God alone for any tollerable subsistence and their very being albeit we are hopefull the Lord is reserving good things for them who had so much Faith charity and Courage as to venture all for the cause of God and their Brethren the more unkind men have proved unto them The Lord who hath been witnesse to all their intentions actions and sufferings will in his owne time accordingly reward them and will not let them be ashamed of their first hopes and constant desires upon the which himselfe for a long time did shine so evidently from the Heaven as ever upon any enterprise on the Earth Though now that brightnesse be much ecclipsed and overclouded yet we are expecting with passionate desires and confident hopes the dissolution of these clouds and the dispelling of the present darkenesse by the strength of the Beames of his ancient and undeserved kindnesse towards that now suffering and much distressed Nation But insensibly my pen hath runne beyond the bounds of a short Epistle albeit my experience of your Lordships readinesse to dispence with your friends indiscretion makes me secure of my pardon I will detaine your Lordship no longer I lay downe my Booke at your Lordships feet to be given to the world by your Lordships hand If it be received with so much candor and charity by every Reader as I know it is offered it may possibly prove serviceable Thus wishing to your Lordship in these dayes of deepe and dangerous tryalls and too great defection of many constancy and daily increase of affection to all truth Piety Iustice and every Vertue I remaine Your Lordships in all Christian duty to be commanded R. Baylie London Novemb. 19. 1645. The Principall Authors whose Testimonies are cited in the case of the Brownists 1 THe Brownists confession of Faith printed by themselves 160â— 2 The Brownists Apoâ—ogy printed 1604 3 Robert Brownes Life and manners of true Christians printed 1582 4 Henry Barrow his briefe discovery of the false Church 1590 5 Henry Barrow his plaine refutation of Mr Gifford 1590. 6 Francis Iohnsons enquiry and answer to Thomas Whites Discovery of Brownism 1606 7 Francis Iohnsons Christian plea 1617. 8 Iohn Cann his guide to Sion 1638 9 Iohn Cann his necessity of Separation 1638. 10 Apologia Iusta quorundam Christianorum c. per Iohannem Robinsorum 1619 11 Robinsons justification against Bernard reprinted at London 1640 12 Syons royall prerogative 1641. 13 A Light for the Ignorant 1638. The Principall Authors whose Testimonies are cited in the case of the Independents 1. An Apologeticall Narration by Thomas Goodwin c. 1643 2 Iohn Cottons Keyes published by Thom Goodwin and Philip Nye 1644. 3 Iohn Cottons way of the Churches in new-New-England 1645. 4 Iohn Cottons Sermons upon the seven Vialls 1642. 5 Iohn Cottons Catechisme or the Doctrine of the Church 1644. 6 An Answer to thirty two Questions by the Elders of the Churches in new-New-England published by Mr. Peters 1643. 7 An Apology of the Churches in new-New-England for Church-Covenant or a discourse touching Church-Covenant 1643. 8 A glimpse of Syons glory in a Sermon at a generall Fast-day in Holland by T. G. printed at London 1641. 9 Ieremy Burrowes Sermons upon Hosea 1644. 10 The personall raigne of Christ by Io Archer Pastor of the Church at Arnheim 164â— 11 Io Archers comfort for Beleevers 1645. 12 Mr. Burtons vindication of the Independent Churches 1645. 13 Iohn Goodwins Theo-machia 1644. 14 A short story of the rise reigne and ruine c. published with Mr. Welds large Preface 1644. 15 Mr Welds answer to Rathbans narration 1644. 16 Mr Cottons Letter to Mr. Williams 1643. 17 The Anatomist anatomised by Mr Simson 1644. We cite also for some matters of fact to which no satisfactory Answer hath been made hitherto by the Parties 1 Mr Edwards Antapologie 1644. 2 Mr Williams examination of Cottons Letter 1644. 3 Mr Williams bloody Tenet 1644. 4 Plaine-dealing or Newes from New-England by Thomas Lechford 1642. 5 The Anatomy of Independency by a Learned Minister of Holland 1644. 6 Doctor Bastwicks Postscript 1645. 7 Mr. Prinns fresh discovery 1645. The CONTENTS of the following Treatise The Preface THe chiefe and first meane to extinguish the flames of our warre is the waters of our heart poured out in prayers to God pag. 1 Reformation after mourning is the second step to a solid peace p. 2 The corruption of the Church is the fountaine of our present misery ibid. The State cannot be setled till the Church be first reformed 3 Every man would help what hee can to recover the languishing Church from her desperate disease ibid. The offer of a strange and easie remedy of a Looking-glasse 4 The malignity of Errour ibid. The Authors intention is to set down in a Table for the cleare view of all the errours which trouble us ibid. And that with Iustice and Love toward all persons 5 The partition of the ensuing Treatise 6 Episcopacy was the mother of all our present Sects ibid. Presbytery will be their grave 7 The Presbyteriall way of proceeding ibid. What England rationally may expect from Presbyteries and Synods 8 Chap. 1. The originall and progresse of the Brownists Satan is the great enemy of the Churches Reformation 9 His chiefe instruments alwayes have been professed friends to Religion ibid. Reformation at the begining did run with one impetuous current ibid. What was its first stop 10 The fountaine of Protestant discord ibid. The unhappy principle of the Lutherans ibid. And the more unhappy principle of the Anabaptists 11 Somewhat of both these wayes was entertained in England ibid. The originall of the English Bishops and Ceremonies ibid. The originall of the Separatists 12 Brownism is a daughter of Anabaptism 13 Bolton the first known Separatist in England hanged himselfe ibid. Brown the second leader of that way recanted his schism and to his death was a very scandalous person ibid. The humour of Barrow the third master of this Sect 14 The strange carriage of Iohnson and Ainsworth the next two leaders of the Brownists ibid. The horrible wayes of Smith their sixth master 15 The fearfull end of Smith his wandrings 16 Robinson the last grave and learned Doctor of the Brownists did in the end undermine his party 17 Robinson the authour of Independency ibid. Chap. 2. The Doctrine of the Brownists They hold that all Churches in the world but their own are so polluted that they must be separate from 20 Their injurious slanders of the Church of England ibid. Yet sometimes they say that communion maybe kept with her both in preaching and prayer ibid. Their like dealing with all the other Reformed 21 Their flattering of forraign Churches is not to be regarded ibid. The matter of a Church they make to be reall Saints only 22 Their unreasonable strictnesse in this one point is the great cause of their Schism ibid. They place the forme of their Church in an expresse Covenant 23 Seven may make a perfect Church
shall propound matters as they come to hand Concerning the Constitution of the Church consider their judgement first what they think of others then what of themselves All other Churches they condemn so far as to professe and practise a Separation from them The edge of their Arguments is usually directed against the Church of England alone but when their Doctrine or Practise is looked upon a little more neer it appears they shoot their Bolts at all other Churches in the world which refuse their Way For the Church of England they say it ought not to be called a Church or at best that it is a false and Antichristian Church out of the which every one though not persecuted must flee as they would avoid damnation A Sometimes in their calm mood they will give better words and acknowledge it to be a true Church That the Doctrine and Sacraments thereof are true That many thousands of its members are gracious and elect people B But their ordinary language is of another strain to wit That the Church of England is a meer Harlot divorced from Christ C That the Worship thereof is grosse Idolatry and the Service of the devil D That all the members thereof are unclean beasts and the limbs of Antichrist E That her best Preachers that preach most for Reformation are but Pharisees and Deceivers F That the Faith Grace and Comfort which by their Ministery they seem to bring to the hearts of the hearers is but meer delusion G That their Sacraments are Seals not of Grace but of the wrath of God H That all Communion with her even in the Word and Prayer is to be forsaken I The Unconformists did always zealously plead against the Corruptions of that Church but never against the truth of her being or the comfort of her Communion When by the force of persecution they were driven out then they did flee Of their own accord they did never separate but were ever most glad to live and die in her bosome willing to partake of her Worship and Sacraments whenever they were permitted to dissent in Doctrine and to abstain in practice from those things which they conceived to be corruptions K Concerning other Reformed Churches though free both of Liturgies and Bishops and many other of the English stumbling-blocks notwithstanding all their Reformation yet they pronounce their Worship to be idolatrous L their Government tyrannous and Antichristian M yea their very Constitution both in matter and form to be so vitious N that with a good conscience they cannot communicate with any of them O that the reformed Presbyteries and Synods are no better then the English Episcopacy P yea to Episcopacy they are so favourable that they professe their willingnesse to acknowledge all their Civil Power and much of their Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Q 1. that the Presbyterian Divines have ever been as evil as Episcopal Q 2. that the vitious constitution and government of the most reformed Churches in Europe hath flowed from the ignorance and obstinacy of unhappie Calvin R 1. We must not be deceived with their pleasant words when they make fair professions of their hearty agreement in so many things with the other Reformed Churches and of their willingnesse to communicate with them both in Word and Sacraments R 2. These flatteries are contradictory both to their Doctrine and Practice for when they had left England they were so far from joyning with any of the Reformed that they ever erected new Churches after their own way and made it an open and avowed cause of Excommunication for any of their Members to communicate with the Churches of Holland among whom they did live R 3 also the crimes of the Church of Holland which they cry out upon are such which none of the Reformed Divines do condemn S On the other side the Nonconformists whom the Episcopal persecution did banish out of England were ever well content without erecting of a new Church to joyn themselves as Members to any of the forrain Churches Scottish Dutch or French according as they understood their Language or had occasion of abode among them Thus they do judge of others As for the form of that Tabernacle which they professe to build for themselves thus we may conceive it The matter or members of that Church they avow to be Saints but the Members of other Churches they pronounce them for the most part to be wicked and flagitious T The Nonconformists with all the reformed are willing to admit of no others to the Lords Table but these who are Saints by calling in whom they require three qualifications First That they have a good measure of knowledge and professe to beleeve the truth Secondly That in their life and conversation they be without scandal Thirdly That they be submissive to the Discipline of the Church But the Brownists presse a fourth qualification Were a mans profession never so fair and his knowledge never so great In all parts of Doctrine let him be most Orthodox and in his Conversation most harmlesse and inoffensive were he never so willing to joyn in all the Ordinances of God and to be governed according to the strictest Discipline of Christ notwithstanding all this they count him not qualified to be a Church Member except he declare publikely in the face of the Congregation such clear and certain signes of his real Sanctification and true Regeneration as gives full satisfaction not onely to the Minister and Elders and many of the people but to all and every one or at least the major part of the Church V If any prophane person should be admitted he should quickly so far pollute the whole Church that every Member thereof must needs become partaker of his sins X And if upon admonition they did not excommunicate him they themselves ought to be separated from as an infected and leprous Society Y They tell us yet more that not onely the profanenesse of one person doth pollute the whole Church but any one sin or errour of any one Member though godly and regenerate if after admonition he continue therein and be not excommunicate doth so defile the whole that it must be separated from Z To distinguish here betwixt sins greater and lesser to make some errours Fundamental and some preter-Fundamental it is to them a following of the Papists in their absurd distinction of mortal and venial sins the least Errour joyned with obstinacie to them is an Heresie and a just cause of Separation AA They acknowledge it is the fancy of the Anabaptists to separate for every fault and errour but that which alone displeaseth them in this fancy is a fault whereof the Anabaptists seem not to be guilty the not advertising of the Church of the fault and errour of the Member they complain of before they separate If this neglect be helped the rest of the fancy they seem to approve BB Thus much for the matter of their Church the
Tenet wherein they will be constant ibid. The chiefe Tenets which hitherto they have given out and not yet recalled p. 102 They reject the name of Independents unreasonably and for their owne disadvantage ibid. When it is laid aside the more infamous name of Brownists and Separatists will inevitably fall upon them ibid. They avow a Semi-Separation but a Sesqui-Separation will bee proven upon them p. 103 The Independents doe separate from all the reformed Churches upon far worse grounds then the Brownists were wont to separate of old ibid. Their acknowledgement of the reformed for true Churches doth not diminish but increase their Schisme ibid. They refuse all Church Communion and Membership in all the reformed Churches ibid. They preach and pray in them as they would doe among Pagans only as gifted men to gather materials for their new Churches p. 104. About the matter of the Church and qualification of Members they are large as strict as the Brownists admitting none but who convinces the whole Congregation of their reall regeneration p. 105 Beside true grace they require in the person to be admitted a sutablenesse of Spirit with every other Member p. 106 But in this they are laxer then the Brownists that they can take in without scruple Anabaptists Antinomians and others who both in life and Doctrine have evident blots if so they be zealous and serviceable for their way ibid. About the forme of the Church a Church-Covenant they are more punctuall then the Brownists ibid. They take the power of gathering and erecting of Churches both from Magistrates and Ministers placing it onely in the hands of a few private Christians who are willing to make among themselves a Church-Covenant p. 107 This power of erecting themselves into a compleat and perfit Church they give to any seven persons yea to any three neither admitt they more into a Church then can altogether in one place commodiously administer the Sacraments and Discipline ibid. The Independents will have all the standing Churches in England except them of the Sectaries dissolved and all their Ministers to become meerely private men and any three persons of their way to be a full Church p. 108 Vnto this Church of seven persons they give all and the whole Church power and that independently ibid. Vnto this Congregationall Church alone they give the full power of Election and Ordination of Deposition and Excommunication even of all their Officers and of the finall determination of all Ecclesiasticall causes p. 109 The difference of Iohnson and Ainsworth about the power of the people and Presbyterie distinct one from the other is not yet composed among the Independents ibid. The common Doctrine of New-England is Ainsworths Tenet that the people alone have all the power and may excommunicate when there is cause all their Officers ibid. Mr. Cotton the other yeare did fall much from them and himselfe towards Iohnson teaching that the whole power of Authority is onely in the Officers and the people have nothing but the power of Liberty to concurre That the Officers can doe nothing without the people nor the people any thing but by the Officers p. 110 Yet that both Officers and people or any of them have power to separate themselves from all the rest when they finde cause ibid. The London Independants give more power of Ecclesiasticall Iurisdiction then the Brownists unto woemen p. 111 Some of them permit private men to celebrate the Sacraments ibid Brownists and Independents doe perfectly agree iâ— the point of Independency ibid If a corrupt or negligent Congregation doe not censure theâ— owne Members all the Assemblies in the world may not attempt to censure any of them though most apparently they did corrupt a whole Nation with the grosseth Heresies or most scandalous vices p. 112 The point of Independency is either the root or the fruit of many Errours ibid. To temper the crudity thereof they adde to it three moderating Positions but for little purpose ibid. They grant the being of Synods but not of Classicall Presbyteries p. 113 Their Synods are meerely Brownisticall without all Iurisdiction wherein every one of the people may voyce also they are meerely Elective and only occasionall ibid. The Sentence of non-Communion is Mr. Cottons invention to supply that defect which themselves make in the Ordinances of God ibid. It puts in the hand of every man a power to sentence all the Churches of the World p. 114 It carries to the highest degree of Separation ibid. Their supply of the defects of Independency by the power of the Magistrate was a remedy which they learned from the Brownists but now they have cast it aside denying to the Magistrate all power in matterâ— of Religion p. 115 The Independents doe advance their fancies to as high a pitch of glory as the Brownists ibid. They are the Brownists Schollers in many more things beside the constitution and government of the Church ibid. They give to the Magistrate the celebration of Marriage ibid. Mr. Milton permits any man to put away his wife upon his meere pleasure without any fault and without the cognisance of any Iudge p. 116 Mr Gorting teaches the wife to put away her Husband if he will not follow her in any new Church-way which she is pleased to embrace ibid. They are against all determinations of the circumstances of Worship and therefore all Church Directories are against their stomacks ibid. The common names of the dayes of the week of the Months of the yeare of the yeare of God of many Churches and Cities of the Land are as unlawfull to them as to the Brownists ibid. All Tythes and set-mayntenance of Ministers they cry downe but a voluntary contribution for the maintenance of all their Officers they presse to a high proportion with the evident prejudice of the poore p. 117 In their solemne Worship oft times they make one to pray another to preach a third to Prophesie a fourth to direct the Psalme and another to blesse the people ibid. They make it a divine Institution without any word of preface to begin the publick Worship with solemn prayer for the King and Church p. 118 After the Pastors Prayer the Doctor reads and expounds ibid. In preaching they will be free to take a Text or not as they find it expedient ibid. After the Sermon any of the people whom they thinke able are permitted to prophesie ibid. All are permitted to propound in the face of the Congregation what questions upon the Sermon they thinke meet ibid. About the Psalmes they have divers strange conceits but the speciall is their new Ordinance of a singing Prophet who is place of the Psalmes singeth Hymmes of his owne making in the midst of the silent Congregation ibid. They grant the lawfulnesse of read Prayers in diverse cases p. 119 They will have none to be baptised but the children of their owne Members so at one dash they put all England except a very few of their way into the
