it is put in the Plural number as the Churches of Asia Galatia Judaea In the Evangelists History of the doings sufferings and sayings of our Lord Christ I find the Word Church used but in two places Mat. 16.18 and 18.17 Of the extent and meaning of both which Texts there is so much controversie not only between the Protestants and Papists but also among the Protestants themselves of different persuasions about Church Government that it would require a Treatise by it self to make a thorough discussion of those two Texts in order to the clearing of the Controversies that are started about them That Mat. 16.18 is undoubtedly meant of the Christian Church but whether Oecumenical visible or invisible or indefinite or topical is doubted It is without any proof appropriated to the Church of Rome or any particular Church as ordered under this or that peculiar form of Government but is to be taken for the number of Believers in Christ whether of Jews or Gentiles more or fewer abstractively from any political considerations and such external adjuncts and denominations as whereby usually Churches are in common speeches diversified In the other place Mat. 18.17 in as much as it is not said tell my Church but tell the Church and the term thy brother may as well be meant of a Brother as by birth or proselytism adjoyned to the Jews as St. Paul calls the Jews by birth his brethren kinsmen according to the flesh Rom. 9.3 in which sense it may seem to be taken in that place Mat. 5.23 24. which is a precept like to this for the reconciling of particular differences and righting of wrongs and the expression let him be to thee as a Heathen seems to intimate as of a Brother in Christian profession it may not without reason be doubted whether by the Church there be meant the Christian Church or an Assembly of the Jews in their Synedrium whether greater or lesser and if it be extended as a direction to Christian Brethren whether it be meant of their Assembly under an Ecclesiastical Consideration or Political that is the Christian Magistrate Institution of a Church by Preception or Command I find not neither Christ nor his Apostles that I know have given us any rule or law of bounding modelling or numbring Churches There is a precept Heb. 10.25 that Christians should not forsake the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some was But none about the defining how many should go to a Church or be accounted to belong to one Church no determination by any precept concerning Members belonging to a Church whether they should be fixed to one Meeting or ambulatory and moveable sometimes belonging to one Assembly sometimes to another of the same profession Nor do we find any Institution of Churches whether they ought to be Domestick Congregational Parochial Classiâ—al Diocesan Provincial Patriarchical or Oecumenical The ordering of such distinctions Christ and his Apostles so far as I deprehend have left to Divine Providence and Humane Prudence allowing more or fewer to a Church as the imes will permit the increase or diminution of Believers should be as Pastors may be had and their Partitions and Meetings be convenient for their edification and government It is true the Romanists would infer from Christs promise to Peter Mat. 16.18 Upon this Rock will I build my Church that St. Peter and after hâ—m the Bishop of Rome was made universal Bishop But that by Christs Church is meant the universal Church and by Christs building it is meant constituting an universal Bishop is an assertion without proof In some of the Ancients the Bishops of Rome have been stiled Oecumenical but so also have other Patriarchs We believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church but so denominated from their common confession or the same Faith not from union to and subjection under one visible Church head Mr. Paul Bayne as I remember long since disputed against Diocesan Churches for Parochial and in the Assembly at Westminster the dissenters against this proposition that many particular Congregations may be under one Presbyterial government from such distinction of Churches as the New Testament yields But the Arguments seem not to me to be cogent they declaring only what was done de facto not what was necessary to be done de jure That Text Mat. 18.17 is much urged by sundry sorts of Pleaders for their several wayes of Church-government But it is uncertain whether by Brother and Church be meant Christian Believers and the Christian Church and if Christian Believers and Church be meant whether the Church be meant of the Christian Civil Judicatory or Ecclesiastical Consistory or Congregational Assembly of Believers of all ranks or some select Arbitrators that of which the Church is to have cognizance being there no other than the sin of one Brother against another which v. 21 22. Luk. 17 3 4. shew to be meant only of private trespasses or injuries done by one to another who might remit or forgive them nor is any other act ascribed to the Church than an admonition to the injurious Brother to do right to him whom he hath wronged whereupon it is then allowed or appointed upon non-satisfaction to him or disobedience to the Church without any other juridical sentence mentioned that he that is thus disobedient should