CERTAIN QUERIES Tending to Accommodation and Communion of Presbyterian Congregationall Churches BY Mr JOHN COTTON late Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England Published by a Friend to whom the Author himselfe sent them over not long before his Death LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Allen and Francis Eglesfield in Pauls Church-yard 1654. Certain Queries tending to the mutuall Accommodation Communion of Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches delivered in 11 Propositions humbly presented both to the Consideration and Examination of them according to God BY Mr JOHN COTTON The 1. Querie Whether may it not be safely acknowledged that the Congregations of Christians subject to Presbyteriall Government preaching and professing the Truth of the Gospel and not over-growne with ignorant and scandalous Persons are true and holy Churches of Christ BEcause such Churches for the Matter of them consist of visible Saints at least a principall part of them especially when they present themselves to sit downe before the Lord at his Table And for the Forme they doe agree together in choosing their owne Minister in attending duely to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments and in submitting to the Doctrine of the Gospel which implyeth a reall and visible though implicite profession of the Covenant of grace requisite to Church-estate Object The Parish-Churches in England were Antichristian if not in their first Institution yet at least for these many hundred yeares and were never since unchurched nor new moulded out of their Anchristian Apostacy Answ 1. The Gospel of Christ was preached and received in England ten yeares before it was iâ— Rome as may appeare by Gildas and may be inferred from Baronius also Annal Anno Christi 35.5 45.1 and that by the Ministry of Apostles and Apostolick men who doubtlesse did at first institute Churches not after the Pattern of Rome which then was not a Church but according to the Patterne of the Apostles 2. Neither were they unchurched by the Antichristian Apostacy which afterwards grew upon them as a Leprosie but were onely corrupted and polluted even in many fundamentalls both in Doctrine Worship Government which made them like unto the Israelites under the Apostacy of Jezabel the generallity being carryed away by the Corruption of the times but a Remnant reserved through grace which bowed not the knee to Baal 3. Since the Beginning of the Reformation many of the Church-members by the power of the Gospel reformed to a new estate of visible Saints and the fundamentall corruptions in Doctrine and worship were purged away and both of them so renued as that the presence and power of Christ was discerned in the face of the Ordinances And for the Government though it give not being but wel-being to Churches yet it hath also been growing more and more into better order unto this day In so much that Protestant Churches have renounced fellowship with Antichrist and his Churches and have separated from them in Doctrine Worship and Government which if it reach not to a new-churching yet it is a renuall of their Church estate and a new moulding of them into a more holy way of Administration of Church-Ordinances so that now they stand as Churches gathered out of the world both of Antichristians and of Pagans The Israelites after their Returne from under the Apostacy of Jezabel did neither solemnely unchurch themselves of their former corrupt estate nor Inchurch themselves into a better new estate but being called to Repentance by the Kings Proclamation and their hearts being bored of God to submit themselves thereto though they fell short of a full Purification yet they were received to the Lords Supper the Passeover together with their Brethren of the purer Church of Judah 2 Chro. 30.18 19 20. The 2d. Querie Presupposing then the Presbyterian Congregations to be true Churches Whether hence It will not cleerely follow that the Ministers called by them being otherwise men of Ministeriall gifts are true Ministers and the Sacraments administred by them are true Seales of the Covenant of Grace The 3d. Querie Neverthelesse Whether may it not be justly doubted that the estate of both Churches is sinfully defective The Presbyterian partly in their Materialls in case the Members diverse of them be not professed Saints but either ignorant or scandalous and apparently carnall and worldly partly in their Government by the Presbyters of other Churches which way of Government though it had place in sundry Cases in the Nationall Church of the old Testament yea and in the New Testament might be practised for a time by the Apostles themselves who were Oecumeniall Governours of all Christian Churches yet the same was never delegated nor commended to the Pastors and Teachers of particular Congregations The Congregationall likewise how can they be excused in case there be any such as doe admit all manner of Sects into their Covenant and Communion and will not allow the Civill Magistrates to proceed to the Censure of seducing Hereticks and prophane Blasphemers The 4. Querie For the Healing of which defects were it not much to be wished that the Members of Presbyterian Churches did once publickly professe their Faith and Repentance before their partaking of the Lords Table as John Baptists Disciples did before their Baptisme and as Members of Congregationall Churches doe before