Infant-baptism Acts 2. 38. but onely the invisible Church hath right to the Covenant Ans. Peter Acts 2. speaks of persons externally within the Covenant who by profession engage themselves to walk in the ways of God though they have not for the present the sound work of faith in their hearts and it may be shall never have it Now that the visible and intelligible being in Covenant must be understood Acts 2. is clear else the counsel of Peter to be baptized had been null for invisible Christians onely have right to the Seals they might reply but whether we be such we for the present do not know and it is certain and you can neither see nor know the invisible work of grace it is believed by faith not known Ans. An errour in the first concoction spoileth all I speak of an internal right in foro Dâ—i and this way onely real and invisible believers have internal right to the Covenant and Seals including the blessings and graces rem significatam otherwise naked Seals of which Mr. H. speaketh are not special priviledges in the Mediator for they are himself granting bestowed upon base hypocrites so the right internal to the seals and Christ in them and to the Covenant and new heart is the priviledge of special note whith onely the invisible and really believing Church hath Mr. Hookers Saints Magus and Iudas have no such priviledges 2. The answer of Peter Acts 2. is indeed of a being in Covenant visibly and that being is not excluded but it is rather and more principally to be expounded of real and internal being in covenant Repent and be baptized every one of you for the promise is made to you and to your children that is ye are within the Covenant Now Peters answer is a strengthning and comforting answer for the doubt of their cast-down conscience is Ah! We murthered the Lord of Life then must we be rejected of God we know not what to do Peter had returned but a comfortless answer to say But be of good chear the promise is onely to you and to your children that is ye are onely visibly in Covenant They might say So is Magus I grant it is a ground of comfort Psal. 147. 19 20. Exod. 20. 2. Deut. 5. 1 2 3. but it was not so healing an answer to their question which was not Men and brethren what shall we do to get in to be Members of the visible Church What better had they been in a place where Ananias and Magus had as deep a share of the comfort as they and which having they might eternally perish But their question was Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved eternally and to be Members of the invisible Church Peter answereth There is a Covenant made in the holy minde of God really with you Jews and your children and to all that are afar off with the seed of Jews and Gentiles and so he must have among you a company ordained to life and internally in Covenant So Calvin Gualther Bullinger Marlorat Beza Brentius His meaning is not that they were all the same way within the Covenant and the Promise made one and the same way some were actually and really and so invisible in it some visible and in profession some as fathers some as children and parts of their fathers 2. He cannot speak onely of the visible Covenant but of their being invisible in it he bids them repent really not visibly onely as Magus did and heals their anxious conscience by this repenting really for that end that their doubting may be removed not that the holy Ghost bidâ— any within the visible Church repent onely professedly and onely externally but the command of repenting as born in upon the chosen carries with it the Lords intention often and his decree to save and their being internally in Covenant as here it doth 3. I shall desire Mr. Hooker to be true to his own distinction If being externally in Covenant make a Church-member as he expounds Acts 2. Then all to whom the Lord saith I am your God and to whom the Covenant is externally preached and they by silence hear and accept of it are to Mr. H. Church-members then all Israel whom Moses preached to be blinde hardned Deut. 29. 4. rebellious and stiff-necked Deut. 31. 27. who had tempted him in the Wilderness fourty years and when they had entred in a Church Covenant with God Deut. 29. 10. as our Brethren expound it they were to Moses to Ioshua and to all the godly and to one another real converts savouring as if they had been with Christ and practically reformed O what strange charity when Moses and the Prophets preached they confess the world knew their life declare the contrary 2. Why should Mr. H deny but the three thousand who heard with gladness received the Word with joy were real converts by a frequent figure the part for the whole because the most part were real converts Yea. Mr. H. will have Ananias Sapphira and all of them in the judgement of charity to be real Saints But when the Scripture calls Israel these whom Saul and David were to feed and rule 1 Sam. 9. 