offended be a society or some publick person equivalent 2 In case the party in such acts of judgement be freed from error which was the present condition of the Apostles guided in their administrations by an infallible spirit Object 5. This Synod Acts 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vid. Schindl Lexi so speaketh as having power to lay the truth of God cleared and declared by it as a burthen upon the Churches v. 28. which our ordinary Synods seem not to have power to doe Resp The notion or tearm burthen may be taken politically i. e. for a truth imposed by virtue of Church power and Authority this though the Apostles as Apostles might doe yet if they did so in this place which we rather conceive not it was extraordinary and Consequently not Exemplary Or the word Burthen may be taken for the charging of the Church to receive and yield Obedience in the Lord unto the truth discussed cleared and orderly commanded to them In which sense if we take it here according as it 's taken in divers places elswhere Pro. 30.1 21.1 Rev. 2.24 then the stile or manner of speaking is exemplary OF THE POWER OF Synods The Third Question Quest 3. WHat is the Power of a Synod Resp The Power of a Synod Is Decisive Directive Declarative of the truth by clearing and evidencing the same out of the word of God non coactive yet more than discretive For the better understanding hereof consider that Ecclesiasticall Power is 1 Decisive in determining by way of discussion and disputation what is truth and so consequently resolving the Question in weighty matters of Religion Acts 15.16,28 16.4 This belongs to the Synod 2 Discretive in discerning of the truth or falshood that is determined this belongs to every Believer 3 Coactive or judicial for we omit to speak in this place of Official judgement in judging of the truth determined Authoritatively so as to impose it with Authority and to censure the disobedient with Ecclesiastical censure 1 Cor. 5.12 Mat. 18.17 This belongeth to every particular Church The judgement of a Synod is in some respect superiour in some respect inferiour to the judgement of a particular Church it is superiour in respect of direction inferiour in respect of jurisdiction which it hath none Quere How and how far doth the sentence of a Synod bind Answ We must distinguish between the Synods declaration of the truth and the politicall imposition of the truth declared by the Synod The Synods declaration of the truth binds not politically but formally onely i. e. in foro interiori i. e. it binds the conscience and that by way of the highest institution that is meerly doctrinall The politicall Imposition of the truth declared by the Synod is Ecclesiasticall or Civil Ecclesiasticall by particular Churches and this binds not onely formally but politically in foro exteriori i. e. it binds the outward man so as the disobedient in matters of offence is subject unto Church censure affirmatively towards their own Members negatively by non communion as concerning others whether Church or Members Supremi Magistratu◠approbatio est supremū ut soquuntar arrestum Fr. Hom. disp 18. Th. 4. disp 17. Thes 3. Civil by the Magistrate strengthening the truth thus declared by the Synod and approved by the Churches either by his meer Authoritative suffrage assent and testimony if the matter need no more or by his authoritative Sanction of it by Civill punishment the nature of the offence so requiring In this orderly proceeding of the Churches and Civil Magistrate together in their respective politicall imposition of the truth cleared and declared by the Synod we are to be understood to speak of such a place wherein the Christian Magistrates walk together orderly referving Ecclesiasticall binding power to the particular Churches where either there is no Magistrate or the Magistrate is wanting in his duty as also civil power to the Christian Magistrate where the Churches are wanting to their duty The Fourth Question Quest 4. To whom belongeth the power of calling a Synod Answ For satisfaction to this Question we shall propound one distinction and answer three Queries Distin The power of calling Synods is either Single Authoritative belonging to the Magistrates Ministeriall belonging to the particular Churches Mixt When both proceed orderly and joyntly in the use of their severall powers Arguments proving the Authoritative Power of Calling SYNODS to belong to the Magistrate 1 Because the Magistrate is Custos utriusque Tabulae i. e. Charged with the custody of both Tables That he is keeper of the second Table is granted that he is keeper of the former is sufficiently proved in the first Question 2 From the recorded and approved examples of godly Kings in the Scriptures David 1 Chron. 