be active in the active priviledges and seals and to receive actual assurance thereof themselves The third is of Males of age and discretion enrighted thereby both to the nourishing and trading Church-priviledges and also to the Church-power of voting whereby their voices are to be accepted The fourth is of Prophets or membral or integral Teachers enrighted to use and exercise their personall abilitie of Speaking to Edification Exhortation and Comfort in the exercise of Prophesie to edifie the Church These are the integral parts of the Church The first of the Organicall is the Teacher whose Ministeriall Office is Ministerially to teach inform prove disprove and administer the Teaching Seals for knowledge The second is the Exhorter whose instituted office is to exhort dehort comfort reprove and terrifie by the preaching the Word and administration of the Sacraments as Seals thereof unto the Sanctification of the Church The third is the Ruler whose office is to order Church-actions and other Church-estates and offices in their execution and pronounce the Church-sentences of Admission Excommunication Ordination Deprivation for good behaviour The fourth is the Distributer Deacon or Helper whose Office is to receive and distribute the alms of the Church to provide Meeting-places Bread Wine and Water with their fit Vessels for the Sacraments for provision The fift is the shewer of mercy Mercier 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Widow or Woman-Deacon whose office is to keep the Sick and supply their naturall wants in Food Physick Warmth and other helps for their preservation The first three of these Offices are called by one common name of Bishops Act. 20.28 because their Office is set to oversee take care and charge of the Church in all Spirituall means of knowledge grace and honest behaviour for the benefit of the Church thereby Secondly they are Feeders Shepherds or Pastours Act. 20.28 for their duty to feed nourish and physick the Church by all means of information reformation and preservation spirituall for its benefit thereby They thirdly are also called Elders Presbyters or Ancients Act. 20.17 for their duty to be grave staid discreet and to be examples to the younger sort and by their experience and habit of knowledge vertue and gravity to benefit the Church The other two are also joyntly called Deacons and Helpers for their office of service to the Church and help to the other three offices in the mentioned particulars that nothing be wanting to the Church and its overseeing offices These are the nine sorts of Church-members Portions Proportions Gifts and Graces Rom. 12.3 to 6. enrighted there by to receive the benefits of Christ and do his speciall works allotted to his Church for his speciall worship and their good The first four as children women men Prophets have by their Church-membership an addition to their Personal Saintship of publike right to the duty and benefits of Divine Worship the second Commandement and the second Petition for their grace and exercise The last five as Church-officers have a farther priviledge and duty by their instituted offices to purchase a good degree in the Faith and to be promoted to an higher work and so to expect a greater blessing here and hereafter These are the particulars of the reall parts of Divine Worship c. and their subsequents the immediate previal thereof is the power of the Church sanctified by the Word of the Apostles of the Christ of God to enright those estates in those works for those ends The immediate previal cause of the first four is the actuated Covenant of the Saints to be a Church whereby they are made members thereof and therewith enrighted to receive and do their distinct works unto those benefits But of the last five it is the church-Church-power electing and ordaining them into those Offices enrighting them to those administrations for the Churches and their own edification exhortation and comfort and for Gods Worship Therein are two doubts whether Election or Ordination be the proper and predominant informing cause 1. But Church-Election is the procreating act in the Spirituall Nature of things 2. Giving the Office and Right 3. To administer 4. To God and the Church For Ordination is onely a Ministerial and no immediate and proper Church-action but one Minister hath no power sanctified by God to procreate another as under the Law but is onely as the Midwife to help in the birth of that office c. Secondly Church-election according to the express pattern of the Church its Power Offices and their choice and working set Rom. 12.1 to 8. createth giveth right charge unto the Officers elected to work for the Church but Ordination is onely a necessited act appointed by the body to manifest and compleat its choise by some ceremoniall act instituted to that end without any reall or arbitrary Power in the Ordainer c. The second doubt is Whether the consent of the chosen be essentially requisite but it is onely by conveniency and for the bene esse the efficient Power being in the Church to chuse its Officers c. but not to contract The superiour and remote previals and precedent Causes efficient material formal and intentionall are many but the chief are mentioned already The Uses are first in the generall of all the parts to observe their concordance in one Root even the Church from which they receive their Being Life and Power The four first by their admission The five last by their Election to do and receive good Then their agreement with each other in thei fraternity and portions Children having the same Church-membership with the other 8 women the same right with the last 7 to the Word Sacraments and Prayer Men the right to Church-power with the last 6 and Prophets so true a right to speak in the Church to the edification exhortation and comfort thereof as the three sorts of Bishops Pastours and Elders though not with the like measure charge authority and blessing Likewise the Teacher hath charge and authority over all both integral and ministerial members in matters of knowledge proof disproof and motives to knowledge The Exhorter over all in matters of Exhortation Comfort and their Opposites The Ruler in matters of order and government Also the Distributer hath charge to serve all Church-members in matters of provision and help in Church-services and the Widow in matters of preservation Secondly observe their speciall distinctness according to their diversity of gifts graces and proportions commanded Rom. 12.3 6 7 8. to every one of the Church in particular 1. The Under-aged to rest in their being estated in the Church and their passive priviledges of Baptisme and measure of the Word Prayer and Order and not to usurp above their giftedness with natural activeness 2. The Women not to meddle with any kind of authority order or power their inferiority of Sex dis-inabling them therein by a naturall disproportion thereto 3. Adulti and of active discretion not enabled to speak as Prophets must according to
〈◊〉 as an antidote to that boundless arrogancy and swelling ambition the root of that antichristian confusion which hath long confounded Christs divine order as was therefore prophetically and justly called of God Babel and Babylon * 2 In speciall and as particularly and immediately applying all these general precepts to the particulars of divine worship ensuing and that by the illative and causal particle for v. 4. which sheweth that we are to apply all these preceding generalls to the ensuing particulars as 1 Directing us in the connextion of each preceding particular to each subsequent particular and ◠converso and that with grounded reasons causal and illative 2 Moving us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. by internall motives of highest consequence both from the cause to the effect from debt to repayment from Gods absolute commands and by many other pregnant directions and motives wherein every one is to help himself according to these helps the particulars being so infinite in number as can hardly without tediousness be read and yet so precious as will content and requite the pains ¶ 2 Described †1 By its name 1 Christian forename v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word-worship of the Scripture in general and Gospel of Christ in particular 2 Of its kind sirname cognomen v. 2. that Will of God and so not only properly and truely divine but in a special manner i. e. as the high matter of Gods prerogative instituting and dictating will †2 In its nature ¶ 1 By a Protasis as pattern †1 Immediate and proper i. e. of a corporation * 1 It self as a totum in se intire as 1 Existing in its self and properly such as a covenanted body of civill men whether Realm City Town corporate or other proper corporation v. 4. one body or coporation 2 Exerting it self 1 Dispositively into its members as in the choice of officers 2 Actively by joynt-consent of its members as in sentencing both these as assembled into a Congregation as in a Parliament Common-Council or Burrow-month-court wherein the body acteth its concial power and supremcy v. 4. we have many Members in one body * 2 Its members 1 Smply as existing v. 4. many members 2 In respect of their 1 Body v. 4. many members in one body 2 Functions 1 Simply as Ordinances and Works instituted v. 4. practise or work 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Relatively as appropriated to their membership all members have not the same function or work v. 4. These I but touch in this Protasis they being more proper to the Apodosis where they shal be more particularly placed as in an Index or map but their compleat clearing and handling requireth a larger vindex which yet cannot be orderly without this Analytical epitomy premised †2 Remote and general that is of every totum and body integral or compound by God and Man v. 4. body in the general yet with all the mentioned particulars of the properly patterning body of a corporation in particular so far as they agree therewith and that so much more as they are more proper boies in the general though this pattern be more proper in this case ¶ 2 In the Apodosis or Patterned as an * 1 Vnum †1 Subjectum 1 Quod which beareth the adjuncts immediately ss the four membral and five ministerial estates mentioned 2 Quo wherein subjectum quod inhereth i. e. the Church the original pillar or eminencer ground or subject of true divine worship or truth 1 Tim. 3.15 with Rom. 1.25.23 †2 Order of adjuncts i. e. those nine adjunctive functions * 2 Integral integrum 1 Totum whole or intire body v. 5. so we are one body i. e. a corporation spirituall or Christian Church 2 Order of parts v. 5. so we being many are one body Note The difference between these two respects is expressed in the application of the Apodosis to the Protasis which by a peculiar Scripturism compleateth each other though an inferiour authority cannot force us to that inquiry for the preheminency of the totum as having the parts as its own totally is expressed v. 4. in one body we have many members and the precedency of the parts as being the matter of which the totum was compacted of which compacture it doth consist expressed v. 5. wee being many members are one body which is of great use as shall in the Vindex be shewn but I will here proceed in the bare Analysis This Order of Integralls is †1 Collateral or between themselves as 1 Onely integral 1 Onely existent or patient as the children of the enchurched 2 Also active 1 Onely applying to themselves in Church-actions and doing personal duties 2 As working Ecclesiastically in 1 Teaching and its consequences 2 Matters of ruling 1 In discussing 2 In Sentencing and their consequences concerning these only integral v. 6. whether prophesie i. e. ability so by his Churches integralship right to speak to edification exhortation and comfort by which one particular membership the other are by synecdoche meant but the compleat proof which are integral Church-members is to be supplied from other places this being but an epitome and summary compacting the heads of Divine Worship 2 Also instrumentall as the Ministers v. 7. or a Ministery 1 Overseeing the internal man 1 In the root by preaching 1 Doctrinally v. 7. whether the Teacher 2 Exhortingly v. 8. or the Exhorter 2 In the fruit by ruling v. 8. the Ruler 2 Serving the outward 1 Estate by distributing v. 8. the distributer by synecdoche meaning all other Church helps to the estates as collecting husbanding the Church-stock arbitrating debts c. 2 The person and health of the body by tending the sick c. v. 8. the pitier †2 Lineal * 1 A priore in relation to the Church †1 Ascensive or regressive in a 1 Giving 1 Existence its Churchship or constitution unto it by 1 Making the Church-Covenant 2 Continuing the Church-covenant 2 Actuation or life to it by 1 Assembling 2 Acting therein their particular works 1 Integral 2 Instrumental a 2 Receiving their membership at and by the very act of church-covenanting which is to be likewise supposed of all after-entrances or admissions into the church they having reference thereto V. 5. we being many are one body i. e. many Christians are become one church †2 Descensive or progressive in the churches giving to each christian person his proper church-member-ship 1 Integral by admission 2 Instrumentall by ordination Both which are the churches by its making them such v. 4. Wee in one body have many members wherefore the power of both is in the Church and that both of sentencing and solemnizing them and therefore much of laying hands on the member in his admission and ordination by the instituted rite for both Heb. 6.2 with 1 Tim. 5.22 lay hands suddenly on no man c. The four integral and five organical states are before mentioned and here supposed * 2 A
