whether those Scriptures I cited with the Arguments deduced from them doe not speake and perswade such a thing I am confident all such as know any thing in learning will say they doe But for answer Master Knollys himselfe grants that very many were baptized by Iohn and Christs disciples and none were baptized then but Beleevers as he and all the Independents doe confesse and acknowledge but saith he the Scriptures quoted do not declare how many of those baptized persons were of the Church of Ierusalem for the Scriptures witnesse that there were Churches through all Iudaea as well as in Ierusalem and for ought saith he I know or the Doctor either many of those baptized persons might be of those Churches yea the most of them and but a few in Ierusalem it may be no more but those hundred and twenty mentioned Acts the 1. vers 13 14 15. If a bare denyall of any Argument with a senselesse Reason or two and an it may be were a sufficient conviction of a truth then Master Knollys would be a very precious Disputant and to say Bellarmine thou lyest would be enough to confute all the Papists But in matters of this nature and of so high concernement there is more required then bare denials and vaine evasions and may-bee's And therefore I will take this liberty to tell Master Knollis that hee trifles in Divinity and deales not like a serious nor learned Christian nor to the purpose for this is not in question betweene mee and the Independents how many of those baptized persons through all Iudaea and the Regions round about were resident in the Church of Ierusalem This I say was never controverted betweene us for no man that I know of ever doubted but that all those that came out of al Iudaea and the Regions round about to the Ministry Baptism of Iohn and Christs Disciples returned home againe to their severall habitations and there remained and aboad as those that came out of Ierusalem to Iohns Preaching and Baptisme after they were baptized repaired to their severall houses habitations in that Citie and remained there waiting upon the publick Ordinances this I conceive all men that have any understanding beleeve And the Scripture sufficiently declareth that the multitudes of Beleevers that came out of Ierusalem and were baptized by Iohn the Baptist to speake nothing now of the Apostles and seventy Disciples were numberlesse and therefore were more then the hundred and twenty names yea they were innumerable therefore more then could meet in any one place or a few And if the Reader will but looke backe to the Scriptures above quoted out of which I framed my Arguments and consider the insuing Scriptures and Reasons from them he will easily perceive that Master Knollys is a meere Quibler and a man no way fit for either disputation or any serious imployment The Evangelists speaking of the great concourses of people that came from all quarters to the Preaching and Ministery of Iohn and to be baptized to avoid mistakes doe specifie the severall places out of which they came with the numbers indefinitly set down that came from every place saying There went out to him Ierusalem and all Iudaea and all the Regions round about Iordan and were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sinnes Mat. the 3. Here it is abundantly declared that it was an infinite company that came from Ierusalem as by the word Ierusalem is sufficiently manifest being metaphorically set downe and taken in that place as I said before synechdochically for a mighty part and multitude of people that came out of that City And Saint Marke confirmes this chap. 1. ver the 5. who saith there went out unto him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan confessing their sinnes And the same is further ratified by the words of our Saviour Luke 7. 29. 30. who saith that all the people that heard him and the Publicans justified God being baptized by the Baptisme of John but the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Councell of God against themselves being not baptized So that now by the mouth of three witnesses and by the testimony of Christ himselfe it is sufficiently proved That if Jerusalem and all the people of Jerusalem went out and were baptized by John except the Pharisees and Lawyers that there was an innumerable multitude and therefore more then could possibly meet in any one place or a few and many more then the hundred and twenty names spoke of in the first of the Acts which fond conceit of Mr Knollys is yet more evidently refuted out of the second of the Acts where it is related that there were at that time Inhabitants and Dwellers at Jerusalem devout men that is true Worshippers and Beleevers from out of all the Nations under Heaven To say nothing of Nicodemus and of Joseph of Arimathea and of many other Rulers and of all the people and children that cryed Hosanna and that received Christ into the City with all their acclamations and believed in him the most of which were Inhabitants aud Dwellers in Jerusalem and such as had their aboad there so that by this I have now said the folly and vanity of Mr Knollys and his cavill is apparantly manifest and this truth sufficiently clear to all that there was an infinite number and a very City of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem besides those that were of the other Churches in Judea and therefore could not all meet in one place For the Scripture saith that Ierusalem and they of Ierusalem went out and were baptized by Iohn the Baptist and therefore all good Christians I am confident will ever beleeve the Scriptures and give credit unto the word of God rather then unto Mr Knollys and if they will beleeve the Scripture of truth then they will not onely beleeve there was an infinite number and a very City of Beleevers in Ierusalem and that by the very ministry and preaching of Iohn but that Mr Knollys is a very wicked and blasphemous creature as who giveth the spirit of God the lye and opposeth also all good reason For the spirit saith Jerusalem and all they of Ierusalem except the Pharisees and Lawyers were baptized by John and all these were inhabitants at Jerusalem and Mr Knollys affirmeth the contrary and confuteth all the Evangelists whether therefore he be not a very precious disputant I refer it to the judgement of all sober-minded Christians that love sincerity truth and plain dealing And this might suffice to shew the vanity and wickednesse of the man and what a vain caviller he is that thus abuseth pretious time to abuse himselfe and miserably to delude ignorant people But for the farther confirmation of my Minor I will produce one or two testimonies more out of the eleventh of Mark where there is mention made of two great companies and parties of beleevers and those all Inhabitants in Ierusalem the
that they were the Ministers and Preachers of the Gospell and in that they give them the name and title of the Church it followeth that the representative body and Presbytery is a Church and that to them onely belongs the power and authority of the Keyes according to that of our Saviour in Matth. 18 17 18. Tell it unto the Church c. and whatsoever ye binde on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven By which words all authority is put into the true Ministers hands so that they onely have the power and authority of ordaining Pastors and Presbyters among themselves as Paul sufficiently declares in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus and that they have not onely the title of the Church but a Charter and Warrant also granted unto them of ruling and governing the Church and of ordaining Church officers and that by joynt and common consent among themselves without the helpe and assistance of the people and congregations under them which by God were never joyned in commission with them And howsoever Paul in the 1. of the Corinthians chap. 6. for the taking away the scandall in going to Law before unbeleevers gave them liberty to make choyce of somethat were least esteemed in the Church for the deciding of their controversies yet that did not authorize them to make choyce of all other Church Officers for he limits them to go no farther then to the choyce of such as are of least esteeme And howsoever likewise the Apostles in the 6. of the Acts to free themselves from all impediments that they might the better attend upon their Ministeries and that without interruption they might Preach the Gospell gave them liberty to chuse their Decons and Deconesses yet they prescribe the Rule by which they shall chuse them and keep the authority of ordaining them still in their own hands Looke you out among you say they men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and wisedome whom we may appoint over this businesse and when they had chose such saith the Scripture They put them before the Apostles and when they had prayed they laid their hands on them So that howsoever they gave unto them a Liberty to chuse yet it was with limitation not an absolute liberty for if they had chose men that had not been of approved honesty well gifted and wise and qualified as they appointed it was arbitrary in the Apostles to reject their choyce for they keep the power of Ordination still in their own hands and to them it did belong to ratifie their Election so that the people had not the power of Ordination then nor have not to this day no not of the meanest Deacon or Deaconesse that belongs onely unto the Presbytery much lesse have they power of ordaining Presbyters Indeed for the deciding of controversies and differences they have a liberty given them of making choise of some petty men amongst them and that they may do without the Presbytery but they have no power of Ordination Neither did I ever yet read in the Sacred Scriptures that the people or Congregation had any hand at all in choosing of Ministers and Presbyters neither were they fit for that imployment for it is one thing to judge of mans externall carriage and manners and another thing of his sufficiency for his indowments and abilities of learning and that men of learning and knowledge onely can do and the Sons of the Prophets and it is in speciall given in charge to the Presbyters and Ministers as it is manifest in the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus 1 Tim. 4. 14. Tit. 1. And they onely know how rightly to examine them in the knowledge of the tongues and Sciences and such Arts as are requisite besides the knowledge of the holy Scripture all which are little enough for the making of a Minister compleat and fit for that Sacred imployment And all the Primitive Churches in the Apostles times willingly submitted themselves to what the Presbytery then did and assented to their choyce as in the 14. of the Acts vers 23. it appeareth But I say in that our brethren do acknowledge this company this hundred and twenty names to be a church and in that it is also sufficiently manifest that they are considered in a distinct notion from the people which also in the holy Scriptures when they are joyned with their Ministers are called a church as is frequently to be seen through the acts of the Apostles and in that it doth abundantly appear by what hath formerly been spoken and will yet in the following discourse be farther elucidated that there were many congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that they were all governed by the joynt consent and Common Councell of the Apostles and Presbyters to whom the Apostles themselves were subject who were sent this way and that way by their direction and to whom they were to give an account of their Ministery as we see in divers places in the Acts and were ordered by them what they should do and also made their appeals unto the Apostles and Presbyters in any businesse of common concernment I say in all these respects it is evident That the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many Congregations and Assemblies and was yet but one Church and that governed by a Presbyterian Government and by a Common Councell of Ministers to whose order all the severall Congregation were to submit themselves And therefore this their Argument maketh much against them and greatly for us And this shall suffice to have answered to this their first Objection which to speak the truth is that that carrieth the most appearance of any Argument they produce to prove their Assertion and tenent for all their other Objections raised from the severall meetings of the Apostles and people and from the multitude comming to them about the ordaining of Deacons by which they would perswade the world That the company of Believers in the Church of Ierusalem was not so numerous at any time but that they might all meete in one congregation or in one place to partake of in acts of worship they consist most of them in Homonymies and meere Paralogismes which indeed beseeme not the gravity of reverend men and in the weighty matters of Divinity would be undecent in a sucking Sophister and therefore are much more blameworthy in them who by such fallacies labour to amuse the people to the disturbance of the whole Church and Kingdome and alienating the affections of Brethren one from another I shall briefly runne over them Acts 2. 46. where it is related that the Believers and new Converts continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house From these words the Brethren conclude That the multitude of Believers was not so great but that they might all meete in one congregation and in one place to partake in all acts of
