Chap. V. Difference III. Of the Extent of a particular Church THE third Point wherein they seem to differ is about the Extent of a particular Political Church viz. Whether it be a single Congregation or divers Congregations Whether the Ecclesia Prima or a particular Church of the first Generation as distinct from a Combination of Churches should be no more than can meet in One place and hold personal Communion in the Worship of God Here is an appearance of some difference but really none that will find a Reconciler work Some Presbyterians distinguish indeed between a Worshipping Church and a Governed Church and they would have a single Congregation to be one Worshipping Church but many conjoyned in their Pastors to be the first or lowest Governing Church But that is but in cases of necessity when there are not Elders enough in the single Worshipping Church So that really both Parties are agreed 1. That a particular Church may consist of One single Congregation if it be but furnished with more than one Elder for the work of Government Though for my own part I am quite out of doubt that where one man only is the Pastor or Governour of a Church that man only may Govern that Church and do the work of a Pastor to that Church 2. And they are agreed that a Church that doth not or cannot ordinarily meet in one place may yet be a true particular Church In times of Persecution when the Church dare not publickly appear or hath no capacious Rooms to meet in but are forced to meet dispersedly in Houses it may not only be lawful but most convenient for some that meet in one House and some in another and some in a third a fourth a fifth to be all united in the same Pastors that shall visit them severally as they see cause and have opportunity and rule them all And in a well ordered Church there is none denyeth but that in less Publick Meetings the Church may be distributed into several Houses and that the Aged Sick or Lame or any that by distance cannot frequently come to the same most Publick Meeting may yet have Chappels of Ease or be allowed to meet in Houses rather than not at all This all agree in And I think few Presbyterians if any will deny that it is most convenient regular and suitable to the Ends of a particular Church which is Personal Communion in Worship and Holy Order that where it can be procured the whole Church except the Sick or Lame or necessarilyhindered may frequently if not most usually meet in one Assembly So that either here is no work for a Reconciler or a very easie work For the Presbyterians say that a particular Church May consist of one Congregation and I believe they will say that ordinarily it is most fit and the Independents say It Must consist but of one Congregation or as many as May meet together for Personal Communion in Worship if they have Liberty but that this is not Essential to the Church Either then here is no Difference or if there be it is thus reconciled in a word The Presbyterians May be shall yield to the Independents Must be The Licet to the Oportet Secure them but of more than one Elder in a Church and I dare warrant you that all the sober Moderate Presbyterians shall readily and heartily yield to this They have no conceit that there Must needs go many Congregations to make a particular Political Church If any Presbyterians refuse to condescend so far for Reconciliation another easie remedy is at hand Let each have Liberty to hold that Church which in the extent is suited to their Judgment Let them that needs must have a Church of many Congregations hold it if the people do consent as few will so they will faithfully do the Pastoral work If they will joyn three or four Parishes together as the lowest Governed Church let them have their Liberty exercising just Discipline in them But let others also have their Liberty that think it meeter if not necessary that the Church be but of one Congregation The distance and quality of people may very much alter the case in this point In places where four Parishes at great distance would afford but enough for one particular Church if any such Parishes be it may be the more tolerable to have ordinary Meetings in the several Parishes for Worship and Discipline administred and sometime the Lord's Supper in a fuller meeting of all the Church But I hope we are in no necessity that this should be an ordinary case But Liberty in these cases may well be granted Chap. VI. Difference IV. THE fourth Point of Difference is Whether a particular Church hath Power in it self to Ordain and Impose hands on their chosen Pastors This Difference is easily Reconciled For 1. The Presbyterians hold that regularly it is