and Reason 4. The Truth being vindicated is applyed to a Practical Vse pag. 47. SECT III. The Doctrine of Errastianism Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 86. Head l. There is a Church Government 〈◊〉 forth in Scripture ibid. Head II. The power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate pag. 103 SECT IV. The Doctrine of Independency Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 123. Head I. The power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church Members ibid. Head II. The highest power of Church Government is not in Church Sessions or Congregational Elderships pag. 150. Paragr I. There is a Plate-form of the Government of many Congregations by One Common Presbytry holden out in Scripture pag. 152. Paragr II. There is a Plate-form of Government by Synods over many particular Presbytries held forth in Scripture pag. 167. Paragr III. Infertor Church Judicatories are subject Superior pag. 173 SECT V. The Doctrine of Separation Try'd and sound Not to be of God pag. 191 Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church ibid Head II. No Separation from a true Church or Gods Worship in the Church because of the Sins of Fellow-worshipers pag. 214 A Sermon Preach'd before the Synod at Glasgow April 5. 1653. From 1 Cor 1. 10. pag. 235. Sermon Second Preach'd at Irving foom Psalm 51 6. Immediatly before the Giving of the Communion Being a Preparation Sermon in order thereto pag. 287 Sermon Third Preach'd at Kilwinning 11 May 1663 From Luke 7. 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 313. Sermon Fourth Preach'd at Kilwinning From Acts 11 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 340. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE ERRORS OF Tolleration c. SECT I. Of Doctrine in General and the Tryal thereof 1 John ch 4. ver 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God THE Body of this Epistle as we shew'd when first we entred upon the handling of it runs upon three Heads The first is upon Marks whereby to discern real Grace to wit who had it and who not The second runs upon Exhortations to several Duties of Sanctification chiefly Love to the Brethren that Christians would Love them that Love God Love Grace wherever they saw it The third Head whereon it runs is Exhortations to Constancy in avowing Truth against Error In this fourth Chapter there are two of these Heads according to which we may take up the Chapter in two parts In the First There is an Exhortation to stand by Truth and to beware of those who would seduce People from it And that to ver 7. In the second part There is a renewing of the former Exhortations To Love the Brethren And a Confirmation of it by a number of new Arguments to the end Both which have been handled already and yet the Apostle returns again to them because Exhortations against Error cannot be enough inculcate and therefore he reiterats them again and again In the first part of this Chapter There is 1. An Exhortation 2. There are Arguments to enforce the Exhortation The Exhortation is set down in the former part of the first verse Believe not every Spirit that is lend not an Ear to every point of Doctrine covered over with a fair Name but bring every Doctrine to the Touch-stone There are two Things considerable in this Exhortation First There is the compellation he gives them a warm and kindly Stile Beloved And then Secondly There is the Exhortation it self And in it there are two Things 1. What they should not do And 2. What they should do For the First What they should not do Believe not every Spirit Some take the Spirit here for Preacher Believe not every Preacher And some for Doctrine Believe not every Doctrine But both may well be joyned together thus Believe not every Preacher who pretends the Spirit for his Doctrine For the second What they should do It is to Try the Spirits whether they are of God He bids them not cast at all Doctrines because there are some Errors vented for Truths as the natural Heart is ready to do But he Exhorts that they would bring every Spirit to the right Touch stone Thus much for opening up the words We intend if the Lord give us liberty to speak somewhat largely on this Verse of those Doctrines or Errors which are most like to trouble our Church therefore we shall raise some Doctrines before hand which may make way for what we intend Doct. I. The First is from the Apostles dehorting Believers from false Doctrine by many Arguments Hence observe That Christians would by all means eschew any thing that may tend to seduce them from the pure Truths of Jesus Christ Particularly that they would beware of Error Heresy and any thing of that sort Hence there are so many Exhortations in Scripture to stand by the Truth to be rooted in the Faith and to eschew contrary Error So it is a Duty lying on Christians to be guarding and watching against Error or what is contrary to Truth Reas The Reason is because Errour is a Sin and a very dangerous one We shall shew the danger of it in three Things I. It is dangerous because of the desert of it It is Damnable 2 Peter 2. 1. False Prophets are spoken of there as those who bring in damnable Heresies that is highly condemnable We shall afterwads show in what respect Heresies are Damnable 2. Errours are dangerous Sins because they steal subtily in upon People and people do too readily relish them So there are many whose nature abhorres gross Sins against the second Table as Fornication and such like and yet the Devil gets them hooked by this sin of Error Nature is born with a cry against gross Sins committed against the second Table and so naturally there is some kind of loathing in People at them but it is not so in the sins of Error Sathan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and plead Conscience whereas he intends to bear down Truth So the sins of Error are dangerous because subtile 3. They are dangerous in this respect that as they creep easily in So when once they are in it 's hard to get them shut to the door again And that because deluded Conscience pleads for them People tainted with Error think themselves right and therefore whatever is brought against them Conscience casts at all as wrong Now in other Sins to wit such as are against the Second Table altho Affection plead for them yet usually Peoples Light does witness against them And so in this respect it is more hard to get a sin of Error thrust out where it is once rooted than the sin of Prophanity it self Vse This Doctrine may serve to fit you for receiving the following Doctrines which if the Lord will we are to speak of
Malice hath set it self in some one Age of the Church or other to bear it down And God's Wisdom hath still overshot Satan making use of his Malice in opposing Truth for the further clearing of that Truth which he intendeth most to obscure and darken Satan's first design in the first Ages of the Christian Church was to beat down that great Fundamental Truth of Christs Divinity But after long debate this Truth was fully cleared by the means of several Worthies whose Spirits the Lord stirred up in these Ages to mantain That so much opposed Truth Satan therefore being beat off this strong Fort of Christianity retired a little and laboured next to bear down the Truth of Christs Humanity But the Truâ—h hereof the more it was opposed growing the brighter The Lord making Light break up convincingly in the midst of Hot Debates Satan retired a little further yet and bent his whole force in the following Ages against the Vnity of Christs Person And next against the Distinction of his Natures But Satan not prevailing this Way either he set himself to undermine Christ Jesus in all His Offices 1. By setting up the Infallibility of Popes and Councils against His Prophetical Office 2. The Doctrine of Merit in the matter of Justification against His Priestly Office 3. The Doctrine of Free-will and power of it in Man's Conversion to God against the Inward part of His Kingly Office And for the Outward part of it he set himself to wrest the Scepter of Christ's Government from His own Office-bearers and put it in the Hands of Popes Cardinals Arch-bishops and Bishops But after long Contest Truth is now aboundantly cleared and confirmed in all these Thus as One saith the Lord Jesus hath been content to dispute His Ground by Inches with the Devil until almost He hath beat him out of all only Satan hath no will to quit it so it seems to us he is now giving his last and sorest On-set on which in a desperate way he is to venture all wherein his design is evident to cast all in a Confusion First By trampling under foot the Outward Court of God's House I mean the Constitution of His Church Visible by the Doctrine of Renting and Separation And next to deprive the Catholick Church Visible and all Her considerable Members of all Government by the Doctrine of Independancy which confineth the whole Power of the Keys within the narrow circuit of a Particular Congregation whereby all the Particular Churches are left as so many small Boats in a storm to dash one against another having no Intrinsical authoritative Mean to make them steer an even Course without rushing one upon another Thus Satan aimeth to cast all in confusion that he may undo all What in former Ages he could not do in destroying Gospel Truths by Piece-meal and one by one he intends now to do it by whole sale and all at once For if once the bottom of the Ship be split and the Rudder broken the precious Ware contain'd in it can hardly be preserved Now that Satan's main design is to deface these Truths which are about the Constitution and Government of the Visible Church that thereby all may be covered with Confusion appeareth In that not only the method God hath hitherto keeped doth point at it There being few other Points of Truth to clear but also the thing speaketh for it self the main speat of the Errors of the time running directly contrary to these So that certainly as God intends to clear Truth in these so it 's not the least part of Satan's main design against the Church of Christ at this time to obscure Truth in these This then being Satan's design I shall in the next place give some Directions how to manage our Differences so as not to further this main design nor yet be short coming in our Duty against it Of which Directions I shall reckon Three First We ought to examine Opinions and Practices even tho by us conceived just and lawful How far they may contribute for furtherance of that Design and in that respect should be more circumspect and sparing at least in medling with them Thus the Apostle Paul Gal. 2. 3. would not Circumcise Titus tho Circumcision at that time was a thing Lawful as appears from his Circumcising of Timothy Act. 16. 3. much about the same time and yet he would not Circumcise Titus The reason is v. 4. There were False Brethren present who would have taken advantage of That his Practice to confirm themselves in their opposition to that Truth which Satan intended most to bear down at that time to wit The freedom of the Christian Church from the yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies therefore he thinks himself bound to abstain from that practice tho in it self Lawful and which in some other cases would have been necessary And that lest by That his Practice he should have been advantageous to Satan's main design against the Church of Christ at that time It 's true Truth remains still Truth however Satan abuse it yet seing all grant that the venting of some Truths at sometimes is unseasonable and so for that time may be forborn And seing it would seem that nothing makes a Truth more unseasonable than when it is known that Satan will make bad use of it for bearing down that Truth which God intends mainly to clear It will follow that the venting of such a Truth ought to be at least with great modesty and much holy Circumspection if not altogether forborn for that time For Application of this Direction I will not say much Only I shall propose it to your serious thoughts Whether or not the late Proceedings in opposition to the Supreme Judicatories of the Church together with the Tenets whereupon they are grounded which for Peace's cause and from unwillingness to give the least occasion of Irritation I forbear to name whether or not I say These even supposing the Lawfulness of the Practices and Truth of the Opinions seem not to have been unseasonable for the time as being apt to be abused for leading People upon the Errors of the time Such as the Contempt of Ecclesiastical Judicatories Quarrelling the Constitution and Separating from the Fellowship of our Church I fear much it will be hard for People not acquainted with subtile Distinctions to conceive that any Corruption amongst those with whom we converse can make Civil Fellowship with them Unlawful but it must make Church Fellowship especially Communion-table Fellowship with the same Persons to be as much if not much more Unlawful But I forbear not being without hopes but that Brethren Gracious and Wise will ponder what they hold and what they practise when they see bad use made of it beyond their own Intention and Purpose There is one thing further I shall say for application chiefly upon the other hand and it is this Such Practices ought to be eschewed as may prove unjust and unnecessary Irritations unto People to
are the surest Pillars of our Commonwealth but woe to and will be to that Common-wealth that is builded on such Pillars And if Scotland or any party in it joyn with them on these terms our woe is but coming He is a jealous God chiefly in the matter of his Service as is clear from the Second Command The Third use is If this be an Ordinance of God to put Power in the Magistrates hand to punish Error it should make you scar at Error and labour to be grounded in the Truth For we see Error is a sin that God hates and it is a sin that God will have the Magistrate to punish and so a sin that he himself will punish if the Magistrate do neglect it It is natural to men to think If they can live a good Life it is the less matter what be their Opinion but the Lord Judges not so for as he will have other sins punished by the Magistrate so he will have these punished also And such as he usually punisheth himself by fearful Plagues when the Magistrate neglecteth his Duty in punishing other sins so doth he in those We might speak much from History of fearful Judgements sent immediatly by God upon Hereticks but we shall here close SECT III. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Erastianism Head I. That there is a Church Government held forth in Scripture HAving thus show'n that the Doctrine of Tolleration is not of God I proceed to Demonstrate this also in some other of the most Dangerous Errors of the Times We shall begin first with these Errors which are about the Government of the Church and that because the Government of the Church is the hedge of the Doctrine for if once the Government be brangled or shaken the wild Boar of the Wilderness cometh in easily and corrupteth the Doctrine therefore it is that the Devils main design hath been against the Government of the Church to blast and storm this Wall on all Hands The summe of what we have to say in this is to make out these four points First That there is a Government appointed by Christ in his Church distinct from the Civil Government Secondly We shall show that this Government is not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate but in the hands of Christs own officers which he hath appointed for Governing his house By inflicting of Church Censures enacting of Church canons so as they are not to act by derived power from the Magistrate and Appeals are not to be made from them to the Magistrate Thirdly we shall endeavour to prove That this power of Church Government is not in the hands of private Christians or the community of the Faithful but in the hand of Christs own Officers Ministers and Elders And Lastly We shall endeavour to prove that this Authority and Government is not in the hand of particular Congregations or particular Elderships Independently from other Judicatories above them but that this power is given to them so as they must be subject to Superior Judicatories In which propositions we will meet with these Errors that are most dangerously opposite to Church Government at this time The First two propositions are contrary to the Doctrine of Erastians and the last two are contrary to the Doctrine of Independents as they are commonly designed First we shall engage with Erastianism and our Scope in this shall be as in the former to show that however it pretend to the Spirit yet when it is brought to the tryal it will be found not to be of God This Doctrine or Error hath its name from the prime Author of it called Erastus a Doctor of Medicine who upon some discontent did first vent it to wit That Ministers should only meddle with Preaching but should have no power to meet in Church Judicatories Sessions Presbyteries or such like nor should they punish Scandalous sins with Church Censures Such as Suspension or Excommunication But that all power whatsoever in a Nation both in Church and State should be in the hand of the Civil Magistrate This Doctrine so soon as it was vented did get and does yet get many followers chiefly among state Divines and Christians that know more of wordly policy than Christian simplicity so that in a short time if God prevent it not it is like to swallow up all other Controversies about Church Government so plausible and pleasing it is to the powers of the World who cannot well endure to have Christ Reigning besides them Psalm 2. 3. Let us break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us Both Sectaries and Malignants do aggree in this Error to take the power of Discipline out of the Churches hand 's The spiritual power of Church Censures in the hands of Christs officers is an eye sore to both of them But to come nearer to the point There are two heads of this Erastian Doctrine which we shall labour to refute The First is most gross whereby they affirm That there is no particular Church Government set down in Scripture In a word that there is no Government in the Church by divine right but that this Government is left in the hands of the Civil Magistrate whether to erect any Government at all in the Church or not or if he please to erect one That he may establish That Government which suits best the well-being of the Civil state So that according to this Doctrine the Civil Magistrate may establish Episcopacy this year the next year he may establish Presbytry and the third year he may cast both and establish Independency And if he like He may find out a Government different from any of these and establish it The Second Erastian Error is this whereby they affirm whatever Government be in the Church whether grounded in Scripture or not that according to Scripture it is in the hands of the Civil Magistrate and that he is the chief fountain of Church Government In opposition to the first Error we lay down this Conclusion which God willing we shall make good That Jesus Christ the King and head of his Church hath established a particular form of Church Government in his word which to alter is not in the power of any State whatsoever He hath set down a way for punishing Scandals for inflicting Church Censures Enacting Church canons And hath not left this in the Arbitriment of Kings or Parliaments to set down any Government they please In prosecuting which point we shall follow that Method we keeped in refuting the Doctrine of Tolleration We shall First clear the State of the Question Secondly We shall bring Arguments to confirm the Truth Thirdly We shall Answer these Arguments the Adversary brings against the Truth And so we shall apply all to Use. I. And First for clearing the State of the Question take thir two assertions First we do not affirm that all the Circumstantials of Church Government is set down expresly in the word But only first That all the