16. 2 Kings 3. 18. 2 Chron. 7. 13. even all the murmurers and â—â—bels whom the Lord brought out of Egypt Deut. 5. 2. Exod. 6. 4. his covenanted people Will not Mr. H. give us the favour of a figurative speech a part for the whole 3. Or then which is strange all Egypt Assyria Isa. 19. 25. all Nations Isa. 2. 1 2. All the kindreds of the earth Psal. 22. 27. Of the world Rev. 11. 15. must be in the judgement of charity to one another real Converts 4. Could not the Lord call them and make a Church of them and say I am your God and they We are thy people while first the Pastors and the Church passed their judgement of charity upon their real conversion 5. Mr. H. passeth over all the Texts cited by me which conclude onely the invisible Church to be really within the Covenant see them above and contendeth That the visible Church onely which is of these who never had and it may be shall never have any sound work of faith in their hearts pag. 37. the onely prime subject of those special priviledges in Christ. 6. So the Reason is null if this be the onely visible being in Covenant which is Act. 2. 38. it concludes not Mr. R. said the contrary both visible and invisible being in Covenant must be understood Act. 2. as also invisible grace is believed in it self therefore it is not known in its effects it follows not the invisible and really believing Church is not visible in the effects to men Isa. 61. 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their off-spring among the people all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that the Lord hath blessed Isa. 62. 12. And they shall call them the holy people the
do one way and the Elders another way So 2 Cor. 2. 7. Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him Sure women children of age and servants to whom he writes were to forgive in their way for to them he determined to come 2 Cor. 1. 15. They were a part of his rejoycing v. 14. they were anointed established sealed by the Spirit v. 21 22. as well as the men and Elders And say the word of confirming their love were an authoritative word as it is Yet it is so as applied to the Elders not as applied to women As the same word of Worshipping relating to Iehovah is a religious adoring relating to David is civil reverence 1 Chr. â—9 21. The people bowed their heads worshipped the Lord and the King 1 Sam. 12. 18 All the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel Though they were two really distinct actions And this cannot be denied by Mr. H. who gives to the Elders an official power of jurisdiction to the Brethren a judicial power of judgment Ergo they excommunicate not one and the same way 6. Yes and Paul writes to Timothy not as to a Christian simply but as to a Pastor representing the company of Elders as Christ speaks to Peter Mat. 16. as to a Pastor to take heed to Doctrine and reading 1 Tim. 4. 14 16. What Widows 1 Tim 5. 9. What Watchmen 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 5. 17 22. What Deacons 1 Tim. 3. 10 11. there should be in the Church How he should rebuke preach Now this way the people should be warned how to preach how to rebuke not to lay on hands suddenly to save themselves and others by preaching if they have a joint power of ruling with officers It is true he writes to Timothy as to a Christian to flee the lusts of you hâ— but in order to the Ministry that he may be an example to the flock 2 Tim. 2. otherwise women children come to age servants are to flee lusts and to follow righteousness faith love peace c. yet they are to exercise no jurisdiction 7. Tell the Church cannot bear this as Mr. H. would say tell first the Church of Officers and people when the officers are too ordinarily grievous wolves seducers blind guides Idol-shepherds Act. 20. 29. Mat. 7. 15. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. 1 Iohn 4. 1. Rev. 2. 14 20. T it 3. 10. Ier. 23. 9 15. Ier. 14. 14 15. Isa. 56. 10 11. Mich. 3. 5 6. Zach 11. 8 15 16. Then must the keys and power of binding and loosing be firstly in the people not in the officers who are separable adjuncts as our brethren say the garments of the Church not parts of the Church as garments are not parts of a man Lastly Mr. H. cannot build his new house but by raising the foundation stones of all our worthy Protestant Divines and Fathers who prove that the Pope should hear the general Council from Matth. 18. So Chrysost. hom 85. in Ioan. Orig. hom 7. in Ezek. August Ssrm. 49. de ver domini Cyprian Iewel Apolo c. 8. div 2. page 55. Tho. Mort. Appel Protest l. 4. c. 2. sect 8. page 451. 