I say as he affirmeth and whether I have not both Scripture and reason for what I say through my whole book and if he shall upon mature examination perceive that I have good authority for what I say then let him judg whether or no M. Knollys all his complices that thus upon all occasions traduce me bee not a generation of the accusers of the brethren and whether both Mr Knollys and all his confederats be not a company of calumniators raylors and Lyers rather then Saints For I bless God I have both Scripture and sound reason for all that I say and I speak it here in the presence of the great GOD that if I had ever seen the least ground of truth in all the Scripture of truth for what they of the congregationall way hold about their Church I would rather have suffered any misery in the world then ever have opened my mouth against their way much lesse have written against it but finding it not only a novell Opinion but hereticall indeed the very sourse of all heresies and errors and of dangerous consequence and such an one that if it be not speedily looked unto will not onely bring down the plagues and judgements of God upon the Nation and overthrow all the Christian Religion and all power of godlynesse but all government in Church and State through City and Country and bring a miserable desolation and utter ruine upon the 3 Kingdoms which God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse prevent And the consideration of all these things in the presence of God I say it again and no other put me upon this imployment to oppose the error of the wayes of all the Independents and Sectaries and in this course I am now in by the grace of God and his blessed assistance I will persevere in with all my endeavours to the last period of my dayes And now I come to reply to what Mr Knollys hath here set down by way of answer and although I have formerly given an answer to all the fond cavills of the Independents concerning their severall meetings together in the Temple and in Solomons Porch which the Reader I am confident will say is satisfactory enough to any that know what reason is yet here again for Master Knollys farther satisfaction if he will with any thing be satisfied I answer as followeth to what he childishly bables against this Argument of mine This argument of the Doctors saith he I answer first by denying the Assumption c. One would have expected that when Master Knollys began with this word first which amongst learned and rationall men in disputing it being a word of relation hath ever reference to some second answer at lest if not a third and fourth that he had had some second and third reserve of reasons at least to have fallen upon my argument with this I say all wise men would have imagined And yet there followes neither a second third or fourth answer But howsoever he may speak nonsense by his calling and by vertue of his Independency I will take no advantage against him for that I will examine onely the futility of his denyall which he calls a reason which indeede is a meer contradiction not only of himselfe but of the holy Scripture and is a giving of the spirit of God the lye as at other times as will forth with appear For whereas he saith that the Scriptures produced by me do not in expresse words declare that there were divers Assemblies and Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and that the Scriptures quoted do in expresse termes declare the contrary it is most abominably false and that by his own confession as we shall by and by see For should I grant unto Master Knollys which I cannot do for many reasons set down in my foregoing Discourse That when there were but three thousand converted and added to the Church that they might then all meet together in any one place or congregation to partake in all Ordinances and that when there were five thousand more added to them they might still likewise all meet together either in the Temple or in Solomons Porch to hear the Word I say should I to gratifie Master Knollys grant him all this yet it will not follow that when there were dayly new additions upon additions of other Converts and Beleevers and that of many thousands that then they could still doe the same But I cannot grant all this for it would be against all reason and contrary to daily experience which tels us that eight thousand men cannot meet in any one Congregation to partake in all acts of worship to edification Yea if I should grant this to Master Knollys both hee himselfe and all his Fraternity would laugh at mee all learned men would conclude that I were indeed a mad man as my brother Burton speakes of mee for it is most certaine that all the Beleevers and Converts in the Church of Ierusalem did never all together partake in all Ordinances and in all acts of worship either in the Temple or in Solomons porch for wee never reade that they either baptized or brake bread in either of them neither would the Magistrate have ever indured or suffered it and yet both these were the discriminating and sealing Ordinances by which all Christians were distinguished from Jewes and Gentiles and all Vnbeleevers and it is well knowne that there was no room in any private house that could containe such a multitude to partake in all Ordinances to edification and this my brother Burton accordeth to saying in expresse words that there was no roome or place large enough to containe them all and the very Scripture also is cleare in this point in many places Yea Master Knollys assenteth to this though hee takes no notice of what hee sayes at any time But because hee perhaps will beleeve himself rather then me and because also his Followers and Schollers will give credit to his words rather then to any reasons produced by mee let them I pray heare what hee saith The Apostles and all the Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem saith hee met together with one accord in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Domatim not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per singulas domos and thus they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quotidie day by day and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayer c. These are Master Knollys his owne words From the which all learned men may easily perceive the force of truth and the weaknesse and feeblenesse of errour for whiles the man labours to enervate my Argument he contradicteth himselfe and the holy Scriptures and overthrowes his owne Principles and confirmes my opinion for by his owne words it is evident there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers in Ierusalem
widdows were neglected in their dayly ministration Then the twelve called the multitude of the Disciples unto them and said It is not reason that wee should leave the Word of God and serve tables Wherefore brethren looke you out among you seven men of honest report and full of the holy Ghost and wisdome whom we may appoint over this businesse But we will give our selues contiunally to prayer and to the ministery of the Word vers 7. And the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the faith In the which words we may take notice briefly of these observables The first of the cunning and policy of the Devill who when he cannot by all his wiles and stratagems assault the Church without then he labours to assaile it within as here with civill discords and differences among brethren and in other Churches in all ages even in and from the Apostles times by dissentions in opinions by Sects Schisms Factions and Heresies and by these his wiles and craft he first bringeth in difference in opinion and afterwards diversity of affection and that among brethren and all this he doth that in fine he may bring ruine upon them all And thus he began with the Church of Ierusalem raising a controversie between the Hebrews and the Greeks who complained That their widdows were neglected in the daily ministration as either that they were not made Deaconesses as the widdows of the Hebrews were or that there was not an equall distribution of the Almes according to the intention of the Church who sold their possessions and goods to that end that they might be parted to all men as every one should have need Acts 2. vers 44 45. chap. 4. v. 35. And this their supposition was the cause of that controversie The second observable is To whom the differing and dissenting parties did apply themselves and appeal and that was to the Presbytery or Colleage of Apostles not to any one of them particularly but to the twelve as in that difference at Antioch Acts 15. Paul and Barnabas and certain other of the Brethren in the Church of Antioch appealed to the Apostles and Presbyters and in both those differences all the Churches submitted themselves to the Apostles Order and that willingly and this example of the Apostles is the Rule for ordering of all controversies that all the reformed Churches set before them deciding all debates in Religion by the Word of God and according to the president they have laid downe unto them by the Apostles and Presbyters in Ierusalem Here I say the whole Presbytery and Colledge of the Apostles determined the businesse neither do we reade that the Assemblies of the Hebrews and Greeks at Ierusalem or the Church of Antioch pretended their own Independent authority though severall Congregations or challenged a power within themselves of choosing their own Officers or determining of differences amongst themselves or pleaded that they had Authority within themselves to make their own Laws by which they would be orderd or that they challenged any such priviledges unto themselves but they all appealed unto the Presbytery at Ierusalem as the supreamest Ecclesiasticall Court and freely submitted themselves to their arbitrement and to the Order they set down as the story specifieth The third observable is the imployment in which the Apostles were all taken up and the effect of it and their imployment is said to be continuing in prayer and the Ministery and preaching of the Word and the effect of this their Ministery was That the Word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith By all which it is most apparent that such multitudes being dayly added to the Church and where there was such variety of teachers and so many Apostles and all of them taken up in preaching and where there was so many different Nations and such diversities of tongues and languages as was in the Church of Ierusalem they could not all meet together at any one time or in any one place to edification and that they might all communicate in all the Ordinances but of necessity they must be distributed into severall Congregations and Assemblies if they would avoyde confusion and all that I now speak is evident by the very light of Nature and all reason and therefore it followeth That there were many Assemblyes and Congregations in Jerusalem and yet all made but one Church and that that Church was Presbyterianly governed But that I may make this truth more evidently yet appear I will first out the former discourse frame severall Arguments and then go on to the ensuing history And out of all these six chapters I thus argue Where there were eight thousand new converts besides women and children by vertue of some few miracles and Sermons after Christs Resurrection added to the Church of Ierusalem and the society of beleevers besides those that were convertedby John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles Ministery before his suffering and to the which also there were afterwards great multitudes of Beleevers both of men and women and a great company of the Priests joyned in so much that they kept the very Officers and Souldiers in awe and struâ—k a feare and terrour into them there they could not all meet together in any one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of Worship but of necessity must be distributed into divers Assemblies and Congregations But in the Church of Jerusalem there were eight thousand new converts besides women and children by virtue of some few miracles and Sermons after Christs Resurrection added to the Church and society of Beleevers besides those that were converted by John the Baptist and Christ and his Apostles Ministry before his sufferings and to which also there were after wards great multitudes of Beleevers both of men and women and a great company of Priests also joyned insomuch as they kept the very Officers and Souldiers in awe and struck a fear and terrour into them Ergo They could not all meet together in any one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of worship but of necessity must be distributed into divers Assemblyes and Congregations if they would all be edified For the Major it is so evident that I cannot beleeve that any rationall man will deny it for who yet did ever see an Assembly of above ten thousand people in any one place or Congregation that could partake in all the Ordinances to edification Yea to affirme this is to fight against common reason and dayly experience For the Minor it is proved by the severall places above quoted and therefore the conclusion doth also of necessity follow This Argument is so well grounded upon the Scripture of truth and corroborated also with such solid reasons as it is a wonderfull thing that there should bee any man
he and his complices have to say to my five other quaeries But I will set downe my Brother Burtons oowne words which are these p. 19. seeing saith he wee have all bound our selves by solemne Covenant to reforme our selves and those under our charge according to the word of God yea and every one to goe before others in this Reformation tell me now Brother saith hee if it were not a matter worth the while for our Reverend and Learned Assembly seriously to take into debate whether the general tying up of men to waite necessarily on the Synod for its finall resolution about Church government be not an usurpation upon our Christian Liberty and a Diminution at least of the authority and sufficiency of Scripture and so consequently be not a trenching upon a fundamentall heresie as also an inhibition restrayning every man in his place Ministers Masters c. from setting upon the work of Reformation and so necessitating a violation of our Covenant or a dangerous retarding of the worke thus my Brother Burton these and such like are the subtill baits and cunning snares wherewith he catches and draws into his Net many ignorant yet well meaning tender hearted Christians whereas Reformation and Discipline in the Church in the full power thereof had beene settled long since had not Independents studied ways to molest our peace in opposing the setling of Church government according to the word of God for this they have and doe labour to withstand with all their might and great subtilty by which meanes my Brother Burton and those of his faction increase and strengthen their party and set up their new wayes and give an in-let to old and new heresies without interruption but this practice of Independents is offencive to God and man and absolutely contrary to that Covenant which we have all entered into For when we covenanted for Reformation it was to be understood that wee were thereby ingaged to humble our selves before the great God and with fasting and prayer earnestly to seeke to the Lord who is wise in heart and mighty in strength Job 9.4 able to over-power the hearts wils and affections of Principalities and powers yea of the greatest Kings and Monarchs in the world who by his wisedome can advise counsell and direct and by his mighty and omnipotent working and by the operation of his spirit can inforce and compell them to obey his Royall commands and to set up an universall Reformation of Religion and Discipline in his Church in its full power according to his sacred word and divine will And whereas wee have all bound our selves by solemne Covenant to reforme our selves and all under our charge according to the word of God this strictly binds every one of us in speciall to Reforme our selves and those under our charge by forsaking every sinfull way and evill practice that wee or they have formerly walked delighted and continued in whereby wee have provoked the Holy one of Israel unto anger Isaiah 1. 4. and hereby Magistrates Ministers Parents Masters of Families are bound to take care that all under their charge frequent the Ordinances of God and exercise all holy duties with them and that they doâ— not suffer any to wander and straggle abroad into dangerous ways and by-paths and errors and heresies and blasphemous tenents for if they let them walke where they please it shewes but little care taken to reforme and keepe them in the right way which leads to happinesse and it is a violation of this part of our Covenant where wee have bound our selves every one to reforme one and all under our charge yea and wee are bound every one to labour to goe before others in this Reformation But our Covenant doth not therefore bind every man and woman to take upon them to set up and follow what Government seemes good in their own eyes or rather is most suitable to their boundlesse spirits our Covenant gives no such Liberty to any for were this the sense of the Covâ—nant when it binds every particular man to indeavour to goe before others in Reformation this were to covenant against sinne Formality and Tyrannie and to vow for unlawfull Libertisâ—e Prophanesse and an Anarchie which would bring inevitable confusion in Church and State for under the pretence of going before others in Reformation Heresies unwarrantable corrupt and dangerous new opinions would then be broached maintained and disperst abroad without either the feare of God or man as at this day wee are taught by sad experience and all these deadly and destroying Heresies would be disseminated and divulged under pretext that their ways are agreeable to Gods word and that they come neerer and walke more close to the rule of Christ then others doe although their feet tread not in the steps of his commandements but walke in wayes contrary to his holy will and therefore such disorderly walkings as these are a Deformation of Religion not a Reformation according to Gods word and our solemne Covenant which wee have all entered into But my Brother Burton as I related before puts it to the question Whether or no it be not an usurpation upon our Christian Liberty and a diminution at least of the authoritie and sufficiency of Scripture c. for a man to be tyed to waite on the Synod for its finall resolution for Church government It may be answered for Magistrates to be zealous for Reformation and to settle that Church government which God hath appointed is so farre from being any usurpation upon our Christian Liberty or a diminution of the authority and sufficiencie of the holy Scripture as they have warrant for it out of holy writ and the practice of the most godly Princes is there recorded for their example and incouragement to go on undauntedly in the work 2 Chron. 15. 8. to the 16. v. 2 Chro. 17. the 6 7 8 9. 2 Chron. 29. c. 2 Chron. 30. c. 2 Chron. 31. 31. c. 2 Chron. 34. c. 2 King 23. to the 24. ver Ezr. 9. Neh. 9. so that Gods word be the absolute rule to direct them in this their undertaking and the true intent of our Covenant is that we will all be ayding and assisting to the utmost of our power to further them in their holy indeavours Now wherein for the effecting of such a Reformation that may in all things bee grounded on Scripture can a better course bee taken then authority hath appointed namely by calling together an Assembly of Ministers men skilfull in the originall tongues learned in all other sciences and approved to be godly pious zealous orthodox men and mighty in the Scripture and which is more to be selfe-denying men who being met together have humbled themselves by fasting and prayer before the Lord of Heaven and earth imploring his divine assistance illumination and direction out of his holy word for the Reforming and setling the Government of the Church according to his sacred will and for these
into the true Religion and forces them by stripes and corporall punishments to imbrace it which is recorded to his immortall praise and for all Christian Magistrates imitation so that he abhorred the toleration of all Rel gions and as David would not suffer a Lyar in his house so good Nehemiah would not suffer any of a contrary Religion to be under his government hee had learned this Lesson from God himselfe Deut. 4. and Deut. 6 and Deut. 11. Deut. 13. c. This renowned Governour and Magistrate was not affraid to constraine them to doe that which was for the glory of God and according to his will and for the good of their owne soules and for the good of the whole Land and the safety and peace of them all and yet I beleeve Nehemiah knew as well what belonged unto tender consciences as any Independents now living and hee understanding that the heart of man was deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17. v. 9. that conscience being but a branch springing from that deceitfull and desperately wicked root knew also that there could be nothing in it but evill that continually and therefore tooke that liberty upon him to constraine their wicked consciences to conforme to the commandements of God and to submit themselves to his most holy Lawes and Statutes and to that way of worship God had injoyned his people which is the duty of all Parents and Magistrates who by Gods command and this example of good Nehemiah's may at any time use the rod of correction and by it make rebellious and stubborne children and people conforme themselves to the commandements of the Lord and to his true worship and this duty they are bound unto by the Law of God if they urge them to nothing but what God hath declared to be his will in his blessed Word And truly it is not to be passed over without serious taking notice of it how zealous this good Nehemiah was against all sinne and false worship and how adverse hee was to a toleration of all religions under his government for hearing them speake but the language of Ashdod hee by and by reviled them and fell about their eares and forthwith constrained them and that by stripes to embrace the true worship of God But if this good Nehemiah were now living here amongst us and should heare not onely the language of Ashdod but the language of hell out of every mouth and see the abominable practises of the Sectaries of our times and should heare their hellish and blasphemous and hereticall doctrines of denying the Trinity and the Deity of Christ and slighting the holy Scriptures and many such desperate doctrines how may wee thinke would his righteous soule be troubled with it and how would hee bestirre him in cudgelling these fellowes into the true Religion and making of them serve God according to his own appointment and not after their own fantasies as they all now doe without all controversie good Nehemiah would baste them to the purpose and all such as should side with them and especially hee would belabour all such well as should write bookes in defence of such and should call them Saints and their damnable blasphemies the infirmities of the Saints I say I am most confident that were good Nehemiah in our times and had hee that authority hee had then in Ierusalem hee would baste them all to some purpose and make and force them by cudgelling of them to be conformable to wholesome words and I am most assured he would pull off Cretensis his blew beard qui ne pilum boni viri habet and knock him soundly about his hairy scalp And St. Quarter-man also he would have some good slaps as he deservs over his great pate all the rest of these hereticall dangerous Sectaries would by him be constrained with beatings to yeeld obedience to the authority of Gods word and hee would make them know themselves and this indeed is the duty and place of all Magistrates and Parents and Masters of Families neither to suffer or tolerate such fellows in their houses nor Countries for this would but bring judgements upon the land much more ought every man to detest all such as should labour to bring in a toleration of all Religions when we see what misery came upon all Israel by Solomons toleration of them there But the Independents say there is no presidents of any corporall punishment layd upon any under the New Testament for matter of Religion that Magistrates should follow but I conceive the example of our Saviour may suffice for their imitation Who Joh. 2. whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple for merchandizing there and therefore laid corporall punishments upon them And truly if the Magistrates now should whip all the buyers and sellers of their new and blasphemous doctrines out of their severall new Temples and Churches I am confident it would be very pleasing unto God and Christs example would justifie and hold them out in this their so doing for who can they better imitate then the King of his Church Yea we see corporall punishment threatned against the Church of Pergamos and Thyatira c. and afterwards inflicted upon them by God himself for suffering those false Prophets and Teachers amongst them Yea we see Act. 13. that Bariesus for but labouring to hinder the Proconsull from hearing the Gospell was by Paul strucken with blindnesse for it by God himselfe to teach all Magistrates that those deserve punishment that hinder the preaching of the faith but much more those that corrupt it ought to be punished And we have another example of corporall punishment for when there was no Magistrate to punish those exorcists those sonns of Sceva the Lord suffered the devill which could not enter into a swine without his permission to be his executioner and to lay corporall punishment upon them for abusing his name and his authority All which may teach all men how much God is displeased with all such as corrupt his worship and service and would bring in a toleratiou of all Religions and may serve to instruct all Magistrates in their duty for the punishing of all false and herericall Teachers and Seducers And truly if ever there were a time that called for an establishment of one Religion and a setled Government with Uniformity in a Church and State and a Suppression of all Heresies Sects and Factions from the Magistrates hand and a punishing of all false Teachers now it is when by the sad effects already of divisions and variety of opinions we may well perceive what ruine will come upon the three Kingdomes if there be a toleration of all Religions granted for divisions and factions especially in Religion have been fatall to Kingdomes and Commonwealth in all ages as the holy Scriptures and all Histories relate The consideration of which makes me take the liberty to recite a story I heard of a great Nobleman in Queen Elizabeths
him may also truly be said of Cretensis and all those of that fraternity whose words are swords and spears who all fight rather with their heels then with their heads and kick rather then argue and whip rather then answer Whether therfore such men as my brother Burton and his complices though they come to us in gray heads be found in the way of righteousnesse when their dealings are so palpably unjust and their opinions so schismaticall hereticall and erroneous I leave it to the judgement of all such as know what the way of righteousnesse is And now I come to my second quaerie viz. Whether the way of Independency be the way of righteousnesse My brother Burton writing in the name of all the Independents pretends unto the people and would make the world beleeve that they are all Dependent upon Gods Word for all their proceedings and affirmes moreover in the fifth page that all their new gathered Churches and severall Congregations are all Dependent one upon another both which assertions of his are most false as will evidently appear to all those that know their practices and will vouchsafe but to read the insuing discourse where they shall find that they have neither precept nor president for their way of Independency in all Gods holy Word and that there is not so much as one example in all the sacred Scriptures for any of their new practices wherein they differ from us and which is more that they all of them withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse How then can the way of Independency bee the way of righteousnesse when it is a deviation from that way as by their practices will be evidenced therefore for the confirmation of what I have now said I will briefly examine some of their proceedings and first whereas my brother Burton affirmeth that all their Churches are Dependent one upon another This I say is most false For all their proceedings in their severall congregations are carryed on in an arbitrary way whatsoever they publish in their writings and pretend to the people as all the learned and those that are acquainted with their method well know So that it lies in any one of their Churches breasts and is at their pleasure whether they will so much as confer or consult with each other and if they do at any time vouchsafe one another that courtesie yet it is stil voluntary whether they will give each other an account of either their censures or proceedings for they all pretend as absolute a soveraignty and jurisdiction within themselvs severally as any free-states or common-wealths have no authority one over another neither can they appeal for any reliefe if wronged one to or from another And if any Member in any one of those Churches or any one of those Churches divided amongst themselvs or upon some eminent received wrong should fondly complain to another neighbour Church that Church hath no power to relieve them no more then one private man can relieve another if he should be appealed to by another And if that Church should desire an account of the other Churches proceedings that Church may refuse it if it please them But if to gratifie their desire that Church should vouchsafe to condescend so far unto the other Church as to give them a reason of their proceedings all this is but gratis and out of their good nature they have still no power to call that Church in question that hath done the wrong if that Church stands upon its points and priviledges and saith that they have nothing to do with them And what then is to be done in this case Then forsooth they will withdraw communion from that Church which say they is the highest censure any one Church can proceed to against another Church Is not this I pray fine Dependency What more unrighteous dealing can be found in the world then this of the Independents to professe themselves Independents and yet to pretend a Dependency And when that comes to the tryall they have no more reall Dependency one upon another then we have with them Yea what a great unrighteousnesse is this to pretend a Dependency one upon another and a communion amongst their new gathered Churches when it is well known there is no more union and communion nor true friendship amongst them then was between Herod and Pilate they refusing the right hand of fellowship each to other in many of them Yea they are deadly enemies one to another as can sufficiently be proved although they all agree together to persecute the Presbyterians as Herod and Pilate did well accord to persecute Christ For I my selfe have heard the Independents protest against the Brownists Anabaptists Antinomians and Seekers and many other of the new fraternities proclaming them all Sectaries And on the other side I have heard those severall societies rail against all the Independents especially those Homothumadon dissenting brethren in the reverend Assembly saying that they had a better and a more charitable esteem of any of the Presbyterian Ministers then of them and they do unanimously accuse all the Ministers of New-England of as great tyranny as the Prelates And it is well known that many of the Independent congregations here amongst us have their different laws and customs every one of them dissenting more or lesse from each other in their severall new gathered Churches yea they are ignorant of each others practices For my Brother Burton and I. S. know not that the women in some of their congregations have their voices there and yet it can be proved that they also have Peters keyes at their girdles as well as any of their Presbyters And therefore their new Churches are not Dependent one upon another as my brother Burton asserteth Page the fifth when as they all of them exercise an absolute soveraignty amongst themselves Independent What unrighteousnesse then is this in my brother Burton and in all the Independents to affirme that in all their Churches there is a Dependent Independency or an Independent Dependency which is but a contradictory bull at best at the baiting whereof a man if he regarded not mispending his time might make far better sport then he did some years since in baiting the Popes Bull. The truth is as their Religion is but a meer Babell so all their language is confounded and they are divided in their opinions principles and practices they being all really Independent And therefore whether the way of Independency be the way of righteousnesse where they are so unrighteous in all their proceedings and when they say one thing and do and practice another and when they withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse as all the Independent Predicants do I refer it to the wisdome and judgement of the godly and consciencious Reader But the unrighteousnesse of their way will yet more perspicuously appear if we but look into some other of their practices which I shall by and by instance the very
if you salute your brethren only what do you more then others Do not even the Publicans so And then the Lord set before all his people his own example for their imitation to teach them to do good unto all and this was the way of righteousnesse the old Puritans of ENGLAND walked in doing good to all which the Sectaries have quite forsaken For it can sufficiently be proved that all their charity is confined to those of their severall sects So that if at any time they have been sent unto and solicited by such as knew how wealthy they were and able to relieve others and how ready also and open hearted and handed they had formerly been which was their praise and honour to the relieving of any that were in necessity especially if they were godly those men I say having no ability to relieve them they being themselves poor yet with speciall recommendations as perfectly knowing them to be such as feared God sent them to such of the Sectaries as they knew were very able and at that time very free to all those that were necessitated of their own party yet could not obtain the least reliefe from them in the behalfe of others though withall they made known unto them that those they commended unto their charity had formerly relieved many and were now brought to that great poverty that they had not bread to put in their own mouths nor their childrens bellies through the cruelty robbery of their barbarous enemies and were escaped only with their lives I say notwithstanding all the importunity of those that solicited those Sectaries and notwithstanding the great indigency and present necessity they were all in they could not extort the least reliefe from them it being replyed and answered that they had enough to relieve of their own telling them that they should go to those that were of their own party and to the Collectors in every parish saying that they must have a care of such as were in Church fellowship with them and thus they have shut up all bowels of compassion to all those that are of a different opinion from themselves especially to all those that are of the Presbyterian way as can be proved by innumerable witnesses Yea they are come to such a height of indignation against the Presbyterians and so far they are from relieving any of them as they will wish their ruine and this is the way the Sectaries now walk in which is not the way of righteousnesse nor of the old Puritans of ENGLAND for the way of righteousnesse is that they should love their enemies and do good to them that hate them Now all the Independents say that the Presbyterians hate them for so in their very prayers they intimate to God himselfe that I may now returne to that prayer I formerly mentioned made by the Homothumadon Brother at the great Venison Feast on the Lords day in one of the grand Sectaries houses where all their Church was entertained He in his prayer spake unto God in this manner Lord saith he they meaning the Presbyterians hate us because we know more of thee then they doe we beseech thee Lord give us to know yet more of thee and then let them hate us more if they will c. Here we see they complaine unto God himselfe though falsely that we hate them now if they walked in the way of Righteousnesse that God hath appointed them to walke in they should doe us good and pray for us and not be so uncharitable as to pray against us and to requite evill for evill which is the way they walke in and which was not the way of the old Puritans of England who had better learned their Lesson of love and charity But now to consider this prayer a little and some other of their expressions and the high prayses that upon all occasions they give of themselves by all which it will yet the better appeare that they are not the old Puritans of England over-grown in goodnesse and exceeding them in selfe-deniall and in all points of piety godlinesse and charity and in truth and righteousnesse for this very prayer of theirs with their other speeches and practices proclame to the world the quite contrary for I affirme first that the old Puritans never magnified their owne graces And secondly that both this prayer and many of their other prayers to God prayses of themselves are both untrue Pharisaicall and uncharitable for the Presbyterians doe not hate them as they falsely accuse them but it is they that hate the Presbyterians as all their words and actions and Pamphlets can testifie The Presbyterians as they are bound hate all false wayes but they hate not the persons of any that is the practice of all the Sectaries as it is well knowne But whereas this Homothumadon Brother said that they knew more of God then the Presbyterians it is most false for all the workes and writings of the Presbyterians in all the Reformed Churches can prove and witnesse the contrary so that the Sectaries are all of them beholding to the learned Workes and Writings of the Presbyterians for all that is in any of them worthy the name of knowledge out of whose learned Bookes they have stole it and I undertake it and shall ever by the grace of God be able to make it good that in all their preachments they deliver nothing that can deservedly be called truth but it hath beene taught by the Presbyterians before they were borne and that far better then any of them can teach it and it is most certaine that there is more knowledge in some one of Calvins Workes as that of his Institutions then is in all the Independents and Sectaries put together which very Booke alone with the Holy Scripture had it beene diligently read and studied by the people the Independents and Sectaries with all their plots and devices could never have gained an hundred Proselytes Yea if young Divines would but well reade and study learned Mr. Calvins Workes and but Gualter Tigurinus his Writings with Peter Martyrs and Zanchius passing by thousands of other most learned and orthodox Divines I say if they would but diligently reade and study these I have now named the Independents would never be able with all their skill to seduce any one of them Or did but ordinary Christians now adayes reade but Calvins Institutions and but Master Perkins upon Iude with the Holy Scripture they would quickly relinquish all their Independent companies and their new gathered Churches and would soone perceive that the Sectaries know not more of God and of Jesus Christ then the Presbyterians doe and if poore deluded soules would but carefully and seriously reade the learned Writings of our owne countrey men as the Workes of Reverend Master Richard Rogers of Master Dod Master Iohn Rogers of Dedham Master George Walker Master Bolton Master Iackson of Woodstreet Master Scudder Master Bal or any one of a thousand of our godly
are mentioned and therefore if I in Gods quarrell and cause be a little more earnest and use a little more tartnesse which I shall ever wave in my owne it may with any good nature easily plead excuse But before I conclude my Epistle I shall desire you all to consider three passages omitting many I shall here set before your eyes the one out of Master Knollys his Answer the other out of I. S. his Flagellum the third out of my Brother Burtons Vindiciae that you may take notice of the vanity and futility of these men and how much they have wronged your cause before you reade the insuing Discourse Master Knollys thus speaks upon the Frontispice of his Booke A moderate Answer unto Doctor Bastwicks Booke wherein the manner how some Churches in this Citie were gathered and upon what termes their Members were admitted that so both the Doctor and the Reader may judge how neere some ` Beleevers who walke together in the Fellow-ship of the Gospel doe come in their practise to these Apostolicall rules which are propounded by the Doctor as Gods method in gathering Churches and admitting Members These are Master Knollys his own words and in the nineteenth and twentieth page he more fully there testifies his good liking of that method for gathering of Churches that I out of the Word of God propounded and would perswade the world that their Congregations were gathered after that method or manner or came very nigh unto it by all which his expressions and by that their practice he declares that in his judgement I have writ nothing but what is agreeable to Gods Word I appeale now therefore unto you all whether this man deserves not condigne punishment that will goe about undertake and endeavour to confute that Booke which he in his judgement alloweth of and according to which he pretendeth he practiseth andall this for the deluding and misleading of unstable soules to the trouble both of Church and State I am most assured that those that are rationall amongst you and not blinded with passion will say that Master Knollys is not only an unworthy trifler but that hee goeth contrary unto his owne Principles and ought deservedly to be severely punished for his thus wickedly mispending his pretious time and abusing the simple people For if I have writ nothing concerning the gathering of Churches but what he in his conscience beleeveth and practiseth then how unexcusable is that in this man that will speake against what his owne soule dictates unto him to be according to GODS holy Word By all which it is manifest that he is not onely a vain jangler but hath lost the day and wronged that your cause the defence of which notwithstanding he entred into the field to vindicate and maintain against all the Presbyterians And that which I have said of him may deservedly be spake of I. S. and my brother Burton For I. S. in the 13. Page of his Flagelli hath these words If it were granted saith he that many Churches did aggregate and unite in the beginning yet would not this example be bindingly presidential c. and seems there to prove it by arguments and my brother Burton in the 9. and 10. pages of his Pamphlet assenteth unto I. S. his doctrine as you may see at large if you look into it in which you shall find also that he acknowledgeth there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and at that time when according to his own reckoning there were but three thousand beleevers in that Church His words are these saying that though they wanted a convenient place so spacious as wherein to break bread or to receive the Lords Supper altogether so as they were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies in severall private houses to communicate c. So that by the learning of all these your great Champions you will in the sequell of this discourse evidently perceive that they have utterly overthrown your doctrine of Independency and of the Congregational way and that whiles they all came out to maintain it For Mr Knollys as I said even now he fights against the light of his own understanding and opposeth that truth which he in his judgement alloweth of And for I. S. and my brother Burton they have ignorantly murthered your cause For all the contention hitherto both in the Synod between the reverend Presbyters there and the Homothumadon dissenting brethren and between all the Independents and Presbyterians through the Kingdome hath been concerning the Church of Jerusalem and the number of beleevers in that Church which the dissenting brethren with all the Independents in England hold were never at first and last more then could all meet in one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of worship and they assert moreover that that Church ought to be a patern for all Churches to the end of the world in respect of its government and do peremptorily affirme that the example of that Church is bindingly presidentiall to all succeeding ages for imitation which is the opinion not only of the Homothumadon dissenting brethren but of all the Sectaries that I know yea the orthodox Presbyterians do all beleeve that the Church of Ierusalem the Mother-Church is to be a pattern of Government to all Churches in all succeeding ages to the end of the World Now I. S. saith that the example of the Church of Ierusalem is not bindingly presidential wickedly comparing it to the confused chaos that indigested moles in the first creatiō so that he makes the church of Ierusalem an imperfect patern So that by his doctrine it is left arbitrary for any Church or State to set up what kind of Church government they please Now whether or no this opinion of his be not contrary to all divinity and the judgement of all orthodox Divines yea to the very tenent of all the Independents I leave it to the consideration of all those amongst you that can judge of things that differ So that you may see that this Champion also of yours hath absolutely overthrown your own principles when he came out to maintain and defend your cause My brother Burton also hath given a fatall blow to that cause he came out so desperately to maintain For all the Independents through the world that ever I heard of with all the Homothumadon brethren in the Assembly by all their arguments have hitherto laboured to evince that there were no more beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet in one place or Congregation to communicate in all ordinances acknowledging that if it could be proved there were more Assemblies and Congregations of beleevers in that Church that then they would yeeld the cause and they spake according to reason For if there were many Congregations of beleevers in Ierusalem and all those made up but one Church and were all under one Presbytery as they must of necessity be if they made all but one entire
