we wish you may do we cite you before his Tribunall to answer for it But 2. Sir we are content also to stand at the Barre of any impartiall judicious Divines in the Christian World and that they give their judgement by that same much which I who pretends not to be one of the Learned Men in this Land have Answered to your preceeding Discourse if your Doctrine be such as we are not able to disprove and if we do not upon some good grounds of reason and not out of a meer spirit of contradiction oppose the same And thus I shall leave your invective without saying any more to it we have not learned Christ so as to repay evill with evill bitternesse with bitternesse you have cursed us we blesse you we wish you heartily a blessing Repentance and forgivennesse of this evill thought of your heart and the uncharitable issue of it SECTION VIII Mr. Lockyers Objections he maketh to himself and his Answers thereto considered section 1 MR. Lockier having discharged that bitter foregoing invective against the opposers of his way comes to propound and answer some Objections against himself choised out and formed at his own pleasure Five in number whereof two only are in causâ Were there no other Arguments worthy of his consideration besides these to be found in Orthodox Writers opposite to his way If he thinks not it will seem he hes not read such Writers on this purpose as he might and ought for clearing of himself and others If he knew others why did he not assay to clear them also I think he had not will to present before his hearers all Arguments brought against his Doctrine least he should not ridde his feet well of them and something thereof might have stuck to such as was judicious Whatsoever hes moved him so to passe them over we hope it shall shortly appear he had some cause rather to passe them in silence then to hazard grappling with them it was his prudence so to do But let 's see these he hath and his answers to them section 2 Obj. 1. Why But they gather Churches out of Churches whom you plead for Why I thought the Dispute hitherto ye have been on was not about persons and their practises but about a dogmatick point Had we been propounding Objections to you we should not troubled our selves with these extrinsecall ones taken from prejudices against persons abaters of your Doctrine But should more directly pointed at the throat of the cause it self Yet we think all Godly Orthodox men in the Christian World besides your selves will judge that the Godly Ministers of Christ in this Iland have just cause to lay this practice of picking out of Orthodox Churches in which Jesus Christ is soundly Taught Sacraments administred according to their institution and are by the most judicious of your own way confessed to be true Churches from which it is not lawfull to make separation such Professours as by Gods blessing upon his Ordinances in these Churches have gotten most good to make up of them Churches to your selves All Orthodox Christians will judge this justly laid to your charge as a Schismatick practice having no warrand or president in the Word of God tending to the begetting of heart-burnings divisions hatred amongst Christians yea these of nearest relations Husband and Wife Parents and Children Magistrats and People to the hindring and no wayes to the promoving of the Work of Reformation But see what is said to this section 3 Nay it is but Churches out of a Church Gospel Churches out of a legall Nationall Church and the one being abolished there may be yea there ought to be a departing from it and a gathering out of it unto the order which God hath instituted so we finde Churches gathered out of that Church of the Jews Gal. 1. 22. And whether he meaneth by being in Christ meerly according to profession see 1 Thes 2. 14. Ans 1. The citation of the 1 Thes 2. 14. for clearing what is meant by being in Christ mentioned Gal. 1. 22. is a digression from the purpose of the Objection and hath been sufficiently answered before 2. You gather Churches say you out of a Church not out of Churches This is strange are not the Church of Edinburgh and the Church of Aberdene Churches Again if it be a fault to gather Churches out of Churches shall it be no fault to gather Churches out of a Church majus minus non variant speciem Ay 't is a legall Nationall Church he meaneth such as the Jewish such a Church is abolished therefore 't is no fault yea we ought to gather c. For Answer We may consider a Nationall or Provinciall Church of a threefold sort and notion 1. Wherein all of the Nation are bound to a publick and solemn typicall service and Worship to be performed in one place chosen by God under the inspection of one Visible Pastor or Priest who in Worship and Sacrifices doth hold forth and represent the whole People of the Nation 2. Such a Nationall and Provinciall Church in which many particular Churches are united and subjected unto one Church as they call it Mother or Cathedrall Church and depend upon a Visible Pastor who is Pastor and Ruler of all other Pastors and particular Churches in the Nation or Province And wherein the Inferiour Churches enjoy Divine Ordinances and Ecclesiasticall power and jurisdiction of that Mother and Cathedrall Church or that Provinciall or Nationall Pastor 3. Such a Nationall Church wherein many particular Churches are joyned and united together under one Visible Church-Government wherein all are equally and collaterally concerned and have equall interest for the use and exercise of all these Ordinances which are necessary to the Visible Ministeriall Government of these Churches and mutuall Ecclesiasticall fellowship in it and edification and preservation by it Now a Nationall Church in the second notion is not nor ever was an Ordinance of God but a meer invention of men and Antichristian tyrannie overthrowing the power granted by GOD to the Churches and Pastors A nationall Church of the first notion and sense was indeed an Ordinance of God Such were the Jews but instituted and to continue for a definite time viz. untill the fulnesse of time should come and then it was abolished and evanished And a Church Nationall in this sense was legall But a Nationall Church in the third sense is not a legall or typicall Church and Ordinance But moralis perpetui juris Such was the Jewish under the Old Testament in point of Government and Ecclesiastick Discipline They were many particular Churches and Synagogues â—hich did in diverse places celebrat the Morall Worship of God and the exercises of Doctrine Discipline and Church-Government Acts 15. 21. Acts 13. 15 16. Luke 21. 12. John 12. 42. All which were joyned and united under one Nationall Visible Ecclesiastick Government This Visible Church-ship so to speak of the Church of the Jews as
constituting Visible Churches because it is a rule that God never constituted for that purpose But they have cause to weep and say alas which I pray God of his Grace they may do for themselves that they have separated themselves from the Church of Christ upon the very ground that Donatists separated of old section 13 In the rest of the former part of their Letter they declare their purpose of separating from the Communion of this Church and their ground of so doing which I follow not here it being my purpose to take unto consideration only so much of their Letter as directly concerneth the present Question I had in hand touching the necessary qualification of Church members I doubt not but some of these men to whom they directed that Letter has returned them a sufficient Answer upon that point of their separation And one of them has abundantly refuted that same point in Print against Separatists as many other Orthodox Divines has done the like not only modern Divines in their writings against late Separatists But also ancient against Donatists and Novatians Certain it is and cannot be denyed by any that has any tollerable insight in the Ancients that these our Authors in their separatioÌ„ goes upon that same very ground that Donatists and Novatians separated of old It was one of the Errours of these that by fellowship with wicked and ungodly men in the Worship and Ordinances of God others are polluted as we may learn from Cyprian Epist 51. and 52. and August in his writings against Donatists particularly contra Epistolam Parmeniani and therefore did separate from all other Churches as defiled with such mixtures using as an Argument and ground for them that same very passage brought by these present Authors for themselves 2. Cor. 6. As we see by Augustin ad Donatist post collationem cap. 21. cited by us a little before where the Godly and Learned Ancient does abundantly and solidly refute the Donatists abuse of that place as he does in his severall writs against these proud Schismaticks all their other Arguments And I much wonder that these our Brethren I yet say if so they will suffer themselves to be so called by us should have licked up that Schismaticall Doctrine practice of Donatists so universally condemned by the ancient Church and solidly refuted by the Orthodox Divines that then were But it not being my purpose at this time to prosecute this part of their Epistle I shall close this Appendix adding only a word or two out of these two Ancients I have named concerning this mater Cyprian Epist 21. written to 4. Confessours who having been seduced into the Novatian separation and schism had returned again to the unity of the Church and signified the same to Cyprian thus sayeth he to these Confessours Postea quam vos de carcere redeuntes â—…maticus Haereticus error excepit sic res erat quasi vestra gloria in carcere remansisset Illic enim vestri nominis dignitas recedisse videbatur quando milites Christi non ad Ecclesiam de carcere redierunt in quem prius cum Ecclesiae laude gratulatione venissent nam si in Eccesiâ videntur esse Zizania non tamen impediri debet aut fides aut charitas nostra ut quoniam Zizania in Ecclesia esse cernimus ipsi de Ecclesia recedamus nobis tantum modo laborandum est ut frumentum esse possimus ut cum caeperit frumentum Dominicis condi horreis pro opere nostro labore fructum capiamus Apostolus in Epistola sua 2 Tim. 2. dicit in domo autem magna non tantum vasa sunt aurea c. nos operam demus quantum possumus laboremus ut vas aureum vel argenteum simus Caeterum fictilia vasa confringere Domino soli concessum est cui virga ferrea data est esse non potest major Domino suo servus nec quisquam sibi quod soli filio pater tribuit vendicare se putet ut ad aream ventilandam purgendam paleam ferre se jam posse aut à frumento universa Zizania humano judicio segregare Superba est ista obstinatio sacrilega presumptio quam sibi furor pravus assumit Et dum Dominium sibi semper plusquam mitis justitia deposcit assumunt de Ecclesiâ pereunt dum se in solenter extollunt ipso suo humore caecati veritatis lumen amittunt Here we see separation from the Church because of the mixture of naughty persons solidly condemned and noted with a black mark by this Godly Ancient The like or almost the same he hath in the Epistle immediatly following that former cited The word I would present from Augustine is that contra Epistolam Parmeniami lib. 3. cap. 1. Ab initio cum omnis pia ratio modus Ecclesiasticae Disciplinae unitatem Spiritus in vinculo pacis maxime debeat intueri quod Apostolus sufferendo invicem praecepit custodire quo non custodito medicinae vindicta non tantum superflua sed etiam perniciosa propterea jam nec medicina esse convincitur illi filii mali qui non odio iniquitatum alienarum sed studio contentionum suarum infirmas plebes jactantiâ sui nominis irretitas vel totas trahere vel certe dividere affectant superbia tumidi perâ—…iâ—…a vesani calumniis insidiosi seditionibus turbulenti ne lucis veritate carere ostendantur umbram rigidae severitatis obtendunt quae in Scripturis sanctis salva dilectionis sinceritate custoditâ pacis unitate ad corrigenda fraterna vitia moderatiori curatione praecepta sunt ad Sacrilegium Schismatis ad occasioneÌ„ praecisionis usurpant dicentes ecce ait Apostolus auferte malum ex vobis ipsis Yea the very universall Argument and purpose of these Books against Parmenianus this Ancient himself Retract lib. 1. cap. 17. expresseth to be this in tribus libris contra Parmen Donatislarum Carthaginensis Episcopi successorisque Donati questio magna versatur solvitur utrum in unitate eorundum communione Sacramentorum mali contaminent bonos which is the very ground whereupon these our Brethren builds the necessity of their separation quemadmodum non contaminent disputatur propter Ecclesiam toto orbe diffusam cui calumniando Schisma fecerunt If I would bring here all that that Ancient hath against this Tenet and practice of separation of these Authors I might transcribe the most part of all his writings against the Donatists Therefore I refer the Reader to the writings themselves and beseeches these our Brethren yet in the fear of God and in humility of Spirit to consider and ponder their way they have run into was condemned and solidely refuted from the Word of God in these ancient Schismaticks by the Godly and Orthodox ancient Doctors of the Church in that time And now I go on to Mr. Lockiers Appendix PART II. Wherein is EXAMINED Mr. LOCKIERS TWO ASSERTIONS
of Government but particular Congregations where they can conveniently associate together they are oblidged by the rule and warrand of Gods Word to associate under common Presbyteries Classicall and Synodicall and in this case that a particular Congregation ought not nor may by warrand of Gods Word exercise these acts of Government of publike and common concernment as Ordination and Deposition of Ministers Excommunication of persons by it self alone But these acts ought to be done by the common Presbytery Classicall or Synodicall And that a particular Congregation ought not nor may not by warrand of Gods Word perform any act in maters particularly concerning themselves so without the common Presbytery of the association but that there should be liberty of appeal to the common Presbytery And that the common Presbytery may juridically and authoritatively cognosce and judge upon their proceedings and actings In a word it may do things of Government particularly belonging to it self in and by it self but with subordination to the larger and common Presbyteries these things have been abundantly proven by sundry learned men as Mr Gillâ—sp in his Assert of the Government c. Mr. Rutherfurd Gull Apollon in his consideration of sundry controversies Jus Divin The Ass of Divines come we to see what Mr. Lockier bringeth for the contrair section 3 First It is granted by our Brethren sayeth he that such a Church hath this sufficiency in the exercise of some Ordinances as Preaching Administration of Sacraments without seeking the consent or help of the Classes Nor were the Church to neglect these Whence he concludeth that it may also exercise the other Ordination and Excommunication And gives for a proof of the consequence upon that grant If they may do the greater surely they may do the lesser and there is no dispensation of so choise an excellency as Preaching as Paul witnesseth making it the chief part of his errand I was sent to Preach the Gospel not to Baptize Answ 1. 