all the Memberships thereof and so is that desolation and as he setteth himself for and as the Church and his 128. sorts of his Church-members 24. Ministerial and 104. Monastical members as and for the members of the Church he setteth up that abomination And thirdly as he confuseth the names nature and order of the Church-members of Christ he is that Babylon the great or God of confusion For first he confoundeth the four sorts of the integral members of the Church as the Prophets Men Women and children both in taking from them all distinction of church-Church-power and priviledge whereby as Ecclesiastical they are distinguished from each other for by his Church-disorder no Saint of gifts of discerning spirits of edification exhortation and comfort hath more power in government or priviledge of teaching than men without them yea or women and children for they have none at all neither have men more enrighting power then women or children in telling the Church or in putting out of the obstinately wicked from among them than women and children what enabling power soever they have more than they for his Church-warden-promooting is a servility absolute of informing the Prelatical courts but not that power to tell the Church if the offendor will not repent at their private telling and not to tell if they will Neither thirdly have Prophets men or women more priviledge in any thing than children by any Church right he making them all alike of the Laity and not of the Church as for his giving the bread to men and women but not to children it is by a Ministerial or rather Magisterial munificence in the Priests and through a natural defect in the children simply and not as they cannot discern the Lords body nor eat in remembrance of Christ indeed his denying expresly the wine to all alike sheweth their Church estate and right thereby unto it to be all alike that is none at all and so he might by alike right deny them the Bread and Baptisme too but for his own sinister ends of making his Priests munificent herein and of discovering the informed in the right order of God and the avoiders of Antichristianity and of seeming to love Christianity Secondly he so also confoundeth the names nature and order of the five instrumental or ministerial members in making them all but one Priesthood for the Teacher Exhorter and Ruler of a Congregation he expresly maketh but one Priesthood and the Deacon he maketh but a diminutive servant and helper of that priesthood or a preparative thereto the Widow or Mercy-shewer he wholly excludeth and so he is that Babylon the great or great confounder of Gods Offices and Ordinances 2. He is also that abomination in setting up other Church offices than these five which onely are made divine by the Word and so also he sitteth as or for the Church in usurping its authority herein for he hath set up denal suffragan diocesan provincial patriarchal and universal Bishoâ—shâ—ps their subordinate councels commissaries Officials Archdeacons Surrogates and Registers as divinely authorized to exercise Church-authority whom yet Christ never authorized which I have shewn in a Tract of undivine Bishops and in a Confutation of their Postscriâ—ts or undivine authority for them 3. He is also that desolation both in his settâ—ng these Anachims over Christs Bishops and Deacons and not onely as simply ruling them by their Church-Monarchy as they do all called Christians but especially as making them subordinate instruments of their Magisterial tyranny both in their servile promooting to their Courts the true yea and reported breakers of their Articles repentant and impenitent promiscuously and especially in executing their Sentences though they know them unjust both in matter and also in the form of their proceedings for he hath hereby made them his Vassals Bayliffs Goalers and Executioners without any inherent power of ruling in their Offices And this though they had been of Gods creation by Church-election and under his correction But that which is worst thâ—y are of Hierarchical generation by Prelatical ordination and are under their censures even unto degradation for neglecting their traditions so that what they are can do and have in their formal estate is of through and for Antichrist for he created them into that estate by his instituted office of Bishopship and its constituting ordination thereby engaging them to use all their powers and habits internal and external to his ends and glory whereby he hath not onely destroyed their servantship of God but even made them his own servants and souldiers against Christ as King of Israel and Lord of his Temple The next part of Antichrists antithesis against Chrâ—sts instituted Worship is first his prescribing other ends to the works of the Church-members both integral and instrumental than Christ hath done even both to their saving serving souldierly and social works under which four heads all Christian duties are comprehended and indeed he maketh of these four sorts of works but one with a double end that is satisfactory to God in obedience to himself for all is works of service suffering and love he holdeth to be the prerequisite condition of our adoption sonship and spouship and so of our union with God as our heavenly Father though p operly Gods imputation of Christ and his sufferings and works unto us be the onely work preceding or prerequisite to our adoption and so therein God the Father Christ and the Holy Ghost are the onely Agents and Workers and we are meerly patients as receivers of that divine estate nature and inheritance and thereby enrighted by that estate enabled by that nature and moved by that inheritance to serve and suffer for God and for and with his sons servants and souldiers and so he is that Babylon abomination and desolation in this part also as he maketh the soul of the works of all Church-members to be satisfactory to God and services to himself whereas they are onely services and homage due to God as absolute Lord. This is not onely true of that Antichrist of Rome but of his daughters also in their secundary degree and under the name of Arminianisme whereof the Hierarchy of England is in travail that of Ireland pregnant and that of Scotland quick with child Secondly in prescribing other works rites and observances also than God hath sanctified as abstinence from Marriage and Meats to some at all times and to all at some times kneeling and many fopperies in the Lords Supper Salt cream spittle c. in Baptisme bondaged reading prayers the surplice copes and other priestly garments white clothing for the baptized churched and penitent praying before the crucifix crosse and images sackcloth and whipping c. consecrated places breathing the Holy Ghost in ordination prelatical consecration institution induction suspension anathematising with bell book and candle observation of holy-days weeks and set-times consecrating of Temples and their appurtenances of many sorts Fonts chalices Bells Holy-water Basons and
posteriore in relation to their functions 1 Membral viz. of the Prophets to prophesie of the adult men to power the adult women to be active partakers of the Sacraments and of Infants to be passive injoyers of Baptism and of each of the four to all Ordinances of inferiour nature than that mentioned in each function v. 6. whether prophesie which by relation inforceth its active relative conjugate i. e. prophets as they are called 1 Cor. 14.28 and by synecdoche supposeth the three other sorts of functions 2 Ministerial i. e. of the Teacher to teaching of the Exhorter to exhortation of the distributer to distribution the ruler to ruling the pitier to works of pity in and under which five works all other of the same nature and reason are by synecdoch meant whether instituted or personal as the Sacraments under teaching and provoking they being teaching as significant and provoking and confirming as sealing and under teaching are meant translating metaphrasing analysing doctrining proper teaching proving consuting and so of the rest 3 Ens consisting of 1 Matter i. e. visible Christians 2 Form 1 Constitutive i. e. that pattern superinduced by and upon that matter in their mutuall covenanting to be such a Church of God v. 5. are one body whereby all the said parts and adjuncts are Ecclesiastical and all divine worship as of the word v. 1. 2 Institutive i. e. the pattern of a Corporation revealed by the word to be Apostolike v. 3. and so of Christ v. 5. and so of God v. 3. By this TRANSLATION METAPHRASE and ANALYSIS of Rom. 12. from v. 1. to the 8. there appears two main considerations of divine Worship First its subject matter willed Secondly its respectives The matter willed by God is real and rational c. For readiness and memory sake I will frame them first Tablewise secondly Tractwise both so summarily as the Exposition will competently beare DIvine Worship is the Body of Gods instituted Will for his Saints peculiar publike serving of him which is here to be handled onely as the object of Gods peculiar Will of which we will consider ¶ 1 What is positive and true viz. that of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 word-worship which is twofold †1 External * 1 Real †1 Subjective viz. in respect of a twofold subject X I Subjectum quod simple primitive or integral viz. the Church which is the permanency and eminency of Word-worship the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 with Rom. 1.25.23 Psal 106.20 Exod. 32.5 1 Stative i. e. the Church as incorporate which is the essenciall original both of the Church congregate and all its powers and adjuncts and that as ens causa integrum and subjectum v. 3. are 2 Active i. e. the Church congregate or representative the immediate subject of all ecclesiastica or Church-States Ordinances and actions v. 4. have 1 Cor. 11.18 20 22 5 4. Mat. 18.17 18 19. this is the Church of frequent name understanding and use but the other is the proper root X 2 Subjectum quo i. e. in a per pro quo derived secondary or membral 1 Integral 1 Active 1 In doctrine viz. the Prophets v. 6. Prophesie 1 Cor. 14.1.3 2 In power 1 Congregational viz. in admission excommunication election degradation determination of circumstances time place c. 2 Ruling viz. in examining advising convincing pro contra sentencing c. by his membral right according to his abilities adulti 2 Passive or receptive 1 Simply as infants nâ—t discerning the Lords body and blood 2 Mixtly viz. Women who have no power properly actâ—ve but onely recipient 1 Cor. 14.34 35. These four integral Church-states are by synecdoche prescribed v. 6. whether prophesie 2 Instrumental or ministerial which may be two wayes distributed or divided viz. 1 Into 1 Internal or mental viz. for the minds for instrumenti esse est in fine usu 1 Informing which is the Teacher v. 7. the Teacher 2 Conforming which is the Exhorter v. 8. 2 External or for the outward 1 Conversation of the spiritual man which is the Ruler v. 8. 2 Preservation of the natural man viz. natural 1 Personal or for conservation of the body which is the pitier v. 8. 2 Possessory or for maintenance viz. the distributer v. 8. 2 Into 1 Episcopal or overseeing Elderly or authoritive pastoral or feeding or conserving 1 Internal 1 Mental or intellectual viz. the Teacher v 7. 2 Voluntal or of the wil and its affectives viz. the Exhorter v. 8. or teaching Elders 2 External the Ruler v. 8. who is an Overseer over in authority conserving the honest behaviour of the Church and each member thereof called also a ruling elder 1 Tim. 5. 2 Diaconal or serving the Church in the whole and its members 1 Personal or corporal the pitier v. 8. the widow 1 Tim. 5.3 to 13. or Deaconess Rom. 16.1 vulgarly a keeper or nurse-keeper tending the sick and so an helper 1 Cor. 12.28 2 Possessal or bonal viz. the Distributer v. 8. tâ— Deacon Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 3.8 to 13. by synecdoche of distributing for all kinds of serving the Church and each member thereof in their goods and all things pertinent to them not appropriate to the rest and so an helper 1 Cor. 12.28 helpers governors †2 Adjunctive 1 Vertual qualifying or enabling for execution as the nine several functions of the said nine Church estates or membrall subjective reall internall parts of Gods Worship and the two powers of the integrall subjective reall externall parts thereof particularly as particularly thus distributed 1 Potestative 1 Original viz. corporation power to congregate and continue joyn and so dissolve it self and to set the persons time and place of the Congregation viz. for the first act power delegating is but once as married but once 2 Derived or representing the Original or reciprocall to it self viz. to set the persons time and place of the meeting and to act continue to and dissolve it self and to joyn it self to another Church 2 Functional viz. the appropriate and instituted priviledge work function duty and practice of the Church-estates Z 1 Integral as freemen of a City * 1 Active 1 Prophetical viz. teaching to edefication exhortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14.3 called prophesie v. 6. whereby four things are meant 1 The gift or power personal 2 The function of the Church-prophet proper to this place 3 The act of prophesying all three litterally or equivalently mentioned in prophesie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 The enrighting estate of the prophets to use their personal gift as their prophetical function actually in the Church congregate as a member of the Church incorporate this is meant by the rule of Conjugates being of the same reason which is to be understood in and of the other eight functions and 2 powers which in this Table I have and must leave to be supposed This is the proper function of the Prophet not excluding the other three ensuing which are
