ΠνεÏματος Διακονία OR Gospel-Churches A Standing ORDINANCE OF Jesus Christ TO Continue to His next Personal Glorious Coming plainly Proved Objections particularly Answer'd By an unworthy servant of Jesus Christ a Mourner in Sion for the Divisions thereof who waits for the day of the Son of Man R.B. Mat. 16.18 Vpon this Rock will I build my Church And the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it 1. Cor. 11.26 As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lord's Death till HE COME Eph. 3.21 Vnto him be glory in the CHVRCH throughout all Ages London Printed by T.M. for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chappel 1682. TO THE READER Christian Reader IF thou intendest a serious perusal of the ensuing Treatise 't will not be amiss to stay a while at the Portal 'T is now two full years and upward since it was fitted for the Press the Remora's of its publication are needless to mention to thee It hath in that time been frequently given up to the Lord and the service of his Churches with earnest cries to him who Ministers Seed to the Sower and makes the Seed sown to prosper that it may be blessed for some Spiritual advantage to them that truly fear him whether in or out of the Churches of Christ What of the leadings help of the Lord an unworthy dust hath had in the managery of this Work from first to last is not needful to be mentioned This I think meet to say to the praise of match-less Grace that I have not been altogether without them and in some things such clear openings as I never had before All is submitted to the Judgment of the truly Judicious and if the least be contributed for the establishment of the Lords Children the weakest of them in the Path and way of the Gospel let him have the Glory I obtain the end aimed at The Reasons of the present undertake are too many to give an account of I know none that have ex professo handled this Subject 'T is true the Learned Dr. Owen some while-since and long after this was finished for the Press hath writ much in a little touching it but he tells us he only debates it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in passage There have been and still are some that openly oppose this way of the Gospel upon various accounts Of which at least some of them we give particular notice That in every Generation Satan hath set himself against the Churches of Christ since they have had a being in the World none are ignorant of who have thought it any part of their concern to enquire into these matters Many wayes he hath taken to eradicate root them out and hath by some of those wayes greatly disturbed perplexed shaken them As 1. Sore great Persecutions hath he oft raised against them from the first dayes of the Gospel till now And though he hath often seen the Vanity of his attempts that way to root them out yet he is unwearied therein Millions of Saints have been tortured butchered destroyed by his Instruments upon the account of their being found in the practice of those Gospel-Wayes Ordinances we are pleading for Nor can any oppugn despise them but they condemn those Millions of innocent ones and justifie Satan and his Instruments in their horrid butcheries of them Touching which more afterwards He early began this cruel work The Priests Ecclesiastick-Governours amongst the Jews together with the Roman-Rulers breath forth Threatnings against them imprison slaughter some eminent ones amongst them to terrifie the rest see Act. 4. 7. 9. They Excommunicate them charge them with broaching New-Doctrines endeavouring to overturn the antient State of Religion as Seditious Factious setting up Separate-meetings or private Conventicles banish cast them into Prison compel them to Blaspheme Whip Behead Stone them Under Claudius about A.D. 45. Herod Agrippa furiously falls upon some of the Disciples of our Lord kills James the Brother of John with the Sword casts Peter also into Prison Act. 12. Him the Angel of the Lord quickly meets with Smites he is eaten up of Worms gives up the Ghost v. 23. At Antioch the Jews are filled with envy against Paul and Barnabas contradicting Blaspheming they raise persecution against them expel them out of their coast Act. 13.45 50. At Iconium also the Vnbelieving Jews stir up the Gentiles against them and the Gentiles and Jews with their Rulers make an assault to use them despitefully and to Stone them Act. 14.2.5 To Lystra from Antioch and Iconium come certain Jews who stir up the People against them they stone Paul and draw him out of the City for dead Act. 14.19 At Philippi Act. 16. Paul and Silas are dragged into the Court unto the Rulers v. 19. They are Scourged cast into Prison v. 22 23. At Thessalonica an uprore is made against them the house of Jason where 't is like they met assaulted but not finding them they draw Jason and certain Bretheren unto the Rulers of the City crying These that have turned the World upside down are come hither also Act. 17.5 6 7 8 9. Preaching at Barea the Jews from Thessalonica come thither