Spirit may be in such comes not within the Churches cognisance to inquire but what is agreeable to the revealed will of God and then if any of years being baptized professing the true religion be in the same incapacity as Infants or distracted it 's true there is the same exception against them otherwise not For mine own part I never knew any of years but could take and eat and drink of the consecrated signes reverently and orderly according to the institution as to the externals of that service which the state of Infants is uncapable of And mad men would indanger the abuse of the holy signes by their undecent and unreverent demeanour in those necessary acts of communion and worship And it must be granted that persons at years are not under that naturall incapacity that infants are in order to the outward form of worship Neither are Infants as such under the obligation of precepts of worship as grown persons in the Church are Nor can it be reasonably imagined that such a state of persons in the Church should be admitted actually to receive that in the discretion of the Church are no proper objects of Church censures in point of offending which grown persons in the Church are though never so ignorant And what though the Doctor say he can teach a childe of three or four years old as much or more then some of our people at years have learned all their life time A Parrat may be taught to speak words but can he make such children rationally understand what they are taught and exercise devotion from a principle of conscience in reference to religious worship as in charity we may hope of grown ones according to that little they know which may be conceived by their desires after it and their demeanour in the Sacramentall actions Moreover I doubt not but the Doctor or any other Minister of the Gospell may in a short time inform the ignorant among their people so as to make them capable of discerning the Lords body and to eat and drink lawfully in the Apostles sense though not in the sense I shall give account of hereafter All which being laid together I conceive that Church members of years most ignorant are not so uncapable of the Sacrament as Infants or mad men are and therefore the same or like ground of excepting against the one will not equally reach the other And then the Doctors often retorting Mr. H. exception doth rather discover weaknesse then adde any strength to the cause This to the first inquiry As for the other namely whether the scandalous members under Church indulgence may be equally debarred this Church priviledge with the regularly excommunicated I do not finde the Doctors judgement so expresly delivered but he seems to debar such from the Sacrament But sure to debar Church members scandalous their externall priviledge during Church indulgence and toleration they being under triall or otherwise is contrary to the judgement and practise of the independent Churches and seems irrationall and unjust to execute before a judiciall triall and sentence I confesse I am unsatisfied with their proceedings as Presbytered toward Church members of years admitted 1. They set up an Eldership whose office is very doubtfull too doubtfull to assume and exercise the keyes of Christs Kingdome especially where there is no association of Churches so that upon the matter the power of sentence is in the Pastour alone or in those whom Jesus Christ never impowered with the keys at all to binde and loose authoratively 2. They set up such a way of triall and Church examination of native Church members in order to the Sacrament the observance whereof is both their duty and their priviledge as no word doth warrant discouraging the most from indevouring after their duty and priviledge so that upon the matter they are left out without any regular casting out 3. They cause a carelesse forbearance of the Sacrament and make their suspension and excommunication upon the matter all one and the Doctor allowes all presence at every ordinance denying only the act of receiving to the worst 4. They positively suspend Church members for ignorance and such like wants and comings short of what they should be to God for which there is not the least warrant either of rule or president in divine writ 5. They make excommunication lesse then it is indeed in allowing the excommunicate presence in the congregation at every ordinance and make it more then indeed it is in dismembring Church members by it it being appointed as the last remedy to heal diseased members not to destroy them They are not thereby dismembred but to be lookt upon saith Mr. Cawdry as diseased members under cure 6. No more priviledge is allowed to Church members not approved of by the eldership though not yet under any positive sentence then is allowed to Heathens and to the excommunicate as much of priviledge in the ordinances of the Church is allowed as to Heathens All which upon triall will be found to be beside the rule I think and yet such are the consequences that flow from the Doctors own principles and premises in his Bar to free admission to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper In the next place the Doctor declares his judgement concerning a scandalous member of a congregation impresbytered presuming to receive what is to be done in such a case As first the Minister is to tell him of the sinne and desire him to forbear if that will not do then to shew him the present danger of murdering Christ and eating and drinking judgement to himself and he hath done his duty But then it may be inquired whether he mean only in case of common fame the scandall having been publick otherwise I suppose it will not be a time to nominate any members sinne or person in publique first Then secondly I question whether a scandalous member doth necessarily