be to him that complained as a Heathen or Publican with whom the Jews would not have familiarity Nothing is said of being such to the Church or by vertue of its sentence juridical or being excluded à sacris which we are sure the Publicans were not Luk. 18.10 These things seem to me to evince that neither is here that instituted Church which the Assertors of Congregational Churches and Church-government urge as the only Churches and Church-government of the New Testament and inculcate as the pattern in the Mount and any other way to be as the setting of mans posts by Gods posts and separate from a National Church as a humane Invention Nor is here that Church-government instituted which they make the only Government appointed by Christ that the Congregation or the major part are to cast out exclude from Communion in Holy things in every Church though but of seven or eight every member that sins and will not obey the monition of the rest of the Congregation These things being premised I answer to the Questions in the first Querie fore-mentioned 1. That it is granted That since the Unchurching of the Nation of the Jews the Lord hath not yet that we know of so espoused a Nation or People to himself as that upon the account thereof the whole Body of that People or Nation may be accounted his We say that Christ hath redeemed us to God by his bloud out of every Kindred and Tongue and People and Nation and hath made us unto our God Kings and Priests Revel 5.9 10. We own no Church visible now but of Believers by their own personal profession We approve the 19. Article of
on If there be no such thing as a National Church of the institution of Christ as most certain it is there is not then 2. Whether National Ministers are the Ministers of Christ or whether there can be a true Ministry in a false Church as a National Church must be if not of Divine Institution upon what pretence soever it be so denominated Sect. 16. National Ministers may be Ministers of Christ and National Churches true Churches To this Querie I answer 1 That if by National Ministers be meant Ministers for the Nation or such as have inspection over the Nation whether for the maintenance or propagating of true Doctrine or Worship or holiness of life they may be Ministers of Christ though no such thing as a National Church were of the institution of Christ. As for instance I conceive Dr. James Usher when he was alive was a Minister of Christ when he was Primate of Ireland The assertion I prove thus If the Apostles were Ministers of Christ and National Ministers though a National Church were not instituted of Christ than National Ministers may be Ministers of Christ though a National Church be not instituted of Christ But the Apostles were such as for instance Peter had the Apostleship of the Circumcision Paul of the Gentiles Gal. 2.7 8. Rom. 11.13 1 Tim. 2.7 Therefore National Ministers may be Ministers of Christ. 2. Titus was a National Minister of the Cretians For this cause saith St. Paul Tit. 1.5 left I thee in Crete that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee and yet a Minister of Christ St. Pauls partner and fellow-helper concerning the Corinthians 2 Cor. 8.23 Ergo 3. They that may be Ministers of Christ though they be Ministers for the Body of Christ and all the Members thereof may be Ministers of Christ though National because the denial of a National Ministry is upon this supposition that a Minister of Christ is only for one particular Congregation but the Pastors and Teachers as well as Apostles Evangelists Prophets are given for the edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith unto a perfect man Eph. 4.11 12 13. Therefore for all or any and consequently for a Nation and not only for a particular Congregation 4. If any of the Saints as well as one particular Congregation have an interest in all the Ministers of Christ so as that they are truly theirs then Ministers of Christ may be National yea ought to be yea and Oecumenical if they could be serviceable to them in the things of Christ. But 1 Cor. 3.22 23. Paul and Cephas and Apollos were all the Corinthians and all others who were Christs therefore the same may be Ministers of Christ and National Ministers I know not whether this might be an argument ad hominem but this I take to be justifiable that a man may be a Commissioner for approbation of publick Preachers throughout a Nation and so a National Minister or an Itinerant Preacher to the Nation and yet be a Minister of Christ. 2. A National Church denominated so either from the agreement of all the Believers in that Nation in the same profession or from their subjection to some Common Rulers Ecclesiastical or Civil or Convening by Deputies in some National Synod though not of Divine Institution may be a true and not a false Church which I prove thus They may be a true Church who have all things essential to a Church and nothing destructive of its being such But Believers of a Nation or a National Church so denominated any of those wayes may have all things essential to a Church and nothing destructive of its being such Ergo. The Major is taken from the proper notion of the term True Church or its definition For the definition of a Church of Christ or a true Church is and can be no other than a Company or Number of persons believing in Christ or professing the Faith of the Gospel and obedience to God by Christ according unto it not destroying their own profession by any errours concerning the foundation or unholiness of conversation even according to the expression of the Congregational men in their Declaration Octob. 