also and stir up the People against them v. 13. At Corinth the Jews with one accord make insurrection against Paul bring him to the Judgment-Seat Act. 18.12 At Ephesus by Demetrius a great tumult is raised also v. 24. to 35. At Jerusalem the Jews which are of Asia stir up the People against him and lay hands on him Chap. 21.27 who would have killed him immediately ver 31. Of his afflictions in Asia Paul himself speaks 2 Cor. 1.8 in Judea Heb. 10.32 33 34. About the Seventeenth Year of Nero that Monster A.D. 63. James the Brother of our Lord with others is slain Euseb l. 2. c. 23. Josephus l. 20. Antiq. c. 8. At Alexandria Mark the Evangelist it 's said was put to death This Nero Fires the City of Rome layes it upon the Christians and from hence takes occasion by publick Edict to raise persecution against them He was the first of the Emperours that did so Tertull. in Apologet. which continued to the end of his Reign Peter and Paul it 's said were slain by him with others innumerable How the hand of the Lord wrought him is known condemned he was by the Senate to be punished More majorum i. e. to be whipt to death to prevent which he slew himself with this exprobration of his own sordid villany Turpiter vixi turpius morior I have lived filthily I die more dishonourably Sueton. in Nero. Domitian about A.D. 97. by his Edicts raises another dreadful persecution against the Christians Banishes John into the Isle of Patmos Euseb l. 3 c. 18.19 Eutropius l. 9 Timothy Onesimus and Dionysius the Areopagite were put to death Niceph l. 3 c. 11. with an innumerable company of the faithful beside The Wrath of God pursues him and he is murdered
inviolably to be observed to the end of the World To the proof of which we now address our selves I. Christ himself seems to intimate as much when he gives commission to the Apostles to go forth to preach the Gospel teaching them who shall be converted by their Ministry to observe his whole charge Mat. 28.19 20. Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Two things are plainly asserted 1. That whatever Christ gave them in charge to communicate to others was to be observed and kept by them to the end of the World 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ would all along communicate his presence to such as should to that great period of time be found in the observance of what he commanded II. The great Apostle of the Gentiles who also had seen the Lord and converst with him when he was caught up into the third Heavens expresly asserts concerning one part of this Gospel-Ministration or one great Ordinance appertaining thereunto and such an one as none can regularly be found in the practice of but such as are in a Church-state Act. 2.42 viz. The Ordinance of Breaking Bread that it was to continue to the coming of our Lord 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew forth the Lords death until he come Christ commanded his Disciples a little before he was offer'd up a Sacrifice for them to be found in this practice Luke 22.19 20. This do in remembrance of me And afterwards charges them as they love him to be found in the observance of it as of other his Commandments John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments Tells them it 's an argument of their love and true friendship to him so to do John 14.21 23. and 15.14 Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Which saith our Apostle we are to do till our Lord comes Object 1. But we witness the Lord already come to us therefore we are no longer to be under the observation of it Answ And thus some in the Apostles dayes were wont to talk that they had experienced the Resurrection 't was to them past already so endeavouring to evert the great Doctrine of the Gospel the Resurrection from the Dead Against whom he smartly disputes 1 Cor. 15. But in what sense it is that any pretend that Christ is already come must be a little consider'd 1. He is come in Spirit Power say some Answ And so he was before the writing of this Epistle yea before any one particular Church was gathered by the Apostles Never such a coming of Christ in Spirit and Power as was that in the day of Pentecost Act. 2. Every believer 't is true witnesses his coming to him in Spirit Power Quickning Raising him from the death of Sin to the life of Righteousness Sanctifying Cleansing him which whoever doth not whatever his profession is or by what name soever he is call'd he is not a Believer but in this sense he was already come to these Corinthians before Paul writ this Epistle to them He ownes them for a Church of God affirmes that they were Sanctified in Christ Jesus call'd to be Saints that the grace of God was given them by Christ Jesus that in every thing they were enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge that the testimony of Christ was confirmed in them so that they came behind in no Spiritural gift that they were call'd unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 2.4 5 6 7 9. with much more that might be