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-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
crown'd with some shameful conclusion When the infamous practices of Master Smith are objected to his party they have no leaf of excuse wherwith to cover them H The other supporter of languishing Brownisme in its dying dayes was Master Robinson the most learned polished and modest spirit that ever that Sect enjoyed it had been truely a marvel if such a man had gone on to the end a rigid Separatist This man having gone over from England to Leyden with a separate Congregation did write for a time very handsome Apologies and justifications of that evil way but Doctor Ames and Master Parker compassionating the man and pitying that so excellent parts should be so ill employed laboured him so by Conferences and Letters that there was great appearance if his days had continued he might have proved a happie instrument for the extinguishing and total abolition of that Schism but God in his wisedom intending some farther use of that great evil was pleased to take him away in the beginning of his good Work He came back indeed the one half of the way he ruined the rigid Separation and was the Author of a Semi-separatism printing in his later times against his former Books the lawfulnesse of communicating with the Church of England in the Word and Prayer albeit not in the Sacraments and Discipline This was a fair Bridge at least a fair Arch of a Bridge for union but the man being removed by death before he could perfect what he had begun his new Doctrine though it was destructive to his old Sect yet it became an occasion of a new one not very good It was the womb and seed of that lamentable Independency which in Old and new-New-England hath been the fountain of many evils already though no more should ensue as anon shall be declared Onely here we observe that the last two best-gifted Leaders of the Brownists have been the reall Overthrowers of that Way for ever since the time of their conduct these of England whose humour carried them out of the bosome of their Mother-Church have turned either to Smiths Anabaptism or to Robinsons Semi-separating Independency These kindes are multiplied exceedingly but for the old Brownists their number either at London or Amsterdam is but very small and their way is become contemptible not onely to all the rest of the world but to their own children also even they begin to heap coles of contumelies upon their parents heads as may be seen in the Elogies which both Master Cotton I and the five Apologists are pleased to give them in Print K Yea so much are these children ashamed of their fathers that they usually take it for a contumely to be called after their name No Independent will take it well at any mans hand to be called a Brownist either in whole or in the smallest part The Testimonies A Robinsons Justification p. 50. It is true that Bolton was though not the first in this way an Elder of a separate Church in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths days and falling away from his holy profession recanted the same at Pauls Crosse and afterwards hanged himself as Judas did B Giffard against the Donatists about the beginning Whosoever shall read Brown his Books and peruse all his Scholars writings shall see that they have no sharp arrow but which is drawn out of his Quiver C Robinsons Justif p. 50. Now touching Brown it is true as he forsook the Lord so the Lord forsook him else he had never so returned back into Egypt as he did And for the wicked things which Master B. affirmeth he did in this way it may well be as he saith and the more wicked things he committed in this course the lesse like he was to continue long in it D Johnsons Enquiry p. 63. About Thirteen yeers since this Church through persecution in England was driven to come into these Countreys A while after divers of them fell into the Heresies of the Anabaptists and so persisting were excommunicated by the rest Then a while after many others yea too many though not the half fell into a Schism from the rest and so many as continued therein were cast out Also Robinsons Justification p. 51. True it is that George Johnson together with his father taking his part were excommunicated by the Church for contention arising at the first upon no great occasion whereupon many bitter and reproachfull terms were uttered both in word and writing It is to us a just cause of Humiliation all the days of our lives that we have given and do give by our differences such advantages E Smiths Differences p. 4. The reading out of a Book is no part of Spiritual Worship but the invention of the Man of Sin Books and Writings are in the nature of Pictures or Images and therefore in the nature of Ceremonies and so by consequent the reading of a Book is Ceremonial The holy Scriptures are not to be retained as helps before the eyes in the time of Spiritual Worship It is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in singing of Psalms The Presbytery of the Church is uniform the treeformed Presbytery consisting of three kindes Pastors Teachers and Elders is not Gods Ordinance but Antichristian and the image of the Beast F Bernards plain Evidences p. 19. Smith in his Epistle before his Differences because he is found so unconstant to wipe away the shame thereof and to cut off offence for afterward he without shame professeth to be unconstant and desireth that ever his last writing should be taken as his present judgement G Ibid. He hath founded a new Church he hath if ye will believe him recovered the true Baptism and the true matter and form of a true Church which now onely is to be found pure among a company of Sebaptists Master Smith will hold ever this word Se to himself for going into Brownism he was a Separatist he held differing opinions from them and now that he is in Anabaptism he is a Sebaptist he wholly goeth not with that heretical Sect. H Robinsons Justif p. 53. Master Smith his instability and wantonnesse of wit is his sin and our crosse I Vide caput tertium O. K Ibidem CHAP. II. The Doctrine of the BROWNISTS THe peculiar Tenents of the Brownists wherein they differ from other Protestants are many Those that occur to my minde from some slight and cursory reading of some of their Books shall briefly and plainly be set down but with this premonition That every thing mentioned be not taken for an Article of Brownism for it is needful at some times to interlace Tenents which are common to them with others for the clearing of those which they have peculiar Their differences run most upon the Constitution and Government of the Church They have also divers Singularities about the Circumstances and Parts of the Service of God also concerning the Magistrate and Schools and divers other things Without affectation or curious search of Method we
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
vehemently contend for the needlesnesse of any to come to the Table what ever be the practice of all the rest of the Reformed Churches But they will have the holy Seales carried from the place where the Minister preaches to the people in their Pews or where ever else they have their ordinary places for hearing of the Word although most easily in their small Congregations without any disturbance all might bee brought to the Table sssss But their maine difference from all the Reformed and greatest consonancy with the Brownists is in this that as they teach all outward signes of Worship in the time of the Celebration to be Idolatry and hereupon declare the necessity of all men who will follow the example of the first Communicants to keep on their Hats all the time of this holy action so likewise the Independents begin to teach their disciples for however at Amsterdam this day the named Doctrine bee not fully practised the men there covering their heads in the time of the Celebration but every one uncovering during the time of their own personall participation of the Elements yet we are now taught at London that covering is most requisite at the time of participation That this act is a Rite significant to the Communicants of their Table-honor and fellowship with Christ also that the Minister in all his Celebration must be uncovered and that in sign of his service to the Communicants as the Lords much honoured children sitting covered when they eat of their Fathers meat ttttt After all the Worship is ended the Congregation may not yet be dismissed but one ordinance more in the end of the day must be attended the exercise of Discipline in this the Independents come up fully to their masters the whole people must be present to heare judge and voyce at every act of Discipline wwwww In any Congregation the acts of discipline when best managed are very tedious and long but with them more then anywhere else for their contentions are more and more tough as we may see in the best ruled Congregations that ever they had That of Arnheim and Roterdam if the praise given by the Apologists to them be just there the exercise of discipline hath bin very tedious the whole Congregation to their extreme wearinesse and fretting have been forced to lay aside the works of their ordinary calling for many dayes of the week to attend the Iudging of these causes which on the Sabbath dayes could not be ended xxxxx In the Cognition of these causes every member of the Congregation must be satisfied in his own minde concerning every passage of every action for they doe not proceed by the plurality of numbred voyces but with the harmonious consent of all who have right to voyce yyyyy And if it fall out that any doe dissent from the most they appoint in that case paines to be taken for the information of the dissenters that they may consent but if these paines prove fruitlesse and the Dissenters refuse to joyn with their brethren they are declared obstinate and to have lost the right of voycing for that time zzzzz Yea which is worst of all and which puts these Congregations upon the smallest occasions upon unavoydable and remedilesse divisions they appoint all who continue in their dissent in any matter of weight to be farther proceeded with for their contumacy aaaaaa The publike meetings of the Brownists are so long and tedious that we doe not heare of their stomack for any private but the Independents are yet for private meetings how long they will be in love with them we cannot say for in new-New-England where they were most in request their fruits have been very bitter these meetings of a middle sort betwixt Congregationall and Domestick were the occasion very neere to ruine both that Church and State for in these it was where under the pretence of religious conference and re-petition of Sermons false doctrine and wicked calumnies against the most Orthodox of the Ministers and Magistrates were spread for the renting and had not God prevented it the destroying of the State both Civill and Ecclesiastick bbbbbb For the present where they are in gathering of their Congregations these meetings in private houses of all who will are a very pregnant meanes to steale away men and women from their own Pastors but if once their gathering of Churches were at an end and their greatest care were for the keeping and edifying of what they had gotten it is like that then they would be as cautious as now all other Churches are even the Brownists and these of New-England of such meetings which except well moderated and limited under faire pretences are exceeding fit to make new divisions and ever to frame new Societies of some as it were more select and eminent Christians out of the common Congregation Concerning the Magistrate the Tenets of the Independents would bee well considered because of their open proclamation of their loyalty beyond and above all which the principles of any Reformed Church will permit them cccccc Had they magnified never so much their own vertues without the expresse disparagement of others had they put in the ballance with themselves an equall or a double number of the greatest men in any of the Reformed Churches who yet would be very ponderous when they lie in the Scales against five particular men the Authors of that comparison had they preferred themselves before all the Reformed Churches in a casuall contingent action not in a maine duty which their very principles are alledged to diminish had they whispered all this in the eares of their friends and not made a Proclamation of it to both the Houses of Parliament and that in print to be trumpeted out in the eares of all the world it might have been past over with the lesse either observation or offence But since in so publike a manner they have required the Magistrate to believe their great deferences to him and the smaller respect he can expect from any out of their way it seemeth very necessary to produce not these particular respects which the Reformed Churches professe according to their principles to give unto the Magistrate continually have given according to their professions for these are well known to the world long before any of our new Censors were in being but what these singular duties may be which the Independents above all other men by their principles are forced to performe to Magistrates while they may be at leisure to publish them to the world I will here present unto them the materialls of some few short observations for that purpose First that divers of their party and those of very eminent note though miscarrying in other things yet keeping fast to the way of Independency have denyed to the Magistrate all power over any of the Godly dddddd And others of them with the grossest Anabaptists have denyed the lawfulnesse of any Magistrate at all