452. Aene. Sylv. in Gest. Conc. Basil. fol. 5. 51. Rom. Pont. non audist Eccles. Christum non audiet And Riv. Catho Ortho. To 1. Tract 1. q. 8. Papists that are sounder as Gerson Almain Occum Cusanus Contarenâ—â—s Caâ—etanus Ferus Toletus Menochius Maldonatus c. say the Pope is a Brother and ought to hear the Church Mr. H. The Angel of the Church of Ephesus stands for the whole Church saith Mr. R. Ans. See how strangely shall that sound To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus i. e. To the Church of the Church of Ephesus Ans. This is a poor consequence it is known there are often two Tropes in one word The word Angel being put for many Angels as Didoclavius and other learned Authors from Psal. 34 7. prove And then these many overseers are put for the Church and rebuked in the people and the people in them When an Embassador speaks to the Parliament he speaks to England and when he speaks to the Speaker he speaks to the Parliament Will it follow the Embassador speaks to England of England A headless conceit and such quirks make a cause to be suspected so when one offended tells the Church he but tells the brethren of the Church and this is the Church of the Church And if women sons servants be excluded as Mr. H. excludes them then he tells the Church of the Church Mr. Parker though not far from our Brethrens way hath said the very same for which Mr. H. refuteth Mr. R. And if Mr. Parker shews my mind in that when Mr. H. refutes therein M. Parker I yield but he contradicts Mr. Parker Mr. H. It is said Acts 18. 22. Paul saluted the Church at Jerusalem it cannot be thought in reason that the Elders only were saluted because the scope of Paul was to confirm the hearts of the Disciples and therefore had an eye to the weakest and those that wanted his sweet refreshing who heard of his arrival and assembled to give comfortable entertainment to him and to be comforted by him Ans. The Argument must then be thus if any Paul saluted and kissed for so is the original word as many as he confirmed and encouraged in the way of grace at Ierusalem But he confirmed in that way all and every one man woman servants rich poor Ergo he kissed them all and saluted them all Let Mr. H. see to the conclusion it is all his own 2. The Argument is not brought to prove that the word Church there noteth precisely only the Elders Nor does Mr. R. alledge it upon that account precisely but that the word Church may note some eminent professors and note a Church of all men women children yea the thousands who meet in sundry places by the grant of Mr. H. came not out to meet Paul and were saluted of him for to be saluted was but a matter of courtesie though Christian but to be comforted and confirmed in the faith is another thing Mr. H. The word Church in the Hebrew and Greek used by the Septuagint notes the Rulers of the Church not always the body and it is granted without any hurt to our cause Ans. Since the signification of words and of the word Church as Moses and the Prophets use them is frequently followed in the New Testament by the Evangelists and Apostles it is clear our Saviour Mat. 18. departed not from the received signification of the words in the Old Testament used by the Septuagint And so the word Tell the Church hath a better warrant to be expounded Tell the Rulers then tell all the faithful men women children and servants therefore the suspicion is so strong as Mr. H. said that there is no parallel Text for this signification of a male-Church excluding women and officers who
may excommunicate all officers and whereas he so much contends for the signification of the word Church Let him answer what is meant there 1 Cor. 11. 16. If any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the Churches of Christ. If the meaning be that the congregations meeting in the same place contend not among themselves what if they so should do who should right them by our Brethrens way and if that be the Church that meets in one place onely when shall the Church Catholick which Christ loved and gave himself for meet not until the day of Judgement and did the Brethren testifie of the charity of Gaius 2 Ioh. 16 before the Church was that in the convened together congregation or was it not before the men of the Church And 1 Cor. 11. When ye 〈◊〉 together to the Church Was not this to the meeting of men and women except women be debarred from the Lords Supper And when Saul made havock of the Church he must persecute only the binding and loosing Church but the Scripture saith he persecuted both men and women Act. 8. 3. 9. 2. Mr. H. Arg 11. The Church which the Plaintiff must tell is to admonish publickly the offender But this is the Church of Elders 1. Thes 5. 12. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 20. Luk. 10. 16. for they onely are to receive publick complaints Tit. 1. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 19. 2 Tim. 4. 2. Ans. Complaints are to be given to the Elders that they may prepare them for the congregation and lend the action Tâ—â—â—efore the incestuous Corinthian 〈◊〉 said to be râ—… of many and so judged of many not by the judgement only of discration for so they might judge these that were without but legally Ans. Mr. H. answers not one word of Scripture for telling the complaints to the Elders Christ saith Tell the Church that is tell all the visible Saints say our Brethren 2. That the incestuous Corinthian was rebuked legally of many that is of the Elders and Brethren or Male-Church only that is said not proved If we speak of judging by the judgement of discretion he was rebuked of Elders Brethren Women aged Children Servants for it concerned them in conscience to have knowledge of it and to yield to withdraw from him and to forgive him upon his repentance to joyn with him else their obedience must be blind 2. The minor is false 1. For though they judge Heathen with the judgement of discretion it follows not that therefore Brethren Women aged Children and Servants should not also judge an excommunicate person by the same judgement 2. The probation is faulty for I appeal to the conscience of our Brethren whether there be not sundry kinds of judgement of discretion and whether Church-members have not one kind of judgement of discretion toward the excommunicate man who is now under a medicinal Church-cure and another judgement of discretion toward them that are without and were never members Mr. H. to Mr. R. his twelfth Argument It hath received an 〈◊〉 out of a mistake because neither women alone nor children will make a Church nor have any publick power put into their hands for that purpose Ans. I never said in any Argument that women and children there alone maâ—e a Church nor spake I of womens ruling there But yet I say women children of years of discretion servaâ—â—s being the Lords freemen and professing the faith Arg. 1. The essential parts and largest part of the Congregationâ—… Church of Believers professing the faith of Peter builded upon the rock Mat. 18. â—â—â—ting every Lords day to partake of all the Ordinances and therefore if the Church Mat. 16. signifie such a Church 〈◊〉 â—hat which you say women and such children and servants must especially be understood as parts thereof under the name of the Church tell the Church and if so the Church to which we complain doth not bind and loose by your own grant 2. What ground is there in the Word that the Brethren alone because men should only be mooned by the name of the instituted Church in the Gospel or the 〈◊〉 Church of Believers partakers of all the ordinances excluding women and such children and servants since there 〈◊〉 neither made nor female bound nor free to be regarded in the condtion of believing visible Saints Gal. 3. 28. 〈◊〉 9. 14. 1 Cor. 7. 21 22. So is not this very like to the respect of persons condemned by the Apostle Iâ—… ch 2 3 4 5. when brethren because of their sex and heads of families must be the only Church of believers built upon the rock the Body of Christ the Kingdom of Christ the Redeemed of God partakers of all the precious ordinances and the only visible Church above all the officers women children servants 3. Nor hath such a Church of only few any such power put in their hand and so to say because it is said Tell the Church except Mr. H. prove them to be the governing Church above the Officers is to beg the question for Mr. Cotton and Mr. Burroughs say without officers the brethren can exercise nâ— jurisdiction no excommunication one of the highest acts of rude in the Church they have nothing without the officers saith Mr. Burroughs but brotherly admonition no jurisdiction And Mr. H. is to give a parallel place in old and new Testament if he hear not the Church id est the male-Church of Brethren let him be cast out Mr. H. Arg. 13. Not only the Church must convene to worship God in Spirit and Truth but that they bind and loose by the Pastoral Spirit of Paul and officers in their convention Ans. The Church met hath power to execute all acts of discipline as well as doctrine 2. The Church of Corinth is blamed because without the knowledge of Paul or his authority as they ought to have done they did not excommunicate the incestuous person only for their encouragement he expresseth his consent and the concurrence of his spirit Ans. That the Church of Believers without the pastoral spirit and authority of Paul or any other officer and excluding the tacit consent of women children of age and believing servants could exercise all acts of Discipline and Doctrine that is of pastoral preaching destroyes Mr. H. his principles for who can preach but sent Pastors Rom. 10. 