miracles God had wrought among the Gentiles by them And whereas the Apostle speaks of myriads of Jews that believe Chap. 21. 20. it is not to be restrained to Jews dwelling at Hierusalem since it was the time of Pentecost Chap. 20. 16. when Jews and Proselytes came to Hierusalem out of all nations and we have express mention of the Jews that were of Asia vers 27. Neither is it impossible for Myriades in the language of Luke at least to come together and to hear at once the same Preacher To shew which Mr. Norton urges Luke 12. 1. However it be it seems that the Church of Hierusalem did at this time ordinarily come together in one place as occasion required for vers 22. t is said The multitude must needs come together This cannot be meant of the Officers for besides that they are the Speakers it would be incongruous to call them the multitude neither can it be meant of others besides believers for this speech of the Elders is to be speake some condescension in Paul to some Legal rites thereby to take off the offence of these that believing were yet Zealots of the Law as is plain and so such an understanding would not agree to the scope of the Elders Neither doth it seeme congruous that it should be said of any other but the Church of Hierusalem What other multitude should the Apostles and Elders expect that they should come together unto them as is implied much less determine their coming together as some understand the speech about the Apostles being come to town To this agree Calvin Beza and Diodate on the place We may adde to this instance that of the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14. 23. and Antioch Acts 15. 30. But I finde no contrary instances And this I say not onely against the Episcopal but also Classical Churches which are put in the room of those Episcopal Churches by the effectual working of the mystery of iniquity These are combinations of many Congregations united by subjection to one and the same Court of Elders chosen out of the whole to govern them These are pressed so far at least by some as to take away power of Government and exercise of Ecclesiastick Discipline from the Congregations and not onely infringing of it so leaving them but as the Curacies under the Bishops and their Ministers to have no more power then the Parish-Ministers had under the Bishops at least considered as the Ministers of such Congregations See Mr. Wood in his answer to Mr. Lockyer's Little Stone Part 2. Sect. 1. S. 4. I will not says he question the an sit or being of the subject of this assertion whether there be de jure and of divine institution an Eldership or Presbytery within a particular Congregation that is a Colledge of Elders belonging to one single Congregation by it self having power of Government and exercising Ecclesiastick Discipline although I know men learned and much exercised in the study of the Questions about Ecclesiastick Government are of the judgement that there is not such an Eldership or Presbytery And I confess it is right hard to finde in Scripture either precept or example for it Let us consider the judgement of these Learned men to which Mr. Wood seemeth to incline and more too as appears in his foresaid Treatise p. 369. where expresly he gives his judgement The fixing says he of single Congregations under appropriated Officers is not necessary by any divine institution c. Observe first that they appropriate the power of Government and exercise of Ecclesiastick Discipline unto the Eldership That is implied in what has been quoted and we need not search their Writings that are of that Way much to finde it expresly denied that Popular concurrence in acts of Government is to be proved by the Scriptures Vide Mr. Wood Part 2 of his aforesaid Treatise This how well it agrees with the institution Matth. 18. 18. let it be considered When Christ says Whatsoever ye binde on earth c. does not he include the offended brother to whom he directs his speech from vers 15 and of whom and whose act to the offender he had last spoken Especially considering that this verse contains the confirmation of the last clause of the fore-going verse mentioning the said act of the offended brother to the incorrigible offender that amounts to the casting him out of the Congregation of Christs Church and making an Heathen of him which that we may conceive that it was done though by him yet not by him alone but with the Church Christ adding the confirmation of this act speaks in the plural number and says not Whatsoever thou but ye shall binde c. yet withal keeping the second person that the offended brother be not excluded not saying Whatsoever he or they but ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven And when Christ promises the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven unto Peter his whole discourse lookes on Peter as a lively confessour of Jesus Christ his confession being the occasion of all that Christ speakes unto him and nothing coming in between the beginning and end of his Speech that may make us thinke that Christ considering Peter as a confessour of him at the first did afterward change his Notion and look on him otherwise Read Matth. 