murder Christ and eat and drink judgement to himself in the Scripture sense whether the person be regenerate or unregenerate For he may be Scandalous and yet knowing and able to put a difference between common bread and the instituted signs in order to their end He might be drunk the week before and yet sober scrious and reverent in the act of receiving and not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ nor eat and drink judgement to himself in the Doctors sense He often distinguishes of worthy Church members and unworthy according to the judgement of visibility accounting the regenerate in the Church only worthy of admittance but not the other they not having a personall worthinesse must necessarily eat and drink unworthily and so judgement to themselves in the Apostles sense c. Now because all his conclusions seem to be deducted from meer mistakes and misapplyings of the Apostles sense 1 Cor. 11.20 to the 34. to the great perill and danger of the visible Church of Christ as causing rents and divisions therein I shall therefore make
not under the promises made to Gospell administrations I wonder at it that such Ministers would be accounted the only men that patronize free grace and the only Gospell Preachers and yet forget that Christ came into the world to save sinners and to give repentance and remission of sins to seek and to save that which is lost as all were and are untill he finde them and gather them to himself by a blessing of spirit and power in the use of his own ordinances The Scriptures distinguish indeed between the Church and the World but these men will be making a world in the Church and a world out of the Church and make Infidels of the baptized and such as were born in the Church and make a profession of faith and that truly too an to the object at least and yeeld externall conformity in the materials of worship and Christian obedience But you that are so bold to unchurch Christians and to make spoile in Christs Kingdome did you ever read any such thing approved in the Scriptures I confesse these are bold times but let not men make too bold with Jesus Christs interest suffer him to have his full possessions and dominion over all his subjects that professe loyalty and homage unto him in the world Let us wish grace and peace to all that call on the name of the Lord Jesus both theirs and ours and let us have union with them and communion too in all the Lawes and ordinances of Jesus Christ He hath spirit and grace sufficient to answer all the wants to prevent all the evils of all that seek after him according to his own institutes Oh brethren hinder none in seeking after Jesus discourage none because they are sinners from coming under the most ingaging ordinances to preserve Christian obedience do not act so contrary to the Apostolicall daies The Apostles did what they could to convert the world unto Christianiâ—â— and rejoyced in bringing sinners to the obedience of faith and were all for the inlarging of Christs kingdome for which end they put themselves upon the greatest hazards And will many of you pervert Christianity into the world ' Christ into Belial unchurch and unchristian such as the Apostles did generally imbrace and receive to communion upon as slender grounds as ours are desired to be received Did you over read that they refused any one that imbraced the Doctrine of faith and was willing to be baptized Did you ever read that they required more to breaking of bread then they did to Baptisme Did you ever read that they called any in the Church Unbeleevers Heathens Belial Dogs c. Did you ever read of this distinction of Church and World in any of those Churches the Scriptures speak of I would you would prove a twofold world one in the Church another out of the Church and a twofold Kingdome in the visible Church of Christ where men and women generally submit to the Lawes and Ordinances of Jesus Christ Will you confound things that so much concern the Lord Christs interest can you put no difference between the unregenerate under Covenant lations and administrations and the infidel world that are left to wander from all these and to sacrifice to the Devill and not unto the true God at all Will you allow them no better titles and priviledges then you will allow to Heathens I wonder what rule you walk by and judge by and what spirit it is that you act so vigorously from Suppose the Indians in America should generally embrace the Christian faith and disavow their worshipping of Devils and desire to imbody themselves with those that professe the Christian religion would you not offer them Baptisme and upon their coming under it would you not admit them to all the ordinances of Christian profession and communion Whether you would or no the Apostles have done it in the like case Or suppose the infidell Jewes should be convinced of their mistake and should now confesse that Jesus whom their fathers crucified is the true Messiah and Saviour of the world and upon that account renounce their errour and desire the Baptisme of Christ professing their resolution to submit unto his administrations and come under Christian obedience would you refuse them and not baptize them untill they were so qualified as to come up to your termes of communion I think you would not And I pray then why will you separate from the most of ours that are lawfully baptized and come up to the same profession and are of no other religion but the Christian religion and expect salvation by Christ alone Is it because they have this by education and the helps of tradition which in the other case is not so I pray you do not undervalue any benefits and helps that are the consequences of the Covenant of grace Remember how sadly the Apostle laid it to heart when the Jewes by their infidelity