and the way have lost them both and are now turned Seekers to the dishonour of God and their eternall shame and misery too if they speedily repent not For God in the 30. of Deut. ver 11. saith there This commandement which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far of it is not in heaven that thou shouldest say who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldst say who shall goe over the sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it But the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it See saith the Lord I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evill Now if in the dayes of Moses the truth was so near unto them that the Lord says there unto his people that he had set it before their eyes yea that it was in their hearts so that they had then no need to run from land to sea and from sea to land to finde it how much more obvious is it now may every rationall man conclude when it is so gloriously set forth and that through the whole Scripture of the New Testament And how inexcusable will all such be found that complain the truth is not yet clear unto them So that it may be an astonishment to all men to hear any that have read the holy Word of God say that they are yet in the dark the truth doth not appear unto them And yet such men there are who declare unto the world and professe it that they are expectants and seekers and many have often said unto me when I have been in familiar discourse with them That as yet the truth was not made out unto them concerning the Presbyterian way and therefore they could neither communicate with our Assemblies nor yet joyn with those of the new gathered churches Now that all those who have wandred and strayed from the old way and those that are at a losse and seek it may find it and the truth which they have a command from God to buy and purchase and that they may all clearly perceive that they are in the by-path of error that are still Scepticks and doubting about the way I shall at this time endeavor to be their guide nothing doubting but by the grace of God and his speciall assistance if they will bring docible hearts and willing minds to follow the thred of his Word and be directed by that unerring line of the same they may speedily be led and come into the right way and find the truth and with it peace and comfort to their own souls in life and death I will first therefore dissipate and scatter those mists that have been cast before their eyes by which the truth hath been clouded and remove all those stumbling blocks that have been put before them and then I doubt not howsoever it be thought a difficult work yea an unpossible thing but to make the truth evidently appear unto them and bring them into the right way from which some have wandred and strayed and others yet doubt of And I hope so to clear up the light of the truth that the way of it shall not only be plain to them but to every man and woman that have not lost the eye-sight of their reason or have not sacrificed themselves to error and vanity And therefore that the truth concerning the Presbyterian way may the more elucidately appear to every intelligible man I will here briesly state the question which is fully handled in the following discourse and shew What hath been the principall cause of putting so many out of the way and keeping and deterring others from it and withall I will set down the ground and rise of the Independent tenent shew upon what as a foundation they lay the whole Fabrick of this their new Babell which I hope to make evident to be nothing but a meer chimera and phansie in their own brain and that there is not the least warrant for it in the whole book of God And all that I now say I am confident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to discover to all those whom the god of this world hath not blinded their eyes that they should not see the clear sunshine of the Gospell of Truth Those that call themselves by the name of Independents and have separated themselves from our Congregations and Assemblies counting us such Saints as Job would not set with the doggs of his flocke calling us the sons of Belial proclaming us to be the enemies the Lord Iesus Christ and his Kingdome for this is their language concerning us all those I say pretend that they have both the Word of God and the example of the Primitive Churches especially that of Jerusalem for the maintenance of their Independency and for these their unbrotherly proceedings whose opinion and doctrine is this That the Church of Ierusalem that Mother Church consisted of of no more beleevers at any time then did ordinarily meet altogether in one place and Congregation to partake in all acts of worship and they teach withall that this Church consisting of no more had an absolute soveraignty within it selfe Independent without reference to any other Church and from the which there might be no appeal for the redresse of any conceived wrong and they moreover affirm that the constitution of this conceited forme of government is the true Gospel forme of Church government and is for ever to be a patern to all Churches in all succeeding ages to doe the same and to exercise the same authority within themselves severally that they imagine this Church did though they consist but of twenty or thirty Members apeece yea fewer This is the opinion of all the Independents saving my Brother Burton who in this differeth from all his brethren beleeving yea acknowledging that there were many Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem by which he hath overthrowne their opinion whiles notwithstanding hee labours with all his might to maintaine it as will appeare in its due place whereas all the other Independents as I said before confidently assert that there were no more Beleevers in that Church at first and last then could all meet in one Congregation to communicate in all the Ordinances Now the Presbyterians on the other side and that upon very good grounds as will in the sequell of this discourse appeare hold and beleeve that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that all those severall Congregations made but one Church within its pracincts and were all under one Presbyterie and that the government of this Church consisting of many Congregations combined together under the government of a Colledge of Presbyters is a paterne of government to all Churches in succeeding ages to the â—nd
of the world And this I thought fit to speak concerning the first question or controversie betweene the Presbyterians and the Independents The second is concerning the gathering of Churches and admitting of Members into Church fellow-ship communion which the Independents hold and teach must be upon these conditions First that they that are to be admitted and before they can be received into the Church they must walke sometime with them In New-England they make some walke seven yeeres before they can be received and this is their first condition Secondly before their admission they must make every one of them a particular and publicke confession of their faith Thirdly they must bring in the evidences of their conversion declaring the time when the place where and the occasion how they were converted Fourthly they must all and every one of them enter into a particular explicite Covenant Fifthly they must come in and be admitted by the consent of the whole Church Nemine contradicente so that the refusing of any of these hinders their admission and the gathering of Churches after so fashion as the French men use to speake when they learn English is the onely way as they all affirme of setting up Christ as King upon his Throne and this is the opinion and doctrine of all the Independents concerning the gathering of Churches pretending withall that they have the Church of Jerusalem for this their paterne and plat-forme which is nothing else but to abuse the Scripture as will afterwards appeare The Presbyterians on the contrary side hold and beleeve that for the gathering of Churches and for the making of any Members of any Church and for the admitting of them into Church Followship and Communion no other conditions are to be propounded to them by the Ministers for their reception into the society of the Church or to be required at any peoples hands but those that Christ the King of his Church whose voyce is only in Church matters to be listned unto and heard hath propounded viz. Repentance Faith and Baptisme And this is the beliefe and opinion of the Presbyterians concerning the admission of Members and gathering of Churches affirming that the Independents have neither Precept nor President for all their new conditions in the whole Booke of God and therefore that they ought to be rejected as their owne inventions and as the vaine and wicked traditions of their owne braine as will clearely in the following discourse be evidenced to all men And this is briefly the state of the question and difference betweene us Now before I set downe the ground and seeming warrant they pretend for this their fond opinion of Independency by which they have brought trouble and confusion upon this whole Church and Kingdome I thinke it fit I say before the handling of the whole busines to say something concerning the sorts of Independents I have to deale with and against the which all my following Arguments doe militate and I find two sorts of Independents the first are those which for distinction sake I call Homothumadons the other Burtonians Now the Homothumadon Independents that at this day swarme through the whole Kingdome if their owne brags may be beleeved are the universality of all the Sectaries who generally hold that There were no more beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and in all other the primitive Churches within their respective Precincts then could all ordinarily meet in one Congregation to partake in all Acts of worship and from thence out of this their imaginary opinion they forme all their severall Churches calling their Assemblies the Churches of the Congregationall way and to this their opinion they sticke and cleave immoveably The Burtonian Independents of which my Brother Burton is the Corypheus and Antesignanus and from whom they have received their doctrine they hold and beleeve that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem but deny that those severall Congregations were Churches properly so called This I say is the opinion of my Brother Burton and his disciples So that my first Brigade of Arguments and Forces that I have drawn out of Saint Iohn the Baptists Christs and his blessed Apostles and seventy Disciples quarters and that before Christs death with all those I have taken out of the strong garrison of Ierusalem after Christs ascension and have brought into the field to dispute this controversie and question they militate against the whole Army of the Homothumadon Sectaries that under the command of Hanserdo Knollys and I. S. their Generalls indeavored to maintain and keep this ground viz. That there were no more Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem at first and last then could and did ordinarily all meet together in one place or Congregation to partake in all acts of worship The other companies that I have taken out of the Apostles quarters after Christs death resurrection and ascension militate against all the Burtonian Independents in the head of which Army he himselfe comes out into the field as their Generall maintaining that those severall Assemblies in the Church of Ierusalem were not Churches properly so called And he Goliah-like appears armed with his sword and Phocions hatchet which is his pol-ax bidding defiance to the whole host of Presbyterians presuming to make good this ground against them all viz. That those severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem were not Churches properly so called challenging me by name saying Page 7. Come on Brother let you and I try it out by the dint of this swoâ—d adding moreover these words and truly I shall by the helpe of my Godmake no long worke of it I shall saith he assay with one stroke of Phocions Hatchet to cut in two the long thread of your Alcibiadian fluent and luxuriant Rhetorications Thus valiant old Harry tryumphs before the victory and even conjures it out And in this dispute betweene my Forces and all the Independent Army after a few skirmishes they shall see not only a private Duell fought betweene Generall Burton and my selfe but the fall of that their Champion with their totall rout and see their whole Army to fly and leave the field and that most cowardly though they were three to one howsoever their scattered Forces now and then make some false alarums and speake bigge words what reserves they yet have and what great things they will doe and how they will rally againe and come upon me and breake through and through to the totall routing of all my Forces They that are acquainted with the feats of Armes and expert souldiers in this Militia will well perceive that it is but selfe confidence in them all and that all their swelling words will tend to their owne dishonour I have three Generals to encounter with in the Independent Army two under the name of all the Homothumadons Hanserdo Knollys and I. S. and Henry Burton in the name of all those of his party besides some whibling reserves
two sconses and bulwarks of the same viz. The first that there were many congregations and assemblies of believers in the church of Jerusalem The second that all those severall congregations and assemblies were churches properly so called which when it comes to the main battell will be fully made good and withall it will be maintained that all those severall congregations made all of them but one Church and were all of them combined together and subordinate to one Presbytery that is to a Colledg of Presbyters who by Gods own appointment had the rule over them committed to them in common by all which the doctrine of the Congregationall way is utterly overthrown whose tenent and opinion it is that every Congregation of beleevers be it greater or smaller ought to be a distinct Church or body by it self exercising all Church power and authority within it self Independent and ought not to have reference or relation to any other church or congregation for matter of government no farther then pleaseth themselves and this they affirme to be Gods Ordinance and Constitution whereas in the Church at Ierusalem the Mother-church there were innumerable Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers and yet all of them made up but one Church For those severall congregations as the Burtonian Independents do affirme were but branches of that one entire Church these are their words By all which it now appeareth that it is Gods Ordinance and his Appointment that many congregations combined together in any city or vicinity within some Precinct should all of them within that jurisdiction make up but one Church and be under a Colledg of Presbyters to be governed by them in common which is indeed a meer ecclesiasticall Corporation and therefore this kind of government might without any offence or diviation from the holy Word of God be compared by me to any civill Corporation as that of London or the like For though I. S. and my brother Burton spend much time and many words to no purpose about my simile yet it will stand for ever immoveable and serve to all intelligible Christians for that very end I propound it viz. to declare the state of the question yea by I. S. his own words pag the fourth of his Pamphlet it is authorized for he there after much babble thus expresseth himself concerning this point when saith he we know the true nature of spirituall things of the devices of God as I may call them we may find a resemblance of them in things here below which are made after them but we cannot fetch the knowledg of heavenly composures from these earthly things Thus J. S. speaks there So that I having from the holy Word of God and from the constitution of the Church at Jerusalem the first true formed Church and originall Church found out the true nature of that spirituall and ecclesiasticall government that heavenly composure and that device of God as he grollishly calleth it it was then no sin in me in I. S. his opinion to find a resemblance of it in things below And therefore both he himselfe and my brother Burton might have saved all that labour they needlesly spent about that simile which will ever stand good against whatsoever they shall be able to say against it for the elucidating and cleering of the point of difference between the Presbyterians and the Independents which was the onely end I made use of it for and there fore all the pudder they made about that simile was but to beat the aire and to vent their own vanity But from all this dispute that I may now speak something concerning Nationall Churches which the Independents deny I farther gather That if many hundred Congregations being combined together under one Presbytery in any great City or Vicinity within any large Jurisdiction may all of them make up but one Church within that Precinct and may take its name or denomination from the City or place in which it is I see no reason why a thousand Parishes yea ten thousand all of them imbracing the Gospell and making profession of the true Christian Religion in what Kingdome Nation Province Country or Commonwealth soever they be may not all of them in those severall Countries being all of them combined together and under some grand Presbyteries take their severall names and denominations either from those respective nations or languages and be called either the Greek Church or the Hebrew Church or the Latin Church or the French Church or the Dutch Church c. or be called the Church of England Scotland Ireland or or such a Provinciall Church or such a Nationall Church I say I see no reason why if all those severall Nations coming in at the sound of the Gospel and all of them giving up their names to the profession of the Christian faith may not as well from those severall Nations take the name of the Church from the Nation as they may take it from Jerusalem or from any other City as that of Corinth Ephesus c. and so become Nationall churches I desire therefore any man to give me a good and solid reason to the contrary for this I am sure of that it was promised unto Abraham that he should be a Father of many Nations which he was not in respect of his naturall posterity for he was onely in that regard a Father of the Hebrews who challenged Abraham to be their Father and therefore it must necessarily be in respect of their faith and spirituall parentage in that they are all of them his children in regard of their common faith and beleif in the Messiah whose day Abraham by faith saw and rejoyced in it which all the Nations of beleevers do and therefore they likewise in that respect are called the children sons and daughters of Abraham and may therefore be truly called Nationall Churches which all the Independents with my brother Burton and I. S. deny for Christ is called the light of the Gentiles yea there are many glorious promises concerning the calling of the Nations and Gentiles as that in Isaiah 19. ver 23 24. where it is said In that day shall there be a highway out of Aegypt to Assyria and the Assyrian shall come into Aegypt and the Aegyptian into Assyria and the Aegyptians shall serve with the Assyrians In that day shall Israel be the third with Aegypt and with Assyria even a blessing in the midst of the Land Here all these three Nations are called three sister Churches if we mark the coherence And for farther proof of Nationall Churches under the Gospell it is said Isaiah 55. 5. Thou shalt call a Nation which thou knowest not and Nations which knew not thee shall run unto thee which words are spake of Christ under the Gospell in the which is set down both Gods Call of a Nation and the Nations Answer to that Call and there can be no more required to make a Church And it is prophecyed of Gospell times Psal 22. 27.
envyings are of the flesh and they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdome of God A double misery follows those that do these things misery here and misery hereafter it excludes men out of heaven The contemplation of the sad condition that will inevitably come upon that Land Kingdome and Church where those variances and heart-burnings are and where there is such diversity of opinions and by reason of them such difference in affection put me chiefely upon this imployment to see and try if by any possible meanes I could by shewing wherein the difference between the brethren lyeth be an instrument of a good accord amongst them resolving with my self by Gods assistance whatsoever others do to observe to the uttermost of my abilities the royall Law Jan. 2. 8. I do conceive that if there were a right understanding one of anothers opinions the world would wonder there should be such invectives in every pamphlet one against another and such varience among those that are joyned together and that with nighest relations The truth is the mis-understanding of each others opinions and the mis-prisian of each others intentions is the onely cause of this diversity of affection which to the dishonour of God and of our holy profession and indeed to the disgrace of Christian Religion every where too much venteth it selfe And therefore as Abraham said unto Lot so say I to all those that love the truth in sincerity and wish the Peace of Zion Let not us contend especially with evill language for we are brethren we have one father we worship one God we have one light one truth one way And this I professe to all the world That I contend not for victory but for that ancient light the faith once delivered unto the Saints Iude 3. For that truth which we have heard from the beginning 1 Iohn 2. ver 14. for the old way verse 6. The way the truth and the life Ioh. 14. and for the honour of that Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile in the which there are all those undeceiveable marks as are able for ever to declare her to be built upon the foundation of Peter in which the Gospell of Jesus Christ is purely and sincerely both preached and beleeved and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and in the which there is the true invocation of God and all other requisites that make her a true Church and from which there is no just cause of separation That I have dedicated this Treatise to no man nor sought the patronage of any Authority no mortall creature I presume will blame me knowing my Reasons For writing in defence of the Prerogative Royall of Kings against Papall Usurpation I dedicated my booke unto the King of great Britaine France and Ireland supposing my selfe safe under his protection whose honour and imperiall dignity I maintain but all men know what misery to the ruine of me my wife and many small children came upon me by it through the power and exorbitant authority of the Prelates so that for my duty and Loyalty to the King I had a prison for my reward and the scornes and contumelies of the world to comfort me in it And when I most humbly petitioned his highnesse complaining against the injustice done me and most submissively supplicated his Majesty who was the Caesar to whom only I could then appeal that he would be pleased to grant me one of these humble requests either That his Majesty would be pleased but for one houre to give me a hearing of my just defence or if that could not be granted That at lest he would then grant me that liberty in his Kingdome that he denyed not to Crows and Kites and other Vermine that I might provide for my young ones and if his highnesse would not be pleased to condescend unto either of the former just demands That then he would give me leave to depart the Kingdom and to go into any other Country where I might enjoy my Liberty and provide for my poore distressed family I am most assured there was never a more equall Petition put up to any Prince in the world yet his Majestie vouchsafed not to yeeld unto any of these my requests nor to any other Petition put up either by my poor distressed wife or calamitous children so that without any wrong unto his Majesty I may truely say That Paul found more favour from a Heathen Roman Caesar then I had from a Christian King the defender of the faith After I saw all possibility of releefe was now taken from me I writ my Apology to the Bishops themselves discovering unto them their unjust proceedings in their Courts and their unrighteous dealings towards my selfe and gave them my reasons of all I spake without any offensive language and without any perturbation of Spirit and Dedicated this my Booke to the Lords of his Majesties Privy Councell expecting ayde and reliefe from them and indeed I had no hope of succour from any other nor knew none to whom I could better apply my selfe earnestly imploring their patronage but they as it is well knowne of Patrons became my unjust Judges and after they had made me a spectacle to Men and Angells and exposed me to the scorne and ludibry of the world sent me into banishment where I lived a living death and a dying life and suffered such intolerable misery of all sorts as would exceed beliefe to relate and I am most confident if all the particulars were truly known the world never heard the like and there I had ended my dolefull life had not God of his infinite mercy called this Parliament and put into their hearts to redeem me from my captivity for the which incomparable favour I do as of duty I am ever bound professe my selfe to the last drop of my blood to be their servant in the Lord and in all their most just and honourable imployments I hope with all fidelity to answer to the expectation of the world and shall in life and death shew my selfe to be one that without all by-respects shall ever aime at the glory of God the honour of them and my Country and the common good of all and shall never by Gods assistance do any thing in their concernment that shall be unbeseeming a Man and a Christian Now because by my sad experience I found that I could neither from King nor Nobles have protection I resolved never any more in Gods matters to shroud my self under any covert but Divine Providence and that I with an assured confidence promise my self especially when I now maintain the prerogative royall of the King of Saints King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ Who is our Lawgiver upon whose shoulders the government of his Church is laid who is the wonderfull Counseller the Prince of peace whose dignity and royalty in all this dispute between me and Mr. Walter Mountague I have to the uttermost of my power maintained under the
of necessity follow that as the Mother-churches were first govern'd all the Daughter-churches to the end of the world must be so govern'd and according to that rule that is set down in the Word of God So then the question in hand between us and our Brethren is Whether there were many Congregations and Assemblies in any of those primitive Churches as in that of Ierusalem the Mother Church and many Elders or Presbyters in that Church and all other Officers and whether all those Congregations and Assemblies were one Church and those Presbyters and Officers all of them Elders and Officers of that one Church and whether all those Congregations and Assemblies were under one Presbytery Which is the opinion of the Presbyterians and the contrary that of the Independents This I say is the question between us and our Brethren Now then if it can be proved that there were more Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all meet in one place or in one congregation for all acts of worship and if it can be evidently elucidated that there were severall assemblies and congregations in the Church of Jerusalem yet so as they made but one church for government then our Brethren must of necessity acknowledge that the church of Jerusalem was govern'd by a common-councell of Presbyters or was presbyterially governed Neither did our Brethren ever yet undertake to prove that in case there were many Assemblies in Jerusalem they had severall and independent presbyteries neither it they should go about to prove could they do it And therfore we may conclude and that with very good reason and warrantable authority that as the Mother-church the church of Jerusalem in her greatest glory was govern'd so all other Churches must likewise be regulated to the end of the world For out of Zion shal go forth the Law the Word of the Lord from Ierusalem Isay 2. v. 3. We must have both our Law from thence and our paterne of government And out Brethren do make the Church of Jerusalem the patern of their proceedings Now that all things may be handled in good order and in a methodicall way I will reduce the whole Disputation concerning the first Question into these foure Propositions and prove them in order The first That there were many Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem in the which they enjoyed all acts of worship and all the Ordinances amongst themselves and did partake of all acts of Church-fellowship especially of preaching and in the administration of the Sacraments and Prayer and that before the Persecution we reade of Acts 8. v. 1. The second That all these Congregations and severall Assemblies made but one Church The third That the Apostles and Elders governed ordered and ruled this Church joyntly and by a Common-counsell and Presbytery The fourth That this Church of Ierusalem and the government of the same is to be a pattern for all severall congregations and assemblies in any City or vicinity to unite into one Church and for the Officers of those congregations to governe that Church joyntly in a Colledge or Presbyterie But before I come to the proof of these particulars it will not be amisse in generall to take notice that all the Churches we read of in the New Testament were Aristocratically and Presbyterially governed and were all dependent upon their severall Presbyteries and that the ordering and managing of that government lay onely upon the Presbyterie and was their peculiar who had the power of the Keyes Now Christ gave the Keyes to the Apostles and Presbyters only and whatsoever the Apostles did in ordering and setling the government of the Church they did by Christs command and that order and constitution they set down in the Church was to be perpetuated and continued to the end of the world And the violating of this order and divine constitution was the occasion of the rise and growth of Antichrist and the very cause of all those confusions that the Christian world hath for these many generations been wearied and annoyed with and the occasion of all those Schismes Sects and Heresies the world hath ever swarmed with and the re-establishing and reducing of it to its pristine constitution will be a means not only of removing all scandall and taking away of all division amongst Brethren and be a singular means also of establishing a flourishing government in Church State and for the procuring of the blessings of God upon the three Kingdoms but a way also of ruining that Man of Sinne and of making an absolute Reformation through the whole world Let us therefore first take notice what government was established by God in all the Primitive Churches Acts 14. 23. And when they had ordained them Presbyters for so it is in the originall in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord on whom they beleeved Here are two things observable The first that the government of the Church was committed to the Presbyters The second that the Presbyteriall government was that government that was established in every Church for so saith the Holy Ghost when they had ordained them Presbyters in every Church This was Gods ordinance Acts 20. 17. And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the Presbyters of the Church Here we see there were many Presbyters in one Church And Verse 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves saith the Apostle and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood Here as we may observe that in Gods Dialect Presbyters and Bishops were all one so likewise is evident that the Church was committed to their government this Church therefore of Ephesus was under a Presbytery and was to be regulated joyntly by them by a common-councell of Presbyters And Paul to Titus chap. 1. vers 5. For this cause saith he life I thee in Creet that thou shouldest put in order the things that are wanting and ordaine Presbyters in every City as I appointed thee If any man be blamelesse c. for a Bishop must be blamelesse as the Steward of God c. From this place likewise we may take notice of the parity between Presbyter and Bishop and that the Presbyterian government was that way of ruling that God appointed not in one City onely but in every City and that these Presbyters were the Stewards in Gods house which is his Church 1 Tim. 3. and had the government of those Churches in every City laid upon them which they were joyntly to governe and order by the common-counsell of Presbyters And Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy chap. 5. v. 17. Let the Presbyters saith he that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in word and doctrine Still we ever observe that the rule and government of the Church was in the Presbyters hands And the Author to the
that would have received them yea and cast them out ver 10. of the Church to wit excommunicated them but doth it hereby appear saith he that Diotrephes would have his congregation independent and have an absolute jurisdiction within it selfe Nâ— saith he but Diotrephes would lord it over the Church and have the Preeminency above his brethren whether fellow Elders or fellow Saints By the way take notice that in Master Knollys his opinion Diotrephes was a Saint Saint Diotrephes therfore let him be even such another Saint as himselfe and his brethren are Diotrephes saith he loving the primacy amongst them would be the Primate and Metropolitan of the Church and have the preeminency of all the Presbyters in it and brethren of it And why therefore should the Doctor marvell that his brethren should now urge this place against the Court of Preshyters Thus Master Knollys while he seemes to answer most maliciously and wickedly calumniates his brethren and labours to perswade the world that the presbyters of our times are like Diotrephes in affecting Supremacy over their fellow Presbyters and over the churches and all this to inrage the people against them when it is they themselves that would bring all men under their slavery and have an absolute authority and jurisdiction Independent in their severall congregations within themselves which was the sinne of Diotrephes But out of Master Knollys his words it appeareth that Diotrephes had a particular congregation For Church and congregation are Synonimaes in his Dialect which is yet more clearely evident from his words page the 7. which are these Therefore saith he the Apostle writs to the Church or particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a member and an Elder who he knew had power to judge him These are Master Knollys formall expressions out of all which it doth now evidently appeare that there were many Presbyters and many congregations in that Church Saint Iohn writeth unto and that Diotrophes had his particular congregation amongst them for so Master Knollys doth in expresse termes acknowledge and in so speaking contradicts himselfe and vindicates me from the error he accused me of who affirmed I was much mistaken in my commentary exposition and application of that place saying there was no mention made of any particular congregation Diotrephes had And yet here he asserteth that Saint Iohn writ to the church or particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a member and an Elder so that he hath done my worke for me once and again and made himselfe guiltie of that fault he charged me with page 6 and page 7. By which all men may see not only the contentiousnesse and restlesnesse of the creatures spirit and the folly of the man who contradicteth himselfe at every hand but may also gather that that Church consisted of many congregations all the which made but one Church within its precinct and was to be governed by the joynt consent and common counsell of the Presbyterie and that Diotrephes aspiring to the primacy amongst them and seeking to stand singular by himselfe with his congregation and to be Independent and to have no relation or reference to the Presbyters of that Church became an offender by it and was therefore severely reproved by Saint Iohn for his so doing in opposing his brethren in taking in and casting out of what members he pleased by his sole and absolute authority all which Mr Knollys accordeth to whether therefore this were not to make his congregation Independent and whether Diotrephes was not the first that opposed the Presbyterian government and affronted a Court and common councell of Presbyters seeing we read of none that did these things before him and whether those that now seek to establish an absolute jurisdiction in every congregation within themselves Independent be not rather like Diotrephes than those godly Ministers that desire the government in common according to Gods holy word I leave it to the judgement of the learned to consider and whether or no Mr Knollys doth not palpably contradict himselfe in all this his discourse for he acknowledgeth that Diotrephes had his particular congregation and opposed the Presbyters in it and that he did evill in usurping authority over the church and those brethren he cast out and yet notwithstanding he said it was more then he knew or I could prove Whether this therefore be not to contradict himself and to say and unsay and meerly to trifle I leave to the judgement of all intelligible men I conceive that all men that are but of ordinary capacity when they shall well consider my argument and Mr Knollys his reply unto it will say that Diotrephes assumed that power to himselfe which belonged to the Colledge and councell of Presbyters for if he had not bin a transgressour and an offender against Saint Iohn and the other Presbyters the Apostle would never have said Wherefore if I come I will remember his deeds which he doth prating against us with malicious wordes c. so that by us there must necessarily be understood Saint John himselfe and the other Presbyters for he includes himselfe in the number of those that Diotrephes prated against and opposed Now Saint John was an Elder for so he calleth himselfe and Mr Knollys acknowledgeth it and confesseth also that there were many more Elders in that Church and against all those did Diotrephes prate with malicious words in opposition to their authority which Mr Knollys doth not gain-say yea he affirmrth it that Diotrephes would lord it over the Church and have the preeminency above his brethren whether fellow-Elders or fellow-Saints he would be Primate saith he and Metropolitan of the Church and have the preeminency of all the Presbyters in it and Brethren of it Doth it not then sufficiently appear from Mr Knollys his own words that Diotrephes assumed that power to himselfe that belonged to the Colledge and councell of Presbyters and that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian government and that affronted the common-councell of Presbyters without speaking of malicious words against them lording it over the Church and taking in and casting out of members and ruling after an arbitrary way and with a sole power and authority within himselfe in his congregation and violating that order of government God had established in that Church be not in Mr Knollys and those of his parties judgement to assume that authority to himselfe that belonged unto the councell of Presbyters and openly to oppose the Presbyterian government and to affront all the Presbyters which were ridiculous in any man to affirme I am confident all intelligible Christians will say there was never any opposition of any court or councell of Presbyters if this were not and yet Mr Knollys saith it is more then he knoweth or I can prove that Diotrephes assumed that power to himselfe that belonged unto the Colledge of Presbyters or that he opposed the Presbyterian government and yet acknowledgeth the thing in formall words whether