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
Word of God to binde the Sin of the Pastor and upon his Repentance to pronounce comfort and peace to him as he hath to binde or loose the sins of the least SS Confess p. 23. As every Congregation hath power to elect and ordain their own Ministery so also have they power when any such default in Life Doctrine or Administration breaks out as by the rule of the Word deprives them of their Ministery by due order to depose them yea if the case so require if they remain obstinate orderly to cut them off by Excommunication Canns Necessity p. 155. If they shall sin scandalously the Congregation that chose them freely hath free power to depose them and put another in their room TT Johns Inquir p. 7. We have in our Church the use of the exercise of Prophecy spoken of 1 Cor. 14. In which some of the Brethren such as for Gifts are best able though not in Office of the Ministery deliver from some portion of Scripture Doctrine Exhortation Comfort sometimes two at a time sometimes more VV Bar. Disc p. 26. Their is no cause to doubt but any of Gods servants may censure judge and avoid that Congregation which rejecteth Gods Word breaketh Gods Law despiseth his Reproof and Mercy as a wicked Assembly and an Adulterous Church Ibid. p. 38. Who can deny but that every particular Member hath power yea and ought to examine the manner of administrating the Sacraments as also the Estate Disorder and Transgressions of the whole Church and to call them all to Repentance and if he finde them obstinate in their Sin rather to leave their Fellowship then to partake with them in wickednesse XX Vide supra MM. YY Vide supra ll ZZ Smiths Differences p. 56. It may be a question whether the Church may not administer the Sacraments before there be any Officers among them AAA Bar. Disc p. 121. I have alwayes found it the Parents office to provide marriage for their children and that the parties themselves should affiance and betroath one another in the fear of God and in the presence of such witnesses as are present and that in their Parents or other private houses without turning to the Church or to the Priest Confess pag. 45. The Dutch Church at Amsterdam celebrates marriage in the Church as if it were a part of the Ecclesiastick Administration while as it is in the nature of it meerly Civil BBB Vide supra AAA CCC Vide supra AAA DDD Johns Inqui. p. 33. These of our Members that you censure they avow that they accused themselves of adultery not for that end to be quit of their wives but being perswaded in their minde that they ought not to continue with their wives having by their adultery broken the bond of marriage Ibid. This indeed we held the most of us heretofore and some of us are so perswaded still and while we were generally so minded we thought it our duty to walk accordingly he means to excommunicate even the innocent party who was pleased to dwel with her Husband after he had sinned taking the innocent party that retained such offenders though upon repentance yet to be defiled and live in sin EEE Johns Plea p. 231. Every particular Church with the Pastor doth stand immediately under Jesus Christ the Arch-Pastor without any other strange Ecclesiastical power intervening c. Vide supra P. Also Robinsons Apol. p. 17. Non magis erat Petrus Paulus homo integer perfectus ex partibus suis essentialibus integralibus constans sine relatione ad alios homines quà m est â—oetus particularis recte institutus ordinatus tota integra perfecta ecclesia ex suis partibus constans immediate independenter quòad alias ecclesias sub solo Christo non itaque movendi sub humanae prudentiae antiquitatis unitatis aut alio ullo colore ecclesiae visibilis seu Ministerialis termini antiqui quos posuerunt Apostoli FFF Canns guide to Sion about the midst It is sure that Christ hath not subjected any Congregation of his to any superiour Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction then to that which is within it self So that if the whole Church shall erre in a matter of Faith or Religion no other Church or Church-Officer hath any warrant from the Word of God or power to censure punish or controle the same but are onely to advise them and so to leave their souls to the immediate judgement of Christ Robins Apol. p. 18. Licet imò incumbit Pastori unjus ecclesiae ut reliquis membris quod donum accepit sive spirituale sive temporale prout datur occasio id aliis ecclesiis earum membris impertiri ex charitatis vinculo quo illis adunatur non autem exequi in iis munus publicum ex authoritatis prerogativa quam in suos solos habet GGG Johns Plea pag. 251. To this end and in this manner may be had a profitable use of Synods Classes and Assemblies for mutual help and advice in cases of question controversie and difficulty about Religion so that they do not challenge or usurpe any unlawful jurisdiction or power over the particular Churches and their Governours HHH Bar. Disc p. 261. These secret Classes these ordinary set Synods which the Reformists would set up III Bar. Refut p. 81. In a Christian Synod no Christian ought to be shut out but all have equal power to speak assent or dissent without disturbing the Order of the Holy Church by presuming to speak before the Ancients or against any thing said by them without just cause who so doth is reproved of all judged of all as a disturber KKK Vide supra III. LLL Bar. Disc p. 261. In their Synods the matters being debated the greatest part prevaileth and carrieth the judgement Ibid. p. 78. This balloting by suffrage or pluralty of voices might well be a custom among the Heathen in their popular Government but it is unheard of and unsufferable in the Church of Christ MMM Ibid. p. 261. The order and manner of these Counselâ— is first to chuse a Prolocutor Moderator or Judge to govern and order the action who and when they shall speak and when cease Ibid. p. 191. Not here to speak of their solemn Order observed in these Counsels and Synods as their choice by suffrages among themselves of their Archisynagogos or Rectorchori their President as they call him NNN Vide supra FFF OOO Bar. Disc p. 38. Every Member of his Church is to pronounce upon them the judgements that are written and to throw upon them the Stone of his judgement and consent Therefore hath the Lord raised up the Thrones of David in his Church and set his Saints in seats round about his Throne A Light for the Ignorant pag. 10. The true power which Christ our King hath received of the Father and communicated to his Saints and these onely is that dominion which the Ancient of days hath given to his Saints Dan. 7.19 PPP Johns
rhyming and paraphrasing the Psalms as in your Church and against Apocrypha and Erroneous Ballads in rythme sung commonly in your Church instead of the Psalms and other Songs of holy Scripture LLLL Rob. Apoâ— p. 20. Nego eandem esse rationem precationis cantionis ipsi Psalmi quorum materia precatione aut gratulatione constat in hunc finem proprie primo formantur a prophetis in cantiones Psalmos spirituales ut nos edoceant quae vota illi in angustiis constituti ad Deum fuderint quasque liberati eidem Deo gratias retulerint ut nos eosdem Psalmos sive psallentes sive legentes institueremus nos ipsos sive publice sive privatim sive docendo sive commone faciendo sive consolando ad Dei gloriam in cordibus nostris promovendam MMMM Smiths Diff. p. 4. That the reading out of a Book is no part of spiritual worship but the invention of the man of sin that Books and writings are in the nature of Pictures and Images that it is unlawful to have the Book before the eyes in singing of a Psalm NNNN Smiths differences Vide supra cap. 1. E. OOOO Confess p. 34. Such to whom God hath given gifts to interpret the Scriptures ought by the appointment of the Congregation to prophecy and so to teach publikely the Word of God until such time as God manifests men with able gifts to such Offices as Christ hath appointed to the publike Ministry PPPP Bar. Disc p. 116. Shall I speak according to the times and say Be no true Sacrament or rather leave that traditional word which ingendreth strife rather then godly edifying and say Be no true Seal of the Covenant QQQQ Vide supra F. RRRR Johns Plea p. 291. Whether it be not best to celebrate the Lords Supper where it can be every Lords day this the Apostles used to do by so doing we shall return to the intire practise of the Churches in former ages SSSS How corrupt is the signe of the Crosse kneeling and uncovering of the head at the Lords Supper and such things which Scripture prescribes not but men have taken upon themselves thus breaking the second command and joyning their Posts and Thresholds with the Lords Men are thus drawn away from the simplicity of the practise used by Christ and his Apostles who sat when they ate and drank and did no more discover then before TTTT Johns Plea p. 294. To have love feasts on the dayes of the Lords Supper it is a thing indifferent to keep or leave them as they shall be used or abused or as every Church shall finde them to be most expedient for their estate VVVV Bar. Refut p. 43. Not here to mention the binding of the Faith of the Church to an Apocrypha Catechism Idem Disc p. 142. They are not ashamed to Preach and publikely Expound in their Church their fond Apocrypha Catechisms XXXX Bar. Disc p. 76. Their forged patchery commonly called The Apostles Creed YYYY His Refut p. 48. What Scripture can you bring for the blasphemous Article of Christs descent into hell ZZZZ Cans Necessity p. 44. Bare reading of the Word and single Service-saying is an English Popery and far be it from the Lords people to hear it for if they would do so they would offer to the Lord a corrupt thing and so incur that curse of Malachi AAAAA Johns Enquiry p. 7. We have in our Church the use of the exercise of Prophecie spoken of 1 Cor. 14. in which some of the Brethren which are for gifts best able though not in Office of the Ministery deliver from some portion of Scripture Doctrine Exhortation Comfort sometimes Two at a time sometimes more BBBBB Johns Enquiry p. 7. Then if there be occasion upon the Scriptures treated or questions propounded and answers made Bar. Disc p. 139. In that his priviledged Tub he may speak of what be list none of his auditory have power to call in question correct or refuse the same presently or publikely CCCCC Rob. Apol. p. 38. Prorsus inauditum ante haec nostra saecula sive inter gentes sive inter Judaeos sive inter Christianos ut Judicia publica aliive actus naturae publicae privatim aut seclusa plebe exercerentur Ibid. p. 51. Per plebem cujus Libertatem Jus suffragandi in negotiis vere publicis asserimus non intelligimus pueros mulieres sed solos viros eosque adultos DDDDD Browns Life and manners of all true Christians in the Preface or Treatise of Reformation without tarrying for any and of the wickednesse of those Preachers which will not reform till the Magistrate command or compel them p. 8. Know ye not that they which have their full and sufficient authority and calling are not to care for a further authority And hath not every lawful Pastor his full authority Ibid. p. 8. The Lord did not onely shew them the Tabernacle but bade them make it But these men will not make it at all because they will tarry for the Magistrate Ibid. p. 10. They could not force Religion as you would have the Magistrate to do And it was forbidden to the Apostles to preach to the unworthy or to force a planting or government in the Church The Lords Kingdom is not by force neither durst Moses nor any of the Kings of Judah force the people by Law or by power to receive the Church-Government But after they received it if then they fell away and sought not the Lord they might put them to death They do cry Discipline Discipline that is for a civil forcing to imprison the people or otherwise by violence to handle and beat them if they would not obey them Ibid. p. 11. The Lords people is of the willing sort they shall come unto Sion and inquire the way unto Jerusalem not by force nor compulsion but with their faces thitherward And p. 12. Because the Church is in a Common-wealth it is of the Magistrates charge that is concerning the outward Provision and outward Justice they are to look but to compel Religion to plant Churches by power and to force a submission to Ecclesiastical Government by Laws and Penalties belongeth not to them neither yet to the Church EEEEE Confess p. 32. Leaving the suppression of this Antichristian estate to the Magistrate to whom it belongeth FFFFF Bar. Refut In the Preface We acknowledge the Prince ought to compel all his Subjects to the hearing of Gods Word in the publike exercises of the Church yet cannot the Prince command any to be a member of the Church or the Church to receive any without assurance by their publike Profession of their own Faith or to retain any longer then they continue to walk orderly in the Faith GGGGG Bar. Disc p. 245. When Princes depart from the Faith and will not be reduced by admonition or reproof they are no longer to be held in the Faith of the Church but are to receive the censure of Christ as
