The Magistrate hath much power about Church matters but he hath no church-Church-power properly so called that belongeth only to Christs own officers Secondly For clearing of the question take this Assertion what we deny to the Christian Magistrate in the power of Governing the Church we deny it to him only as a Magistrate for so we laid it down in the conclusion to be proved A Magistrate as a Magistrate hath no power in Governing the Church otherwise if a Christian Magistrate be chosen an Elder he hath power of Church Government being joyned with the rest Only we say as a Magistrate he hath no power to Govern the Church II. We come to the Second thing which is our Arguments to confirm the Truth And the first Argument is this That Jesus Christ hath given no warrand to the Civil Magistrate for the Government of his Church and therefore he hath no right to it 1 We say that Christ in his word hath given no warrand to the Magistrate for Governing his Church And this will appear from all these places where mention is made of any warrand given to any of Church Government There is no word of the Christian Magistrate in any of them only mention is made of Apostles Ministers and Elders so in Matth 16. 19. The power of Governing the Church to bind and loose is given to Peter in the name of the rest of the Apostles but no word of the Civil Magistrate And Matth 18. 17. the power of Excommunication is given to the Church and if he shall neglect to hear them 〈…〉 be c. The Church of Ministers and Elders hath the power but no word of the Civil Magistrate And so in Timoth and Titus the scope of which Epistles is to instruct Ministers concerning the right way of Governing the Church what is spoken there is spoken to them and to Ministers succeeding to them but there is no mention of the Civil Magistrate And therefore we may conclude he hath no right from Jesus Christ for Governing the Church And what he would challenge of that kind is but an usurpation and intruding unto that to which he hath no right Our second Argument is If the power of the Church Government belong to a Magistrate as a Magistrate then it belongeth to every Magistrate but this were absurd We say if the power of Governing the Church did belong to a Magistrate as a Magistrate then it should belong to every Magistrate for whatever belongs to one as such belongs to all such Now this hath many absurdities following on it For by this Rule Heathen Magistrates might have power of Church Government and be Church Governours which were absurd For they are not Church Members Then Secondly Women might be Church Governours for they may be Magistrates in some cases and yet they may not speak in the Church Yea Thirdly By this it should follow that Children not come to age might have the power of Church Government for they may be Magistrates when Magistracy goeth by succession Now Children cannot have the power of Church Government for that power is not to be Exercised by deputies but by the persons themselves who are intrusted with it A Third Argument to confirm the Truth is this That Magistrates as Magistrates are not Church Officers And therefore they have no power to Govern the Church The consequence is clear for if Magistrates have power to Govern the Church then they must be Church Officers if any thing make a man a Church Officer then power to Govern the Church will do it for State Government and State Officers are Relata and have a mutual Relation one to another and so must Church Government and Church Officers have a mutual Relation one to another But in the next place it is evident That a Magistrate as a Magistrate is no Church Officer and that because among all that roll set down in the word of God wherein Christ reckons up his Officers there is no mention made of the Civil Magistrate Ephes 4. There is a roll verse 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers But no word of the Civil Magistrate and in Rom 12 6 7. There is an other roll of Church officers but no word of of the Civil Magistrate whether prophecy let us prophecy according to the proportion of Faith Or Ministery let us wait on our Ministering or he that teacheth on teaching c. But neither in this place or any other is there any mention of the Civil Magistrate Only some of our Adversaries mutter somewhat of 1 Cor 12. 28. That by Governments there mentioned is meaned the Christian Magistrate but it is easily refuted for the text speaketh evidently of such Governours as the Church had at that time And God hath set some in the Church c. Now the Church at that time had no Christian Magistrate nor for above 200 years after So by Governments cannot be meaned the Christian Magistrate but the Ruling Elder who is often spoken of in other places Our Fourth Argument to prove this point is That the Church did enjoy full power of Government within her self and accordingly did exercise it near 300 years before any Magistrate was a Christian and so the Church hath this power within her self yet For the first part of the Argument it is evident if we consider First That which is not controverted to wit that in the space of 300 years after Christ there was not a Magistrate a Christian If we consider Secondly That all this time the Church had full power of Church Government within her self and therefore Paul sayes to Timothy 1 Tim 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery So they had power of Ordination Power also to dispence Censures as Excommunication 1 Cor 5. 4 5 When ye are gathered together To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh c. And they had power to relax from Excommunication So 2 Cor 2 6. Where Paul commands to relax the Excommunicate man from that Sentence Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many v. 7. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him c. Fourthly They had Synods meeting together making binding Canons to guide the Church Act 15. The Synod of Apostles Elders and Brethren meet together determine a controversie and Censure those who had troubled the Church Thus the first part of the Argument is made out to wit That the Church did enjoy full power of Discipline within her self long before any Magistrate became Christian And therefore it followes that this power is yet in the Churches hand and not in the Magistrates And that because if the Church at that time had right to dispence this power as undoubtedly she had then they must make it appear how Christ took this right from her and
infer any Church power which we clear in both First The Peoples power in Electing their Minister doth not infer any power of Church Government in them and that because it is not the Peoples Election or their choise that makes the Minister to be a Minister or gives him Authority to Exercise the Ministerial calling but it is the Act of Ordination by imposition of the hands of those who are Church Officers that makes the man the Minister and gives him Authority We shall find this Acts 6 3. where the Peoples Election and Ordination by Church Officers is clearly distinguished Wherefore Brethren say the Apostles look ye out among you seven men of honest report full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom there is the Peoples Election whom we may appoint over this busines There is the Church Officers part Though the People look them out and choise them that gives them not the power of their calling untill the Church Officers appoint and ordain them Secondly The power of trying the Spirits doth not infer any such power or Authority of Government in the People otherwise it should follow that the People of Berea who did try Pauls Doctrine Act. 17. 11. And compared it with the word whetber those things were so had Authority over Paul which none will affirm A Second distinction to clear the state of the Question is this There is a great difference betwixt those to whom the Authority of Governing the Church is given and those for whom or for whose good it is given although we deny that the power of Governing the Church is given to private Believers yet we grant it is given for them So all Ordinances are given for the good of Believers As it is Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets aud some Evangilists and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints c. and in this respect 1 Cor 3. 21 22. all is said to be theirs For all things are yours whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come all are yours i. e. given for their good But hence it will not follow that because Church Discipline is given for them that therefore they have the power of it for in this respect Paul is given to every particular believing Woman and yet it does not follow that Women have Pauls Authority And so the Body of the particular Church hath not this power in their hands although the power be given for their good A Third thing for understanding the State of the Question We do willingly grant to private Christians power to admonish exhort in the Lord out of Charity and this they may extend even to Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry But this Liberty to admonish by way of Charity doth not import any Church power in them over those whom they rebuke no more than Pauls rebuking of Peter Gal 2. 14. doth infer a power in Paul above Peter So ye see what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny The sum whereof is this That Jesus Christ hath not given them any power of Church Government or the Exercise of it either in whole or in part but has intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders This for clearing the state of the Question II. We come now to Arguments for clearing the Truth And the First is this That Jesus Christ hath given no warrand to private Christians for Governing his House or for the Exercise of this Government and therefore they have no right to it The consequence must be clear For none has right to play the part of a Governour in Christs Church except those who have a warrand in his word for it Now that private Christians have no warrand in his word for Governing the Church either expresly or by good consequence either by precept or promise or any thing else it is clear from this that in several places of the Word this power is denyed unto them So Rom 10. they must not exercise the Power of Preaching for how shall they Preach except they â—e sent v. 15. Now the whole communiâ—y of Believers cannot be sent besides they have no ability to discharge this Office there is but one of a Thousand that can convince gainsayers Is apt to teach that is able to cut and divide the word aright and so they have no power to Preach And Secondly From this it will follow that they have no power to Administrate the Sacraments for Christ Jesus hath joyned both these powers in one Commission He gives no power to any to Aministrate the Sacraments but those to whom he gives power also to Preach Matth 28 19. Go ye therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them- c Power of Preaching and Administrating the Sacraments go together And so seeing the one power is denyed to them the other must be denyed also Thirdly They have no power to ordain Ministers or to execute any other act of Church Jurisdiction for they have no ability to try Ministers gifts there is no precept commanding them to do it there is no practice in the New Testament proving that ever they did it as shall be more fully cleared in answering the Arguments they bring for it And so they have no right to Govern the Church The Second Argument for the Truth is this That this Doctrine of theirs whereby they give the power of Governing the Church to private Christians doth overturn the order established by Jesus Christ in his House And therefore they have no right to it The consequence none may doubt of For nothing appointed by God doth evert the order established by himself Now that this Doctrine of theirs whereby they put the power of Governing the Church in the hands of the People doth evert the order appointed by Christ is clear Because his order is That some be watchmen some watched over some Rulers some to submit some Governours some to be Governed some Sheepherds some the flock But if so be that all the Members of the Church had the power of Governing in their hand then all should be overseers watchmen Rulers Governours and none more than another If so be that power to Govern should flow from this That they are Church Members For all are so alike The Third Argument we bring for the Truth is this That to whomsoever Christ Jesus hath given warrand for Governing the Church to those he gives promises of sutable abilities for discharging of that great Trust But so it is that Jesus Christ hath not gifted neither promise to gift every Christian nor yet requireth He answerable gifts for Government from them And therefore he hath given them no warrand for Governing the Church For the first part of the Argument that those to whom he gives the power of Church Government he doth also promise them sufficient abilities for their Trust is clear For how could it stand with the wisdom
the Lord's Table profess ye have done Your Duty now is with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. I shall not run far back for finding out the Connexion of this Purpose with that which goeth before Only ye may observe that Luke the Penman of the Holy Ghost in this History of the Acts doth shew from Verse 19 of this same Chapter how that through occasion of that Persecution which the Church at Jerusalem met with after Steven's Death mentioned Chap. 8 the Gospel being preached by those who were forced to fly for their lives did wonderfully spread as far as Phanâ—ce Cyprus and Antioch And many in these Regions and Kingdoms were taken with it for Verse 21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Whereupon as is shown v. 22. when these tidings came to the Church at Jerusalem They sent forth Barnabas A Man of extraordinary Parts and Calling for he was an Apostle as is clear from Acts 14. 14. I say the Church sends him as far as Antioch for helping foreward the Work And in this Verse we have Barnabas his coming to them and what he does when he comes Who when he came and had seen the Grace of God was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. In which Words we have these things consideraable 1. Barnabas his coming to Antioch 2. We have what he saw when he came He saw the Grace of God to wit The wonderful effects of God's Grace in bringing so many to embrace the Doctrine of the Gospel 3. We have what this sight did work upon him 1. It made him Glad 2. It brought a pithy needful exhortation from him to these New Converts the sum whereof is here set down That with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. What Explication is needful I shall insist on as I go through the Particulars First It is mentioned he came to Antioch But we hear nothing of any great train he carried along with him Or any great solemnity at his Reception tho he was an Apostle the highest Office-bearer in the Church But only that he came doubtless in a sober way as became a Minister of Christ It was a thing then unknown in the World for Church-men to go accompanied with Trains like Princes and that whole Countrey sides and greatest Personages in them behooved to wait upon their Grandeurs It never was well with the Church of God since Church-men began to overtop Peers and Nobles But the thing I mark from this is That Barnabas tho an extraordinary Office-bearer in the Church and an Apostle doth nevertheless obey the Orders of the Church at Jerusalem For it 's mentioned v. 22. That the Church at Jerusalem sent him forth and here That he did come accordingly Now what this Church at Jerusalem was to whose Directions he subjected himself is clear from Act. 21. 18. It was the Church of Elders or Presbyters even a Presbytry as hath been made out convincingly these years by-past against the Independants To the direction of which Elders the Apostle Paul did submit himself there as Barnabas doth here From which it is clear that even the Apostles and extraordinary Office-bearers of the Church were very respective and tender of that Authority which Jesus Christ hath given to His Church and the Judicatories thereof This appears chiefly in Two things First When there were Churches constitute and Church Judicatories erected to manage the Discipline of the Church the Apostles did not exercise power of Jurisdiction over these Churches by themselves alone neither in the Ordination of Ministers nor in the Censuring or Excommunicating of Scandalous Offenders but tho they were without doubt universal Pastors of the whole Church yet they did remit the same to Ordinary Church Judicatories Thus Paul doth not Ordain Timothy to be a Minister alone but admits the Ordinary Presbytery to do it 1 Tim. 4. 14. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophesy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery And 1 Cor. 5. he clearly speaks of the power of Excommunication as residing in the Church Judicatory at Corinth and reproves them for their not making use of that Power in Excommunicating the Incestuous Person and stirrs them up to their Duty V. 4 5. That In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ when ye are gathered together and my Spirit with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. V. 5. To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the Flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus A Second thing wherein the Apostles did show their respect to Church Judicatories was this which is here mentioned in the Text That in many things they were ordered by and subject to their directions Thus in the place cited Acts 21. 20. The Church of Elders or Presbyters at Jerusalem give their Injunctions to Paul that for removal of an offence that many thousands of Jews had taken against him he should publictly practise some of the Jewish Ceremonies in purifying himself and shaving his head which were at that time things indifferent And accordingly it's mentioned v. 26. That Paul did follow their direction All which shews that the Authority of Church Judicatories was very much tendred even by the Apostles themselves The Bishops do indeed boast themselves to be the Apostles Successors and their only Successors I shall not stand upon this It being made very clear by Protestant writers against the Papists In the controversy about the Pope That the Apostles had no Successors as to what was extraordinary in their Office and as to that which was Ordinary in it as to Preach the Word Dispense the Sacraments and exercise Church Discipline over particular Churches That they have in these all Ministers for their Successors But passing that What I am now on is That the Bishops of these latter times have encroached more upon the Power and priviledge left by Christ unto his Church and Church Judicatories than ever the Apostles them-themselves whose Successors they give themselves out for did For as I have cleared from the present Doctrine The Apostles did leave the matters of Ordinary Jurisdiction to be managed by Ordinary Church Judicatories but so do not they The whole Body of Christ's Ministers within a Church though they were all gathered together may neither Ordain a Minister nor Excommunicate a Scandalous Offender but this must be done only by the Bishop and such as â—e doth Substitute under him for it Again the Apostles were in some things at least subject and ordered by the Directions of Church Judicatories but so are not They such a Condiscendance could not stand with their Honours and Dignities Secondly We have in the Text what Barnabas saw among them when he came and this is called The Grace of God The meaning whereof is not as if all of them
are the surest Pillars of our Commonwealth but woe to and will be to that Common-wealth that is builded on such Pillars And if Scotland or any party in it joyn with them on these terms our woe is but coming He is a jealous God chiefly in the matter of his Service as is clear from the Second Command The Third use is If this be an Ordinance of God to put Power in the Magistrates hand to punish Error it should make you scar at Error and labour to be grounded in the Truth For we see Error is a sin that God hates and it is a sin that God will have the Magistrate to punish and so a sin that he himself will punish if the Magistrate do neglect it It is natural to men to think If they can live a good Life it is the less matter what be their Opinion but the Lord Judges not so for as he will have other sins punished by the Magistrate so he will have these punished also And such as he usually punisheth himself by fearful Plagues when the Magistrate neglecteth his Duty in punishing other sins so doth he in those We might speak much from History of fearful Judgements sent immediatly by God upon Hereticks but we shall here close SECT III. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Erastianism Head I. That there is a Church Government held forth in Scripture HAving thus show'n that the Doctrine of Tolleration is not of God I proceed to Demonstrate this also in some other of the most Dangerous Errors of the Times We shall begin first with these Errors which are about the Government of the Church and that because the Government of the Church is the hedge of the Doctrine for if once the Government be brangled or shaken the wild Boar of the Wilderness cometh in easily and corrupteth the Doctrine therefore it is that the Devils main design hath been against the Government of the Church to blast and storm this Wall on all Hands The summe of what we have to say in this is to make out these four points First That there is a Government appointed by Christ in his Church distinct from the Civil Government Secondly We shall show that this Government is not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate but in the hands of Christs own officers which he hath appointed for Governing his house By inflicting of Church Censures enacting of Church canons so as they are not to act by derived power from the Magistrate and Appeals are not to be made from them to the Magistrate Thirdly we shall endeavour to prove That this power of Church Government is not in the hands of private Christians or the community of the Faithful but in the hand of Christs own Officers Ministers and Elders And Lastly We shall endeavour to prove that this Authority and Government is not in the hand of particular Congregations or particular Elderships Independently from other Judicatories above them but that this power is given to them so as they must be subject to Superior Judicatories In which propositions we will meet with these Errors that are most dangerously opposite to Church Government at this time The First two propositions are contrary to the Doctrine of Erastians and the last two are contrary to the Doctrine of Independents as they are commonly designed First we shall engage with Erastianism and our Scope in this shall be as in the former to show that however it pretend to the Spirit yet when it is brought to the tryal it will be found not to be of God This Doctrine or Error hath its name from the prime Author of it called Erastus a Doctor of Medicine who upon some discontent did first vent it to wit That Ministers should only meddle with Preaching but should have no power to meet in Church Judicatories Sessions Presbyteries or such like nor should they punish Scandalous sins with Church Censures Such as Suspension or Excommunication But that all power whatsoever in a Nation both in Church and State should be in the hand of the Civil Magistrate This Doctrine so soon as it was vented did get and does yet get many followers chiefly among state Divines and Christians that know more of wordly policy than Christian simplicity so that in a short time if God prevent it not it is like to swallow up all other Controversies about Church Government so plausible and pleasing it is to the powers of the World who cannot well endure to have Christ Reigning besides them Psalm 2. 3. Let us break their bands assunder and cast away their cords from us Both Sectaries and Malignants do aggree in this Error to take the power of Discipline out of the Churches hand 's The spiritual power of Church Censures in the hands of Christs officers is an eye sore to both of them But to come nearer to the point There are two heads of this Erastian Doctrine which we shall labour to refute The First is most gross whereby they affirm That there is no particular Church Government set down in Scripture In a word that there is no Government in the Church by divine right but that this Government is left in the hands of the Civil Magistrate whether to erect any Government at all in the Church or not or if he please to erect one That he may establish That Government which suits best the well-being of the Civil state So that according to this Doctrine the Civil Magistrate may establish Episcopacy this year the next year he may establish Presbytry and the third year he may cast both and establish Independency And if he like He may find out a Government different from any of these and establish it The Second Erastian Error is this whereby they affirm whatever Government be in the Church whether grounded in Scripture or not that according to Scripture it is in the hands of the Civil Magistrate and that he is the chief fountain of Church Government In opposition to the first Error we lay down this Conclusion which God willing we shall make good That Jesus Christ the King and head of his Church hath established a particular form of Church Government in his word which to alter is not in the power of any State whatsoever He hath set down a way for punishing Scandals for inflicting Church Censures Enacting Church canons And hath not left this in the Arbitriment of Kings or Parliaments to set down any Government they please In prosecuting which point we shall follow that Method we keeped in refuting the Doctrine of Tolleration We shall First clear the State of the Question Secondly We shall bring Arguments to confirm the Truth Thirdly We shall Answer these Arguments the Adversary brings against the Truth And so we shall apply all to Use. I. And First for clearing the State of the Question take thir two assertions First we do not affirm that all the Circumstantials of Church Government is set down expresly in the word But only first That all the
