When they were abroad if they were recalled they were to return to their own charge Conc. Antioch Can 3. Many other provisions were made directing how Ministers were to carry themselves when they were abroad but none of those provisions of them off from officiating abroad only they regulate them in their carriage to prevent disorders Many examples antiquity affords us of the dispensing of Ordinances of worship ordination and discipline beyond the limits of the Ministers 〈◊〉 particular charge 〈◊〉 of Alexandria was famous this way Tantum studij in Scripturâ— propaganda posuisse serunt ut praeconem Evangelij Gentibus Orianâ—â—libus Indis sese conferret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is said also that there were many Evangelists and faithful messengers prepared to promote and plant the heavenly word after the guiâ—e of the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 5. cap. 9 10. Auiciâ—us Bishop of Rome granted leave to Polycarpus Bishop of 〈◊〉 for the reâ—erence that he owed him to administer the Lorde Supper in his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb lib. 5. cap. 24. So Nicephorus relates â— 4. cap. 39. And the Centurists Century 2. cap. 10. Anicetus Pius Hyginus Telesphorus and Xystus Bishops of Rome gave the Eucharist to the Bishops of other Churches that resorted to them though differing from them about Easter Euseb ibid. Athanasius consecrated Frumentius Bishop at Alexandria and sent him into India and there he converted many to the faith and builded many Churches Socrates lib. 1. cap. 15. Athanasius travelling from Jerusalem by Peleusium the ready way to Alexandria preached in every city where he came and exhorted them to eschew the Arians and in divers of the Churches he ordained Ministers though it were in other Bishops Provinces 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. lib. 2. cap. 19. 24. Basil Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia fearing that the Doctrine of Arius would creep into the Provinces of Pontus went into those parts and instructed men in his doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and confirmed the wavering Socrat. l. 4. c. 21 25. Gregory Bishop of Nazianzum did the like in many cities and often went to Constantinople for that end Ibid. Paulus Bishop of Emisa came to Alexandria in the daies of Cyril Bishop there and there he preached a famous Sermon And Cyril writes of him in an Epistle to John Bishop of Antioch that he laboured there in preaching beyond his strength that he might overcome the envy of the devil and joyn together in love the scattered members 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evagr. lib. 1. cap. 6. Epiphanius Bish of Cyprus came to Constantinople where John Chrysostome was Bishop and in a Church not far from the wals of the City he celebrated the communion and made a Deacon without the leave of Chrysostome And though Chrysostome reproves him for it yet only for the breach of an Ecclesiastical canon Multa contra canones agis Epiphani primùm quod ministros Ecclesia ordinas in Ecclesijs quae sunt in meâ Diocesi Soc. l. 1. c. 13. Moses a Saracâ—â— by birth an eminent man being much desired by Mavia the Queen of the Saracens to be their Bishop was sent to Alexandria to be ordained and though he refused to be ordained by Lucius the Arian Bishop yet certain exiled Bishops ordained him in a mountain Socrat. l. 4. c. 29. Theodorit l. 4. c. 21. Origen being sent for by the Churches of Achaia as he was upon his journey to Athens he went through Palestina and was ordained to be a Presbyter by Alexander Bishop of Jerusalem and Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea though he was a man of Alexandria and went to officiate in Achaia Histor Magd. Câ—n. 3. c. 10. cited also by M. Pat. Symson History of the Church pag. 268. Yea the dividing of Dioceses and the same we may say of Parishes which are the bounds of particular Congregations was but an humane prudential act And therefore in the Councel of Nice they pleaded no higher ground for it but Mos antiquus obtinuit c. And in the Councel of Constantinople consisting of 250. Bishops it was forbidden by canon that Bishops should leave their own Diocese and intermeddle with forreign Churches for until that time by reason of the great heat and storm of persecution it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferently used Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 8. And what frequent use the Church anciently made of Syâ—â—â—â— and Councel and how authoritatively they acted M. Ellis cannot be ignorant whole Volumes might be written of this subject And thereâ—â—re Reverend M. Cotton in Keys chap. 6. handling the Question Whether a Synod hath power of Ordination and excommunication though his judgement seemeth to inclinâ— to the negative yet saith we will not take upon us hastily to censure the many notable precedents of ancient and latest Synods whâ— have put forth acts of power in both these 〈◊〉 Thâ— refoâ—â—â— of all arguments this of novelty might well 〈…〉 may most justly be retorted