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
her grosse lying HHH The prophanenesse also of these persons is considerable their profession of piety being so fair that they avow their standing aloof from all the Reformed Churches as unclean because of their mixture with the prophane multitude Beside all that is said of their Heresies Schisms Contentions Contempt of Magistrates and Ministers all which are the prophane works of the flesh We read of further pollution breaking out among them as both Master Cotton and Master Wells do testifie III Out of the Governour Master Winthrops Narration I remark one abomination which to me seems strange That the Midwives to their most zealous women should not onely have familiarity with the divel but also in that very service should commit divellish Malefices which so far as they tell us were not onely past over without punishment but never so much as inquired after KKK All this and more we read of the Independents in New-England in one short Narration of two or three yeers accidents among them what if we had their full History from any faithful hand it seems that many more mysteries would be brought to light which now are hid in darknesse It is not our intention to bring any man to a prejudice or the least distast of the Grace and Gifts which God hath bestowed on Master Cotton or any other in New-England would to God that all our Questions with them were come to that issue they should finde us here as willing as their greatest admirers to prize to embrace and as our weaknesse will permit to imitate what ever good did shine in any of them But we have made these Observations from what themselves have written to bring if it be possible their own hearts or if this be desperate yet the mindes of others to a suspition of that their new and singular way which the Lord hath so manifestly cursed with bader fruits and greater store of them then ever yet did appear upon the Tree of Brownism which they do so much disgrace as an unlucky Plant notwithstanding all the Gifts and Graces wherewith Ainsworth Robinson and some others of its Branches have been adorned by God in as rich a measure as have been seen in any who to this day have ingrafted themselves into their new and bitter root of Independency The Testimonies A Master Cottons Letter to Skelton p. 3. Your other Errour that our Congregations in England are none of them particular Reformed Churches requireth rather a Book then a Letter to answer it You went hence of another judgement and I am afraid your change hath sprung from New-Plymouth men whom though I much esteem as godly loving Christians yet their Grounds which for this Tenent they received from Master Robinson do not satisfie me though the man I reverence as godly and learned Rathbones Narration p. 1. The Church at New-Plymouth was as I am informed one of the first Churches that was settled in New-England having been a part of Master Robinsons Church in Holland that famous Brownist from whence they brought with their Church Opinions and Practises and which they there still hold without any alteration so far as ever I could learn Master W. an eminent man of the Church at Plimouth told W. R. that the rest of the Churches of New-England came at first to them at Plimouth to crave their direction in Church courses and made them their patern B Vide Purchase Pilgrims in his discourses of America in divers Letters from New-England C Cottons Letter to the Reader before Hildershams Commentary upon John 1632. That one Letter of his to a Gentlewoman against the Separation which without his consent a Separatist Printed and Refuted hath so strongly and cleerly convinced the Iniquity of that way that I could not but acknowledge in it both the wisedom of God and the weaknesse of the Separatists His wisedom in bringing to light such a beam of his Truth by the hand of an adversary against the minde of the Author and the weaknesse of the other to advance the hand of this Adversary to give himself and his cause such a deadly wound in open view as neither himself nor all his associates can be able to heal in which respect I conceive it was that the industrious Doctor Willet stileth this our Author Schismaticorum qui vulgo Brownistae vocantur Malleus The Hammer of Schismaticks whom they commonly call Brownists D Vide supra A. E Edwards Antapology p. 17. Knowing something of the story of Master Goodwins first coming to fall off from the Ceremonies having seen and perused the Arguments that past betwixt him and Master Cotton and some others Master Goodwin assured me some moneths after his going off that he had nothing to say but against the Ceremonies the Liturgy offended him not much lesse dreamed he of this Church-way he since fell into F Cottons Letter from New-England to his friends at Boston October 5. 1635. Some other things there be which were I again with you I durst not take that liberty which some times I have taken I durst not joyn in your Book-Prayers G Ibidem I durst not now partake in the Sacraments with you though the Ceremonies were removed I know not how you can be excused from Fellowship of their sins if you continue in your place While you and some of my other friends continue with them I fear the rest will settle upon their Lees with more security The wise-hearted that left their Stations in Israel I doubt not were some of them if not all useful and serviceable men in their places yet they did themselves and their Brethren more good service in going before their Brethren as the Goats before the Flocks Jere. 50.8 then if they had tarried with them to the corrupting of their own wayes 2 Chro. 11.14 16. Antap. p. 32. After his going into New-England and falling into the Church-way there and sending over Letters into England about the new way presently after these Letters began the falling off and questioning Communion in our Churches H Antap. p. 32. One of you to wit Master Goodwin was so ingaged in his thoughts of one of the Ministers of New-England to wit Master Cotton by whom I am sure he was first taken off that he hath said there was not such another man in the world again Ibidem p. 22. One of you told some friends that he had found out a Form of Church-Government as far beyond Master Cartwrights as his was beyond that of the Bishops Master Williams Examination of Master Cottons Letter p. 47. Some of the most eminent amongst them have affirmed that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure as the new English Churches I Vide supra F. K Antap. p. 40. He hath had his Errours and I refer you for proof to his discourse about cleering the Doctrine of Reprobation See the Preface of Doctor Twisse his Answer L The short Story in the Preface par 10. What men they saw Eminent in the Countrey and of most
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
That God is not onely the Author of sin KK but also of the sinfulnesse the very Formality the Anomy the Ataxy the Pravity of sin LL A doctrine which all Protestants ever did abhor as high Blasphemy and which the Assembly of Divines with both the Houses of Parliament did condemn as such appointing Master Archers Book for that worst Heresie of the Libertines and grossest Blasphemy of the Antinomians to be solemnly burnt by the hand of the Hangman MM There was also another sparkle of new Light brake up in that Church wherein one of their Doctors doth so much delight to this day That not being content to have holden it out in Holland he is said to have Preached it over and over in the most solemn Assemblies both of Scotland and England That it is a duty incumbent to all who would be perfit to know God as God without Christ without the Scripture in notions abstracted not onely from all Grace but from all Scripture and from Christ NN I dare not affix unto this the late Doctrine of some Seraphick Jesuites and Monks wherein they have extravagated in their Lent Sermons so many absurd and Heretical senses as some very learned and good men have done in Print without any answer OO yet I must professe if it be a truth it is a very metaphysical one and much transcending my shallow understanding In that Church also the Doctrine of extreme Unction was so far brought back That they began to annoint their sick with oyl PP taking it as an Ordinance of Christ and a kinde of a Sacrament for the people at least a holy Ceremony no lesse of divine Institution then Ordination and imposition of hands were for Officers QQ Also they set on Foot another Religious ceremony in their Congregation the holy Apostolick kisse RR And as if all these innovations had not been sufficient they begun to put down all singing of Psalms and to set up in their place Their singing Prophets making one man alone to sing in the midst of the silent Congregation the hymns which he out of his own gift had composed SS 1 And this as I am informed by some who have been present is now the settled practice of the remainder of the Church of Arnhem Master Edwards layes to their charge not onely that their principles lead to that horrible Errour which 〈◊〉 of their followers maintain The mortality of the sou◠〈◊〉 but also that their cheif Doctors had Preached both is 〈◊〉 and England without the rebuke of any of their fr◠〈…〉 of the Saints go not after death to the Heavens SS◠〈…〉 same place the Pastor of Arnhem without the reproof o◠any of his party to this day so far as ever I heard doth take away and deny that Heaven and that Hell which all Christians before him did ever beleeve and in the place thereof gives us new Heavens and new Hells of his own invention He tells us confidently That no soul before Christs Ascension did ever enter into that place which we commonly call Heaven neither ever shall enter there if you except Christ alone unto the last day That all the souls of the godly remain in a place of the higher Region of the Air or at highest in the Element of the Fire That Enoch and Elias that the soul of Christ before the Resurrection and the soul of the good Theif went no higher SS 4. He tells us That the place of the damned before the last judgement is not any infernal fire but some prison in the low Region of the Air or at lowest in some place of the Sea After the day of judgement he makes Hell a very large place the whole Elements the Heavens of the Planets and of the fixed Stars yea the whole Heavens except that wherein God and the Angels do dwell being all turned to their first matter to him is Hell With such fine new speculations do the Independent Pastors feed their Flocks SS 5 I have heard also one of their Doctors deliver it as his opinion That it was expedient for the Minister in Preaching to have his head covered and the people in time of Preaching to sit uncovered But in the holy Communion that it was expedient the Minister should celebrate that Sacrament uncovered unto the people covered I do not deny my suspition of the Spirit of these men who are not affraid in so short a time to vent such a multitude