Basis Centre Subject or Pillar b Originall c Primary or Proper viz. Christ as the Idea Image Word Reason Law Promise or Will of God v. 2. will of God v. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3.11 viz. the Scriptures c Secondary and in respect of VVorship derived viz. the same manifested to man ordered or acted †in the same words of v. 1. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word and will of God written being the immediate Original of the Church and its Offices and Ordinances though but Christs cistern as the brests are to the woman and her nipples †Figuratively viz. The Apostles and Prophets of the Gospel who are called such foundations Eph. 3.20 and authors 2 Tim. 2.16 by a Metonymie of the adjunct for the subject whether Christ or the word they being but Christs tongue or pen to reveal the word and so adjuncta subjecto cujus cui adjuncts to the subject original both primary and secondary as simply taken v. 3. by the grace b Existential subjective integral derived and effected viz. the Church Ministerial 1 Tim. 3.15 which is now 2 Cor. 6.16 with Levit. 26.11 as the Tabernacle Exod. 25.35 40.2.9.17 18. Num. 7.1 and the Temple 1 Chron. 28.20 2 Chron. 5.1 1 Kin. 6.38 the house with all the furniture thereof 7.51 all the work for the house were before Christ viz. the hypostasis basis subjectum quod or center to all the other Parts of Gods Worship whether Ordinances or Offices lines or circles V. 4 5. one body a Members furtiture branches cifcumferences ad juncts and Chapiters v. 3. to every one that is among you as God hath measured to every one the measure of faith v. 4 5. many members not one function being considered in themselves and without the particular scope of that place i. e. to shew the distinctness of the Church its Offices and Ordinances these in respect of the church their body are d Immediate e Homogeneal private naturall considered f Simply as such whether inherent and that either innate or acquisite or acting in the body f Relatively and order to the church its offices and their works Membral gifts powers and habits synecdocally exprest v. 6. whether prophesie These are b Common viz. of knowledge wisdome and dexterity in divine and natural things arts tongues utterance and actions especially grace which is common to all members and abilities and sanctifying both h Special as distinct prerequisite and peculiar to each of the three i Overseeing offices viz. to the Teacher as of knowledg and making know in those things as the spirits and annimal powers in the Arteries Exhorter of wisdome and wise-making therein as nutritive and vital as blood in the veins Ruler i. e. honest conditionedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.13 1 Thes 4.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 2.12.3 2.16 Jam. 3.13 and working others good conversation as the motive powers in the muscles i Serving in Provision for the k Estate as respecting simply Christians necessity not private benefit or glory as flesh k Health as tender and merciful-hartedness as the sinews and feeling power sympathetically moving all the parts in the hurt of any one e Heterogeneal publike or such as are in place office State or Ministry organical or such as are instruments of the house as Prophet Priest King and Saviour for moral voluntarie church-common actions or in a word distinct working Offices v. 7. or an Office v. 4. many members v. 5. sowe being many in distinctness of place office state ministry or giftedness for something must be supplyed and the scope of the place toucheth not the mysticall and personall respect of Christians nor the meer individuall manyness and diversity of the members of the Church but chargeth us strictly to keep distinct the manifold and distinct respects of Gods bestowing his divers membral and ministerial gifts for distinct ends and works or rather of his distributing and disposing the distinct parts of his worship to the diversly fitted and distinct members of the Church these are in number five viz. the Teacher the Exhorter the Distributer the Ruler the Pittyer or mercyer litterally translated v. 7 8. Now to annex their distinctness to their innumeration it is l Respective and mediate for they are to be considered as fitly answering to the distinct special membrall gifts mentioned as before in and after their existence or application to Officers which I have shewn before l Expresly confined unto denominated and so informed and so distinguished by and stirred up in those speciall divers and distinct gifts proper and adaequat◠Functions v. 6. by the inference of our divers discharging of them because they are divers in themselves and in respect of the givers free and voluntary distribution and of the receivers accordingly distinct measured portion and v. 7. by the Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denorative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 designative as is shewn before and also by the express or equivolent distinct paralelling them with their proper and adaequate Functions viz. the teacher in the teaching gift function or work or in the Doctrine viz. of the Scriptures Church or rather of the Teacher so appropriating the one to the other even convertibly and in the highest degree the Exhorter in the Exhortation in the same manner and so the other three but because the express particularizing of them therein would import them too childish and because the distinctness of the Offices and Functions is not all or the onely thing here intended but onely the principall therefore the discreet holy and peculiar means of discharging them is annexed to them referring likewise to us the supplying the same to the two former viz. to the Teacher understandingly or perspicuously and to the Exhorter holy powerfully or the like This incorporating manifoldness well orderedness and compleatness of the Arguments for the distinctness in kinde of the Offices of the Church should oversway and settle our judgments purposes and practises accordingly yet as if nothing were enough to express Gods care and jealousie herein as being the chief particulars of the second Commandment nor to perswade Christians to this strictness sollicitousness and jealousie as being instituted and so not naturally known and such as wherein the devill deceived Eve and Eve Adam and both fell The Holy Ghost yet addeth two express particulars as the two notes of a Patenthesis to take all doubts from the understanding and ingenious and cavils from the contrary that that distinctness of these Offices in kind is intended and included in this place and properly and fully concluded which I have said the former is in these words or an office let us accordingly be in the discharge of that office whether it be the Teacher or Exhorter or c. their first Office or Ministry is expresly named and set as the matter distinct and so to be used least the distinctness should be supposed to be properly
or principally in the work to be done according to the divers abilities of the gifted Secondly Church Ministry is expresly divided into five particulars by the disjunctive and proper distinctive conjunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which cannot be translated she that pittyeth because both the article the substantive are the Masculine Gender Nor he that pittyeth because the work is receivedly proper to the Church-widow and so it should be false English and therefore must they be translated the pittyer or shewer of mercy denotating a known Church-office and not only properly or principally a working gifted mercifull and pittying Officer or Member that is so to do more than any other of the Church whether Officer or Member more and more plain and exact proofs of what kinde you wil I think cannot be shewn in any place of Scripture for any point of instituted worship so that we must admit it or dismiss the second Commandment with the Papists professedly or with other hierarchicall or prophane and carnall worshippers so much as we can and dare †Mediate * Near. ¶ Apportioning ordering and confining the Offices to the Powers and the Powers to the Offices i. e. the Functions of the Offices not considered as abilities and that either as existing inherent or acting in the Members prerequisites to the Church-Offices or Actions or causes of the benefit of the Church but only as the portions of faith measured out by God to every Officer v. 3. the bounding proportions of faith v. 6. the distinct and not one work or function of the many members v. 4. and the appropriated paralelled charged adaequated and proper designations of and to every Office v. 7 8. for those five expressed contain in and under them and intend all the passive and exequatable Ordinances of the Church either as such viz. the Sacraments which as signes are teaching and as conveyers and seals perswade and unite us and the thing exhorted and sealed to And the censures and orderings of the Church-actions are parts of ruling or else as concurring to their being viz. the collections for the poor unto distribution in which respect teaching as a power or act subordnate may be used by the Exhorter without breach of Christs order in the distinctness mentioned it coming here under the respect and nature of exhortation it being upon right understanding of that nature and reason intended to that end but I know no other Functions that can be brought under the Exhorters for excommunication that he may administer the Sacraments only to worthy persons cometh not unto this case First because he administereth to the Church in whose power is Excommunication and to persons not as such but as Members of the Church and so it cometh not within his Office to judge of their particular unworthiness much less upon that judgement to excommunicate them Secondly because his personall discomfort toucheth not his ministeriall Function they being of clean different natures and considerations Thirdly Excommunication is an Institution and so not to be by the Light of nature found much less ordered as an essential or subordinate unto any thing without authority from the Word expresly or under an expressed Reason which is equivolent but teaching is a Naturall subordidinate to Exhortation and so used in our case which also is a fourth Argument though v. 7. it be made also the instituted Function of the Teacher but that in our and the like case it is otherwise is evident both by the Scriptures and the Precepts and practise of Naturalists boasting and self-pâ—â—ising is a sin and folly resting in that nature and end and more forbidden than teaching is the Exhorter in the case of giving matter to the Corinthians to rejoyce of him and answer the false Apostles he Paul doth it and yet denyeth that he doth it 2 Cor. 5.12 because he doth it as a necessary and proper subordinate to that end and on the contrary eating meat otherwise lawfully was a sin to the Heathen being done in way of worship of Idolls and that not only the idolatrous intent but even the eating it self was sinfull is evident 1 Cor. 10.21 because it was a sin for the Corinthians to eat that meat in their feasts though without that intent for that intent having made that eating a true subordinate to their worship it was now the same Communion with Devils with the Corinthians The Precepts of Logicians are plentifull in this case both of their Prince Aristot 2. Phys And of their soundest accutest and most methodicall and judicious Pillars Zeb a rel lib. de Constit Scaliger de subtilitate Exercit 307. Cap. 26. Keckerman sustem Log. Lib. 2 Cap. The practise hereof is most current in all civill Courts and courses in the world In England tryalls of right to Lands Goods are peculiar to the common Pleas and of personall actions to the Kings Bench yet by way of tryall of Actions Titles of Lands and Goods may be and are lawfully daily tryed and so may Actions in the Common Pleas and both in the Chancery under the respects peculiar to each court The truce between the Low-Countreys and Spain was nâ—ver supposed to be broken by their warring together in Cleveland hurts to any possession of the City of Amsterdam are to be tryed punished by the Burgemasters yet by way of tryall of any persons right thereto they may be desided by the Court of Skepins A Woman is forbidden to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14. yet in the case of confession of Faith she may teach all the Principles of Religion in the Congregation and as a witness speak and ask therein for it is the right Reason Respects and Order of Actions which is their soul and life and not their acts that make them lawfull and on the contrary unlawful and so our answerable knowledg and intention of them that maketh them so to us but the simple acts are meer matter and so passive and so neither under the state of good nor bad for Murder Adulterie Robbery c. are not evill because of their actions of killing a man lying with a woman taking goods from a man c. but because they are either not Gods subordinate means to out intended ends of revenge pleasure profit c. or else because as such means they are not committed to us nor permitted as might be cleared if present occasion required only let me not be mistaken to compare teaching with the act of killing and generating in the originall estate of things for then were they simply unlawfull but not teaching neither speak I here of teaching as a ministerial Function for so it is simply unlawfull to any but the Teacher or the end of Exposition Analysis Metaphrase and Extraction of Doctrines but as an ability and action duly subordinate and necessarily prerequisite to Exhortation without which it cannot he and so may by the Exhorter be used as a Passenger may eat