his Deputes so that they are to act by vertue of a Commission from him and meddle only with these things that he gives them Warrand for and so to meddle with them as to be lyable to an Appeal to him as the supream Judge in all Church matters We contrary to all these shall make out this following Assertion To wit That the Civil Magistrate as a Magistrate hath no Power either to Preach or Administrate the Sacraments nor yet to make Church Laws or inflict Church Censures either by himself or others as his Deputes but all this power doth belong wholly to Church Officers Ministers and Elders Which power they are to execute without Dependency on the Civil Magistrate so that they are not lyable to Appeals to his Court neither hath he Power to rescind the Sentence pronounced by them In following out of this point we shall go on as in the former we shall First clear the state of the question Secondly We shall bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly We shall bring their Arguments against the Truth and refute them Fourthly We shall apply the whole to some use 1. First For clearing the State of the Question take this assertion that however we do not give the Civil Magistrate Power of Church Discipline or the power of governing the Church yet we give him much Power about Church matters Our Divines following the word of God give the Christian Magistrate a threefold Power about Church matters 1. A defensive protecting Power 2 A ruling Power And 3. a Punishing Power First They give him a Defending Power and that is grounded on that Promise made to the Church in Isa. 49. 23. And Kings shall be thy Nursing Fathers c. By this Power the Christian Magistrate is to do three things 1. By his Power he is to encourage countenance and advance by his Authority and example the publick exercise of all Gods Ordinances and so defend the Church in her Liberties that are given to her by Christ This was the practice of those Godly Kings under the Old Testament So did Asa 2 Chron. 15. to verse â—8 and Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 1. 8 9. 10 11. And other Godly Kings They encouraged others in the Service of God they countenanced them and by their Authority and example allured others to the practice of Godliness which I ower Christian Magistrates have yet 2. By this Power they are to provide the Church with all external Necessaries as publick convenient Pâ—aces of meeting for Gods Worship and publick Mantainance for the Church Officers c This we see was Hezekiah's practice 2 Chron. 31. 4. Moreover he commanded the People that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord. And it was Joâ—â—ah's practice 2 Chron. 34. He repaired the House of the Lord The publick place of Gods Worship 3. By this defending Power of the Christian Magistrate he is to remove all outward Impediments lying in the way of God's Worship such as Prophanity Idolatry Heresy and Blaspemy as we did prove at length in the former Controversy Secondly We give to the Christian Magistrate a Ruling Power about Church matters By this Power 1. He may convocate Church Judicatories command them to meet and to enact Canons and to make rules for Governing the Church although he cannot make Church Laws himself So pious Magistrates under the Old Testament did call Synods as David 1 Chron. 23 2. And he gathered together all the Princes of Israel with the Priests and Levites 2. By this Power the Christian Magistrate is to confirm the acts of the Church Judicatories and to give the force of a Civil Law Only herein we differ from the Papists They say the Magistrate should do this blindly he is only say they the Churches Echo to â—ay Amen to what they conclude But we say the Magistrate is not to do this blindly we allow to him a judgement of Discretion to try whether what they conclude be right or not and accordingly he is to add his Authority or not and yet this makes him not a Judge in Church matters but only a Judge of his own Actions 3. By this Power the Magistrate is to take Inspection of the Carriage of Church Judicatories so that all things be rightly managed by them so as if they should conclude a point of Injustice though he may not rescind their Act himself yet he may command them to resume the the matter take it to their second Thoughts give Reasons to the contrair exhort them to their Duties from time to time until the matter be rightly concluded Only it is still the Church Judicatory that must rescind their own Act. By this ruling Power the Magistrate may do much When the Church is corrupt he may reform it That is when Church Judicatories are all wrong that they will do nothing for his upstirring In this case the Magistrate may lay the Church Judicatory aside and do that himself which they should do His Power in this case is extraordinary he may reform by his own Power as Godly Josiah did 2 King 23. And as Asa and Jehoshaphat At such a time Magistrates may do much this way But extraordinary Cases are not to be made ordinary Rules Thirdly We give to the Magistrate a Coactive punishing power about Church-matters and by this power we affirm that all the persons of Church-men and their goods are lyable to the Civil Magistrate in things Civil According to that Let every soul be subject to the higher powers contrary to what the Papists teach so that if a Church-man should commit a Civil crime the Magistrate by his own power may punish him as Solomon did Abiathar 2. By this coactive punishing power he may see to the Observation of Divine and Church Laws and punish those that are contemners of them by Civil punishments There are several examples of this as that of Josiah He made all the People stand to the Covenant Now by all that is said ye may easily perceive that We give to Caesar that which is Caesars although we give him not what is Gods We give him much power about the Church but not the power of Governing the Church We shall clear this by a simile how the Magistrate may have much power about Church-matters although not power of Governing the Church Ye know the Civil Magistrate or Church Sessions have much power about matters belonging to husband and wife Parents and Children so as to censure and punish them for their unnatural carriage towards each other and to see every one do duty to another and yet neither the Civil Magistrate nor Church Session hath Marital or Husbandly power over the Wife or Parental power over the Children so as they might challenge the same duties from them to be done to themselves which the Wife oweth to her Husband or the Children to the Parents the Husband and Parents only have that power So it is here
transferred it to the Civil Magistrate which they cannot do Our fifth Argument is to obviate that which they say That Ministers are but the Magistrates deputes From which we argue thus If Church Officers in inflicting Censures be the Magistrates deputs then whatever the Church Judicatory does the Magistrate may do it also for none can delegate more right to ther than what he hath himself And so by this it should follow that the Magistrate might ordain Misters himself by imposition of hands he might Excommunicate And if he may do this by consequence he might also Preach Administrate the Sacraments c. For what right can be pretended to the one which may not be extended to the other and so there should be no need of Pastors and Teachers but the Magistrate might do all Our last Argument is taken from the distinction which the Scripture holdeth out betwixt Ecclesiastick and Civil power Scripture condemneth Church-mens usurping the Civil power and States-mens usurping the Church power Church men are forbidden to judge or meddle with Civil things by Christ himself Luk 12. 13 14. 22 25. And so the Civil Magistrate may not meddle with Church power either There are two Kings we read of to be heavily punished for their Transgression in this kind Saul for offering a Burnt-offering 1 Sam 13. 13. And Vzziah for burning Incense 2 Chorn. 26. 19. He would go in and burn Incense And therefore the Lord smites him with leprosie And surely Reason would say if it be a sin for Church Officers to Exercise the Civil Government then it is a sin for the Civil Magistrate to take to himself the only supream power of Church Government and ingross it wholy to himself III. We come to the Third thing we promised to speak to And that was the answering of the Opposites Arguments The first Argument they bring against this Truth is That Godly Magistrates under the Old Testament had the power of Church Government And therefore so should Christian Magistrates have it under the New Wee Answer That their Argument proves nothing except they also prove that what power of Church Government Magistrates had then they had it as Magistrates For we grant indeed what did belong to Magistrates as Magistrates under the Old Testament does belong to Magistrates under the New But it may not be granted that that which belonged to Magistrates then under other respects doth belong to Magistrates yet For clearing of this It is to be observed that there were many Magistrates extraordinary men under the Old Testament So Moses gives out Laws and Ordinances for ordering the Church But we find in Deut 18. 15. Moses was a great Prophet and a Type of Christ. The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee of thy Brethren like unto me unto him ye shall hearken So David appointed the office of the Levites that divided their courses But David was a Prophet 2. Chron 8 14. And he appointed according to the order of David his father the courses of the Priests to their service Thus in another place it is shown how David did this at the direction of other Prophets 2 Chron. 29. 25. And he set the Levites in the House of the Lord with Cymbals with Psalters and with Harps according to the Commandment of David and of Gad the Kings seer and Nathan the Prophet For so was the Commandment of the Lord by his Prophets And so from these and such like practices they can no more infer the Power of the Magistrate now in Church matters than we may infer the Power of Church-men in Civil-matters from the example of Church-men under the Old-Testament For Church-men did meddle with Civil-Matters in extraordinary Cases As Eli the Priest He governed the State And Samuel in cutting Agag in pieces Elisha in Anointing Jehu to be King And Jehoâ—ada the Priest in causing kill Attaliah the Usurper and making Joash King All which we grant were extraordinary Acts and so cannot be an ordinary rule for Church-men to have such Power in Civil things now And so must they grant concerning these extraordinary practices of Civil Judges in medling sometimes with Church matters The Second Argument they use is this If so be that Magistrates were set over Church Officers to receive Appeals from them it would make them afraid to go beyond their Duty But if they have none above them there is danger of their Ambition and abusing of Discipline To which we answer First Ministers are Men indeed and as other men are ready to abuse their Power But if the danger of abusing Power be a good Argument to take Power from them then there should be no Power in the Hands of any For what kind of Men are there to be found who are not in danger to abuse their Power and so all must be left in Confusion We give a second answer That the same Argument may be used against the abuse of Preaching the Word and administrating the Sacraments For the danger is as great and yet the Erasitans the most part of them at least will not say that the Magistrate for preventing of this abuse may step into the Pulpit himself and Preach better and Administer the Sacraments better There is another way to curb that abuse and so is it in the matter of Governing the Church there is danger indeed of abusing that Power but we say in like manner that for that the Magistrate may not sit down and take the Power of Church Government himself There are other means left to prevent this danger Which shall be our Third Answer Wherein we shall show some of these means appointed by God for preventing the abuse of Power in the hands of the Church-Officers First There are some Remedies in the Church Power it self to wit The Subordination of Judicatories So that although a Congregational Eldership should wrest Justice yet there are above them Presbyteries and above them Synods and above them General Assemblies Now it may be conceived that an Act of Injustice will hardly get through all those before it be branded with some deserved mark But Secondly Though all Church Officers should connive one at another and so the Faults of Ministers go through unpunished yet there is some remedy left even in the Civil Power For although for the reasons foresaid he may not take upon him the Power of the Church Judicatory under pretence of Righting their Abuses no more than he may take upon him to Preach for preventing their abuse of Preaching Yet he may do several things 1. If Church Officers commit a civil Crime he may curb them by his own Authority 2. If Church Judicatories meddle to judge in Civil things which concern a mans Life or Estate the Magistrate may make null what they conclude and punish them for abuse of Power for therein they medled with what belonged not unto them 3. Grant the matter be meerly Ecclesiastick wherein they abuse their Power yet the
ground your self in this Truth It may cost you much and though it should stand you never so much it is worth the avowing Christ himself suffered on this account as we have already shown and others of his servants have thought it their Glory to be called unto suffering for it Who am I saith Master Welsh That he hath not only called me to be a Preacher of glad things but also to be a sufferer for his cause and Kingdom To wittness that good confession That Jesus Christ is the King of Saints and that his Church is a most free Kingdom Yea as free as any Kingdom under Heaven That she is free in her Government from all other Jurisdiction on Earth except only Christs We are waiting saith he with joyfulness to leave the last Testimony of our blood for the confirmation of this Truth If it would please our God to be so favourable as to honour us with that dignity Thus He. And who knowes how soon he may honour some of us with that dignity A dignity indeed to suffer for the Royal Crown and Diadem of Our Lord Jesus SECT IV. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF Independency Head I. The Power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church-Members THE dayes by-past we spake against the Doctrine of Erastianism And shew you that however it had many fair pretences yet it is to be reckoned among those Doctrines which are not of God We are now with the Lords assistance to speak against the Doctrine of Independency Ye Remember when we entered on these controversies about Church Government We shew you there were Four points of Truth which we should Labour to make good The first was That Jesus Christ the head of his Church had appointed in his word a way for the Governing and Ruling of his Church and that he had not left it to the power of the Civil Magistrate King or Parliament To establish what way of Government they please The second point was That this Government of the Church which Christ established in his word was not in the hands of the Civil Magistrate to be Executed by him Thir two points we have made good in our former Disputs against Erastianism The third point of Truth is this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not committed the power of Governing his Church unto the Body of Believers To the community of Church Members but hath established it in the hands of his own officers Ministers and Elders The Fourth point of Truth which we promised to prove was this That Jesus Christ the head of the Church hath not given particular Elderships and Church Sessions the Supream power of Church Government in their hands so as that there should be none above them to call them to an account But that they are subject in the Lord to Superior Church Judicatories such as Presbytries Synods and General Assemblies These two last points we are to make out in Refuting this Doctrine of Independency This Error of Independency above all other we may call a fountain Error It is the Sluce whereby an entrance is made to all other Errors of what sort soever This is the Error whereby the most part of those that hath fallen from the way of Truth these years by past have been first hooked They first turned Independents yet rested not long there but proceeded from evil to worse Our scope shall be in this as in the former points to show That however it hath many fair pretences yet when it is brought to the Tryal it will be found not to be of God There are two main heads of this Error of Independency opposit to the two last points of Truth which we promised to make out The first is That whereby they affirm That Jesus Christ has given the power of Governing the Church unto all those that are Members of the Church Although they be not Ministers or Elders To the community of believers as they call it The second Head of their Error is this They do affirm that Jesus Christ hath intrusted particular Congregations Elderships or Church Sessions with the highest power of Church Government on earth so that there is no Judicatory above them to call them to an account As for the first Head of their Error which we are to speak against at this time Therein they have different Opinions among themselves some affirming that the power of Governing the Church is given to the Body of Church Members the community of Believers without the Minister and Elders yea a power over them to ordain them Censure depose them and inflict all other Church Censures Others give them this power conjunctly with the Church Officers Ministers and Elders Secondly Some give only the power and Authority to Govern to the Church Members But for the Exercise of that power they allow it to the Elders Yet so as to the Peoples deputs to whom they must give an account Others give the People not only the power and Authority but also the Exercise of this Government So that the People may sit down in Church Judicatories themselves enact Church Canons inflict Church Censures c. Thirdly Some give them the Exercise of this power only in some things as the Excercise of the power of Jurisdiction to make Church Canons and inflict Church Censures But not to Preach Others give them a full Exercise of Authority to do all We in opposition to all these lay down this conclusion which we shall Labour to make good from the word of God and solid Reason to wit That Jesus Christ hath not given to the Body of Church Members or to private Christians either the power or Exercise of Church Government neither in whole nor in part but hath intrusted it wholly to his own Officers Ministers and Elders I prosecuting this point we shall follow forth the former Method First We shall clear the State of the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth And Thirdly We shall propone and answer their Arguments brought against the Truth And Fourthly We shall shall apply the whole to some use I. For clearing the state of the Question Thâ—a it may be known what we do grant to private Christians and what we deny several distinctions would be given First There is difference betwixt Church power or Authority and Christian priviledges We do grant several Christian priviledges to private Christians but these do not infer any Church power or Authority of Governing the Church As for Example We do grant to the People a Power of Electing their own Officers Ministers or Elders we grant to them a power to try the Spirits whether they be of God i e They are not to believe blindly what Ministers say but have a power to Try what they say in Relation to their practice To pass a Judgment of discretion upon it whether it be according to the word or not We grant these priviledges to the People but none of them doth