of strange novelties But the clearest memento which God hath given us to beware of the wayes of that Church is Their bitter and shameful contentions among themselves which if not stopped by the Churches dissolution might long before this day have produced as foul effects as any of the former A part of this story and but a part of it you may read in that unanswerable Book of Master Edwards where at length you will see how their new fancies brought them to so bitter publike contention and irreconcileable strife as made their people confesse their doubting of the truth of their way TT and their principal Doctor Master Goodwin to avow his inclination to desert their society and leave their Church VV The Testimonies A Anatomy of Independency pag. 24. That Independent Church at Roterdam was formerly under Presbyterial Government and conformable to the Dutch Churches and had onely begun to decline in Master Peters his time B Antap. p. 17. Master Bridge and Master Burrows were men judged conformable till the yeer of Bishop Wrens visitation and the sending down of his Injunctions to Norwich C Ibid. Master Bridge fell suddenly into the Church-way as the short space between his Suspension at Norwich and his being received into a Church at Roterdam and thereupon his first Letter to some of his old friends in Norwich will fully shew D Anatom pag. 23. They all renounced their Ordination in England and ordained one another in Holland first Master Bridges ordained Master Ward and then immediately Master Ward ordained Master Bridges E Antap. pag. 142. Master Simpson after some time of beholding the order and way of the Church at Roterdam desired to be admitted a Member and was upon his Confession received in F Ibid. Master Simpson stood for the Ordinance of prophecying and that the people on the Lords day should have liberty after the Sermon to put doubts and questions to the Ministers Mr. Bridge opposed Yet he yeelded so far that the Church should meet on a week day and then they should have that liberty but this would not satisfie Master Simpson whereupon the difference increased and Master Simpson would abide no longer but quitted that Church and with the help of a woman whom Master Bridge called the Foundresse of Master Simpsons Church set up a Church against a Church G Mistresse Bridge laid these bitter differences and reports so to heart that they were a great means of her death H Ibid. Whether Master Bridges weaknesse and distempers were not occasioned by the divisions
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
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
eeeeee Secondly doe not their principles hold out of the Church and deprive of all Christian consolation which flowes from any Church priviledge the farre greater part if not absolutely all Kings and Princes that are this day in the Christian world and have been since the dayes of the Gospel or ever are likely to be upon earth to the worlds end how exceeding few of all that are or have been Members of Parliament of either House of all that have been or are Magistrates in England if their principles might be put in practice would be admitted to the Lords Table or yet their children be baptised or themselves be reputed Christians and Members of any lawfull Church Thirdly of these exceeding few Kings Princes Peeres Commoners and Magistrates of the Land which they could take into their Congregations how many could have assurance to live any long time in a Christian condition as Members of a Church according to their principles Since they tell us that they are to Excommunicate without any delay the greatest Kings for any fault either in beliefe or life which doth subject the poorest servants to censure how many and frequent these faults may be it is hard to judge but the worst is when the greatest Kings and the chiefe Members of Parliament without any respect to their dignity are cast out of the Church for themselves and their children by the peevishnesse or errour or malice of a few in a small Congregation they have no meanes under heaven to redresse themselves of their injury they and theirs must live as Pagans out of the Church till they who did cast them out be perswaded and become willing to take them in should all the Divines all the Assemblies all the Churches of their Dominions see cleerly as the light their notorious wrong yet there were no possibility to helpe it by any mortall hand till the injurious Congregation it selfe of its own accord should be pleased to repaire it Fourthly they permit none to be Magistrates where they have power not so much as to be a member of their smallest civill Courts except they be fully for their way and be admitted members of their Church as it hath ever been their practice in New-England to this day but the Magistrates they admit of who are of their minde they debase their power so low as to suspend it all on the will and pleasure of the promiscuous multitude not only to limit the Soveraignty of Princes within the bounds of their just Lawes and to confine them unto the Counsell of their Parliaments but to bring both them and Parliaments and all Magistrates to their first originall and Makers to the free will of these whom they use to stile the prophane multitude ffffff Fifthly have any of the Reformed Churches now for an hâ—ndred yeares and above given to Magistrates such occasion to feare an unjust insurrection as they in the few yeares of their being have already furnished To passe by all their threatnings in this time of confusion gggggg while their strength is yet inconsiderable and their mighty endeavours to get Armes into their hand to enable themselves with the evident hazard of the whole Isle to doe what they please by force hhhhhh Let men only look over to the fruits of their principles in New-England not many yeares agoe there upon a very small and so farre as I know very groundlesse suspition to have somewhat of their Government altered by the King contrary to their Patent they did quickly purchase and distribute Armes among all their people and exact of every one an Oath for the defence of their Patent against all impugners whosoever Mr Williams opposition to this Oath as he alledgeth was the cheife cause of his banishment iiiiii What principles could these be that moved the same people a little after to doe and say such things for which their Magistrates did disarme so many of their Church members not only elsewhere but even at Boston upon fear of an apparent insurrection for the killing of the principall Magistrates and overturning the whole state of that Countrey kkkkkk 1. Few Magistrates will hereafter confide in these principles which saved not the Governour and generall Court of New-England from extreme danger by the members of Mr Cottons Congregation at New Boston Sixthly doe the Independents principles give to the Magistrate any Ecclesiastick power at all will they submit to his civill power in any Ecclesiastick affaires will they be hindered by the Magistrates sentence unlesse it be executed with violence to erect Congregations within his Dominions at their own pleasure will their principles permit them upon the command of King and Parliament to refuse to take into their Congregations the members of other Parish Churches without a dismision or take and admit upon the Magistrates command within their number any whom they account unfit for membership or to recall for the Magistrates pleasure any of their Church censures have they not very lately declared to the Parliament that they esteem all matters of Religion free and exempt from their sword and power That all matters both of worship and doctrine that all things of the mind as they speak or matters of opinion and all matters of outward forme wherein uniformity is required according to our Covenant are so farre to be ruled by every mans own conscience his own light and reason that the Parliament is not in any such matters to interpoâ—e their power whither this bee the true sence of their openly avowed and repeated letters to the Parliament it selfe let every intelligent man consider who reads the words kkkkkk 2 Seventhly are any of the Reformed Churches or any Churches or persons of the whole world so injurious to Magistrates as their principles force them to be who â—poyl Christian Kings and Parliaments of their whole Legislative power they will have us to beleeve as good Divinity that it is not only unlawfull for Church-assemblies to make Ecclesiastick Canons but that it is alike unlawfull for any Prince or State to make a Civill Law llllll That the placing of a Legislative power in Kings or Parliaments is to usurp the property and prerogative of God mmmmmm 1 These Principles cannot be very favourable to the State which at one stroke annihilate all the Acts of Parliament that now are in force either in this or any other Kingdom and make it impossible if they were beleeved to have any more in any place of the earth to the worlds end Look back upon what I have cited from the chiefe of the Brownists writings I grant the New English polishers of Brownism doe not expresse their Tenets in tearms so hugely grosse yet see how neare they come to them in substance when they tell us that no Magistrate may make any Lawes about the Bodies Lands Goods Liberties of the Subject which are not according to the Lawes and Rules of Scripture Scripture being given to men for a perfect rule as well
whom they being not satisfied in the answer of an offender may appeale unto and in so doing tell the Church such a small number may be a Church and may have the blessing of his presence to be among them ll Ibid. p. 8 9. When a visible Church is to be erected it is necessary that in respect of quantity it be no more in number in the dayes of the New Testament but so many as may meet in one Congregation mm Ibid. p. 15. The Church is before the Ministers seeing the power of chusing Ministers is given to the Church by Christ nn Ibid. p. 68. The Church that hath no Officers may elect Officers unto themselves therefore it may also ordaine them if it hath power from Christ for the one and that the greater it hath also for the other which is the lesser now Ordination is lesse then Election oo Ibid. p. 42. Vnto the 13 question whether you think it convenient that a company of private and illiterate persons should ordinarily examine elect ordaine and depose their Ministers a part of the answer to this question is if there were none among them who had humane learning we doe not see how this could hinder them of their Liberty to chuse Ministers purchased to them by Christs precious blood for they that are fit matter to be combined into a Church body have learned the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures in the fundamentall points thereof they have learned to know the Lord in their owne hearts therefore they may not bee reproached as illiterate or unworthy to chuse their owne Ministers nay they have the best learning without which all other learning is but madnesse and folly pp Plaine Dealing p. 3. They set a day for the Ordination of their Officers and appoint some of themselves to impose hands upon them where there are Ministers or Elders before they impose their hands upon the new Officers but where there is none there some of their chiefest men two or three of good report amongst them though not of the Ministry doe by appointment of the same Church lay hands upon them Cottons way p. 40 41. Towards the end of the day one of the Elders of the Church if they have any if not one of the graver Brethren of the Church appointed by themselves to order the work of the day standeth up and enquireth in the Church c. he advertiseth him who is chosen what duties the Lord requireth of him in that place towards the Church then with the Presbytery of that Church if they have any or if not with two or three others of the gravest Christians among the Brethren of that Church being deputed by the body he doth in the name of the Lord Jesus ordaine him to that Office with imposition of hands calling upon the Lord and so turning the speech to the person on whom their hands are imposed he as the mouth of the Presbytery expresses their Ordination of him and puts a solemne charge upon him to look well to himselfe and the flock After this the Elders of other Churches present observing the presence of God in the orderly proceeding of the Church to the Officers Election and Ordination one of them in the name of all the rest doth give unto him the right hand of Fellowship in the sight of all the Assembly qq Answer to the 32 questions p. 48. If the Church hath power by election to chuse a Minister and so power of instituting him then of destituting also Instituere destituere ejusdem est potestatis rr Ibid. p. 44. We conceive that every Church properly so called though they bee not above ten persons or the least number that you mention have right and power from Christ to transact all their owne Ecclesiasticall businesse if so be they be able and carry matters justly for the power of the Keyes Matth. 