16. 16. c. Secondly they exclude the single Congregations considered severally each one by it self from having an Eldership having power to exercise Ecclesiastick discipline and so consequently the several single Congregations are excluded from having power of Government which they say resides wholly in the Elderships How likely this is let it be judged Is it likely that Go tell the Church Matth. 18. 17. should mean Go tell the Elders of the combination Is it likely that our Saviour so tender of the offenders credit and wary of offending him by making his fault publique that he must be told of it first alone then onely before so manay as may be sufficient to give a Satisfactory Testimony according to the Law Is it likely I say that he should appoint no mean between the two or three witnesses and a court of Elders of many combined congregations But not to stay here it has been proved already that the Church of Hierusalem and Corinth were single congregations that met together ordinarily in one place And that the Church of Hierusalem had her appointed officers and that the Church of Corinth exercised Ecclesiastick discipline who can deny But how unwarrantably soever hard they press their Classical way against the congregational even as hath been said to the utter taking away of power of Government from the several single congregations neither do they stay here but translate the power of Government to their Elderships subordinate one to another till they come to an Occumenical assembly to the officres of the whole Catholick visible Church of Christ as united in lesser greater combinations even to an occumenical assembly As Mr. Wood
concurrence that it will not admit such a plea. Difference in the order of their concurrence we shall grant viz. that the Apostles and Elders did lead the Church in these acts but difference in nature we cannot grant If it be said that by the whole Church is meant onely the Synodical Church the reason that is given for this falls to the ground For 't is grounded on the Impossibility of the meeting of the Church of Hierusalem together in one place that hath been refuted from cleare texts of Scripture But be it that we shut out the brethren from a concurrence of the same nature with the Apostles and Elders to the making of these decrees and let our adversaries make the most of vers 6. of this chapter and vers 4. of the following chapter will they say these decrees were Authoritative and formally binding the Churches of Antioch Syria Cilicia I trow not when they have better considered of the matter according to what has been said Will they say that the Elders of a Classicall Presbytery at Ierusalem for they assert no more of the Presbytery there see Mr. Wood in the aforesaid tractate pag. 371. and the Messengers of Antioch are excluded from the decision of the controversie and Decrees here made by the text it self ch 16. 4. did exercise rule over all these Churches so far distant that could not therefore be of their combination Neither is it to be conceived but if classes were then in fashion they had their classical combinations and Presbyteries too and shall Presbyteries of the same order rule over one another It may be it will be said that the presence of the Apostles being Extraordinary Officers constituted this a Synod I answer 't is sooner said then proved The text rather represents the Apostles condescending to act with the Church then elevating the Church to act with them vers 22 25. If against what has beene said against exercise of authority by this meeting over the Churches that vers 28 of laying a burden of necessary things upon them be objected Let it be considered whether there be not as much said of the Assertion of the Pharisees vers 5. whether therebe not as much said of their Assertion vers 10. And thus you see how hard it will be to grant any more with Scripture-warrant if we should grant classical Elderships and combinations but we shall not grant these for want of instance in Scripture or any other sound ground for them For the most Numerous of Churches that we read of we have already shewed at large that it was Congregational viz. the Church at Hierusalem And I conceive that the Numerousness of the Churches we read of in Scripture called severally even the most Numerous but by the name of Church in the singular Number without the mention of any more then one company of Elders I conceive that hath occasioned the conceit of classical Churches and Elderships but without warrant from Scripture as may appeare I say from that the Holy Ghost hath been so punctual in shewing that the most numerous Churches have still met together in one place To the Church of Hierusalem we may adde that of Corinth 'T is plaine that the Apostle writes to the body of the congregation by the epither he gives them in the inscriptions of both Epistles These he hints their ordinary coming together to joyne in the same individual acts when he enjoynes them the casting out of the incestuous person When ye are gathered together to deliver such a one to Satan 1 Ep. chap. 5. vers 4 5. A like hint we have in the same Epistle chap. 14. vers 23. And here we may take notice not onely that this Numerous Church of Corinth how Numerous soever pretended to be was congregational but that this Church had and exercised the power of the Keys for neglect of exercising which she is blamed 1 Cor. 5. 