'T is true we grant that such a Church i. e. a particular Congregation having all its Officers hath sufficiency in it to exercise these Ordinances of Preaching and Administration of Sacraments i. e. the Pastors of a particular Congregation may Preach the Word and Administer the Sacraments without speciall consent or help and concurrence of the Classicall Presbytery to every act nor were he to neglect or cease from these if the Classis should forbid I mean without just cause Yet it may be and it is so indeed by the warrand of Gods Word that the particular Congregation cannot have in the ordinary way of the Church in a setled and constitute state the Pastor to exercise these Ordinances but by the consent and potestative mission and Ordination of the Classis or some associate Presbyterie and tho the Pastor of the particular Congregation his exercising these Ordinances be not dependent upon the actuall concurrence in the severall individuall acts Yet therein he is subordinate to their Ministeriall Authority to try and judge his Preaching according to the Word of God and if they find just cause may forbid him to preach and they forbidding he must obey But 2. It s a grosse non-sequitur a particular Church or the Pastors in a particular Church have sufficiency or power to preach the Gospel and administer Sacraments without the help or concurrence of the Classicall Presbyterie Ergo they may also exercise these other Ordinances Ordination and Excommunication without their concurrence And the proof of it is invalide because that is greater and if they may do the greater alone by themselves they may also do the lesser For by that same reason it should follow A Pastor hath sufficiency and power by himself alone to preach the Gospel to Baptize without the help and concurrence of his fellow-Elders in the Congregation Ergo he may also by himself alone Ordain and Excommunicate without their help and concurrence Why That is the greater and if he may do the greater alone he may also do the lesser The Author himself will not I conceive admit the Consequence here The truth is the interest of persons to exercise this or that or the other Ordinance is not to be attended or determined according to the greater or lesser excellency of the work But according to Christs commission institution and grant of power to them The exercise of Ecclesiasticall power in some things which is commonly called power of order as Preaching of the Word Administration of Sacraments is given to Christs Ministers severally and a part considered as single Pastors So a Pastor may preach the Word and administer Sacraments alone without concurrence or speciall consent either of the whole Church or other Rulers to every act But in other things these of the power called the power of jurisdiction the exercise and power thereof is not given to one but to an unity To the community of Governours of the Church united together not any single Rulers severally Therefore tho a Pastor may preach and baptize alone yet he may not Censure nor Excommunicate alone And if he should do this the act were invalide both in foro Dei and in foro Ecclesiastico Now the power of Ordination and Excommunication being given to a community the Question is whether this community be a particular Congregation having an intire particular Eldership or the Eldership of a particular Congregation by it self and independent from a larger Presbyterie this Mr. Lockier saith but his Argument grounded upon our grant to prove it is impertinent as we have seen section 4 But further he would prove that a particular Congregation hath power to exercise all Ordinances as well as any thus Sect. 41. The Keyes are not divided The Keyes are all given to Peter as personating the Church of beleevers in the Gospel that Kingdom of which Christ said he would build And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth Mat. 16. 19. Surely this particular here used is not in vain but to set forth that every Gospel-Church every particular Congregation of beleevers united as a visible organicall body for Gods Worship have ability a power given to it as to such an end he means to exercise all the Keyes alone and by themselves which he expresseth thus they have not a lame commission part of the Keyes at their girdle and strangers and forrainers carrying another part Answ 1. As to that of dividing the Keyes we have said sufficient before 2. As to that alledged the Keyes were all given to Peter as personating the Church of Believers c. we have spoken also before in the Examination of his first proof of the first Assertion Now we adde but these things here 1. I would ask Mr. Lockier what he means by the Church of Believers in the Gospel Whether the universall Church Visible of Believers Then he must acknowledge a Church Universall Visible individually one For certainly the article the denotateth
acknowledged as members thereof and consequently to be under the Ministeriall dispensation of the publick Ordinances of Christ the ordinary means of saving souls but such as are already and antecedently found to be savingly converted regenerated and sealed of God for his by the Holy Spirit if not in the truth of the object which yet most part of his reasoning and discourse pleads for yet in the positive judgement of very spirituall and discerning men And that as some others of his way further lay out the matter upon triall and proof thereof given by a conversation led without the omission of any known duty or commission of any known sin A publick declaration of their knowledge in the fundamentalls and of other points of Religion necessary to lead a life without scandall together with a narration of the experimentall work of their Effectuall Calling unto Repentance and faith And all Churches that are not constituted of only such matter as this are to our Author wrong constitute In the former part of this Examination my labour is to discover the unwarrantablnesse and contrariety of this Tenent to the Word of God And to shew that all who being of years does seriously professe the Christian faith and subjection to be disciplin'd and governed by the Ordinances of Christ ought to be admitted into the fellowship of his Visible Church without any necessity of puting them to a triall touching their inward spirituall estate and judging upon the same whether regenerat or not as to that effect And are to be dealt with by Pastours and privat Christians in their respective wayes as these that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 within 1 Cor. 5. 12. Upon this point I have insisted the more largely because not so fully and of purpose handled by others before And it is of a truth of greater importance then many are awarre of 'T is far from my thoughts to charge our Independent Brethren with any perverse designe in taking up and following that opinion which I dispute against Many of them known to me by their writings especially these worthy Ministers in New-England Cotton Hooker Shepheard Norton c. I do from my heart reverence as godly and faithfull Servants of Christ and as burning and shining lights in the Reformed Church But I think verily the specious notion of a pure Visible Church has duzled their eyes and led them upon a way which in it self beside that it hath no warrand in the Word of God should it get footing in the world tends to the ruine loss of many souls and to the bringing of the greatest prejudice to the present Cause and Churches that any thing ever yet did since the first Reformation from Popery And I am perswaded that albeit the intention of those holy and reverend men abettors of it be honest and from simplicity of heart Yet Satan is under-board let no man offend at this I say Peters example teacheth us that Satan may abuse good mens zeal and intentions for Christ to wicked ends contrair to his Cause Satan I say is under-board driving that wicked designe For if that be the the rule and modell of constituting the Visible Church which they give us are not all the Reformed Churches by this means condemned of wrong constitution razed out of the account of true Visible Churches as not being conformed nor ever having been set up according to that modell And what could more gratifie the Roman Antichrist and his followers then to yeeld this Again is there not hereby a ground laid to Question all Administration of Ordinances that has been in them and to justifie the wilde fancy of Seekers denying that there is or hath been for many ages any Church or Ordinances in the world Moreover when as none of the Reformed Churches at this day are thus constitute if that modell should have place must not either all of them be dissolved and cast down to the ground that new ones may be reared up of some few precious ones picked out of their ruines or to the effect they may consist only of persons regenerated and sealed by the Spirit all other persons who albeit they professe the truth subject themselves to Ordinances yet come not up so far as to obtain a positive sentence that they are regenerat upon such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evidences as these men require must be all cast out and banished the Church put amongst those that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without 1 Cor. 5. 12 left destitute of the custody of spiritual Discipline Pastorall instruction inspection and authority And so exposed to be a prey to Satan and his Emissaries Jesuits Hereticks and erroneous spirits whatsoever to be led away unto what soever pernicious soul-destroying errours or to turn black Atheists That this is no needlesse fear but a reall consequent of this way is too too clear by the sad examples of many in these times who living without the pale of true Visible Churches and not subject to the shepheards staffe and vigilancy are run out into so many wilde errours in Religion as never age of the Christian Church saw the like Touching the other head the Author in his Appendix pleadeth for two things 1. That the power and exercise of Church Government should be in the hands of the whole body or community of Professours as well as of the Officers appointed by Christ in the Church A Tenent not heard of in the Christian Church untill Morellius in France Anabaptists and Brownists fancied it and as contrary to the Word of God which to Ministers and other Officers appointed by Christ in his Church as contradistinguished from common Professours attributeth the name of Rulers injoyns the work of Ruling and prescribes the rules of right governing but never to the people so cannot but unavoidably draw after it much confusion and frequent schisms in the Church of God whereof experience affordeth plenty of examples 2. That this power of Government should be solely intirely â—nd Independently in a single Congregation A Tenent that besides the contrariety thereof to the Word of God and the very light of nature carrieth with it a multitude of gross absurdities and inconveniencies By this means let a particular Congregation of 30. or 20. or fewer 10. or 7. persons for of so few may a Church as our Brethren say be compleatly constitute run into never so grosse an errour as to Excommunicate a person unjustly to hold and maintain Heresie in Doctrine to set up idolatrous worship there is no Ecclesiastick authoritative remedy left under Heaven to rectifie it All Church-communion amongst the Churches of Christ is taken away The unity of Christs sheep-fold the Visible Church upon earth is dissolved and Christ should have as many visible bodies as there are particular Congregations A Minister could not perform any Ministeriall act out of his own Congregation Not Preach but as a privat gifted Brother Not Administer the Sacraments out of his own Congregation nor give the Sacrament
to a member of another Congregation as Mr. Hooker ingenuously acknowledges Surv. Part. 2. admission and ejection of members should only be into and from a particular Congregation A child should be Baptized into a particular Congregation only and not into the Universall Church And one Excommunicated cast out only of a particular Congregation because the power extends no further Way is made to let in all errours and heresies and as many Religions as there are particular Congregations and none can hinder it in an Ecclesiastick way and many more absurdities should follow as Learned and Godly men have judiciously observed Contrair to those Assertions is my second Part imployed for vindication of the true way of Government which Christ has instituted in his Word and in great mercy set up in this Church to wit by his Ministers and Officers not Lording over the people of God in a Papall or Prelaticall way as this Author either mistakes or calumniats but Ministerially under Christ the only Lord of his Church Ruling them according to the Rule of his Word in a way of rationall obedience And that in a way of communion and association of Churches and subordination of lesser associations unto greater and larger as the Lord grants by his providence conveniency On this I have not insisted so largly as the matter it self might afforded occasion of discourse Because it has been by learned and reverend men already so fully debated the proofs of the truth so clearly made out and all contrary Objections so abundantly discussed and satisfied that I had little or nothing to adde Yet I trust I have through the Lords help in some measure discovered the insufficiency and invalidity of what is brought by this Author who I wonder much should have adventured to present the world with such a discourse upon the mater after so learned labours of others as are extant upon the same I have also in two Appendices taken into consideration what is said upon these same points by some in Aberdene lately turned aside from the truth in a Letter of theirs directed to some Godly men in the South May 1652. The reasons moving me hereto were 1. Because of their correspondence with Mr. Lockiers Peece and it seemeth they have been in a manner his proselytes Then having some time had more particular and intimat acquaintance with some of them it would be to me mater of much rejoicing in the Lord if I could be instrumentall to discover to them the we knesse of the grounds whereupon they have fallen from their stedfastnesse that so if possible which I wish from my heart they might be moved to remember whence they have fallen to repent and to do their first works And finally tâ—… what ever should be the effect as to them the irrelevancy 〈◊〉 the causes of their departure being laid open others might see no cause why any should be shaken with their fall And blessed be God there are not yet many in this Land that have followed them in this What may be afterward the Lord who sees the thoughts of mens hearts afar off knoweth Times indeed are sifting And the ignorance of many the base earthly time serving minds of others unadvised principles in some who may be sees not yet the far end of their consequences may prove an advantage to seducements produce more defection from the profession of the truth if temptations continue then as yet we have seen But let temptations and trialls be what they will the Cause of Christ even that part of it which I stand for here the order Government of this Church which he has appointed in his Word and thereby made known to this Church shal stand firm It has been a cup of trembling to all that have hitherto laid siege against it and a burdensome stone to all that have at any time burdened themselves wâ—…h it to cut them in pieces it will yet prove so to all who will adventure to do the like And turn their back upon it who will Christ will not want his witnesses to bear witness unto it Even if need be by not loving their lives unto the death And O but that man might count himself highly favoured of God whom he should honour with that dignity as that eminent servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Welsch spoke in relation to himself of suffering for some branches of the same cause wâ—…ged in his time But having detained your Lordship too 〈◊〉 I present this testimony I have given to it according to my weak measure to you commending it not only to your favourable acceptance but also to your judicious censure and your self unto the Grace of God who has called you unto the uâ—…ained love of the truth and is able to preserve you therein â—…lameable unto the end I am Your Lordsâ—… most humble Servant in the Lord James Wood. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER ALbeit it hath pleased Mr. Lockier to prefixe unto his Book two Epistles of his own and a third of three of his friends containing many sharp invectives against this Church and strange Commentaries upon the Lords dispensations toward us as striking against our Church constitution and Government Yet I shall not detain the Reader with scanning of the same being confident that upon the clearing and vindicating of the truth in the following Treatise these discourses will be found by the Godly and Judicious to be not only bitter against Brethren in affliction proving them to be Physitians of no value but injurious to God and his Truth in ascribing our calamities to our adhering thereto and judging of the truth of our Religion by the Lords outward dispensations toward us An Index of the Sections PART I. Concerning the Mater of the Visible Kirk SECT I. MR. Lockier his Analysis and explication of the Text Act. 15. 3. for laying a ground to his Doctrine concerning the Mater of the Visible Kirk considered p. 1. SECT II. His Doctrine pondered and the state of the controversie between us and the Independent Brethren touching the necessary qualification of Members of the Visible Kirk cleared p. 16. SECT III. His first Classe of Arguments from Act. 9. 26. and 2. 47. and Heb. 3. 5 6. brought as directly holding forth his Doctrine Answered p. 31. SECT IV. The Authors Texts which he calls hints and shadows of his Doctrine p. 40. SECT V. Examination of the proof of his Doctrine by induction p. 56 SECT VI. ExaminatioÌ„ of his proofs brought under the name of reason p. 83 SECT VII A short modest reply to the bitter use he maketh of his Doctrine p. 102. SECT VIII The Objections he maketh to himself and his Answers thereto considered p. 107. SECT IX Some Arguments confirming our Doctrine and everting the adverse opinion about the necessary qualification of Members of the Visible Kirk p. 127. APPEND Wherein is Examined so muc◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Letter written by these of Aberdene who lately have sepâ—…ted from this Kirk upon the