as yet any particular visible formed churches for all these severall congregations are but so many branches of that one catholicke visible church and a branch and a member of a church is not a church properly so called in my brother Burtons Dialect and therefore wee have no true visible churches or church bodies upon earth properly so called this I say will necessarily follow upon my Brother Burtons unsound Principles and this his opinion which I am confident upon his more serious thoughts and when he makes not such haste as he confesses he did when he writ this his book against me he will acknowledge to be very erroneous But if he shall against all reason undertake to maintaine the same doctrine concerning the Catholicke visible church he doth about the church of Ierusalem I am assured he will be highly condemned by the learnedest of his party as well as by the universall consent of all the judicious Divines in the world who I know are of a contrary judgement But I say if upon mature deliberation he shall acknowledge and grant that the severall congregations or churches of believers mentioned in the Scriptures as that of Corinth Ephesus Galatia c. and their own severall congregations in their new gathered churches howsoever he will not grant that title unto our assemblies I say if he shall but accord that both the primitive churches and their new congregations be churches properly so called or church bodies though but so many branches and members of the Catholicke visible church which yet is but one and the same church then likewise of necessity it will follow and he must yeild unto it that all those severall congregations and assemblies in the church of Ierusalem were churches properly so called though but so many branches of that one and the same particular church because as the learned know all particular congregations and churches that partake in all the Ordinances as they are similar parts of the whole church so they doe all partake of the name and nature of it and are all of them churches properly so called and therefore by the very same reason I say all those severall congregations and assemblies in the church of Ierusalem being parts of that Nationall city or Presbyterian church that one and the same church as partaking both of the name and nature of that church are all of them churches properly so called one of those conclusions I affirme will necessarily follow from my brother Burtons principles And for the better evidencing of what I have said I will adde a few words more by way of a corollary that whatsoever the whole church at Ierusalem had in it to make it the first formed church properly so called the same had all the congregations and assemblies respectively and severally considered to make every one of them churches properly so called And therefore if the whole church at Ierusalem may challenge the name of a true formed church as the Independents acknowledge then the severall congregations and assemblies respectively and severally considered might do the same and were churches properly so called For if the whole consisted of visible Saints so did every one of those severall congregations and assemblies consist of visible Saints And if the whole had the blessed Apostles in it and Christs seventy Disciples and all sorts of church Officers so had every severall congregation and assembly of that church though but a part and a branch of the whole And if the whole church inioyed all the saving and sealing ordinances and all acts of worship and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking bread and in prayer so did every one of those congregations and assemblies severally and respectively considered And therefore when all the branches of that one particular church at Ierusalem viz every congregation and assembly severally considered and as a part were equall to the whole church in all priviledges immunities and in whatsoever is required for the making of a true formed church so that there was nothing wanting to either of those congregations that the whole church partaked in and injoyed or could challenge for the making it a compleat Church then it followeth and that necessarily that if the whole church be a true formed church and a church properly so called as the Independents confesse that all those congregations assemblies severally considered were churches properly so called This I thought good to premise And now I come to make good what I undertooke which is to prove those severall Assemblies in the church of Ierusalem to be churches properly so called which I do by this argument All such assemblies congregations as daily met together in diverse companies in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and in severall private houses in the fellowship of the Gospell and in the name of Christ and clothed with his power and honoured with Christs presence being all believers and Saints and such as gladly received the word and were all baptized and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayer and injoyed amongst themselves in their severall congregations all the saving and sealing Ordinances and all Acts of worship and whatsoever priviledges and immunities the whole church partaked in and the which the Independents themselves repute and thinke sufficient for the making and constituting of a formed church and who also had amongst them in those severall assemblies Ministers immediately sent them of God and inspired with the holy Ghost every one of the which had the keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven given unto them by Christ himselfe with a promise to be with them to the ende of the world and that whatsoever they loosed on earth should be loosed in heaven and whatsoever they bound on earth should be bound in heaven and that his spirit also should leade them into all truth the which Ministers likewise taught them whatsoever Christ had commanded them and that daily in the Temple and in every house all and every one of them respectively and severally taken were true and compleate churches properly so called But in the church of Jerusalem there were many such assemblies and congregations as dayly met together in diverse companies in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and in several private houses in the fellowship of the Gospell and in the name of Christ and clothed with his power and honoured with Christs presence being all believers and Saints and such as gladly received the Word and were all baptized and continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers and injoyed amongst themselves in their severall congregations all the saving and sealing Ordinances and all acts of worship and whatsoever priviledges and immunities the whole church partaked in and the which the Independents themselves repute and thinke sufficient for the making and constituting of a formed church and who also had amongst them in those severall
Church we read of is Acts the second that consisted onely of visible Saints and yet had neither Deacons nor Presbyters at that time nor distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and wanted that part of Discipline also of casting out corrupt Members as my brother Burton asserteth pag. 10. So that by this it evidently followeth That those Congregations that consist of visible Saints though they have not distinct Officers within themselves and want Discipline may be true formed Churches after the New Testament form as the Church here of Jorusalem was which at that time it was a true formed Church by my brother Burtons confession had no Deacons nor Elders nor dictinstion of officers members nor that part of Discipline for casting out corrupt Members and yet I say notwithstanding it wanted all these things by their own concession it was at that time a true formed church that because the Members of that Church consisted of visible Saints from all which I may draw these two infallibleconclusions The First that all such congregations as consist of visible Saints such as beleeve the Gospel and make profession of the Christian Faith and are baptized and continue stedfastly in the doctrine of the Apostles in breaking of bread and in prayer are true formed Churches after the New Testament forme although they want both distinct Officers and Members united into one Church body respectively and although they want that part of discipline for casting out of corrupt Members This first conclusion I say I infallibly gather from the Independents doctrine The second is this That whatsoever Congregations and Assemblies they be that have both distinction of Officers and Members and Church discipline and all other outward performances if the Members of them bee not visible Saints they are not true formed Churches after the New Testament forme for all true formed Churches after the New Testament form are such as consist of visible Saints without which they are but shadows of Churches and no true churches for substance but all the Independent congregations are such as only glory in outward performances consist not of visible Saints Ergo. And this shall suffice to have spake to all that Mr Knollys I. S. my Brother had to reply against all my Arguments for the proof of my first Proposition viz. that there were many Congregations and severall Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem in the which they injoyed all acts of worship and all the saving and sealing Ordinances amongst themselves and that before the persecution and under the persecution and after the persecution And now I come to what Master Hanserdo I. S. and my Brother Burton have to answer to my second third and fourth Propositions insuing and after I have dispatched that worke I will then in like manner reply to whatsoever either Master Knollys I. S. or my brother Burton have to say to all my Arguments concerning the gathering of Churches and touching the liberty of conscience or the toleration of all Religions and because they are not so large in their answers to them as they were to my fore-going reasons and to speake the truth speake little to the purpose but for the overthrowing of their owne opinion and for the corroborating of mine I shall be the briefer in them But first I will set downe my Propositions and shew how farre the Jndependents assent unto them and I will then also faithfully relate their owne words so far as they are for their purpose or any way make against my Arguments or are in any respect advantagious to their cause My second Proposition now followeth viz. That all these congregations and severall Assemblies made but one Church And for proofe of this I shall not need to use many words or any great dispute for the brethren themselves acknowledge that all the beleevers in Jerusalem were all Members of that Church and they accord farther that it was but one Church And it is manifest out of the holy Scripture for it is said they that were converted were added to the Church and therefore Members of it and that they continued in the Churches communion and in the Apostles doctrine and put their estates in the Churches common treasury and â—hose Officers for the Church and all this I say our brethren doe acknowledge and take this fellowship of these Members for a paterne of ordinary Church-communion and therefore this my second assertion is without controversie it being in expresse words set downe in the 2 3 4 5 6. chapters of the Acts and many places in the same Storie and assented to by the brethren To this Proposition and the Reasons of the same Master Knollys in the eleventh page of his Pamphlet thus replyes To which J also saith hee consent but the brethren have not acknowledged neither bath the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers and therein I must manifest my dissent from the Doctors opinion promising him if he shall soundly prove it in expresse words of Scripture which he hath undertaken I will acknowledge it This is all Master Knollys hath to say to this Proposition I will first therefore reply to him and in doing that insert my brother Burtons answer to it with what I. S. hath to say and answer to them all in order Now whereas Master Knollys affirmes that the brethren have not acknowledged nor the Doctor by Scripture proved that in this one Church of Jerusalem there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in all hee saith I am most assured all that shall without prejudice reade my fore-going Arguments and seriously weigh and consider what my Brother Burton Master Knollys and I. S. have written will conclude That Master Hanserdo is a man of very shallow capacity and of as little honesty and no way to be credited in what either hee saith or writeth Neither ought Master Knollys in this controversie especially when the debate is yet sub Iudice to bee both party witnesse Iury and Iudge in his owne cause as all wise men will gather and therefore I leave it to the judgement of the learned whether or no I have not by Scripture sufficiently proved there were many congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in that one Church and whether I have not by expresse words of Scripture and from my brother Burtons and Master Knollys his owne words abundantly evinced it all this I say I leave to the judgement of all impartiall and understanding Christians who I am confident will grant that I have sufficiently proved there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and therefore I challenge Master Knollys his promise and expect that hee should acknowledge his error and so relinquish his fond opinion of Independency which if he doe not hee cannot be an honest man and a true Saint as not keeping his word for David describing a