upon the contrary 〈◊〉 〈…〉 answers M. Ellis giveth against the antiquity of Synoâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—ndling of things of common concernment doth not conclude them one Corporation no more then the common Treaties of Nations in things of joint concernment vind p. 10. But this common concernment arose from the unity of the head body charter and Laws and the mutual relation of members and therefore that parallel holdeth not 2. Saith he this it is certain was at some distance of time after the discipline of the Churches were corrupt and declined to worldly policy vind p. 11. Ans Surely this is not so of all For the first convention Act. 1. about the installing of a new Apostle and that before the Church was divided into particular Churches and for a thing that concerned the whole Church a meeting which our Divines usually account a Synod yea a general Councel though not in all formalities where there was a joint exercise of the key of order this I say was before the corruption of discipline or declining to worldly policy And that Synod Act. 15. where decrees were made and imposed on the Churches and that by Elders of divers Churches as well as Apostles and concerning things indifferent in their own nature some of them though necessary in regard of that present time that Synod was not lyable to this exception Nor those two Synods in Asia where John the Apostle sate President mentioned by M. Patrick Symson in his first Century of Councels pag. 482. out of Euseb lib. 3. cap. 20. mentioned also by the Magdeburg Centurists 3. It might be saith he by decree and judgement only not by actual execution Or 4. Each Church might act its own power though in union with others as so many several and distinct Churches united and Elders congregated and so they might excommunicate from their own heap or Congregation only Ans The history of the Councels doth abundantly confute this for they acted as one body jointly for all the Churches they
latent among the Idolaters who never bowed the knee to Baal nor kissed him and God might own the people for their sakes being the better part though the lesse Secondly though God doth not divorce a Church for all Idolatry yet they deserve it And at last came forth the sentence of Lo-ammi and Lo-ruhamah against the ten Tribes for it Hos 1.6.9 Thirdly I answer it may be verè Ecclesia as is said of the Church of Rome by some but not vera pura and it was needful for me as near as I could to give a description of a true Church But I will not contend with any about this description you may take a more comprehensive description A visible Church may be described to be a company of those that own or do professe the doctrine of Christ Or such as professe the true Religion The third term to be opened is Sect. 3. Catholike universal or Oecumenical The word Catholike is frequently given to such Churches as hold the true doctrine of the Apostles and in that sense it is the same with Apostolical as it is opposed to heretical and so we finde it frequently used in Eusebius Socrates and Sâ—zomen So Damasus is called Bishop of the Catholike Church at Rome and Aurelius of the Catholike Church at Carthage and Callinicus of the Catholike Church at Peleusium And the Councel of Nice cals the Bishops of the Orthodox Churches Bishops of the Catholike and Apostolical Church And in that sense I suppose M. Ellis intends it in the title of his book which he cals Vindiciae Catholicae a found or Orthodox vindication For if he means by it A general vindication against all that assert a Church-Catholike visible he is mistaken therein also for M. Rutherford hath written professedly of my question in both the branches of it that there is a Church-Catholike visible and that it is the prime Church though I confesse I knew not of it when I printed my Thesis But this signification doth not fully comprehend my meaning of the word Secondly Catholike is taken for an office in the Church next under a Patriarch that was as his Vicar general and is called in Latine Rationalis See Salmas de primat Pap. p 21â— Thirdly Catholike universal or general is taken for a logical second notion abstracted by the minde of man comprehending divers different species under it Fourthly It is taken in the same sense that we use to take Oecumenical that which is or may be all over the world The first and last sense are only pertinent to this Question viz. the Orthodox Church over all the earth and especially this latter and therefore now I have inserted the word Oecumenical into the question And in both these senses Augustine takes it who saith the Church is called Catholike Quia universaliter perfecta est in nullo claudicat per totum orbem diffusa est Aug. de Gen. ad lâ—t cap. 1. We are to know that the Church of God admits of several distinctions from several accidents As in reference to the times wherein the Church hath existed or doth exist it is distributed into the Church under the Old Testament and the Church under the New And this again is distributed into the primitive and successive So in regard of the