mentioned evidently declaring that Christ was in Spirit Power already come to them yet the Apostle speaks of another coming till which the Saints are to be found in the practice of this institution which coming also these Corinthians waited for 1 Cor. 1.7 Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Object 2. He is come already to some in person say others there 's therefore an end of this Institution the whole Ministration Answ But the coming of Christ in a corner is not the coming the Apostle here speaks of 'T is an unscriptural anti-scriptural notion as hath been demonstrated but that coming which the Corinthians with all the Saints ever since his departure have been waiting for viz. his Glorious Visible coming in the Clouds of Heaven when every eye shall see him III. The same Apostle most solemnly charges his beloved Son Timothy to keep the Commandment without spot to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.13 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keep this Commandment without spot till the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ What 's meant by Commandment Answer The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That you keep the Commandment So the Ar. Syr. V.L. render it His Commandment so the Aeth reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is put for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Commandment for the Commandments so Piscator renders it Vt serves haec mandata that thou keep these Commandments viz. the Commandments he had as the Apostle of Jesus Christ communicated to Timothy from Christ These Believers were to observe keep till the appearing of Christ Jesus If the words be strictly adhered to and there be no enallage of the number allowed it comes to the same purpose For 't will not I presume be denied that by Commandment we are not to understand any Commandment given forth by Paul's private Spirit but the Commandment of Christ through him Now of all Christ's Commandments there 's the same reason our reception owning of obedience to any one is grounded upon his Soveraign Authority If I may reject one I may reject all and if I am bound to attend to obey one I am bound to attend to obey all For 't is the same Law-giver that hath given them all forth Besides the Apostle in this Epistle Chap. 5.21 charges him before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels that he observe the things delivered to him without preferring one before another which seems to be the Commandment he thus solemnly charges him in the words under consideration to keep without spot and unblameable to the coming of Christ The plain meaning is the Apostle writes this Epstle to Timothy on purpose to instruct him how to behave himself in the Church of God Chap. 3.15 He had given him sundry directions touching the Officers to be chosen in the Church Chap. 3. Speaks of the Apostasie from the Doctrine and Worship of the Gospel that should be in an after-day Chap. 4. of which also he had treated in his second Epistle to the Thessalonians
profession of our Faith which lies eminently in our subjection to him therein the assembling our selves together to exhort one another which he would not have us forget is annext to bottomed upon the New-Covenant of which he is ex professo treating And a wilful rejection of these in open despight of Christ and contempt of his Authority he calls v. 29. A treading under foot the Son of God because it 's a high affront to his Soveraign Authority an accounting the Blood of the Covenant an unholy thing not only because these Institutions are annext to that Covenant which was ratified by the blood of Christ but also because they have all their Foundation in that Blood our approximation to God in them our advantage by them is the issue of its effusion and a doing despite unto the Spirit of Grace because as hath been proved they are all the Ministration of that Spirit should God immediately by himself speak from Heaven to us and declare in so many words These Gospel-Institutions establisht by My Son are all of them bottomed upon annext to the New-Covenant we could not have a greater certainty that they are so than what is in that Scripture-evidence we have hitherto been discoursing of But 3. They belong to the Old-Covenant or the New There 's no medium To the Old-Covenant it 's most certain they appertain not Other manner of Ordinances which were only to continue to the Gospel-day as Circumcision Sacrifices appertained thereunto not the least notice under that Covenant as any part of the oeconomy thereof of particular Churches Baptism breaking-Breaking-Bread Christ came to put a Period to that Paedagogie and all the Laws Institutions thereunto appertaining and vertually did so by his Death actually by providential dispensations taking out of the way destroying that Temple to which they were peculiarly affixt And becoming a Mediator of a better Covenant established uppon better Promises as such he gives forth the Laws and Institutions