by competencie King The Ruler ruling with diligence the conversation with honesty Preserver The Pittyer widow or mercy worker pittying or shewing mercy with cheerfulness to the body or naturall man for health Ver. 7 8. Or an Office whether it be the Teacher the Exhorter the Distributer the Ruler the Pittier and v. 6. gifts that are divers viz. Offices five V. 6. gifts that are divers viz. Teaching Exhorting and so by the same consequence Distributing Ruling Pittying or shewing Mercy V. 8. with or in singleness of eye or simplicity with diligence with cheerfulness and so the same consequence of the same course with understanding with wisdom yea and the speciall requisites of any other sort unto any Office Function or end v. 2. that good will of God i. e. good to or for us in the worship now in hand and v. 1.2 acceptable for none can do any work acceptable to God but he must give a proportionable and acceptable good to him thereupon b Ordinances Existing as means of Gods Worship v. 1 2. Blessing us v. 2. as above Ordered into c Sorts viz. as d Ministeriall Ecclesiasticall viz. all that are to be ministred by the Distributer Ruler and Mercy-worker Ministerial Proper as the Sacraments common as all the rest d Membrall Viz. Common viz. what Christians may do out of a Church or pâ—rsonall viz. Teaching Exhortting Comforting Contributing Visiting c. v. 6. whether prophesie Proper actions of power viz. judging Officers Members to be so not so c Heads viz. five appropriated to the five Officers as their proper Functions unto a fit exercising in the five sorts Operator or Effector of all the former parts viz. in all their five ends Accepter of his Servants services graces and works v. 1 2. acceptable will of God But for cloying the Reader and cumbering the Tables both large and this less there might have been added unto these four sorts and their particulars their many divine and humane respects both a priore and aposteriori mentioned before which do exceedingly clear strengthen and compleat the distinctness of these particular Offices but I desire rather that these things may be well digested and the other after at least their divers Objects viz. their wit will acts state and body There now remains only three tiles of this house to be laid which I will very briefly do The first is the illustrating v. 4 5. by 1 Cor. 12.4 to 30. The second is the epitomising the tree and body at large prosequted The third is an extracting or recapitulating of the Arguments for the main point The scope of 1 Cor. 12. is to confute the Corinthians Opinion of Excellencie Glory Contentment and Happiness in common Spiritual Gifts which he doth first generally by affirming them ignorant in that Point v. 1. by proving that they are herein to suspect themselves and respect him v. 2. and by proving that they are not properly Spiritual gifts of the Holy Ghost and then specially that the three sorts of them viz. given Powers Ministries and Effects are so distinctly set and disposed by God that we cannot ingross them to our selves nor deprive others of them and therefore neither simple nor comparative happiness can be attained in them this he doth in all three series summarily affirm in the first v. 4. in the second v. 5. in the third v. 6. and at large prove in the first v. 8. to 27. importing therein by the same reason or a majori the second also The second v. 28 29 30. in what remained or needed plainer to be exprest The third in both the former for if they were so then must their effects be accordingly as is exprest v. 7. The first is peculiarly handled v. 8 9 10. the second v. 28 29 30. and both very excellently proved and amplyfied in the verses between both in the words their plain exposition of our v. 4 5. yea it is so far exemplyfied that I wil content myself with referring the matter to the reading and comparing both those places by the ingenuous though of mean capacity what I have said hereof being well considered only for v. 28 29 30. observe first that he expresly distinguisheth the Offices and their Functions so that one cannot have more then one v. 28. God hath set some in the Church as first second third then after that and so of the rest and v. 29 30 are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers are all c. to seven particulars Secondly that he inferreth the same upon his former proofs that no Member hath many powers and therefore cannot have many offices or their given works Iohn 17.4 And thirdly that he proveth both by Gods practise viz. God giveth but one power to one and another to another and so of Offices and their Functions and therefore we are not to take more to or upon our selves and therefore no happiness can be had in them whether absolute because he cannot have many much less all or comparative because he shall bebeholding yea inferior to another in another respect gift or office now if God used this discreet respectiveness in the time of profuseness of his Spirit Acts 2. with Ioel 2. how say some that the PASTOR hath all Offices included in him as if he were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exempt from the rule of Gods practise and Pauls consequence of right thereupon both in Powers and Offices and others that the Offices are indeed distinct but it is only in degree as if all gifts were common and given to all and differed only in degree or as if the works of the Ministers were as common as those of Christians which are required no more of one then another but onely according to their more gifts means or occasions yea as those of every Subject of a Kingdom Servant of a family to whom no particular work nor talent is given but onely by a generall place of a Servant or charge to do the work of the Family and so Gods Kingdome or House were more without Offices or they without distinctness then the Kingdomes and Families of the world but especially others that the Teacher Exhorter and Ruler are but one Office expressing what the other import and professing what the other dare not for the vehememcy of the word and world against it The main scope of this Chapter and the next is to prefer happiness by grace above that by gifts upon this ground that that is indeed common as they wrongly suppose this to be which all those opinions cross are more crossed by it Lastly for I haste These make way for indifferency of Offices Functions Ordinances and Orders in Gods House give way to Hierarchycall yea Romish usurpation as if they had not that love of the Truth of Gods VVorship which he exacteth at least not that first-love which he best accepteth but this being at the utmost of my occasion beyond my intent when I began it I pass to the second
before but also now inserting their union and communion so far as it reacheth i. e. in respect of their individualness and some mutual common ends of benefit as 1 Cor. 12. doth also discreetively and oppositely v. 7. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v 7.24.25 26. by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both agreeing in what I have said before so that this distinctness of Offices of the Church is exceedingly well cleared in these two verses in the sixth Argument that it is in kind and sort and not onely in number In the seventh that it is as between the integral yea heterogeneal members of mans body and not as the great and little branches of a tree except it be of the tree of life bearing twelve sorts of fruit Rev. 22.2 in the eighth that it is in function and not onely in ability in the nineth that it is essential ministerial official and as such and not only qualitative quantitative relative or otherwaies accidentary and in the tenth that it is not numerall nor in any respect whereof the individuum or particular as such is the Basis or Subject which excludeth the four former Negatives or Opposites and includeth the four Affirmatives and Positives thereby yea were but this last onely throughly considered the main matter would be cleer enough to the right Worshippers yet as this second sort of Arguments being from the body of this place of Rom. 12. and of Gods Worship instituted therein is more cleerly to our point than the first from the soul and root of both so is the third sort more express than the second even so much as the members or branches do more manifest the manifold powers of the original basis than they themselves as may out of what followeth and by further prosecuting of what it occasioneth unto be well discerned by the transformed in the renovation of their minds that have the free power of themselves and their understandings from under Antichristianism custome of others and themselves and prejudice The third sort of Arguments is from the branches or particularizing and explaining of what was generally and more obscurely set down in the five former Verses and from the use of the Divine Doctrine thereof This last fivefold confirmation of the point in hand viz. that all the five Church-Offices are distinct in kind and properly is revealed to us v. 6 7 8. the first of which and the eleventh of the whole number is v. 6. Since then wee have gifts that are divers this needeth no syllogism the words are so express if Gifts be granted here at all to signifie Offices given to the Church as is v. 7 8. expressed 1 Cor. 12.28 with Ephes 4.6 7 11 12. paralelled and also proved in the ten places cited before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here being all one as oft elswhere both agreeing in term nature and use to signifie a gracious gift such as are the Church-Offices and that the greatest except Sanctifying and Inherent Grace it self so that there is no evading from conviction but through the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 divers distinct different or severall and surely it will be hard breaking through this strength of the scope of the place the consonancie with two generals in the same compleatly proving the same the one mediate the other immediate the one as the root or soul the other as the body to which these words do illatively connect the Church Offices as their branches and members the expressness of the words the highly respectibleness of the matter requireth the same in its nature types and evangelicalness and also through the Army of Associating Arguments orderly and powerfully fighting for the same yet will men object what they can against it which are these two things Object 1. First from the word divers saying that it may signifie divers particulars different degrees distinct and several respects and so the Offices may be one in kind yet divers also Object 2. The second from the matter sutening therewith in other particulars alledging the extraordinary offices for instance viz. that the Apostles might do the works of all the rest both extraordinary and ordinary Answer To the former I answer First that that manner of Argumentation by may-bees proveth nothing though the ground were true for it may be doth not prove so much as probably which is the least proof so that though it might be so yet must the matter be inferred that it is before any thing bee proved Secondly That in this case and kind it may not be so expounded it being here adjected to an universal an abstract an adjunct and a state 1 To an universal both in gifts which is the general to prophesie and an office i. e. to personall or membral and to ministerial gifts and also in an office which is the general to five exprest kinds of offices as most hold and at least to two as all hold and therefore the substantive kinds or universal parts thereof must differ more than in number and so much more than in degree and respect 2. To an abstract both in gifts and offices and therefore if there be but four or five men in a church gifted with prophesie or with one language or made Deacons it cannot be said that Church hath divers gifts tongues and offices in it in the abstract but only divers gifted persons and divers officers in the concrete 3. To an adjunct to Christians members or Officers viz. to the Powers or Offices of such and not to the particular persons themselves and therefore the same consequence in respect of the adjunct and subject here followeth which before did in respect of the abstract and concrete altering only the one two words for the other two 4. To a State in respect of Offices which is our case so that it cannot be said that there are divers Ministerial States in a Church City or Nation that hath but one sort of Officers though many particulars of that sort and so many Officers who may also be different divers distinct and severall in degree and manifold respects but if they differ more then in particular concrete subject or person as in our case they do then must they differ also much more then in degree or in inabling arbitrary or other accidentall respects and so they cannot be said therefore to be divers but for some higher reason yea higher then that wherein they have their being i. e. the existent particulars concretes subjects and persons since accidentis esse est in esse i. e. the being of an accident is to be in viz. as such and since existentia sola agunt patiuntur subijciuntur i. e. Existents viz. particulars which only are properly and simply in act only do suffer and are subject viz. to accidents These four particulars yeeld four Arguments against the former Objection and fully answer it and might plentifully be exemplified and illustrated if further need and occasion required A
