Independents understood that in 1 Cor. 5. the Apostle wraps up Elders and People together in the exercise of Discipline with a concurrence of the like nature nor hath any Church during that time that wee read of unless those of the Donatists practised by it And therefore well may Beza say Quod nounulli ex hac vocula congregatis colligunt Beza in locum totius Ecclesiae coetum in judiciis omnibus Ecclesiasticis convenisse suffragium tulisse neque ratione neque ullo exemplo nititur excommunicationis jus penes Pastores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fuit What difference between the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government wherein doth their constitution differ P. 45 46 47 48 except in the exorbitant power of a chair-man What difference between the Universal Church of the Papists and that of the Presbyterians There is an easie transition from Presbytery to Episcopacy yea Papacy they agree much in nature and therefore I have put them together as also Mr. Bains Diocesan Tryal q. 1. p. 21. Those who subject themselves to a Presbytery saith hee as being under it by subordination may in effect as well be subject to an Episcopal and by consequence I say to a Papal consistory Os hominis With what face can Mr. P. put these questions Do the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government differ onely in regard of the power of a chair-man Do not the patrons of the former attribute all power to the Bishop in his Dioces excluding the Ministers of the several Congregations in matters of Discipline And do not the Presbyterians assert that all Ministers have equal power and is this difference onely circumstantial and the transition from one to the other so easie And as to the Universal Church is not the difference between Papists and Presbyterians vast whilst the one do restrain it to the Romanists that own the Papal doctrines the other extend it to all that embrace the fundamental truths of Christian Religion and renounce the abominations of Rome is Mr. P. so mean a scholar that hee doth not know as to the point in hand what Universal and particular are Doth not the Papists referring the root and head of their Universality to Rome make their Church a particular Church as our Champions against them have fully evinced and is this no considerable difference that the Presbyterians do the contrary The one subject it to the Pope or to a general Council of Pontificial Bishops convened by and presided in by the Pope The others to a general Council of the Elders of the Christian Churches throughout the world assembling in the name of Christ as the sole head of the Church Did I love to recriminate might I not with more reason say that Mr. P's way borders upon and that there is an easie transition from it to Donatism Brownism Anabaptism Familism Quakism Libertinism and confusion and that it opens a door to the setting up and nourishing of all sects errours heresies false worship and blasphemies even the Roman themselves For under the notion of Independentism of that degree as his is especially may any thing shelter it self and therefore the Roman Factors usually say that in England Presbyterianism is a great hinderance but Independentism a wonderful help to them in their gaining Proselytes to the Roman Church But if you were resolved to say your worst of Presbyterians as the greatest opposers of your Democracy yet why must you abuse the Reverend name of Mr. Bains whom you pretend to bee altogether of your side and obtrude upon the Reader a palpable untruth concerning his concent with you in putting Episcopacy and Presbytery together as having little or no difference between them It is not Mr. Bains that puts Episcopacy and Presbytery together but the Objection of the Episcopal party p. 3. which Mr. Bains answers here p. 21. and in his answers repeats the terms of the Objection and shews the invalidity of it 1 By telling them that they mis-apprehended the practice of the Churches of Geneva They have saies hee power of governing themselves but for greater edification voluntarily confederate not to use nor exercise their power but with mutual communication in that common Presbytery 2 It is saith hee one thing for Churches to subject themselves to a Bishop and Consistory wherein they shall have no power of suffrage another thing to communicate with such a Presbytery wherein themselves are members and Judges with others 3 Say saies hee they had no power nor were no members in that Presbytery yet it is one thing to submit themselves to the government of Aristocracy another to the Bishops Monarchical Government for while his Presbyters are but as Counsellers to a King though hee consulteth with them hee alone governeth Let the Reader now judge whether Mr. P. hath Mr. Bains on his side in saying What difference between the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government and whether hee hath ground to say that because they agree much in nature Mr. Bains hath put them together when as they are his Objectors that do it whom hee answers and confutes This makes mee remember a pleasant passage in Kekermans Eccles Rhet. l. 2. c. ult A young Theologue reciting his Postil to the people at a time when there was health within their walls and inveighing therein against some sins broke out at last into this expression hence it is that God hath visited you and your families with the plague which rageth already every where in our streets The people stood amazed at this report and when Sermon was ended the Praetor of the place enquired of the Preacher in what families or houses the plague was broken forth who answered whether the plague bee in our Town or not so I found it it in my Postil Such an account is Mr. P. able to give of Mr. Bains his consent with him in putting Presbytery and Episcopacy together as having no difference between them in their constitution Whether the words of the Objection which put them together bee Mr. Bains words or express his mind or not hee found them printed in his book And now because Mr. P. by mentioning thus Mr. Bains doth intimate to the Reader that his doctrine hath a full friend in him It is to bee considered that though Mr. Bains in his dispute against and opposition to Diocesan Episcopal Churches doth plead for Independency of Churches yet as hee judged the difference between Episcopacy and Presbyterial dependent Government very great So doth hee fully declare against that Democratical Government in Churches which most of the Independents of our daies and Mr. P. among them do plead for and doth very fully assert the whole power of Government into the hands of the Elders in many places of that book I shall cite some of them to make Mr. P. do penance P. 80. on Matth. 18. Christ doth not by the name of Church understand essentially all the Congregation for then Christ should not give some but all the members of the Church to
Yet this vial is as yet poured out but in part as are also severall others of the Vials The dregs of them and of this in particular remaining to bee poured upon the beast in a doctrinal way by this Angel who shall give the last warning of Babylons instant ruine The effect whereof is that the earth is inlightned that is many more of the common people are drawn off from communion with Babylon and joyn issue with some of the ten horns fallen off from the Whore and hating her But as for her more honourable slaves and vassals they receive no benefit by the Ministery of this Angell but either perish in Babylons ruine or by the dregs of the vials poured out upon her associates Vers 2. Cecidit cecidit i. e. Paulo post casura certissime gravissime Pisc Here we have the summe of the report of this Angel concerning Babylons fall which is by way of anticipation set down as actually come to pass after the manner of the Prophets to note the certainty of it and the expression doubled to note the grievousnesse of her fall Vers 3. Here wee have the procuring cause of Babylons fall her abominable Idolatries and whoring seducings wherein shee continueth after convictions admonitions and threatnings Vers 4 Here t is observable Militaris exhortatio ut non solum ab ea secedant sed et acriter eam oppugnent Grass that the Holy Ghost alters the usual manner and way of witnessing against Babylon for here is no Angel but a voice from heaven It may bee vox è castris a voice from the campe God is mustering up his Armies and the warre is advancing to the very gates of Rome and now the voice of Providence doth thereby cry out aloud Come out c. By Babylon I understand with Pareus c. not onely the City of Rome but all those places that are under the power and jurisdiction of the Pope where his authority takes place and where his idolatrous worship and doctrines are submitted to and imbraced To come out of Babylon is to renounce communion with her in her soule sinnes and abominable Idolatries and to disclaim and reject the usurped power of Antichrist both in temporals and especially in spirituals The not doing of this maketh men her associates and will cause them to partake of her plagues Rev. 13.16 17. Rev. 14.8 9 10. and here Rev. 18.3 4. From these Texts I observe 1 That Antichrists sin lies principally in this that hee causeth all under great penalties to receive the mark of the name of the beast in their right hands or foreheads that is to own the universal headship of the Pope especially in spirituals So that no point of Christian faith must bee received unless warranted by his authority and whatsoever is stampt with his authority must bee owned though never so contrary to the Scriptures 2 The sin of his followers lyeth in this that they resign up themselves in obedience to the Pope and make him soveraign Lord over their persons rights and consciences in all things receiving owning pleading fighting for his abominable Doctrines worship and usurpation Kings themselves submitting their crowns to him and maintaining by their Laws and edicts his blasphemous doctrines and tyranny 3 Those onely are threatned to partake of Babylons plagues that partake with her in her sins And who those are the Holy Ghost tells us Rev. 13.16 17. All and onely they that receive a marke the name of the beast or the number of his name in their right hand or in their fore-head That is that own the usurped authority of the Pope and his doctrines and idolatries because stampt with his authority which whosoever doth to the death cannot bee saved Rev. 16.3 The Doctrine of the Church of Rome as set forth and confirmed for such by the Tridentine Council is this Sea consisting of the popish errors collected into one body as many waters meet in the Sea The Angell that turned this Sea into bloud might bee among others Martin Chemuitius who poured out his vial on it when hee wrote his Examination of the Trent Council And every Soul living in this Sea dyed whosoever owneth the Popish Religion as set forth by that Councill and dies in that Faith cannot bee saved for what the Apostle saith of one of its anti-Scriptural doctrines Gal. 5.4 may be said of all of them that rase the foundation On the contrary those that renounce the universal headship of the Pope and all his anti-scriptural doctrines as the insufficiency of the Scriptures the authority and necessity of his traditions justification by works praying to glorified Saints and Angels worshiping Images and Crucifixes Purgatory and Indulgences c. and withal abhorre and renounce his Idolatrous worship and profess themselves resolved to resist unto blood rather than hold communion with him in his sins All such persons and Churches are come out of Babylon already And among such are the Protestant Churches in England Scotland Holland France Germany c. professing the sound doctrines of the Gospel in opposition to Antichrists Idolatries How those Churches that disown and reject the corrupt doctrine and worship of the Roman Church and have sealed their witness against them with their blood being by their profession and sufferings the instruments whereby God hath shaken the Kingdome of the Beast How these Churches should yet bee Antichristian limbs of the Beast may well bee a Mystery to all considerate and unprejudiced men And whereas Mr. P. beleeves that none save a few separate Churches named Congregational are yet come out of Babylon which the Brownists Anabaptists Quakers c. plead each for themselves I have one text to offer to his consideration thereupon which is Rev. 14.1 2 3 4. 1 By the Lamb is undoubtedly meant the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Mount-Sion is opposed to Babylon the Gospel-Church to the Church Antichristian 3 The 144000 that stand upon Mount-Sion a definite number for an indefinite and have their Fathers name written in their fore-heads must therefore bee members of the true Church in opposition to the members of the Church of Anti-Christ who have his name or mark in their right hand or forehead 4 By their having their Fathers name written in their forehead is therefore hinted their keeping close in the main to Gods institutions in profession and worship in opposition to the Idolatries of the Antichristian Church Which further appears in that it is said that they are not defiled with women vers 4. that is with the Idolatries of the great Whore Now can any man say that those of whom the holy Ghost thus speaketh are yet in Babylon How can they bee upon Mount-Sion and yet in Babylon too 5 The 144000 signifie some definite number of the people of God that in all ages from the first rise of Antichrists Kingdome have cleaved to the Lamb and kept a true Church-State which is signified by their standing with the Lamb upon Mount-Sion with
5 Concerning the quantity of a Church that it may consist of divers Assemblies Mr. Hooker grants Survey part â— p. 129. that the Church of Jerusalem was so numerous that they must needs meet in divers Congregations Several dissenting Brethren have yielded that Corinth had more than one Congregation 6 Concerning the gathering of Members into Congregations Respect is to bee had to vicinity of habitation Mr. Borroughs Heart Div. p. 163. 169. according to the rule of Christ All beleevers who live in a place together ought so far as they can to joyn in one Church though they bee of different judgements and tempers The way of Christ all along in Scripture is that those in a place that are not more than can joyn in one should joyn together and make but one Church 7 Concerning the return of Church-Members from gathered Churches to their proper Pastors in the places of their Habitations Mr. Borroughs Heart div p. 165. Do you pray for and endeavour the putting on reformation to the uttermost and then see what they will do They have not yet declared themselves so joyned by any Covenant that they may not joyn with you 8 Against Separation from our Churches as no true Churches Mr. Cotton Way p. 111 112. Wee cannot but conceive the Churches of England were rightly gathered and planted according to the rule of the Gospel at first So that all the work is now not to make them Churches which were none before but to reduce and restore them to their primitive institution Congr Way cleared p. 14 Mr. Robinsons denial of the Parishional Congregations in England to bee true Churches was never received into any heart from thence to inferre a nullity of their Church-state Neither was our departure from them even in those evil times a separation from them as no true Churches Mr. Burroughs Heart div p. 163. Men must not separâ—â—â— from a Church though there be corruption in it to gather into a new Church which may bee more pure and in some respects more comfortable Because wee never finde the Saints in Scripture separating or raising Churches in such a case and there would bee no continuance in Church-fellowship if this were admitted 9 Of Election and Ordination of Church-Officers Mr. Bains Dioces trial p. 84. If any fail in any Office the Church hath not power of supplying that but a Ministry of calling one whom Christ hath described that from Christ he may have power of Office given him in the place vacant Mr. Cotton Keys p. 21. Way p. 40 Ordination of Officers whether Elders or Deacons belongs to the Elders of the Church and is to be performed by prayer fasting and imposition of hands Mr. Hooker Surveys part 2. p. 76. Mr. Noyes p. 69. When Churches are rightly constituted and compleated the right of Ordination belongs to the Elders The act appertaines to the Presbyters when an Officer is invested in his place for of these it is expresly spoken 1 Tim. 4.14 It hath been proved that common Members may not ordain by themselves without Officers 10 Concerning the Ordination of the Ministers of the Church of England Congregational Brethren generally acknowledge the Ordination of our Ministers to bee valid and that they need not any new ordination nor those that have been ordained by them 11 Concerning the power of Synods Wee dare not say Mr. Cotton Keies p. 25. that their power reacheth no farther than giving of Counsell They have power by the grace of Christ also to command and injoyn the things to be beleeved and done Act. 15.28 In case a particular Church p. 47. bee disturbed with error or scandal maintained by a faction now a Synod of Churches or their Messengers is the first subject of that power and authority whereby error is judicially convinced and condemned and the way of truth and peace declared and imposed on the Churches See also Mr. Noyes Temple measured p. 56 57 58. Thus far and in several other particulars wee and the congregational Brethren are or at least were sometimes agreed And did they own what may bee from these principles inferred and practice what they lead to I doubt not but that wee should soon bee fully agreed But a generation of men are now Risen up who yet would be accounted one with these terming themselves Congregational also who call most if not all these principles into question and instead of tending to an accommodation raise and heighten our divisions proclaiming our Churches Ministry Government to bee Antichristian c. Among whom I have found my Antagonist laying about him to this end with all his might I confess I have dealt plainly with him but beleeve that my sharpest expressions fall short of his merit Reader consider and judge and the Lord lead thee with me and all his people into all truth So prays From my study in Waldron this 12th of August 1658. Thy Servant for Jesus sake EZECHIEL CHARKE The Table Sections 1 ANimadversions upon some passages in the Epistle concerning the Magistrates Power in matters of Religion Pages 1 Sections 2 Of Mr. P's Text and the interpretation thereof and inferences from it particularly of the coming out of Babylon and an Antichristian Church-state Pages 6 Sections 3 Of National Churches Pages 11 Sections 4 Of parish-Parish-Churches Ministers maintenance the Churches of England the Witnesses and Separation Pages 13 Sections 5 Of Congregational Presbyterial Classical Churches and of the Church Catholick and Synods Pages 28 Sections 6 An Examination of Mr. P's Answers to the Objections hee mentions as made against his Doctrine of Separation and of his Reasons for Separation Pages 61 Sections 7 Of Mr. P's injunctions to the Magistrate and first concerning Parishes Parish-Temples and Patrons Pages 80 Sections 8 Of Tithes Pages 89 Sections 9 Concerning the Commissioners for approbation of publike Preachers Pages 101 Sections 10 Of Mr. P's Counsels and Directions for Reformation Pages 104 Sections 11 Of the Call of our Ministers Pages 106 Sections 12 A Question discussed Whether any unordained persons among us are lawful and compleat Ministers of the Gospel with an Answer to the six Arguments for Popular Ordination brought by the Answerers of Jus Div. Min. Evangelici in their Book called the Preacher sent Pages 110 Sections 13 Containing the Authors humble supplication to those in Authority for Reformation Pages 123 Sections 14 Of Mr. P's Conclusion abusing that of the Lord Du Plessis his book Pages 125 AN Answer to Mr. Postelthwaite's Book Entituled A voice from Heaven SECT I. Animadversions upon some Passages in the Epistle Concerning the Magistrates Power in matters of RELIGION CAn God indure to bee prescribed by Creatures shall man coine Laws for Rules of acceptable walking with God in spirituall Civil or Ecclesiastical things c. You are not ignorant that in Ecclesiastical things both for Doctrine and Discipline wee own no other Rule but the written Word of God by which both Magistrates and