we are pleading for of which afterwards 4. The Communications of Divine Life the Royal manifestations of the Love of GOD to us the bestowment of the Spirit upon us Divine peace comfort support upholdment with whatever Grace we are made partakers of are all conveyed in the way of the New-Covenant Now whatever any talk the communication of these as 't is promised to us as we have found attending upon the Lord in his own Institutions of which more anon so the Saints in every day at this day through wonderful riches of Grace are under the enjoyment of The Spirit is received Faith communicated Peace and Joy shed abroad upon the hearts of Believers as they conscientiously attend on these appointments of Christ Such as know not these things or having known them through the power of temptation slight undervalue them are to be pitied not attended to or regarded in their present apprehensions touching them 5. That God hath a people that he hath in the New and everlasting Covenant taken unto himself for a peculiar People will not be denied To these God gives himself as their GOD he betroths marries them to himself and they give up themselves spontaneously unto him as a People to own subject to his Authority Soveraignty and to profess their so doing by a conformity to whatever Commands Injunctions he shall lay upon them Gospel-Institutions he gives forth for the trial of their Love Loyalty to him charges them to be found in the practice of them as hath been proved Their obedience subjection hereunto he looks upon as a great part of their Loyalty to him in the Conjugal-Covenant he hath taken them into with himself Jer. 3.14 15. Turn O back-sliding Children saith the Lord for I am married unto you and I will take you one of a City and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion And I will give you Pastors according to mine Heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Where coming unto Zion or our attendment on God in wayes of his own Appointment is asserted to be that wherein our Marriage-relation to him stands Hence departing from these is call'd Whoredom Adultery and those that do so The great Whore the Mother of Harlots and fornications of the Earth The sum is Gospel-Churches Institutions are bottomed upon the New-Covenant therefore abiding CHAP. VIII The Churches that have been are are the Churches of Christ or Antichrist They are not the Churches of Antichrist proved The matter of Antichristian-Churches and of the present Churches The Form Foundation Doctrine Worship Nature Characters Properties of the one and the other considered 1 Tim. 4.1 The Daemons there mentioned what they are Their Original Office manner of Worshipping them the Doctrines of Daemon's the Doctrine of the Apostatick-Synagogue of Rome Demonstration VIII THat there have been persons under the profession of the Name of Christ congregated together for the solemnization of Ordinances from the first-times of the Gospel hitherto hath been before proved That there are so still cannot be denied Now these Churches must be either the Churches of Christ or the Churches of Antichrist There 's no medium A Church that was neither of Christ nor Antichrist was never yet heard of in the world since the first-dawning of the Gospel-day So then if we demonstrate that the present Churches are not Antichristian-churches we evince them to be the Churches of Christ and a continuation of the Gospel-Church-State at least hitherto is evidently discover'd That they are not Churches of Antichrist is easily demonstrated They wholly differ from the Antichristian-Church in respect of matter form foundation doctrine worship nature characters properties Touchching which it 's needful that we particularly discourse First then the Matter of the Antichristian-church is whoever own 's the Christian Faith make 's a Profession of it though never so deboysh vile wicked to every good work reprobate Notwithstanding all their pompous shews of Religion Forms of Godliness they are really such as have pleasure in Unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.12 Is this the matter constitutive of the present Churches Do they admit persons of so black a character into their Communion If any such spots are found amongst them do they tollerate indulge them Are not the rules of Christ prosecuted till they appearing to be persons of a reprobate mind are rejected out of their fellowship Is it not the avowed principles of all the Churches that such as these are not fit matter for any Church of Christ Can they be charged with walking contrary to their principles in this matter Who hath the confidence impudence thus to charge any one of them 'T is true now and then some scandalous persons are found amongst them and so there were in the Primitive Churches as in the Church of Corinth c. that crept in unawares but they are matter of grief humbling to them and they do not dare not cannot suffer them in their Communion 2. The Form if it may be so call'd of the Antichristian-Church lie's in a