given to a particular Church of Brethren as such primo per se then it would be found in every particular Church of Brethren For a Quatenus adomnia valet consequentia Obj. 4. But it is an usuall tenent in many of our best Divines that the government of the Church is mixt of a Monarchy an Aristocracie and a Democracy In regard of Christ the head the government of the Church is soveraigne and monarchicall In regard of the Rule by the Presbytery it is stewardly and Aristocraticall in regard of the peoples power in elections and censures it is Democraticall which argueth the people have some stock of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power and authority in the government of the Church Answ In a large sense Authority after a sort may be acknowledged in the people As 1. when a man acteth by counsell according to his own discerning freely he is then said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus sui actus So the people in all the acts of liberty which they put forth are Domini sui actus Lords of their own action 2. The people by their acts of liberty as in election of officers and concurrency in censure of offenders and in the Determination and Promulgation of Synodall acts they have a great stroke or power in the ordering of Church affairs which may be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or potestas a POWER which many times goeth under the name of rule or authoritie but in proper speech it is rather a priviledge or liberty then authoritie as hath been opened above in Chap. 3. For no act of the peoples power or liberty doth properly bind unlesse the authoritie of the Presbytery concur with it 3. A third argument whereby it may appear that the Elders of a particular Church are the first subject of authoritie in that Church is taken from the like removall of other subjects from whence they might be thought to derive their authoritie as was used before to prove the Church of Brethren was the first subject of their own libertie in their own Congregation The Elders of Churches are never found in Scripture to derive their authority which they exercise in their own congregation either from the Elders of other Churches or from any Synod of Churches All particular Churches and all the Elders of them are of equall power each of them respectively in their own Congregations None of them call others their Rabbies or Masters or Fathers in respect of any authoritie over them but all of them own and acknowledge one another as fellow Brethren Matth. 23.8 9 10. And though in a Synod they have received power from Christ and from his presence in the Synod to exercise Authoritie in imposing burthens such as the holy Ghost layeth upon all Churches whose Elders are present with them Act. 15.28 for the Apostles were Elders in all Churches yet the Elders of every particular Church when they walk with the brethren of their own Church in light and peace they need not to derive from the Synod any power to impose the same or the like burthens upon their owne Churches For they have received a power and charge from Christ to teach and command with all authoritie the whole counsell of God unto their people And the people discerning the light of the truth delivered and walking in peace with their Elders they readily yeeld obedience to their Over-seers in whatsoever they see and hear by them commended to them from the Lord. 3. Now we come to the third branch of the third Proposition which was this That the Church of a particular congregation Elders and Brethren walking and joyning together in truth and peace are the first subject of all Church-power needfull to be exercised within themselves whether in the election or ordination of officers or in the censure of offenders in their own body The truth hereof may appear by these Arguments 1 In point of ordination From the compleat integritie of a Ministers calling oven to the satisfaction of his own and the peoples conscience when both the Brethren and the Elders of the particular Church whereto he is called have put forth the power which belongeth to them about him As when the Brethren of the Church have chosen him to office and the Presbyterie of the Church have laied their hands upon him and both of them in their severall acts have due respect to the inward ministeriall gifts whereunto God hath furnished him he may then look at himself as called by the holy Ghost to exercise his talents in that office amongst them and the people may and ought to receive him as sent of God to them What defect may be found in such a call when the Brethren exercise their lawfull libertie and the Elders their lawfull authority in his ordination and nothing more is required to the compleat integritie of a Ministers calling If it be said there wanted imposition of hands by the Bishop who succeedeth in the place of Timothy and Titus whom the Apostle Paul left the one in Ephesus the other in Crete to ordain Elders in many Churches Tit. 1.5 Ans Touching ordination by Timothy and Titus and upon pretence of them by Bishops enough hath been said by many godly learned