Christian Princes and their Successors since have with the approbation of godly Bishops and Pastors owned and exercised it But you proceed confidently Therefore my beloved brethren accept no Law-giver but Jesus Christ neither in Church nor Common-wealth that will in due time save us from Devillish Government in the Church and from all worldly government in Common-weals when the stone cut out of the Mountain shall smite on the toes of the Image Then no more place shall bee found for them no not for the goodliest government that ever was invented by the wit of man If Christian Magistrates should cause you to suffer for these lines would you not suffer as an Evil-doer Doth not the Apostle Jude 8. call those filthy dreamers that despise dominion and speak evil of dignities You proclaim to the world in Print that for the present de jure they have no power neither in things of Religion nor yet of Civil concernment and call off men from yeilding that obedience to them which the Laws of God and man require You say expresly that de facto they shall have no power in matters of Religion or Civil concernment in the most glorious times of the Church And this is the doctrine which by you and men of your opinion is still buzzed into the ears of the people dangerous to Rulers and contrary to the Word of God and to the blessed example of the Apostles of Christ They in the most glorious time of the Church that hath yet been never exhorted men to cast off and cast down Magistrates though they were then Heathen but to the contrary to pray for and submit to them And yet the Apostles understood I am sure the Monarchy of the Lord Christ farre better than you That Magistrates have power in matters of Religion hath been proved before That they sâ—â—ll have and exercise this power in the latter and most glorious daies of the Church may be easily made evident from Scripture Isaiah 60. Speaks of a glorious time to the Church in the daies yet to come for it speaks of the conversion of the Jews and the flourishing Church-state ensuing thereon But the promise there concerning Magistrates then is not that they shall bee removed but reformed and established verse 17. and made instrumental for the edification of the Church verse 10 16. as Isa 49 22 23. and this all along that glorious time of the Church verse 11. Rev. 21. Is generally understood to speak of the future glorious times of the Church but not a word there of the ending of earthly governments But on the contrary verse 24 25 26. it is said The Kings of the earth do bring and shall bring their glory and honour into the new Jerusalem and for this end the gates thereof shall not bee shut Zech. 13. Speaks of the latter State of the Church and verse 3. declares that Heretical seducing Teachers shall then undergo capital punishment Transfigent id est supplicio afficiendum tradent judicibus Pisc His Father and Mother shall thrust hm thorough Which Expositors and Mr. Burroughs with them understand of their convening them out of zeal for Gods glory before the Christian Magistrate and so causing them to bee put to death From these and many the like places it is evident that all along the most glorious times of the Church there shall bee Magistrates exercising their power and authority for the Churches good in matters both of Civil and Religious concernment What Government it is which you call Devilish Government in the Church you do not here expresly tell us But your book gives the Reader abundant cause to conclude that you mean all Government in the Church but that of your way And if so do you know what manner of spirit you were of when you wrote this passage Dare you pronounce all Government in the Church besides the Congregational to bee for the substance of it Devilish and so all those that exercise it to bee the Servants of the Devil therein What could the Antichrist of Rome have said more against Protestant Churches I shall say no more to you at this time but the Lord rebuke thee And shall now address my self to examine whether your Treatise doth prove the Protestant Churches and their Government to bee Antichristian and Devilish for that 's the sad task it undertakes SECT II. Of Mr. P's Text Rev. 18.4 And the interpretation thereof and inferences from it particularly of the coming out of Babylon and an Antichristian Church-State YOur explication of the Text and it s context had need to have been more clearly and firmly laid to have borne up such doctrines as you build upon it But you are mainly for the particular conclusion P. 5. Wee must depart from the fellowship of Antichristian Churches that is with you Protestant Churches or else wee remaine in Babylon still I shall a little reflect upon your text and it s context and shew that this conclusion of yours in the sense mentioned can of right claime no acquaintance with their import In this Revelations 18. Babylons ruine is set forth 1 By the instrumental causes of it the Word of Gods mouth denounceing it and drawing off her associates from her verse 1 2 3 4. 2 By the procuring cause of it her foule Idolatries and seduceings verse 3. 5. 3 By the consequents of it the sorrowing and wailing of her followers and lovers and the great joy of the Church and people of God verse 9 to 21. I shall particularly consider the four first verses Verse 1. I saw another Angel come down from Heaven c. Pareus understands it in a literal sense Brightman of some cheif Executioner of Gods wrath as Commander General of Gods armies against Babylon But in regard by Angels in this book are often meant the Ministers of the Gospel whose tongues and pens God imploies to discover Antichrists impostures as Interpreters agree those places mean Rev. 14.6 7 8 9 15 17 18. This Angel may also bee understood to signifie them since he brings for substance no other message than the former onely his discovery is more clear being neerer Antichrists ruine and therefore whereas the Angel Rev. 14.6 is said to flie in the midst of the Heavens this Angel is said to come down from Heaven and to cry with a strong voice and the earth to bee enlightened with his glory By this Angel I understand the company of Gods Ministers of the reformed Churches that have been and shall bee raised out of the bowels of the territories of Antichrist who by their preaching and writing enlighten the earth that is the common sort of Christians who were before the footstool of Antichrist and basis of his Hierarchy For though this was in a great measure done at the pouring out of the first viall upon the Throne of the Beast when the Waldenses Albigenses Hussites c. began every where to renounce the authority of the beast calling Rome ecclesiastical the Apocalyptical Babylon
their Fathers name c. That their standing synchronizeth with the standing of the Antichristian Church appeareth Rev. 13.16 17. with the four first verses of the 14th Chapter For the company of the Lambs marked ones is opposite to the Beasts whole marked company whilst it was such whilst the Church-State of the Beast was false and corrupt the Church-State of the 144000 was true And it is said they were not defiled with women which argues that the Whore was at the time of their standing seducing And the Apostle John at the same time sees an Angel going forth and crying Forbes Gyffard Fulk Deut. Fox Bernard Broughton Babylon is fallen Accordingly Brightman Mede and sundry other worthy Expositors understand this context of the 144000 to denote the true Church of God in the midst of whom Christ reigned who were fed with purer ordinances and worship during Antichrists reign and standing out all along against his Idolatry Now seeing the Congregational Churches are as it were but of yesterday who are those 144000 that have stood with the Lamb upon Mount-Sion all along the time of Antichrists reign Either you must assert the loss of a true Church-State in the world for many ages past or else you must acknowledge that the Churches that have maintained a true profession all along the time of Antichrists reign were true Churches and that the Protestant Churches that have owned and maintained the same profession to this day have been and are true Churches and are in the number of the 144000. If you dare not say the former as I suppose you do not you must confess the latter and then with what face or reason will you justifie that separation from them as Antichristian Churches which you contend for Consider I beseech you what you have to answer for before the Lord in branding all the Christian Churches in the world from the rise of Antichrist to this day who have disowned and opposed him except a few separate Congregations of these latter daies as false and Antichristian Churches And the Lord give you repentance from this rash and unchristian dealing SECT III. Of National Churches CIvil co-habitation with wicked men is dangerous Ecclesiastical communion with them in the times of the Gospel p. 6 7 8. much more dangerous and unwarrantable 1 Cor. 5.1 To worship God with a strange worship is to worship a strange God Stephen lost his life for preaching against the Temple and so consequently against the Jews National Church the bond of which was their meeting together at the Temple in one individual worship That the Church is not of the world all grant but that it should not bee in the world is strange Christ gives his Disciples leave when persecuted in one City to flie to another Matth. 10.23 but never requires his followers to forsake their habitations because neer wicked neighbours As for that 1 Cor. 5. touching the incestuous person it is uncharitably managed by you for separation from Protestant Churches who contend for the excommunicating of scandalous persons to their power But it commeth too close to YOUR OWN DOOR verbum sapienti sat The other Texts you mention set forth the danger of society and intimate converse and communion with Idolaters but fasten not upon us because our Churches are not Idolatrous nor our worship strange worship not grounded upon the Word as shall bee made appear In what you alledge of Stephens bearing testimony against the National Church of the Jews and so consequently as you would bee understood against all National Churches as inconsistent with Gospel times the consequence follows not by Stephens Logick but your own For how doth it appear that because hee preached against the Temple and the Ceremonial-Law as things which had an end put to them by the death of Christ therefore hee preached against a National Church as inconsistent with Gospel times in respect of the Nationality of it Or that a National Church purely in respect of its Nationality considered without the adjuncts of one single person as the head of it and one single place of worship to which all should repaire at some set time for you know wee plead not for these things but acknowledge them to have been peculiar to the Church of the Jews is contrary to the institution of Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament If it bee said wee have no example of a National Church in the time of the Apostles nor yet in the times of the primitive Church This cannot bee an objection of weight For in those times whole Nations were not converted to the profession of the Gospel and Magistrates in most of them were bloody persecutors of the Christian profession But yet See Divine right of the Ministery of England p. 12. 13. 1 Wee have both prophecies and promises in the Old Testament of National Churches under the Gospel Psa 72.10 11 17. and Isa 19.18 to the end Here 't is prophecied and promised that Nations shall serve God and bee his people and that they shall combine and hold communion with one another for the better carrying on of Gods service and worship and God approveth of them and blesseth them upon that account 2 There have been National Christian Churches in the world since the primitive times according to the Apostle Johns historical prophecie Rev. 12.7 8 9. wee have a short description of the Heathen Emperours See History of the life of Constantine Maxentius Licinus Maximius overthrown by the victorious armes of Constantine the Great the Man-child that the Church brought forth and now saies verse 10. is come salvation and strength and the Kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ to wit brought into the Roman Empire Persecutors Idolatry and Heresie being suppressed and Christian religion countenanced professed promoted by the godly zeal of Constantine in his dominions Again Rev. 11. Wee have a description of the downfall of Antichrist verse 13. the tenth part of the City fell many of the places under the Roman jurisdiction cast off the Pope then it followes verse 15. The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ The Kingdomes which before were the Kingdomes of the Beast become professedly subject to the Laws of Christ and embrace his Gospel which our eyes have been so happy as in part to see And indeed considering that the Nationality of a Church lies properly in this that the body of a Nation living under one Civil Government and professing the Gospel should have one way of Doctrine and Worship established in all the Congregations of it and one way of Government by greater and lesser Assemblies how such a constitution as this should bee contrary to the mind of God concerning Churches under the New Testament I do not see nor beleeve any man can demonstrate SECT IV. Of Parish Churches Ministers maintenance the Churches of England the Witnesses and Separation I Shall now explain what I mean by
