use for advice and counsell not for goverment or for the exercise of any jurisdiction B. Then as I conceive your modell is very imperfect and me thinks your Ministers in their severall Congregations look like so many little Popes For the Pope is the Great Independent and will allow of no Appeal from him no more will you H. Pray Mr. B. quiet the People B. I beseech you good people I beseech you attend with silence and patience Tr. Where presently followes Execution there can be no appeal But after the sentence of the Congregation presently followes execution If he hear not the Church let him c. Therefore from the sentence of the Congregation can be no appeal B. Well argued I repeat Where presently c. I answer first to the major or first proposition There may be an appeal after execution of the sentence of the Congregation In your own way may not the wronged person appeal from you to your selves In the Presbyterian you know there lyes an appeal to the Classis but that I take not on me to maintain I know no power to excommunicate but Episcopall Tr. Then it seems by you the Bishop is the Church and the sole judge of the Congregations B. Not so neither Hear my Answer I pray and do not you ignorant fellowes laugh at that you do not understand The Bishop is considered either Sole or alone or as he sits in Cathedra crowned with Presbyters In this later sense I humbly conceive the Bishop is or ought to be Governour of the Congregations within his Diocese And such Bishops we can shew innumerable in the ancient Records of the Catholique Church I am very sorry these Gentlemen are so ill read in good Books of our own English Divines as to deny a truth shining so bright upon them Mr. Tr. have you not seen the learned Thorndike of the primitive Government c Tr. We cleave to the Scripture and call you to the foresaid text Can you shew one place where Church is taken for the Bishop and his Presbyters B. What if I cannot The Authority of the antient Fathers is sufficient for the present to commend my interpretation to such as reverence Antiquity But because I would gladly please you I will offer another sense of the words in question which will come neer to you but is not fully yours That is after the first admonition by one and the second before two or three it is the mind of Christ that a greater number should be made acquainted with the business tell it to the Many for the shaming of the offendor as the Apostle somewhere speaks the words may the more probably be taken in this sense because as yet the Disciples were not setled under a Church-government and so there remaining no more to be done after this shaming of the offendor before a good number of Fellow-Christians i. e. the Church he was to be henceforth till his amendment accounted as a heathen and might be prosecuted for any offence before the heathen Tribunalls Which prosecution was not lawfull against those that would hear the Church See 1 Cor. 6. But this will do you no pleasure unless that which followes in the next verse belong unto the Congregation too but that cannot be if Christ spake the words to his Apostles and gave the Keys and Power of Binding and Loosing to them and their successors as I believe he did Consider of it See the learned Dr. Hammond of binding and loosing To. Give me leave to add somewhat here in confirmation of what was last said Scripture you know gives light to Scripture Christ elswhere saith to Peter that he would give the Keys to him Matth. 16. 19. And John 20. 21 21 23. he speaketh to his Disciples and thus enstateth them in that power Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you And when he had said this he breathed on them and said unto them Receive yee the holy Ghost whosoever sins yee remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained these are the solemn words of Ordination W. The words are spoken to Peter and to the Disciples as they were Christian professors and so they do belong to our people not as they were appointed by Christ to be Governours of his Church To. The words signify a power committed to them which they used as Governours 't is plain and which they left to the Bishops their Successours Tr. The Apostles had no successors being gifted with a miraculous power B. The Apostles are to be considered in two respects either as planters of the Churches and to that purpose endued with a miraculous power to make way for and to give confirmation to the Gospel or else as Governours of the Churches invested with the ordinary lasting power of ordaining Elders of binding and loosing and of setting things in order herein who were their Successors you may see if you will inform your selves in the book of binding and loosing and in the Latin dissertations against Blondellus Pray take it not ill that we often assert this it is of such concernence that with this truth the Ministers of England must either stand or fall We speak not for Bishops to be Lords of Lands but Fathers of the Church You must all mark that Tr. The difference 'twixt us appears plainly you are for Bishops which you call the Primitive Apostolical Bishops and in them you place the power which Christ hath left to his Church We are for the Bodies of Congregations which we say are under no superiors neither Bishops nor Presbyters but absolute and independent in respect of man and immediatly under Jesus Christ Col. A. Bishops and Presbyters are all one in the New Testament namely Acts 20. 