scandall which was the neglect of their widdowes in the daily Ministration where they applyed themselves unto the Apostles for the particular congregations assumed not the authority into their hands of redressing the abuse nor challenged not any right to the government but appealed unto the Apostles for remedy who ordered that whole businesse by joynt consent to which all the people willingly submitted themselves as it is at large to be seene in the sixt Chapter of the Acts. The third appeale we finde Acts the ninth where Paul assaying to joyne himself to the Disciples and they being afraid of him and doubting whether he were a beleever Saint Paul forth with appeals from them to the Apostles who he knew had the authority in their hands and making knowne his cause unto them they forthwith admitted him into Church-fellow-ship with them without the consent of the people who indeed had nothing to do either in the admitting of members of casting of them out and therefore they allowed of the appeale of Saint Paul to teach all men whether to fly to wit the to Presbytery if they be injured by the people or debard from any Church-priviledge by them for they only are the stewards of the Church and have the Keys of the kingdom of heaven to open and shut the doores to whom they shall thinke fit or unworthy and this is the place of the Presbyters and not of the people for they are injoyned to obey their guids and to submit themselves in the Lord to what they order and appoint according to the Word of God Here we have three presidents of appeales in the mother-church of Ierusalem to the Presbytery upon any abuse so that by the mouth of their witnesses out of the word of truth this truth of appeales is sufficiently confirmed And that the Presbytery at Ierusalem had plenary power over the very Apostles and could call them at any time to an accompt is manifest from the eleventh of the Acts where Peter was convented questionedbefore them and was forced to give an accompt of his going in to the Gentiles and Preaching unto them which he willingly yâ—elded unto knowing it was their place to question any yea the Presbytery in every Church could send the very Apostles Ministers to Preach in any place or city or upon any Message as we see they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria and the Church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas with other Ministers to the Presbytery of Ierusalem as is evident Acts the 14. and Acts 15. and therefore all these examples sufficiently prove that all the people of every Church made their appeales to their severall Presbyteries if there arose any controversies and abuses among themselves and if there arose any difference between Church and Church or betweene Presbytery and Presbyterie about any points of Doctrine or Religion then they made their appeales for the determining of those controversies to Councells and Synods as we may see it Acts the 15. and this is one of Gods Ordinances as the Independents themselves doe acknowledge So that for the Doctrine of appeales it is so cleare that all the learned and judicious cannot doubt of it and I am most assured that those that shall but with due deliberation seriously examine the Scriptures above quoted and those that follow in this discourse for the confirmation of the same truth will wonder that any man that pretends to learning as Master Knollys doth should ever dare say that appeales cannot be made good to be according to the Scripture of truth whereas there is almost no truth in the holy Scripture more cleare and evident than this of appeales Yea this method of dealing and manner of handling of businesses of publike offences and scandals and for the redressing of them is ratified by the very light and Law of nature as we may reade in all the governments under the very Heathens and Paul made use of it by appealing from inferiour Courts to Caesars tribunall And I shall never be brought by all the arte and wit of man to beleeve that Christ hath left his Church under the New Testament in a worse condition then it was under the old where we know they had appeales from one Court to another Nay if Christians now had not the liberty of appeales in matters of conscience and Religion they should be inferior to the Pagan nations and surely Christ hath not left his Church which is his Kingdom in a worse condition then either the Iewish or Ethnicke Kingdomes were and therefore by all reason besides the Testimony of Christ Matth. the 13. and besides the Presidents I produced out of the Word of God to confirme appeales the lawfulnesse of appeales is sufficiently established and ratified So that I hope that which I have now briefly set downe may satisfie any rationall man But before I go on to prove that the people or Church have not power to judge their Ministers which is the last thing I undertake to make good I must say something by way of answer to a vaine and frivolous cavill of Master Knollys which is this If the Doctor can prove these appeales saith he I aske him whether that higher Presbytery or Councell of Divines be not as Independent as the brethren and their Churches against whom the Doctor hath written and if so then such a high Presbytery or Councell of Divines is not Gods Ordinance by the Doctors own confession and affirmation The very reading of this fond cavill had been enough for the confutation of it to any solid man and truly had not I to deale with such a trifling creature as he is in serious businesse who compts every word he scribleth an oracle I would have passed by it with silence as being nothing to the question between us and as little to his purpose as all his other wrangling is except it be to declare to all men that he knoweth not his owne principles nor no good learning But for answer all such as know any thing in the controversie betweene us and the Independents know that it is my opinion and settled beleefe that all Churches and Councels are to depend upon the Word of God and to be ruled and ordered in all their proceedings and Governments according to the direction of the same an Angel from Heaven is not be heard that speaks not according to the written Word Gal. 1. and this Word hath directed us to the law and to the testimony Isay 8. and proclamed all men that speak not according to that to be in darknesse and therefore according to this my opinion no Church or Councell in the world is Independent and therfore all such Churches and Councels as have not either precept or example for their proceedings in the ordering and governing of them out of the Word of God but follow their own vaine and idle phantasies and affect Independency in my opinion they in so ordering their Churches do not according to Gods Ordinances Now when the
The summe of my Arguments is this Where there was an infinitemultitude or a mighty City of beleevers there they could not all meete together in one place or roome or in one congregation to injoy all acts of worship for edification but in the Church of Ierusalem by the very baptisme and preaching of Iohn there was an infinit multitude and a very City of believers ergo they could not all meete together in any one congregation This is the sum of my first Argument The second is this Where there was such an infinite company and multitude of Christians and believers as kept a tyrannicall King in awe and all the Magistrates and Elders in whose hands was all the power and authority and struck such a terror into them all as they durst not exercise their cruelty and tyranny over them though they were their inveterate enemies there of necessity the number of them must be so great as they could not all meet together in one place or congregation to partake in all Acts of worship But in the Church of Jerusalem there was such a company of believers by the very baptisme of Iohn ergo they could not all meete together in any one place or congregation This is the summe of my arguments which I made good out of the Word of God and from sound reason as they that have read my booke with judgement I am confident will acknowledge Now heare how J. S. setteth them downe with his answer to them pag. the 8. and 9. of his booke The Doctors first proposition is saith he that there were many Congregations and severall assemblies in the Church of Jerusalem c. for proofe whereof saith he he bringeth the multitudes of Converts to Iohns Baptisme the people of Jerusalem all of them and all Iudaea c. whereby saith he all became Christians or members of the Christian Church for Iohns baptisme was into Iesus Christ and the very same with that of the Apostles Thus I. S. sets downe my Arguments which I affirme is not candidly done of him for the ignorant Reader cannot see into the strength of my arguments they being delivered in such obscure tearmes and set down also to the halves the whole truth not being specified For not one of ten thousand had ever seene or read my book I dare say not one of an hundred of the Independents had ever vouchsafed so much as to looke into it for I was made so odious unto them by their blasting language as they abhorred my very name with all howsoever they boasted at the first coming of it out that there were twenty pens at worke in answering of it yet not one of them ever appeared till three moneths after it was printed Now all the Copyes that were printed were all gone in one weeke so that the answers coming out so long after and my arguments not being known to the people and being in this obscure manner and in such darke expressions and but to the halves set down every vulgar understanding can never see into the weight and strength of them especially they having not my booke before them And to say the truth all the Independents ordinarily use this method in their pretended answers as first to let the bookes they reply unto be forgotten and after that to blurte out something against them concealing the truth and then they crow out as victors and conquerers that they have beate up our quarters and puld downe the pillars of our discourse as I S. doth vainly in this his Pamplet when it will appeare to all intelligible men that he hath onely cast a squib or two at them and then as a meere fresh water Souldier speedily ran away and left that worke to others as he unaduisedly in the tenth page and in his wise Epistle confesseth sayning indisposition of body when indeede it was his want of wit learning honesty and courage As I haveset downe the sum of my Arguments and compared his expressing of my meaning with it I will also set downe the summe of his answer to them which he giveth in the name of all the Independents saying we answerd to your reason and then set downe his own words in their full length that all men may see my faire dealing with him For I. S. doth not here deny my minor as Master Knollys did or accuse me of false Musters as he vainely and impiously doth in his answer to my second Arguments But plainly denieth that those that were baptized by Iohn Baptist were Christians to whom my brother Burton assenteth page 16. of his book saying that those beleevers that were baptized by Iohn Baptist into Christ to come according to the Papists doctrine were not formed into a Christian Church or Churches as after Christs resurrection Christians were These are my brother Burtons formall words who not only assenteth to I. S. in this his opinion but also bringeth in the authority of the Papists to confirme this their doctrine and so in this the Independents agree with the Papists to overthrow the truth and to maintain their abominable errors And this I conceive was the cause that moved my brother Burton in the ninth page of his booke in the beginning of his answer to say `as for your indefinite enumeration of those multitudes baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples we take no notice of them This is his expression there concerning the which in due place Surely if my brother Burton had thought them Christians he would have demeed them worthy to have been taken notice of but in this he agreeth with I. S. and the Papists Now I will give you the summe of I. S. his Arguments in way of answer by which he denieth that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were Christians The first is because saith he they were baptised into Christ that was to dye and not dead therefore in his dialect they were no Christians The second they were not baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire therefore thy were no Chrstians The third they were no more Christians then the Iewes that passed through the red Sea but they were no Christians ergo they also that were baptized by Iohn were no Christians The fourth The baptisme of Iohn was not perfect ergo those that were baptised by him were no Christians The fifth those that were baptized by Iohn did not only hasitate but were scandalized at the true Messiah and under the forme of Iohns baptisme did fight against the true baptisme and baptiser the Lord Jesus ergo they were no Christians Sixthly they that were baptized by Iohn were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme neither were they members of one Christian Church at Jerusalem ergo they were not Christians and this Argument is brought in by way of a corallary This must needs be the scope of his answer or else he sayth nothing to the purpose in denying my Arguments which were not only to prove that those
I did is not this the Christ then it is said they went out and came unto him and many of them beleeved for the saying of the woman which testified hee told mee all that ever J did but many more beleeved because of his owne word and said unto the woman now wee beleeve not because of thy saying but because wee have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the world The Scripture saith they beleeved before upon the womans relation but wee now coroborated in their faith and so it was with Iohns Disciples and followers But shall there be any therefore from that bee so stupid as to thinke that any of Iohns Disciples that had the best and frequentest instruction concerning the Messias could either doubt or be scandalized at him because the people followed Christ and John sent his Disciples to him No surely none would so conclude but I. S. and his Fraternity Much lesse would they say that others did under the forme of Iohns Baptisme fight against the true Baptisme and Baptizer the Lord Iesus which is I. S. his second reason or rather folly and madnesse and upon this their wicked conceit and groundlesse opinion inferre that they were no Christians as I. S. doth For there is not any one word in all the Holy Scripture that does relate that any that were baptized by Iohn did under the forme of that Baptisme fight against the true Baptisme and Baptizer the Lord Jesus what a wicked and abominable Fellow then is this I. S. that dares thus at pleasure traduce the generation of the just and falsely accuse all Iohns owne Disciples and all those that were baptized by him to be enemies of Jesus Christ the Messias and upon this bare opinion of his to unchristian them all it may now be no wonder to any good Christian that the whole rout of the Independents unchurch us and make no Christians of us and asperse and speak all manner of evill of us at pleasure calling us the profest enemies of Jesus Christ his Kingdom seeing upon all occasions they doe the same to all those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples all which I. S. proclaims to be no Christians as his words doe sufficiently speak But from the testimony that he produceth to prove that Iohns Disciples were scandalized at Christ I gather the contrary for the reasons above specified and conclude with al that there were innumerable multitudes daily converted by Christs and Iohns Ministry were all made good Christians for it is said in the chapter quoted by him that all men came to him Iohn and they were all baptized so that not a few congregations could contain all them that came from Ierusalem for all Jerusalem came out to John and our Saviour sent this message unto Iohn in the 7. of Luke as one of the miracles he wrought that the poor received the Gospel that is not onely the poore in spirit but the multitudes of people that were poore and indigent in respect of these outward things and wanted those riches that others abounded with and he affirmes of these that they received the Gospell and imbraced the free grace and favour of God and that they were the Pharisees and Lawyers only that reiected the counsell of God against themselves but for all the poore saith he and all others that heard Iohn they imbraced the Gospel and were Gospel Christians and such as believed aright and as they ought to beleeve and therefore if the testimony of Christ may be credited they were cast into a Church mould according to the New Testament forme and were very good Christians and that in mighty multitudes for all Jerusalem and the poore received the Gospel and therefore they could not meet in one and a few congregations together at any one time But because I S. so peremptorily affirmes that were it granted that all the people received Iohns Baptisme yet it would stand me in little stead to prove the conclusion viz that they were made Christians These are his words adding with all much lesse that they were cast into a Church mould according to the New Testament forme and lest of all that they were all members of one Christian Church at Ierusalem which is one of their chiefe Arguments by which I. S. they of his fraternity uphold their opinion of Independency and by which they unchurch all other churches but their own at this day I say in all these regards I will spend the more time about this argument the which howsoever it be brought in by I. S. but as as a corallary yet it may stand for his sixth Argument and the best in the bunch to maintaine and uphold there with their way of Independency therefore I will first put his words into a Syllogisticall frame then consider the waight of the reasons contained in them All such as were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme and lest of all were members of one Christian church in Ierusalem they were not made Christians but all they of Ierusalem that went out to Iohns baptisme and were baptized by him were such as were not cast into a Church mould according to the New testament forme least of all were they members of one Christian Church in Ierusalem ergo they were not made Christians This is I. S. his Argument which he sets downe by way of a corallary the Minor of which I deny affirming they were cast into a church mould as the sequell wlil shew But because by this Argument the Independents do not only unchurch and unchristian all those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist but indeed unchurch and unchristian all the Protestant Churches through the world and all other churches but their owne I shall be something the larger in examining it with the severall termes and expressions of the same and then shew and discover the futility and vanity of it by which I am confident the errors of their wayes will the better appeare for by that it will be manifest that the Independent doctrine is but an old peece of Popery in new clothes though varnished over with fine colours that it may come forth into the world more lovely and lesse suspected and it is as little prevalent to maintaine their cause as the Papists is to uphold their Babell The Papists and the Independents here agree in these two things First They both deny that those beleevers that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist into Christ to come were formed into a Christian church or churches for we have I. S. his formall words in this his answer in the name of all the Independents confidently denying that they were made Christians and my brother Burton in expresse termes page 9. of his booke accordeth unto him saying in the name of all his brethren we take no notice of them as formed into a church or churches and pag. 16. of his booke he produceth the Papists
doctrine to prove this their opinion to be legitimate So that in this point of their beliefe the Papists and the Independents agree against all the current and the whole Schooles of all the most Orthodoxe Protestant Divines who hold they were Christians Secondly they agree in this also that both of them hold that the forme of a church must ever be visible and apparent So that were their never so many Assemblies of Christians in a city or country and all beleevers if they be not cast into such and such a mold and forme then theyare not churches properly so called but in their dialect they are either Heritickes or no Christians but proclaimed enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdom So that according to the Papists doctrine all those Christians that are not within the limits compasse and bounds that they have circumscribed their church with and are not under that visible forme of government they have appointed they accompt them all Heritickes and no churches as all men know And in the same manner do the Independents unchurch all churches in the world but such as in their opinion are cast into a church mould according to the New Testament forme and have their distinct Officers and Members united into one body respectively That is to say speaking in their owne language all such congregations and assembles as are fluid and are not joyned and united together by an explcite particular Covenant fixed in their officers and Members having a Presbytery of their own with absolute Soverainty and power within themselves Independent they are no churches and all those Christians that are not within the compasse and limits of this their new mould or modell they proclaime them enemies of Iesus Christ and his kingdome and accompte of them as a company of infidels and affirme that they are no true churches nor churches properly so called So that we see that both the Papists and Independents agree in this that they bound and limit all churches to such and such an externall forme so that wheresoever that is wanting according to their dialect though otherwise they have the preaching of the Gospel the right administration of the Sacraments and the true invocation of God they are no churches properly so called And both of them farther accorde and agree in this that the forme of their churches consists in the distinction of their Officers and members and the uniting of them into one body respectively they must not be fluid as they speake but they must be fixed in their Officers and Members and having a Presbytery of their owne with absolute soverainty and jurisdiction within themselves Independent But in this the Papists deale far more honestly then the Independents for they have in many large volumes fully set downe the modell of their government and what it is and shew how they are fixed in their Officers and Members and for their chiefe Officers they say they are the Pope and his Presbytery at Rome the Cardinals Patriarchs Primates Metropolitans Archbishops c. and we know where to finde them and what their modell and government is to a hare But what the Independents modell is or will be no man could yet ever learne but by conjecture which I must confesse seemes a wonderfull thing to me that they should thus at pleasure unchurch and unchristian all churches and Christians as not formed into a church mould after the New Testament forme and yet never declare what that forme and mold is And yet this is their daily wicked practice So that all men may see if they will not put out their eyes that in this and many other of their tenents and opinions the Independents are but a company of Mungrell Papists and would have all men belieeve with an implicit faith as their Churches believe and take all they speake as Oracles though it be never so groundlesse But we have learned Christ better then so who is the Prophet and King of his Church and who hath commanded us to heare him Matth. 17. and to obey his voyce Iohn 10. and not to give eare unto strangers And from his blessed Word we have learned these two lessons the first that wheresoever the Gospel of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ is faithfully and truly Preached by Ministers sent by him and where this Everlasting Gospell is imbraced and believed and yeelded obedience unto by the people and where there is the right Administration of the holy Sacraments and the true invocation of God they are a true church or churches although they be fluid and be not fixed in their Officers and members and have not that externall forme either the Papists or the Independents speake of and for this our faith we have warrant from Gods holy Word Secondly we are taught out of the holy Scriptures also that there may be a true church or churhes in many nations and kingdomes where they injoy not all the Ordinances in a publicke manner nor where their very meetings together are not allowed unto them by authority for all such as confine a church or churches to these externall formes they speak of they confound the essence and substance of a church with the adjuncts and Accideuts of it whereas churches may be true churches and yet want the externall forme of Government as may by innumerable places of holy Scripture be proved as for instances In Israel where God had set up his owne worship and established a forme of Government and commanded that it should punctually be observed yet we read in the 2 of the Chron. chap. 15. ver the 3. these words Now for a long season Israel was without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without law So that from this place we may gather that their did not then appeare any externall forme of a church no not in Israel when the true God was not publickly known amongst them and yet notwithstanding God had there his true church amongst them yea in the greatest height of Idolatry when all the Prophets were persecuted and lay hid in Caves yet at that time also God had seven thousand that never bowed knee to Baal So that it is evident that it is not the externall forme that is absolutely required for the making of a true church but it may be a true church without that externall appearance they speak of For a church is one thing and the outward forme and discipline is another And truly if a man will not suffer himselfe willingly to be deluded with appearances and naked shaddowes for the truth it selfe and will but consider the great variety and change of the church in respect of the outward alteration of the government of it in all ages after God himself had set it up in Abrahams Family and consider it in all its peregrinations and pilgrimages and that after God had given unto Abraham and his seed such directions for the setting up of his worship wheresoever he and his posterity should come and
of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and they were inhabitants there For the place where these Scribes and high Priests were and where Christ then was and where all those people were was in Ierusalem and all the people well known to the Rulers and Pharisees to be Inhabitants there So that all men now may see the futility and vanity of Mr Knollys his denyall of my arguments and may also behold the force and power of truth which asserteth That there were more beleevers in Jerusalem then could all meet in any one place and that in Christs time unlesse a world of beleevers and those inhabitants can meet together in any one place or congregation to injoy all acts of worship to edification which is a grollery yea madnesse to suppose or think And this shal serve for answer to what Mr Knollys out of his impious ignorance had to reply against my arguments for the enervating of them And now I come to I. S. his answer to all my foregoing arguments by which he would perswade the poor ignorant people That there was not such a number of Beleevers in Ierusalem but that they might all meet in one place For this must necessarily be the scope of his discourse or else it is nothing to the purpose or against my arguments which were to prove There were more beleevers in Jerusalem and that in Christs time then could possibly meet together in any one Congregation to partake in all Ordinances The reader may remember that in his former reply he seemed not to doubt concerning the number of those that were baptized onely he denyed that those that were baptized by Iohn were Christians and that they were cast into a Church mould after the New Testament forme much lesse that they were members of one Christian Church at Jerusalem these are his own words and by this hee thought to overthrow that argument Now here he useth another method tacitly denying the Minor of all my Syllogismes and the reason of his denyall is because as he speaketh I made false musters he thinks me it seemes like the Independents who would perswade the simple that all are Independent and amongst other things he saith that I gave the Independents occasion shrewdly to suspect my ignorance But I will set down his whole babble at larg and in his owne termes and words and his full answer to all my last arguments as it is page 9 10. of his Pamphlet His words are these But note saith he an absurdity in the sequell of the discourse where the Doctor having got a multiplying glasse in his hand goes on to make strange discoveryes of the increase of Christian believers pag. 36. he tells us that Christ made many more Disciples and Beleevers then John and added dayly unto the Church that was then in Ierusalem such as should be saved Here 's two Paradoxes First that Christ made more Disciples then John Out of whom should hee make them when as Iohn had swept all along with him as you affirme before page 32. and not taking it Synecdochically what ever you determine of it here Secondly that Christ should adde dayly to the Church that was in Ierusalem is not this a marvellous anticipation and mistake to apply that which was done by the Disciples after Christs ascension Acts 2. last unto the ministry of Christ himselfe and yet in the sequell you reckon this to the Apostles also expresly page 56. Judge if here be not false musters And let me tell you you give us occasion shrewdly to suspect your ignorance to say no worse to talke of a Church in Jerusalem besides the nationall church of the Jewes in the life time of our Saviour Thus hee If I should discover all the errors that are in this reply I might make a very large volume but in regard that all learned men will easily perceive the vanity childishnesse and horrid impiety of the man in the very reading of it I shall not be so larg in my answer as otherwise I had thought to have been and yet before I come to it I cannot but complain of the dishonesty of the man that thus curtaileth my arguments every where not plainly setting them down that the people may see my reasons but this is the ordinary way of his disputing who conceales the truth from the ignorant and simple that he may the better poyson them with his errors and noveltyes After the very same manner dealeth my brother Burton with me as we shall see in its due place who passing by all my arguments not so much as mentioning any one of them makes a rombobombo Syllogisme of his own which as I suppose he fetcht out of the howling wildernesse of America and then with Phocions hatchet that carnall weapon he fights with his own shaddow and vapors like a conquerour as I. S. doth here But now for answer briefly I affirme that I. S. in confuting of my arguments by which I proved that there were more converted by Christ and his Disciples and the Apostles Ministry in Jerusalem then by Iohn the Baptist and therefore that they could not all meete in one place or Congregation to injoy all Acts of worship I say in his confuting of my arguments he doth not so much dispute against me as he doth against Saint Iohn the Evangelist and the very Scripture for the discoveries I made by my multiplying glasse as he ridiculously speaketh of the increase of Christian believers were no false musters as he childishly scibleth for I discovered only and declare unto all men that increase of Christian believers in Ierusalem that the holy Word of God asserteth Iohn the 4. where it is recorded vers 1. 2. That Christ made more Disciples and believers then Iohn and therefore added daily to the Church that was then in Jesusalem such as should be saved for Christ came to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel Now the making of more Disciples is the adding of more to the church and this the Scripture holdeth out not only to me but to all intelligible Christians and therefore it was no error in me to affirme the same So that whiles I. S. laboureth to confute my Arguments he fights indeede against the Evangelist that affirmeth that Christ made mo Disciples then Iohn But sayeth he here are two Paradoxes First that Christ made mo Disciples then Iohn The second that Christ should adde dayly to the Church that was then in Ierusalem These in I. S. his opinion are paradoxes that is matters of Ludibry in his dialect Yet both these truthes I spake of are cleere out of the Word of God and therefore whiles he wounds me he vulnerateth Saint Iohn and blasphemeth for he giveth the Spirit of God the lye and denyeth the Scripture that asserts that Christ made mo Disciples then John and therefore added more unto the church for of unbelievers and of enemies they were made Disciples Christians and friends and therefore taken out of the world and
this also he is a great offender where by this jugling craft of his he labours to seduce the poore people But for farther answer I have learned of Christ himselfe that the Disciple is not above his Master and therefore if I. S. will apply the worke of conversion and adding of Disciples to the Church unto the Ministry of the Apostles after Christs ascension as he doth I do not conceive it any paradox in me or any mistake or Anticipation to apply that worke unto Christs Ministry in his life time for the Master is ever more to be honoured then the servant as all reason will dictate and therefore there was no paradox in me in giving that honour unto Christ that belonged unto him who was the Master for he came to save the lost sheepe of the house of Israel and so he did gathering daily some of them into his fold and adding many more sheepe to those that Iohn the Baptist had converted and therefore I do not think it a paradox in me to give as much honour to the Master as I. S. doth to his Disciples and servants for the honour of conversion and adding unto the church is a work primarily belonging to the Lord and Prince of the Church Jesus Christ It is great rashnesse therefore and very unchristian dealing in I. S. to make mee a subject of his scorne and ludibry for well doing and to make that a sinne and error in mee which is a vertue for to give Christ his due honour is a vertue now the honour of converting of men and adding them unto the Church is his proper work and it peculiarly belongeth unto him first and last to adde unto the Church such as should bee saved The Apostles were but the Instruments Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God the Lord of his Church giveth the increase 1 Cor. 3. Hee maketh the Church grow and multiply into mighty numbers and adds daily unto it by the mighty working of his Spirit and it is marvellous in our eyes And therefore I. S. is severely to be censured and that deservedly not only for abusing his brethren making them offenders when they are not but chiefly for anticipating that honour which is onely due unto Christ and God and giving it and attributing it unto men as it is the daily practise of the Independents to give the glory of all victories which only belongeth unto God to the party which they call the praying army and so hee ascribeth that honour that peculiarly belongeth unto God and Christ unto the Apostles which indeed pertaineth unto them only as they are instruments and accuseth me as of an anticipation and mistake saying I ascribed that unto the Ministry of Christ himselfe which belonged unto the Disciples of Christ after his ascension It seemes to I. S. that I am a very erroneous man and very unjust that I give that honour unto Christ himself and ascribe that work unto him which saith I. S. belonged to the Apostles But if this be an error in saying that Christ added unto the Church as Ierusalem before his death and after his death such as should be saved I will live and die in this error for this is only the worke of God none can come unto God but by Christ hee is the doore the way the truth and the life the author and finisher of our faith that begins and ends the worke of conversion the Apostles and all other Ministers are but his instruments hee is the hand of god and the arme of the Lord that doth the worke in the hearts of the people Whether therefore I. S. or my sâ—lfe be the most erroneous in their opinions and speake most Paradoxes about this point I leave it to the censure and judgement of those that have more skill in Divinity then I. S. or any of his Fra ternity But should I grant unto I. S. that the Apostles after Christs Ascension had of themselves and by their owne power without any helpe from Christ added many unto the Church which I yet never did doth this I pray in the opinion of any wise man exclude Christs adding unto the Church before his death or was it such an obstacle or hindrance to his worke of converting men and adding them unto the Church that because it is said of the Apostles after Christs death that the Lord by them added to the Church therfore it is an error or mistake to apply that unto the Ministry of Christ that was done to the Disciples I am confident none that are not senselesse will say there is any error in so speaking neither is there such a gulfe betweene these two things but that they may well meet Christ may adde and the Apostles also For the same reason that made Saint Luke in the second of the Acts say the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved confirmes mee in my opinion that as it was the Lords worke after his ascension to adde men unto the Church so it was his worke in his life time for hee was yesterday and to day the same for ever alwayes the author and finisher of our faith and therefore it was no anticipation or mistake in me nor no Paradox as I. S. fondly saith to conclude that those that were converted by Christs Ministry were added to those that were converted by Iohn so that there was addition upon addition and it was no sinne in mee to say that of Christ then that was afterwards ascribed unto him in formall words for although the very words be not exprest â—et that is set down that is equivalent unto them for it is said Christ made moe Disciples then Iohn it was his work so that the disputation now is not about words terms of expression but about the substance of things viz. about beleevers and Members of the Church of Ierusalem which when the Scripture holdeth out unto us affirming that Christ made moe disciples then John that at Ierusalem then any rational man may without any anticipation or mistake or any error or Paradox conclude that these new Converts were added then unto the Church as well as those that were converted after his Ascension were said to be added to the Church and he that with the eye of understanding should behold what the Scripture saith and shall but duly consider my Arguments drawne from thence will not gather that I make false Musters as this fresh water souldier I. S. childishly speaketh but on the contrary he will shrewdly suspect the ignorance to say no worse that I may use some of his Rhetoricke of this novice in Divinity and will also evidently gather that the Church at Ierusalem was a particular Church in that Nationall Church of the Jewes and that in the time of our Saviour and withall hee will conclude from the premises and all that I have now said by way of answer to Master Knollys and this I. S. that there were more beleevers in Ierusalem then could
and all men and no women and another consisting of three thousand more of which he makes a scruple saying that amongst them there might be some women So that if the five thousand were all men and there was yet another company of three thousand more besides amongst which there might be some women as Master Knollys saith then this three thousand was a distinct company from the former now three thousand amongst the which there might be some women and five thousand all men makes up full eight thousand so that Master Knollys by his whibling againe and againe Volens nolens confirmes my assertion that the full number of those converts by these two miracles Sermons was eight thousand and for ought any thing can be said to the contrary they were all men besides women and children and this is all he gaines by his fond caviling and contention to prove himselfe a very jangler and one like that wicked servant that condemns himself by his own mouth And this shall suffice to have spake for proofe of the number viz that there were eight thousand besides women and children And now I come to his second reason by which he labours to evince and prove they were not converts beleevers which I hope to make appeare to be not only groundlesse but to be most impious and wicked as giving the Spirit of God the lye and indeede destructive to their own tenents and principles His words are these These five thousand saith he are onely called men and not converts not believers for howbeit many of them hearing the word believed yet it is not said the five thousand men beleeved And the truth is the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was made up five thousand Thus Master Knollys For my owne particular I stand astonished at the vanity senslesnes and wickednesse of the man for his words are not only against the light of reason and the judgement of all the learned and the very opinion of the Independents themselves who hold that they were all converts and beleeves but they are contradictory to the Spirit of God giving the holy Ghost the lye as I said before for the Scripture saith notwithstanding all the resistance and opposition made by the enemies of the Gospell to hinder the work of the Ministry and notwithstanding all the persecution that was raysed against them for this very end I say notwithstanding all their indeavour the holy Ghhst saith that many of them which heard the word believed and the number of men was five thousand Here are two truths evidently laid downe contrary to Master Knollys his errors The first is that they are not only called men but beleevers for saith the Scripture they that heard the word believed Secondly the number of those that believed is there in terminis set downe to be five thousand and the number of the men viz. that believed saith the text was five thousand So that from this testimony of Scripture and from all my arguments deduced from thence these two conclusions do follow evidently The first that Master Knollys is a very wicked man that thus at pleasure can give the Spirit of God the lye and oppose the truth it selfe upon all occasions The second that there were more believers in the Church of Ierusalem then could possibly all meete in any one place and congregation to partake in all acts of worship and that in its very infancy for here we read of eight thousand more cnoverts besids women and children for the Scripture maketh mention of no women nor children newly added to all those that were converted by Iohn the Baptist and by the ministry of Christ and his Disciples in Christs life time and all they were innumerable for all Jerusalem went out unto them and were baptised besides the many other thousands that the Scripture recordeth were daily added to these all which I say could not possibly meete in one congregation to edification And the truth of these conclusions I am most assured will appeare so cleare in the judgement of all the learned as they wil gather that Mr. Knollys his complices that thus sottishly oppose it ought severely to be punished for these their wicked practices who for the upholding of their own errors and for their base lucre and gain for worldly ends care not what they say or do to the disturbance of church State for the seducing of the poor people and hindring of the work of reformation so much to be desired But before I passe on to Master Knoylls his other Cavills I shall desire the reader a little to consider what I have yet in this place to say to him These five thousand saith he are called men and not converts not believers for howbeit many of them hearing the Word believed yet it is not said the five thousand men believed And the truth is the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was made up 5. thousand From hence I gather if these words of his may be credited that it may be a very well formed Church after the new testament forme for this Church at Ierusalem was such an one by the confession of all the Independents although they be not all visible Saints but many of them unbeleevers Iewes and Infidels and be not true converts and that for the moulding up of a true Church after the new testament forme it is not absolutely necessary that they should be all visible Saints for here Master Knollys says they were mixt good and bad together it is not said saith he the five thousand men believed and yet they were all members so that by his doctrine some of them were unbelievers and notwithstanding they were all moulded up into a Church body so that they were not all visible Saints and yet the true Saints and believers made no separation from the other but they all continued together in Church fellowship both Saints and infidels and communicated in all Ordinances Now whether or no Master Knollys by this doctrine of his doth not fight against the opinion of all his brethren and utterly overthrow all the new fabricke of Independency I leave it not onely to the judgement of the learned of the congregationall way if there be any such but to the censure of the seven new churches of which he is one of the pastours and an other Saint Diotrephes who if they do not punish him for this his Grollery I will say they deserve censure and punishment themselves But this is not all I have here to say to Mr Knollys I have this also to adde that if any credit may be given to his words there will then be no certainty in any thing the Scripture relateth unto us For he saith That those five thousand that were added to the Church are called men and not Converts and Beleevers and howbeit many of them believed yet it is not said the five thousand believed So that if he may
