peace Rom. 14. 19. So Phil. 4. 8. And you conclude that Synods aâ—e found to be for edification peace and order But you have brought no Scripture yet that proveth it and I know all Scripture is against it therefore I deny it And as for the Scriptures alleadged as you say by Amesius they are such as were spoken to particular Congregations and in the particular Congregation of Colosse Paul beheld a comely order notwithstanding there were no Synod consisting of any but onely the members and Ministers of that Congregation Col. 2. 5. And as for commands which you say are some generall and others particular Here you labour by evasions to turne away the truth for you your selfe know that every particular command reacheth not to the generall though a generall command reach to every particular Now if you can shew us in the Scriptures any generall command that all the Churches should or an example that all the Churches did gather a Councell of some Ministers out of every particular Congregation to make Decrees oâ— Lawes to impose upon the whole then you will speake speake something to the purpose but as yet you have not spoken one word that proveth any such thing And whereas you alleadge that Scripture That the Spirits of the Prophets must be subject to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 32. I Answer That that is given to particular Congregations and therefore not to all in a Province or Nation and so not to Synods And Paul never sought to winne credit nor obedience to Orders established by himselfe as you say for he never made any other Orders nor taught the people any other thing than what he had received of the Lord Jesus as it is plaine in 1 Cor. 11. Be ye followers of me saith he as I am of Christ and in the 23. verse of the same Chapter I have received of the Lord saith he that which I have delivered unto you Paul also writes unto these Corinthians whom he had converted unto the faith to be followers of him 1 Cor. 4. â—6 in ver. 17. he sheweth them that therefore he sent Timothy unto them to the end that Timothy should put them in remembrance of Pauls wayes in Christ as Paul had taught every where in every Church Here you may see Paul brings not the Example of the Synod before them nor layes upon them any Decree or Command to practise otherwise than he himselfe had learned in Christ yet I hope you will not deny but that this Church spoken of was a Church of Christ as well as the Church of Colosse Now the next thing to be considered is that which you alleadge of Pauls submission to the practise of what was agreed upon by the common consent of Iames and the rest of the Elders Acts 21. from 18. to 27. The Reason why they counselled Paul to doe the thing was because of the information that the Jewes had then against Paul that he taught the people to forsake Moses Acts 21. 21. Now I hope you will not deny but that this was a false affirmation The thing wherein they conceived he transgressed was by bringing in Trophimus an Ephesian as they thought into the Temple because they saw him with him in the citie This was but their supposition as it appeares in the 29 verse of this Chapter Now what the Elders counselled Paul to doe in respect of giving offence to the Jewes was no injunction to any to follow the same example except it were in the same case Now Paul himselfe was a Jew and taught all men that Christ was come to fulfill the Law and not to destroy the Law therefore he condescended to circumcise Timothy because his mother was a Jew and the Jewes knew his father was a Grecian But Titus a Grecian was not compelled to be circumcised yea though there were false brethren crastily crept in to spy out their liberty Paul gave not place to them no not for an houre Gal 2. 3 4. 5. Now the things that the Elders counselled Paul to doe was to purifie himselfe with them that had a vow and to contribute with them and the reason wherefore they counselled Paul to doe this was that it might appeare to the Jewes that Paul was a Jew and not an uncircumcised person for the Jewes knew that it was a sinfull thing to bring into the Temple any uncircumcised person in heart or flesh Ezek. 44. 7. Now Paul in all this did nothing but what was commanded in the Law as purifications and vowes c. Moreover this counsell of Iames and the Elders unto Paul was not generall to the beleeving Jewes neither was it generally or particularly to the Gentiles but particularly to Paul and the rest with him because of the false report which the Jewes had received of him And as this Counsell was not generall so it was not perpetuall but served to put an honorable end to the Law which Christ came to fulfill and not to destroy By all this it appeares it maketh nothing for any counsell that you plead for to establish any unwritten verities for such counsels are the counsels of darkenesse because they are not according to the Law and the Testimony it appeares there is no light in them therefore they are not of authoritie