Not one Provincial or National Church but seven particular instituted Churches First To each Church is there a distinct Epistle written Secondly Each Church had its particular Officer or Angel to whom each Epistle was directed to be communicated to the Congregation for to them in it doth Christ by his Spirit speak Rev. 2. 7 11 17 29. 3. 6 13 22. 3dly Each Church received its particular commendation bore its particular burden The Evils found in one are not charged upon the rest nor the Good found in either imputed to them generally but severally 4thly The power of Excommunication or rejection of Scandalous Offenders seems to be seated in each Church severally and apart therefore no Provincial or National Churches but Congregational For the neglect of which power some of them are expresly rebuked by Christ Rev. 2. 14 15 20. which our English Annotators apply and that truly to a non-rejection of them by excommunication and cite 1 Cor. 5. 2 6. Alas a National Diocesan Provincial Church was not then thought of Diocesan Churches were first founded as 't is said but it were no difficult task to evince that their original is antidated some scores of years by Dyonisius Bishop of Rome about 280 years after Christ or as some will about 251 he was the first that appointed the limits and bounds of Parishes Here in England they received their rise and original from one Honorius Bishop of Canterbury Polyd. Virgil. de Invent. rer lib. 4. c. 9. Nay the truth is the Churches mentioned were so far from being a Church of a Region or Nation that they were not all that lived in the same Place City or Town appertaining to the Church there As for the Church of Ephesus one of the seven Paul speaks of it as distinct from the rest of the Inhabitants Eph. 1. 1. so doth Christ of the Church of Pergamos Rev. 2. 13. I know thy works and where thou dwellest i. e. among what manner of people thine abode is Psal 57. 4. 120. 5 6. Ezek. 2. 6. Phil. 2. 15. viz. a wicked graceless ungodly people even where Satan's seat is where Satan dwelleth who were sure no part of the Church The like may be said of the rest of them 'T is strange to me that when God calls them Churches any person pretending to sobriety should dare to aver them to be but one Touching the interpretation of Mat. 16. 18. 18. 17. there are indeed great debates as our Animadverter saith betwixt Protestants and Papists amongst Protestants also and Protestants The exposition the Papists give of Mat. 16. 18. who from hence would infer that Peter and after him the Bishop of Rome was made Universal Bishop is so frivolous that 't is not worth the mentioning 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super hanc petram is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 super hunc Petrum upon this Rock will I build my Church we English-men think to be very different from upon St. Peter will I build i◠The Faith Peter confessed we take to be one thing his person another 2. We find not notwithstanding this promise that Peter was the Prince of the Apostles at which lofty rate these Gentlemen love to speak or Universal Bishop If he had been so Paul much forgot himself when he said 2 Cor. 11. 5. For I suppose Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conclude for certain I was not a whit behind the chiefest Apostles And much more Gal. 2. 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed Strange that he should carry it with no more respect to the Prince of the Apostles and Universal Bishop and head of the Church-Catholick-visible 3. But if these were granted them what is this to their Pope Why Peter was at Rome Answ That is uncertain Yet should it be granted he was there it would not in the least advantage them in their present cause 'T is most certain he was at Samaria Antioch Lydda Joppa Cesaria yet no Primacy or Supremacy affixed to either of them upon that bottom 4. Yea but he placed his Chair at Rome fixed his Seat there Answ This is false and untrue nor can they ever make it appear that he did so Yet if this should be granted they are never a whit the nearer the mark except they prove 1. That a succession in this universal Unlimited Archiepiscopal power was entailed to the Church of Rome and that so that 1. Though those who ascended that Chair came to be invested therein by bribery cozenage cruelty bloo◠whilst they possessed it were Hereticks and declared by Councils to be so and their Successors Conjurers Adulterers Idolaters Atheists Blasphemers bloody Persecutors destroyers of bodies and souls of men the veriest Villains and Wretches that ever the Earth bore 2. Though this Succession hath been interrupted by a Vacancy or Interregnum of some years polluted by a Woman a Whore delivered with her Cardinals about her in solemn Procession whence Papa parit Papam peperit Papissa Papillum By the setting up of Anti-Popes two or three at a time contesting to the pouring out of much Blood wasting destroying Villages Towns Cities Cursing excommunicating one another and all that adhere to each other for the Popedom or St. Peter's Chair yet when in it and those that succeed them be they as bad or worse than they that went before must infallibly be his successor which when they prove I will be a Papist and before they shall effect this it being the grand Principle of their Religion or Superstition rather it would become all that have or would be accounted to have the least spark of Wisdom remaining in them to have nothing to do with such a generation For my part I am abundantly satisfied that the Church there is neither the Church-Catholick visible nor any particular Church as such but the Invisible-Church or Elect of God Tell the Church Mat. 18. 