16.19 is committed by Christ unto the Church ss Cottons Catechism p. 10. It is committed to the Presbytery to prepare matters for the Churches hearing tt Answer to the 32 quest p. 60. In this sense matters with us are carried according to the vote of the major part that is with the joynt consent of the whole Church but yet because it is the mind of Christ ww The propositions to which almost all our Elders did agree when they were assembled together the first the Fraternity is the first subject of all Presbyteriall power radicaliter id est causatim per modum collationis non habitualiter non actualiter non formaliter xx Anatom p. 26. I heare of no ruling Elders that ever Mr Simpson had in his Church Anatomist anatomised p. 12. It is true de facto wee had none but were resolved to have them Notwithstanding this answer of Mr Simpsons that Church of Rotterdam to this day hath never had a Presbytery after more then seven yeares delay yy Antap. p. 52. Pastors are necessary Officers in your Churches and yet according to your practises your Churches are many yeares without them zz Keyes p. 10. Authority is a morall power and a superiour Order or State binding or releasing an inferiour in point of subjection Christ hath given no Iurisdiction but to whom he hath given office The Key of power in a large sense or Liberty is in the Church but the Key of authority or rule in a more strict sense is in the Elders of the Church aaa Excommunication is one of the highest acts of Rule and therfore cannot bee performed but by some Rulers now where all the Elders are culpable there be no Rulers left in that Church to censure them as therefore the Presbytery cannot excommunicate the whole Church though apostate for they must tell the Church and joyne with the Church in that censure so neither can the Church excommunicate the whole Presbytery because they have not received from Christ an Office of Rule without their Officers Ib. preface p. 4. He gives unto the Elders or Presbytery a binding power of Rule and Authority peculiar unto them and to the Brethren distinct and apart an interest of power and priviledge to concurre with them and that such affaires should not be transacted but with the joynt agreement of both though out of a different Right so that as a Church of Brethren only could not proceed to any publike censures without they have Elders over them so neither in the Church have the Elders power to censure without the concurrence of the people so as each alone have not power of excommunicating the whole of either though together they have power over any particular person or persons in each bbb Ibid. also Keyes p. 13. Else the Brethren have a power of order and the priviledge to expostulate with their brethren in case of private scandals so in case of publike scandall the whole Church of brethren have power and priviledge to joyne with the Elders in inquiring hearing judging of publike scandals so as to bind notorius offenders and impenitents under censure and
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
of the Churches infancy they were Idolatry false doctrine open profanenesse were then most abominable and more terribly punished then now by the totall destruction of whole Cities and Countries wherein they were entertained also the duty of mutuall inspection and admonition the contempt whereof is made the grand cause of separation was most clearly enjoyned in the Old Testament What here is replyed that all separation from the Iewish Church was simply impossible because then there was no other Church in the whole earth to goe to We answer that the Replyers themselves will say that a separation must be where there is just cause and where a person cannot abide without pollution and sin although there be no other Church for him to go to for they make it better for men to live alone separate from all then to abide in any Church where they cannot live without the participation of their neighbours sinnes We answer further That it was easie for the godly under the Law to have joyned together in the service of God and to have excluded the wicked thence and whereas it is said that this could not bee done because the Censure of Excommunication was not then in being We answer the Gospel makes it cleare That casting out of the Synagogue which was reall Excommunication was frequent in the Old Testament as also the keeping off from the service with a great deale of circumspection all who were unfit by any legall pollution much more by any known morall uncleannesse Kings themselves when polluted were removed from the Altar and put out of the Sanctuary Again I reason thus That which moved not Christ and his Apostles to separate from the Church of their time is no cause to us of separation but want of satisfaction by convincing signes of the true grace of every member of the Church was to them no cause of separation from the Churches of their times Ergo. The major is cleare except we desire a better pattern for our practices then Christ and his Apostles what ever carrieth us beyond their line must be high presumption and deep hypocrisie The minor is cleare by many Scriptures the Scribes and Pharisees were a generation of vipers Ierusalem worse then Sodom and Gomorrah Corasin and Bethsaida was worse then Tyrus and Sidon and to be cast lower in Hell then these yet the Lord did not give over to preach to pray to go to the Temple with them Iudas when a declared Traytor did not scarre him nor any of his company from the Sacrament After he went from the Table when his wickednesse was revealed that a Devill was in him yet none of the Apostles offered to cast themselves out of the body because this wicked member was not cut off Many members of the Apostolick Churches were so farre from convincing signes of true grace that the works of the flesh were most evident in their life In the Corinthians fundamentall errours open Idolaty grievous scandall bitter contentions profanation of the Lords Table In the Galatians such errours as destroyed grace and made Christ of none effect In the Church of Ephesus of Laodicea and the other golden Candlesticks divers members were so evidently faulty that the Candlestick is threatned to be removed yet from none of these Churches did any of the Apostles ever separate nor gave they the least warrant to any of their Disciples to make a separation from any of them A third Argument The want of that which never was to bee found in any Church is no just cause of separation But satisfaction by convincing Arguments of the true grace of every member was never to be found in any Church The major is unquestionable for what is not cannot have any operation non entis nulla sunt accidentia The minor is demonstrable from the nature of a visible Church it is such a body whose members are never all gracious if we believe Scripture It is not like the Church invisible the Church of the Elect. It is an heterogeneous body the parts of it are very dissimilar some chaffe some corne some wheat some tares a net of fishes good and bad a house wherein are vessels of honour and dishonour a fold of sheep and goats a tree of green and withered branches a table of guests some with some without a wedding garment in a word every visible Church is a society wherein many are called few chosen except therefore we will alter the nature of all visible Churches whereof Scripture speaks we must grant that in every Church there are some members which have no true grace and if so how can they give convincing and satisfactory signes of that which is not to be found Hypocrites may make a shew without of that which is not within but shall we lay an obligation upon every hypocriticall member of a Church to be so eminently skilfull in the art of counterfeiting as to produce in the midst of his gracelesnesse so cleare so evident and satisfactory signes of his true grace as may convince the hearts of every one of the Church that the thing is within the mans breast which certainly is not there The fourth Argument The want of that which cannot reasonably be supposed of every member of a Congregation is no just cause of separation from any Church but satisfaction c. Ergo. The major is cleare for if the want of such satisfaction be a just cause of separation from the Church Then the presence of such a satisfaction is very requisite to be in every member as a necessary meane to keep it in union with that Church The minor that such a satisfaction may not justly be supposed in every member of a Congregation for this would import these foure things all which are unreasonable First that every member of a Congregation is to have power to try all its fellow-members to let them in or hold them out according as in this triall he is satisfied This is a large limb of the Brownistick Anarchy putting the key of Authority and Iurisdiction into the hand of every Church-member if all the Independents will defend this let them speak it out plainly Secondly it requires a great deale of more ability in every member of every Church then can be found in any mortall man for not to speak of the impossibility of a grounded and certaine perswasion of true grace in the heart of an Hypocrite who hath no grace at all how is it possible to attaine unto any grounded certainty of true grace in the heart of any other man for the hid man of the heart and the new name are not certainly known to any but to such as have them The grounds of a mans own certain perswasion the act of his faith either direct or reflex the witnesse of his conscience or the seale of the spirit cannot go without his own breast all the demonstrations which can be made to another are so oft found false that in understanding men they
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
out of office did ordinarily preach in the Congregation Ergo it is lawfull to doe so still Answ We may either deny or distinguish the antecedent They that preached in the place alledged were Prophets and so not out of offâ—ce Secondly they who preached there were men endued with extraordinary gifts whose practice can be no pattern to the Churches now a dayes where these gifts are ceased That it is so vers 30. makes cleare where the Prophets doe preach extemporary Revelations Also Mr Cotton himselfe in his last book of the Keyes p. 20. doth grant this and expresly recals what himselfe in his Catechism and both he and his Brethren in their Answer to the 32 Articles had delivered about prophesying This ingenuity is amiable and if it might please God to bring our Brethren off the other points of Brownisme as fairely there might be hope quickly of an happy Accommodation Their second Argument Iehoshaphat and his Princes did preach the word But Iehoshaphat his Princes were not Church-officers Ergo some who are no Church-officers may preach the Word Ans We deny the major for that which is recorded of Iehoshaphat Chro. 2.19 was nothing but the Kings exhortation to his subjects to stirre up the Levites and Iudges to a faithfull discharge of their office this was no exposition of the Law nor any dispensing of that knowledge which the Priests lips were appointed by God to preserve What is spoken of his Princes preaching Chron. 