places where the Church doth exist or persons of whom it consisteth it receiveth the distinction of universal and particular Now in this question universal is meant principally in regard of persons and places and not in regard of time The Church Catholike existing on earth at the same time is compared with particular Churches existing at the same time also What the universal visible Church is The Vniversal visible Church is the whole company of visible beleevers throughout the whole world Now whereas M. Ellis vind p. 52. saith this definition of the Church Catholike reacheth not the subject of my question but contains what is of all hands confessed I answer I aimed at no more in the first part of my question but to prove that there is a Church Catholike visible which he saith is of all hands confessed and then I have as much as I desired namely the subject of my question granted But I will further adde that which M. Ellis thinketh wanting to make it pertinent to this question viz. That this company is one visible Kingdom of Christ on earth The Evangelical Church which is so often called by Christ the Kingdom of heaven several men give several descriptions thereof I shall set down some of their sentences Ecclesia Dei vivi est columna firmamentum veritatis toto orbe terrarum diffâ—â—sa prâ—pter Evangelium quod praedicatur sicut dicit Apostolus in omni creatura quae sub coelo est Aug. Sancta Ecclesia nos sumus sed non sic dico nos quasi ecce qui hic sumus qui me modo auditis sed quot quot sunt Christiani fideles in universo terrarunt orbe quoniam a solis ortu usque ad occasum laudatur nomen Domini Sic se habet Ecclesia Catholica mater nostra Aug. Serm. 99. Adhuc habet Ecclesia quo crescat donec illud impleatur Dominabitur a mari usque ad mare Aug. in Matth. Disseminaâ—a est Ecclesia super omnem terram Iren. lib. 3. cap. 11. Non altera Romana urbis Ecclesia altera totius orbis aestimanda Gallia Bithinia Persis Oriens India omnes barbarae geâ—tes nationes unum Christum adorant unam observant regulam veritatis Si authoritas quaeritur Orbis major est urbe Jerom. ad Evanâ—r Distincti per Orbem Ecclesiarum conventus unam Catholicam faciunt Ecclesiam Beda in 1 Pet. 2. Catholica Ecclesia est illa quae diffusa est per universum orbem Cyril Hierosol Catech. 18. Quum unus sit Deus una fides unus Dei hominum mediator Jesus Christus unicum Ecclesiae caput consequitur necessariò unam quoque esse Ecclesiam Bezae conf fid cap. 5. art 2. Saepe Ecclesiae nomine universam hominum multitudinem in orbe diffusam designamus quae unum se Deum Christum colere profitetur Calv. Iustit l. 4. c. 1. s 7. Est Congregatio omnium per orbem universum qui consentifide Evangelica Bulling Est caetus hominum Christum suum regem sacerdotem prophetum profitentium Keckerm In novo Testamento vocamus Ecclesiam pro omnibus qui Christo nomen dederunt Zuingl Vniversa multitudo Christianorum quae se fidelem censet simul num fidelis populus una Ecclesia dicitur Idem Ecclesia significat totam illam omnium multitudinem qua generatim ex vocatione professione externa astimatur Trelc Ecclesia Catholica ex hominibus unius temporis est Caetus eorum omnium qui doctrinam Evangelij de Jesu Christo in carne jam manifestato per universum mundum profitentur Dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 2.5 i. e. mundus ille
friend patron or purse to make one and so come into the Ministery and a living which saith he is the Kings road in some Churches the Presbyterians abhor it as much as he But such an one saith he shall become a Parliament-man and joynt governour of the whole Church on earth by whose one vote all the liberties and truth of religion in them may be destroyed This is another scoff in calling every Minister though unworthily crept in a parliament man and joint governour of the whole Church on earth But Sir your passions make you forget your self much It is not to be actually such a Parliament-man and joynt governour but habitually â—â—pable to be occasionally chosen pro tempore into a Provincial National or Oecumenical Councel And is â—â— not as great danger in a kingdom that any man though of never so mean brâ—eding or vicious life if he get wealth or honour by hook or crook shall be capable to be chosen a Parliamen-man and by his vote only as it may be all the civil libeâ—â—â—â— of a kingdom may be destroyed Any Gentleman or â—â—â—ght though he hath not an habituality yet hath a potenâ—â—â—â—ty to be a Parliament-man which is reducible into act as well as if it were an habituality And proportionably there are fourty nay five hundred Gentlemen chosen to be members of Parliaments for one Minister chosen to be a member of an Oecumenical Councel A glimpse whereof saith he we have seen in the Convocations or Synods in our own Nations But when did M. Ellis see a Presbyterial Convocation or Synod in our own Nation Prelatical Convocations and Synods indeed we have seen and felt but no Presbyterial ones And therefore his second sadnesse might have been spured O but none saith he attains the honour of being an universal Officer a Parliament