in denying Christ to be the Son of God did unchurch themselves and apostatize Rom. 10.1 and the 11. compared It was not their being carnall and otherwise ignorant and wicked but their not beleeving that Christ was the Messias promised unto their fathers that did unchurch them and their posterity to this day for that unbelief was the thing that barr'd them from his administrations so are said to be cut off although by birth priviledge they were the only naturall branches or Church members Were they refused by the Apostles or cast off or did they eject cast out themselves from being branches of the true Olive Christs coming in the flesh not discerned by them was the occasion of their fall from being the Israel of God he was the stumbling stone and the rock of offence that made them fall from their Church state and relation They would not own any other administration but that of Moses and upon that account undid themselves and perished What think you would have been the issue had they owned Jesus Christ to be the true Messias and so had come under the Gospell administrations as ours are and would not be under any other that they should have been refused and separated from as being none of the Church of Christ I beseech you consider of it did not thousands of the Jewes come in and offer themselves to Baptisme at the preaching of one short word or sermon Act. 2. And can we imagine that they were all true Converts in your sense was any refused that desired to be one in the Christian profession Suppose that all the common people in England were unbaptized as some reproachfully and slanderously report they are and were sensible of that condition and should come and desire Baptisme upon no other account then their present capacity would admit of confessing themselves sinners and promising obedience to the word of God professing hope of mercy and happinesse through the merits of Jesus Christ which all that have learned their Creed are capable to do I would fain know whether you could
and live unto him according to the grace they have received from him 3. That the scandalous in the Church are to be dealt with under the notion of offending brethren whom they that are spirituall ought by private admonitions and Christian counsell and wise and seasonable reproofs to restore in the spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 And the person or sin of any member not to be nominated in publick while there is any reasonable hope in charity of amendment by the private means provided the offence be not already publick and infamous to all in that case I think though the offender be penitent and ashamed yet he ought to be rebuked before all that the rest may fear and the congregation be satisfied And that it is only in case of obstinacy and hating to be reformed notwithstanding all possible means used by the Church for their reformation that the authoritative act of excommunication is to be issued out against any member The Apostle did more often threaten and shake the rod then make use of it The administration of publick censures should be carried on with that solemnness and mourning over the offender that might shew a reall unwillingnesse to put the same in execution if any other means would humble and break the heart of an obstinate transgressor And though there may be in the Church a readinesse to revenge all wilfull disobedience yet a readinesse to forgive also as they shall see cause 4. That none ought to usurpe the power of the keyes of Christs visible Kingdome or take upon them the power of stewards and to be Judges of Christs subjects that have not a clear warrant in the Word for the same lest they be judged For my part I must confesse I utterly reject as impious and against all rule and order for the common members to claim an interest in the exercise of the keys either of Doctrine Sacraments or Discipline save only to be obedient in declining familiarity with those that are justly excommunicated and all communion with them in worship and to be witnesses to attest what they know against an offending brother when it is necessary to prove the fact and conviction of his obstinacy I professe I wonder that any acquainted with the holy Scriptures should plead for any other power to be allowed to any of the common members I cannot see how this should be but that some men drive on designes of their own factious framing rather to hinder the setting up of discipline then any way to advance it What dismall divisions separations and confusions what prejudices heart-burnings and bitternesse do such practises every where necessarily occasion between Pastours and their people while the better part must withdraw from the rest and set up Discipline among themselves chuse their own officers and use a language beyond the ordinary and think they are in a fine posture when alasse they are out of their station and all they do is but erecting waies of their own chusing and setting up altars to sin some of Jeroboams craft to keep the people from worshipping at Jerusalem And the truth is members that separate from the body are not like to live long What strange exorbitances very often are the consequences of such uncharitable zealous waies And how can it be avoided if the power of the keys reside in the common brotherhood but the major part of a parochiall congregation may chuse their own officers set up Discipline and judge in the Church and what reformation is then like to follow may easily be imagined Doubtlesse all Church members as such stand upon a levell in point of externall priviledges for we do not finde different priviledges of those that are members of the same Church planted together into the same visible body by baptism and so by consequence women and children ignorant and scandalous persons