not absurd for in our Parliament Commissioners from Shires are Judges to the whole Kingdom But how It is as they are joyned in Parliament not by themselves alone It is in matters common to the Shire not in other petty particular Affairs And so it is here They are Elders to all the Congregations indeed as they are joyned together in the Presbytery But not by themselves alone In things of common concernment to the whole particular Congregation not in these Duties belonging to every Congregation in particular Object 4. If this Subordination and Judicatory above Judicatory were of Divine Institution It s like Scripture would have spoken more plainly of it not leaving it to be drawn out by so many far fetch'd Consequences Answer We have already given sufficient Warrand for this Government by clear Consequences from Scripture And Consequences from Scripture are Scripture else we must cast at many points of Divine Truth which have no other ground but Scripture Consequence As the Trinity and Change of the Sabbath yea we see Christ himself grounding a material point to wit The Resurrection upon Scripture Consequence Mark 12. 26. 2. We must not teach God how to set down his mind in Scripture We perchance think It had been a plainer way to have cast matters of Religion to so many Heads By which means many Controversies should have been shunned But He hath thought otherwise The Lord in Wisdom hath scattered the parcels of every Truth through his Book intermixing it with other Subjects as the Gold is in the Mine and this to exercise his people in searching out his mind from Scripture IV. In the last place We come to make some Vse of what is said And the first Vse is this If it be so that this Government by Presbytery is grounded on the word of God Then ye would know it is not a thing of nought we are contesting for It 's a part of that Truth once delivered to the Saints and a Truth of no small concernment What would become think ye of Particular Congregations If they had none above them to call them to an account What Divisions Strifes Heresies Schisms would ensue if people were informed of these Contests that have fallen out among our Opposits themselves where this way of Independency was followed The one half renting from the other Excommunicating one another It might make moderate Men scar at it But we need seâ—k no other evidence of this than by looking on Scotland and England these years by past In the Church of England Presbytery could not be set up Independency was pleaded for and practised And what is become of it Sathan hath vomited out a floud of Errors that there were never more nor more gross in any time of the Christian World Yea all the rotten Graves of old Heresie are digged up and now avowed Socinianism In denying Christs Righteousness in the matter of Justification Anabaptism In denying the Baptizing of Infants Arianism In denying the Trinity And many other such like Yea there are some Errors there that were never before heard of Some affirming There is no Church they can joyn with And therefore They turn Seekers Some are above all Preaching Prayer and all Ordinances And all these are the Fruits of Independency Again look on the Fruits of the Presbyterial Government in Scotland where it hath been in Vigour God hath made it an Hammer for battering down the beginnings of Error So that these twelve years bypast not any one Error hath come to any Strength And this all under God from Presbyterial Government being His Institution Our Judicatories were indeed terrible as an Army with Banners though indeed we are now like to turn contemptible God himself heal our Breaches Secondly Guard against the Errors that would draw you from this Truth If ye cannot carry the grounds we have been speaking of with you yet ye may remember ye once heard this Truth confirmed from Scripture and Reason That so when ye meet with temptations to quite it ye may advise well before ye yeild I would press this so much the more As that this Doctrine of Presbyterial Government is the Butt of Sathan's Envy the thing he would have most gladly overthrown As that which stands most in his way For so long as it stood in its integrity We might in the Lords strength have defied the Devil to have brought Error into Scotland And indeed it is the thing he sets himself to brangle To get the hedge once plukt up that so the wild Boar of the wilderness may come in And believe me there is nothing makes me more affraid than that through Gods permission the Devil shall get a deludge of Error brought in on Scotland Because those who have been intrusted with this Government have weakned the power of it by Divisions among our selves A copy is casten How that Erronious Spirits need not stand much on the Authority of Assemblies when they would cross their Designs We are affraid yea we may be past â—ear and conclude That Presbyteries Synods c. have lost much of the weight They had lately in mens consciences Only let me intreat you in the bowels of Christ That ye would put a difference betwixt the Government it self and the Persons who are intrusted with it Doe not charge the faults of the one upon the other The best things that are may be abused And it is Peoples Tryal to put difference between the good of a thing and the Abuse of it The Government is good and of God and the abuse of it is evil and of men What is of God cleave to it and stick fast by it what is from mens corruptions mourn for it Pray themselves may get a sight of it And thus ye shall walk in an eaven way Ye had need to deal with God to ground you in the knowledge of these things For we know not how soon we may be put to it to quite them Only remember They are Truths ye have sworn to maintain with your hands lifted up on high SECT V. A SHORT REFUTATION OF THE ERROR OF Separation Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church WE have gone through these Controversies which are about the Government of the Church We are now to refute some dangerous Errors of Doctrine And first We shall begin with the Error of Separation The Errors of Separatists are many but we shall only engage with two Heads of them which are the main The first is That which they teach concerning the Constitution of the Visible Church Or who it is that should be received Members of Christs visible Body The second is That which they hold to be the duty of every sincere Christian viz. That when they spy any corruption in a Church wherein they are Members as if Persons Scandalous be admitted to the Lords Supper seeing they ought all to be Gracious who come there Then say they It is their duty to keep back from
the Communion and not only so but to quite That Church and set up a new Church of Their own We shall begin first with that Doctrine that concerns the Constitution of Visible Churches And therein we shall follow our usual Order First Clear the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly Answer those they bring against the Truth And Fourthly Apply the whole to some Use. I. First For clearing of the Question ye would know what Church it is concerning which the Controversy is First It is not that place where Gods people meet to go about Gods publick Worship such as this House we now are in which is called the Church by a Figure improperly But it is the People gathered together in it which People are really and properly the Church although the House be so called because it contains them by an usual Figure The Church that we are to dispute of is made up of Men and Women And not that which is built of Timber and Stone Secondly The Controversy betwixt Us and Them is not concerning the Invisible Church that is called the Church of the First-born Those who by vertue of their Effectual Calling are united to Jesus Christ the Head are living Members of His Mystical Body and draw Spiritual Influence from him Concerning the Church taken in this Sense There is no Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists but that the Members of this Church are only made up of Believers are all gracious because this Church is Christs Mystical Body a Royal Priest-hood the Lambs Wife all fair undefiled c. Thirdly The Question Then is concerning the Church Visible which is a Company of Men and Women who have according to the Tenor of Gods Covenant with the Visible Church an Outward Ecclesiastical which is in its kind a real Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Children of God This being the Church about which the Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists is We shall speak a litle to clear what is meaned by it And First The Church is called Visible not because the Members of it may be seen For in that respect the Church Invisible the Church of Believers may be called Visible For the Members of it being believing Men and Women may be seen also But the difference betwixt the Churches in those two Senses is taken from that which makes one to be a Member of the one Church as it differs from that which makes one a Member of the other That which makes One man a Member of the Invisible Church is True Grace sincere Faith inward Marks thereof Now Grace is a thing that cannot be seen by another certainly It s true there are outward effects of it but they are such that a Hypocrite may have the counterfeit of them so as the one cannot be discerned from the other by a Beholder The nature of Grace is only known Infallibly and certainly to God And therefore This Church is called Invisible Again that which makes a Man or Woman a Member of the Visible Church is something that may be seen something that may be judged of by those who have Power to receive Members into the Church and cast them out from it Secondly We said that this Visible Church is a Company or Society of Men and Women that have an Ecclesiastical Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God For understanding what is meaned by enjoying of Outward Priviledges we shall show you That there are Outward Priviledges and Inward Priviledges of those who are the Sons of God Inward Priviledges are Jesus Christ himself a Right to him a saving Right to the Covenant of Grace and Life Eternal These are the Inward Priviledges of the Sons of God And only Believers have right to those Painted Hypocrites have no right to them But Secondly There are Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God such as these To be ordinary Hearers of the Word Preached To be taken a care of by Jesus Christ his Servants To have liberty to come to the Sacraments These are Outward Priviledges And these are Priviledges that a Member of the Visible Church hath a right to We said they had an Ecclesiastical Right or a Church Right to them That is such a Right as gives Warrand to the Church for receiving them to enjoy these Priviledges and yet possibly they have not a Right to them before God As for Example when there is a painted Hypocrite in a Congregation who makes Conscience seemingly to use the Means That man hath an Ecclesiastical Right to come to a Communion such a Right as may Warrand the Minister for admitting of him although he have not a Right to come before God God will challenge the Hypocrite for coming and not the Minister for suffering him to come Yet we are still to consider that tho' this Ecclesiestical Right be not Saving yet it is Real in its kind being founded upon Gods Covenant with the Visible Church and his Ordinance of admitting such therein Now ye may know somewhat by this what we mean by an Ecclesiastical Right it 's That which gives warrand to Church Officers to admit a man to enjoy these Outward Priviledges And so ye may know what we mean by the Visible Church whereof we Dispute There are several differences betwixt Us and the Separatists Concerning the Visible Church First They affirm That there is no Visible Church on Earth But a single Congregation As many as may meet in one place This we refuted in the former Controversie by shewing That in the Church of Jerusalem there were far moe than could meet in one single Congregation yea many particular Congregations And yet are called but One Church Secondly They differ much from us as also from the Truth concerning the power They give to this Visible Church They give them the full power of Church Government and that Independently from any Chuch power on earth This difference also we spoke of in the preceeding Debate And so we shall stand now no longer upon it Thirdly We differ concerning That which gives a Being to the Church Visible They say To make a Society of People a Visible Church so as to have right to partake of the Priviledges there of It is requisite that all the Members of that Society Swear a Covenant one to another wherein they bind themselves to submit one to another in the Lord to walk in all the Ordinances of God and not to leave that Society till liberty be given them by the rest So that tho a man should be never so truely Godly and Gracious yet if he take not such a Covenant and if he Swear not such an Oath He is without the Visible Church He is in the state of a â—agan to live and to die without any Church Ordinance The Judgement of our Church and that of Truth herein is this That wherever a man comes out of one Particular Congregation which we call a Paroch to another By his so doing he comes
A Good which they were to Follow The Evil to be Eschewed is in the second Sentence to wit That there be no Divisions or as it is in the Original Schism's among you I shall not enter to speak of the nature of Schism or how it differeth from Heresy It is sufficient for the opening up of the Text to know what Divisions or Schisms the Apostle meaneth by here And that is know'n from the following Verse to wit Their Factious sidings in extolling One Minister and debasing Another with many fruitless Janglings and other bad consequences following thereupon whereof doubtless this was One The engaging of the Ministers themselves in Parties for upholding their Dependants So Verse 12. Every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas One saith Paul is best let us follow him Another sayeth Nay but Apollos is best we 'll follow him A third saith Cephas is better than them both I 'le follow none of them Now away with these fruitless Contests saith he In the next place There is the Good to be Followed and that is threefold in opposition to three sorts of Evils which usually accompany Schism in a Church The first Evil accompanying Schism is Flat Contradiction first among Ministers and next among People when not only their Opinions do differ but they are so hot upon the Business that at all occasions they proclaim their Differences In opposition to this he exhorts them To speak the same thing that is They would beware of Contradictions in a matter of so small importance Wherein they agreed they would speak to that Wherein they differ'd they would forbear others spending their time and parts upon more edifying purpose The second Evil accompanying Schism in a Church is Renting of Affections When the Members of one Body turn cold-rife one towards another and their Affection dyeth In opoosition to this Evil he exhorts them to be Joined together in the same Mind or the same Affection It 's true the Word here rendred Mind is used indifferently for the whole Faculties of the Soul as the Understanding Will and Affections But the Understanding being spoken to under the Word Judgement which followeth We think with some of the best Interpreters That by the Mind here is meaned the Affections So the thing he presseth in the second Place is That not only they would forbear others in the matter of their Publick Expressions but also would labour to blow at the Coal of their almost dying Affections The third Evil accompanying a Schism is Difference of Judgement And in opposition to this he exhorts them to be Perfectly joined in the same Judgement The meaning is They would labour to remove the Root of the Difference by coming to One Judgement Not as if the Apostle had been careless what Judgement they had been of providing they had been One No the one part of every Contradiction is Truth and there is no Truth which the Apostle would have denied for Peace This for the Duty pressed Next there are some Arguments perswading to this Duty As 1. There is the Apostles Insinuation partly in his Affectionate Exhortation I beseech you partly in his lovely Compellation Brethren 2. There is his Grave Obtestation By the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ That is to say as the Name of Christ is dear to you which ye profess so much respect unto so set about the Cure of these Factions and Fractious Sidings and Schisms by which His Name suffereth so much There is a third Argument to enforce this Duty in the words perfectly joined whereby the Apostle hints at the great Evil the Church was under by the present Schism and the great good they should attain to by the removal of it The word in the Original is borrowed from the Office of Chirurgeons and that part of it which consists in the mending of broken Bones and setting in joynt of Dislocated Members So it imports 1. That through occasion of the Schism they were put all out of joynt All the Members of the Church were Dislocated and therefore unfit so long as they remained in that case for doing of any good Office to the Body 2. It imports that their following of his Advice for removing of the Schism would set every Member of the Body in it's own place and so enable the Body for going about actions profitable unto it self which now the whole Members being out of joynt it could not do This This much for opening up the meaning of the Words Divers points of Truth arising from the several branches of the Text might here be handled but I intend to insist upon One arising from the scope which will comprehended the most part of the rest It is this Vnity in the Church is a thing much to be laboured for and sought after and Division and Schism in a Church is much to be eschewed In prosecuting this Doctrine I shall first distinguish Vnion That we may know what Vnion is meaned 2. I shall confirm the point 1. By Scripture 2. By Reason 3. I shall apply the Doctrine for our Vse First then To know what Vnion the Text and Doctrine speaks of It 's fit you know That there are several sorts of Union 1. There is an Union of the Church Invisible the tye and bond whereof is Inward Graces All the Members of the Church Invisible are United to Christ the Head by Faith and one to another by Love This is not the Union here meaned The Text speaks of a Visible Union of the Church Visible In Opposition to a Visible Rent and Schism Secondly There is an Union of the Church Visible and of it's Members among themselves This again is twofold The first is That Vnion which is necessary to the Being of a Church and the Being of a Member So that a Church cannot be a Church nor a Man a Member of the Visible Church without it Wherein this Vnion consists is Controverted betwixt Us and the Independants But the Doctrine meaneth not of This Vnion either So we insist not on it The Vnion pressed in the Text is such that the Church at Corinth for the time did want and yet remained a Church The Union therefore here meaned is A second sort of Union belonging to the Visible Church To wit That which is necessary to the Well-being of a Church without the which tho a Church remain a Church yet she losseth much of her outward Beauty her Authority is much weakned her great work which is the edification of her self in Love Eph. 4. 13. is much retarded She remains a Church but not such a Church as is described Cant. 6. 10. Who is she that looketh forth as the Morning fair as the Moon clear as the Sun and terrible as an Army with Banners A divided Church is not such a Church But for further understanding of the Vnion here pressed ye would know that this Union which is necessary to the Well-being of a Church is Threefold 1.