go beyond them to cry down a corporal presence of Christ in the bread of the Sacrament to remove Images from Churches to put out of the Worship a world of idle Ceremonies it was to them a matter of high disdain and a Quarrel which yet is not dead but continueth transmitted from the fathers to their children of this our Generation Who would not have thought that the rivers and seas of Germane blood which this last Age have run in a good part out of this spring might have been more then sufficient to have drowned all such Quarrels in a much more implacable Nation On the other hand Nicholas Stock and Thomas Muncer with their intemperate zeal ran themselves so far out of breath that their followers to this day could never be content to be circumscribed within the bounds of any moderation They and their posterity the Anabaptists under the colour of extreme promoting even to praecipitation have been the greatest retarders of the work of Reformation for beside their own falling off and separating from all the reformed Party yea their cruel invading by Fire and Sword without any mercy all their dissenting neighbours their frantick extravagancies became so terrible scandals to the remnant of Papists that no one thing did so much tie their heart to Rome and avert them from entertaining any good thoughts of that Religion which to them appeared the root whence so cursed branches had sprung up Both those bitter roots were quickly transplanted from Germany to England where hitherto they have brought forth exceeding ill fruits albeit not altogether so pernicious and plentiful as in that ground where the hand of the envious man at first did sow them Cranmer Ridley and some others of the prime Confessors and Martyrs of England receiving their first light from Wittenberg and keeping still more correspondence with their acquaintance in higher Germany then with Calvin or any of the French Divines did follow the Lutherane Principle howbeit not in the Doctrine wherein Mâ—lancthon Bucer Martyr and the rest of Luthers best disciples did at that time leave their Master yet so much in the Discipline Worship and Ceremonies as that their great incogitancy hath cost England very dear to this day for this was the chief spring of all the wofull Divisions which since have rent our bowels of all the grievous persecutions which have undone many and vexed more of the godly and banished far from their Countrey some thousands of very precious souls and at last by the craft of some Sinons this became the Trojane horse to carry in its belly and let down in the midst of our Citie and Temple the whole Popery of Rome and Tyranny of Constantinople in a way of so deep policy and mighty strength that onely the wisedom of God was able to discover and when discovered his Arm alone was strong enough to break that snare Whosoever is unwilling to give to God this glory we must say he is unacquainted with the counsels and unattentive to the actions both of God and men which these by-past yeers in this Isle upon a high Stage have been acted albeit sometimes within and sometimes without the Curtain The other Root of Anabaptism hath always been sending up to us ungracious fruits and at this hour is very instrumental to our Woes When Cartwright Hildersham Travers and many other gracious Divines by the blessing of God upon their great diligence had undermined and well-neer overthrown the Episcopal Seas and all the Cathedral Ceremonies incontinent the Generation of the Separatists did start up and put such retardances in the way of that gracious Reformation as yet remain and except by the hand of God will not be gotten removed It is true the malignancy of the Episcopal party and emulation of the Separatists themselves would make Cartwright and his friends the old Unconformists to be the Fathers of that Sect notwithstanding whoever is acquainted with the Times or will be at the pains with any consideration to confer the Tenents of both Parties or who will advert the issue and sequele of both ways cannot but pronounce Cartwright and all his followers the Unconformists very free from the unhappinesse of procreating this Bastard That ill-fac'd childe will father it self the Lineaments of Anabaptism are clear and distinct in the face of Brownism The Doctrine of the Anabaptists who in great number fled over to England when for their abominaâ—le and horrible Crimes by Fire and Water and Sword they were chased out of both the Germanies is so like and in many things so much the same with the Doctrine of the Brownists that the derivation of the one from the other seems to be very rational Nothing more like then that as Morellius did learn from the disciples of Muncer his Ecclesiastike Anarchy whereby he troubled the Church of France till by Beza and Sadael in the General Assemblies of that Kingdom he was confounded and his Anabaptistike follies exploded so that Brown and Bolton did learn in the same School that very ravery of Morellius and many other the like by the which about the same time and ever since they have pitifully vexed the Church of England That Brownism is a native branch of Anabaptism is also evidenced by the frequent Transition of many from the one to the other The dissolution of Ice Snow or any other vapour into water argues strongly for their original from that Element The ordinary running over of Separatists to the Anabaptists demonstrates clearly enough who were their fathers of old and who their best beloved Brethren this day But passing the Kinred and Pedigree let us consider the Family it self and the persons of greatest note that yet have appeared therein The first Separatist I read of was one Bolton a man by whom his followers can have small credit for the finger of Gods Justice stirring in his conscience made the sense of his Errours so grievous to his soul that not onely he did publikely at Pauls Crosse recant them but thereafter was so dogged with a desperate Remorse that he rested not till by hanging of himself he had ended his miserable days The truth of the Story is confessed by themselves That Bolton was a Minister of an old separate Congregation before Browne That he did recant his Separation and hang himself Robinson the best Advocate for that party doth liberally acknowledge in his Justification p. 50 A The horrour of this remarkable Vengeance did not deter Robert Browne first a Schoolmaster in Southwark and then a Preacher at Islington â—eer London to take up that banner of Separation which â—od as with a Bolt from heaven had wrung out of the hands of miserable Bolton albeit that cause did thrive no better with him then with his predecessor When this rash young man for old he could not be in the 1580 yeer of God when he was the prime Leader of that Sect having but lately died when he I say
form of it not Accidental but Essential and Constitutive they place in an explicite Covenant CC wherein all and every one of the Members by a voluntary Association without the Authority of either Magistrate or Minister do binde themselves under a solemn Oath to walk in the wayes of the Gospel DD. When two or three or some very few for they require no more then seven to a full and perfect Congregation EE and they professe it unlawful to admit any more then can commodiously at one time in one place partake of all the Ordinances FF If when these few I say have departed not onely from the English and the rest of the Reformed but also from every Church of their own way wherein they finde the least errour or sin of any of the Members whereof they have complained not to be amended either by the Repentance or the Excommunication of the party GG The Association of these men thus separate into a Covenant is the essential form of their Church But the association must be so voluntary and free as not to wait for the countenance of any Authority either Ecclesiastick or Civil to supplicate the Magistrate for his favour in the gathering of a new Church is to them a sin HH and to erect a Church by the help of any Minister to them is a contradiction For the Church newly erected makes the Minister but no Minister can gather or erect a Church II If a person who elsewhere hath been a Minister become the Author or Instrument of erecting a Church he is not then a Minister but a meer private man till the Church so erected by a new call and ordination by themselves doth make him again a Minister Unto their Church so constituted in matter and form were their number never so small before it attain to any Officer either Pastor or Doctor or Elder they ascribe great power and fair priviledges not onely the power of Doctrine but of Ordination and all Jurisdiction even a full right to all the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and every priviledge of any visible Church how perfect so ever KK This their new Church they will have to elect the Pastor and all other Officers if a Pastor should come to them by the presentation of a Patron or nomination of a Presbytery however they did not oppose yea did consent to his admission yet if they were not the Electors and first Nominators the man should be an intruder and a Woolf whom they might not lawfully hear LL The Pastor being chosen and that out of their own number usually some Artificer or Tradesman for they do not require Letters in their Pastors and so far in their Elections they tie themselves to their own Members that if any other were found meet and willing to be an Officer among them he must first enter into their Covenant and become a Member before he were capable of any Office MM When I say they have elected him a Pastor the same and no other then who did elect do give him Ordination for the right and exercise of Ordination NN they ascribe to the people that is according to Ainsworth and others if we beleeve Johnson every Member of the flock even Women and Children OO But according to Johnsons minde onely the men of the flock excluding Women and Children yet including the meanest and most ignorant of all the men who are Communicants To these they ascribe the power of Ordination who in the exercise of it appoint some of their number whom they think fittest to ordain the Pastor that is to examine him in all the needful qualifications of his life and doctrine to exhort him to all the parts of his duty publikely to pray for him and at last to lay hands upon his head PP The Pastor so elected and ordained becomes a servant not onely of Christ but of that flock from whom he hath as they speak originally QQ all his power to Preach or celebrate the Sacraments or to do any other part of his Office wherein if he fail any one of the people hath power to admonish and reprove him publikely RR and the greater part of the people in any Congregation agreeing suppose they were four when the whole makes seven have full power to depose and Excommunicate him SS much more have they power to cognosce and definitively to determine upon the nature of Heresie Superstition Errour or of any crime which procures these censures When the major part of the people have cast out the Minister and all the Officers and so many of the flock as adhere to them no part of their power by this ejection is lost still they keep their full right to all the Ordinances of Christ any of them who is thought able may prophecy that is publikely expound the Word and apply it for instruction reproof comfort and all other uses TT Any of them may pray in the Congregation any may Ordain any may Excommunicate they give expressely a full power to every one of admonition and rebuâ—e yea of censuring so far the whole that if they refuse to follow the just admonition of any one he ought to denounce the judgements of God publikely against them all and separate from them as from an obstinate and cursed society VV The onely question remains about the Sacraments all of them agree that the smallest and weakest Congregation may choose and ordain one of their own number when ever they will to be Pastor and so to celebrate the Sacraments to the rest XX â—ut the most of them say that unlesse they have appointed a Pastor for that end none of the rest can lawfully celebrate a Sacrament YY Yet others of them make a Quaere hereof ZZ for say they since the Church without Officers hath the free exercise of all other power in Preaching Prayer and Censures why may not the like be said of the Sacraments These men after their scrupling for some time as their custome is come up at last to conclude and practise celebrating Sacraments without any Pastorall charge of Baptism it is certain for Master Smith professing himself a meer private man having renounced his former Ministry and Baptism also took upon him to baptise himself and who lawfully may celebrate the one Sacrament may as lawfully celebrate the other When all the power is ascribed by them to their Church yet peremptorily they deny to it the power to solemnize marriage AAA for marriage to them is not onely a contract meerly civil but such a one as concerns the Church nothing at all so they remit it wholly to the Magistrate or else to the Parents BBB to be solemnized in private Families and as their marriage is private so likewise must their Divorces without the cognizance either of Magistrate or Minister CCC They were wont to teach that adultery did so far annul marriage that it was a sin and the cause of excommunication for the innocent party to
whether natural moral or spiritual which are done in faith But herein Master Smith is wiser then his fellows telling us That all Songs in the Church out of a Book whether in Verse or Prose are Idolatry MMMM yet he admits of singing such Psalms as the Spirit dictates to any person immediately without Book NNNN It seems the Brownists at Amsterdam have recanted their error in this point for all of them sing now in strange tunes the Psalms in meeter of Ainsworths exceeding harsh Paraphrase Preaching of the Word to them is no Pastoral act but is common not onely to all the Officers but to every gifted Brother of the Flock OOOO The word Sacrament to them is traditional corrupt and not to be used PPPP The Baptism of the English Church they make to be vain and nul the seal of no grace but onely of wrath and condemnation QQQQ yet they will not have it repeated They teach that the Lords Supper should be celebrated every Lords day RRRR So preparation-Sermons before and Sermons for Thanksgiving after the Lords Table to them are needlesse They will have all to sit at the Lords Table with their Hats on uncovering of the head in the act of receiving to them is Idolatry SSSS In this the present practice at Amsterdam contradicts their Doctrine for however they sit covered in time of all the reading and discourse yet when it comes to the participation of the elements every man during the time of his eating and drinking sits uncovered They count it lawful to joyn with the Lords Table Love-feasts TTTT They reject all Catechisms being set and so unlawful forms of instruction VVVV After a member is once received amongst them they enquire no more for his knowledge having once gotten satisfaction at his admission to Membership of his sufficient knowledge The Apostles Creed they detest as an old Patchery of evil stuff XXXX Christs descent into hell they count a blasphemous Article YYYY They reject all publike reading of the Word which is not backed with present Exposition ZZZZ They do not any way scruple the Office of Readers and Expounders for they give full liberty of publike and ordinary Preaching to any gifted man of the Flock though he have no Office When the exercise of Reading Expounding Singing of Psalms Praying and Preaching by the Pastor is ended they will have one two three or four to prophesie in order AAAAA and all to have a free liberty of continuing so long as they think meet After all this is done they have yet another exercise wherein by way of conference questioning and dispuâ—ation every one of the Congregation may propound publikely and presse their Scruples Doubts and Objections against any thing which that day they have heard BBBBB And as if all these Exercises were not enough to tire out a spirit of Iron the most of them being repeated again in the afternoon for a conclusion of all they bring in the laborious and long work of their Discipline for which the whole Flock must stay till they have heard debated and discerned every cause that concerns either the Officers or any of the people whether in Doctrine or Manners CCCCC Concerning the Magistrate Master Brown teacheth that he hath no right to meddle at all with any matter of Religion but to permit the liberty and free choice of Religion to the conscience of every one of his Subjects DDDDD The most of Browns followers do leave in this their Master making it a great part of the Christian Magistrates Office to suppresse within their own Bounds Idolatry and False doctrine EEEEE To compel all their Subjects if they will not be perswaded to hear the Word preached albeit no way to enter themselves members of any Church or to hinder any to enter in any Church they will or to erect new Churches of their own framing FFFFF Further if the Magistrate be a member of any Church they will have him were he the King himself to be so far subject to their Church-Censures that a little small Congregation shall have power upon his obstinacy in any sin or errour to excommunicate him and that without all delay without any respect to his Crown more then if he were the poorest servant of the whole Flock GGGGG and which is worst of all the Prince his Excommunication by the hands of so small weak a company must be without all possible relief for he hath no liberty of appeal to any upon earth HHHHH an oecumenike Councel may not assay to loose the knot of that Censure which the hand of the Congregation hath tied But their great Tenent about the Magistracie is this That no Prince nor State on the earth hath any Legislative power That neither King nor Parliament can make any Law in any thing that concerns either Church or State That God alone is the Law-giver That the greatest Magistrate hath no other power but to execute the Laws of God set down in Scripture IIIII That the Judicial Law of Moses bindes at this day all the Nations of the world as well as ever it did the Jews KKKKK They tell us that whatever God in Scripture hath left free it may not be bound by any humane Law whether Civil or Ecclesiastike and what God hath bound by any Law in Scripture they will not have it loosed by the hand of any man They lay it upon the Magistrate to punish by death without any dispensation every Adulterer every Blasphemer every Sabbath-breaker and above all every Idolater LLLLL. And here is the great danger that by Idolaters they will have understood not onely Pagans and Papists but the far greatest part of all Protestants all absolutely who are not of their way for the using of a set Prayer were it the Lords own Prayer to them is clear Idolatry MMMMM 1. For all this they will not permit any Magistrate to hang any thâ—ef at all MMMMM 2. Against the learning of the Times they make large Invectives the Universities and all the Colledges in them they will have razed to the ground they professe them to be worse then the Monasteries that justly were abolished NNNNN whatever Arts and Sciences are taught in the Christian Schools they count them idle and vain Grammar Rhetorick Logick Philosophy are all unlawful Arts OOOOO The Heathen Writers which are used in any Faculty such as Aristotle Plato Cicero and the like they would have them all burnt as the Authors of unlawful Arts. They reject all School-Degrees such as Batchelors Masters of Art Doctors of any faculty PPPPP They wil have no Students of Divinity QQQQQ They tell us that youths mis-spend their time and exceedingly abuse themselves by studying of those things which usually are recommended unto them as preparations for the Ministery whether Common places Commentaries upon Scripture or Protestant writers of Controversies all such Books they will have laid aside RRRRR yea it is their
any other and to be cut off as withred branches The Church cannot neither hath in her power to defer the sentence of Excommunication any longer on hope of further tryal because they have had already that tryal which God alloweth it is a Leaden rule to proceed to the sentence of Excommunication with a Leaden-heel when the sin is ripe Ibid. p. 15. Which censures if the Prince contemn he contemneth them against his own soul and is thereupon by the power of the Church disfranchised out of the Church and to be delivered over to Satan as well as any other offender HHHHH Johns Inqui. p. 70. We hold it Antichristian to entertain or admit any appeal from one Church to another the highest ordained by the Lord for all sinners is that Church whereof the sinner is a member And therefore in urging our Church to submit to another Church they sought to draw it to Antichristian bondage IIIII Bar. Dis p. 84. I am perswaded that the Magistrate ought not to make permanent Laws of that the Lord hath left in our Liberty Ibid. p. 255. We approve all the Laws of God to be most holy and inviolable and all-sufficient both for Church and Common-wealth and the perfit instruction of every Member and Officer of the same in their several duties so that nothing is now left to any mortal man of what high dignitie and calling so ever but to execute the Will of God according to his Word KKKKK Bar. Disc p. 108. God will have his Laws and Statutes kept and not altered according to the State and Policy of times for these Laws were made not for the Jews estate as Master Calvin teaches but for all mankinde especially for all the Israel of God from which Laws it is not lawful in judgement to decline to the right hand or to the left By the neglect of these Laws the whole world overflows with sin Ibid. p. 212. In the Common-wealth they have abrogated all Gods Judicial Laws and cut them off at one blow as made for the Common-wealth of the Jews onely as if God had no regard of the conversation of other Christians or had left the Gentiles in greater liberty to make Laws and Customes to themselves LLLLL. Ibid. Hereby it cometh to passe that so many ungodly Laws are decreed and the whole course of Justice perverted that so many capital mischiefs as God punisheth by death such as blaspheme the Name of the Lord open Idolatry Disobedience to Parents are not by Law punished at all Incest and Adultery are either past over or punished by some light or triffling punishment Ibid. p. 155. The High-Commission punishes the most execrable Idolatries but with prisons or forfeitures making it a pecuniary matter contrary to Gods Word MMMMM 1. Vide HHHH MMMMM 2. Bar. Dis p. 211. Theft if above thirteen pence is punished by death NNNNN Bar. Dis p. 55. The Vniversity of Oxford and Cambridge have the same Popish and Idolatrous beginning with the Colledges of Monks Fryers and Nuns and these Vermin had and still do retain the same insufferable and incurable abuses therefore Queen Elizabeth ought by good right to abolish them as her Progenitors did the Abbeys OOOOO Ibid. p. 177. They repair to the Vniversities to be instructed in Heathen and vain Arts The Churches of Christ have not such Heathenish and Idolatrous customes they have no such prophane Arts vain Education and Literature Ibid. p. 56. We finde them all generally the Seed of Vnbeleevers nourished in all manner of Prophanenesse Heathenism vain and ungodly Sciences their Education from their cradle is ungodly in the common Schools where they must learn their Greek and Latin from lascivious Poets or Heathenish Philosophers With this Liquor are their Pitchers at first seasoned there are they trained up in Logick Rhetorick and Philosophy which Learning they draw from Aristotle Cicero and such like there they learn to speak by Art Syllogisms and Tropes Idem Refut p. 89. This I dare affirm that from the Book of God they never derived these their Colledges Schools Halls Orders and Degrees that I may not say Arts Authors Exercise use of Learning Disputations Commencements They fight with their School-Learning vain Arts Philosophy Rhetorick Logick against the Truth and Servants of God PPPPP Vide supra N O. QQQQQ Vide RRRRR 2. RRRRR 1. Bar. Dis p. 179. In the Church of Christ the name and offices of Chancelor Vice-Chancelor Dean of Faculty Masters of Colledges Fellows Beadels Bursours and all their several Statutes and Customes are strange as also their manner of Degrees Disputing for their Degrees and Order of Teaching Neither have any such Vniversities Colledges Society of Schollers any ground of the Word of God I see not why they should have any more toleration then their elder Brethren the Monks who every way had as great colour of Holinesse and shew of Vtility to the Church as they They have all one and the same Hellish Original they had and these still retain the same blasphemous incurable abuses which can no ways be reformed but by their utter dissolution RRRRR 2. Bar. Dis p. 177. The English of Christian Religion and Profession of the Gospel I can well away with but this English Romish abstract of Divinity I am assured came forth of this same Forge that the Title of the supreme Head of the Church and cannot by all the glosses they can devise be made other then most high blasphemy against the person of Christ who is the onely Vniversal Doctor of all his Disciples Ibid. p. 56. If they continue still and give their minde to the study of Divinity as they call it which is as much as to say The reading of mens writings with these Feathers they flee with these eyes they see which Books being taken from them they are as mute as fish as blinde as moles Ibid. Their Divinity is traditional wholly derived from other mens Books and Writings both for the understanding dividing and interpretation of all Scripture as also for all Questions Doctrines and Doubts that arise and not springing from the Fountain of Gods Spirit in themselves according to the measure of Knowledge Faith and Grace given unto them SSSSS Bar. Disc p. 146. It were much better for the whole Church that for Prophecy and Doctrine Preachers would lay aside all Authors and be take themselves wholly to the Book of God So should that Book be more soundly understood so should they see with their own eyes and not other mens TTTTT Bar. Disc p. 56. These Questions as also the whole Scripture must in these their Schools and Disputations be insufferably corrupted wrested blasphemed according to the lusts of these Philosophical and Heathen Disputers which here must handle divide discusse according to their vain affected Arts of Logick and Rhetorick All these prizes must be played in Latin that the Learning may the more and the Folly the lesse be perceived least even the common people should hisse them off the Stage if