shall have power to judge the rest nay they may create and ordain their own officers and consequently take upon them all Gospell administrations for if the keys reside in them originally so that they may make Ministers c. then they themselves are much more such and may do the works they are to do The effect cannot be greater then the cause But they will say Object the power of the keys resides not in all but in worthy and compleat church-Church-members or beleevers that have the spirit of sanctification c. I know no such distinction in the Word of God Answ Look upon the Church of the Jewes they were a holy nation a kingdome of Priests a peculiar and royall people in generall without distinction of worthy and unworthy compleat and incompleat And doth not the Apostle Peter use the same words and apply them to the scattered strangers embracing Christianity 1 Pet. 2.9 And doth not the Apostle give equall titles to all those to whom he writes and to all in every place that call upon the name of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 1.1 2 3. If we never read of any such distinction in Moses and the Prophets nor finde any such used by Christ or his Apostles why should any plead for it in our congregations but that they would see more then all that ever were before them But the keyes were given to the twelve as beleevers Object and that which is given to them as such is given to the whole kinde of beleevers in the world Solut. That the twelve were impowered with the keyes of Christs Kingdom is beyond all dispute and that they were beleevers when they received that power is as certain but that the Lord Jesus gave the keyes to them as such is denyed And they might as well say they were given to them as men for they were men when they received them But the truth is that though there were many Disciples and beleevers beside the twelve yet of his meer good pleasure he gave the keyes of his Kingdome to the twelve only not to the rest that beleeved as well as they He hath set some in the Church Apostles Pastours and Teachers not all And we know the twelve by vertue of that authority received preached and baptized and ordered all the affairs of Christs Kingdome during their age they planted severall Churches and ordained them Elders and Deacons they were the instruments for the propagation of the Gospell in almost all places Doubtlesse after Jesus Christ had received all power in heaven and earth he put the twelve only in commission to build his Church and they ordained Elders and Deacons and gave order to some others as Timothy and Titus to ordain and directed them also to commit the same power to able and sit men in after ages to teach others c. And in the seven Churches of Asia the Angell of every Church is writ unto and blamed or commended according as they demeaned themselves in their places in opposing errour or cleaving to the truth But we never finde that the common brotherhood or membership were impowered with the keys either by
Christ in his laying down his life for sinners but I must contract But then saies the Doctor If this be so Object let all come pell-mell and then where is the reformation so much indevoured after of late To this I answer Solut. That if by coming all pell-mell be meant all though they come to mock at or openly to abuse the ordinance I say it doth no way follow from what I have asserted nor from any thing Mr. H. hath said For he hath very well stated the question and excepted infants distracted and justly excommunicated persons and these being excepted if he or I say let all come that will I think it neither to be absurd nor dangerous seeing that Christ when he offers himself and the thing signified in the Sacrament saith Let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 Why may not we say of all of years under Church indulgence whether Presbytered or not Presbytered they offering themselves to receive are not to be denyed the Sacrament for supposed incapacity or unworthinesse Besides Mr. H. hath given a rationall account of his own practise to acquit himself from such reproachfull expressions as are used against him namely That he hath done his utmost de jure that all come prepared And that none may charge him with arrogance he modestly and humbly breaks out into this patheticall expression But woe is me if I justifie my self who am a man of unclean lips and dwell among people of unclean lips eminent only in failings By which words he doth not detract what he had said before but only shewes that though such were his frailty that he as all other failed and came short in every duty yet he had not willingly neglected or wholly omitted any duty in that respect which Christ requires of him And so whether Mr. H. or the Doctor favours most of pride and vanity let the intelligent and sober judge Now to the other part of the objection namely Where is the reformation so long indevoured after if we allow of such a free admission I answer 1. I would learned men did more study by the right means and in the right way to reform a true Church labouring under some corruptions in Doctrine worship and discipline which is our case 2. I would fain know whether the debarring of Church members of years and not excommunicated from the Sacrament be a means of reforming approved in the Word 3. Whether the want of discipline do justifie a totall neglect or suspension of Sacraments in order to reformation 4. Whether separation in the Church be a good expedient to further the reformation of the whole 5. Whether to abolish the essentials of Church discipline in the use thereof for some exorbitant abuses be a good expedient to reform the thing 6. Whether denying the Sacrament to those whom the Church cannot justly proceed against the positive excommunication be any furtherance to