2. although Paul had not before this written to manifest his determination and that the exercise of this great piece of the Power of the Keys viz. Power of excommunication I say the exercise of this Power is put upon the body of the congregation by Paul without any distinct application of his speech to the Presbyterie And in the same manner that the Power of binding is put upon them in the same manner is the Power of loosing put on them 2 Cor. 2. 6. c. without any mention of their Eldership in particular but wrapping up Elders and People together as which were both to concur in this exercise of Ecclesiastick discipline and that with a concurrence of like nature as to the substance of the matter leaving to each their due place in the body the one going before the other following in the Lord. But to return if these most numerous congregations were congregational not Classical I cannot think there were any Classical Churches except there be a Scripture produced as plain for their Classicalness as these are that I have quoted to the congregrationalness of these that I have instanced in For reason will carry any man to thinke if the most Numerous Churches were congregationall that the less Numerous were so too and nothing but a plaine Scripture can stop the course of such a reasoning And thus the whole fabrick of the Classical way falls to the ground in my Judgement Their appropriating all authority and power of exercising Ecclesiastick discipline to the Presbyterie the secluding the Presbytery of a particular congregation from such authority together with the whole course of subordinations of combinations of Churches and Elders from the Classical that is the lowest to Oecumenical that is the highest combination they can none of them shew their genealogie nor derive their Pedigree from Scripture And what difference betwixt the Episcopal and Presbyterial Government wherein does their constitution differ except in the exorbitant power of a Chair-man that the Presbyterians cut by the height of the rest of the Presbyters in the several combinations And what difference betwixt the Vniversal Church of the Papists and that of of the Presbyterians is it more then Circumstantial The Papists refer the Roote and head of the Universality to Rome the Presbyterians do not the Papists subject it unto the Pope the Presbyterians do not but unto a general Councel and some Papists plead for no more save in the interim of the general Councel Vide Ellis Vind. Cathol Pag. 16. Let it be seriously considered that the Bishop of Rome is not reckoned the Antichrist from what time he got the peaceable possession of his Universal Bishoprick with all the exorbitant Power thereunto belonging but from what Vide Cot. in Rev. 13. Pag. 36. time he aipired to and carryed it ambitiously and had it yeelded usually unto him to sway Bishops and Churches at his pleasure and from this time at least before he proceeded farther he is reckoned Antichrist and the seventh head of the Monstrous Beast Rev. 13. 1. c. That is no
in the aforesaid Treatise pag. 371. This is altogether strange to Scripture for if we grant that single congregations with their Eldership be excluded from the power of Government and exercising Ecclesiastick discipline yet will it not appear from Scripture that there are any higher Elderships or larger combinations of Churches then those of the first form and of the first step from the single congregation yea the contrary apears in that the Churches of Asia grant them collective Churches Rev. 2. and 3 chapters do severally receive of Christ the praise of their good and blame of their evil carriage each single Church for her self without any reflection on superior combinations notwithstanding some of them lay situate within eight or ten miles of each other and those that were farthest distant not above 200 miles each from other as some have computed the Journeys between them This is strange if there were superior Combinaâ—ions and if there should have been 't is much that Christ should not blame them after so long continuance of Christianity for not setting up his ordinances especially considering the defection of divers of the Churches to whose charge it might well have been laid as a thing wherein they were accessary to their own Apostacy that they had not set all up Gods meanes to preserve them If it be objected that we read of an higher Eldership exercising acts of rule over a Proportional combination