2.17 6. beside that it was but once in the time of an extraordinary Reformation the way of that teaching is expounded in the following words not to have been by themselves but by the Levites who carried the Book of the Law they only did preach the Princes accompanied them and by their Civill authority countenanced and assisted them in their preaching That thus it was Mr Cotton confesseth in the above-mentioned place of his Keys avowing that in the Church of Israel none did preach either in the Synagogue or Temple but Priests and Levites except they had an extraordinary call to Prophesy Thirdly What we are commanded to regard is lawfull But the preaching of men out of office we are commanded to regard 1 Thes 5. Despise not prophecying Answ We deny the proofe of the minor for the prophecying spoken of by the Apostle is not the preaching of men out of office but either of such extraordinary Prophets as were in the Church of the Corinthians and other Churches in those primitive times or else of ordinary pastors who oft in Scripture are called prophets Mat. 11.9 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward a Prophet is not without honour but in his owne Countrey A Pagan poet by the Apostle is called a Prophet Rev. 18.24 In her was found the blood of the Prophets and Saints and 22.9 I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brethren the Prophets Fourthly our Brethren of New-England bring no more arguments The rest of Robinsons stuffe is not so considerable he reasoneth thus The sons of the Prophets did preach 1 Sam. 15.5 2 Kings 2.7 also 4.1 But the sons of the Prophets were men out of office Answ The major is not proved by the places alledged for the first speaks of the Prophets but not of their sons the other two speak of the sons of the Prophets but nothing of their preaching yet we do not deny the major for we think it may be proved from other Scriptures but we deny the minor That the sons of the Prophets were men altogether out of office for their call from God and appointment by the Prophets to wait on that service did give them such a begining and entrance into the office of a Prophet that made them capable of an initiall exercise of their begun gifts so we deny not in the New Testament to men who are destinate to the Ministry and in their preparations for it a power to preach for attaining an habit of that gift wherunto initiall Sermons are a necessary means without which neither the gift nor the calling can be obtained without a miracle Fifthly Robinson reasons thus All these whom we ought to wish to be Prophets may lawfully preach But we ought to wish all the people of God to be Prophets Num. 11.20 Would God that all the people of the Lord were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them Ans We deny the major because our desire for the enlargement of Gods honour and the propagation of his truth that many more then are were sent out to preach and baptize giveth not to any man either a gift or a power or a calling to preach and baptize till God and man give the calling Moses wish was not that all the people should prophecy but that all might have the office of Prophets and the spirit of God to enable them for prophecying Sixthly the Apostles before Christs resurrection did preach But the Apostles before Christs resurrection were not in the office of Apostleship Answ The minor must carry that they were men out of all Church office which is evidenâ—ly false for beside that Mat. 10.1 they are called expresly Apostles at their first mission and Iudas Acts 1.25 is said to have had the ministry and the Apostleship they did celebrate the Sacrament of Baptism which the adversary will grant could not lawfully be done by men out of office Seventhly Paul and Barnabas were invited to preach where they were in no office and by those who did not know them to be in office anywhere Acts 13.15 Men and Brethren if yee have any word of exhortation for the Brethren say on Ergo men out of office may lawfully preach Answ The antecedent is false for Paul and Barnabas were men in office true Prophets and Apostles their bounds were as large as all Nations Beside a Pastor in one Church for the relation he hath to the Church universall upon a lawfull call may preach in any Church Also that the rulers of the Synagogue did not take Paul and Barnabas for Preachers is as easily deny'd as affirmd the same both of their preaching miracles might easily have come before or with them from Cyprus into Pysidia Lastly the Scribes and Pharisees did expound and preach the law but the Scribes and Pharisees were in no Church office for all the offices of the Church under the old Testament were in the hands of Levites alone now the Scribes and Pharisees were not Levites but of other tribes Ans The minor is false for the Lord tels us that the Scribes and Pharisees were in Church office that they sate in Moses chaire and were doctors of the Law The confirmation is not good for how will they prove that in these times of great confusion the Levites alone had all Ecclesiastick offices not only in the Temple about the sacrifices but in the Synagogue about the doctrine and discipline Also though this were
hath the power of Ecclesiasticke Jurisdiction to them the Lord hath given the Keys of Heaven for the remitting and retaining of sinnes But to none of the people the Lord hath given these Keys Ergo. The Major is not controverted The Minor is thus proved To whom Christ hath given the Keys of the Kingdome of Heaven to retaine and remitt sinnes they are in some Ecclesiasticke Office They are sent out by Christ as Christ was by his Father they have some part of the Apostles ordinary charge but these things are not true of the people Ergo. The Major is proved John 20.21 As my Father hath sent me so send I you and when he had said this he breathed upon them and said receive yee the Holy Ghost whose sinnes yee remitte they are remitted and whose sinnes yee retaine they are retained What was promised to Peter Mat. 16.19 is here performed to him and the rest of the Apostles and to their Successours in their ordinary Office of Elders for this was a power necessary for the Church to the end of the world The Minor also is cleare for these things were not given to all the Disciples but to the twelve and to their Successours What was promised to Peter was not promised to every faithfull person and to every Orthodoxe Confessour for so all and every one should be bearers of the Keys and Ecclesiasticke Officers which is against the Scriptures of the first Argument Thirdly to whom these acts of Jurisdiction doe belong they are the eyes eares hands and principall Members of the Body of Christ for the eminent persons and Officers of a Church are compared to these Members because of these actions But the people are not the eyes eares hands are not the principall Members of the Body of Christ for if so there should be none left in the Church to be the feete or lesse principall Members all should become eyes and hands and the Church should be made a Body Homogeneous contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle 1. Cor. 12 19. If they were all one Member where were the Body but now are they many Members and the eye cannot say to the hand I have no neede of thee nor the head to the feete I have no neede of you Fourthly Who have a right from God to the acts of Jurisdiction they have a promise of gifts needfull for the performance of these acts For a divine right and calling to any worke is backed with a promise of Gods presence gifts and assistance in doing of that worke but the people have no promise of any such gifts For besides that daily experience declares numbers among the people to be altogether destitute of such knowledge wisedome and other gifts which are necessary for the performance of these acts of Jurisdiction The Apostle himselfe teaches that such gifts are not given to all but to some onely Fifthly That is not to be given to the people that brings confusion into the Church for the Lord is the God of Order But the putting of the power of Jurisdiction in the peoples hand brings confusion into the Church for it makes the feete above the head it puts the greatest power into the hand of the meanest it gives power to the Flocke to depose and excommunicate their Pastour Our Brethren were lately wont to digest with the Brownists these absurdities but now they begin to dislike them and rather then to stand to their Prior Tenets they will limit the Minor asserting that the power of Jurisdiction belongs to the people not severally but joyntly with their Officers so that neither they can excommunicate their Officers nor their Officers can excommunicate them But it seemes this new Subtilty will not long please the Inventors of it for as we have saide it makes the Keys of Heaven much more inserviceable for opening and closing then needs must when it hath taken the keys out of the hand of all others and put them in the little weake fist of a particular Congregation it will not permitt them to open or to close the doore neither to the people nor yet to the Eldershippe The Eldershippe cannot remitt nor retaine the sinnes of the Brotherhood nor the Brotherhood of the Eldershippe yea none of the Eldershippe can be censured by all the people without the consentient vote of the Presbytery nor any of the people can either be bound or loosed without the consentient vote of the people In these cases which may be very frequent The Keys of Christ must be layde aside and a new key of the Independents owne invention their sentence of Non-Communion or that much beloved and a little elder key of separation forged by the Brownists must come in the place thereof to be used against any or all other Churches against their owne Church or its Eldershippe or its Brotherhood or any Member of either Our sixth argument concernes Ordination a speciall act of Jurisdiction which all the Independents to this day put in the hands of the people alone when ever a new Congregation is to be erected which to them is no extraordinary nor rare case or when in a Congregation already erected there is no Presbytery which among them is frequent For a Presbytery must consist of more Governours then one and usually their Presbiteryes exceede not the number of three or foure At the death of their Minister suppose one of their two ruling Elders be sicke or absent or the two differ betweene themselves in this case they make no difficulty to cause some of the people out of all office to ordaine a new chosen Pastour Against this very ordinary practice we reason Vnto whom the power of Ordination doth belong they have a Commission from God authoritatively to send Pastours for preaching and celebration of the Sacraments also to lay hands upon them for that effect But people have no such Commission Ergo. The Major is the nature of Ordination for the essence and inward forme of it is the authoritative sending named the outward Forme and Signe used in Scripture is imposition of hands The Minor is proved from three grounds first that the people however they elect yet they doe not send for so they should send to themselves The Senders and they to whom the Preachers are sent should be one and the same Secondly an authoritative mission imports a Superiority in the Sender above the Sent But the Pastours are over the people not under them Thirdly the examples of the New Testament make it evident that the authoritative sending and imposition of hands the signe thereof were never used by any of the people but by the Elders onely 1 Tim. 4.14 With the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 5.22 Lay hands suddenly upon no man 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands So it was not onely at the first sending of men to preach but in posterior missions to any
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
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
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