23.2 Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29.4 Josiah 2 Kin. 23.1,2 3 From the nature of such great Assemblies Though Synodicall Assembling be spirituall yet meer assembling of a multitude together which a Synodicall Assembly presupposeth is a Civil act and therefore cannot in good policy be suffered without the consent of the Magistrate 4 From the necessary though not essentiall requisites to the being of a Synod as place time manner of meeting peace all which need the consent of the Magistrate in case of violent disturbance the Churches as such having no civill power to defend them cannot but want the assistance of the Magistrate that they may meet and transact the matters of the Synod in safety and quietnesse 5 From the proportion that the Magistrates Con-coactive or calling power of a Synod holds with his confirmation of the conclusions of the Synod the same reason that warrants his confirming power for the better strengthening the observation of the conclusions of the Synod warrants his calling power for the better being of the Synod Arguments proving the Ministeriall Power of Calling Synods which may be fitly called a power of liberty because Churches therein have no Authority one over another to belong unto the particular Churches 1 From that famous example Acts 15. where the Synod meets and site without the call of Civil Authority there being then no Christian Magistrate 2 Because the power of the constitution of Synods as properly such firstly resideth with ariseth from and lastly returneth to particular Churches 3 Because the power of the Magistrate tends not to the being but to the better being of Synods and added thereunto is accumulative not privative i. e. it adds strength to it but takes not any power from it Hence a Synod may in ease be without any consent of the Magistrate but cannot be without some consent explicite or implicite of the Churches 4 Because the Lord Jesus hath invested the Churches with sufficient Ecclesiasticall power in the best Ecclesiasticall manner to attaine their Ecclesiasticall end which yet were not if they had not power of themselves by joynt consent to call a Synod Queries Querie 1 In what case may the Magistrate proceed to call a Synod without the consent of the Churches Answ The Magistrate in case the Churches be defective and not to be prevailed with for the performance of their duty just cause so requiring may call a Synod and the Churches ought to yield obedience thereunto But notwithstanding the refusall he may proceed to call an Assembly and that for the same end that a Synod meetes for namely to consider of and clear the truth from the Scriptures in weighty matters of Religion But such an Assembly called and gathered without the consent of the Churches is not properly that which is usually understood by a Synod for though it be in the power of the Magistrate to Call yet it is not in his power to Constitute a Synod without at least the implicite consent of the Churches Because Church-Messengers who necessarily presuppose an explicite which order calls for or implicite consent of the Churches are essentiall to a Synod Querie 2 In what case may the Churches call a Synod without the consent of the Magistrate Answ In case the Magistrate be defective and not to be prevailed with for the performance of his duty just cause providence and prudence concurring The Churches may both Call and Constitute a Synod The Reason why the Churches can Constitute a Synod without the consent of the Magistrate although the Magistrate cannot constitute a Synod without the consent of the Churches is because the essentialls of a Synod together with such other cause as is required to the being though not so much to the better being of a Synod ariseth out of particular Churches as appears from the following Enumeration of the Causes thereof The Essentiall Cause Remote The Authoritative Call of the Magistrate Next The Ministeriall Call of the Churches The Materiall Cause The Members of the Synod i. e. qualified Church-Messengers The Formall Cause The meeting together of such Church-Messengers in the name of Christ The Finall Cause To confider of and clear the truth in question from the word of God Querie 3 In case the Magistrate and Churches are both willing to proceed orderly in the joynt exercise of their severall Powers whether it is lawfull for either of them to call a Synod without the Consent of the other Answ No they are to proceed now by way of a mixt Call i. e. orderly and joyntly in the use of their severall Powers That which learned Parker speakes of the Power of particular Churches concerning Calling of SYNODS holds also in this case concerning the Power of the Magistrate Their Powers are divers yet in respect of exercise they ought not to be divers nor divided the one from the other as before The Churches desire the Magistrate Commands Churches act in a way of liberty the Magistrate in a way of Authority Moses and Aaron should goe together and kiss one another in the Mount of GOD. FINIS Courteous Reader BY reason of the Death of the Reverend Author and the far distance of his loving Friend the Publisher of this Booke some faults may have escaped the Presse for the which the Printer desireth excuse Vale.