trust Act 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whither those things were so They would not take the Apostles Doctrine on trust and this is a command given by Paul writing to the Thess 1 Epistle ch 5. v. 21. Prove all things after he had said despise not Prophecyings So that Doctrines should be brought to a Tryal whatever be their fair pretences Reas The Reasons are first because foulest Errors may be coloured over with fairest pretences And Secondly the Scripture sayes all men are Lyars that is to say all men may Err and therefore words cannot be the Ground of Divine Faith for Faith must have an infallible ground as Ephes 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. i. e. the word Preached by them and dictated by the Spirit of God Vse This Doctrine reproves first the Papists that will have nothing Tryed that comes from the Church but all taken upon trust hence is it that many swallow such Monsters of Absurdities as the Errors of Transubstantiation Purgatory Merite Mals and such like for which they have no other ground but because their Church sayes so But this Doctrine holdeth out another duty that who ever heareth any Doctrine proponed by one or other they are bound to pass their Judgment on it Try the Spirits Now that we may walk betwixt extreams the Papists on the one hand who set up Tyranny and these Sectaries on the other hand who set up Confusion we would know there is a twofold Judgement to be passed on Doctrine Publick Judgement and Private Judgement Publick Judgement again is either peremptorily absolute or limited A publick peremptory Judgement is That which binds the Conscience to obey simply that which is spoken and none have this Judgement but God himself Secondly There is a publick Judgement which is limited and this is a publick declaring and holding out that which is found to be God's mind in his word which does not bind absolutely but in so far as it agrees with the Word and this Judgement belongs to publick Church Judicatories met together in Christs Name They are like the Lyon-Herauld set forth to proclaim the Royal Acts if he proclaim that which is contained in the principal Acts it binds but if he add any thing of his own it binds not Next there is a private Judgement of Discretion and this belongs to every Christian every man in relation to his own practice is bound to pass Sentence on what is held out to him by others that if it be right he may embrace it but if wrong he may reject it but his private Judgement is not binding to others Now this private Judgement or this Judgement of Discretion is necessary because all men may Err Councils may Err Synods c. And Secondly Their Error will not excuse private Christians to follow them in their Error sayes Christ When the Blind leads the Blind both falls into the Ditch And therefore there must be a Judgement of Discretion in private persons to try what they hear And this much for guarding against the Popish Tyranny but least this Doctrine be abused to cast at all publick Church Judicatories we shall next speak somewhat to guard against Sectarian Confusion First Although publick Church Judicatories have not Power to bind Consciences yet when men are in a doubt concerning a point of Truth their Judgement ought to have more weight than the Judgement of private Men And that not only because there are more Gifts exercised together but mainly because there is a promise annexed to the Commission given by Christ to publick Church Judicatories Matth. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And Secondly From this it followes that there would be a kind of loathness to differ from publick Church Judicatories a man's grounds would be well examined lâ—st if differing from these Judicatories they also differ from Truth And Thirdly when they differ they are to bear them at Reverence although in such a point they should Err yet for their Authority they are to be Reverenced This much is granted by us to Church Judicatories but no further They are not to be made the Rule of our Faith Vse 2. It reproves those who are Lazie and cannot endure the trouble of trying what they hear but take things on trust and have no more but such a mans Authority he is of that Way and Opinion and therefore they are Fire and Flint Tooth and Nail for it as much as if they had the Word of God for it We have seen much of this in the unhappy Differences that have fallen out in our time which I have no pleasure to speak much of and therefore we proceed to another Doctrine Doct. X. The next thing then that we observe is from what he sayes Try c. whether they be of God that is the Tryal The Doctrine is this That the right tryal of Doctrine is To try whether they be of God or not and this point puts us to give Marks whereby it shall be known what Doctrine is of God and what Doctrine is not of God and here we shall speak to two things First We shall show what are the marks that necessarly infer a Doctrine to be of God And secondly we shall speak of other things that do not infer necessarly a Doctrine to be of God but for the most part follow upon such a Doctrine For the First That which makes Doctrine necessarily to be of God is if it be according to the rule of the Word So when the Bereans are commended Acts 17. The rule they went by in the tryal of Paul's Doctrine is the Scripture And this is Isaâ—a's rule chap. 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. He would have all Doctrines tryed by the Word of God So the Word is the rule and that Doctrine which has the Word for it is of God and whatever Doctrine has not the Word for it is not of God All Spirits even the Spirit of God himself must be tryed that way And that because the Word is a perfect rule I give only two places of Scripture to clear the perfection of this rule First The heavy Plagues pronounced against those who add to this rule The Word is so perfect that if an Angel should come and pretend a purer Rule Let him be sayes Paul Anathema Gal. 1. 8. There is another place which proves the perfection of this rule according to this point in hand 2 Timoth. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for Instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect c. So there is as much in the word of God as may make the man of God perfect And this in relation
it followeth not that therefore they have no power to punish Error no more than because that a Godless Magistrate as Nero was may abuse his power to oppress Murther honest Citizens and do other Acts of Injustice against the second Table that therefore the Magistrate hath no power to punish Theeves Robbers Murderers because either through mistake or wickedness he may abuse it to punish innocent Men whatever remedy is left for the Magistrates abusing of his power under the one the same is left under the other as insome cases suffering in others resisting There is an Eighth Objection they have against this Truth say they we make the mean unproportionate to the end no outward force can convert a man and brâ—ng him to Christ it makes men but Hypocrites the blast of the Kings horn or outlawry can make no man a member of Christs body that must be done willingly not by compulsion and this were to cudgell People out of their opinions To this we Answer That our Doctrine doth not hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is any mean to convert Souls Only this it doth hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is a mean to restrain men from doing sinful Acts against Christ as Asa made use of his Civil Power to keep down Idolatry it puts People indeed on the profession of outward Obedience and to this it is very proportioned And therefore Secondly Though the blast of the Kings horn cannot make a Member of Christs invisible Body by working Grace Yet it may be a mean in its own kind for making a Member of the Church visible by with-holding from sinful Acts and putting them on Acts of outward Obedience A Third Answer we give That the power of the Magistrate doth not make men Hypocrites of it self but through the corruption of Man's heart who makes himself an Hypocrite The end of this ordinance what it is in it self is set down in Deut 13. 11. And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you That is the end that they being moved by their Example should abstain from such like worke but that they do this Hypocritically is from their corrupt nature who fears him more who can kill the Body than him who after he hath killed the Body can cast both Soul and Body into Hell We Answer lastly if this were a good Argument why a Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish for false Doctrine because throw occasion thereof many turn Hypocrites then say we It should follow that the Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish Incests Adulteries Murders Thefts c. because it is the occasion of many Hypocrites who abstain more from such for the fear of punishment than for the fear of God yea according to this Doctrine it should follow That the Preaching of the word should be unlawful because through the occasion of it many turn Hypocrites under it There is a Ninth Objection they have against this Truth and it is this say they By this power we give to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy we give him the Power of Church Judicatories to judge of Doctrines Error and Heresy In Answer to this we shall speak more fully in the 〈◊〉 Doctrine only for the present this giving Power to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy gives him not a publick Judgement to discern what is Error and what not as a Judge in Church matters but only a Judgement of Discretion in relation to his own Act As for Example when the Lord gives Power to Masters of Families not to let Hereticks come into their House it is not a putting the Power of Church Judicatories in their Hands IV. The last thing we promised to speak to you of was to give you some use of this And the First is to reprove those who think Opinions are free and that none ought to be punished for such We grant as we said that there would be a difference amongst Errors some more damnable some less and so to be less punished and there is a difference to be put amongst persons some are seduced some whose Conscience is Seared some venting their Darkness some seeking Light In such there should be a difference observed Again the Magistrate is to deal one way with a Community another way with some persons before it come to such an hight And Lastly He is to deal otherwise with Errors that cannot be mantained without troubling the Peace of the Church and State and those that break not Love nor strike not at any material point of Truth the last happily may be Tollerate if the Maintaineâ—s of them do not evidence contempt But not so the first These and such like Distinctions may be to qualify this Power but to deny it altogether is the most damnable Doctrine that ever was vented the Devil cannot take a shorter course to undoe Religion and there can be no heart zealous for God but he must loath it and therefore look so on it Think not what is that to you what others do if ye get leave to serve God your self Is that all your zeal for God that if ye get leave to serve him ye care not that all beside you Spit on his Face and serve the Devil Vse 2. Hence see what an Account those Magistrates have to make who make no use of their Power this way for God if they get their own Houses built cares not for his if Rebellion against themselves be curbed cares not for the curbing of Rebellion against God This was the Sin of the Parliament of England though they entred into a Covenant with the most high God That they would suppress Error and Heresy they never employed their Power that way and that because they durst not for angring of their Army and therefore God hath suffered their Army to overturn them and set themselves and whom they please in their place And now they by their practice give Tolleratâ—on to all and this is the way to strengthen them I say in the Name of the Lord if they repent not it shall be the way to ruine them A people Swearing in their low condition to root out Heresy c. And God blessing them from that day and within a few years carrying themselves as if they had Sworn to do the contrary to suffer all encourage all invite all the Devils in Hell to vent what Blasphemies they please and for their encouragement to give them Surety that no Power in Brittain shall hinder them Was there ever such an affront done to God Think ye that he will sit with it No if he should make the one half avengers of a broken Covenant against the other He will not It is noted of Asa 2 Chron. 14. 5. Gods way to keep Magistrates sure and their Kingdoms quiet is to be zealous against false Worship No but say they the way is not to anger Hereticks they
suppress sin as well as then Is not Christ perfect in all his House as well as Moses Yea in a word there can nothing be alleadged for a necessity to have a Church Government under the Old Testament but the same may be brought to prove the necessity of it under the New The Second Argument we bring to prove this point is taken from the native end of Church Government which is spiritual to wit For the edifying of the Body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. To gain the Soul of our offended Brother to Repentence Matth 18. 15. It is that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Corinth 5 5. So the end of the Church Government is a spiritual end and therefore it must have a Divine Original Church Government whose end is spiritual can be no humane Ordinance for such produceth no supernatural effects therefore it must have a higher warrand for it than that of the Magistrate Our Third Argument is taken from this that all the substantials of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture from which we make this Argument That Government whose substantial parts are all set down expresly in Scripture the Magistrate hath no power to alter it or put an other in its place but so it is that all the substantial parts of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture Therefore the Magistrate hath no power to alter it The thing we have to make out in this Argument is this That all the substantials of Church Government are set down in Scripture And to clear this we shall reckon up five things First That Church officers have their warrand from Scripture Thess 5 12. 1 Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine There is a Ruler or an officer with power to rule established in Gods house What they say That by Ruling there is meaned Preaching because Ministers guide People by Preaching is a frivolous Exception and that because of what is in the end of the Verse especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine So labouring in the word and Doctrine is one thing and Ruling is another thing and not one and the same as their Exception affirmeth But we shall find a more clear place for it in Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves There are Officers established with power to Rule and the People are commanded to submit and give Obedience to them and so there are Rulers Officers established in Gods Church Secondly The Courts and Judicatories of the Church have a warrand in Gods word and for this see Matth 18. 17 18. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven The Adversaries are so shamless that they say by the Church is here meaned the Civil Magistrate and that the complaint should be made to them But it is sure the Civil Magistrate is not here meaned And to prove it The Judicatory here meaned is that whereof the Apostles should be Members and therefore in v 16. It is said whatever ye to wit the Apostles shall bind on earth c. Now sure it is Jesus Christ gives no power to his Ministers to sit in Civil Courts and to judge of Civil business The third substantial of Church Government that hath warrand in the word is the subordination of lesser Judicatories to greater and this is warranted in Act 15 2. Where Paul and Barnabas come up from Antioch to a General Council at Jerusalem because the controversie in hand could not be ended at Antioch where there is a Court with power They determine the Question Censure the Schismaticks giving them the name of Lyars v. 24. The Fourth substantial of this Government set down in Scripture is the order of proceeding in relation to Censure 1. By private Admonition Then more pubâ—ick Matth 18. 15. The fifth thing is The nature and kind of thir Censures which are not bodily as takingâ— way the life but spiritual to wit Admonitions reproofs Casting out of the Church Matth 18 17 Let him he unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican Now from all this It evidently appears that Christ hath set down all the Substantials of Church Government in his word And seeing he hath done so what man dare alter it taking any prudential way for the good of the Church at his pleasure Yea there is a charge given to preserve all these inviolable till Christs coming 1 Tim 5. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality So that which Christ hath set down concerning the Government of his house is unalterable by any person whatsomever till the coming of Jesus Christ. So much for the third Argument There is a Fourth and it shall be our last which is this If so be that Christ hath left his House without any particular Government only referring it to the Civil State to appoint what Government they please it would reflect much on the wisdome of Jesus Christ For the Church visible is his Kingdom his House his Vinyard his Garden And shall we say that he hath appointed no Laws to Govern no Courts to guide this Kingdom but left it to the Civil Magistrate to appoint by whom and how it pleaseth him best A King of Clay would not do so with his Kingdom much less he who is the King of Glory This for the Arguments to confirm the Truth we shall in the next place Answer their Objections III. The First is say they from 2 Tim 3 16. The word of God is able to make a man perfect and therefore there is no need of Government We Answer This same Argument may as well strick against Magistracy But Secondly We say which we made already appear That the Government of the Church is grounded on the Word Hence their Argument proveth not because the Government of the Church is a part of the Word and is commanded by it and so it is not an adding to it But if they say the bare Preaching of the word is enough We Answer Not to detract any thing from the word Preached which is the mean appointed by God to save Souls yet the Exercise of Dicipline is necessary also It is necessary we say for Three Reasons 1. To keep the Ordinances of God from being polluted by the rushing foreward of Dogs and Scandalous Persons All the Preaching that can be to bid Scandalous men keep back will not do Then 2. It is necessary for keeping the Church from being infected by the contagion of Scandalous men Hence sayeth the Apostle Paul a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Therefore put the incestous man from among you 3. It is necessary for the good of the Soul