Antichristian Churches P. 9 10 11 And first I mean Parish-Churches to prove which to bee Antichristian I shall shew what I finde storied of their Original c. You cannot prove the Original of Parish-Churches to be from Rome Quid certi aut explorati a tempore Trajani ad imperium Constantini haberet Ecclesia si Divinum thesaurum non haberet however confident your small reading maketh you of it Your borrowed relation concerning Cletus and Evaristus is not much to bee valued as neither are most of the Histories of the Church for the first three hundred years And if this relation were true the thing is still unproved for I finde it recorded of Ignatius who as some say was Peters successor at Antioch and suffered Martyrdome in the eleventh year of Trajan that being sent from Syria because hee professed Christ to Rome where hee suffered when hee passed thorough Asia hee strengthened and confirmed the Parishes through all the Cities as hee went with his exhortations and preaching So that these Parishes are ancienter than those of Rome But if it were granted that Parishes had their Original at Rome about the time you speak of it makes not to your purpose and that for two Reasons 1 Because Rome then was and long after continued to bee a pure Church of Christ affording many Martyrs that sealed the truth with their blood therefore division of Parishes is not in its Original from Antichrist But you think you have prevented this answer sufficiently by saying Neither doth it help P. 13. that Parish-Churches derive their pedigree from times so neer the Apostles for the mystery of iniquity did work even in Pauls time If you could prove that the mystery of iniquity sprung up in Rome or chiefly there in the Apostles daies you would have some though but a slender and insufficient ground to think that Parishes if they began there are Antichristian But from Scripture and Church-history no such thing appears In the Apostles daies Diotrephes is charged with aspiring towards an universal Headship 3 John 9 10. The Church of the Galatians mingleth works with Christs righteousness for justification and are by this peece of Popery in danger of the loss of salvation Gal. 3.1 2 3 4. The doctrine of worshiping of Angels creeps in Apostle-times into the Church of Colosse Col. 2.18 But all this while the Church of Rome keeps her garments undefiled of these and the like abominations and for a sound profession of faith is famous throughout the whole Christian world Rom. 1.8 And long after this and even in that very time wherein you suppose the division of Rome into Parishes the Saints there sacrificed their lives in the flames to God in the maintenance of the profession of the Christian doctrine And yet Mr. P. is so charitable that to maintain a Fable that hee thinks will serve his turne the Church of Rome must needs bee then Antichristian 2 Because it cannot bee made to appear that Parish divisions as such have in them the least evil or appearance of evil Without divisions according to co-habitation within certain bounds Christians cannot conveniently meet to worship nor Ministers and people discharge their mutual duties I no way doubt but that they have ever been in use when they might bee had in the Church of God The Jews had their several Synagogues for several vicinities And it is very probable that the Apostles in planting Churches observed such divisions as farre as might bee They ordained them Elders in every City But in many Cities the Church consisted in each of several Congregations as shall bee evidenced Sect. 5. and 't is most probable that these were distinguished to attend on their respective Elders according to the neerness of their habitation to the several meeting-places However beleevers are still found in Scripture to have ecclesiastically imbodied in the places of their habitation as those in Ephesus Corinth c. And is not this sufficient warrant for Parochial Congregations as such that is the Ecclesiastical imbodying of such in a vicinity as profess the Gospel But now the way of gathering Churches used by most of the Congregational Brethren and your self picking some out of one Parish and some out of another and that without the leave and against the mind of their godly Ministers who indeavour after reformation and the use of all Ordinances according to Gods mind in their places but are hindered therein to your might by your sinister dealings and some of those members so many miles distant that you are thereby utterly disabled from discharging mutual duties this way and practice is altogether a stranger to the Word of God and sound reason and hath more than an appearance of evil in it There is nothing in Scripture of limitation of Churches by the Ministers function or maintenance by the edicts of Popes P. 13. Bishops or Princes of this world And it is enough against a thing belonging to the worship of God that there is no institution for it that the Scripture speaks nothing of it Then surely it concerns you to look about you Where have you an institution for uniting in a single Congregation members living at such a distance from one another as your practice doth and undertaking to bee a Pastor to a scattered people over whose souls it is impossible you should watch and urging an explicite Covenant as necessary for admission c. As for limitation of Churches by the Ministers function how is your Church distinguished from other Churches but by your taking the charge of the members thereof to watch for their souls how well or possible you can do it it concernes you to see to and is not this limitation of a Church by the Ministers function That the Scripture saies nothing of Ministers maintenance by the edicts of Princes of this world is true if you mean de facto that Scripture gives no example of maintenance thus appointed and raised Princes when the Gospel was penned had power to raise maintenance for the Ministery but would not being enemies to the Church But to argue that because Scripture gives no example of it Christian Magistrates who are by Scripture appointment to bee nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church may not by their Edicts Laws and Power settle a sufficient revenue upon the Ministers of the Church is vain and frivolous and the result of it is which seems to bee your meaning that the maintenance of the Ministers must bee by the peoples free will and they must live upon the Almes of the Church That this is not the mind of God but that a certain liberal maintenance is by Gods ordinance due to the Ministers of the Gospel is from Scripture very clear 1. Because God established a certain liberal Maintenance for the Priests and Levites under the Law as appeareth by the books of Moses And godly Magistrates quickened up by their royal commands the backward people to pay it 2 Chron. 31.4 5.
hearts stand seized of the power of the keyes in them because the major part are such in our Churches Petitio principij As if the people had the power of the keyes committed to them you know wee owne not that doctrine Church-guides have the power of the keyes committed to them and many of such among us are to bee reputed godly And if in most places wicked men stand seized of the power of the Keyes yet this will not serve to justifie separation from our Churches as false and Antichristian The wicked Scribes and Pharisees stood seized of the power of the Keyes in the Church of the Jews and yet Christ with his Disciples held communion with that Church and gives no encouragement to separation from it whilest hee had not set up a new Church-State Mat. 23.1 2 3. Your prudential consideration for separation That there is no probability of reforming our Churches P. 20 21 22 because the greatest part in them are wicked and will hinder the work which you strengthen with a passage out of the Epistle to the Little Stone Is certainly an argument which the Prophets and holy people of God in the Church of the Jews were not acquainted with or thought not to bee of force to warrant them to separate or to neglect indeavours for reformation Neither doth Jesus Christ look upon such a reasoning or the ground for it as sufficient to excuse the Angels of and Christians in the Churches of dead Sardis and wretched Laodicea who might plead the same improbability of reformation from putting forth their utmost indeavours for it Your Prudence would it seems have taught them that they might spare themselves a labour and rather gather new Churches than stand about a work so unlikely to bee effected as the reforming of the old But surely the Spirit that spake by the Prophets exhorting to indeavours for reformation in the Church of the Jews as miserably corrupted at least as our Churches and the command of our Lord pressing the same duty upon the Churches of Asia do excuse us from practising by your prudential consideration and teacheth us to do our duty for reformation and leave the successe to the Almighty God depending upon him by faith And I doubt not but that it all Church-guides and pious Christians in our Churches would to their power joyn and set about this work wee should finde the Lord dispelling our fears facilitating the work and shaming us for our distrust But you say 〈◊〉 16. If wee would make a kindly reformation wee must not build on Antichrists foundation but returne to primitive practice Agreed But in regard it doth not appear that Parish-Churches had their original from Antichrist and that it appears that Primitive Churches were made up of co-habiting or neighbouring families this puts no necessity upon us of demolishing or forsaking Parish-Churches in order to a reformation no more than the duty of repenting reforming and conforming to Primitive patternes did upon Sardis and Laodicea to forsake their then Church-standing and erect new Congregations Christs Church-State and Antichrist are opposed Rev. 11.1 2 3 4. The witnesses against this are impowered and specified to bee the two Olive-trees noting Magistracy and Ministery and the two Candlesticks noting Churches that arise against the Antichristian Church-State At least at the latter end of Antichrists reign 〈◊〉 17 18 shall the testimony bee mannaged by separating Congregations The Holy Ghost speaks plainly for separating not onely from the corruptions of the Antichristian Church but from the Antichristian Church-State it self Can Mr. P. bee so blind as not to see or so wilful as not to acknowledge that Protestant Churches are Churches separating from the Antichristian Church and from its Antichristian Church-State and that they have been witnesses against them from the beginning of their appearing to this day What was the Antichristian Church and Church-State never separated from till Independent Congregations came of late to bee erected who separate from Churches that separate from Rome Grant that there remaine some Antichristian corruptions in Protestant Churches I am sure there do in the Independent and those of a higher nature For Schisme and Separation from all the Churches of Christ but their own is an Antichristian corruption of one of the first magnitudes The Romanists being the great Schismatick and Separatists will it follow that Protestant Churches while they in the main renounce forsake and protest against Romes pretended Supremacy and her abominable doctrines Idolatry and worship are not Churches separating from Rome and witnessing against her What Churches in the last ages to these late years have mannaged the testimony against Antichrist but Protestant Churches that separated from him and sealed their testimony with their blood whereon ours have not done the least And must wee now look upon them as Churches still in Rome strip them of the glory of being witnesses against her despise the sufferings undergone by them for refusing to own and subject to her And own as Churches separate from Rome and witnessing against her onely a very small number of late Congregations in this corner of the world who have little by profession and nothing by suffering witnessed against Rome but much inveighed against and separated from Protestant Rome-opposing Churches to the great service of Rome Surely Mr. P. must bring better proof of it than hee doth before it can perswade or deserve our beleef But let us weigh his device concerning the witnesses whereby hee presumes to make it out 1 Hee will have the two Olive-trees to note Magistracy and Ministery and the two Candlesticks Churches But wee have but his word for it The holy Ghost doth not there distinguish the witnesses but saies of them both These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks 2 Hee saith In the latter end of Antichrists reign the Testimony shall bee mannaged by separating Congregations Whereas the holy Ghost doth not set forth two sorts of witnesses in different times but saies that the same shall prophesie in sackcloath one thousand two hundred and sixty dayes during the whole time of Antichrists reign My apprehensions of the witnesses according to Scripture are these Three paire of Types wee finde of them in the Old Testament Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness Elias and Elisha under the Baalitical Apostacy Zerubbabel and Joshuah under the Babylonish Captivity And the holy Ghost alludes to somewhat famous in the history of the lives of these persons which is answered with something parallel in the two witnesses Verse 4. alludes to Zerubbabel and Joshuah who are called two Olive-trees that stand by the Lord of the whole earth Zach. 4. Verse 3 5. And the former part of the sixth allude to Elias and Elisha who witnessed against the Apostacy and Idolatry of their times and more particularly to Elias who destroyed his enemies by fire and did by his prayers open and shut Heaven 2 Kings 1. James 5.17 18. Verse 6. the latter part alludes to
doctrines of the Gospel in them and the associating under Pastors for the use of Ordinances Which though defective among us in some points that concern the bene esse yet are so far found as suffice to maintain the esse of our Churches So that notwithstanding your prohibiting us to account your Magisterial pressing of the casting out of Parish-Churches harsh it is and must bee looked upon by us as very harsh arrogant unjust and unchristian having no ground in reason nor ground or example in Scripture to countenance it The Text you here build upon Rev. 11.4 for the strengthning of your excommunicating sentence past upon all Protestant Churches that are not of your way maketh not at all for you but much against you as hath been in part shewed for 1 The two Candlesticks cannot mean Churches properly or peculiarly but the Witnesses in general whom the Holy Ghost calleth both the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks 2 That which is attributed to the Candlesticks with the Olive-trees verse 5 6. that fire goes out of their mouth c. is proper to the guides of the Church and not to the Churches as appears by viewing the types of the Witnesses as hath been before cleared 3 The Holy Ghost had spoken of the Church and its state under persecution before verse 1. The false Church-State is also spoken of verse 2. and vers 3 4 5 6. the Holy Ghost proceeds to describe the two Witnesses and their condition during the whole time of Antichrists reign distinguishing them from the Church as those that are chief in it and are singled out and inabled to act in a way of eminency for the manifestation of Gods glory and for the Churches good Accordingly they are called the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks to note them to be instruments bringing in a way of office comfort and illumination to the Church There being a manifest allusion to Zech. 4.11 c. So that the two Olive-trees as well as the two Candlesticks mean the Witnesses as they are distinct from the Churches by way of eminency and office Though the Churches do witness yet they are not The Witnesses The Witnesses guide and feed the Church Rev. 12.6 But you say The Candlesticks P. 17 in the language of the Revelation chap. 1.20 are Churches therefore they are so to bee interpreted Rev. 11.4 1 I answer It follows not For in the former Text they are exprest to mean so but in the latter not and the circumstances lead us to interpret them otherwise as hath been said 2 In the former Text there is a clear distinction between the Stars and the Candlesticks the one are the Angels the other the Churches But in the latter the Holy Ghost makes the Olive-trees and the Candlesticks all one Therefore if the two Olive-trees are the Magistracy and the Ministery as you grant p. 18. you must needs acknowledge the two Candlesticks to bee so and not to bee the Churches as you affirme in opposition to the Text and your self But supposing not granting the Candlesticks here to mean Churches will it follow hence that the Churches of your way are owned to the rejection of all others as you modestly beare your reader in hand Or doth not the contrary rather follow For consider These two Candlesticks are said to stand before God during the whole time of Antichrists reign But separated Churches are but of yesterday and therefore if they bee in the number of yet they cannot bee the onely witnessing Churches Seeming to bee aware of this you say p. 18. At least at the latter end of Antichrists reign shall the testimony bee managed by separating Congregations Indeed if they bee witnesses they must bee so onely at the latter end of his reign for they had no existence before But you are not aware how you wound your cause by the shift which you thought would help it For separate Churches arising at the latter end of Antichrists reign and having the dignity of being the witnesses appropriated to them by you It will follow hence that till the latter end of Antichrists reign there have been no witnessing Churches in the world whereas the Holy Ghost saith expresly that the Candlesticks which you call Churches shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and sixty daies which is all the time of Antichrists reign And you have no way to free your self from contradicting the Holy Ghost but by acknowledging whilst you keep to your notion of accounting the Candlesticks Churches that the Churches that renounced Antichrist from the beginning of his reign to the rise of the separate Churches were witnessing Churches Which doth by your own rule establish the Churchdome of the Easterne Westerne and late Protestant Churches that have renounced Antichrist all along his reign hitherto And say I call in question the Churchdome of your Congregations that separate from the witnesses against Antichrist I suppose the Reader sees that your Arrow flies back in your face and that though your own postulatum of interpreting the Candlesticks Churches should bee granted you Your excommunicatory sentence is no more to bee dreaded than the Pope's with whom you joyn issue in reprobating Protestant Churches that you may appropriate Churchdome to those of your way And as posito uno absurdo sequuntur multa you fore-seeing that the paucity as well as novelty of your Churches is like to inconvenience your cause go about to salve the matter with this weak conceit that because the Candlesticks which you have interpreted to be Churches are said to bee two therefore separate Congregations who are fewer than others must bee meant thereby their Churchdome thereby established and the Churchdome of others thereby rejected Wonderful subtilty Quidlibet ex quolibet What shall by this argument become I pray you of the one hundred forty four thousand and of the great multitude of Palm-bearers which no man could number of all Nations and Kinreds and People and Tongues Surely they are too many to bee the Separate Churches therefore by Mr. P's doctrine their Church-dome is rejected though they stand before the Lamb and with him upon Mount Sion Is not this rare Divinity By the same reason any Sect that is not so numerous as that of Congregational Churches may rob them of their pretended Churchdome and appropriate it to themselves because they being fewer are more likely to bee meant by the Candlesticks which are said to bee two Surely the conceit is not worth more words nor so many 'T is plain that any number may bee signified by two and that Eastern and Protestant Churches renouncing Rome have been few in comparison of Antichristian Churches and that the Churches witnessing against Antichrist are held out in the Revelation as increasing toward the latter end of Antichrists reign and arising out of all Nations in great numbers out of which proceed the seven Angels to poure the seven last plagues upon the Kingdome of the Beast Rev. 15.2 4 5 6. SECT V.