heretofore especially of later times The summe cometh to these conclusions 1 That Timothy and Titus did not ordain Elders in many Churches as Bishops but as Evangelists Timothy is expresly termed an Evangelist 2 Tim. 4.5 And Titus is as clearly decyphered to be an Evangelist as Timothy by the characters of an Evangelist which either Scripture holdeth forth or Eusebius noteth in his Ecclesiast histor lib. 3. cap. 37. Gr. cap. 31. Lat. Not to be limited to a certain Church but to follow the Apostles finishing their work in planting and watering Churches where they came They did indeed ordain officers where they wanted and exercised jurisdiction as the Apostles did in severall Churches yet with the rest of the Presbyterie and in the presence of the whole Church 1 Tim. 5. But for the continuance of this office of an Evangelist in the Church there is no direction in the Epistles either to Timothy or Titus or any where else in Scripture 2. Conclusion Those Bishops whose callings or offices in the Church are set forth in those Epistles to be continued they are altogether Synonyma with Presbyters Tit. 1.5 7. 1 Tim. 3.1 to 7. 3. Conclus We read of many Bishops to one Church Phil. 1.1 Act. 14.23 and Chap. 20.17 28. Tit. 1.5.7 but not of many Churches much lesse all the Churches in a large Diocesse to one Bishop 4. Conclus There is no transcendent proper work cut out or reserved for such a transcendent officer as a Diocesan Bishop throughout the New Testament The transcendent acts reserved to him by the Advocates of Episcopacie are Ordination and Iurisdiction Now both these are acts of Rule And Paul to Timothy acknowledgeth no Rulers in the Church above Pastors and Teachers who labour in
THE KEYES Of the Kingdom of HEAVEN AND Power thereof according to the VVORD of GOD. BY That Learned and Judicious Divine Mr. IOHN COTTON Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England Tending to reconcile some present differences about DISCIPLINE Gen. 13.7 8. And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be no strife I pray between thee and mee for we be Brethren Gen. 45.24 And Joseph said to his Brethren when they were going the third time out of Egypt See that yee fall not out by the way Acts 7.26 Sirs yee be Brethren why do ye wrong one to another Eph. 4.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Published By THO. GOODWIN PHILIP NYE LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his Shop entring into Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard-street 1644. TO THE READER THE greatest commotions in Kingdomes have for the most part beene raised and maintained for and about Power and Liberties of the Rulers and the Ruled together with the due bounds and limits of either And the like hath fallen out in Churches and is continued to this day in the sharpest contentions though now the seate of the warre is changed who should bee the first adequate and compleate subject of that Church-power which Christ hath left on earth how bounded and to whom committed This controversie is in a speciall manner the lot of these present times And now that most parties that can pretend any thing towards it have in severall ages had their turns vicissitudes of so long a pessession of it and their pleas for their severall pretences have beene so much and so long heard it may wel be hoped it is neere determining that Christ wil shortly settle this power upon the right heires to whom he primitively did bequeath it In those former darker times this golden Ball was throwne up by the Clergy so called alone to runne for among themselves And as they quietly possessed the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Clergy and of the Church appropriated to themselves so answerably all manner of interest in power or cognisance of matters of the Church was wholly left quitted to them whilst the People that then knew not the Law having given up their soules to an implicite faith in what was to be beleeved did much more suffer themselves to be deprived of all Liberties in Church affaires this royall donation bestowed by Christ upon his Church was taken up and And placed in so high thrones of Bishops Popes Generall Councell c. not onely farre above these things on earth the people but things in Heaven also we meane the Angels and Ministers of the Churches themselves in so great a remotenesse from the people that the least right or interest therein was not so much as suspected to belong to them But towards these latter times after many removalls of it downe againe and this as the issue of many suits againe and againe renued and removed and upon the sentence even of whole States as oft reversed It hath now in these our dayes been brought so neere unto the people that they also have begunne to pleade and sue for a portion and legacy bequeathed them in it The Saints in these knowing times finding that the Key of knowledge hath so farre opened their hearts that they see with their owne eyes into the substantialls of Godlinesse and that through the instruction and guidance of their teachers they are enabled