any thing as they were forced to go home others had their children taken with Convulsions which they had not before nor since and so were sent for home So that none were left at the birth but the Midwife and two other whereof one fell asleep at such time as the childe died which was about two hours before the birth The Bed wherein the mother lay shook so violently that all who were in the Room perceived it KKK 2. Ibid. p. 63 64. Then Master Cotton told the Assembly That whereas she had been formerly dealt with for matter of Doctrine he had according to the duty of his place being the Teacher of the Church proceeded against her unto admonition But now the case bring altered and she being questioned for maintaining of untruth which is matter of Manners he must leave the businesse to the Pastor Master Wilson to go on with her but withal declared his judgement in the case from that in the Revelation ch 22. That such as make and maintain a lie ought to be cast out of the Church and whereas two or three pleaded that she might first have a second Admonition according to that in Titus 3.10 He answered That that was onely for such as erred in point of Doctrine but such as shall notoriously offend in matter of conversation ought to be presently cast out as he proved by Ananias and Saphira and the incestuous Corinthian Ibid. p. 65. It was observed that she should now come under Admonition for many foul and fundamental Errours and after he cast out for notorious lying CHAP. IV. The Carriage of the Independents in Holland at Roterdam and Arnhem THe fruits of this way in Holland are not much sweeter then these we have tasted in New-England All the time of their abode there they were not able to conquer to their party more then two Congregations and these but very small ones of the English onely For to this day I have not heard of any one man of the Dutch French Scottish or any other Reformed Church who have become a Member of any Independent Congregation Their first Church in Holland was that of Roterdam which Master Peters A not the most settled head in the World did draw from its ancient Presbyterial Constitution to that new frame which it seemeth he also learned by Master Cottons Letters from New-England This Church became no sooner Independent then it run into the way of such shameful Divisions as their Mother at Amsterdam had gone before them Their Pastor Master Peters was soon weary of them or they of him for what causes themselves best know but sure it is he quickly left them and went for New-England The Church was not long destitute of Pastors for about that time Master Ward and Master Bridge came over to them from Norwich where they ever had lived fully conform without any contradiction either to Episcopacy or Ceremonies onely they withstood Bishop Wrens last Innovations B So soon as they came to Roterdam without any long time of adveisement they conformed themselves to the Discipline which Master Peters had planted C They renounced their English Ordination and Ministerial Office joyning themselves as meer private men to that Congregation which afterward did choose and ordain both of them to be their Ministers D It was not long before Master Simpson also came hither from London and renouncing also his Ordination E joyned himself as a private member with them Then did the Spirit of Division begin to work among them and so far to prevail that Master Simpson malecontent with Master Bridge for hindering the private members of the flock to prophesie after the Brownists way did separate himself and erect a new Congregation of his own F Betwixt these two Churches the contentions and slanders became no lesse grievous then those of Amsterdam betwixt Ainsworth and Johnsons followers and in this much worse that they of Roterdam abode not at one Schism but after Master Simpsons separation broke out again into another subdivision Master Bridges Congregation was so filled with strife so shameful slanders were laid upon his own back that displeasure did hasten the death of his wife G and did well neer kill himself making him oft professe his repentance that ever he entred into that society H As for Master Ward his Ministery became so unsavoury to that people that they did never rest till judicially by their own Authority alone for Presbytery they had none and Master Bridge did dissent from that act of unjust oppression they had deposed Master Ward from his pastoral charge I This act was much stumbled at by divers who were fully perswaded of Master Wards integrity and at last by the intercession of some from the Church of Arnhem he was restored to his place but the ground of the controversie was no wayes touched For when the four Commissioners from Arnhem Master Goodwin Master Nye Master Laurence and another had met in a Chamber of a private house in Roterdam with some Members of that faulty Congregation K and so made up their famous Assembly which the Apologists are pleased to equal if not to prefer to all the Assemblies they ever had seen L Whether that National Synod wherein Master Nye had seen the flowre of the Scottish Nation enter into the Covenant with very great devotion Or this great Assembly at Westminster where he and his Brethren oft have seen sitting the Prince Elector the most Noble Members of both Houses of Parliament the prime Divines of all England the Commissioners of the Church of Scotland That Assembly I say of Roterdam did not so much as touch the main question they drew a thin skin over the wound but durst not assay to lance it to the bottom For did they ever rebuke or so much as once speak to the people of that Congregation for usurping a Tyrannicall Authority to depose their Pastor Did they tell Master Ward of his siding with Master Simpson against Master Bridge in the matter of Prophesie did they ever attempt to cognosce on the great scandal the ground of all the rest Master Simpsons Separation did they make any hearty and solid reconciliation betwixt Master Ward and the Church It seems the Assembly was wiser then to meddle with evils which they found much above their strength to remedy Master Ward found himself after his restitution in so pittiful a condition with his new friends that he left their Company M The two Churches were irreconcileable till both Master Bridge and Mr. Simpson had removed their Stations to England and even then the concord could not be obtained till the Dutch Magistrate had interposed his authority N Neither by this means could Master Simpsons Church be perswaded to return to Master Bridges till for their meer pleasure they got that Congregation to remove one of their prime members without the alleadging of any cause but their own peremptory will and satisfaction O When by so much
a do these two divided Churches are brought together it may be much doubted if their Union shall long continue Certainly it seems not to be so cordial as that of the two lately divided and now reunited Churches aâ— Amsterdam For among these of Roterdam not onely the grounds of the old division do evidently remain but also the Seeds of a new breach do appear above the ground The liberty of Prophecying which Master Simpsons now Master Simons Congregation did require is not obtained in the way they desired it for they are not permitted to Prophecy in the Congregation nor upon the Sabbath day nor in the place of publike meeting Onely in a private place on a week day where some of the Church who please do meet they have liberty to exercise their gifts On the other part what Master Bridges now Mr. Parks Church did require I mean a Presbytery for Government in the Congregation cannot be obtained For however they professe the lawfulnesse and conveniency of Ruling Elders and of a Consistory for Discipline yet it hath so faln out that for many yeers they have had none neither are like in haste to have unlesse the grumbling of Master Parks and his friends threatning a new breach do force them at last to the use of that Ordinance But that which threatneth not a Schisme alone but a total dissolution of that Congregation is the Pest of Anabaptism which begins of late much to infect them P It is true the Pastors do their best to reclaim all their members from that Errour and when they finde themselves not able to prevail give good words and assurances of a full and Brotherly Toleration for as they scruple not to give the hand of Fellowship to the Brownists of Amsterdam Q so will they not cast out any from their Church for denying of Pedobaptism if the dissenting and erring party be pleased to remain peaceably amongst them But here is the pitty when the Independents have declared their greatest readinesse to tolerate and entertain in their Churches both the rigid Separatists and the Anabaptists R yet the most of those are unwilling to stay but are peremptory to separate from the Independent Churches as more corrupt then that they with a good conscience can abide in them though never so much tolerated and cherished As for their Church at Arnhem howsoever their small intercourse with others during their abode in that remote corner and their taciturnity of their own affairs makes their proceedings to lie under a Cover yet so much of their wayes is come to light upon divers occasions as will not be very inductive and alluring of indifferent spirits to tred in their footsteps First We finde them greater admirers of themselves and proclaimers of their own excellency then is the custome of modest and wise though the best and greatest men They think it not enough to anoint their Masters and Friends of New-England with excessive praises as men who have not been matched by any of the Saints since the dayes of Abraham S but they are also bold to sound out to themselves in Print in the ears of both Houses of Parliament a commendation much above the possible merit of any so small a number of men in the whole world The Synod of Roterdam they equal to the most solemn National Assemblies of either or both Kingdoms T This exceeding great worth upon whose head must it fall but either alone or far most principally upon the Members of the Church of Arnhem For that Synod did consist of no other but the two Doctors of that Church and the two Elders thereof together with Master Bridge and the Members of his Church These last were present in that Synod as persons challenged and guilty of a grievous scandal so to them in that action but a small praise can be due Wherefore the supereminent Excellency of that meeting must fall upon the Commissioners of Arnhem the onely persons which in that meeting were void of offence and free from challenges To themselves therefore it is alone or at least above all others that they ascribe the superlative praises of that Synod In that same place they stick not to take to themselves the honour of so great sincerity as any flesh in the world not onely hath at this present but possibly can attain in any following Age V We wonder the lesse to hear them canonize their Colleague Master Archer after his death among the most precious persons who ever trod upon the earth X This self-overvaluing seems to be the ground why they cry out of their very moderate afflictions as of great calamities they ingeminate to the Parliament over and over their persecution their poverty their miserable exile Y when they who understand the case give assurance that not one of Ten of the most prosperous Ministers of the whole world in the time of their greatest Sunshine do live in more wealth ease honour and all worldly accommodations then these poor miserable exiles did enjoy all the time of that which they call their banishment Z My next observation upon that Church is that an humour of innovating at least if not a spirit of errour did much predomine among them To passe by that wantonnesse of wit which in their Books and Discourses doth much appear whereby they attribute without fear to a number of Scriptures such new and strange senses as before them were never heard of We finde them pleasing themselves in divers Doctrines which no Reformed Church doth assert for truth yea their own Brethren both of New-England and of Roterdam and of Amsterdam do reject as Errours They are not content with some few little touches of Chiliasm which yet Master Cotton tells us are but fleshly imaginations AA But they run themselves over head and ears in the deepest gulph of that old Heresie The glimpse of Sions glory Preached at a Fast in Holland by T. G. which common report without any contradiction that I have heard declares to be Thomas Goodwin averrs That Independency is a beginning or at least a neer antecedent of Christs Kingdom upon Earth BB That within five yeers Christ is to come in the flesh CC and by a Sword of Iron to kill with his own hand the most of his enemies DD and thereafter to passe over a thousand yeers EE as a worldly Monarch FF with his Saints Who shall live with him all that time in all sorts of fleshly delights GG Master Archer the onely Pastor that ever they had whose praises they sound forth so loud in their Apologetick would perswade us of the same and more grosse stories HH Master Burrows in his late Sermons upon Hosea runs in the same way II. Neither is this all the new Light that did shine forth in the Candlestick of Arnhem but there also Master Archer giveth forth for the comfort of his hearers without the reproof so far as yet we have heard of any of his Colleagues
Kingdom besides in all the Armies And they were all resolved to have the Liberty of their Consciences or else they would make use of their Swords which they have already in their hands Ibid. p. 68. I know not any Independent in England except one man and his wife that do not as maliciously and implacably hate the Presbyterians as the mortallest enemy they have in the world CHAP. VI. An Enumeration of the common Tenets of the Independents IT is not easie to set down with assurance the Independents positions both because they have to this day declined to declare positively their minds as also because of their principle of mutability whereby they professe their readinesse to change any of their present Tenets How unwilling they are to declare their mind may appeare by their obstinate silence and refusing to answer any of these Books that put them most to it also by hiding of their opinions from their brethren who most earnestly have prest their Declaration These divers yeares the Ministers of London have been dealing with them for satisfaction herein and once by importunity obtained a promise under their hand of a full and free Declaration but these foure yeares they have eluded that promise a Mr. Apollonius in name of all the Churches of Zealand with all earnestnesse did intreat this duty of them b but all in vaine When upon any occasion they have been moved to make any kind of Narration of their way it was ever with an expresse proviso of their resolution to keep up as yet from the World their positive Tenets so they conclude their Apologetick c so they begin their Keyes d And now when the indignation both of the Assembly and Parliament and of many more was likely to break out upon them for this that after so long time no plaine dealing hath been seen in them at last they have engaged themselves to declare their minds and yet since that their publike engagement there are six Months past and the Worlds expectation of understanding at last their mind is still suspended And though that their Declaration should come out to morrow yet with what assurance can we take any thing therein for their constant and settled Tenet so long as they professe it to be one of their cheife principles to be so loose and irresolute in any thing they maintaine for the time that they are ready to leave it and upon occasion to embrace the contrary e So long as this skeptick irresolution is avowed there is no hope there is no possibility of any fixed constancy These things considered no man is able to set down their full mind nor any one of their positions whereto any dare assure they will firmely stand only the chiefe of their singularities which they have been pleased to let come abroad and have not to our knowledge as yet revoked we shall set down as they come to our thoughts It hath been hitherto their earnest desire to decline the infamy of Brownisme and it was the charity of their Brethren to distinguish them from that Sect under the new name of Independents importing their chiefe difference from us to stand not in the point of separation which is our proper quarrell with the Brownists but alone in the point of Church-Government which against all the Reformed Churches they maâ—ntaine to be Independent that is not subject to the Authority and Jurisdiction of any Superiour Synod This was thought to be their proper distinctive and characteristicall Tenet till of late we finde them passionately reject the name of Independents and tell us that the dependency or independency of their Congregations will bee found one of their least differences and smallest controversies In this our long mistake we are content to be rectified albeit our charity should not be reproved who being ignorant of their willingnesse to differ from us in any thing higher or deeper then the Dependency of Congregations upon the Authority of Superiour Assemblies did put upon them no other name then that which implyed this difference alone It seemes that this Title is not only the most reasonable but the most innocent and inoffensive note of distinction which themselves could have chosen The terme not being invented by any of their ill-willers but by their own cheife Leaders f who did think that word most proper to notifie their Tenet of Government and since some name must be given to every eminently differing party it seemes none lesse irritative could bee fallen upon then that which most properly did signifie the chiefe matter in Controversie But now finding they avow their chiefe differences to lie elsewhere for my part I could yeeld to them to have the name of Independents buried did I not feare it behoved to be changed with another Title which would much more displease For since they are gone beyond the question of Independent Government and now doe question the constitution of our Churches so farre as puts them on a necessity of Separation and in this doe place the chiefe of their Controversies with us If a Sect may be denominated either from the Author or principall matter as they make no bones to Print us Calvinians g and Presbyterians h I cannot conceive why they ought not to take it in good part if when the name of Independents is laid by they have in place of it the Title of Brownists and Separatists fastned upon them Of their owne accord they take upon them openly the halfe of the thing we alledge professing themselves to lie halfeway off us towards Brownisme i avowing the truth to consist in this their middle way But whosoever considers better of the matter will find that however in some things they incline to a middle way yet in the chiefe and most they come up close to the outmost line of Brownisme and in many things doe expatiate so much beyond it that in place of the Semi-Separation they mention they may be justly argued to have drawn upon themselves the blot of Seâ—qui-Separation and more also how true this is it will appeare to any who will be pleased to make a paralell of the forementioned Tenets of the Brownists with these of the Independents which here are subjoyned First the worst and uttermost Tenet of the Brownists for which they cook to themselves and had bestowed upon them by others the stile of Separatists was their doctrine and practise accordingly to Separate from the Churches of England In this the Independents goe beyond them For beside that the practice of both is the same both actually Separating from all the Congregations of England the grounds of the Brownists Separation were a great deale more reasonable then that of the Independents albeit neither of them be good and sufficient For the Brownists did build their Separation on the Tyranny of Bishops on the Superstition of the Ceremonies and Service-Book on the grosse avowed and neglected profanenesse of the most in every Congregation if