of Churches viz a Synodical assembly Act. 15. To this I answer We read not of any combination of any such combination of the Churches there mentioned viz. of Hierusalem Antioch Syria and Cilicia whereby they should become Subject unto the rule of one superior Eldership in matters conceived to belong firstly to their cognizance or that may be referred unto them or in which there may be appeales made unto them nor when and how the said combination was made and established Secondly here was no Synod by which our adversaries understand an assembly of Officers resulting out of many inferiour Presbyteries I say here was no Synod in this sense For we read of no forreigners that came to this Synod if we must call it so but these that came from Antioch of whom we finde nothing that may import their concurrence in the decrees of it but these proceeded from the Apostles Elders and whole Church that must needs mean the Church at Hierusalem and when 't is said With the whole Church there is a reflection in the expression on the Apostles and Elders as related at least in their present residence and action which is all can be said of the Apostles being general officers unto that Church onely So that upon the whole the result is that the decrees here made were of the Church at Jerusalem and the officers of it onely Thirdly here was no appeale from the censure of the Church at Antioch For we read not of any Ecclesiasticall censure that the Church at Antioch had passed either concerning the persons disputing or the things disputed but onely of dissention and disputation had betwixt Paul and Barnabas and those that came from Judea Neither were there any refers made from Antioch unto Hierusalem as though the matter were too high for their Cognizance or beyond their abilitie to determine For the Churches of Antioch and Hierusalem were alike congregational I say more then Classical in that strict sense wherein the next to Congregational is meant our adversaries cannot say and furnished both with extraordinary Officers to which appeals and refers in the sense before recited cannot agree But the reason of sending from Antioch unto Hierusalem seemes to me most probably to be this viz. to take off the scandal that came to the Church of Antioch and at least might come to those of Syria and Cilicia also by these false teachers by whose comming out of Judea it may be also bragging of the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem that they taught the same doctrine to the brethren there yea moreover and it may be urging them to go and see if it Vid. Bez. in oc were not so by these meanes I say the Church of Antioch had as it is probable at least twice taken some offence and been staggered in their faith as though Paul and Barnabas had taught otherwise then the Apostles and Elders at Hierusalem And so the errand of these Messengers from Antioch to Hierusalem was primarily to get satisfaction that there was the same doctrine taught at Hierusalem that was at Antioch for the establishing of such as might be staggered and preventing of farther danger by the pretences of these false teachers And this seemes to shine forth clearly in the returne of those at Hierusalem in the 23 24 25 26 27. verses Because some had gone out from them that had offended the brethren of Antioch c. therefore they send chosen men of their own company that might take off the offence by assuring them of the contrary judgement of the Apostles to what those false teachers taught Fourthly here was no rule exercised over the Churches to which they of Hierusalem wrote the result of their conference occasioned by the Messengers from Antioch wherein they throughly weighed the controverted point to give a sound resolve for the establishing of the staggering brethren There was no rule exercised I say for Paul is so embarqued with the Church of Antioch by his residence there and deepe hand in carrying on the controversie with the false teachers that I cannot see how without diminution of his Apostolical authority that the decrees of the Apostles should be more then materially binding viz. because Gods word onely How Paul that in the defence of this same point causes whomsoever should preach otherwise then he with the rest of his perswasion Gal. 1. 8 9. had preached how he I say should submit unto any Judicature on earth Authoritatively determining of his doctrine whether sound or not so as their decrees should be formally binding viz. as the decrees of such a court this I cannot conceive And again 't is a joynt act to make these Decâ—ees a joynt act of the Apostles Elders and brethren the whole Church concurs to the making and sending of them and that under the same Notion vers 22 23. 25 28. It pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church It seemed good unto us being assembled with one accord It seemed good unto the holy Ghost and to us which us must be interpreted by Apostles Elders and brethren mentioned in the inscription of the letter Now it will not be granted that the brethren did joyne with the Apostles in an act of rule over another Church or Churches Neither will it helpe to say that the concurrence of the Apostles and Elders and of the brethren was of a different nature For the text is so full as to the involving them together in the same act under the same expressions even the highest with so much punctualness in signifying their joynt
