same tillage Sever the wicked from among the just seed fencing watering It is a barn floore with wheate and chaffe It is a draw net gathering together good and bad It is a marriage where were wise and foolish virgins some with wedding garments some without some had oyle and some had none but lamps of profession Now these metaphors cannot be limited to any particular Congregation but agree to the Church Catholike not as invisible but visible And when we say Thy kingdome come we pray for the good of the Church Catholike visible that it might be enlarged and have freedome and purity of ordinances which are things that concerne it as visible In 1 Cor. 15.24 it is said Then shall Christ deliver up the Kingdome to God his Father This is not the essentiall Kingdome which he hath with the Father and Holy Ghost as God for that he shall never deliver up Neither is it the kingdome of grace which he exerciseth in the hearts of the elect for that shall continue for ever and be more perfect in Heaven For the kingdome of grace here and glory afterward differ only gradu communionis as Ames tells us here the degree is imperfect then it shall be perfect both in graces and joyes But it is the kingdome exercised in the visible Church in ordinances of worship and discipline which shall then cease for as the Evangelicall externall service thrust out the legall and ceremoniall so shall the heavenly thrust out the evangelicall And Heb. 12.28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdome which cannot be moved let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare This kingdome cannot be meant of the internall kingdome of grace in the heart for that was also exercised by Christ in his peoples hearts in the old Testament but it is meant of the externall ordinances of worship and discipline which differed from that under the Law else the Apostles antithesis of the Church under the Law and the Church under the Gospell had not been good which are the things he compares in that place Now nothing is opposite to externall under the Law but externall under the Gospell It cannot be meant of the kingdome of glory for they had not yet received it and it is plaine he speakes of a Kingdome wherein we may now serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare Repent for the Kingdome * Mat. 3.2 Mat. 4.17 of Heaven is at hand He that is least in the Kingdome †Mat. 1.11 of Heaven is greater then John Now if these things were spoken of a particular congregation only which particular congregation in the world shall impropriate these things to it selfe But if true of everyone in particular and all in generall and these all be continually called one kingdome then there is a Church Catholike visible Againe 1 Cor. 5.12 The Apostle saith What have I to doe to judge those that are without The preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extra I desire to know what Noune shall be understood or supplied unto it Is it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the Church And can we think that that Church was the Church of Corinth only Had Paul nothing to doe to judge any that were out of the Church of Corinth when he was an Apostle all over the Christian world This could not be meant of the invisible company only What had Paul nothing to doe to censure any but invisible memmbers Why did he then excommunicate Hymineus Philetus Phygellus Hermogines and Alexander And saith I would they were cut off that trouble you and therefore it must be meant of the Church Catholike visible What have I to do to judge those that are without the pale of the Church they are not under my power or cognizance but belong only to the civill Magistrate And we usually speake of the countries that are within the pale of the Church and those that are without And we have an axiome Extra Ecclesiam non est salus which cannot be meant of any particular congregation in the world but is true of the Church Catholike visible typified by the Ark of Noah without which ordinarily and visibly there is no hope of salvation Also it is said Acts 2.47 God added to the Church daily such as should be saved which was not a particular congregationall Church but the Catholike For it is not probable that those hundred and twenty that were together at Pentecost were one congregationall Church for many of them were men of Galilee which by their habitation could not pertaine to the Church in Jerusalem and yet the rest were added to them Againe Ephes 3.10 To the intent that unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdome of God This Church here spoken of was not a particular Congregation but the whole Church Catholike whereof Paul was made a Minister as he saith in the same chapter And this proficiency of the Angels for ought I know was by the truths which it pleased God by the ministry of the word to make knowne audibly to the Church And Ephes 3.21 To him be glory in the Church throughout all ages c. This place speakes of the Church Catholike visible in the largest sence that can be possible both in respect of place for it is the whole Church by which God hath glory which is universall and time for it is the Church in all ages but no particular congregation nor nationall Church can be sure to last to all ages no not by succession but the Church Catholike shall Againe Ephes 4.4 5. The Apostle proveth the Church to be but one by divers arguments First he saith There is but one body of Christ which is therefore called Eph. 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both of Jewes and Gentiles i. e. the same body Secondly there is but one Spirit in that whole body which is as one soule in one body Thirdly there is but one hope of their calling Fourthly there is but one Lord or King over the whole Church Fifthly there is but one Faith i. e. one Religion Doctrine Worship the same Commands and Statutes for all Sixthly There is but one Baptisme to admit into this Church Now if the whole world were under one King and governed by one Law and all capable of the same Priviledges and all made Denizons by the same way of inrowlement it would make but one Empire yet so it is with all the Churches in the world they have the same King Law Word Sacraments of admission and nutrition which they visibly subject themselves unto and receive therefore they are all one visible Church Againe Christ saith on this rock * Matth. 16.18 will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Was this a particular Congregation No surely but the Church Catholike for any particular Church may be prevailed against but the whole shall not The place is meant