these corruptions had been removed so farre as I have read in any of their writings they would no more have Separated But the Independents having no such stumbling blocks in their way Bishops and Books being abolished and a barre set up in every Congregation to keep off from the Sacrament every scandalous and ignorant person notwithstanding they will yet Separate The more unjust and lesse cause they have so to doe their separation must bee so much the worse the grosser and more inexcusable Schisme What they say for the avoyding of this challenge will not hold water while they tell us that they are not Separatists because they avow the Church of England to be a true and gracious Church That the Ministry of it is true and saving They should consider that the Brownists when the fit of charity commeth upon them say large as much as all this as before from their own words we have shown k also that some of the Independent Party have gone as farre as that which they confesse makes the Brownists to be justly called Schismaticks l but however suppose their allegation were true it doth not excuse and diminish but much encrease the fault of their separation For it is a greater sinne to depart from a Church which I professe to bee true and whose Ministry I acknowledge to be saving then from a Church which I conceive to be false and whose Ministers I take to have no calling from God nor any blessing from his hand Neither are they cleared from the blot of Schisme by their countenancing the English Assemblies by their preaching and praying therein for beside that they doe no more in this then Mr Robinson hath taught them m They should remember they teach their Schollars that Preaching Prayer Psalmes and all things they doe in the English Congregation are no acts of Church Fellowship n that none of them doth import any Church Membership nor any Ecclesiastick Communion but are such which without scruple they can dispence to very Pagans But we would intreat them to declare if they would be willing to receive any Sacrament in the English Congregations or if they will be content to bee under any part of their Discipline if they will be either Members or Officers in any of our Churches I see indeed the Apologists professe their participation of Baptisme in our Congregations but besides that the Brownists will professe so much of themselves o yet how this is consistent with the constant practice and Doctrine of the Independents I confesse my understanding is too blunt to conceive For however in New-England they give the right hand of Fellowship to the Brownists Congregations p and at London they are said to goe to the Brownists Sacraments q and we did never heare that either in England or Holland they refused any to be a Member for their beliefe of rigid separation or Anabaptisme nor censured any of their Members for falling into these errours yet in formall termes they doe deny the most gracious of their Brethren to live beside them in New-England in the Presbyteriall way of the old Non-conformists r yea in Print they avow that whoever refuseth their Tenet of Independency were they otherwise never so Orthodox and pious they ought not to be admitted to the Sacraments nor enjoy any Church Priviledge s as people who cannot be wholly but at most are in part only converted Yea as such who must be taken for Anti-christian spirits for enemies to Christ and his Kingdome t Neither have I heard that any of them now for many yeares have either celebrated to others or received themselves the Sacraments in any English Church And when it was propounded that they might take charge in some of the best Reformed Congregations of England with a full assurance of a personall dispensation to them for their whole life if they would leave but that one intollerable Tenet of Separation to this day they have disregarded that kind and brotherly Accommodation shewing expresly that in this point of separate Congregations they would be tolerated or nothing else would satisfie their consciences beyond this their best friends were not able by their long and earnest endeavours for divers weeks together to draw them one haires-breadth w if this be not a more cleare and a more inexcusable Separation then was ever yet laid to the charge of any Brownists I professe my utter mistake of the nature of Schisme and desire to be rectified The next singularity of the Brownists their Doctrine of the constitution of the Church in matter and forme the Independents have borrowed to the full and not only enlarged it but when all other grounds faile upon this alone they build the necessity of their separation Concerning the matter of the Church the Independents have learned all their unjust scrupulosity from the other as the Brownists require every Church member to be a Saint really regenerate and justified who at their admission have publikely satisfied the whole Congregation by convincing signes of their true holinesse the other requires the same x. What ever indulgence here the Independents professe to give either to weak ones in whom they finde the least of Christ or to women whom they remit from the Congregation to speak more privately in the Eldership y â— this is no other then the present practise of the Brownists at Amsterdam Only we observe that the Independents here go farther from the Reformed Churches both in the strictnesse and in the loosnesse of their satisfactions The Brownists are satisfied with the signes of personall grace but the Independents require more they proceed to a triall by a long conversation of the sociable and complying disposition of the person to be admitted with the spirits of the whole Church whereof he is to be a member z without this sutablenesse of spirit they will reject them whom otherwise they finde to be Saints aa But their chiefe excesse here is in loosnesse The Brownists will not dispence with known errours and sinnes in the members they will not admit of Anabaptists of proud luxurious contentious people If they finde any such to have crept in among them they professe their judgement is for their casting out by censures But the Independents will here be more wise for the encrease of their party and however they will have nothing to do with Presbyterians bb nor with such people who can live in their confused Congregations yet they make it their rule to hold out none for any errour that is not fundamentall nor for any sinne that is not continued in against conscience cc walking according to this rule they swallow down without trouble the small gnats of Anabaptism and all other Sects who erre not fundamentally and obstinately and against conscience how many Sectaries are thus farre guilty who can determine The little spot of luxury in apparell in diet and many fleshly delights of strife of disdainfull railing and such other faults as are too
common in their members are of easy disgestion dd Concerning the other part of the Church essence its forme their Covenant in this the Disciples go much above their Master Mr Cotton hath perfected by an expresse Treatise this part of Brownism ee as many others The Covenants of New â—ngland are much straiter then any that ever we heard of at Amsterdam It is true that of late both in Old and New England the Independents seem much to modify the rigour of their Covenant ff but whatever may be said of their profession I never could learne of their practice to admit any into their society who gave not full assurance of embracing their whole way and all their differences from the Reformed Churches Sure I am they did never admit any upon easier tearms then lately I my self did hear Mr Can admit a member into his Church at Amsterdam yet if Mr Prynnes information be well grounded they are become at London more rigid in their Covenant then ever he tells us that now it is their custome to make it a part of their Oath to oppugne the Government of the Reformed Churches and to defend Independency with armes and violence ff 2. Unto the constitution we may referre the efficient of a Church and the number of its members in both the Schollars follow punctually their Masters As for the efficient it is not only the Brownists but the Independents also who put the power of gathering Churches and joyning together by Covenant in a Church way in the hand of private Christians alone without any Officer or the authority of any Magistrate It is presumption in any Minister if he assay to make up a Church only people must associate themselves into a Church and then create their Ministers and other Officers gg In New England at the erection of a new Church they are content with the presence both of the Magistrate and Ministers of the neighbour Churches but they declare that neither is necessary and that the presence of either gives no authority to the action and the absence of both detracts no authority from it hh That the whole power to gather a Congregation and to erect a Church is alone in the covenanting persons ii As for the number of the members the Independents go as low as the Brownists avowing that seven persons make a full ministeriall and compleatly organized Church kk nor do they extend the number any farther then the Brownists avowing that no Church except the universall may have any more members then conveniently can meet and be accommodated in one place for the exercise of all holy duties ll not only preaching of the Word whereat thousands may be present but celebration of the Sacraments and administring all parts of Discipline to which acts a few hundreds cannot commodiously meet The Independents minde about the gathering and erecting of Congregations may be clearly perceived by their late practice in the Sommer Islands wherein they are applauded by the Churches of New England and defended by Master White against Master Prynnes Fresh Discovery with a great deale of confidence and high language there hee justifies the necessity of the dissolution of all the Churches in the Barmudaes which yet he professes were among the best of all the English Plantations there were above 3000 people in the Isle who had lived without all controversie with any of their Ministers from their first planting till the yeare 1641 when their Ministers perswaded by some writs of the Brethren of New England found it necessary to lay down their charges and become meere private men denying to administer to their old flocks any Ordinance till three of them entring in a Covenant and thereby becomming a new Church did perswade of the 3000 Islanders some thirty or forty at most to joyn with them in their new Church Covenant these covenanted persons did chuse one of their old Ministers for their Pastor and two others of them for Ruling Elders who as gifted men were content to joyne with the Pastor in preaching not only to the Church members but to the whole Isle to fit them to be Church members but all the three refused absolutely to celebrate any Sacrament or administer any Discipline or do any act of a Pastor to any but to the forty named only All this Mr White maintains as just and necessary and petitions the Parliament in print for their countenance and approbation whereby it seems it is the Independents avowed and cleare intention when they have power to dissolve and annull all the Churches of England yea of the world to spoile all Ministers living of their pastorall charge and all people of all Church priviledges and to erect new Churches of their own framing into which they are to admit at most not one of an hundred of those who now do count themselves Christians all this you may see at length in Mr Whites very peremptory Reply to Mr Prynnes Fresh Discovery Leaving the constitution their chiefe Tenets concerne the power of the Congregation so constitute as is said in this they come up fully to their Masters side for they give unto their Church that is their seven covenanted persons the whole Ecclesiastick power and that independently upon any person under heaven First they put it in their hands to create all the Officers they not only give them suffrages in their election mm but the whole power of Ordination also nn the examination of their Pastor in all the abilities requisite for his charge oo the laying all the parts of his Office upon him publique prayer imposition of hands and what other acts are requisite for a regular Ordination are all performed by one of the people whom the rest have appointed for that end pp As they have power to make all their Officers so they have power to unmake them to depose and excommunicate all their Ministers qq to cognosce and finally to determine without any appeal in all cases both in life and doctrine of all Heresies and Scismes of all Truths and Errours to order all things belonging to the worship of God and to do all things else rr which other Churches ascribe to the most Generall Assemblies of the most learned Divines Upon this passage of Power come in the differences which divided the Brownists among themselves whilst Iohnson would give all these acts of power to the Eldership and Ainsworth would keep them for the Congregation these same questions vex the Independents to this day and are likely to divide the Children as they did the Fathers The most of the New English Divines with Ainsworth attribute the whole Ecclesiastick power to the body of the people unto the Eldership they give the preparation of affaires ss but the judgement and determination of all doth passe by the plurality of the peoples voices tt the power of the keyes they put in the hand not of the Presbytery but of the fraternity ww as they speak And in some
relinquish these darlings which they have resolved to keep still in their bosome The fatuity of this Tenet they use to season with the graines of three more sapid positions First they grant the being of Classicall Psesbyteries and Synods sss Secondly they ascribe to them the censure of Non-Communion ttt Thirdly they allow the Magistrate to correct Hereticall and Shismaticall persons www But if they will consider they shall finde that in none of those positions they goe beyond the Brownists and by them all they doe not any whit cure the disease of Independency For the first they admit not of any Classicall Presbytery differing from a Synod for what ever they speak of their granting gladly unto us all the degrees and Subordinations of Assemblies which we could wish yet betwixt a Congregationall Eldership and a Synod they grant not any interposition of a Classis or compounded Presbytery over more Congregations then one xxx which kinde of Presbytery the Reformed Churches make the first and ordinary subject of Ordination and of sundry acts of Jurisdiction esteeming it a Iudicatory specifically different both from the inferiour Eldership of a single Congregation and the Superiour Synod whither of a Shire or a Province or a Nation or of more or of all Nations Besides that Synod whereof they approve is only a Brownisticall one such as needeth not to be moderated by any Preacher yyy at the which any man who pleaseth may be present to debate and vote decisively zzz Yea they goe here much beyond the Brownists and their Brethren of New-England also for they deny that the 15 of the Acts is either a pattern or ground for any Synod aaaa expresly contrary to Mr Cottons latest Doctrine neither will they have any ordinary or set Synods but only occasionall and when the occasion of a Synod commeth they will have it to be meerely elective bbbb 1. consisting of such persons alone as themselves please to chuse not only of the Churches of their own Independent way alone but also of such only among these as themselves think meet to pitch upon bbbb 2 if a Classis or Synod bee of any other temper they count it so corrupt and so tyrannicall a Court that they could not countenance it with their presence yea not so much as they would doe an Episcopall Sea cccc the one being much worse then the other that the Brownists Independency went ever thus farre I doe not know As for their sentence of Non-Communion it is one of Mr Cottons new additions to old Brownisme dddd which it seemes rather to embitter then sweeten for it is a meer humane invention to supply the ordinances of God which men injuriously have cast away when they have denied to Synods the power of these censures which God hath appointed and finde themselves straightned by the absolute necessity of the matter to take up againe either them or their equivalent they will not be so changeable as to resume the censures whereof God is the Author having once cast them away but in their place they are forced to finde out some of their own these their new declarations and abstentions from fellowship and such like new censures of their owne But which is worst of all these their new censures if there be any force in them advance their Independency to the highest degree of power or rather lift it up highly in the aire and by a repugnancy and contradiction make it evaporate to nothing for this Non-Communion giveth power to every one even the smallest Congregation over all the Churches in the World it pleaseth to deale with so farre as to admonish rebuke declare against them all and cast them all out of her Communion eeee The Reformed Churches contend only for a power to a great Assembly for censuring a faulty member of a small Congregation but this Non-Communion gives to the smallest Congregation of any seven persons the power of sentencing the whole Churches and all the Assemblies in the World Howbeit this Non-Communion seemes to be contradictory and destructive of that Independency which it was invented to salve For if every Congregation bee Independent how shall all Congregations be so dependent upon every one that any the least may inflict this high censure upon the greatest yea upon all Beside this Non-Communion is nothing but the highest straine of separation that ever any Brownist aimed at it giveth a power for any Church to deny Communion to all Churches and to live separate without all Communion with any Church for ever This produceth an other power of a farther separation to wit a power to every member of that separate Church upon any grievance not satisfied to separate himselfe and either live there alone as many do or to gather a new Church of any whom they finde willing to associate with them these things are brought not so much for reasons to evert the positions in hand as to shew how unfit limitations they are of the extravagancy which appeareth in Independency and how much they runne out beyond the bounds which they pretend to hem in As for their third Tenet of the Magistrates concurrence to second their sentence of Non-Cummunion besides that the Brownists goe as farre as ever any of them did in this ffff we see now that the chiefe of them have recalled the Tenet though all the Protestant Churches and none more then they of New-England doe maintaine the Magâ—strates power to suppresse errours yet this unhappy love towards liberty whereinto the Independent party here among us have lately fallen makes them to entreat the Magistrate to let alone the affaires of Religion though they runne into all the confusion whither Satan and his Instruments are able to carry them gggg If the Magistrates feare of God doth stop his eare to such impious petitions then they flee up very high even to the deniall and decrying of all the Magistrates power in matters of Religion hhhh which yet the Papists in England and the Arminians in Holland who have been the greatest pleaders hitherto for liberty were never bold to impugne but of this more hereafter I hope I have demonstrated that in the point of Separation and of the constitution and government of the Church the great and only intended Articles of the Brownists our brethren the Independents come nothing behind them Sure in these their conceits they applaud themselves no lesse then the former they put in these things the very Kingdome of Christ all their opposites in these fancies they make them enemies to Christs Kingdome iiii they avow Independency to be a beginning and a part of that glorious Kingdome which Christ for a thousand yeares is to enjoy upon earth kkkk Concerning the worship of God and other heads of Divinity whatever crotchets the Brownists have fallen into the Independents punctually doe follow the most and worst of them and if in any they come short they are sure to exceed in other
things more dangerous First for the marriage blessing they applaud the Brownists Doctrine they send it from the Church to the Town-house making its solemnization the duty of the Magistrate llll â— this is the constant practice of all in New-England the prime of the Independent Ministers now at London have been married by the Magistrate and all that can bee obtained of any of them is to be content that a Minister in the name of the Magistrate and as his Commissioner may solemnize that holy band Concerning Divorces some of them goe farre beyond any of the Brownists not to speak of Mr Milton who in a large Treatise hath pleaded for a full liberty for any man to put away his wife when ever hee pleaseth without any fault in her at all but for any dislike or dyspathy of humour mmmm for I doe not know certainely whither this man professeth Independency albeit all the Hereticks here whereof ever I heard avow themselves Independents what ever therefore may be said of Mr Milton yet Mr Gorting and his Company were men of renown among the New-English Independents before Mistrisse Hutchinsons disgrace and all of them do maintaine that it is lawfull for every woman to desert her husband when he is not willing to follow her in her Church way and to take her selfe for a widow loosed from the bond of obedience to him only because he lives without that Church whereof she is become a member nnnn Concerning the circumstances of the worship of God they will have nothing determined but all which Scripture hath not determined to be left so free that all Directories are much against their stomacks How much they did crosse that gracious and excellent work of the Directory for the three Kingdoms and when it was begunne how long they did retard it and after it was brought to an end through all the mountaines of impediments which they did cast up in its way how earnest they were by slight of hand to have put in its Preface such phrases as might have altogether made frustrate the use of it is well known to many yea when a Directory for the three Nations is established by the Assemblies and Parliaments of both Kingdoms they are bold so farre to slight it as to write unto the very Parliament that uniformity is but a matter of forme in the which for peace sake men will come up so farre as conscience can permit intimating that all our covenanted uniformity must be resolved into the free-will or erroneous conscience of every private man In the abolishing of the monuments of Idolatry they agree so farre with the Brownists that they will not name the dayes of the week the months of the yeare the places of meeting after the ordinary manner oooo yet they make no scruple to use the Churches builded in the time of Popery nor of Bels though invented by a Pope and baptized with all the Popish Superstitions how this doth stand with their principles I doe not well know especially with their practice about another circumstance the Church-maintenance For the ancient way of maintenance by Tythes or Lands or set Stipends they do refuse pppp and require here the reduction of the Apostolique practice They count it necessary that all the Church Officers should live upon the charge of the Congregation the Ruling Elders and Deacons as well as the Pastors and Doctors qqqq but all they will have them to receive is a meer Almes a voluntary Contribution layd down as an offring at the Deacons feet every Lords Day and by him distributed to all the Officers and the poore of the Congregation according as they have need rrrr This is their Doctrin but it seemes they are weary long ago of its practice The Brownists as I heare are yet constant to practise what they teach allowing their Ministers for their better supply and that they may not be too burthensom to the Congregation the use of handy Trades but the Independents of New-England have a better provision not only a proportion of Land but a certayn Tax of money layd on by the Magistrate both upon the members of the Congregation and upon all the neighbours though not received members of any Church ssss These also of London Arnheim and Roterdam have been famous for a sufficient care of a set provision above the ordinary to the rate of two or three hundred pounds a year tttt And lest their Income should decrease with too large deduction for the supply of the poore it hath been their providence to admit none or few poore members of their Congregations wwww Concerning other circumstances the form of their Church and Pulpit and such like I have not observed any difference in the Meeting-houses of the one at Roterdam and the other at Amsterdam For the parts of the worship as I take it there is little difference only the Independents seem in their administration more to vary the persons sometimes they make one to pray and another to preach a third to prophesie and a fourth to dismisse with a blessing xxxx In the ordering of the parts of their worship after Mr Cottons invention they take it for an Apostolick injunction to begin first of all with a large solemne Prayer for the King and the Church applying the words of the Apostle against the cleare scope of the Text and all the writers which I have consulted upon it to this very method of the ordinances and to this matter of the first Prayer yyyy After the Prayer the Doctor proceeds to read and expound their ordinary practice here agrees with the other but their Doctrine differeth for the Independents at London grant that reading by it selfe without exposition is a divine Ordinance however in their practice they conjoyne both In preaching they differ from the Brownists and us and joyn with the Popish Monks they will not be tyed to a Text of Scripture for the ground of their discourse but will be at liberty to run out on whatsoever matter they think most fit and expedient for their hearers zzzz About prophesying after Sermon they are at a full agreement permitting to any private man of the flock or to any stranger whom they take to be gifted publikly to expound and apply the Scripture to pray and to blesse the people They permit two or three of these after the end of the Sermon to exercise their gifts aaaaa When the exercise of the Prophets is ended they use another Ordinance of questioning the Preachers and Prophets by any member of the Congregation about any point of the Doctrine bbbbb but this exercise as also the former hath proved so unhappy in New England that gladly there they would be quit of both ccccc In the Psalms the Independents wander wider then their Teachers some of them will have no songs in the time of publike Iudgements ddddd others will not permit women to sing in the Church