reformation 7. Whether there can be any reformation of the Church in that respect untill discipline be restored and uniformly exercised in the same and if so whether the Sacrament must be suspended till then and whether it be any thing towards reformation so to doe 8. Whether the very nature and being of reformation in the visible Church stands not only in the externall conformity to the indisputable Lawes of Christ their head constraining all to an uniformity thereunto When these few queries are answered either by the reverend Doctor or any other that holds the Church of England a true constituted Church as to its essentials and being if I live and God enable me thereto I may take occasion to make a further and more direct answer to that latter part of the objection concerning reformation In the mean time I shall go on to vindicate Mr. H. in what he asserts touching excommunication and censures of the Church For what he hath asserted concerning these is by the Doctor charged to be false bloudy tenants c. And here I shal first assert what I conceive is truth and then answer to what the Doctor hath said 1. I conceive that none are proper objects of excommunication but such as are in the true Church of God and in fellowship with the Saints in all acts of communication and worship publick For what have I to do to judge them that are without them God judges 1 Cor. 5.12 2. That no one is to be excommunicated but in case of violating some manifest and known Law of Christ and that violation peristed in to obstinacy after a judiciall triall conviction and patient waiting of the Church for his reformation 3. That none may exercise the key of Ecclesiasticall Discipline but such persons in office to whom all the keys of Christs Kingdome are committed being appointed by him to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments as well as exercise discipline 4. That no single pastour alone but such as are so in an association as to derive authority from the whole can exercise Church censures authoritatively and that every Presbyter in generall is not to have a part in this power but some in speciall chosen by the whole Church which are more eminently qualified and fitted for the exercise of Ecclesiasticall rule and government 5. That excommunication when it is just is a solemn ejecting or putting out of obstinate sinners in the Church from all acts of communion and worship of God in the publick congregation untill by repentance they manifest both their shame and sorrow for their sin and upon the manifestation of this and publick promise of amendment the Church ought to be satisfied therewith and the penitent offender to be restored and regularly admitted to all externall Church priviledges again 6. That those have much to answer for that were the occasion of laying Gods vineyard waste by throwing down the wall and plucking up the hedge of discipline established before they were agreed of another warranted by the Word to be set up in stead thereof By this time they may both see their folly and feel the smart of it in the evil effects and consequences Well having laid down these propositions let me a little apply them and shew you what will follow upon the truth of them And first if the first be true as I conceive it is then those that never were admitted to the Lords Supper are not in a capacity of these censures of the Church nor to be amended by them what ever their enormities be If the second be true then none in the Church may be censured for ignorance or for the omitting of doubtfull duties especially that of submitting to Church examination in order to the Sacrament If the third be true then not only the common members but the ruling Elders will be called in question for usurping the key of Discipline they not having power to exercise the key of Doctrine and Sacraments If the fourth be true then we may take notice how little
them to perform duties of worship then to omit them altogether or that it is better for all unregenerate persons not to come to the Sacrament then to come in a Christian way though but in outward conformity only which is the main thing now in question And the like may be said of that Isa 66.3 He that killeth an oxe is as if he slew a man and he that sacrificeth a lambe as if he cut off a dogs neck c. What is the reason of all this Because they have chosen their own waies and their soul delighteth in their own abominations therefore the Lord will also chuse their delusions and bring their fears upon them c. vers 3.4 The truth is the fault lay not in doing those things but in not doing all that the Lord required as well as they could but they would do some things he commanded and other things of their own chusing even their own abominations like those spoken of Jer. 7. that cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord and yet will steal murder and commit adultery and swear falsly and burn incense to Baal and walk after other gods and come and stand before God in his house and say We are delivered to commit all these abominations This is a profane presumptuous coming to an ordinance of God but to come in a Christian conformity unto duties of worship in hope of a blessing being restrained from such enormities as are spoken of in these Scriptures is a different thing especially these places respecting nationall sins rather then of particular private persons But these Gentlemen judge that this outward consormity in the duties of Christianity according to the present capacity of persons in the Church as they are able to performe is a sweet bit for the Devill and a means to keep up rotten formality still But I pray you what is reformation in the Church but to bring people to yeeld an outward conformity to the clear and undisputable Lawes which Jesus Christ hath set up in the Church I wish with all my heart the generality of Christs subjects in the Church of England were reduced to that obedience though but meerly externall I should then think we were very happy and should much rejoice to see such daies and times in England and I must confesse my desires and prayers unto the Lord are that all our exorbitances may be reduced unto uniformity of Christian obedience though it were but in respect of the outward man in doctrine worship and discipline that all might come under the ordinary means and waies of their salvation and that we might teach our posterity in the way of holy profession and establishment of the true and lively oracles of God in respect of which for the present we are the most unhappy of all the reformed Churches in Christendome For some men cannot indure to hear of such words as uniformity in Religion under the establishment of Christian Lawes of the nation nor of a form of godlinesse and holy order in the Church of Christ but in the Kingdome of Christ would upon the matter have every one left to his liberty to do what seems good in his own eyes But our God is the God of order and not of confusion And I doubt not but the Christian Magistrate hath as much power to reform Religion in times of defection and apostasie according to the manifest Lawes of Jesus Christ by whom they rule as the Kings and rulers of the house of Judah had and ought to follow those glorious presidents Josiah Hezekiah and Nehemiah who were carefull to reform Religion in all things according to the known Lawes of God These examples are recorded for our learning and for the incouragement of those whose hearts are warmed with the love of God and zeal for his glory to improve the advantages of power and opportunity to bring both Ministers and people to a conformity in the externals of holy worship and order And the memory of Queen Elizabeth in this Nation is blessed because of her care to reftrain the Papists from their superstition and cruelty and to draw on the whole people of the Nation to the Protestant Religion And the successe of this her care in reforming and restoring the true Religion hath been very glorious in all reformed Churches abroad and indeed was instrumentall of the greatest blessing that ever this nation was possessed of for being put into a peaceable injoyment of covenant ordinances and godly order we are still by that means a people in Covenant and have the Lord for our God yet not without our fears lest the lukewarmnesse of all in the things of our God especially in the matters of his worship will in a short time darken all our glory and render us a people most despicable and odious to God and men if not utterly unchurch and discovenant us as some do slanderously report that we are already But I shall now come to the third thing propounded namely that all in the Church and of years ought to submit themselves to the discipline of the Church not to be denyed any externall Church priviledge untill they be judicially proceeded against and justly excommunicated To omit what hath been already said in answer to the Doctor touching excommunication I shall propose some few things further to be considered for the stating and clearing of the true discipline and then I shall examine whether that which these Gentlemen commend to their reader be any thing like the discipline of Christ held forth in Scripture and practised by the primitive Churches of Christ 1. That all that are baptized and of years must of necessity come under the obligation of all the Lawes and Ordinances of Christ of which Discipline is one and therefore none may plead exemption from it whosoever he be that is a brother and within comes under the Church judgement and censure Mat. 18.1 Cor. 5. 2. That although all ought to come under the discipline of that Church of which they are members yet may not any be denied Church priviledges for the state of unregeneracy meerly nor for barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse under the ordinary means of grace or not coming up to the practise of such duties as are private and more doubtfull then the duties of publick worship are For it is certain that Jesus Christ hath his elect ones lost sheep and children of God among the naturall seed of Christians or to come of them as he had among the Jewes and these elect ones he is pleased more savingly to call some at the third hour others not untill the eleventh hour of the day of grace vouchsafed to them And these being the speciall objects of redemption included in the Gospell Covenant to whom the promises of the first grace do properly belong we must suffer Jesus Christ to have the liberty of his own appointments in the Church as the only means of gathering in such unto himself that they may have life in him
Christ or by his Apostles or any that drived authority immediately from them and therefore they have it not at all and to intrude themselves and assume unto themselves things of such an high nature is a most insolent boldnesse and they may fear to perish in the gainsaying of Corah and his company 5. I cannot conceive how there should be any true discipline practised in our Churches without the speciall assistance countenance and power of the civill Magistrate as the state of things are in England For almost all of all sorts are either carelesse or impatient or erroneous and not willing to come under discipline And although these Gentlemen say it is our own fault and why do we not set upon it beginning with the minor part yet this is very ill nay absurdly advised For as I said before I beleeve I shall never see true discipline exercised in the Church of England untill the Lord so move upon the hearts of our Rulers as to make them instrumentall to put the Church into that capacity