behind him doe and I trust ever will speak to the Saints to the Churches here below both in the present and also future Generations yet unborn Neither doth the other viz. the third that concerning the Power of Magistrates in matters of the first Table seem to claim any lower descent being indeed a Result of a meeting of divers reverend and godly Elders of severall Churches in the Masaâ—…usets Plantation in New-England An. 1646. where both the head and heart of the forenamed reverend and precious man was also present amongst those approved workmen who need not to be ashamed And as for the Matter which they do treat of 't is the establishment of Peace both Spirituall viz. of a beleeving soul with the Lord in the Covenant of Grace as in the first Treatise and Ecclesiasticall viz. between the Brethren and Churches of the Presbyterian and Congregationall way as in the second and also Politicall viz. between Magistrates and people in point of power and Jurisdiction about matters belonging to the first Table as in the third Treatise How well these things are here spoken unto I shall willingly leave to the godly and learned Readers to judge I shall only desire to give a brief account of the publishing of them to the world that the Reader may undoubtedly assure himself that these are neither spurious Copies nor surreptitiously put forth The Treatise of the New Covenant having been taken from the Authors mouth in Preaching was afterward presented unto him with desire of his perusal and emendation of it which being done and indeed the interlinings of his owne hand doe plainly testifie his correcting of it he delivered back not long before his death into the hands of a Gentleman one of the Church in Boston there who coming over hither and being about to return left it with me to take order for the Printing of it That of the Queries I had from the Reverend Author himself my most Honoured friend in a letter from him with liberty if it might be thought meet of publishing of it At my coming over from that Country which was about a year before his death he delivered unto me the same for substance but in another Form viz. in 12 Propositions and therefore did then expresse his unwillingness to yield to the impression of them being moved thereunto by a Reverend Elder then present with us by reason as he said they were set down by way of Propositions but afterward the Lord having directed him to mould them in to another model turning the twelve Propositions into eleven Queries he was pleased to send them over unto me as here they are presented He was a man of peace of a very sweet spirit and had a speciall faculty of composing differences in the judgements of Brethren and thus much I shall crave liberty to testifie of him that besides the multiplicity of occasions which was constantly upon him he was not without care about the Peace and welfare of the Churches abroad and notwithstanding his so vast a distance in body from the Churches and Saints in his Native Countrey yet he had great thoughts of heart for the Division of his Brethren here being seriously studious how to compose and heale their breaches He hath sometimes said unto me being privately together Brother I perceive there is a great gravamen which the one party is much offended at with the other I pray let us study how we may ease and remove it From that solicitous care it was that he drew up these 11 Queries unto which may it be without offence I shall be bold to add one more to make up the number even and round the which I doe presume that our Reverend and honoured friend would not have been averse unto had he been on earth to have been consulted withall The third and last Treatise being The Result of a Synod at Cambridge as 't is stiled by the Copy come to my hands was lately sent over unto me from a Reverend Friend one that was present at that Assembly desiring mee earnestly intimating also that 't was not his owne desire only to procure the Printing of it as conceiving it might prove very usefull for the present season Now these three little Treatises being in mine hand through providence together and each of them somewhat too small to put forth severally I was the more willing especially apprehending them not to be altogether heterogeniall to joyne in one small Volume and as they came from one and the same place so to send them forth as Companions together and oh that the presence and blessing of the Spirit of Christ may go along with them making them usefull and profitable unto the Readers or Hearers of them THO ALLEN BOOKS Sould by John Allen at the Rising Sun in Pauls Church-yard NOva Testament Beza fol. Doctor Holdsworths Works compleat 4o. Mr. Caryl's fifth Vollume on Job 4o. Mr. Greenhil's second Voll on Ezekiel 4o. Gospel-Liberty by Mr. Cradock 4o. Mr. Lockiers Works 4o. Andrew's Catechisticall Doctrine 8o. Simpson of Justification 8o. Ainsworth's Communion 8o. Ainsworth's Arrow against Idols 8o. Welch Testament 8o. The Saints Desire by Samuel Richardson 8o. Gaule of Witches 8o. The Contents of the Treatise concerning the Covenant Doct. THat God in the Covenant gave himselfe to be a God unto Abraham and his seed and received Abraham and his Seed to be his people and took Christ to be the Mediatour and Surety of this Covenant between both Page 4. In which are these 3 things 1 That God gave himselfe to Abraham to be a God to him and his Seed 5. 7. Here is considered 1 What 't is for God to give himselfe to Abraham 7. Viz. 1 The whole nature of God in his Persons and Attributes 8. 2 All the Ordinances Creatures and works of God 10. 2 The Order of Gods giving in the Covenant 14. Viz. 1 God doth first give and not the Creature ibid. 2 God also is the first thing that is given ibid. 3 The Manner of giving viz. freely and for ever 15. Obj. But the Lord required that he should give himselfe back again Answered 16. Obj. The Lord required him to circumcise his Seed answered 17. 2 How the Lord doth take Abraham and his Seed to be his people 5. 19. By preparing them by a spirit of Bondage 20. Burning 21. By taking possession of them by his spirit 24. Which spirit doth Convince the soule of unbeliefe 25. Work Faith and unites to Christ by some Promise of grace 26. Qu. Whether may not true Faith be built on a Conditionall Promise answered 29. see 56. From Union followeth Communion with Christ in all spirituall Blessings 31. Viz. Relative as Adoption ibid. Iustification ibid. Positive wrought in us as Sanctification 34. Glorification 35. 3 How the Lord did constitute Jesus Christ to be the Mediatour of the Coven 7. 36. By receiving him the Son of the Virgin Mary to be one person with the second in the Trinity ibid. By
his owne works and taught him to resolve in his judgment to believe on Jesus Christ 4 There is a fourth sort also that fall far short of Christ too and yet goe beyond all these they goe beyond works and beyond this Faith also which we have spoken of which was not a lively Faith in Christ whereby we are justified but men justifie themselves by it God doth not justifie them Now this fourth sort come plainly to see that their Faith is shaken and they dare not look God in the face to justifie the truth of their Faith before him it is true many an heavenly spirited man cannot tell what will become of him nor can he tell whether his Faith be sound but many an Hypocrite also is so far convinced that he cannot tell what will become of him nor can he say that his Faith is right nor that he is able to believe What saith the soule now in such a case as this He will say I see it is not my Reformation nor my Faith that will serve the turn what is it then I see that now I must waite upon Christ that I may believe and unto him I must seek for helpe Is not this soule in a state of everlasting fellowship with Christ Truly this is that which the Lord many times bringeth the souls of his Servants unto but he leaveth them not there if he mean to doe them good for I would examine again how camest thou to waite upon Jesus Christ thou hast been driven out of conceit of thy former Faith and so hast been forced and hast seen a necessity to wait upon Christ for Faith or else thou canst not believe force of Argument hath constrained thee thus far if thou hast taken up a course of waiting onely upon this ground here is a spark of old Adam still kept alive in thee Thou art able to seek and wait upon Christ and yet I cannot promise thee that thou hast any part or portion in him But a soule will say Hath not the Lord made gratious Promises to all those that seeke for him Hath he not said that all they are blessed that waite for him Isa 30.18 And am not I wrapped up hereby in a bundle of grace and peace Mind you there is no promise of life made to those that wait seek in their own strength who being driven to it have taken it up by their own resolutions though I grant it is true that every one that waiteth for and seeketh the Lord aright is driven unto it by the Lord yet if ever the Lord mean to save you he will rend as it were the caule from the heart I mean he will pluck away all the confidence you have built upon a as man would rend the intralls of a Beast from him so the Lord will bring you to a flat deniall of your selves and that you have neither good will nor deed as of your selves And you will find you know not what God will doe with you but this you know that whatsoever he doth he is most righteous When the Spirit of God cometh as a Comforter he will in this manner convince the soul of a man that he hath heretofore hung upon his reformations for hope comfort but now he is brought plainly to see and flatly to deny that he hath so much as one drop of the fatnes of the true Olive tree in him when he most trusted unto his own excellencies Now a man being thus far brought on doth not only deny himselfe in his judgement but in his will and is ready to say as David sometimes did If the Lord say he hath no pleasure in me here I am let him doe unto me as seemeth him good The Lord