fittest that the Pastors of divers Churches conjunct do Ordain because of the Interest and Relation which they suppose each Minister hath to the Church Catholick yet withal they deny not but he hath a true Ordination that is ordained by more than one Pastor of the same Church 2. Though they deny and justly that Imposition of hands in Ordination belongeth to the People yet they judge not an irregularity in that Ceremony of force to nullifie the calling of the Pastor 3. If a man that is duely elected and qualified be in Possession of the Ministry without a Regular just Ordination as if it were but by Ruling Elders or by one such with the people though such an Ordination is not to be it self approved of yet being upon a Doctrinal mistake we may well hold Communion with such Churches leaving the guilt of their Errour on themselves when we cannot remedy it 4. The Congregational Brethren hold that in case they have no Officers in that Church the Counsel and Help of other Pastors may and ordinarily ought to be made use of and that ordinarily they are not to be held true Pastors that be not Ordained by true Pastors and that in a constituted Church the Act of Ordination belongeth to the Presbyters and that the multitude confer not the Power of the Keys but Christ immediately And that the counsel of Neighbour Pastors is requisite not only to a weak Church because of their insufficiency to Judge but also for the safety of a well furnished Church by the Amplitude of Advice and in all Churches for the Communion of Churches And I think they grant it Lawful though not Necessary that these Neighbor Pastors lay on hands as well as counsel This much being Doctrinally agreed on our Practical Agreement is easie thus 1. Let the Doctrinal point of the Necessity of more Pastors to Ordain be let alone and left to each Mans Liberty it being no Article of our Creed nor a Credendum of absolute necessity and seeing the Congregational party hold that more from Neighbour Churches May
of a further Agreement with those that have been their Ejecters They have agreed to take no Members out of any of your true Pastoral consenting Churches without a just hearing and satisfactory Reasons to them But I hope you take not all your Parishioners even Atheists Papists and Infidels for your Church Members Noâ— yet all your Auditors and Catechumens but only your Communicants And is it not better that they be Members of Nonconformists Churches than of none I have elsewhere cited you the Canons of a Council decreeing That if the Bishop of the place convert not any Heathens or Unbelievers and another convert them they shall be his Flock that did convert them in my Hist. of Councils Would they but first admit the Excluded to Publick Lectures where the Incumbent consenteth it would prepare the way for further Concord The Great Reconciler will in due time reconcile and closely Unite his own Amen Apr. 11. 1691. Ri. Baxter To the UNITED Protestant Nonconformists IN LONDON THough I was by the Confinement of decrepit Age and Pain hindred from having any part in the Form or Contract of your Agreement I think it my Duty to signifie my Sence of what you have done and by the Publication of my old Endeavours of that Kind to promote the Execution I greatly rejoyce in your very Attempt That God exciteth you to a practical desire of speedy healing our pernicious shameful Strifes Much more that you have so Skilfully made the present Plaister for the Wound No man doth any thing so well but it might be better done You must look that it should be assaulted by Cavil and Reproach Those that these Thirty Years have denied you Brotherly Communion with them will be loth you should be thought to have any Union among your selves And the Potent Schismaticks that to divert the Infamy from themselves have Stigmatized you with their own Name will be loth that your Concord should confute them while you offer your Reasons to prove that what they make necessary terms of Ministration and Communion would be to you if obeyed not medling with them no less than deliberate Covenanted Perjury or Lying and renunciation of repentance and amendment of Church-Corruptions and of the Law of Nature and Nations and the Kingdoms Self-defence they must stretch their Wits and gift of Tongue to make all this seem but a melancholy or feigned Fear and that it is but things indifferent that you refuse As they call me Antiepiscopal and against the Church because I would have more Bishops over a Thousand or many Hundred Churches than One and would have as many hands to do the work at least as are necessary to the Hundredth part of it and would have more Churches in a Diocess