true Saint Psal 15. verse 4. saith of such an one that hee sweareth to his owne hurt and changeth not Now if hee bee in the number of those Saints and will keepe his promise hee will abandon his tenent of the congregationall way But because Master Knollys so peremptorily asserts that the brethren have not acknowledged that there were many congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem I shall desirehim and all those of his fellowship to hear my brother Burton who esteems of himselfe as none of the weakest brethren but accounteth himselfe a Champion and therefore cometh out to dare all the world of Presbyterians and yet hee in the name of all that Fraternity acknowledgeth that there were many assemblies of Beleevers and Saints in the Church of Jerusalem and this his book is allowed of and highly approved of by many of them And if I have not been mis-informed it was licensed by their Batcheler of the black-art of Il-dependency that shotten hering in divinity who alloweth of all their other Pamphlets and sets his Imprimatur to them So that what he licenseth is approved of by them all Now I desire Mr Knollys and I. S. and all those of his society to listen unto their great Rabbi old Harry my courteous and learned brother whose words are these in the ninth Page of his Answer The first formed Church saith he we finde is in the second of the Acts which though consisting of five thousand yet it was one entire particular Church and not Churches and they continued dayly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one accord in one place together v 1. and in the Temple ver 44. 46. growing from an hundred and twenty Acts 1. 15. to three thousand more chap. 2. 41. and then in all five thousand ch 4. 4. and all these but one Church which assembled together to hear the word in the Temple and though they wanted a convenient place so spacious as wherein to break bread or to receive the Lords Supper all together so as they were constrained to sever themselves into diverse companies in severall private houses to communicate yet this severing was not a dividing of this Church into so many distinct formall Churches or Church bodies being but so many branches of one and the same particular Church c. These are my brother Burtons words in the name of all his brethren and therefore they may abundantly satisfie Mr Knollys and all men that the brethren have acknowledged there were many Congregations of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem But for the farther confirmation of this truth that the brethren have acknowledged there were severall assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem I will unto the testimony of my brother Burton add the testimony likewise of another faithfull brother against whom I presume Mr Knollys can have no just exception so that this truth being confirmed by the mouth of two approved and seraphicall witnesses the brethren can never doubt of it any more and this witnesse is one Saint Hanserdo one of Saint Georges for England his Chaplaines a man worthy of esteeme who usually preacheth on horseback to the Country Courtiers all the the truth as he said of the Gospel And therefore I know Mr Knollys will give great heed to Saint Hanserdo's testimony concerning this matter and he touching this point in the tenth page of his learned book saith that the Apostles and all the Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem met together with one accord in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house domatim and thus they did quotidie day by day c. From the which two testimonies the one of my brother Burton the other of Saint Hanserdo all intelligible men may easily gather that there is very little credit at any time to be given to what Mr Knollys or those of his party shall affirme either concerning the judgment of their brethren or what they shall relate concerning other men For he in the name of them all asserteth these two things The first touching themselves viz. that the brethren meaning all the Illdependents have not acknowledged that there were many congregations in that one Church at Ierusalem The second concerning my selfe of whom he saith that the Doctor hath not by Scripture proved that there were severall assemblies of Beleevers in that one Church Now for the latter of his assertions I have not only from Scripture proved it but from my brother Burton and Master Hanserdos their owne concessions made it good viz. that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem And therefore I do to all the world accuse Master Knollys of calumny and dishonesty And for the first of his assertions viz. That the brethren have not acknowledged it for the conviction of him of an apparent untruth in this my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdoes testimonies do it for me for in their above mentioned words and that in the name of all the Independents and that in books approved of by many of that way in those I say my brother Burton conceptis verbis saith that though it was but one entire Church yet for want of a convenient place so spacious as where to break bread they were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies in several private houses to communicate And Saint Hanserdos his testimony is as full as my brother Burtons for he saith the Apostles and beleevers met day by day in the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house that is they did communicate from house to house or in every house So that Saint Hanserdos witnesse to prove many assemblies is most evident So that both these brethren in the name of all their fraternity acknowledge there were may Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that in severall private houses and my brother Burton saith moreover that they were so many branches of one and the same particular Church Now I refer my selfe to all the world whether there be any regard at any time to be given either to Master Knollys or any of his faction when he and they at pleasure dare publish such notorious untruths as these for he in the name of all the Independents affirmeth that the brethren have not acknowledged that there were many congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem when my brother Burton notwithstanding and Saint Hanserdo have in expresse words and that in the name of all their fraternity asserted That when there were but five thousand yea but three thousand beleevers for the largnesse of the Church at that time and for want of so spacious a room as could contain them all to injoy all acts of worship they were then forced to sever themselves into divers companies and that in several private houses and to break bread from house to house So that for Mr Knollys and those of his way they are not
to be regarded for all they of that fraternity are generally so given to tell untruths that for my part I never believe them neither when they say true nor when they ly for they wil ly by the day by the night But out of my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes words and that in the name of all their brethren I desire the Reader to observe what they both grant And first to consider my brother Burtons expressions for he in them accordeth to these three things viz. First That the Church of Ierusalem was but one particular Church Secondly He acknowledgeth that there were divers companies of Beleevers and that in severall private houses in that Church which did dayly communicate in Gods Ordinances severally Thirdly He asserteth that all those companies in those severall private houses were but so many branches in that one and the same particular Church Now in the second place I shall desire all men duly to weigh Saint Hanserdoes words in his reply to my second proposition and there he aaknowledgeth that the Church of Ierusalem was but one Church notwithstanding in the same page he granteth that that Church consisted of diverse Congregations for he acknowledgeth that they had a congregation in the Temple that is one place and he grants also they had an Assembly in Solomons Porch that is another place and he acknowledgeth moreover that they brake bread from house to house 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 domatim and thus they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quotidie day by day Here Hanserdo assigneth innumerable places more then the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein the beleevers at Ierusalem communicated and partaked in all acts of worship and that every day and those places were as he assignes them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from house to house or in every house for so it is translated by all interpreters and confessed by Mr Knollys So that when Saint Hanserdo hath acknowledged that the beleevers in Ierusalem were in such multitudes that besides the Temple and Solomons Porch wherein they met every day to heare the word they brake bread and heard the word dayly also from house to house and in every house then he in this doth accord with my brother Burton that there were divers Congregations and severall Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem which Master Knollys neverthelesse denyeth affirming that the brethren have not acknowledged it nor the Doctor by Scripture proved it when Saint Hanserdo neverthelesse Vna fidelia duos parietes hath done both For first he acknowledgeth there were many Congregations there Secondly he proveth it by Scripture as out of the first 5 chapters of the Acts So that Master Knollys I hope will not hereafter say that the brethren have not acknowledged that there were many Congregations in Ierusalem But I do verily beleeve that Master Knollys and all the brethren of the Congregationall way when they shall duly and maturely consider what my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo have acknowledged will give them little thanks for their paines for their doctrine is not onely contrary to all the Independents principles but totally subverteth and overthroweth the tenent of the Congregationall way For all the Independent Ministers through the World preach up and publish in all their Pamphlets that in all the Primitive Churches there were no more beleevers in any one of them no not in the very Church of Ierusalem it selfe then could all meet together at one time and in one place to communicate in all Acts of Worship And this doctrine they have broached to all people wheresoever they come perswading them that this is Gods way and the Gospell way and the right way of gathering Churches and therefore they call it the Congregationall way affirming that all the Apostolicall Churches we read of in the holy Scriptures each of them in their severall Cityes and Precincts consisted but of as many as did all meet in one Congregation and this they call Gods Ordinance And many of the brethren both assembled and not assembled have been heard say and promise that if it could evidently be made appear unto them that there were many Congregations and diverse Assemblies of Beleevers either in the Church at Ierusalem or in any other of the Apostolicall Churches that then they would relinquish their opinion of Independency and acknowledge that the Congregationall way had not any warrant and footing in Gods word and that the opinion of the Presbyterians concerning the combining of many Congregations under one Presbytery and their Dependency upon it and their making of a subordination of many Assemblies under one Aristocracy to be governed by the Common Councell and joynt consent of many Elders was Gods Ordinance This I say all the Independents that I have ever talked with or or by relation heard of have promised and by protestation engaged themselves that if it could be made appear unto them by the word of God that there were many Congregations of Beleevers either in Ierusalem or in any of the Primtive churches that then the controversy amongst the brethren would be at an end Now although I have in the foregoing treatise sufficiently evinced and made it evident that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem and that they were all dependent upon that one Presbytery yet because it is the chief point of controversie between us and the which being sufficiently cleared is that that will put an end to the whole debate and because also Mr Knollys hath so peremptorily affirmed That the brethren have not acknowledged that there were divers Assemblies of Beleevers there for his farther satisfaction and for the satisfaction of all those of his party and for the satisfaction of all men and that at last the brethren may be the more fully convinced of the error of their wayes and that the simple people also may be undeceived I shall desire them all seriously to weigh and consider what both my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo are forced to confesse though I must needs say thus much of them both That they withhold much of the truth in unrighteousnesse as I shall by and by make appear but this I say I desire all men advisedly to weigh what they are both constrained to acknowledge First therefore I will again set down my brother Burtons words and in the second place I will repeat Saint Hanserdoes expressions For my brother Burton his words are these They were saith he constrained to sever themselves into diverse companies in severall private houses to communicate and which is more he granteth That those severall companies were but so many branches of that one and the same particular Church c. thus he Master Hanserdoes words are these All the beleevers saith he in the Church of Ierusalem met together with one accord in one place to wit the Temple and in Solomons Porch and brake bread from house to house and that day by day these are Saint Hanserdoes own words Now I