of God to commit the great affairs of his House to those whom he hath not qualified to that purpose Besides no instance can be given that ever he trusted any with those things but he promised them furniture and in some measure enabled them accordingly So when he sendeth forth Moses Jeremiah Isay c. he giveth them furniture and when he sendeth out the Apostles he furnishes them for that End So John 20. 21 Then said Jesus to them again peace be unto you as my Father sent me even so send I you There is the commission given them and upon the back of this in v. 22. And when he had said this he breathed on them c. There is the Furniture And so does he to Ministers whom he entrusts with this power He promises them Furniture Matth 28 20 and lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World There a promise made to the Apostles and in them to the Ministers as appears from these following words even unto the end of the World And so these promises could not be fully verified in the Apostles who were to die within a little but in Ministers their successors to the Worlds end Now it is very evident he hath neither made such promises to every particular believer for Governing the Church neither doth he perform them unto them What Is every believer furnished with that measure of knowledge prudence and wisdom that is required for the right managing of the affaires of Church Government Yea God doth not require it of them And so certainly it stands not with his wisdom to have committed the power of Church Government to all and every one of believers This for ouâ— third Argument Our Fourth Argument for the Truth is If so be that the power of Governing the Church belongeth to Church Members Then it belongeth to them either as they are gifted for it and chosen out for that purpose And if so then we have our intent For then all are not Church Governours but only those who are gifted and chosen And so Church Officers Or it belongs to them as believers or Church Members and if so then it Belongs to all for every one is a Church Member as well as another and every one that hath Faith is a believer as well as another and whatever priviledge floweth from Faith belongs to every believer the meanest as well as the greatest So if the right of Church Government be grounded on Faith and Grace then every believer and none but believers should have the right of it from whence shall follow many absurdities as that Children as well as Parents the simple as well as the wise Women as well as Men may Preach Administrate the Sacraments lay on hands in Ordaining the Ministers sit in Sessions inflict Censures Excommunicate and what not Secondly Then none but believers should have right to Church Government So none hath power to Baptise Censure c. But they that have Grace And upon this People should have Reason to doubt whether they be rightly Baptised or not because they know not if the Minister who Baptised them had Grace or not and if he wanted Grace he had no power of Church Government by this Doctrine And so no power to Baptise We bring a Fifth Argument for the Truth and it is this private Christians are in no place of Scripture acknowledged to be Church Governours There are no names nor titles given to them importing this power to be in them as is given to Church Officers 1 Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour And 1 Corinth 12. 28. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly Teachers c. But no title of that kind is given to private Christians Yea they are set down plainly under names in opposition to Governours As the flock to Overseers Acts 20. 28. Take heed tberefore unto your selves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers c. Yea and are commanded to honour obey submit to their Governours set over them and distinct from them Hebr 13. 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. Now it is strange to imagine That Christ should have intrusted them with highest power of Government And yet in all the stiles he gives them there is nothing imported of that power but much of their Subjection Surely he hath not done so with Officers as we have shown And let any discover the Reason of the difference A Sixth Argument for the Truth is this If so be that the power of Governing the Church be given but only to some then it does not belong to all but so it is that the power of Governing the Church is only given to some therefore not to all Church Members The first part of the Argument cannot be denyed For the second That it is only given to some see those proofs that limit this power only to some as Ephes 4. 11. And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets c. Some and therefore not all 1 Cor 12. 28. which we cited before and God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets thirdly teachers There are but some that he hath set for Governing his house and therefore not all and Heb 13 17. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves c. Tim 5. 17. as is likewise before cited There are some then that rule to whom the rest ought to submit And so all are not Rulers There is a Seventh Argument for clearing the Truth And it is this That power which Jesus Christ hath not set down rules and limits to order it by in his word is not of God but he hath set down no Rules how to direct the managing of Church Power in the hand of Church-Members therefore it is not of God The first part of our Argument That whatever Power is appointed of God he hath set down Rules how to order it is very clear As we may prove by the Enumeration of lawful Powers He hath set down Rules how to Regulate the Power of a King that he play not the Tyrant He hath set down Rules to Regulate the Power of Masters Parents by So the Power in the Hand of the Church Officers is regulated that they Rule with Diligence Rom. 12. 8. And so through the Epistles to Timothy and Titus But so it is that he hath set down no Rules to order Church Government by in the Hands particular Believers For in no place of the word will such Rules be found Ye that are the flock govern the Pastors and feed them watch over the People of God lay hands suddenly on no man I say there are no such directions given to private Christians and therefore this pretended Power is not of God Our last Argument for the Truth is If so be the Power of governing the Church doth belong to every
Church-member then every Church-member is bound in Conscience to attend all Church Judicatories to wait on the deciding of all Ecclesiastical questions But what inevitable confusion would follow on this How long time would it take to inform People about the Circumstances of things How tedious would it be to hear every mans judgment to the point And what distractions would it be to Peoples Callings This certainly would bring great confusion And so such a Power as this cannot be from God who is the God of Order These are now the Arguments for the Truth III. In the next place we shall answer their Arguments brought against the Truth The first they use is grounded on Coloss. 4. 17. A command There is given to the Body of Believers in reference to the Minister Say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord. From this they infer That People have Power to Censure their Minister And so have Church Authority We answer They make much of this Argument and yet it is little worth For they build their Power to Censure upon this that they have Power to Say A poor reason So Matth. 18. 17. Say to the Church or tell the Church It is the same word that is here used But to infer from this that one man had Authority over the Church were very ridiculous Surely if he had commanded a judicial act of Authority he would have said Command and Charge Archippus with all Authority as in the like case he speaks to Timothy But as we shew in the state of the question private Christians have Power to exhort and admonish one another yea their Pastors But this doth not import any Power of Church-Government over others else women who are not permitted to speak in the Church should have Power of Church-Government to make Church Canons Censure and Ordain their Ministers For they are bound to exhort and admonish as occasion offers Obj. 2. A second Argument they bring from Act. 11. 1. When Peter comes up to Jerusalem verse 3. the people Challenge him saying Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them and verse 4 He begins to clear himself to them and rehearsed the matter from the beginning c. And from this they reason thus That the Church hath Power to call Peter to an account And therefore they have Power to Censure for Scandals It s answered first Besides the People there were Apostles and Brethren There verse 1. Secondly We answer It doth not follow because Peter purgeth himself of a Scandal unjustly laid upon him That therefore they had Power to Censure him For every Christian is bound to clear himself to another Christian of that which he is stumbled within his carriage yet one private Christian hath not Church Power over another to Censure So Peter was bound to clear himself before any one of them and if he had done wrong to take with it but that That one could not be a Church Judicatory having Power to inflict Censure on Peter our Opposits themselves will grant Obj. 3. A Third Argument they bring against the Truth is from Revel 2. 14. I have a few things against thee because thou hast there them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam The Spirit of God here is wriâ—ing to the Church of Pergamus And after he hath commended them for their Doctrine he reproves them for not exercising Discipline against these Hereticks to wit Balaam Iesabel and the Nicolattans Now from this they argue The whole Church is reproved here for not executing Discipline against these Hereticks and therefore they had power to do it Otherwise they would not have been reproved for the neglect of it But that all were reproved they prove from vers 13. and its connection with the 14. say they these who are commended in the 13. are rebuked in the 14 verse I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Sathan's seat is c. But so it is that not only the Ministers and Elders but all the People dwelt where Sathan's Seat was Therefore they all are reproved Answer It followeth well that they are all reproved for one fault But not that they were accessory to it after one and the same way It was the Rulers part judicially to cast out these vile Hereticks It was the Peoples part to have stirred up the Rulers to it Now because these were neglected on both hands both have their own guilt and so both reproved for their respective guilt The People are reproved for not Mourning to God for the tollerating such like abominations and their not stirring up the Rulers to take course with them But it will not follow that they were reproved for not sitting down in the Judicatory and inflicting Censures themselves That was the Rulers fault And therefore we deny that they are all rebuked for their accession to that guilt in the same way And we clear it thus Doubtless the Teachers did not teach against these vile Hereticks Now there were Women there and yet surely they are not rebuked for not Preaching against them for They ought to be silent in the Church So their fault as of all other Church Members was of another kind to wit Their not Mourning nor stirring up the Officers And so it followes that it was their Duty to Mourn stir others up to their Duty which we grant But not to exercise the Power themselves for that is not the thing they are reproved for Obj. 4. The Fourth Objection is grounded on Mat 18 17 If he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican Whence say they the power of Church Censure is in the hand of the Church but so it is Church Officers are never called the Church Neither can they be so called without the Body of the People Therefore the power of the Church Censures is in the hand of the Body of the People Wee Answer This Argument will make more against them than us and that because they grant that neither Women nor Children have hand in Church Government but only professing Men Now they shall get no place in Scripture wherein the name of the Church is given to the Body of the Men Assembled without Women and Children Secondly We grant that the name of the Church is very sparingly given to Officers without the People Yet we say 1. 't is given them in some places As for Example Acts 18. 22. It is said of Paul When he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the Church c. Now by the Church here certainly cannot be meaned the body of professâ—rs which did amount to many thousands of People as shall appear from Acts 21. 20. In its own time So by the Church must be meaned the Chief men and Rulers of the Church For Paul having so short time to stay he seeing them but at the by could
Excommunicate the Incestous Person To deliver such a one unto Sathan for the destruction of the flesh that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Now say they this command is given unto all the Church because there is no exception and therefore not to Elders only As also the command is as large as the reproof in v. 2. And ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned c. Now sure it is there were moe reproved than the Church Officers And therefore the command belongs to others than these In Answering this Argument we shall first retort it on themselves For if so be the Argument hold good it would follow that Women and Children had power of Excommunication for if the command be to all without exception then they are not excepted and if the command be given to all to whom the reproof is given then it is to them for doubtless Women and Children mourned no more than the men And so they should have power to Excommunicate also Now this were absurd and against themselves And so the two main pillars whereon they build their Argument fall to the ground to wit That the command is given to all without exception And that it is of a like latitude with the reproof But Secondly We Answer to the point That all who are acquaint with Scripture know that God useth to give commands indefinitly to the whole Church which he will not have applyed to every one in the Church but only to those persons to whom according to their respective callings interest or relations the command doth belong We shall make this clear from 1 Cor 14. 31. Where Paul speaketh generally to the Saints at Corinth ye may all Prophecy one by one c. The command is given indefinitly to all and yet sure it is not the Apostles mind that all to whom he writs should do this but only they who had abilities and a Call to it and therefore he sayes in the preceeding 12 chap. 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers c. So in 1 Thess 5. 13. And to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake c. Now if this be a duty lying on all to whom the Epistle is directed then the Ministers had been to esteem highly to themselves for their own works sake For the Epistle is written to them among the rest now this were absurd and so it must be intended for the People So is it here the command is given indefinitly to all yet the matter is not to be done by all but only by some to wit the Church officers and this appeareth evidently from 2 Cor. 2. 6. He was speaking to them concerning the same case in hand to wit the relaxing of the incestous man from Excommunication and sayes he Sufficient to such a man is this punishment which was inflicted of many Now he doth not say Inflicted of all as they would make the words bear but inflicted of many Yea as the learned observe the word many signifieth The chief ones It is the same word that is Matth 12. 41 a greater than Jonas So Paul explaines himself That it was not all but the chief Ones to wit the Rulers by whom the Censure was to be inflicted And this now for Answering their Objections IV. In the nixt place we shall come and apply the whole purpose to a threefold Use. And the first is Seeing this Error as we have now made evident it is not of God I would have you suspecting fair pretences that a Doctrine may be coloured over with There is no Error that hath a fairer pretence than This hath it is the liberty of the Saints say they should not they judge others A fair pretence And yet it is but the same that Korah Dathan and Abiram had and so we need to stumble the less at it Ye take too much upon you said they seing all the Congregation are Holy every one of them c. Numb-16 3. The Second Vse is to private Christians that ye would do your duty And Secondly Content your selves with your duty And first do your duty whereof many come short Doubtless many at the hearing of this Doctrine will cast off all care seeing the care of the Church is laid on the Officers thereof Ministers and Elders Nay but as we shew in the clearing of the State of the Question although power of Governing the Church be not in the hands of all believers yet there is a duty lying on them to admonish and exhort even their Ministers say to Archippus take heed to thy Ministry Yea it is a duty lying on private Christians that when your private Admonition doth not the business ye are bound to delate it to the Church We see this Matth 16. Where Christs institutes this order v 16. 1. To tell thy Brother privatly and if that will not do bring two or three moe Witnesses with thee then if that do it not tell it to the Church so it is a duty lying on every Church member to admonish and rebuke even their Ministers and Elders to stir them up when slack and when that will not do to tell it to others And we would charge you to make more conscience of this duty than usually ye do A second part of your duty we told you was to try the spirits in reference to your practice ye are not bound to take a Doctrine on trust from Ministers tho Apostles Nay not from Angels Though we or an Angel from Heaven Preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have Preached unto you let him be accursed Galat. 1. 8. And private Christians come short of this part of their duty also many seeking no other Reason of their Faith than what Ministers Preach it is a loose ground For ye are commanded to Try the Spirits But Secondly As ye would make Conscience of your duty so ye would content your selves with your duty ye would look on Church Officers and reverence them ye are not to say what is more in them than in our selves may we not be as fit as they they may erre as well as we Grant it be so yet they are Gods Ordinance appointed by the God of order and he who reproacheth them reproacheth his ordinance and breaketh down the hedge appointed by God The Third Vse is directed to Church Officers Those whom the Lord hath instructed with this power Ye would make use of it for Edification and not for destruction ye should so carry your selves in your places as not to tempt the People of God to despise your Office When the Lords People hear of an Elder to be a Tipler or a Swearer it is a temptation to them to despise both that Elder and his Office Many surely in this are stumbling blocks to People As Eli's Sons made the People abhorr the offering of the Lord. The Truth is it is no great wonder that the Government of the Church be losing weight
in the minds of many if it were but for this one Reason that they who are intrusted with it do not Labour to beautify it It is looked on by many as a place of respect and not of Office If a man be Richer than his neighbour he thinks he is not respected if he be not an Elder and having goten the name he cares for no more Now is that the way either to make People respect thy Person or thy Office Let me obtest and charge all of you who have taken on this Heavenly Calling as ye will Answer on your hazard to Jesus Christ the chief sheepherd that ye would study by all means so to walk in it as to beautify it and that so much the more as the Devil is Labouring to disgrace it And this now for the First Head of Independency Head II. The highest Power of Church Government is not in Church-Sessions or Congregational Elderships WE come now to the Second Head And it is That for which mainly they are called Independents The point they affirm is this That every particular Church Session or Congregational Eldership is instructed with the highest power of Church Government on Earth so that there is no power in the Church above them to call them to an account when they go wrong to rescind any Act once concluded though it were never so unjust They grant that a Synod of Ministers and Elders may meet to consult about matters but withall affirm that they have no Ecclesiasticall power to command in the Lord any Congregation whatsoever So that if a man be wronged by a Session As for instance if he be unjustly censured as it may very readily fall out he must sit with his wrong there is no power to right it till Christ come in the Clouds Or if a particular Congregation divide turn Hereticks run wrong as many of the Independent Congregations doe there is no Church power to heal the breach unless it be by giving an advice which they may either follow or not follow as likes them best We again grant That particular Elderships have a power from Jesus Christ to Exercise Discipline in these things which concern the Congregation in particular But as for other things of more publick concernment that is to say Things that concern other Congregations as well as them these ought to be handled by a Superior Judicatory And that even in those things of particular concernment They are lyable to Appeals and the inspection of the Superior Judicatory So that wherein they shall be found wrong partial or Erronious They may be called to an account For shewing the fashood of this Error as also for the vindicating of the Government of the Church of Scotland that is now so much spoken against we shall labour to make out with the Lords assistance these Three Truths from the word of God The first it this That besides the power of Church Government that Christ hath given to particular Elderships There is also holden forth in his word A plat-form or a Copy of the Government of many Congregations by one Presbytry over them all in common The Second Truth that we shall make out is this That besides the Church Government that Christ hath established by Presbytries there is also holden out in the word greater Church Judicatories to wit Synods made up of Commissioners from several Presbytries instructed with power of Church Government from Christ also And Thirdly We shall labour to make out this Truth That the inferior Judicatories are to be Subject to the Superior as Sessions to Presbytries Presbytries to Synods Synods to General Assemblies So that the Superior judicatories have power over the Inferior in the Lord to receive Appeals from them and complaints 〈◊〉 them to Censure them for Miscarying in the matter of Discipline and to enact Church Canons or conclusions binding to them which Inferior Judicatories are bound to obey in the Lord. ¶ I. There is a Platform of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytery holden out in Scripture COncerning the State of this Question I only premit this That however we have the very name of this Presbytry whereabout we dispute holden out in 1 Tim 4. 14. Whereby I might easily show is meaned the Presbytry we plead for yet we shall not dispute about names Though the Name were not yet it is sufficient that the Thing be in it And this we shall make good to wit That in Scripture is holden out a pattern of the Government of many Congregations by one common Presbytry The proof of this point we might instance almost in all the Churches that were planted in the Apostles time As in the Church of Jerusalem The Church of Antioch Ephesus Thessalonica Corinth and of Rome We might easily make it appear that those Churches were not single Congregations but Presbyterial Churches under one common Government But in stead of spending of time in pointing out this in all these Churches we shall instance it only in the Church of Ierusalem That by this One ye may know what to judge of the rest And first concerning the Church of Jerusalem planted by the Apostles we shall labour to make out thir two things 1. That in that one Church there were many particular Congregations And 2. That all these particular Congregations made up but one Church and was guided by one common Presbytry and Judicatory set over them all in common Which two being made out the point we intend will appear evidently to wit That there was here a Government set over many Congregations in one common Judicatory such as our Presbytry is over all the particular Church-Sessions in the bounds The first thing we shall make out is this That there were moe Congregations in the Church of Jerusalem than one and this from four grounds First From the multitude of Church Members that were in Jerusalem Secondly From the multitude of Pastors Teachers and Elders that were there moe than could get work in one single Congregation Thirdly From the diversities of Languages that were among the People of that Church And Fourthly From the way of their meeting and the place they resorted to for Gods service And first For the multitude of Church Members that was at Jerusalem If we compare place with place we will find that they amounted to many thousands and so behooved to be moe than one single Congregation Take a view of some of these places Acts 1. 15. they are numbred to be about ane hundred and twenty And Act. 2. 41. there are added unto them about three thousand Souls and then in v. 47. There is daily Addition of moe and moe the Lord added unto the Church daily such as should be saved Act. 4. 4. We see yet a greater increase There are about five thousand and the nuâ—ber of the men was about five thousand concerning which five thousand it is necessarly to be understood that they were added presently excluding the rest of the numbers before