to bind any particular member of the Church much lesse the generall as you say they are But seeing you confesse that no Synod can say It seemeth good unto the holy Ghost and to us it plainely appeares that your counsels presume without the counsell of the holy Ghost But you may see that the Church of Ierusalem did nothing without the counsell of the Spirit neither determined of any thing that was not written in the Scripture So the Churches of God now ought to presume to do nothing but what the written Word allowes them being taught the true meaning thereof by the Spirit that God hath given them Moreover the counsell of Ierusalem imposed nothing upon the Gentiles for a Law but counselled them to abstaine from some necessary things which would be either offensive to the Iewes or sinfull in themselves Acts 15. 29. 20. 28. 29. Now seeing the Church of Ierusalem hath done nothing but by he counsell of the written word in forbidding things sinfull in themselves and offensive to their brethren it appeares to be plainely against your Synods and dependencie in government which in cases difficult doe establish things which have no footing in Gods word neither have they by your owne confession in their Counsels any one who is immediatly and infallibly imspired by the Spirit and able of himselfe to satisfie the controversie they being by your owne confession inferiour to Paul and Barnabas And Paul and Barnabas might teach nothing but what was taught in the Law and the Prophets And therefore by this it appeares you have not grounded any affirmation or supposition upon Gods word for the proving either of your Synods or dependencie Thus much for your fifth Reason IN your
1. 18. to which I send you to learne better Further you alleadge That if they be ordained it is by persons who are not in office Now if you meane they have no office because they are not elected ordained and set apart by the Clergie to some serviceable adminiâ—â—ation I pray you tell me who ordained the Apostles Prophets and Evangelists to their worke or Ministry If you will say they were ordained of God I will grant it and doe also affirme that God hath promised the supply of them to the end of the world as before hath beene mentioned from Ephe. 4. As also it appeares by Pauls charge to Timothy 2 Tim. 2. 2. That what things he had heard of him among many witnesses the same he should commit to faithfull men who should be able to teach others also but I verily doe beleeve that as Titus so Timothy heard of Paul that Elders must be ordained by Election in every city and that Titus was as much bound to communicate the things unto others which he had learned of Paul as Timothy was and Timothy we know was to teach faithfull men and those faithfull men were to teach others those things that they had heard of Timothy among which things Ordination was one as it was delivered to Titus and we are not to doubt of Timothius faithfulnesse in the declaring of this part of his message more than the rest but if those to whom Timothy delivered it were not faithfull in the discharge of their duty but that in due time the Ordinances might possibly grow out of use as the Churches did by little and little apostate yet that hinders not but that it was still written in the Scripture that the generations to come might recover againe the right use of the Ordinances when God should by his Spirit direct them to know the same Moreover I affirme that all the Lords people that are made Kings and Priests to God have a free voyce in the Ordinance of Election therefore they must freely consent before there can be any Ordination and having so consented they may proceede to Ordination notwithstanding they be destitute of the Counsell or assistance of any neighbour Church as if there were no other Churches in the Land but onely one company of beleevers joyned together in fellowship according to Christs institution The promise made in the 14th of Iohn 12. 13. is made unto them where Christ said The workes that he did they should doe â—sâ— that whatsoever they should aske in his name that he would do for theâ— that the Father may be glorified and that the Spirit of truth should â—â—ide with them for ever And that he should teach them all things and bring all things unto their remembrance as it is said in the following verses of the same Chapter This you may see is the portion of beleevers and they that have this portion are the greatest in the world and many of them are greater than one but many joyned together in a comely order in the fellowship of the Gospell according to the Scriptures are the greatest of all and therefore have power to ordaine and to blesse their Ministers in the name of the Lord Thus the lesser is blessed of the greater Now Mr. Edwards I hope you will confesse that you spake unadvisedly when you affirmed The maintenance of Independensie was the breaking of Gods Ordinance and violating of that Order and constant â—â—y of Ministers recorded