that is censured So in the 2 Thess 3. 14 note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed And 1 Cor 5. 5. Excommunication serveth for the Destruction of the Flesh that is To tame and mortify its Lusts And so although the word be only the necessary mean for the converting of Souls yet it doth not follow that the Government of the Church should not be exercised to wit that the word may work the better The Second Objection is this That all the Arguments we have to establish a Church Government by Divine right are taken from the Churches practice in the Apostles time and commands given them but it does not follow that what was then should be a rule now and they give this as the Reason of the difference because the Magistrate was then a Pagan and so would not meddle with these things but the case is now otherwise when the Magistrate is turned Christian. We Answer First By this it is granted that Church Government was an institution of Christ at least in the primitive times Now sure it is that every thing instituted by Christ layeth on a perpetual obligation except Christ in his word hath set a period that it should be only so long So if this Argument of theirs have any force they must show from Scripture that Christ hath appointed this period for Church Government so as it should be only in force under an Idolatrous Pagan Magistrate And that the Power of it should cease under the Christian Magistrate But no place of Gods word can be given for the proof of tâ—is But on the contrary a Command is given That which Christ delivered to the Apostles 1 Timoth. 6. 14 Should be keeped to his second coming And therefore it remains a perpetual Ordinance Secondly We Answer That if this were true then the Case of the Church should be worse under the Christian than the Pagan Magistrate If so be that under the one they have an Intrinsecal Power to purge and keep his Church free from Scandals but not under the other would not this be hard Thirdly We Answer That the reasons for which the Church did exercise Government in the primitive times were taken from common Equity and so are binding to the Church at all times We find this 1 Cor. 5. 5. Where a command is given to exercise Discipline by Excommunicating of the Incestuous person The reasons given are First The good of the Mans Soul verse 5. Secondly The good of the Church to be keeped from Infection vers 6. Now the Church is bound to see to these at all times We come to the Fourth thing which is a word of Vse And it serves 1. To reprove those who think debates about the Government of the Church useless and of no value To what purpose is it say they what be the Government and who governs if sin be punished and the Word Preached I answer ' it is of much moment For from what is said it appears that Church Government is an Ordinance of God a part of his word and they who evert it or gives way to the everting of it give way to evert a part of the Word of God yea to the bringing down of the Government of Christs own House It is a point of Truth that concerns no less than the Royal Diadem of Christ and all who have got good of Truth are bound to stand for it yea it is more than an ordinary Truth The question is concerning Châ—ists Kingdom if he have a Kingdom of his own distinct from the Kingdoms of the World If he shall have â—is own Laws Office-bearers Courts Censures according to his will in his Word or if all he hath left to that purpose be to scraâ—ched out and the Civil Magistrate to appoint what Laws Rules Courts he pleaseth in Christs House So it is a point relating to his Kingdom a Doctrine to be avowed and a point of Truth worth the Sustering for and which some have suffered for and boasted in it yea it is a point of Truth that hath this advantage beyond other Truths That Christ hath suffered for it himself in his own person for it 's clear that this was the only point he was accused on by Pâ—late and he avowed it Luke 23. 3. That he had a Kingdom though not of the World yet in the World We shall find that this point was chiefly laid to Christs charge in John 18. 33. 34 35 36 37. And this was the pâ—int that was driven home by the Jews 〈◊〉 Christ John 19. It was his 〈◊〉 on the Cross Jesus Christ of Nazareth King of the Iews And this was the point that straitned Pilate most and put him to it to make Christ suffer Joh. 19. So this point hath this advantage that in a special manner Christ sâ—ffered as a Martyr for it Should any then think it a little thing to suffer for God forbid Yea we may think it an Honour The Second Use If so be that Church Government is an Ordinance of God then those intrusted with it such as Ministers and Elders would discharge it as Service to God so as to be countable to him tâ—ere should be an other frame of Spirit when Men are in Church Judicatories than when they are in Civil Judicatories These are Ordinances of Men thir of God and require more than a common frame of Spirit Alas we may say for the Unministerial like Carriage of Ministers and Elders may justly provoke God to thro us out altogâ—ther A Third Vse of this point is That seeing Church Government is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ then ye that are people should obey and submit to those that are over you in the Lord otherwise if it be not tâ—us looked on it may provoke the Lord to remove the Hedge from us and if this were God knoweth what we would be we are evil now but if people got leave to do every thing that seemeth good in their own eyes we could not but be much worse Ye see what ye are with it but know not what ye will be without it And so much for the first Head of Erastian Doctrine Head II. The Power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate THe Second Head of Erastian Doctrine which we are to prove not to be of God is That whereby they affirm That all the Power of Church Government is in the Hands of the Civil Magistrate And here there are some differences among themselves some giving him all Power to dispence all Church Ordinances and this as a Magistrate without a Call from the Church and so to Preach and to Administrate the Sacraments Others again content themselves to ascribe to him only a Power of Jurisdiction to make Church Laws to inflict Church Censures And herein they also differ some puting this Power wholly in the Hand of the Magistrate Others conjunctly with the Ministers a third placeth it in him as the fountain and in Church-men but as
Magistrate may do somewhat here also He may command them to resume the matter he may compear in person and reason the matter and bid them see to it in the Name of the Lord and stir them up to judge it better and he may go from one Judicatory to another till he get this done As for example If it be a censure wrongously inflicted But yet it is still the Church Judicatory that must ranverse their own Censure The Third Argument they use against this Truth is If the Power were put in the Hands of the Civil Magistrate it would be a mean to decide all the whole Controversies about Church Government which are managed with so much Animosity on all hands Prelates plead that They should have the Power of it Independents That particular Congregations Presbyterians That Sessions Presbyteries Synods General Assemblies should have the Power of it the former being Subordinate to the latter Sessions to Presbyteries c. Hence ariseth all our Debates Now were not this good to take it from all and give it to the Magistrate We answer It is a way to end the Difference such as Solomon did to the two Women striving about the living Child It shall be none of yours A way that relished not with the kindly Mother of the Child 1 Kings 3. 25. Secondly We answer This Argument may take with natural Hearts who would buy Peace at any rate but not with those who are taught of God To buy the Truth and not to sell it For it holdeth out a way to end Controversies which is not God's His way is to establish what is right and to quite what is wrong But this way tends to suppress both right and wrong such Peace-makers will not be Blessed Thirdly The Presbyterians may borrow this Argument against Prelates Independents Erastians and have better right to it and so it will run thus If Church Government were put in the hands of the Presbytery It would establish and settle all Differences in the matter of Church Government betwixt Prelates Independents and Erastians Now if this Arment be good when they use it for them it must be also good when it is used for us But I doubt if they will admit of such like reasoning and so neither can we There is a Fourth Argument they use say they Jeremiah appealed to the Civil Magistrate Jerem 26. and so Paul Act 25. He appeals to Caesar. We answer let that place of Jeremiah cap. 26. be read and nothing will be found to prove that Jeremiah makes any appeal to the Civil Judicatories But Secondly Though he had appealed yet it does not prove that it is Lawful to appeal to the Magistrate in a Church business for the Sentence which the Priests had past on Jeremiah was Civil Thou shalt surely die v. 8. Now it was the Princes Duty to see to it That Innocent Jeremiah should not be put to Death especially by those who had no Powet to inflict such a punishment As for that instance Acts 25. 10 11. about Paul's appealing to Caesar it makes nothing to these purposes He appeals only from Festus an Inferior Civil Magistrate to the Superior And this we are not against But Secondly Though Paul had appealed from a Church Judicatory yet this makes nothing to confirm their Doctrine For the cause here whereabout Paul was to be judged was a Civil cause to wit Treason against Caesar And a thing worthy of Death Now we do Teach that a Church-man may appeal to a Civil Magistrate when he is questioned about his Life and for a Civil crime But hence it followeth not That we may appeal from a Church Judicatory when the cause is Ecclesiastick and no wayes civil Their last Objection is taken from 1 King 2. 27. Whereof they make much The words are So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord From which they argue thus Here is a civil Magistrate inflicting a Church Censure to wit Deposition of a Church-man to wit of Abiathar the Priest Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord Therefore Christian Magistrates have Power to Dispence Church Censures Yet we answer Solomon did nothing here but what we yeild to any Magistrate for a civil Magistrate may inflict a civil Punishment on any person whatsomever for a civil Crime and so was the present case Abiathar's Fault was Treason in assisting Adonijah to the Crown against Solomon appointed by God to it Secondly The Censure inflicted by Solomon was not a Church Censure but civil to wit Banishment to Anathoth as appears from verse 26. And therefore what is mentioned in verse 27. He thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord Is not the Censure directly intended by Solomon but that which followed upon his Banishment from Jerusalem ipso facto because the Office of the Priests could not be exercised but at Jerusalem IV. In the last place it follows That we give a word of use from all we have said The First use If so be that Jesus Christ hath appointed a Government in his House as is proven to be exercised by his own Officers Then know that those Magistrates that would ingross this Power to themselves so as to have his Courts and Censures depending on them or rather taken away and others put in their place do highly incroach on the Regal Power of our King Jesus Christ. And this seemeth to be the great sin of the Times Atheists prophane Men plead for it as looking for more forbearance to their Lusts from civil Powers than from Christs own Courts Civil Powers plead for it They are not content that Christ let Them reign and that they let Christ reign besides them But they must have him thrust out of his Throne and made to plead at their bar And so no wonder Christ overturn Kingdoms and Governments It was the Parliament of England's fault They feared lest Christs Courts should have wronged their Priviledges Hence they would not allow him his Priviledges They set up indeed a Government in Christ's House but it was a Lame one They durst not give Christs Courts their full Power but so as to be their Deputes And therefore they have dashed themselves against that corner-stone Christ Jesus until they are struck in pieces Their Fear is come upon them What they feared from Christs Courts they have met with at the Hands of their own Servants Our Kings have still been afraid of this and Malignants also going under the Name of Royalists They thought they could not get Their Throne secure if so be Christ got leave to reign besides them And this among many others hath made their Throne shake O that Kings would be wise and kiss the Son It would be their Wisdom to be faithful in what is committed unto them But for the Government of his House it is not in their Charter and so a thing that will not thrive in their hands their prudential Laws and Rules will do no good Secondly Yee would
ground your self in this Truth It may cost you much and though it should stand you never so much it is worth the avowing Christ himself suffered on this account as we have already shown and others of his servants have thought it their Glory to be called unto suffering for it Who am I saith Master Welsh That he hath not only called me to be a Preacher of glad things but also to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdom To wittness that good confession That Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Church is a most free Kingdom Yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven That she is free in her Government from all other Jurisdiction on Earth except only Christs We are waiting saith he with joyfulness to leave the last Testimony of our blood for the confirmation of this Truth If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity Thus He. And who knowes how soon he may honour some of us with that dignity A dignity indeed to suffer for the Royal Crown and Diadem of Our Lord Jesus SECT IV. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Independency Head I. The Power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church-Members THE dayes by-past we spake against the Doctrine of Erastianism And shew you that however it had many fair pretences yet it is to be reckoned among those Doctrines which are not of God We are now with the Lords assistance to speak against the Doctrine of Independency Ye Remember when we entered on these controversies about Church Government We shew you there were Four points of Truth which we should Labour to make good The first was That Jesus Christ the head of his Church had appointed in his word a way for the Governing and Ruling of his Church and that he had not left it to the power of the Civil Magistrate King or Parliament To establish what way of Government they please The second point was That this Government of the Church which Christ established in his word was not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate to be Executed by him Thir two points we have made good in our former Disputs against Erastianism The third point of Truth is this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not committed the power of Governing his Church unto the Body of Believers To the community of Church Members but hath established it in the hands of his own officers Ministers and Elders The Fourth point of Truth which we promised to prove was this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not given particular Elderships and Church Sessions the Supream power of Church Government in their hands so as that there should be none above them to call them to an account But that they are subject in the Lord to Superior Church Judicatories such as Presbytries Synods and General Assemblies These two last points we are to make out in Refuting this Doctrine of Independency This Error of Independency above all other we may call a fountain Error It is the Sluce whereby an entrance is made to all other Errors of what sort soever This is the Error whereby the most part of those that hath fallen from the way of Truth these years by past have been first hooked They first turned Independents yet rested not long there but proceeded from evil to worse Our scope shall be in this as in the former points to show That however it hath many fair pretences yet when it is brought to the Tryal it will be found not to be of God There are two main heads of this Error of Independency opposit to the two last points of Truth which we promised to make out The first is That whereby they affirm That Jesus Christ has given the power of Governing the Church unto all those that are Members of the Church Although they be not Ministers or Elders To the community of believers as they call it The second Head of their Error is this They do affirm that Jesus Christ hath intrusted particular Congregations Elderships or Church Sessions with the highest power of Church Government on earth so that there is no Judicatory above them to call them to an account As for the first Head of their Error which we are to speak against at this time Therein they have different Opinions among themselves some affirming that the power of Governing the Church is given to the Body of Church Members the community of Believers without the Minister and Elders yea a power over them to ordain them Censure depose them and inflict all other Church Censures Others give them this power conjunctly with the Church Officers Ministers and Elders Secondly Some give only the power and Authority to Govern to the Church Members But for the Exercise of that power they allow it to the Elders Yet so as to the Peoples deputs to whom they must give an account Others give the People not only the power and Authority but also the Exercise of this Government So that the People may sit down in Church Judicatories themselves enact Church Canons inflict Church Censures c. Thirdly Some give them the Exercise of this power only in some things as the Excercise of the power of Jurisdiction to make Church Canons and inflict Church Censures But not to Preach Others give them a full Exercise of Authority to do all We in opposition to all these lay down this conclusion which we shall Labour to make good from the word of God and solid Reason to wit That Jesus Christ hath not given to the Body of Church Members or to private Christians either the power or Exercise of Church Government neither in whole nor in part but hath intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders I prosecuting this point we shall follow forth the former Method First We shall clear the State of the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth And Thirdly We shall propone and answer their Arguments brought against the Truth And Fourthly We shall shall apply the whole to some use I. For clearing the state of the Question Thâ—a it may be known what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny several distinctions would be given First There is difference betwixt Church power or Authority and Christian priviledges We do grant several Christian priviledges to private Christians but these do not infer any Church power or Authority of Governing the Church As for Example We do grant to the People a Power of Electing their own Officers Ministers or Elders we grant to them a power to try the Spirits whether they be of God i e They are not to believe blindly what Ministers say but have a power to Try what they say in Relation to their practice To pass a Judgment of discretion upon it whether it be according to the word or not We grant these priviledges to the People but none of them doth