man but by the consent formal or vertual of all or the major part of them And therefore the condition of the Church is more sad then the condition of men in their civil liberties in this kingdom Answ I pray wherein For as the free-holders in the kingdom choose Parliament men for themselves their wives children and servants and all the copâ—holders and meaner poor people in their several Counties which are farre the greater number so the Ministers and Elders whom the Congregations have chosen and entrusted over them in the Lord doe formally or â—eâ—â—ally choose all the members of Provincial National and Oecumenical Synods and Councels And if the Laws of the Kingdom would bear it haply it would be as commodious if not more if a prime man or two in every Town had the power to 〈◊〉 and elect a Parliament man or two for the whole County O but no such agreement hath been made no not tacitely by the Church-Catholike nor no such institution of Christ hath appeared yet Answ We finde a patern of a Synod in Act. 15. consisting of delegated members with formal disputes and decrees not of the Apostles only but the Elders also And if one Church may delegate and send to a Synod then may another yea twenty And we finde that the Churches did then submit unto them to their great profit Act. 15.31 And the Churches formerly have agreed unto honoured and submitted unto Councels and received much good by them especially the first and general Councel of Nice c. And indeed the choice and sending of members to make up Synods is more then a tacite agreement to them as well as the choice of Parliament men is a vertual agreement and promise of submission to the Parliament Object But if the Ministers be Pastors to the whole Church Sect. 8. then the whole is to honour them and contribute towards their maintenance because they serve the whole ordinarily in their own Congregations and occasionally by preaching and ruling in Classes and Synods for it is due from them that are taught and ruled Gal. 6.6 1 Tim. 5.17 Answ That all men are bound to honour all the Ministers for their office and works sake is true though they cannot actually apply and give testimonies of that honour but to such as they know But for maintenance the people over whom the Minister hath the particular inspection and among whom he doth assidiously labour are ordinarily to afford it being the persons that actually partake of his continual labours and it is the most convenient way of certain and speedy raising of it as the Levites had maintenance from the several places where they dwelt both cities and gleabs and other comings in Micah giveth a stipend to Jonathan the Levite his diet and apparel Judg. 17.10 It is like the Elders of Jerusalem were maintained by the Church of Jerusalem but whether it was collected in the particular meeting-houses for such as did labour there particularly or put into one stock for the maintenance of their whole Eldership I know not But suppose one able man will maintain a Minister for the whole Congregation or a Lecturer or Minister in another Congregation or the State shall maintain a Minister in a Congregation iâ— that Congregation bound to afford him a second honourable maintenance Or suppose a Combination of Ministers having sufficient maintenance from their several Congregations will joyn together and maintain a Lecture freely may not the people hear them because they doe not maintain them I fear you will finde but few Congregations will make that scruple Obj. But the Ministers perform not their whole office to the Congregation that maintains them but part of it to the Classis and part to the Provincial or National Churches and part to the Catholike Church Answ A particular Eldership perform their whole office to their own Congregation which concerneth their Congregation only as farre as they are able But in some things the particular Congregation stands in need of the help of other Elders as in male-administration and matters of more weight and there be matters of more general concernment then can be transacted in one single Eldership and other Congregations likewise may stand in need of the help of their Eldership in the like cases and so the particular Congregation is not hindred but helped by combination And even in their greater Presbyteries they serve their own Congregations also as well as in their own Congregations they serve the Church-Catholike in admitting members in and casting them out that are scandalous and in feeding nourishing and governing the members thereof in their own Congregations Ob. But this will be too great a burthen for Ministers to meddle in the affairs of many Congregations who will have work enough in their own Answ As they shall afford help to others so they shall receive help for their own Congregation from others with whom they are combined But what greater burthen will it be to doe it in an authoritation way more then in a charitative and yet that our brethren will allow Object But then the Ministers exercise rule where they doe not ordinarily preach and so the keys