their Admission that so None such as were ignorant or scandalous might be admitted to the Lords Table till they were duely approved to be Men of knowledge sound in the Faith and blamelesse in conversation And further also whether would it not much conduce to a more full and cleere acceptance of their Administrations If their Elders in the Classis did put forth no Authoritative Act touching the Members of other Churches but consultative onely nor touching their owne but upon hearing the advice of Fellow Elders in difficult cases to proceede each one with the Cognizance and Consent of his owne Church at home respectively The 5. Querie For want or Neglect hereof Though the Members of Presbyterian Churches should discerne some Defects in the Order and Government of their Churches yet whether may they suddenly breake off Communion with them till they have convinced them of their Defects and duely and patiently waited for their Reformation It may seeme No For if we must take a more delatory course for the healing of a private Brother in a way of brotherly love with much meekness and patience how much more ought we so to walke towards an whole Church The 6. Querie Such a Brother though as yet remaining a Member of a Presbyterian Church yet sensible of the Defects of his owne Church and being otherwise knowne to be fit why may be not lawfully and without scruple be received to partake at the Lords Table as occasion serveth in a Congregationall Church For such an one is both a Member of a true Church and cleansed from the defects of his owne Church The 7. Querie Yea suppose a godly Christian doe continue Presbyterian
in his Judgement and yet doe approve also of a Congregationall way and is destrous to joyne in Covenant with a Congregationall Church whether may be not in due order be lawfully admitted and continued a Member of a Congregationall Church Yea further Notwithstanding the different state and way of Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches and the Defects which the one or the other may observe or surmize either in other yet even whilest they so stand and walke whether may not the Members of either without just offence mutually Communicate one with another as occasion shall be offered at the Lords Table The Affirmative seemeth probable For as Error in Judgement about Discipline is not an Heresie against the Foundation of Christian Religion And the Apostle instructeth Christian Churches to receive the Christian Jewes into their Church-fellowship who yet dissented from them about the obsetvation of Leviticall Rites which were as much discrepant from the Truth of the Gospel in the Order of worship as these other be in Order of Government Besides God accepteth cleanness of heart in his faithfull servants in their approaches to his Table though there be defects in full cleansing according to the Order of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. The 8. Querie If a godly Minister called to Office by a People professing Godliness whether under Episcopacy or Presbytery and afterward repenting of any knowne sinne in his way shall be desirous of a more pure Reformation whether may not his godly people acknowledge his Ministeriall Calling without sinne Why not For he had the Essence of a lawfull Calling before in the free choice of his godly People and in his owne free acceptance of them and of their Call Nevertheless if any of his godly People should stumble at his former Calling whether may not a more select Company and body of the People renue their Call of him and there to accept the Concurrence and Consent of the rest of the Congregation And whether may not he also doe well instead of stiff standing upon the validiy of his former Calling to condescend to renue his Acceptance of them yea and to receive a New Ordination from them with express designation to the Office either of a Pastor or Teacher and that without prejudice or dishonour to his former Calling For a renued Act doth not invalidate much lesse evacuate the old but cleare it and confirme it so farre as there is any thing of God in it as in Scripture all Ingeminations doe Saul was thrice Ordained King over Israel 1 Sam. 10.1 ver 24. 11.14 15. thrice to the same Calling and with severall solemnities Neither is Ordination of the Essence of a Ministeriall Calling but a solemne Adjunct of it which may be renued upon occasion of any New spirituall Imployment or Function Place or People Acts 13.2 3. The 9. Querie If the godly Members of a Congregation formerly subject to Episcopacy but repenting of their sinfull subordination thereunto and being studious of Reformation have solemnly Covenanted to endeavour the same and have chosen their former godly Ministers one or more into the Pastors or Teachers Office Whether may not those Ministers withhold their Ignorant and carnall Hearers from the Lords Table though they had their consent to their Election untill they be able to discerne the Lords Body and be fit to receive it without prophaning it But yet in the meane time whether may they not dispence some other Ministeriall Acts unto them as to Preach the Word and also to Catechize them and their Families And if hereby they shall attain unto so much knowledge of the Principles of the Doctrine of the Gospel as to professe before the Church both their need of Christ and his Covenant to themselves and the Seale thereof unto their Seed and also their owne Duty of