12.1658 ch 26. The Minor is also manifest by Reason and Experience A National Church so denominated may have the Truth of Doctrine of Faith the Truth of Worship the Truth of Holy conversation besides which there is nothing essential to a true Church For the defect of outward order were the order pretended indeed of Christs Institution yet could not nullifie the Church or destroy the Truth of it but only the regularity The Corinthians were a true Church 1 Cor. 1.2 even then when there were disorders in their Meeting 1 Cor. 14.26 in their Discipline 1 Cor. 5.1 2. in their Communion 1 Cor. 11.21 in their Faith 1 Cor. 15.12 in their Conversation 2 Cor. 1.1 and 12 2â— As for the outward form of their Combination by a Church Covenant or their number or their habitation or their descent these and such like things though for convenience they be requisite yet not essential to the Church or its Truth Yea the having of Baptism Organizing by Officers though more necessary and of Divine Institution yet are not essential to a Church or its Truth but that the Church without them may be a true Church though not so regular and well ordered as it should be Nor doth the having of National Rulers Ecclesiastical either single persons or in a Synod or Convocation make a false Church Those of the Congregational way have had Synods and submitted to Courts even in Ecclesiastical things of larger extent than a Congregation of one Town and Churches of a greater number and at greater distance of habitation than could meet in one place every Lords Day for all Ordinances and deny not a Catholick visible Church and therefore should not by reason of the number distance want of Officers of Divine Institution or because modelled by humane prudence call a National Church a false Church The proofs used by those that held that many particular Congregations may be under one Presbyterial Government Printed in the Year 1645. from the number of the Church at Jerusalem yet one Church Acts 8.1 under one Government besides what is found in the Scripture about the Churches of Corinth Ephesus are sufficient to evince that many Congregations may be one Church and that the unity and truth of Churches is to be taken from agreement and verity of Faith and that a National Church so denominated in respect of the agreement in profession or subjection to Government or convention by Deputies or Messengers in one Synod may be one National Church and a true Church of Christ. But it is objected That the first Church is of Christs Institution and that was of so many as might meet in one Congregation even the Church at Jerusalem that
men or rudiments of the world by which the Jewish Rites to be meant is apparent from Col. 2.16 17 20. Gal 4 3 9. 6. Saith he It carries with it a sad reflection upon the authority of the Scripture as not thorowly furnished to make the man of God perfect Answ. The authority and use of the holy Scripture is delivered by St. Paul 2 Tim. 3.15 16 17. that they were able to make Timothy wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus that they were profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Whence is rightly deduced against the Romanists the perfection and sufficiency of the Scripture without unwritten Traditions for all Doctrinals of Faith and Manners and Worship in respect of Essentials But it is no ill reflection upon its authority to say that some accidentals of instituted Worship undetermined in Scripture ordered by men according to general Rules in Scripture are warranted by permission without command of those particularities in holy Scripture 7. The Lord condemns not onely that which is done against the warrant and direction of the Word but also that which is done beside it Deut. 4.2 and 12.32 Mat. 15.9 Lev. 10.1 their sin lay not in this that they offered strange fire which was forbidden but which God commanded them not Prov. 30.6 Jer. 7.31 Answ. I suppose that this Author when he saith the Lord condemns not only that which is done against the warrant and direction of the Word but also that which is done besides it means it of warrant and direction by command and in instituted Worship otherwise he should hold that nothing is indifferent which is too absurd and therefore I shall not charge him with it till he do expresly assert it But if his meaning be as I conceive that God condemns all that which is done besides the Warrant and Direction of the Word by a command in the New Testament even in accidentals of instituted Worship which must be his proposition if he argue to the purpose his assertion is false and not proved by any of the Texts alledged Not Deut. 4 2. which is to be understood of Doctrines Commands or Institutions as from God Thus Ainsworth in his Annot. on Deut. 4.2 not add Hereby all Doctrines of men are condemned Mat. 15.9 and the all-sufficiency and authority of Gods Word stablished for ever Gal. 3.15 