to this last Argument page 9. are these As for the many ten thousands mentioned Acts 21. verse 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinitus and though the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do sometime signifie numerum decem millium yet not alwayes but for some great number which cannot suddainly be told as Luke 12. 1. And Beza both according to the old and new version of the Greek into Latin reads it millia thousands not deâ—em millia And so wee have it in our English Bibles translated thousands And the following verse 22. will make it probable that they were not so many thousands for there we thus read the multitude must needs come together so that I say it is probable that they were not so many thousands but they could yea must assemble together Neither can the Doctor make good from those Scriptures he produceth page 26. to wit Acts the 1. ver 21 22. chap. 6. ver 2 4. and chap. 8 ver 1. That there was almost an hundred Preachers and Ministers besides the twelve Apostles in the Church of Jerusalem The twelve are named indeed in Acts 6. 2. 4. but not an hundred besides no not any one Preacher but them twelve And as for the other two places Acts the 1. 21 22. and Acts the 8. ver 1. There is not any word concerning Preachers or Ministers onely some directions touching the choyce of Matthias who was one of the twelve mentioned Acts 6. v. 2. And although they who were scattered preached the word Acts 8. ver 4. yet the Scripture doth not declare that they were Preachers or Ministers of the Church in Jerusalem This Mr. Knollys had to reply whose words I have set down at large that all men may see the force of his denyall and with how little reason these men â—ight against the truth to maintain their idle opinion of Independency and of the congregationall way viz. That there were no more beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then â—ould meet in one place And if words and denyalls and sottish evasions might be sufficient to overthrow any apparent truth then Master Knollys and his fraternity will not want them in opposing the most grounded truth and doctrine for the upholding and maintenance of their fond and grollish errors But now to examine his words that the truth may more evidently appear and that my Argument stands firme and good notwithstanding all Master Knollys hath to say to the contarry First he babbles about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saying that it cometh of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 infinitus but what is this I say to the matter in hand thus to trifle about words if not to amuse the ignorant people only to cloud the truth which neverthelesse breaketh forth more illustriously for the confirming and strengthning of my Argument and for the corroborating of the truth contained in it as will by the seqnell appear for if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be derived and come from a word that signifieth infinite in the concrete as he affirmeth then as all the learned know the abstract is of a larger extent for darknesse is more then darke and signifyeth the extremity and profundity of darke and so in the same manner if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be the abstract of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is according to Master Knollys his learning then it denotes and signifies a greater number then ten thousand rather than a lesse by how much Myriads an infinite and an innumerable multitude of people signifies more then a finite then ten thousand for so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 12. of Luke is translated when there were gathered together saith the translation an innumerable company of people insomuch that they trode one upon another c. an innumerable company therefore signifies rather more then ten thousand then a lesse number in any ordinary understanding And the best interpretes say positus est definitus uumerus pro infinito a definite and a certaine number for an infinite Others interpret the word thus innumer ae turbae multitudo amultitude of immumerable people So that by this his vaine jangling about the word he gaineth nothing Yea the truth is so cleere that he himself confesseth that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sometimes signifies ten thousand yet not alwayes but for some great number which cannot suddainly be told and for the proofe of what he saith he quots the 12. of Luke the place above mentioned and brings Bezas his version and our English translation for the confirmation of his assertion viz. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie ten thousand and after that he abuseth his own reason to confute Saint Luke who recording the words of St. Iames to Paul sayes thou seest brother how many ten thousand believing Iewes c. To which words of Luke Master Knollys learnedly replies that the following vers 22. will make it probable that there were not many ten thousands for there sayeth he we thus reade the multitude must needs come together so that I say it is probable that they were not so many ten thousands but they could yea must assemble together Thus Master Knollys disputeth so that it is manifest that he argueth not only against me but confutes Saints Luke himself who by the Spirit of God delivers unto the world that there were many ten thousands of believers in the Church of Ierusalem which Master Knollys by the spirit of error gainsaith so that it is no wonder if he and his fraternity make nothing of of my arguments when they undertake to give the Spirit of God the lye upon all occasions for in expresse words the spirit saith there were many ten thousands of believers in Ierusalem and Master Knollys and his associates affirme the contrary saying that the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie ten thousand and that it is probable there were not so many believere in Ierusalem and he produceth Bezas his version and our English translation to confirme his errors which kinde of silly arguing of his if it be good then not only every truth of God may easily be over-throwne but all Heresies be established but I pray see the folly of the Man Beza saith he and the English interpreters have not translated the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ten thousand Ergo it is not so in the Originall If such kind of disputing be allowed of in the Congregationall way I shall not so much wonder hereafter that they tumble daily into so many hideous and monstrous opinions but of the validity of this argument more by and by In the meane time take notice of Master Knollys his words howsoever saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not alwayes signifie ten thousand yet it is taken for soâ—â— great number that cannot suddainly be told Now I referre my selfe to any intelligible and judicious man whether in this Master Knollys doth not plainly oppose
and Christs Disciples beleeved the maine points of the christian Faith and professed subjection unto the Gospell of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome as well as the hundred and twenty names and the other three thousand and this was as much as Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and all his Apostles required for the forming of them into a church or churches and making of any men or women Members of the same as is manifest in the second of the Acts verse 38 where Peter saith repent and be baptized And where likewise it is recorded That as many as gladly received the Word were baptized verse 41. and the same day were added to the church about three thousand Soules Neither was there required any more of those converted by Philippe in the church of Samaria Acts the 8. or of the Eunuch or of the Goaler or of any other that were admitted into church-fellowship in the Apostles â—imes then that they should beleeve and be baptized as is apparent through the whole story of the Acts. Now then when all that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples did all repent and beleeve as the Scripture relateth they did of which the hundred and twenty names were a part as well as those three thousand then they were all moulded into a church forme and formed into a church or churches as well as the three thousand that my brother Burton confesseth following the expresse Scripture were the first formed church And if beleeving the Gospell then and yeelding subjection unto it and repenting and being baptized were sufficient to make them Members and forme them into a church or Churches then beleeving and repenting now and being baptized and yeelding subjection unto the Gospell is sufficient for the making of either men or women Members and forming of them into a church or churches for these were the principall things and the only things then thought sufficient by the Baptist Christ and the blessed Apostles and all the Evangelists for the making of any Members and that in the Apostolicall prime and purest churches Neither have any Ministers of the Gospell in these our dayes any other rule to go by informing or gathering of churches or receiving of Members into any church then that Iohn the Baptist and the glorious Apostles and Disciples of Christ had all the which notwithstanding did then set up Christ upon his Throne as well as any Independent Ministers in our times and therefore as it is high presumption and rashnesse in those of the congregationall way to make or frame to themselves and to the Church of God any other rules to go by in forming of churches then those set down by Christ himselfe who is only to be heard Mat. 17. So it is a great sinne and breach of charity in them to deny those to be formed into a church or churches that observe not their new rules and yet observe and follow Christs injunctions and commands from all which I may well and safely conclude That when those that were baptized by the Baptist and Christs Disciples imbraced the Christian faith and professed subjection unto it and unto Christ the Messiah and were baptized by them into Christ or in his name who were men in office and sent of God to this purpose as having their commission immediately from him for their so doing for so Saint John saith Ioh. 1. v. 33. He that sent me to baptize c. so Christ saith Go teach all Nations and Baptize them c. Mat. 28. I say when this was the substance of Iohn the Apostles commission and when John performed it accordingly baptizing all Jerusalem and all Judea and all the Regions round about Matth. 3. and when the Disciples of Christ baptized more then John Iohn 4. then it followes that all those they baptized were all moulded into a Church or Churches as well as the hundred and twenty names who were baptized by their Ministery and those thousands that were converted baptized and added unto the Church in the 2. of the Acts by the Preaching and Ministery of Peter and the other Apostles and were all by the same reason formed into a Church or Churches not withstanding whatsoever my brother Burton and I. S. speake and dispute to the contrary and therefore they ought to have beene taken notice of by my good brother as formed into a Church or Churches And if it be duly considered what the Independents teach and hold concerning a true formed Church after the New Testament forme and according to their Principles then this very Church my Brother Burton saith was the first formed Church wee reade of was neither in his owne opinion nor according to the doctrine of those of the congregationall way a true formed Church as not having distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and therefore not a church properly so called and so then it will follow there was not at that time a true formed church in the World which is impious to say or thinke as in the sequell of this tractate by Gods assistance I shall abundantly make appeare and that from my Brother Burtons owne words and from the Independents definition of a Church and therefore my Brother Burton ought as little to have taken notice of those converted by Peters Sermon for the first formed Church as of those that were baptized by Iohn and Christs Disciples for they had not their distinct Officers and Members united into a Church body respectively according to their learning yea they had not then Deacons at all nor Elders as many of the Independents hold nor other of their requisits for the making of a formed Church and therefore it was notachurch properly so called to speake in their Dialect But of these things in their due place I will now examine his following discourse by which the vanity of my Brother Burton will the better appeare and for the which I perswade my selfe he will receive if not a severe censure at least a moderate check such an one as I causelessly had not long since from a Plumporidge Presbyterian brother one of their fellow comoners and a trencher friend to that party for my Brother Burton doth in exprâ—sse words grant that which all the Independents and those of his faction absolutely deny viz. That there were many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jesalem this I say he granteth which all they deny attesting the contrary as all their dissenting Arguments shew who labour to prove that there were not many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and in formall words affirme That there were no more Beleevers in that Church then did and could all meet together in one place and congregation for they knew very well that if they should grant that the day on their side is lost and this caused Master Knollys by name and I. S. to come out against me for holding there were many congregations with a promise that if
as yet any particular visible formed churches for all these severall congregations are but so many branches of that one catholicke visible church and a branch and a member of a church is not a church properly so called in my brother Burtons Dialect and therefore wee have no true visible churches or church bodies upon earth properly so called this I say will necessarily follow upon my Brother Burtons unsound Principles and this his opinion which I am confident upon his more serious thoughts and when he makes not such haste as he confesses he did when he writ this his book against me he will acknowledge to be very erroneous But if he shall against all reason undertake to maintaine the same doctrine concerning the Catholicke visible church he doth about the church of Ierusalem I am assured he will be highly condemned by the learnedest of his party as well as by the universall consent of all the judicious Divines in the world who I know are of a contrary judgement But I say if upon mature deliberation he shall acknowledge and grant that the severall congregations or churches of believers mentioned in the Scriptures as that of Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. and their own severall congregations in their new gathered churches howsoever he will not grant that title unto our assemblies I say if he shall but accord that both the primitive churches and their new congregations be churches properly so called or church bodies though but so many branches and members of the Catholicke visible church which yet is but one and the same church then likewise of necessity it will follow and he must yeild unto it that all those severall congregations and assemblies in the church of Ierusalem were churches properly so called though but so many branches of that one and the same particular church because as the learned know all particular congregations and churches that partake in all the Ordinances as they are similar parts of the whole church so they doe all partake of the name and nature of it and are all of them churches properly so called and therefore by the very same reason I say all those severall congregations and assemblies in the church of Ierusalem being parts of that Nationall city or Presbyterian church that one and the same church as partaking both of the name and nature of that church are all of them churches properly so called one of those conclusions I affirme will necessarily follow from my brother Burtons principles And for the better evidencing of what I have said I will adde a few words more by way of a corollary that whatsoever the whole church at Ierusalem had in it to make it the first formed church properly so called the same had all the congregations and assemblies respectively and severally considered to make every one of them churches properly so called And therefore if the whole church at Ierusalem may challenge the name of a true formed church as the Independents acknowledge then the severall congregations and assemblies respectively and severally considered might do the same and were churches properly so called For if the whole consisted of visible Saints so did every one of those severall congregations and assemblies consist of visible Saints And if the whole had the blessed Apostles in it and Christs seventy Disciples and all sorts of church Officers so had every severall congregation and assembly of that church though but a part and a branch of the whole And if the whole church inioyed all the saving and sealing ordinances and all acts of worship and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking bread and in prayer so did every one of those congregations and assemblies severally and respectively considered And therefore when all the branches of that one particular church at Ierusalem viz every congregation and assembly severally considered and as a part were equall to the whole church in all priviledges immunities and in whatsoever is required for the making of a true formed church so that there was nothing wanting to either of those congregations that the whole church partaked in and injoyed or could challenge for the making it a compleat Church then it followeth and that necessarily that if the whole church be a true formed church and a church properly so called as the Independents confesse that all those congregations assemblies severally considered were churches properly so called This I thought good to premise And now I come to make good what I undertooke which is to prove those severall Assemblies in the church of Ierusalem to be churches properly so called which I do by this argument All such assemblies congregations as daily met together in diverse companies in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and in severall private houses in the fellowship of the Gospell and in the name of Christ and clothed with his power and honoured with Christs presence being all believers and Saints and such as gladly received the word and were all baptized and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayer and injoyed amongst themselves in their severall congregations all the saving and sealing Ordinances and all Acts of worship and whatsoever priviledges and immunities the whole church partaked in and the which the Independents themselves repute and thinke sufficient for the making and constituting of a formed church and who also had amongst them in those severall assemblies Ministers immediately sent them of God and inspired with the holy Ghost every one of the which had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven given unto them by Christ himselfe with a promise to be with them to the ende of the world and that whatsoever they loosed on earth should be loosed in heaven and whatsoever they bound on earth should be bound in heaven and that his spirit also should leade them into all truth the which Ministers likewise taught them whatsoever Christ had commanded them and that daily in the Temple and in every house all and every one of them respectively and severally taken were true and compleate churches properly so called But in the church of Jerusalem there were many such assemblies and congregations as dayly met together in diverse companies in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and in several private houses in the fellowship of the Gospell and in the name of Christ and clothed with his power and honoured with Christs presence being all believers and Saints and such as gladly received the Word and were all baptized and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and injoyed amongst themselves in their severall congregations all the saving and sealing Ordinances and all acts of worship and whatsoever priviledges and immunities the whole church partaked in and the which the Independents themselves repute and thinke sufficient for the making and constituting of a formed church and who also had amongst them in those severall
them in all which Ordinances every one of those severall congregations did daily partake with the Fellowship of the Apostles all which in these our dayes are thought sufficient by those of the congregationall way to make any of their Assemblies a true and compleat formed Church and a Church properly so called so that wheresoever according to their owne Doctrine and Principles they inioy all these Ordinances in their severall meeting houses with a Pastor and Doctor and an Elder or two and a Deacon and three or foure good women and as many men every one of these severall Congregations challenge unto themselves though they consist but of ten or twelve the name of a formall and compleate Church properly so called and doe conclude that they are so many Churches properly so called in all which they affirme and no where else that Christ is set up as King upon his Throne And therefore if all the severall Congregations of the Independents considered by themselves respectively apart may properly in their opinion be called churches and that for the injoying but some of the above mentioned Ordinances and Priviledges that all those severall Congregations in the Church of Ierusalem did compleatly partake in then all good reason will conclude that all these severall Assemblies in Jerusalem respectively and severally considered were compleate churches properly so called and that as I said before with a great deale more and better reason by how much it is certaine that those congregations and severall assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem had both for Matter and Forme and all other requisits whatsoever in these our dayes can make a compleate Church or Churches properly so called And this that I have now said for the confirmation of the Major Proposition of my Argument may suffice it being grounded upon the Independents owne Principles and Doctrine so that I shall not need any more Reasons for the corroborating of the truth of the same As for my Minor Proposition they that shall reade but the first six Chapters of the Acts and the 18. of Matt. and the 28. of the same Booke and the sixteenth and twentieth of Saint Iohns Gospel shall find it sufficiently confirmed yea my Brother Burton denys not that there were many congregations in Ierusalem So that now I hope every judicious and intelligible Reader from all the forgoing Discourse will see that I have proved what I undertook viz. that there were not only several Congregations and assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem which all the Independents saving my Brother Burton deny but that all those severall congregations and assemblies severally and respectively considered were Churches properly so called which my Brother Burton thought a thing impossible to be evinced and that all those congregations and Assemblies notwithstanding made but one Church and were all of them under one Presbyterie governed communi consilio Presbyterorum which my Brother Burton all the Independents do acknowledge and therfore of necessity it must follow there was in Ierusalem a subordination or combining of many Churches all which neverthelesse were called but one Church as being under one government as the Churches at this day of Geneva Bazill and of the other reformed Cantons all the which consisting of many congregations or churches properly so called being united and combined together and subordinate make up but one Church in their severall Precincts after the example of the Church at Jerusalem and the other Primitive and purest Churches the government of all the which was left as a patterne of imitation to all succeeding 〈◊〉 to the end of the world to teach them to unite and combine themselves ther for the better and more orderly governing regulating of them And it is very fit that as the Mother Churches and those the most purest ones were ruled and ordered so should all the Daughter Churches be moderated and regulated in all following Generations to the full consummation of all things yea all reason will perswade any intelligible man that a Councel or colledge of grave Divines and experienced men and men of Knowledge Learning and Integrity should know a great deale better how to governe then a few giddy headed witlesse and worthlesse men women which most of the new Congregations consist of Now in all the Primitive and Apostolicall Churches wee find this kind of government as in the seven Churches of Asia the which consisted of many and severall Congregations in their severall Precincts and yet made but one Church in their particular Jurisdictions and all those my Brother Burton speaks of and which hee brings in for the making up of a compleate paterne of Church government were so governed communi consilio Presbyterorum as that of Ephesus as I shall by and by briefly prove after I have answered to what my Brother Burton hath yet to say in this busines to whose words if any credit may be given then the Church of Ierusalem it selfe which hee cals the first formed Church was not a perfect formed Church for hee accuseth that of imperfection and not that only but all the other Primitive and Apostolicall Churches saying that they were not compleate within themselves so that to make up a compleate patterne of a true constituted Church we must borrow something from each of them and he affirmes that there is the same relation betweene church and churches that is betweene the Members of the body every one having need of the other so that of necessity by this his doctrine they were all dependent by the which he doth oppose all his brethren of the congregationall way who hold and labour to maintaine not the perfection onely of every one of the Primitive churches within themselves but the parity likewise of them and the equall authority and affirme that they were all Independent which opinion of theirs my Brother Burton overthrowes making them all Dependent But let us heare himselfe speake Secondly saith hee it being no more then one entire particular Church and not any Diocesan or Provinciall Church or the Presbytery thereof classicall as you would beare us in hand it is a paterne to all particular Churches in succeeding ages and yet by your favour not so perfect as no Apostolick churches besides it should also come in to make up the patern compleat for wee must necessarily take all the Churches c. as you may see at large in his words before quoted I desire the Reader here in the second part of his answer to take notice of his expressions where First there is Petitio principii an ordinary Error amongst sophisticall dealing men hee begs the question denying the Presbytery of the church at Ierusalem to be classicall which notwithstanding the Scripture sufficiently evinceth as hath beene abundantly proved viz. that the church of Ierusalem consisted of many congregations and notwithstanding it was governed by the joynt consent and common counsell of many Presbyters to both which he accordeth and yet as if
peoples hands and of which there is neither precept nor president in all the holy Scriptures for this distinction of Officers they call for in all churches and many other things they rigidly exact of us for the compleating and forming of a church after the New-Testament forme were not in the church of Ierusalem the mother church and yet it was by my brother Burtons confession the first formed church and that in the judgment of all the Independents besides himselfe a perfect church at that time But because he requres of me to shew him distinct Officers and Members united into one body respectively in all the severall congregations in the church at Ierusalem without which he affirmeth they were no formed churches properly so called I desire of him likewise that he would shew me that distinction of Officers and Members in that whole church that he demands of me in its parts without the performing of the which all that he hath written is nothing and he must of necessity grant that the church at Jerusalem was not a church properly so called if that distinction I say of Officers and Members be essentiall to the compleating of a church or churches For he confesseth at that time he calls it a formed church they had no Deacons and all the Independents that ever I have seene or talked with say they reade of no Elders in the church at Ierusalem till the 12. of the Acts which was a long time after the first forming of this church and we reade not at any time of any particular Pastor or of any Doctor or Teacher ioyned with that Pastor as is usually in the churches of the Congregationall way but that upon all occasions all the people applyed themselves to all the Apostles and and said Men and brethren what shall we doe and that they continued in the Doctrine and fellowship of all the Apostles and that all things were transacted by the common Counsell of all the Apostles and that they all laid their hands in the Ordination of the Deacons upon each of them we heare nothing I say of any particular Pastor or Teacher or of any Elders all this while and yet by my brother Burtons Doctrine it was a formed church then and we neither heare nor reade also any thing of an explicit particular Covenant which the Independents call the forme of a church neither doe we reade of many things they now rigidly require of all such â—s desire to be Members of their new Congregations practised in that Church I shall therefore cordially desire of my brother Burton seeing the underwriters his tributaries have given him leave as he saith in his Truth shut out of doores that he should baulke no truth he shall meet with in the plowing up of the Scripture but should Preach every truth I say he having obtained this Christian liberty of his Benefactors and truth being now no more in prison that he would candidly and plainly without any reserve Doâ—eâ— ad triarios redieritres tell me the next time I heare from him who was the particular pastor in the church at Ierusalem who was their particular Doctor or Teacher who were their Elders who were their Deacons seeing my brother Burton denieth any congregation to be a church properly so called if it have not its distinct Officers and Members united into one church body respectively for these are his words therefore I put him upon this to prove and without proving it all that he hath hitherto writ both in this book and in his vindication will all prove but waste paper to use his own language I am confident he will not say that Iames or Peter were their Pastor or Teacher or that any of the Apostles were the Pastor or Teacher of that particular church for they were the Universall Pastors of the visible Catholicke church and were extraordinarily sent into all the world as the Scripture recordeth therefore they could not be either the particular Pastors or Teachers of that church for as the Independents teach they must be fixt and should not leave their charge and Flocks neither can my Brother Burton tell which were their Elders for the Independents say they reade of none in the church at Ierusalem till the twelfth of the Acts and therefore according to their doctrine they then had none and it seemes to be my brother Burtons opinion â—or he â—aith the Church at Jerusalem wanted that part of discipline of casting out of corrupt Members which if they had had Elders they could not have wanted and for Deacons my brother Burton acknowledgeth that at that time he calleth it a formed Church they had none So that by this I have now said I beleeve it will be a difficult if not an impossible thing either for him or any of his fraternity to shew me that distinction of Officers and Members in the whole Church at Ierusalem which he requires I should shew him in the several branches congregations without the which notwithstanding according to his learning it cannot be a Church properly so called and so then the church at IerusaleÌ„ it self was no church properly so called Therefore when he is at plow again as now I understand he is I desire him that he would furrow up this truth unto me and shew me that distinction of Officers and Members withall I desire to be resolved how he comes to make this distinction of Officers and Members united into one church body respectively to be the forme of a Church when his brethren of the congregationall way make an explicite particular covenant to be the forme of a Church and the Members and Officers to be the materials onely of a Church All these truths I desire and that earnestly that my brother Burton at his next going to plow he would lay open and discover unto mee and then I will conclude of him that he is a singular tiller and a very good husbandman in Christs field his Church or otherwise hee will never be fit either to make a compleat Independent Country courtier or an absolute Independent Gentleman but he shall be a Haberdasher in the small wares of Independency and with those I perswade my selfe he will be best able to trade with But in the mean time till I heare from him I will affirme that if it be true he saith That the Church of Jerusalem wanted Deacons and Church discipline and an explicite particular covenant and many other good things they require of us for the compleating of a church or churches properly so called then that Church was not perfect and compleat and yet we read not that the Saints of those times made any separation from their publike Assemblies and Congregations though they wanted Officers and Discipline and many other things required now by them so that we may learn from those primitive and holy Christians that we ought not to forsake the publike Assemblies of the Saints for want of some part of Discipline or for want of some Officers
or for want of many things they now exact of all Christians for the compleating and moulding of them into Church bodies pro perly so called for we read That in the Church of Jerusalem they were perfectly converted and were Saints indeed and yet that for some wants they made no separation rent or schisme from their brethren but that they dayly met together in their publick Assemblies as in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and from house to house openly and that in all love and charity with one accord And yet if my brother Burton and the Independents may be beleeved they had neither Deacons nor Elders nor distinction of Officers nor a great part of Discipline nor many other of their requisites So that from the pious and godly example of those glorious Saints I learn this lesson That rents and scismes are not to be made amongst brethren for some failings in any Churches yea though there be some defects not onely in Officers and Members but a very want of Officers themselves and of a good Discipline also in any Church or Churches and that they that do make rents and divisions have a great deal to answer for Withall I learn that it may be a true Church though there be a failing in Discipline and a want of some chiefe Officers and Members For my brother Burton acknowledgeth That the Church at Jerusalem was a formed Church although it wanted both Officers and Discipline and all those things they now require of all such as desire to be made Members in their new Congregations And therefore if this he now preacheth be solid and orthodox Divinity and if he may be credited in what he writeth as there was at that time no just ground of separation from their publike Assemblies for want of those things so there is now in these our dayes no just cause of separation from our Assemblies if there be indeed a reall want of discipline and Church Officers which we might long since have injoyed had not he and his brethren hindred our happy begun Reformation Especially I say we ought not to separate when there is no failing or want in any dominative or fundamentall pointe of Religion necessary to salvation and where all the counsell of God requisite to eternall happinesse is dayly publikely taught in every one of our Congregations and Churches all which the Independents themselves do acknowledge we want not Besides it is granted by all orthodox Divines that Discipline makes not for the esse but the bene esse of a Church Yea the Independents themselves hold That Officers in a Church make not for the esse but the bene esse of it as the New Lights from the Summer Islands apparently delucidate For they say Though the Officers all dye yet the Church ceaseth not to be a church But to return to the matter in hand Whereas my brother Burton affirmeth that the Church at Jerusalem wanted Discipline and that it had not Deacons at first and that the Churches were not brought forth to full perfection in one day and that their very constitution had a graduall growth I maintain that in all he asserteth he is not onely exceeding erroneous and ignorant but understandeth not the very doctrine of the Independents who are all against him in those his assertions for they all acknowledg and in express words affirm it in their writings that all the Officers of the church were virtually in the Apostles saying they were Pastors Teachers ruling Elders and Deacons c. And therefore they wanted neither Deacons nor Elders if their concession be true nor any church Officers which is point blank against my brother Burton his opinion They confesse likewise that all the Apostles and every one of them had the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven that is the power of order and jurisdiction viz the key of knowledg and authority And therefore they had also in the church of Jerusalem that part of Discipline of casting out corrupt Members They acknowledge in like manner that all the Apostles had equall power amongst themselves and that they had authority over all the churches as having the care of all the churches who were committed to their charge and that they left both the Presbyters and people in their several churches to the exercise of all their particular rights impeached neither of them of their liberties And they do also confess that as Paul by his own authority did excommunicate Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. ver 20. and others so might the other Apostles have done if they had had the like occasion given them and might have put any church not only in mind of their duty and reproved them for their neglect of Discipline but have injoyned and commanded them also to have put it in execution as both Paul did the church of Corinth and Saint John the seven churches of Asia which were all well constituted and well and perfect formed churches by their first constitution and brought forth to full perfection in one day so as they had no need of a graduall growth as my brother Burton affirmeth All these things I say the Independents do accord unto And all reason will perswade any well grounded Christians That the church of Corinth was a perfect church at its first constitution before the incestuous person appeared in it and the same they will say of the other seven churches in Asia before the doctrine of the Nicolaiâ—tans and that of Baalam and Jezabell sprung up in them and before those luke-warme Laodiceans appeared and all the other offenders there spake of all the which were so far from adding any perfection to those churches as it was a deformity to them all to have such creatures and failings amongst them and it was reputed their great sinne to connive at them and suffer them to be amongst them and in their bowels which by their first constitution they had power to have cast out For it is well known that all those churches at their first plantation and founding had all of them their Presbyters and Elders and all other Members and Officers as consisting of Saints and had in all those severall churches both the power of order and jurisdiction and the power of the Keyes and this in their first constitution and therefore had no neede of a graduall growth but were all brought forth to full perfection the first day contrary to my brother Burtons doctrine And it is confessed likewise by the Independents and by my brother Burton himselfe That where there are Church Officers as a Pastor and Teacher with an Elder or two and a Deacon and where there are a few visible Saints if they amount but to the number of twenty nay if they be but ten or twelve gathered together according to their method that there is a compleat formed Church where Christ is set up as King upon his Throne and that this Church is clothed with Christs power and honoured with his presence the which
all of them necessarily be conferred together for the making up of a compleat paterne so that every one of them was to bring in its shot to make up the full reckoning that so what is not expressed in the one may be supplied by the rest to make up a compleat platforme These are his formall words adding with all That as the Scripture consists of many bookes and the body of many members and one Member cannot say to the other I have no need of thee 1 Cor. 11. So it was amongst the Apostolicall churches they had all need one of another I say my brother Burton in his thus speaking is not only against the opinion of all the Independents for the which I am assured thâ—â— will sharply reprove him but Volens Nolens concludes that all the Primitive churches were necessarily dependent one upon another as the severall Members are in one body which is that that all those of his party peremptorily deny though indeede it be an Evangelicall truth as I shall god willing abundantly prove in examining the government of all those churches my brother Burton enumerateth as that of Corinth Phililppi those of Galatia and the rest with that of Ephesus all which he brings in for making up of his compleat paterne and all the which I will take notice of though he and his Schollers will take no notice of my indefinite enumeration of those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples to be formed into a Church or churches I say although he will take no notice of my enumeration I will take notice of those churches he enumerateth and prove them all Classicall and dependent upon their severall Presbyteries and that there was not an Independent church such as they describe unto us in the world in the Apostles time nor before our dayes nor never such a whimsie taken notice of before this doting age of the world I shall also take notice of his words for matter of comfort to us poore Presbyterians who the Independents tearme at every word an Antichristian brood who may not think it much nor be offended with it but rather rejoyce when they accuse our churches not to be well formed churches after the new testament forme and when they say that our churches are not perfect churches and churches properly so called for here my brother Burton a Master illdependent censureth and judgeth not onely the congregations in the church at Ierusalem to be no churches properly so called but the whole church of Jerusalem it selfe for want of a great part of Discipline and for want of Officers and blameth all other Churches accusing them likewise of faylings and imperfections saying that they must be all conferred together for the making up a compleat platforme which is in plaine English to say they were all defective and not compleate and formed churches which indeede is a horrid peece of blasphemy and deserves condigne punishment from all those of his party And truly as it is a matter of wonder to see when men once desert and forsake the truth what errors out of pride and giddinesse they soone fâ—ll into so it may exceedingly rejoyce and comfort us that in all their aspersing of us and daily calumniating our Churches for some faylings and imperfections as they conceive and in their denying of them to be true formed churches for in this we are like sufferers with all the Primitive and Apostolicke churches all the which my Brother Burton accuseth of imperfection and for faylings so that if he will censure them it is no wonder they not only condemne all our churches for Antichristian and not well formed Churches but separate from them as from so many Synagogues of Satan for so they tearme our Assemblies But now to take notice of my brother Burtons enumeration The sum of all saith he to make up a compleat paterne not onely the Church at Jerusalem but that of Corinth and those also of Galitia and that of Philippi Ephesus and the rest are to be conferred together to make up one entire platforme Thus he Now then if it can be proved that all these Churches my brother Burton enumerates as that of Corinth Philippi those of Galatia of Ephesus and the rest did consist of many and severall congregations within their severall Precincts and yet were all of them governed by the Common Councell of their severall Presbyteries and all of them notwithstanding made but one Church iâ— their severall jurisdictions and that all those Churches I say were Classically governed and were all dependent upon their severall Presbyters as being subordinate to them and likewise subject to the Synodicall Decrees at Ierusalem then it will follow that all churches in succeeding ages to the end of the world are to be so governd for all these churches make up an entire and compleat paterne or platforme of governing all churches for future ages as my brother Burton granteth I shall therefore desire the reader it being a businesse of so great importance to give me leave as I proved the Church of Ierusalem to consist of many Congregations or Churches which my brother Burton calls branches of that Church therefore necessarily depending upon the stock So now briefly to evince that all those Churches my brother Burton enumerats consisted likewise of many Congregations and were all Classically governed And then I will also prove that according to the Independents definition of a Church their very Congregationall Churches and Assemblies are not true Churches properly so called and withall I shall make good by Gods assistance and that from their own Principles that they are Dependent All which I will doe in order And first I will begin with the Church of Samaria which is one of the rest my Brother Burton saieth must be taken in for the making up a compleat platforme This City of Samaria was the Regall City and the Palace or Chamber of the Kings of Israell and was one of the greatest Cities then in the world and next to Ierusalem the famousest in all Palestine and one of the greatest in all Canaan for extent and it must needs be a great one that could entertaine the whose Assyrian army at one time and it was exceeding populous as all the stories of the Kings and Chronicles witnesse in the which we know there was a true Church in Christs time and that planted by Christ himselfe as we may see in the 4 of Iohn where we reade that our Saviour converted not onely the woman of Samaria but many more who were made beleevers by his Ministry as they themselves acknowledge and testifie and to this Church were many thousands added by the preaching and miracles of Philip for it is said of them Acts the 8. vers 6. 10. 12. 14. that all those that had bin seduced by that Jugler Simon Magus which were in no small numbers every one of them being undeceived by the preaching and wonders of Philip now believed and were baptized so that there