may we suppose were then in the Church at Ierusalem when many more great congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers were dayly added to that Church and when the holy Word of God in expresse termes in the 21. chap. of the Acts saith There were many ten thousands of beleevers there without all controversie there must needs at that time be a mighty many of Assemblies and Congregations and yet in the very infancy of it and when there were but five thousand beleevers as my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo do both witnesse they then had divers Assemblies and Congregations and communicated in severall private houses and brake bread from house to house that is to say in every house And therefore I have now great hope that not onely Mr Knollys will confesse the brethren have acknowledged That there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem but that Sir I. S. his scrupulous conscience also will be satisfied about this point especially when it commeth ratified not onely by Scripture but by the testimony and witnesse also of my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdo But if Sir I. S. shall still persevere in the error of his wayes and shall be so far from beleeving that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem as he will yet swear there were no more Saints there then could or did dayly all meet in one place or congregation then I will conclude of him that he is a gentleman very fit to be made a Knight of the post whether I send him to be whipped out of his grolleries Having for the gratifying Mr Knollys and Sir I. S. and for the undeceiving of all cordiall and well affected Christians and such as desire to know the truth been the more large in this controversie I shall now refer my selfe and all that I have said concerning my first and second propositions to the judgement of every indifferent Reader whether I have not sufficiently proved not onely that there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church at Jerusalem but that it is likewise acknowledged by the brethren that there were many Assemblies of them there if any credit may be given either to my brother Burton or to Saint Hanserdo and if they shall judge that I have sufficiently proved it both from Scripture and Reason and from the testimony of two prime witnesses of the Independent party against whom there can be no just exception by any of the Congregationall way they being of their own fraternity Mr Henry Burton and Saint Hanserdo by name I shall again challenge Mr Knollys his promise who hath ingaged himselfe That if I could by the expresse word of Scripture evince there were many congregations of beleevers in the Church at Jerusalem that he would relinquish his grollish opinion of Independency Now therefore when I have done it both by Scripture and the two witnesses above specified I say again I challenge his promise and if he notwithstanding all I have writ will not abandon this his error I shall never esteem him to be either a man of faith or common honesty and shall for ever hereafter proclaim both himself and all such teachers as he is fighters against God and his truth and resisters of his holy Spirit and such as withhold the truth from the people in unrighteousnesse And so I conclude this second Proposition and come now to see what they have to say to the third My third Proposition is this viz. That the Apostles and Presbyters Governed Ordered and Ruled this Church consisting of many congregations and Assemblies by a common Councell and Presbytery This is my third Proposition which is evident out of many places of the Acts and sundry other places of holy Writ some of which with my Arguments I shall here relate in order as they were first set down in my book called Independency not Gods Ordinance the which Mr Knollys I. S. and my brother Burton indeavoured to Answer unto And after I have faithfully related the Arguments I deduced from those severall Scriptures by which I then made good my third Assertion I shall also truely set down the Answer of Hanserdo Knollys and I. S. to all those Arguments The places therefore of Scripture with my Arguments gathered from thence are these following Acts 11. 27. And in those dayes there came Prophets from Ierusalem to Antioch and there stood up one of them named Agabus and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth through all the world which came to passe in the dayes of Claudius Caesar then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send reliefe unto the brethren that dwelt in Iudaea which also they did and sent it to the Presbyters by the hands of Barnabas and Saul Here in these last words we see that the Presbyters and none but the Presbyters received the Almes for it is said They sent it to the Presbyters by the hands of Barnabas and Saul which sufficiently proveth That the Presbyters in all Churches were the men in government as who had the Ordering and authority of appointing unto the Deacons how they should distribute those monyes that they might be best improved and disposed of which is an act of government as all men that know what belongs unto government will acknowledge Now should it be granted that these Presbyters here spoken of were the Presbyters of Iudaea which notwithstanding is not specified but onely the distressed brethren in Iudaea yet had it been in expresse words set down That the Almes had been sent to the Presbytery of Judaea the Presbytery of Ierusalem must necessarily have been included in it as being the Metropolis of Iudea and it was an ordinary thing for the Churches that were abroad and particularly that of Antioch to send to the Apostles and Presbyters of Ierusalem as we may see Act. 11. ver 22. and Act. 15. And by all probability Paul and Barnabas brought these Almes to the Presbyters of Ierusalem for he in the fifteenth chapter of his Epistle to the Romans maketh mention of a contribution that was made in Macedonia and Achaia for the poor Saints in Jerusalem Whether the Apostle saith he was going to Minister unto them and desired the Romans to pray for him that he may be delivered from the unbeleeving Jews and that his service for Jerusalem might be accepted of the Saints which by the learned Interpreters is generally taken that Paul speaketh of this time and that they were then sent to Ierusalem from Antioch But howsoever it should be understood that these almes were sent to the Presbyters in Iudea yet these two conclusions necessarily result from it The first that this expression comprehends also the Presbyters of Ierusalem as being the chiefe City of Iudea The second that the Presbyters in all Churches were the men to whom the government and ordering of businesses was committed and in whose hands the power and authority lay of
office of Elders or Presbyters in the 14. chapter where it is said that Paul and Barnabas ordained them Presbyters in every Church and therefore they appointed them first in the Mother-church Jerusalem for out of Zion saith the Prophet shall goe forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem yea they gave those Officers their names and invested them all with power to execute their severall Offices as is manifest Acts the 6. and in the 20. of the same booke and in the Epistles of Paul to Timothy and Titus They also had the power of making warre and peace with the Nations and all the Inhabitants of the earth for they preached and published the glad tydings of peace to all such as received the Gospel and denounced warre and death with all manner of judgements to those that obeyed not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ 2 Thess 1. verse 8. and to the Apostles and Presbyters in Ierusalem likewise as to their ultimate and extreme refuge and reliefe and helpe all appeales were made as we may see in the fifteenth of the Acts and in the 6. and in the 9. and in the 15. of the same booke as to the supreme Tribunall upon earth in Gods matters in whose hands all the highest power and soveraigne authority for Ecclesiasticall matters then resided and whose place it was not only to hear the controversies and differences of greatest concernment in Christs Kingdome his Church but also to decide and determine them and put a finall period unto them the which example of theirs was left as a presiâ—ent of imitation to all succeeding ages for Ministers to doe the like upon the like occasions as in that controversie that arose among the Christians at Antioch through false Teachers by whom that heresie was broched viz. that it was necessary to salvation that the ceremoniall Law should be observed and that Beleevers could not be saved without it by which great scandall was given to the weak lewes who by this meanes were alienated from the beleeving Gentiles because they did neglect those Ceremonies whereupon there arose a great schisme and rent amongst the brethren to the disturbance of the Church of God Now for the deciding and determining of this controversie the Christians of Antioch appeale to the Apostles and Presbyters at Ierusalem as knowing that all power was given unto them both Dogmaticall Diatacticall and Criticall yea authoritative and commanding who entring into a Councell and Synod and there debating the busines by Reason Arguments and Disputation and finding by disquisition of the whole matter what was the good will and pleasure of God what hee had revealed concerning the Gentiles and the New Covenant under the Gospel they determined the whole matter according to the written Word of God not pretending any new Revelation or new light or any extraordinary or superlative assistance in the deciding that debate but only exercised that ordinary soveraigne power in the church of God which God had invested them with and given unto them in his holy Word the rule and square of all Doctrines and not onely unto them but to all his faithfull Ministers his servants to the end of the world and in the deciding of this controversie they first shewed and put forth their dogmaticall power confuting and convincing the heresie and vindicating the truth Secondly they declared their diatacticall authority making a practicall Canon or Law for avoyding of scandall and abstaining from such things as gave occasion of it Thirdly they exercised their criticall power and judiciary authority verse 24. condemning and branding those Teachers with that infamous and blacke marke of Lyers subverters of soules and troublers of the Church Fourth and lastly they sufficiently manifested their imparative and authoritative power in sending those Decrees unto the Churches of the Gentiles with doe this and live v. 29. for so much the words imports all which are acts of soveraigne power and authority in all governments whatsoever as the learned know which when they resided in the Apostles and Presbyters of the Church at Ierusalem and were exercised by them there it is sufficiently manifest that all the power of government likewise remained and resided wholly and solely in the Apostles and Presbyters hands and that they exercised it by joynt consent and the Common-councell of them all for all acts of government ever run in the name of all the Apostles or in the name of the Apostles and Presbyters Lastly they had the disposing of the treasury of that Church in their hands as all the Presbyters of all the other Churches had for they brought the monies alwayes to the Apostles and laid them downe at their feet as it appeareth Act. 4. and afterwards all the monies and almes were sent to the Presbyters through all Churches as in whose hands the soveraigne authority lay which they never gave out of their hands or relinquished but upon all occasions gave directions to their severall Deacons how to distribute them for the good of the church and for the common emolument of the poore Saints for otherwise to what end should the almes and benevolences of the Gentiles be sent unto the Presbyters in the churches in Iudaea if they had not beene the men in authority in those churches and to whom the government of them belonged and who only and wholly had the disposing of them Now then when the contribution and releefe was sent unto the Presbyters of the church in Ierusalem as wel as the other churches it followeth that they and they only had the power and authority in that church which they ever exercised by the joynt consent and common councell and agreement of them all for it was sent unto all the Presbyters in every church and therefore they were in common to dispose of them Now before this reliefe was sent thither and long after that as the story of the Acts declareth most of the Apostles resided there and all the Apostles were Presbyters as the Independents themselves doe acknowledge and the same Scripture that relateth that the almes and reliefe were sent speaking in the plurall number saith they were sent unto the Presbyters now they were all Presbyters and therefore they were sent unto them in common and if wee observe the Dialect of holy writ through the whole story of the Acts wee shall find for the most part if there be any mention made of any act of government that either all the Apostles or some more of them are ever made mention of to be the chiefe Moderators and prime Agents in the busines which was never carried by any one of them or by the multitude or people and it it is credibly beleeved that most of the Apostles resided in Ierusalem or in Judaea till after the Councell and Synod at Ierusalem Act. 15. and for the Apostle Saint Iames it is the opinion of most of the Ecclesiasticall Writers that hee continued President of the Presbytery in Ierusalem his whole life time