whole There is one Objection which M. Hooker in Surv. c. 15. p. 273. hath against this proof in this text which is of some difficulty vix That Church where Deacons are set is not an unlimited Church But ordinary Deacons were set in the same Church wherein the Apostles were set as in the place 1 Corinth 12. it is affirmed jointly and indifferently of them both Therefore that Church doth not argue an unlimited power Answ It is not affirmed that the Church-Catholike hath an unlimited power but unlimited extent of the power given them by Christ in regard of place within the compasse of the Christian world and so I conceive M. Hookers meaning is But to the Objection itself First I premise that Deacons were not primarily set in a particular Congregational Church but 7 of them were at the first institution of the office set in the Church of Jerusalem over Jews and Grecians where there were many Congregations and therefore a Classical Presbyterial Church divided into many Congregations necessarily at least for some Ordinances as the Lords Supper c. yet governed by one common Presbytery and yet alwaies called one Church But whether their Officers were fixed in the several Congregations or no I know not neither do I think it can be proved Secondly The subject about which their office was exercised was not the Ordinances of worship or discipline as the other offices were but about alm◠which in their own nature are or ought to be and were then voluntary And in regard those alms come not by divine dispensation as the immediate gift of Christ to the Church though they be commanded indeed by Christ but out of mens purses by contribution being a money matter in which the Congregation hath or had propriety there may be something said for the limitation of that office in their act of ordinary distribution to the members of that single or combined Church contributing that it may be performed according to the will of the donors to whom also the Deacons are to render an account Thirdly I desire the manner of the Apostles speech in setting down Deacons and governours may be considered not adding an ordinal numeral unto it as to Apostles Prophets and Teachers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deinde and 2ly interposing 2 extraordinary endowments of miracles and gifts of healing and 3. the change of speech from the concrete to the abstract helps governments Which though they imply men by whom they are to be exercised viz. helpers and governours yet are not so set down what the meaning of the holy Ghost is herein I cannot affirm but I conceive that the office of Apostles Prophets Teachers is of somewhat more large extent then the other two because they were executed as well without the Church though set in it as within it viz. among heathens for their conversion And in Ecclesia constituendâ the other in constitutâ only and the exerting of the Deacons office not so usually and frequently out of the limits of their particular Churches as theirs that are intrusted with the preaching of the word nor yet their call thereunto so facil as the others for to the exerting of government there is required a voluntary combination of many instituted Churches and for distribution to other Churches there is required a more then ordinary necessity and the consent of the particular Church contributing but no such solemn call is required to the preaching the word in any other Church or Churches But fourthly more directly to the Objection Though alms which is the subject of the Deacons office be not reckoned among the Ordinances given by Christ but are the gift of particular men in particular Congregations as the rest of them yet the necessity command and distribution of them may extend further then the particular Church and in that regard the office of Deacons which is to collect and distribute extends it self equally We are bidden to do good to all but especially to the houshold of faith i. e. as we have occasion and ability which is as extensive as the Church-Catholike Any forreign Church may stand in need of our contribution and distribution And even the Law of our land enjoyneth that if any Congregation cannot maintain their poor there should be help by collections from other neighbouring Congregations And the maimed souldiers of the whole County are maintained by constant collection from every town in the County and there are County Treasurers that receive it which are as it were County-Deacons And if a great Town be visited with the plague or suffer losses by fire c. it is frequent to make collections for them in many Countries Yea for whole Counties as the whole Kingdom hath lately done for Lancashire yea for a whole Kingdom as for our own Kingdom under war yea for forreign Kingdoms as England yea and the Netherlands though under another civil regiment have done for Ireland And we reade what the Churches of Asia did for the Churches of Jerusalem And we have had contribution to redeem captivated Christians under the Turk and not only of our own Nation but other Nations sometimes Grecians Now though these contributions and collections run