infer any Church power which we clear in both First The Peoples power in Electing their Minister doth not infer any power of Church Government in them and that because it is not the Peoples Election or their choise that makes the Minister to be a Minister or gives him Authority to Exercise the Ministerial calling but it is the Act of Ordination by imposition of the hands of those who are Church Officers that makes the man the Minister and gives him Authority We shall find this Acts 6 3. where the Peoples Election and Ordination by Church Officers is clearly distinguished Wherefore Brethren say the Apostles look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom there is the Peoples Election whom we may appoint over this busines There is the Church Officers part Though the People look them out and choise them that gives them not the power of their calling untill the Church Officers appoint and ordain them Secondly The power of trying the Spirits doth not infer any such power or Authority of Government in the People otherwise it should follow that the People of Berea who did try Pauls Doctrine Act. 17. 11. And compared it with the word whetber those things were so had Authority over Paul which none will affirm A Second distinction to clear the state of the Question is this There is a great difference betwixt those to whom the Authority of Governing the Church is given and those for whom or for whose good it is given although we deny that the power of Governing the Church is given to private Believers yet we grant it is given for them So all Ordinances are given for the good of Believers As it is Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets aud some Evangilists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints c. and in this respect 1 Cor 3. 21 22. all is said to be theirs For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours i. e. given for their good But hence it will not follow that because Church Discipline is given for them that therefore they have the power of it for in this respect Paul is given to every particular believing Woman and yet it does not follow that Women have Pauls Authority And so the Body of the particular Church hath not this power in their hands although the power be given for their good A Third thing for understanding the State of the Question We do willingly grant to private Christians power to admonish exhort in the Lord out of Charity and this they may extend even to Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry But this Liberty to admonish by way of Charity doth not import any Church power in them over those whom they rebuke no more than Pauls rebuking of Peter Gal 2. 14. doth infer a power in Paul above Peter So ye see what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny The sum whereof is this That Jesus Christ hath not given them any power of Church Government or the Exercise of it either in whole or in part but has intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders This for clearing the state of the Question II. We come now to Arguments for clearing the Truth And the First is this That Jesus Christ hath given no warrand to private Christians for Governing his House or for the Exercise of this Government and therefore they have no right to it The consequence must be clear For none has right to play the part of a Governour in Christs Church except those who have a warrand in his word for it Now that private Christians have no warrand in his word for Governing the Church either expresly or by good consequence either by precept or promise or any thing else it is clear from this that in several places of the Word this power is denyed unto them So Rom 10. they must not exercise the Power of Preaching for how shall they Preach except they â—e sent v. 15. Now the whole communiâ—y of Believers cannot be sent besides they have no ability to discharge this Office there is but one of a Thousand that can convince gainsayers Is apt to teach that is able to cut and divide the word aright and so they have no power to Preach And Secondly From this it will follow that they have no power to Administrate the Sacraments for Christ Jesus hath joyned both these powers in one Commission He gives no power to any to Aministrate the Sacraments but those to whom he gives power also to Preach Matth 28 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them- c Power of Preaching and Administrating the Sacraments go together And so seeing the one power is denyed to them the other must be denyed also Thirdly They have no power to ordain Ministers or to execute any other act of Church Jurisdiction for they have no ability to try Ministers gifts there is no precept commanding them to do it there is no practice in the New Testament proving that ever they did it as shall be more fully cleared in answering the Arguments they bring for it And so they have no right to Govern the Church The Second Argument for the Truth is this That this Doctrine of theirs whereby they give the power of Governing the Church to private Christians doth overturn the order established by Jesus Christ in his House And therefore they have no right to it The consequence none may doubt of For nothing appointed by God doth evert the order established by himself Now that this Doctrine of theirs whereby they put the power of Governing the Church in the hands of the People doth evert the order appointed by Christ is clear Because his order is That some be watchmen some watched over some Rulers some to submit some Governours some to be Governed some Sheepherds some the flock But if so be that all the Members of the Church had the power of Governing in their hand then all should be overseers watchmen Rulers Governours and none more than another If so be that power to Govern should flow from this That they are Church Members For all are so alike The Third Argument we bring for the Truth is this That to whomsoever Christ Jesus hath given warrand for Governing the Church to those he gives promises of sutable abilities for discharging of that great Trust But so it is that Jesus Christ hath not gifted neither promise to gift every Christian nor yet requireth He answerable gifts for Government from them And therefore he hath given them no warrand for Governing the Church For the first part of the Argument that those to whom he gives the power of Church Government he doth also promise them sufficient abilities for their Trust is clear For how could it stand with the wisdom
of God to commit the great affairs of his House to those whom he hath not qualified to that purpose Besides no instance can be given that ever he trusted any with those things but he promised them furniture and in some measure enabled them accordingly So when he sendeth forth Moses Jeremiah Isay c. he giveth them furniture and when he sendeth out the Apostles he furnishes them for that End So John 20. 21 Then said Jesus to them again peace be unto you as my Father sent me even so send I you There is the commission given them and upon the back of this in v. 22. And when he had said this he breathed on them c. There is the Furniture And so does he to Ministers whom he entrusts with this power He promises them Furniture Matth 28 20 and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World There a promise made to the Apostles and in them to the Ministers as appears from these following words even unto the end of the World And so these promises could not be fully verified in the Apostles who were to die within a little but in Ministers their successors to the Worlds end Now it is very evident he hath neither made such promises to every particular believer for Governing the Church neither doth he perform them unto them What Is every believer furnished with that measure of knowledge prudence and wisdom that is required for the right managing of the affaires of Church Government Yea God doth not require it of them And so certainly it stands not with his wisdom to have committed the power of Church Government to all and every one of believers This for ouâ— third Argument Our Fourth Argument for the Truth is If so be that the power of Governing the Church belongeth to Church Members Then it belongeth to them either as they are gifted for it and chosen out for that purpose And if so then we have our intent For then all are not Church Governours but only those who are gifted and chosen And so Church Officers Or it belongs to them as believers or Church Members and if so then it Belongs to all for every one is a Church Member as well as another and every one that hath Faith is a believer as well as another and whatever priviledge floweth from Faith belongs to every believer the meanest as well as the greatest So if the right of Church Government be grounded on Faith and Grace then every believer and none but believers should have the right of it from whence shall follow many absurdities as that Children as well as Parents the simple as well as the wise Women as well as Men may Preach Administrate the Sacraments lay on hands in Ordaining the Ministers sit in Sessions inflict Censures Excommunicate and what not Secondly Then none but believers should have right to Church Government So none hath power to Baptise Censure c. But they that have Grace And upon this People should have Reason to doubt whether they be rightly Baptised or not because they know not if the Minister who Baptised them had Grace or not and if he wanted Grace he had no power of Church Government by this Doctrine And so no power to Baptise We bring a Fifth Argument for the Truth and it is this private Christians are in no place of Scripture acknowledged to be Church Governours There are no names nor titles given to them importing this power to be in them as is given to Church Officers 1 Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour And 1 Corinth 12. 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. But no title of that kind is given to private Christians Yea they are set down plainly under names in opposition to Governours As the flock to Overseers Acts 20. 28. Take heed tberefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers c. Yea and are commanded to honour obey submit to their Governours set over them and distinct from them Hebr 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. Now it is strange to imagine That Christ should have intrusted them with highest power of Government And yet in all the stiles he gives them there is nothing imported of that power but much of their Subjection Surely he hath not done so with Officers as we have shown And let any discover the Reason of the difference A Sixth Argument for the Truth is this If so be that the power of Governing the Church be given but only to some then it does not belong to all but so it is that the power of Governing the Church is only given to some therefore not to all Church Members The first part of the Argument cannot be denyed For the second That it is only given to some see those proofs that limit this power only to some as Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. Some and therefore not all 1 Cor 12. 28. which we cited before and God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers There are but some that he hath set for Governing his house and therefore not all and Heb 13 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. Tim 5. 17. as is likewise before cited There are some then that rule to whom the rest ought to submit And so all are not Rulers There is a Seventh Argument for clearing the Truth And it is this That power which Jesus Christ hath not set down rules and limits to order it by in his word is not of God but he hath set down no Rules how to direct the managing of Church Power in the hand of Church-Members therefore it is not of God The first part of our Argument That whatever Power is appointed of God he hath set down Rules how to order it is very clear As we may prove by the Enumeration of lawful Powers He hath set down Rules how to Regulate the Power of a King that he play not the Tyrant He hath set down Rules to Regulate the Power of Masters Parents by So the Power in the Hand of the Church Officers is regulated that they Rule with Diligence Rom. 12. 8. And so through the Epistles to Timothy and Titus But so it is that he hath set down no Rules to order Church Government by in the Hands particular Believers For in no place of the word will such Rules be found Ye that are the flock govern the Pastors and feed them watch over the People of God lay hands suddenly on no man I say there are no such directions given to private Christians and therefore this pretended Power is not of God Our last Argument for the Truth is If so be the Power of governing the Church doth belong to every
Church-member then every Church-member is bound in Conscience to attend all Church Judicatories to wait on the deciding of all Ecclesiastical questions But what inevitable confusion would follow on this How long time would it take to inform People about the Circumstances of things How tedious would it be to hear every mans judgment to the point And what distractions would it be to Peoples Callings This certainly would bring great confusion And so such a Power as this cannot be from God who is the God of Order These are now the Arguments for the Truth III. In the next place we shall answer their Arguments brought against the Truth The first they use is grounded on Coloss. 4. 17. A command There is given to the Body of Believers in reference to the Minister Say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord. From this they infer That People have Power to Censure their Minister And so have Church Authority We answer They make much of this Argument and yet it is little worth For they build their Power to Censure upon this that they have Power to Say A poor reason So Matth. 18. 17. Say to the Church or tell the Church It is the same word that is here used But to infer from this that one man had Authority over the Church were very ridiculous Surely if he had commanded a judicial act of Authority he would have said Command and Charge Archippus with all Authority as in the like case he speaks to Timothy But as we shew in the state of the question private Christians have Power to exhort and admonish one another yea their Pastors But this doth not import any Power of Church-Government over others else women who are not permitted to speak in the Church should have Power of Church-Government to make Church Canons Censure and Ordain their Ministers For they are bound to exhort and admonish as occasion offers Obj. 2. A second Argument they bring from Act. 11. 1. When Peter comes up to Jerusalem verse 3. the people Challenge him saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them and verse 4 He begins to clear himself to them and rehearsed the matter from the beginning c. And from this they reason thus That the Church hath Power to call Peter to an account And therefore they have Power to Censure for Scandals It s answered first Besides the People there were Apostles and Brethren There verse 1. Secondly We answer It doth not follow because Peter purgeth himself of a Scandal unjustly laid upon him That therefore they had Power to Censure him For every Christian is bound to clear himself to another Christian of that which he is stumbled within his carriage yet one private Christian hath not Church Power over another to Censure So Peter was bound to clear himself before any one of them and if he had done wrong to take with it but that That one could not be a Church Judicatory having Power to inflict Censure on Peter our Opposits themselves will grant Obj. 3. A Third Argument they bring against the Truth is from Revel 2. 14. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam The Spirit of God here is wriâ—ing to the Church of Pergamus And after he hath commended them for their Doctrine he reproves them for not exercising Discipline against these Hereticks to wit Balaam Iesabel and the Nicolattans Now from this they argue The whole Church is reproved here for not executing Discipline against these Hereticks and therefore they had power to do it Otherwise they would not have been reproved for the neglect of it But that all were reproved they prove from vers 13. and its connection with the 14. say they these who are commended in the 13. are rebuked in the 14 verse I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Sathan's seat is c. But so it is that not only the Ministers and Elders but all the People dwelt where Sathan's Seat was Therefore they all are reproved Answer It followeth well that they are all reproved for one fault But not that they were accessory to it after one and the same way It was the Rulers part judicially to cast out these vile Hereticks It was the Peoples part to have stirred up the Rulers to it Now because these were neglected on both hands both have their own guilt and so both reproved for their respective guilt The People are reproved for not Mourning to God for the tollerating such like abominations and their not stirring up the Rulers to take course with them But it will not follow that they were reproved for not sitting down in the Judicatory and inflicting Censures themselves That was the Rulers fault And therefore we deny that they are all rebuked for their accession to that guilt in the same way And we clear it thus Doubtless the Teachers did not teach against these vile Hereticks Now there were Women there and yet surely they are not rebuked for not Preaching against them for They ought to be silent in the Church So their fault as of all other Church Members was of another kind to wit Their not Mourning nor stirring up the Officers And so it followes that it was their Duty to Mourn stir others up to their Duty which we grant But not to exercise the Power themselves for that is not the thing they are reproved for Obj. 4. The Fourth Objection is grounded on Mat 18 17 If he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Whence say they the power of Church Censure is in the hand of the Church but so it is Church Officers are never called the Church Neither can they be so called without the Body of the People Therefore the power of the Church Censures is in the hand of the Body of the People Wee Answer This Argument will make more against them than us and that because they grant that neither Women nor Children have hand in Church Government but only professing Men Now they shall get no place in Scripture wherein the name of the Church is given to the Body of the Men Assembled without Women and Children Secondly We grant that the name of the Church is very sparingly given to Officers without the People Yet we say 1. 't is given them in some places As for Example Acts 18. 22. It is said of Paul When he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the Church c. Now by the Church here certainly cannot be meaned the body of professâ—rs which did amount to many thousands of People as shall appear from Acts 21. 20. In its own time So by the Church must be meaned the Chief men and Rulers of the Church For Paul having so short time to stay he seeing them but at the by could
under a duty and Obligation which he is bound to before God and the Congregation also to discharge himself in Namely all the Duties pertaining to a Member of that Particular Congregation or Paroch to which he comes Although he Swear not such an Oath We say Secondly he may also Swear to do these Duties But Thirdly To bind this on all the Consciences of the Members of the Church to take such an Oath so as if they take it not They are not Church Members We say It is Will Worship not commanded by God either by Practice or Precept in Old or New Testament We might easily prove that Jesus Christ never took This way to gather a Visible Church But the main difference is the Fourth and that is Concerning those who are to be kept or received Members of the Church Visible Or who they are that have right to these Outward Priviledges we spoke of That which they hold in this Point is That they would have all Visible Churches disolved and then Churches gathered out of these wherein none are to be received or admitted to partake of Church Priviledges so as to be under the care of Ministers Admitted to the Sacraments c. but those who have evident positive signes of Grace and these not only evident to the Minister and a few moe but to all the Members of the Congregation so that every one in the Congregation must be convinced so far as men can attain unto that he hath Grace or else he is no Member of the Visible Church by which Rule they model Congregations But there was never a Congregation since Christ was on the earth so constitute except Their Own For according to this Rule they will cast out the Two Part and of some Congregations leave Ten Parts and take but the Eleventh leaving all the rest as Pagans without Baptising their Children or admitting themselves to any Church Priviledge This is what They hold As for the Judgment of our Church and that which is according to the Word take those Assertions First We hold that every man indeed that is a Member of the Visible Church ought to have Grace so that he sins against God and his own Soul if he have it not And all the priviledges he enjoyes will do him no good without it We say in this respect all the Members of the Church ought to have Grace But to say That they so ought to have Grace that none of them must be admitted to be a Member of the Church Visible without it This we deny It is ill reasoning from unanswerableness to an obligation to a forfaulture of Priviledges For every man that is a Magistrate ought to have Grace so as he sins against God if he have it not yet a man may be a lawful Magistrate and have the Priviledges of a Magistrate although he have not Grace Secondly We do willingly grant that in the Constitution of our Church and admitting of People to the Lords Table Our Practice comes far short of the Rule There is not that care taken to purge out scandalous persons as should be Our practice is indeed short of the Rule But Our Rule which we shall hold out as we shall prove is Good To know then what is the Rule according to which we should admit men to be Members of the Church First There are some who are admitted to some Priviledges only and not to all as to Baptism And these are Members of the Church Incompleatly They are Members but not so fully And those are Infants that are born within the Church Visible They are Members although not to be admitted to the Lords Supper Now betwixt Us and the Separatists herein to wit whether Infants should be Baptized there is no difference Secondly There are some who are admitted to all Priviledges of the Visible Church And those are Members Compleatly and fully And concerning those the dispute is Who are those that ought to be admitted to all the common Priviledges of the Visible Church They mantain as we heard that none should be admitted but those that can give evident Signs of Grace to the satisfaction of the Consciences of all within the Church We hold First that if it be known that Men be Baptized And Secondly If they be free of Scandal And Thirdly If they submit themselves to the Doctrine of the Gospel and have some competent knowledge of the Grounds of the Christian Religion If these things I say be in a man We hold that he is to be received although he cannot give evident signes of the reality of the Grace of God in him to All. And this is the Controversie II. Now we come to prove that which we hold by Arguments The first is John the Baptist did not follow this Rule of Theirs in receiving Members to the Church and therefore it is not the right Rule That John the Baptist did not follow this Rule will appear if we consider Luke 3. Wherein consider Who it was whom John Baptized v 21. Now when all the People were Baptized c. It was all the People Consider Secondly What he requires of this People before he Baptize them We shall find in the preceeding words that he seeks no more than that they would be convinced that they were wrong before And Secondly Profess an earnest desire to amend So we find in v 10. And the People asked him saying what shall we do And the publicans in the 12. v do the same who yet were but Course Men. And in the 14 v The souldiers likewise demanded of him saying what shall we do Now these Questions import this much That they were convinced they were wrong and professed at least a desire to become better And accordingly John instructs them thus and thus ye shall do And without more ado in v 21. He Baptizes them Now it is not possible that John could have got positive signes from every one of them to convince him that they had real Grace Far less That every one of the multitude could have been perswaded in Conscience of the reality of Grace in each other And therefore the Rule of admiting men to be Members of the Visible Church cannot be this That every one to be admitted should have evident signes of Grace satisfactory to the Consciences of all John sought not this of those whom he received It 's true he fals very sharply on the Scribes Matth. 3 v 7 O generations of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come But it is as true when he hath rebuked them as ill as they were before seing now they professed a desire to amend he Baptizes them in v 11. I indeed Baptise you with water c The same You whom he spoke to in v. 7. As is clear from the Connexion of every Verse If it be Objected that they were not received to be Members of the Church although they were Baptized We shall once for all clear that Baptism sealeth up a mans