in this vision was not to give a patern and portraicture or modell of the Visible Church for the time to come 2. As to that alledged meaning of Moses receiving his patern near Heaven viz. to shew of what qualification the people i. e. the members of the ancient Visible Church should be viz. in foro exteriori so must he understand it if he speak to the purpose in hand I will not trouble my self to inquire who may be these very learned men that say so But the thing it self is but a conjecture and I desire Mr. Lockier concerning this and the expounding of Heaven here to remember the axiome acknowledged by Schoole-men themselves otherwise doting on allegories theologia symbolica non est Argumentativa except where the Spirit of God himself openeth the signification 3. I desire to know what Mr. Lockier meaneth by persons really living very near Heaven if truely gracious then what difference between those and these afterward brought in with an adversative opposing them to the former and why did he propound his Doctrine with a restriction to the time of the Gospel 4. That patern which Moses had shown to him in the Mount according to which he was commanded to make did not concern the constitution of the body of the then Visible Church of what and how qualified persons it was to be made up But was a patern of the Tabernacle and the things pertaining to it Exod. 25. 9. 40. S. The place Ezek. 44. 7. referred as speaking of the ordinary members of the then Visible Church is not to the purpose for it speaks of such as were admitted to the Priests Office See Junius and Paraeus in locum 5. As impertinently and much more impertinently is the place of Heb. 8. 10. cited from Ier. 31. 33. brought into this discourse concerning the Visible Church and the mater thereof I appeal to all judicious Christians in the World and to Mr. Lockier himself in second serious thoughts if that Scripture was intended to be a rule of constituting Congregations Or if it be not a declaration or revelation of Gods purpose and Decree what he is to do himself by his efficacious grace and if that Covenant and the promises thereof belongeth not in the fulfilling thereof only to the Lords elect SECTION V. Examination of Mr. Lockyers proofe of his Doctrine by induction section 1 BVt saith he this is not the way which I most mind to make probation by of this point I would prove it by induction it seemeth then that he hes not had such confidence in that former way of probation by testimonies alledged to speak the point in thesi And I humbly leave it to the judicious and impartiall Reader to judge by what hath been said in answer to these passages if it be not made clearer that he had little ground of confidence in them for proof of his point and comes now to that way of probation wherein it seemeth he conceiveth more strength to ly section 2 The Churches of the Romanes Corinthians Ephesians Galatians Collossians Thessalonians of the Jews which are mentioned by Peter Iames and the Author to the Hebrews and in the Acts were all thus constitute of truely Godly so far as a Godly man can make judgement of one like himself Ergo. if these be denyed as presidents then I would aske our Brethren of the Presbytery by what rule they walk But if these be considered as presidents I have only to shew that these Churches did all thus constitute though I think they did not long keep and maintain this pure constitution for which they bore their judgement yet bear Ans Where did Mr. Lockier read that the judgement comed and yet lying upon these Churches came upon them for their admitting and permitting to be in their visible society such as were not true converts such as God the searcher of the hearts of all men can bear witnesse of as indeed sealed for his by his Holy Spirit as far as men truely converted and very spirituall can discern and judge We find indeed laid to some of their charge that they suffered scandalous persons broatchers of errors and seducers of others into their errors such I mean maintainers of errors I trow he and others of his way are not averse from receiving and suffering into their Independent Churches and I doubt not but for this among other causes judgement came upon them But that ever that which he saith was laid to tâ—eir charge or that the judgement of God came upon them for that cause we cannot believe his assertion we require it to be instanced by proofe but to the purpose he supposeth that beside these particular Churches instanced and what is said of them in the Epistles written to them there can be no where in Scripture found any thing holden forth as a rule by which we may walk in the constitution of the visible Church as to the mater or members tâ—ereof So doth his Question then I would aske our Brethren by what rule they walk import But we trust ere we have done to find a rule else-where yet we shall not deny nor refuse these Churches as presidents in this businesse in whatsoever can be made clear to have been their practice in this mater I mean the notion and consideration under which persons were admitted unto and reckoned in their externall Church-fellowship Come we then to consider the antecedent of this Argument or what is affirmed in his induction of these Churches First in the generall and then his proof thereof particularly The assertion of them all in generall is that all of them were constitute of persons truely Godly so far as Godly men could make judgement Ans 1. Mr. Lockier if he would have made the attributum of this induction answerable to his conclusion intended he should have said they were constitute of persons all and every one of them truely Godly and none else But he speaks only indefinitely which might be granted But let us take him to mean so this assertion as it lyeth may be granted in some sense which it may carry and never a whit advantage redound thereby to his Doctrine for it may carry this sense that these Churches were made up or did consist of persons all of them truely matâ—…ially Godly de facto and quoad eventum or it may carry this sense that they were constitute of persons all truly godly formally considered as such in their taking them into the constitution and external society of them Now in the first sense it might be granted as I suppose some Congregation or Congregations may be such eventually that all the members may be truely godly yet no advantage come thereby to his Tenet unlesse he could prove that the enumeration which he makes is a perfect enumeration of all the particular Churches in Scripture which he cannot because it is clearly contrary to truth and therefore his induction is imperfect Yea and this also that there is no other
so inclineable to separation because of the unsoundnesse of our Church members and un-Church whole Paroches Mr. Lockier doth whole Nations and gather Churches out of them as if they were no Churches and that must have such triall and discoveries of the work of mens conversion before they admit them would but lay to heart al the Scripture examples and make moâ—e conscience of observing their rule and not presume to be wiser and holier then God He that goeth beyond Jesus Christ shall go without me So he and so say I with him But 2. I cannot yet agree with him in this that men are not to be received into the Visible Church but under the notion of true believers and positively judged to be such though but probably 1. I can see no warrand in the Word for this 2. The grounds that the learned Author hints at for it pag. 73. do not seem convincing 1. Whereas he saith that it is all one to be a visible member of the Church and a member of the Visible Church And he that denyeth this will but shew his vanity I say if the name Church be taken in one and the same notion in both Propositions I confesse 't is true he saith and he would show his vanitie that would deny it But if in the former thereof Church be taken for that society which is Christs mysticall redeemed body the Epithete Visible noting so not the nature of membership but an adjunct of it I deny the identity of these two Propositions and cannot see but it is solide enough to deny it Again when he saith that the Invisible is properly and primarly called the Church and the Church Visible containing all the unsound part is called the Church secundarly and for the sake of the Invisible ble I acknowledge this is ordinarly said but can see no reason for it I find three speciall Ecclesiastick significations of this name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Scripture viz. 1. The society or company of redeemed ones effectually called from the estate of nature 2. A society outwardly called into and making profession of the faith worship and service of God in Christ 3. An Assembly of Officers imployed in government of Professors However I confesse the strict signification is principall and most excellent as to the thing yet I think all of them are alike proper and none of these things has the name by way of reference to another of them 3. When as he saith That if we were fully certain by his own externall discoveries that a man were not of the Invisible Church that man should not be taken to be of the Visible and if any Jew or Pagan were to be taken into the Church upon his profession we ought not to admit him except his Profession seem to be serious and sincere For this I represent these considerations 1. If we were fully certain by his own externall discoveries that a man were not of the Invisible Church neither actually nor potentially or in the purpose of God i. e. if we were fully certain by his own externall discoveries that he were a reprobat as these that sin against the Holy Ghost and these only discovers themselves to be such true he were not to be received into the Visible Church even because he were known to be this way not of the Invisible Church 2. I confesse also that 〈◊〉 a mans outward carriage and way such as did discover him positively not to be of the Invisible Church actually i. e. as did discover him positively to be an unregenerat man though I did not discover him to be as a reprobat i. e. not so much as potentially of the Invisible Church he were not to be received into the fellowship of the Visible But withall I say he were to be debarred or not received not upon the account of non-regeneration or upon that cariage considered under this formality and reduplication as a signe and discovery of non-regeneration but materially as being contrary to the very outward profession of the faith for such a cariageonly I conceive it would be this my reason why I deny that non-regeneration or any thing considered formally under the notion or reduplication as a signe of non-regeneration which is all one should be the cause for excluding a man from admission into the Visible Church is because I conceive it is Gods revealed will in his word that men be received into the Visible Church that they may be Regenerat and converted and that the Ministeriall dispensation of the Ordinances are by Gods revealed will set up in the Church to be means of Regeneration and Conversion as well as edification of such as are Regenerat 3. I conceive between such as are in a course and cariage which indeed discovers evidently and certainly non-regeneration e. g. as to be without the profession of Christianity to live in some heresie directly contrary to the foundation as is Socinianism to live in a constant course of known prophanity and such as are seemingly Regenerat and so to be positively judged such in probability there may be yea and are many of a midde sort who are in such an estate and condition outward and as relating to mans judgement of them that as they do not unto full certainty of judgement discover themselves non-regenerat so there is not sufficient ground positively to judge them probably Regenerat and so to use them that is to dispence Ordinances to them as such and in a way suteable to men supposed to be Regenerat But the most we can in our judgement of their state is to prescind from passing a positive judgement either way as for example a man when he comes first to make a serious sober profession of the faith before we have further experience of his way or of whom we know no more as yet but that he seriously professeth the truth and offereth subjection to Ordinances I confesse this is a ground sufficient probably to judge the man is elect God has a purpose to save him and could we not judge this much probable of him I will not say we should receive him in that case But it is not sufficient this alone and by it self to ground a positive judgement that he is Regenerat or actually in the state of grace though you call it a judgement of probability my reason is this because to ground a positive act of judgement that a man is Regenerat in foro exteriori there is requisite some seemingnesse to speak so of spirituall sincerity in a mans profession i. e. that he doth it from a spirituall principle upon spirituall motives and for a spirituall end But a meer sober not mocking serious profession without more is not a positive appearaÌ„ce of spirituall supernaturall sincerity at least therefore I humbly conceive it is a mistake to confound seriousnesse and sincerity if he understand spiritual or supernatural sincerity as he must understand it here for that is larger then this many are serious in their
professours but yet unregenerat to invite and so to be means of bringing in such to communion with Christ and participation of his saving grace set forth under the Parable of a Feast Hence then 't is evident that the Ministry and Ministeriall dispensation of the Gospel is ordained and instituted in the Church to be an ordinaâ—y means of Conversion 2. 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. Hence we reason thus The Ministry of the Gospel iâ— a Ministry of Reconciliation i. e. for bringing men from their estate of enimity to peace with God and it is the Office of Ministers as ambassadours in Christs stead to treat with souls and bring them in to Reconciliation with God Therefore they are appointed to be the ordinary means of Conversion 3. 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men apt to teach patient In meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance Then 't is evident Ministers are instituted to be means of Converting souls and they must be qualified in relation to this as the work of their Ministry It is well marked by Estius tho a Papist yet in most things a judicious solid Interpreter docet hic locus Deum ad convertendum peccatores uti velle operâ hominum qui externum adhibeant Ministerium correptionis Doctrinae 4. Rom. 10. 14 17. 