14. not unofficed brethren And as to the point of Jurisdiction Mr. Cotton and Mr. Burroughs with me deny it and Mr. H. nakedly saith it That the Church of Corinth was rebuked for not excommunicating the man is true But 1. what means he by the Church rebuked 1. All that were rebuked must be the Church can Mr. H. deny but women children of years servants were rebuked as those who were puffed up and mourned not ver 1 2. 2. And as those who were a part and the largest part of the lump that is of the body of the people in danger to be leavened with that
and infuse actual understanding to Infants that they may actually love God and keep his commandments which remote parents cannot do which is a mystery I am yet to learn But to the Reader it is clear that Infants have no right to Baptism until they come to years to actually love God Ergo they should not be baptized until they be converted But again no Anabaptist teacheth that any are to be baptized by covenant-right from parents near or remote except they personally believe and profess actually and the very like Mr. H. saith Mr. H. Where shall we stand if a thousand generations have interest in Baptism Then the children of Turks cannot be excluded for some of them are found between us and Adam Ans. Is not this to cavil at the Lords words not at us so they set this Conjecture down as a part of their Discipline It s not above 66 generations from Noah to Christ and if Gods mercy to a thousand generations may fetch in the children of excommunicated persons the same promise may fetch in all Turks and Infidels at this day But I pray you are Turks such as love God and keep his commandments are not Turks avowed enemies to Christ and the Gospel-covenant and so for many generations have deserted the covenant and visible Church so that they are no visible Church the Lord having removed the Candlestick Can this be said of children born in the visible Church either of the Jews or of Christians professors because their nearest parents are extreme wicked or excommunicated since they are yet born in the visible Church where the Candlestick is shall the children be cut off from circumcision since the Lord for Abraham for Davids sake for the holy Roots sake not the nearest who were most unholy and cast out Rom. 11. 7. gives circumcision and Church-room to the branches Rom. 11. 16 And if the child of nearest parents excommunicated be born in a believers house or resigned to a believer to be brought up as his own he is to be baptized say our Brethren but the being so born hinders not the childs cutting off from the covenant Where then is his covenant-right to baptism It s either from his remote parents which we say I will be thy God and the God of thy seed or from his nearest excommunicate parents This latter Mr. H. denies or from the Beleever in whose house he was born If so we shall not contend then the covenant-right is not broken and removed because the nearest parents are excommunicate Some parental covenant-right is conveyed to this Infant which is not conveyable to the Infant of a Turk 2. Mr. H. hath the words of the second Command for his party for iâ— the nearest parents excommunication deprive the children of all covenant-mercy and right to the seals the words should be false and the Lord should be less in shewing mercy in extending it to one generation only to the nearest children only for their nearest parents loving of God and keeping of his Commandments and more abundant in severity of justice in visiting the sins of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate him But this turns the promise and the threatning of the Command upside down for mercy is so extended to Fathers nearest nearest Children and punishing justice to four and the command extends mercy unto thousands justice to only four Generations Now two Generations as they are fewer then four so are they far more fewer then a thousand Generations as also if mercy extended to a thousand Generations only be upon condition they imitate their godly parents saith Mr. H. by loving actually and obeying actually his Commandments especially that of the truth of his worship then is mercy not extended to the nearest one generation of Infants for it is certain the nearest one generation of Infants cannot be yet capable saith Mr. H. with the same breath being not come to years to put forth such acts of actual love and obedience in worshipping the true God as he hath commanded