bountifull in his Portions of Faith The 17. is from Have not members have us That Church-offices Ministeries and States are adjuncts of the Church which is first in Nature and their Root and Basis but they are not its Root nor Basis nor any way precedent either in Time Nature nor Dignity before it as such but as it consisteth of particular members over the well-being of each of which they are set but not over their being as they be Christians nor a Church And also the 18. that the Ministers are the Churches Angels and members but the Church is not the Ministers Church The 19. is from We have That all Churches are in relation to each other as equall particulars of the Church in general as each of our persons are of man in general And the 20. There is no more an Universal particular Church Head or Body of Churches than of particular men And the 21. Our persons are the original pattern of the instituted Church imitable after the strictest manner of which a Spiritual Body Politick is capable as simillimum not idem And the 22. the knowledge of the nature of the Church and Church-Estates is easie to all reasonable men iâ— if Historically believing this one place much more to Christians led by the Spirit of grace in its patterning especially if they understand by Learning or Experience the nature of a Civill Body Politick the medium simillimum to both person and Church The 23. is from and That God hath avoided confusion in our many personal members by assigning them distinct Functions The 24. is from all Members have not one Function by a Graecisme or in English phrase No Member hath the same Function or rather it is of the same words And the 25. Our Members are bounded but not bondaged counter-distinct but not opposite The 26. is from Hath That membral Functions are adjuncts to the members of the Body and so that the Membral-Estates denominate the Membral-actions and administrations but not è contra The 27. is from One or in English one and the same or the same in kind That each member of the body hath its counter-distinct Function end or use And the 28. That each member is not to be employed to all that it can do but to its distinct and proper work as the Eye to see the Ear to hear the Nose to smell the Pallate to taste but none of them to feeling though in some sense they all can nor the hands to either of the foure though in some remote consequence they serve to the same use in case of defect with unseemlyness and out of the due course of Nature The 29. is from Practice Function or Work That no member ought to be idle but active and operative The 30. is from even so v. 5. That so much expresness of Form is necessary in this matter of Gods Worship as is to make way for and confirm the Logical consequences therein i. e. that it is an exact simile between man created after Gods Image and the Church of Ordinances instituted after Christs Image And therefore all the Doctrines well arising out of the former verse and protasis in respect of the body its members and their function are to be understood as good as expressed in the Apodosis in this verse adding onely the Church instead of the Body and Ministeriall for Membrall which I for the present leave to be done i. e. The 31. to be deduced from the 24 the 32 from the 25 the 33 from the 26 the 34 from the 27 supplying the particulars from v. 7 8. i. e. the Teacher to teach the Exhorter to exhort the Distributer to distribute the Ruler to rule the shewer of mercy to shew mercy and the 35 from the 28 with the same addition and the 36. from the 29. and the 37. from the 23. The compleat parallelling of this simile is very large and seeming in its exact prosecution more formal than necessary which seemeth to have been the reason why the Holy Ghost hath left them to be deduced by firm consequence but hath not exactly parallel'd all particulars wherefore I will not be extream herein either in negligence of all that is intimated nor in exactness in what it hath left unexact in particulars yet is there some vice versa to be applyed from the Apodosis to the Protasis as the 38. from in Christ or by the institution of Christ That the created order of the members of our body with their use and natural comelyness is to be observed perpetually And the 39. That each member of the body is for the benefit of each these two are to be deduced from the two next clauses following The 40. is from in Christ That the speciall form of all instituted Worship is Christs institution And the 41. from the same in relation to the many other causes of true worship That subordinate causes exclude not nor oppose each other so that the same worship may well be called the Worship of God of the Will of God of Christ and of the Word And the 42. in relation of this distinctness counter-distinguished from the materiall parts of Gods Worship That Christ is more manifested in the distinctness than in the materials of Gods Worship The 43. is from each one anothers members That each member of the Church is for the benefit of each other member thereof And 44. Much more for the whole and 45. Neither the Church nor its members are for any one member as for its superiour but onely as for its part or their fellow-member or as for their singular Superiour deputed by the Church as an encorporated general over each particular The 44. is from each in particular In relation to one body That there is an express difference between the Church-members relation to the Church and to each other so that the 45. Ministeriall or organical members have power or rather government of over or objectively for each member but not of over or objectively for the Church as an encorporated body but onely as deputedly and Ministerially for it And so 46. No Minister can excommunicate the Church The 46. is from the same words referred to Many That the Officers diversly respect the generality of the many Members and the particularity of each member The two first respecting the generality they being charged with the work of publication and pressing the general Word of God and the three last of the five respecting each particular member as a part of the Church to which they are concredited This divers respect is expresse in the Text but the apportionment is of the divers reason of the offices insinuated The 47. is from the mutuall relation of these three words one many each That the Church as one is suprâ—am in respect of its particular members is inferiour to all the offices but as many it is of a mixt State as the greater many it hath the power of the oâ—fices and their minâ—strations toward each member i.
their scope for Rom. 12.1 proveth it a particular of the Worship of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 2. to be a part of Gods Wil-worship so called to shew the high cause and nature thereof and in opposition to man's Will-worship Col. 2.23 and so to be deputed by Christ v. 3. chargeth its distinctness from the other divine offices in general which v. 7. doth also in particular in the word Within v. 4 5 6. shew it to be a Church-office member and gift v. 7. calleth it an office which the article á½ confirmeth especially in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 7. also sheweth its distinguishing form in the words the Teacher and Teaching vâ—z by personal and instituted Ordinances which are above-mentioned with their abilities and execution in the third part The end is strongly imported in all the other three parts of the definition for though definitions of natural things require onely the matter and form yet these institutions primarily require the efficient and end also and the goodness of the work on the Workers part requireth also knowledge of these things and sincere obedience to the commander and also his enrighting estate or membership of a Church before he is accepted as a Divine Worshipper and Officer of the Church In these Church-exercises are to be considered the works themselves toward each other In themselves first Prophesie is Gods Ordinance to gifted persons a membral speaking by two or three in the Church to edification exhortation and comfort of all the Church all but membral is expressed 1 Cor. 14.3 4 5 12 19 24. and that at least is to be understood in that it is written to a Church and v. 34. a woman is forbidden to speak in the Church in handling this Exercise Now none hath power or priviledge in the Church or its Exercises but Church-members and that at the least in that Rom. 12.6 with 7. it is expresly distinct from a Ministry indeed able gifts are necessary and as necessarily to be understood in speaking to Edification Exhortation and Comfort for without them none can so do and so is not necessary to be expressed 1. From this definition arise these points first all members of Churches that can speak to Edification Exhortation and comfort of the Church may and ought to do it in the exercise of Prophesie 2. Onely such and such may 3. The Officers of the Church as such except the Ruler ih his ordering the action have interest in Prophesie above other members but in priority of order and betterness of gifts the former giveth onely firstness in the course agreed on by the Prophets the latter onely more length of time 4. The Church or Rulers as such hath no more authority to prescribe the Doctrines and Texts to the Prophets then to the Ministers of the Word the Teacher and Exhorter but rather less in two respects First because the Ministers have right and charge from the Deputation of the Church but the Prophets not so but their membership they have by and with their Original Church-state and not by any derivation there-from and their gifts from their persons Secondly because the Ministers are to be supposed enabled to all Texts and Doctrines and the Church may more colourably require what Text and Doctrine they think best for them but the Prophets not so but are truly such though enabled but in some Texts and Doctrnes and so both in regard of their estates and abilities 5. The number and order of the Speakers are to be by the agreement of the Prophets themselvs 1 Cor. 14.29 to 33. The Ministers as Members and Prophets having but the priority and moreness of speech in the agreement and exercise and that onely by the light of nature giving more honour to the more honourable in estate and ability but giving no Ecclesiastical superiority in Prophesie the confusion of which two estates seemeth to have been the first Seed of and step to Antichristianisme 6. A distinct place for the Speakers in each exercise is to be designed by the Prophets or by those that design other Seats fit to speak out of and to be heard and seen by all which seemeth to be before the Elders Pue proofs hereof are 1. Act. 13.15 from the ancient Exercise of prophesie among the Jews for Paul and Barnabas were then and there not known to be Apostles but were received as gifted Jews and so manifested of themselves by sitting in the Seat designed to that end which also is to be supposed of Christ oft 2. and from 1 Cor. 14.30 in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to one or any that sitteth i. e. if it appear by the Sitters in that Exercise that much of the time will be employed by the after-speakers let the first contrive his matter accordingly that each may have his course and the Ordinance duly discharged 3. from the light of Nature the former grounds considered First that there may be an aim in the first Speaker how to contrive his time Secondly for the more honesting the exercise it self by putting some difference between the Speakers and not Speakers in that Exercise Thirdly for the better opportunity of speaking and hearing yea and of being seen neither is there insinuation of any office thereby if there be no assignment of the Speakers nor of their Text or Doctrine by the Church or Elders and if their original be taken from their memberships giftedness and their exercise and vicissitude be ordered amongst themselves and kept distinct from the officers exercised by a distinct prayer time and place and also by a more social and less authoritative speaking then the Teaching-Officers even in the best enabled especially in the Rulers who else by their other authority and sitting with the Ministers of the Word and in likelyhood by their betterness of gifts will much endanger the distinctness of the body of Christ so charged Rom. 12.3 to 8. which is worse then their gracing the Exercise by their office is good 7. A distinct measure of time emphasis and authority in the utterance is to be observed from the Ministers according to their less authority promise charge and gift lest confusion and injury grow by the Members Usurpation on the Officers there is rather doubt that the Prophets have no proper authority but a right to publish the Law of God which hath the legal authority of God in it self whereto is added the Ministeriall authority of Christ in his offices Prophetical in the Teacher Priestly in the Exhorter and Kingly in both as instituted by its extraordinary Deputations of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists and as ordered by its Ordinary as the Church-Rulers which also to disobey addeth greatly to the other disobediences to the Word personally or prophetically read expounded and applyed yet since every one that is truly sent to publish the Word hath a kind of authority the degrees are principally to be insisted on in the greater promise of a blessing to the Ministerial than to the membral