other then the Catholick Visible Roman Church as Mr. Cotton has learnedly demonstrated in an exposition of his on that 13 of the Revelations lately published And this reckoning of the beginning of Antichrist is suitable to that description of him that is given 1 Thes 2. 4. That he opposeth and exalteth himself Accordingly we may easily gather that the ambition of a Chair-man with the fond devotion of some Elders and people may soone turn Presbyterie into Episcopacy There needs not an act of State for setling such power on a Chairman and putting Elders people in subjection unto him to constitute either Papacy or Episcopacy Thus you see there is little difference betwixt Presbytery and Episcopacy and an easie transition from Presbytery to Episcopacy yea Papacy and Vide Perk. Probl. Pag. 235. they agree much also in nature being an usurpation of Authority over the particular Congregations the visible Churches of Christs institution and therefore I have put them together as also Mr. Bain's Diocesan tryal qu. 1. pag. 21. Those who subject themselves to a Presbytery sayes he as being under it by subordination may in effect as well be subject to an Episcopal and by consequence I say to a Papal consistory Let it be seriously weighed that the Apostle gives us this Character of the Spirit of Antichrist that such a Spirit confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh John 4. 3. We must not understand this of a confession of words onely but it is sufficient if practice speak it For Antichrist acknowledges that Christ is come in the flesh in words but he denyes it in practise whiles he brings in Judaism or any other way of worship that Christ hath not instituted into the Churches according to that uncontrolled expectation of the Woman of Samaria John 4. 25 26. When the Messias comes he shall tell us all things viz. about worship that was the matter in discourse for that Practise contradicts Christs being come in the flesh when men do not look onely to Christs institution in matter of worship And this is the expectation of the Jewes even at this day that Christ will at his coming give in a sutable platform of his worship sutable to his being come into the world to whō therefore the practice of Judaism must needs be a stumbling-block Though men may thinke they differ from Rome they are of the same spirit if they walk not according to the Gospel-institution of Christ Before I come to the reasons of the Obj. 1 point I shall answer some Objections And first 't will be said This way of separation that you press to be made from the Parochial and Episcopal yea classical Churches nulls all at least the most part of the reformed Churches in the world I answer This tends not to null or Answ make void the faith of the true believers that shall be found in the aforesaid ways of Church-order I deny not their faith whereby they are of the mystical Church of Christ and accordingly destroy not their mystical Churchdom which is acknowledged by a voice from heaven in the text when such as are in Babylon mixt with the Gentiles in the outer Court unmeasured and nourished hitherto in the wilderness of abominable confusion where the great whore sits President when I say such as these are called out of the Babylonish corruption and confusion by the name of Gods people they are plainly acknowledged to be of the mystical Church And yet they are implicitely denyed to be of a right order when they are called and warned to come out of Babylon that must needs mean order since their faith is approved for that being done there remaines nothing to be disapproved but order for under these two the Apostle sums up all to be approved or disapproved in the Church Colos 2. 5. I deny accordingly that the Churches before mentioned are such visible Churches as Christ hath instituted and their politie such as he hath appointed and assert Though their faith be Christian yet their order is Antichristian I deny them not to be the Woman nourished in the wilderness Rev. 12. 6 14. But I deny them to be the Candlesticks that stand before the God of the earth chap. 11. 