to understand for themselves such other things as they are to joyne in the practise of They doe therefore further many of them begin more then to suspect that some share in the Key of power should likewise appertain unto them It was the unhappinesse of those who first in these latter times revived this plea of the peoples right to erre on the other extreame as it hath ever beene the fate of truth when it first ariseth in the Church from under that long night of darknes which Antichristianisme had brought upon the world to have a long shadow of errour to accompanie it by laying the plea claim on their behalf unto the whole power that the Elders set over them did but exercise that power for them which was properly theirs which Christ had as they contended radically and originally estated in the people only But after that all titles have been pleaded of those that are content with nothing but the whole the finall judgement and sentence may possibly fall to be a sutable and due proportioned distribution and dispersion of this power into severall interests and the whole to neither part In Commonwelaths it is a Dispersion of severall portions of power and rights into severall hands joyntly to concurre and agree in acts and processe of weight and moment which causeth that healthfull 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and constitution of them which makes them lasting preserves their peace when none of al sorts find they are excluded but as they have a share of concernement so that a fit measure of power or priviledge is left and betrusted to them And accordingly the wisedome of the first Constitutors of Common wealths is most seen in such a just ballancing of power priviledges besides also in setting the exact limits of that which is committed unto each yea and is more admired by us in this than in their other Lawes and in experience a cleare and distinct definement and confinement of all such parcells of power both for the kind and extent of them is judged to be as essentially necessary if not more than what ever other statutes that set out the kinds and degrees of crimes or penalties So in that Politie or Government by which Christ would have his churches ordered the right disposall of the power therein we humbly suppose may lie in a due and proportioned allotment and dispersion though not in the same measure and degree into divers hands according unto the several concernments and interests that each rank in his Church may have rather than in an intire and sole trust committed to any one man though never so able or any one sort or kinde of men or officers although diversified into never so many subordinations under one another And in like manner wee cannot but imagine that Christ hath been as exact in setting forth the true bounds and limits of what ever portion of power he hath imparted unto any if wee of this age could attain rightly to discern it as hee hath been in ordering what kinde of censures and for what sinnes and what degrees of proceedings unto those censures which wee finde hee hath been punctuall in Now the scope which this grave and judicious Author in this his Treatise doth pursue is to lay forth the just lines and terriers of this division of Church-power unto all the severall subjects of it to the end to allay the contentions now on foot about it And in generall hee layes this fundamentall Maxime that holds in common true of all
word and doctrine but rather Pastors and Teachers above them The Elders saith he that rule well are worthy of double honour but especially they that labour in word and doctrine 1. Tim. 5.17 5 Conclus When after the Apostles times one of the Pastors by way of eminencie was called Bishop for order sake yet for many yeers he did no act of power but 1 With consent of the Presbyterie 2 With consent and in the presence of the people As is noted out of Eusebius Ecclesiast Histor lib. 6. ca. 43. Gr. ca. 35. Lat. Cyprian Epist lib. 3. Epist 10. lib. 1. Epist 3. Casanb adversus Baronium exercitat 15. num 28. When it is alledged out of Hiereme to confirm the same that in the primitive times Communi Presbyterorum consilie Ecelesiae gubernabantur It is a weak and poore evasion to put it off with observing that he saith Communi Presbyterorum consilie not authoritate For 1. No authoritie is due to Presbyters over the Bishop or Pastor no more then to the Pastor over them They are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-Elders and coequall in authoritie And 2. when Hiereme saith The Churches were governed by the common counsell but all with it else it might be said the Bishop governed the Churches with the common counsell of Presbyters to wit asked but not followed And that would imply a contradiction to Hieronus testimonie to say the Churches were governed by the sole authoritie of Bishops and yet not without asking the common counsell of the Presbyters For in asking their counsell and not following it the Bishop should order and govern the Churches against their counsell Now that the Churches were governed by the common counsell of Presbyters and against the common counsell of Presbyters are flat contradictories 2. For a second Argument to prove that the Brethren of the Church of a particular congregation walking with their Elders in truth and peace are the first subject of all that Church power which is needfull to be exercised in their own body It is taken From their indispensable and independent power in Church censures The censure that is ratified in heaven cannot be dispensed withall nor reversed by any power on earth Now the censure that is administred by the Church of a particular congregation is ratified in Heaven For so saith the Lord Iesus touching the power of Church censures Matth. 