than one and would have Incumbents to be Pastors and Rectors But dreaming Men that build Cities or Travel in their Sleep can build more or go further in an hour specially if they lye soft in a University or a Great man's House than a waking Man can do in a Year or in his Life My own Judgment of Episcopacy and Church Constitution I have oft Published and you may see it in Lascitius and Commenius Books of the Bohemian Waldenses Church-Government Brethren I hope you fix not your Bounds of Pacification in the words or limits of this Form of Concord with a ne plus ultra Either when I am dead the Publick Church Doors will be unlock'd to your lawful Communion or not If yea it will be so great a Mercy that the Prospect of a Possibility of it will justifie my Publishing my old Reasons against unnecessary Antichurches or Militant contentious Gatherings But if God have not so much Mercy for this Land but that the Doors be lock'd up against desired Concord or Venient Romani our Foreign Jurisdiction men will prevail to deliver up the Land to a pretended Universal Foreign Power and make all believe that it is Treason to resist either a French or Irish Army if they be but Commissioned to perform it Then your Concord with such as are not Enemies to Peace will be a comfortable help to your patient Sufferings and may keep up some sparks of the Reformed Religion from being utterly extinguished And while you dwell in the Secret of the most High you may lodge under the shadow of the Almighty And may enter into your Chambers and shut the Doors on you for a little moment till the indignation be over-past and God be known by the Judgments which he executeth when the wicked are insnared in the work of their own hands Thus praying God to save you from violating the Concord you consent to and from being perverted by the ignorant Dividing sort of Teachers or People and that you will study Mr. Meade's Reasons against Division well and seasonably urged I bid you Farewel Your Quondam Fellow-Labourer Ri. Baxter London April 23. 1691. The Contents of the First Part. Chap. I. THe Necessity of Concord and Mischief of unnecessary Separations manifested in Twenty of the ill Effects Pag. 1. Ch. II. What is Incumbent on the Pastors for the Prevention and Cure hereof p. 13. Ch. III. The first Difference with the Independents Reconciled viz. Of the necessary qualification of Church Members p. 15. Ch. IV. The second Difference reconciled Of a Church Covenant p. 19. Ch. V. The third Difference reconciled Of the extent of a particular Church p. 21. Ch. VI. The fourth Difference reconciled whether a particular Church hath Power in it self to Ordain and impose hands on their chosen Pastors p. 23. Ch. VII The fifth Difference reconciled Of the first subject of the Power of the Keys Or of Right to Govern and Censure p. 25. Ch. VIII The sixth Difference reconciled Whether a Pastor of one Church may do the work of a Pastor in other Churches for that time being called to it p. 32. Ch. IX The seventh Difference reconciled Whether each particular Church hath Power to exercise all Government and Church Ordinances within it self without subjection to Synods or any other Clergy Governours as over them p. 33. Ch. X. The eighth Difference reconciled Whether Lay-men may Preach in the Church or as sent to gather Churches p. 38. Ch. XI The ninth Difference reconciled Whether the Parish Churches are true Churches p. 41. Ch. XII The tenth Difference reconciled Of taking Members out of other Churches and of Gathering Churches in other mens Parishes p. 42. Ch. XIII The sum of this Agreement reduced to Practice p. 55. The Contents of the Second Part. Q. 1. VVHat are the necessary terms of Communion of Christians as Members of the Universal Church p 62. Q. 2. What are the necessary terms of the Communion of Christians personally in a particular Church Q. 3. What are the terms on which Neighbour Churches may hold Communion with one another Q. 4. What are the terms of Communion between the Churches of several Kingdoms Foreign Iurisdiction is confuted in another Book Q. 5. What is the Magistrates