and Reason 4. The Truth being vindicated is applyed to a Practical Vse pag. 47. SECT III. The Doctrine of Errastianism Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 86. Head l. There is a Church Government 〈◊〉 forth in Scripture ibid. Head II. The power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate pag. 103 SECT IV. The Doctrine of Independency Try'd and found not to be Of God pag. 123. Head I. The power of Church Government is in the Church Officers and not in the Body of Church Members ibid. Head II. The highest power of Church Government is not in Church Sessions or Congregational Elderships pag. 150. Paragr I. There is a Plate-form of the Government of many Congregations by One Common Presbytry holden out in Scripture pag. 152. Paragr II. There is a Plate-form of Government by Synods over many particular Presbytries held forth in Scripture pag. 167. Paragr III. Infertor Church Judicatories are subject Superior pag. 173 SECT V. The Doctrine of Separation Try'd and sound Not to be of God pag. 191 Head I. Shewing what is required for making one a Member of the Visible Church ibid Head II. No Separation from a true Church or Gods Worship in the Church because of the Sins of Fellow-worshipers pag. 214 A Sermon Preach'd before the Synod at Glasgow April 5. 1653. From 1 Cor 1. 10. pag. 235. Sermon Second Preach'd at Irving foom Psalm 51 6. Immediatly before the Giving of the Communion Being a Preparation Sermon in order thereto pag. 287 Sermon Third Preach'd at Kilwinning 11 May 1663 From Luke 7. 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 313. Sermon Fourth Preach'd at Kilwinning From Acts 11 23. Vpon the Munday Immediatly after the Giving of the Communion pag. 340. A BRIEF REFUTATION OF THE ERRORS OF Tolleration c. SECT I. Of Doctrine in General and the Tryal thereof 1 John ch 4. ver 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God THE Body of this Epistle as we shew'd when first we entred upon the handling of it runs upon three Heads The first is upon Marks whereby to discern real Grace to wit who had it and who not The second runs upon Exhortations to several Duties of Sanctification chiefly Love to the Brethren that Christians would Love them that Love God Love Grace wherever they saw it The third Head whereon it runs is Exhortations to Constancy in avowing Truth against Error In this fourth Chapter there are two of these Heads according to which we may take up the Chapter in two parts In the First There is an Exhortation to stand by Truth and to beware of those who would seduce People from it And that to ver 7. In the second part There is a renewing of the former Exhortations To Love the Brethren And a Confirmation of it by a number of new Arguments to the end Both which have been handled already and yet the Apostle returns again to them because Exhortations against Error cannot be enough inculcate and therefore he reiterats them again and again In the first part of this Chapter There is 1. An Exhortation 2. There are Arguments to enforce the Exhortation The Exhortation is set down in the former part of the first verse Believe not every Spirit that is lend not an Ear to every point of Doctrine covered over with a fair Name but bring every Doctrine to the Touch-stone There are two Things considerable in this Exhortation First There is the compellation he gives them a warm and kindly Stile Beloved And then Secondly There is the Exhortation it self And in it there are two Things 1. What they should not do And 2. What they should do For the First What they should not do Believe not every Spirit Some take the Spirit here for Preacher Believe not every Preacher And some for Doctrine Believe not every Doctrine But both may well be joyned together thus Believe not every Preacher who pretends the Spirit for his Doctrine For the second What they should do It is to Try the Spirits whether they are of God He bids them not cast at all Doctrines because there are some Errors vented for Truths as the natural Heart is ready to do But he Exhorts that they would bring every Spirit to the right Touch stone Thus much for opening up the words We intend if the Lord give us liberty to speak somewhat largely on this Verse of those Doctrines or Errors which are most like to trouble our Church therefore we shall raise some Doctrines before hand which may make way for what we intend Doct. I. The First is from the Apostles dehorting Believers from false Doctrine by many Arguments Hence observe That Christians would by all means eschew any thing that may tend to seduce them from the pure Truths of Jesus Christ Particularly that they would beware of Error Heresy and any thing of that sort Hence there are so many Exhortations in Scripture to stand by the Truth to be rooted in the Faith and to eschew contrary Error So it is a Duty lying on Christians to be guarding and watching against Error or what is contrary to Truth Reas The Reason is because Errour is a Sin and a very dangerous one We shall shew the danger of it in three Things I. It is dangerous because of the desert of it It is Damnable 2 Peter 2. 1. False Prophets are spoken of there as those who bring in damnable Heresies that is highly condemnable We shall afterwads show in what respect Heresies are Damnable 2. Errours are dangerous Sins because they steal subtily in upon People and people do too readily relish them So there are many whose nature abhorres gross Sins against the second Table as Fornication and such like and yet the Devil gets them hooked by this sin of Error Nature is born with a cry against gross Sins committed against the second Table and so naturally there is some kind of loathing in People at them but it is not so in the sins of Error Sathan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and plead Conscience whereas he intends to bear down Truth So the sins of Error are dangerous because subtile 3. They are dangerous in this respect that as they creep easily in So when once they are in it 's hard to get them shut to the door again And that because deluded Conscience pleads for them People tainted with Error think themselves right and therefore whatever is brought against them Conscience casts at all as wrong Now in other Sins to wit such as are against the Second Table altho Affection plead for them yet usually Peoples Light does witness against them And so in this respect it is more hard to get a sin of Error thrust out where it is once rooted than the sin of Prophanity it self Vse This Doctrine may serve to fit you for receiving the following Doctrines which if the Lord will we are to speak of
trust Act 17. 11. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures dayly whither those things were so They would not take the Apostles Doctrine on trust and this is a command given by Paul writing to the Thess 1 Epistle ch 5. v. 21. Prove all things after he had said despise not Prophecyings So that Doctrines should be brought to a Tryal whatever be their fair pretences Reas The Reasons are first because foulest Errors may be coloured over with fairest pretences And Secondly the Scripture sayes all men are Lyars that is to say all men may Err and therefore words cannot be the Ground of Divine Faith for Faith must have an infallible ground as Ephes 2. 20. And are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets c. i. e. the word Preached by them and dictated by the Spirit of God Vse This Doctrine reproves first the Papists that will have nothing Tryed that comes from the Church but all taken upon trust hence is it that many swallow such Monsters of Absurdities as the Errors of Transubstantiation Purgatory Merite Mals and such like for which they have no other ground but because their Church sayes so But this Doctrine holdeth out another duty that who ever heareth any Doctrine proponed by one or other they are bound to pass their Judgment on it Try the Spirits Now that we may walk betwixt extreams the Papists on the one hand who set up Tyranny and these Sectaries on the other hand who set up Confusion we would know there is a twofold Judgement to be passed on Doctrine Publick Judgement and Private Judgement Publick Judgement again is either peremptorily absolute or limited A publick peremptory Judgement is That which binds the Conscience to obey simply that which is spoken and none have this Judgement but God himself Secondly There is a publick Judgement which is limited and this is a publick declaring and holding out that which is found to be God's mind in his word which does not bind absolutely but in so far as it agrees with the Word and this Judgement belongs to publick Church Judicatories met together in Christs Name They are like the Lyon-Herauld set forth to proclaim the Royal Acts if he proclaim that which is contained in the principal Acts it binds but if he add any thing of his own it binds not Next there is a private Judgement of Discretion and this belongs to every Christian every man in relation to his own practice is bound to pass Sentence on what is held out to him by others that if it be right he may embrace it but if wrong he may reject it but his private Judgement is not binding to others Now this private Judgement or this Judgement of Discretion is necessary because all men may Err Councils may Err Synods c. And Secondly Their Error will not excuse private Christians to follow them in their Error sayes Christ When the Blind leads the Blind both falls into the Ditch And therefore there must be a Judgement of Discretion in private persons to try what they hear And this much for guarding against the Popish Tyranny but least this Doctrine be abused to cast at all publick Church Judicatories we shall next speak somewhat to guard against Sectarian Confusion First Although publick Church Judicatories have not Power to bind Consciences yet when men are in a doubt concerning a point of Truth their Judgement ought to have more weight than the Judgement of private Men And that not only because there are more Gifts exercised together but mainly because there is a promise annexed to the Commission given by Christ to publick Church Judicatories Matth. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And Secondly From this it followes that there would be a kind of loathness to differ from publick Church Judicatories a man's grounds would be well examined lâ—st if differing from these Judicatories they also differ from Truth And Thirdly when they differ they are to bear them at Reverence although in such a point they should Err yet for their Authority they are to be Reverenced This much is granted by us to Church Judicatories but no further They are not to be made the Rule of our Faith Vse 2. It reproves those who are Lazie and cannot endure the trouble of trying what they hear but take things on trust and have no more but such a mans Authority he is of that Way and Opinion and therefore they are Fire and Flint Tooth and Nail for it as much as if they had the Word of God for it We have seen much of this in the unhappy Differences that have fallen out in our time which I have no pleasure to speak much of and therefore we proceed to another Doctrine Doct. X. The next thing then that we observe is from what he sayes Try c. whether they be of God that is the Tryal The Doctrine is this That the right tryal of Doctrine is To try whether they be of God or not and this point puts us to give Marks whereby it shall be known what Doctrine is of God and what Doctrine is not of God and here we shall speak to two things First We shall show what are the marks that necessarly infer a Doctrine to be of God And secondly we shall speak of other things that do not infer necessarly a Doctrine to be of God but for the most part follow upon such a Doctrine For the First That which makes Doctrine necessarily to be of God is if it be according to the rule of the Word So when the Bereans are commended Acts 17. The rule they went by in the tryal of Paul's Doctrine is the Scripture And this is Isaâ—a's rule chap. 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. He would have all Doctrines tryed by the Word of God So the Word is the rule and that Doctrine which has the Word for it is of God and whatever Doctrine has not the Word for it is not of God All Spirits even the Spirit of God himself must be tryed that way And that because the Word is a perfect rule I give only two places of Scripture to clear the perfection of this rule First The heavy Plagues pronounced against those who add to this rule The Word is so perfect that if an Angel should come and pretend a purer Rule Let him be sayes Paul Anathema Gal. 1. 8. There is another place which proves the perfection of this rule according to this point in hand 2 Timoth. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for Instruction in righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect c. So there is as much in the word of God as may make the man of God perfect And this in relation
Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Pubican That is Excommunicate him Now for what faults he is to be Excommunicate they are set down v. 15. Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee c. So it is a scandalous Trespass wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate on which according to Christ's Rule Excommunication should strick Now sure it is there are many Errors not contrary to fundamental Truths such as many points of Arminianism Antinomianism c. which yet persisted in are Scandalous both to particular Christians and the Church and therefore according to Christs Rule Excommunication should strick upon other Errors than those contrary to the fundamental Points of Religion which is contrary to their assertion Thirdly Neither can we assent that Excommunication should strick on no other Errors but those contrary to the light of Nature and that not only because of what is presently said that Excommunication should strick against every scandalous Sin done against a Brother or the Church wherein the offender does persist and remain obstinate but also according to that Rule whereby they maintain that Excommunication should strick on no other Error but these that are contrary to the very Light of Nature it would follow that the publisher of these Errors following or the like against fundamental Truths should not be censured to wit That the Scriptures are not the word of God That Jesus Christ was an Impostor a Deceiver That we are not justified by free Grace say according to that rule such Hereticks should not be censured no not Ecclesiastically because these Errors are not against Natures Light but Scripture Light only for Natures Light teacheth not the Truths which are contrary to these Errors This much for Church Tolleration but as said is concerning this is not the present Contraversy The main question then is concerning State Tolleration Concerning which some do affirm That whatever the Church may do in Inflicting Church Censures on Hereticks Maintainers of Heterodox Opinions Yet say they no civil Punishment such as Death Imprisonment Mulcts or Fines should be inflicted on any Error or Blasphem whatsoever providing the Maintainers of them carry themselves peaceably do not trouble the State or do evil against the Commonwealth in civil Things We again on the contrary do hold That it is the Duty of the Civil Magistrate to suppress Error Heresie and every sin against the First Table as well as it is his Duty to suppress Adultery Fornication Sedition and other sins against the second Table And that he is not only bound to suppress Errors and Blasphemies that are contrary to fundamental Truths or the Light of Nature but all Error contrary to other points of Truth Now for clearing the State of this Question and freeing it from some odious Imputations that may be cast upon it Before we come to Arguments we shall lay down these Assertions First We do not say that the Magistrate is bound to punish Hereticks at the first step Pains should first be taken to inform them the Judgement of the Church is Antecedent and their Labour is to convince Gainsayers So this must go before the Magistrates Duty they must be found Obstinate before the Magistrate medle with them or punish them Civilly Especially if their Errors be not horrid Blasphemies against God and Natures Light in such the Magistrate is not bound to give so much Forbearance Secondly We do not say that all Errors and Heresies are to get alike punishment but according to the degrees of the guilt that is in them even as it is in sins committed against the Second Table Murder is a more hainous Fault than Fornication and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more highly Even so is it in Sins done against the First Table Blasphemies done against God or a denying of the true God is a higher Sin than Worshiping of the true God after a false manner and therefore the Magistrate is bound to punish it more severely Thirdly As we do not say that every Error and Heresie is to receive the like punishment so neither do we say that every one that maintains the same Error is to be alike punished for there are some that are Seducers or Drawers on of others to Error Disturbers of the Peace of the Church Ring-leaders there are others again that are only seduced and drawn away to Error and these last although they should not be Tollerate yet the power of the Magistrate is to be exercised more sparingly towards them So Secondly There are some rooted in Error confirmed in it who will not hear Instruction There are others that are but weak and are seeking Light whose way evidenceth them to be Conscientious only for the time they are Ignorant and in Humility seeking after Light and these last the Magistrate as all other Christians is to bear much with according to Rom. 15. 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak c. Now this being said to clear the question we come to Arguments to make out this Truth to wit That the Magistrate is bound to suppress and punish Error Heresie and other sins against the First Table as well as he is bound to punish Adultery Theft and other sins against the Second Table The First Argument we bring is from the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament from which we form an Argument thus If it was the approven practice of Kings and and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy then Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like But so it is that it was the approven practice of Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament to suppress Error Heresie and Blasphemy and other sins against the first Table Therefore Magistrates under the New Testament are bound to do the like For confirming of this Argument there are two things to be made out First That it was the practice of the Magistrate under the Old Testament to suppress Error and Heresie Secondly As it was their practice so their practice herein is approven of God otherwise it were not binding unto others for Kings and Magistrates did several things wherein they were not approven and so not binding unto us now The first thing then we are to clear is that this was the practice of Magistrates under the Old Testament And we shall begin First with Abraham's practice Genes 18. 19. For I know him that he will command his Children and his Houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgement c. Secondly with Jacob who was a Magistrate in his own Family And we shall see him employing his Power to suppress false Religion In the 35 of Gen. vers 2. Then Jacob said unto his Houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange Gods that are among you