Worship and our spiritual welfare what can be of a greater necessity of duty or concluder of Rebellion against God or murder of our own soules especially since they are expressed to be that good acceptable and perfect Will of God Rom. 12.2 That Word-worship so vehemently pressed v. 1. unto the approbation of both which we must be transformed into a renewedness of mind and disconformed from the World-worship as dead unholy and unacceptable unto God v. 1. and renounce our own Wills as evil odious and imperfect v. 2. by which high dignity of the Commander and Commender of these for his own peculiar Divine Worship and his Worshippers eternal glory and the Divine Nature of the Worship and Worshippers and the heavenly end of the former and benefit to the latter and also by the Deity of the Mediator and inspirer of them thus manifested another promised branch is also performed but competently indeed in respect of what may more be said of them yet compleatly being compared with the dignity of any other thing but God their original Author and ultimate End and his Saints for whom they and all things but God are and by and for whom they are exercised and their Institutors and Divine Declarer and Grace and Heaven for which they are But I haste to their further dignifying by shewing the odious baseness of their Opposites Antichrist and his Worship having only first marshalled them into their comely order lineal and collateral Psal 19. Gods natural works are highly extolled in that their line is gone through the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World v. 4. and the like is said of the Sun v. 6. but the extension of Gods spiritual works are far more magnified in the rest of that Psalm and throughout that spirituall Record nothing is more evident and eminent both in lineal and collateral extension than the pillar and ground of true Worship which is the House and Church of the Living God 1 Tim. 3.15 For the Word is Truth both as the Sanctifier of the Truth of Salvation and also of Worship but the Church is not the pillar and ground of the former but of the latter it is as shall be synopsed presently which also best sorteth with the subject of that whole Epistle especially at that part thereof which is an instruction of Timothy how to behave himself in ordering and acting Gods publike worship The rock and root of this line is God the Father as the absolute Willer thereof the Anchor or Hank end thereof is Christ as the original Revealer thereof his immediate Deputies therein are the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists by their precepts and practice thereof the Divine Record whereof is their Writings of the new Testament a Divine Progeny and previal Line indeed but the internal Line hath five parts 1. The Church 2. The power thereof 3. The Church-estates 4. Their Functions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.4 or Portions of Faith v. 3. 5. Their object or matter What these five things are is shewn but I onely touch their lineal or successive order The filial or posterial Line of Gods Worship extendeth to all publike union and communion with God and his Saints in all grace and glory First in this life as an Earnest Broad-seal Livery of seisine and Court or Temple of Sanctum Sanctorum and the very Heaven an heavenly Issue and Inheritance indeed and so a Royal Race and Heavenly Line indeed The collateral respect of Divine Worship is either internal or external the former is the fraternity of its parts which is actual in its four last parts and virtual in the Church as causally respecting each branch of the four brotherhoods each whereof hath nine particulars according to the number of the Church-estates or Memberships 4. Whereof are integral as Children Women Men and Prophets And 5. Organical or Ministerial as the Teacher the Exhorter the Distributer the Ruler the pitier whose 9. portions priviledges or proportions of Faith Rom. 12.3 6. or Functions v. 4. may by these nine terms be understood receptive submissive active instructive teaching exhorting distributing ruling and pittying but the particulars of the matter wherein those Functions are to be exercised cannot so briefly be expressed but by reference to what is said of them which is sufficient for this place over unto in by and for these brotherhoods is the Church power authoritative over them in giving them their being or essentiative unto them preservative in them usive by them beneficial for them for all gifts ministrations and operations are given to the Church to profit each other member its Function and its matter to be executed 1 Cor. 12.7 The external fraternity of our Evangelical Divine Worship is either spiritual or natural the spiritual is either cotypical or antitypical the particulars of them all are 7 five are past one is and the seventh is to come so exactly is this white Line parallel'd with that black one in time number and particulars Rev. 17. though in all substantials exactly antiparallel'd as may appear in the counter-parallel of this Image of Christ with that of Antichrist The cotypes then are five Paradise Noah's Ark Abraham's Family Moses Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple which I cannot plainly and plentifully say and seal in few words and yet many I may not now use 1. Paradise as a type of the Church Adam as the Teacher or Declarer by Moral Teaching and the Tree of Knowledge As the typical preserver by the Tree of Life and Exhortation As the Orderer or Ruler by casting out of Paradise This was also a Legal Type of Heaven and the first Covenant 2. Noah's Ark. Noah the teacher of Righteousness by the spiritual signs of the Ark The typical preserver of all in the Ark by the Food of the Ark The Ruler by admitting into and rejecting out of the Ark. This was a Legal and Evangelical Type cleering the worship after the Fall 3. Abraham's Family in Covenant with God Abraham the Teacher of his Family by publication of Gods Promises and Commandements The Sealer thereof by Circumcision and the Sacrifices The Ruler by Excommunication This was an Evangelical Type cleering the second Covenant made with Adam Gen. 3.15 4. The Tabernacle The Priests and Levites as Teachers by Moral and Typical preaching As Exhorters and Sealers by the Passover Sacraments and Sacrifices As Rulers by Tryal shutting out and purifying the Lepers the Unclean c. This was properly legal and cleering the first Covenant made with Adam Gen. 2.17 Yet secondly it Was Evangelical as typing the Worship of the Gospel 5. The Temple The Priests c. as in the Tabernacle but thereto as also to the Temple as being neerer to Christ then the other three there was also annexed a cleerer distinctness of the teaching and offices of Christ in the Colledge of the Prophets and their prophecying exhorting and ordering the children of the Pâ—ophets and in Jerusalem as the prime place of Expounders of the Law
Luk. 3. Of eating the Passover and peace-offerings c. and also of Judgment Psal 122. There are thrones for Judgment c. Yet is there this difference that the transitoryness of the Tabernacle shewed the fading estate of the Law in respect of the Gospel and of the worship of the Gospel in respect of Heaven and the immovableness of the Temple shewed the respespective permanency of the Gospel and the perpetuity absolute of Heaven as the proper Kingdome of God and of Heaven in the respectiveness whereunto the Gospel is frequently called by Christ the Kingdome of Heaven the Worship whereof is the next and sixt type of Heaven 6. The Church or Spiritual Sabbath-Assembling Corporation the Officers overseeing it are the Teachers and Informers of the Understanding by teaching i. e. by translating metaphrase analysis doctrine Exhorters conformers or confirmers of the heart by exhortation dehortation comfort and terrour and administration of the Sacraments as ratifying the former and thereby establishing the heart Ruler or Reformer of the Conversation by admission excommunication ordination deprivation and ordering all Church-actions 7. The third Heaven after death where in Christ we shall see God face to face and know him as we are known as in an eternal mirrour and immediate sight of God Be perfected with all grace and peace by the real inspiration of the Holy Ghost in the heart and affections Raign in all manifest Holiness and Happiness as coheirs with Christ by perfect glory and content in God In these seven Divine Worships is the external instituted collateralness of the Evangelical Worship comprehended the moral or natural remaineth which in the general is expressed Rom. 12.4 5. For as we have many members in one body and all members have not one office So in Christ i. e. by Christs institution is it in the Church the particulars whereof are expressed in the next 3. verses Now in that the natural similies thereof are both personal v. 4 5. and publike v. 6 7 8. we are sent to all perfect bodies natural to search out the perfection of this spiritual complement of theirs three whereof are personal and three publike the three former are vegetative sensitive and rational hypostases For the first it is as the first of the former 3. vers Spiritual Brethren the most dark and imperfect yet all 1. Herbs and Trees have one stalk or body dispersed into leaves as life or kind-manifesting parts by their greenness in sight Blossomes as internal and inchoative kind-preserving parts by their tenderness in feeling promising and beginning fruitfulness Fruits useful to man and preserving its own kind by their feeding and physical and fructifying vertues and uses 2. Creeping things Fishes Birds and Beasts have their one body and each body its divers organs as the brain for knowing the Heart for purposing and willing the Motive Members for acting and moving These are receptive and determining in themselves but not agitating others to know will and work as they do onely man by his discursive reason and actuating wit and will collects from them knowledge and vertue and distilleth them into their instruments of action but especially in himself as the third natural pattern or brother of the Church 3. Man consisteth of one body having an head and therein the five external Senses and their common Sense Reason and Memory to learn and teach An heart and its affections of love hope joy and gratefulness and their opposites to will and cause others to will Their active organs as the tongue hands feet teeth c. externally to express what they internally know and will The publike patterns are likewise three according to the three Offices of Christ informing preserving and ruling the first are the Societies of Students in the Law and other Learning in the most eminent whereof I will instance as in the Inns of Court and Chancery 4. They have one voluntary body associated for the study of the Law and by the power thereof choose their Readers and other Exercisers of matter of knowledge to inform their members in the Law House-Officers as Steward Butler Cook Porter c. to preserve their being for that end Rulers to rule them in that Society and Work 5. The preserving are Societies of Trade for the preservation of men in all Common-wealths and other Societies such as are Regiments and Bands of Souldiers and the companies of London c. who take courses and should set Teachers to inform and see to others informing their novices in their trades for the true knowledge of their proper trade Cooks Butler Porter c. for their living in that Society Colonels Captains Serjeants Wardens and their Associats for Government for their orderly walking therein 6. The Ruling Societies are Nations Cities Towns Corporate and other free Common wealths who have by their covenant power to choose Instructers to inform all of that body in the Laws thereof Provokers to excite them to observe them Rulers to compell them by outward penalties to keep them 7. The seventh is the Church which hath whatsoever these six have whether lineal or collateral and is their fellow-creature corporation or brother of the same Creator King and Father though it have divers peculiars more then they as that it is also of divine institution nature and use of more exactness of order lineal and collateral and of a Sabbath-assembling property and though thâ—y are set by God Rom. 12.4 5. as general patterns and as the Wise-mens Star to direct where the Word doth not institutedly prescribe Yet the five lineal parts thereof and their five collaterals are so exactly and plentifully instituted by the divine precepts and practises in the Word that this is as the Sun-light to them in their substantials as they are the Candle-light to their darker accidentals yet is it our special duty to attend the to use thereof in this our weakness until the Sun-bright institutedness of the Evangelical Worship in the whole and each part and respect do appear in our hearts and then shall we thereby rectifie and reduce them to their original purity and use whereas now they are perverted and hurtful By all which glorious comelyness of our Evangelical Worship in it self by its divine progeny and posterity by its first-born fraternity with all excelling bodies spiritual natural politike required Ephes 4. and by its every way compleatness Col. 2. and distinctness charged Rom. 12.3 6. the perfect dignity thereof doth evidently yea eminently appear and withall the necessariness yea the necessitedness both of our duty to God to Christians and our selves therein and benefit thereby is thrust upon it all the vileness rebelliousness and perniciousness of Antichrist the exact opposite thereto is to be supposed Antichrist destroyeth not onely the whole Church and its power but also all the members thereof both integral and instrumental both by his setting himself against the Church and his sitting for or as the Church and thereby extinguishing the Churchship and