Of Congregational Presbyterial Classical Churches and of the Church Catholick and Synods P. 25 26 WEe come now in the second place to interpret Antichristian Churches by Episcopal Churches that are the greater territories formed into Diocesan Provincial and Oecumenical Churches under the several orders of Bishops Episcopacy of the kind you mention being now discharged among us you might have spared your reader about this matter Let those that would see what is said for and against that Government read the treatises of learned men on that subject I shall onely here say to you in general that corruption in Church-Government is no sufficient cause for separation from a Church Wee must not say you p. 52. for respect to a right faith swallow a wrong order And wee must not say I because of some corruptions in the form of Church-Government forsake communion with a Church professing the true faith Your assertion in your sense stands onely upon your own authority Mine stands in the very light of the Scripture The Apostle John in his third Epistle mentions a great corruption in Church-Government but giveth not thereupon any precept for or encouragement to separation There were great corruptions crept into the form of Church-Government among the Jews in Christs time The Lord had appointed that there should bee onely one High-Priest at a time and hee was to continue in his office during life But there were then two High-Priests together that acted in the function each his year successively John 11.47 49. Besides the High Priesthood was at that time bought for mony procured by favour at the hands of the Romans Multitudes of corruptions there were also in the Priests actings c. Yet the Lord Christ gives no command or intimation to his Disciples to separate from them as from a false Church but onely bids them take heed of being leavened with their corrupt doctrines and drawn to an imitation of their wicked actions And the Lord himself held communion with them as a true Church in his life time Jesus Christ hath instituted no other visible integral Organical Church or Church with Officers P. 26. for the practice of his visible publick and solemn worship but one particular Congregation that may meet together ordinarily in the same place to worship in all the Ordinances of Gods house Such was the Church at Jerusalem there were added to it about three thousand Act. 2.41 They grew to five thousand more Chap. 4.4 yet they were all in Solomons porch Chap. 5.12 Multitudes were added Chap. 5.14 yet the Apostles call them together to them Chap. 6.2 5. And Chap. 15.4 Paul and Barnabas were received of the Church that is all the multitude verse 12. who were present at the disputation verse 6 7. Here indeed is the Hinge of the Controversies between us and our Reverend Brethren of the Congregational way in Old and New England who stand to their first professed principles owning our Congregations as true Churches but scrupling the Government of them by their Guides united confining all power of Government to a single Congregation and contending that it ought to bee so with all Gospel-Churches Had Mr. P. been such a one I should more gladly have entred the lists with him than I do But hee hath much out-grown his Brethren in Scruples and nothing will satisfie him concerning our Churches but what the Edomites wish'd against Jerusalem even the rasing of them to the foundation thereof For our parts wee beleeve that Gospel Churches may and commonly ought to consist of divers single Congregations united under and governed by their Elders in common and that wee have primitive examples for it and among them in the first and chief place that of the Church of Jerusalem in the Apostles times which is that that Mr. P. instanceth in to establish the contrary opinion Before I enter upon the dispute I desire it may bee considered that the enquiry is not of what number of members a Church consisted when it began first to bee planted But the inquiry is how it was with Churches when arrived to strength and maturity during the times in which the Apostles lived This premised I begin with the Church of Jerusalem and say that the Church of Jerusalem 1 Of the Church of Jerusalem when it grew numerous enough for it consisted of divers single Congregations as of so many parts making up one intire and compleat Church For proof whereof let it bee considered that 1 There was a Church at Jerusalem before the addition of the first three thousand Act. 2.41 And the members of the Church at that time cannot bee conceived to have been conteined within the limits of one single Congregation For the Ministery of Christ was exceeding successeful Mark 5.31 John 2.23 John 12.19 It is said of John Matth. 3.5 6. Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Region round about Jordan went out to him and were baptized of him And yet of Christ it is said hee made and baptized more disciples than John John 4.1 Visibly more so that the Pharisees could take notice of it Unto these converted by Johns and Christs Ministery add those brought in by the Ministery of the Apostles and seventy Disciples whom Christ endued with a power to work miracles that thereby they might gain faith to their doctrine Mark 6. Luk. 10. and yet still there is great want of labourers the Harvest was so great Luk. 10.2 and besides these more are found not without Christs approbation labouring in his Vineyard impowered also to work miracles to confirme Christs doctrine which they taught Mark 9.38 39. and of those there seem to have been many Matth. 7.22 Now seeing our Brethren will not grant that by Baptisme men are admitted into any other than a particular Church and there is no mention in Scripture of any other particular Church till long after this time but that of Jerusalem onely Let them from the premises judge whether the Church of Jerusalem even before the addition of the first three thousand must not needs consist of more Congregations than one But supposing that as yet there might bee but one Congregation in Jerusalem yet when wee consider from the Texts Mr. P. quotes the addition of the three thousand and of five thousand more and afterwards of multitudes and adde hereunto Act. 6.1.7 and 12.24 which speak of the farther prevailing of the Word and great increase of the number of the Disciples and together therewith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reflect on that Act. 21.20 Thou seest how many ten thousands of the Jews there are which beleeve mee thinks reason should compel men to acknowledge that the Church of Jerusalem must needs in the Apostles time consist of divers single Congregations What is said against these Texts shall bee anon considered 2 There was a great number of labourers in the Church of Jerusalem There were at first the twelve Apostles and one hundred and eight Disciples and most likely 't is there
of Asia spoken of Rev. 2. 3. chap. were Presbyterial Churches consisting of divers Congregations which appears because 1 The Cities in the which they were planted were great Cities Ephesus was the head of Ionia the greatest market of all Asia famous among the Heathen for the Temple of Diana and there the Apostle Paul spent his labours for three years together Act. 20.31 Laodicea was one of the greatest Cities in all Phrygia famous for traffick The rest were also famous Cities and of great command Therefore 't is not probable that there was but one single Congregation of Christians in each 2 There was a great number of Teachers in each of these Churches To the Angel of the Church write so begins every Epistle Now 't is apparent from several places in these Epistles that there was more than one Minister in each Church and therefore this Angel must mean either a Colledge of Pastors in each Church or a President over that ruling society as the leading man in all acts of publike concernment and Church-government The former seems most probable and is proved by Smectymunus from Rev. 2.24 But unto you I say and to the rest in Thyatira 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where the Angel is bespoken in the Plural number as distinct from the members In Ephesus alone in Pauls time the Elders appear to have been so many as were more than needed for one single congregation Act. 20.25 36 37. Yee all shall see my face no more Hee prayed with them all They all wept sore these three all 's imply that they were very many And the Church is called all the flock vers 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which argues that there were several charges for them to attend upon So in Pergamos there were divers Pastors for there were divers erroneous teachers three some teaching the doctrine of Balaam Rev. 2.14 Some that of the Nicholaitans vers 15. and what more likely than that they did it in several Congregations and others holding fast Christs name who were so many that they are required to purge out those erroneous ones Therefore 't is not probable that they were all over one single congregation onely The like may bee said of the rest of those Churches that are exhorted to deal in a disciplinary way with false teachers There were very many Pastors in them and consequently several Congregations on which they attended 3 The Holy Ghost hints clearly that these Churches were Presbyterial consisting of divers Congregations when hee calleth each of them first a Church and then Churches Rev. 2.1 7. 8.11 12.17 18.29 So Rev. 3. Each of these bodies is called Churches as it was made up of divers congregations under their proper Pastors and yet but one Church as these congregations were combined and subjected together to the government of all the Elders in common These two Chapters well weighed would put an end to divers controversies among us about the Discipline of the Church For 1 Hence Christians might bee convinced that Church-power was never committed to the people but to Church-officers only The Angels only are censured for neglect and ill administration of Government in the Churches and praised for and exhorted to the due exercise of Discipline 2 Hence a combination of the Officers of divers congregations united to govern them in common may bee evinced The Elders in Pergamos sound in the faith must in a disciplinary way hinder the Balaamites and Nicholaitans from teaching their errors in the assemblies of Christians there 3 Hence appears that the spirit of the Prophets is not subject to the people but to the Prophets onely The Angel of each Church the Church-officers must try the Prophets and those that say they are Apostles Rev. 2.2 Let us now consider how Mr. P. proceeds p. 29 30 31 32 Classical Churches are put in the room of Episcopal Churches by the effectual working of the mystery of iniquity These are combinations of congregations united by subjection to one and the same Court of Elders chosen out of the whole to govern them These are pressed so far as to take away power of government and exercise of Ecclesiastical Discipline from the Congregations For they appropriate power of Government to the Eldership This agrees not with the institution Matth. 18.18 When Christ saies whatsoever yee binde on earth c. doth hee not include the offending brother Christ promised the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven unto Peter as unto a lively confessour of him and did not therein look on him otherwise I have already given in reasons to manifest Gospel Churches in Primitive times to have been Classical and more shall bee said to it upon your next paragraph The first branch of your charge against those that are for them I shall now consider which is that they appropriate the power of Government and exercise of Ecclesiastical discipline to the Eldership A sad crime beleeve it and as much to bee condemned as the appropriating of power of government in the Commonwealth to the Magistrate which by some passages in Mr. P's Book seems to bee in his judgement a crime too If the people can lay claim from Christs appointment to the power of the Keyes as to the Preaching of the Word administration of the Sacraments authoritative binding and loosing for the Keyes go together and were given to Peter together if these things belong to the Community in the Church wee shall confess our selves guilty in appropriating the power of government to the Eldership But though wee have looked much after it wee cannot discern any such grant and appointment of our Lord Christ the King of the Church And when I read such places as these Matth. 18.18 28.19 20. John 20.22 23. 21.16 Eph. 4.11 12. I cannot without offering violence to my reason imagine that they speak to and of the Community considering withall what express charges the Community have upon them from God to bee subject to those that are over them in the Lord as to their Governours Teachers Pastors Rulers c. But I will particularly consider the first of these Texts which is that Mr. P. urgeth for his cause and shew how little it makes for it That Mat. 18.17 18. speaks of the Church-Officers onely doth appear because it is spoken by Christ with reference firstly to the Jewish Church-governours than which there was then no other governing Church in being And this is the joint judgement of the Antients Ambrose Cyril Theodoret Gregory c. and of multitudes of later lights in the Church Melanchton Aretius Musculus Bucan Cartwright Parker c. and Mr. Fenner gives a reason of it from the words our Saviour useth viz. Publican Heathen and that otherwise the Apostles could not have understood Christ knowing then no other Church governing So that the Lord Christ manifestly alludes to the Jewish and gives from it a pattern to the Christian Church First the offending brother must bee dealt
of their evil carriage c. Here in some things you apprehend not our mind rightly and in others you overthrow your cause 1 Wee hold that the power of Government residing in the Eldership a particular Congregation may and ought to have an appropriate Eldership belonging to it 2 That a single Congregation having an appropriate Eldership is a true Church 3 That such single Congregations have equal power severally considered 4 That though a single Congregation bee a Church yet it is or ought to bee also when it may a part or member of a Presbyterial Church and hath not so much power as a Classical Church hath 5 That the Presbytery of a single Congregation have power to end differences among themselves in cases that are ordinary 6 That in cases weighty and extraordinary as excommunication The Presbytery or Eldership of consociated Congregations are concerned as well as the Presbytery of that single Congregation of which the offending Brother is Paul writeth not to the Eldership of that particular Congregation of which the incestuous person was more peculiarly a member but to the Presbytery of all the Congregations belonging to the Church of Corinth to cast him out 7 That there is no example in all the New Testament of excommunication by the particular Eldership of one single Congregation 8 That therefore a single Congregation ordinarily is not a compleat entire Church furnished with full power for all acts of Church-discipline 9 That wee finde in the New Testament Church-Discipline commonly executed in a Presbyterial Church consisting of divers Congregations Such was the Church of Ephesus and the Eldership of this Church as such did commonly exercise Church-Discipline tryed false Prophets and those that called themselves Apostles and convicted them as lyars Rev. 2. The like wee might say of other Churches 10 That in extraordinary cases wee have an example of appeal from one Presbyterial Church to an association of such Churches to guide us The Church of Antioch and probably also those of Syria and Silicia Act. 15.23 appeals to an assembly of the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem and the Elders of that Church united probably also of the Elders of the Churches of Syria and Cilicia and the controversie which could not bee ended otherwise is ended in and by that Synod And thus larger Synods and Councils may bee necessary even an Oecumenical to heal publick and spreading evils If the Church saith Mr. Cotton where the offence lyeth Way p. 108 persisteth in the neglect of their duty and the counsel of their Brethren the matter would be referred to a Congregation of many or