which ordinarily cannot be without a nationall assembly of learned grave moderate and godly Divines chosen if possible by the whole and carryed on without tumult And that a profession of faith if not already done may be so clearly drawn up in respect of fundamentals in doctrine and worship according to evident rules of holy Scripture as may be established to be the publique profession of the Nation which all whatsoever should with peaceable spirits submit unto And also that the subjects of the keyes in a nationall Church may be more clearly determined and liberty of conscience better stated and bounded that the reformation of the whole may grow up together at least in all the externals of Christian obedience Otherwise how shall discipline be practised if carnall and loose Christians shall be left at liberty whether they will come under it or no Now I say while they are within the visible Church and Kingdome of our Lord Jesus and professe his Name in hope of eternall life why should they not submit to all his Lawes as the way and means appointed of that blessed end And the same grounds that do warrant the restraining offenders from evill and the forcing of them to do their duty in reference to some of the Lawes of Christ do warrant the doing of the like in reference to all the rest of his royall Lawes What is more sutable then that they that reign and rule only by Jesus Christ should put forth their power and improve all their interest for the advancing of Christs Scepter over all I confesse these Gentlemen have some unhappy expressions questioning our Church members because as they say the main instruments of bringing them to the true Religion in England were such as carryed it on by a civill power when the outward calling ought to be by the word only which the most of our common people never had they say Answ 1. I wish our Governours had that holy and grounded zeal for the reformation of what is amisse now in the Church that our first reformers expressed in point of reformation in their generation 2. We must distinguish of a twofold state of Church membership or the way of bringing people to be Church members 1. Aliens of years are to be discipled and called by the Word before they may be baptized and received into the Church and so it was in the Apostles first planting of Churches But 2. The seed of persons so called are by vertue of the Gospell Covenant members borne and upon that account are baptized and when they come to years are as much under the obligation of all holy observances as those that are called by the word So it was in the Church of the Jewes in respect of all that were circumcised so that Church membership is and may be pleaded from birth priviledge Gal. 2.15 We who are Jewes by nature c. 3. Our first reformers did not force Heathens to receive and professe the Protestant Religion but reduced baptized erring Christians unto that obedience and reformation which their Baptisme and profession did oblige and ingage them unto according to the examples of godly Kings and Prophets amongst the Jewes in case of defection and irregularity I might produce divers instances of this holy and religious care and zeal in reforming but those that are acquainted with the Scripture can remember the histories of them And orthodox Divines do generally hold that the Baptisme of a Papist is valid and need not be repeated And it need not be doubted but upon that ground the King of Spain or the French King if the Lord should give them a heart throughly convinced of and affected with the truth might reduce their subjects if they were able to that conformity to the Lawes of Jesus Christ which their Baptisme doth oblige them to Rome it self upon such a reformation might become a true visible Church without any repeating either of the ordination of their Ministers or their Baptisme Were all that superfluity of naughtinesse from time to time contracted in Doctrine worship and discipline purged out and all administrations made conformable to the Lawes of Jesus Christ as it was with them for some hundreds of years from the Apostles times we could not tell what to object against them but might have communion with them Say that we heretofore were a member of Rome received all sacred ordinances from them having now repented of the evils and abominations which the holy things of Christ were polluted with and reformed them according to the institution what can be objected against us though we were put in possession of the ordinances of Christ by means of the civill power 4. If an argument drawn from successe be of any force in any case surely in supernaturall and spirituall events above any other and we are not left without innumerable evidences of the divine operations upon the souls of many in our Nation through the blessing of the Lord upon the use of those holy administrations of the Covenant which our first reformers with zeal care and power brought our fathers under blessed be God for this unspeakable gift This for the fifth thing proposed concerning discipline 6. The sixth and last is this That holy discipline is so to be ordered that the edification of all may be best furthered and preserved and the objects of Church censures may be healed rather then hurt by them Sometimes the Church must rebuke some that the rest may fear and sentence some few most notorious offenders when many deserve the same punishment rather then indanger the peace union and edification of the Church punish and chastise what they can with the health and safety of the whole and with patience bear and forbear when the remedy is like to prove worse then the disease Lawfull things are not alwaies expedient nor consist with charity It is a good saying of Cyprian mentioned by Calvin Let the Church mercifully correct what they