17. Paul sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and v. 28. the holy Ghost hath made you overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore Presbyters and Bishops are all one P. Noble Sir I answer Bishops in the new Testament are also called Presbyters but they are more than those we now call Presbyters who are to be ordained and governed by the Bishops Any Presbyter may be called Bishop or Overseer of his own Parish but those we eminently stile Bishops now who are Bishops or Overseers and Rulers of those Parish Bishops or Presbyters The Presbyters St. Paul sent for from Ephesus were properly Bishops Tr. No Hear my Argument The Church of Ephesus was but one Congregation I prove it out of Eph. 2. the two last verses In whom Jesus Christ all the building fitly framed together c. A building fitly framed together is but one Congregation But the Church of Ephesus was a building fitly framed together Therefore c. B. To the Major Not only one single Congregation but many united under one Bishop may be so called And that Ephesus was not a single Independent Congregation but a
and enlarges the capacity as it fills the first propensities of the Spirit For all spirituall blessings are seeds of Immortality and of infinite felicitie they swell up to the comprehensions of Eternity and the desires of the soul can never be wearied but when they are decayed as the stomack will be craving every day unless it be sick and abused But every mans experience tels him now that because men have not Preaching they less desire it their long fasting makes them not to love their meat and so we have cause to fear the people will fall to an Atrophy then to a loathing of holy food and then Gods anger will follow the method of our sin and send a famine of the word and Sacraments Paulo post And by the same instrument Preaching God restored the beauty of the Church when it was necessary she should be reformed it was the assiduous and learned Preaching of those whom God chose for his Ministers in that work that wrought the Advantages and perswaded those Truths which are the enamel and beauty of our Churches And because by the same means all things are preserved by which they are produc'd it cannot but be certain that the present State of the Church requires a greater care and prudence in this Ministry than ever especially since by Preaching some endeavour to supplant Preaching and by intercepting the fruits of the flocks to dishearten the shepheards from their Attendances The same Author Of Zeal p. 185. ANy zeal is proper for Religion but the zeal of the Sword and the zeal of anger this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bitterness of zeal and it is a certain temptation to every man against his duty for if the Sword turns Preacher and dictates Propositions by Empire instead of Arguments and engraves them in mens hearts with a Ponyard that it shall be death to believe what I innocently and ignorantly am perswaded of it must needs be unsafe to try the Spirits to try all things to make enquiry And yet without this liberty no man can justify himself before God or man nor confidently say that his Religion is best since he cannot without a final danger make himself able to give a right sentence and to follow that which he finds to be the best This may ruin Souls by making Hypocrits or careless and complyant against conscience or without it but it doth not save Souls though peradventure it should force them to a good opinion This is inordination of zeal For Christ by reptoving St. Peter drawing his Sword even in the cause of Christ for his sacred and yet injur'd person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Theophilact teaches us not to use the Sword though in the cause of God or for God himself because he will secure his own interest only let him be served as himself is pleased to command and it is like Moses passion it throws the Tables of the Law out of our hands and breaks them in pieces out of indignation to see them broken This is the zeal that is now in fashion and hath almost spoiled Religigion Men like the zealots of the Jews cry up their Sect and in it their Interest they affect Disciples and fight against the Opponents And we shall find in Scripture that when the Apostles began to Preach the meekness of the Christian institution salvation and promises charity and humility there was a zeal set â—o against them The Apostles were zealous for the