it followeth not that therefore they have no power to punish Error no more than because that a Godless Magistrate as Nero was may abuse his power to oppress Murther honest Citizens and do other Acts of Injustice against the second Table that therefore the Magistrate hath no power to punish Theeves Robbers Murderers because either through mistake or wickedness he may abuse it to punish innocent Men whatever remedy is left for the Magistrates abusing of his power under the one the same is left under the other as insome cases suffering in others resisting There is an Eighth Objection they have against this Truth say they we make the mean unproportionate to the end no outward force can convert a man and brâ—ng him to Christ it makes men but Hypocrites the blast of the Kings horn or outlawry can make no man a member of Christs body that must be done willingly not by compulsion and this were to cudgell People out of their opinions To this we Answer That our Doctrine doth not hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is any mean to convert Souls Only this it doth hold forth that the power of the Magistrate is a mean to restrain men from doing sinful Acts against Christ as Asa made use of his Civil Power to keep down Idolatry it puts People indeed on the profession of outward Obedience and to this it is very proportioned And therefore Secondly Though the blast of the Kings horn cannot make a Member of Christs invisible Body by working Grace Yet it may be a mean in its own kind for making a Member of the Church visible by with-holding from sinful Acts and putting them on Acts of outward Obedience A Third Answer we give That the power of the Magistrate doth not make men Hypocrites of it self but through the corruption of Man's heart who makes himself an Hypocrite The end of this ordinance what it is in it self is set down in Deut 13. 11. And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you That is the end that they being moved by their Example should abstain from such like worke but that they do this Hypocritically is from their corrupt nature who fears him more who can kill the Body than him who after he hath killed the Body can cast both Soul and Body into Hell We Answer lastly if this were a good Argument why a Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish for false Doctrine because throw occasion thereof many turn Hypocrites then say we It should follow that the Magistrate should not make use of his power to punish Incests Adulteries Murders Thefts c. because it is the occasion of many Hypocrites who abstain more from such for the fear of punishment than for the fear of God yea according to this Doctrine it should follow That the Preaching of the word should be unlawful because through the occasion of it many turn Hypocrites under it There is a Ninth Objection they have against this Truth and it is this say they By this power we give to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy we give him the Power of Church Judicatories to judge of Doctrines Error and Heresy In Answer to this we shall speak more fully in the 〈◊〉 Doctrine only for the present this giving Power to the Magistrate to punish Error and Heresy gives him not a publick Judgement to discern what is Error and what not as a Judge in Church matters but only a Judgement of Discretion in relation to his own Act As for Example when the Lord gives Power to Masters of Families not to let Hereticks come into their House it is not a putting the Power of Church Judicatories in their Hands IV. The last thing we promised to speak to you of was to give you some use of this And the First is to reprove those who think Opinions are free and that none ought to be punished for such We grant as we said that there would be a difference amongst Errors some more damnable some less and so to be less punished and there is a difference to be put amongst persons some are seduced some whose Conscience is Seared some venting their Darkness some seeking Light In such there should be a difference observed Again the Magistrate is to deal one way with a Community another way with some persons before it come to such an hight And Lastly He is to deal otherwise with Errors that cannot be mantained without troubling the Peace of the Church and State and those that break not Love nor strike not at any material point of Truth the last happily may be Tollerate if the Maintaineâ—s of them do not evidence contempt But not so the first These and such like Distinctions may be to qualify this Power but to deny it altogether is the most damnable Doctrine that ever was vented the Devil cannot take a shorter course to undoe Religion and there can be no heart zealous for God but he must loath it and therefore look so on it Think not what is that to you what others do if ye get leave to serve God your self Is that all your zeal for God that if ye get leave to serve him ye care not that all beside you Spit on his Face and serve the Devil Vse 2. Hence see what an Account those Magistrates have to make who make no use of their Power this way for God if they get their own Houses built cares not for his if Rebellion against themselves be curbed cares not for the curbing of Rebellion against God This was the Sin of the Parliament of England though they entred into a Covenant with the most high God That they would suppress Error and Heresy they never employed their Power that way and that because they durst not for angring of their Army and therefore God hath suffered their Army to overturn them and set themselves and whom they please in their place And now they by their practice give Tolleratâ—on to all and this is the way to strengthen them I say in the Name of the Lord if they repent not it shall be the way to ruine them A people Swearing in their low condition to root out Heresy c. And God blessing them from that day and within a few years carrying themselves as if they had Sworn to do the contrary to suffer all encourage all invite all the Devils in Hell to vent what Blasphemies they please and for their encouragement to give them Surety that no Power in Brittain shall hinder them Was there ever such an affront done to God Think ye that he will sit with it No if he should make the one half avengers of a broken Covenant against the other He will not It is noted of Asa 2 Chron. 14. 5. Gods way to keep Magistrates sure and their Kingdoms quiet is to be zealous against false Worship No but say they the way is not to anger Hereticks they
substantial parts of Church Government have a warrand in the word and are therein so fixed and established as they are unalterable by any State whatsoever And Secondly As to the Circumstantials that relate to this Government we say they are set down under general Rules sufficient for the ordering of them such as let all things be done in order and to edification Our Second Assertion is we are not to enter here to show what is the particular kind of Government that is appointed in the word and what things falls under the power of Church Governours and in what relation they are to handle them what are the nature of these Censures and how in all these things they differ from the Civil power It would take long time to clear these The thing we aim at is only this general That Jesus Christ the King of his Church and Lord of his House hath set down in his word a particular way for Governing of his house distinct from the Civil which is not in the power of any State to alter We proceed now to Arguments for comfirming this Truth II. The first Argument is this If so be that under the Old Testament there was a particular form of Church Government different from the Civil set down in the word then there must be also the like set down under the New but so it is that there was a particular way set down under the Old Testament for Governing the Church Therefore there must be the like set down under the new For making out this Argument there are two things we have to clear The First is That there was such a Government as this under the Old Testament warranted by the word The Second thing to be cleared is that therefore and upon the same Reason there must be also the like under the New For proving of the First that there was a particular Government of the Church different from the Gvernment of the state under the Old Testament We shall clear two things First That they had Church Judicatories different from the Civil Judicatories And to prove this we shall cite two places of Scripture The First is in 2 Chron 19. 8 9 10. Ye may read the place at leasure but there are these things in it proving that there was a Church Judicatory distinct from the Civil First We see that there is a Judicatory made up of the Church-men of the Levits and Priests in verse 8. Secondly We see that the things they judged of were spiritual matters distinguished from Civil things by calling the the first sort The matters of the Lord And the Second Matters of the King v. 11. Thirdly We see that in this Judicatory a Church-man was Moderator in the 11 verse And behold Amariah the chief Priest is over you And Fourthly We see that the sentence of the Court was Execute by Church-men in the end of the 11 vers Also the Levits shall be officers before you All which being laid together makes out clearly that under the Old Testament â—â—â—re was a Church Judicatory different from the Civil The Second place is in Jeremiah 26. 8. 9. 10 Where we have these things to make out the present point First We see that there were two Judicatories in the 8 v. There is a Judicatory of the Priests and Prophets condemning Jeremiah as a false Prophet again in the 10. and 1â— v. We see there is a Civil Judicatory made up of States-men When the Princes of Judah hard these things then they came up from the Kings house c. So it is plain they had a Church Judicatory for Church matters as well as a Civil Judicatory for Civil matters The Second thing that we are to speak to in order to the proving of the first point to wit That there was a Government of the Church different from that of the State among the Jews is this that as they had Church Judicatories different from the Civil so they had also Church Censures different from Civil punishments as we have amongst us And First publick confession of Scandalous sins was in use among them we shall clear it from one place of Scripture Ezra 10. 10. 11. And Ezra the Priest stood up and said unto them Ye have transgressed Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers c. There is confession of sin appointed for a fault that was Scandalous to wit their Marrying with strange Wives Now this confession was not only private to God nor on a Fast day but a personal publick acknowledgment after particular Examination of all one by one And we gather this from the 13. v. where it is said Neither is this a work of one day or two c. And in the 16. v. Three moneths was spent on the business so that this was a personal acknowledgment given by every one of them after the Examination of their guilt as we do in our Church Judicatories Secondly Besides this publick Confession they had the Censure of suspending Scandalous men from the Ordinances as we do suspend from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we will find this in David his appointing of the offices of the Priests Among the rest it is recorded of Jehoiadah 2 Chron. 23. v 19. And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in They were suspended from the Ordinances because of their uncleaness And for the neglect of this the Priest's are reproved in Ezek. 22 v 26. Her Priests have violated my Law and have prophaned my Holy things they have put no difference between the unclean and clean neither between the Holy and prophane They let all come rushing together to the Ordinances And for this they are reproved Thirdly They had among them the sentence of Excommunication which is set down under the name of Cutting off from among the People And in the new Testament it is expressed by the name of casting out of the Synagogue which certainly was Excommunication It is a Ridiculous alledgence that they say by cutting off was meaned the inflicting of Temporal death by the sword of the Magistrate for the uncircumcised Man-child he that had touched a dead Body and did not wash after it were to be cut off now who would think that such were to be put to death The Second thing to be made out is That therefore there must be a Church Government under the New Testament seing it was so under the Old and the Reason is because no necessity can be alleadged for a â—hurch Government then but the same necessity is now Is not the Church a mixed multitude now as well as then is there not as great need to separate betwixt the precious and the vile now as then Is not the Church now a feild of Wheat and Tares as well as then Is there not need to keep the Ordinances pure now as then by the fence of Government Is there not need now to
suppress sin as well as then Is not Christ perfect in all his House as well as Moses Yea in a word there can nothing be alleadged for a necessity to have a Church Government under the Old Testament but the same may be brought to prove the necessity of it under the New The Second Argument we bring to prove this point is taken from the native end of Church Government which is spiritual to wit For the edifying of the Body of Christ Ephes 4. 12. To gain the Soul of our offended Brother to Repentence Matth 18. 15. It is that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 1 Corinth 5 5. So the end of the Church Government is a spiritual end and therefore it must have a Divine Original Church Government whose end is spiritual can be no humane Ordinance for such produceth no supernatural effects therefore it must have a higher warrand for it than that of the Magistrate Our Third Argument is taken from this that all the substantials of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture from which we make this Argument That Government whose substantial parts are all set down expresly in Scripture the Magistrate hath no power to alter it or put an other in its place but so it is that all the substantial parts of Church Government are set down expresly in Scripture Therefore the Magistrate hath no power to alter it The thing we have to make out in this Argument is this That all the substantials of Church Government are set down in Scripture And to clear this we shall reckon up five things First That Church officers have their warrand from Scripture Thess 5 12. 1 Tim 5. 17. Let the Elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine There is a Ruler or an officer with power to rule established in Gods house What they say That by Ruling there is meaned Preaching because Ministers guide People by Preaching is a frivolous Exception and that because of what is in the end of the Verse especially they who labour in the word and Doctrine So labouring in the word and Doctrine is one thing and Ruling is another thing and not one and the same as their Exception affirmeth But we shall find a more clear place for it in Heb. 13. 17. Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves There are Officers established with power to Rule and the People are commanded to submit and give Obedience to them and so there are Rulers Officers established in Gods Church Secondly The Courts and Judicatories of the Church have a warrand in Gods word and for this see Matth 18. 17 18. And if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church Verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven The Adversaries are so shamless that they say by the Church is here meaned the Civil Magistrate and that the complaint should be made to them But it is sure the Civil Magistrate is not here meaned And to prove it The Judicatory here meaned is that whereof the Apostles should be Members and therefore in v 16. It is said whatever ye to wit the Apostles shall bind on earth c. Now sure it is Jesus Christ gives no power to his Ministers to sit in Civil Courts and to judge of Civil business The third substantial of Church Government that hath warrand in the word is the subordination of lesser Judicatories to greater and this is warranted in Act 15 2. Where Paul and Barnabas come up from Antioch to a General Council at Jerusalem because the controversie in hand could not be ended at Antioch where there is a Court with power They determine the Question Censure the Schismaticks giving them the name of Lyars v. 24. The Fourth substantial of this Government set down in Scripture is the order of proceeding in relation to Censure 1. By private Admonition Then more pubâ—ick Matth 18. 15. The fifth thing is The nature and kind of thir Censures which are not bodily as takingâ— way the life but spiritual to wit Admonitions reproofs Casting out of the Church Matth 18 17 Let him he unto thee as an Heathen and a Publican Now from all this It evidently appears that Christ hath set down all the Substantials of Church Government in his word And seeing he hath done so what man dare alter it taking any prudential way for the good of the Church at his pleasure Yea there is a charge given to preserve all these inviolable till Christs coming 1 Tim 5. 21. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality So that which Christ hath set down concerning the Government of his house is unalterable by any person whatsomever till the coming of Jesus Christ. So much for the third Argument There is a Fourth and it shall be our last which is this If so be that Christ hath left his House without any particular Government only referring it to the Civil State to appoint what Government they please it would reflect much on the wisdome of Jesus Christ For the Church visible is his Kingdom his House his Vinyard his Garden And shall we say that he hath appointed no Laws to Govern no Courts to guide this Kingdom but left it to the Civil Magistrate to appoint by whom and how it pleaseth him best A King of Clay would not do so with his Kingdom much less he who is the King of Glory This for the Arguments to confirm the Truth we shall in the next place Answer their Objections III. The First is say they from 2 Tim 3 16. The word of God is able to make a man perfect and therefore there is no need of Government We Answer This same Argument may as well strick against Magistracy But Secondly We say which we made already appear That the Government of the Church is grounded on the Word Hence their Argument proveth not because the Government of the Church is a part of the Word and is commanded by it and so it is not an adding to it But if they say the bare Preaching of the word is enough We Answer Not to detract any thing from the word Preached which is the mean appointed by God to save Souls yet the Exercise of Dicipline is necessary also It is necessary we say for Three Reasons 1. To keep the Ordinances of God from being polluted by the rushing foreward of Dogs and Scandalous Persons All the Preaching that can be to bid Scandalous men keep back will not do Then 2. It is necessary for keeping the Church from being infected by the contagion of Scandalous men Hence sayeth the Apostle Paul a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump Therefore put the incestous man from among you 3. It is necessary for the good of the Soul
that is censured So in the 2 Thess 3. 14 note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed And 1 Cor 5. 5. Excommunication serveth for the Destruction of the Flesh that is To tame and mortify its Lusts And so although the word be only the necessary mean for the converting of Souls yet it doth not follow that the Government of the Church should not be exercised to wit that the word may work the better The Second Objection is this That all the Arguments we have to establish a Church Government by Divine right are taken from the Churches practice in the Apostles time and commands given them but it does not follow that what was then should be a rule now and they give this as the Reason of the difference because the Magistrate was then a Pagan and so would not meddle with these things but the case is now otherwise when the Magistrate is turned Christian. We Answer First By this it is granted that Church Government was an institution of Christ at least in the primitive times Now sure it is that every thing instituted by Christ layeth on a perpetual obligation except Christ in his word hath set a period that it should be only so long So if this Argument of theirs have any force they must show from Scripture that Christ hath appointed this period for Church Government so as it should be only in force under an Idolatrous Pagan Magistrate And that the Power of it should cease under the Christian Magistrate But no place of Gods word can be given for the proof of tâ—is But on the contrary a Command is given That which Christ delivered to the Apostles 1 Timoth. 6. 14 Should be keeped to his second coming And therefore it remains a perpetual Ordinance Secondly We Answer That if this were true then the Case of the Church should be worse under the Christian than the Pagan Magistrate If so be that under the one they have an Intrinsecal Power to purge and keep his Church free from Scandals but not under the other would not this be hard Thirdly We Answer That the reasons for which the Church did exercise Government in the primitive times were taken from common Equity and so are binding to the Church at all times We find this 1 Cor. 5. 5. Where a command is given to exercise Discipline by Excommunicating of the Incestuous person The reasons given are First The good of the Mans Soul verse 5. Secondly The good of the Church to be keeped from Infection vers 6. Now the Church is bound to see to these at all times We come to the Fourth thing which is a word of Vse And it serves 1. To reprove those who think debates about the Government of the Church useless and of no value To what purpose is it say they what be the Government and who governs if sin be punished and the Word Preached I answer ' it is of much moment For from what is said it appears that Church Government is an Ordinance of God a part of his word and they who evert it or gives way to the everting of it give way to evert a part of the Word of God yea to the bringing down of the Government of Christs own House It is a point of Truth that concerns no less than the Royal Diadem of Christ and all who have got good of Truth are bound to stand for it yea it is more than an ordinary Truth The question is concerning Châ—ists Kingdom if he have a Kingdom of his own distinct from the Kingdoms of the World If he shall have â—is own Laws Office-bearers Courts Censures according to his will in his Word or if all he hath left to that purpose be to scraâ—ched out and the Civil Magistrate to appoint what Laws Rules Courts he pleaseth in Christs House So it is a point relating to his Kingdom a Doctrine to be avowed and a point of Truth worth the Sustering for and which some have suffered for and boasted in it yea it is a point of Truth that hath this advantage beyond other Truths That Christ hath suffered for it himself in his own person for it 's clear that this was the only point he was accused on by Pâ—late and he avowed it Luke 23. 3. That he had a Kingdom though not of the World yet in the World We shall find that this point was chiefly laid to Christs charge in John 18. 33. 34 35 36 37. And this was the pâ—int that was driven home by the Jews 〈◊〉 Christ John 19. It was his 〈◊〉 on the Cross Jesus Christ of Nazareth King of the Iews And this was the point that straitned Pilate most and put him to it to make Christ suffer Joh. 19. So this point hath this advantage that in a special manner Christ sâ—ffered as a Martyr for it Should any then think it a little thing to suffer for God forbid Yea we may think it an Honour The Second Use If so be that Church Government is an Ordinance of God then those intrusted with it such as Ministers and Elders would discharge it as Service to God so as to be countable to him tâ—ere should be an other frame of Spirit when Men are in Church Judicatories than when they are in Civil Judicatories These are Ordinances of Men thir of God and require more than a common frame of Spirit Alas we may say for the Unministerial like Carriage of Ministers and Elders may justly provoke God to thro us out altogâ—ther A Third Vse of this point is That seeing Church Government is an Ordinance of Jesus Christ then ye that are people should obey and submit to those that are over you in the Lord otherwise if it be not tâ—us looked on it may provoke the Lord to remove the Hedge from us and if this were God knoweth what we would be we are evil now but if people got leave to do every thing that seemeth good in their own eyes we could not but be much worse Ye see what ye are with it but know not what ye will be without it And so much for the first Head of Erastian Doctrine Head II. The Power of Church Government belongeth not to the Civil Magistrate THe Second Head of Erastian Doctrine which we are to prove not to be of God is That whereby they affirm That all the Power of Church Government is in the Hands of the Civil Magistrate And here there are some differences among themselves some giving him all Power to dispence all Church Ordinances and this as a Magistrate without a Call from the Church and so to Preach and to Administrate the Sacraments Others again content themselves to ascribe to him only a Power of Jurisdiction to make Church Laws to inflict Church Censures And herein they also differ some puting this Power wholly in the Hand of the Magistrate Others conjunctly with the Ministers a third placeth it in him as the fountain and in Church-men but as