but in words or very narrow seem more material wide and dangerous than they are and shall hereupon proclaim their Brethren to be heretical or blasphemous and use to revile them and renounce Communion with them and would silence the Pastors if it were in their Power These under the Name of the Ministers of Christ do powerfully militate for the Devil against the Love and Peace of Christians and are the pernicious Incendiaries in the Churches of Christ. Q. 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion and the Churches and Ministers of Christ Answ. I shall say more as to their Power than as to their Duty because I know not how it will be endured or how that counsel will be taken or followed which is not desired It more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them 1. All the forcing Power about matters Ecclesiastical whether by corporal Penalties or forced Mulcts belongeth only to the Magistrate Besides what Parents and Masters may do And if any Pastors use it it must be as Magistrates receiving it from the Soveraign And the Sword is so unseemly in a Pastors hand and so ill taken by the people and so adverse to the persuasive Loving Government which he must exercise and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the World that it were to be wished that Princes would keep their Sword from the Clergy to themselves and commit it to such Officers as have not so much other work to do and are not so likely to abuse it 2. If any Pastors will declare that Princes are bound to punish men meerly as Excommunicated by them without any tryal of the Cause before themselves or Officers and will Excommunicate Magistrates for not Imprisoning Banishing or Burning or otherwise afflicting those whom the Clergy have Excommunicated or judged to be so used Much more if any will teach and declare that Excommunicate Kings are no Kings yea though a Foreigner that hath no Power over them Excommunicate them or that they may be kill'd as Tyrants or that the Pope or any other have Power to depose them and dispose of their Dominions see the Council at Lateran under Innocent 3d. Can. 3. and the Council at Rome under Gregor 7. If such be Subjects they are injurious to the Civil Power If they are Foreigners they are open declared Enemies 3. The Office and Power of Kings and other Magistrates is from God and their lawful Commands are to be obeyed for Conscience sake and not to avoid their Punishments only 4. Their Office is to promote Obedience to God and to his Laws by making Subordinate Laws of their own and to be a terrour to Evil-doers and a Praise and Encouragement to them that do well 5. The Clergy as well as others must be subject to Kings and Magistrates Nor is it tolerable Doctrine which would exempt their Persons or Estates except it be by the King's consent 6. Princes must not only promote natural Obedience to the true God but also the special Faith and Obedience of the Gospel by means which are suitable thereunto 7. Princes may make Laws forbidding the Publication of all pernicious Damning Doctrines and the Practice of Idolatry and of all great and notable Crimes against the Law of God and may Correct the Offenders by convenient Penalties with Prudence and Moderation 8. If heretical covetous or lazy Pastors corrupt God's Word and Worship notoriously or neglect their certain Duty to the betraying or endangering of the Flocks or are persons uncapable of the Office the Magistrate may drive them on to their Duties and moderately and prudently punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that Office 9. Such Circumstances of Worship and Orders of Assemblies before instanced as are fit for Common Determination and Agreement in all the Churches being such whose Determination is not proper to the Pastors Office may on moderate terms and by religious advice be determined of by Magistrates And all their lawful Determinations must be obeyed 10. There needeth not the device of Popes or Patriarchs to call Councils or to keep Peace among the Pastors of the Church For the Magistrate must do it as a great part of the work of his Office Every Soveraign may call such Pastors unto Councils as are his Subjects And several Princes by agreement may call their respective Subjects together when there is Cause And proper Universal Councils as is shewed are things which never were known nor are not to be expected And it must be a very extraordinary necessity which must warrant the Pastors of several Kingdoms to hold Councils together when they are forbidden by their Kings Princes also may correct Church-Tyrants and Usurpers and Destroyers of Faith or Piety or Peace They ought to restrain such Pastors as would raise Seditions or Rebellions or Persecutions of the Innocent or that pretend Religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their Brethren and are proved to be unquiet Firebrands to kindle Dissentions and destroy Mens Love to one another or arbitrarily to oppress the Flocks 11. When any question Who must be Iudge in cases of Heresie Infidelity or Idolatry as divulged or practised the true answer is obvious and easie 1. In regard of publick Ecclesiastical judgment and the Sentence of Excommunication or Absolution