Gospel The Jews were zealous for the Law And see what different effect these two zeals did produce The zeal of the Law came to this They stirred up the City they made tumults they sent parties of Souldiers to silence and to imprison the Preachers c. But the zeal of the Apostles was this They Preached publickly and privatly they prayed for all men they wept to God for the hardness of mens hearts they became all things to all men c. They endured every man and wronged no man They would do any good thing and suffer any evill if they had but hopes to prevail upon a Soul They perswaded men meekly they entreated them humbly they convinced them powerfully they watched for their good but medled not with their interest c. L. Hatton in the Preface to his Psalter Of Union HE that is ready to joyn with all the societies of Christians in the world in those things which are certainly true just and pious gives great probation that he hath at least animum Catholicum no Schismatical Soul because he would actually communicate with all Christendome if bona fides in falso articulo sincere perswasion be it true or false did not disoblige him since he clearly distinguishes persons from things and in all good things communicates with persons bad enough in others This is the Communion of Charity and when the Communion of belief is interrupted by misperswasion on one side and too much confidence and want of Charity on the other the erring party hath humane infirmity to excuse him but the uncharitable nothing at all This therefore is the best and surest way because we are all apt to be deceived to be sincere in our disquisitions modest in our determinations charitable in our censures and apt to communicate in things of evident truth and confessed holiness Since all Christians of any publick confession and Government that is all particular and national Churches agree in the matter of prayers and the great object God in the mystery of the Trinity if the Church of Rome would make her Addresses to God only through Jesus Christ our Lord and leave the Saints in the Calendar without drawing them into her Offices which they might do without any prejudice to the sutes they ask unless Christ's intercession without their conjuncture were imperfect that we might all once pray together we might hope for the blessings of Peace and Charity to be upon us all Hieronymus Zanchius in Confess Cap. 24. 19. De Ecclesia NOn enim ab Ecclesia Romana simpliciter in omnibus defecimus sed in illis duntaxat rebus in quibus ipsa defecit ab Apostolica atque adeo à seipsa veteri pura Ecclesia neque alio dâ—scessimus animo quà m ut si correcta ad priorem Ecclesiae formam redeat nos quoque ad illam revertamur communionem cum illa in suis porrâ— coetibus habeamus Quod ut tandem fiat toto animo Dominum Jesum precamur Quid enim pâ—o cuique optatius quam ut ubi per Baptismum renati sumus ibi etiam in finem usque vivamus modo in Domino Ego H. Z. cum tota mea familia testatum hoc volo toti Ecclesiae Christi in omnem aeternitatem Huic pii viri sententiae libenter subscribit C. B. Idem in observat ad Cap. 5. ATtque haec de patrum autoritate à quibus nisi manifestissimis rationibus cogar me pro mea tenera conscientia vel in dogmatibus vel
prohibere Object We are commanded to separate our selves from the wicked and to come out from amongst thom 2 Cor. 6. 17. Ans We must indeed come out from amongst those that do serve false Gods and separate our selves from the familiar society of wicked persons but other separation was never practised by any Prophet or Apostle or ever meant Immediatly there it follows Touch not the-unclean thing that is Do not joyn with others in their pollutions Ephes 5. 6 7 11. p. 682. This Sacrament saith Mr. Burroughs on Hos 5. 3. is not defiled to the right receivers of it meerly because wicked men are present there but because the Congregation neglects their duty of casting out the wicked from thence whence they discover themselves Particular persons and Communicants come to be defiled in this if they neglect the duty that belongs to them as Christians Matth. 18. 15 16. If thou hast done thy duty to all scandalous persons in the Congregation then the sin be upon the Church thou maist receive the Sacrament with comfort though wicked men be admitted there p. 481. Dr. Ames saith Falsum est iniernas virtutes à nobis requiri ut aliquis sit in Ecclesia quoad visibilem ejus statum Bellarm enerv Tom. 2. l. 2. c. 1. s 5. The Apostles at the first gathering of the Church of the new Testament never required any more than the profession of the faith of Christ in fundamentals and that they were willing for the time to come to walk in Gospell rules John Baptist received Publicans and sinners Soldiers Scribes Pharisees when they confessed their sins and desired to be admitted into the faith of him whom John preached See Act. 2. 