4. And this need not be grievous since the Holy Ghost hath foretold us of such a distinction of Christians Some are content to walk with the nations in the outer court with so much as will keepe life and soule together and to bite hard in the Wilderness and straggle there from one greene path to another so they can but get a living Others God gives power to be his witnesses against the Gentiles and to set up Christs owne order in the face and to the teeth of the Beast that ascends out of the Bottomless pit though they be slaine for it and will not be content to serve God as Pharaoh will give them leave Such was the Congregation in Queen Mary's time which Mr. Fox mentions Gods preservation of in his 3 Vol. pag. 921. and those of which Mr. Cotton makes mention in the way of Congregational Churches cleared pag. 4. These were in Queen Elizabeths dayes and were remembered by some amongst us but lately dead they were about an hundred and they refused the common Lyturgie and Congregations attending thereunto and used prayer and preaching and Sacraments among themselves and suffered imprisonment for it and pleaded for their separation before the Lord Mayor Bishop Sandes and other Commissioners Jul. 20. 1576. and in this they behaved themselves as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ 'T is one thing for Churches to be looked upon as Churches in point of salvation and another thing for them to be looked upon as Churches in respect of outward constitution and visible order In the former account we cannot but give the right hand of Fellowship to all that looke to no other way of salvation but by the blood of the Lambe in the latter account we can give the right hand of fellowship onely to those that are after the heavenly patterne laid down in the Word we must not for respect to a right faith swallow a wrong order Hath not the letting go the right order let in a wrong faith Does not the great beast Rev. 13 Blaspheme God and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heaven meaning the Catholick Church of Rome as Mr. Cotton on the place shews at large Secondly 't will be said this laies a ground to question all the ordinances Obj. 2 that have beene administred in any other way then that you press for whether they are to be accounted null and void To this I answer there is a double degree Answ of corruption that ordinances have met withal Some have beene corrupted in the essentials of them as for instance the Lords supper in the Popish Churches was essentially corrupted The signs were turned into the thing signified one Element denied to the people c. When ordinances are thus essentially corrupted they
no Question found of them In answer to this let me propound Answ this to be weighed by every serious soule that this must be looked on as an indulgence of God unto sincerity owning what is of himself mingled with much of man After that God had declared his mind about the place where he would put his name and David had preached it 1 Chron. 22. 1. yet Solomon and the Children of Israel neglected to build the house the foundation of which was not laid untill the fourth yeare 1 Kings 6. 1. and 37 verses and perhaps this came to pass through Solomons too much intensness on the building of his own house because this is named before the Lords house chap. 3. 1. immediately before the people are blamed for sacrificing in the high places that is done vers 2. neither can I tell how to make the connexion betwixt these two verses but that Solomon was so intent on his great match and providing a Suitable Palace that in the meane while the building of the Temple was delayed not being carried on with that speed that it might have been and this prolonged the peoples sacrificing in the high places that turned unto sin unto them and Solomon too and is made an exception in the religion of them both 1 Kings 3. 2 3. And yet Solomon's Zeale of God is approved too and God is found of him vers 4 5. c. but for all that 't is not 1000 burnt-offerings that can make God winke at the neglect of Gods institution Men thinke because they love God and are abundant in duties that God will not take notice whether they come to Jerusalem or go to the high places what Churches they worship in but believe it they are deceived and they are as much deceived that think 't is enough to say for a way that they have found God in it or rather in something of his that is practised in it But there may be good done this Obj. 4 way and has been good done in it errors suppressed c. and those reject it now made use of it once I answer The good that God brings Answ out of evil is not to be construed into a divine approbation of it that its name should be changed and evil called good Neither is the use that has been made by good men of a false way of Churches to be drawn into an argument to continue in it See Peter Martyr in his Pet. Mart com loc Clas 4. cap. 6. ss 42. common places pag. 570. I transcribe not the Latine as also neither in other quotations for haste Godly men says he so long as they were compelled to be in the Papacy neither could have their meetings otherwhere if they thought they should any way profit in amending maners or any way procuring the glory of God or the Salvation of others were to shew what was necessary to the Bishops and pastors for that time given if they could not do it amongst their owne But when it pleased God to raise up Heroick persons such as Luther and Zuinglius which have planted innumerable Churches leaving the graves and ashes and small Relictis Bustis footsteps of the Church it was meet they should betake themselves thither where they might both live and do according to the word of God and by this meanes continue among themselves by succession the Apostolique faith and life by joyning themselves to their predecessours which lived rightly and sincerely in the primitive Church But shall we do it without the Authority Obj. 5 of the Magistrate I answer that which is pressed is but Answ the doing of your own duty in separation from unwarrantable Societies that the text layes on every particular Christian upon peril of incurring the wrath of God Jer. 51. 