houre knoweth no man no not the Angels which are in heaven neither the Sonne but the Father But this Doctrine makes that day open and tells the time of it punctually for they make the thousand yeares to begin with the 1650 yeare or else with the 1695. and the day of Judgement to be at the end of the thousand yeares so if their count doe hold every child in the Church might tell us that Christ will come to Judgement in the beginning of the 2651 yeare or at farthest in the beginning of the 2696. A seventh Argument The reward of the Martyrs is eternall life in the heavens promised to them at Christs comming to judge the just and the unjust Ergo It is not temporall in an earthly Kingdome of a thousand yeares The Antecedent is proved from Matth. 5.10 Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousnesse for theirs is the Kingdome of heaven 2 Tim 4.6 I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is neare I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth is laid up for me a crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give at that day c. The reward that Paul expects after his Martyrdome is the Crowne which Christ at the last day gives to all that waite for his comming at that time when he takes ven-geance on the wicked as we have it 2 Thes 1.6 7 8 9.10 where the rest and retribution of the Martyrs of Paul himselfe and those who at that time were troubled for the Gospell is said to be at Christs coming to take vengeance in flaming fire on all the wicked and to be glorified in all the Saints and admired in all them that beleeve which without all doubt is not before the last Judgement and if it were otherwise the Martyres would be at a losse for instead of a reward a punishment should be put upon them their condition should be made worse then that of the common Saints who during the time of the thousand yeares remaine in the heavens among the Angels beholding and injoying the Trinity while the soules of the Martyrs are brought downe to the earth and returne to a body not like to the glorious body of Christ nor unto these incorruptible immortall Spirituall bodies which yet are promised to the least of the faithfull at their resurrection 1 Cor. 15. but unto such a body that eates drinkes sleepes fights delights in fleshly pleasures and converses with beasts and earthly creatures in such a Paradise whereof the Turkish Alcorane and the Jewish Talmud doth speake much but to a godly soule is very tasteles and to a soule that hath beene in heaven or to one that injoyes the presence of Christ is exceeding burthensome and bitter An eight reason The opinion of the Millenaries supposeth the restauration of Jerusalem and of the Jewish Kingdome after their destruction by the Romans But Scripture denies this Ezek. 16.53 55. When I shall bring againe the captivity of Sodome and her daughters and the captivity of Samaria and her daughters then will I bring againe the captivity of thy daughters in the midst of them When thy Sister Sodome and her daughters shall returne to their former estates and Samaria and her daughters shall returne to their former estate then thou and thy daughters shall returne to your former estate The Jewes are never to be restored to their ancient outward estate much lesse to a greater and more glorious Kingdome Ierusalem was to be rebuilded and the spirituall glory of the second Temple was to be greater then the first and in the end of this same chapter the restitution of the Iewes after the Babylonish captivity by the vertue of the new covenant is promised but the outward estate of that people was never to be restored to its ancient lustre more then Samaria or Sodome as Amos speakes of Samaria chap. 5.2 The Virgine of Israel is fallen she shall no more rise And Isaiah of Jerusalem The transgression thereof shall be heavy and it shall fall and not rise againe according to the Prophesie of Iacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah till Shiloh come Importing that the Tribe of Iudah should ever have some outward visible rule till the comming of Christ in the flesh but thereafter the Scepter and power of the Church should be onely spirituall in the hand of Shiloh the Messias he was the substance and the body of all these Types the restauration of Ierusalem and the erecting of a new Monarchy in Iudah for the Iewes were to bring backe the old evanished shadowes contrary to the doctrine and nature of the Gospell One other reason The Millenaries lay it for a ground that Antichrist shall be destroyed and fully abolished before their thousand yeares beginne but Scripture makes Antichrist to continue to the day of Judgement 2 Thes 2.8 Then shall that wicked man be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the Spirit of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightnesse of his comming The brightnesse of Christs comming is not before the last day as before is proved See also Revel 19.20 The beast was taken and with him the false Prophet these both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with Brimstone Compare it with vers 7. Let us be glad and rejoyce for the Marriage of the Lambe is come Antichrist is cast alive into the lake at the Marriage of the Lambe no living men are cast into hell before the last day and Christs Marriage with his Church is not solemnized with a part of the Elect but with the whole bodie at the generall resurrection For the opposite Tenet divers Scriptures are brought above all Rev. 29 4 5 6. And I saw the soules of them that were beheaded for the witnesse of Jesus and they lived and raigned with Christ a thousand yeares but the rest of the dead lived not againe till the thousand yeares were finished this is the first resurrection Hence they do infer Christs personall reigne upon earth for a thousand yeares also the resurrection of the Martyrs and of some others a thousand yeares before the generall resurrection Divers such conclusions doe they draw from this place We Answer First that the resurrection here is mentioned onely occasionally also this place as the most of this Booke is Mysticall and Allegoricall besides it is without all controversie the words cited are among the most obscure and difficult places of the whole Scripture the most of the places alleadged in the former arguments did speake of the resurrection purposely and at large also in proper termes without any Tropes or Figures and were all cleare without obscurity it is not reasonable to bring an Argument from one place where a point is handled onely by the way and that in Mysticall and exceeding obscure termes against a multitude of places wherein the matter is handled of purpose largely and clearely Secondly they
these promises upon earth till their Ierusalem were againe builded and they put in possession of the holy land to build their houses and plant their Uineyeards therein till they saw themselves put in possession of their present carnall legall hopes Yea T. G. his literall exposition of this and the like places goes beyond the most of the Iewish apprehensions For that any of the Talmudists do dreame that at the comming of the Messias the Lyon shall eate straw that the Leoparde and the Lambe the Serpent and the sucking childe shall be brought to such a sympathy of natures as not to have the least disposition to doe harme the one to the other That the life of men shall be so much at that time prolonged as one of an hundred yeares must be taken but for an Infant and a childe that the most fabulous of the Rabbins have gone thus farre in a litterall beleefe I doe not know His eight place is Heb. 2.5 8. For unto the Angells he hath not put in subjection the world to come but now we see not yet all things put under him whence he inferres that Christ in the world to come is to reigne and to have all things put under his feet which is not now performed the Apostle saying expressely that now all things are not put under him neither is this true in the life to come for then the Kingdome of Christ is rendred up to the Father Ans The world to come is not that imaginary world of the 1000 yeares whereof the Scripture speaks no thing but the dayes of the Gospell of which the Apostle is there speaking and shewing that the Gospell was administred not by Angells as the Law had beene upon Mount Sinai but by the Sonne of God himselfe This new world under the Gospell did differ more from the old world under the Law then the earth in the dayes of Noah and the Patriarchs after the floud from the earth in the dayes of Noah before the floud This new world of the Gospell began with Christs first comming in the flesh it was demonstrated in his Resurrection When all power in heaven and in earth was given to him Math. 28.18 When all the Angells of God did worshippe him Heb. 1 6. When he was set farre above all Principalities and Powers Ephes 1.21 The accomplishment of this world is not till the Last day when Death Hell and Satan which yet are not made Christs footstoole shall fully be conquered These things cannot be verified of the thousand yeares For according to Mr. Burrowes grounds before they begin many things are annihilated and so not made subject The heavens and elements are melted with fervent heate The earth and the workes thereof are burnt up with fire Also during these thousand yeares Christs chiefe enemies are not fully subdued death still hath dominion over men the devill is onely bound but yet alive and not cast into the lake His ninth place is Ier. 3.16.17 They shall say no more the Arke of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to minde neither shall they remember it at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it neither shall they walke any more after the imagination of their evill heart Hence he inferres A state of the Church in the Last dayes so glorious that all things by-past shall be forgot That Judah and Israel shall returne from their captivity to Jerusalem That all Nations shall joyne with them That they shall no more walke after their old sinnes That Jerusalem which before times was at best but the footstoole of God shall then become a throne of glory Answer There is no word here of Christs abode upon earth for a thousand yeares Secondly the old things that are to be forgotten are expressed to be the Ceremonies of the Law but no Ordinance of the Gospell The Prophet names the Arke and the Temple which by Christs first comming were removed Thirdly The walking of Iudah and Israel together and the Nations joyning with them Imports no more but the calling of Iewes and Gentiles by the Gospell to the Christian Church the heavenly Ierusalem The same which the Prophet Esay hath in his second Chap. vers 5. The establishing in the Last dayes of the House of God on the top of the mountaines the flowing of all Nations thereto for out of Sion shall goe forth a Law and the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem These Last dayes were the dayes of the Apostles when they from Sion and Ierusalem did blow the Trumpet of the Gospell to all the Nations These were the times whereof Ieremy in the 15 verse of the Chapter in hand doth speake I will give you Pastors according to my heart which shall feede you with knowledge and understanding The Pastors there promised were Christ and his Apostles better Pastors then these God never sent neither ever shall send to his Church Fourthly Walking after Gods owne heart doth not import a freedome from all sinne but onely a state of grace wherein according to the new Covenant God gives his people a newheart and writes his Lawes upon the same Fifthly That whereupon the greatest weight of the argument is laid seemes to be a very groundlesse conceit That Ierusalem when it is a throne of glory must be the old Ierusalem builded againe as if Ierusalem under the Law and Ierusalem in the dayes of the Gospell the Church in the new Testament the mother of us all were but the footestoole of God This is a doctrine expresly against Scripture for in divers places Ierusalem Sion and the Arke even in the old Testament are called not onely the footstoole but the throne of God Ier. 14.21 Doe not abhorre us for thy names sake doe not disgrace the throne of thy glory Also Chap. 17.12 A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary The Lord did as it were sit upon the Mercy Seate as upon a chaire of State under the Canopy of the wings of the Cherubins within the Sanctuary the chamber of his most Majestuous presence Ierusalem under the new Testament is called not onely the throne of God but his footstoole Esay 40.13 To beautifie the place of my Sanctuary and I will make the place of my feete glorious This place our Brethren expound of the Sanctuary during the time of the thousand yeares However it is cleare it must be expounded of the Church in the same times whereof Ieremiah speakes in his third Chapter whence the Argument in hand is brought The tenth place is Dan. 2 44. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdome which shall never be destroyed and it shall stand for ever Whence is inferred an everlasting Kingdome of Christ a joy of Ierusalem unchangeable to any sorrow Answer Christs Everlasting Kingdome is meerely spirituall and heavenly That dominion which