subjection unto Christ in his Ordinances and shall likewise be found free from any open scandall or else openly judge themselves for the same Whether may it not be lawfull for the Minister to admit them to the Lords Table and their Children to Baptisme For it is not with such as with Ishmael and Esau who though they were borne in the Church and sealed under the Covenant of Circumcision yet when they grew up to yeares the one mocked at the Heire of the Covenant and the other despised the Birth-right of the Covenant and so the one was cast out and the other withdrew himselfe from the fellowship of the Church and both of them deprived their children of Circumcision But such is not the Case here of these we speake of but rather they are like the Seed of the Israelites who though many of them were not sincerely godly yet whilst they held forth the publick Profession of Gods People Deut. 26.3 to 11. and continued under the wing of the Covenant and subjection to the Ordinances They were still accounted an holy Seed Ezr. 9.2 and so their children were Partakers of Circumcision Yea further though themselves were sometimes kept from the Lords Supper the Passeover for some or other uncleanness yet that debarred not their children from Circumcision Against this may it not seeme vaine to stand upon a Difference between the Church of Israel and our Churches of the New Testament in that theirs was a Nationall Church and ours Congregationall For the same Covenant which God made with the Nationall Church of Israel and their Seed It is the very same for substance and none other which the Lord maketh with any Congregationall Church and our Seed When the Jewes and their children were cut off from the fatness of the Olive we and our children were engrafted into their roome and estate Rom. 11.17 19. so that we are now become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 coheires concorporate and compartners with them of the same promise in Jesus Christ Eph. 3.6 The 10. Querie When any Christians desire to be admitted into the Church the Covenant thereof whether is it regular that the Elders should take all the Tryall of them in a private Consistory alone unlesse it be in way of preparation that so they may more fitly and safely commend them to the publick Tryall of the whole Church But were it not meete that the last Tryall of Members upon which they being approved are received either into the Church in a Congregationall way or to the Lords Supper in a Presbyteriall way should be transacted before the Church For as no Members are to be cast out of the Church-Communion but by the Judgement and Consent of the Church as well the Brethren as the Elders so none should be received into the Communion of the Church but with the approbation and Consent of the Church The 11. Querie Whether is it just matter of Offence If a Member of any Church which lyeth under the Leaven of Corruption after the use of all good meanes for the healing of the corruptions of his owne Church be it Presbyteriall or Congregationall and after long waiting for the
same in vaine shall at the length for the peace and Comâ—ort of his owne Conscience and out of conscionable Desire to walke before the Lord in all purity quickly and orderly remove his Relation and adjoyne himselfe to a Church more reformed yet not condemning the Church as no Church from which he removeth For if a man may remove his habitation for outward easments and conveniences and then the removall of his Relation is easily granted without offence Then why may he not for the ease of his Conscience remove his Relation though not his Habitation unlesse his Habitation were Jure divino an inseparable Adjunct to his Relation or his relation to his Habitation Christians as Brethren are called of God to bear one anothers Burdens Gal. 6.2 If it be a Burden to stay in Communion let his Brethren ease his Burden with a Dismission Glory be to God in Christ Jesus and Peace to all his Israel UNto the aforesaid Queries of the Reverend Author this also may bâ—â—efly be added to make up the number round The 12. Querie Whether it be unlawfull or may be truly accounted a necessary cause of Disorder or Confusion for godly Christians living in severall Precincts or Parishes not far distant but so as they may ordainarily meet together in one place to joyne in Church-fellowship together for mutuall spirituall edification That 't is a very convenient and defirable thing for the Members of a particular Congregation to inhabit and dwell as neer together as they may in regard of their meeting together upon all occasions and of mutuall watchfullnesse over each other and of spirituall helpfulnesse unto one another is easily granted by all yet it will not therefore follow that 't is an unlawfull and disorderly thing for them to have their Abiding and Residence in divers Precincts and Parishes Indeed 't is true that it hath been accounted by the Prelates and the Prelaticall party a very disorderly and unlawfull thing and that which did expose to the greatest of their spirituall censures for people ordinarily to goe to the Assemblies of Christians out of their owne Parish But their Account doth not make or prove it to be so neither doth it seem really and in truth to be so For 1 The Constitution of Parochiall or Parish Churches is not of Divine but of humane Institution and that too in the very darkest times of Popery and Superstition viz. about 700 years