also yet it followes not that there is any such inherent right in every town or family all over the world and that therefore particular towns and familyes in England are debarred of an inherent priviledge belonging to them because necessity may put such an independency on some in an extraordinary case As by Shipwrack or being cast into some Iland not inhabited It is fit that a visible Church Catholike here on earth should Object 3 have a visible head over them that so the body and head may be of the same nature This is the maine argument of the Pontificians for the supremacy of the Pope Answ and that wich made our Divines deny them a Church Catholike visible But to the argument I answer that the Church hath a head of the same nature consisting of body and soule who sometimes lived in this kingdome of grace in the dayes of his flesh and did visibly partake in externall ordinances though indeed now he be ascended into his kingdome of glory yet ceaseth not to be a man as we are though glorifyed and ceaseth not to rule and govern his Church here below for it is an everlasting kingdome Isa 9.7 As when King Iames was translated from Scotland to England and lived here he did not cease to be King of Scotland so neither doth Christ cease to be the head of his Church though he be translated to his other kingdome of glory and as for a vicar or deputy here below it is not needfull We confesse the government of the Church in regard of the head is absolutely monarchicall but in regard of the officers it is Aristocraticall Object 4 Yea but the Church-Catholike cannot be visible because it wanteth a proper existence of its own and existeth only in the existence of particular Churches on the members thereof this objection is somewhat like a former onely there the existence was said to be in the Species here in the members Answ So we may say of every aggregative body A heape of stones existeth only in the existence of particular stones the whole element of water existeth only in particular dropps By this objection you may deny particular visible Churches because they exist not but in particular families and particular families exist not but in particular members but as I said before if the parts do exist the existence of the whole resulteth thereof An army existeth not but in the severall brigades and regiments and they are billeted in distant places and yet having one Generall the same lawes martial the same cause the same enemies though they should never be drawn up together into one body yet are one army So is the Church Catholike one though it never meet bodily because the union is not corporeall but an unity of profession of chief governour of lawes Spirit way and hope Yea the existence of it will the more appeare because it hath priviledges belonging thereunto which particulars have not or but in part and at second hand as shall be shewed in the second question Object 5 But that which you call the Church Catholike visible may by persecutions warres heresies be brought into a very little roome and haply to one congregation or a few persons Answ It is possible yet all the essence Priviledges of the Church Catholike visible are contracted and reserved therein and from them conveyed and derived to those whom they shall convert and so shal dilate it self again And while the Church is but one cōgregation that hath the notion of the Church Catholike more properly then of a particular Church Yea though it be but in one family as it was in the Arke in the dayes of Noah Second Question I come now to handle the predicate of my Question which I may well call a second question and that is Which of these two Churches is Prima and which Orta Before I answer I desire you to remember that the comparison is not between the Invisible and the visible Church but between Churches of the same kinde viz. The Catholike visible and the particular visible Churches And then I answer I conceive the Church Catholike is Prima and the particular Churches are Ortae For First all the names that are in Scripture given unto the Argument 1 Church visible agree primarily to the Church Catholike secondarily to particular Congregations As 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are first considered as called out from Idols and devoted to be the Lords people before we can be considered of this or that Congregation And for priority of time we know they were given to the people of the Jewes before ever any Congregationall Churches had existence Acts 7.38 The Church in the wildernesse And the Jewes are frequently called the Lords people So the Church is called the House of the Living God 1 Tim. 3.15 And the ground and pillar of truth The Citie of God Isai 1.21 Gods vineyard John 15.1 wherein branches in Christ bearing no fruit are cut off * John 10.16 Christs Sheepfold a Matth. 3.12 Barn-floore b Matth. 