alone Because they cannot be sure enough that any others have Grace but only themselves There is a Sixth Argument taken from the similitudes and comparisons under which the Church Visible is holden forth in Scripture which similitudes do shew there is not That strictness required in admitting Members to the Visible Church as the Separatists judge It 's compared to a Draught net cast into the Sea that gathereth fishes good and bad Matth 13. Secondly To a Field wherein is Wheat and Tares ibid. Thirdly It is compared Matth 22. to a Table of Guests where there are some with and some without a Wedding Garment Fourthly It is compared to a House wherein are Vessels of Honour and Dishonour and to a Fold of Sheep and Goats And in every Church there are many Called but few Chosen Now how shall Tares chaff Goats c. give convincing signes of that which they have not Certainly these Similitudes seem to speak That there needs not so much Waling or Picking out in admitting Members to the Visible Church providing they be free of Scandals Once take them in and and then let the Word work on them This great Waleing and Separation will be when the Net comes to the shoar when the great Harvest comes when the Sheep and Goats are severed This much for Arguments for the Truth III. We shall in the next answer Their Objections whereby they labor to prove that the Church Visible should only be made up of such Church members as can give satisfactory Signs of Grace to each other Obj. 1. Their first Objection which is the most specious is taken from these Glorious sâ—â—ies given to the Church in Scripture They are called Saints a chaste â—â—rgine spoused to Christ Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty and Christs mystical Body whose Members are all Gracious Now say they seing the Church hath these Stiles in Scripture Should any be joyned to the Church but such who to the uttermost of our discerning have Grace For answer If this Argument conclude any thing it will conclude that none should be Members of the Visible Church but those who have Real Grace for none is a partaker of Christsâ— Mystical Body the Lambs Wife c. But such only Now this our Opposites themselves will not affirm They grant there may be painted Hypocrites in the Church and the Scripture saith the same for Ananias and Saphira Judas and Simon Magus were such and so these places of Scripture if they prove any thing will prove more than They will grant But to answer directly ye would know that in the Church Visible there is a Company of Good and Bad sincere Christians and painted Hypocrites Now the Scripture speaks of them sometimes according to the Better Part and sometimes according to the Worse Part where it speaks of them according to the Better Part it speaks so of them as if there were not One Evil Man among them all hence are these Stiles The Lambs Wise Sons and Daughters of the Almighty Called to be Saints c. They are so according to the Better Part. Again when it speaks of the Visible Church according to the Worse Part it gives such names as if there were not One Good Man among them all it calls them Stif-necked a Rebelious house Children that are Corrupters Now As it were ill Argued to conclude from these places where such stiles are given to the Church that every one within the Church were Corrupters Stif-necked c. and not one seeking God For there he gives them those Stiles from the Evil Part among them So it is also ill argued from these places where the Scripture calls them the Lambs Wife Sons and Daughters of the Almighty c. That they were All of them so And we shall clear it more fully from the Church of Corinth 2 Cor 6 18. They get many Glorious stiles They are called The Sons and Daughters of the Almighty they are called A chast Virgin c. 2 Cor 11 2. Now there were many Schismaticks among them some denying the Resurrection some Vilifying Pauls Doctrine Many who were Contentious Drunkards Fornicators so that these Stiles cannot be Verified of the Members of the whole Church but only of the Better Part that was among them even as men speaking of an Heap of Chaff and Corn will call it An Heap of Corn Not that there is nothing but Corn in it but because the Corn is the Best Part And so the Church Visible wherein is a mixed Company is denominated from the Better Part sometimes in Scripture and called Sons and Daughters of the Lord Almighty and sometimes from the Worse Part and called Stiff-necked c. Obj. II Their second Objection is taken from Act 2. 47. Where it is said And the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved Say they God added no other to the Church but such as would be saved therefore we should adde no others For Answer If any thing follow from this it would follow that none should be added to the Church but these who are Believers really for no other will be saved But this is against themselves And therefore our second Answer is this That the meaning of the words must be That He had a chief care of adding those to the Church who were to be Saved But it is not said that He added no other for the same Chapter sayes He added moe v 41 whole three Thousand were added and yet all those were not to be saved For there were Ananias and Saphira and doubtless many other Hypocrites among them Obj. III. The third Objection is taken from Matth 22. 12. In the Parable concerning the Kings Banquet where he bids his Servants go and invite to the Marriage and finding One wanting the Wedding Garment says he Friend how camest thou in hither not having a Wedding Garment Now say They this is a reproof to those who admitted him to this Priviledge We Answer This is quite contrair to the scope of the Parable if we look to the command v 9 Goe ye therefore into the high-ways c. They are commanded to invite all and to hold out none for want of the Wedding-Garment For that being Inward is only discernable by God Indeed this Parable will shew this much That Ministers may admit People to Communions and yet Christ will come with an after search and find many there whom he will cast that Ministers have admitted Ye ought not to think that every man that comes through a Ministers Tryal is in a good state The place says That Christ found One wanting the Wedding Garment But it sayes not That Ministers should let none come but those that had the Wedding Garment And to shew that this is the scope of the Parable see v 14. There it is said For many are called but few are chosen Ob. IV Their fourth Objection is taken from Rev. 2. 4 5. The Lord speaking there to the Church of Ephesus sayeth Nevertheless I have
or where prophane or wicked men are suffered to be in it The Godly are bound to abstain from the Lords Table and not to communicate with the mixed multitude And because they hold it is not Lawful for any to live in any Church where they cannot enjoy the whole Ordinances of God Therefore they maintain that the Godly are bound to Separate from That Church and to make up a Church of their Own by gathering out so many of the Godly that are in it as they can get and make a little Congregation of their own choosing any of them to be a Minister and some one or two to be Elders And so they set up a Church against a Church a Church in the Bosome of a Church This is not a new Error It troubled the Church of Christ long since in the Fourth Century or somthing more than Three hundred years after Christ The Donatists a kind of Hereticks arose and troubled the Church for a long time and did teach the same very thing Against whom the Godly Fathers of the Church in that time did write Yet because this Error was carried on with a shew of Holiness and Strictness more than ordinary It took such deep rooting in the mindes of some well minding People some of them at least that it could not be driven out by force of Argument till the Lord did leave the mantainers of this Error to fall into other vile abominations for all their pretence of Strictness Which made all others to loath them And before it could be gotten rooted out of the minds of men It troubled the Church almost 100. years together The same is the Errour which we have now to Refute That ye may know what is the Doctrine of Our Church that we are sworn to And which is grounded on the Word in this particular Take it up thus First We hold that the Church should be reformed from all corruptions And that wicked Scandalous men should be casten out of the Church at least debarred from the Lords Table This we hold and herein there is no difference betwixt Us and the Separatists But the Question is When the Church Officers do not their duty as often it falls out what through negligence and what through other corruptions and what through a base want of courage so that sometimes the Rule is not put in practice By which means all wicked men are not kept back from the Ordinance of the Lords Table And some corruptions are tollerated The Question I say is what the Godly should do in that Case And concerning this we hold First That in such a Case it is lawful for a Godly Person to remove his dwelling and go dwell in another Congregation where he may have the Ordinances more purely Administrated There is no tye laid on him for binding him to remain constantly where he is if he may conveniently remove Secondly We hold that if he cannot conveniently remove from that Congregation he may remain a Member of it without sin although he know there be several things which God is angry with in it providing he keep his own hands clean of these Thirdly We hold that as long as the Godly man stayeth in that Congregation where there are abuses of that kind tollerated he is bound according to his place to endeavour the remedy of them he is bound according to Christs Rule to admonish these who are Wicked and Scandalous and if his admonition do no good he is bound to delate them to the Eldership that they may be Censured If they be Censured It is well he hath gained his point But if they be not Censured Or not so fully as he would he is to regrate the matter to God and mourn for it But Fourthly We hold that so long as he stayes in that Congregation he is not bound to keep back from Gods Worship As from the Lords Table or from any part of service in it self lawful because there are wicked men joyning with him in it Far less is he to make a Rent in the Congregation or to draw away a number with him to set up a little Church for themselves And this is now the Question we are to debate about The Separatists say He is bound to keep back from the Communion If any be admitted to it who is prophane or wicked And that lest he be defiled with them We say if the Worship and service be lawful and pure in it self He sins in keeping back from it notwithstanding that others joyn with him in it whom the Church Officers should keep back We grant indeed when the service is not pure and lawful in its self As for example when Communion cannot be had except the People Kneel And so worship the Bread In that case every man is bound to keep back that would keep himself free of sin Not because there are wicked men going to the Table But because the Ordinance is gone about in a sinful way But our Question is Concerning Worship in it self lawful That is to say when a Communion is Administrated by a Minister Lawfully Called When that Table Gesture which Christ himself used is keeped at it When in all other things done according to his command What Godly Persons should do in that case when Scandalous Persons one or moe are suffered to come to the Table We hold That notwithstanding of their being there he is bound to come foreward And the wicked man's being there defiles only the Worship to himself and not to those who come in honesty This much for the state of the Question II. Having cleared the Question we come to Our Arguments for the Truth viz. That the presence of wicked men does not defile the Worship of those that are Godly And that the Godly should not keep back from lawful Commanded Duties because wicked men have their hands at them Arg I. Our First Argument is taken from the Church of the Jews in Christs time Any who know the History of the Gospel know that it was a very corrupt Church in Christ time in Doctrine and manners Their Preachers the Scribes and Pharisees were debauched Persons They perverted the Law the blind led the blind And when the Preachers were such ye may judge what the People were And yet we find that Christ and his Apostles did joyn with them in the lawful Worship For First Christ himself came yearly up to the Feast at Jerusalem Secondly He is so far from commanding his Apostles and those who believed in him to keep back from the Ordinary Worship because of wicked men among them That upon the contrair he forbids them to stumble at any thing of that kind And commands them to come to the lawful Worship as Matth 23. 1. 2. Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples Saying The scribes c. Which is as if he had said do not keep back from the lawful Worship because they are but Godless men that go about it What they Preach according
among them But after all the Apostle Tho he reproves them very sharply yet he no where sayes Ye that are Godly stay away from joyning in Worship because of such mens joyning But on the contrair he approves their coming together to go about the Ordinances Only reproving the wrong way they came in So Chap 11. v 18. First of all when ye come together in the Church I hear there be divisions among you And v 20. When you come together therefore unto one place c. He doth not reprove their coming together but suppones it as a thing Lawful only he reproves them for their Divisions So in the Church of Galatia There was much corruption among them they were Bewitched with Heretical Doctrine O Foolish Galatians who hath Bewitched you c. Cap 3. v 1 They had begun in the Spirit but were like to end in the Flesh v 3. In the Church of Ephesus were many who had fallen away from their first Love Revel 2 1. The Church of Sardis Revel 3 1. Did Tollerate prophane persons such as defiled their Garments And yet we never read the Spirit of God commanding to Separat from worship because of them Indeed he reproves them sharply for their Corruption For their falling away from their first love For Their Tollerating Prophane wicked men But he sayes not All ye that are Godly turn your backs upon that Church Make up a new Church of your Own But directly approves their joyning together in what was right So it is clear that Separation from the Ordinances is no more to be Tollerated under the New Testament than it was under the Old Arg IV. Our Fourth Argument to prove the point is this The Sins of wicked Men only defile the Worship to themselves Therefore not to others We shall find for this two places of Scripture Matth. 22. In the Parable of the Guests coming into the Kings Supper there is one that wants a Wedding Garmant verse 12. The Master of the Feast finds him out and sayes Friend How comest Thou hither And he was found Speechless The Master of the Feast sayes not All ye Guests are defiled because this man sits with you As should have been said If his presence had defiled the Worship to them But only he reproves the Man himself The sin is thine and thou shall bear the blame of it The Second place is 1 Cor. 11. 29. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself He sayes not He eateth and drinketh Damnation to all but to himself It would necessarily follow according to this Doctrine that he did eat Judgment to all If so be the presence of the wicked Man did defile the Ordinance or make it sinful to the rest that Communicate with him And therefore in the preceeeding words it is said Let a man examine himself c. He sayes not when ye are coming to the Table Let everyone of you examine your Neighbour Which would necessarily follow If the presence of the Wicked Man did defile the Ordinance to the rest but all he sayes is Let every one examine himself c. It 's true the permitting of a wicked person to come to the Communion is the sin of the Church Guides but it is not the sin of Fellow Communicants seeing he is admitted to Communicate with them For He only defiles the Worship to Himself Arg. V. Our last Argument to prove this Point is That from this Doctrine of our Opposits it would follow That the Dignity and Worth of Ordinances did depend on Instruments or upon those that are partakers of the Ordinance If so be that the sins of the Instruments or of Fellow-Worshipers did defile the Worship Now this is most absurd The Dignity of Ordinances depends on him whose they are The Word of God however Preached Is His Word It s true we are ready to cast at the Word because of Instruments But whoever he be that Preaches The Word is the Word of God and worthy to be received And so the Sacraments Whoever they be that joyn with Me in them lose not their worth and efficacy to Me who am seeking Christ in them though worthless men have their hand at them And the reason is I do not Communicate with them in what they do wrong Let God and Them reckon for that The root of my Communion is Christ In so far as They lay hold on Christ I Communicate with them In so far as they do otherwise I do not The wicked man professes Communion with Christ and Seals up an Outward Fellowship with the Visible Church I Communicate with him in That But in so far as he doth this Hypocritically I do in as far separate from him And this much for the Arguments Confirming the Truth That the presence of Wicked men doth desile the Ordinances to none but to Themselves III. In the next place we come to bring to the touch-stone the Arguments they use against the Truth we shall shortly propound the most plausible of them and take them off Obj 1 The First Objection is grounded on the 2 Cor. 6 17. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate c. This is the stongest of their Arguments The Lord commands the Corinthians to come from among them and Separate And therefore say they when there are wicked men coming together with the Godly the Godly ought to separate from them But to shew you the vanity of the Argument we shall Answer it by reading out the rest of the verse For it is clear what the Apostle aims at Be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing c. He bids them only Separate from Sinful Actions and not from Lawful Duties That ye may see yet further the vanity of this Reason Know It was the custom in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 10. When Idolaters would invite some of their Christian neighbours they would go with them and eat with them at their Idol Feasts and they thought they might lawfully do it because they knew their Idols were not true Gods and so by their eating they intended no worship to the Idol as these Idolaters did who did eat with them but did it only to satisfy their hunger and keep up common Friendship Now Paul discharges them from this kind of Communion and this is it he points at here Be separate Do not meddle with their Idol Feasts because it was indeed Communion with them in their Idolatry And so it doth not follow because Paul bids the Corinthians be separate from Heathens in doing a thing sinful That therefore he forbids Christians to joyn in a lawful Worship with the Church of Christ. Obj. II. Their Second Objection is taken from Rev 18 4. And I heard another voice from heaven saying come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues But this place is pitifully misapplyed to the purpose For its evident