reckons before his host But whereas in the second place he saith that the brethren deny that I have proved there were many congregations of Believers in Ierusalem he being better acquainted with their denyalls then I am may speak according to his information and so is not so blame worthy as in the former of his conclusions but if it were any thing materiall or to the purpose I could name some of the Brethren of the congregationall way that told me discoursing with them that by reading of my book they were convinced that there were many Assemblies of beleevers in Ierusalem and therefore to my knowledge all the Brethren do not deny that I have proved it But whether or no I have not abundantly evinced there were many Assemblies of Beleevers in Ierusalem and that not onely out of the holy Scripture but from my brother Burtons and Hanserdoes own words I leave it to the judgement of all such men as have any understanding and without prejudice shall read the foregoing discourse course whither I send them intreating them likewise with diligence to peruse it and then I doubt not but whatsoever they have beleeved concerning that businesse or whatsoever they have formerly denyed they will be convinced that I have sufficiently proved both from Scripture and from my brother Burton and Saint Hanserdoes own concessions that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem and withall I am most assured they will also for time to come take heed how they beleeve Mr Knollys and those of his fraternity upon their bare words without other sufficient and approved witnesses And this shall suffice for Answer to Master Knollys Now I desire the Reader to hear what learned I. S. hath to say He in the 13. Page answers thus First saith he They are not meaning the Congregations and severall Assemblies an example of uniting or aggregation except it be found that there were many Churches aggregated which a very facile and swasible Reader may well doubt of for any thing that hath yet been said to make it good For Answer to I. S. I say that he that is but a very facile and swasible reader that will vouchsafe to peruse and consider but what I have wrâ—t in way of Answer both to himselfe Hanserdo Knollys and my learned brother Burton will never doubt but that I have sufficiently made it good that there were many Assemblies and Churches aggregated in Ierusalem and therefore I shall send all such as are studious to finde out the truth and to shun error and to decline all trivall and fond seducers to what I have written in the foregoing Treatise And this shall serve for Answer to his first Reply Secondly saith he If this were granted that many Churches did aggregate and unite in the beginning yet would not this example be bindingly Presidentiall c. Here I shall desire the Reader to take notice of the vanity of this Novice and worthlesse man who is so farr from all learning and knowledge as he is not acquainted with the very principles of any sound reason or with the Independents doctrine for he hath the whole Army of the Independents against him in this point as well as the Presbyterians who all acknowledge that the church of Ierusalem is for its Government to be the patterne of Government to all churches to the end of the World and that hath been all the controversie between the Presbyterians and the Illdependents whether that Church consisted of many Congregations and Assemblies which if it could be proved they profest that then the cause was lost and the day was the Presbyterians for they all acknowledge that the Church of Ierusalem must be a pattern of all Churches and this Master Knollys in the name of all the brethren assented unto in the foregoing words so that these brethren are not so well acquainted with one anothers minde and principles as they perswade others they are Now profound I. S. denyeth that were it so that the Church of Ierusalem consisted of many Assemblies yet for all this that it could not be bindingly Presidentiall these are his words by the which he beats up all the Independents Quarters to use his own rhetorick and utterly overthroweth that cause he as a Champion came out to maintain Neither hath he onely beat up the Independents Quarters but indeed all the Apostles Quarters For that Government they established in Ierusalem and in all the other Primitive Churches was left for a patterne of imitation to all Churches in all succeeding Ages as not onely the Independents but all orthodox Divines doe accord yea the Scripture it selfe hath commanded it Isaih 2. saying out of Zion shall come the Law and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem Ierusalem therefore must be a paterne both for doctrine and government and this al the Independents themselves acknowledge and the Scripture in many places saith whatsoever was written was written for our instruction therefore the government of all the Primitive Churches especially that of Ierusalem and the example of all the Apostles are left for our imitation Phil. 3. Now when the Apostles constituted all churches after one way and aggregated many Churches or Congregations all under one Presbyterie in each of them severally as in that at Ierusalem that Church principally and all the rest are left for a paterne of imitation of Church government to the end of the world and this is confirmed by the Holy word of God and assented unto by all the Learned from all which when J. S. most rashly and wickedly dissenteth I leave him to the censure of the seven new Churches who I hope will whip him out of their Assemblies with his foolish Flagello flagelli for thus sottishly beating up of all their quarters and renouncing all the Independents Principles whiles hee laboured to maintaine them and this shall suffice for answer to I. S. his grolleries to the former Propositions concerning the first Question Now before I come to my second question concerning the gathering of Churches I will say thus much by way of Preface concerning Hanserdo I. S. and my brother Burton that as they are very confused in their replyes jumbling things together that are heterogenious leaping backward and forwards picking and choosing snatching and carping yea and trifling about words as the custome of all the Ill defendents is so they deale not fairly with mee nor ingenuously nor Saint-like with the people whom they desire to delude and therefore they passe over the most materiall Arguments never so much as making mention of them and slighting all as not worthy the answering to and by such arts as these are they most prodigiously abuse the well minded people and by these their unchristian unbrotherly and wicked dealings they every day broach their errors with more facility and abuse all their ignorant and credulous followers to the utter destroying of many of their poore soules some of the which as I am able to prove were men
Priests were also added unto the Lord so that if there were a great Congregation and Assembly of the Priests as the Word of God relateth there must necessarily be many more Congregations of the ordinary people and all these are to be yet reckoned upon a new account and upon a new List so that there were numberlesse Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem if any credit may be given to the Holy Scripture and that in the very infancy of the Church so that I am most confident that this truth is now evident and perspicuous to all those that have but ordinary understanding But because this is the onely busines as the Independents say and that will put an end to this controversie betweene us for they have often said prove once but clearly unto us out of the Word of God that there were many Congregations of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and then wee will grant you the day I say in this regard I shall briefly adde some other Arguments to prove there were more Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem then could all possibly meet in any one Congregation or a few for to these that were daily converted and added to the Church wee heare upon all occasions of additions upon additions and of increase upon increase of many more Beleevers for in the ninth chapter verse 31. it is recorded that the Churches having rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria they were multiplyed for so it is in the Oâ—iginall Now Ierusalem was the chiefe Church in Iudaea and therefore shee also multiplyed and increased in Disciples daily which being added to the former spake of it makes it an impossible thing that they could all meet together in any one place or a few And in the 12. chapter upon the miraculous death of Herod it is said verse 24. that the Word of God grew and multiplyed in Ierusalem that is brought forth great increase of ' Beleevers and made them exceedingly daily to multiply so that all these additions upon additions of Beleevers made it an impossible thing that the hundreth part of them could meet in any one place But omitting many Arguments that I could produce from the multitudes of their Preachers and the diversity of the nations and the infinit number of the Inhabitants and from the Miracles in Jerusalem that necessarily called for many Congregations and Assemblies that one place in the 21. of the Acts may for ever silence all Gain-sayers and abundanly prove unto rationall men that there were many if not numberlesse congregations of Beleevers then in the church of Ierusalem If we will but take notice what Saint Iames and all the Presbyters of Jerusalem spake unto Saint Paul who being all Inhabitants there and the Ministers and Preachers of the Word in that Church must all necessarily know not onely the condition of the Beleevers there but for the most part the number of them now I say it will be worth our paines and attention to observe and take notice what is there confirmed by the testimony of many witnesses yea a cloud of witnesses and all of them without exception there was Iames the Apostle by name and all the Presbyters of Ierusalem all Synodians whose witnesse was true and for ever to be beleeved and yet they give in this evidence to Saint Paul concerning the Beleevers in Ierusalem that there were many ten thousands of weake Brethren here how many ten thousands more may we suppose were there then of strong Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem seeing for the most part in all Churches where there are able and learned Ministers it is ever observed that there are three strong brethren to one weak one at least more strong brethren then weak ones Now when there was a whole Colledge of Apostles for the most part resident in that Church and a whole colledge of Presbyters fixed Ministers there and able Preachers besides a multitude of Priests and all painefull and laborious that preached unto them night and day instructed them all in their Christian Liberty and confirmed them in it with miracles and when they had also for a farther strengthning of them in that their Christian Liberty called a Councell and Synod in Jerusalem and ratified the abrogation of the legall Ceremonies and that from the Holy Scripture and the Spirit of God and did daily preach unto them all this their Christian Liberty we are bound by the Law of charity to beleeve there were many more thousands of strong Christians then weake in that Church yea our daily experience will perswade any man to beleeve this Doctrine Now let us heare what Saint Iames and all the Presbyters witnesse unto Saint Paul concerning this point verse 20. Thou seest Brother Paul say they how many ten thousands for so it is in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Iewes there are which beleeve and they are all zealous of the Law out of the which words wee may observe that those Saint Iames and the Presbyters speake of were all Inhabitants in Ierusalem for they could witnesse nothing of strangers those that dwelt in other places neither could they have said thou seest them if they had not beene Inhabitants or if they had beene here to day and gone to morrow for then they could not have beene taken notice of but they speake of Inhabitants as by many Arguments may be proved and of all these they asserâ— these things First for the number of them that they were many ten thousands Secondly that they were all Beleevers Disciples and very good Christians yea very zealous ones Thirdly they doe witnesse that all these many ten thousands were but weake Brethren and therefore gave Saint Paul counsell yea an order somewhat to connive at their weaknesse for a time that hee might the better ingratiate himselfe into their favour the story is there fully set downe Now I say if there were many ten thousands of weak Brethren in the Church of Jerusalem how many more ten thousands of strong Beleevers may any rationall men suppose were then there in that church where there were a colledge of Apostles forthe most part and a standing Colledge of able Presbyters all miraculous Teachers and assisted immediatly by the spirit of God Surely a few hundred of houses or places could not possibly have held their very bodies much lesse could a few hundred of houses have held them to partake in all the Ordinances so that all men that have not absolutely resolved to give the Spirit of God the lye yea to wage warre against Heaven must acknowledge that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem especially when it commeth confirmed by so many witnesses of divine authority By which it appeareth that there were many Congregations of Beleevers there as in every house one So that for this point I am most assured it is now without controversie that there were many Congregations and Assemblies of Beleevers