Magistrate may do somewhat here also He may command them to resume the matter he may compear in person and reason the matter and bid them see to it in the Name of the Lord and stir them up to judge it better and he may go from one Judicatory to another till he get this done As for example If it be a censure wrongously inflicted But yet it is still the Church Judicatory that must ranverse their own Censure The Third Argument they use against this Truth is If the Power were put in the Hands of the Civil Magistrate it would be a mean to decide all the whole Controversies about Church Government which are managed with so much Animosity on all hands Prelates plead that They should have the Power of it Independents That particular Congregations Presbyterians That Sessions Presbyteries Synods General Assemblies should have the Power of it the former being Subordinate to the latter Sessions to Presbyteries c. Hence ariseth all our Debates Now were not this good to take it from all and give it to the Magistrate We answer It is a way to end the Difference such as Solomon did to the two Women striving about the living Child It shall be none of yours A way that relished not with the kindly Mother of the Child 1 Kings 3. 25. Secondly We answer This Argument may take with natural Hearts who would buy Peace at any rate but not with those who are taught of God To buy the Truth and not to sell it For it holdeth out a way to end Controversies which is not God's His way is to establish what is right and to quite what is wrong But this way tends to suppress both right and wrong such Peace-makers will not be Blessed Thirdly The Presbyterians may borrow this Argument against Prelates Independents Erastians and have better right to it and so it will run thus If Church Government were put in the hands of the Presbytery It would establish and settle all Differences in the matter of Church Government betwixt Prelates Independents and Erastians Now if this Arment be good when they use it for them it must be also good when it is used for us But I doubt if they will admit of such like reasoning and so neither can we There is a Fourth Argument they use say they Jeremiah appealed to the Civil Magistrate Jerem 26. and so Paul Act 25. He appeals to Caesar. We answer let that place of Jeremiah cap. 26. be read and nothing will be found to prove that Jeremiah makes any appeal to the Civil Judicatories But Secondly Though he had appealed yet it does not prove that it is Lawful to appeal to the Magistrate in a Church business for the Sentence which the Priests had past on Jeremiah was Civil Thou shalt surely die v. 8. Now it was the Princes Duty to see to it That Innocent Jeremiah should not be put to Death especially by those who had no Powet to inflict such a punishment As for that instance Acts 25. 10 11. about Paul's appealing to Caesar it makes nothing to these purposes He appeals only from Festus an Inferior Civil Magistrate to the Superior And this we are not against But Secondly Though Paul had appealed from a Church Judicatory yet this makes nothing to confirm their Doctrine For the cause here whereabout Paul was to be judged was a Civil cause to wit Treason against Caesar And a thing worthy of Death Now we do Teach that a Church-man may appeal to a Civil Magistrate when he is questioned about his Life and for a Civil crime But hence it followeth not That we may appeal from a Church Judicatory when the cause is Ecclesiastick and no wayes civil Their last Objection is taken from 1 King 2. 27. Whereof they make much The words are So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord From which they argue thus Here is a civil Magistrate inflicting a Church Censure to wit Deposition of a Church-man to wit of Abiathar the Priest Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord Therefore Christian Magistrates have Power to Dispence Church Censures Yet we answer Solomon did nothing here but what we yeild to any Magistrate for a civil Magistrate may inflict a civil Punishment on any person whatsomever for a civil Crime and so was the present case Abiathar's Fault was Treason in assisting Adonijah to the Crown against Solomon appointed by God to it Secondly The Censure inflicted by Solomon was not a Church Censure but civil to wit Banishment to Anathoth as appears from verse 26. And therefore what is mentioned in verse 27. He thrust out Abiathar from being Priest unto the Lord Is not the Censure directly intended by Solomon but that which followed upon his Banishment from Jerusalem ipso facto because the Office of the Priests could not be exercised but at Jerusalem IV. In the last place it follows That we give a word of use from all we have said The First use If so be that Jesus Christ hath appointed a Government in his House as is proven to be exercised by his own Officers Then know that those Magistrates that would ingross this Power to themselves so as to have his Courts and Censures depending on them or rather taken away and others put in their place do highly incroach on the Regal Power of our King Jesus Christ. And this seemeth to be the great sin of the Times Atheists prophane Men plead for it as looking for more forbearance to their Lusts from civil Powers than from Christs own Courts Civil Powers plead for it They are not content that Christ let Them reign and that they let Christ reign besides them But they must have him thrust out of his Throne and made to plead at their bar And so no wonder Christ overturn Kingdoms and Governments It was the Parliament of England's fault They feared lest Christs Courts should have wronged their Priviledges Hence they would not allow him his Priviledges They set up indeed a Government in Christ's House but it was a Lame one They durst not give Christs Courts their full Power but so as to be their Deputes And therefore they have dashed themselves against that corner-stone Christ Jesus until they are struck in pieces Their Fear is come upon them What they feared from Christs Courts they have met with at the Hands of their own Servants Our Kings have still been afraid of this and Malignants also going under the Name of Royalists They thought they could not get Their Throne secure if so be Christ got leave to reign besides them And this among many others hath made their Throne shake O that Kings would be wise and kiss the Son It would be their Wisdom to be faithful in what is committed unto them But for the Government of his House it is not in their Charter and so a thing that will not thrive in their hands their prudential Laws and Rules will do no good Secondly Yee would
not have saluted every one man by man and therefore certainly it must be the prime men of the Church But Secondly The name of the Church is very usualy given to Rulers and Judges whether Ecclesiastick or Civil without the People in the Old Testament So Psalm 82 1. God standeth in the congation of the mighty The same word rendred there Congregation is rendred the Church elsewhere And by the Congregation there is meaned the Judges and not the People so we find it taken for the Rulers by comparing Exod 20. 18. 19. with Deut 5. 23. 2 Chron 1. 3. Where Solomon takes up the whole Congregation with him And yet that Congregation is exponed v. 2. to have been Chief-men and Rulers so that usualy in the Old Testament the word Church is taken from Rulers And Thirdly it must be so taken in this place also for in the verse following he telleth what a Church he meaned by v 18 Verily I say unto you whatsoever yee shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven c. Speaking to the Apostles So it must be the Church of Rulers who are so called because they represent the Church doing her business wherein she is concerned Objection Fifth This were say they to establish a yoke of Tyranny over Church Members if power be put in the hands of Officers to make Acts binding to them and they to have no hand in making these Acts themselves We Answer it is no yoke of Tyranny to instruct Officers with power to be over the People in the Lord To Rule them according to his will to make use of their power not for destruction but for edification And this is all we do teach It s true Church Officers may abuse their power but there is no power were it never so good but coming in mans hand may be wrongly used But secondly There is as great danger of Tyranny in the Independent way and more also than in this For if the major part of the Congregation should enact what is wrong and press it on the fewer and better part would not that be Tyranny And surely there is as great liklyhood of this as of what they say that the Eldership may press unjust Acts upon the Congregation And as it is as likly so it is more remeedless for though a Congregation or any in it be wronged by the Elerdership they have a Superior Judicatory to complean to according to our Doctrine But if the lesser part of the Congregation be wronged and Tyrannized over by the greater according to their Doctrine there is no power under Heaven to right the wrong to call the oppressing party to an account So of all Governments under Heaven Independency is the most Tyrannical Obj. VI. The Sixth Objection they bring against the Truth is from Matth 16. 19. Where Christ sayes I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever shall be bound on earth c. It is agreed on by both sides that by the Keys there is meaned the power of Governing the Church Now from this place they would infer that the Keys are given to the Body of the People we shall propone and Answer Three of their Objections whereby they labour to prove this consequence The first is this The Keys are given to the Church built on the Rock whereof Christ spake in the preceeding 18 v. But sure it is all that are believers are built on this Rock Therefore the power of the Keys are given unto them We Answer What they say that the power of the Keyes are given to the Church built on the Rock Is said without a ground For he doth not say Vnto this Church built on a rock do I give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven But I give it to thee Peter Sure none needs to learn our Lord to speak and this change of Person is not without a Reason in the preceeding verse he says upon this rock I will build my Church Now if Christ had meaned to have established the Government in the hands of the body of the Church he might have as easily said unto this Church will I give the keys c. But he says not so but changes the person unto thee to wit Peter will I give the keyes Besides this also every believing woman is a part of this Church built on the rock And yet according to their own grant the power of the Keys is not given unto them The Second Argument they bring from this place is this The power of the Keys is given to those whom Peter did represent But Peter did represent all believers the body of the Church therefore the power of the Keys is given unto them For answer to this we deny what is affirmed that Peter in this place doth represent all believers he doth but represent the rest of the Apostles and those who were to succeed to the Apostes in Preaching the word and Administrating the Sacraments And this we shall make good from other places of Scripture wherein the grant of this power is renewed and confirmed The first place is John 20. 21. Then said Iesus to them again Peace be unto you as my father hath sent me even so send I you and v 23 Whosoevers sins ye remit they are remitted unto them c. Where it is clear the above mentioned grant is renewed and renewed to the Apostles Secondly He did not only represent the Apostles but all Ministers who succeed to the Apostles in Preaching the word and Administrating the Sacraments As in plain also from Matth 28. 19 20. Where ye will find these things clear 1. That there is a grant of power by Jesus Christ unto the Apostles 2 That this grant is made there not only to the Apostles but to these who should succeed to them in Preaching and Baptizing to the end of the World For it is said lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World And so from this we retort the Argument on themselves That the power of the Keys is given to these whom Peter did represent But so it is Peter did represent the Apostles and Ministers who were to succeed to them in Preaching the word c. And therefore the power of the Keys is given unto them They argue Thirdly from this place that the grant of the Keys is of as large extent as Peters confession v. 16 Thou art Christ the son of the living God Now this Confession belongs to all believers and so also must the power of the Keys We Answer 1. That the grant of the power of the Keys doth belong to all who hold out Peters Confession hath no ground but their own Assertion And 2. We say it is false For this Confession belongs to all faithful Women and Children as well as men who yet by our Opposits own concession have not the Power of the Keys Their last Objection is taken from 1 Cor 5. 5. Where the Apostle commands the Church of Corinth to
surely ordinary Elders did never concurr with the Apostles in Acts of their Apostolick office As penning Scripture c. From all that is said it is most clear that the Apostles here acted as Elders leaving a Pattern for such like Judicatories upon the like occasions to the end of the World Which is the Second Point ¶ III. Inferior Church Judicatories are Subject to Superiour THE Third point we have to make out is this That Inferior Church Judicatories are subordinate to the Superior as Sessions or Congregational Elderships to Presbytries Presbytries to Synods c. So that the greater have power of Government over the lesser For receiving Appeals from them Complaints of them Enacting of Church Canons unto which the Inferior ought to be subject in the Lord. The point in short is That particular Elderships are not Independent so as to do what they please without being accountable to any Judicatory above them But Presbyteries are over them in the Lord. We shall follow the former Order First To clear the Question Secondly To bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly To answer Arguments against the Truth Fourthly To apply it to Use. I. For the First We allow unto particular Congregations an Eldership and Power of Discipline within themselves to judge of these things that are of their particular concernment But as for things wherein other Congregations are concerned with them We hold that such do belong to Superiour Judicatories according to the Rule What belongs unto all should be handled by all Secondly We do not give Power to any one single Congregation above another We say That all Congregations the least as well as the greatest is equal in Power This way was the Bishops Tyranny that made all the Congregations of the Diocess subject to the Cathedral Church the Parish where the Bishop lived So that all others were to subject themselves to it and the great Lord Bishops Laws which he gave out in it We do only say That all particular Congregations should be subject to a Presbytery made up of Elders taken from among themselves wherein no Congregation can challenge Power more than another The meanest hath as great Power in them as the greatest Thirdly We do not say that the Power of Presbyteries or Synods are absolute so that whatever they conclude should stand for a Law or that they ought to be obeyed in every thing We affirme Their Power is a limited and Ministerial Power It is a Power in the Lord So that put the case If a Presbytery or Synod should conclude a thing that is wrong They are not to be followed blindly We allow to every particular Christian a Judgement of Discretion whereby they should compare the Acts of Church Judicatories with the Rule of the Word and accordingly either to choice or refuse Only herein we say First That particular Christians should have a kind of loathness to differ from the Judicatories of the Church arising from a secret kind of diffidence and distrust of their own Light and understanding so that although they are not to follow others blindly yet they are to suspect themselves rather than them we mean when the matter is dubious Secondly We say That when the case comes that it is evidently seen that Superiour Judicatories have gone wrong private Christians are to differ from them indeed yet so as to give great Reverence and Respect to the Judicatory even when they are necessitate to dissent from their Acts least by their furious zeal they cast all loose and into confusion But to come to the point The Question is Whether all the Power of Church Government be in the Hands of particular Elderships And so if particular Elderships be Independent Or if Jesus Christ hath warranted Presbyteries to be above them in the Lord. We maintain the last And we clear our part the Controversy from several Arguments II. The First Argument is taken from the many defects that are in this way of Independency where the whole Power is put in one Congregation so as to be countable to none We shall reckon four or five of these Defects and indeed very great Defects First According to this way of Theirs there is no Authoritative way in Christs Church to right a man that is wronged by a particular Congregation As put the Case that an Eldership should wrong a man by Censuring him unjustly According to Their way He must sit with the wrong there is no remedy to him till Christ come in the Clouds There is a second defect according to this Independent way of Theirs There is no Authority in the Church to heal Breaches in a Congregation Put the case that a People should divide from the Elders or the Elders among themselves or that one Congregation may have a contest with another Now in these cases suppose both these Parties to be wilful as too usually it falls out so as They will not yeild to any Advice without Authority to back it Now what remedy is left in such Cases without the assistance of a Presbytery that hath Power over both Parties to command them in the Lord to do what is right And can we think that Christ hath left no remedy in his House for such evils as may so frequently fall out Thirdly The Independent way leaveth no Authoritative mean for holding down Pluralities of Religion For if so then let a particular Congregation set up what Religion they please suppose it be Popery There is no Authoritative mean to hinder it But in the Way of Presbytery it is otherwise Presbytery is Christs Weeding-hook to weed out Heresies so we observe wherever it is set up it bears Heresy down And no wonder For Judicatories are so subordinate one to another that what is overseen in the one is taken notice of in the other Fourthly By this way of theirs there is no Authoritative mean for unity and uniformity in the publick service of God among Congregations But every one being left to themselves will take a way of Their Own This Congregation one way and that Congregation another way which doubtless would prove a great stumbling block to the weak not knowing unto what Congregation to joyn because of the great diversity among all Put the case to clear it in some things whereby ye may guess at others that in one Congregation they would both read and expound In another they would only Read In others the line were not read for singing And in another it were read In some Congregations Children were not Baptized but in time of Sermon In others That Baptism were Administrate at other times also In some Congregations Two Prayers before a Sermon In another but one In another the Conclusion Sung In another not Now though the Strong would not stumble at these things knowing that such in their own nature are for the most part at least indifferent Yet to the weak Christian they might prove a ground of stumbling For usually such presently stamp Conscience on that part of
this is absurd For Christians are in an estate of greater liberty As appears from Galat. 4. 1. Therefore c. For clearing the first proposition We lay down these things First There was a Subordination of Judicatories in the Jewish Church As might be made out from several places We take one 2 Chron 19. 8. where there is a Supream Ecclesiastical Judicatory v 10. The matters they handle come to them from other Judicatories And Deut 17. 8. Sheweth the matters to be handled by the supream Judicatory are such as had been before the Inferior Court but found too hard to be judged there So that here was a Refuge for the party wronged by the Inferiour Court Now if there be no such Refuge left to Christians we may certainly say The state of Christiansis most hard being left under the Tyrannical sentence of the unjust Eldership And no power to right them When the oppressed Jew might appeal to the Superior Judicatory We might further argue from this Whatever was in the Jewish Government that was neither Ceremonial nor Judicial but Moral That is binding to us For the Moral Law bindeth all alike and is not abrogate But this That there was subordination of Judicatories for the relief of the grieved party among the Jews was Moral not Ceremonial nor Judicial It is true that all things were determined by an high Priest among the Jews who was typical of Christ and of his supremacy in Judgment So the Papists argue ill from the high Priest to the Pope But it is as true That the Subordination of Judicatories for things of harder knowledge and relief of the oppressed party was Typical of nothing But Moral and of the Law of Nature which forbids party to be judge which will naturally follow if there be not Subordination of Courts Yea further we shall not find that this Law is given to Moses in the pattern upon the mount but was taught by the light of nature to Jethro and by him given to Moses Exod. 18. 22. It shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee c III. We come now to Answer Their Objections many whereof we have taken off in the first two Heads As for the rest we shall not trouble you with those that are frivolous as indeed the most part are we shall only pitch on these that â—eem to carry some shew of Reason and whereof they boast most Their first Objection is from Matth 18. 17. This Church say they is a Parochial Church and Christs mind is that the business should be here ended without any Appeal from it Answer Christ means not only a particular singular Congregation but also if not mainly A Presbyterial Church For first The particular Church cannot sometimes heal the distemper as when it is divided or when the Church it self is Scandalous as oft may fall out by giving a wrong sentence So that if Christ had meaned only a particular Church should be compleaned to and in no case a Judicatory above them then his Remedy should have come short in curing the desease for which he intends it which to say were no small imputation to Jesus Christ. Secondly Christ here alludes to the Government of the Jewish Church as appears from the Censure of the Obstinate to be reputed as an Heathen the same which was among the Jews And from the plainness of the speach Tell the Church Which could not be otherwise understood if he had not alluded to the Jewish Judicatory besides which They knew no Judicatory for such offences as Christ spoke of to them There being as yet no particular Church which had given its name to Christ. Now as we cleared before the Judicatories among the Jews which were to be complained to for Scandals were not only these who were in their single Synagogues or Congregations But also Superior Courts to which it was Lawful to Appeal from the lesser Courts Thirdly Christ meaneth here of such a Church as were the Churches of Jerusalem Antioch c. But these as we have already cleared were Presbyterial Churches or Judicatories having the oversight of many Congregations Now sure these being the first Churches instituted by the Apostles must not be excluded from the power of Government given by Christ to his Church in that place Their Second Objection is this That the Dependency of Churches upon Presbytries layeth on a yoke of Tyranny and Subjection upon particular Congregations equal to the Tyranny of Bishops And if the Church must be in bondage it is better to be subject to one Lord Bishop than under a number of Ministers and Elders in Presbytry or Synod For Answer We make no other Subjection here than what the Independents themselves make For they make Ten in a Congregation subject to Five hundred and the Lawes of the Five hundred to be binding to the Ten So make we many Churches to be subject in the Lord to all their own Pastors and Elders conveened in a Presbytry What more Subjection is there in the one than in the other Secondly It is an unjust comparison to compare Bishops Tyranny with Presbytries For 1. The Government by Bishops was Humane This is Divine 2. The Bishop being but One Man did by himself alone Govern and that ad Arbitratum Nor had he Any to Answer to But here moe Pastors and Elders are joyned together who are by mutual advice to Rule Gods People according to the Word of God 3. The Government by the Bishop was altogether extrinsecal to or without the Particular Churches For the Bishop was none of their Members nor yet chosen by them But Presbyteries and Synods are not so They are wholly made up of Members and Commissioners from those same very Churches where They govern and so it is wholly intrinsecal 4. We say Government by Presbyteries is so far from being in its own nature Tyrannical as that it is the greatest remedy against Church Tyranny because it is a City of Refuge for all these who are oppressed in their particular Congregations For if in the Independent Government one be wronged he must sit with it till Christ come and right him Neighbour Churches may advise and request but the Congâ—egation advised is not bound to follow it But hâ—â—e when the Eldership doth wrong there is a refuge to a Presbytery and above them to a Synod c. Object 3. Government by Presbytery layeth upon Ministers and Elders the Charge of other Flocks than these of whom the Lord made them Overseâ—rs to wit The Charge of all the Churches in the bounds of the Presbytery They are Elders to all these Churches because they govern them Answer It followeth not that they have the Charge of all these Congregations in particular and in every thing that concerns the Duty of an Elder so that they are bound particularly to Catechize to Visit c. Only They are Elders to them in things common to all And as they are joyned in the Court with others And this is