in the Word To this I Answer that if the Church doe elect one he must be elected out of some more those that are not elected may be as able to blesse the Church in the name of the Lord as he therefore one of these who are not elected being chosen by the whole Church to blesse him in the name of the Lord whom the Church hath ordained is the hand of the whole who are greatest of all and so a sufficient Officer for that worke which hee is put a part to doe Thus you may see Mr. Edwards that we doe not hold Ordination extraordinary and temporary neither doe we hold it the least of Gods Institutions for we have respect unto them all But that nothing in matter of Order hath so cleare and constant a practise as this as you do affirme and also say the whole frame of Church and Discipline hath not so much ground in the word for it as this I deny and doe affirme that not onely this but all Gods Ordinances have as much ground and footing in Gods Word also Yet notwithstanding you say that Calvin confesseth that there is no expresse precept concerning the imposition of hands Hath the imposition of hands no footing in Gods Word and yet hath not all the forme of Gods Worship so much footing as it Here Mr. Calvin and you will now pin all the forme of Church and Discipline upon unwritten verities Further you rehearse confusedly the opinion of Zanchius to strenghen yours who say you would have the example of the Apostles and ancient Church to be more esteemed of and to be instead of a command I pray you how doe you know it to be their example if it be not written And whereas you alledge that Zanchius saith it is no vaine Ceremony but the holy Spirit is present to performe things inwardly which are signified by this Ordinance outwardly I have granted you that already where I affirme that the Church having the Spirit of God hath power by an instrument of her owne chusing to blesse the party to his worke in the name of the LORD and I am also bound to beleeve that God will accompany that his owne Ordinance which is performed by them outwardly with his owne Spirit inwardly to furnish the party so blessed by them with the knowledge of the Scripture which is able to furnish the man of God to every part of his duty And thus you may see that we have not departed from Christs way nor gone any other way in things concerning his House and Officers then he hath directed And whereas you demand for what cause Paul left Titus at Crâ—â—te I answer that I have told you before that it was to communicate the things unto others which hee had learned whereof Ordination was one And no doubt but hee declared the same to faithfull men that they might teach others also therefore he was there employed in preaching of the Gospell as well as if he had gone preaching with Paul The next thing you goe upon is the triall of the gifts of Ministers and this you attribute to them which have the greatest measure of the Spirit for you say Examination belongeth to the most skilfull and they who have most authority All these things are well allowed of by us for who hath a greater measure of the Spirit than beleevers and who hath more skill than he that hath beene trained up in the Schoole of Christ and hath learned this Lesson to be obedient to his Master Christ in keeping of
the way of government given by Christ Jesus the King of peace is the way of peace and righteousnesse And whereas you affirme That if the controversie touching Circumcision should have beene ended in the Church of Antiochia then parties must have beene Iudges Here you would seeme by this to make the whole Church of Antioch leavened with the Doctrine of Justification by Circumcision which to doe is a very great slander as it appeares by Paul Barnabas opposing them there and that Churches sending Paul and Barnabas to have the Churches advise at Ierusalem concerning this matter But whereas you affirme That the Church of Antiochia judged it unequall to decide the case among themselves I answer That they judged it unequall is more than is expressed in that place but if that should be granted it will make against you for their reason in sending the matter to Ierusalem was because the parties were members of the Church of Ierusalem as it appeares by Acts. â—5 1. 5. 