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be sound a Liar Prov. 30 6. Which place is to be understood not of particularities of Instituted Worship undetermined for then the reason should have been thus Lest he reprove thee and thou be found superstitious but of Gods Commands Promises or Predictions of which he had said v. 5. Every Word of God is pure he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him and is opposed to the practice of false Prophets who pretended revelations as from God which they had not from him and therefore were reproved by him and found Liars Which is also confirmed by that parallel place Rev. 22.18 19. Mat. 15.9 is the same with Mark 7.7 before alledged and is taken from Isa. 29.13 and both by the Prophet against the Seers of his time the Rulers and Prophets to whom the vision of God was as a sealed Book and they understood not or taught not according to his Law but made shew of drawing nigh to God whilest their fear towards him that is their Worship of him or obedience to him was taught by the precepts of men and by our Lord Christ urged against the Pharisees who were guilty of the same hypocrisie and indeed proves that all Doctrines are condemned wherein that is taught or commanded or urged as Gods Worship which is onely by the Command of men but condemns not every particularity of accidentals in instituted Worship undetermined by God because from men who reach it not nor observe it as Gods Worship by his Command Which Exposition is agreeable with that which this Author puts after in the Margin In a Translation of the New Testament in Edward the sixths time the Author of the Notes on Mat. 15. saith God will not be woâ—shipped after the Doctrine and Precepts of men but as he himself hath prescribed and taught us in his Word The same is to be said of Deut. 12.32 where God having warned the Israelites that they should not do so unto the Lord their God as the Nations destroyed by them served their Gods adds whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it Which hath the same sense as the Words Deut. 4.2 well expounded in the English large Annotations Deut. 4.2 shall not add not as a Comment or Exposition to a Text but man must not add any thing to Gods Word either for words or meaning contrary to it nor as Gods Word with an intent to make that of Divine Authority which is but humane as the Papists do by Apocryphal Writings and unwritten Traditions See Chap. 12.32 and 18.20 Diminish by denying any part of it to be of Divine Authority or concealing any part of it either for words or meaning or by partial Belief of it or obedience to it God is not to be believed obeyed or served in part and by halfs but as he is to be loved wholly Chap. 6.5 Which Precept is not to be restrained to immediate Worship but to be extended to all other duties enjoyned not only to the Priests by whom the solemn Worship of God was to be administred but also the King who was to have a Copy of the Law and not to turn aside from the Commandment to the right hand or to the left Deut. 17.20 and yet might make Orders about Civil Government not expressed in the Law Yea were the prohibition Deut. 4.2 and 12.32 restrained as it is not to worship it cannot be taken for a prohibition of all Orders made by men concerning Gods Worship as might be proved from Josh. 22.34 2 Chron. 20.3 and 30.23 Esther 9.27 31. and other places if there were need but such as were different from Gods commands in things determined by him or in things indeterminate when urged as Gods command and made his Worship wherein it is to be considered that God was more strict to the Israelites being more full in Ordinances concerning Ceremonies Typical and peculiar to them than he is to Christians whom he hath released of their burden of rites Lev. 10 1. The sin lay in this that they offered strange fire which was forbidden as even Mr. Ainsworth acknowledgeth Annot. on Lev. 10.1 Strange fire that is other fire than God had sanctified on his Altar As strange incense was expresly forbidden Exod. 30.9 So strange fire was not commanded but implicitely forbidden by Lev. 1.7 6.12 as afterward God plainly sheweth in Levit. 16.12 So that both the
treasure found in a dunghill or a pearl brought by an unworthy person 8. If the word of God preached by the present Ministers may be effectual for that good which is the end wherefore it is preached then it may be lawfully heard from them or rather ought to be heard according to that precept James 1.21 Receive with meekness the ingraffed word which is able to save your souls 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby But the word of God preached by the present Ministers may be thus effectual For the efficacy of it comes not from the personal qualifications of the Preacher but from the verity of it it 's derivation from God his promise and blessing and however Sepatists have declaimed against such Ministers and suggested to their Partisans as if no good could be gotten by hearing them yet experience hath proved the contrary and therefore they are to be heard Finis dat mediis ordinem mensuram amabilitatem The hearing of them is an ordinary means of hearers edification in the faith and obedience of Christ and therefore is not unlawful but to be made use of 9. That is not