the Pastors of the Church are the proper Judges by virtue of the power of the Keys 2. In regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity as there is just cause the Magistrate is the only publick Judge 3. In regard of that private judgment of discerning by which every rational person must know his own Duty both to God and Man and discern when and how far to obey Man without disobeying God every such rational person is a Iudge that is a Discerner of what he ought to do And Christ always the final Judge 12. Yet may not the Magistrate invade the Pastoral Office it self nor Ordain or Dâ—grade Ministerâ— in that Spiritual Sense as it is committed to Church-Guides nor Administer the Sacraments nor exercise the proper power of the Church Keys which Christ committed to Church Officers by such Excommunications or Absolutions as are proper to that power nor may they hinder the â—astors from the due performance of their Office in matter or manner Nor forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel or publick worshipping of God by all or any of his Ministers But are bound to promote it with studious diligence as Patrons of the Church 13. But if they should forbid us the necessary Preaching of God's Word or necessary assembling for God's publick Worship as we must not account those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary so that which is necessary indeed we must not desert till we are disabled to perform it seeing it is greater Sacrilege if we alienate a person consecrated to God in so sacred an Office than if we should alienate conseorated Goods
be cast out Norton Resp. P. 28. â—3 De Veritate talis Ecclesiae to nomine dubitare peccatum ducimus Q. 3. Quale saedus sufficit ad formam Ecclesiae R. Faedus implicitum sufficit ad esse faedus explicitam ad magis ordinatum esse desideratur Rutherford Plea Pag. 85 86. An explicite Vocal Covenant whereby we bind our selves by entring in a new Relation to such a Pastor and to such a Flock we deny not as if the thing were unlawful Nor deny we that at the Election of a Pastor the Pastor and People tye themselves by reciprocation of Oaths to each other the one to fulfil faithfully the Ministry he hath received of the Lord the other to submit to his Ministry in the Lord 5. Any Professor removing from one Congregation to another and so coming under a new Relation to such a Church or such a Ministry is in a tacite and virtual Covenant to discharge himself in all the Duties of a Member of that Congregation Norton Illius Ecclâ—siae constitutio quae uno in loco ordinario ad eultum Dei celebrandum convenire requeat ob suam multitudinem est illegitimâ— â— non tamen quoad â—jus Essentiam sed quoad adjunctum numerositatis Rutherford Due Right Pag. 301 302. 1. The ordinary Power of Jurisdiction because of nearest Vicinity and Contignity of Members is given by Jesus Christ to one Congregation in an Isle 1. Because that Church is a Church properly so called A Congregation is a Church wanting nothing of the Being and Essence of a Church Yet is it in compleat Lond. Minist Ius Div. Minist Part 2. P. 82. These Angels were Congregational not Diocesane Ib The Asian Angels were not Diocesane Bishops but Congregational Presbyters seated each of them iâ— One Church not any of them in more than One. See Mr. Hooker's Concession of many Meetings in one Church in Mr. Cawdrey's Review P. 148. Norton Resp. P. 99. Toti multitudini Ecclesiae competit examen Pastorum per mannuum impositionem eorundem ordinatio in Ecclâ—sia homogenea sed non in officium Ecclesiasticum quia officium Ecclesiasticum recipitur invocatione non ordinatione idque à Christo immediatè non à totâ multitudine Id. p. 100. Vicinis insuper ordinariè consultis in Ecclesia homogenea competit fraternitati auxilio Consilio Presbyterorum viciâ—orum prudentum aliarum Ecclesiarum P. 101. Populus in judicando dirigi potest ac ordinarie debet à judicio aliorum Pastorum Electionem vel praeâ—unte vel concomitante Requiritur Conâ—ilium aliorum Presbyterorum Prudentum propter insufficientiam in Ecclesia infirmiori Propter salatem in amplitudinâ— Consiliarii in Ecclesia instructiori in omnibus propter Communionem Ecclesiarum P. 103. Propositio illa Bâ—llarmini Non sunt veri Pastores qui non sunt à veris Pâ—storibus ordinati vera est ordinariè seâ— extra ordinâ—m minimè necessaria Juâ— Ib. p. 105. Quam vis in Ecclesia bene constituta non debet aliis quà m Presbyteris Ordinandi munus mandari in defectu tâ—â—eâ— idoneorum Presbyterorum potest non-Presbyteris mandari Ames In Ecclesia constituta actum ipsum ordinandi ad Presbyteros pertinere ultro concedimus P. 106. Toti