13.37 38. Drag not Wheat-field Kingdome of Heaven a great house wherein were vessels even of dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 These names cannot be limited to or impropriated by any particular Congregation but are first true of the whole Church and of every particular Church as a part thereof I must here remember you againe of that saying of Dr Ames in his Medulla Congregationes particulares sunt quasi partes similares Ecclesiae Catholicae atque adeo nomen naturam ejus participant Where he grants the Church Catholike to have the first right to the name and nature of a Church and the particulars only by participation Secondly that is the primary Church to which the Promises Argument 2 and Priviledges of the Church doe primarily belong but the Promises and Priviledges of the Church doe primarily belong to the Church Catholike Therefore c. The minor I prove because the first Evangelicall Promise that ever was made in the world was to Adam and Eve representing all mankinde and therefore consequently the whole Church of God This was before there was any division or distinction made of Churches into Jew and Gentile Nationall or Congregationall Againe the maine commission for gathering the Evangelicall Church was generall Goe teach all nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost And this was before any divisions or subdivisions were appointed and they were secondarily brought in for order and better edification and being parts of the whole receive particular distinction from the places where they lived and other particularities They all retaine the generall forme and essentiall difference from heathens and among themselves as parts of a similar body are distinguished but by accidentall differences And that Promise that the gates of hell shall never prevaile against the Church is primarily given to the Church Catholike visible here on earth for that in Heaven is not assailed by the
then come the Socinians and they quench the Deity of Christ and the Holy Ghost and deny our redemption by the blood of Christ and so consequently would deprive us of the benefit of the New Testament then come the Anabaptists and they deny and deride our Baptisme and render us and our children no better then heathens then come the Separatists and they would pluck up our Church by the roots and call us Antichristian Rome Egypt Sodome Babylon and so consequently call their owne mother whore for if they have any conversion they had it in the bosome of our Church Of whom that of the Psalmist is too true Psal 50.20 Thou fittest and speakest against thy brother and hast slandered thine own mothers sonne Yea there be others of our honoured and beloved brethren whom I forbeare to name among the former rabble who though they acknowledge us true Churches yet deny us to be one Church and would have us rent into a thousand pieces and parcels and these to stand as so many entire compleat bodies without any co-ordination as so many Spouses of Christ as so many Queens appointing their own orders and officers as their servants to officiate in their names with liberty to censure both officers and members within themselves by the votes of the whole body and not to be accountable unto any other Church or Churches as co-ordinate members except arbitrarily at their pleasure Not endeavouring with us to reforme our Churches but to gather Churches out of Churches by calling our best members out of our congregations and uniting them into severall bodies by a particular explicit covenant urged as an ordinance of God and forme of the Church and as the only Church way and way of God and so having fleeted off for themselves the creame of our congregations and transplanted all our wheat by it selfe into their field would leave us none but the tares the lees and dreggs of men But I forbeare Dolor ora repressit Others there are and I wish I could say they were others who pleade for liberty of judgement that every one may hold what opinions and be of what religion and sect he pleaseth because judgement and conscience cannot be forced but must be left to God only and thereby would make England another Amsterdam of all sects and religions whereas our brethren in New-England have banished the Familists c. from amongst them Yea and generally men covet new opinions and count it their glory to differ from others in judgement and he is no body that hath none but old truths and so men under colour of new light and new truths rake up a multitude of old errours Secondly our divisions are in heart and affections for difference in judgement cause alienation of affections and great thoughts of heart so that if there prove once a clashing and crossing in opinions though they were never so neer allyed or well acquainted and familiar yet then they grow strange and fall out and oppose and censure each other deeply then they are superstitious or antichristian or enemies to Christs kingly office and hence come so many invectives in Pulpit and Presse Thirdly in way for as mens judgements differ so doe their wayes Some are for one way of Worship some another some for one way of Discipline some another some for one way of constituting of Churches some another some for gathering of new Churches out of the old and yet let the old ones stand as mock-churches when they have gleaned out all that are good out of them they would take all the golden and silver vessels vessels of honour and leave us none but wooden and stone vessels of dishonour and some are for separation wholly and so turne all the rest over to Antichrist yea some so violent as that they would pluck downe our very meeting houses tropically called Churches which they deride by the name of Steeple houses and all are in wayes of contention so that we are like Sampsons foxes tyed together by the tayles with firebrands between them to burn up the standing corn I shall conclude with an earnest desire of and exhortation to unity and peace The unity of the Church should be a strong motive to unity in judgement heart and way It is that the Apostle presseth Eph. 4.3 4. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace for there is one body and one spirit c. This spirituall unity it is that Christ so earnestly and often prayed for in that short prayer John 17.11 21 23. That they may be one as we are one That they all may be one that they also may be one in us That they may be made perfect in one And this was Pauls earnest request 1 Cor. 1.10 Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speake the same thing and that there be no divisions among you but that you be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement And again 2 Cor. 13.11 it is one of the last things he concludes his Epistle with Finally brethren farewell be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you And Phil. 1.27 He presseth it as the only thing he desired of them Only let your conversation be as it becommeth the Gospell of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may heare of your affaires that ye stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospell Certainly unity of judgement is of more importance then we are aware of else the Apostle would not presse it with such solemne adjurations and intreaties so often as he doth Yea when there were but two women that differed in opinion as it is conceived the Apostle thought it beseeming apostolicall gravity and the holy Ghost judged it meet for a piece of canonicall Scripture to take notice of it and compose it Phil. 4.2 I beseech Enodias and beseech Syntiche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Though it might seeme but womens brabbles yet we know how great a matter a little fire kindleth a little strife and errour will encrease to more ungodlinesse Consider we that there is but one truth and that is of God and God is truth and errour is of the Devill Consider that the understanding is the highest and foremost faculty of the soule it is as the fore-horse in the teame the leading faculty and as that is informed so the will and conscience and affections must needs worke and follow that and if that be lead into errour it must necessarily mis-leade the whole man Consider that a chiefe part of the image of God in man consisteth in knowledge and so is upon the understanding which by errour is defaced Remember the solemne caveats given by the Apostle Rom. 16.17 I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and
offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoide them For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and blessed or faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple And Eph. 4.14 That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse or after the method of errour whereby they lie in wait to deceive Christ himselfe tels us that false Prophets shall come that shall deceive if it were possible the very elect Behold I have told you before Matth. â—4 24 25. And Paul tels us Of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them Therefore watch Acts 20.30 31. Therefore Hold fast the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me 2 Tim. 1.13 They that coine new words and new high strange expressions to amaze the people it is a signe as Calvin tels us that they have some new opinion upon the Anvill O let us labour to be of one heart seeing we are all but one body and have but one head and one spirit and because we are all brethren of the same heavenly Father This is that which God hath promised his people Ezek. 11.19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you And we find Christ inculcating this exhortation John 13.34 A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love one to another John 13.34 35. Againe This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you John 15.12 And ver 17. These things I command you that you love one another Acts 2.46 And this we find practised Acts 4.32 And the multitude of them that beleeved were of one heart and one soule And this Paul exhorteth to Rom. 12.10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love in honour preferring one another And we find the unity both of judgement and heart exhorted unto 1 Pet. 3.8 Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren be pitifull be courteus Divisions is the Devils musick but that which makes the Devill laugh should make us cry O what a solemne obsecration is that of Paul Phil. 2. â— 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind O that we might labour to be of one way also This is that which God hath promised his people Jer. 32.39 I will give them one heart and one way that they may feare me for ever for the good of them and of their Children after them And Zeph. 3.9 Then will I turne to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the name of the Lord with one consent or one shoulder And this was the blessing to Hezekiah in his people 2 Chron. 30.12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to doe the Commandement of the King and of the Princes by the word of the Lord. Certainly there is but one rule for Doctrine Worship Discipline And as many as walke according to this rule peace be on them and on the Israell of God Gal. 6.16 And this is the Apostles exhortation Rom. 15.6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God Yea though we be not of the same judgement in every thing yet as it is Phil. 3.16 whereto we have already attained Let us walke by the same rule let us mind the same things And this unity in way is that which we have sworn unto and covenanted in our late Nationall League and Covenant in the first branch of it That we shall endeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland to the neerest conjunction and uniformity in Religion Confession of faith Form of Church Government Directory for Worship and Catechising That we and our posterity after us may as brethren live in faith and love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the midst of us And we shall be forsworne if we endeavour it not All the members of the same body naturall agree to go the same way Yea the strength health and beauty of the body naturall consisteth in the fast knitting of all the meÌ„bers together to each other and to the head and the luxation therof is dangerous so and much more it is in a body Politike or Ecclesiasticall And though the divisions in our civill estate be very sad and might deserve teares of bloud to bewaile them yet I looke upon divisions in the Church as a matter of more fad and dolefull consequence and I feare but wish I might be mistaken that when the breaches of the common wealth shall be closed the breaches in the Church may grow wider and the differences rise higher which having seazed upon the understandings and consciences of men cannot be composed by commands nor clubbed down by force Only here is my hope herein that he which found a way to reconcile God and man when they were at enmity can find a way to reconcile man and man though they be at difference Now the God of peace that brought againe from the dead our Lord Iesus Christ Heb. 13.20 21. that great Shepheard of the sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good worke to do his will working in us that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen FINIS