in the Church of Jerusalem and yet all these as the Holy Scripture asserteth in many places made all but one Church and the Independents themselves acknowledge there was but one Church in Jerusalem Now how in any ordinary mans understanding can many congregations be one politicall ministeriall Church except only because they are united and associated under one Presbyteriall government that is to say under the government of a whole colledg of Presbyters which the Church of Ierusalem was for there was many Presbyters there as this 21. ch testifieth and the 15. chap. and many other places of holy writ all which had the government over that Church committed to them in common So that it may be a wonder to all rationall men that there should any appear in the world notwithstanding the abundant evidence out of the holy Word of God that should yet assert there were no more beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem then could all meet in one Congregation which assertion of theirs besides the Scripture very common reason overthrows for if we consider Jerusalem it is said to be the city of the great King in which there were never lesse then seven or eight hundred thousand inhabitants who dayly expected the Messiah who it is well known when he came had twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples at his command to go and come at pleasure whose powerfull preaching was such that it is related that Satan was seen fall down like iightning from heaven that is to say whose Kingdome was overthrown by their ministery and by all whose efficacious preaching and miracles we have this testimony that at one of their Miracles and Sermons there were three thousand converted at one time besides dayly additions added unto that Church by the Lord and five thousand men besides women at another and multitudes of beleevers both of men and women at another and that there was dayly increase of beleevers upon increase with a multitude of Priests besides a whole colledge of Presbyters settled Ministers amongst them and that all these should yet prevail to convert no more in future time then could all meet in one Congregation it seems a thing very incredible and truly for any to persevere in this error against all reason and against the evident testimonies of holy Scripture where we have it recorded there were many ten thousands of very weak beleevers in that one Church besides the strong it is an open and wilfull fighting against God and a resisting of his spirit which is a fearfull sin for all these are convincing arguments to prove the numberlesse multitudes and congregations of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem And all thâ—s brigade of arguments militate against the whole Army of the Homothumadon Sectaries and shall I hope for ever serve to vanquish them all and to make good this field of truth That there were many Congregations and Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Jerusalem and yet they were not every one a Church or Churches severally considered by themselves exercising an absolute soveraignty Independent within themselves respectively as all our new gathered Churches do now here in London but all those congregations in Jerusalem were all subordinate and being combined together made all of them but one Church and were all under a common Counsell or Colledg of Presbyters within that Precinct the example of which Mother-Church is left upon record to all posterity for imitation and therefore that tenent of the Homothumadon Independents concerning the congregationall way hath no ground for it in the whole Word of God but is a meer whimsy of their own brain and hath its foundation only in the aire and will soon vanish or be speedily blown away by the blast and breath of truth Now my other companies drawn out of the Apostles quarters after Christs death and ascension they militate against all the Burtonian Independents who acknowledge that there were many Assemblies of beleevers in the Church of Ierusalem but deny they were Churches properly so called now though by their grant they have lost the day as in the following skirmishes will appear yet that all men may see that this sconse of error to which they have betaken themselves cannot defend their cause I shall with one company at this time beat them out of that hold and fully vanquish them in the pitcht field It is recorded Act. 2. v. 42. of all those new converts which were in many assemblies in many houses that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers This very troop alone serves for the beating of them all out of what bulwark soever they can betake themselves to for shelter for if all these congregations and Assemblies of believers were equall in all priviledges and immunities with any Churches that ever were on earth and had in them severally whatsoever did make the whole Church of Ierusalem the first formed Church then they were all and every one of them Churches properly so called But the antecedent is true Ergo the consequent so that to any rationall man this question is also out of controversie for let any man but duly examine what it was in the whole church of Jerusalem that made it the first formed church and a church properly so called and he shall find the same in every one of those particular congregations and assemblies for the making of them churches properly so called so that thâ—y each of them severally may as truly challenge the name of Church as the whole Church can they communicating in whatsoever is essentiall for the making of any church a compleat church or a church properly so called if partaking in all Ordinances by lawfull Ministers can make any assembly or congregation a church properly so called So that by this one company and by this very argument all the whibling reserves of all the Burtonian Independents are dissipated and scattered and that place of truth maintained against them all viz. that every one of those Assemblies in Jerusalem were churches properly so called and yet all of them made up but one intire Church and they were not every of them severally considered by themselves and apart Independent and exercising an absolute soveraignty within themselves And therefore this truth shall for ever stand good against all sorts of Independents That many congregations combined together and subordinate to some one colledg of Presbyters make all of them within their precincts but one entire Church and that this is Gods Ordinance and not that tenent of the congregationall way which hath neither precept or president for it in all Gods holy Word So that by all these encounters and frequent skirmishes and by the mighty power and assistance of the great Lord of Hostes the Generall of all the Armies of heaven and earth I have vanquished all the forces both of the Homothumadon Independents and all the Burtonian Sectaries and maintained and kept not onely the field of truth but these
tongue And truly unlesse there be some controversie concerning the Interpretation or about the text as there is not here I conceive it the greatest folly in the world writing in the vulgar tongue and for the common benefit of all men to insert sentences either of Greek or Latin except very varly for it but pudders the reader that is not skilled in the languages neither do we finde that it was the custome either of the holy Prophets or any of the ancient Greek or Roman fathers in all their Writings or Sermons to use any but their vulgar tongue without it were very seldom and that with interpretation I say therefore those flashes being excepted I have punctually set down all that he had to say against any of my arguments both here and every where that neither he nor any of his party may complain that I had not set down their words in their full strength and so might fall into the same condemnation with him who hacketh and minseth my arguments at pleasure picking and choosing what he thinks himself best able to deal with either wholly omitting the other or slighting of them which is the ordinary method both of Mr Knollys J. S. and my brother Burton and all the Independents wherein they deal not fairly with me nor ingenuously nor candidly with the people for in so doing they delude them and meerly play the juglers This large discourse of Master Knollys if it be well weighed hath but little substance in it it consisting of absurdities and contraditions and flat denyalls of that which he often granteth In breife if the reader will but duly consider every passage of his answer with whathe grants in the third and the 11. pages of his pamplet he will speedily perceive that whiles he labours to confute others he gives a fatall blow to his own cause and overthrowes that opinion which both he and all those of the congregationall way labour to maintaine and withall by the examination of the particulars he will the better discerne into the futility of Master Knollys and the vanity of those of his party that beleeve take every word of his for an Oracle though it be never so distructive totheir own cause The sum of this his answer is this that I am mistaken in my comentary exposition and application of this place of Scripture These are his words It will not be amisse therefore in the first place to take notice what he denyeth in his answer and what he affirmeth with the reasons of both that the reader may the more easily perceive the vanity of error and the force and efficacy of truth First he denyeth that Diotrephes would have had an absolvte jurisdiction within himself and have had his Congregation independent and that he was the first that opposed the Presbyterian Government or that he had any particular congregation He deneyeth also that Saint Iohn knew any Court or Common counsell of Presbyters either Classicall or Synodicall to appeale to his time The reasons of his denyals are these First because saith he there is no mention made of any particular congregation Diotrephes had Secondly it is not declared what it was that Saint Iohn had writ unto the Church in his Epistle nor in any other Scripture except it were to receive those brethren which Diotrephes would not receive and therfore how saith God can the Dâ— affirme that Diotrephes asmed theypower to himself which belonged unto the Colledge and councell of Presbyters c and to prove that Diotrephes was not the first that opposed the Presbyterian government he saith had he done so then he should have been convented before them which he was not and therefore he did not oppose a Court or common Councell of Presbyters Besides Saint Iohn would then have wrot rather to the Colledge of Presbyters if they had been any such than to the Church or in writing to the Church would rather have sent him a summons to appeare at some Consistory than to warne them to take heede of his evill that they did not follow it and doubtlesse he would have written thus Diotrephes loves to be a Primate amongst you therefore when the Presbytery comes to keepe order and to meet together in a Court common Councell I will remember his deeds and informe and complaine to the Court that he prats against us with malicious words Now when neither of this was done by the Presbytry nor by Saint Iohn it is manifest that Diotrephes did not oppose the Presbytry and that Saint Iohn then knew not of any Court or common councell of Presbyters either Classicall or Synodicall to appeale to in his time And then in the third place he putteth me upon the proofe of those appeales I made mention of page 10. affirming that I cannot make them good And in the last place he afferteth that Saint Iohn wâ—it to the Church and particular congregation whereof Diotrephes was a member and that that congregation had power to judge of him and the reason of this his assertion is because saith he this Church had the same power over Diotrephes that the Church of Corinth and that of Colosse had over their members Having thus briefly set down what Master Knollys both denies and affirmes with the reasons of each I shall now answer to every severall branch in order and if I be the more large in my reply I crave pardon in regard it is not only a businesse of publicke concernment and about the principle question now in debate but that it will give the more light to the wholo following discourse For answer therefore to his reason of my mistake in my commentary exposition and application of that place of Scripture viz that there is no mention made of any particular congregation that Diotrephes had I say there was no neede of making any mention of it For if there were many Presbyters in all the Primative and Apostolicall churches and in that Church by name in which Diotrephes was Presbyter as it is evident out of all the places above quoted as out of the 14. of the Acts and the 15. and 20. and 21. of the same booke and the Epistle of Paul to Tit. Chap. 1. ver 5. and the 1. Epist oâ— Pet. chap 5. ver 1. 2. 3. and the 13. of the Heb. and Saint Iames the 5. and the 3. Epistle of Saint Iohn which Master Knollys himself acknowledgeth and if it be also apparently evident from all those severall Scriptures as it is that those Presbyters were fixed with in their particular jurisdictions with a speciall charge given them in common to looke unto the flocks committed unto their charge and to feede the Church of God which he had redeemed with his precious blood which word feede includes the Keys to wit the power of order and preaching and the authority of jurisdiction and rule and from the which charge they were not to depart as too too many of the Independent Ministers now amongst us dayly do