'T is so clear from this place that the Ministers of the Gospel by their Ministeriall Preaching thereof are the ordinary means appointed by God for Conversion and begetting faith that it cannot be avoyded but by denying absurdly with Arminians Socinians and others everters of the Ministry that by a sent Preacher is not understood any other but any gifted man though not called and set apart to the Office of the Ministry We conclude then that seeing the Ministry of the Gospel is ordained of God to be an ordinary mean of converting the elect and bringing them to Christ it cannot be a condition necessarily requisite in the members of the Visible Church antecedently to their admission into the society thereof that they be already converted or supposed and judged to be such so far as men can discern And that which followeth upon the contrary That privat Christians and not the Ministry of sent Preachers are the ordinary means and instruments of converting souls is a meer dream having no warrand in the Word of God * Hooker Sur. p. 1. c. 7. pag. 84 85. I know Mr. Hooker stormes at my Reverend Collegue for charging this absurdity upon them And he confesseth that is a dream and hath no warrand in the Word and wonders how such an absurdity is so continually in the eare and minde of Mr. Rutherfurd and sayeth he knoweth not whence it cometh But verily the good man was angry at Mr. Rutherfurd without cause For it cometh as naturally from his principles as any conclusion can come from its premisses For if a Visible Church cannot be constituted of any but such as are supposed to be before converted and an Visible Church is prior to an ordinary Minister neither can there be a Minister but in a constitute Church as themselves maintain I pray what must be the ordinary means for there are not alwayes Apostles extraordinarily sent of God of converting souls but privat Christians What the good man sayeth pag. 84. materialls of new gathered Churches with us are such as have been converted by Ministers in their severall Congregations With reverence of his memorie be it spoken is childish and nothing to the purpose for first the Question is not how or by what means de facto this or that man is converted but what followeth upon his Tenet And according to the genius of this it followeth clearly that all are supposed to be converted we speak of Conversion ordinarily before ever they come under a Ministry and so by privat Christians And these some of whom you gather your Congregations having them from under other Ministers in their severall Congregations if these Congregations be rightly constitute according to your principles were converted ere ever they came under such Ministers section 27 Argument 5. If the mater of the Visible Church were only reall Saints and the complexion of the Visible Church true holines and saving grace as Mr. Lockier roundly expresseth in his Tenet pag. 29. and that by expresse opposition to seemingly good pag. 25. or such as are positively to be judged such by evidence so far as men very spirituall can discern as other where he expresseth it then it doth follow that a man being in the Visible Church for non-regeneration simply or non-appearance or defect of positive evidence to ground a positive judgement of his Regeneneration ought to be Excommunicat and casten out of the Visible Church but the consequent is false Ergo the antecedent also The connexion of the proposition Mr. Lockier cannot deny for in effect it is his own pag. 28. where he sayeth Excommunication is an Ordinance to cleanse the House of God and keep it pure and according to what it ought to be so far as men can discern according to his Tenet consisting of only reall Saints and not one other And sayeth expresly that if men creep in where they should not be i. e. if men not Regenerat creep into the Visible Church they are to be cast out 'T is true pag. 29. in the end of the paragraph he mincheth the mater and sayeth only not one known to be otherwise can abide within But he should have said by the consequence of his Tenet not one not known positively to be such c. As to the Assumption that it is false that for non-regeneration simply or defect of positive evidences of Regeneration persons are to be cast out of the Visible Church 1. Because there is neither precept nor practice in the Word of God for casting out any upon this account Let Mr. Lockier produce us any thing from Scripture of this kind The Scripture enjoyneth Excommunication for obstinacie in known publick scandalous sins in conversation or heresie in Doctrine or at most for atrocious crimes whether the persons be judged Converts and Regenerats or not but no mention of any other cause of Excommunication And in maters de jure in Religion a negative Argument from Scripture is sure 't is not commanded 't is not written in Scripture Ergo it ought not to be done I do professe this consequent following upon this opinion is one of the considerations amongst others that of a long time has swayed me to think that 't is a way which is not of God But on the contrary tho I esteem reverently of many of the followers of it and has no harsh thoughts of their intentions therein that 't is a subtile device of Satan transforming himself into an Angel of light set on foot by him as to advance Atheism in the World so in speciall to overturn the Protestant Religion and Churches For
are baptized and ordinarly hear and professe a willing mind to communicat with the Church in the Holy things of God they being not scandalously wicked ought to be admitted yea are members of the Visible Church But 2. To say that men are not members of the Visible Church and yet that they may be ordinary hearers of the Word according to your principles is but a fair word to make Children fain of nothing For say ye a Minister is a Minister only in relation to his particular flock and the members thereof therefore say I as a Minister he is to Preach the Word only to them and therefore he must sute his Preaching of the Word unto them that is unto men sealed of God by his Spirit so far as men very spirituall can discern and so as a Minister or a Ministeriall Preacher of the Word he is not obliged to bring any word for hearing for the case of that man that is not a member and so if that man hear ordinaâ—ly or at all tho he come to hâ—ar any Preaching of the Word fitted or prepared to do him good 't is more through hap then good guiding as we say or else you must say that a Minister when he is to Preach the Word he must prepare and study something as a Minister for Visible Church-members suteable to such and something to Preach as a privat gifted man for such as are without But 1. An ordinary Preacher of the Word as a privat Christian is a Preacher unknown to Scripture 2. And one and that same man Preaching at that same time as a Minister to some and as a privat man to other hearers is far more uncouth to cripture I beleeve a Minister by Scripture rule ought in his ordinary and publick Preaching of the Word to act and Preach as a Minister and to be wholly taken up with the work of his Ministry For to that he is appointed of God and commanded to look to and fulfill Eph. 4. 12. Collos 4. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 2. section 31 2. It is said by some of them that they will receive any in whom they see the least thing of Christ and therefore there is no such hazard of holding out persons that have not true grace in them To this that least thing of Christ is some outward evidence to ground a positive judgement that the man is Regenerat Now I inquire what is that least thing of Christ upon sight whereof you say you will receive men Is sober serious profession of the true Religion and faith of Christ and of subjecting a mans self to the Ordinances and Government of Christ sufficient to you that thereupon you will receive him Or must there be somewhat more to make it up If you said the former we were at agreement upon the mater about the qualification necessary in soro Ecclesiae for admitting of persons to be Church members but this you acknowledge not to be sufficient Let men thus seriously and soberly professe there must be a time for observing their conversation and their must be a tryall and searching into the experimentall work in their hearts Now if it must be somewhat more then that I enquire what is the least thing more We have seen before what they held forth in their rules of tryall and dare say yea thinks it were unchristian unwarrantable rigidnesse to say the contrary that there may be and are many honest sincere Converts in whom there is not to be seen by others and who cannot shew to others that which they hold forth as the least more then that which we have said and therefore still by their way many truly Regenerat may be held forth tho desirous of Church communion and offering subjection to the Word and Ordinances of Christ for my part I had rather twenty hypocrites were let in then that one gracious soul yea or Elect tho yet not Regenerat come this far on as to desire to be in and to professe subjection should be held forth and yet this accurate and pretended cleanly way of these Brethren tho it tend to exclude many who may be are truely Regenerat yet it may let in any unregenerat if they can but play the Hypocrite handsomely and have some Book-learned-knowledge section 32 Argument 7. Shall be taken from these descriptions of the Visible Church in the Word of God holding it forth to us frequently as a mixed society of good and bad under the similitudes of a barn floore wherein is an heap of wheat and chaffe Mat. 12. of a corn field wherein are growing together tares and wheat Chap. 13. 24. of a draw-net gathering in good fish and bad ibid. vers 47. c. and of a great house wherein are vessels of Gold and Silver and vessels of Wood and Earth 2 Tim 2. 21. I confesse this Argument hath not been well managed against the opposites which has given them occasion to slight it as proving nothing but what themselves grant For when no more is alledged from these places but that the Visible Church is such a society as even when rightly constitute there are in it a mixture of true beleevers and hypocrites they say they yeeld the Argument wholly that in the purest Visible Churches there may and will alwayes be a mixture of hypocrites with true beleevers and Saints de facto but that the Question is what sort of persons ought de jure to be admitted or permitted to be members of the Visible Church But the places duely pondered and considered together will afford us a more pungent Argument which will not leave open a way for such an escape We present it thus in form if the Lord himself describing the outward constitution of the Visible Church as to the mater whereof it consisteth not only holdeth it forth as a mixed society of some truely good and gracious and some bad unconverted and gracelesse ones But also declareth that his will is that his servants should not cast out of it all such as they conceive to be bad and unconverted but that they permit even such in the outward Visible Church leaving to himself to make the full separation of the one from the other Then it cannot be that by his apointment and institution it should be the necessary qualification of Visible Church-members in foro Ecclesiastico that they be all true converts and gracious ones at least so far as men can discern and judge this proposition if the consequence and connexion thereof hold good leaves no door open for the former escapes as is evident and I conceive that the connexion or consequence of it is undenyable because upon the supposition of the opposite of the consequent followes clearly the opposite of the antecedent that is to say if it were Christs institution and will that true grace at least so far as men can discern and judge should be the necessary qualification in foro Ecclesiastico of all Church-members it should clearly follow that it were his will and
the duty of his servants to cast out all such in the Visible Church as they did see not to be qualified not gracious converts which is flatly contrary to that which is supposed in the antecedent Now I assume that the antecedent is clearly held forth to us in these places 1. 'T is clear that in these places he holdeth forth the Visible Church in its outward constiâ—ution as to the mater thereof to be a mixed society of good and bad truely gracious and such as are void of true grace and not only this but 2. That not only he permits it to be so untill the last day But also 't is his will and he commands his servants to permit such to abide in the Church as even to their discerning are bad leaving the separation of them to himself at the last The servant said unto him wilt thou then that we go and gather them up Yes would Mr. Lockier say leave not one of them No not one of them in a Visible Church they are where they ought not to be they want the complexion of the Visible Church c. But sayeth the Lord himself Nay but let both grow together untill the Harvest section 33 Object If it shall be objected against this exposition and application of this place that hereby it should follow that any prophane ones ought to be permitted to be members of the Visible Church which in consequence is contrary to Christs institution of Ecclesiastick Discipline enjoyning incorrigible offenders to be casten out and Excommunicat and that therefore by these tares must be understood latent hypocrites which may be such in appearance as may charitably be judged by men true beleevers Answ It cannot be that such latent hypocrites as these only are understood Why They are such tares as are seen and known by the servants they must therefore be such as falls into sins and whose badnesse is obvious to the senses of others yet there is no contradiction between this of Mat. 13. 29. so understood and that of Mat. 18. vers 17. We may say as Augustine on the same places against Donatists Domino in Euangelio dicenti in illo obtemperare debemus ubi ait si neque Ecclesiam audierit sit tibi tanquam Ethnicus Publicanus in illo ubi prohibuit colligi Zizania ne simul eradicetur triticum potest enim utrumque custodiri The reason is because they may well be conceived to speak not adidem in respect to these same sort of persons The command of Excommunication is against such notorious offenders as to their offences adde contumacie against the Discipline of the Church or at least if it be further to be extended whose offence is atrocious these that offends these wayes whether they be tares gracelesse men or indued with true saving grace But there may be sinfull livers in the Visible Church seen to be such by the servants who falls not under either of these two sorts section 34 The Doctrinall notes which the Reverend Mr. Dickson hath upon that Parable Mat. 13. 24. c. are worthy the reading and consideration to this purpose we are on and they are genuine and naturally flowing from the place The Book is common so that I need not transcribe all I shall but bring two or three of them for such as may be has not the Book at hand 1. The externall Visible Church is worthy to be called the Kingdome of Heaven even in respect of the externall constitution of it in the world notwithstanding the wicked hypocrites in it because therein Christ rules as King and hath his Subjects all professing him to be King of Saints 4. It is mater of grief and offence to see in the Church of Christ so many unprofitable weeds 5. The rash zeal of servants before they consult their Lord and Master is ready with the hazard of the Church and true members thereof to have such a constitution of the Visible Church as they should suffer none to be a member who are not inwardly Regenerat But have all others of whose inward Regeneration they are not assured plucked from among Professours 6. The Lord although he hath given order to censure scandalous offenders yet he discharges his servants to presse towards such a separation as to have all weeds and wicked in heart to be cast out Least while they gather out the gracelesse tares they should root out also the gracious wheat with them For it is not possible for any man to discern the renewed from the unrenewed so clearly but he may be mistaken 8. The mixture in the Visible Church Christ the Lord is minded to permit and commands to be permitted till the day of Judgement and then but not till then shall a full separation of the godly and the wicked of the Elect and Reprobat be made In the time of Harvest I will say gather the Wheat c. See also his note on the ver 47. This Parable teacheth us that the Visible Church in the way of gathering members and in the manner of constitution thereof it is like a draw-net taking in all who professe subjection to Christ and his Ordinances good and bad true and false Professours for it gathereth of every kinde to wit whosoever professe faith in and promise subjection to Christ section 35 Argument 8. The Doctrine which excludes the Infants of Christians from being members of the Visible Church cannot be from Christ nor have any truth in it But Mr. Lockiers Doctrine concerning the mater of the Visible Church excludes the Infants of Christians from being members of the Visible Church go c. For the proof of the proposition I refer Mr. Lockier to Mr. Baxters Dispute against Tombs If he deny that Infants of Christians are members of the Visible Church let him take some pains to answer these many solid and acute Arguments brought by that Learned man to prove that they are The assumption is most clear For Mr. Lockiers Doctrine is that none others no not one other are fit mater of a Visible Church but such as are truly converted so far as men truely converted and very spirituall are able to discern and judge This is a thing that cannot be spoken or understood of â—nfants And it is remarkable that Mr. Lockier nor here when he propoundeth his Doctrine concerning the mater of the Visible Church nor else where in prosecuting it in this Lecture does so much as once with these whom he allowes to be mater of the Visible Church take in their Infants as some others of his mind are wont sometimes to do And therefore that which Mr. Caudrie sayeth considering Mr. Hookers conclusion concerning the mater of the visible Church that had he not added a little after comprehending the Infants of confâ—derat believers under their Parents Covenant he might have been suspected c. Mr. Lockier having altogether left this out I may say it of him positively he is justly to be suspected of concurring with