favour from them that they allowed them publike places of meeting as well as private as may be gathered from Pauls words who said That he had taught them publikely and from house to house Now where there were such multitudes of people as could take up a famous Apostle night and day for three whole yeares together who ceased not all that while to warne every one with teares Acts 20. 31. and that publikely and privately ver 20. and where there were many more extraordinary Teachers besides a whole Colledge of Bishops and all of them faithfull and painfull Preachers as appears Revel 2. ver 2. and all these likewise continually imployed there of necessity there must be severall churches and congregations but in the church of Ephesus there were such multitudes of people as imployed the Apostle Paul for three whole yeares night and day and many other extraordinary Ministers besides a whole colledge of faithfull and laborious Pastors and Bishops Ergo there were severall churches and congregations in the church of Ephesus and therefore the word church is to be taken collectively as well antecedenter as consequenter as well as the word Angell for there is the same reason of both Now then if the word Angell in the Independents opinion 〈◊〉 to be taken collectively the word church by as good Authority is to be so taken and therefore as there were many Angels and Ministers in the church of Ephesus so there were many Assemblies and churches in that church by all which it undenyably followeth that one church may have many churches in subordination to it as this of Ephesus and the other Asian churches had and consequently was Collegially and Classically governed communi consilio presbyterorum Now then when the the church of Ephesus and all the other churches my brother Burton enumerateth were all so governed it followes that all these churches must be a paterne of government for the regulating and moderating of all other churches to the end of the world which being all Presbyterially and Classically governed as hath been proved all other churches at this day are to be Classically and Presbyterially moderated so that now when it is manifest both by Scripture and reason and by the Independents owne concession that the word churches may be taken as well Antecedenter as consequenter it matters nothing what Master Baines thinks to the contrary whose judgement in this businesse is very erroneous how Orthodoxe soever he was in his other writings for there is no man though of never so greatlearning or parts no not an Angel that shall ever by Gods assistance make me believe or imbrace any doctrine or opinion that is contrary unto the holy Scripture and all sound reason as this novell tenent and whimsie of the Independents is and truly so it appeareth to be from my brother Burtons owne words who by his induction of so many churches and by that nigh relation he affirmes they all had each to other and amongst themselves concludes they were all dependent For if there was as great or nigh a relation betweene church and church as is between member and member in the body of a man as he asserteth so that the one cannot say to the other I have no neede of thee then of necessity they must be all dependent but there is as great or nigh arelation between church and church as my brother Burton asserteth as there is betweene member and member so that the one cannot say to the other I have no neede of thee Ergo they are all dependent For the antecedent it is so cleere that all intelligible men will assent unto it And for the assumption my brother Burtons words confirme it and therefore the conclusion doth necessarily insue And if men would but consider and that duly the mâ—nner of the civill government in all the Cities we reade of in the old Testament both in Iuda and Israel and the Ecclesiasticall government in them the truth would easily be perceived and the controversie would quickly be at an end amongst all sober minded Christians Now in those severall Cities we shall finde that under their severall Kings and Princes they were all governed by a secular Presbytery called by the name of Elders and Nobles whose civill power and Authority under those Kings and Princes extended as far as the severall bounds and territories under their severall Cities delated themselves and not only within their wals for as at their first constitution they were so many severall kingdomes as the Scripture relateth and had their severall jurisdictions and bounds so into whosesoever hands and Authority they were in succession of time devolved either by conquest donation agreement or compact they commonly continued their Antient dimensions and limits and as farre as their secular power extended it selfe in respect of their civill government and policy the same limits did the Ecclesiasticall ever observe and governed all the Townes and Villages under them all whose inhabitants and dwellers in their severall abodes and habitations within the compasse of their severall jurisdictions were called Citizens and the whole country in their severall precincts were called by the names of the severall Cities as all Histories relate And if we will but examine the Annals of times all men may finde that which I now say to be true For we see in the change of all governments from Democratiall to Aristocraticall and from both to Monarchy that as far as their bounds and limits extended themselves before their changc the Monarchsor Kings that either invaded those Governments or were brought in by election or the free choyce of the people extended their sole power to the extreamest limits of those severall governments and in their owne name ruled those severall Countries which before were governed by the Common counsell of their States Senats Elders or Judges as we see it hapned not onely in the kingdomes of Iuda and Israel after the government of the Israelites was changed into a Monarchie but even in the Roman Empire and all other kingdomes for when Caesar had invaded the Soverainty and had made himselfe Perpetuus dictator as farre as the bounds and limits of the Roman Aristocracy extended its selfe before the change so farre did his sole power expatiate and extend it selfe after the alteration and the same power did all the succeeding Emperours exercise to the extremest bounds of that Empire till the dissolution of it as all Histories declare Even so when the severall Presbyteries through the Christian world were through the cunning and policy of Antichrist that man of sinne changed into Episcopacies as farre as the severall Presbyteries extended themselves so farre did the severall Bishops appointed over them extend their sole power and exercise their sole Authority Hence arose so many broyles contentions and digladiations amongst those severall Bishops about the bounds and limits of their severall Seas and jurisdictions of which all Ecclesiasticall stories are full all the which doe sufficiently prove and declare
and pleasure of God in them and accordingly determined that difference and question by the written Word and from thence commanded that the Decrees of that Councell should be observed in all Churches After the very same manner in this their so doing the church of Ierusalem is a paterne to all other churches upon the like occasions it any difference of opinion rise amongst the churches or if any new heresies spring up tending to the subversion of the soules of the people how holy and godly so ever they seeme to be that broach them and what pretence so ever they make that they have them from divine Authority I say upon the like occasions in Imitation of the Apostles and Elders in the church at Ierusalem Kings and Princes and Christian Magistrates and those that are in Authority may call a councell or Synod of Divines together and as the Apostles and Elders there debated things by dispute and reason and by searching the holy Scripture found out the truth and determined the question and sent their Decrees which were binding to all other churches so I affirme also in this their so doing that church is a paterne of imitation to all churches in all Nations and Countries and Christian churches in them that Ministers out of severall Presbyteries in a representative body may meet together by the appointment of their Magistrates and dispute those questions by reasoning and discourse and finding by searching of the Word of God what his good will and pleasure is may determine the question accordingly and give out their decrees grouned upon the written Word with authority to be observed by all those churches under their severall Jurisdictions and as the people then did patiently wait till the determining of that difference without making of any rents schismes or separations one from another and did then yeild obedience to those decrees without any reluctation but observed them all willingly after the debate so ought all people in imitation of them and following their example with patience to wait without making any rents and divisions till things are fully discussed and determined in any such Synode or councell and then willingly and cheerfully submit themselves and yeild obedience to them and in their so doing they have the church at Ierusalem for a paterne and the Apostles and Elders of that church and the other churches for an example of imitation so long as they injoyne nothing contrary to the Word of God For this way of governing the church by Synods and Councells upon differing and dissenting opinions betweene church and church and upon occasion of any new Heresies sprung up in Christian Countries or any old ones revived as it hath its paterne from the church at Ierusalem and that of Antioch which is left for our imitation that all churches upon the like occasion should follow it So this way of ruling is grounded upon most excellent reason as most agreeable both to the Law of God and nature and the practise of all Nations and Kingdomes of which we have many presidents in the holy Scriptures besides this councell at Ierusalem and some others For as all Nations and Kingdoms have been ever governed by generall councells and have ever had their severall appeales from inferior Courts and councells to Superior upon either publicke grievances or upon any differences betweene Province and Province and County and County or betweene Corporation and Corporation or City and City or upon any Pressures or oppressions or impeachments or incroachments of each on the others liberties or through injustice or injuries done to each of them from some that are in power and authority So the church of Iesus Christ which is his Kingdome is inferior to no other Kingdome upon earth but in that also the severall Corporations that are under it which are so many Presbyterian churches have in like manner the liberty of their appeales upon any of the aforesaid or above named occasions And although they all injoy equall priviledges amongst themselves as the severall Provinces Counties Corporations and Cities in any kingdome do so as they cannot severally and by themselves considered give a Law each to other yet as in a generall councell in Kingdomes and Common-wealths when the Knights and Barons and Burgesses of each of them are all met together in their representative bodies in a Parliament or Diet may being so Assembled together not only redresse any abuses and punish Delâ—nquents but also for the better government of those severall Doâ—inâ—ons for the future give Lawes to each Province County City and Corporation yea and unto the whole Country And enact penall Statutes both to them and to the whole Countries under them according to the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdomes and Countries In the same manner it is in the visible Catholicke church which is Christs Kingdome although in it the severall Presbyteries and churches considered by themselves and as having equall Authority amongst themselves cannot give Lawes to each other severally and by themselves considered as the Church of Corinth and that of Antioch and Ephesus and the other could not prescribe to each other a rule or Law to walke by with Authority but only in an examplary way by well doing yet all these severall churches ioyning together in a generall councell as they did at Jerusalem Acts the 15. and having from each of them deligated and sent their Presbyters and Ministers as so many Burgesses of their severall cities and Corporations and they being all met together upon any grievances and having by debating of the matters and differences in question by dispute and by disquisition found What is the good will of God and what is his pleasure in his good Word and in the holy Scriptures which are the Fundamentall Lawes of his Kingdom may in any Christian councell so called and ordering their businesse as the councell and Synod of Ierusalem did give out their Decrees and those binding ones to all those severall churches that are under their jurisdictions and all these severall churches ought to yeild obedience to them And in this their so doing they have the church of Ierusalem and the other churches a president and a paterne For I say in all these respects the church at Ierusalem is a paterne to all other churches And as in the church at Ierusalem Corinth Philippi Samaria Ephesus c. the Apostles Evangelists and the Presbyters in every one of those churches had the charge of each of those churches committed to them in common as is manifest from all the places above quoted and through the holy Scripture and as they fed them all and governed them all in common so in that also both the church at Ierusalem and all the other churches according to my brother Burtons doctrine who saith they must all come in for the making up of a compleat platforme I say as all the Presbyters and Ministers fed those severall churches in common so they are a paterne to all churches in all
the midst of the sea This was one of my statute laws will Christ the King of his Church say Now you of the congregationall way take no notice of me nor of them that beleeved in me and were baptized in my name by John and my Disciples as formed into a church or churches for these are your own expressions I therefore will take no notice of you of the oongregationall by-path as formed into a church or churches not onely for these your hard speeches against me and those that beleeved in me but because in all my holy word I never appointed such a modell and forme of churches as you have erected amongst you I therefore in all these respects take no notice of you as formed into a church or churches I know you not depart from me this I presume any rationall man will be ready to gather will be the doome of those that take no notice of Christ and his Followers Of these their words and of this their dealing therefore except my brother Burton and his associates seriously unfainedly and speedily repent they must give a dreadfull accompt at the last day For if we must give an accompt of every idle word what an accompt then must be given of such expressions as these are which despise Christ himselfe and his blessed Apostles and all his Followers and all that beleeved in him when he was upon the earth and take no notice of them as formed into a church or churches And what a dreadfull reckoning must he and his abetters give for all those erroneous impious and uncharitable opinions they have of late hatched and brought into the world the very naming of the which would be unpleasant to a true sanctified soule as this amongst the other that they take no notice of Christ and his Disciples and Followers and all those that were baptized by John to be formed into a church or churches Yea what a fearfull accompt must they at that day give for all their bitter and reviling speeches and malitious practises against all their Christian brethren through the Reformed churches who they have all unchurched Yea my brother Burton and his complices must also give a great accompt of this that whereas they should have taught the people the way of God truly and plainly and have delivered unto them the whole counsell of God they not onely professe they will keep a reserve Donec ad triarios redierit res contrary to the command of God who hath injoyned all his servants to be ready to give an accompt of their hope to whosoever shall demand it 1 Pet. 3. and preach it publickly and upon the house topp whatsoever he taught his Disciples in secret and privately but blame all churches but their own of the congregationall way as not rightly formed according to the New Testament forme and yet would never set down to their brethren the modell of that forme and shew it unto the people and Saints of God that they might all be undeceived if in an error although they have bin often again sollicited thereunto and although also they by promise had ingaged themselves to deliver in their modell by such a time and by this their unjust and unrighteous dealing have kept the people of God and many pretious souls in ignorance of many principall truths if their doctrine be true and caused the people by that means exceedingly to erre and to remain still in darknesse when notwithstanding they glory that they set up every day many New Lights which is in them all a most fearfull and abominable sinne and of the which as of all their hard words against their brethren and of all their calumnies and reproaches and bringing up an evill name and report against the Presbyterian government as the wicked Spies did against the good Land of all these things I say as of all their errors scismes and heresies and especially of their taking no notice of those multitudes baptized by John and Christs Disciples to be formed into a church or churches they except they speedily repent must give a dreadfull accompt at the great day and my brother Burton especially for he is one of the principall Leaders and Captains in this Militia and new Modell of Ill-dependency If some yong Sprigge that had been turn'd about with every stream of opinion and carryed about this way and that way with every wind of doctrine had spake such words only and had bin the author of such novell opinions and of such double dealing and jugling I should never have wondred at it knowing how unstable youth is but for an old Tree in which the sap of youth should now be well dryed up and which should be stiffe and unmoveable and for ever to be settled for such a one I say as my brother Burton was expected to be to be unstable thus tossing and tumbling about with every stream of new doctrine or every novell blast of any windy opinion it sheweth that it is either founded upon a sandy ground or a brittle foundation or rotten at the very root and that if it be not speedily looked unto and underpropped that it will suddenly fall and that the fall thereof will be very great which that it may not happen to my brother Burton and that the Lord would give him and his associates repentance for all their unthankfulnesse to God and for all their evill dealings and uncharitablenesse towards their brethren and especially towards my selfe it shall be my earnest prayer for them all who they have so much despised and â—ilified And this I thought fit to speak concerning my brother Burtons reply to whatsoever he had to say in way of answer concerning my first four propositions and the whole first part of my booke What he hath to reply to my arguments about the second question touching the gathering of churches shall be answered in their due place after I have spake alittle according to my promise concerning the Independents definition of their Church which occasionally I met with when from their owne Principles I confirmed my arguments that if any thing it might make them more specious in the Independents eyes or at least that they might not be so inraged against me hereafter when they shall take notice that I spake nothing but what I ratified and made good from their own grounds Their definition of their church is this A visible Church is say they a mysticall body whereof Christ is the head the Members Saints called out of the world and united together into one Congregation by an holy Covenant to worship the Lord and to edifie one an other in all his holy Ordinances Before I discover all the errors of this definition and come to shew that according to this their description of a Church there has never as yet beene a true formed church and that none of the congregationall churches themselves if this their definition bee good be true formed churches and which is more that they must of necessity
Synod now present and their imployments likewise are of an other nature then that of ordinary Pastors in their severall congregations as all men know and therefore not a church properly so called according to their language for a Synod and church are two distinct things and both of them together were never yet found in any one congregation in the world and so by consequence there was never any congregation or particular church that yet injoyed all Gods Ordinances and therefore if their definition be good they were no true churches for they had no Synod or Councell in them neither can any of our new congregations at this day have a Synod in them and therefore they injoy not all Gods Ordinances in them severally and so come not within the compasse bounds and limits of their owne definition and therefore remaine not true formed churches as not injoying that Ordinance Besides there are other Ordinances that the congregationall churches cannot injoy for there is an impossibility of it not only in the beginning and first constitution of them but many times after in regard of mortality and the death of their Elders and Pastors and other Officers or when there remaines but one alive as it often happens in our new congregations and therefore of necessity they must bee Dependent if they will injoy all Ordinances or else be no churches as not injoying all Ordinances As for instance there are Ordinances that neerly concerne every particular congregation which cannot be performed by that alone for how can a particular congregation which for the most part consists of ignorant men and women try the sufficiency of the Presbyters that are to be elected or put over them when they have no knowledge in those Sciences Arts Faculties and Histories and of the tongues and languages as Latine Greeke Hebrew and are ignorant in many other things that in some competency are required in all such as are to be made Presbyters and Ministers over them when I say not any one in those congregations many times have any knowledge in any one of those arts and sciences in all which a Minister ought in some measure to bee versed in if hee will take upon him that high calling and charge of the Ministry and duly and rightly performe it unto them and were it so that in all these new gathered churches they had such intelligible Members who when they have made choyce of them shall give them imposition of hands which belongs onely to the Presbyterie and Elders to perform cannot be done by the people who never were appointed by God to ordaine Officers in his church as all the learnedst of the Independents hold and teach so that when any Elders and Presbyters and other church Officers are to be ordained in their new gathered churches they permit not the common people to impose hands upon them but alwayes desire Elders and Presbyters of other congregations to doe it without whose helpe they cannot injoy this Ordinance amongst themselves and therefore if they will have it they must necessarily be Dependent The same may be said of the Ordinance of Excommunication but I will first speake of imposition of hands and ordination of Elders and Officers the which howsoever in some of the more unlearned Independents esteeme it to be of small weight and but a complement yet it is one of Gods holy Ordinances which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes accounts and reckons amongst the Principles of Religion and a part of the Foundation Heb. 6. ver 1 2 which place of Scripture one of the Fathers of the congregationall way Master Henry Iacob by name who first baptized their new gathered churches with that compellation of Independent churches for his owne advantage exceedingly urged to overthrow the lawfulnesse of the Ministers of the church of England because as hee supposed the church of England erred in the Foundation not having the due and right imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie though in this as in many of his other opinions hee was very much mistaken for those that imposed hands upon the Ministers at their Ordination were Presbyters Yet I say they can urge this place for their advantage against us and therefore I see no reason why wee also may not much more make use of it against them it being Gods owne institution and to be perpetuated to the worlds end in all churches so that wheresoever this Ordination and Imposition of hands by the Presbyterie is wanting in any church that church cannot be truly said to injoy al Ordinances within it selfe for there is an impossibility of obtaining or injoying this Ordinance of Ordination of Officers by the Imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie and that often in their new gathered churches not onely in the beginning of them and in their first constitution as I said before but at many other times also and that by reason of the death and mortality of their Elders or when but one of them remaines alive which frequently happens amongst them as daily experience teacheth us so that of necessitie they must crave the helpe of other churches and therefore in all these respects are Dependent for not any one Elder alone and by himselfe can ordaine an other there must be more together for that imployment for it must bee done by the imposition of the hands of the Presbyterie if it be justly done and according to Gods appointment that is of many Presbyters as the word imports And if wee take a survey and view of all the Primitive and Apostolicall churches as that at Ierusalem of Philippi Ephesus and the other Asian Churches wee shall find in them all an established Presbyterie as I have abundantly proved many Elders and Pastors in each of them appointed over them to govern and rule them in common and all those severall Presbyteries had in each of them the power of Order and Jurisdiction and the authority of imposing of hands and ordination of Elders and Officers within themselves in their respective Presbyteries so that they were as so many Corporations or Committees having their Presidents and Chaire-men with all other Officers amongst themselves and that in abundance as the Scripture relateth as in all well ordered Corporations at this day it is to bee seene so that if any one or more of their Presbyters or Officers dyed within their severall preeincts they did by vertue of their severall Charters presently goe to the Ordination of new ones and of as many as they had need of of which they had store and choyce for the most part as all well ordered Corporations at this day have who if their Presidents dye or any of their Aldermen or any of their Common Councell or any of their other Officers they forthwith make election of others out of some of their Free-men or of men well knowne to them for sufficiencie wisedome and discretion and all other abilities without having recourse to any other Corporations for they are armed with
Which the Lord preserve his people from and put it into the hearts of the great Councell of the Kingdome and all cordiall and understanding men to oppose with all their might as they love the peace of Church and State and the establishing of the true religion in these three Kingdomes and the propagation of the Gospell to the worlds end all the which the whimsicall opinion of Independency will hinder which indeed tendeth to no other end but to bring in an Anarchy and a confusion of all things and the setting up of Athisme or a Pantheon of all Religions to the great dishonour of God and the disturbance of our Church and State and the alienating of the nighest allyes one from another and to the distraction of all men as our small and little experience of that way hath by wofull tryall and dayly experience taught us And this shall suffice to have spoke of the second branch of their definition in discovering the absurdities of it and the impossibilities of attaining such a church as that sets down and the great inconveniences with the unsupportable bondage that would necessarily ensue upon it to all such as should subject themselves to such a Government as the Independents would bring into the world I now come to the third part of their definition viz. Their particular explicite holy Covenant which they not onely call the form of a Church but make it an holy Ordinance which it cannot be for the reasons above specified as having no warrant from God our father nor no example in any of the primitive Churches who had no other but the generall Covenant which all the Presbyterians allow as it is authorized by God himselfe though they reject that particular explicite Covenant brought in by the Independents as being an humane Ordinance which all Christians in Gods service ought to abhor as not commanded and injoyned unto them by the King of his Church Christ Jesus whose voyce onely they are bound to hear and who alone they are to set up as King upon his Throne who is their Lawgiver and mighty Councellor and the sole governour of his Church and Kingdome And should it be accorded and granted to the Independents That this their particular explicite Covenant were indeed the forme of a Church as they would perswade the people then all the primitive and Apostolicall Churches as well as all the reformed Churches at this day in the world besides their own congregations were not true formed Churches which were a great wickednesse and impiety to aver and maintain But besides this their unwarrantable Covenant which they make the forme of a Church they require of all such as will enter into Church fellowship with them many other pretty things which they hold not onely requisite but Gods Ordinance also as First That they should walk some weeks moneths and perhaps years with them for a proof of their conversation and for the tryall of their behaviour and manners and except they can please the whole church there can be no admittance at last Secondly after their good liking of their carriage they injoyn them to make a publike confession of their faith and if that dislikes them they cannot be admitted Thirdly after this they require of them to bring in the evidences of their true conversion as the time when the place where and the manner how all which if the congregation approve not of as sufficient they cannot be yet admitted Lastly they that are to be admitted must have the consent and approbation of the whole congregation both of men and women or else by their Charter they cannot be admitted into Church-communion with them All these things as I am able to prove they require in some of their Congregations before any can be admitted as joynt members amongst them never a one of the which conditions or injunctions not withstanding hath either precept or president for it in all Gods holy Word And therefore it is an unsufferable flavery that they impose upon the people besides this their particular explicet covenant which they make the form of the Church which should they onely require without any of their o'her grolleries were a bondage too unsufferable for in that their Covenant as I have been informed by some of them when in familiar manner and in the time of our friendship I desired to know the method of admitting of their joynt members and especially what the Covenant imported and what they promised in it and what by it they were tyed unto and for answer they replyed that three things were contained in this their holy explicite Covenant First That they promise and by this Covenant binde themselves to each other in all Church fellowship as to be helpefull one to another in all things and especially to their Pastors and to stand one by another without desertion of each other and that in the greatest dangers and difficulties and to yeeld obedience and willing subjection and conformity not onely to those truths that are now imbraced and entertained amongst them but also willingly to submit themselves to all such New Light for the future that God shall by his Word and by the Ministry of their Pastors discover unto the Church This as I have been informed by the Independents is the first thing they require of those that are to be admitted as members and which they promise and Covenant to performe The second thing contained in the Covenant is That if they be single persons either batchelors or maidens widdows or widdowers they may not marry without the consent of the Church The third thing contained in this their holy Covenant is That they may not remove their habitations and dwellings though never so advantagious unto them for their traffick and tradings into any remote place from them without the consent of the Congregation and some other things there are comprised under this Covenant which they keep among themselves as arcana regni as secrets of their Kingdome all the which if they be seriously looked into contain in them so many mysteries of Iniquity yet all of them exceedingly advantageous unto themselves they all tending to the strengthning of their partie and the more corroborating their combination as those that are judicious have well observed But were there no other slavery and bondage in their whole religion but this of their covenant and of the appertinances belonging thereto as amongst others their blind obedience there was never yet a greater yoak of servitude put upon poor people under Antichrist himself and the truth is as the Papists oft times scoured over old holy dayes with new ceremonies and solemnities and put them upon the people to be observed as new ones even so the Independents furbush over old errors with new varnish to make them more specious to the deluded people and bring them in as new truths and set them up as new Lights when they are nothing else but ancient errours and very Popery it selfe in a new attire as
and all those that either speake such words or write or print such Books and Pamphlets and all such as allow of such words and Pamphlets either by their silence or connivence or approbation or by buying and receiving of them into their houses or venting selling and publishing of them and either prayse or like of the authors and contrivers of them and all such as shall scatter and spread such books abroad and shall releeve and support such men in this their evill doing by supplying and furnishing them with moneys or visiting of them and petitioning for their maintenance and allowance in these their wicked practises or by their silence favour them all and every one of them may truly be said and that by divine and humane authority and by the very testimony of my brother Burton to be such as backbite their brethren and they have all of them a great deal to answer for such their doings before the righteous judge of the whole world and in Gods dialect all such as backbite their neighbour with their tongue and pen are no Saints for the true Saints backbite not their neighbour with their tongue Now that it is the generall practise of all the Il-dependents to do this I refer my selfe to those Pamphlets above specified and to their dayly Proceedings their combinings and confederatings of themselves together for this very purpose all which do sufficiently testifie and declare unto the world as well as their dayly publishing through City and Country such words and books as tend altogether for the defaming of the Parliament and the traducing of all their brethren that it is one of their master pieces boldly to calumniate all men that something may cleave and stick Again I demande of any man what it is to do evill to his neighbour if plotting against the life and blood of their neighbours be not to do evil unto them if making rents schismes and factions in Church and State and to vent and publish desperate and dangerous opinions and open heresies all which are works of the flesh leading men to perdition Gal. 5. I ask I say of any man whether the acting of all these things be not to do evill to their neighbours And whether or no to violate all the laws of God and nature upon needlesse and unwarrantable pretences as to divide the husband from the wife the parents from the children the servants from their masters the subjects from their governours and them in authority over them the people and sheep from their Ministers and faithfull Pastors and to labour for a toleration of all Religions in a State and Kingdome yea in many Kingdomes and by this means to bring confusion upon them all I demand I say of any moderate man whether the acting of all these things be not to do evill to their neighbours And whether to ride and run from one end of the Kindom to another to seduce the people and to do their neighbours a mischiefe and by tongue and pen and all manner of infamous language to wrong them to the taking away of their good name which is better then their life be not to do evill to his neighbours Again I demand of any solid Christian whether the indeavouring the taking away all means of livelyhood from the Ministers as their tythes the onely support of their families and the making of them odious by their railing Pamphlets and the hindring Reformation in the Church and the breaking of all promises and covenants with their brethren to the prejudice of the whole Kingdom be not to do evill to their neighbours And whether to raise up false and infamous reports against their brethren the Scots and them in authority and to publish them in word and print be not to do evill to their neighbours And whether the denying of their brethren their very prayers aide help and assistance at any time yea to pray against them and for their confusion be not to do evill to their neighbours I shall here desire of any sober-minded Christian to tell me whether the acting or doing of all these things or any of them or the consenting unto them and allowing of them be not to do evill to their neighbours And I am most assuredly confident that he will candidly acknowledge that the acting of all this is to do evill to their neighbour Now that the Il-dependents dayly practice all these things can be proved by a cloud of witnesses yea all their Actions and Pamphlets can testifie it especially the late conspiracy of many of them against the life of that Honourable Gentleman Mr Speaker of the House of Commons and many more of the High Court of Parliament and their running and riding about to preach up their new doctrines and hereticall opinions to the disturbing of all order in Church and State for the seducing of the people and their running riding and going from place to place to defame and traduce their neighbors for the hindring of them from coming to any imployment by which they might have been useful in their generation to the land of their nativity all these passages I say can witnesse against them and innumerable presidents more of their unchristian proceedings against their brethâ—â—n might be produced and may be proved by numberlesse witnesses besides their owne writings that all of them do evill to their neighbours and that this is the generall practice of the Il-dependents Yea it is notoriously known that there is scarce a meeting of them whether in their festivities or in any of their solemn assemblings of themselves together gether that they do any other great thing amongst themselves but that that tends to the evill of their neighbours in word and deed there scarce issuing any thing out of their mouths but injurious words against them Yea they cannot contain themselves in the very open streets and in the Churches from railing against their Christian brethren as can sufficiently be proved Yea let any Presbyterian accidentally but come into their houses and they will reproach and raile at him And if all this be not to do evill to their neighbours I know not what is to do evill unto them Now in Gods dialect all such as perpetrate any of these actions are not Saints indeed for the true Saints do no evill to their neighbours The Il-dependents may not here pretend that their Ministers can preach and pray well and that those of their fraternity have many of them excellent gifts for gifts are not sufficient to make Saints but grace is that that makes Saints For Saint James and Saint Paul have sufficiently proved That unto all the true Saints for so in the first of the Corinthians ch 13. v. 1. 2. Though I speak saith Paul with the tongues of men and Angels and have no charity I am become as sounding brasse and a tinckling symball And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could