is righteous in all that cometh upon me this onely the soul hath for his support in such a case the Lord is able to doe all for me that I stand in need of If he shew me no mercy he is just if he be gratious I shall live to praise him Now when a mans will is thus subdued that he hath no will of his owne to be guided by but onely the will of God this is true brokennesse of heart when not onely the judgement but the heart and will is broken The soule being thus convinced that neither his working nor believing nor waiting nor seeking as of himselfe will doe him any good there is no mercy that he can chalenge for any goodnesse sake of his owne then cometh the Holy Ghost in some declaration of Gods free love and taketh possession of the heart and then the soule beginneth to pant after Jesus Christ and nothing in Heaven but him nor in the Earth besides him The soule being thus wrought upon beginneth to put forth it selfe towards the Lord Jesus but the Holy Ghost having taken possession before helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26,27 He alone must help us and no other FINIS CERTAIN QUERIES Tending to Accommodation and Communion of Presbyterian Congregationall Churches BY Mr JOHN COTTON late Teacher of the Church at Boston in New-England Published by a Friend to whom the Author himselfe sent them over not long before his Death LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Allen and Francis Eglesfield in Pauls Church-yard 1654. Certain Queries tending to the mutuall Accommodation Communion of Presbyterian and Congregationall Churches delivered in 11 Propositions humbly presented both to the Consideration and Examination of them according to God BY Mr JOHN COTTON The 1. Querie Whether may it not be safely acknowledged that the Congregations of Christians subject to Presbyteriall Government preaching and professing the Truth of the Gospel and not over-growne with ignorant and scandalous Persons are true and holy Churches of Christ BEcause such Churches for the Matter of them consist of visible Saints at least a principall part of them especially when they present themselves to sit downe before the Lord at his Table And for the Forme they doe agree together in choosing their owne Minister in attending duely to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments and in submitting to the Doctrine of the Gospel which implyeth a reall and visible though implicite profession of the Covenant of grace requisite to Church-estate Object The Parish-Churches in England were Antichristian if not in their first Institution yet at least for these many hundred yeares and were never since unchurched nor new moulded out of their Anchristian Apostacy Answ 1. The Gospel of Christ was preached and received in England ten yeares before it was in Rome as may appeare by Gildas and may be inferred from Baronius also Annal. Anno Christi 35.5 45.1 and that by the Ministry of Apostles and Apostolick men who doubtlesse did at first institute Churches not after the Pattern of Rome which then was not a Church but according to the Patterne of the Apostles 2. Neither were they unchurched by the Antichristian Apostacy which afterwards grew upon them as a Leprosie but were onely corrupted and polluted even
But their Account doth not make or prove it to be so neither doth it seem really and in truth to be so For 1 The Constitution of Parochiall or Parish Churches is not of Divine but of humane Institution and that too in the very darkest times of Popery and Superstition viz. about 700 years ago as learned Mr. Selden in his Book of Tythes ch 9. seems to intimate So that although it may seem a disorder in regard of that limitation of Parishes for the Parishioners of one place to joyne themselves unto the Church Assemblies in another yet not in regard of any thing appearing to the contrary from the Scripture which is the rule for Christians to walk by especially in matters belonging to Church-Administration and Government Neither will it I suppose be affirmed by any intelligent Christian who understanding in any measure the true Nature of a particular Church that Parish-bounds are the constituting cause of a particular Church or Congregation for it cannot be maintained that every individuall person living in such a Parish bounds is therefore a Member of that Church there except it can be proved that professed Turks or Jewes or Indians who through providence may be brought into the Land and so necessarily reside in some Parish or other there being hardly any parcell of ground free in any part of England from belonging to the bounds of some Parish or Towne are as reall and true Members of the Church there as any Christian man or woman in the Parish I conceive it neither any solecisme or Paradox to affirm that there may be a Parish where there is no true Church of Christ and a true Christian Church where there is no Parish 2 It may seem too great a bondage and slavery both for any Church whether Presbyter or Congregationall