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A87934 A letter from a person of honour, reconciling the dissenting brethren, (commonly called Independents) and the Presbyterians, in matter of judgement, about the setling of the church. Sent to an eminent divine of the Assembly. Person of honour. 1644 (1644) Wing L1421; Thomason E22_17; ESTC R21554 10,569 18

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of the Church in their publike Ministerie and this is de jure what ever in some places is done de facto And again if wee yield that they have authoritie to consecrate and enjoin one form which must not in a tittle be receded from for sanctifying of some Ordinances as in the administration of the Sacraments they may with as good authoritie enjoine a set form for other Ordinances as the preaching of the Word and they have done so For preaching I never yet saw substantiall reason given that might shew a difference between these two the taking authority to make a book of common publique Prayer to read which all shall be tyed to in the exercise of the function of pastor and teacher instead of praying and the taking authority to make a book of common publique Sermons and enjoyning all Pastors Teachers to read those instead of preaching But if it be unlawfull to introduce and enjoyn a publike Homily book in place of the gift of teaching it wil be no lesse unlawfull to bring in a book of common and pubique Prayers and enjoyn the same upon all Pastors and Teachers in place of the gift of prayer Therefore as they have done the one they may with as good reason and authority doe the other For if the reading of Homilies commanded in place of preaching and all other preaching prohibited doe appear unto us unlawfull and in that case we should apprehend Gods Ordinance thrust out and mans device brought in in place of it I would see a reason given why we should not have the same apprehension of the other also but that use and custome hath reconciled us to the one and not to the other Here to fall into a dispute of set forms of Prayers in generall and indeavour as Master Ball and others doe to prove that some set formes of Prayer may in some cases by some persons be used or to aske whether all directary Liturgies appointed in some other Churches by way of direction only not of injunction the Officers being left at liberty and the Churches to make use of them or not as they see occasion and as their own gifts may bee excited and helped thereby be altogether unlawfull is altogether besides the question and rather changeth the state of the Question then answereth the Objection that is made against this to use King James his words ill translated Masbook wherein some grosse things only are pared off and that as being injoyned upon all Churches and thus pressed for such reasons and with such respects and circumstances for if this may not be used the parties whom they seek to satisfie receive no satisfaction by all that can be spoken of the other to induce them to use this In the second place if men for their own practise could bee free and dispensed withall for these particulars yet there lyeth a duty upon every member of a visible Church which hee is obliged to performe or else he wil partake of the guilt of other mens sins and this duty he shall not be suffered to performe This obligation lying upon every member in communion with a visible Church ariseth from the power of the keys wherewith every visible Church every member thereof for his part is in trusted by Christ and for the exercise of Church trust as the whole body so every particular member shall be accountable according to the neglect of duty therein For this end the Lord by the Apostles hath cast Evangelicall Churches into such bodies as might conveniently meet together in one place upon all occasions to exercise this power as the Apostie directeth the Church of Corinth to doe and blames them that they had not done their duty therein before whereby it came to passe that they were all leavened and became guilty 1 Cor. 5. This was the constitution of all Churches that were Apostolicall Gal 1. 22. 2 Cor. 8. 1. Gal. 1. 2. The Churches of Judea Churches of Macedonia Churches of Galatia and such Churches 1 Cor. 14. 23. as might come together in one place When the whole Church shall be come together in some place 1 Cor. 5. 4. Other frames of Universall Nationall Provinciall and such like visible Churches are mens Devices and Constitutions serving for and tending to an Universall Vicar being either the same or the Image thereof standing upon the same grounds and reasons of humane policie and cannot be always existent for the remedie of Offences Scandals to be brought to them as Christ commandeth but in a way of Antichristian usurpation by Courts Chancellours Commissaries Officials and such like Officers of the Kingdome of Antichrist in imitation of earthly Kingdoms whereof there is no footstep in Apostolicall direction or practice but the cleane contrarie as appeareth in the places forecited But after their times the mysterie of iniquity soon brought forth first the foundations of this Tyrannie and then by degrees the intire building This power therefore being placed in the whole Church Officers Members and to be exercised when these are gathered together and this Church such as may for that end come together in one place as is evident out of 1 Cor. 5.4 When this dutie is neglected and such power not exercised upon due Occasions according to the Commandement of our Saviour the whole Church is guiltie and every Member except that be done by particulars which may keep them free from partaking in the guilt of such common neglect I think it will not be denied but that the whole Church of Corinth was guiltie and every particular Member involved in the common guilt of their negligence The dutie that lieth upon everie Church by Christs command Math. 18. Is to cast out obstinate sinners who will not by the use of all due proceedings be brought to Repentance This if they doe not but will endure those who are evill and impenitent in their evils the Church bringeth a great guilt upon themselves 2 Cor. 5.8 and that is the condition of most if not of all the Churches in this Land The ways for particular Members to keepe themselves from being leavened and involved in the guilt of such common sins are but two Either first the doing of that for their part which is their dutie in such a communion or secondly if that will not be suffered or will not prevaile to disclaim the holding of such communion and join in a more pure The necessitie therefore that lieth upon particulars who live in communion with such Churches is either to performe that which in such a case is their own dutie as Members of such Churches and interested for their parts in this power which should be exercised according to the Commandement of the Lord to seperate the vile but by the Church is neglected or else for their neglect also together with the rest to be involved in the guilt of this common disobedience That which is their own dutie in such a case being equally intrusted is to exhort the rest to