among us in another channel viz. through the hands of Church-wardens Overseers Constables Collectors yet this is the proper work of the Deacons and therefore that office in regard of the extent of their possible object may well be said to be habitually Catholike or given to the Church-Catholike though their constant distribution should be limited to their own Congregations Another proof is from 1 Tim. 3.15 Sect. 5. These things I write unto thee that thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of the truth This Church must be the visible Church where he and others must exist and converse together and carry themselves in mutual duties Also it must be an organical Church for the Epistle containeth directions about Bishops and Deacons yea even in the context Neither can the directions be solely concerning Ephesus for they are written to Timothy an Evangelist the limits of whose office are commensurable to the Apostles though under them Neither do they concern Ephesus in any especially manner but all Churches where ever Timothy should come Therefore not to it particularly For he prescribeth canons concerning publike praier and the habit and carriage of women in the Church concerning the office of Bishops and Deacons concerning the censuring and reproof of all degrees the Ordination and maintenance of Elders the choice and provision for widows concerning the duties of servants and a charge to rich men not of Ephesus particularly or only but every where Neither did they concern Ephesus primarily for the Officers were already set in that Church Paul found Elders there Act. 20.17 in his visitation of them and had lived there three years vers 31. as himself
acknowledgeth Primarily therefore these canons concern the whole Church The manner also of the Apostles speech is to be attended he doth not say the Churches houses pillars grounds to be ordered pari rattoni but in the singular number house church pillar ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as if there were but one Church one house whereof Ephesus was but one room and that already furnished one seat one large pillar that hath the same truth written on every side of it which holdeth it forth unto others both Jews and Gentiles within the Church and without more forensi And as Timothy being an Evangelist conversed with many Churches so it is like did the members of the Church of Ephesus The English Annotations on this place are these As the Catholike Church is as it were the whole house of God so every particular Church as this of Ephesus was in which Timothy resided was a part thereof and by a Synecdoche totius may be called the house of God c. The words also of the following verse will lend us some light Great is the mystery of goâ—linesse God manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen of Angels preached unto the Gentiles beleeved on in the world received up into glory This is the truth supported by this seat and holden forth by this pillar Doth this concern Ephesus solely or particularly or primarily Is there not a larger subject expressed viz. Gentiles and the believing world All these are the family and houshold of God Eph. 2.19 and 3.15 Again it is the Catholike visible Church that is so often in Scripture called the Kingdom of God Mat. 4.26 30. And the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 13.24 31 33 47. Christ cals them not Kingdoms but the Kingdom And compares this Kingdom to a field of wheat mingled with tares This must be the Church visible in this world because it is where the sower ordinarily soweth his seed visibly and audibly vers 8. which is the preaching of the word And because here are good and bad wheat and tares and the tares visibly discerned after the wheat And it is the Catholike Church for Christ himself expounds it so the field is the world not of the Jews only but of the Gentiles also Joh. 3.16 and 17.11 15. And this must be the Christian world for the other is a field of tares only where there could be no danger of plucking up of wheat because none grew there They shall fever the wicked from among the just And in this field particular Churches are but as particular ridges enjoying the same tillage seed fencing watering It is a barn floor with wheat and chaffe It is a draw net gathering together good and bad It is a marriage where wise and foolish virgins some had oil and some only lamps of profession It is a feast where some had wedding garments some had none Now these things cannot be spoken solely or primarily of any particular Congregation but they agree to the Church-Catholike visible this Kingdom is here spoken of as one and to particular Churches as parts thereof and this is also an organical body therefore called a Kingdom Here are servants sowing and viewing this field proffering to weed it And this weeding must be by Ecclesiastical censures not the civil sword they were not so void of reason as to go ask whether they should kill all the world besides the godly with a civil sword then these tares must be members of the Church else they were not capable to be cast