the time be out v. 35. and to his raigning as a King of such Disseparatists in his own swolne conceit 1 Cor. 4.6 7. Thus hath malice slain the Gospel-spirit of the Diotrephists to pervert Christs word of truth and mercy to erect Antichrists fraud and fierceness with this bragging and begging Sermon though the plain meaning of this Scripture be clean contrary even to commend as wisdome our own confession of our own known and Conscience-wounding sins to God who knoweth them and our own forsaking them but not to command under the censure of Treason against God our publishing others rumoured facts and unconvinced sins unto men who know them not nor our disseparating our selves and whom else we can from their persons and communion spiritual and natural personal and publike nor to make this frowardness opposite to Christs meek-love-mercy to be that holy towardness teachableness and tractableness toward Christ which he requireth nor that contenting glory joy nor happiness which we desire it being a rejoycing in iniquity murderousness and mischief hated by God and his Saints 1 Cor. 13.6 Rom. 1.31 much less to be irreconcilable to them and inveterate against them and irregular in evil courses toward them These errours and erroneous mischiefs squeezed out of or rather falsly fathered on the word of truth and life especially on this special portion thereof exceedingly aggravateth the impiety and perniciousness of this personall Antichristianisme especially they being made by their Extracters to be parts of Divine Discipline devised by man and so abomination to Christ and Christians and yet pretended from the Word and so making Christ and his Scripture seem contradictory to himself and his Scripture of truth to be falshood and its Spirit and scope of meek-love-mercy to seem to these Deceivers and their Receivers to be a Patron of Usurpation and Pride and a Pattern of Mischief and Cruelty which is very neer if not meer forgery of Christs Scripture incurring all the plagues and curses of his true Scripture The Exposition of Matth. 18. especially of ver 15. to 20. THE 18th Chapter of Matthew best brooketh its name Chapter or Head of Scripture of any that I know First it is equal with any other in all vulgar use Secondly in its Head and Chapter of Gospel-matter it exceedeth other in the expresness thereof v. 1 4. and in the answerable and connected prosecution thereof unto the end of the Chapter And also Chap. 19.1 it is said that Christ had finished all that matter before he passed to any other Thirdly that matter so finished is the handling of the truest state and highest degree of heavenlyness and that in all its distinct parts of sonship servantship and heirship in our relation to God and to our threefold Collaterals viz. to our fellow-sons fellow-servants and coheirs The first of the three unto v. 14. The second unto v. 20. The third in the rest of the Chapter and that both lineally and collaterally and also in the affirmative and negative Fourthly that Christ our sole Gospel-head personal and publike is the sole decider of this head quâ—stion of the chiefship in Heavenliness all which call us to a special respect hereof in the whole and in each of its distinct parts The summariest expression of the affirmative part of the whole is in this word meek-love-mercy and of the negative in this proud-rail-racking The middle part of them is the center chair tryer and crown of the rest and for that reason placed before the first Col. 2.5 for otherwise cultive order and divine Church-worship in the course of generation and nature is after Faith and Personal Union with God thereby for that giveth us right of publike communion with him as with our husband but Conversion by Faith justifieth us and evidenceth our son-like Union with him Heb. 11.1 which our Child-meekness v. 4 called foolishness weakness baseness despisedness and nothingness 1 Cor. 1.27 28. justifieth to be true faith that God onely and no man may have the glory v. 29 30 31. which I desire may be specially considered and throughout my handling the second part remembred lest we deal about the hull and carkase of Religion omitting the precious kernel life and soul thereof and mark that this soul or spirit of Faith Christ and the Word is enmity and implacably opposite to that of Workes-Worth Antichrist and the World This middle or second part of this Chapter being the center throne tryer and crown of the rest and my present endeavours being in and for a Church and spoken and heard by Church-right the Church-use and exercise of this head-grace and soul of Religion is first to be handled for the Church is the center about which this meek-love-mercy is to move and work it is the throne wherein it exerciseth its supream authority it is the tryer of the truth and power thereof at our admission into it and in our being in it and therefore its approbation is the Crown and it the Crowner thereof and its due condemnation the discrowner thereof but onely upon full discovery that it is false and counterfeit and after all divine regular proceedings unto and in that tryall especially it evidently and eminently exercising in them all the true kind and pregnant degree of this meek-love-mercy without which all due conviction of obstinacy is not used without which no Excommunication ought to be by any Church decreed much less executed in affections or actions but least of all may any or many members so discommunicate any or many members or the Church it self whereof they are or any other yea these two last God hath reserved to himself as his peculiar prerogative and therefore our present Church-discipline nor any rule nor grace thereof is to be extended to them without flat rebellion This our second or middle part v. 15. to 20. is an authoritive or regular exercising and trying of that head or heart-grace of meek-love-mercy the subject matter of the 14. first verses and that in three parts or degrees The first is between the tryer and the tryed alone v. 15. The 2d between one or two moe v. 16. as an help both to the first in repentance and to the third in due and certain tryal of guiltiness The third between the tryed and the Church and that before and after that tryal accomplished affirmed v. 17. and ratified v. 18 19 20. There is a connexion of this matter with the former expressed v. 15. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in relation to v. 14. that is it ought to be for the recovery of our sick professing brother if he be curable but if not then for preservation of the Church and with the latter in this word then v. 21. But first of the body of this matter it self and first of the first part or degree thereof v. 15. The sole Institutor Law-giver and head of the Instituted Church prescribeth herein the first part and Use of Divine Church-discipline which is both a service of
God and a preserver of Christians by Divine Institution and therefore precisely commanded and commended by Christ both in the affirmative as our portion to use it as his sanctified means of his worship and our benefit and in the negative forbidding as more than his Divine Worship and our Portion all other courses means and manner of exercising this first part of Divine Church-government and means of winning our straying brother lest he perish by those rotting sins which are the onely matter immediatly moving us to those meanes and manner for their purging away and healing our sick brother There are therefore 8. main and plainly distinct parts of this verse 15. 1. The first is the state and encorporate order which enrighteth both Agent and Patient to the end means and manner prescribed viz. a Church-membership In these words thy brother against thee with v. 17. tell the Church 2. The second is the case wherein that end mean and manner are to be exercised viz. in the case of the Patients corrupting sin endangering his brotherhood in sin against thee 3. The third is the Agents personal knowledge of that his sinne viz. If thy brother sin c. not thou hear or suspect 4. The fourth is the end of our using the expressed Church-means and manner of purging that sinne from thaâ— brother viz. his recovery in these words thou hast won thy brother with v. 13 14. The fifth is the means i. e. convincing-reproof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convincingly reprove him 6. The sixth is the instituted manner of our using that mean for that good of that our brother viz. all privacy and brotherly tenderness toward his soreness touchiness and good name between thee and him alone 7. The issue and success which is two-fold either good and pertinent to our case and verse viz. If he recover repent and return i. e. If he hear thee or bad and referring us to the next verse and case and not of pâ—esent observation 8. The eighth is the comfort and commendation of the Agent expresly and tacitly of the Patient thou hast won thy brother DOCTRINE The Doctrine which ariseth from the whole body of the first part of this The first degree of Christs Church-Discipline for his curing his sick Saints exacteth all these Ingredients 1. A Church-brotherhood both in the Agent and Patient 2. Sin in the Patient destroying that Brotherhood 3. The Agents knowledge of 4. And endeavour to cure the sin 5. By convincing-reproof 6. With all indulgent privacy 7. And expectation of success 8. And comfort The Proofs of each of these eight requisits are expressed in the Exposition of Christs express plain and sole-instituting Precept hereof more than which is not in Institutions to be expected much less exacted what is shall be supplyed in the uses USE 1. The first Use therefore must be for the confutation of the contrary tenent from whence the contrary practice groweth which is in its place to be dehorted reproved threatned and adjudged 1. Those that hold against the first are especially our Non-Conformitans called Professours and Puritans who hold no other brotherhood hereto requisite but that of the mystical union with Christ by personal Faith manifested by profession and fruits thereof but to what Church do they fit that party or cause which is the prime scope of the agent and to it are all the said particulars to be reduced and if the mark or aim be mistaken all Subordinats to it must needs be wrong their mark is not the Church of England their aim drift scope and endeavour is not for it and yet other Church they hold not much less labour for wherefore they erring in the very subject and object all their instituted Discipline and Church-dealing must needs be other than Christs and so in part and whole Antichrists at least the same in nature with his though not in act aim intent or possession his nor accepted by him and so they have no thanks for their labour and devotion either from Christ or Antichrist and so are of all most miserable in this matter suffering as busie-Bishops and Reproachers 1 Pet. 4.15 Use 2. They that erre in the 2d particular are the holders that every sinne in judgment word endeavour or act is the disease here meant But what meant Paul then to say Him that is weak in the faith receive unto you c. Rom. 14.1 expressing that weakness in the Faith to be in holding and practising the Mosaical holy days and in abstaining from the legally forbidden meats in obedience and conscience to Gods command by Moses which was then abolished and to prove and press that doctrine so plainly and plentifully through that Chapter unto Chap. 15.7 and there to conclude the same with the same Exhortation illustrated This is much confirmed Act. 21.20 to 26. 16.3 18.18 Why is Josephs omission of this first part commended as a point of his justness toward God and Christian indulgence toward Mary as to a true holy and tender-hearted Saint though his knowledge of her supposed sinne did neer over-weigh them all and gave him a strong appearance that it was a sinne destroying Church-brotherhood and her instituted Church-state the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being or as being a just or righteous man c. and not being willing c. prevent all evasion in this point that every sinne of a brother known to another brother necessiteth not this instituted or Church-dealing which point is very frequently and fervently pressed in the word 1 Pet. 4.8 Prov. 10.12 1 Cor. 13.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love roofeth all things Gal. 6.2 Mat. 6.14 15. Mar. 11.25 26. Obj. But you seem guilty and loving of some sins in putting them out of this case Answ The truth is I so love Gods divine Discipline that I cleave close thereto though I thereby incur your suspicion But it rather seems that you more affect absoluteness of Will and licentious injuriousness than Christs institutions and obedience to them wherein a Christians summum bonum and content consisteth Eccles 12.13 But I respect not personal upbraidings but reall arguments in this material case Michals scornings 2 Sam. 6.16 to 22. I scorn and honour Moses his periods to all his instituted practises i.e. As the Lord commanded Moses The third ingredient unto this divine medicine viz. the curers due and certain knowledge of the the disease or sin of his brother is 1. proved necessary Joh. 7.51 Doth our Law condemn a man before it hear him and know what he hath done was it so evident that the Law of Moses though in Christs time much corrupted by the Scribes and Pharises did not upon any report or presumption but onely by judicial hearing and testimony by two Witnesses at the least and testified in presence of the accused and answered by him condemn any man how dare any Church of the Gospel do so lest to his power he make the Gospel of Christ worse then the Law of Moses But by