in his word and if mercy be not extended to one generation nor Covenant-seals to Ishmael for Abrahams nor to Esau for Isaacs sake contrary to all Scripture the Lord shews not mercy to thousands of generations because not to one generation And so again the promise of mercy is destroyed for the condition of actual love and of actual obedience is physically impossible to all sorts of Infants both of Parents loving or hating God And 3. the sweet and merciful proportion is destroyed for God punisheth Infants Children of Achab of the Amâ—lakites of Ieroboam in the cradle though these Infants be as uncapable to bow the knee to Idol gods or to imitate the Idolatry and actual abominations of their Fathers as the Infants of godly parents are to imitate the actual love and obedience of their parents and yet the Scripture and experience teach that justice proceedeth to four generations against the one And Mr. H. denies that mercy goes along to the thousand generations with the other because poor Infants on the breast cannot bow their knee and pray in faith to God and do the like acts of true worship as their godly parents do and yet Mr. H. fathers his meaning upon Calvin Zanchius Iunius Perkins Mr. H. The next parents being excommunicate cannot give to the child the right which they have not themselves Ans. I grant because they are not the sole and adequate cause of conveying covenant-right to the children But where then saith Mr. H. shall we stand how shall it be conveyed to remote parents The answer is easie so long as the nearest children of excommunicate parents are born in the visible house where the King yet dwells and the golden candlestick is not removed the children are heirs to the remote parents the children are followed with covenant-mercy passing by the nearest parents saith the Lord for my servant Davids sake 1 King 11. 32 34 36. he would not destroy Iudah for his servant Davids sake 2 King 8. 19 2 King 19. 34. 2 King 20 6. for the promise is not laid down in the hand of the nearest parents only but in their hands with whom first God signally covenants as with Abraham David with the three thousand baptized Act. 2. 39. and their children and all that are afar off and as many as the Lord shall call with the seed with Samaria and theirs Act. 8. so long as a calling Gospel is there This shall not fetch in the Turks How will Mr H. with so short a good night of Christ break off the longanimity of God to the seed for their nearest parents if they break a new congregational covenant Yea if by persecution and through no sin of the nearest parents they be broken out of congregation-state presently the Candlestick is removed from the seed and a bill of Divorce sent to the whole race and they banished out of the house and declared
lay on bands neither as formal Scripture for they come not from the immediately inspiring Spirit nor yet onely as clear and infallible deductions from Scripture for so the counsel of a woman Abigail infallibly deduced from the sixth Command laid a burthen upon the conscience of David And this is all the tie that Mr. H. gives to Synods they tie as godly counsels of women and servants But Mr. R. and so Mr. Cotton gives a third member they lay burthens on the consciences of the Churches not for the matter onely as the godly advice of women but formally as from the Ministerial Authority of the Commissioners And this power Mr. Tho. Goodwyn and Mr. Ph. Nye give to all Ministers over their congregations So as these three shall be Judges of Mr. H. his great mistake in this distinction Hence two contradictions are here Mr. H. gives no power to Synods but power of advising such as women over men Mr. Cotton offends at that and sayes that Synods have a Ministerial power over the Churches In the former Mr. H. leaves his Brethren and sides with Socinians and Arminians And Mr. H. shall confess the weakness of this distinction if applied to doctrines delivered by Pastors to the flock for they neither binde as womens godly counsels deduced from Scripture onely not do they binde as immediately inspired formal Scripture 2. The first and formal subject of the power of the Keys is the male-Church of the congregation saith Mr. H. yea not that onely saith Mr. Cotton a part of the power of the Keys is in a Synod The Dissenting Brethren gave in a Paper to the Committee of Accommodation at Westminster concerning Synods c. 1. At these meetings let them pray and expound Scripture resolve difficult Cases of Conscience 2. They may dogmatickly declare what is the will of Christ in these cases and this judgement ought to be received with reverence and obligation 〈◊〉 from an Ordinance of Christ. 