this has been the Method they used to walke in To cry up Holiness in themselves and to cry down all who differed from them as untender That so they might carry all with them at last At least to Rent and divide the Church To such we will say nothing but Christs Curse and the Churches for Renting her bowels will fall on Them But unto the other we will speak something that is To those who are piously Strict and really loath at the good Service of God because such Persons are at it who should not be there To those I shall say First Know what it your Duty And Secondly What is not your Duty in reference to Prophane Men Oft-times we mistake our Duty and leap over it to what is not our Duty Now your Duty in reference to prophane Men Is not to take your hands from the Ordinance because Their hands are at it To turn your backs on your Duty because Prophane Men join with you in it It will be but a small excuse to pretend when God reckons with you when the Lord will say What made you neglect such a Duty to say Lord I grant it was my Duty but I could not because such Men were at it Therefore ye should know your Duty in reference to those and it is this In the place where ye live when ye see a fault committed ye should tell the guilty persons of it If the Fault be open and a Fault ye can get proven ye ought to delate it to those who have power to Censure them If so be they may be gained by this mean Or if not ye have done your Duty Or if the Church do their Duty in casting out the Obstinate then ye have your intent But if so be that notwithstanding ye have done your Duty yet the Church do not Theirs in purging the House of God In this case ye are to regrate the matter to God to mourn for it ye are to testify that ye do not approve their way and in so doing ye have done your Duty and may have peace For the presence of the wicked Man makes not the work sinful in it self to you He eats and drinks Damnation to himself And not to you His presence doth not make the Worship sinful to thee And so it looses thee not from they obligation to join in the Worship For if that were true That the presence of wicked Men did defile the Worship to Thee then Christians would be in a very hard condition For there was never a Church so pure but there were some admitted to it whom a Man truly tender would think should not be there There was never a Church so pure but a tender Man zealously strict would find some to challenge And so according to that Doctrine there should be no Church that a tender Christian could joyn with And so he should be forced to serve God apart and by himself alone And this hath been the Separatists way They have Separated from one Church to another till at last they could get none to join with And so turned Seekers that is A Sect who think there are None they can join with And therefore they cast off all Publick Duties and serve God by themselves alone Because they can see none so Holy as themselves And therefore ye would suspect Zeal when joyned with Error And fear Error most when it is covered over with Zeal For Error is never so dangerous as when it gets on the mask of Zeal It being then most cruel and most impudent People then have no will to medle with it lest they should seem to be Enemies to True Piety And therefore because it is suffered and born with it turns impudent until it undo all I only give One word to guard this and so I shall end There is not one Error that we refute but if not guarded Prophane Men may abuse it and so may they This to cast at those who are piously strict though in an orderly way And therefore We say it is every Christians Duty to walk tenderly and to be so strict towards others as God requires of him The thing we have Refuted as an Error is only this That because a Man cannot get all Duties gone about by All so strictly as God commands That therefore he will Separate from altogether But withal we did show That not only a Man should be strict on himself where right strictness will alwayes begin but also do what in him lyes according to his Duty and Calling That the Ordinances of God may be keeped pure by others FINIS A SERMON Preached before the SYNOD AT GLASGOW APRIL 5th 1653. The first SERMON 1 Corinth 1. 10. Now I beseech you Brethren by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no Divisions among you but that ye be perfectly join'd together in the same Mind and in the same Judgement THIS Text begins a new Purpose so it is not necessary to speak much for clearing of the Dependance and Cohesion Only ye would know somewhat of the State of this Church at the time when this Epistle was written which will help us not a little to take up the Occasion and Scope of the Words read Paul having planted a Church at Corinth was after driven from thence by the sury of the Jews as appears from Acts 18. 12. In whose absence partly through the malice of Satan partly through the subtilty of false Apostles the Church was rent in Factions some taking part with one Pastor and some with another according to the diverse estimation they held them in for their Humane Eloquence great Knowledge and other parts The Church being thus rent the Apostle addresseth himself timously to the Cure of this so Great an Evil But because he was almost out of request with the most part of that People tho as he himself Chap. 4. v. 15. declares he had begotten them in Christ Jesus through the Gospel Therefore as a skill'd Physician being to administer a bitter Potion he suggereth the brim of the Cup by shewing That whatever was Their respect to him yet his Affection did remain the same towards them And this he insisteth on from the beginning to the tenth Verse wherein he falls upon the Sore he intends to Cure to wit Their Factions and Schism's Obtesting them gravly in the Name of Jesus Christ That they would set about the Healing of these woeful Rents before they should turn to worse In the Words there are two things 1 A Duty to which they are exhorted 2. Some Arguments moving them to set about this Duty The Duty is last in order of the Words and propounded in three Sentences 1. That ye all speak the same thing 2. That there be no Divisions among you 3. That ye be perfectly joined together in the same Mind and in the same Judgement The Duty pressed in all these may be taken up in two 1. An Evil they were to Eschew 2.
There is an Union in Judgement when there is no considerable Difference among the Members of the Church in the matter of Opinion When all Think the same thing And this is here pressed Be prefectly joined in one Judgement 2. There is an Union in Heart and Affections spoken of Act. 4. 32. The multitude of them that believed were of one Heart and of one Soul And this Union is also here pressed Be perfectly join'd together in the same Mind or in Love and Affection as we shew'd in the opening up of the Words 3. There is an Union in Practice and that is when whatever Difference there is in Judgement yet it 's not openly proclaim'd Publick Contradictions and Eristick Debates are eschewed and an unanimous joint practice in these things wherein there is Agreement is followed And this Union is also pressed in the Text I beseech you that ye all speak the same thing So it 's clear the Text means all these three sorts of Union the Doctrine intends them All and as might be made evident other Scriptures press them All. Only this we would know the Order wherein they are pressed to wit So as every Breach in the Former is not to make a Breach in the Latter Every Difference in Judgement is not to make a Rent in Heart or Affection Nor tho a Rent be in both doth it infer necessarly a Divided Practice at least in these things wherein there is Agreement And for that the Scripture is clear especially Philipp 3. 15 16 where v. 15 the Apostle supposeth difference of Judgement among the Philippians as to the point he is there speaking of and subjoineth for matter of Practice v. 16. Nevertheless whereunto we have already attained let us walk by the same Rule That is to say Tho we cannot agree in all things yet let us eschew the prolaiming of Our Differences by Our contrary Practices This much for the first thing to wit What Union the Doctrine presseth It is an Union necessary to the Well-being of the Visible Church particularly an Union in Judgement an Union in Affection an Union in Practice An Union all these wayes is to be sought for and laboured after yet so as if we cannot attain to Union in the Former we are yet still to endeavour it in the Latter For Confirmation of this Truth we might cite several Scriptures 1. These wherein this Union is promised to the Church and that as a rich Covenant Blessing such as Jer. 32. 39. I will give them one Heart and one way that they may fear Me for ever The like is in Ezek. 37. 22. 2. These Scriptures wherein this Vnion is highly commended Especially Ps. 133. 1. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity and so through the whole 3. These Scriptures which hold out the Mediator's Prayer to the Father for this Union Joh. 17. 21. That they all may be one as Thou Father art in Me and I in Thee that they also may be one in Vs and so v. 23. 4. Those Scriptures where this Union is expresly enjoyned and pressed whereof there are many Such as Philipp 2. 1 2 3. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any Bowels and Mercies Fulfil ye My Joy that ye be like minded having the same Love being of one accord of one mind And 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be of one mind live in peace And lastly these Scriptures where Division contrary to Unity is condemned as Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them But for further Confirmation of this Truth we shall in the next place bring foreward some Reasons concluding the equity and necessity of seeking after and entertaining of Unity in the Church which shall also serve as motives to the Duty Reason 1. Union furthers Edification So Eph. 4. 3. Union is pressed And One Fruit among many to be reaped hereby is v. 12. the edifying of the Body of Christ. And as Unity furthers Edification so Division marreth it Divisions in a Church tho about small things yet if stiffly mantain'd prove a great stumbling Block to the Weak they are put to doubt all Truths because Men gracious and learned doubt of some So Division not only marreth progress in the building but striketh at the very foundation of what is already built Reas. 2. Divisions in a Church make the Ministers contemptible Of all Men Ministers suffer most this way because usually they are most active in beginning and upholding the Division and usually even these who have Truth for them suffer much if not most this way Paul tho an Apostle and a Man for Truth yet he lost much of the former esteem he had amongst the Corinthians though once they would have pluck'd out their Eyes for him yet through the Division their Distemper grew to such an hight that he was look'd on as Contemptible rude in speech yea A Fool and what not as appears from 2 Cor 10. 10. Ch. 11. 6 16. Reas. 3. The Essential Unity of the Church and the many things wherein a Church agreeth that way should enforce this Union The Apostle Paul Eph. 4. draweth a strong Argument for Unity and Peace in the Church from this Ground The Duty is propounded v. 3. Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And v. 4 5 6. it is pressed by this Argument There is on Body and one Spirit One Lord one Faith one Baptism One God and Father of all Here are many Ones together in two or three lines as if he had said What a shame is it for you who are so many wayes One to rent in pieces for a thing of so small moment Reas. 4. Divisions in a Church turn away every Man's Eye from his main Task I mean from the joint opposing of Satan's main Design to be wrangling one with another It 's Satans Policy when he intends to bear down Truth in a Church to set those who should oppose him most by the Ears about smaller things that so he may carry his point with less difficulty herein making use of Matchiavils or rather his own Principle divide impera Divide and Carry It 's often seen that the nearer those who differ come to one another they drive on their point against others with the greater Animosity and Eagerness the Jews and Samaritans were at greater variance than Jews and Heathens And the Reason is this The less the Difference is they have the more hopes to bring others to their mind hence their mutual On-setts are more furious and their Disappointments the more bitter the higher they were in their hopes and in the mean time while they mind nothing so much as to bear down one another Satan cometh good speed in bearing down of Truth and Them and All. Reas. 5. Union when once lost in a Church is hardly ever
again attained We read Act. 15. 39. that Paul and Barnabas parted but we hear nothing of their meeting again And Church History sheweth us That Schisms in a Church for almost just nothing have continued incureable for some Generations until not only the Authors and Ring-leaders of the Schism but also their Disciples were removed by Death Osiand Gent. 4. Reas. 6. When a Rent is made in a Church as it is hardly curable so it still groweth wider It is easier to know whereabout a Rent begins than whereat it will end The greatest of Church Divisions some of them at least have been observed to have had but small Beginnings hence is that commonly received Maxim Omne Schisma desinit in haresin The Faction of the Donatists at first made but a Schism separating from the Communion of the Church upon pretence of some faulty Officers and mixed Communions but it was not long until they fell into several Heresies The Doctrine being thus Explained and Confirmed from Scripture and Reason I shall now apply it to Use. Our first Use is for Refutation The Doctrine refutes at least layeth a just odium upon the Doctrine of Separation and that Way which is called Independant or Congregational in so far as it is made up of such Principles as lay a Foundation for the perpetual Renting of the Church Of which Principles I shall reckon Four The First is That Principle whereby They maintain the Lawfulness of gathering Churches out of Churches acknowledged by themselves to be True Churches A most dividing Principle in so far as it gives way for every Man to Separate from his Own and to join himself with another Church supposed Purer with contempt of the former Congregation To gather Churches out of Churches is the way to destroy but not to heal diseased Churches It is to destroy many Churches for making up of One as if one going about the Cure of a Natural Body should cut off and take out all the sound Members and leave the rotten and diseased Members either to Cure one another or to perish A strange and desperate way of Cure A Second Dividing Principle in that Way is The Rule according to which they will have Ecclesiastick Judgement pass'd upon their Church Members to wit Conviction of their Inward good Estate which Rule being variable and uncertain some will judge one way some another according as they are more or less enclined to Charity yea the same Man at several times will have a various Judgement of the Inward State of another according as the Presumptions and Probabilities by which only he is led to judge of what is within are more fully or sparingly represented Hence there is a Seed of Breach upon Breach But God hath not left his Church in the matter of Authoritative judging to walk by such uncertain Rules A Third Dividing Principle in the Independant Way is this That all Church Power is solely in a Particular Congregation Hence if a Particular Congregation go wrong tho but made up of seven Persons which is a competent number with them there is no Authoritative Mean in all the Churches of the World to reclaim them This must needs open a Door to as many Divisions as there are Churches A Fourth Dividing Principle is That there is not a Catholick Visible Church yea no Church Visible but a Particular Congregation and another Principle they hold which followeth upon this to wit That a Minister can exerce no Acts as a Minister to any but those of his own Flock Hence 1. There can be no Communion of Churches as Churches there remaineâ—h only a Communion of Members There can be no Church Act from one Church or many towards another The Results and Determinations of the most Famous Synods made up of never so many Churches are to be look'd upon but as the Actings of so many private Christians Yea 2. Hence it will follow that there can be no Communion amongst Members of several Congregations in publick Church Ordinances as in hearing the Word jointly from a sent Minister in Receiving the Seals together For according to this Principle a Minister cannot Authoritatively Preach nor in any respect Administer Baptism or the Lords Supper unto any though never so Gracious except to those of his own Flock no not tho they be occasionally present when he is dispensing these Ordinances unto his Own Which Consequence is expresly granted by some of the chief of that Perswasion So it is a Principle which destroyeth all Communion of Churches and Members and therefore inconsistent with Union Several such like Principles in That Way might be reckoned out Concerning which the Doctrine warrandeth us to say this much If Unity be so necessary and so much to be sought after then such Dividing Principles cannot be of God Our Second Use is for Direction If Unity be so necessary and so much to be laboured for then we are to bewail that we our selves are so far and every day a step further from it Our Divisions grow I fear all the three wayes and in all ranks Our Heads are divided our Tongues divided yea and our Hearts divided Synods are divided Presbyteries are divided Congregations divided Ministers divided People divided yea and in some places Families divided Husband and Wife Father and Son Mother and Daughter Master and Servant yea and all divided We are as Mad-men every one eating the flesh of his own Arm. Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh And they together against Judah An Evil never enough lamented and the more to be lamented that there is no appearance how it shall be helped There are many things may make us look upon the present Division as our saddest Affliction and greatest Weight I shall reckon Six things 1. The many particular Evils which upon an exact search it will be found Our Divisions have brought upon Peoples own Spirits How much of our precious time is spent in vain jangling by which our Heart cannot but â—e made worse Many I fear too too many so taken up with their Heads that they forget their Hearts the sweetness and profit of mutual converse and fellowship is much marred Our mutual freedom and benefit that way much impaired Our Peace with God by our hot Debates untender Expressions and bitter and unnecessary Reflections of times brangled and shaken A Second Thing that may make Us look on our Present Divisions as our great Weight is The name of Praise which this Church hath had for Unity in times by-past amongst the Reformed Churches In the Harmony of Confessions the Preface to the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland makes mention of this as a rare Priviledge of This Church beyond many and that which makes Her very Name Famous among Churches abroad That for the space almost of Sixty Years She had keep'd Unity with Purity without either Schism or Heresy Now if Unity hath been formerly this Church's Praise how sad and weighty is it and how woeful men are we that