the Communion and not only so but to quite That Church and set up a new Church of Their own We shall begin first with that Doctrine that concerns the Constitution of Visible Churches And therein we shall follow our usual Order First Clear the Question Secondly Bring Arguments for the Truth Thirdly Answer those they bring against the Truth And Fourthly Apply the whole to some Use. I. First For clearing of the Question ye would know what Church it is concerning which the Controversy is First It is not that place where Gods people meet to go about Gods publick Worship such as this House we now are in which is called the Church by a Figure improperly But it is the People gathered together in it which People are really and properly the Church although the House be so called because it contains them by an usual Figure The Church that we are to dispute of is made up of Men and Women And not that which is built of Timber and Stone Secondly The Controversy betwixt Us and Them is not concerning the Invisible Church that is called the Church of the First-born Those who by vertue of their Effectual Calling are united to Jesus Christ the Head are living Members of His Mystical Body and draw Spiritual Influence from him Concerning the Church taken in this Sense There is no Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists but that the Members of this Church are only made up of Believers are all gracious because this Church is Christs Mystical Body a Royal Priest-hood the Lambs Wife all fair undefiled c. Thirdly The Question Then is concerning the Church Visible which is a Company of Men and Women who have according to the Tenor of Gods Covenant with the Visible Church an Outward Ecclesiastical which is in its kind a real Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Children of God This being the Church about which the Controversy betwixt Us and the Separatists is We shall speak a litle to clear what is meaned by it And First The Church is called Visible not because the Members of it may be seen For in that respect the Church Invisible the Church of Believers may be called Visible For the Members of it being believing Men and Women may be seen also But the difference betwixt the Churches in those two Senses is taken from that which makes one to be a Member of the one Church as it differs from that which makes one a Member of the other That which makes One man a Member of the Invisible Church is True Grace sincere Faith inward Marks thereof Now Grace is a thing that cannot be seen by another certainly It s true there are outward effects of it but they are such that a Hypocrite may have the counterfeit of them so as the one cannot be discerned from the other by a Beholder The nature of Grace is only known Infallibly and certainly to God And therefore This Church is called Invisible Again that which makes a Man or Woman a Member of the Visible Church is something that may be seen something that may be judged of by those who have Power to receive Members into the Church and cast them out from it Secondly We said that this Visible Church is a Company or Society of Men and Women that have an Ecclesiastical Right to enjoy the Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God For understanding what is meaned by enjoying of Outward Priviledges we shall show you That there are Outward Priviledges and Inward Priviledges of those who are the Sons of God Inward Priviledges are Jesus Christ himself a Right to him a saving Right to the Covenant of Grace and Life Eternal These are the Inward Priviledges of the Sons of God And only Believers have right to those Painted Hypocrites have no right to them But Secondly There are Outward Priviledges of the Sons of God such as these To be ordinary Hearers of the Word Preached To be taken a care of by Jesus Christ his Servants To have liberty to come to the Sacraments These are Outward Priviledges And these are Priviledges that a Member of the Visible Church hath a right to We said they had an Ecclesiastical Right or a Church Right to them That is such a Right as gives Warrand to the Church for receiving them to enjoy these Priviledges and yet possibly they have not a Right to them before God As for Example when there is a painted Hypocrite in a Congregation who makes Conscience seemingly to use the Means That man hath an Ecclesiastical Right to come to a Communion such a Right as may Warrand the Minister for admitting of him although he have not a Right to come before God God will challenge the Hypocrite for coming and not the Minister for suffering him to come Yet we are still to consider that tho' this Ecclesiestical Right be not Saving yet it is Real in its kind being founded upon Gods Covenant with the Visible Church and his Ordinance of admitting such therein Now ye may know somewhat by this what we mean by an Ecclesiastical Right it 's That which gives warrand to Church Officers to admit a man to enjoy these Outward Priviledges And so ye may know what we mean by the Visible Church whereof we Dispute There are several differences betwixt Us and the Separatists Concerning the Visible Church First They affirm That there is no Visible Church on Earth But a single Congregation As many as may meet in one place This we refuted in the former Controversie by shewing That in the Church of Jerusalem there were far moe than could meet in one single Congregation yea many particular Congregations And yet are called but One Church Secondly They differ much from us as also from the Truth concerning the power They give to this Visible Church They give them the full power of Church Government and that Independently from any Chuch power on earth This difference also we spoke of in the preceeding Debate And so we shall stand now no longer upon it Thirdly We differ concerning That which gives a Being to the Church Visible They say To make a Society of People a Visible Church so as to have right to partake of the Priviledges there of It is requisite that all the Members of that Society Swear a Covenant one to another wherein they bind themselves to submit one to another in the Lord to walk in all the Ordinances of God and not to leave that Society till liberty be given them by the rest So that tho a man should be never so truely Godly and Gracious yet if he take not such a Covenant and if he Swear not such an Oath He is without the Visible Church He is in the state of a â—agan to live and to die without any Church Ordinance The Judgement of our Church and that of Truth herein is this That wherever a man comes out of one Particular Congregation which we call a Paroch to another By his so doing he comes
somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and and do the first works or else I will come vnto thee quickly and will remove thy Candelstick out of his place c. From whence They argue thus None are to be admitted to the Church who will ruin the Church But all those who cannot convincingly prove their Regeneration will ruin the Church Therefore they ought not to be admitted We Answer That the last part of their Argument is false For there are many Gracious Persons keeping their first love who yet can neither satisfy themselves nor others in the Truth of their Regeneration and that will not ruin the Church Secondly We Answer To the first part of their Argument where they say that every one who hath not real Grace will ruin the Church It is not universally true for then there should be no Hypocrites in the Church at all neither known nor unknown for Hypocrites can do no other thing but that which is tending to the ruin of the Church Now themselves will not say That all Hypocrites are debarred For they admit some such and Scripture saith the contrair in the admission of Annanias and Saphira And so some must be admitted who If God look not more to his own mercy than to their meâ—â—t and more to the respect he hath to others than to them can do nothing but ruin the Church Obj. V. Their last Objection is taken from 2 Tim 3. 5. Having a forme of Goâ—liness but denying the power thereof from such turn away Therefore none are to be admitted but those who can give satisfactory signes of their Regeneration For Answer It is a gross mistake For if we look to the place Those who have only a forme of Godliness he tells what they are High-minded c. v 4. And in the 6 v Subtile Hereticks who lead away the simple Now we say none such ought to be admitted for those are Scandalous But what they say doth not follow For many cannot give satisfactory Signes of their Regeneration who yet are not Gross Livers nor Scandalous nor seduceing Hereticks And so not of the number of those from whom Paul bids Turn away And thus we have Answered the strongest of their Objections IV. Use. I. This Doctrine being thus cleared ye ought not to look on what our Opposites hold in this Point as a matter of small moment neither ought ye to suffer your selves to be deceived with the pretence of strictness with which they cover it It is a Doctrine that hath fearful Consequences For by this the third part of the best Churches that ever were shall be put in no better case than Pagans themselves to live without all ordinances their Children without Baptism And this will hold off many who have true Grace for how many are there even of those who cannot give convincing signs of Grace either to themselves or others By this Rule mens Consciences shall still be held in an Uncertainty whether they may stay members of such a Church or not because they can hardly be satisfied whether all in it have convincing signs of Grace or not Now the Judgment of our Opposits is that if the Rule be not keeped Conscientiously Christians ought to Separate By this Rule an insupportable Burthen is put on Christians not only to examine themselves but also the inward state of others By this Rule all the Churches that ever were in the dayes of the Prophets Christs Apostles or in the Primitive Times have been in the mist all living and dying without the Visible Church and so without Baptism and so as Pagans As also this shew of strictness beyond whatever God hath commanded doth ever end in looseness as appears by the Separatists present practise for what ever they speak against the looseness of other Churches that we are but a mixture of Drunkards and loose prophane Livers yet there is as great looseness in their own Churches as in any other for they make no scruple to admit Hereticks Covetous Vain Proud Boasters almost of all sorts if so be they agree with them in Principles against Presbyterians This Rule puts men in an overweening conceit of themselves others are nothing to them all are unclean or at best but civil natural moral Men but they are the Godly Saints and what not Now that Doctrine which in its natural Consequence puts People to overvalue themseves and undervalue others is certainly not of God This rule of theirs makes way for infinite Janglings and carrying on of self interests under pretence of Holiness for when the Rule is That which every particular man thinks Signs of Grace Such is the Corruption of the best that it will not be applyed to all alike To some they will be too strict to others more lax as affection caries Untill at last they think all good enough who are for Their Way And all others but Natural Worldly and Carnal who are not so I may say that this hath been one of the most unhappy Doctrines that ever the Devil hatched For it is that whereby Sathan hath carried on his design mainly these years by past Many such Deceivers crying up strictness whereby they have made themselves to be respected by some and terrible to others while under this pretence they have born down Christ Truth and Holiness I speak not this to countenance Looseness nor to give a dash to holy Strictness It is our sin and we are plagued for it that we have not walked according to our Rule Yet I love no further Strictness than what Christ Commands Let us stretch out our Arms to invite sinners to give Outward Obedience and then when they are in let us Hew them with the Word and Discipline This was Christs way And his Apostles way as we have proved So when Separatists say to you That there are such sinful mixtures in your Churches that an honest man is polluted to come among them And so it is better to stay in your Chambers with a few of a gracious temper and let the rest run to the Devil Tell them Christ and his Apostles made no such separation And ye desire to be no stricter than They were Only this is not to plead for our coming short of Christs Rule in our practise That Scandals are too easily past That so many Ignorants are admitted to the Lords Table is our sin and so not to be pleaded for This for the first Head of Separation Head II. No Separation from a True Church or Gods worship in the Church because of the sins of Fellow-worshipers WE are now to speak of the Second Head Concerning Separation from true Churches and the true worship of God in them because of the sins of Fellow-worshipers I. That which our Adversaries hold concerning this is That the presence of wicked men at Ordinances do defile the Ordinances to the Godly Therefore say they where ever there is any corruption in a Church
again attained We read Act. 15. 39. that Paul and Barnabas parted but we hear nothing of their meeting again And Church History sheweth us That Schisms in a Church for almost just nothing have continued incureable for some Generations until not only the Authors and Ring-leaders of the Schism but also their Disciples were removed by Death Osiand Gent. 4. Reas. 6. When a Rent is made in a Church as it is hardly curable so it still groweth wider It is easier to know whereabout a Rent begins than whereat it will end The greatest of Church Divisions some of them at least have been observed to have had but small Beginnings hence is that commonly received Maxim Omne Schisma desinit in haresin The Faction of the Donatists at first made but a Schism separating from the Communion of the Church upon pretence of some faulty Officers and mixed Communions but it was not long until they fell into several Heresies The Doctrine being thus Explained and Confirmed from Scripture and Reason I shall now apply it to Use. Our first Use is for Refutation The Doctrine refutes at least layeth a just odium upon the Doctrine of Separation and that Way which is called Independant or Congregational in so far as it is made up of such Principles as lay a Foundation for the perpetual Renting of the Church Of which Principles I shall reckon Four The First is That Principle whereby They maintain the Lawfulness of gathering Churches out of Churches acknowledged by themselves to be True Churches A most dividing Principle in so far as it gives way for every Man to Separate from his Own and to join himself with another Church supposed Purer with contempt of the former Congregation To gather Churches out of Churches is the way to destroy but not to heal diseased Churches It is to destroy many Churches for making up of One as if one going about the Cure of a Natural Body should cut off and take out all the sound Members and leave the rotten and diseased Members either to Cure one another or to perish A strange and desperate way of Cure A Second Dividing Principle in that Way is The Rule according to which they will have Ecclesiastick Judgement pass'd upon their Church Members to wit Conviction of their Inward good Estate which Rule being variable and uncertain some will judge one way some another according as they are more or less enclined to Charity yea the same Man at several times will have a various Judgement of the Inward State of another according as the Presumptions and Probabilities by which only he is led to judge of what is within are more fully or sparingly represented Hence there is a Seed of Breach upon Breach But God hath not left his Church in the matter of Authoritative judging to walk by such uncertain Rules A Third Dividing Principle in the Independant Way is this That all Church Power is solely in a Particular Congregation Hence if a Particular Congregation go wrong tho but made up of seven Persons which is a competent number with them there is no Authoritative Mean in all the Churches of the World to reclaim them This must needs open a Door to as many Divisions as there are Churches A Fourth Dividing Principle is That there is not a Catholick Visible Church yea no Church Visible but a Particular Congregation and another Principle they hold which followeth upon this to wit That a Minister can exerce no Acts as a Minister to any but those of his own Flock Hence 1. There can be no Communion of Churches as Churches there remaineâ—h only a Communion of Members There can be no Church Act from one Church or many towards another The Results and Determinations of the most Famous Synods made up of never so many Churches are to be look'd upon but as the Actings of so many private Christians Yea 2. Hence it will follow that there can be no Communion amongst Members of several Congregations in publick Church Ordinances as in hearing the Word jointly from a sent Minister in Receiving the Seals together For according to this Principle a Minister cannot Authoritatively Preach nor in any respect Administer Baptism or the Lords Supper unto any though never so Gracious except to those of his own Flock no not tho they be occasionally present when he is dispensing these Ordinances unto his Own Which Consequence is expresly granted by some of the chief of that Perswasion So it is a Principle which destroyeth all Communion of Churches and Members and therefore inconsistent with Union Several such like Principles in That Way might be reckoned out Concerning which the Doctrine warrandeth us to say this much If Unity be so necessary and so much to be sought after then such Dividing Principles cannot be of God Our Second Use is for Direction If Unity be so necessary and so much to be laboured for then we are to bewail that we our selves are so far and every day a step further from it Our Divisions grow I fear all the three wayes and in all ranks Our Heads are divided our Tongues divided yea and our Hearts divided Synods are divided Presbyteries are divided Congregations divided Ministers divided People divided yea and in some places Families divided Husband and Wife Father and Son Mother and Daughter Master and Servant yea and all divided We are as Mad-men every one eating the flesh of his own Arm. Manasseh Ephraim and Ephraim Manasseh And they together against Judah An Evil never enough lamented and the more to be lamented that there is no appearance how it shall be helped There are many things may make us look upon the present Division as our saddest Affliction and greatest Weight I shall reckon Six things 1. The many particular Evils which upon an exact search it will be found Our Divisions have brought upon Peoples own Spirits How much of our precious time is spent in vain jangling by which our Heart cannot but â—e made worse Many I fear too too many so taken up with their Heads that they forget their Hearts the sweetness and profit of mutual converse and fellowship is much marred Our mutual freedom and benefit that way much impaired Our Peace with God by our hot Debates untender Expressions and bitter and unnecessary Reflections of times brangled and shaken A Second Thing that may make Us look on our Present Divisions as our great Weight is The name of Praise which this Church hath had for Unity in times by-past amongst the Reformed Churches In the Harmony of Confessions the Preface to the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland makes mention of this as a rare Priviledge of This Church beyond many and that which makes Her very Name Famous among Churches abroad That for the space almost of Sixty Years She had keep'd Unity with Purity without either Schism or Heresy Now if Unity hath been formerly this Church's Praise how sad and weighty is it and how woeful men are we that