A LETTER FROM A PERSON OF HONOUR RECONCILING The Dissenting Brethren commonly called Independents AND The Presbyterians in matter of Judgment about the setling of the CHURCH Sent to an eminent Divine of the Assembly LONDON Printed by R.A. M. DC XL V. SIR FOr the satisfaction of your desire expressed in the Letter I will first lay down some grounds which I conceive to be agreeable to truth and thereupon give you the Reason of my judgment and practice First I conceive a visible Ministring Church under the Gospell to be a Company of Believers joining themselves together in the name of Christ for the enjoyment of such Ordinances and exercise of such spirituall goverment as the Lord hath apointed for his worship and honour and their mutuall edification This description doth sufficiently express what is intended An exact definition such bodies are not so Capable of as some other things may be Neither needs it when what is meant is fully understood by both Parties therefore in such a Case to stick upon that doth produce rather a Litigation about words and terms then any satisfaction If the truth of any thing herein be questioned that must stand or fall according to Scripture I call it a Visible Ministring Church to distinguish it from that Universall which can be neither except we will admit the Pope or some Image of him some such humane device to be it virtually always to exist visibly for the performance of such duties as Christ hath enjoyned his Churches to perform upon all Occasions of Offence or otherwise And yet that will not serve neither except Courts and Officers be allowed even to the Apparitors as hands in all places to supply defects in this way I adde Under the Gospell because the Constitution under the Law was Nationall the Officers Ordinances and Places of Worship all fitted to such a frame and typicall which under the Gospell was changed as appeareth both by Christs institution Matth. 18. and all t●e Apostles practice throughout in all places who best understood our Saviours intention and meaning for the Constitution of Churches Evangelical being by him instructed ●nd left authorised thereunto Secondly The matter of this Church is a Company of Saints such whom as the Apostle so the Church that admits then or joyns with them ought to think it meet to judge of every one of them that Christ hath begun a good worke in them and will finisht it The Apostles always stile them Saints and faithfull Brethren or the Church of such a place which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ Saints by Calling sanctified in Christ Jesus the Church Elected together with them and such like titles applyable only unto men sanctified That they ought to be such in profession will not be denied that they ought to be what they professe is as evident The power of the Church and the exercise of that power commanded by our Saviour is for this end that Offences may be taken away when men shall appear to be other then they make profession to be and that they may be prevented so far as man can judge by keeping out false brethren that they creep not in privily the unruly are to be admonished and if upon admonition they will not reforme Christ directeth what course shall be taken with them And he who is to be cast out when he is known ought not to be admitted could hee be knowne to be other then a Saint by the Church before he was received Thirdly The Form of such a visible Church I conceive to be the Relation which by their mutuall consent is raised between them for Spirituall Ends by which it is that they have power of jurisdiction and may and ought to judge those that are within 1 Cor. 5.12 Which jurisdiction no man can lawfully be subjected unto but by his own agreement The superioritie of Jurisdiction either in things Spirituall or Temporall if it be not naturall as the paternall must be voluntarily subjected unto or it is usurped and tyrannical Therefore to raise this Relation which gives a power of judging there must be a voluntary submission of themselves one to another testified by some Act whether you will call it a Covenant or Consent or Agreement between fit Members for such ends This Consent and agreement ought to be explicite or the wel being but not necessarily to the being of a true Church for it may be implied by such constant and frequent Acts of Communion performed by a company of Saints joined together by cohabitation in Townes and Villages as that the falling in of their spirits into this brotherly fellowship and communion in things spirituall is acted unto the true being of it but for the want of the cleere and full expression thereof among themselves the relation it raises the power it gives them one over anoher the dutie it obligeth them unto in the exercise of that power is obscurely and little apprehended and lesse practised This I conceive to be the present state of most of the Churches in this Kingdome which although they be true Churches I do not mean it of the whole Towns yet being too ignorant wherein that consisteth and what power and priviledge they have and ought to exercise by it they suffer themselves by usurpers to be deprived of the exercise of this power and thereby a mixed multitude presse in among them to their own hardning to the Churches levening contracting guilt through neglect of their dutie to seperate the vile from the precious suffering sin to fret like a Gangreen● and to the great dishonour of Ch●ist who hereby is held forth through the negligence of the Church to be an Head unto such members in the eye of the World There is besides through the same usurpation a yoke of bondage cast upon the Churches by the imposition of many humane devices both upon Officers and Members full of tyranny and Superstition the suffering whereof will cause the Lord to have many things against them but doth not unchurch them since many wants and many corruptions may stand with the being of a true Church as all Experience sheweth I expect hereupon to be demanded what Reasons I can give why Seperation should be made from such Churches which are acknowledged to be true Churches although with many wants and corruptions In answering whereof I shall give you an account of that I undertook And first I say this word Seperation is no such Bug-beare as many would make the world and themselves believe who hand over head without differencing things or persons or understanding that whereof they affirme take it up and cast it abroad with as little Charitie as Learning Seperation whereof we speak is either from the Communion of the Invisible Church Heb. 12. the Generall Assembly and Church of the first-borne which are written in Heaven or from this or that particular visible Churches Communion The first cannot be made but by denying the faith for the Requisites unto