immediatly after the Giving of the COMMUNION The Third SERMON LUKE 7. 23. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me. Beloved in the Lord THAT place 1 Cor. 1. 23. We Preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block hath had its accomplishment in all Ages and in no Age more than in this Jesus Christ and His way of working both with Churches and Particular Souls hath been a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to many yea moe and moe are stumbling still what through one occasion or other many who once did seem to run well in the way to Heaven in the way of Truth and in the way of Piety have either already taken up or are in hazard to take up such an halt as Christ may be conceived to say to those very few who seem resolv'd to follow him through Better and Worse as once he said Joh. 6. 67. Vnto the twelve when many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him will ye also go away I have therefore chosen this Text to speak from now immediatly after having engaged your selves to walk in Christs Way that thereby ye may guard against that woeful common evil of Being offended in Christ or of stumbling and taking up an halt in his Way of Truth and Piety notwithstanding all the stumbling blocks and rocks of offence ye may meet with For Blessed is he saith Christ whosoever shall not be offended in me The Words are a Part of Christs Answer to that Question propounded to Him by Two of John's Disciples at John's desire verse 20. Art thou he that should come or look we for another Ye may wonder that John who knew Christ so well should have moved such a Question But the Answer is First Tho Souls know Christ never so well they 'l desire and have need to know him better and to get what knowledge they have of him confirmed to them especially in the day of Trial For John was now in Prison And 2dly They 'l desire that others may know him also For it appeareth from what goeth before that John propoundeth this Question for his Disciples satisfaction and to satisfy their Doubts more than his own Christ's Answer hath two Parts 1. He bids them shew John what they saw him doing Verse 22. Tell Iohn saith he what things ye have seen and heard how that the blind see the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deaf hear the dead are raised to the poor the Gospel is preached If ye ask what makes this to the Answer of the Question I answer It maketh much for it shews he was doing that which Scripture foretold the Messias would do Isai. 35. 5 6. And therefore he behoved to be the Messias 2. In thir words he answereth a main Objection against this Truth taken from Christ's own low condition and the practice of his Followers which made many bear off him For they expected a Glorious Messias a Great earthly Monarch And because Christ was but obscure and mean therefore they stumbled and were offended in him To this Christ answereth Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended or scandalized in me The word rendered here offended or scandaliz'd seems to be a Metaphor taken from Travellers who having dashed their Foot or Leg at some stone or block in the way do stumble or take up an halt so as they can go no further at least advance not so quickly in the way as they did And Secondly while he sayes Offended in me take this first Actively And so the meaning is They should not take occasion of stumbling from any thing in Christ or in His Way 2. It may be taken Passively so as to point out the Way that we should not stumble nor take up an halt in For there are some wayes to wit Every sinful course and way that it were good for People to stumble in and turn their backs upon But this Way wherein we should not stumble is Christ Himself and the Way of Truth and Piety prescrib'd by him Blessed is he saith Christ who shall not be offended in me As if he had said Happy is that Man who taketh not occasion from Me or any thing in My Way to stumble or turn his back upon Me and that course of Truth and Piety wherein I have commanded him to walk The Words are but One entire Proposition and Sentence I need not therefore spend time in dividing them But shall come to the Doctrines First The Lord applyeth the general Prophesies Concerning the Messias in the Old Testament to Himself in particular shewing they were verified in Him For the Words in me have in them a direct Answer to the Question propounded by John's Disciples and shews the Messias was come and that He is That Messias Whence we might mark That JESUS CHRIST the Son of Mary who was Born in Bethlehem brought up in Nazareth and Crucified in Jerusalem is that very same Messias who was to Come and promised to the Fathers We might observe 2ly That before He gave this Answer that He was the promised Messias whom they were to follow and not to stumble at He doth first prove by Scripture that it was so while he hids John's Disciples tell their Master he was doing such miraculous Works as the Scriptures did foreshew none but Christ should do Whence we might learn That all Questions and Debates about Religion should be determined from Scripture and according to the Rule set down in Scripture For here when a Question ariseth among John's Disciples If JESUS the Son of Mary was the promised Messias neither John the Baptist than whom there was not a Greater Prophet among these that are Born of Women yea nor Christ himself who was Greater than he do take it upon them to determine in it But John sends them to Christ and Christ sends them to the Scripture for a Solution Thus To the law and to the testimony saith the Lord Isai. 8. 20. if they do not speak according to this word it is because there is no light in them The neglect of this Rule hath been the In-let to Humane Traditions without and contrary to Scripture both in Worship and Government in the Antichristian Church And if this Rule once be laid aside there can be no end of Humane Ceremonies untill all that trash which is in the Roman Church be brought in upon the Church of God For if the Authority of a Man can make way for One it may also make way for all the rest But passing those The two following Doctrines are these that I intend most to insist upon And both of them are implyed 1. That there are many stumbling Blocks in Christ's way whereat People are apt to Offend take up an Halt and stumble And yet Secondly There is nothing of that kind which ought to make us stumble For if there were not some stumbling Blocks Christ needed not so much guard against them and by his guarding against them he
the Lord's Table profess ye have done Your Duty now is with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. I shall not run far back for finding out the Connexion of this Purpose with that which goeth before Only ye may observe that Luke the Penman of the Holy Ghost in this History of the Acts doth shew from Verse 19 of this same Chapter how that through occasion of that Persecution which the Church at Jerusalem met with after Steven's Death mentioned Chap. 8 the Gospel being preached by those who were forced to fly for their lives did wonderfully spread as far as Phanâ—ce Cyprus and Antioch And many in these Regions and Kingdoms were taken with it for Verse 21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Whereupon as is shown v. 22. when these tidings came to the Church at Jerusalem They sent forth Barnabas A Man of extraordinary Parts and Calling for he was an Apostle as is clear from Acts 14. 14. I say the Church sends him as far as Antioch for helping foreward the Work And in this Verse we have Barnabas his coming to them and what he does when he comes Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. In which Words we have these things consideraable 1. Barnabas his coming to Antioch 2. We have what he saw when he came He saw the Grace of God to wit The wonderful effects of God's Grace in bringing so many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel 3. We have what this sight did work upon him 1. It made him Glad 2. It brought a pithy needful exhortation from him to these New Converts the sum whereof is here set down That with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. What Explication is needful I shall insist on as I go through the Particulars First It is mentioned he came to Antioch But we hear nothing of any great train he carried along with him Or any great solemnity at his Reception tho he was an Apostle the highest Office-bearer in the Church But only that he came doubtless in a sober way as became a Minister of Christ It was a thing then unknown in the World for Church-men to go accompanied with Trains like Princes and that whole Countrey sides and greatest Personages in them behooved to wait upon their Grandeurs It never was well with the Church of God since Church-men began to overtop Peers and Nobles But the thing I mark from this is That Barnabas tho an extraordinary Office-bearer in the Church and an Apostle doth nevertheless obey the Orders of the Church at Jerusalem For it 's mentioned v. 22. That the Church at Jerusalem sent him forth and here That he did come accordingly Now what this Church at Jerusalem was to whose Directions he subjected himself is clear from Act. 21. 18. It was the Church of Elders or Presbyters even a Presbytry as hath been made out convincingly these years by-past against the Independants To the direction of which Elders the Apostle Paul did submit himself there as Barnabas doth here From which it is clear that even the Apostles and extraordinary Office-bearers of the Church were very respective and tender of that Authority which Jesus Christ hath given to His Church and the Judicatories thereof This appears chiefly in Two things First When there were Churches constitute and Church Judicatories erected to manage the Discipline of the Church the Apostles did not exercise power of Jurisdiction over these Churches by themselves alone neither in the Ordination of Ministers nor in the Censuring or Excommunicating of Scandalous Offenders but tho they were without doubt universal Pastors of the whole Church yet they did remit the same to Ordinary Church Judicatories Thus Paul doth not Ordain Timothy to be a Minister alone but admits the Ordinary Presbytery to do it 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And 1 Cor. 5. he clearly speaks of the power of Excommunication as residing in the Church Judicatory at Corinth and reproves them for their not making use of that Power in Excommunicating the Incestuous Person and stirrs them up to their Duty V. 4 5. That In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. V. 5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus A Second thing wherein the Apostles did show their respect to Church Judicatories was this which is here mentioned in the Text That in many things they were ordered by and subject to their directions Thus in the place cited Acts 21. 20. The Church of Elders or Presbyters at Jerusalem give their Injunctions to Paul that for removal of an offence that many thousands of Jews had taken against him he should publictly practise some of the Jewish Ceremonies in purifying himself and shaving his head which were at that time things indifferent And accordingly it's mentioned v. 26. That Paul did follow their direction All which shews that the Authority of Church Judicatories was very much tendred even by the Apostles themselves The Bishops do indeed boast themselves to be the Apostles Successors and their only Successors I shall not stand upon this It being made very clear by Protestant writers against the Papists In the controversy about the Pope That the Apostles had no Successors as to what was extraordinary in their Office and as to that which was Ordinary in it as to Preach the Word Dispense the Sacraments and exercise Church Discipline over particular Churches That they have in these all Ministers for their Successors But passing that What I am now on is That the Bishops of these latter times have encroached more upon the Power and priviledge left by Christ unto his Church and Church Judicatories than ever the Apostles them-themselves whose Successors they give themselves out for did For as I have cleared from the present Doctrine The Apostles did leave the matters of Ordinary Jurisdiction to be managed by Ordinary Church Judicatories but so do not they The whole Body of Christ's Ministers within a Church though they were all gathered together may neither Ordain a Minister nor Excommunicate a Scandalous Offender but this must be done only by the Bishop and such as â—e doth Substitute under him for it Again the Apostles were in some things at least subject and ordered by the Directions of Church Judicatories but so are not They such a Condiscendance could not stand with their Honours and Dignities Secondly We have in the Text what Barnabas saw among them when he came and this is called The Grace of God The meaning whereof is not as if all of them
had been converted and indued with saving Grace neither doth Grace here signify Gods Grace inherent in them but Gods Grace and free Favour which he saw in the effects of it in that it wrought so Powerfully in bringing a great many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel among whom there doubtless were many sincere and real Converts though all of them were not so However the thing he saw was The mighty progress and success of the Gospel and this occasioned by a strong and cruel Persecution mentioned verse 19 the Ministers are forced to flee from their Flocks wherever they go they Preach Gods Grace and mighty Hand accompanies their Labour to the Conversion of many thousand Souls this is the Grace which Barnabas saw Hence take this Doctrine That sadest Persecutions for Truth do frequently prove an occasion of the Gospels spreading Thus it was Act 8. 3. Saul made havock of the Church entring into every House and haling Men and Women committed them to Prison v. 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where Preaching the Word Even as far as Phâ—nice Cyprus and Antioch as it is ver 19 of this Chapter The making havock of the Church occasioned the enlargement of the Church which hath frequently fallen out since which gave ground to that true and ancient saying The Blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church The Reasons why the Work and Grace of God thrives best at such times may be many As 1. Peoples Ears are then bored and readiest to drink in the Word with greediness because then they have little other comfort left them Affliction and Persecution is a Tasty Sawce to make the Word Relish Psal. 141. v. 6. When their Judges are overthrown in stony places they shall hear my words for they are sweet 2. At such times the Servants of Christ are more diligent in their Work as they can have access to it and more fervent in dealing with God by Prayer for a Blessing to their Work because the thriving of their Work is all the reward which they can then expect And 3. The Lord doth then usually countenance the Labours of his Servants most because they are most despised few do then care for them or takes any notice of them And therefore the Lord takes this way both to hearten them and to put respect upon them And 4. The Couragious Constant and Cheerful enduring of Hardships and Sufferings for Truth doth commend that Truth for which they suffer unto others even to indifferent Spectators and makes them enquire after it and desirous to know what so much worth there can be in it I shall not insist for Application hasting forward to the latter part of the Text Only if it be so Then People are not to lookupon Persecution and a suffering time for Truth whenever it comes as so sad so dismal and dreadful a thing For this at least may be expected to be lovely in it The same Truth which men labour to bear down shall spread the faster and the further And that this is so the following Doctrine will shew Another Doctrine ariseth from the first effect this sight did work on Barnabas It made him Glad for so saith the Text Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad The Doctrine is this That the Gospel and Truth do spread and gain ground among People is matter of Joy and gladness to a Godly heart though the times were otherwise never so sad For there were many things to make Barnabas sad at this time If we consider 1. How they had stoned the first Martyr Stephen to death a man full of the Holy Ghost and used him so as if he had been the most notorious Malefactor that ever the Earth carried And 2. The prosperous state of the Churches Enemies the Scribes Pharisees High-Priests a company of degenerate corrupt Church-men who at that time did sit at Jerusalem guiding all things at their pleasure That if any did but mutter against their State and Dignity though in the furthest part of all the Realm their hand could easily reach them They needed no more but hound out a Saul with a Commission if it were to Damascâ—s to take them and bring them bound to Jerusalem As is clear from Acts 9. 1 2. And 3. if ye consider his own poor condition and that of others the Servants of Christ at that time who were hunted from corner to corner yea from Kingdom to Kingdom These and many such things as these were at that time to make Barnabas sad and yet this makes him take all in the better part and in a manner digest all That when he came he saw the Grace of God had accompanied the Labours of his despised Servants and a rich Income of Souls to the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel And when he saw this he was glad He is in some sort so transported with it That in a manner he forgets Stephen's death he envyeth not the prosperous state of the Churches Enemies noâ— doth much resent his Own hard lot or that of others who were Christs Faithful Saints and Servants All which cleareth the Doctrine That the spreading of Truth will make a Godly Heart Glad though the times otherwise were never so sad Thus was it with the Apostle Paul Philip 1. 12. The things which happened unto me saith he meaning his Bonds Imprisonment and other harsh usage have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the Gospel Whereupon v. 18. he breaks out What then notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in Truth Christ is Preached and I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce For Vse 1. Try your selves by this What it is that makes you Glad Is it the thriving of Gods work in Souls The down-bearing of Sin The growth of Piety If so It speaks thee to be a man of Barnabas temper and upon the other hand If things of that kind do rather make the sad and if the back-going of Gods Work The destroying what he hath built The plucking up of what he hath planted The thriving of sin and Wickedness The general Loosness of the times If I say these things make thee Glad It speaks thee to be a man of a woful temper a very Godless Heart But 2. If this be a thing that will make a Godly Heart Glaâ— in the saddest of times then Pray to God for it that it may be so That the Work of God may thrive in Hearts That those woful Spiritual Plagues of Security Deadness and Hardness of Heart may be removed and the Gospel may take many by the Heart who never hitherto knew the Power of it It 's easie for God to bless his Truth in the Mouth of his despised and persecuted Servants and to make a gracious Change tho Wickedness were at the greatest hight And if he do it whatever may be the other sadness of the Times thou who art a Godly Heart shall have reason to be Glad yea and thou shall