Church we read of is Acts the second that consisted onely of visible Saints and yet had neither Deacons nor Presbyters at that time nor distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and wanted that part of Discipline also of casting out corrupt Members as my brother Burton asserteth pag. 10. So that by this it evidently followeth That those Congregations that consist of visible Saints though they have not distinct Officers within themselves and want Discipline may be true formed Churches after the New Testament form as the Church here of Jorusalem was which at that time it was a true formed Church by my brother Burtons confession had no Deacons nor Elders nor dictinstion of officers members nor that part of Discipline for casting out corrupt Members and yet I say notwithstanding it wanted all these things by their own concession it was at that time a true formed church that because the Members of that Church consisted of visible Saints from all which I may draw these two infallibleconclusions The First that all such congregations as consist of visible Saints such as beleeve the Gospel and make profession of the Christian Faith and are baptized and continue stedfastly in the doctrine of the Apostles in breaking of bread and in prayer are true formed Churches after the New Testament forme although they want both distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and although they want that part of discipline for casting out of corrupt Members This first conclusion I say I infallibly gather from the Independents doctrine The second is this That whatsoever Congregations and Assemblies they be that have both distinction of Officers and Members and Church discipline and all other outward performances if the Members of them bee not visible Saints they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme for all true formed Churches after the New Testament form are such as consist of visible Saints without which they are but shadows of Churches and no true churches for substance but all the Independent congregations are such as only glory in outward performances consist not of visible Saints Ergo. And this shall suffice to have spake to all that Mr Knollys I. S. my Brother had to reply against all my Arguments for the proof of my first Proposition viz. that there were many Congregations and severall Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem in the which they injoyed all acts of worship and all the saving and sealing Ordinances amongst themselves and that before the persecution and under the persecution and after the persecution And now I come to what Master Hanserdo I. S. and my Brother Burton have to answer to my second third and fourth Propositions insuing and after I have dispatched that worke I will then in like manner reply to whatsoever either Master Knollys I. S. or my brother Burton have to say to all my Arguments concerning the gathering of Churches and touching the liberty of conscience or the toleration of all Religions and because they are not so large in their answers to them as they were to my fore-going reasons and to speake the truth speake little to the purpose but for the overthrowing of their owne opinion and for the corroborating of mine I shall be the briefer in them But first I will set downe my Propositions and shew how farre the Jndependents assent unto them and I will then also faithfully relate their owne words so far as they are for their purpose or any way make against my Arguments or are in any respect advantagious to their cause My second Proposition now followeth viz. That all these congregations and severall Assemblies made but one Church And for proofe of this I shall not need to use many words or any great dispute for the brethren themselves acknowledge that all the beleevers in Jerusalem were all Members of that Church and they accord farther that it was but one Church And it is manifest out of the holy Scripture for it is said they that were converted were added to the Church and therefore Members of it and that they continued in the Churches communion and in the Apostles doctrine and put their estates in the Churches common treasury and â—hose Officers for the Church and all this I say our brethren doe acknowledge and take this fellowship of these Members for a paterne of ordinary Church-communion and therefore this my second assertion is without controversie it being in expresse words set downe in the 2 3 4 5 6. chapters of the Acts and many places in the same Storie and assented to by the brethren To this Proposition and the Reasons of the same Master Knollys in the eleventh page of his Pamphlet thus replyes To which J also saith hee consent but the brethren have not acknowledged neither bath the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers and therein I must manifest my dissent from the Doctors opinion promising him if he shall soundly prove it in expresse words of Scripture which he hath undertaken I will acknowledge it This is all Master Knollys hath to say to this Proposition I will first therefore reply to him and in doing that insert my brother Burtons answer to it with what I. S. hath to say and answer to them all in order Now whereas Master Knollys affirmes that the brethren have not acknowledged nor the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in all hee saith I am most assured all that shall without prejudice reade my fore-going Arguments and seriously weigh and consider what my Brother Burton Master Knollys and I. S. have written will conclude That Master Hanserdo is a man of very shallow capacity and of as little honesty and no way to be credited in what either hee saith or writeth Neither ought Master Knollys in this controversie especially when the debate is yet sub Iudice to bee both party witnesse Iury and Iudge in his owne cause as all wise men will gather and therefore I leave it to the judgement of the learned whether or no I have not by Scripture sufficiently proved there were many congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in that one Church and whether I have not by expresse words of Scripture and from my brother Burtons and Master Knollys his owne words abundantly evinced it all this I say I leave to the judgement of all impartiall and understanding Christians who I am confident will grant that I have sufficiently proved there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and therefore I challenge Master Knollys his promise and expect that hee should acknowledge his error and so relinquish his fond opinion of Independency which if he doe not hee cannot be an honest man and a true Saint as not keeping his word for David describing a
to be regarded for all they of that fraternity are generally so given to tell untruths that for my part I never believe them neither when they say true nor when they ly for they wil ly by the day by the night But out of my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words and that in the name of all their brethren I desire the Reader to observe what they both grant And first to consider my brother Burtons expressions for he in them accordeth to these three things viz. First That the Church of Ierusalem was but one particular Church Secondly He acknowledgeth that there were divers companies of Beleevers and that in severall private houses in that Church which did dayly communicate in Gods Ordinances severally Thirdly He asserteth that all those companies in those severall private houses were but so many branches in that one and the same particular Church Now in the second place I shall desire all men duly to weigh Saint Hanserdoes words in his reply to my second proposition and there he aaknowledgeth that the Church of Ierusalem was but one Church notwithstanding in the same page he granteth that that Church consisted of diverse Congregations for he acknowledgeth that they had a congregation in the Temple that is one place and he grants also they had an Assembly in Solomons Porch that is another place and he acknowledgeth moreover that they brake bread from house to house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domatim and thus they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quotidie day by day Here Hanserdo assigneth innumerable places more then the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein the beleevers at Ierusalem communicated and partaked in all acts of worship and that every day and those places were as he assignes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from house to house or in every house for so it is translated by all interpreters and confessed by Mr Knollys So that when Saint Hanserdo hath acknowledged that the beleevers in Ierusalem were in such multitudes that besides the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein they met every day to heare the word they brake bread and heard the word dayly also from house to house and in every house then he in this doth accord with my brother Burton that there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem which Master Knollys neverthelesse denyeth affirming that the brethren have not acknowledged it nor the Doctor by Scripture proved it when Saint Hanserdo neverthelesse Vna fidelia duos parietes hath done both For first he acknowledgeth there were many Congregations there Secondly he proveth it by Scripture as out of the first 5 chapters of the Acts So that Master Knollys I hope will not hereafter say that the brethren have not acknowledged that there were many Congregations in Ierusalem But I do verily beleeve that Master Knollys and all the brethren of the Congregationall way when they shall duly and maturely consider what my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo have acknowledged will give them little thanks for their paines for their doctrine is not onely contrary to all the Independents principles but totally subverteth and overthroweth the tenent of the Congregationall way For all the Independent Ministers through the World preach up and publish in all their Pamphlets that in all the Primitive Churches there were no more beleevers in any one of them no not in the very Church of Ierusalem it selfe then could all meet together at one time and in one place to communicate in all Acts of Worship And this doctrine they have broached to all people wheresoever they come perswading them that this is Gods way and the Gospell way and the right way of gathering Churches and therefore they call it the Congregationall way affirming that all the Apostolicall Churches we read of in the holy Scriptures each of them in their severall Cityes and Precincts consisted but of as many as did all meet in one Congregation and this they call Gods Ordinance And many of the brethren both assembled and not assembled have been heard say and promise that if it could evidently be made appear unto them that there were many Congregations and diverse Assemblies of Beleevers either in the Church at Ierusalem or in any other of the Apostolicall Churches that then they would relinquish their opinion of Independency and acknowledge that the Congregationall way had not any warrant and footing in Gods word and that the opinion of the Presbyterians concerning the combining of many Congregations under one Presbytery and their Dependency upon it and their making of a subordination of many Assemblies under one Aristocracy to be governed by the Common Councell and joynt consent of many Elders was Gods Ordinance This I say all the Independents that I have ever talked with or or by relation heard of have promised and by protestation engaged themselves that if it could be made appear unto them by the word of God that there were many Congregations of Beleevers either in Ierusalem or in any of the Primtive churches that then the controversy amongst the brethren would be at an end Now although I have in the foregoing treatise sufficiently evinced and made it evident that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that they were all dependent upon that one Presbytery yet because it is the chief point of controversie between us and the which being sufficiently cleared is that that will put an end to the whole debate and because also Mr Knollys hath so peremptorily affirmed That the brethren have not acknowledged that there were divers Assemblies of Beleevers there for his farther satisfaction and for the satisfaction of all those of his party and for the satisfaction of all men and that at last the brethren may be the more fully convinced of the error of their wayes and that the simple people also may be undeceived I shall desire them all seriously to weigh and consider what both my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo are forced to confesse though I must needs say thus much of them both That they withhold much of the truth in unrighteousnesse as I shall by and by make appear but this I say I desire all men advisedly to weigh what they are both constrained to acknowledge First therefore I will again set down my brother Burtons words and in the second place I will repeat Saint Hanserdoes expressions For my brother Burton his words are these They were saith he constrained to sever themselves into diverse companies in severall private houses to communicate and which is more he granteth That those severall companies were but so many branches of that one and the same particular Church c. thus he Master Hanserdoes words are these All the beleevers saith he in the Church of Ierusalem met together with one accord in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house and that day by day these are Saint Hanserdoes own words Now I
speakes of as all the learned wil easily by his expressions perceive but hee is a meere novice in all divine learning and al good literature a fellow very wretched worthlesse and such an one as deserves to be exploded out of the schools of the learned and to be thrust out of the society of all orthodox and conscientious honest Christians and indeed if he were dealt with according to his merits hee deserves to be spewed out of the seven new churches of whom before I come to my reply I will take liberty to say yet a little more and as of him so of my Brother Burton and Master Knollys that as they are fratres in malo so they are equally guilty of the same sacriledge unrighteous dealing foras I. S. so they also rob the Church of Ierusalem of all those Members that were converted by Iohn the Baptist Christ himselfe and his blessed Apostles and Disciples before Christs death as is manifest from their words quoted before and from I. S. his scruples hee speakes of page 8. and 9. where hee unchurches and unchristians all those that were converted by Iohns and Christs ministry hee also with them with-holds the truth from the people in unrighteousnes and as if that had not been enough in the words I have now quoted out of the tenth page besides his denying that I have proved my first Proposition which indeed is a meere Presumptiou and begging the question to use his grollish expression hee to all his iniquity adds transgression and sinne which is the height of wickednesse accumulating error upon error as will frequently appeare for here againe hee first cuts off all those that were baptized by the Baptist from the Beleevers in Ierusalem whom hee deridingly cals Iohns disciples and converts Secondly Hee affirmeth of them all that they stucke in Iohns Baptisme and were but temporary Beleevers and ceased to walke with Christ Thirdly Hee affirmeth that those that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist did afterwards disperse themselves into severall countries And fourthly Hee asserteth that those that did continue at Ierusalem did gradually grow up into church fellowship Every one of the which assertions of Sir I. S. howso ever they are presumptuously laid downe by him as so many certaine and infallible truths yet I attest there is not the least warrant for any of them in the whole word of God no not so much as a shaddow of any authority to cover or colour them over yea they are all as egregiously and notoriously erroneous as they are uncharitable for they are all contrary to the word of God and to the law of love and kindnesse which thinkes no evill yea they contradict the revealed will of God as wee shall see in some particulars for whereas hee arrogantly amongst other of his false assertions saith That those that did remaine in Ierusalem did gradually grow up into Church fellowship as if they had not by Saint Iohns Ministry been made perfect Christians I say this is contrary to the expresse words of our Saviour Luke the 7. where hee giveth this testimony concerning all those that came out of Ierusalem to Iohns Baptisme all which were Inhabitants and innumerable companies for the Scripture saith Matt. the 3. and Marke the 1. That Ierusalem went out to him and they of Ierusalem that they justified God and rejected not his counsell against themselves to their owne destruction as the Pharisees and Lawyers did but they embraced Gods mercy to their salvation So that by Christs own testimony and witnesse the Pharisees and Lawyers onely excepted all the other were good and perfectly made Christians and in such a Church fellowship as with which they grew up to a perfect stature without any new Church-fellowship and therefore I. S. not onely saying that they were temporary Christians and ceased to follow Christ but that those of them that remayned in Ierusalem did gradually grow up in Church-fellowship afterwards in all hee saith I affirme hee giveth the spirit of God the lye who hath recorded the contrary as that they were perfect good Christians as having not rejected the counsell of God to their owne perdition but imbraced the promises to their salvation so that they were all by Iohns Ministry very well instructed in their duty in all respects Therefore both J. S. my brother Burton and all the Ill-dependents are most abominably wicked thus with their scriblings to unsettle the minds of the people ever pratling about a kind of Church fellowship of which they have neither Precept nor President in all Gods holy Word and which they themselves could never declare unto the world what it was and â—et they are ever babling of this Church-fellowship unchurchying all Churches but their owne because forsooth in their opinion they are not cast into a Church mold after the New Testament forme nor are not in church-fellowship whereupon they rashly proclame us all enemies of Iesus Christ and his Kingdome and it is no wonder that they thinke so contemptuously of all those that were baptized by the Baptist and that they judge so wickedly of us all for I. S. saith in the words above cited which is another of his great errors that it is suspicious that the three thousand converted at once were not so soone instructed in church-fellowship as converted These are his expressions From which I gather that Sir I. S. and all his complices are a generation of men very censorious and that they are creatures full of jealousies and causelesse suspicions and therefore that they ought by all good men to be shunned and avoyded as both dangerous and treacherous for here wee see they suspect those very three thousand converted by Peter as not well instructed in church fellowship notwithstanding in the very same chapter it is related that they were all well taught their duties both towards God and one towards another truly if ever any people were wel instructed they all were in whom all the acts fruits of faith are evident for wheresoever it comes it purifies the hearts of al those to whom God hath given it Acts 15. as here it is manifest it did it in that the soules of all those converts being pursued by the guilt of their owne sinne in crucifying the Lord of life and being sensible of the wrath of God due unto them for this their sinne their consciences also accusing them and aggravating unto them the haynousnesse of it it made them all fly unto Christ and roule themselves upon him and wholly rely on him for mercy and forgivenesse and wrought love also in them all toward God and Christ and charity one towards another the effects of which are set downe by the Holy Ghost and fully recorded in the second chapter verse 42 43. who saith That they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and that all that beleeved were together and had all things common and sold their
chapter it is related that there were devout men true beleevers out of every Nation under Heaven all Inhabitants and Dwellers there and that the Lord added dayly to those such as should be saved and these were without doubt great numbers they being indefinitely set down And in the fourth chapter we finde a new addition of five thousand men more converted and withall I may tell I. S. that it is suspicious to use his own language that the three thousand first converts were all men likewise for so many learned men conceive of those converts but for the five thousand it is out of doubt for the holy Word of God saith in terminis that they were all men And by the law of charity we are bound to beleeve that all those converts were as zealous for the publishing and spreading abroad of the truth of this their Christian Faith and Doctrine as any other people ever were and therefore that they did make known the wonderfull things of God and what he had done for them to all their acquaintance and neighbours especially we are obliged to beleeve that they did teach and instruct their wives children and servants and their whole families in the nurtrature and fear of the Lord and in the knowledge of the Gospell And it is also to be believed that the women and all sorts of people were then as docible and intelligible and as ready to give attendance unto wholesome and sound words and to imbrace any truth of the Gospell as our giddy-headed people and women are now ready to imbrace and follow novelties especially we may with all reason be induced to beleeve this that they would then be the sooner perswaded to receive the doctrine of the Gospell in regard it came ratified and confirmed unto them with such mighty signes and wonders for the Iewes had often before desired signs and miracles saying unto Christ What signe she west thou that we may beleeve in thee intimating that if he could shew unto them any sign that then they would beleeve in him and so they said unto him when he was upon the crosse If thou wouldest have us beleeve in thee said they come down from the crosse and save thy selfe and then thou shalt perswade us that thou art indeed the sonne of God Now then when the Lord by his Apostles and Disciples did dayly gratifie them with such signes and wonders as that the very high Priests and Rulers themselves were forced to confesse upon the cure of the criple that no body could deny but it was a wonderfull miracle I say therefore when the preaching of the Gospell was concomitated upon all occasions with such mighty wonders it cannot be doubâ—ed but that the ordinary people both men and women were easily perswaded to beleeve it when the Magistrates themselves were astonished to see those wonders and therefore yeelded the more credit unto their husbunds and masters instructions yea we read of many women Luke 23. ver 27 28. that mourned for Christ when they carryed him to crucifying And if we look also into the story of holy writ we shall finde that there were many women that followed him in his life time those honourable ones which ministred dayly unto him Now then if we beleeve which we ought in charity to do that there were but as many beleeving women converted as men as we may for ought any thing can be said to the contrary then we have already sixteen thousand beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem according to the new stile of the Church Neither did the Church stand then at a stay For in the fifth chapter upon the dreadfull death of Ananias and Saphira and by reason of some other miracles Beleevers saith the text were more added to the Lord multitudes both of men and women Now this word multitude as I shewed before in all languages it ever signifies some great company or some great assembly or concourse of people whether it be taken in a good sense or a bad therefore saith the holy Scripture follow not a multitude to do evil So that here many new great congregations of beleevers were added to the Church besides all those before specified and in the 6. chapter v. 7. it is recorded that the word of God increased and the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem greatly and a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith In the which words there is these four things observable The first that the word of God increased that is brought forth many children which were begotten to the Faith by the preaching of it Secondly in expresse words it is said that the number of the Disciples multiplyed in Ierusalem the place it selfe where being specified that is to say they were increased and that in no small companies in that very Church and City of Jerusalem Thirdly it is said that they multiplyed greatly both the words having a great emphasis in them the number of Disciples multiplyed saith the Scripture and that greatly to shew the miraculous and wonderful increase of them as if the Scripture should have said that the number could not be set down Fourthly it is said also for the setting forth of the efficacy of the Gospell that a great company of the Priests were obedient to the faith not a few but a great company also of the Priests those inveterate enemies of Jesus Christ every one of these words hath weight in it and being but a little pondered will create belief from any ordinary understanding man that there were by this means and after their conversion infinites of people dayly added unto the Church of Ierusalem not onely by the powerfull preaching and miracles of the Apostles but by the helpe and preaching of these Priests also of whom we ought to harbour this opinion that now they were as diligent considering the great love of Christ towards themselves to convert and bring men unto him as ever they were before to disswade the people from following him this I conceive the law of charity binds all men to beleeve that they being now converted would study to convert others For we see that as soon as Andrew had found Christ John 1. he brought his brother Simon to him And after Christ had called Philip unto him he finding Nathaniel bringeth him also unto Christ And if we observe it it is the nature of true grace that it is ever operative and fruitfull and will loose no opportunity of doing good and gaining friends unto it So that all those that are really and truly converted they will ever study and indeavour to convert others yea they are bound unto it according to that of Christ who when he related unto Peter that the devill soughts to winnow him as wheat and told him farther that he had prayed for him that his faith might not faile added withall this lesson unto Simon Peter saying When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren This duty lay not only upon Simon Peter but it
may we suppose were then in the Church at Ierusalem when many more great congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers were dayly added to that Church and when the holy Word of God in expresse termes in the 21. chap. of the Acts saith There were many ten thousands of beleevers there without all controversie there must needs at that time be a mighty many of Assemblies and Congregations and yet in the very infancy of it and when there were but five thousand beleevers as my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo do both witnesse they then had divers Assemblies and Congregations and communicated in severall private houses and brake bread from house to house that is to say in every house And therefore I have now great hope that not onely Mr Knollys will confesse the brethren have acknowledged That there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem but that Sir I. S. his scrupulous conscience also will be satisfied about this point especially when it commeth ratified not onely by Scripture but by the testimony and witnesse also of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo But if Sir I. S. shall still persevere in the error of his wayes and shall be so far from beleeving that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem as he will yet swear there were no more Saints there then could or did dayly all meet in one place or congregation then I will conclude of him that he is a gentleman very fit to be made a Knight of the post whether I send him to be whipped out of his grolleries Having for the gratifying Mr Knollys and Sir I. S. and for the undeceiving of all cordiall and well affected Christians and such as desire to know the truth been the more large in this controversie I shall now refer my selfe and all that I have said concerning my first and second propositions to the judgement of every indifferent Reader whether I have not sufficiently proved not onely that there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church at Jerusalem but that it is likewise acknowledged by the brethren that there were many Assemblies of them there if any credit may be given either to my brother Burton or to Saint Hanserdo and if they shall judge that I have sufficiently proved it both from Scripture and Reason and from the testimony of two prime witnesses of the Independent party against whom there can be no just exception by any of the Congregationall way they being of their own fraternity Mr Henry Burton and Saint Hanserdo by name I shall again challenge Mr Knollys his promise who hath ingaged himselfe That if I could by the expresse word of Scripture evince there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church at Jerusalem that he would relinquish his grollish opinion of Independency Now therefore when I have done it both by Scripture and the two witnesses above specified I say again I challenge his promise and if he notwithstanding all I have writ will not abandon this his error I shall never esteem him to be either a man of faith or common honesty and shall for ever hereafter proclaim both himself and all such teachers as he is fighters against God and his truth and resisters of his holy Spirit and such as withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse And so I conclude this second Proposition and come now to see what they have to say to the third My third Proposition is this viz. That the Apostles and Presbyters Governed Ordered and Ruled this Church consisting of many congregations and Assemblies by a common Councell and Presbytery This is my third Proposition which is evident out of many places of the Acts and sundry other places of holy Writ some of which with my Arguments I shall here relate in order as they were first set down in my book called Independency not Gods Ordinance the which Mr Knollys I. S. and my brother Burton indeavoured to Answer unto And after I have faithfully related the Arguments I deduced from those severall Scriptures by which I then made good my third Assertion I shall also truely set down the Answer of Hanserdo Knollys and I. S. to all those Arguments The places therefore of Scripture with my Arguments gathered from thence are these following Acts 11. 27. And in those dayes there came Prophets from Ierusalem to Antioch and there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth through all the world which came to passe in the dayes of Claudius Caesar then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send reliefe unto the brethren that dwelt in Iudaea which also they did and sent it to the Presbyters by the hands of Barnabas and Saul Here in these last words we see that the Presbyters and none but the Presbyters received the Almes for it is said They sent it to the Presbyters by the hands of Barnabas and Saul which sufficiently proveth That the Presbyters in all Churches were the men in government as who had the Ordering and authority of appointing unto the Deacons how they should distribute those monyes that they might be best improved and disposed of which is an act of government as all men that know what belongs unto government will acknowledge Now should it be granted that these Presbyters here spoken of were the Presbyters of Iudaea which notwithstanding is not specified but onely the distressed brethren in Iudaea yet had it been in expresse words set down That the Almes had been sent to the Presbytery of Judaea the Presbytery of Ierusalem must necessarily have been included in it as being the Metropolis of Iudea and it was an ordinary thing for the Churches that were abroad and particularly that of Antioch to send to the Apostles and Presbyters of Ierusalem as we may see Act. 11. ver 22. and Act. 15. And by all probability Paul and Barnabas brought these Almes to the Presbyters of Ierusalem for he in the fifteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans maketh mention of a contribution that was made in Macedonia and Achaia for the poor Saints in Jerusalem Whether the Apostle saith he was going to Minister unto them and desired the Romans to pray for him that he may be delivered from the unbeleeving Jews and that his service for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints which by the learned Interpreters is generally taken that Paul speaketh of this time and that they were then sent to Ierusalem from Antioch But howsoever it should be understood that these almes were sent to the Presbyters in Iudea yet these two conclusions necessarily result from it The first that this expression comprehends also the Presbyters of Ierusalem as being the chiefe City of Iudea The second that the Presbyters in all Churches were the men to whom the government and ordering of businesses was committed and in whose hands the power and authority lay of
passed by the joynt consent and Common-counsell of them all and whose place and office it is to command and rule and the peoples office and place to obey and yeeld subjection to whatsoever they command and injoyne according to the will of God and for the common good and preservation of themselves and the whole Kingdome and that whosoever should resist this their just authority are guilty of contumacy and are high offenders and delinquents for God hath laid the government upon them and left the duty of obedience to the subjects who may not without a publicke call intermeddle with matters of government And so in the matters of Church-government I look upon the Presbyters as Gods peculiar servants and as upon the Stewards Councellours and Magistrates and Iudges in the Church as men set apart by God himselfe for this purpose to be the Teachers and Rulers of their flockes committed unto them in the Lord to whom in the matters of their soules all people under their severall Presbyteries so farre as they command in the Lord and according to the written word are to yeeld obedience and much to reverence and honour them and this according to Gods command for it is his Ordinance And they are not to be looked on and slighted as the fagge end of the Clergy as many black mouthes and prophane lips speake of them for the Presbyters they have their authority as well grounded in the word of God as Kings and States have theirs and therefore as they are imployed in a more supreame orbe and in matters of eternall concernment so they should bee venerated as men watching over our soules and all contumelious speeches against them deserve severe punishment and ought not to be tolerated and so much the more the Presbyters of this Kingdome in these our dayes have deserved better from the Church the Parliament and the whole Kingdome then any of their Predecessors not onely in their desiring a perfect and through Reformation in both Doctrine and Discipline but in that they have stood now so cordially to the common cause and more for the liberty of the Subject then any before them and have cleaved most faithfully to the Parliament and have beene also a most singular meanes of keeping the people wheresoever they were suffered to Preach in obedience to that great Conncell In all these respects I say they deserve well yea better not onely from the Church but from all the Kingdome for the present than any of their Predecessours and their memories ought to be famous to all posterity for this their good service And that governement that God has given unto the Presbyters if the Lords and Commons shall now labour to establish it in the Kingdome and to settle it on them they may not onely promise unto themselves a blessing from heaven and peace unto the Church and State but also immortall praise from all succeeding ages Having taken leave to make this digression I will now to my busines and prove that the Church of Jerusalem consisting of many Congregations and Assemblies were all governed by a common Presbytery and that the Apostles there acted as Presbyters among the Presbyters They that in the Holy Scripture are called Presbyters and acted and ordered things in a joynt body and Common-councell with the Presbyters and exercised that ordinary power that was committed to them in the 18. of Matthew they acted ruled and governed as Presbyters but the Apostles in governing the Church of Jerusalem consisting of many Congregations and Assemblies acted and ordered things in a joynt body and Common-councell with the Presbytery of that Church as Presbyters Ergo the Chuch of Ierusalem was Presbyterially governed and by a Common-counsell of Presbyters The Maior and Minor of this Syllogisme being proved the conclusion will necessarily insue And for proofe of the Major the Scripture is cleare as 1 Tim. chap. 4. ver 14. where Paul writing unto Timothy saith neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee to preach with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery in the which Presbytery Paul was one that laid his hands on him and ordained him as is evident in the second Epistle to Timothy ch the first vers 6 where putting Timothy in mind of his duty hee saith stirre up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands so that Paul joyning in this publicke action of ordination though an Apostle yet acted as a Presbyter and counts himselfe in the number of them as any of the Presbyters that now ordaine the Ministers may say as well as all of them together to any new ordained Minister neglect not the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands As men ordinarily in a Iury may assume that unto themselves that all may doe as being Actors in common So Peter likewise in his first Epistle ch 5. verse 1 2 cals himselfe a Fellow-presbyter and Saint Iohn in his second and third Epistle stiles him so also The Presbyter unto the elect Lady c. The Presbyter unto the well beloved Gajus c. So that his Presbytership did not exclude his Apostleship nor the acting at any time of a Presbyter deprive him of his Apostolicall power for at that very time hee cals himselfe a Presbyter hee wrore Scripture by an Apostolicall and infallible spirit and yet continued still a presbyter So that for the Major although I should say no more it is sufficiently proved yet for a further corroboration of it it is not good to reject the consent of our Brethren in this point for they acknowledge that the Apostles are called Presbyters vertually because as they say Apostleship contained all offices in it yea they further assert the act of ministerial power to bee the same in the Apostles and Presbyters the onely difference they seeme to insinuate is in the extent from which it may be inferred that in all the affaires transacted by the Apostles properly concerning the Church of Ierusalem they did act as presbyters because in such acts there was no extent of their power to many much lesse to all Churches But when they affirme that the Apostles power over many congregations was founded upon their power over all Churches and so cannot be a patterne andpresident for the power of Presbyters over many For answer first I say that the Brethren in my opinion take more upon them then beseemeth them and usurpe a kind of unlimited authority to themselves that they can make what pleaseth them exemplary only and reject whatsoever agreeth not with their opinion and humour though they were all the acts of all the Apostles and transacted by joynt consent and common agreement and accord and left in the church of Christ as well for a patterne and president for the Presbyters and Ministers to follow in al succeeding ages to the end of the world as any of their other acts and so they pick and choose at pleasure and
cause of the opinion of Independency when notwithstanding it is manifest that those very churches were not Independent but made their appeale to the Apostles and Presbyters at Ierusalem upon all occasions as that of Antioch and it is said that the Apostles and Presbyters came together to consider of that matter which meeting of the Apostles and Presbyters for Synodicall acts of Government is no weake proofe of their meeting for Presbyteriall acts of Government unlesse men will suppose that they who were carefull to assist other churches did neglect their owne Churches committed to their peculiar charge and took no course or care for the governing of them Yea Act. 15. 2. it doth most certainly prove a Presbyteriall government in Ierusalem out of the which place I thus argue Where the Apostles and Presbyters did governe and many Congregations were by them ordered and governed yet so that all these congregations were one Church there was a Presbyteriall Government but in the Church of Ierusalem the Apostles and Presbyters did governe and many Congregations were by them governed yet so that all these Congregations were one Church Ergo in the Church of Ierusalem there was a Presbyterian Government all which is sufficiently manifest out of the places above specified and from all the former discourse For in the 21. chapter it is asserted that there were many ten thousands of beleevers in Ierusalem which could not all be contained in a few places but must of necessity be distributed into many and severall congregations and assemblies all which notwithstanding made but one Church as is evident Act. 8. verse 1. and many other places the which congregations could not be one politique ministeriall Church except onely because they were united under one Presbyteriall Government and therefore of necessity the Church of Jerusalem must be Aristocratically and Presbyterially governed yea the very mentioning so often of the Preebyters meeting together proves that they met together about acts of Government from which I thus argue That Scripture which proves a Presbytery in Jerusalem or an Association of Presbyters in that Church proves that the Presbyters of the Church of Ierusalem did meet together for acts of government and did really governe that Church But the places above quoted prove a Presbytery in Ierusalem or an Association of Presbyters in that Church Ergo they prove that they did meet together for acts of Government and did really governe that Church and that the Church of Ierusalem consisting of many Congregations was Presbyterially governed For the Major the Brethren cannot deny it for the very name of Presbytery signifieth a company or common-councell of rulers governours and magistrates now all men know that governours in common cannot do their duty but must of necessity neglect the work committed to them if they do not meet together for acts of Government Neither can they deny the Minor unlesse they will deny the Scripture for that expresly declareth that Iames and the Presbyters met together and our brethren take their warrant from that place for their Presbyters meeting apart from the multitude to consult and to prepare matters Yea it is not onely set downe that Iames and the Presbyters met together which had it onely been for the entertainment of Paul it is an argument sufficient to convince any rationall man that if the Presbyters would meet together for a salutation they did much more meet for acts of government But I say it is not onely specified that the Presbyters met together but what they did in consultation in that their meeting and what they acted upon deliberation and that was to advise Paul and to direct him what he should do which councell of theirs was not lax but restrictive and binding verse 23. Do therefore that which we say unto thee By all which it is evident that they met about acts of Government when they gave an order and rule to Paul himselfe how he should behave himselfe at that time and we reade that Paul followed their councell and submitted himselfe to their order by all which it is most apparent that the Church of Ierusalem was ordered and governed by the joynt consent and Common Councell of Presbyters though consisting of many Congregations and was Presbyterially governed But I further thus argue Where there were many Assemblies in Jerusalem and many Presbyters and these Assemblies were all one Church and these Presbyters all of them Presbyters of that one Church there of necessity there were many Congregations under one Presbytery and that Church was presbyterially governed but in the church of Jerusalem there were many assemblies and many presbyters and those Assemblies were all one Church and those Presbyters all of them Presbyters of that one Church Ergo in the church of Jerusalem there were many congregations under one presbytery and that church was presbyterially governed For the Major no man of sound reason or judgement will deny it And for the first part of the Minor that there were many Assemblies in that Church it hath sufficiently been proved in the foregoing discourse and is evident out of the 21. chapter where it is said there were many ten thousands And for the other parts of it that the Church of Ierusalem was but one Church and that all the Presbyters there were Presbyters of that one Church the Brethren themselves do acknowledge it and they do also accord and grant that the Church of Ierusalem was governed by a Presbytery and that it was Presbyterianly ruled but withall they conceive the church of Ierusalem to consist of no more beleevers than might all meet together in one place and congregation so that the difference between us and the brethren is not whether the church of Ierusalem was Presbyterianly governed or no for that they do acknowledge and would have their churches governed after that manner but this is the debate between us and them whether there were no more beleevers in the church of Ierusalem then could all meet in one congregation which is their opinion but whether or no it hath not by the foregoing discourse been sufficiently proved that there were more congregations and assemblies in the church of Ierusalem and a greater number of beleevers then could all meet in any one place or congregation and that all these were under one Presbytery that I refer to the understanding Reader to judge of And this shall suffice to have spoken of the third conclusion or proposition And now according to my promise I will faithfully set down whâ—t Master Knollys and I. S. have to say to these my arguments And in the first place I will begin with Mr Hanserdo who pag. 11. and 12. thus replyeth to my first argument The words of this Scripture Acts 11. ver 27. saith he which the Doctor maketh use of to prove his assertion are these ver 30. and sent it viz. the reliefe to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul Here in these last words saith the Doctor we see that