Anabaptists whose Doctrine concerning the mater of a Church is the very same with his section 36 Having added some reasons from Scripture to these which Mr. Lockier was pleased to take into consideration besides which he may find sundry others in other Divines who have Written on this Subject as namely Reverend Mâ— Rutherfurd Apollonius his consideration of sundry Controversies c. and Spanhemius his Epistle to David Buchanan I might adde a large enough Catalogue of Testimonies from Orthodox Divines both ancient especially in their Writings against Novatians and Donatists and Moderne since Reformation of Religion from Poperie But being of the mind of that Reverend and Learned man who said he esteemed more of one Testimony of Scripture then of ten reasons and of one solid reason more then of ten humane testimonies I will spare to fill up Paper this way only this I may say that our opposites have the whole stream of Orthodox and Reformed Divines against them Let the Learned Ames a man in some other points too much inclining to the Independent Tenents speak for this Bellar. Enervat Tom. 2. lib. 2. c. 1. 11. 5. falsum est sayeth he internas virtutes equiri à nobis ut aliquis sit in Ecclesiâ quoad Visibilem ejus statum i. e. it s false that inward vertues or graces are required by us that one may be in the Church as to its visible state And he had good reason to say so for we shall find all Orthodox Reformed Divines alwise defining the Visible Church by outward Profession of the true Christian faith or Religion and externall communion in the Worship and Ordinances of God But never by inward holinesse and heart-conversion Thus I have done with Mr. Lockiers Lecture APPENDIX Wherein is Examined so much of that Letter Written by these of ABERDENE who lately have separated from this Church upon the INDEPENDENT grounds as relateth to the present Question touching the necessary qualification of Visible Church-members section 1 LAst Summer some persons Ministers and others in Aberdene did Write a Letter of the date 24. of May to some Godly men in the South declaring their separation from the communion of the Church of Scotland upon two points of Controversie between us and these of the Independent way viz. the constitution of the Visible Church and the Government thereof contrary to their solemn Vowes made to Almighty God in two Covenants the Nationall Covenant of this Kirk and the Solemn League and Covenant of the three Kingdomes and undertaken with so lemn declaration of their conviction in Conscience of the truth of Religion professed in this Church and under the pains of Gods everlasting wrath and of infamie and of losse of all honour and respect in this world if they should ever make defection from the same which curse I pray the God of all grace avert from them granting unto them Repentance and forgivenesse of their great sin through Jesus Christ section 2 It is not my purpose here to write an Examination of that whole Letter knowing some Godly and able men have done that sufficiently already to themselves whose pains I heartily wish the Lord may be pleased by his blessing yet to make effectuall upon the hearts of these men to reduce them from their errour into unity with this Church in his Truth from which they have departed I mind only to consider what new appearance of reason they bring touching these two points the qualification of Church-members and form of Government and shall speak to the former in this Appendix to the latter in another after our second Part of Mr. Lockiers Examination The cause why I do this thus apart in Appendices is partly because I was loath to interrupt so much the threed of Mr. Lockiers Examination Partly because it was long time and I had gone on a great way in that Examination ere a Copy of this Letter came to my hands Come we then to consider here what they say upon the first point section 3 Their Thesis is this To us it seemeth for ought we can search in the Word that none should be admitted constitute members of a Visible Church But such as with a profession of the truth joyn such blamelesse and Gospel-like behaviour as they may be esteemed in a rationall judgement of charity beleevers and their children On which I would represent these animadversions 1. A little before they expresse a restriction of this to Gospel Churches 1. As I conceive Churches of the New Testament for ought we understand say they the reall constitution of Gospel Churches c. Now as to this we desire these things propounded upon the same restriction made by Mr. Lockier before Sect. 2. may be considered 2. When as they speak of the members of a Church and not of the Church I would know whether they do acknowledge the being and unity of an Universall Visible Church or not If they acknowledge the being and essence thereof then why do they not define the qualification of members in relation to it but in relation to a Church i. e. a particular Congregation Is the necessary qualification of a member of the Visible Church Universall one thing and the necessary qualification of a member of this or that particular Congregation another and may one be fit to be a member of the Universall Visible Church and yet not qualified to be a member of a particular Congregation If they deny the being and unity of the Universall Visible Church which may be pâ—obably they do then I desire them in the fear of God to consider and if they can give us satisfactory answers to the weighty reasons from the Word of God brought by sundry late Divines particularly these of the Judicious and Learned Mr. Hudson in his late Treatises on that purpose to prove the being and unity thereof Which I am perswaded nor they nor any living man shall ever be able to do 3. When as they speak not simply of members but distinctly of constitute members none say they are to be admitted as constitute members of a Visible Church I would aske them what is the other part of the distinction What other members are there of the Visible Church unto which these constitute members are contradistinguished How are they called in their specification And what is their necessary qualification 4. When as they say that none are to be admitted constitute members but such as with a profession of the truth joyn such blamelesse and Gospel-like behaviour as they may be esteemed in a rationall charity beleevers i. e. true gracious beleevers with a saving faith 1. I would ask here why do they omit that part of the qualification required and made a part of the ground of esteeming persons beleevers by others of that way they have taken themselves to viz. a declaration of the experimentall work of effectuall vocation upon their heart and only mentioned the behaviour or conversation 2. Why have they not defined that blamelesse and
not conceive this exhortation tho to a duty of common obligation yet particularly intended and directed by the Apostle to the elect and truely redeemed amongst them not distinctly by the head and name pointing them out but confusè in the Visible Society they were amongst 2. Passing that assumption of the first syllogism the assumption of the second which is brought to prove the major of the first is as loose viz. that all these persons to whom the exhortation is directed or are exhorted to flee fornication are exhorted by that Argument taken from redemption as their condition This may well be denyed for why may not an exhortation to a common duty directed to a whole society mixed of persons of different spirituall conditions be pressed upon all by some Arguments common to all such as that whereby this exhortation is pressed vers 18. and upon some by some speciall Argument relating properly to them There can be no circumstance of the context alledged to prove why it may not be conceived to be so here supposing that the exhortation is directed to all But 3. To beat out the bottom of this Argument I prove from the very Text it self that the Apostle here speaking to the persons whom he calleth redeemed speaketh of them as such in the verity of the thing or object i. e. as truly and really redeemed and consequently cannot be conceived to speak it of all and every one in the Church of Corinth as the Authors themselves will confesse I doubt not I prove it thus these whom the Apostles calls Redeemed here they are such as might and ought themselves to know and be assured that they were Redeemed and had the Spirit of God dwelling in them But only such as are in realâ—ty and the verity of the thing Redeemed c. may and ought to know and be assured of this of themselves Therefore the second Part of this Argument is clear because otherwise a man might and ought to know and be assured of a lie concerning his estate which is deluded presumption The first part is also clear from the Apostles words v. 19. What know ye not that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost c. That know ye not so frequently used by the Apostle especially in these Epistles to the Corinthians and in this very Chapter five times imports a certain assurance of the thing he is speaking of and therefore here the Apostle imports that these whom he is speaking to as redeemed and having the Spirit dwelling in them they are such as may and ought to be assuredly sensible that they were redeemed And is not this place parallel to that of the very like expression 2 Cor. 13. 5. Know ye not that Christ is in you Which all Protestant Divines presse against Papists for proving Believers certain assurance and perswasion of grace and salvation Therefore I conclude That the Apostle by these whom he calls the Temple of the Holy Ghost understands them that are such indeed and in truth of the object and not in the judgment of charity And what an incongruous interpretation were it to put upon these words Know ye not that ye are the temples of the Holy Ghost redeemed with a price this sense Know ye not that ye are accounted in the judgment of charity temples of the Holy Ghost c. 4. Yet I think it cannot in truth be said that all and every one in the Church of Corinth were judged positively by the Apostle in the judgment of charity gracious renewed and sanctified ones even because of the grosse wickednesse he in these Epistles expresseth himself to have known to be amongst them section 7 The last exception the Authors of the Epistle goes about to obviate thus Neither hath it any weight with us to the contrair which is objected that there were grosse faults amongst them as divisions intemperance questioning the Resurrection incest Will not Lots drunkennesse Davids adultery Peters deniall prove these to be sins incident to the Saints tho justly censurable as the incestuous was excommunicate a man who once as is spoken of Gaius hath been approven of the truth it self though he be overtaken with grosse infirmitie albeit for it he be censurable according to the nature of his offence yea the highest Ecclesiastick Censure passe against him yet he is to be esteemed as a brother 2 Thes 3. 15. Answ 1. Tho that objected hath not with you yet has it had with many judicious and godly men in the Church of God both ancient and moderne much weight to the contrair I name for the present but one there be no doubt of many others because of the Controversie he is upon in making use of this consideration The godly Orthodox and ancient Augustine ad Donatist as post collationem cap. 21. where disputing against the Donatists maintaining separation from all other Christian Churches because of the mixture 〈◊〉 many wicked ones amongst them from that place 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16 17. just as these Authors of this Epistle do afterward from that same very place ut non sit ovum ovo similius answers them from the consideration of these many grosse wickednesses expressed by the Apostle as abounding in that Church that there were many gracelesse persons amongst them yet they neither made nor were commanded to make separation from that Church I humbly desire the judicious Reader to be at the pains to read the whole Chap. and I shall but point at two or three remarkable Passages of it here see the Margine * In eodem quippe ipso populo CorinthioruÌ„ quod dicimus demonstramus ne forte arbitrentur prophetarum tantummodo moris fuisse non ad Novi Testsed ad Vâ—…eris consuetudinem pertinere sâ—c arguere reprehensibiles quasi omnes in eo populo arguantur sic allo qui laudabiles quasi omnes illi laâ—dantur Ecce ad Corinthlos sic Apostalus loquitur Paulus vocatus Iesu Christi per voluntatem Dei Sostheneâ— frater Ecclesiae quae est Corinthi sanctificatis in Iesu Christo vocatis sanctis Quis haec avdiens credat in Ecclesia Corinthiorum esse aliquos reprobos quandoquidem verba ista sic sonant velut ad omnes directa sit laudatio Et tamen paulo post dicit Obsâ—…ro autem fratres ut id ipsnm dicatis omnes non siâ—t in vobis schismata In ipsis etiam Corinthiis ibi erant qui non credebant resurrectionem mortuorum quae singularis sides est Christianorum Attendamus verbailla quibus Câ—inthiorum Ecclesiam in principio Epistolae sic laudat ut dicatâ— Gratias ago Deo meo semper pro vobis in gratia Det quae data est vobis in Christo Icsu quia in omnibus divites facti est is Ecce sic erant ditati in Christo in omni verbo in omni scientia ita ut iis nihil decsset in ulla graetia ut in illis essent qui resurrectionem
mortuorum adhuc usque non crederent c. where it is most evident that this learned and godly Father expounds these titles of saints c. given to the Church of Corinth not of all and every one but of a part thereof and that upon this very consideration that there were amongst them persons guilty of such wickednesse as are afterwards fallen upon by the Apostle to whom his minde is these titles were not competent But waving the Authority of men let us consider the things themselves and see if the Authors have not as it would seem strained themselves here to make this consideration appear light unto them Then 2. Let it be observed that in the account of these grosse wickednesses that were amongst the Corinthians alledged as a ground against their assertion that all and every one in the Church of Corinth were such as were judged true Saints in the positive judgement of charity by the Apostles some maine grosse faults are omitted and some of them reckoned up are minced by them First I say some are omitted as for example vain carnall abuse unto ostentation of the gifts of the Spirit with which the Apostle meeteth 1 Cor. 12 13 14. vile envying traducing and labouring by all means to disgrace and bring in disgust amongst them the blessed Apostle and his Ministry Read 2 Cor. 10. and 11. and 12. and consider what was the practices of these amongst the Corinthians against whom the Apostle vindicates himself and say if they were such as the Apostle judged true Saints nay does he not in expresse tearms Cap. 11. ver 13 14 15. say of them that they were false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ Satans Ministers transforming themselves as the Ministers of Righteousnesse whose end should be according to their works Martyr in loc Eos non omni notitia Dei exuit sed tantum loquitur de ea notitia quae salutaris est ad regenerationem conducit ignorare autem Deum hoc nomine se satis declarabant quod resurrectiomè inficiahantur Again some of them reckoned up are minced Not only were there amongst them intemperance simply but coming drunk to the Lords table 1 Cor. 11. 21 22. and 't is spoken of as a thing ordinary and habituall in them not simply committing of fornication but impudent slighting of it as little or no sin at all as appears 1 Cor. 6. not simple questioning as they Interpret it i. e. doubting about the Resurrection but downright positive denying of it 1 Cor. 15. How say some among you that there is no Resurrection of the dead How could the Authors hearts endure to parallel such habituall drunkennesse and whoredome with Lots and Davids lapses through the surprizall of such temptations as they were under Such hereticall denying of a most fundamentall point of Religion the Resurrection from the dead with Peters denyall of a mater of fact his knowledge and acquaintance with Christ which yet was a grievous sin on the mater under the violence of a temptation as if these former as well as these latter were to be accounted but infirmities of Saints Nay albeit I deny not but atheisticall doubtings may arise and infest the hearts of gracious ones which yet are a torment to them yet I see not how a formed deniall of that fundamentall point of the Resurrection now since Christs Resurrection and so clear and full revelation of the Gospel can be consisting in the heart with true saving faith And is it not upon this very account that the Apostle speaking to these Corinthians in that 15. cap. vers 34. sayeth some he means of their Church as the Nether Dutch Notes well observe have not the knowledge of God i. e. they have not saving knowledge of God 2. What shall we yet say that the Apostle judged all and every one in the Church of Corinth truely gracious Saints 3. As to that a man who once spoken of as Gaius c. 1. 