45. is a parallel place Go ye out of the midst of her and deliver ye every one his own soule from the fierce anger of the Lord burning against false worshippers If the Magistrate will further reformation 't is a mercy so that he keepe to his own power and do not infringe the power of the Church for these two powers must not be confounded which yet few of the objectors attend unto but the text hath no such provisoe as If the magistrate bid or give you leave then come out of Babylon And therefore we are to resolve with Pet. Martyr We must Com. loc Class 4. cap. 14. S. 29. worship God holily and piously though all the Magistrates in the world gainsay it I may adde to this what Wollebius Wol. lib. 2. cap. 5. Can. 11. saith If the magistrate be an enemy of the Church the reformation of religion cannot be obtained of him then reformation of religion lyes upon those as their duty whom God hath furnished with necessary gifts for it neither is the consent of Bishops to be expected And because of this last clause I shall adde what Peter Martyr a little above the place above quoted in the margine saith There are some which may say saith Obj. 6 he Before we depart from the obedience of the Magistrate in point of religion the consent of the Church is to be expected They which say these things let them Answ consider that Christ hath never so commanded every one is for himselfe firmly bound to the law of God whether others assent or dissent If a Master have many Servants that he commands to worke in the field and some of them in the Masters absence will be idle ought therefore the rest to be idle too because the others do not at all consent to the common worke for this he quotes Gal. 1. 15. and adds So ought we also to do after God hath made known his truth we must not delay Consent indeed is to be expected if the matter be dubious and obscure viz. to him to whom it is revealed as the course of his speech makes manifest Let those therefore whose hearts God hath raised up go up and build his house Ezra 1. 5. and be as the he-goats before the flock Jer. 50. 8. get we our brethren if we can along with us but let us not delay our own work and duty but with David make haste and not delay to keepe Gods righteous Judgements And so much for explication The reasons of the point are first because Antichrist Churches are sin The great beast Rev. 13. 1 2. represented in so monstrous a shape to shew hâ—â— ugly he is in the fight of God is the Universal visible Church of Rome For it cannot be meant of the Roman Pagan Empire because of the crowned hornes Rev. 13. 1. and being in the wilderness Rev. 17. 3. Nor the Roman Christian Empire for the Devil gave not the Seat to the Christian Emperours neither were they admired of all the world after the healing of the wound by Charles the Great neither is it a note of perdition to yeeld subjection to them which things are said of this beast Rev. 13. 2 3 8.
13. that is a shrewd hint to their Jewishness for they have reference to and so imply a Temple Priest Sacrifices which have been revived by the Papists with this maintenance But yet farther either Tythes are paid by the light of Nature or Moral command or else by a Ceremonial precept For as for the Judicial Law it contains but appendices explications and functions of the Moral and Ceremonial Law and so I need not mention that in this dis-junction And also I know none that flie to another mean to prove that Tythes were not Ceremonial that may hurt this my Argument besides this of Natural light or Moral command I assume therefore Tythes are not paid by Natural light or Moral command Those instances of Abraham and Jacob paying Tythes before the Law of Moses are not sufficient to evidence so much Circumcision was not of Moses but of the fathers Joh. 7. 22. yet was it so incorporated into Moses Law that it did oblige a man to keep the whole Law Gal. 5. 3. Sacrifices also are as old as Cain and Abel Gen. 4. yet part of the Ceremonial Law and abolished by Christ Heb. 10. 8 9. 10. But the Assumption is manifest because no Law appointed in the Gospel is inconsistent with any Natural or Moral Law of God But the institution of our Saviour Luke 10. 7. urged by the Apostle 1 Cor. 9. 14. and explained Gal. 6. 6. will not stand with Tythes These are out of the seed of the land the fruit of the trees or of the herd of the flock Lev. 27. 30 31 32. Deut. 14. 