all the Churches together That is sure to the Elders of all the Churches for to them hee saies the power of rule or Government doth properly belong Hence you may rectifie your mistakes wee exclude not the Eldership of a single Congregation from power of Government but say it hath not ordinarily power for all acts of Church-Discipline And in that wee arise from a Congregational to a Classical Synodal and Oecumenical Eldership wee have respect to the need of the Church so requiring it and to the precedents given us of the two first in Scripture which are also a sufficient ground for the latter What you say of Jerusalem and Corinth helps you not for it hath been evinced that they were not single Congregations What you adde against higher Elderships or larger combinations of Churches than those of the first step from single Congregations from the consideration of the Churches of Asia doth you no service but è contra For 1 By granting the Churches of Asia to have been collective Churches you pull down what you had said for the congregationalness of Churches Grant them collective Churches and the greatest part of your book is una litura 2 By saying that it appears not from Scripture that there are any larger combinations of Churches than those of this first form You look beside the Scripture and the state of the Question The state of the question because wee stand not for stated and fixed combinations of Churches beyond that first form but onely occasional ones and the Scripture because as hath been and shall bee shewed there was a higher Eldership and larger combination of Churches in the Synod at Jerusalem than those of the first step from single congregations the Elders of the Presbyterial Churches of Antioch and Jerusalem being there combined and in all probability those also of Syria and Cilicia as hath been said 3 If you will stand to what you say that the Churches of Asia do severally receive praise or dispraise each for her self without reflection on the rest I will compel you to grant positively and not onely suppositively that they were collective Churches For the Epistle to every one hath this close Hee that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches If what Christ saies to one Church hee says to the Churches and yet the several Churches do each for her self restrainedly receive praise or dispraise It follows unavoidably that every one of the seven Churches was a collective Church and so you dispute against and confute your self 4 'T is not strange as you say it is that Christ should not speak of a combination of these seven Churches as an Ordinance of his for their remedie and blame them for the neglect of it For they were first to use and Christ directs them accordingly to the use of the first means the help of the Presbytery of each Church If this would do there was no need of carrying the cause higher if upon tryal it would not do they knew what course was next to bee used and had an example of it in the practice of the Church of Antioch To your question Whether it bee likely that go tell the Church should mean go tell the Elders of the combination I answer it is likely and it hath been proved to mean so yet not firstly as you seem to insinuate that wee hold but secondarily when the Eldership of the particular Church where the offence is given prevail not to remove it Here was no Synod Act. 15. that is an assembly of Officers resulting out of many inferiour Presbyteries P. 35. 10 p. 45 1 Because we read not of any such combination of the Churches there mentioned to become subject to the rule of one Superior Eldership 2 Because wee read of no forreigners that came to this Synod but those of Antioch who concurred not in the Decrees of it and are excluded from the decision of the controversy Act. 16.4 3 Here was no appeal from the censure of the Church at Antioch there passed no censure but onely had been a dissention and disputation and so the errand of the Messengers was to get satisfaction that the same doctrin was taught at Jerusalem as at Antioch 4 Here was no rule exercised over the Churches for it would argue a diminution of Pauls Apostolical Authority that the Decrees of the
Apostles should more than materially bind him And these Decrees are made by a joynt act of the Apostles Elders and Brethren difference in the order of their concurrence we grant but in the nature of the Act wee cannot grant but it will not bee granted that the Brethren did exercise an Act of Rule over other Churches To say that by the whole Church is meant the Synodical Church is without ground being built on the impossibility of the meeting of the Church of Jerusalem in one place which hath been refuted And if the Brethren were shut out from a concurrence of the same nature with the Elders will they say that the Elders of a Classical Presbytery at Jerusalem did exercise rule over all these Churches so far distant that could not be of their combination If vers 28. of laying a burden bee objected Let it bee considered whether there be not as much said of the assertion of the Pharisees ver 5 10. Thus if wee should grant Classical Eldership it will bee hard to grant any more with Scripture warrant But wee shall not grant these having proved the most numerous Churches to have been Congregational and called severally by the name of Church in the singular and the numerous Church of Corinth was not onely Congregational but had and exercised the power of the Keyes Paul wraps up Elders and people together in the exercise of discipline with a concurrence of the like nature And thus the whole fabrick of the Classical way falls to the ground Mr. P. as one observes is a man of growing scruples and hath much out-stript in them the Reverend New-England Congregational Brethren Keys chap. 6. and that in weighty points rejecting Ruling-Elders c. and here Synods Mr. Cotton tells him that Synods are an Ordinance of Christ grounding himself on Act. 15. saying 'T is a precedent for succeeding Ages And that they have power by the grace of Christ to command and injoyn the things to bee beleeved and done for which hee cites the express words of the Synodal letter vers 28. And that this power to binde burdens ariseth not onely materially from the weight of the things imposed but formally from the authority of the Synod as an Ordinance of Christ Adding that the fraternity have onely a power of liberty not of authority for which hee quotes Act. 16.4 And excepts from the power of a Synod onely the injoyning of things in their use indifferent not denying them power of Ordination and Excommunication But Mr. P. is an Independent of an higher form Let us consider what he saith 1 His first reason against the Synodicalness of this Assembly that wee Read not of a combination of Churches is untrue For the deputed Elders of the Church of Antioch combined with those of Jerusalem and there is no reason to exclude those of the Churches of Syria and Cilicia since the Decrees reach them and that not onely the Church of Antioch but also those Churches are subjected to them Will Mr. P. grant no more than what hee reads in express words 2 His second is as weak That we read of no forreigners there but those of Antioch and that they concurred not in the making of the Decrees For if there were no more forreigners yet forreigners they were but where doth hee read that the Elders of Syria and Cilicia were not joyned to them There is sufficient reason to conclude they were since the Decrees reach those Churches In saying that these forreigners concurred not in making the Decrees hee speaks clearly besides the book For they being Elders and at Jerusalem met with the Elders of that Church and hee being so punctual in holding no more than he reads in express words Let him see whether he can exclude them from those Texts vers 6 20 22 25 28. Act. 16.4 If the Forreigners were Elders certainly these texts include them and 't is one of the mysterious reaches of his wit to apprehend them excluded from the decision of the controversy by Act. 16.4 for were not the Forreigners Elders and were they not at Jerusalem and in the Assembly at the making of the Decrees how then doth this text exclude them 3 His third is frivolous That there was no appeal from the censure of the Church at Antioch Grant there had passed no formal censure which is more than hee can prove might they not appeal for the deciding of what was debated and which there could bee no joynt agreement upon His fancied main end of their applying themselves to the Church of Jerusalem to get satisfaction that there was the same doctrin taught at Jerusalem that was at Antioch sheweth that hee looketh on the Chapter through spectacles of pre-occupation Else hee would have seen that comming about the Question of difference vers 2. and the Apostles and Elders comming together to consider of the matter ver 6. and together decreeing and laying a burden upon the Churches concerned vers 28. must needs evince that the main end was to have the question authoritatively decided The knowing of the minde and practice of the Church of Jerusalem needed not all this work Paul and others might have informed the Church of Antioch of it before Any Messengers sent might soon have certified them of it Those that came might without such a solemn convening have been assured of it The Apostles and Elders in their Epistles shew not that they minded such an end chiefly in assembling For though they disown the erroneous Teachers doctrine and declare that they gave them no incouragement for it in those words To whom wee gave no such commandement which is all that Mr. P. can build upon yet they clearly manifest that the end of their convening was upon the hearing the difference in the Church of Antioch to decide the Question authoritatively and that the end of sending chosen men with Barnabas and Paul was to give them the greater assurance of this decision as the dependance of the 28. vers on the 27. by the illative for doth clearly shew 4 His fourth is a huddle of groundlesse surmises Here was hee saith no Rule exercised because 't would bee a diminution of Pauls Apostolical Authority But Paul acted not then as an Apostle but as an Elder of the Church of Antioch When the Elders there could not prevail against the corrupt Teachers and their Doctrin they have recourse to a Synod joyning themselves as Elders to the Apostles and Elders at Jerusalem giving herein an example of the right way of healing Church-divisions that cannot bee remedied in the respective Churches to the end of the world The Apostles themselves acted not meerly as Apostles but as members of the Synod yielding to a fair dispute on both sides Next hee saith The Brethren concurred with the Apostles and Elders in making the Decrees therefore there was no rule exercised thereby for it will not bee granted by us that the Brethren can exercise an act of rule over other Churches
looked upon as Churches in point of salvation another to bee looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution c. For if they are not to bee looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution they are not to bee looked upon as Churches at all unless hee can make it appear that beleevers out of Church-order make up Churches and that there are many mystical Churches And if reformed Churches are to be looked upon as Churches in point of salvation they looking to no other way of salvation but by the bloud of the Lamb and he can give the right hand of fellowship to them on that account hee thereby asserts their Churchstate and separates practically from them therefore without sufficient ground For if they are Churches in point of salvation they have the essentials of Church-order and are not to bee separated from The Protestants would not have separated from the Church of Rome if they could have looked upon her especially after the Sanctions of the Trent Council as a Church in point of Salvation looking to no other way of salvation but by the blood of the Lamb. So that notwithstanding his distinctions Mr. P's doctrine doth absolutely null all the Reformed Churches and all Churches that have disowned Papal Rome from the rise of Antichrist to this last age And thereby denyeth that there hath been a true Ministery and a true Church-state during many hundreds of years since Christ in the world Directly contrary to Matth. 28.19 20. Eph. 4.11 12 13. Rev. 11.1 2. Rev. 14.1 8. Eph. 3.21 To the instances which hee brings of Churches of his way ushering them in with a boast of their setting up Christs order in the face and to the teeth of the beast though in danger to bee slain for it I Answer that surely the Congregational Brethren of our daies have not waded through such great dangers in contending for and setting up their popular government They have had and have as much countenance from the Civil Powers as they can desire On which account many have struck in with Independency to bee of the rising side Surely there are some whom they know that have out-gone them in sufferings for cleaving to their principles and whilst the Powers did oppose their way heretofore flying to New-England and Holland was not a setting up of the order which they deemed to bee Christ's in the face and to the teeth of the Beast But to his instances I suppose that Congregation in Queen Marie's daies to have consisted of holy persons but cannot from the relation that History gives us of it see upon what grounds hee presumes them to have been a party of his own way in point of order and government Mr. Bentham their last Minister is there said to have been soon after Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield and therefore in all probability no Independent As to the hundred persons in Queen Elizabeths daies which Mr. Cotton mentions I should have liked their witnessing against the corruptions in the Church so far forth as their call would bear them out but if they separated from the Congregations in England in general as no true Churches no man is able to prove their separation lawful by the word of God and the words of the same Mr. Cotton pag. 14. of that book will condemn them where hee saith Mr. Robinsons denial of the Parishional Congregations in England to bee true Churches was never received into any heart from thence to infer a nullity of their Church-state Neither was our departure from them even in those evil times a separation from them as no Churches So that grant these two companies to have been Independent Churches yet if they separated from the Churches of England as no true Churches they were in Mr. Cottons judgement so farre in an errour and much more is Mr. P. for nulling all the reformed Churches in the world whereby he maketh his Independentism to become Donatism Hee addeth to justify himself Wee must not for respect to a right faith swallow a wrong Order hath not the letting go the right Order p. 52. let in a wrong faith Yes it hath indeed by those of your way most evidently For whereas the word of God placeth most evidently the power of Church-government in the Officers of the Church as hath been above proved your letting go this Gospel Order and bringing in the room of it a phantastick Democratical government strange to the word of God hath let in a wrong faith with a witnesse for at this back door have entered all the rabble of Sectaries Anabaptists now generally at least semi-Papists Seekers Quakers and Fifth-Monarchy-men of the last edition enemies to Magistratical and Ministerial power as their seditious Pamphlets Sermons and practices tending to imbrew the State in blood and Church in confusion do witness Object 2 It will be said this laies a ground to question all the Ordinances that have been administered in any other way P. 52. to 55 than that which you press for whether they are to be counted null and void Answ Some Ordinances have been corrupted in the essentials of them as the Lords Supper in the Popish-Churches and when so they become no Ordinances and of no efficacy Others were circumstantially corrupted onely as Baptism and when so though wee have cause to be humbled yet wee cannot reject the Ordinance When 't is promised that the Woman should be nourished in the Wilderness Rev. 12.6 it must needs imply that there should be some Ordinances preserved from corruption in their essentials and that Gods people should be accepted in the use of them Yet that is no argument against coming out of the Wilderness no more is the validness of Ordinances in the Episcopal Classical Parochial Churches against separating from them And this separation doth not require rebaptization for 1 The Scripture speaks nothing of it 2 Wee must either own our Baptism received in the Catholick visible Church of Rome the Mother or in the Diocesan or National Churches the Harlot Daughters or else wee must conclude that the Churches owned of God during the four and twenty months of Antichrist of which Rev. 11.4 shall want utterly the initiatory seal of the New Testament and of this wee finde no president or hint in Scripture Or else there must be an extraordinary way of reviving the lost Ordinance of Baptism in these Churches and of this I know neither promise nor experience for these hundreds of years since there have been such Churches Therefore the first must be granted for from the Churches rest till the Wilderness began to set up particular visible Churches by the Waldenses and Albigenses 't is rare to finde a man that would acknowledge any other Church than the Beast and his Images that would acknowledge a particuliar visible Church Answ It is hard for Mr. P. to manage an argument that doth not fall back upon his cause In answering this second Objection hee overthrows what hee had said and