'T is true that such a man though he be overtaken with a grosse infirmitie and therefore be censurable and censured with the censure of Excommunication yet is not for that to losse the estimation we had of him before upon such grounds but what is this to the purpose in hand Have the Authors shown us or can they shew us any evidence or proof that these mentioned in the Corinth as guilty of these grosse wickednesses were such as Gaius is said to have been approven of the truth it self yea or positively in charity judged true Saints and Regenerat To suppose this as the Authors do but suppose it here is nothing else but to suppose and beg the thing in Question without any proof of it 2. I conceive the Authors are in a mistake when as they take that 2 Thes 3. 5. esteem him it is admonish him in the text as a brother to import necessarily the accounting a man one truely Regenerat For in Christianity as there is a speciall brotherhood in regard of communion in Regenerating grace so there is a common brotherhood in regard of common profession of Christian Faith and Religion and it is sufficient to understand a brother in that place in that more common notion and relation as is evident by the opposition there made to an enemy Tho I think the Apostle there is not so much speaking of the state of the man censured what it is or ought to be judged As what the affection and cariage of these yet in the Church ought to be towards him for his good Thus we have seen and considered the first ground brought by the Authors for their Thesis taken from the examples of the Churches founded by the Apostles and the confirmation brought to hold it up Their is ere they come to the next this word casten in but this is not our case our Churches are overflowed with a deluge of prophane Atheists who have been such from their birth to this present hour which I can no otherwise look upon in this place of their Epistle but as an untimous eruption of despite against their mother Church Afterward such as it is it might have come in its place when they come to speak to the point of their practice of separation from this Church But here in this place of their Epistle they are upon the question de jure of what members Churches Visible ought to be constitute what is it to this purpose that these Churches have de facto such and such persons in them But now to their second ground John say they thought not a bare verball profession sufficient ground to admit persons to Baptisme These who came to him to be Baptized unlesse he saw joyned with it fruits meet for Repentance and upon this score he could not I conceive it should be * For if it be he could not it must be meant de jure as we say illud possumus quod de jure possumus For to deny that Physicè
Eldership onely De Polâ—… lib. 3. c. 15. Ecclesiam primo loco consideratam in his verbis Praecisè partem Aristocraticam id est Presbyterium significare existimamus Tho in the next immediately following words If he will not hear the Church he will have the people as concurring with the Presbytery to be understood which is exceeding strange to me But 2ly that which we have affirmed That it is only the Eldership whom Christ definitely intends under the name of the Church there and not the people as to concurre authoritatively with them in the acts spoken of in the place besides that Argument ad hominem there be many other solide reasons both from the circumstances in the place and from the nature of the purpose spoken of in it comparing it with other places of Scripture speaking of the same purpose to demonstrate that Assertion Being resolved to be as short as we can conveniently in this part of our Examination in regard the purpose herein treated is so learnedly and largely handled already by others we spare inserting of these reasons here and refer the Reader for satisfaction in the point in hand to Mr. Rutherfurds peaceable Plea C. 8. desiring also Mr. Lockier if he think fit to assay an answer to his Arguments there for that which we have asserted As for Mr. Lockeirs insisting so much to refutâ— these who say that Christ in that direction tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church c. meant the Jewish Synedrion or Judicatory then standing the it were granted which he intends that Christ meant not that yet it gives â—o advantage to his cause that not the Elders alonâ— of the Christian Church but the whole people must be understand by it Certaine it is that Christ in giving these directions concerning Ecclesiastick proceeding in the mater of publick scandals and câ—nsures in the Christian Churâ—… at least alludâ— to the maner and oâ—…er of proceeding in thâ—â—ewish Church aboâ—… maters of judgement and censures and to their Synâ—…ry or consistory with which his hearers were well acquainted that so they might the better understand his mind concerning the order he was now apoinâ—… in the Christian Church and that is sufficient foâ— our purpose For certain it is that in the Jewish Church maters of judgement and censures were never authoritatively managed by the people but onely by their Rulers and Elders Now Christ speaking to his hearers in a form of speach known to them and alluding to that way of Judicature in use amongst them hitherto what else could they understand by tell the Church but tell the Elders of the Congregation see Bez. great annot on the place So we need not insist upon examination of his two Replyes to these who say that by the name of the Church here is meant first the Jewish Synedrion and then by proportion the Eldership of the Christian Church which was to be afterward Yet this much I may say that Mr. Lockier has but weakly refuted these Therefore a brief word to each part of his reply to them section 5 To the first viz. that the Synedrion was instituted for Civill Affaires between man and man Mr. Lockier might known that these men he speaks against here could answer that beside the Synedrion instituted for Civill Affaires there was another Ecclesiastick distinct from that Civill for things Ecclesiastick and considering that so many * See these cited by learned Gillespy Aâ—rons Rod book 1. c. 3. learned men much studied and acquainted in the Jewish antiquities have asserted this Ecclesiastick Sanâ—hedrin distinct from the Civill and given so many considerable reasons for it I wonder much that Mr. Lockier could come forth with a naked Assertion of the contraâ—e without the least shaddow of proof As for that he speake for clearing of Numb 11. that these Officers mentioned there were Civill is not â—o purpose 〈◊〉 these Authors Because they grant these spokâ—… of there 〈◊〉 Civill Rulers but they bring other places foâ— thâ—â—…her Ecclesiastick Court If Mr. Lockier would make it out that there 〈◊〉 no â—…nhedrim amongst the Jews buâ— for Civill Affairs he 〈…〉 well to take into consideration and solidely answer what 〈…〉 for the conâ—rate by that 〈…〉 Aaroâ—… Râ—d book 1. c. 3. througâ—… 〈…〉 must pu◠〈◊〉 in mind that he will find a 〈…〉 Godwyn B. D. not only assâ—…ing upon the like grounds 〈◊〉 Gillespyâ— that distinct Ecclesiastick Couâ—… â—n his Moses and Aâ—ron lâ—… 5. c. 1. but also expresly affirâ—ing that this of our 〈…〉 the Church was spoken with relation to it His worâ—… are â—emarkable and worth the inserâ—… â—ag 199. The Office saith he of the Ecclesiastick Court was â—o put a difference between things Holy and unholy and between clean â—…d 〈◊〉 Lev. 10. 10. and to determine appeals in controversâ—… of difficultie It was a representative Church 〈…〉 Ecclesiae Matth. 18. 17. Because unto them belong◠〈…〉 of Excommunication belike this Learned man has not been of Thomas Goodwin B. D. his mind touching Ecclesiastick Government For sure I am that which he sayeth here is as contrary unto the Independent way as one part of a contradiction to another section 6 As for the other part of his reply SECT 7. I will not contend for it positively that Christ meant the Jewish Ecclesiastick Court It is enough for him that he speaks of the order of Judicature to be in the Gospel Church with allusion to that of the Jewish and so as proportionall to it But me thinks Mr. Lockier reasons but weakly against them that sayes it is directly meant There is saith he nothing foregoing or following that gives any leaning langwage this way But much to 〈◊〉 and signifie that he speaks of that Church which should speeâ—…â—ake place to wit the order of the Gospel Church Ans 1. Mr. Lockier so speaks here as if these who Interpret that tell the Church of the Jewish Ecclesiastick Court did so understand it of this as to exclude the â—…der of the Gospel Church from the meaning of it This is a mistake or a misrepresentation of their mind for they comprehend both under it as is known aâ—… so Interprets the direction as for the present time relating to the Court of the Jâ—wish Church which was then in present being and enjoyning the same course by Analogy to be taken by Christian then they should have Churches set up 2. Tho I will not say 〈◊〉 â—ere is ground in the words to prove demonstratively that 〈◊〉 saying 〈◊〉 the Church meant it of the order of the Jewish Church directly and so was â—…cting his present hearers in case of sucâ— offences mentioned there to have recourse to their Ecclesiastick Court Yet I cannot judge so basely of learned Divines that have understood so as to think they would of meer will without any expression in the words seeming to incline or leaning that way and indeed there are in the context two things especially which seems not improbably to
21. Papers of the Assem of Divines Ans to the Reas of the Dissenting Brethren against the instance of the Church of Jerus Jus Divin of Church Govern by the London Ministers Part. 2. c. 14. Mr. Rutherfurd due Right of Presbyteries pag. 355. At length treating upon this place Spanhem Epist ad David Bucan class 3. rat 3. There is so much said by these to this purpose that I need not increase the bulk of this Book by setting down any Reasons here against Mr Lockier if he will be pleased to take unto his consideration what is already said by them he may do well Come we to his Reasons brought to prove that this Synod exercised only a power of counsell not of jurisdiction Of four brought by Mr. Hooker Survey Part. 4. c. 1. pag. 13 14. he borroweth two 1. Is made up of two processes the first whereof is this These decrees are said to bind these to whom they are sent But they were sent to all the Churches of the Gentiles This is evident saith Mr. Lockier Acts 21. 25. as touching the Gentiles that believe we have written and concluded that they observe c. Ergo they did bind all the Churches of the Gentiles Answ To this 1. for the Major where is it so said I cannot remember any place of the story where this is said If he and Hooker from whom he hath this mean that we say and confesse this that the decrees of the Synod bind all these to whom they are sent that we never said If it be understood of binding as Synodicall decrees A Synod in one Nation may send their decrees unto Churches of another Nation as was ordinary to do in the Primitive times yet we say not that the decrees of a Synod of one Nation binds the Churches in another Nation though may be the mater of them binds them 2. For the minor If the meaning be as it must be that the Argument may speak to the purpose it is intended for that they were sent by way of Synodicall decrees to all the Churches of the Gentiles as certainly they were to some we deny it the place cited Act. 21. 25. proves it not For it speaks of the Gentiles indefinitly and clearly relates to the Letter written Act. 15. where the very inscription bears that so they were sent only to the Gentiles in Antioch Syria and Cilicia v. 23. 'T is true Paul and Barnabas delivered the decrees to others as they went through the cities Act. 16. 4. but it is not said that they were sent to them by way of Synodicall decrees as they were to these other Churches But grant that one way or other they were sent also to the rest of the Churches of the Gentiles that is that it was the will and intention of the Synod that as occasion should serve they should be delivered to them and we shall also grant the conclusion of this first processe in some sense that they did bind all the Churches of the Gentiles See we what Mr. Lockier will infer upon this in his next processe section 15 Now these saith he i. all the Churches of the Gentiles had no Commissioners delegated to that Synod Therefore what the Synod did could not bind them by way of authoritative jurisdiction because where is no delegation of Commissioners there is no right of jurisdiction They did bind them only by way of counsell and materially as things clearly held forth in the Word of God Answ If Mr. Lockier when he sayeth now these had no Commissioners there c. if he mean this Universally that none of the Churches of the Gentiles had Commissioners there it is clearly false If he mean only that some of them had no Commissioners there it is true and we grant that the decrees of the Synod did not bind these Churches by way of jurisdiction and formally as decrees of the Synod but materially But hence it followeth not that they did not bind at all nor any by way of jurisdiction For some Gentile Churches had their Commissioners there and were Members of the Synod Antioch Syria and Cilicia these two last if they had not yet they might and ought to have had and it is most probable they had and so these Churches might be bound by them by way of jurisdiction and formally for ought that is brought in this Argument and they did so bind them as is abundantly proven in the Authors cited before section 16 I cannot here passe by the Observation of the two Syllogistick moulds whereinto Hooker casts this last processe that Mr. Lockier has borrowed from him in the place of his Survey last cited The 1. is this The decrees of a Synod bind only such by Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction who delegate messengers to the Synod But the decrees of this Synod bind more then these who delegated messengers to it to wit all the Churches of the Gentiles Therefore it did not intend to bind by Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction Truely 't is a pity to see a Godly man beguiling himself in such maters with such illogicall sillie Arguments I will not stay to exaggerate this to the full who sees not the grosse peccancy of this And if the Author would have concluded formally and right upon his premises the conclusion should have been this Therefore the decrees of this Synod did bind more Churches then such as it did bind by Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction And this he shall have granted by us without contradiction but also without any advantage to his cause His second mould which he sayeth is more plain is this These who send the decrees of the Synod to such Churches who never sent their Commissioners thither They send only by way of counsell But this Synod sent their decrees to all the Churches of the Gentiles who nâ—ver senâ— their Commissioners thither Ergo they sent only by way of counsell This is as louse for mater as to his point in hand as the former was peccant in forme For as to the Major The Synod which send their decrees to Churches who never sent at least ought to have sent their Commissioners thither send only by way of counsell to these Churches true indeed But if the meaning be that that Synod which sends their decrees to such Churches as never sent their Commissioners thither send only by way of counsel to all to whom they send them this is as easily denyed as it is affirmed and I believe it shall be long ere we hear a proof of it Then to the Minor That this Synod of Jerusalem sent their decrees to some Churches of the Gentiles that never sent their Commissioners thither let it be granted Yet it is as certain some to whom they sent them bad their Commissioners there as members And so for the 〈◊〉 it may be granted that this Synod sent their decrees to 〈…〉 only by way of counsel But from nothing in the Argument doth 〈◊〉 follow that they sent them only thus to all to whom they sent them