to be forced to receive all into fellowship in all the Ordinances who have their habitation or residence in the same Parish bounds with them and also for particular persons to be necessitated to be of this or that particular Congregation in fellowship with such Members and under the Ministry of such a man which they cannot find so suitable to their spirits and so profitable for their spirituall edification as some others which may not be far off from them And whereas it may fall out which possibly may come in here as an Objection that the Minister under whom a man liveth is taken away by death and another one called into his place and Office by the generality of the Church who may be as unsuitable unto the Spirit of this or that Brother as the Minister of the Parish where he dwells or as any other shall not be bound to submit to the choice of the Church or must the Church suspend their choice upon the Negative vote of any one Brother In such a case 't is lawfull for that dissenting Brother who cannot call such a man to be his Minister nor owne him as his Pastour or Teacher to desire a Letter of dismission to some other Church and Officer whom he can more freely and comfortably close in his spirit withall and I suppose that Church with whom he hath fellowship at the present is bound to yield unto his equall and just desire that so they may part in a loving and brotherly manner We doe generally allow every servant so much liberty for his outward comfort and advantage as to choose his owne Master in whose Family and under whose Government and inspection he is to live and why should not Christians also being made free-men by Christ have as much liberty for their spirituall comfort and edification to chose the particular Church under whose teaching and inspection they are to abide And why else hath the Lord out of his infinite goodnesse and wisedome given out diversity of gifts to divers of his Servants in the Ministry but to suite the variety of spirits and dispositions in his people Every lock not agreeing with every key as our Reverend Author was wont to express himselfe speaking of this very thing 3 Experience doth also testifie de facto that such a course is possible to be used and practised without making such disorder and confusion as is conceived by some For notwithstanding it be practised by some Churches not onely Congregationall but Presbyteriall also and Classicall to have their Members scattered up and down in severall Precincts or Parishes yet there have not any such confusion and disorder followed thereupon as we have seen by the constant practice of our Brethren in the Congregations both of the Dutch and French here amongst us in England as viz. in London Norwich Canterbury Colchester and in such other places where they doe inhabit who although they be dispersed throughout the Cities and Townes where they live yet are not thought nor ever were by any except possibly by some of the Lordly Prelates who out of their superstitious zeale did seek to undermine and dissolve their Congregations to be any occasion of disorder and confusion by their Meeting together in their holy Assemblies from all parts of the Cities and Townes where they dwell And why might not the like liberty be allowed unto the English themselves without any just feare of disorder thereby There seems nothing but custome against it for had it been but the practice and course of the English as it hath beene of the other certainly it would not be accounted more disorderly then theirs is Onely if while the division by Parishes doe continue men doe allow and contribute not onely toward the Poor but also toward the Preaching of the word in their severall Parishes that the word may be dispensed all the Land over I should not gainsay it as I suppose the brethren both of the French and Dutch have been wont to doe in the severall Parishes where they live Finally Brethren be of one mind live in Peace and the God of Love and Peace shall be with you FINIS The RESULT OF A SYNOD AT CAMBRIDGE IN New-England Anno. 1646. CONCERNING The Power of Magistrates in matters of the First Table Nature Power of Synods and other matters thereunto belonging LONDON Printed by M. S. for John Allen and Francis Eglesfield in Pauls Church-yard 1654. The Result of the Disputations of the Synod or Assembly at Cambridge in New-England Begun upon the first day of the 7th Month An. Dom. 1646. About the power of the Civill Magistrate in matters of the first Table and also about the grounds of Synods with their power and the power of calling of them Being drawn up by some of the Members of the Assembly deputed thereunto and being distinctly read in the Assembly it was agreed thus farre onely That they should be commended unto more serious consideration against the next Meeting TOuching the Question of the Civill Magistrate in matters of Religion we shall crave leave to narrow and limit the state of it in the manner of the Proposall of it and shall therefore propound it thus