24. The first verse sheweth that they were men of Iudea the 5th verse proves that they were Beleevers The 24th verse declares that they went out of the Church of Ierusalem unto them And by this you may see plainely that this Chapter above all the Chapters that I can finde proves Independencie upon your owne ground that the Church of Antiochia judged it an unequall thing for them to judge the members of the Church of Ierusalem And by this you may perceive how you have either erred not knowing the Scriptures or else you have done worse in labouring to darken the truth by evasions or false glosses Thus much for your third Reason IN your fourth Reason you affirme That the light and Law of Nature with right reason is against the Independancie of particular Churches which is an unjust affirmation as hath beene plainely proved before in the Answer to your third Reason But a few words concerning this Reason You say it is found necessary in bodies naturall that the particular members doe joyne in one for the good of the whole and that the whole being greater than a part the severall parts should be subject too and ordered by the whole All this I have granted you freely already in the Answer to your second Reason where I have plainely proved unto you that the hands of the Church are ordered by the whole body in the Ordination of the Ministery And this is according to the very Scripture it selfe for the holy Ghost speaketh so in 1 Cor. 12. Comparing the Church of God to the naturall body of a man and therefore when the hand lanceth the foote it cannot be said properly to be the action of the hand alone because the hand is set a worke by the body neither can the body set the hand a worke if it be destitute of the power for the motion of the body commeth not from the hand but the motion of the hand from the body and thus you may see I have granted your comparison And the nearer politicke bodies doe goe to this Rule the more orderly they are guided for as all the cities and country of England make up but one Kingdome and all the people in England ought to be subject to one King so all the Independant Congregations in England and out of England that are guided by the Lawes of Christ make up but one Kingdome spiritually to him that is their King Now concerning Armies though I be very ignorant in these things yet thus much I conceive that all the Armies that belong to the Kingdome ought to be under the banner of their owne King even so all the particular Congregations of Christ are to be guided by the Lawes of their owne Captaine Christ who rideth before them with his garments dipt in blood and they follow after him riding upon white horses Revel. 19. 11 12. 13 14. We reade also in the Scripture of another armie which were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ And this armie I conceive consisteth of those Locusts which ascended out of the bottomlesse pit Rev. 9. And these as I told you before are Arch-Bishops Diocesan Bishops Deanes Prebends c. and the rest of that rable and these also have a King over them which is the Angell of the bottomlesse pit who is said to be the great red Dragon the Devill and Sathan Rev. 12. 3. 9. and 20. 2. who gave unto this armie his power and throne and great authority Rev. 13. 2. Therefore to any Counsells that are held or Canon Lawes that are enacted by any Captaine of this armie the Churches of Christ ought not to submit though they should be commanded by any Statute Law of the Kingdome for those Statute Lawes are not according to Christs Rule but ought by all Councells of State to be repealed And whereas you say It is alledged by the Separation that hold Independancie That the Magistrate of Leyden cannot governe in Delph This I hope you will grant for I am sure the Magistrates of Coventry cannot execute their office in Shrewsbury neither can the one Towne chuse Magistrates for the other and this still proves Independencie for either of these may chuse their owne and guide their owne at all times except they forfeit their Charter Now whereas you say the people alleadge for themselves that the Law of nature teacheth them to make a Covenant though there be neither precept nor practise of it in the word I suppose you misconster their sayings for the text alleadged in Thessalonians 4â— doth not prove that brotherly love was never written of in the Scripture but that it had beene so sufficiently taught of God by written precepts that it needed not to be written againe Besides I am able to prove by the Scripture that there is both precept and practise for a Church Covenant the which I will answer you in the Answer to your 6th Reason where you begge the Question Concerning what is asserted by some Divines of Scotland That in such things as are alike common to the Church and Commonwealth and have the same use in both and that whatsoever natures light directeth the one directeth the other also You know by what hath beene formerly spoken I have fully assented unto it I also agree with Amesius as farre as he agrees with the truth but to agree with you in that falsehood that the Government of independant Churches is against the light of nature and right Reason that I have denied and disproved sufficiently already Thus having answered every particular thing in this Reason that hath not beene answered already I proceede to the Fifth IN your 5th Reason you affirme That there be many Rules in Scripture that doe require the combination of Churches into Synods for proofe whereof you say that Amesius confesseth the Rules and Commands to be such as these Let all things be done to edification decently and in order Cor. 14. 26. 40. and follow after the things which make for