17. hath divers interpretations put upon it according as the interests of some lead and encline them In the language of the Episcopalians it is Tell the Lord Bishop and his Consistory but this is such an heterogeneous piece so wild an interpretation that it would put a sober man if concern'd in them to a blush to hear it mentioned 1. There were no such creatures at that day nor for some hundreds of years after Alas there was somewhat else to do than to think of erecting Episcopal Seas and Consistories when they were every day fighting with beasts and made a spectacle to Angels and men for the Truth and Gospel-sake which was the state of the Church of God for the most part for the first three-hundred years and upwards as is known 2. One man as saith precious Cotton is not the Church nor can he represent the Church unless sent by them but so is neither the Bishop nor his Commissary 3. The Bishop ordinarily is no member of the Church where the offence is committed
the Sabbath Baptism Lord's Supper c. and I do so in this dispute Answ Egregie dictum excellently said indeed as if because we affirm that whatever is to be practised in Instituted Worship in the time of the Gospel is to be wholly bottom'd as to the Law and Precept instituting it upon some Commandment of Christ in the New-Testament therefore we assert that no use may be made of the Scriptures of the Old-Testament treating thereabout by way of prophecy or otherwise which is a Consequence this learned Animadverter will never be able to make good 'T is true many learned men do make use of some places of the Old-Testament to prove the morality of one day in seven or the seventh part of time not as I remember except Psa 118. 24 which some conceive by way of prophecy speaks of the Lord 's honouring the first day for the confirmation of the observation of the first day which they conceive Christ's resurrection on that day the practice of the Primitive-Church meeting together for the solemn Worship of God 1 Cor. 16. 2. Acts 20. 7. the appellation the Lord's Day which they judge is given to it c. is a sufficient warrant for their observation thereof in Gospel-times They plead not for Baptism or the Lord's Supper upon any other bottom than Gospel-Institution or their preception by Christ in the New-Testament Though 't is true as touching the subjects of the one and the other they judg they may by way of analogy argue somewhat from Old-Testament-Scriptures from which apprehension they see nothing so weighty in what is tendred by Mr. T. notwithstanding his brag and immodest Assertion pag. 18. Sect. 14. that such a way of arguing is irrational as if wisdom rested with him and he had the measure of it and a man could not differ from him but he must be a block or bruit to influence their departure That because the granting the Assertion would be disadvantagious to the Author and the Separatists therefore it should be in Mr. T. his opinion an unreasonable postulatum to devolve the question upon the Scriptures of the New-Testament I understand not He takes not a measure I presume of the reasonableness or unreasonableness of requests from their advantagiousness or disadvantagiousness to such contemptible creatures as we and should he do so he were much to blame as to infer from hence therefore I see no reasonableness in his Postulatum which is introduced not as the natural issue of any thing premised which he knows it is not but meerly for pomp and shew Sect. 3. The judgments of the Antients no sufficient substratum to build my practice upon in the Worship of God The opinion of the Antients â—hemselves in this matter None but the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures can satisfie the consciences of any dissatisfied in matters relating to Worship Our Faith not to be resolved into the Testimony of men which is a principle decryed by the Antients and Protestant Churches The consciences of none can be satisfied in what is written by the Ancients before they are assured 1. that what they read as or are told is theirs be indeed so and not counterfeited nor adulterated 2. That in their Writings they were as the Apostles and Prophets guided by an unerring Spirit The true use of the Testimony of the Ancients Congregational-Principles owned by them Of Councils and Schoolmen THe fourth Section is fronted