Malice hath set it self in some one Age of the Church or other to bear it down And God's Wisdom hath still overshot Satan making use of his Malice in opposing Truth for the further clearing of that Truth which he intendeth most to obscure and darken Satan's first design in the first Ages of the Christian Church was to beat down that great Fundamental Truth of Christs Divinity But after long debate this Truth was fully cleared by the means of several Worthies whose Spirits the Lord stirred up in these Ages to mantain That so much opposed Truth Satan therefore being beat off this strong Fort of Christianity retired a little and laboured next to bear down the Truth of Christs Humanity But the Truâ—h hereof the more it was opposed growing the brighter The Lord making Light break up convincingly in the midst of Hot Debates Satan retired a little further yet and bent his whole force in the following Ages against the Vnity of Christs Person And next against the Distinction of his Natures But Satan not prevailing this Way either he set himself to undermine Christ Jesus in all His Offices 1. By setting up the Infallibility of Popes and Councils against His Prophetical Office 2. The Doctrine of Merit in the matter of Justification against His Priestly Office 3. The Doctrine of Free-will and power of it in Man's Conversion to God against the Inward part of His Kingly Office And for the Outward part of it he set himself to wrest the Scepter of Christ's Government from His own Office-bearers and put it in the Hands of Popes Cardinals Arch-bishops and Bishops But after long Contest Truth is now aboundantly cleared and confirmed in all these Thus as One saith the Lord Jesus hath been content to dispute His Ground by Inches with the Devil until almost He hath beat him out of all only Satan hath no will to quit it so it seems to us he is now giving his last and sorest On-set on which in a desperate way he is to venture all wherein his design is evident to cast all in a Confusion First By trampling under foot the Outward Court of God's House I mean the Constitution of His Church Visible by the Doctrine of Renting and Separation And next to deprive the Catholick Church Visible and all Her considerable Members of all Government by the Doctrine of Independancy which confineth the whole Power of the Keys within the narrow circuit of a Particular Congregation whereby all the Particular Churches are left as so many small Boats in a storm to dash one against another having no Intrinsical authoritative Mean to make them steer an even Course without rushing one upon another Thus Satan aimeth to cast all in confusion that he may undo all What in former Ages he could not do in destroying Gospel Truths by Piece-meal and one by one he intends now to do it by whole sale and all at once For if once the bottom of the Ship be split and the Rudder broken the precious Ware contain'd in it can hardly be preserved Now that Satan's main design is to deface these Truths which are about the Constitution and Government of the Visible Church that thereby all may be covered with Confusion appeareth In that not only the method God hath hitherto keeped doth point at it There being few other Points of Truth to clear but also the thing speaketh for it self the main speat of the Errors of the time running directly contrary to these So that certainly as God intends to clear Truth in these so it 's not the least part of Satan's main design against the Church of Christ at this time to obscure Truth in these This then being Satan's design I shall in the next place give some Directions how to manage our Differences so as not to further this main design nor yet be short coming in our Duty against it Of which Directions I shall reckon Three First We ought to examine Opinions and Practices even tho by us conceived just and lawful How far they may contribute for furtherance of that Design and in that respect should be more circumspect and sparing at least in medling with them Thus the Apostle Paul Gal. 2. 3. would not Circumcise Titus tho Circumcision at that time was a thing Lawful as appears from his Circumcising of Timothy Act. 16. 3. much about the same time and yet he would not Circumcise Titus The reason is v. 4. There were False Brethren present who would have taken advantage of That his Practice to confirm themselves in their opposition to that Truth which Satan intended most to bear down at that time to wit The freedom of the Christian Church from the yoke of Mosaical Ceremonies therefore he thinks himself bound to abstain from that practice tho in it self Lawful and which in some other cases would have been necessary And that lest by That his Practice he should have been advantageous to Satan's main design against the Church of Christ at that time It 's true Truth remains still Truth however Satan abuse it yet seing all grant that the venting of some Truths at sometimes is unseasonable and so for that time may be forborn And seing it would seem that nothing makes a Truth more unseasonable than when it is known that Satan will make bad use of it for bearing down that Truth which God intends mainly to clear It will follow that the venting of such a Truth ought to be at least with great modesty and much holy Circumspection if not altogether forborn for that time For Application of this Direction I will not say much Only I shall propose it to your serious thoughts Whether or not the late Proceedings in opposition to the Supreme Judicatories of the Church together with the Tenets whereupon they are grounded which for Peace's cause and from unwillingness to give the least occasion of Irritation I forbear to name whether or not I say These even supposing the Lawfulness of the Practices and Truth of the Opinions seem not to have been unseasonable for the time as being apt to be abused for leading People upon the Errors of the time Such as the Contempt of Ecclesiastical Judicatories Quarrelling the Constitution and Separating from the Fellowship of our Church I fear much it will be hard for People not acquainted with subtile Distinctions to conceive that any Corruption amongst those with whom we converse can make Civil Fellowship with them Unlawful but it must make Church Fellowship especially Communion-table Fellowship with the same Persons to be as much if not much more Unlawful But I forbear not being without hopes but that Brethren Gracious and Wise will ponder what they hold and what they practise when they see bad use made of it beyond their own Intention and Purpose There is one thing further I shall say for application chiefly upon the other hand and it is this Such Practices ought to be eschewed as may prove unjust and unnecessary Irritations unto People to
get seek the more of peace with God Seek the more of his smileings the more thou meets with of men's frownings seek the more warmness in him the more of Coldness thou meets with from men seek the more of Counsel and Direction from God the more Reservedness thou finds in others from whom thou was wont to get sweet Counsel This were a sweet use of our present Divisions An Exposition of Sampsons Riddle indeed For thus Out of the eater should come meat and out of the bitter should come sweet Thirdly By these Divisions ye may discover much evil in your spirit that was before undiscovered what a deal of Pride not enduring to be opposed What Carnal Emulation at the good of others What rejoying at their slips What eagerness of spirit in the pursuit of things of little worth when more excellent are neglected What violent Eruptions of unmortified nature bending after courses unwarrantable for making of our Point good except Grace did bear them down Ye find such a discovery of some things such as may make you abase your selves before God Fourthly Our present Divisions may confirm us in the Main and settle us more than ever in the belief of those so much opposed Truths concerning the Government of Christ's House and Constitution of Visible Churches and that because those who are divivided and oppose one another much yet for the most part do agree in these If a mans house stand after the shaking of many strong winds he concluds the foundation is good This is a strong Argument for Truth that our Divisions Factions and oppositions one against another do not shake our minds in relation to it Fifthly Our present Divisions may be a spur to more diligence in dealing with God for helping foreward of his so much retarded Work He is an unhappy man who when the Ship of the Church is at the point of shipwrak will not use violence against his own Laziness and improve his interest with God that he would help his tossed Church at a dead lift Oh! that there were more of this Use The Generation of those that seek God are fallen asleep many are the means that God hath used to rouze us up We have had the Calm Voice of the Word and that hath not done it We have had the Thunder-claps of Sad sufferings from without and that hath not done it And now the Earth-quakes of heart Divisions within have shaken All And if God prevent not will overturn All. And if this awake us not Oh! Lord what will thou do next I shall now shut up all with the words of my Text Now I beseech you brethren by the name of Our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same Iudgment I know as matters now stand This and all we have spoken from it may prove but threshing on the water as to the thing by us intended Yea and very like it may be made use of for the hightning of prejudices and further increase of Our strife and if so be I am at a point what to Answer That even this will confirm unto me the Truth of what I have said to wit That Our Divisions are an Evil much to be lamented It is a Judicial stroak in so far as nothing can be said for the removal of it but thereby one way or other it taketh strength It is a strong fire that when water is poured upon it blazeth up the higher It is a dangerous Disease in the natural body which is so prevâ—lent as to turn the very medicine applyed unto the nature of that vicious Humour whereby the disease is further fed and nourished And yet tho all this should be which God avert I have another thing to say and it is the ground of my comfort as to Our present sad stroke That Jesus Christ who hath found out the way to make God and man One when they were at variance hath ways enough to reconcile us one to another tho Our Divisions were at a greater hight than yet they 're come to And if he hath pleasure in us he will make us One tho it should be on our own Expenses He may possibly do it by sending us to one Common Goal or some such like thing For our adhering to the Cause of God Covenant and precious Liberties of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ That precious Trust committed unto us by him and transmitted unto us by our Zealous and Faithful Predecessors who in the obtaining and preservation of them loved not their lives unto the death If He have pleasure in us he will make us unite and if no other thing will do it he will make such like work as this do it And it 's very like such like work may be ere long For shall we look on our mother Church oppressed and bereaved of these Priviledges which are left unto her by her Lord and husband in his Latter Will and Testament and shall we not so much as in ways competent for us upon all hazards resent it Shall stronger Powers usurp upon the Church's Right and in the mean time shall we by our mutual janglings encourage them to go on in this woful Work Or shall we resent these wrongs the less or secretly approve of them becasue possibly that which is our own design for weakning one another is thereby promoved God forbid Now the God of Peace establish our Peace with himself and give us Peace one with another in himself A SERMON PREACHED AT KILWINNING Immediatly before the giving of the COMMUNION Being a Preparation Sermon in order thereunto The second SERMON PSALM 51. 6. Behold thou desirest Truth in the inward Parts And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know Wisdom THIS Psalm is one of Davids Penitential Psalms wherein his Conscience being first awakned and made sensible of his Sin He pleadeth hard for God's Mercy Grace and especially for the Pardon of his Sin which Petition He insists upon most and doth again and again inculcate it The Words read in the First Part of this Verse hold out somewhat which God mainly called for and David aimed at as a necessary Ingredient in his Penitential Address unto God Without which nothing he could do in any Duty of God's Service or particularly in This which He is presently about would have been acceptable to God and which being obtain'd and in exercise all He did was the more savoury and therefore He maketh mention of it in the midst of His Prayer and present Exercise that thereby He may both mind His Heart of the great necessity there was to have it and also may chear up his weighted Spirit somewhat in confidence that He would be accepted of God in His present Address seing He had something of that necessary Ingredient which God doth so much require desire and accept of The thing
consulted with for knowing what was Heresy what not Isâ— 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony c. And for the application of the rule to persons that they might know who were the Hereticks we never read that they consulted Vrim and Thummim but used a judicial Process against the person challenged and proved the Fact by Witnesses So Deut. 17. 4. There must be a scandal of Idolatry upon the man challenged And if it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently c. And it must be proved on him by Witnesses verse 6. As the mouth of two Witnesses or three Witnesses shall he that is worthy of Death he put to death They except Fourthly That in the Infancy and Nonage of the Church God Typed out things Spiritual by things Earthly and so those Punishments were Types of Spiritual Censures Excommunication and Hell and therefore are not now to be put in practice We answer First Excommunication and Damnation were things present to the Jewish Church and so they had no Types of them Secondly This is to turn Scripture to Allegories and by this same reason we may cast at punishments of Sins against the Second Table as being Types of Spiritual Censures Hell and Damnation and there is as much ground for affirming the one as the other This much for Arguments from the Old Testament We shall next hint at some Arguments from the New Testament First If so be that it were unusual for Magistrates to meddle with men in matters of Religion then certainly Jesus Christ and his Apostles should have used this legal Defence when the Magistrate called them before him to answer about their Doctrine They would have said ye have no place to challenge us for our profession for matters of Opinion are free but we do not hear that they declined the Judge or used any such Defence for sure Christ and his Apostles would have left no lawful mean unessayed There is a second Argument taken from Rom. 13. 4. Where speaking of the Civil Magistrate the Apostle sayeth For he is the Minister of God to thee far good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid There is set down the object of the Magistrates Power and the extent of it and it is set down indefinitly upon him that doth evil And therefore if Hereticks Maintainers of falle Worship be doers of evil they fall under the Magistrates Power Now that spreaders of Heresie are doers of evil we did prove in the second Doctrine raised from this Verse where we shew that Heresy and Error was as much to be eschewed as Adultery and other Sins against the Second Table and the Magistrate as Magistrate should put forth his zeal against them as much and all the places commanding zeal against Error which are not few in the New Testament proves this for they bind every one according to his place the Minister according to his place and the Magistrate according to his There is one Exception they make much of against this Argument and it is this say they By doers of evil cannot be meaned these that are taken with Error and Heresy and other Sins against the First Table And that because the evil that is here spoken of is the evil that is mentioned in the beginning of the Verse But if thou do that which is evil be afraid It is an evil say they that any that were guilty of it had need to be afraid of the Magistrate because of it and so it is not meaned the evil of Error and Heresy against Christian Truths For the Magistrate here spoken of is the Roman Emperor and Senate who themselves were Enemies to Christian Religion and so none needed to be afraid of them for spreading Errors but rather for mantaining Truths and therefore the doers of evil here meaned must be the controveeners of the Emperors Civil Laws and not Hereticks and such like For Answer This exception is grounded on a wrong supposition for by the Magistrate is here meaned not only the Roman Magistrate but all Magistrates in general doing their Duty as they ought Paul indeed takes occasion from the Roman Magistrate to speak here what is the Duty of all Magistrates and it is clear from several Circumstances of the Text We shall mark one of them from the first words of the Text For he is the Minister of God to thee Now sure it is this must be meaned of Magistrates in general and not astricted only to the Roman Magistrate he not being the Minister of God unto every one who was to make use of this Scripture There is another Circumstance of the Text proving this in the 3 Vâ—rse For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works Now sure this must be expounded of the Office of Magistracy in general and of that which Magistrates should be and not of the Roman Magistrate who then was well known to be a Terror unto many good Works not only unto Christian but also unto Moral Vertues We shall give you only another Argument shortly taken from that Prophecy Revel 17. 16. A Prophecy tâ—at the Civil Magistrate shall bring down the Antichrist and that Error of the Roman Religion as a most acceptable work to God And so the Magistrates Hand is not bound up from punishing Error and Heresy against the First Table no more than from punishing other Sins done against the Second Table And this much for our Arguments brought in defence of the Truth In the Third place we promised to bring forth some of their Arguments and solve them Herein we need not spend much time for this being Truth there can be nothing said against it which is Truth Yet there being some nimble Spirits to propone Arguments which every one cannot answer we shall stay a little on this Third point also The First thing they object is this If so be that it were the Magistrates Duty to punish Error and Heresy then Jesus Christ would have reproved the Jews for Tollerating the Pharisees and Saduces But so it is he never reproves the Jews for so doing Nothing of that kind is recorded by any of the Evangelists To this we Answer First That it does not follow that Christ did not reprove the Jews because it is not written For John sayes Chap. 20. 30. He did speak many things which are not written so it follows not But Secondly we say although it be granted that Christ did not reprove them yet it follows not that their neglect was not a Sin For First by that reason we might say that the Mgistrate should not punish Theft because Christ speaks nothing of the punishment of it in the New Testament Neither Secondly reproveth he the Church for not Censuring them and yet it followeth not but that they ought to be Censured that way And Thirdly God had revealed his Will before And Fourthly It would have been for no purpose to have stired up the Magistrate to this Duty then for the Sectarieâ—
themselves had the Power that was of it And Lastly the Jews at this time had not the Power of Civil Punishment in their Hands but the Romans and so it was not in their Power to punish There is a Second Objection which they bring from the Apostle Paul's words in the Epistle to the Philipp 3. 15. where speaking of Differences among Christians he sayes Let us therefore as many as be perfect â—e thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Say they we see what was Paul's Judgement That notwithstanding of Differences there should be Heart Waling or Uniting and therefore the Magistrate should not be stired up to Censure those who Err. To this we Answer Paul speaks nothing there of State Tollâ—ration for then the Civil Powers were not for Christ but of Church Tollâ—ration in respect of that meekness and tenderness which Christs Servants should have in inflicting of Church Censures for fear of breaking Love Secondly He commandeth not all Errors to be thus Tollerated for so he should contradict himself in another place where he sayes An Heretick after the first and second admonition reject And Thirdly Paul limits that Tolleration that he would have here and that in two things First As to the time how long God shall reveal even this unto you And Secondly He supposes the persons differing from them should walk with them in things wherein they differ not according to the same rule and so make no separation Now it does not follow that those who remained Obstinate in their Error should be still Tollerated and that the Censure of the Church should not strick on them at all chiefly if it be such an Error as causes Rents and Schisms for he sayes Take heed to those that cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them Rom. 16. 17. Their Third Objection is That this is contrary to the way the Apostles took with those that Erred their way was to watch against them that Erred Acts 20. 29. For I know this that after my departing shall grievous Wolves enter in among you not sparing the Flock Verse 31. Therefore watch That which the Apostle commands is to watch against them And in Rom. 16. 17. Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid them And in the 2 Timoth 2. 24. it is said And the Servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient Now say they this is a far other way than to stir up the Civil Magistrate against those who differ from us This Savors not of the meek Spirit of Christ. I answer It is the Duty of Ministers to watch against Error and that is one mean for suppressing of Error and Heresy but one mean destroyes not another it does not follow that this which is in controversy is not another mean also neither is it contrary to that meekness commanded to wait on them more than to deliver to Satan or to Curse and Excommunicate Apostates with that great Curse called Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16. 22. They may as well say It is contrary to Christs meek Spirit to establish the Sword in the Hands of the Christian Magistrate according to Rom 13. 4. For punishing Sins against the Second Table and so under this pretence Adulteters Murderers Seducers Thieves and all should go free unpunished But they do far mistake the Meekness of Jesus Christ Christs Meekness is not to let people live in their Sin to let vile Hereticks trample on Truth destroying Souls And in the mean time binding up the Hand of the Magistrate that he dare not hinder it this were a disrespect to Truth and cruelty to poor Souls in danger to be carried away which our Lord was very tender of There is a Fourth Objection from Matth. 13. 24. Taken from the Parable of the Tares where the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a man that sowed Wheat and the wicked one comes and sowes his Tares among it and both is bidden let grow till the Harvest Now say they by these Tares is meaned Hereticks therefore they should not be plucked up by the Sword of the Civil Magistrate We Answer If they astrict the Word Tares to Hereticks in this sense That the Sword of the Civil Magistrate should not be used against them by the same reason they may say that they should not be disputed against for that is a plucking up of them also Secondly We answer That by the Tares that are commanded here to be suffered let grow up to the Harvest is no more meaned Hereticks than other Scandalous Livers And this we shall make out from Christs exponding the Parable Verse 41 And they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend Now Hereticks are not all things that offend other scandalous Livers offend also Thirdly By the Tares is meaned Them that do Iniquity vers 41. Now others besides Hereticks are such And Fourthly If by the Tares were here meaned Hereticks then by the Wheat are meaned only the Orthodox and so every man that is Orthodox should Shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of Heaven vers 43 But there are many who are Orthodox who yet are evil Livers and so will never go to Heaven And therefore by the Wheat must only be meaned the truly Regenerate and so by the Tares must not only be meaned Hereticks but all other Evil-doers And further By this it would follow that Hereticks should not be Excommunicate for that is a rooting out But what can be meaned by the Tares then for whatever be meaned by them it will follow that by this Parable Verse 30 they should be tollerated and to say that all vile scandalous Persons should be tollerated is more absurd than that only Hereticks should be tollerated Answer If we narrowly observe Christs exposition of the Parable we will find that part where he bids Let both grow together until the Harvest is not exponed although he expone the rest which doubtless he would not have omitted if it had been his mind that we should have built any Doctrine of this kind on it therefore we say this is not Christs meaning that he would have all men how Godless and Scandalous soever let alone for that were contrary to other places of Scripture But that Christ is to show that when all pains are taken by Christs Officers for purging the Church yet there will be alwayes some Hypocrites in it and it is Christs mind though he hath given order to Censure scandalous Offenders yet that his Servants should not press after such a separation of the precious from the vile as to have all the Weeds and wicked in heart to be cast out lest when they gather out the Graceless Tares they should root out also the Gracious Wheat with them Object 5. There is a Fifth Objection from Luk 9. 54 Where Christ reproves James and John for seeking fire to come down from