to forgive the repentant ccc The propositions 3. prop. The fraternity having authoritative concurrence with the Presbytery in Iudiciall acts ddd Keyes p. 16. Though the Church want authority to Excommunicate their Presbytery yet they want not liberty to withdraw from them eee Keyes Preface p. 5. When we first read this of this learned Author knowing what hath been the more generall current both of the practice and judgement of our brethren for the Congregationall way wee confesse we were filled with wonderment at that Divine hand that had thus led the judgements without the least mutuall interchange or intimation of thoughts or notions in these particticular of our brethren there and our selves here fff Ibid. Onely wee crave leave of the reverend Author to declare that wee assent not to all expressions c. Vide supra ggg Tabula Potestas charitativa merè est primo fratâ—um Presbyterorum charitativè non politicè ambulantium secundo sororum hhh Vide supra Chap. 4. F iii Vide supra Chap. 3. M kkk Bastwicks Independency p. 99. The fifth Quaere is whether the women and people as well as the Ministers have the Keyes and whether the women have all their votes in the Church both for election and reprobation of Members and Officers as well as the men and whether the consent of all the women and the greatest part of them be requisite for the making of any one a member or officer so that if they gain-say it being the greater number or allow of it the most voyces carry the businesse the practice of this the brethren in some of their Congregations hold for Orthodox Mr Prynnes Fresh Discovery in his Dedicatory Epistle to the Parliament p. 5. And to interest the femall Sex and draw them to their party they allow them not only decisive votes but liberty of preaching prophesying speaking in their Congregatitions lll Keyes p. 6. We be farre from allowing that sacrilegious usurpation of the Ministers Office which we heare of to our griefe to be practised in some places that private Christians ordinarily take upon them to preach the Gospel publikely and to Minister the Sacraments Katharine Chidleys Iustification of the Independent Churches p. 28. Yet that the Church must want the Word preached or the Sacraments administred till they have Pastors and Teachers in Office is yet to be proved but that which hath been alledged is sufficient to prove that the family must not be unprovided for either for the absence or the negligence of a Steward mmm Keyes p. 53. A particular Congregation being the first subject of the Church power is unavoidably Independent upon any other Church or body for the exercise thereof for the first subject of any accident or adjunct is Independent upon any other either for the enjoying or for the imploying the having or using of the same nnn Vide supra mmm ooo Answer to the 32 Questions p. 36. For Dependency upon men or other Churches or other Subordination unto them in regard of Church-Government or power we know not of any such appointed by Christ in his Word ppp Welds Answer to Rathband 14. chap. Our Churches are tender to perswade men to act without light much more to command or to compell both which very words though the thing required were lawfull are odious in the Churches of Christ most fitly becomming the Synagogues of Anti-christ qqq Vide Cottons Keyes p. 8. infra zzz rrr Cottons Catechisme p. 13. All the Churches thereabout may meet together and by the Word of God may confute and condemn such errours in doctrine or practice as are offensive to prevent the spreading either of the gangrene of heresie or of the leprosie of sin and if the Church offending shall not yet hearken unto their brethren though the rest of the Churches have not power to deliver them to Satan yet they have power to draw from them the right hand of Fellowship Vide infra sss sss Keyes p. 57. In the Election and Ordination of Officers and censure of offenders let it suffice the Churches consociate to assist one another with their counsel but let them not put forth the power of their Community to take such Church Censures out of their hands let Synods have their just authority in all Churches how pure so ever in determining such diataxeis as are requisite for the edification of all Churches Keyes Preface p. 4. Hee acknowledgeth that Synods or Classes are an Ordinance of Christ unto whom Christ hath committed a due and just measure of power furnishing them not onely with ability to give counsell but also a Ministeriall power and Authority to determine declare and enjoyne such things as may tend to the reducing of Congregations to right order and peace but not arming them with power of Excommunicating either Congregations or their members they are to leave the former act of this censure to that Authority which can only execute it placed by Christ in these Churches themselves which if they deny to doe or persist in their miscarriage then the Synod may determine to withdraw communion from them ttt Ibid. www Keyes p. 50.51 The Magistates addresse themselves to the establishment of Religion and Reformation of corruptions by civill punishments upon the wilfull opposers Iosiah put to death Idolatrous Priests nor was that a peculiar duty of the Kings of Iuda for of the times of the New-Testament it is Prophesied that in some cases capitall punishment shall proceed against false prophets xxx Keyes Preface p. 4. Hee asserteth an association of Churches sending their Elders and Messengers into a Synod so hee purposely chuseth to stile these Assemblies of Elders which the Reformed Churches doe call Classes or Presbyteries yyy Cottons Catechisme p. 3. The office or work of the ruling Elders is to moderate the carriage of all matters of the Church Assembled as to propound matters to the Church and to order the season of speech and silence in the Church zzz Keyes p. 48. The pattern of Synods is set before us Acts 15. There the Apostles assembled together with the Elders and a multitude of brethren together with them the whole Synod being satisfied determine of a Iudiciall sentence and of a way to publish it by Letters and Messengers so the matter is at last judged in a Congregation of Churches in a Church of Churches for what is a Synod else but a Church of Churches ibid. p 57. All the liberties of Churches were purchased to them by the precius blood of the Lord Iesus and therefore neither may the Churches give them away nor many Churches take them out of the hands of one aaaa Keyes Preface p. 6. In all humility wee yet see not that assembly of Apostles Elders and brethren Acts 15 to have been a formall Synod bbbb 1 Ibid. 4. He aâ—knowledgeth a Synod to be an Ordinance of God in relation to the rectifying of male administrations and healing dissentions in particular Congregations and the like cases in such cases
which they do belong neither do we know any such thing to be appointed by Christ our Lord for the maintenance of the Ministry in these dayes the bringing in of settled endowments and eminent Preferments into the Church hath been the corruption and to some the destruction of such as lived by them both Church-Officers and Church-members qqqq Cottons Way p. 38. The Deacons were elected and ordained for the serving at Tables to wit the serving of all these Tables which pertained to the Church to provide for which are the Lords Table the Tables of the Ministers or Elders of the Church and the Tables of the poore Brethren whither of their own body or strangers for the maintaining whereof we doe not appoint them to goe up and down to collect the benevolences of abler brethren but as the Apostles received the oblations of the brethren brought and laid down at their feet and thereby made distribution as the use of the Church required so the Deacons receive the oblations of the brethren every Lords day brought unto them and laid down before them and distribute the same as the need of the Church doth require rrrr Ibid. ssss Plaine-dealing p. 19. At some other places they make a rate upon every man as well within as not of the Church residing with them towards the Churches occasions and others are beholding now and then to the generall Court to study wayes to enforce the mantenance of the Ministry tttt Antap. p. 276. Have you not carried a greater port then most of the godly Ministers in the City or Countrey have not some of you the prime Lectures of the City and other good places of advantage and profit besides what some of you have from your own Churches Vide supra Chap. 4. wwww Bastwicks Independency p. 142.143 It is well known and can sufficiently be proved that godly Christians of holy conversation against whom they had no exception either for doctrine or manners and who offered themselves to be admitted members upon their own conditions and yet were not suffered to be joyned members onely because they were poore and this very reason was given them for their not-admission that they would not have their Church over-burdened with poore Ibid. It was replyed that the Congregation of which he was Pastor consisted of great Personages Knights Ladies and rich Merchants and such people as they being but poore could not walk so sutably with them wherefore he perswaded them to joyn themselves with some other Congregation among poore people where they might better walk and more confortably in fellowship with them xxxx Plaine-dealing p. 16. The Pastor begins with solemn prayer continuâ—ing about a quarter of an houre the Teacher then readeth and expoundeth a Chapter then a Psalme is sung which ever one of the ruling Elders dictates after that the Pastor preacheth a Sermon and sometimes ex tempore exhortes then the Teacher concludes with prayer and a blessing yyyy Cottons Way p. 66. First then when we come into the Church according to the Apostles direction 1 Tim. 1. We make prayers and intercessions and thanksgivings for our selves and all men zzzz I have heard the chiefe of our Brethren maintaine this publikely and I understand it is the practice of some of them in the City aaaaa Cottons Catechisme p. 6. Where there bee more Prophets besides the Elders they may Prophesie two or three if the time permit the Elders calling to them whither in the same Church or others if they have any word of exhortation to the people to say on bbbbb Ibid. And for the bettering of a mans selfe or others it may be lawfull for either young or old save only for women to aske questions from the mouth of the Prophets ccccc Answer to the 32 quest p. 78. Some think the people have a liberty to aske their questions publikely for their better satisfaction upon very urgent and weighty cause though even this is doubted of by others and all judge the ordinary practice of it not necessary but if it be not meekly and wisely carried to be inconvenient if not utterly unlawfull and therfore such asking of questions is seldom used in any Church among us and in most Churches never ddddd Anatom p. 26. In the matter of singing of Psalms they differ not only from us but are also at variance among themselves some thinking it unlawfull for any to sing but he who preacheth and this hath been the late practice at Arnheim others thinking it unlawfull for women to sing in the Congregation hence some women at Rotterdam doe not sing I heare also they think it unfit for any at all in such times of the Churches trouble as this eeeee Ibid. fffff Vide supra Chap. 4. SS 1. ggggg If the question be of joyning in some few selected prayers read by an able and faithfull Minister out of the book as of the one side we are tender of imputing sinnes to these that so joyne Vide infra hhhhh hhhhh To that part of the Directory which recommends the use of the Lords Prayer they did enter no dissent an Answer to the 32 Questions p. 55. By a Liturgie and forme of prayer we suppose you meane not a forme of private prayer composed for the help of the weaker as for a forme of prayer in generall we conceive your meaning cannot be of that for it is evident that many Preachers constantly use a set forme of prayer of their owne making before their Sermons with whom the people refuse not to joyne ibid. p. 59. Wee acknowledge the Lords Prayer and other formes set downe in Scripture may be lawfully used as prayers due cautions being observed Cottons pouring out of the spirit p. 10. Not that I would discourage any poore soule from praying on a Book for I think as we may sing Psalms on a Book so we may in some cases pray on a Book iiiii Vide supra s Also see the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Colony of the Sommer Islands p. 2. Our children die unbaptized our selves are deprived of the Lords Supper our daughters cannot be given in marriage kkkkk Plain Dealing p. 40. At New Plymouth Mr Chancey stands for dipping in Baptism only necessary lllll Cottons Catechism p. 4. What manner of men hath God appointed to be received as members of his Church Answ Such as doe willingly offer themselves first to the Lord and then to the Church by confessing of their sins c. mmmmm This wee heare is their ordinary practice at London nnnnn Vide supra Chap. 4. Q R ooooo Vide supra ibid. ppppp This is the Apologists common profession qqqqq This also they professe as a cleare consequent of the former rrrrr Cottons way p. 68. The Lords Supper we administer for the gesture to the people sitting according as Christ administred it to his Disciples sitting Matth. 20.26 who also made a symbolicall use of it to teach the Church their majority over their Ministers in some cases and their Iudiciall
minor and conclusion are vitious First the conclusion commeth not neare the question for were it granted it concludes no more but a duty of the Church-officers and members to try and be satisfied about the state of these who are to bee received into the Church but it hath no word of an other duty which is the point in question It speaks nothing of a necessity to separate from a Church upon the neglect of the former duty this alone is the state of the present controversie which neither is expressed nor by any consequence doth follow from any thing that is expressed in this conclusion for suppose it were a duty laid by God upon every Church-Officer and member to enquire accurately after the Faith and Sanctification of all to be received among them and to expect satisfaction in their tryall yet I hope that every neglect of duty in the Church-Officers much lesse in every Church-member and least of all the want of successe of a duty truly performed will not be found a just and necessary cause for every one to separate from a Church if all this be not expersly concluded this arrow misseth the marke Secondly That which is expressed in the conclusion pitcheth only upon one particular case which the Reformed Churches neither do nor may acknowledge for it speaks only of admission of members upon their confession of sins This fits well the practice of the Brownists who suppose a necessity to dissolve the Reformed Churches that now are as vitiously constituted from their first beginning They may seeme to have reason in their gathering of new Churches to put their members to tryall before admission but the Reformed Churches who take themselves to be so farre true that they need no dissolution or new erection are not concerned in this case of admission for their members were borne in the Church and had the Covenant sealed to them in Baptisme what tryall they take of their children when they admit them to the Lords Table is no wayes for their admission to be members for this practice is a maine pillar of Anabaptisme and our brethrens engagement therein is the ground of all their sympathy and symbolising with that Sect So then the conclusion commeth short of the question and toucheth not the Reformed Churches but is builded on the pillars of rigid Separation and Anabaptisme taking that for granted which no Reformed Church may admit but upon hard termes no milder then the nullity and dissolution of all their Churches that out of the rubbish a new building may bee erected after the Separatists patterne The major also is vitious for suppose the antecedent of it were true yet there is no force therein to inferre the consequent be it so that every Church-member ought to be so holy as you will yet can this inferre the peoples power to try that holinesse which is the one halfe of the consequent Such a power in the people would make every one of them a Church-Governour which none of the Reformed Churches nor the halfe of the Separatists themselves will admit and they who doe plead for it set it upon other pillars but no man I know deduceth it from any thing in the antecedent now in hand For the rest of the consequent the Officers satisfaction in the true and sincere grace of the members at their first admission if it have any truth yet it commeth too short of reason and runnes also farre beyond the most rigid Separatists If a tryall must be made of Church-members why at their first admission alone and never after Is it not an ordinary case in all Churches and as much among the Brownists and Independents as any other that many who at first have been taken for truly regenerate have thereafter fallen to such errours in judgement and such practices in life as have given just ground to conclude the irregeneration of some and to doubt the regeneration of others Now if the uncertainty of regeneration be a just cause to hold a man out of all Churches is it not as just a cause to cast a man out of a Church when by doctrine or life this uncertainty appears which at first was covered yet none of our Brethren affirm that the uncertainty of regeneration nor the certainty of irregeneration is a just ground to cast any man out of the Church who once is come in The consequent also runs wide of the rigid Separatists for the holinesse they require is expresly externall which may stand with the internall wickednesse of hypocrites but the consequent speaks of inward sincerity contradistinguished from all outward professions The Minor is the part of the Argument which they labour to fortifie knowing the greatest weight to lie upon it We do deny it as a very dangerous errour every member of a visible Church is not in truth and sincerity a Believer and Saint This is against Scripture and all experience in every visible Church all who are called are not chosen In the field of God there are tares among the wheat in his fold goats amongst the sheep in his net bad fishes among the good in his house vessels for dishonour not for honour only In the best Churches of the Scripture we have too many bad members Iudas Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus Hymeneus and Philetus Demas and the like They dare not deny but some gracelesse hypocrites are in their best Congregations and if they should deny it the frequent out-breaking of their enormities to the eyes of the world would extort their confession The proofes they bring come not up to the Question that in the first of the Corinthians first and second sanctified in Christ and called to bee Saints if yee understand it of an outward calling alone it is not pertinent if of an inward efficacious call it is true not of every member but of some onely and is attributed to the whole Church of Corinth indefinitely because of these some who truly were elected justified and sanctified but that this was not true of all and every one of that Church is cleare by the Apostles complaint of many among them of some for Incest of others for injurious defrauding of their neighbours of some for carnall Schismes of others for prophane drunkennesse at the Lords Table it selfe of others for fundamentall errours The first of the Gal. 2 v hath nothing sounding toward the present question but the fourth verse is brought by the Brownists to something neare it that Christ had dyed for the Galatians sinnes and separated them from this present evill world if this import any true grace yet it may not bee applyed to every member of that Church for in the words following the Apostle beareth witnesse that sundry of them were removed to another Gospel that they were foolish and bewitched to rebell against the truth The relation of the Church to the persons of the Trinity that it is the body and Spouse of Christ the Temple of the holy