as hee was President in that Councell in the 15. of the Acts and it stands with very good reason for many yeares after he continued still the prime man in authority there amongst the Presbyters and knew very well the condition of all the Beleevers there and what numbers and multitudes of Disciples there were Inhabitants in that Church all which sufficiently demonstrateth that hee had his residence continually or for the most part in Ierusalem so that Paul comming thither to the Feast as it is related Acts the 21 chapter was informed by him not onely that there were many ten thousands of Beleevers in that Church but what those Disciples had heard concerning his preaching which sheweth not onely that Saint Iames had his aboad in that Citie but that those beleevers likewise were dwellers and inhabitants there and that now hee had very good acquaintance and familiarity with them yea which is more at that very time that Paul and Barnabas were sent to Jerusalem with those almes Peter and Iames were then in that Citie if not other of the Apostles also as the twelfe chapter of the Acts abundantly sheweth and without doubt they all joyned with the Presbyters and in a Common-councell ordered how the Alms should be disposed of by the Deacons to the necessity of the Saints yea it doth most necessarily follow what so ever Mr. Knollys and those of his Fraternity shall be able to say to the contrary for the Scripture recordeth that the reliefe was sent to the Presbyters through Iudaea Ierusalem was the Metropolis citie in Iudaea and in the 12. chapter v. 25. it is related that Barnabas Paul returned from Jerusalem whither they had carried the almes so that many of the Apostles being at that time in Ierusalem and the princiall and chiefe Presbyters in that Church amongst the other Presbyters it may not bee credited that they I say being the prime Magistrates and Governours did sit still and leave the rule ordering and government of that Church to other of their fellow Presbyters and them of inferiour ranke but they also acted their parts in the government at that time as well as at others and therefore I say when the disposing of the treasury of the Church or State is an Act of soveraigne power and belongs only to those that are in authority in either and when all the Apostles and Presbyters governed that Church by a Common-councell and joynt consent and when the almes were sent unto all it necessarily followeth notwithstanding all Master Knollys his garrulity that my Argument out of that Scripture will ever stand good to prove that the sending of the reliefe to the Elders makes good these two things the first that the Presbyters were the onely men in authority there and secondly that the Apostles and Presbyters of that Church governed and ruled it by a Common-councell and Presbytery yea Master Knollys his owne words confirmes mee in my opinion who saith it is not denyed by the brethren that the Presbyters in all Churches were the men in the government of the Churches in which they are Elders so that all businesses of publicke concernment were to bee transacted and managed by the common consent and agreement of them all and not by the determination of any one particular Presbyter in either of those Churches much lesse by any other persons or people in them but the Presbyters And this shall suffice to have spake concerning the confirmation of my first Argument grounded upon that Scripture that the reliefe and almes were sent unto the Presbyters of Ierusalem And now I come to what he hath to say against my second argument by which I proved my third proposition which is this as he himselfe set it down in the 12. Page of his book They that in the holy Scripture are called Presbyters and acted and ordered things in a joynt body and common Councell with the Presbyters and exercised that ordinary power committed to them in the 18. of Matthew they acted as Presbyters But the Apostles in governing the Church of Ierusalem consisting of many Congregations and Assemblies acted and ordered things in a joynt body and common Councell with the Presbytery of that Church as Presbyters Ergo the church of Ierusalem was Presbyterially governed and by a common Councell of Presbyters The Major and Minor of this Syllogisme being proved saith the Doctor the conclusion will necessarily insue Thus Master Knollys relates this Argument wholly passing by all the rest And to this argument he first thus replies I know not saith he that the brethren ever deny ed that the Church of Ierusalem was presbyterianly governed So that he assenteth unto the conclusion which is all I contended for by that argument So that by this it followeth that the people had no hand in the government for they are not Presbyters by office And yet such is his ambition to be thought some body in the art of disputation that he quarrels the forme of my Syllogisme and takes upon him to shew me how I should have framed it aright but all those that know indeed what really belongs to learning will easily perceive the man doth but babble and if I should spend time in trifling with him about forms moodes and figures in Syllogisms who knows no more in Logick then the horse he preaches on I might be thought as vain as himselfe therefore intreating him hereafter to learn his Grand-dame to suck and not mee to make Syllogisms passing by all those his grolleries I will set down what he hath farther to reply to this argument in the 13. page and then answer to that and after I have done with him I will come to I. S. that learned Gentleman and profound Clerk Master Knollys to this argument thus farther answereth Though the Apostles saith he were called Presbyters in the Scripture yet it followeth not that they acted as Presbyters but as Apostles Act. 15. And they cannot therein be a pattern and president for Presbyters First because the Apostles had the care and charge of and over all Churches 2 Cor. 11. 28. But the Presbyters had the care and oversight of some one Church onely as Ephesus Act. 20. 28. or Philippi Phil. 1. 1. and this the Doctor often inserts in his book That all the Churches we read of in the New Testament though they were presbyterially governed were Dependent upon their severall Presbyters page 12. And secondly because this would make the Presbyters Independent indeed for so the Apostles were in the government of all the Churches the Presbyters of Jerusalem of Ephesus and of all the Churches were Dependent upon the Apostles and the Apostles only Dependent on Christ by whose holy spirit they were alwaies guided in the government of their churches and therefore they said Acts 15. 28. It seemed good to the holy Ghost and us And though the Doctor say the Presbyters might say so as well as the Apostles because the Elders and Presbyters are mentioned there The
run in the name of the brethren 1 the Church as well as the Apostles and Elders these are his words And for confirmation of this his opinion that the Apostles and Elders were but a Committee and onely prepared the busines and then reported it and could not without the assistance and concurrence of the brethren have ratified the Decrees made in that Councell hee in the same page produceth his reasons for this his fond conceit saying that Paul and Barnabas were sent unto the Church and brethren as well as to the Apostles and Elders for they were received of the Church withall saith hee the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord verse 25. imports a multitude met together and this to bee the result of that multitude else it were no great commendation of the resolution that it was convened about and issued forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in verse 22. it is said that it pleased not onely the Apostles and Elders but the whole church also therefore the Church also came together to consult or the Apostles and Elders as a Committee first prepared the dispute c. Thus worshipfull I. S. sayes and un-sayes determines and concludes and then goes from his resolution againe affirming that Paul and Barnabas were sent unto the Church also and that the multitude was with one accord together or else it had beene no great commendation of the resolution and he asserteth that the whole Church came together to consult and yet in the same breath as if hee had forgot himselfe hee comes in with his perhaps as a man doubting and wavering in his opinion and altogether in uncertainties saying that perhaps the Apostles did not count it safe to admit the weake to the dispute while it was intricate so that here all men may see that hee makes it suspicious and doubtfull whether the brethren the multitude the whole Church were present there or not and that for a double reason both in respect of the Apostles discretion and wisedome as also in regard of the weaknesse of the Brethren saying that the Apostles and Elders were but as a Committee to prepare the dispute and after reported it for the churches assistance and concurrence and so hee learnedly concludes and determines by all this his babble that they were all there and they were not there where can any man find this creature and what man of understanding is hee that shall behold the levity vanity rashnesse and ignorance of this fellow to say no more that would not conclude that hee is a meere Catechumenos and that one had need to instruct him instead of confuting him for as much as it may seeme to any man unmeet that a man should be polemically exercised before hee be positively principled these are I. S. his wise expressions concerning mee in his 16. page which whether or no they may not fitly be applyed to himselfe I leave to the judgement of the wise and learned who whiles hee will bee a Teacher of the Law according to that of Saint Paul 1 Tim. chap. 1. verse 7. understands not neither what he sayes nor whereof he affirmes I am most assured there scarce ever in the world appeared upon the Theater of learning a more unlearned payr of wicked triflers then this I. S. and Hanserdo Knollys But it will not be amisse to consider the reasons of I. S. by which hee laboureth to prove that which hee himselfe had first positively set downe to be a truth to wit that all the brethren the multitude and the whole Church were together in the Synod and yet he after doubteth whether they were present there or no I say it will not be amisse to consider the reasons by which hee affirmes these two things the first that all the whole Church were present in the Synod the second that they all had their vote and concurrence without which there had beene no great commendation of the resolution of the Councell as hee prattles and without which the Decrees of the same had not beene ratified his first reason is this because saith he Paul and Barnabas were received of the Church Ergo they were sent unto the Church as well as to the Apostles and Elders as if one should thus conclude the Embassadours of France and Swede were sent unto the King and Parliament and the Citie of London entertained them Ergo they were as well sent unto the Citie of London as to the King and Parliament againe the Citie of London assented unto whatsoever the King and Parliament accorded unto to gratifie those Embassadours after they had made them acquainted with what they had done Ergo all the Citie and the whole multitude of Citizens had not onely their votes and concurrence in those great businesses and were Iudges also in the Parliament but they were altogether in the great Councell and that the Parliament could have ratified nothing without them would not all men that should heare any man thus argue gather that that man that should make such inferences from such premises and should so conclude that hee were crased in his braine or else a very Ninny and void of all reason And yet this is the manner of I. S. and Hanserdoes disputing and which is more to shew the vanity of this man he understands by the brethren the multitude and the whole Church agreeing and according with Hanserdo in this sottish opinion who holds that by brethren the multitude and the whole Church all the beleevers in Jerusalem both men women and children are to be understood and that they all had their Votes in that counsell and ratified the Decrees without the which they had not been valid whereas it is most certain as I shewed before in my Answer to Hanserdo that there was not only an impossibility that such multitudes of beleevers as were in Ierusalem should all meet in any one place but that by multitude there and the whole Church must necessarily be understood some choice and select men such as Iudas and Sylas were who are called Prophets and Ministers of the Gospell of which the Church of Ierusalem was furnished with good store and of which that great councell onely consisted and who debated and argued con and pro about the businesse in controversie which is manifest from the seventh verse where it is said when there had been much disputing Peter rose up c. and in the 12. verse for farther confirmation of this truth it is related that then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul c. And that Iames after they had held their peace gave in his judgement to which the whole multitude and Church assented so that out of all these words it necessarily and undeniably followeth that by the brethren there the multitude and the whole Church are to be vnderstood not the common people men and women in the Church of Ierusalem For it is said they were brethren and therefore all the sisters
esteemed of to be godly as walking unblameably being also diligent hearers of the word before they knew them yet after their acquaintance with them being first by their meanes seduced from our Churches after some time they fell from their congregations also into wicked and desperate opinions and in a short time after became so prophane and beastly yea so atheisticall as it would exceed ordinary beliefe to relate and truly if I had not very good witnesse to prove what I say besides my owne knowledge and experience I would not have mentioned it but because if occasion serves I shall be able to produce many Presidents of fearefull Apostasies even amongst those that were their Schollers and the Disciples of the Independent way I am the willinger to speake of it that I might arme all men with some caution in reading their Pamphlets which they write against the Presbyterians for they never deale candidly neither with them nor with their own brethren for first they either wholly disswade them from reading our bookes or else by their emissaries and rayling Libels they most shamefully vilifie and belye them so that they come prejudicated to them and then they send their owne putrid and corrupt scriblings amongst those of their Fraternity whom they miserably cozen and abuse with their fraudulent jugglings and that against all the Lawes of piety and common honesty to the disturbance both of Church and State This I thought fit I say to speake before I come to my second question and severall Queries arising from it concerning the gathering of Churches and their answers unto them wherein they rather trifle then dispute as will by and by appeare I shall therefore in my replying unto them first set downe the question fully with all my queries and then answer to all the materials of their fond cavils and evasions with their silly responsals to them and after I have done that I will set downe Gods method and the Apostles practise in the gathering of Churches with the manner of their admitting of Members and then reply to whatsoever they have to say against my Arguments and Reasons deduced from holy Scripture and for further confirmation of the truth I will adde many more Presidents and them undeniable ones of the Apostles receiving of Members and that into Churches formed after the New-Testament forme according to their owne description besides those that were received into the Catholike visible Church and all without any of those conditions they now require of their Members and I shall by Gods assistance evidently make it appeare that God by his holy Apostles and Ministers uses but one way of admitting of members into the church whether it be the catholike visible church or any particular presbyterian church whether they be admitted in an ordinary or an extraordinary way I say by thegrace of God I shal clearly elucidate this truth that God useth one and the same method in gathering his people out of all nations into Church fellowship and the communion of the Saints which ought to all Ministers to be a rule to walke by in the receiving in of Members into their Congregations Having thus set downe what order I will proceed in I come now to the second question betweene us and the Brethren which is concerning the manner of gathering of Churches and admitting of Members and Officers viz. Whether Ministers of the Gospel may out of already congregated Assemblies of ` Beleevers select and choose the most principall of them into a Church-fellowship peculiar unto themselves and admit of none into their society but such as shall enter in by a private covenant and are allowed of by the consent and approbation of all the Congregation And this question brancheth it selfe into these severall Queries The first whether for the gathering of Churches there bee either Precept or President in the Holy Word of God that the Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel did ever leave their owne ordinary charges to which they are called and whereto they are fixed with a command not to leave them and under pretence of a new way or a new borne truth or a new light did runne about and alienate the minds of the people well affected formerly to their severall Ministers as of duty they were bound as who had converted them to Christ by their Ministery and fed them still with the sincere milke of the Word and built them up in their most holy Faith I say the first Quere is whether there be precept or example in the Word of God of any true Ministers so doing and whether it was ever heard of in the Apostles and Primitive times that any beleeving Christians were in great numbers congregated from among other beleeving Christians and moulded into severall Congregations and Assemblies as separate and distinct bodies and Churches from them and who had no Church-fellowship with the other Congregations nor communicated with them in the Ordinances but were independent from them and absolute among themselves and whether this way of gathering of Churches was ever heard of before these dayes and whether this be to set Christ upon his Throne to make divisions and schismes in Churches and among Beleevers and brethren and that upon groundlesse pretences The second Quere is whether for the making of any man or woman a Member of the Church it be requisite or necessary to the beleeving and being baptized that they should walke some dayes weeks moneths perhaps yeares with them that they may have experience of their conversation before they can be admitted and after that a confession of their faith should be publikely made before the Congregation and the evidences of their conversion as the time when the place where the occasion how they were converted should likewise openly be produced for satisfaction to the Church before they can be admitted to be Members and if any either men or women shall except against their evidence that then they are not to be admitted this is the second Quere The third is whether for making any man or woman a Member or an Officer of a Church the consent of the whole Congregation or the greater part of them besides the Presbyters and Ministers be requisite The fourth Quere is whether for the admission of any one into Church-fellowship and Communion a private solemne Covenant be requisite or necessary for the making of any one a Member the neglect or refusall of the which makes them incapable of their Member-ship and admission There is no question betweene us and the brethren about a publike covenant for we have Presidents of that in holy Scripture in all publike reformations The fifth Quere is whether the women and people as well as the Presbyters and Ministers have the power of the Keyes and whether the women have all their voices in the Church both for election and reprobation of Members and officers as well as the men and whether the consent of all the women or the greatest part of them bee requisite for
the making of any one a Member or Officer so that if they gain say it being the greater number or allow of it the most voices carry the busines this is the fifth Querie the practise of the which as of all the former the brethren in some of their Congregations hold for orthodox and thinke all these things required of any that offer themselves to be a Member The last Quere is whether the practice and preaching of all these things and the gathering of Churches after this manner be to set up Christ as King upon his Throne and whether Churches and Assemblies thus congregated be the onely true Churches and in the which onely Christ rules aud reignes as King and all other that are not moulded up after this fashion bee no true congregated Churches and in the which Christ is not set up as King upon his Throne which is the opinion of the brethren as wil afterward appear If I have failed in any thing in stating the question or in any of these Quaeries the brethren must pardon me for I speak according to the practice of some of their Congregations and according to the doctrine many of them teach not onely in their owne Assemblies but in every Pulpit through the Kingdome where they come as I shall be able to prove And therefore if I have been mistaken in any thing they may blame their own practice and teachers and thank themselves also that in the space of almost three yeares though it has been again and again desired at their hands they have not so much as set down the modell of their government and what they would have with all the appertainances belonging unto it that all the world might be out of doubt What therefore I find practised amongst some of the most zealous of them and the most approved for integrity and what I shall be able to prove that I have without any spirit of bitternesse specified And now according to my method propounded I will set down their Answers to what all of them have to say to the severall branches and parcells of the insuing discourse concerning the gathering of Churches onely in this I shall refer every cavill they make against my severall quaeries and arguments to their right place whereas I said before they had in a confused and disorderly way by snatches answered to what they thought themselves best able to deal with eitherwholy passing by the main arguments with silence or slighting of them with contempt wherein I shall in their due places discover their dishonest dealing But before I come to my answer I shall desire the Reader to hear first what Mr Knollys and I. S. say concerning me about this second question Hanserdoes words are these Page 14. And this question saith he the Doctor brancheth into six Quaries wherein the judicious Reader may perceive the Doctor through mis-information I conceive hath mistaken the stating of the question which he partly acknowledgeth Thus Mr Knollys speaks I. S. his words are these Page 15 16. The second question saith he is of the manner of gathering of Churches and of admitting of Members and Officers proposed by him 1. in the Chaos it seemes 2. orderly as he supposes drawn forth into six Quaeries though I dare not say there is not interfering tautologie and great confusion The nature in which the things are viz. of Quarie incourages me rather to do some thing in them for that I hope the Doctor will not be great of his own sense but take an Answer of these things from those that know the way better then himselfe who it seems is but a Catechumenos therein I shall here therefore indeavour to instruct him instead of refuting him for as much as to me it seems unmeet that a man should be polemically exercised before he be positively principled Thus speakes learned I. S. For my brother Burtons good opinion of me and his kind expressions of his love towards me I shall in their places record them with my due thanks to him for the same But whereas Master Knollys accuseth me of ignorance in the stating of the question and saith that I have partly acknowledged it and conceives that this mistake in me arose from a mis-information In all he saith he playes the vain man for I am able to prove from their dayly practice all that I there set down and know the question as well as any Independent living and can at any time make it appear that Master Knollys knows not the Independents principles And so far as their New Lights have illuminated the world so far I know of their wayes and that I acknowledged and no other thing But why did not Mr Knollys in this place if I were mistaken honestly shew me my error And why did he not as beseemed a Christian and a man truly fearing God now set down fully and plainly what their Way is that all men may know where to finde them These ungodly men are not so honest as to set down their way and yet they pretend others are ignorant of it when notwithstanding they know it better then themselves In the same steps of Hanserdo doth I. S tread in accusing me of interfering tautologies and great confusion and that I am great in mine own sense and that I am but a Cateshumenos and that he knows the way better then my selfe and that he will endeavour to instruct me instead of refuting me for as much as to him it seems unmeet that a man should be polemically exercised before he be positively principled Thus this wretched man tramples upon me for my ignorance and vapours at no allowance of his own knowledge and yet keeps not his promise with me to instruct mee or to shew me my error wherein he proclames himselfe to be a very unworthy creature that I say no more for it had been his duty to have ingenuously here shewn unto me my failings if I were in ignorance and to have truly and uprightly set down what their Way is seeing he affirmeth he knoweth it so well that all men might at last be undeceived if in error This I say had been the part of a sincere Christian and one truly fearing God in the number of the which I cannot think or beleeve I. S. to be so long as he fondly boasteth of himselfe and keepeth not his promise and it is most apparently evident to all that have read his wicked Pamphlet that he is in the gall of bitternesse and band of iniquity where they find nothing but brutish impiety and apparent ignorance For he himselfe though a great teacher knoweth not neither what he saith nor whereof he affirmeth who is as apparently nescient as Hanserdo of the Independents Doctrine and had need himselfe to be positively principled before he be polemically exercised But whereas J. S. accuses me to be a Catechumenos in their principles I will undertake this upon my life before the whole Kingdome to make it good that I know the
We hold it saith he yea that for the admission of any to Membership or Office bearing in a church the consent of the congregation or the major part thereof as well as officers be required and that as well in regard every one takes a charge upon him as in respect of interest I expected that this groll I. S. should according to his promise not onely have given me a parcell of words but as he accounted me a Catachumenos that he should have taught and instructed me out of Gods Word which must be the rule of our obedience and out of his statutes where ever Christ the King of his Church had ever given such a law unto his people that they should admit of none into his house without the consent of all their fellow servants and where he did resign his authority and put it into the peoples hands and commanded them that they should take a charge of his family upon them as having an interest in it and where Christ did ever by any law or statute make his people servants to each other as that they should take a charg over them have an interest in them to judge them at pleasure all this I looked for at I. S. his hands and that now he should have fully informed me in it especially when we have a command from Christ our King to the contrary I desire to go on warily 1 Cor. 7. 23. who saith to all his servants and subjects by his Apostle Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men Now if we are not to be the servants of men how then comes it to passe that the Independents make us not onely servants but slaves and vassals to them for what greater bondage and servitude can there be in the World then to be under the controule of every one his fellow servants so that without their good likinâ— they can neither come in nor go out of their masters house nor be admitted to do that service their master calls for at their hands but if any one of their fellow servants shall except against him he must be kept out of doors I appeal here to the judgement of all men whether there were ever extant in the World such a generation of Lordly Gentlemen over Gods heritage seen since mortality inhabited the earth or that did ever more impudently domineer and Lord it over Gods Clergyes then in this our age where every man makes himselfe a Lord and Judge over his brother who is purchased by Christ his King and made free by his Word especially is not this a horrid insolency in any to take upon him to judge his brother when there is a statute law and a command laid upon him to the contrary Rom. 14. 13. Let us not therefore saith the Apostle judg one another any more but judg this rather that no man put a stumbling block or occasion to fall in his brothers way in the which Law statute there are 2 observables The first is this that no man should judge his brother any more and this statute is ratified by many other and from most warrantable and divine reason the other statutes that confirme this are many in the same chapter with the reasons thereof For saith the Apostle What art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own master he standeth or falleth ver 4. therefore thou oughtest not to judge him For to this end saith he ver 9. Christ both dyed rose again and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living Christ saith he is our Lord both by donation by conquest by purchase by covenant by fellowship with the sonne and with the Father we were given unto him by God the Father and he conquered all our enemies and led captivity captive and vanquished the strong and armed man and disarmed him and rescued all his servants out of his slavery he hath redeemed us by no less price then his pretious blood and we are his people also by covenant and by communion in his graces and resurrection and glory injoying with him all felicity and everlasting happinesse with an eternall Kingdome therefore saith he in the 12. verse Why dost thou judge thy brother and why dost thou set at naught thy brother we shall all stand before the judgement seat of Christ Therefore judge not thy brother And St. James saith my brethren be not many Masters And this I say is the first observable out of that text that we ought not to judge one another any more The second observeable is that no man should put a stumbling blocke or occasion of fall in his brothers way Now I appeale unto any man what greater stumbling blocke or occasion to fall can be put in any mans way then when men on their own heads impose a Law upon their brethren that Christ our King never gave to his people or what greater scandall and offence can be given to a poore servant of Jesus Christ his King then to be thrust out of their Masters doores or to be kept out of their Masters house and to be judged at the will and pleasure of his fellow servants whether hee be fit to come into his Maastars family or not if this be not to judge his brother if this be not a scandall yea if this be not an intolerable tyrannie there was never any either judgement scandall or tyrannie in the world nor greater rebellion and contumacy against the King of his Church and against his subjects servants and redeemed ones and therefore if the Pope and Prelates were so much abominated and abhorred of all men for their usurpation over Gods heritage and clergies how much ought such squanderling fellowes as this I. S. and his complices be abominated who thus take upon them to discerne into the very secrets of their brethrens hearts and to judge them fit or not fit to be received into Church fellowship and into the communion of Saints and according to their conceit and opinion so to bring in their verdict of admission or non-admission when Christ our Lord and King sayes judge not lest ye bee judgod Matth. 3. and bids all men that are heavie laden to come unto him Matth. 11. and saith Iohn the 6. v. 37. Him that comethunto me I will in no way cast out Here the Lord the King of his Church gives free admittance to all his subjects and servants to come into his Kingdom and house but here is my Lord Taps his Chaplaine and his associats and they all take upon them this power and authority that except it be by their good leave liking they shall not be admitted into the house of God for they have a charge over that house and an interest also these are I. S. his owne expressions Now I do here againe appeale to any that have but any ordinary understanding whether there was ever such a supercilious brood of creatures in the world before these Ill-dependents were hatcht that can
as my Brother Burton sayes be the Gospel form of a Church and the Church of Jerusalem wanted that part of discipline then it was not a formed Church but so he speaketh of it in the tenth page where I observe a notable contradiction to usurpe his one Language And here I leave him a while to reconcile it But now to speak breifly by way of answer to these my Brother Burtons grolleries First Whereas he joyning with the Papists unchristians and unchurches all those that were baptized by the Baptist he is very erroneous in so doing and dealeth most wickedly and unchristianly with all those glorious Saints for they were as good Christians and beleevers as he or any Independents in the world As who all of them have Christs own testimony for their true faith in him and their unfained repentance towards God which are sufficient characters ever to make any people good Christians and of all them our Saviour saith Luke 7. 29 30. That they justified God and rejected not his counsel against themselves as the Pharisees and the Lawyers did that is all those that were baptized by the Baptistâ— repented and beleeved in Christ and imbraced the Promises and therefore by our Saviours own witnesse they were all good Christians as any in the new gathered Churches And therefore my Brother Burton as a notorious Papist and a calumniator ought to be reproved especially by the seven new Churches which hold That all that were baptized by Iohn the Baptist were beleevers and good Christians And this shall suffice to have spake to his first grollery His second is That he makes excommunication the form of a Church as we may see page the twentieth of his Book where answering unto my Argument by which I proved our Churches to be true Churches viz. Because the saving Truth of the Gospel of Iesus Christ was preached received and profest in our Churches To the which Argument of mine he there thus replyes If you saith he mean the whole truth of Christ it is well But do not you know saith he that there dre three special visible marks of a true visible Church The Gospel purely Preached the Sacraments duly administred and Discipline rightly practised All which marks to gather the Church of England for ought I know is yet to seek So that by these words of my Brother Burton it is manifest That in his opinion the Gospel-Form of a Church is to have Discipline rightly Practised So that where Discipline is wanting by his learning there is no true Gospel formed Church But before I answer to this his grollery I will say thus much to my Brother Burton That Discipline rightly practised is not one of the special visible marks of a true visible Church and that for these Reasons First Because the Holy Ghost who better knew the essential marks of a true visible Church then my Brother Burton yet he in setting them all down omitting that of Discipline saith Acts 2. 42. That they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers So that according to this unerring discription of the essential marks of a true visible Church Wheresoever the Gospel is truly Preached and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and where there is the true Invocation of God which is the third essential mark in Gods Dialect of a true visible Church there there is a true Church although there be no Discipline and therefore I gather that Discipline though a most excellent Ordinance and much to be desired and had long since been obtained had not the Ildependents hindred it makes not for the esse but the bene esse of a Church And I will ever beleeve the Holy Ghost in this point rather then my Brother Burton And withal I will live and die in this opinion That the Church of England is a true Church notwithstanding whatsoever all the Sectaries can say to the contrary because in the Church of England the Gospel is truly Preached and the Sacraments are rightly Administred and the Name of God is truly called upon all which if they were sufficient to make the Church of Ierusalem a true formed Church yea and the first true formed Church according to my Brother Burtons own learning then they are sufficient to make the Church of England a true formed Church But a second Reason to prove that Discipline rightly practised is not the forme of a church is from my Brother Burtons owne words for hee everywhere saith that the church of Ierusalem was a true formed church and yet shee wanted that part of Discipline of casting out corrupt Members so that Discipline there could not then be rightly practised if that church wanted that part of Discipline and if it were not there at all as hee saith and therefore for that marke it does not make for the esse of a church and for the bringing in of a Gospel forme as is said before and which is yet more if excommunication be the Gospel forme of a true visible church then all the Synagogues in Ierusalem in Saint Iohn the Baptists time were true formed churches after the Gospel forme for Synagogue and Church in the holy Scriptures are all one and in all the Synagogues they had excommunication as in many places it is evident and for instance these Iohn 9. 22. For the Iewes had argued already that if any man did confesse hee was Christ hee should be put out of the Synagogue and in the fourtieth verse in terminis it is said that they cast out the young man and in the twelfth chapter verse 35. it is said there that amongst the chiefe Rulers many beleeved in him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should bee put out of the Synagogue Many places more to the same purpose might be produced to prove that there was that part of discipline even in the Synagogues and that in Johns time howâ—oever it was abused as excommunication daily is amongst all the Sectaries at this day and if we duly weigh and consider all things this part of discipline was taken from the Jewish Synagogues and from them brought into all Christian Churches so that if that part of discipline be the Gospel forme of a true visible Church or one of the essentiall markes of a true visible Church as my Brother Burton saith I shall not need to take a great journey from Ierusalem and Iohn Baptists Churches as my Brother Burton would have me goe to visit all the other Christian Churches to find in them excommunication that Gospel forme of a Church I will leave that journey to their Itinerary Independent Predicants who have nothing else to doe and will content my selfe with the Christian Synagogues and Churches amongst the which John Baptist and Christ himselfe both conversed preached and performed all the offices of true Pastors and in those Synagogues and Churches of Jerusalem in all and every one of them I find the Gospel