out if never in Here were fishermen officers that cast this net and servants that invited these guests every where in high waies and hedges Luk. 14.23 indefinitely without respect of Countrey or Town That which is objected against this by M. Hooker is that the Kingdom of heaven beside other significations as the Kingdom of glory c. it doth by a metonymy imply the word of the Kingdom and the dispensation and administration of the Gospel in the Churches and the special things appertaining thereunto And citeth these parables for that sense Answ I deny not the several significations of those words the Kingdom of heaven in â—everal places But they cannot signifie so in the fore-ceited places For it is said the Angels shall gather out of his Christs Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them c. can this be meant of the word or Gospel Is there any thing that offends therein or doth iniquity that shall be cast c. Is there any tares any chaff any rubbish there Or can it be meant of the dispensation thereof Should sinful or erroneous dispensations of Gods Ordinances be suffered to the end of the world for fear of plucking up good dispensations Why do we then endeavour a reformation Doth not Paul say false teachers mouths must be stopped and wisheth such cut off It is clear the texts speak of a Kingdom consisting of persons the tares chaffe rubbish foolish virgins and evil guests are the children of the wicked one man that offend and doe iniquity that shall be gathered out of Christs Kingdom therefore they were in it And the wheat good fish wise virgins and good guests are the children of the Kingdom without respect to any particularities of Town or Countrey much lesse of any Congregation And when we say Thy Kingdom come we pray not only for the conversion of the elect nor only for the coming of the Kingdom of glory but also for the Church-Catholike visible that it might be enlarged and have freedom and purity of Ordinances which are things that concern it as a visible organical Kingdom because the dispensations thereof are by Officers Again in 1 Cor. 15.24 it is said Then shall Christ deliver up the Kingdom to God his Father This is not the natural or essential Kingdom which he hath with the Father and holy Ghost as God for that he shall never deliver up Neither is it the Kingdom of grace which he by his Spirit exerciseth in the hearts of the Elect for that shall continue for ever and be more perfect in heaven For the Kingdom of grace here and of glory afterward differ only gradis communionis as Ames tels us here the degree is imperfect then it shall be perfect both in graces and joyes But it is the Kingdom exercised in the visible Church-Catholike in the Ordinances of worship and discipline wherein our communion is mediate with God which shall then cease For as the Evangelical external service and manner of communion with God thrust out the legal and ceremonial so shall the heavenly immediate thrust out the Evangelical But this Kingdom saith M. Hooker cannot be the Catholike visible Church because that consisting of sound-hearted Christians and false-hearted hypocrites these are not delivered up into the hand of the Father that he might be all in all to them Surv. p. 276. Answ I do not conceive by Kingdom to be meant the children of the Kingdom but the
both Priests and Levites were to be Teachers and Judges and Israel and they had 48. Cities with their suburbs given unto them but they might not at their pleasure exercise this power and dwell where they listed and minister in what they pleased or offer sacrifice promiscuously when they listed or be Teachers and Judges where and when they listed but according to appointment and assignation and according to their courses and as they had a call to exert their power So it is with the Ministers of the Gospel They are vested with an office to dispense Gods Ordinances of worship and discipline but they may not execute this office but as they have an especial call thereunto no more then require maintenance which also belongs to their office except from those that call them to exercise their office among them There are houses and gleabs and maintenance allotted by the law of the land for the Ministry but every Minister may not carve for himself where and what he pleaseth The particular exerting of the office and reception of maintenance in and from particular Congregations is not quà Minister indefinitely and habitually but quà Romanus Alexandrinus Londinensis Gippovicensâ—s The whole Church in reference to Christ the King thereof is indeed an actual politie but in reference to the ordinary Officers whose office though habitually it be indefinite yet is actually drawn forth into exercise by a particular or special call and evocation it may be stiled an habitual polity Sect. 4. Now let us see how M. Ellis's Prejudices Probabilities and Demonstrations will lie against this habitual integrality of the Church-Catholike visible and against the habitual indefinitenesse of the Ministers office First he objecteth the novelty of this opinion And indeed well