fellowshippe especially with the Saints is a preservative against the beginnings of evill and a retractive therefrom when begunne Every gratious neighbour is a Counsellour and Pedagogue the greater the incorporation is of such the better is every Member directed and the more strengthened Hence the goodnesse of God hath ordained not onely the planting of particular men into a small body of one single Congregation but for the greater security both of Persons and Congregations the Lord hath increased that Communion of Churches by binding neighbour Congregations in a larger and stronger Body of a Presbytery or Classis yea a number of Presbyteryes by the same hand of God are combined in a Synode neither this onely but for the strengthening of every stone and of the whole building the Lord hath appointed the largest societies that are possible the very Church universall and the representation thereof an Oecumenick Assembly This congregative way is divine the dissolution of humane societies especially of Ecclesiasticke Assemblyes must be from another Spirit The first we know to have opposed the holy Societyes we speake of were Anabaptists who liking a Catholicke anarchy in all things and pressing an universall liberty did strive to cut in peeces all the bands as of Politicke and Oeconomick union whereby Kingdomes and States Cities and Familyes did stand so also of the Ecclesiasticke conjunction making every person at last fully free from all servitude and simply independent or uncontrolable in any of his owne opinions or desires by any mortall man Their first follower among the reformed was one John Moreau a Parisian who in the French Churches did vent the Independency of Congregations from Synods and the popular government of these Independent Congregations But his scismatick pamphlet came no sooner abroad then the French Divines did most unanimously trample upon it In their generall Assembly at Rochell most Reverend Beza Moderator for the time and in their next Assembly Learned Sadeell with others did so fully confute these Anabaptistick follies that thereafter in France this evill Spirit did never so much as whisper only in Holland in the Arminian times it began to speake by the tongue of Grotius and others of his fellowes who being conscious to themselves of Tenets whereunto they despared the assent of any Synode yea fearing to be prejudged in the propagation of their errours by a crosse Sentence of a Nationall Assembly did set themselves to call in question and at last to deny the Authority and Jurisdiction of all Church meetings But when the goodnesse of God in that happy Synode of Dort did crush the other errours of that Party this their fansie did evanish and since in these bounds hath beene buried in Oblivion By what meanes this Anabaptistick roote which neither France nor Holland could beare when Grotius and Morellius did assay to plant it doth thrive so well in England after Browne and Barrow with their followers did become its dressers I have declared at length before However the Novelty of the Tenet the Infamie of its Authours the evill successe it hath had whereever yet it hath set up the head doth burden it with so just contempt that all further audience might be denyed thereto yet in this impudent and malapertage where the greatest absurdityes will importunately ingyre themselves and require beleefe as unanswerable and most covincing truths unlesse in a full hearing their naughtinesse be demonstrate we are content without all prejudices to reason the matter it selfe from the ground and to require no man to hate this errour for its Authours or any externall consideration unlesse it be cleerely showne to be contrary to the revealed will of God The state of the Question hath no perplexitie if its termes were cleared The Brownists affirme that every Parish Church that every single Congregation is Independent from any Presbytery any Synod any Assembly This we deny affirming the true dependence and subordination of Parochiall Congregations to Presbyteries and of these to Synods to which we ascribe power authority and Jurisdisdiction Before wee fall to reasoning let us understand the words which in this debate doe frequently occurre First what is a Parochiall Church or single Congregation Secondly What is its independence Thirdly What is a Presbytery and a Presbyteriall Church Fourthly What is a Synod Fifthly What is Authoritie and Jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall We intend no definitions but such popular descriptions as may make cleare what the parties use to understand by these words A particular Church a Parish or Congregation in this Question is taken for a company of faithfull people every one whereof in the face of the whole Congregation hath given so cleare tokens of their true grace and regeneration as hath satisfied the minde of all A company I say incorporate by a particular Covenant and Oath to exercise all the parts of Christian Religion in one place under one Pastor Our Opposits affirme that in one Church there must be but one Pastor assisted indeede with a Doctor and three or foure Elders yet no more Pastors but one They will admit into a Church no more people then commodiously and at their ease may convene in one house how few they be they care not ten families or forty persons to them are a faire Church you have heard that some of their Churches have beene within the number of foure persons Independencie is the full liberty of such a Church to discharge all the parts of Religion Doctrine Sacraments Discipline and all within it selfe without all dependence all subordination to any other on earth more or fewer so that the smallest Congregation suppose of three persons though it fall into the grossest heresies may not be controlled by any Orthodoxe Synod were it Oecumenicke of all the Churches on earth A Presbytery as it is called in Scotland or a Classis as in Holland or a Collogue as in France is an ordinary meeting of the Pastors of the Churches neerly neighbouring of the ruling Elders deputed therefrom for the exercise chiefely of discipline so farre as concernes these neighbouring Churches in common A Presbyteriall Church is a company of Professors governed by one Prysbytery who for the exercise of Religion meete in diverse places or who have moe Pastors then one A Synod is a convention of Pastors and Elders sent and deputed from diverse Presbyteries meeting either ordinarily or upon occasion for the affaires that are common to those that sent them Ecclesiasticke Jurisdiction is a right and power not onely by advice to counsell and direct but by authority given of God to injoyne and to performe according to the rule of Scriptures these things which concern the Ordination of Ministers the deciding of Ecclesiasticall Causes the determination of Doctrines the inflicting of Censures c. The signification of these words being presupposed the state of the Question or minde of the parties can not be obscure The first Argumen for the truth I cast into this Forme Every Independent
of the Doctrine to try and examine false Teachers lieth principally on preachers This is alike true of the Church of Antioch The hand of the Lord was in the City and a great number beleeved Acts 11.21 Thereafter by Barnabas labour there was much people added v. 24. yea by the joyned paines of Barnabas and Paul for a yeare together there was such a multitude converted that the name of Christians was first imposed upon them Here as in the Metropolitane City not onely of Syria but all Asia beside Barnabas Paul and other Prophets v. 27. Peter also and many other Doctors had their residence Gal. 2.11 It were too long to speake of the rest of the Apostolicke Churches whose condition was not unlike the former Our third Argument No Synod hath authority to impose Decrees upon an Independent Church But some Synods have authority to impose Decrees upon particular Churches whether Presbyteriall or Congregationall Ergo Particular Churches whether Presbyteriall or Congregationall are not Independent The Maior is not controverted our adverse party acknowledgeth the lawfull use and manifold fruits of Synods They grant it is the duty of every good man and much more of every Church and most of all of a Synod consisting of the Messengers of many Churches to admonish counsell perswade and request particular Curches to doe their duty But that any company on earth even an Oecumenicke Synod should presume to injoyne with authority the smallest Congregation to leave the grossest heresies under the paine of any censure they count it absurd Upon this ground that every Congregation how small soever how corrupt soever is an Independent body and not subordinate to any society on earth how great how pure how holy soever The Minor thus is proved The Synod of Jerusalem imposed with Authority her Decrees upon the Church of Antioch Ergo Some Synod and if you please to make it universall every lawfull Synod may impose its Decrees upon particular Churches The Antecedent is to be seene Acte 15.20 It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no further burden on you then these things necessary The Consequence is good for Antioch was among the chiefe of the Apostolicke Churches in it Barnabas Paul and other Prophets inspired of God were Preachers If this Church was subject to the Authority of Synods what Church may plead a freedome from the like subjection Many things are here replied as usually it hapneth when no solid answer can be brought The chiefe heads of the Reply are three First that the meeting at Jerusalem was no Synod Secondly What ever it was that it did injoyne nothing authoritatively to any other Churches Thirdly That other Synods may not pretend to the priviledges of that meeting since its Decrees were indited by the Holy Ghost and stand now in the holy Canon as a part of Scripture To the first we say that the meeting at Jerusalem is either a true Synod or else there is no paterne in all Scripture for Synods even for counsell or advice or any other use But this were inconvenient for they acknowledge that Synods are lawfull meanes for many gracious ends in the Church Now to affirme that any Ecclesiasticke meeting is lawfull necessary or convenient for gracious ends whereof no patterne no example can be found in Scripture were dangerous But beside this argument towards our adverse party we reason from the nature of the thing it selfe A meeting consisting of the Deputies of many Presbyteriall Churches is a true Synod but the convention at Jerusalem Acts 15. was such a meeting The Maior is the essence of a Synod there are many accidentall differences of Synods for according to the quantity and number of the Churches who send their Commissioners the Synod is smaller or greater is Provinciall Nationall or Oecumenicke according to occasion the Churches sending Commissioners are sometime moe sometime fewer sometime neerer sometime further off also according to the commodity of place and necessity of affaires they come from one Church moe and from others fewer all these are but accidentalls which change not the nature of the thing Unto the essence of a Synod no more useth to be required then a meeting of Commissioners from moe Presbyteriall Churches The Minor is cleare That the Church of Antioch and Jerusalem were moe Churches no man doubts that both were Presbyteriall it was proved before that from both these Presbyteriall Churches Commissioners did sit at that meeting it is apparent from that oft cited Acts 15. Yea that from the other Churches of Syria and Cilicia besides Antioch Commissioners did come to Jerusalem may appeare by conference of the 2. vers of the 15. chap. with vers 23. for that with Paul and Barnabas Commissioners for the time from the Antiochians others also did come it is certaine that those others at least some of them were Deputed from the Churches of Syria and Cilicia it is like because the Synodick Epistle is directed expresly no lesse to those than to this of Antioch also those no lesse than this are said to be troubled with the Questions which occasioned that meeting But to passe this consideration it is cleare that in the Convention at Jerusalem were present not onely the Commissioners of some few Presbyteriall Churches but also they whom God had made constant Commissioners to all the Churches of the world to wit the Apostles their presence made all the Churches legally subject to the Decrees of that Synod though they had no other but their grand and constant Commissioners to Voyce for them in that meeting The second Answer is clearely refuted from the 28. vers where the Decrees are not proposed by way of meere advice but are injoyned and imposed as necessary burdens with Authority not onely of the Synod but of the holy Ghost Concerning the third we say that the meerely Divine and more than Ecclesiastick Authority of these Decrees in their first Formation is not made good from this that now they stand in holy Scripture and are become a part of the Bible for a world of Acts meerely indifferent and which without doubt in their Originall had no more then Ecclesiasticke Authority are Registred in Scripture Was the Presbytery of Lystraes laying on of hands on Timothy any other then an act of Ecclesiastick Ordination The Decree of the Church of Corinth for the incestuous mans Excommunication or relaxation after Repentance was it any more then an act of Jurisdiction meerely Ecclesiasticke Pauls circumcision of Timothy his Uow at Cenchrea the cutting off his haire at Jerusalem were free and indifferent actions The nature of these things and many moe of that kinde is not changed by their Registring in the Booke of God Neither also is the meerly Divine Authority of the Decrees at Jerusalem proved by this that in their first framing they were grounded on cleare Scripture and after proclamed in the name of the holy Ghost for that is the condition of the
offended by a brother as well without as within the same Congregation and as well by many brethren as by one yea as well may we be offended by a whole Church as by one member thereof Now if after the minde of our adverse party the subordination of fewer to moe might not be extended without the bounds of one Congregation the Lords medecine were not meete to cure very many ordinary and daily scandals for what if a man be scandalized by the neighbour Church To whom shall he complaine When the Church offending is both the Judge and party it is likely she will misregard the complaints that are made to her of her selfe What if a man be scandalized by his owne Church or by the most or by the strongest part of it What if that Church to whom he complaineth take part against Justice and reason with him upon whom he complaines It will be impossible to remedy innumerable offences which daily fall out among brethren unlesse appeales be granted and the subordination established by Christ be extended not onely without the bounds of one Parish but as farre and wide as the utmost limits of the Church universall for upon this place is rightly grounded by the Ancients the Authority of Synods even Oecumenick of all the Churches Thirdly the subordination established by Christ Matth. 18. is so farre to be extended in the Christian Church as it was extended in the Church of the Jewes for Christ there alludeth to the Jewish practise But so it is that in the Iewish Church there was ever a subordination of fewer to moe not onely within the same Synagogue but within the whole Nation and so within the whole Church Universall for all Synagogues everywhere in the world were under the great Councell at Ierusalem No doubt of the Minor the Major is builded upon this ground that what ever Christ hath translated from the Synagogue to the Church especially if it be of naturall equity hath as great force now amongst Christians as of old among the Iewes Now that the subordination of Synagogues to the great Councell is of naturall equity it appeareth thus A Synagogue was the lowest Ecclesiasticke Court the Councell was the highest but the subordination of the lowest Court to the highest is of naturall right for Nature hath ever dictated to all Nations as well in things civill as religious a subordination of the lowest to the highest Our fifth Argument That which taketh away all possibility of any effectuall remedy against Heresie Idolatry Schisme Tyranny or any other mischiefe that wracks either one or moe Churches is not of God for God is the Author and conserver of truth purity union order liberty and of all vertue God of his goodnesse and wisedome hath provided for all and every one of his Churches meanes and remedies which if carefully made use of are sufficient to hinder the first arising of Heresie Schisme or any other evill and when they are risen to beate them downe and abolish them so that what ever cherisheth these mischiefes and is a powerfull instrument to preserve them safe that none with any power with any authority for any purpose may get them touched that must be much opposite to the Spirit of God and good of the Church But such is Independencie as both reason and experience will prove Behold first severall Churches Suppose which too oft hath falne out that the Pastor become a pernicious Hereticke let him beginne with the venome of his Doctrine to poyson the hearts of his people what shall be the remedie Independency bindes the hands of Presbyteries and Synods Pastors of Neighbouring Congregations have no power to binde or expell that ravenous wolfe in the destroyed flock there is no Pastor but the wolfe himselfe Be it so that the people in their judgement of discretion perceive well enough the wickednesse of the false doctrin whereby they are corrupted yet the office charge and authority to cure their Pastors disease lyeth not on them The Spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets the Pastor is not to be proceeded against with censure by the people of his flocke for so the order which God hath established in his Church should be inverted if they whom hee hath commanded to obey should rule and they whom he hath set above and over the flocke should be under it Further Suppose the Pastor to be most gracious what if the flocke or the greater part of the flocke become so wicked as to abuse their Pastor or to abuse the most godly of the Congregation What if a wicked spirit of Heresie Schisme or Tyranny set the most part of the flocke against God against their gracious Pastor and the godly of the flocke what shall be done in this pitifull and very possible yea oft contingent case Indâ—pendency closeth the doore of the troubled Congregation that no man may goe out to cry for any powerfull helpe to neighbours though their kindled house should burne them all to death within there is no remedy for all most goe there by the number of voyces and the most part oppresseth the best the most wicked go on against the Councells the intreaties the prayers of the rest and cease not till they have either corrupted or cast out their Pastor Elders and all of their fellow-members who are constant in goodnesse that so their wickednesse without controle may domineere in the whole subdued Congregation So long as Independency standeth no effectuall authoratative or powerfull helpe can possibly be found for the preservation of any single Congregation against ruine and totall subversion Further Independency hazards the being of all Churches as well as of every one For who shall hinder any member of a corrupted Congregation to infect all the neighbour Churches with the poyson of his doctrine and manners If a ramping Lyon a viperous Serpent a crafty Fox should goe and devour all the Lambs of the neighbour flocks Independency doth hinder any order to be taken with that limbe of Sathan no sword of censure can be drawne against him he must be referred absolutely to his owne Congregation other Churches may intreate advise and pray him not to make havoke of them but should he trouble infect and destroy twenty an hundred a thousand neighbour Congregations no Ecclesiastick censure may passe upon him but by his owne Church and when complaints of him come to his owne Church his misdeedes there are excused defended commended his Heresies are proclamed sound doctrine his devouring of soules is declared to be zeale and painfulnesse to win soules to CHRIST Our Argument is backed by experience as well as by reason The first Independent Church we reade of was that company which Mr. Browne brought over from England to Middleborough how long did it stand before it was destroyed by Independency when once Anabaptistick novelties and other mischiefes fell among them there was no remedy to prevent the companies dissolution When Mr. Barrow and his fellowes assaied at London to