condemns his way of Separation which will easily appear in making his concessions to speak out what they at first sight are capable to infer that way 1 Hee grants that when Ordinances are not corrupted in the essentials but onely in the circumstantials of them wee cannot reject them and thereby hee condemns his denying of our Ministery and Church-State to bee true for are they corrupted in their essentials Will not his distinction keep our Ordination Ministery and Church-State from being null as well as the Ordinance of Baptism The same way as hee will maintain the validness of this wee will the validness of those and the same exceptions that hee can make against the validness of those will equally strike at the validness of this Let him try and hee shall finde it to be so 2 Hee grants that the Womans being nourished in the Wilderness implies that Ordinances were preserved in their essentials and Gods people accepted in the use of them and that there were Churches owned of God during the four and twenty months of Antichrist Whereby hee clearly condemneth that intercision of a true Church-State which hee had before asserted frequently and lately p. 52. where hee saith I deny them not speaking of Churches not Independent and there were none considerable but such till these late daies to bee the Woman nourished in the Wilderness but I deny them to be the Candlesticks that is true Churches in his sense And here Till the Waldenses and Albigenses began to set up particular visible Churches 't is very rare to finde a man that would acknowledge any other Churches than the Beast and his Images So also hee condemns here his restraining of a true Church-State to Independent Churches in saying that during that time wherein hee saith there were Churches owned of God particular visible Churches that is as Independent were not acknowledged So that hence must bee inferred whether hee will or no that the Churches not Independent renouncing Rome during the four and twenty months which includes our age were and are true Churches and so not to bee looked upon as Antichristian and Harlot Daughters of Rome as his charity calls them nor to bee separated from Which would farther appear if wee should take in his notion of the Candlesticks Sect. 4th for they are in his sense Churches and they prophesie one thousand two hundred and sixty daies which is four and twenty months Rev. 11.3 4 and there were during that time till this last age at least till the Waldenses by his own concession no considerable Independent Churches Therefore the preceding Churches not Independent renouncing Rome-Papal and ours their successors were and are true Churches and if Churches bee properly Witnesses at least as truly Witnesses as the Congregational and not to bee separated from But hee seeming to foresee that hee opened us a gap to strike at his separation saith That the validness of Ordinances in our way stands no more against separating from our Churches than the validness of them when received in the Church of Rome against separation from it A doughty reasoning Hee knows that wee plead besides the validness of Ordinances among us a renouncing of the Idolatries of Rome's worship and a Professing and owning of the true doctrines of Christianity in opposition to Rome's blasphemies and fundamental Antichristian errours And surely the validness of Ordinances so accompanied renders a separation from us and our Churches of quite another nature than that from Antichristian Rome which if inconsiderateness and prejudice lay not in many rolles upon the eies of his understanding hee could not chuse but see Thus the matter of his answer recoiles upon himself of which more may bee said Sect. 11. As to the form of it in relation to the Objection it removes it not at all For what saies hee The Ordinances are not to be accounted essentially null but the Church-State in the which they were administred is to bee accounted null for hee calls all reformed Churches images of the Beast and Harlot Daughters of Rome and his way sets up a new Church-State distinguished and differenced in essential respects from that of all those Churches Now if their Church-State hath been null their Ministery hath been null and consequently the Ordinances administered by such a Ministery null and so the Objection remains in full force against him notwithstanding all his striving to assoil it and his principles drive to rebaptizing or Seekism chuse hee whether Neither let him say that this toucheth us also who have separated from Rome as a false Church through which notwithstanding wee had our Ministery and Ordinances for hee may know and shall bee told anon that our principles and apprehensions about this matter do exceedingly differ from his I shall close this with those Queries upon his riddles 1 Are the Woman nourished in the Wilderness and the Churches owned of God during the four and twenty months all one or not 2 Had the Woman in the Wilderness that had Ordinances preserved from corruption in their essentials and was accepted in the use of them any true Church-State or not 3 Were the Churches that are said to have been these hundreds of years and owned of God Independent Churches or not 4 Did the Waldenses and Albigenses set up Independent Churches which seem here to bee meant by particular visible Churches If I had his positive answer to these I should say something more to him But hee here delivers himself obscurely about these things as those use to do that are such as the Apostle speaks of 1 Tim. 1.7 Object 3 But many godly men have worshiped God zealously in this way and do still and God hath been and is still no question P. 59. 60. found of them Answ This must be looked on as an indulgence of God unto sincerity owning what is of himself mingled with much of man They are much deceived that think it is enough to say for a way that they have found God in it or rather in something of his that is practised in it Answ That the Lord is found of any of us his poor servants seeking him in his waies wee humbly acknowledge to be of his gracious indulgence owning what is of himself mingled with much of man And will not you say the same concerning your selves But that our way of worship and our Church-State are not in the main according to divine Institution is that which you have not nor will ever prove Wee grant that they are much deceived c. and it toucheth us not for wee think not that it is enough to say so And wee suppose that this may better serve to indoctrinate those of your way than us for it is not rare with many of them to judge of a way by the Impressions they have upon their spirits concerning or in the use of it more than by Rule But the Question should bee whether God is as much found of those that seek him in a false way and much
the ground 2 Because they are Harlots and will intice and draw away to their lewd Courses p. 67 68. Babylon hath golden pretences for her abominable idolatries The prevention of Schisms and Heresies for a Catholick Church visible Reverence to the womb that bare us and the paps that gave us suck for Metropolitan National Diocesan Parish-Churches c. And shee is stubborn shee will not return to you Gods people would have cured her but shee is not cured None that would have thorough reformation dare take the whole Parish along with them to the work Why should they bee washed at the same laver at least their children that may not eat at the same Table Let us take the Prophets Counsel forsake wee Babylon and go every one to his own Country Let us wash our hands of her and expect what God hath determined of her as Du plessis once said of the Roman Church Babylon and the best reformed Churches in the Christian World that are not of his way are all one with this modest Theologue Rome renounceth abhorreth anathematizeth them and they have separated from renounce and abhor Rome's Doctrin and Worship and yet this peece of subtilty finds them to bee one and the same Babylon Surely should the Pope understand what service this Separatist's book tends to do him in proclaiming the Protestant Churches to be Harlots and the Babylon to bee separated from hee would account himself endebted to him for it They are Harlots saies hee they have leud courses abominable Idolatries and what are they A Catholick Church visible and National and Parish Churches these are abominable Idolatries in Mr. P's Atheological Divinity Of the two latter I have spoken enough before to vindicate them from this charge I shall now adde something to what hath been said for the former A Catholick visible Church hath been alwaies generally acknowledged among Christians in all ages So that Mr. P. laies abominable Idolatry to the charge of all the Christian Churches that have been unto this last age yea of some of those writers that have appeared on the side of the congregational way Dr. Ames saith that the Church never ceaseth to bee visible which cannot bee understood of any paticular Church for that may fail and that Particular Congregations are as similar parts of the Catholike Church and so participate of its name and nature and those that by profession onely are beleevers whilst they remain in a society are members of that Church as also of the Catholick Church in respect of its External estate And in Bell. Enerv. Wee acknowledge the Militant Church to bee visible as to its outward and accidental form in its parts both separated and conjoyned What can bee more plain But let us briefly consider what Scripture saies to it Act. 8.3 speaks of a visible Church else it could not have been persecuted and yet not of a particular Church for the persecution was in Jerusalem Damascus in every Synagogue in strange Cities yea against all of that way therefore it speaks of the Catholick visible Church 1 Cor. 10.2 must needs bee understood of it also 1 Cor. 12.28 is too clearly for it to bee denyed with any likely reason for 1 The Church here spoken of is an Organical Church 2 It cannot bee understood of a particular Church Apostles and Prophets being Catholick-Officers 3 It must therefore bee understood collectively of all that were within the bounds of the Apostles Commission the Church in the whole world Indeed this whole Chapter treats of the Catholick visible Church All the members of Christ mystical are one body vers 12. 20. Jews and Gentiles are baptized into one body vers 13. and they are one Church vers 28. Eph. 3.10 cannot mean otherwise nor Eph. 3.21 What Church can the Church of all ages mean but the Catholick Visible Church Which though some particular Churches may and have failed hath continued and shall continue in all ages Matth. 16.18 proves this and the point in hand for it may not bee understood of any particular Church and it cannot bee understood of the Invisible Church as distinct from the visible for the invisible Church is not built upon a visible profession as Peters was and the Church here spoken of is such whereof the Keyes are given to Peter and every Minister of Christ to let in members and eject scandalous sinners Now how a member of the invisible Church as such can by a censure bee cast out of the Church invisible who can see but out of the Church visible hee may bee cast therefore this Text speaks clearly of the Catholike Church Visible against which the gates of hell shall not prevail Adde to this that all the Metaphors that set out the Church in Scripture shews the unity of the Catholike Church as visible Shee is a Woman Rev. 12.1 One sheepfold John 10.16 One body Rom. 12.5 The House Temple City of God 1 Tim. 3.15 Eph. 2.19 Heb. 12.22 Rev. 3.12 c. Therefore Mt. P's eyes were bloud-shotten when hee wrote that a Catholike visible Church is an Abominable Idolatry But hee is angry it seems at the pretence too and makes it a peece of Babylons golden cup to wit the prevention of Schisms and Heresies what hee insinuates thereby that Protestant Churches have but this pretence for it and no ground in the Word is untrue and unworthy Surely wee may think that Mr. P. sees that the opposing of Schisms strikes at his Democracy and separation and that therefore hee is not well pleased with the prevention of Schisms if they bee let alone his Schism will escape among them But Protestant Churches have not so learn't Christ knowing that they are injoyned to take the Foxes and the little Foxes that spoil the vines Cant. 2.15 and to mark them that cause divisions and offences and avoid them Rom. 16.17 and to have no divisions among them 1 Cor. 1.10 and that when single Churches cannot effect this they must labour to do it united so fully as the case will require Act. 15. What hee addds to prove the stubbornnesse of Protestant Churches which his dialect terms Babylon that Gods People would have cured her but shee is not cured is an impudent unreasonable and false speech Wonderfull impudence it is especially in such a Theologaster as hee that needs to be taught what a Church is to charge all reformed Churches with stubbornnesse in evil Stubbornnesse is a sinning against light and conviction and what audaciousnesse is it in this aeccuser of the brethren to publish in print that all the reformed Churches sin against conviction in cleaving to their Church-state and way of government Unreasonable also it is for him to say that Gods people would have cured Protestant Churches for thereby hee seems to confine Gods people to those of his way and those of his way have not I am sure put forth requisite indeavours to cure our Churches supposing them to bee sick of Romish diseases unlesse reviling of