Disseparatists Jude 19. or proper Brownists or makers of offences or soul-killing sins more then the word hath made and makers of division or separation thereupon even from true Christians yea true Churches which the word never allowed nor instituted the former which is the 5. point is practised in the said un-Mosaical uncivil un-Messiacal and antichristian courses opposite to Christs instituted Church-order Mat. 18.15 in all the eight points thereof especially to this convincing course our fift part and the sixt of which next in both which abominations and false Church-orders are practised by true Churches in their members telling each other of each others faults main and mean and thereupon separating the reproached as vile Heathens and Publicanes at one hour with the same and reproach raised as if their so reproaching were a judicial tryal and that an authoritive sentence and that a soul-killing and disbrothering execution even all four so soon as the first is spoken by the reproacher yea as if all were done in himself so soon as it is suspected by him Secondly in both these desolations are practised against Christs said instituted membral course of four degrees i. e. 1. certain knowledge 2. due convincing 3. resolvednes of his irrepentance and 4. thereupon proceeding in an executory course of taking Witnesses to testifie it to the Church which onely hath discommunicative power that it may duly separate the otherwise uncurable brother for those four are slighted omitted and rejected by this rejecting or rejectible course and spirit which the word termeth desolating Thirdly confusions of the successive order of these four degrees is practised in one Church-members separating censuring testifying and lastly upbraiding another with sin and in his neglect of Christs precise order prescribed him herein Which 3. practises of 1. abominations or false institutions 2. of desolations of true Institutions and 3. of confusion or Babelism are severaly at least joyntly the quarto modo properties of Antichrist either publike and stative viz. of a false Church-state or personal and membral viz. of the possessed with the evil Spirit of Antichrist 1 Joh. 4.3 whether of Professours at large or of Christs Church-worshippers in state though unmortified in affections and actions especially in matters of the fift sixth and ninth Commandements which the sixth and next point will plainly and plentifully shew This sixth Jngredient into this Divine Saint-healing Medicine is brotherly and tender privacy in all the rest in these words between thee and him alone This therefore sorteth with all the rest in their joynt proper soul and of this whole Chapter viz. in meek-love-mercy and in opposing their and its opposites viz. proud-rail-racking the three parts of both those words answering to the three said distinct parts of this Chapter the former in the positive respect the latter in the opposite The two first parts of the former expresly the last part inclusively in the last part of the latter and the two first parts of the latter word inclusively in the two first parts of the former the last expresly in the last part of the Chapter from v. 20. This sixth part of this soul-saving and sinne-purging sealed receit Job 33.16 sorts also with the other five in their divine and word-holy body as they are instituted parts of Christs Scripture-worship so that the omitters and slighters hereof are Desolators of that Divine Worship and the practisers of any other in its stead though in their conceit much better are abominators thereof and the disorderly users thereof are confusers thereof and so sorters with that Babylon i. e. confusion that abomination and desolation Dan. 11.31 12.11 Mat. 24.15 Mar. 13.14 called also that man of sinne that sonne of perdition 2 Thes 2.3 that Usurper over and Opposer against all called God v. 4. Dan. 11.36 that Antichrist that Beast that Abaddon c. and so gross breakers of the first second fifth and sixth Commandements The gross and flat opposite to this part both in that soul and this body is one Church-members reproaching and speaking evil of another which also in a fifth respect is the proper and prime breach of the ninth Commandement viz. as it tendeth to his discredit for it breaketh the first as it usurpeth over opposeth against Christ the Institutor of that order and means and the commander and commander of that meek-love-mercy and against God his Father and sender It is a breach of the second in all the particulars of this second respect of this sixth Ingredient especially as it forsaketh and desolateth this part of Christs Church-Discipline and erecteth a false one in its stead and so abominateth it and sinneth in the like transgression with Adam who did yea could sinne onely in matter of Divine Institution for when by his shame his sinne was shewn God thence concludeth that he had eaten of the forbidden Institution Gen. 3.10 11. and as it usurpeth over and opposeth against Christs Church-power authority and jurisdiction instituted for as it proudly deposeth or opposeth the persons enrighted thereto and practising thereof it breaks the fifth and as it ariseth from anger malice or an evil mind it breaks the sixth Commandement Matth. 5.21 to 26. If it be above just cause and onely inward it is against the first degree of v. 22. If it extend to external insinuations and general reproaching it cometh under the 2. degree of that sinne and judgment but if it proceed to the least sort of particularizing of matter of a brothers discredit though it be but of his wisdome it is expressed to be of the highest sort of sins and judgment at least of that Commandement yet Jam. 4.11 12. expresseth it to be a reproaching and censuring of the Word of God it self and an usurpation of Gods Law-giving Supremacy and an opposition against God that is alone able to save and to destroy and thereupon thundereth against this reproacher with Who art thou that judgest another brother which last word is expressed v. 11. and sheweth the true nature and high degree of this sinne of reproaching without it the other two parallel places of Matth. 5.21 and 18.15 were not its true parallels and without this peculiar institutedness or instituted peculiarity of this privacy in present consideration the other two would seem somewhat harsh In brief mark the holy institutedness of this sin-hiding or rather sin-healing privacy Mat. 18.15 the holy estate of a brother in all three places the holy nature of the Law Jam. 4. and of Christianity Matth. 5. and the oppositness of Antichristianity to all three even in falsness of institution against the Gospel and in evilness of order against the moral Law and of nature generate and regenerate against the first and second Adam and their Posterity and you shall therein see the heavenly vertue of this privacy and hellish vility of its privative in dealing with our brothers sins even that the former is an healing and the latter an helling of our brother and his
and not sons of heaven and therefore in their created nature they not knowing the far higher estate of Christ and his body of Saints Gods destinate heir of heaven conceived Adam able to have performed the condition and therefore also conceived that he had been positively established by God to have been the heir of heaven and so their immediate Lord and Master which in their nature was intollerable and scornful and in God conceived it to be injustice want of love and contempt of them and therefore would neither serve him nor his new adopted Son and left their service and their first estate Jude 6. and wrought all mischief they could against him But having no power against his person they practised against Adam and Eve and being faln from their created estate experimentally felt and discern'd both good and evil which alâ—o Adam did after his Fall though before neither of them did but good onely Now by this consequence of the Law they perceived the nature of the Law and that man was thereby ruinable as well as they and therefore set all their wits and powers on work to contrive their breach of it and ruine by it And accordingly poor man his legal or rather Gospel weakness was such that his former supporter his created power onely enabling him to the observance of the Moral-Law and not reaching this which was of a more heavenly nature he was no sooner attempted then overcome God then curst the Serpent Gen. 3.14 15. and put enmity betwixt man and him but before he denounced the Sentence of the curse due to man for this breach of the first Covenant for the support of weak frail and dejected man at the declaration thereof God first shewed him a glimpse of the Gospel in that he gave him a promise of mercy Gen. 3.15 and enlarged Gen. 17.6 7. and full assurance of a second victory in Christ which by Isaiah Jeremiah and Daniel is called the second Covenant and thus comforted v. 15. then let him know his punishment ver 16. to 19 22 23 24. This glimpse of Justification by Faith in Christ and its cultive seals of salvation the Sacrifices Gen. 4.4 founded Gen. 3.15 is the Center and Circle of the Gospel glancing upward to God for the good of his Saints and downward to hell and its hell-hounds and forwards to man two ways The first is properly to shew God as before the Creation The second in The third after it And the fourth in a mixt way of all three Gods Gospel stating man in personal Faith and its Cultive Order ensighted and enrighted him in God as Unus binunus trinunus and quadrinunus the first before time the second at it and the first week the third as at and after the end thereof the fourth as in an irregular way occasioned by mans irregularity in his breach of the Law In this fourth respect we are put by effect and à posteriori to consider of all four and enabled thereto by the third enrighted by the second and effected by the first We must therefore ascend from the fourth gradatium We had no right thereto but by the Law nor might but by the Gospel in part but not in height but by heaven nor every way but as fallen by the Law and in a mixture of both in the whole passage through the wilderness of regeneration wherein we are to look to Abraham shewing and shewn by the first notion of God to Egypt taught by the second to the Tabernacle resembling the third and to the fourth even to seek and search for the three simples in the mixt portion of Inheritance and potion of health gropingly thence to Christ and gripingly after but we shall never grasp our fill but in Heaven compleat Man had not power to fall in his natural condition by the natural Law GOd is a pure and perfect entity that cannot will nor work any thing but like himself for natural perfection as the Beasts were in sensibility perfect till mans sinne brought also on them a curse and depravation of that perfection because intentionally made for him and by donation given into his hands Gen. 1.26 28. The Text expresly saith Man was made after his Image Now God could not work will or incline to ill Therefore nor man to any thing that God had impos'd and positively forbidden him for if man was made after the perfect Image of God in things natural then he could not in natural things more offend then God But God could not therefore nor Man If Adam could in natural things offend more then God then in natural things Adam was not made after the perfect Image of God Again God's intention was to contrive man to heaven else his Decree for Election or Damnation was not eternal and to that end proposed to him a new Law with the condition of Heaven in case of observance and Death and Damnation upon the breach which was proposed to him to undertake it or not to undertake it But in hopes of the prize of Heaven and presuming of his natural power not knowing it was a heavenly work did undertake it and the condition thereof was to do or suffer and then and not before then came the free will of man to do good or ill That the Churches of England and Rome maintain as their received opinion and at the Creation as pretended but then as before is proved had man no power to ill Now this second Law was propos'd and not impos'd for it had been injustice in God to have impos'd such a Law upon man as was impossible for man to keep which this was being spititual and man meerly natural except he had likewise given him ability to have kept it which he did not That it was spiritual appears by the two Sacramental Trees of Life of Knowledge that were not real life and knowledge but onely signes thereof therefore Sacraments And therefore by this it appears that this Law was meerly proposed by God accepted by Man and so became federal and a binding Contract betwixt God and Man and therefore is called the first Covenant To work any man to understand this at the first press not upon him the proposition and liberty to undertake or not to undertake the keeping of this Law but first let him understand the condition to do or to suffer Which understood he will reply that doing or suffering was impos'd th' one being necessary to man and then it may be best made to appear that it was the acceptance and Covenant of man to do or suffer that made it a binding Law unto him The general opinion is that man had power to keep this Law and power to break it Answ No Adam had no power to will or do evil because malum is privatiâ—um non ens inessibile incognosibile inagibile impossibile Therefore malum being non ens to do ill is to do nothing power to do nothing is nothing in power which rather implyes a want of power