erect their Congregation the successe was no better their Ship scarce well set out was quickly splitupon the Rocks was soone dissipate and vanished When Johnstoun Ainsworth would make the third assay and try if that tree which neither in England nor Zealand could take roote might thrive in Holland at Amsterdam where plants of all sorts are so cherished that few of the most maligne qualite doe miscarry yet so singular a malignity is innate in that seede of Independency that in that very ground where all weedes grow ranke it did wither within a few yeares new Schismes burst that small Church asunder Johnstoun with his halfe and Ainsworth with his made severall Congregations neither whereof did long continnue without further ruptures Behold who please with an observant Eye these Congregations which have embraced Independency they shall finde that never any Churches in so short a time have beene disgraced with so many so unreasonable and so irreconcileable Schismes Against these inconveniences they tell us of two remedies the duties of charity and the authority of the Magistrate but the one is unsufficient and the other improper The duties of charitie are but mocked by obstinate Hereticks and heady Schismaticks to what purpose are counsells rebukes intreaties imployed towards him who is blowne up with the certaine perswasion that all his errors are divine truthes that all who deale with him to the contrary are in a cleare error that all the advices given to him are but the words of Satan from the mouthes of men tempting him to sinne against God As for the Magistrate oft he is not a Christian oft though a Christian he is not Orthodoxe and though both a Christian and Orthodoxe yet oft either ignorant or carelesse of Ecclesiasticke affaires and however his helpe is never so proper and intrinsecall to the Church that absolutely and necessarily she must depend thereupon Now all our Question is about the ordinary the internall the necessary remedies which Scripture ascribes to the Church within it selfe as it is a Church even when the outward hand of the Magistrate is deficient or opposite Our sixth and last Argument That which everteth from the very foundation the most essentiall parts of discipline not only of all the reformed but of all the Churches knowne at any time in any part of the world till the birth of Anabaptisme it can not be very gracious But this doth Independency The Minor is cleare by induction That the Government of the Scottish Church by Synods Presbyteries and Sessions sworne and subscribed of old and late by that Nation in their solemne Covenant that the same discipline of the Churches of France Holland Swiiz Geneva as also the Politie of the High Dutch and English and all the rest who are called Reformed is turned upside downe by Independency no man doubts for this is our Adversaries gloriation that they will be tied by no Oathes Covenants Subscriptions they will be hindred by no authority of any man no reverence of any Churches on earth to seperate from all the reformed that so alone they may injoy their divine and beloved Independency If you speake of more ancient times either the purer which followed the Apostles at the backe or the posterior impurer ages that the Politie of these times in all Churches Greeke and Latine is trodden under foote by Independency all likewise doe grant and how well that new conceit agreeth with the discipline practised in the dayes of Christ and his Apostles or in the dayes of Moses and the Prophets the preceding arguments will shew I confesse such is the boldnesse of the men against whom we now dispute that although they glory in their contempt of the authoritie of all men dead and living yet they offer to overwhelme us with testimonies of a number as well ancient as late Divines But who desire to see all that dust blowne back in their own eyes who raised it and the detorted words against the knowne mind and constant practise of the Authors clearely vindicated and retorted let them be pleased to take a view of Mr. Pagets Posthume Apologie where they will finde abundant satisfaction in this kinde For the other side a great bundle of arguments are also brought we shall consider the principall First To whom Christ hath given the right of excommunication the greatest of all censures they in all other acts of Jurisdiction and in all acts of Ecclesiastick discipline are Independent But Christ hath given the right of excommunication to every Congregation and to these alone Ergo c. They prove the Minor Unto the Church Christ hath given the right of excommunication Mat. 18. Goe tell the Church if he heare not the Church let him be to thee as an Ethnicke But every Congregation and it onely is the Church because in the whole Scripture the word Church where ever it is not taken for the Church universall or invisible is ever understood of a single Congregation which in one place with one Pastor serveth God Answer Passing the Majors we deny the Minors and affirme that no where in Scripture the word Church may be expounded of their Independent Congregation and least of all in the alledged place If we will advise either with the old or late Interpreters or with the best and most learned of the Adversaryes themselves who affirme with us that by the Church Math. 18. no Congregation can be understood unlesse we would bring in among Christians most grosse anarchy except we would set down on the Judgment seates of the Church every member of the Congregation men women young old the meanest and weakest part of the people to decide by the number not the weight of their voyces the greatest causes of the Church to determine finally of the excommunication of Pastors of the nature of haeresie and all doctrine and that with a decree irrevocable from which there may be no appeal no not to an Oecumenicke Synod Wherfore beside the rest of the Interpreters a great part of the Adversaries by the Church in this place understand no whole Congregation nor the most part of any Congregation but a select number thereof the Senate or Officers who cognose and discerne according to the Scriptures This is enough for answer to the argument but if further it be inquired the Senate of which Church is pointed at in this place whether of a Parochiall Church or Presbyteriall or Nationall or Oecumenicke or of all these Ans It seemeth that the Senate of all the Churches must here be understood and especially of a Presbyteriall Church at least not of a Parochiall onely and independently as our Adversaries would have it By no meanes will we have the Session of a Parish prejudged and are well content that the authority of Parochiall Sessions to handle their own proper affaires should be grounded upon this place onely we deny that from this place a Church-Session hath any warrant to take the cognition of things common to it selfe
with the Neighbouring Congregations or yet to governe her proper affaires absolutely and independently so that none may attempt to correct her when she erreth or by censure to put her in order when she beginneth by heresie schisme and tyranny to corrupt her selfe and others That in this place principally the Senate of a Presbyteriall Church is understood is cleare for of such a Church Christ here speaketh as were the Churches at Jerusalem Antioch Corinth and others in the new Testament which we proved before to have bin presbyteriall The Senate of such Churches attending on government and discipline is here called the Church as elsewhere Act. 5.20 It seemed good to the Apostles Elders and whole Church The Church met to cognosce on the questions from Antioch cannot be understood of all the thousand Christians at Jerusalem it must then be taken of the Presbytery to which the cognition of such questions doth belong In the fourth verse of the same chapter Paul is said to be received of the Church the word may well be expounded not of the whole Body but of a select number thereof even the Presbytery as in the 21 he is said to be received of the Apostles and Elders before the multitude had met together Only observe that however we affirme the Senate of a Presbyteriall Church cheifely here to be established yet we understand not this in a way independent from provinciall Nationall or Oecumenick Synods for all these meetings in their owne place and order are also grounded on this passage as before hath beene declared Their second Objection The practise of the Church of Corinth approved by the Apostles is the due right of every Parochiall Church and single Congregation But the censure of Excommunication was the practise of the Church of Corinth approved by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.12 13. Do we not judge them that are within therefore put away from you that wicked person This judgement is authoritative and this putting away is the censure of Excommunication cutting off from the body of Christ which censure is here committed unto the Corinthians being gathered together in one vers 4. and so to them all and every one of them for to them all the Epistle is written and not to the Presbytery onely Answ The Maior must be denied for two causes First The practise of the Corinthians was grounded not onely upon the expresse command of the Apostle but also on the singular presence of the Apostles Spirit and authority with them in pronouncing the sentence of Excommunication against that incestuous person v. 3. I as present in Spirit have judged already This singular priviledge of the Corinthians is not a ground of common right to every Church who wants the authority of the Apostles expresse command and singular presence Secondly we may not argue from the Church of Corinth to every Congregation for it is proved before that the Church of Corinth was not Congregationall but Presbyteriall consisting of so many as could not meete commodiously in one private roome also it had within it selfe a Colledge or Senate of many Pastors Elders and Prophets to such a Church we grant willingly the exercise of all acts both of Ordination and Jurisdiction The Minor also cannot be admitted but with a double distinction the act of Excommunication is given to the Church of Corinth not according to its whole but acording to the select part to wit the Presbytery thereof It maketh nothing against this that the Epistle is written to the whole Church for what is written to the whole Church indefinitely must be applied according to the matter and purpose sometime onely to the Pastors excluding the people sometime onely to the people excluding the Pastors sometimes to both together to Pastors and Flock The first Epistle Chap. 1. vers 12. Every one of you saith I am of Paul I am of Apollos and I of Cephas this cannot be taken of the Pastors but of the people following Schismatically some one some another of the Pastors Likewise Chap. 4. vers 1. Let a man so count of us as of the Ministers of Christ must be taken of the people as Chap. 3. vers 12. Now if any man build on this foundation gold silver precious stones is to be understood of the Pastors as Chap. 4. vers 2. Also it is required in Stewards that a man be found faithfull but the most of the other places are to be expounded of both Now that the preceding passages concerning the Church-censures are not true of the whole Congregation it appeares for beside the absurdity of confusion Anarchy it would follow that very women have right judicially to Depose and Excommunicate by their voyces their Pastors which the very Adversaries professe to reject as absurd albeit not congruously to their Tenets for it is not reasonable that the right which from these places they ascribe to every member of the Church should be taken away from women upon this onely reason that in 1 Tim. 2.11 a commandement is given to the women not to teach but in silence to learne for as the brethren of our Adversaries the Anabaptists have marked that place taketh away from women the publicke charge of Preaching but not of speaking in judgement or giving their voyce in Church-judicatories Surely nowhere absolute silence in Church-judicatories is injoyned to women we truly give the power of witnessing and of selfe-defence as well to women as to men in all Church-judicatories However that the censure of the incestuous man was not inflicted by the whole Church it appeares from the 2 Epist Chap 2. vers 6. Sufficient to such a man was the punishment which was inflicted of many Who were these many but the Officers who were set over the Church in the Lord Another distinction also would be marked that whatsoever right we ascribe to the Church of Corinth whether according to its whole or according to any of its parts whether we take it for a Presbyteriall or a Parochiall Church all that right is to be understood not absolutely nor independently which here is the onely question For the Church at Corinth had no greater priviledges then the Church of Antioch Now that in a dubious and controverted case and in a common cause the Church of Antioch was subordinate unto a Synod it was before proved Their third objection That which the Holy Ghost gives unto the seven Churches of Asia must be the right of every single Congregation But the Holy Ghost gives unto the seven Churches of Asia all Ecclesiasticke Jurisdiction within themselves Revel 2.2 Thou canst not beare with them which are evill and thou hast tryed them which say they are Apostles and hast found them lyars And ver 14. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam And ver 20. I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest the woman Jezabell to teach Here the Churches of Ephesus Pergamus and Thyatira are praysed
when they proceeded with censure against those who deserved it and are dispraysed when they held in the sword of excommunication and did not cast out Hereticks and prophane Persons Answ Both the Propositions are vitious The Major because the Churches in Asia were Presbyteriall not Congregationall This we proved of Ephesus and we know no reason why the rest should not be of that same condition Secondly Albeit the Churches of Asia at that time in the first preaching of the Gospell and so in the great paucity of Churches should have had no Neighbours with whom commodiously and ordinarily they could keepe society what is that unto the Churches of our dayes who live in the midst of many Sisters The Minor also may not be granted for that which the Text ascribeth to the Angell may not by and by be applyed to every Member of the Church We grant that great reason and many authorities doe prove and evince that the Angells in those places cannot be expounded of the single persons of Bishops but of the whole Body of the Presbytery in the which there was one man chosen by the Suffrages of the rest President for a time but that by the name of Angell should be understood every Member of the Church no reason will carry it Beside there is no consequence from one act of reproofe to the whole right of Ecclesiasticke government even in every case for a common cause and an appearance of errour and many other things will inforce a necessity of subordination Their fourth argument The right of the Church of Thessalonica and Colosse belongs to every Church But the Church of Thessalonica and Colosse had right to exercise every part of Ecclesiasticke discipline within their owne bounds Of the first see 2 Thessalonians 3.6 Withdraw your selves from every Brother which walketh disorderly and ver 24. Note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed Of the second see Col. 2.5 Joying and beholding your Order Ans Let the Maior be true of all the Churches of the same Species and Nature with these of Thessalonica and Colosse that is of all Presbyteriall That the Church of Thessalonica was such that it had moe Pastors it is proved from the 1 to the Thessalonians 5.12 Know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you that these were Pastors it is the minde of the best Interpreters Also that in Colosse beside others Epaphras and Archippus did labour in the word and doctrine is manifest from chap. 1. ver 7. and chap. 4.17 Further let the Maior be true of all Churches of that same state and condition with those named to wit when it falls out that few or no Neighbour Churches can be had with which such a society may be kept Concerning the Minor suppose that both the right and the exercise of all Ecclesiasticke acts were granted to the foresaid Churches yet the question is not touched except you adde independently and in every cause and case even of aberration and that without all remedy of appeale to any Synode Vpon this hinge the Question depends and of this the argument hath nothing Their fifth argument That which abolishes our liberty purchased by Christs blood and puts upon out necke a yoke equall to the Antichristian tyranny of Bishops is intolerable But the dependence of Congregations upon Presbyteries and Synods doth so Ans The Minor is false for the subordination of Churches imports no slavery taketh away no liberty which God hath granted it is Gods Discipline and Order it is the easie yoake of Christ not to be compared with the cruell bands of Bishops since the one is humane the other divine by the meanes of the one one man commandeth either according to his free will or according to the Canon-Law of the Pope but by the meanes of the other moe men advise in common according to the acts of the Reformed Churches grounded upon the Word of God The judgement seates of Bishops are meerely externall to the Church which they governe But Presbyteries and Synods are Courts internall for the onely members whereof they consist are the Comissioners of the Churches which they govern these Churches they represent the minde and desire of these Churches they doe propose unto these Churches they give account of all their administration they confirme and establish the rights of Congregations they doe not abolish nor labefactate any of them Sixthly These who have power to chuse the Pastor have also the right of the whole Ecclesiastick Discipline But every Parish hath that power Answ The Major is not necessary for there is a great difference betwixt the Election of Ministers and Ministers Ordination Deposition Excommunication and many other acts of Discipline Election is no act of Authority or Jurisdiction The Minor also is not true if you understand it of all the members of the Congregation for it is not needfull that Ministers should be chosen by the expresse voyce of every man muchlesse of every woman of the flocke Yea that Election doth not alwayes belong to the whole flocke except yee take election as many seeme to doe for a consent with reason to the which is opposed not every but a rationall dissent grounded upon cleare equity and justice certainely it is needfull at sometimes to misregard the peoples consent in chusing of a Pastor for why should not a flocke infected with heresie be set under an wholesome and Orthodox Shepheard whether it will or not and be rent from under the Ministrie of an hereticall Shepheard how much soever against its owne minde Their seventh argument That is not of God which maketh Pastors Bishops of other mens Diocesses and layes upon them the care of other Congregations then those to which the holy Ghost hath made them Overseers But the subordination of Parishes to Presbyteries and Synods doth this Answ The Minor is false for neither doth every member of a Presbytery become a Pastor to every Congregation subordinate to that Presbytery neither are Congregations consociated and conjoyned in a Presbytery altogether without the reach of the care and inspection of neighbour Pastors This is cleare not onely by the arguments formerly deduced from Scripture but by the daily practice of the Adversaries for themselves professe their care to oversee and admonish and rebuke and to use many other gracious actions as they have occasion towards neighbouring Churches without any blame of busie Bishops There is almost no difference at all of their acts and ours toward neighbouring Churches so farre as concernes the matter the onely question is concerning the fountaines and grounds of these acts they ascribing their actions onely to charity we not to charity alone but to authority grounded upon the former reasons This difference belongs not to the present plea. Their eight argument Onely Christ hath authority over the Kingdome of God the House of God the holy Jerusalem his owne Spouse his owne
till the last day when Christ renders up his Oeconomicke Kingdome having destroyed all his enemies especially death fully perfected the work of his mediation This Resurrection is after the sound of the last Trumpet when all the godly rise and are changed and put on incorruption and immortallity when death is swallowed up into victory and the godly inherit the Kingdome of God these things are done at the last day not a thousand yeares before it as John 6. Christ avoweth thrice in the end ver 39.40.44 I will raise him up at the last day At that time the judgement is universall both of the godly and wicked and the execution of both their sentences is immediately by the present glorification of the one and the destruction of the other as we have it Math. 25.31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepheard divideth his sheepe from the Goats Fourthly we reason from the nature of Christs Kingdome The conceit of the thousand yeares makes Christs Kingdome to be earthly and most observeable for all worldly glory but the Scripture makes it to be Spirituall without all wordly pompe neither doth the Word of God make the Kingdome of the Mediator of two kindes and of a different nature but one uniforme from the beginning to the end Luke 1.32 The Lord shall give him the throne of his Father David and he shall raigne over the house of Jacob for ever 1 Cor. 15.25 He must raigne till he have put all things under his feete here there is but one Kingdome and one way of ruling a Kingdome meerely Spirituall and nowise worldly Luke 17.20 The Kingdome of God commeth not with observation neither shall they say loe here or loe there but the Kingdome of God is within you John 18.36 My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight but now is my Kingdome not from hence Rom. 14 17. The Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse peace and joy of the holy Ghost Ephes 1.20 He raised him from the dead and set him at his right hand in heavenly places and hath put all things under his feete and gave him to be head over all to the Church The Millenaries make his Kingdome to appeare in Armies and Battells in feasts and pleasures in worldly pompe and power and will not have his Kingdome to stand in any of that spirituall power which since his ascention he hath executed on principalities and powers or shall performe upon the soules of men till these thousand yeares of worldly power and earthly glory visible to the eyes of men shall begin We take our fifth argument from the nature of the Church Scripture makes the Church of God so long as it is upon the earth to be a mixed multitude of Elect and Reprobate good and bad a company of people under the crosse and subject to various temptations a company that hath neede of the Word and Sacraments of Prayer and Ordinances that hath Christ a High Priest within the vaile of heaven interceding for them But the Doctrine in hand changes the nature of the Church and makes it for a thousand yeares together to consist onely of good and gracious persons without all trouble without all Ordinances without any neede of Christs intercession For the first That Scripture makes the Church alwayes to be a mixed company See Matth. 13.40 As the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of the world The Sonne of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend and that doe iniquity and vers 49. So shall it be in the end of the world the Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just Also Chap. 24.11 Many false Prophets shall arise and deceive many because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall waxe cold Luke 18.8 When the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith upon the earth These places declare the mixture of the wicked with the godly in the Church to the worlds end and most about the end As for Crosses See Psal 34.20 Many are the afflictions of the righteous Mat 5 4. Blessed are they that mourne and that are persecuted for righteousnesse Acts 14.23 By many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdome of heaven Rom. 8.17 If so we suffer with him that we may be glorified together 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loves he correcteth and he scourgeth every child that he receives Many such places shew the condition of the Church in this life that she is ever subject to tribulation Concerning Ordinances that they must continue to the last day See Ephes 4.11 He gave some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come to a perfect man And for the continuance of the Sacraments 1 Cor. 11.26 As often as you eate this bread and drinke this cup yee doe shew the Lords death till hee come That in the most godly while they live on earth sinne doth remaine and that alwayes we have neede of Christs intercession in the heaven with the Father it is cleare from 1 John 1.8 If wee say we have no sinne the truth of God is not in us And Chap. 2. ver 1. But if any man sinne we have an Advocate with the Father Heb. 9.24 Christ is entred into the heaven it selfe now to appeare in the presence of God for us Thus the Scripture describes the condition of the Church on earth but the Doctrine in hand alters much the nature of it for a great part of its time here for of the 2650 yeares which they give to the Church from the comming of Christ to the last judgement they make her to consist for a whole thousand yeares only of godly persons without the mixture of any one wicked and all the millions who are borne in the Church in that large time they are free from their birth to their death of all crosses of all sorrowes of all temptations and as it seemes of all sinne also for that is the time of the restitution of all things when old things are past and all things become new They make them to have neede neither of Word nor Sacraments or any Church-Ordinance neither of Christs Intercession in the heavens with the Father for they have him among them in the earth and they are freed from all sinne and all misery A sixth Argument Scripture makes the time of Christs second comming to be secret and hid not onely to men but to the very Angels and to Christ himselfe as he is man Marke 13.32 But of that day and that