Having briefly noted thus upon Mr. Hookers two Syllogismes we return to our Author section 18 In the close of this his first Argument for confirmation thereof he addeth thus That here they did acquiesce viz. in â—inding the Churchâ—… to which they sent only by way of counsel and materially and did not further meddle with any juridicall processe upon them appears by these pacifick words which would they were written not with ink and pen but with the spirit of the Lord upon all Presbyters hearts who are so turbulent in these 〈◊〉 Froâ— which if you keep your selves you shall do well Ans Mr. Lockier is here in a great mistake while as he insinuateth that if the Synod did not meddle with juridicall processe viz. as I conceive to censure upon them to whom they sent the decrees that it must then be said they acquiesced in meer giving of counsâ—ll 〈…〉 Court or Judicatory had no other act of authoritativâ— Jurisdictioâ— but processing persons to censure When as the making 〈◊〉 authoritative imposing of constitutions which indeed makes persons liable to censure in case of disobedience is an act of juridicall Authority though there be no processing personâ—â—o censure presently joined therewith And that 〈◊〉 this 〈…〉 and authoritatively I mean Ministerially impos◠〈◊〉 â—…tions upon the Churches the they went 〈…〉 to 〈◊〉 â—ny of them hâ—s been abundaâ—…ly proven by the Authoâ—… 〈…〉 2. Yea they did actually put â—orth a 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 schisme and disseâ—… 〈…〉 Teachers by stigmatiâ—… 〈…〉 Teacherâ— and 〈◊〉 them by declâ—ring them 〈…〉 the Church â—oâ—…tters of souls and â—acitely 〈…〉 words unto whom we gave no such 〈…〉 â—o â—e 〈…〉 of the Apostles and Elderâ— of Jerusâ—… 〈…〉 to Preach this Doctrine Thâ—… 〈…〉 of censure and â—ended to more if they 〈…〉 incorâ—igible and obstiâ—…◠But 〈…〉 good earâ—est when as he sayeth 〈…〉 of the Synodicall Epistle to 〈◊〉 Churchâ—… 〈…〉 to these matters 〈◊〉 give couâ—sell 〈…〉 Churches and wish that for thâ— purpose they 〈◊〉 Wrâ—…en not with 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 c. as if forâ—ooth because the Synoâ—â—nd their decrees in an Epistle which was a respectfull way because they recommend the practice and obediâ—… of them by the goodnesse thâ—reof this did necessarily imporâ— they did not enjoin them by authority but only advised them by way of Christian counsell Verily such reasoning â—…red with such a â—hetoricall wish Would they were Written c. I think may blâ—sh in the present of any intelligent man As for that bitter â—ccuâ—…tion the Authâ—r gives in against all Presbyters he meâ—… Presbyteriâ—ns not Presbyters of his own way sure as turbuâ—ent persons we wish the Lord may lay it to his conscience but not to his charge For ouâ— selves it being cast upon us for no other cause but for standing to the maintainance and avowing of the Cause of Jesus Christ and the due authority of his Ordinances we shall â—…ntly 〈◊〉 our selves with that of his Blessed are ye when men 〈…〉 you and shall say all manner of evill against 〈…〉 for my sake so persecuted they the Prâ—pheâ—s which were before you section 19 His second reason aâ—…edged to prove this Synod did exercise only a power of counsell Sect. 3â— in 〈◊〉 iâ— this much The conâ—roversie decided in this Synod being between the Church of Antioch and some Judaizing Tâ—achers it is evident that one side in the Synod was a party to wit them of Antioâ—h Now for these who were a party and â—ontested against their opposites to be judge in their own cause and to be juridicall upon their Antagonists by their own power cannot equiâ—ably or conscionably be imagined It is saith Hooker against rule Answ I remember this very objection is one of the grounds of thâ—… Protestation and Declinator made by the Remonstrants against that 〈…〉 Reverend Synod of Dort Because to wit a great part of the Members of the Synod were their adverse party had by Preaching and Writing before condemned their Doctrine 〈◊〉 errour and that the Law of Nature doth not permit that 〈…〉 be judge in their own cause Which 〈…〉 unanimous suffrage of the 〈…〉 â—ull and the reasons whereupon they did 〈◊〉 it which are to be seen in the acts of the Synod â—ess â—9 do abundantly refuse this reason alledged to prove that this Synod 〈…〉 did only exercise a power of counsell and 〈…〉 authoritatively determine the mater 〈…〉 Not being willing to fill up much paper with transcriptionâ— I 〈◊〉 the judicious Reâ—der to the suffrages of these reverend and learned Diviâ—… themselves for more full satisfaction For the present brieâ—… it is a grosse mistake of our Author and Mr. Hooker from whom â—e hath it that these Commissioners of the Church of Antioâ—h members of this Synod if the Synod did juâ—…dically and authoritatively judg and determine in the mater that was before them did judge in their own cause if he mean their own proper private cause the â—…ter of their judgement was not the proper private cause 〈◊〉 any member of the Synod but the publick cause of GOD and his Church the doctrine of justificatiâ—… which the Judaâ—…ing Teachers did corrupt and the peace of the Church which they disturbed Now thâ— persons cannot be both an adverse party and Judge in their own private cause which concerneth themselves yet in a publick cause this may be Even in civill maters this may and must be in some cases The persons that constitute the supream Judicatory of a Nation suppose the Parliament they are both adverse party and Judge in publick causes as in maters of treason c. Especially this exception from that Maâ—ime which is alledged that persons cannot be both adverse party and Judge in their own cause must not have place in maters and controversies of Religion otherwise there could be no judiciall way at all for condemning false and haereticall Teachers For certain it is that all Ministers of Jesus Christ are oblidged by their Calling and the Commandement of God not only to teach and instruct the people of God positively in the truth â—ut also to reâ—ute the errors and stop the mouths of opposers and adversaries of the Truth so that when any broach and vent errors in the Church of God the Ministers of Christ must not stand neutrals and indifferent but must and ought both by word and wriâ— reâ—uâ—e â—nd 〈◊〉 them and be an adverse party to tâ—…m Must they therefore because they do their duty in opposing Teachers of errors in their severall particular stations be uncapable in an Assembly to judge and condemne these errors and abettors of them judicially Verily this were nothing else but to proclaim 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 spirits in the world to teach and spread 〈…〉 without any controlement in an Ecclesiasticall way And veâ—…ly this principle That persons that are an adverse party to false Teachers in maters of Religion cannot be Judgeâ— on the controversie between them and these Teachers was very far from the the thoughts of
exceptions made to the contrary abundantly confuted 4. What Mr. Lockier has found or not found we know not nor stands on it but he might have found a Presbytery over more Congregations then one in Jerusalem Antioch Corinth Ephesus and he cannot deny but he has found the Church of Antioch making use of an associate Synodicall Presbytery at Jerusalem and that that Presbytery was more then consultative even authoritative and juridicall has been proven But I think what ever he conceives that he has found of a Congregationall Eldership exercising jurisdiction Ordaining or Excommunicating by it self he shall hardly point us to the place of Scripture where he found the instance of it what he saith of the Elders and Church of Ephesus from Acts 20. has been answered before SECTION XII Reply to Mr. Lockiers Answers to some Objections from SECTION 47. to the end wherein separation from not onely this Church of Scotland but all the Protestant Presbyterian Churches as Idolatrous is driven at section 1 MR. Lockier having hitherto gone about as he could to maintain that the power of the Keyes and Government of the Church of Christ ought not to be in the hands of Officers and Governours set over the Church in the Lord by the Lord himself but in the hands of the whole Church and that in the hands of every particular Congregation independently and supremely without association in or subordination unto any common Ecclesiastick Government which how well he has asserted and maintained we leave it to all understanding impartiall Readers to give their judgement he applyes himself to Answer some Objections against the things he has handled as he sayeth But what Objections are they I pray none of those which are brought directly against the points maintained by him before this Likely he found these too hard for him to grapple with and therefore thought it his wisedome to passe them rather by in silence And the Objections he brings are onely some things which he conceived might been said against his designe in casting this Little Stone at Presbyterian Churches to drive all good Christians if they might be affrighted to separation from them A wicked and shamefull designe especially for a man professing Godlinesse to have set before him I mind not here to insist or enlarge myself upon the Question of Separation from Churches not onely because other learned men have spoken abundantly and well upon that purpose namely my Reverend and Learned Collegue in the Ministrie and Superiour in the society wherein I live Mr. Rutherfurd in his Peaceable Plea and Due Right But also because I find nothing brought by this Author upon the mater worth the staying upon in handling that mater I shall onely give some few notes upon some things the Author I think out of hear of passion hath vented himself in section 2 Having Sect. 47. objected to himself thus You seem to be for separation from a Presbyteriall Church We find no separation but in case of Idolatry To this Sect. 48. he answers thus in summe That not only heathens had their idolatry as Dagon but also Christians theirs as a supreme Bishop over all Churches which he insinuateth to have been the Papists Idolatrie Alas he might have given other instances of their Idolatry then this as their worshiping a breaden god Crucifixes Relicks Saints departed Images c. then a supreme Bishop or Archbishop over the Church in such a Nation the Prelaticall Protestants Idol he would say and then a combination of Bishops over Churches hereby meaning an associat Presbyterie or Assembly Presbyteers Ruling more Churches odiously calling them Bishops that to him is also Idolatry So that command 2 Cor. 6. 17. come out from one kind of Idolatrie is come out from all Or else that rule binds only to separate from Heathnish Idolatrie What is not warranted by the Word is an Idol Answ We shall not deny but that whatsoever is practized in the Worship of God or set up as an Ordinance without Gods warrand in his Word may be comprehended under Idolatry taking Idolatrie in a large sense but that every thing set up or practized in the Worship of God or in Ordinances is such Idolatry as is a ground sufficient to separate from a Church wherein it is practized as no true Church is a conceit in it self without warrand of the Word nay directly contrare to the allowed practise of Gods people in the Word both in Old and New Testament This conceit of Mr. Lockiers is very Brounisme and rigide Separatisme ingraine But of this and the place 2 Cor. 6. 17. see enough in the Reverend Author whom I last mentioned But as for association or combination of Churches under a common Presbyterie it is warranted in the Word of God and so is his Ordinance as has been abundantly proven and what Mr. Lockier has brought to the contrare we trust has been sufficiently refuted And therefore let him consider his account he has to make to Almighty God for so atrocious a calumnie as his branding it with the name of Idolatrie and involving all the Reformed Orthodox Churches of Jesus Christ in the fearfull crime of Idolatrie And as for his pressing separation from all the Reformed Churches as Idolatrous I shall say no more but bring some Godly men amongst Independents themselves giving testimony against him Hear Mr. Hooker speaking in the name of the Divines of new England of the Congregations of old England I would sayeth he intreat the Reader that if he meet with such accusations that we nullifie all Churches beside our own that we are rigide Separatists c. such bitter calumnies a wise meek spirit passeth by them as an unworthy and ungrounded aspersion That which that Godly man in name of many other Independent Brethren with him intreats may not be believed to be thought or said by them accounteth it an unworthie and groundlesse aspersion Mr. Lockier with open mouth ownes and proclaimes that and worse Then we see what the Dissenting Brethren in the Assemblie of Divines say of their keeping communion with Presbyterian Churches Papers given in to the Honourable Committee c. pag. 29 30. holding communion with neighbour Churches in baptizing our Children as occasion may fal out in absence of Ministers in their Churches by occasional receiving the Communion in their Churches Also our Ministers to Preach in their Congregations and receiving theirs also to Preach in ours as Ministers of the Gospel as mutually their shall be a call from each other when we have any cases hard and difficult for our selves to advise with the Elders of their Churches in case of choise of Elders to seek the approbation and right hand of fellowship from Godly Ministers of their Churches and when an Ordination falls out to desire the presence and approbation of their Elders with our own In case any of our Churches miscarry through mal-administration to be willing upon scandall taken by their Churches to give an account as unto Sister Churches
to clear the businesse Naamans practising of heathnish Idolatry in the house of Rimmon amongst a people not so much as professing the true God but an Heathnish people professedly denying the God of Israel what will intelligent pious men say to this To the third exception Whether Mr. Lockier defines protesting well to be a peece of revenge the vehemencie of Repentance let Lawyers judge To my simple apprehension protesting in the nature of it has nothing to do with Repentance as not importing guiltinesse in the person protesting but being an act whereby he testifies against the sinfulnesse and unjustice of the dead of some others that he himself may appear clear and free from the concurrence in or the accession to it and preserves himself in a legall capacitie to challenge it before a judge competent but whereas Mr. Lockier supposeth that a man protesting or testifying against the intrusion or admission of scandalous wicked persons into the participation of an Ordinance of Christ or lawfull necessarie act of Worship if he participate in that Ordinance or Worship when and where scandalous persons participates therein that in this the man halts and halves he does but beg the thing which will not be granted to him and he will never prove And on begged suppositions to say how these will accord is worthy deep thoughts of heart favours of contempt of Readers if not of somewhat else To the fourth when there is a Protestation against the constitution and very being of an Assembly 't is true there is no submitting to it by the Protesters But yet there may be a protesting against some on or more particular deeds of an Assembly when the constitution and being of it is acknowledged and to such an Assembly submission is not refused or denyed by any principles of ours So there may be a protesting or testifying against some particular abuses in a Church and yet communion keeped with that Church in lawfull true necessarie acts of Divine Worship But if the Author mean that if such an abuse be in a Church as that wicked persons are permitted in it or coming to Communion that in that case the Godly must protest not only against the deed but the very thing of that Church as no Church and therefore must not joine therewith in warranted acts of Worship but separate from its Communion altogether he will not have the simile of Assemblies and our cariage to them to go along with him and it is in it self without warrand contrare to the warrand of Scripture and we doubt not to say a most Schismatick Assertion Mr. Lockier in Sect. 56. and 57. brings and answers a new Objection and therein raiseth much dust to small purpose about the causalitie of Baptisme as to the constituting a Church The Objection is this Doeth not Baptisme give the forme of a true Church and you say if the forme and foundation be right it may be capable to purge it self right Sir you are much mistaken if you think that we hold Baptisme alone to give the forme of a true Church We say it is the initiall seal and solemne entry and admission of Members into the Visible Church so this is a needless Objection brought in it would seeme to vent a new conceit borrowed out of Mr. Hookers Survey part 1. c. 5. of a Church without Baptisme of which a word shortly upon his Answer to this Objection Only here we say this that which gives form and being to a Church is the true Doctrine of the Gospel and Covenant of Grace for substantials at least solemnly avowed by the sealing of Baptism and Preached by a lawfull Ministry Lawfull Ministry I say as to the essentials of a Gospel-Ministry these three at least are necessary to give the being of a gospel-Gospel-Church And where these are tho there be many corruptions and defects in the Church yet it is capable to purge it self from its corruptions and to supply its defects and to urge unchurching of such a society and dissolving of it as no Church or totall separation from it is not of GOD. But come we to speak a little to the Authors Answer to his Objection Baptism saith he doth not give the form of Church membership So say we too Profession of the true Christian faith is that which giveth the form of Church-membership de jure Baptism is the solemn seal thereof But Mr. Lock having in his Objection spoken of that which giveth form being to a Church how falleth he now to speak of that which giveth form of Church-membership Is there no more requisite to give form and being to a Church we are now speaking of a Church Visible but that which giveth form to Church membership simply This is a grosse mistake Profession of the Christian Faith simpliciter is that which adaequately gives the form and being to Church-membership simply But to give form and being to a Church there must be concurring with this a Ministeriall dispensation of the Doctrine of Faith and Ordinances by such means as Christ hath instituted them to be dispensed by A Church existing without a Ministry compleat in the nature and being of a Visible Church is a thing unheard of in the Word of GOD. See Huds c. 6. vindic section 12 But to Mr. Lockiers purpose in hand His aim here in his solution is to maintain that Baptism is no wayes necessary to Church-membership We confesse it is not that which giveth the forme and being of a member or the jus but yet we say it is necessary as the solemn seal of actuall admission into the possession of Church-membership in the ordinary way appointed by Christ The Authors Reasons for his Assertion are two 1. There may bee a Church and so consequently members of a Church before Baptisme Ministers are before Baptisme and the Church is before Ministers for out of it are they made and have their keyes c. See this abundantly dashed by Caudry in Mr. Hookers Surv. c. 5. 