he may as he hath stated it for he was the first that hatched it in his own brains But that the Church is one habitually and that the particular Churches bear the relation of members to the whole and of fellow members one to another and that Ministers are Ministers beyond the limits of their particular Congregations and can upon occasion administer the Ordinances of God to more persons then those of their own Congregation authoritatively upon which hinge hangeth the whole question this is no novel opinion For the first execution of the Evangelical Ministerial office in teaching and baptizing by John Baptist and by the Apostles before they had their general commission and the preaching of the 70. was without any respect to any particular Congregations for there were none set up And when they were set up the Apostles send faithful teachers to the several Churches whom they commended also to them exhorting them to receive respect and obey them as Timothy and Apollos 1 Cor. 16.10 11 12. Phil. 2.19 23. And the many places whether Timothy and Titus travelled and where they preached and exercised their office is abundantly set down in the Scriptures and gathered out by Sâ—â—â—ct ymnuus and M. Prinâ—e in his unbishoping of Timothy and Titus The Apostle also sent Tychicus a faithful Minister to the Ephesians Eph 6.21 and under the same notion of a faithful Minister he sends him also to the Colossians Col. 7.8 as is further noted in the second question And lest this should be said to he done as he was an Evangelist though we finde him not expresly called an Evangelist yet it is clear that there were many that preached the Gospel in the Apostles daies in more places then one authoritatively The brethren that John writes of in his 3d Epist ment forth and were helpers to the truth taking nothing of the Gentileâ— were Ministers which might have taken maintenance but did not that they might spread the Gospel It appears also even by the false Teachers that crept into Galatia and Corinth in Pauls absence and those that went from Jerusalem to Antinch and bred the broil there and those that preached the Gospel of envy and strife Phil. 2. â—5 who certainly were no Evangelists neither do I allow of their false doctrine yet it proveth that it was ordinary for Ministers to preach to more Congregations then one And it is very probable that those dispersed which went up and down preaching Act. 8.4 were officers as one hath lately shewed for what should the Apostles doe at Jerusalem if there were no private Christians there and it is likely that the heat of the persecution fell most upon the officers and therefore they were generally scattered abroad except the Apostles And in the after ages of the Church there was nothing more frequent then for Ministers to act out of their own Congregations We finde indeed provision made by Canons for the ordering of Ministers in the exercise of their function in other places then their own but no prohibition to exclude them from it As first that they must have leave to do what they did which was a wise provision against such as creep into other Churches without a call It was provided in Conc. Nic. Can. 17. Caranza That no Bishop should ordain any that belong to another Bishop Cum non habeat consensum Episcopi ipsius a quo recessit clericus And Conc. Constinop Can. 2. secundum Zonaram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Non vocati Episcopi ultra Diocesim ne transeant ad ordinationem vel aliquam aliam administrationem Ecclesiasticam There is not taken away from them power of exercising of any of those things in other Dioceses when they were called by others to help therein Nullus Episcopus ex alia provincia audeat ad aliam transgredi ad promotionem ministerij aliquos in Ecclesijs ordinare nisi literis regatus adveniat Conc. Antioch Can. 13. Caranz Nisi fortè cum consilio voluntatâ— regionis Episcopi Can. 22. Yea the Councel of Sardice provideth that if a Bishop in a Province where there have been more Bishops did neglect to ordain more Bishops then might the Bishops of the neighbouring Province being desired by the people of that Province come ex vicinâ provincia ordinent Episcopum Conc. Saâ—d Can. 2. secund Isidor sed Can. â— secund Caranz Secondly No Bishop ought to sollicite an Ecclesiastical Officer of another Diocese into his own and ordain him there Conc. Sardic Can. â—8 Caraâ—â—12 2 Thirdly When Presbyters travelled abroad they could not be admitted to officiate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Absque literis commendatitijs proprij Episcopi nusquam ullo modo ministrare Conc. Chalced. Can. 13. secundum Zonaâ—â—â— 1â— sec Caranz Then if they came commended by their bishop they might perform any Ecclesiastical duty Vide Concilij septimi canon â—0 apud Zonaram Fourthly They were not permitted to stay too long abroad Non multo tempore in alicua civitâ—te residere Definire ergo tempus quâ—a non recipi Episcopum inhumanum est si diutùs resideat perâ—ciosum est Conc. Sard. Can. 14. Car. Per multa tempora nititur immorâ—â—ri Con. Antioch Can. 3. Fifthly