with this The judgement of the Ancients not useless in this Controversie as if the Author of the Sober-Testimony had asserted it to be so which Mr. T. knows he no where doth This indeed the words of the Author not perplexing our selves nor the consciences of any with the judgments of men in generations past wherein they cannot acquiesce fairly intimate 1. That the judgment of none of the children of men though never so famous in their generation since the Apostles fell asleep is a sufficient Substratum to build my faith and practice upon in the Worship of my God In which we have the concurrence of the Ancients themselves Basil tels us that it is necessary and consonant to Reason that every man learn that which is needful out of the Scriptures both for the fulness of Godliness and lest they be inured to humane traditions Regul contract 95. p. 902. And Austin Epist 112. ad Paulin. saith If a matter be grounded on the clear authority of the holy Scriptures it is to be believed without all doubt but as for other witnesses and testimonies upon whose credit any thing may be urged unto us to believe it it is lawful for thee either to credit or not to credit them according as thou shalt perceive them of weight to deserve or not to deserve credit Origin saith Homil. 1. in Hierem. We must of necessity call the Scriptures to witness for our senses and interpretations without them are of no credit Famous is the saying of Cyril Bishop of Jerusalem Catech. 4. p. 15. We must not deliver any thing though never so small without the holy Scriptures neither may we be led away with probabilities and shews of words neither yet believe me barely saying these things unto you unless you also believe the demonstration thereof from the Scriptures for the security of our faith ariseth from the demonstration of the holy Scripture 2dly That not the sayings or judgment of the Ancients but the clear Testimony of the Spirit of God speaking in the Scriptures is sufficient and efficacious for the satisfying persons that are dissatisfied in any thing relating to Faith or Worship Come to a poor soul under real scruples of spirit with respect to these and tell him this Father is of this opinion and that Father of that you do but oleum operam perdere when you have said all he remains as he was dissatisfied and so will do without evidence from Scripture More than these two things the Animadverter cannot righteously infer from the expression he discants on What saith he to these not a word more or less And I am apt to believe of Mr. T. that he is a man of greater modesty than to oppose them He tells us indeed that it may be of good use to satisfie mens consciences that no such separation as now is from the present Ministers of the Church of England was allowed of by the first Fathers and Writers what truth there is in this suggestion shall by and by be manifested He will not say surely of what good use he supposeth it to be that the faith of any is to be resolved into their testimony which it must be if what they say satisfie the scrupling conscience i. e. I must believe what they say is true because they say it else that they say it will never tend to my satisfaction which yet is an homage and duty that we owe to none but the Lord. A principle decryed and abhorred by the Ancients themselves The saying of Austin Epist 48. is known
Luther ought not to be severed from the choosing Ecclesiastical Persons 'T is tyranny to do so saith Bullinger Let the judicious Reader peruse the words of the rest recited in S. T. and he will be convinced that they speak home to the matter in hand and that Mr. T. doth but trifle whilest he labours to avoid their Testimony That there is nothing like this Institution of Christ practised amongst the Ministers of the Church of England is known And Mr. T. acknowledgeth That by reason of the continuance in force of so much of the Popes Canon Law things are far otherwise than they should be Now this is that we say A non-hearkening to the Institutions and Laws of Christ with an imbracement and subjection to the Cannon-Law of Antichrist is a real denial of Christs Kingly Authority This the Ministers of England are guilty of The latter our Animadverter hath the ingenuity to confess the former we have proved What difficulties Congregational men have found in the rectifying these things besides what they have ground to expect in any work of God in which 't is no new thing to find Satan at our right hand to resist us I know not That Separation and Election by the Churches makes things worse than they are is a plain calumny against the known experience of them all We proceed and in S. T. instance a sixth Institution of Christ viz. 6thly That Saints may Prophesie one by one and ought to admonisy exhort and build up one another in their most holy Faith 1 Cor. 14. 40. Rom. 8. 26. and 12. 6. 1 Cor. 4. 17. and 5. 4. and 11. 23. Ephes 4. 7 11 12. 1 Tim. 2. 1. and 3. 15. Jude 20. 1 Cor. 12. 7 11. Mat. 25. 24. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 1 Cor. 12. 