scandall which was the neglect of their widdowes in the daily Ministration where they applyed themselves unto the Apostles for the particular congregations assumed not the authority into their hands of redressing the abuse nor challenged not any right to the government but appealed unto the Apostles for remedy who ordered that whole businesse by joynt consent to which all the people willingly submitted themselves as it is at large to be seene in the sixt Chapter of the Acts. The third appeale we finde Acts the ninth where Paul assaying to joyne himself to the Disciples and they being afraid of him and doubting whether he were a beleever Saint Paul forth with appeals from them to the Apostles who he knew had the authority in their hands and making knowne his cause unto them they forthwith admitted him into Church-fellow-ship with them without the consent of the people who indeed had nothing to do either in the admitting of members of casting of them out and therefore they allowed of the appeale of Saint Paul to teach all men whether to fly to wit the to Presbytery if they be injured by the people or debard from any Church-priviledge by them for they only are the stewards of the Church and have the Keys of the kingdom of heaven to open and shut the doores to whom they shall thinke fit or unworthy and this is the place of the Presbyters and not of the people for they are injoyned to obey their guids and to submit themselves in the Lord to what they order and appoint according to the Word of God Here we have three presidents of appeales in the mother-church of Ierusalem to the Presbytery upon any abuse so that by the mouth of their witnesses out of the word of truth this truth of appeales is sufficiently confirmed And that the Presbytery at Ierusalem had plenary power over the very Apostles and could call them at any time to an accompt is manifest from the eleventh of the Acts where Peter was convented questionedbefore them and was forced to give an accompt of his going in to the Gentiles and Preaching unto them which he willingly yâ—elded unto knowing it was their place to question any yea the Presbytery in every Church could send the very Apostles Ministers to Preach in any place or city or upon any Message as we see they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria and the Church of Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas with other Ministers to the Presbytery of Ierusalem as is evident Acts the 14. and Acts 15. and therefore all these examples sufficiently prove that all the people of every Church made their appeales to their severall Presbyteries if there arose any controversies and abuses among themselves and if there arose any difference between Church and Church or betweene Presbytery and Presbyterie about any points of Doctrine or Religion then they made their appeales for the determining of those controversies to Councells and Synods as we may see it Acts the 15. and this is one of Gods Ordinances as the Independents themselves doe acknowledge So that for the Doctrine of appeales it is so cleare that all the learned and judicious cannot doubt of it and I am most assured that those that shall but with due deliberation seriously examine the Scriptures above quoted and those that follow in this discourse for the confirmation of the same truth will wonder that any man that pretends to learning as Master Knollys doth should ever dare say that appeales cannot be made good to be according to the Scripture of truth whereas there is almost no truth in the holy Scripture more cleare and evident than this of appeales Yea this method of dealing and manner of handling of businesses of publike offences and scandals and for the redressing of them is ratified by the very light and Law of nature as we may reade in all the governments under the very Heathens and Paul made use of it by appealing from inferiour Courts to Caesars tribunall And I shall never be brought by all the arte and wit of man to beleeve that Christ hath left his Church under the New Testament in a worse condition then it was under the old where we know they had appeales from one Court to another Nay if Christians now had not the liberty of appeales in matters of conscience and Religion they should be inferior to the Pagan nations and surely Christ hath not left his Church which is his Kingdom in a worse condition then either the Iewish or Ethnicke Kingdomes were and therefore by all reason besides the Testimony of Christ Matth. the 13. and besides the Presidents I produced out of the Word of God to confirme appeales the lawfulnesse of appeales is sufficiently established and ratified So that I hope that which I have now briefly set downe may satisfie any rationall man But before I go on to prove that the people or Church have not power to judge their Ministers which is the last thing I undertake to make good I must say something by way of answer to a vaine and frivolous cavill of Master Knollys which is this If the Doctor can prove these appeales saith he I aske him whether that higher Presbytery or Councell of Divines be not as Independent as the brethren and their Churches against whom the Doctor hath written and if so then such a high Presbytery or Councell of Divines is not Gods Ordinance by the Doctors own confession and affirmation The very reading of this fond cavill had been enough for the confutation of it to any solid man and truly had not I to deale with such a trifling creature as he is in serious businesse who compts every word he scribleth an oracle I would have passed by it with silence as being nothing to the question between us and as little to his purpose as all his other wrangling is except it be to declare to all men that he knoweth not his owne principles nor no good learning But for answer all such as know any thing in the controversie betweene us and the Independents know that it is my opinion and settled beleefe that all Churches and Councels are to depend upon the Word of God and to be ruled and ordered in all their proceedings and Governments according to the direction of the same an Angel from Heaven is not be heard that speaks not according to the written Word Gal. 1. and this Word hath directed us to the law and to the testimony Isay 8. and proclamed all men that speak not according to that to be in darknesse and therefore according to this my opinion no Church or Councell in the world is Independent and therfore all such Churches and Councels as have not either precept or example for their proceedings in the ordering and governing of them out of the Word of God but follow their own vaine and idle phantasies and affect Independency in my opinion they in so ordering their Churches do not according to Gods Ordinances Now when the
complices only but all the other people of Ierusalem they beleeved in him in their esteeme and therefore they adjudged them accursed which they would never have done if they had followed Christ for no other end but to have looked upon him for their words doe import as much as if they should have said in plaine termes all the people or the greatest part of the people in Ierusalem saving the Rulers and Pharisees beleeve in Christ and there is none oppose him but they and that this is their very meaning and sense of the words as learned men may easily gather Thirdly the same is confirmed by Nicodemus his witnesse in private also who knew very well how the people of Ierusalem stood generally affected towards Christ and what opinion they had of him heare therefore what hee saith Iohn the 3. of whom the Evangelist speaketh thus There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus a Ruler of the Iewes the same came to Iesus by night and said unto him Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can doe these miracles except God bee with him Here Nicodemus gives in testimony devideneâ— that the generality of those in Ierusalem and of the principallest of them as well as of the meanest that they beleeved in Jesus saying we know that is to say all the people know that thou art a Teacher come from God they knew it with the knowledge of Faith and approbation and did really beleeve that hee was come from God and he gives a reason of his and their faith saying that no men can doe those miracles except God bee with him and therefore they beleeved in him so that Nicodemus which was a Disciple of Christ though in secret and a great honourer of him would give in no false verdict nor make no false Musters and he knew very well the opinion and the esteeme the people had of him and he asserteth that both himselfe and the people knew that Christ was sent of God which is as much as to beleeve in him for the same confession did the Apostles make Matth. 16. and Iohn the 6. saying we know that thou art the Sonne of the living God So that to acknowledge Christ and to beleeve in him is all one in the language of holy Scripture and to follow and go after Christ out of sincerity and love and to beleeve in him is the same if the word of God may be judge in this controversie So that to goe after Christ then and to follow him cordially and without worldly ends both in the language of God and men is to serve Christ and to beleeve in him and therefore for all the above mentioned reasons the world that went after Christ the people and multitudes that followed him were all beleevers and the others that either tarried at home and followed their owne imployments or opposed him were unbeleevers Now then when a multitulde from Ierusalem followd Christ and when a world within Ierusalem went after him and when all the cursed people as they called them beleeved in him not only by the very testimony of the enemies of Christ but by the witnesses of the holy Scripture it is sufficiently apparent that the World spake of in the 12. of Iohn were all beleevers amongst the which also out of same Chapter is proved That many of the Rulers also believed in him So that Master Knollys denying all this is little better then an Infidell For an Infidell can do no more then deny the holy Scripture and the manifest truths discovered in them and by this that I have now said though I should not adde a word more it is manifest That there were more beleevers at that time in Jerusalem then could all meete in any one place to partake in all the Ordinances except a mighty city and a world of beleevers may all meete together in one roomâ— or Congregation to communicate in all Acts of worship to edification Which was yet never heard of nor never believed by any man that was not bereaved of his senses and all his wit But yet for farther Illustration and proofe of this truth that if it be possible I may undeceive the poore deluded people I will adde a reason or two more The Scripture is so cleare in this point that there were innumerable believers in Ierusalem as in the second of the Acts besides those that were natives there it is said there were dwellers in Ierusalem worshippers or devout men that is to say beleevers out of all nations under heaven And all these sayeth the Scripture had their dwelling there And without all doubt all these severall Nations had their severall Synagogues in Ierusalem where they heard the Word of God in their owne language as the Dutch and French and other Nations here in London have their churches And the multitudes of the inhabitants in Ierusalem at all times by the relation of the Historians of those dayes were scarse ever lesse then seven or eight hundred thousands and without all controversie the number was now increased because they daily and hourely expected the comming of the Messias whose appearing they every moment looked for and therefore all the believing Iewes out of all Countries repaired in multitudes to Ierusalem So that such numberlesse numbers both of the native Iewes and strangers required a mighty number of Teachers and a many places to heare and to be taught in and that there were above foure hundred Synagogues in Ierusalem which are churches in our dialect the pen-men and Historiographers of those times have recorded it and all this is probable from the numerosity of Preachers and Teachers there which the holy Scripture relateth as the Priests Levits Scribes Pharisees Lawyers which all sate in Moses Chaire and all of them diligently taken up in Preaching to the people and in instructing them upon whose Ministery by Christs command all the multitude and his very followers were to attend Matth. 23. vers 1. 2. 3. So that there was no separation then to be made from the publicke Assemblies where the Law and Gospell was taught nor no gathering of new Churches under pretence of easting them into a Church mould according to the New testament forme Christ and his Disciples were not then so deepely learned as to be in that high forme of Divinity Christs followers notwithstanding were all Gospell Christians and were all in a Church way and I am sure of it in the right way to heaven if the way the truth and the life could teach them the straight way thither and yet they all followed the old lights still Moses and the Prophets Christ and his Apostles were all their Masters we heare then of no new lights nor new borne truths nor of new Church moulds and yet then the Kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force Matth. 11 12. they went all well to Heaven as well and as cheerfully as any of our Independents with