antiquity as our Brethren It is marvellous if in earnest they should encourage themselves in their Tenet by such testimonies of the Fathers as by the Catholick consent of all posterior antiquity and the unanimous profession both of Protestants and Papists this day are censured of error Who pleases to know the minde of antiquity in this subject Let him consult especially with Augustin de civitate dei Booke 20. almost through the whole and the Commentaries of Vives and Coqueus thereupon If humane authorities either ancient or moderne could give our Brethren any satisfaction in this question it were easie to present them with great store thereof Thus farre had I proceeded when by my Superiours I was called away from these Studies to an other imployment so what I intended to have spoken to the Anabaptists the Antinomians the Erastians and especially to the remainder of the Popish and Prelaticall Malignants I must remit it to another Season FINIS Isa 2. â— Mic. 4.3 Ioel 3. â— The first and chief Mean to extinguish the flames of our War is the waters of the heart poured out in prayers to God Lam. 2.3 Reformation after mourning is the second step to a solid peace Prov. 16.7 Psal 81.15 2 King 9.22 The corruption of the Church is the fountain of our present Misery The State cannot be 〈◊〉 til the Church be sâ—â—â— reformed Every man must help what he can to recover the languishing Church from her desperate Disease The offer of a strange and easie remedy of a â—ooking-glass The malignity of Errour 2 Tim. 2.17 â— Pet. 2.1 2 3 4 The Authors intention is to set down in a Table for the clear view of all the Errors which trouble us And that with justice loâ—â— towards all persons Onely forth is râ—gaâ—nâ—ng to the Truth The partition of the ensuing â—reatise Episcopacy was the Mother of all our present Sects Presbytery will be their Grave The Presbyteriall way of proceeding What England 〈◊〉 may expect from Presbyteries and Synods Satan is the great enemy of the Churches Reformation His chief instruments always have been professed friends to Religion Reformation at the beginning did run with an impetuous current What was its first stop The fountain of Protestant Dâ—scord The unhappy Principle of the Lutâ—eranes And the more unhappy Principle of the Anabaptists Somewhat of both these ways was entertained in England The original of the English Ceremonies and Episcopacy The original of the Separatists Brownism is a daughter of Anabaptism Bolton the first known Separatist in England hanged himself Brown the second Lâ—ader of that way â—ecanted his Schism and to his death was a very scandalous person The humour of Barrow the third Master of this Sect. The strange carriage of Johnson and Ainsworth the next two Leaders of the Brownists The horrible ways of Smiâ—â— their sixth Master The fearful end of Smith his wandrings A remarkable vengeance upon an erring spirit Robinson the last grave and learned Doctor of the Brownists did in the end undermine his Party Robinson the author of Independency They hold that all Churches in the world but their own are so polluted that they must be separate from Their injurious slanders of the Church of England Yet sometimes they say that communion may be kept therewith both in preaching and prayer Their like dealing with all the other reformed Their stâ—ing of 〈◊〉 Chu◠〈…〉 The matter of a Church they make to be real Saints onely Their unreasonable stricknesse in this one point is the great cause of their Schism The least sin of any Member of a Church defended is a just cause of Separation They place the Form of their Church in an expresse Covenant Seven may make a perfect Church yea two or three The erecting of a Church requireth neither the Magistrates nor Ministers assistance They put all Church power in a handful of people without any Pastor The Election Ordination Deposition and Excommunication of the Minister belongs to the flock and to it alone Every man of the Congregation may Preach and publikely rebuke not onely the Pastor but the whole flock yea and sâ—parate from it Some of them give the power of the Sacraments also to priâ—ate persons The solemnizing of marriage they give to parents but divorces they commit to the parties themselves They make every Congregation Independent and of soveraign Authority Their Judgement of Synods Their high conceit of their own way and injurious depressing of all others Churches Bells Pulpits Tithes Glebes Manses and all set maintenance of Ministers are unlawful Not so much as a Church-yard must be kept up for burial but all must bury in the fields They drive the abolishing of Church-rents so high as to make all goods common The days of the weâ—k the moneths the yeer of God they will not name No pulpits no hour-glâ—sses no Churches no Gowns All set prayer even the Lords prayer and all Psalms in meeter yea in prose if used as praises are unlawful Their opinion of preaching Sacraments Their straâ—ge way of celebrating the Lords Supper They reject catechisms the Apostles Creed and all reading of Scripture without exposition After preaching they prophesie Then comes the conference Brown for liberty of conscience His followers against it Their carriage towards the Magistrate They spoil Kings and Parliaments of their Legislative power They obliege the Magistrate to kill all Idolaters But to spâ—re all theeves They wil have the Universities destroyed Secular authors and learning must be abolished Preachers must studie no book but the Scriptures Independency the smallest of all the Sects of the time for number but greatest for worth of its followers The division of the following matter Independents the Separatistâ— off-spring When the fire of Brownism was dying out in Holland a little of its ashes carried to New England broke out there into a lasting flame By what means these ashes were kindled Master Cotton at first a great opposite to that way Master Cotton with little ado became the great patron of that Errour Master Cotton the misleader of Master Goodwin and others Master Cotton often deceived hath given his patrociny to divers grosse Errours Why God permits great men to fall in evident Errours His Prelatical Arminian and Montanistick Tenents His Antinomy and Familism Independency large as unhappy as Brownism Wherefore so much of the Independent way lies yet in darknesse The fruits of Independency in New England 1. It put thousands of Christians in the condition of Pagans 2. It marrs the conversion of Pagans to the Christian Religion 3. It did bring forth the foulest Heresies that ever yet were heard of in any Protestant Church A few examples of the many abominable Heresies of the New-English Independents The greatest part of thâ—ir chief Churches were infected with these errours Thâ— piâ—â—ty of these Hereticks seemâ—d to be singular Their malice against all who opposed them was singular especially against all their Orthodox Ministers and Magistrates Their Errours in opinion did
draw on such seditious practises as did well neer overturn both their Church and State Their proud obstinacy against all admonitions was marvellous In the midst of their profession of eminent piety the profanity of many of them was great Notwithstanding all this we desire from our heart to honour and imitate all and every degree of Truth or Piety which did ever appear in any New-English Christian Independency no fruitful Tree in Holland Master Peterâ— the first Planter of that Weed at Roterdam Their Ministers Master Bridge Master Simpson and Master Ward renounced their English Ordination and as meer private men took new Ordination from the people Incontinent they did fall into shameful divisions and subdivisions The people without any just cause deposed their Minister The Commissioners from Arnhem durst not come neer the bottom of the businesse The Schisms at Roterdam were more irreconcileable then those at Amsterdam Anabaptism is like to spoil that Church They of the Church of Arnhem admire and praise themselves above all measure The easinesse of their banishment and afflictions The new light at Arnhem broke out into a number of strange Errours First Grosse Chiliasm Secondly The grossest blasphemy of the Libertines that God is the Author of the very sinfulnesse of sin Thirdly the fancy of the Enthusiasts in knowing God as God abstracted from Scripture from Christ from Grace and from all his attributes Fourthly The old Popish Ceremonies of extreme Unction and the holy kisse of Peace Fifthly The discharging of the Psalms the appointing of a singing Prophet to chant the Songs made by himself in the silence of all others Sixthly The mortality of the soul Seventhly the conveniency for Ministers to Preach covered and celebrate the Sacraments discovered but for the people to hear discovered and to participate the Sacraments covered Their publike contentions were shameful The work of the prime Independents of New England Arnheim and Roterdam these five yeers at London They did hinder with all their power so long as they were able the calling of the Assembly When it was called they retarded its proceedings That the Churches of England and Ireland lie so long in confuon neither Papists nor Prelates nor Malignants have been the cause But the Independents working according to their principles The great mischief of that Anarchy wherin they have kept the Churches of England and Ireland for so long a time Independency is the mother of more Hereresies and Schisms at London then Amsterdam ever knew Independency at London doth not onely bring forth but nourish and patronize Heresies and Schisms contrary to its custom either in New-England or Amsterdam How hazardous it may prove to the State of England Why it is hard to set downe the Independents positions They have declined to declare their Tenets more then has ever been the custome of any Orthodox Divines When they shal bee pleased to declare themselves to the full their principle of change will hinder theÌ„ to assure us that any thing is their settled and firm Tenet wherein they will bee constant The chief Tenets which hitherto they have given out and not yet recalâ—ed are these following They reject the name of Independents unreasonably and for their own disadvantage When it is laid aside the more infamous name of Brownists and Separatists wil justly fall upon them They avow a Semi-Separation but a Sesqui-Separation will bee proved upon them The Independents doe separate from all the Reformed Churches upon farre worse grounds then the Brownists were wont to separate Their acknowledgment of the Reformed for true Churches doth not diminish but encrease their Shisme They refuse all Church communion and membership in all the Reformed Churches they preach and pray in them as they would doe among Pâ—gans only as gâ—ftâ—d men to gather new Churches About the matter of the Church and qualification of members they are large as strict as the Brownists admitting none but who convinces the whole Congregation of their reall regeneration Besides true grace they require a sutablenesse of spirit But in this they are laxer then the Brownists that they can take in without scruple Anabaptists Antinomians others who both in life doctrine have evident blots if so they bee zealous and serviceable for their way About the forme of the Church a Church Covenant they are more punctuall then the Brownists They take the power of gathering and erecting of Churches both from Magistrates and Ministers placing it only in the hands of a few private Christians who are willing to make among themselves a Church covenant This power of erecting themselves into a compleat and perfect church they give to any seven persons neither admit they more into a Church then can altogether in one place commodiously administer the Sacraments Discipline The Independents will have all the standing Churches in England dissolved and all their Ministers to become meerly private men and any three persons of their way to bee a full Church Vnto this Church of seven persons they give all and the whole Church power and that independently Vnto this congregationall Church alone they give the full power of election and ordination of deposition and excommunication even of all their officers and of the finall determination of all Ecclesiastick causes The difference of Iohnson and Ainsworth about the power of the people and presbytery distinct one from the other is not yet composed among the Independents The common Doctrine of New England is Ainsworths Tenet that the people aâ—one have all the power may excommunicate when there is cause all their officers Mr Cotton the other year did fall much from them and himselfe towards Iohnson that the whole power of authority is only in the Officers and the people have noâ—hing but the power of liberty to concurre that the Officers can doe nothing without the people nor the people any thing but by the Officers Yet that both officers people or any one of them have power to separate themselvs from all the rest when they find cause The London Independents give more power of Ecclesiastick Iurisdiction then the Brownists unto women Some of them permit private men to celebrate the Sacraments Brownists and Independents do perfectly agree in the point of Independency If a corrupt or negligent Presbytery doe not censure their own members all the Assemblies in the world may not attempt to censure any of them though most apparently they did corrupt a whole Nation with the grossest Heresies or most scandalous vices The point of Independency is either the root or the fruit of many errors To temper the crudity of this Tenet they adde to it three moderating positions but for little purpose They grant the being of Synods but not of Classicall Presbyteries Their Synods are meerely Brownisticall without all Iurisdiction wherein every one of the people may vote also meerely elective and only occasionall The sentence of Non-Communion is Mr Cottons invention to supply that defect which themselves make in the
Church hath alwayes and ordinarily the right of Ordination and power to lay hands on Pastors But no single Congregation or Parochiall Church huth that right and power Ergo No single Congregation is an Independent Church The Major is not questioned by the adverse party for they place the nature of their Independencie in a right and power intrinsecall and essentiall to every the least Congregation of Ordaining Deposing Excommunicating and exercising all acts of Jurisdiction upon all their own Members as well Pastors as others I said alwayes and ordinarily for we question not now what at some times in some extraordinary cases may fall out to be lawfull and necessary not onely to single Congregations but even to single persons Also the power which our adverse party disputeth for is not Hypotheticke which sometimes on supposition of such and such cases belongeth to a Church but absolute which is inherent to every Congregation at all times The Minor we prove thus What is proper to a Presbytery the right thereof belongs not to any single Congregation But Ordination and imposition of hands is proper to a Presbytery as appeareth from 1 Tim. 4 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by Prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery The Apostle maketh that right proper to the Presbytery which he will have to remaine in it and not to be removed therefrom notwithstanding sundry extraordinary cases which might have excused the removeall of it For Timothy was a Pastor not altogether ordinary and inferior but an Evangelist he had for the ground of his Office the extraordinary call of some Prophets when he was sent out to Preach Paul himself laid hands upon him notwithstanding all this that the due and just right of the Presbytery migh be proclamed the Apostle marketh that the gift office and grace of Preaching the Gospell was conferred on Timothy by the laying on of the Presbyteries hands For the proof of the last Maior we neede not much descant on the Word Presbytery and the sense of it in the fore-named place nor to refute the misinterpretations which some make of it especially they who under the mis-alledged authority of Calvin would understand not the convention of any men but the Office of a Presbyter as if an Office or any accident could have had hands which might have beene laid on Timothies head Passing therefore such digressions we prove the Maior in hand thus No single Congregation is a Presbytery nor any wayes necessarily hath a Presbytery within it selfe yea if our adverse party may be beleeved no Congregation can have at least should have in it selfe such a Presbytery whereof Paul speaketh Ergo. What is proper to a Presbytery the right thereof may not be usurped by any single Congregation Of the consequence there is no doubt the Antecedent hath three parts onely the first is needefull to be proved but for more abundant satisfaction we shall assay to prove them all The first thus A Presbytery is a member and part of a Congregation according to our adverse party we love not to strive for words be it so that the meeting of a Minister and Elders governing single Congregations which we call a Session as over-Sea it is called a Consistory may goe under the name of a Presbytery Ergo. No Congregation is a Presbytery The Consequence is clear for no member may be affirmed in the Nominative of its owne whole especially Heterogeneous The body is not the head the finger is not the hand he doore or the Window is not the house Concerning the second part of the Antecedent that no Congregation hath a Presbytery any wayes necessarily within it selfe this is cleare from the common practise of our adverse party very oft their Churches have neither Session nor Pastor nor Doctor nor Elder at all they make not any of the Officers necessary parts of the Church either essentiall or integrall without the which the Church may not subsist yea as the most learned and most acute Mr. Rutherfoord hath well observed pag. 272. their grounds take away the necessitie of any Ministry at all Mr. Paget tells us that their chiefe and Mother-Church at Amsterdame through the mis-government of their Pastor Mr. Can hath wanted now for some yeares both a Doctor and Elders and a Session or Congregationall Presbytery But the pith of the Argument is in the third part of the Antecedent that no single Congregation can have or which is all one when we speake of right and wrong ought to have within it selfe Pauls Presbytery This we prove No single Congregation may or ought to have moe Pastors than one Ergo. Neither Pauls Presbytery The Antecedent is the Doctrine of our adverse party The Consequence leaneth on this Proposition In Pauls Presbytery are more Pastors which thus is proved Where there are many layers on of hands on Pastors there are many Pastors But in Pauls Presbytery are many layers on of hands on Pastors for in the alledged place not one but many lay on their hands with Paul on Timothy The last Maior leaneth on this ground that onely Pastors lay hands on Pastors so that many laying hands on Pastors must be many Pastors and by Consequence in one Congregation where there are not many but one onely Pastor yea none at all whensoever by imposition of hands a new Pastor is to be ordained to that Congregation the act of Ordination can not be lawfully performed by the proper members of that Congregation That which alone remaineth to be proved that onely Pastors lay hands upon Pastors is cleared by an Induction against which no instance can be brought 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly on no man 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands Tit. 1.5 I left thee in Crete that thou shouldest ordayne Elders Acts. 13.1.3 Certaine Prophets and Teachers laide their hands upon them and sent them away Acts. 14.23 They ordained them Elders in every Church In all these places both the first Ordination and posterior Mission to preach the Gospell is the Act onely of those who were Pastors neither else-where reade we that it was otherwise The second argument Every Independent Church exerciseth ordinarily within it selfe by its owne members all acts of Ecclesiasticke Jurisdiction But this no single Congregation doth ordinarily Ergo no single Congregation is an Independent Church Onely the Minor is dubious which we prove thus Every Church ordinarily exercising all acts of Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction is Presbyteriall But no single Congregation is a Presbyteriall Church Ergo. No single Congregation exerciseth ordinarily all acts of Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction The Minor is cleare from the nature of a single Congregation and Presbyteriall Church as in the stateing of the Question both were described The Major is proved by a full Induction of all the Churches which in the New Testament we reade to have had the