41 47. Vide Calvin ad Matt. 3. Many a one that may have real grace yet out of bashfulness and because he hath but weak parts may not be able to evidence it to others and others who have greater gifts may carry it away when they are not inwardly wrought upon I suppose therefore those are to be received into Church-Communion which profess the faith of Christ and subject to the rules of the Gospell if they be free from damnable errors and scandalous conversation Mr. Martial on Rom. 12. 4 5. I am verily perswaded that were the union and Communion of the people of God rightly known there is no Saint in any part of the world but where ever he comes might demand upon the profession of his faith and his voluntary subjection to the Gospell his right in the Ordinances hear the Word with them pray with them receive the Sacraments with them Mr. Baxter in the Dedicatory of his Rest YOu know I never conformed to the use of mystical Symbolical Rites my self but only to the determination of Circumstantials necessary in genere and yet I ever loved a godly peaceable Conformist better than a turbulent Non-conformist I yet differ from many in severall Doctrins of greater moment than Baptism c. And yet if I should zealously press my judgment on others and seek to make a party for it and disturb the peace of the Church and separate from my Brethren I should fear lest I should prove a firebrand in hell for being a firebrand in the Church Paulo post Make conscience of the great duty of reproving and exhorting those about you Make not your souls guilty of the oaths ignorance and unworthiness of others by your silence Admonish them lovingly and modestly but be sure you do it and that seriously This is the first step in Discipline Expect not that your Minister should put any from the Sacrament whom you have not thus admonished once and again Punish not before due process Dr. Ham. Pract. Catech. l. 6. s 3. Of preparation for the Sacrament THat every man is infinitely concernd to have his soul always possest with every part of that preparation That he careless oscitancy fatal stupidity of the world in never so much as considering whether they have any of them or no is a most prodigious thing That the time of preparing our selves for the Sacrament which ought to be frequent but how frequent is not defined in Scripture but left to the judgment of the Church is a very fit time for that self examination That till that be done and all and each of those graces Repentance faith c. found sincere in our hearts we ought not to come to that holy Sacrament which yet will not excuse any for not coming because he is not prepar'd but rather aggravate the sin upon him that rather than thus fit himself he will part with so great a treasure The same Authour Of Idolatry s 70. FOr the sign of the Cross used by our Church in Baptism which hath been by some cryed down under the title of Idolatry two things it will not be amiss briefly to have observed 1. That the same ground of zeal or passion that hath incited some men lately to charge it of a breach of the second Commandement hath long since moved one Parker on the Cross of the same spirit to accuse it as à sin against the other nine and to entitle his severall Chapters of the swearing Sabbath-breaking murder adultery stealing fals-witness and at the last of the concupiscence of the Cross as well as the Idolatry of it the reasons being much alike for the whole charge 2. That the signing with the sign of the Cross in that Sacrament is somewhat distant from that which the Papists use and an act of departure from them in King Edwards second Liturgy more than had been in the first Reformation The former custome was to cross the Child at the Church dore when it was brought to Baptism but this of ours as a mark of initiation or reception into Christs flock immediately following Baptism and a kind of tessera or military sign that the person thus consigned into Christ's Militia shall for ever after think himself obliged manfully to fight c. A change made meerly out of compliance with them who were jealous of too great an inclination to Popery and yet now charged with the guilt of that which it was on purpose designed to decline The same Author Of fraternall Admonition pag. 11. THis of Correption saith Gerson is by Christ's precept become our duty whensoever these 6. Conditions do concur 1. That I have a certain knowledge of the brothers sin a suspicion being not ground sufficient for so doing 2. That I use all mildness or mansuetude in admonishing the angry passionate correption being apt rather to provoke than to amend 3. If on consideration I discern not that some other is fitter for that performance than my self i. e. either more familiar with him or els his superiour that may have some authority over him as for a third consideration whether some body els be not more pious or better qualified I shall not put that into the scheme lest the most pious men being also the most humble should by that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