15. and 14. 12 24. Ephes 4. 3 7 15 16. Acts 2. 42. Rom. 15. 14. Ephes 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. 1 Thes 5. 14. 2 Thes 3. 15. Heb. 3. 13. to which might be added the frequent Examples of the Saints in the Old and New Testament 2 Chr. 17. 7 8 9. John 2. 11. Mal. 3. 16. Luke 4. 16. Acts 13. 15. 1 Cor. 14. 24 to 34. and the practice of the Primitive Church as witness Origen in his Epistle to Celsum Tertullian in his Apol. Justin Martyr in his Apol. and many others This Institution of Christ the present Ministers trample under foot rail against oppose reproach do all they can to cause to perish from amongst the people of Christ To which Mr. T. Sect. 8. upon the matter speaks not one woâ—d in a way of contradiction tells us Prophesying was an extraordinary gift by an immediate Revelation of the Spirit whereby some hidden thing is discovered and this prophesying the Ministers of England neither do nor can hinder none that he knows of have this gift Answ 1. Were all this granted it would not at all advantage him There is a Prophesying that was as he saith an extraordinary gift But that is not the Prophesying as he knows we are treating of but a speaking to men to edification exhortation and comfort This we say is an Institution of Christ bottom'd upon the forecited Scriptures which notwithstanding the present Ministers of England oppose and deny Are not these things so Is Mr. T. able to disprove them Doth he attempt to do so nothing less A very fardle of Contradictions not worth the mentioning is the whole of what he is pleased to return in Answer hereunto one while the restraint of such exercises is no transgression of Christ's Command and yet immediately adds that the duties in the Texts ought to be cherished furthered and such meetings countenanced Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo An Institution of Christ he denies not this to be nor that it is not hearkened to but rejected opposed by the present Ministers His imputing practises to us tending to Sedition and Disturbance very ill becomes him The whole Nation is under the conviction of the contrary 'T is no more than what of old was charged upon the Saints A very false crimination for which I advise him that he pray to God to give him repentance unto Life A 7th Institution of Christ remarked in S. T. is this That nothing be offered up to God but what is of his own prescription divine and spiritual without affectation of Legal Shadows John 4. 24. Of worldly Pomp or carnal Excellency 2 Cor. 1. 12. and 2. 17. 1 Cor. 2. 12. and 6. 13. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Isa 33. 22. Jam. 4. 12. Mat. 15. 6 9. Heb. 8. 5. 1 King 13. 33. and 12. 13. Jer. 7. 31. Numb 15. 39. Deut. 12. 1. 4. 31. This the Ministers of England conform not to they act what is contrary thereunto whilst they offer up a Service not of his prescription affect Legal Shadows worldly Pomp and carnal Excellency Mâ— T. replies Sect. 9. Where God hath left us free not forbidding us to use a prescript form of words Musick in the praising of God there we may so do Answ 1. This is such a shameful petitio principii or begging the thing in question that he could not sure write without blushing 2dly Contrary to what he hath in other Treatises formerly asserted 3dly Directly opposite to some of the Scriptures instanced in which he takes no notice of 4thly An open door for the Introduction of all the Popish trinkets and fopperies 5thly A most Papistical assertion generally exploded by Protestant Writers when they dispute against the Papists who affirm that an Argument from the authority of the Scripture negatively is valid i. e. 't is not commanded in Scripture not to be proved thence therefore not to be believed nor practised as Sutcliffe argues against Bellarmine de Pontif. l. 2. c. 9. p. 134 135 and others So that notwithstanding what Mr. T. is able to say to the contrary the present Ministers of Engl. refuse to subject to despise oppose persecute the Orders and Institutions of Christ in his House and therefore deny his Prophetical and Kingly Office We proceed in S. T. to the removing an Objection which is thus proposed But perhaps to these things some may say These are but small matters good men differ among themselves herein To which we Answer 1. That they are part of the Instituted Worship of God hath already been proved To say that any part thereof is a small matter is no small derogation to the wisdom of him who instituted it To this Mr. T. Sect. 10. Replies 1st Though nothing commanded by God is small yet some things are comparatively small Mat. 23. 23. Answ 1. Christ speaks not of Gospel-Institutions of which we are treating But 2. Of Commandments and Ceremonies that were then drawing apace to their period and full point 3. He saiâ—h not that they were so small that they ought not to be observed but the contrary 4. The Appointments instanced in by us are of such import as that in them the visible Kingship of Christ in and