multitudini Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 competit collatio potestatis claviuâ— in Ministrâ—s aut tota illa potestas quâ— Ministriâ— Officium Ecclesiasticum tribuit Against the peoples Power of the Keys Rutherford Peaceable Plea and in his Due Right of Presbyteries and many more have written at large and unanswerably taking the Keys for Government or Pastoral Administrations Rutherford's Plea p. 6. The Power of the Keys is given to the Church of Believers as to the end for the Edifying of the Body of Christ Eph. 4. * * Mr. Norton p. 45. Sin per Ecclesiam Representtaivam intelligitur Ecclesia talis proprie dicta h. e. Ecclesia virtualis vicâ—-Ecclesia Ecclesiam repraesentatam subjectivè repraesentans atque adâ—o vi delegationis habens potestatem â—arum negotia exâ—quendi jure Dâ—i hoc sensu simpliciter negamus Ecclesiam repraesentativam P. 4. Their Power of Chusing is a Power about the Keys but not of the Keys And it is common to all Believers who are not to take Pastors as the Market goeth upon a blind hearsay c. It 's commonly granted them that the people regularly should chuse their Officers where some unfitness of their own doth not forbid it but that necessarily they must consent to his Relation or else he cannot Exercise his Office on them And it is granted them commonly according to Cyprian's words that the people also have a great hand in the Rejection of unworthy Pastors and that in case they prove intolerable and they have no more regular way to depose them after sufficient patience and warning they must forsake them But none of these are Acts of Church Government no more than for a Corporation to chuse the Major or for the Servant while he is Free to chuse his Master or a Scholar his School-master or a Patient his Physicion or for the Soldiers to forsake a Traiterous Commander that would deliver up their lives unto the Enemy It 's one thing to be a Church Governor and another thing to chuse or refuse a Church Governor Dr. Owen was at last against all Governing Power in the people and for the Pastors Government only * * See Dr. Taylor 's 2d Disswasive very well on the Text Dic Ecclesiae Mr. T. Goodwin and Mr. Nye Pref. to Mr. Cotton's Keys p. 5. It 's no contemptible case that Mr. Cawdrey puts Review p. 151. Are not a company of Women with the Pastors a true Church having all things Essential to it And have they the Ordaining Admitting Governing power by Vote or not If not then is it not in a Church of Saints as such but in the true Governours by Office or in none ††Ibid p. 4. I must profess that Scripture and Reason speak so plainly that Pastors are Gods Officers to Rule Rulers must Rule and the Ruled obey that I admire that wise and good Men can find a temptation to err in so plain a case A Church in a Prince's or Noblemans House will consist of perhaps a Lord and Lady and their Children and a hundred or two hundred Servants Now can any Man think it agreeable to Gods Word that the Servants because they are the Major Vote and the Children aâ— Age with them shall question examine and censure by Excommunication their Parents and Rulers It 's a true and weighty Speech of Mr. Cawdrey ib. p. 155. These destructive courses of Levelling Church and State proceed from the placing of all Power Originally in the people It hath been made a Controversie whether Bishops or Pastors may Excommuâ—…te a Prince But if his own Family 〈◊〉 just and meet should be a Church â—…ave him Examined and Excommuâ—…ed by his own Servants out of that Family-Church methinks should seem a â—aâ—der case {inverted †} {inverted †} Jid. ibid p. 7. Coâ—ton Keys ' p. 33. The Brethren of the Church are the first Subject of Church Liberty and the Elders thereof of Church Authority And both together of all Church Power needful to be exercised within themselves * * Jid. ib. p. 3. Norton pag. 74 75. * * Iudicium de coercendo poenis corporalibus est Magistratus Iudicium de actionibus Pastoralibus praestandis an non est Pastoâ—um Iudicium de obediendo vel non obediendo est subditorum Dâ— Propriis actionibus unusquisque praejudicat officium discernendo See Mr. Norton at large proving that a Minister of a particular Church may not only by virtue of his Gifts and the common bond of Christian Charity but also by virtue of his Calling exercise in another Church the acts of his Office Charitativè non Authoritativè p. 76. c. 6. Of this see my Disput. of Ordination and 3d of Episcopacy * * Nort. P. 45. Si Ecclesia Representativa sumitur pro mutua consultatione consotiatione confoederatione Ecclesiarum particularium in Synodis per Legatos nova Ecclesiae forma non addita libertate Ecclesiâ— salvâ rem agnoscimus