set forth Of Abraham it is said Gen. 14.20 Hee gave him Tithes of ALL spoiles and all Heb. 7.4 And saies Jacob Gen. 28.22 Of ALL that thou shalt give mee I will surely give the tenth unto thee Where lies the Reason now why the Institution of Christ for Ministers maintenance should not stand with Tythes That requireth men should communicate to Ministers in all good things and herein it is answerable to the Law of Tythes for Abraham before the Law gave tythes to Melchisedeck of all and Jacob Tythes to God of all and persons under the Law as appears by that of the Pharisee gave tithes of all that they possessed and these cannot but bee deemed to have acted therein according to Gods Ordinance As for the other branch of this second reason that the first tenth was under the Law to the Levite c. it speaks nothing at all for the inconsistency of Tythes with Christs institution For that order and distinction is acknowledged on all hands to have been Ceremonial and adventitious to the nature of the maintenance Wee must strip the Ordinance of the Sabbath it self of morality if wee will have no appointment moral that was attended under the Law with something Ceremonial Thus it may clearly appear to the considerate Reader that as yet Mr. P. hath not made his assumption manifest but rather his weaknesse neither of his Reasons holding good And therefore consequently his flourishing conclusion makes but a vainshew Hee hath no way proved that Tythes are paid by a Ceremonial Precept and belong to the Ceremonial Law And withall hee hath avoided or omitted one great part of his task under such an attempt n. to prove that and shew how Tythes 1 were a shadow of Christ or grace to come by Christ here in the Law for them nature of them proportion in them 2 Analogically represented heavenly things which are porperties that enter into the definition of Legal Levitical ceremonies from Scripture and which I am assured Mr. P. will never bee able to make out concerning Tithes But yet poor man hee seems to think hee hath done such wonders in confuting Tithes that now if any dare refuse to let them go yet they will not have hee thinks the face to take them as and under the notion of Tythes And therefore follows Neither will it avail for any to say that they take them not as Tythes for the Corinthians could not bee so excused as to their eating things sacrificed to Idols c. Certainly there is no cause to fear from any thing that hee hath said that men that have duely considered the thing should betake themselves to that refuge or to think they should judge the case of eating things offered to Idols in the Idols Temple and the taking of Tythes alike Alas what unequal yoaking of things is here Nay but Tithes are Popish and were sacrificed to Idols either directly or interpretatively by Papists Not Popish sure in their institution nor since Christ owned at first as the Ministers maintenance by Papists or to promote directly or indirectly Popery or Idolatry Mr. P's reading should have taught him better Tythes are far Elder than Popery even in the Christian Church And however Papists have abused either Tythes or Temples there ariseth hence no more necessity to forsake them now that those abuses are renounced and expelled than there did to Israel to abolish their Tythes or Temple because they were used during the prevalency of Idolatry in that nation to maintain it But withall I must minde Mr. P. that as to the Divine right of Tythes the Papists shake hands with him for they generally disown it and dispute against it Now wee are reminded of his injunctions hitherto with a caution Away I say with all appurtenances of a Parish Church p. 82 Let us not desire the silver and gold of the Idol lest wee bee snared and become an abomination like it and accursed like it Mr. P. doth well to comprehend himself and those that are with him in his admonition to avoid that which hee deems to be a curse But he would do better since his judgement is thus if he did more labour to reform at home what he doth so highly declaim against in others One lately of his Church though hee weakly renounced his Ordination yet to his end would not quit his Tythes Others of the members of his Church are Parish-Preachers and receivers of Tythes May it not now be queried upon Mr. P's principles whether his Church bee come out of Babylon when such brats of Babylon as hee accounts Parish-Ministers and receivers of Tythes to bee are the main Pillars of it and are suffered in it though they live in a practice directly contrary to their Pastors Doctrin Or is it Antichristian in all others to receive Tythes but not in the Members of Mr. P's Society But Reader is it not more strange than this and matter of wonder that Mr. POST LETHWAIT himself who doth so highly inveigh against Tythes shovld defile his fingers with the silver and gold of the IDOL that accursed thing in his judgement and give an acquittance for Tythes by the name of TITHES under his own hand and that Since hee hath appeared in print in his Pamphlet against Tythes I can assure thee it is not more strange than true Judge now what heed is to bee given to his declamations against us who take tithes which wee judge wee may lawfully receive whenas hee can allow himself to take them who professedly condemns them and accounts them Antichristian I shall presume to give Mr. P. some advice hereupon and so close this Section 1 I beseech him to make sure of an actual particular repentance from that sin against his judgement 2 I wish him to study controverted points more throughly before hee adventure to determine of them so peremptorily 3 I intreat him to consider that if his judgement bee still the same concerning Tythes hee should labour speedily to his power to restore that Tythe-money hee hath heretofore received If it bee Babylonish Gold an accursed thing gain unjustly gotten why should it abide in his Tabernacle to consume both it and him This hee was minded of by a Parish-Minister who breaks bread with him who told him that by the Principles of his book hee was bound to make restitution of the Tythes he had at any time received to the utmost of his estate I hear his evasion is hee would make restitution if he knew to whom But doth not hee know that when the right owners of goods unlawfully gotten cannot bee discovered the Poor are the Heirs Luke 19.8 Herewith Mr. P. will do well to think upon that of Austin Non aufertur peccatum nisi restituat rab latum SECT IX Concerning the Commissioners for approbation of publick Preachers TAke heed that you set not up Episcopacy again p. 84 85. Saints are affraid what the Commissioners for the trial of Ministers will come to at last At first
Ministry from Antichristianism as I am confident can never be fairly answered Mr. P. as his manner is in other points takes no notice of what they or others have said in this argument But cries out Antichristian Ministers Antichrists Brokers c. How easy is it but how unreasonable and absurd thus to keep fresh and renew charges without removing the answers that have taken them off And upon what ground can men that act so expect that any notice bee taken of what they say But one good turn is that Mr. P. in this charging book answers himself and saies that which doth in effect establish the mentioned Plea for the validity of our Ordination and Ministry When Ordinances saith hee page 53. are but circumstantially corrupted wee cannot reject them no more than the Israelites could reject the Ark because it was carried in a Cart of the Philistims making And hee instanceth in Baptism in which though much were added as Annointing Crossing c. yet the essentials were retained whilst it alwaies was administred by washing sprinkling or dipping in water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Let any man now apply this to our Ordination and Ministry and see whether it will not fit them as well as Baptism The essentials of Ordination have been alwaies retained Ministers being ordained by Ministers of the Gospel with Prayer and imposition of hands according to Christs institution Act. 13.1 2 3. 1 Tim. 4.14 5.22 Therfore though some Circumstantial Corruptions cleaved to our Ordination received through Rome yet according to Mr. P's own conclusion wee may not renounce it Neither can hee say any thing against the validity of Ordination so received which will not equally strike at Baptism received through Rome also Our Ministers are no more Antichristian Ministers or Antichrists Brokers because they received their Ordination through Rome than those that have undergone the Ordinance of Baptism among us and Mr. P. among them are Antichrists Christians or Antichristian baptised persons because the Ordinance came to them through Rome Wee must saith hee own our Baptism received in the Church of Rome and is there not as much ground to say wee must own our Ordination received in the Church of Rome Especially in England which had a true and pure Ministry in primitive times as the Congregational Brethren confess Now this Ministry for the Essentialness of it hath been derived successively to our times wherein it is purged from those corruptions that did during the prevalency of Popery cleave unto it And our Ministry thus derived can no more bee called an Antichristian Ministry than the Ministry and Priest-hood of those Priests under the Law that were consecrated during the prevalency of Idolatrey in that Church or of those that succeeded them could bee called when the service of the Lord was restored in purity and they attended upon it a Heathen Ministry or Priesthood 2 Though I account that answer good and strong and beleeve that our accusers will never bee able to remove it Yet I conceive wee need not grant them so much as that our Ministery is descended to us through Rome The Congregational Brethren say some of them that wee are Antichristian Ministers because wee received our Ordination from Rome Papists say wee are not Christian Ministers because wee do not receive our Ordination from Rome Well let those two parties dispute it out Wee need not trouble our selves with the controversy Wee may assert the Christianity of our Ministery upon another account which is this The Ministers of the Protestant Reformed Churches have their Doctrinal and Lineal Succession from the hands of Christ and his Apostles FROM and THROUGH the hands of the witnesses prophecying in Sackcloath during Antichrists reign To evidence this let it bee considered 1 That there have been true Churches of Christ in the World yea in the territories and Nations where Antichrist hath prevailed more or fewer all along the time of his reign to this last age maintaining the profession and Ordinances of the Gospel of Christ in opposition to his corruptions though he hath persecuted and sought to destroy them for it And among these those of Bohemia and the Waldenses and Albigenses are famously known to have continued a long while Enemies themselves acknowledge concerning these last that in all likelihood they had their beginning though possibly under other names near the time of the Apostles 2 That in these Churches considered in their order of time there was both a Doctrinal and lineal succession from Christ and his Apostles unto the rise of the Churches called Protestant 3 That the Protestant Reformers and the Churches that with-drew with them from Rome did own the same fundamental truthes in Doctrine and Discipline that those did as sufficiently appears by the History of the Waldenses and the conferences that passed between the Protestant Reformers and them about it 4 That although whereas it is certain that the Waldenses being by persecution scattered did sow the seeds of the true religion in sundry Countries where afterwards Protestant Churches were established which did lay a ground-work for their arising we have not much evidence of the Protestant Ministers receiving Ordination from their Ministers yet wee are assured from the Histories of those times that there was a very cheerful and unanimous consent between those Waldensian Churches and the Protestant Churches and a full concurring in matters of Doctrin Worship Discipline and Ministry as also there was for the main between the Protestant Churches beyond the Seas and ours afterwards in England in their time of Reformation Now in cases so extraordinary as those of the Protestant Churches in their first rising were the right hand of fellowship which some of the Congregational Brethren judge in ordinary cases sufficient being given in effect to the Ministery of beyond-sea Protestant Churches by the Ministery of those former Churches and to the Ministery of our Churches by the Ministery of those Protestant Churches may well bee thought enough to supply the want and stand in the room of formal Ordination from them And this Ministery of Protestant Churches received from Christ through the Witnesses prophecying in Sack-cloath hath been since continued by formal Ordination both beyond Seas and among us as that which in fixed Churches and where it may be had compleatly is of necessity according to the rule of the Word to be maintained and used formally for the continuation of a Gospel Ministry SECT 12. A Question discussed Whether any unordained persons among us are lawful and compleat Ministers of the Gospel With An Answer to the six Arguments for Popular Ordination brought by the Answerers of Jus Div. Min. Evangelici in their Book called The Preacher sent VVHilst Mr. P. and the Congregational Brethren of his form are so forward to condemn our Ministry as Antichristian it will bee hard for them to free their own from that charge This proposition I will engage to make good Those Preachers that are
either not at all Ordained or are ordained only by the People when they might have been and might be ordained by a Presbytery of preaching Elders either they are no Ministers at all or their Ministry is more liable to the charge of Antichristianism than the Ministry of any of the Protestant Churches For proof hereof let it be considered that as Ordination is by the Word rendered necessary when it may be had for the constituting of a Gospel-Ministry so there is no rule for any other way of Ordination of Ministers left us in the Word of God neither by command nor yet by example but only by a Presbytery of preaching Elders either extraordinary or ordinary or mixt By a Presbytery of preaching Elders was Ordination always conferred in Primitive times on the Officers of the Church All the texts that speak of Ordination will bear witness to this truth Acts 6.6 Acts 13.1 2 3. Acts 14.23 1 Tim. 4.14 5.22 2 Tim. 1.6 Tit. 1.5 Church-officers extraordinary or ordinary are the persons ordaining in all these places There cannot be one text of Scripture produced so much as for the concurrence of private Beleevers with Officers extraordinary or ordinary in the act of ordaining any though the lowest Officer in the Church Therefore the London Ministers assertion holds good Ordination of Ministers by the People is a perverting of the Ordinance of God and of no more force than Baptism administred by a Midwife or the consecration of the Elements in the Lords Supper by a person out of office And since Ordination of Ministers by Ministers of the Gospel is the only way of ordination warranted in the Word as the former texts prove then Ordination of Ministers by the People must needs be an Antichristian way of Ordination because it wholly crosseth Christs rules for Ordination given us in the New Testament What is pleaded for unordained persons assuming the holy Office of the Ministry may be easily answered 1 Many of them are gifted for the Ministry Ans 1. But who hath made trial of their abilities That they should be their own Judges in this case is unreasonable that People ordinarily are not able to judge of their gifts is certain Who so meet to judge of their fitness as Ministers and is not this work appropriated to them 1 Tim. 3.2 8 9 10 14 15. compared 5.22 Ans 2. Suppose their gifts and qualifications for the Ministry were proved and approved yet Ordination is necessary ordinarily to invest them into office The Apostles were endowed with choyce abilities for the work of the Ministry yet they take not upon them to be Preachers of the Gospel until they are invested into office by Jesus Christ Mark 6.7 to 14. So also the seventy Disciples preach not the Gospel until they have a special Commission from Christ Luk. 10.1 to 12. Timothy and Titus must have sufficient proof of mens abilities and qualifications for the Ministry and then such persons must be invested with Office by imposition of the hands of the Presbytery This is Gods way and in it those that would serve him should desire to bee found Wheresoever saith Calvin there is a Church of God In Jer. 23.21 it hath its Laws and certain Rules of Government and there no man ought to thrust himself into the work of the Ministry although he should equal all the Angels in holiness How God hath born witness against such persons as have boldly thrust themselves into this holy Office without a lawful call and investiture as he did against Uzziah 2 Chro 26.19 20 who though many of them were before reputed sober and Orthodox Christians yet soon after have been given up to beleeve a lye and are become instruments to draw off others into the erroneous and crooked paths of Socinianism Arminianism Papism Quakism Atheism is most sad to consider From such Prophets as these is profaneness gone forth into the Land 2 They are not only gifted but they find in themselves a strong inclination and desire to preach the Gospel that they may win souls to God Therefore they may take upon them the Ministry Ans What Anabaptist Arminian Quaker may not thus plead And indeed in the