2. Saith he The Church was visibleble when there was no seal neither Circumcision nor Baptisme and then how could these constitute a Church Answ What a childish reasoning is this There was a Church without Circumcision and without Baptism when neither of them was yet instituted by God Ergo after Circumcision was instituted to be the solemn seal of his Church there might yet been a Jewish Visible Church without it and now after Baptisme is instituted to be a solemn initiall seal of the Christian Church there may be a Christian Church without Baptisme he might as well say that there may be a Christian Church without the profession and belief of that Article JESUS the Son of MARY is the CHRIST why the Church was sometime when there was no such Article to be believed section 13 He addeth to these two Reasons this prejudice Besides how much this gratifieth the judgement and practice of Anabaptists any one may see who constitute Church members by baptism and how much Presbyterians
Office Nor do we deny but the people might be present at the handling of matters of faith in Assemblies be hearers and witnesses of the whole proceedings thereanent give their counsell and advice in consultation also testifie their assent and approbation to the determinations We grant also that Excommunication and loosing from Excommunication of persons was not performed without at least the tacit agreement and consent of the people â—hey are to concur activè and executivè to both And therefore when any person was to be Excommunicat the grounds and causes thereof were made known to the people And when persons Excommunicat were to be received again into the Church they were brought before the people to make their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 publick confession before them as we do in our Churches now but none of these nor all of them amounts to an authoritative and juridicall power of Government But as for such acts as belong directly to authoritative and juridicall Government as Ordination of Ministers judiciall sentencing persons to be Excommunicat or absolution from Excommunication giving of definitive sentence in publick determinations of controversies of faith or of matters pertaining to order and rites to be observed in the Church let our Authors produce any testimony or allowed practice of the peoples formall influence and concurrence in these if they would say any thing from that antiquity for an Ecclesiastick Government properly Democraticall either in whole or in part section 15 Hierome who was near these ages and better acquaint with their way then these Authors tells us in the generall in whose hands the power of Government was then in that remarkable and famous saying of his on the Epistle to Tit. c. 1. Antequam Diaboli instinctu studia in Religione fierent diceretur in populo ego sum Pauli ego Apollo ego vero Cephae Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur c. See what learned Chamier sayeth on this of Hierome lib. 10. de Oecumen Pontifc 5. § 22. Answering to Bellarmin his Arg. Respondeo ad primum etiamsi Aristocratia non sit totidem syllabis nominata tamen certò significatam his verbis Communi Presbyterorum consilio Ecclesiae gubernabantur c. And he adds bonam autem fuisse id regiminis formam inde sequitur quod ab initio fuisse dicat Hieronymus cum in Ecclesiâ id sit optimum quod verissimum id autem verissimum quod primum Dicit etiam Hieron fuisse ex institutionis Dominicae veritate And mark in this same Learned Author whose words I am now citing that the very thing he undertakes to demonstrate in that c. 5. and some following both from Scripture and antiquity is that the government as well of particular as of consociat Churches was pure Aristocracy c. 5. § 1. section 16 More particularly 1. That ordination and imposition of hands which only is the authoritative act in the Calling of a Minister and that which conferreth Ministerially under Christ a Mininisteriall power was in these primitive times the proper and peculiar act of the Ministers of the Church or the Presbytery is so evident and clear to all that has read any thing of these times that it were waste of time and paper to produce testimonies for it Indeed we find in antiquity that after that once there began a constant praesident to be set up in the Presbytery with the name of Bishop which in Scripture is common to all Presbyters appropriat to him alone somewhat of the Act of Ordination began also to be peculiar to him and as he advanced in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preheminency above Presbyters so was the power of ordination more and more deferred to him or usurped by him alone and hence came that point of difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter of which Jerome in his time Quid facit exceptâ ordinatione Episcopus quod non facit Presbyter But that ever the people had any formall concurrence in ordination of Ministers is a thing unknown to antiquity section 17 2. That the power and exercise of the Keyes of Discipline of binding and loosing sentencing unto censure and absolution from censure also was only in the hands of the Colledge of Presbyters in those times of the Church is as evident to such as are any ways acquainted in them Origen Hom. 7. in Iosuam tertio admonitum resipiscere nolentem jubet ab Ecclesiae corpore desecari per Ecclesiae praesides The Centuriators Cent. 3. c. 7. tels us that then Jus tractandi de Excommunicandis aut recipiendis lapsis publice penes Ecclesiae Seniores erat qui ad eam rem convenire solebant and they cite for this Tertullians Apologetick The order then observed in receiving penitents that had offended by grievous scandalous sins is most clear for this they were first to compear before the Bishop and his Clergy i. e. the Presbytery wherein the Bishop then differed from other Presbyters ordine tantum non gradu by them the penitents cause was judicially cognosced the manner of satisfaction prescribed and enjoyned to them And having performed that and made their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the people they were actually absolved by the imposition of the hands of the Bishop and Clergy or the Presbytery Cyprians Epistles are full of testimonies to this purpose It were needlesse labour to insist in citation of them Only I think it worth the pains to produce one Passage whereby it may evidently appear that the way of absolving and receiving penitents was just as it is now in the Presbyterian Government as to the matter and substance It is in lib. 3. Epist 11. in Pamel Ord. Epist 46. from Cornelius Bishop of Rome to Cyprian concerning the return of some Confessours from the Novatian schism to the unity of the Church there Cornelius after he has related how these Confessours had expressed their desire of reconciliation to the Presbyters and taken with the faults laid to their charge in a privat and extrajudiciall way he proceedeth thus Omni igitur actu ad me perlato placuit contrahi Presbyterium Adfuerunt etiam Episcopi quinque qui hodie praesentes fuerunt ut firmato consilio quid circa personam eorum observari deberet consensu omnium statueretur Et ut motum omnium consilium singulorum dignosceres etiam sententias nostras placuit in notitiam vestri perferri quas subjectas leges His ita gestis in Presbyterium venerunt Vrbanus c. Et plerique fratres qui se iis adjunxerant summis precibus desiderantes ut ea quae ante fuerunt gesta in oblivionem cederent nullaque eorum mentio haberetur quod erat consequens omnis hic actus populo erat insinuandus ut ipsos viderent in Ecclesiâ constitutos Having related the peoples expression of their joy he sets down the confession which the penitents made Nos errorem nostrum confitemur c. And then addeth istâ
these Mat. 3. be called many yet their might been Pharisees many more ten to one beside of whom that Luke 7. 30. might be said Now considering that the Publicans and other such common people tho all of them were not baptized of Iohn yet generally they shew themselves more obedient and respective to the Ordinances Ministred by Iohn as also they did unto Christ himself then the Pharisees did albeit some of them also might been disobedient to him and not baptized by him it may be clearly enough seen that the Pharisees were much behind them in this and that Christ might justly chide the Pharisees as worse then the Publicans for the cause mentioned speaking of them indefinitely tho all and every one of them had not been in the blame This is not unusuall in comparing two sorts orders or conditions of persons to blame the one as worse then the other in such a particular respect in an indefinite speech when the one is more generally blame-worthy that way then the other tho may be some of the party blamed are free of the fault and some of the party commended may be deep enough in that fault This much for clearing Iohn Baptists procedure in admitting persons to baptism viz. that he did baptize persons coming to him upon their first profession withour delay or waiting for discoveries of true heart Conversion and Saintship in them section 12 Having ended this Argument from Iohns order of baptizing they tell us that many moe and more pressing grounds from the Word might be alledged to make forth this point But we are loath say they to be tedious only sure wee are holinesse becomes the House of our God It is certain our Churches are not constitute according to this rule in the full extent of it Yea alas few of our most precious men will acknowledge it to be the rule Answ 1. Albeit the Authors conceiving to their knowledge many moe grounds to be in the Word of God for making forth their point and having set down here but some few of them omitting the rest might without incurring the hazard of animadversion alledged that they passed these others being loath to be tedious because to wit they were writing an Epistle not a Tractat Yet their purpose being in this Epistle to give an account of their thoughts as they say in the beginning in this mater to some Godly men I humbly conceive that when as they say that there might be alledged more pressing grounds which I doubt not but they speak as even to their own knowledge for their point then they have alledged but they are loath to be tedious by setting them down This censure might justly be put upon it that either it is an open writing themselves with their own pen knowingly foolish wrongers of their own cause When as purposing to pick out some few grounds of many for giving an account of their belief to men whom they would give some satisfaction to and draw to their judgement and side they leave out the grounds that are most pressing for making out their point But verily I think some of them at least not so simple as to have committed wittingly and willingly such an errour Or it is give me leave to say it a meer windy word to say the least inconsideratly uttered And how sinfull a thing it is so to speak especially in maters of this kind they are not ignorant 2. But is that word Psal 93. ult Holinesse becometh thine House for ever hinted at to close up the mater one of these more pressing grounds for making forth their point O! but first this is an Old Testament Scripture spoken in relation to the then Churches of the Old Testament whatever the place importeth as well as to the Gospel Churches Now why then did you before as seems with your Master restrict your Doctrine concerning the qualification of Church-members to the Gospel Churches Or if you will now disown that restriction is it your minde that this Holinesse you plead for was also the rule of admitting Members to the Visible Church under the Old Testament Then sure Moses was in a great fault who walked not by this rule in his practise about Church Members as no man can deny Far be it from you to say it Brethren when the Lord hath given him a Testimony that he was faithfull in all his house 2. We shall not here mention the diverse interpretations of these Words of the Psalm given by severall interpreters see Calv. Pareus in locum the most genuine interpretation I conceive to be Either to take them as our English translation renders them Holinesse becometh thine House and so as holding forth the duty of these who are the Lords House Or thus rendring them to thy house beautifull holinesse viz. belongeth as their peculiar priviledge bestowed on them by thee but whither of these wayes they be taken they make nothing to the Authors point Not taking them in the latter interpretation as is evident the Authors I beleve will not say that God by the efficacy of his Grace works Holinesse in all and every Member of the Visible Church Nor yet taking them in the former According to which the simple meaning of them is no other but that which is expressed in the latest edition of the English Annot. on the place a holy life and conversation becometh them that professe themselves to be servants to so great and glorious a Majesty and who of us will deny this this importeth what is the duty of all that professe themselves to be in so neer a relation to God as his House which is to be Holy in the Truth of the thing or object and not only so to cary it before men as to be esteemed by them such in charity which men may doe without the reality or Trueth of the thing And this we grant that men professing themselves the people of God ought in duty as they would answer their profession to be truely Holy But what is this to the point of the qualification necessarily requisite in persons in foro Ecclesiastico that they may be admitted to the externall fellowship of the Church Wherefore 3. we confesse our Churches were not constitute according to this rule I mean of the Holinesse spoken of in that passage of the Psalm Nor indeed could they nor can ever any Churches in this world be so constituted because it is true Holinesse in the reality and truth of the thing that is spoken of which falls not under the cognition of the Ecclesiastick court to be a rule of admitting persons unto the constitution of the Visible Church 4. I know not well whom they mean by these few at least precious men whom they insinuate to acknowledge their rule Except they mean themselves who have sinfully separated themselves from the Church of Christ But I may say they have no cause to weep and say alas for the precious men that will not acknowledge their new rule of