unlawfull the neglect of which may be the occasion and reason of a mans condemnation it is the condemnation of a person John 3.20 that he comes not to the light But the present Ministers holding forth the light mens not hearing them is not coming to the light and so much the more dangerous if by not hearing them they are deprived of any other to bring the light to them as it may and perhaps doth fall out at some times and in some places Therefore the neglect of hearing them may be the occasion and reason of a persons condemnation and so a damnable sin in them that refuse to hear them and in those that deter others from hearing them 10. The words of Peter John 6.68 Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life include in them this proposition We may go to them as to Teachers of us who have the words of eternal life But the present Ministers who teach the Gospel of Christ have the words of eternal life for it contains his words and is the power of God to salvation from the matter of it Rom. 1.16 17. Mighty through God to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Therefore we may go to the present Ministers who teach the Gospel of Christ and hear them as our Teachers 11. The Apostle Paul 1 Thâ—s 2.13 writes thus For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us ye received 〈◊〉 not as the words of men but as it is in tâ—â—th the woâ—d of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe Whence I thus argue If the word of God be to be heard as his word and not as the word of men then it is sufficient for right hearing that we attend to the preaching of it without consideration of the personal qualifications of the men that deliver it and consequently we need not decline hearing of Preachers that deliver it though otherwise liable to exceptions yea it is our duty to hear any men preach it without questioning any thing but whether it be the word of God and it is evil to refuse to hear it because of our disaffection and prejudice against the Preachers and accordingly it is enough to justifie the hearing of the present Ministers that they preach the word of God and that we hear them as teaching it For quatenus ipsum incâ—udes de omni if we may yea ought to hear the word of God as Gods word we may and ought to hear it at any time from any person and if we do not hear it under this consideration we hear amiss and worship not God in hearing But the word of God is to be heard as Gods word as is evident from St. Pauls thanksgiving that the Thessalonians so heard it and not as the word of men though Preached by himself who ascribes the efficacy of it to this consideration in their hearing Therefore it is sufficient for right hearing that we attend to the Preaching of Gods word without consideration of the personal qualifications of them that deliver it and consequently we may rightly hear the present Ministers Preaching Gods word though without such personal qualifications as are required of them 12. The same is further proved by the holy Ghosts approbation of the practice of the Beraeans neighbours to the Thessalonians Acts 17.11 12. These were more noble then those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether these things were so therefore many of them believed Whence I argue They may be right hearers of the present Ministers who may hear them as the Beraeans did which proposition is confirmed in that the holy Ghost gives them the commendation of right hearers in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether the things taught by St. Paul were agreeable thereto without examining his commission to Preach or other qualifications of his person yea and this is made the reason of their believing and therefore the word of God is sufficient to beget faith because of it's agreeableness to the Scripture and hath most success when hearers hear it with respect to it's congruity to the holy Scripture and not because delivered by such men as they approve of But thus may Christians hear the present Ministers of England and therefore may be right hearers of the present Ministers and consequently they that do so do lawfully hear them and they that hear their Ministers out of other particular respects and not in this manner hear not rightly nor doth their hearing edifie them in the faith of Christ but tends to inordinate glorying in men and to division consequent thereon 13. From our Lord Christs word Luke 9.49 50. And John answered and said Master we saw one caâ—ting out devils in thy name and we forbade him becaâ—se he followeâ—h not with us And Jesus said into him Forbid him not for he that is not against us is for us I gather That Christ would not have him forbidden to Preach who Preached in his name though he were not joyned to Christs disciples For though the acting in Christs name expressed 〈◊〉 onely using his name to expell devils yet by using his name there was some Preaching of Christ and the words Mark 9.39 For there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me and the occasion both Mark 9.37 and Luke 9.48 immediately foregoing Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me and whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me but him that sent me and Christs reason Forbid him not for he that is not against us is