ago as learned Mr. Selden in his Book of Tythes ch 9. seems to intimate So that although it may seem a disorder in regard of that limitation of Parishes for the Parishioners of one place to joyne themselves unto the Church Assemblies in another yet not in regard of any thing appearing to the contrary from the Scripture which is the rule for Christians to walk by especially in matters belonging to Church-Administration and Government Neither will it I suppose be affirmed by any intelligent Christian who understanding in any measure the true Nature of a particular Church that Parish-bounds are the constituting cause of a particular Church or Congregation for it cannot be maintained that every individuall person living in such a Parish bounds is therefore a Member of that Church there except it can be proved that professed Turks or Jewes or Indians who through providence may be brought into the Land and so necessarily reside in some Parish or other there being hardly any parcell of ground free in any part of England from belonging to the bounds of some Parish or Towne are as reall and true Members of the Church there as any Christian man or woman in the Parish I conceive it neither any solecisme or Paradox to affirm that there may be a Parish where there is no true Church of Christ and a true Christian Church where there is no Parish 2 It may seem too great a bondage and slâ—very both for any Church whether Presbyter or Congregationall to be forced to receive all into fellowship in all the Ordinances who have their habitation or residence in the same Parish bounds with them and also for particular persons to be necessitated to be of this or that particular Congregation in fellowship with such Members and under the Ministry of such a man which they cannot find so suitable to their spirits and so profitable for their spirituall edification as some others which may not be far off from them And whereas it may fall out which possibly may come in here as an Objection that the Minister under whom a man liveth is taken away by death and another one called into his place and Office by the generality of the Church who may be as unsuitable unto the Spirit of this or that Brother as the Minister of the Parish where he dwells or as any other shall not be bound to submit to the choice of the Church or must the Church suspend their choice upon the Negative vote of any one Brother In such a case 't is lawfull for that dissenting Brother who cannot call such a man to be his Minister nor owne him as his Pastour or Teacher to desire a Letter of dismission to some other Church and Officer whom he can more freely and comfortably close in his spirit withall and I suppose that Church with whom he hath fellowship at the present is bound to yield unto his equall and just desire that so they may part in a loving and brotherly manner We doe generally allow every servant so much liberty for his outward comfort and advantage as to choose his owne Master in whose Family and under whose Government and inspection he is to live and why should not Christians also being made free-men by Christ have as much liberty for their spirituall comfort and edification to chose the particular Church under whose teaching and inspection they are to abide And why else hath the Lord out of his infinite goodnesse and wisedome given out diversity of gifts to divers of his Servants in the Ministry but to suite the variety of spirits and dispositions in his people Every lock not agreeing with every key as our Reverend Author was wont to express himselfe speaking of this very thing 3 Experience doth also testifie de facto that such a course is possible to be used and practised without making such disorder and confusion as is conceived by some For notwithstanding it be practised by some Churches not onely Congregationall but Presbyteriall also and Classicall to have their Members scattered up and down in severall Precincts or Parishes yet there have not any such confusion and disorder followed thereupon as we have seen by the constant practice of our Brethren in the Congregations both of the Dutch and French here amongst us in England as viz. in London Norwich Canterbury Câ—lchester and in such other places where they doe inhabit who although they be dispersed throughout the Cities and Townes where they live yet are not thought nor ever were by any except possibly by some of the Lordly Prelates who out of their superstitious zeale did seek to undermine and dissolve their Congregations to be any occasion of disorder and confusion by their Meeting together in their holy Assemblies from all parts of the Cities and Townes where they dwell And why might not the like liberty be allowed unto the English themselves without any just feare of disorder thereby There seems nothing but custome against it for had it been but the practice and course of the English as it hath beene of the other certainly it would not be accounted more disorderly then theirs is Onely if while the division by Parishes doe continue men doe allow and contribute not onely toward the Poor but also toward the Preaching of the word in their severall Parishes that the word may be dispensed all the Land over I should not gainsay it as I suppose the brethren both of the French and Dutch have been wont to doe in the severall Parishes where they live Finally Brethren be of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you FINIS