a pattern of imitation to bind all Churches to the end of the world which both Master Knollys and my brother Burton learnedly inferre but as far as it makes for the advantage of the Presbyterian opinion and to shew that the Presbyters have the sole authority of admitting Members into Church fellowship from the example of Philip Ananias Paul in baptizing the Goaler and Lydia and Peters baptizing of Cornelius and admitting of him and those that were with him Members into Church communion by their sole authority without those conditions they propound and without the consent of the people then they cry out that they are extraordinary examples or meer extravagants Now whether this be not with the Papists to make the Word of God a nose of wax or a leaden rule that they may either work and mould it or bend it into what fashion they please I leave it to the judgement of the learned and experienced Christian But by the way also I desire the Reader to take notice what my brother Burton granteth viz. that the receiving of those Gentiles and the admitting of them by Peter into the Church by Baptism was to make them one Church with the beleeving Jews these are his own words From which it is sufficiently apparent that be men baptized and admitted into the Church either after an ordinary way or after an extraordinary it is sufficient to incorporate them into Church-fellowship both with the beleeving Jew and Gentile and to make them Members of Christs Church which is as much as I contend for So that it is most certain as those that are Members of any particular Church are by vertue of that Members also of the whole Catholique visible Church so in like manner those that are made Members of the Catholique visible Church may also by vertue of that be Members of any particular church for the Church of Christ is his Kingdome and it is but one Flock and one Sheepfold and there is but one Shepherd of it and King that governs it and therefore in whatsoever part of this Kingdome of Jesus Christ they are admitted Members and after what manner soever they be admitted whether in an ordinary or an extraordinary way they are Members of the whole Church and may communicate in all ordinances with any particular Church whatsoever as being subjects of Christs Kingdome and injoying all the immunities and priviledges that any of Christs subjects can challenge And all this I learn from my brother Burtons doctrine who so long as he holdeth out any truth unto me I will listen unto as he hath done in this point but no farther Again as all those viz. the Eunuch Paul Cornelius Lydia and the Goaler were admitted to be Members of Christs Church by the sole authority of the Ministers Evangelists and Apostles and without any of those conditions urged by the brethren so are all other Christians by the sole authority of the Presbyters to be admitted into church-fellowship and that upon Christs own conditions viz. Faith Repentance and Baptism Having upon the occasion of my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words spake thus much I will now come to my Answer to them both And first whereas they peremptorily affirme from the interrogation of Peter to those that came along with him where he saith Can any man forbid water that these men should not be baptized c. that it doth imply that the brethren have power also of admitting Members into the church and ought to have their voices as in the receiving of them in so in the casting of them out It is a meer non sequitur and a very groundlesse illation and inference for the interrogation plainly manifests the contrary as will appear from other presidents and reason as for example in the eighth of the Romans ver 33. 34. Saint Paul saith Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Who is he that condemneth who shall separate us from the love of Christ All the which interrogations do not imply as the Apostle himselfe answereth that any creature can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect or that any creature can condemn or that any creature can separate the Elect from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus Another instance to omit many we have of the same nature with that of Peter Acts 8. 35. Where the Eunuch said unto Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized I demand of any whether or no this interrogation of his doth not imply as much as if he had said no creature now can hinder me from Baptism seeing that we have water that element that is appointed for it and I do beleeve And so much may be gathered from Philips Answer to him who saith nothing could hinder his baptism and admission into the Church if he did beleeve in Christ with all his heart whereupon the Eunuch answered I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he was forthwith baptized So that by this it is sufficiently manifest that that inference they would gather from Peters words cannot groundedly be made viz. that it is in the power of the people to hinder any as is yet more evident from Peters own words and reasons when he was questioned about this businesse in the 11. of the Acts the story whereof is there set down at large with Peters Answer to all their Objections Who told them ver 12. that the spirit bad him go with those that came from Cornelius nothing doubting c. saying in the conclusion of his discourse and that with an irresistible reason ver 17. For as much then as God gave them the like gifts as he did unto us who beleeved in the Lord Jesus Christ what was I that I could withstand God All the which discourse of Peter and this his reason do sufficiently prove that his interrogation saying Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptiâ—ed Doth not imply as my Brother Burton and Master Knollys would have it that it was in the power of those that were with Peter or any other to have hindred their baptism and admission into the church of Christ seeing they beleeved For if Peter himselfe should have refused it he had been disobedient to God himselfe and had doubted which he was forbidden and withall had resisted in as much as had been in him the spirit of God For so saith Saint Peter What was I that I could withstand God From which I gather and that by very good reason that all those of the congregationall way that will not admit all such as beleeve and are baptized into their new gathered churches without they walk some time with them and without the making of a publike confession of their faith and the bringing in of their evidences of their conversion and entring into a particular explicite covenant and without the consent of the whole church are all fighters against God and withstanders of his spirit And if they do
once delivered to the Saints and against the wayes of Men and such as were brought into the Church by the cunning craftinesse of some and thrust upon the people as the Lawes and Ordinances and wayes of God when they are but their owne inventions and tend to no edification but to the trouble and disturbance of Church and State and such as already have brought a confusion upon us all and if the Lord do not speedily from Heaven send his helping hand we can expect nothing but desolation and all from these divisions that their new wayes have brought in and therefore it is high time for all good christians and such as love the peace of Sion more exactly to examine all these new wayes and to put them upon the proofe of them But that the Brethren should complaine of persecution amongst us and of evill usage it is against all reason and humanity and sheweth little gratitude in them to all the christians both thorow citie and countrey for if they remember when they came over though they had deserted the cause when they had most need of them they were more honoured then any of those famous and learned Ministers that had undergone the labour and heat of the day and they were preferred before them all and setled in the prime Lectures of the Kingdome and had more honourable maintenance then was usually given to any Lecturers before them and therefore they deale not brotherly in any of all their proceedings nor humanely so to asperse them as they ordinarily doe both publickly and privately I am confident there is not such a president in the world of humanity as that shewed here to them it is well knowne and their books practices declare it that they preach new ways new-born truths as they call them and set up new lights Now where was it ever heard of either in the Christian or Pagan world that it was ever permitted unto any Ministers or Preachers to have all the Pulpits in any nation to preach a diverse doctrine to that which is set up by authority and such as tends to make a faction and division amongst the people I doe most assuredly beleeve that there cannot the like president be produced Amongst the Heathen the Iewish Religion in many countries was tolerated but they were confined to their owne Synagogues they might not come in the Heathens Pulpits to preach up the Iewish worship amongst them or to set up another service contrary to the custome of the Nation It was an abomination to the Egyptians that the Iewes should sacrifice in their land they would not have suffered them then to have preached up their Religion in all their Pulpits In Turkey at this day Christians in many places have the liberty of their consciences amongst themselves and have their places for worship to assemble in but they are not so much as permitted to come into their Temples much lesse to preach up their Religion in their Pulpits In France the Protestants are permitted to preach but it is only in such places as are appointed for them they may not preach in Popish Pulpits thaâ— is not permitted unto them In the Low-Countries there is liberty of conscience which they so much plead for of which afterwards and yet the divers sects that are there are not suffered to preach out of those places assigned unto them or to preach publikely in any of their Pulpits against the Religion established by authority neither are they permitted to unchristian them or unchurch them and publikely and in print to proclame them enemies of Christs government and if any should dare attempt such a thing or go about to disgrace their Ministers and Church-government or in the least intrench upon the Magistrates authority they would be made slie like lightning before thunder And yet the bâ—ethren â—mong us have the liberty of all the Pulpits thâ—oâ—h the kingdome without controule and vent all their new wayes and their new borne truths and setup their new lights without any moâ—estation and have all respectfull usage and the onely esteeme of the peoâ—le and are more followed than all our learned godly and painfull orthodox Ministers and yet they cry out of persecution and unchurch and unchristian us all and proclame both Ministers and people all enemies of christ and his Kingdome and count of us little better than of Infidels and keep our children from Baptism and debarre us from Communion with them and exercise a kinde of absolute Lordship over all their brethren so as Diotrephes never did the like nor the Pope moâ—e and yet they cry out of persecution against the aints and lay odious aspeâ—â—ions upon their brethren and fellow Presbyters perswading the people that the Presbyterian way will be as bad or worse then thaâ— of the Prelates But if we as duly examine the manner of the Independent government and compare it with the Presbyterian as we have done the manner of their preaching with theirs we shall finde there is little reason why they should so vilipend the Presbyterian and magnifie their own and why they should make it so hatefull and odious to the people laying aside therefore all pâ—ejudice let us examine things with deliberation and then it will be soon evident that the Presbyterian government is not as bad or worse than that of the Prelates nor so lordly as that of the Independent government which is also Presbyterian and they as well Presbyters as their brethren It is well known that the Prelates assumed and arrogated unto themselves to be the onely Pastors of their Diocesses and ruled all the Ministers and people under them by their own authority and spoiled all both Ministers and people and the severall congregations under them of their liberty and made them all both Ministers and people their vassals and slaves and from whoseâ— ourts there was no appeal Whereas the Presbyterian manner of government is not as that of Lords and Masters oâ—er Subjects and Servants but social as between equalls between brethren friends and collegues who all judg are alâ— judged according to the Word of God where no congregation is above another congregation no Minister is above another Minister but only for order-sake where every Presbyter is left to enjoy the whole office of a Presbyter and each congregation to the freedome of a congregation and what belongs unto them and they able to performe it and the classes to corroborate and strengthen them And if any man be wronged by the Presbytery he may have the benefit of his Appeal and be cleared by more righteous Judges a course ever followed by the Churches and agreeable to the light of nature so that I say if men would without a prejudicate opinion weigh and consider all things and compare the government of the Prelates with that of the Presbyterian they would speedily be undeceived And again if they would compare the Presbyterian Government Dependent with the Presbyterian Government Independent they would have more honourable
thoughts of the one and a lesse esteem of the other for in the Presbyterian Government Independent they exercise a kind of absolute power and soveraignty amongst themselves in every of their severall Churches or Congregations so that if two or three of the Presbyters be malicious or selfe will'd or corrupt or hereticall as it happens many times and by their learning or eloquence or great abilities of wit and schollership or by their wealth or power the congregation perhaps consisting of many poor people and it may be ignorant who aâ—e relieved by them and whose favour they dare not so feit if they prevailing with the major part of the congregation as commonly the poor people are like a company of wilde Geese who which way soever their their leader flies they all follow I say if they do once deliver a man to Satan and will not by any art of perswasion be induced to reverse their unâ—ighteous sentence the innocent and wronged man must live under this doome all the dayes of his life without any remedy and must be held by all the Churches of Christ that are after that new modell to whom their sentence is given notice of as an excommunicated person and shun'd accordingly they have no power to absolve or helpe him and from which he hath no benefit or appeal And this that I now speak there is not any of the brethren that is well verst in the grounds of that kind of government that either will or can deny it And this rigor to my knowledge both in the low Countries in the severall congregations of the English there and in some here in England among us was the cause of making so many severall sects for when they were cast out of one congregation for some particular opinion in the which they differed from them the other Churches and Congregations of the same mould and profession could not absolve them nor durst not receive them into Church-fellowship with them without an attestation from the Church out of which they were excommunicated of their Christian walking amongst them or untill they had g ven satisfaction to that Church of which they had been Members and that they would never be brought unto conceiving that the wrong was theirs who complained as unjustly excommunicated neither would they relinquish their opinion as being perswaded it was grounded upon the Word of God whereupon they finding others of their own opinion joyned themselves into a new society and congregation and had a peculiar Church by themselves and this hath been one of the chiefest causes of all these rents and divisions we now see every where for when they are upon every slight occasion or for any difference in opinion cast out then they congregate a new Church by themselves and turn Pastors The which blessed be God in the reformed churches of France and Germany hath not yet been seen since the first reformation for the governing of Churches by the Common-councell of their Presbyters where they find such brotherly dealing and where they have their appeals upon any conceived wrong or injury and have right and justice done them makes them willingly submit themselves to that manner of government without making rents and schismes And truly if things were but maturely weighed all men would readily perceive that there is no just ground of reproach to belaid upon the Presbyters neither would they see any reason why in way of disdaine the Ministers of the Church of England should be more called Presbyterians than the Independent Ministers for they also are Presbyterians and labour to set up a Presbyterian Government as well as the other and professe in their writings that they contend for the ancient Presbytery so that they also are Presbyterians as well as the other and if the one be made hatefull and formidable to the people in the judgement of all solid men the other also may be made as odious and hatefull for if that odium and hatred they bring upon the Presbytery be for the onely feare they have conceived the Presbyters will lord it too much over them and that onely I say be the occasion that so terrifies the people from that government let all men here consider and compare each kind of Presbytery together both that of the Dependent and that of the Independent for if the Independent Presbyters in the infancy and very first beginning and rise of their government assume unto every severall congregation and Presbytery of theirs an absolute kind of soveraignty and jurisdiction from which there is no appeal and if they alâ—eady take upon them to unchurch all Churches but their own and proclame all the Ministers and people but those of their own congregations profest enemies of Christs Kingdome what would they do if they were once established by authority in their severall Jurisdictions and Assemblies and if now they will admit of none into their severall Assemblies though never so eminent beleevers but upon their owne conditions and unlesse they will be admitted members upon such termes as they propound without either precept or president out of the Word of GOD for their so doing which is the greatest tyranny of the world how would these men lord it if their government were once established by Parliament It is well known and can sufficiently be proved that godly Christians and people of approved integrity and of holy conversation against whom they had no exception either for doctrine or manners and who offered themselves to be admitted members upon their own conditions yet were not suffered to be joyned members onely because they were poor and this very reason was given unto them for their not admission that they would not have their Church over burdened with poore And others desiring that their Children might be baptized in their Congregations and going to the Ministers of those Assemblies to entreat this favour that their children might be baptized among them For Answer it was told them that they could baptize none but such as were infants of their joyned Members which is their practice and wished them first to be made joyned Membert in one of their Churches Whereupon they thought that there was no Congregation fitter for them to joyne to than to that Pastors Assembly that had given them this counsell and therefore they applyed themselves unto him and desired that they might bee admitted joyned Members for answer it was replyed that the congregation of which he was Pastor consisted of great personages Knights Ladies and rich Merchants and such people as they being but poore could not walke so suitably with them withall hee said he could doe nothing without the consent of the congregation wherefore hee perswaded them to joyne themselves to some other congregation among poore people where they might better walke and more comfortably in fellowship with them so that the last newes I heard of this busines was that the children were neither baptized nor the poore men admitted to be joynt Members of that congregation
sowed good seed in his field that whiles the men slept his enemy came and sowed Tares among the Wheat and went his way which place is worthy to be taken notice of For in terminis it is said that whiles the men slept this I say is to be taken notice of for their dishonour that is to say after they had so wen the good seed and published the truth the Ministers and Preachers grew carelesse and like the people of Laish Judges 18. ver 7. and 10. Where they lived secure and the Magistrates were negligent in their place putting no man to shame for any evill they did which was the cause of their overthrow as it is there recorded and will be of ours and the ruine of the whole Kingdome if not timely prevented as being guilty of the same crime This indeed through the craft of the enemies hath bin one of the principallest occasions of the overspreading of this leprosie of all the heresies that now swarm through the whole Kingdome that the Ministers have not been so zealous and servent against them as they should have been and so valiant for the truth in the which guiltinesse Master Edwards is not involved for he hath all this time stood valiantly to the truth and shew'd himselfe a man of â—ourage and that against all opposition for which he deserveth especially to be honoured and all those likewise that have seconded him in discovering the danger of those devillish and damnable doctrines which have so poysoned the people every where that if the Lord of his infinite goodnesse do not speedily send helpe and put into the hearts both of Magistrates Ministers and all the people now at last to rouse up themselves and shew themselves valiant for the truth once delivered to the Saints which they are commanded to contend for Jude 3. they will but the more provoke the Lord to indignation against the Nation And in this good work they should set before their eyes the good example of all those worthy Kings and Governours whose names are recorded in holy writ to their everlasting honour for their diligence and care in suppressing of Errors and Idolatries withall they should lay to heart and consider that it highly concernes them if they desire the good of themselves and the welfare of their posterity and the peace of the whole land all which they will be deprived of if they speedily labour not to prevent them which a toleration of all Religions can never do for that must needs provoke the Lord to jealousie against us all for if we but duly weigh what the holy Ghost hath made known unto us in many places then that I now say will be out of doubt but omitting many places I will pitch upon one or two Judges 5 and 8. it is said there They chose new gods then was warr in the gates Here we see when all Religions came to be tolerated then was war in the gates And in the second of the Chronicles chap. 15. ver 3. 5 6. Now for a long season saith the holy Ghost Israel hath been without a true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Country And Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City for God did vex them with all adversity Now the cause of all these miseries and calamities that did come upon all these people was for their corrupting of their Religion And this we shall find through the whole Scripture to be the cause of the wrath of God upon the Nations for the corrupting of their wayes and for the tolerating of Idolatry and the adulterating of the true Religion amongst them as is sufficiently manifest both from the places above specified and from the second and third of the Revelations where the Lord denounceth Judgements against the Church of Pergamos and Thyatira c. for but conniving at and tolerating of the false doctrines amongst them in the which places as the Lord sheweth he is the same in the time of the New Testament not changeable so it should lesson both people and Ministers but especially the Magistrates now to add their helping hand for the suppressing of these damnable and wicked doctrines that are now every where too much divulged and published They should also consider what the Lord saith Zachariah 13. ver 3. And it shall come to passe saith the Prophet that when any shall yet prophesie then his father and his mother that bare him shall say unto him Thou shalt not live for thou speakst lyes in the Name of the Lord and his father and mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth Here we may take notice that the nighest alyes and kindred of any false Prophet are not to spare him and there is most excellent reason for it for if the taking away of the naturall life of any wan or woman deserveth death by the law of God and Nations how much more is that punishable in any man that shall labour to destroy and poyson the soules of the people which all false teachers do when they spread heresies and damnable doctrines amongst them And for this place out of Zachariah it is acknowledged by the very Independents themselves that it is a Prophecy pertaining to those that are under the Gospell and belongeth unto all Christians as instructing them in their duty what they should do for the suppressing of false Prophets and they also do acknowledg that the establishing of pure Religion and the Reformation of corruptions in Religion do much concerne the civill peace confessing if Religion be corrupted there will be war in the gates and where Religion rejoyceth the civill state flourisheth all this I say the Independents themselves accord unto But they referre it and that truly unto the civill Magistrate partly by commanding and by stirring up the Churches and Ministers thereof to go about it in their spirituall way partly also by civill punishments upon the wilfull opposers and disturbers of the same Yea they apply that place out of Zachariah quoted by me to the times of the New Testament as I said before and confesse that it is prophesied there that in some cases capitall punishment shall proceed against false Prophets and that by procurement of their neerest kindred And moreover they say that the execution thereof is described Revel 16. v. 4 to the 7. Where the Rivers and Fountains of waters that is the Preists and Jesuites that convey the Religion of the Sea of Rome throughout the Countries are turned to blood that is have blood given them to drink by the Civill Magistrate These are the very expressions of the Independents themselves Now if this in their opinion doe hold true against the Priests and Iesuits whether it doth not also hold true against all the erroneous and blasphemous Sectaries and hereticall Teachers that by
for in such termes they usually expresse themselves Now when the occasion of this scandall and offence is taken away by the care of the Ministers and all Superstition and Popish Ceremonies and all will worship is also rooted out and when the Gospell is truly and faithfully by them preached both in season and out of season and the Name of God truly invocated and the Sacraments duly and rightly administred what just cause have the Independents now either of separation or of traducing either Ministers or people of being enemies of Christ and his Kingdome when by all their indeavours they onely seek the advancement of him and his Kingdome amongst them I have so good an opinion of all moderate minded Christians that when they shall seriously weigh and consider what I have here writ and truly and faithfully set down that those of them that have formerly been alienated from them will again being now undeceived return every one of them to their own Pastors by whose Ministry they have been converted and that all other understanding men will not only have more charitable thoughts both of the Ministers and Beleevers of the Church of England but will likewise look more narrowly into and examine more diligently all those new wayes and by finding them out to be indeed but new will seek for the old way and walk in it And truly it stands all men now in hand that desire the welfare of the whole Kingdome yea the safety tranquillity and felicity of three Kingdomes and the peace of them all and the quiet of the Church and the prosperity of Zion and indeed the peace of their own families and a good accord harmony love and unity amongst brethren to seek for the old way which hath the promise of peace which can never be preserved where differences and diversities of opinions with a toleration of all Religions are allowed of for they tend to nothing but dis-union and to a violation of all bonds of true and cordiall affection for they can never love such as they have a command to shun nor never really affect such mens companies and acquaintance whom they are ever jealous of that they will seduce their wives children and families therefore I say that all people may not onely seek for but finde that old way of peace shall ever be his prayer that wisheth that all men may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth AN APPENDIX In the which all the reproaches and truth-gainsaying calumnies so injuriously and causelesly cast upon me by my Brother BURTON my Quondam Fellow-sufferer are all wiped away with the spunge of Innocency in this my true Answer unto him In the which also all such passages as hee so exceedingly exaggerates and cryes out against in my Preface and Postscript are cleared from his clamorous surmises and my Integrity vindicated from all his traducing Inferences and forced Conclusions Brother Burton IN the beginning of your Epistle to the Reader say you This answer was long agoe so conceived in the wombe as the slow birth may seeme to have out-gone his due time Truly it had beene good for you and farre more for your honour and for the honour and glory of God and for the honour of your holy profession that the wombe of this your Booke had beene its grave for it hath not onely given great scandall to many but sadded the hearts of multitudes of Gods people that formerly truly loved and honoured you But men that make more haste then good speed have cause at leisure often to repent as you one day must doe for this untimely birth of your deformed and monstrous brat To the matters of Argument concerning your opinion in answer to my Booke I have in the foregoing Treatise made my Reply in this Appendix I am to make my just defence against some false accusations and soule aspersions with which you have bespatterd mee through your whole discourse but should I summe up all the revilings scornings vilifying unsufferable and unchristian language which those of your Fraternity after I had declared my selfe to be none of your party before any of my Books came forth did and still doe provoke and salute mee with even in the open streets to the shame of their profession yet in the 27. page of your Booke approved of they would rise to a volume But I have learned with the Apostle Paul to passe through honour and dishonour through evill report and good report as a Deceiver and yet true 2 Cor. 6. 8. being therefore nothing moved with their raylings I spread them before the Lord and for brevitie sake will not here repeate them I shall onely take a note of some passing by many of the unbrotherly reproaches false accusations and bitter invectives poured out from your selfe whose Schollers it may be thought the others are and I will unfaynedly answer you in the words of truth and sobernesse and in the spirit of meeknesse and love But first give mee leave to say that from you of all men I least expected much lesse deserved such hard speeches I having beene not only a sufferer with you which ingageth a personall respect but alwayes ready and forward in the worst and most dangerous times to appeare in your defence to my owne great detriment and dammage and as a faithfull friend have stucke close and been serviceable unto you since as can sufficiently be proved when your protestation protested was questioned all which challenged a Christian circumspection even in reproving of humane frailties Now things being thus betweene you and mee how exceedingly doth it aggravate your offence in scandalizing my name as you have done For mine owne part when out of zeale to Gods Glory and my servent desire of Syons peace I write against that new way you walke in and justly blamed in generall naming no man the unwarrantable writings and censures published and laid upon all who in their judgements dissent from Independents though truly Godly affirming that they are but converts in part that they are enemies to Christs Kingly office and set up Christ as a pageant King that they neither professe nor confesse Christ but with the Iewes say wee will not have this man to raigne over us observing also in the Frontispices of their Bookes writ in defence of Independent errors these words Thinke not that I am come to send peace upon earth I came not to send peace but a sword c. Matth. 10. 34 35 36. and that in a time of so great distractions when your party have subtilly spread Schisme Faction and caused fraction and division through the Kingdome and considering withall how ready tumultuous and turbulent people are especially upon such advantages as these to misapply Christs words as all men may see and by their daily expressions plainly perceive they doe and from that text are easily perswaded to beleeve they have good ground and warrant to fight against their Christian brethren to maintaine errors and their owne whimsies I
Independent Governments are such they are their own inventions and that government only of the Presbyters is Gods Ordinance as having both precept and Presidents for it in Gods Word upon which they depend and this is my opinion and not that which Master Knollys would grollishly put upon me and this shall suffice for answer to that peece of non-sense of his And now I come to the last branch of his answer and that which I undertooke to make Good and prove viz. that the people and congregation in any Church have not power to judge their Ministers which Master Knollys affirmeth they have and for instance produceth the Church of Corinth and that of Colosse understanding by Church the people who he saith had power over the members miserably mistaking himself and abusing the ignorant and simple soules by it as will by and by appeare to those that can discerne things that differ or are but a little acquainted in matters of government either Ecclesiasticall or civill For if men do once but rightly understand what a Church is according to the discription of a Church as it is laid down in the New-Testament and consider withall of the parts and members of that Church which by Saint Paul is compared to the body of a man they will easily perceive that the governors and rulers are compared unto the head and all the noble parts of the body as to the eyes eares hands c. which are to guide and governe all the other members in the body and that all the other members under them are to be ordered and ruled by the head and other more noble parts and are to follow their direction so that it is in the Church of God as it is in the body of man some are to rule and others to be ruled in it and whose place it is ever to obey For none of the members of the body leave their stations unlesse they by violence be cut off as all rationall creatures do very well know For the head is ever the head the eye is ever the eye the eare is ever the eare and the hand is ever the hand c. For Saint Paul saith 1 Cor. 12. vers 27. Now yee are the body of Christ and members in particular And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers after that miracles then gifts of healing helps in Government diversities of tongues are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c intimating that the Apostles and Prophets and Teachers and helps in Government in the Church every of them keepes their stations to wit they that are once Apostles Teachers or Governors doe continue in the Church in their severall places ever so to be and never lose their places but alwayes to the day of their death remaine and continue still to be Apostles Prophets Teachers and Rulers according to that in the fourth of the Ephesians vers 11. Where Saint Paul saith He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints and for the worke of the Ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ till we come all into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ We finde not in all the holy Scripture that any of those true Ministers were at any time degraded or lost any thing either of their Titles or of their authority but as God had put the rule and Government of the Church into their hands and had given them the power of the Keyes and made them Stewards in the Church which is his body so they were ever to be the head eyes eares and hands for the governing and well ordering of the Church We finde likewise that in every severall Church of the New-Testament there was a Presbytery ordayned as Acts the 14. c. and that the Presbyters had the Government of those severall Churches put into their hands that the people and members of those Churches were commanded to obey their Presbyters as their guides whom God had set over them Heb. 13. as Master Knollys and all the learnedst of the Independents do acknowledge We finde likewise by the practise of the Church of Jerusalem the President of all other Churches that the people there for the redressing of any abuse amongst themselves assumed not the power into their own hands but applied themselves and made their addresses and appeales to the Presbytery and that they ordered every thing according as they thought good and that the people willingly submitted themselves to the order We finde further that for all acts of government as questioning any offendoâ—s for the censuring and punishing of them for ordination of Officers and excommunication it was done either by the sole power and authority of the Apostles or by the Presbyteries of the Church and those that were in office and not by the multitude as is manifest by that in the 2. of the Cor. chap. 2. ver 6. a place so much abused by the Independents sufficient saith the Apostle to such a man is the censure which was inflicted of many So that it was not inflicted by all the people but by such only in whose hands the power lay which was the Presbytery and therfore the Apostle saith by many or of many And truly if we would but duly reade the Epistles of Saint Paul to Timothy and Titus which were writ to them and in them to all the Ministers of the New-testament in all ages to come and observe the rules set downe in them which are to continue to the ende of the World we shall finde that for all Acts of government and for the well ordering of the Church it is only committed into the hands of the Ministers and presbyters of the severall Churches through all Nations and that to them only belonged the managing of the Goverment as the rulers and Stewards of the same and that all power and authority of Government peculiarly belonged unto them and that the people had nothing to do with it but to obey Again if we look but into the seven Churches of Asia Revel 2. 2. We shall finde that all the Epistles Christ writes unto them are directed to the Angels and Ministers of those severall Churches as upon whom the Government of those Churches lay and who had both the praise of well doing and blame of any evill either committed or tolerated by them for seeing they were appointed by Christ himselfe to be the Stewards and Guides of those Churches and to be the Governours of the same all the blame of the malversation of any of the members in them is imputed unto them as if they themselves had been the cause of it as not using their Authority for the redressing of those abuses So that it is apparently evident through the whole New Testament That the Ministers and Presbyters
in so doing under reformation be it spoke I say they assume unto themselves a greater authority then beseems them for they can make the Apostles joynt governing of one congregation for so they take it pro confesso that the church of Ierusalem was but one congregation to bee a patterne of many Ministers governing one congregation but whereas it is most evident that the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many congregations and were yet under but one Presbytery and was governed by the joynt consent of the Apostles and Presbyters as under a grand Common-presbytery this at pleasure they reject and make it no way exemplary and binding But for a further answer I assert that the Apostles power and authority over many assemblies as one Church to rule and governe them all as one Church joyntly and in common was not grownded upon their power over all Churches but upon the union of those Assemblies and Congregations into one Church which union layeth a foundation for the power of presbyters ruling and governing many Congregations and the Apostles practice in governing many Assemblies joyntly as one Church is the patterne and example of that government to all succeeding ages and this president of the Apostles the presbyters in all churches ought to set before their eyes in all reformation for what the Apostles did in the publicke affaires of government they did as presbyters and for imitation Neither doe our Brethren onely grant the act of ministeriall power to be the same in the Apostles and presbyters saving in the extent but they acknowledge also that they were called presbyters vertually as I said before and that the Apostles acted in a joynt body and by common consent and affirme that it was fit that they should so doe and say withall that the Apostles wherever they came left the presbyters and people to the exercise of that right which belonged to them although they joyned with them These are their formall expressions out of which their concession my argument yea the whole Syllogisme is not onely confirmed and strengthened but the truth doth more evidently shine forth for if the Apostles left the presbyters and people to the exercise of that right which belonged unto them in all churches and the presbyters right be to rule as Ecclesiasticall Magistrates as to whom the power of the Keyes peculiarly belongeth by Gods institution and the right of the people in all churches bee to obey as they are every where commanded then it followeth necessarily that it doth not belong unto the people to ordaine either Deacons or Presbyters whatsoever they may doe in the choosing of them nor to excommunicate or cast out any out of the Church or to make Members whom they please nor to rule and governe the Church which is the peculiar right of the Presbyters left unto them by Christ and his Apostles for none of all these things were ever left unto the people neither is there any President of it in holy Scripture so that while the brethren seeme to contend for the liberty of the people they plainly overthrow it for they grant That the Apostles left the Presbyters and people to the exercise of that right that belonged unto them in all Churches the right therefore of the keyes of Government and Jurisdiction belongeth properly unto the Presbyters in every Church who are the Officers and Magistrates appointed by God himselfe for that purpose Acts 20. ver 28. and therefore when the Apostles writ to the Church of Corinth to excommunicate that incestuous person although his Epistle be not directed to the whole Church yet the Presbyters in that Church onely executed that act of Government which of right belonged unto them though the people also assented unto it even as we see dayly and experience teacheth us in all well ordered Corporations when the King or Counsell writes unto any City or Corporation though their mandates be directed to the whole City or Corporation for the raising either of men or moneyes or about any other imployment of publike concernment the Mayors Aldermen and Common Councell and the Officers under them onely manage the businesse for that is their right and place and the people under them do yeeld obedience and submit themselvesto what they order and command and intermeddle not in that imployment as knowing very well it is their right and place onely to obey And even so it was in the Church of Corinth the Presbyters onely exercised the Government and ordered all according to the Apostles injunction and the people assented unto it and submitted themselves to their order and the mistaking of that place and many more hath been the cause of so much confusion in the Church at this time when not onely the men in every Assembly but the very women in many of the new Congregations as Members challenge a power and right both in the electing of Church Officers and of admitting of Members and of casting out and excommunicating which before these our times was never heard of in the world when as the right of Jurisdiction and of the Keyes as I have often proved peculiarly belongeth unto the Presbyters and that the people neither men nor women ought to intermeddle with it for if they should in short time it would overthrow all Government in Church and State and bring confusion into the world But I conceive the cause of so grosse a mistake of that place concerning the excommunicating of the incestuous person arose from this that they look upon the Church of Corinth and the other Churches spoken of in the New Testament not as Corporations as they were indeed but as on their now sucking Independent new Congregations and Assemblies consisting of twenty or thirty Members such as many of those be whereas those severall Churches are to be considered under another notion as consisting of many Congregations as that of the Church of Ierusalem united into one Church or body in the severall Corporations and each of them governed by a Common Councell of Presbyters and by the joynt consent of their severall Presbyteries all these severall congregations making but one Church though never so much dayly increased and keeping still the name and denomination of such a Church either from the place City Country or Nation or severall language as the Church of the Jewes the Greeke Church the Latine Church or from the Cities as the Church of Ierusalem of Ephesus Rome c. All the which though they consisted of never so many Congregations and Assemblies yet they ever kept the name of unity were accounted but one Church in their severall places and Precincts as at this day the Church of Geneva though it consist of many Congregations is counted but one Church as it is so that I say the conceiving of the Church of Corinth and those seven Churches in Asia under the notion of one of their Congregations caused through this mistake that great confusion that is now in the Church and was the originall