22 23. The Gospel-maintenance is raised out of all good things that the person taught hath Tythes were paid the first Tenth to the Levites and they paid the tenth of the tenth to the Priest Neh. 10. 38. And those Levites that taught in the particular Synagogues paid to the Priests who administred in Jerusalem the Gospel-maintenance is to be paid by all that are taught I conclude therefore that Vide Hook Survey part 2. ch â— Tythes belong to the Ceremonial Law which to practise is to dig Christ out of his grave and a character of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4. 3. Neither will it avail for any to say that they take them not as Tythes for the Corinthians could not be so excused as to their eating things sacrificed unto Idols neither in the Idols temple nor otherwhere having taken it from the shambles if they eat with the offence of their brother And if they eat in the Idols temple it was not onely evil for the offence its sake but for it self as in which they committed idolatry and had fellowship with devils 1 Cor. 10. 14 c. notwithstanding they made no conscience of the Idol or the things offered to Idols but went to eat as to the civil feast of their friend vers 19. compared with chap. 8. 1 2 3. 4 5 6 7. When we joyn in the same action with others our different opinion will not save us from the guilt of it as the Apostle hints vers 20. These Tythes were sacrificed to Idols either directly whilst in honour of the Saint the Patron with them endowed the Temple that was consecrated unto him or her or interpretatively by worshipping God with other worship and setting up other things yea contrary things then what he hath appointed in his Church worshipping God in a Messiah to come and exchanging institution Gal. 6. 6. for Tythes And these are still fixed to the Temples of the Saints to whom Temples were built in every Parish and though they be not now looked upon so much as Temples of the Saints yet as Temples of God they are looked upon generally and the Service thought to be the better because performed there and this comes to the same pass since to worship God in a false maner is to worship a false Observant Saints see it to their grief and talk to one another of it god for God hath now no material Temple Neither hath there been any thing done by way of publike Act of the Nation against this Superstition received by tradition from our Fathers Upon which I could not meet with the Parish were it not that I come as a Prophet from Judah to Bethel to them to cry out against the altar there or upon the account of the Churches meeting not theirs primarily There is a thing like that eating things sacrificed to idols that the Church of Thyatira stands as Rev. 2. a bush in a myâ—y hole to warn us lest we fall into it And they that oppose it shall it may be fare the worse for it with the Nations but Christ will give them power over the Nations at last Let us not deceive our selves God will not be mocked All the Churches shall know that he searches the reins and the heart and will give to every one not according to his pretences but his workes Let us esteem our knowledge by humiliation and the love of God 1 Cor. 8. 1 2 3. whereby we submit unto him and are zealous of his glory and afraid of offending him not by the enticing words of mans wisdome God will acknowledge him that loves him and submits unto him though his brethren may hate him and cast him out for trembling at Isa 66. 5. his word through which he becomes in their eyes more nice then wise but he shall appear to his joy and they shall be ashamed Away I say with all appurtenances of a Parish-Church Let us not desire the Silver and Gold of the Idol lest we besnared and become an abomination like it and accursed like it Deut. 7. 25 26. Let us not be confident of our own strength how easie is it for us or at least our Children to be reduced to the former Popish Church-way when we have Cathedral and Parish-Churches Parsons Vicars Curates Church-wardens c. still continued people are apt upon such occasions to be taken with such things and to ask kow their Fathers or the Nation hath worshipped and this is a step to idolatry and forbidden of God Deut. 12. 30. that therefore would not have any of the reliques of the Canaanites idolatry survive them Oh that God would turn England into a Bochim weepers as 't is in the margin that we might become weepers for this That we have not yet abolished the memory of our Fathers superstition lest the Lord leave us to our enemies to be thorns in our sides and to their gods to be snares to our souls See that sad story Judg. 2. 1 2 3 4 5. meditate on it sadly we have been parallel to Israel in deliverances answerable to them in neglect of duties why should not we expect to be like them in the judgments that came on them If to this I should say Take away Episcopal Churches you would say it were needless but what then means the Cathedral Temples other things may be found 't is like if you search as God will viz. with candles