Schools of Arminians and Anabaptists was this Doctrin tending to confusion and all errour hatched The Remonstrants judge it lawful for any one to preach the Word Episcop Thes privat Disp 26. Thes 5. Zanch. in Praecept 4. if he be fit to teach and the People desire it and the Anabaptists in Zanchy's time thought it lawful for any man to take upon him the Ministry if he thought hee had the call of the Spirit Those that desire to win Souls to God ought to desire if they are fit for it to be invested with office in the way of Christ by a lawful Ordination by a Presbytery of preaching Elders What is pleaded for Popular Ordination comes now to bee considered The Answerers of Jus Div. Min. Evangelici lay down this proposition In a Church that hath no Officers in it some Beleevers may lawfully and warrantably Ordain without Officers The Preacher sent p. 323. to p. 330 This they endeavour to prove by six Arguments Arg. 1. To hold that some Beleevers may not lawfully and warrantably ordain Officers in a Church that hath none in it would necessarily and unavoidably inferre Ordination to be in such a case unattainable therefore it is contrary to sound Doctrin and not to be asserted For the Antecedent they say There are no Officers on earth authorized or appointed by Christ to Ordain in case a Church hath no Officers in it any more than Beleevers without Officers In regard the special rules and examples left in the Gospâ—l about Ordination give no more warrant to Officers to ordain in such a Church than Beleevers without them For either they were extraordinary Officers that ordained or had an extraordinary Call to ordain There is no precept for or example of any ordinary Officer acting in Ordination out of the particular Church he is over upon any ordinary call in any one text Ans This Argument is built upon a false Hypothesis That the Churches of the Gospel are Congregational only which I have disproved before VVere our Churches generally conformed to the Gospel-pattern divers single Congregatious being united in one compleat Church after the constitution of the Church of Jerusalem Corinth Rome the Churches of Asia c. this case would hardly fall out that is mentioned For though the Officers of a single Congregation might fail yet there would still be a sufficient Presbytery left in that Presbyterial Church to Ordain others in their room But take the case as it is these Brethren fall short of proving their Argument for 1 Suppose that all the Officers mentioned as Ordainers in other Churches in the New Testament were as to their Office or Call extraordinary yet how in-consequent must it needs be that therefore the People may ordain All the precepts and examples hold
whose examples are preceptive to Christian Magistrates now And shall wee think that God bears a less tender respect to a Gospel than to a Legal Ministery neither appointing them a certain maintenance nor means to raise it if it bee with-held 2 Dependance upon voluntary contributions is the ready way to tempt Ministers to bee the greatest temporizers in the world since it will force many of them to please their givers or starve 3 Duties required of Ministers under the Gospel call for a liberal and certain maintenance They must bee given to hospitality But they cannot exercise it without a maintenance liberal and certain 4 That command to hearers of the Gospel Gal. 6.6 7. leaves not men to their liberty but chargeth a duty upon their consciences which they cannot neglect without mocking God 5 Ministers may require this maintenance in an authoritative way as an absolute due debt for their work in the Ministery 1 Cor. 9.11 12 13 14. Now a liberal maintenance being by Gods Ordinance due to the Gospel Ministery what hinders but that the fixing of it should bee a lawful yea a necessary means for their injoying of it Before there were any Christian Magistrates in the world the revenue of the Church was not altogether unsetled Constantine the first Christian Emperour being come to the Crown enacts that the Church Lands or goods that had been injuriously taken away though annext to his own Crown should bee restored that such as had purchased Church-Lands should make present restitution of the same These lands and possessions were 't is probable long before purchased out of the publick bank of the mony laid at the Apostles feet and other charitable donations since that time and setled upon the Church that so Ministers having some certain maintenance might serve God in their places with the less distraction And therefore the building Oratories and Churches and endowing them with maintenance for the certain support of fixed Ministers which you make the object of your contempt appears to bee in it self considered a lively imitation of primitive practice These things considered I demand 1 Where a maintenance is already established and hath been so for many hundreds of years together and that by as firme Laws as any man hath for his personal estate Whether now the Magistrate may not animate those Laws and make meet new ones for the due payment of that established maintenance as Hezekiah did 1 Chron. 31.4 2 Where maintenance is wanting whether the Magistrate may not provide and settle it by a levy upon the people Seeing 't is Gods ordinance there should bee a liberal maintenance and that many people if left to themselves will rather want the Gospel than bee at charge for it and that it is a duty incumbent on the Christian Magistrate to provide for the good of mens souls and for the continuance support and incouragement of the Ministery for that end But to returne to Parish-Churches you say Consider what Babels of confusion and superstition they bee Here you may see Saints and sinners jumbled together without any kindly separation of the precious from the vile Great care that all may bee consecrated but the worshippers Are they not given unto the Gentiles P. 13 19 20 do not men of uncircumcised hearts for so are the Major part in those Churches stand seized of the power of the keyes Let us say to those christened Gentiles that upon pretence of being of the same Religion and Church with us would interess themselves in rebuilding our Gospel-Temple as the Jews did to the Samaritanes Ezra 4.1 2 3. Specious arguments to take ignorant persons 'T is common with those of your way to argue against the Church-state of Churches from the corruptions in manners which are found in them Whereas the Scripture every where declares such an arguing to bee of no force witness its owning the Church of the Jews as such under its great and severely reprovered corruptions So the degenrate Churches of Asia dead Sardis and lukewarme and miserable Laodicea If a man fix his eye on those Churches under their then condition and apply your charge to them as hee may and thence conclude that they were no true Chruches will hee not contradict the holy Ghost and the Truth and what then doth your arguing prove Whatever corruption is in out Churches wee make as much the matter of our grief as you of your scorn and are as ready to bear witness against it as your self But not with you to incourage the sin of separation but to advance the duty of reformation This many Church-guides do zealously indeavour after in our Churches so unjust is your charge generally fastened upon them that they take care all may bee consecrated but the worshippers and that they make no kindly separation of the precious from the vile You seem to make use of a bad rule Calumniare fort it er aliquid haerebit Your own knowledge of the contrary to your charge in many Parish-Congregations should make you blush for these expressions And truly that they are no more reformed and others in no way for reformation may bee as much ascribed to the practices of your self and many of your way in drawing off from them helpful members and hindring endeavours for healing and restauration as to any other single cause yea as to many of them put together And had not men of your way in a time when uniformity in worship according to the Word was about to have been established by the Magistrate in the Churches of England hindered that good work 't is very probable that reformation had been much forwarded in our Churches at this day and many of our civil shakings and overturnings prevented thereby Your comparing of those that comply not with your opinion in matter of Church-State and Government to the Idolatrous Samaritans and loading them with the opprobrious name of christened Gentiles is very devoid of modesty and truth Many Church-guides in our Congregations are as free from the least taint of Superstition as any of your way And for the members of our Churches who have been baptized in them and owne their Baptisme though the most of them do not appear to bee godly yet they differ very much from Heathens being taken into an external Covenant with God and in the number of those that are called And are as much the people of God as sometime formal and prophane Israelites were the estate of the Gentiles at this day to whom the ordinances are given being not inferiour to that of Israelites of old Rom. 11.17 And therefore as the Infants of the Israelites had generally right to Circumcision So have the children of Professors of Christianity owning their Baptisme though corrupt in their conversation but promising reformation right to Baptisme Else were the grace of God streighter under the Gospel than before Christ was exhibited in the flesh which cannot bee But you have this more against our Churches that men of uncircumcised
Moses and Aaron who did turne the waters to blood and did smite the Egyptian earth with all Plagues Exod. 7. Now it is observable 1 That in two of these three paire of types one beares the person of a Magistrate the other of a Minister or Prophet Moses and Zerubbabel were Magistrates Aaron and Joshuah Ministers 2 That in the times of the Baalitical Apostacy which answers most fitly to the times of the Apostacy of Antichrist the witnesses are onely Prophets Elias and Elisha 3 That wee have in these three paire of types four Prophets for two Magistrates These things considered By the two Witnesses I understand Magistrates and Ministers some of both sorts who have in their several ages witnessed against Antichrist from the very first rise of him down to our times But in no age have Prophets been wanting to this office and work whereas Magistrates appear in it at some times onely as 1 In the beginning of reformation in a Land or Nation as Moses appeared with Aaron when the people were brought out of Egypt to serve the Lord and Zerubbabel appears with Joshua in the beginning of the reformation after the Babylonish captivity 2 Towards the end of Antichrists reign Rev. 17.16 But now the Prophets they must prophesie in sackcloth one thousand two hundred and sixty daies that is all along the Tyranny of Antichrist which hath been in great part made good by the event This being so overthrows his notion of the Witnesses neither can Congregational Ministers bee any otherwise reckoned any part of the Witnesses than as they are taken in conjunction with the other godly Ministers of this and other reformed and Rome-renouncing Churches that have and in this age do stand up as a part of the two Witnesses against Antichrist and for Gods truth and worship And though in a large sense all those may bee reckoned as witnesses against Antichrist that have made open profession of the grand truths of the Gospel in opposition to Antichrist and those who have laid down their lives in that witness Yet in a strict sense Effecta quae efficiunt Praecâ—nes illi in electis duo consolatio illuminatio quarom illa significatur nomine Olearum ista vero nomine Candelabrorum Pisc the Witnesses are Magistrates and Ministers and yet more especially Ministers who have in all ages opposed themselves to Antichrists Idolatries These are the two Olive-trees and the two Candlesticks that enlighten comfort and feed the Church of God during the whole time of Antichrists reign Rev. 11.3 4. and Rev. 12.6 compared To what you cite out of the Epistle to the Little-stone that Almost nine parts of ten in the Churches of Scotland are not sheep nor fit for civil much less for spiritual priviledges I answer P. 21. I am not easily induced to beleeve the State of the Church of Scotland to bee so corrupt considering what an honourable testimony holy Mr. Burroughs hath given concerning it Lect. 13. on Hosea p. 368. And whereas it is said that many of the sheep there turne head against their Shepherds The more I say is the pity But certainly the reason of it is the present laxness of Church-Government to which those of your way contribute not a little and which if it should recover its ancient vigour and strength and beauty would remedy this evil And I beleeve some Brethren of the Congreganal way have cause enough to make the same complaint of their Sheep One of them godly and learned told mee some few years ago that their people were grown to such a passe that they knew not what to do with them Mr. W. G. And how many sad proofs have wee seen hereof in these late years Neither let it seem harsh to any that admire the antiquity of Churches in England which they conceive began to bee planted by Joseph of Arimathea or Simon Zelotes that I press the casting out of the Parish-Churches the deemed successors of them They retain not their priviledge whose neither constitution nor conversation they can bee found to imitate And wee know P. 24 25. that the Holy Ghost teacheth us to say of as few as may bee to give a valid testimony against the Antichristians of two witnessing Churches These are the two Candlesticks i. e. Churches standing before the God of the earth Whereby the Churchdome of these witnessing separated Churches is not onely established and approved but the much claimed Churchdome of others rejected Your prohibition cannot hinder it from seeming harsh not onely to us but also to some Congregational Brethren that you should unchurch our Churches Way p. 54 because Parochial It appears saith Mr. Cotton to bee an errour to say there is no limitation or distinction of Parishes Way p. 112. meaning of Churches jure divino and speaking of the Churches of England All the work now is not to make them Churches which were none before but to reduce and restore them to their primitive Institution Your self do not deny our Parish-Churches to bee the successors of the Churches planted here by the mentioned worthies and on that account one would think reformation should serve your turne without rising so high as separation But this you think will beare you out that they do not imitate the constitution nor conversation of those first Churches If you should go about to prove either part of this assertion which you wisely forbeare to do you would finde a hard task of it Because it is not possible you should certainly know what was the constitution or conversation of those first Churches But I shall grant and do beleeve ours do not generally imitate their conversation being more corrupted in manners through the neglect of Discipline And what then doth the Scripture any where teach you that corruption in manners yea in many regards in administration and use of ordinances whilst the fundamentals and essentials are retained in doctrine and worship is a sufficient ground for Separation I provoke you to make that appear And indeed this is the point that you Separatists stand bound to make good and which if you cannot as I am sure you cannot from the Word all your declamations against our Churches will not a whit free you from the guilt of Schisme As for the other branch of not imitating their constitution 't is a charge as weakly bottomed and inferring as the other For the particular constitution of those Churches is as I have said unknown to you and our Churches are not now newly constituting but have been long constituted and are successors of those first Churches And no more unchurched and necessitated to bee newly constituted by the intervention of Papal corruptions then the Church of Israel was by the intervention of heathenish Idolatries in it during the reign of bad Kings And that way of constitution still holds our Churches in their State which gave and maintained an ecclesiastical being to the Apostolical Churches even the professing and owning of the