now living in these dayes of light and knowledge that should be either so ignorant or erroneous as to gainsay it and yet learned Master Knollys in his moderate answer as he calleth it pag. 8. and 9. replyeth and answereth to it by denying the Minor of my Syllogisme for very slender reasons as his custome is after this manner I will give you his owne words which are these There is no mention saith he in any Scripture quoted by the Doctor of eight thousand new Converts besides women and children Neither doth that Scripture produced Acts 4. 4. prove any such thing For the Reader may consider that the number of them there mentioned are but five thousand and albeit the Dr. make them up eight thousand by saying those five thousand men were added to the Church and joyned to the former beleevers pag. 57. Yet there is a two-fold mistake in the Doctors addition to wit first that some of the three thousand may be were women how then can the Doctor say there were eight thousand new Converts besides women secondly these five thousand are only called men and not Converts not beleevers For howbeit many of them hearing the word beleeved yet it is not said the five thousand men beleeved and the truth iâ— the text well considered only holds forth that the number of men was wade up five thousand These are Master Knollys owne expressions and all that hee hath to say against this Argument with his confused reasons or rather triflings What man but of ordinary capacity that had but cursorily read over my Arguments would not have observed the truth so plaine and evidently laid downe in them and confirmed with such reasons as hee would not onely have beene well satisfied therewith but would have judged it either great blockishnesse in any and apparent ignorance to have yet doubted of it or great temerity and contentiousnesse of spirit to have gainsayed such evident demonstration of verity And yet Mr. Knollys out of the sublimity of his learning being a confident Disputant not onely confutes mee but repels the very Scripture it selfe and resists the Spirit of God which is usually with him and his Complices and all out of the spirit of error and contention to maintaine their severall factions So that it may be admired that such men are not abandoned and abhorred of all people truly fearing God especially when they see their whole study and indeavour is to delude and seduce poore silly creatures But I desire the Reader here deliberately to weigh and consider what the man saith hee denyeth that there is any mention in any Scripture quoted by mee of eight thousand new Converts besides women and children whereas in the second Chapter of the Acts which I cited there is mention made of three thousand added to the Church by the first Miracle and Sermon of the Disciples and this Master Knollys himselfe doth acknowledge pag. 8. of his Pamphlet His words are these To whom were added viz. to all those that were converted before by Johns and Christs Ministry about three thousand soules c. Here hee confesseth there were three thousand soules added to the Church neither is there any mention of women amongst them and in the fourth Chapter hee likewise acknowledgeth that the number mentioned there is five thousand His words are these For the Reader may consider that the number of them there mentioned are but five thousand Thus hee Now all the world knowes that three thousand and five thousand are eight thousand and the Scriptures quoted by mee made mention of these eight thousand what so ever M. Knollys saith to the contrary So that no man of understanding can doubt of the truth of what I asserted For that which is confirmed by the testimony of the holy Scripture were it single and by it selfe ought by all Christians to be beleeved but that which hath both the holy Scripture and learned Master Knollys his owne witnesse to confirme it that hee cannot with any good reason deny but that there was three thousand soules at the first Miracle and Sermon of the Apostles after Christs Ascension added to the Church and five thousand after both the Holy Scripture affirmeth and Master Knollys acknowledgeth it Ergo there were eight thousand new Converts added unto the Church at Ierusalem for these were distinct actions or effects of the Ministry of the Apostles and produced at severall times and upon severall occasions from the Miracles and preaching of the Apostles for otherwise they would not have been taken such notice of as such wonders and have beene so distinctly set downe with all the severall circumstances both of time place and persons neither would there have beene such running and going questioning and consulting about that busines by the Magistrates and Officers as there was if some new and strange thing had not happend and falne out for men doe not usually wonder at ordinary occurrences Now when the holy Scripture relateth this new miracle in the 4. of the Acts as an unexpected thing and suddenly hapning as a matter of great admiration astonishment yea of terrour to the enemies from the curing of the Criple from the preaching of Peter Iohn asserteth withal that many which heard the word beleeved the number of the men was about 5. thousand v. 4. It is apparently evident that as this was a new act distinct from the former so that the conversion of these five thousand was a new effect and distinct one from the former and is of purpose set down by the holy Ghost by it selfe severally to be taken notice of as a matter of more admiration than the conversion of three thousand by how much it was a greater work of the Spirit of God by another miracle and Sermon to convert five thousand then three thousand And without all controversie it was thus recorded with all its circumstances for this very end that it should for ever be taken notice of as a distinct miracle and work of wonder from the former For the holy Ghost is very accurate in the relation of it and very carefull that there should be no mistake in the whole businesse for in expresse words and termes it is said Notwithstanding all the opposition that was made by the Priests and by the Captain of the Temple and the souldiers to hinder the preaching of the Word and to smother this miracle yet many of them that heard the word saith the Scripture beleeved And that there might yet be no mistake or fallacy in the story and narration the very sum and accompt of those that were converted and beleeved by reason of this last miracle and Sermon is specified particularized and set down in these words and the number of the men viz. that beleeved saith the Scripture was about five thousand So that the Scripture it selfe sets down the number and calleth them men and not women and children And it is very safe alwayes to speak as the
to any man of but ordinary understanding that in those severall Cities which were after their change of government the Seates of their Bishops and Prelates they had many Townes and Villages and many Churches and Congregations under them all the which before this alteration were all governed by their severall Presbyteryes respectively and were all uuder them and were ordered and moderated communi consilio Pesbyterorum which the Independents themselves do acknowledge and my brother Burton by name in his vindication Hence is was that the blessed Apostles went from City to City to Preach the Gospell there in their Synagogues as the whole Scripture of the new testament relateth and they did not only Preach the Word to them in their severall Cities but in each of them ordained and constituted Presbyteries giving charge to Titus and Timothy to doe the same leaving the government of all those congregations and Churches in those severall Cities in the hands of those severall Presbyteries in their severall jurisdictions injoyning also those severall Presbyteries and Churches to observe the Decrees of the Synod and Councell of Jerusalem and commanding the people all Christians and believers in those severall Cities under them to be subject and obedient to all their severall Ministers and Guides set over them and to observe all that they should from God teach them to observe and doe as we may see out of the severall places I set downe at large in the foregoing discourse as out of the 14. of the Act. 23. Acts 20. 27. 18. Tit. 1 verse 5. 1 Tim. 5. verse 17. Heb. 13. verse 7 17 24. and the first of Pet. 5. 2. Iam. 5. 14. and Acts 15. 23. Acts 16. 4. Acts 21. 25. All which places of holy Scripture and all the Arguments by which I prove all the Primitive and Apostolicall churches to be classically governed my Brother Burton and I. S. passed by not so much as taking notice of them as they did not of those multitudes baptized by Iohn the Baptist and Christs Disciples of whom likewise they took no notice as not formed into a church or churches But as our Saviour said to the Seducers Matth. 22. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures so I may truly say of all the severall Sectaries of this time they erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God to punish them for their wickednesse For would they but take the word Church in that sense the holy Scripture delivereth it unto us and relateth it the controversie would soone be at an end Now the word Church in all the places above quoted and through the whole Scripture of the New Testament for the most part is taken collectively either for all the catholike invisible or visible Church or for the representative body of the church or for many congregations and assemblies of Beleevers all combined together under one government either in a citie or countrie partaking in all the Ordinances as in preaching and praying and the administration of the holy Sacraments and in the exercising of godly discipline not onely within the wals of those severall cities but through all the townes and villages as farre as the bounds and limits of their severall governments precincts and jurisdictions did extend as Acts the 15. 23. The Apostles and Elders send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch that is to the Church in Antioch and in Syria and in Cilicia So that church is most often taken collectively as the church of Geneva at this day and of Basil and the other reformed Cantons as it was in the seven churches of Asia Now when the word church for the most part in holy Scripture is taken in this sense as the church at Ierusalem the church of Samaria Antioch Philippi Corinth c. and where there were many congregations and churches combined together and all collectively taken in this the Independents and all Sectaries erre that they alwayes take the word church for no more then can meete together in one of their pipkin congregations to partake and communicate in their Ordinances whereas the Scripture as I have in all the forgoing discourse sufficiently proved taketh the word collectively for many congregations under one government although every one of those severall congregations considered apart and by it selfe may truly and properly be called a church as being a Branch and Member of some particular church and communicating in all essentiall Ordinances with it as hath abundantly bin proved yet still it is considered but as a Member and a Branch or part depending upon the whole particular church under which it is and therefore classically governed From all which I may conclude that when all those severall Churches as that at Ierusalem Samaria Corinth Philippi Ephesus which my brother Burton saith must be brought in to make up a compleate paterne of Church government were all collectively taken and classically and collegiatly governed as consisting of many congregations and yet but under one Presbyterie in their severall precincts and jurisdictions my Arguments will everstand good yea they are all strengthned from my brother Burtons Concession and his expresse words For if when there were but three thousand Beleevers in the Church at Ierusalem as it appeares Acts the 2. they were then forced to sever themselves into divers companies because they wanted a convenient place so spacious as wherein to breake bread as my brother Burton saith how impossible a thing was it for them all after that time to meet together in any one place or a few when the church at Ierusalem multiplyed daily and that by many thousands and at last grew so numerous as they amounted to many Myriads or innumerable companies as appeareth Acts the 21. all which notwithstanding my brother Burton passeth by and taketh no notice of wilfully deceiving the poore people in concealing from them so apparent a truth But should I take notice of the error of his words and discover all his juglings my discourse would swell into a mighty volume for to speake the truth his expressions containe in them a heape of fraud and confusion all which hee must one day give a severe account for But not to take notice I say of his severall faylings what he grants is to be taken notice of viz. that when the Church at Ierusalem was in its infancy they wanted a convenient place spacious enough to communicate in all ordinances and therefore they were constrained to sever themselves into divers companies in severall private houses to communicate Then of necessity when that Church was multiplyed into many ten thousands they must needs be distributed into many and many congregations and churches to partake in all the Ordinances and all these were but one church and under one Presbytery as my brother Burton acknowledgeth So that now I am most confident every judicious Reader will easily perceive that my Brother Burton and all those of the congregationall way meerly trifle and delude the poore and ignorant people