3. If the doctrine or practise of any Congregation be erroneous hurtful or destructive to holiness and peace of that or of other congregations they are bound to give an account thereof to the Classis or Synod So we owe a reason of our hope 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to every one women and Magistrates that are scandalized 1 Pet. 3. 15. Rom. 14. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 31 32. 4. The Classis and Synod may examine admonish and in case of obstinacy declare against that congregation 1. This is but toward an offending Church 2. A brother or womâ—n may declare against or withdraw from obstinate offenders though not as from a Church 5. The Classis or Synod may judge of any who deserve excommunication 6. If the particular Eldership refuse to do their duty the Classis ought not onely to withdraw communion from them but also to exercise the sentence of excommunication themselves This was refused by some but it s a great testimony from Adversaries for Presbyterial Government onely it wants Scripture 7. In the case of an appeal from an unjust sentence the Classis may repeal they say not by the power of Jurisdiction for a Christian woman a Martyr repealed the Acts of Trent the unjust sentence if the congregation be obstinate 8. The Classis or Synod may ordain Ministers for congregations that have not a sufficient Ministery In all this except the sixth much is yielded and nothing is yielded For 1. Every godly counsellor man or woman as a counsellor by the fifth Command is above such as are counsell'd being honoured to carry the minde of God as a private messenger of God beside that the counsel for the matter bindes the conscience So David saith to a woman 1 Sam. 25. 32. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me 2. They insinuate a distinction of erroneous doctrine hurtful to holiness and some erroneous doctrine not hurtful to holiness whereas he who commands us to be holy as he is holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. commands all sound opinions in fundamentals or all revealed truths nor can it but be hurtful to holiness to have erroneous opinions of God and Christ such as Socinians Antinomians and Familists and others have 3. They do not with Christian candor set down their minde concerning Synods and Classis as they call them nor confirm what they say by Scripture Mr. H. If a heathen turn a member of the Iewish Church he is by Mr. R his way by the Law of Nature to submit to Iewish ceremonies because every-member of the corporation must be under the Laws of the whole This shall make every Law positive to be the Law of Nature Ans. Not so It s the Law of Nature in general that the whole rule the part but it follows not Ergo every member is to submit to every positive Law of the whole though most unjust the member is tâ—… submit to every Law of Nature commanded by the whole The little finger infected with a Gangrene is to submit to the whole man that it be cut off for the safety of the whole body but it s against particular nature that it be cut off but most suitable to universal nature So in the general its natural for the creature rational to obey the Creator but it follows not but it s a meer positive Law that Peter give his life for the Gospel when God by a positive command calls him to it and the Law positive if Divine iâ— not contrary to the Law of universal Nature Mr. H. frequently in such purposes slips Mr. H. The division of a Nation into Provinces of a Christian Province into Territories or Presbyteries is either a device of man or a Divine Institution Ans. If a device of man be taken for an act of Christian prudence it is then neither simply the one nor the other but mixt of both for a device of man is taken in an evil part for an unlawful forgery as 1 King 12. 33. Hos. 13. 2. Psa. 106. 39. and so whatever is an act of Christian choice is not a device of man Mr. H. That which is acted by one and may be altered by another Prince is a device of man But such is the division of a Nation into provinces Ans. That which is in question is not concluded the division of a Christian Nation into Presbyteries and Provinces according to local bounds and Mathematical inches is alterable and so a congregation Independent of 350 rather of 349 or 360 is alterable shall it not upon reason be an alterable device The quantity of water in Baptism of wine that every one drinks at the Lords Supper how long the pastor shall preach two hours or three are alterable as to the quantity by men but for that the Ordinances of a congregation of water in Baptism are not devices or forgeries of men that there should be such associations of Provinces of Territories for convenient feeding governing and Mr. H. granted for