that lyes upon Christians to perform these Acts of Worship in Society and the Law that is upon all Society and Societies must needs grow out of this frequent conversation to dedicate it self to God make it absolutely necessary that from the neighbourhood of Christians should arise particular Churches And who then can deny but that there may be an Union and further that there ought to be an Union of a Nation agreeing with it self as in the same Government Laws National Constitutions and commerce in a more frequent and free conversation one with another so in Religion when the parts of it profess the same true Religion and desire to worship God in the most publique way they can or who can deny that a Nation may give name to a Church seeing the very Cities give name to Churches where there was a number of Christians acting together according to the Laws of Christ given to his Church The obligation to true Râ—ligion to publique Religion is undeniable The opportunity of agreement is the same and may be transacted in the same mannner all other National agreements are And what is a Church but a Society agreeing in all Acts of true Religion according to the Laws allowed by Christ having no other Form but that of the Catholick Church distinguished by the particular Societies or places where they reside I acknowledg Two things are necessary to particular by the nature of particular Societies and the places where they resided Churches 1. Consciousness or mutual knowledg of persons and their worship 2. Consent This our Saviour teaches in that expression if Two of you shall agree Mat. 18. and indeed not only in particular Churches but even in the Catholick Church it self these things have their resemblance but with this difference In the Catholick Church the Divine Spirit running through all knows them all that truly belong to it and every one of them one for another and by their true Faith they all are united in closest consent in all things necessary to salvation one with another which Faith is kept from failing by the same spirit in them all that are truly of it But because there must be yet a more particular understanding that Christians have one with another that they may joyn in the same Religious Acts and mutually assist one another in them therefore the union of the Catholick Church upon Earth though it be the greatest the most Religious Society the most strongly banded and cemented yet is not sufficient because there is not that consciousness or mutual knowledge of and consent in one anothers Faith and Worship in distant parts of the World that is necessary to the Glorifying God and Christ in particular Churches This is one great reason too why the Church-Triumphant though inseparably united with the Church-Militant and every part of it though more acceptable and prevalent in all its Adorations yet cannot be communicated with actually and explicitly we may not sollicit such a communion with it here on Earth because we are not conscious or knowing of any such particularities in their State or Action as should ground it nor are we assur'd that they are conscious of any of our particularities Abraham the Prophets and Apostles are for ought we know wholly ignorant who we are when we pray or are exercis'd Religiously There is a thick and dark Vail drawn betwixt the Church in Heaven and Earth as to such particular Communion The Father the Son the Holy Spirit are only certainly and particularly known to us in that Higher Region of them we are only assur'd They know us and all our actions To ascribe the Honour to any other of the Invisible Church is to Idolize them as well as to thrust into things we have not seen or known Thus freely I acknowledg the closeness and easiness of Society of mutual understanding and consent with one another is the Foundation of particular Churches Those Duties of mutual Exhortation Assistances Counsels and when it is necessary Reproof one of another besides the constant meeting in publick worship That necessary severity of disowning in cases of great or incorrigible offence such persons as walk in practises contrary to the Rules of Christianity not being possible but in the nearest conjunction one with another that the State of mankind allows at the same time to be as