to separate from a Church wherein wee get no satisfaction of the true grace of every Member at their first admission For the Negative we reason first from the practice of Moses the Prophets who did never offer to separate for any such reason The causes of a just separation were smaller under the Law nor under the Gospel The weaknesse of their Reply Our second reason is from the example of Christ and his Apostles who did not separate for any such causes The third reason it is impossible to find true grace in every member of any visible Church that ever was or shall be in the world The fourth this satisfaction in the true grace of all to be admitted is builded on foure errours first that the power of Ecclesiastick Iurisdiction is in the hand of every one of the people Secondly that one man may attaine to the certain knowledge of the true grace in the heart of another Thirdly that it is a duty of every member of a Church to seek and finde satisfaction in the true grace of all his fellow-members Fourthly that all the Reformed Churches must once bee dissolved and unchurched that they may bee reformed according to the new mould of the Independents The fifth argument Their Tenet is followed with divers absurdities As first it is necessary to separate from all Churches that are this day in the world except it be from these of the Independents Secondly it was necessary to separate from all Churches that ever have been Thirdly there can be no rest for any till they turne seekers and leave all societies that are called Churches Cottons reasons to the contrary are answered His first reason put in form All the parts of it are vitious the conclusion proves not the question It stands upon a chief ground of Anabaptism and presupposes the nullity of all the Reformed Churches The major is many wayes vitious But the minor is the most faulty part of the Argument The proofes of the minor are answered The first The second The third and maine proof of the minor This driveth to universall grace and Apostacy of the Saints Yea to Socinianisme and further His second Argument The Conclusion is faulty The minor is false It s proofe is unsufficient His third Argument Pâ—eters Confession much mis-applyed The guest without the wedding-garment more mis-applâ—ed The parable of the Tares is thrown against its principall scope His fourth argument that all who cannot demonstrate the truth of their regeneration deny the power of godlinesse is not true His fifth that no hypocrite is to be admitted a member of a Church is a very rash argument His sixth from the roughnesse of the stones of Solomons Temple is a wanton reason His seventh from the porters exclusion of uncleane persons from the Temple has no strength His eight that Iohn the Baptâ—st excluded the Pharisees and people from his Baptism is expresly against the Text. His ninth that Philip required the Eunuchs confession before baptisme infers not the conclusion All his nine or twelve reasons pâ—t in one will be too weak to beare up the weight of his most heavy conclusion The state of the question The first authors of this question The Independents difference among themselves here anent That none but Ministers may ordinarily prophecy wee prove it first by Christs joyning together the power of baptism and the power of preaching Secondly these that preach must be sent to that work Thirdly every ordinary preacher laboâ—rs in the Word and Doctrine Fourthly none out of office have the gift of preaching for all who have that giâ—t are either Apostlâ—s Evangelâ—sts Prophets Pastors or Doctors and all these are officers Fifthly no man out of office might sacrifice Sixthly all who have from God the gift of preaching are obliged to lay aside all other occupations and attend that work alone Seventhly the Apostles appointed none to preach but Elders Eighthly the preaching of men out of office is a means of confusion and errour The contrary Arguments which Mr Cotton in his Catechism and Answer to the 32 Questions borrows from Robinson are First in the Church of Corinth men out of office did Prophecie Ans these men were officers or their preaching was extraordinary Secondly Iehoshaphat and his Princes did preach Answ The Kings exhorting of the Levites to doe their duty and the Princes câ—untenancing of them therein was not properly preaching Thirdly wâ—e must not despise prophecy Ans The Apostle speaks of the preaching of men in office Fourthly the sons of the Prophets did preach Answ Their designation to be Prophets gave them right to initiall and preparatory exercises towards that office Fifthly Moses wished all the people to bee Prophets Ans But not without Gods calling to that offiâ—e Sixthly the Apostles before the Resurrection did preach Ans At that time they were true Apostles and did baptise Seventhly Paul and Barnabas were invited to exhort Ans they were men in office Eighthly the Scribes and Pharisees did preach Answ They were officers and sate in Moses chaire What is meant by Ecclesiastick Jurisdiction The state of the Question wont to be cleare the Reformed Churches putting the power and exercise of Jurisdiction in the hand of the Presbytery alone the Brownists Independents in the hand of the people onely but Mr. Cotton his followers the other yeare have perplexed the Question with their many Schole distinctions If they put the power of Jurisdiction onely in a Church organized and Presbyterated they fall from much of the Brownists and their own both doctrine and practise Their last and best beloved invention of the power of Authority and power of Liberty is for no purpose but to involve the Authors in new difficulties As they wont to make their smallest Congregations Independent uncensurable for any crime so now by this distinction they divide all their Congregations in two parts and make every one of these parts Independent also and uncensurable for any imaginable sinne For the negative that the people have no power of Jurisdiction we reason First the Officers alone are Governors and the people are to be governed 2. The people have not the Keys of Heaven to bind and loose 3. The people are not the eyes eares in in Christs Body for so all the body should be eyes and eares 4. The people have not any promise of gifts sufficient for government 5. The popular government bringeth in confusion making the feete above the head 6. The people have not the power of Ordination They have no Commission to send Pastours to themselves to impose hands to examine their Pastours to pray publickly and exhort 7. This power in the people would disable them in their callings 8. This power of the people would bring in Morellius democracy and anarchy in the Church 9. This power of the people will draw upon them the power of the word and Sacrament Mr Cottons contrary arguments answered First Christ gave to Peter the Keys of Hâ—aven as
solemn debate upon it they speak as if they were either fully or very neere accorded with us professing their utter dislike of the Brownists unreasonablenesse herein but I professe this hath alwayes seemed to me their capitall and fundamentall difference the only cause of their separation from us and wherein if wee could either agree or accommodate there would be a faire possibility of accord in all things else at least so farre as to be united in one and the same Church but this difference is the great partition wall which so long as it stands will force them to continue their intolerable practice of separating from all the Reformed Churches in the world and that for fewer and more unjust causes then any who ever did carry the name of a Separatist to this day did pretend This seemes to bee the reason why both Apollonius and Spanheim very excellent Divines have begun their dispute with this question For the stating of the controversie consider how it stands betwixt us and the Independents at this time the Brownists for their separation were wont to alledge the impurity of our worship the corruption of our Government the open prophanesse of the most in our Congregations By the mercy of God the first is fully Reformed at least so farre according to the minde of our brethren that they have entred no dissenting vote to any one passage of the Directory for worship The Government also is so farre cleared in the Assemblie that they have entered their dissent from no part of it except that alone which concerns the Iurisdiction of Presbyteries and Synods and their dissent herein might and still may well be so carried as not to occasion any breach But the third is the great cause of division wherein they much out-runne the Brownists for they did never offer to separate upon this ground alone and the matter whereupon here they stumbled was only open profanenesse and that incorrigible either through want of power or want of care to remedy it If the profanenesse was not open and visible or if the Church had her full power to execute discipline and according to her power made conscience really to censure scandalls These things as I conceive would have abundantly satisfied the Brownists and cured their separation But the Independents now doe draw them up much higher then they were wont to stand They teach them to stumble not only at open profanenesse but at the want of true grace yea at the want of convincing signes of Regeneration They teach them to require not only a power and care in the Church to censure such profanenesse but also a power in every member of the Church to keep out all others with whom they are not satisfied in the truth of their grace So the question is not as usually it is made of the quality of the members of the Church but of the necessity to separate from that Church wherein we are not satisfied by convincing signs of the true faith and grace of every member at their first admission Wee grant it is earnestly to be wished and all lawfull meanes would diligently bee used both by Pastors and people to have all the members of a Church most holy and gratious and what ever lawfull overture our Brethren can invent for this end we with all our heart will embrace it or else be content to beare much blame We grant also that it is the duty of Church-Governours to keep off every scandalous person from profaning to their own damnation the holy things of the Lord and that it is the duty of these Governours not only to suspend from the holy Table all scandalous persons but farther to cast all such out of the Church without respect of persons in the case of obstinacy when by no meanes they can bee brought to satisfactory repentance we grant also that Church-Governours deficient in these duties ought themselves to be disciplined by the rod of Church-Censures these things were never controverted But the question is whether because of the admission of some to Church-membership who have not given satisfaction to every member of the Church in the point of their reall Regeneration a Church may lawfully be separated from as vitiously constitute for that essentiall defect in its very matter Our Brethrens constant and resolute practice albeit gilded over with many faire words maketh this to be the cleare state of the question against which I reason thus First What to Moses and the Prophets was not a sufficient cause of separation from the Churches of their time is not a sufficent cause for us to separate from the Churches in our times But want of satisfaction by convincing signes of the true grace of many members of the Church was not a sufficient cause for Moses and the Prophets to separate in their times Ergo The minor is cleare and uncontroverted for Moses and the Prophets were so farre from separating from the Churches of their dayes for want of assurance of the true grace of every person in these Churches that they remained still to their dying day in the bosome of these Churches comumnicating with them in the Word Prayer Sacraments and Sacrifices though they were assured of the evident wickednesse of the most of their fellow-members Moses knew the Body of Israel to bee a crooked and perverse generation Isaiah tells the Iewes that they were another Sodom Ieremy sheweth that Israel in his dayes was uncircumcised in heart no better then Moab Ammon or Edom Micah that the godly in his time were very rare as the summer fruits as the grapes after the Vintage of this truth all the Prophets are full yet for all this none of the Prophets did ever think of a separation All the difficulty then is in the major which thus we prove The Church in the dayes of Moses and the Prophets was one and the same with the Church of our dayes The House of God the body of Christ the Elect and redeemed people the holy Nation the peculiar treasure and spouse of the Lamb The difference of the true Church in any age is at most but in accidentall circumstances and not in any essentials so what ever morall evill doth defile the Church now and is a just cause of ejection or separation that must be so at all times especially under the old Testament where all the Ceremoniall differences that are alledged betwixt the Church then and now make for the strengthning of the Argument for then the causes of separation were stricter and smaller a little Ceremoniall pollution would then have kept out of the sanctuary much more a morall uncleannesse would have made the sacrifice abominable If therefore at that time the matter in hand was no cause of separating from the Church much lesse can it be so now when God hath given a greater liberty to the Church in her majority and when Christians are not so easily infected by their neighbours sinnes as of old in the dayes