18 17 18. If the offender refuse to hear the Church let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publican Verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall bind onearth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Against this Argument from this Text many objections are wont to be made but none that will hold Object 1. By Church in Mat. 18.17 is not meant the Christian Church for it was not yet extant nor could the Apostles then have understood Christ if he had so meant but the Jewish church and so he delivereth their censure in a Jewish phrase to account a man as an Heathen and a Publican Answ 1. The Christian Church though it was not then extant yet the Apostles knew as well what he meant by Church in Mat. 18.17 as they understood what he meant by building his Church upon the Rock in Mat. 16.18 It was enough the Apostles looked for a Church which Christ would gather and build upon the confession of Peters faith and being built should be indued with heavenly power in their censures which they more fully understood afterwards when having received the Holy Ghost they came to put these things in practice Answ 2. The allusion in the Church-censure to the Jewish custome in accounting a man as an Heathen and Publican doth not argue that Christ directeth his Disciples to complain of scandals to the Jewish Synagogues but only directeth them how to walk towards obstinate offenders excommunicate by the Christian church to wit to walk towards them as the Jews walk towards Heathens to wit denying to them religious communion and as towards Publicans with-holding from them familiar civill communion for so the Iews said to Christs Disciples Why eateth your Master with Publicans and Sinners Answ 3. It is not credible that Christ would send his Disciples to make complaint of their offences to the Iewish Synagogues For first Is it likely he would send his Lambs and Sheep for right and healing unto Wolves and Tigres Both their Sanhedrim and most of their Synogogues were no better And if here and there some Elders of their Synagogues were better affected yet how may it appear that so it was where any of themselves dwelt And if that might appear too yet had not the Iews already agreed That if any man did confesse Christ he should be cast out of the Synagogues Joh. 9.22 Object 2. Against the argument from this Text it is objected That by the Church is meant the Bishop or his Commissary Answ 1. One man is not the Church If it be said one man may represent a church the reply is ready one man cannot represent the Church unlesse he be sent forth by the Church but so is neither the Bishop nor his Commissary They not for them but they come unsent for like water into a Ship chiefly for the terror of the servants of Christ and for the incouragement of the prophane And though some of Christs servants have found some favour from some few of Bishops men of more learning and ingenuity yet those Bishops have found the lesse favour themselves from their fellow-fellow-Bishops Answ 2. The Bishop ordinarily is no member of the Church of that congregation where the offence is committed and what is his satisfaction to the removall of the offence given to the Church Answ 3. The new Testament acknowledgeth no such ruler in the Church as claimeth honour above the Elders that labour in word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 Object 3. To tell the Church is to tell the Presbyterie of the Church Answ 1. We deny not The offence is to be told to the Presbyterie yet not to them as the Church but as the guides of the church who if upon hearing the cause and examining the witnesses they finde it ripe for publike censure they are then to propound it to the Church and to try and cleer the state of the cause before the church that so the church discerning fully the nature and quality of the offence may consent to the judgement and sentence of the Elders against it to the confusion of the offender and the publike edification of them all who hearing and fearing will learn to beware of the like wickednesse Answ 2. The Church is never put for the Presbyterie alone throughout the new Testament though sometime it be put expresly for the Fraternity alone as they are distinguished from the Elders and Officers Act. 15.22 and therefore Tell the Church cannot be meant Tell the Presbyterie alone Object In the old Testament the Congregation is often put for the