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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93655	The opening of Master Prynnes new book, called A vindication: or, light breaking out from a cloud of differences, or late controversies. Wherein are inferences upon the Vindication, and antiqueres to the queres; and by that, the way a little cleared to a further discovery of truth in a church-order, by a conference or discourse. / By John Saltmarsh, preacher at Brasteed in Kent. Published according to order.	Saltmarsh, John, d. 1647.	1645 (1645)	Wing S493; Thomason E305_22; ESTC R200328	25,183	50

THE OPENING OF Master Prynnes new Book called A VINDICATION OR Light breaking out from a Cloud of Differences or late Controversies WHEREIN Are Inferences upon the Vindication and Antiqueres to the Queres and by that the way a little cleared to a further discovery of TRUTH in a CHURCH-ORDER by a Conference or Discourse By JOHN SALTMARSH Preacher at Brasteed in Kent Published according to Order London Printed for G. Calvert at the signe of the Black Spred-Eagle at the West-End of S. Pauls 1645. To the Honourable Phillip Skippon Major General of the Army raised for the King and Parliament under the Command of Sir Thomas Fairfax General Noble SIR SVpposing you may take the Book called the Vindication by Master Prynne into your hand I desire that this Discourse may be in your other hand as occasion serves If the Lord hath revealed any thing in this Discourse to enlighten the darknesse of this present Controversie it is onely from him who is the Father of Lights who carries on his to a more excellent way till we may with open face behold the Glory of Jesus Christ and be changed from glory to glory Sir The thing I onely contend for is that which the Gospel and Spirit calls for Whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are of good report Sir The ingagement of private respects which are upon me towards you and being likewise a partaker of some labours of yours in the Lord which are abroad as that of Promises c. The best treasure we have in this life hath drawn this from me The Lord who hath wounded you binde you up and lead you on to the glorious Truths for if I mistake not our Controversie is but this in these times some would walk more close with Christ some can be content like Peter to walk at more distance and follow him afar off and to stand warming themselves with the multitude in the Common-Hall And let the Word judge betwixt us which is of best report Sir Yours in the things of Jesus Christ John Saltmarsh To the Reader SOme Scriptures in difference betwixt the Brethren I leave untouched I would not engrosse anothers Controversie to my self more then I needs must and the present Truth or Light I go by presseth me to do I enter not into this Controversie to make one of either side amongst the learned Antagonists but rather by opening their Difference to themselves and others to draw both them and all of their way whom the Lord will adde to a purer way both of Church and Order I have no Libraries beside me to put into my Margin neither dare I write in the authority of man but of God and not in the words too much which mans wisdom teacheth though I still have more of my self in what I do then I ought It is by way of Conference I have writ and I rather did it that I might the better personate divers to themselves that read it that they may learn to be more peaceable to Brethren of dissenting judgements while I hold them the Glasse If any of the Glory of Christ break out by this Let him have the glory who hath chosen the weak things of the World A DISCOURSE Betwixt two Friends P. C. C Well met I know you are for setling Church-Government and Sacraments P. I tell you we shall never be at any Peace till then till all be setled and the Kingdom rid of these Independents Anabaptists and Brownists C. Be not so hot will you call in your Neighbours to quench your house when it is on fire and when all is done give them a beating for their pains the Tribes did not thus with one another the Reubenites and the other would not rest in the Land which the Lord gave them till the Lord had given their Brethren rest as he had given them P. I tell you they are called a company of Hereticks and Schismaticks in every Book and Pamphlet that comes abroad I am sure men of understanding and learning and many an ancient Professor hath no better a name for them C. Yea I perceive so much but the railings and evil-speakings prevail not with me against any but their own Authors For the wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable and the Angels which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusation but the Lord rebuke thee even the Lord And for any Professors you speak on Who were so bitter against the Christians as your ancient and zealous Jews You know the Prophecy Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions and the first shall be last and the last first P. What Would you have me speak well of these that so many speak against C. I would not wish you to speak well of any thing but what you are perswaded in from the Word but I would onely desire you not to speak ill though you speak not well the Apostle rebukes those that speak evil of the things they know not But I have many Reasons I shall now acquaint you with if you will but have patience and not upon a notion or name of Heresie and Schism shut up your Windows as against a new light Meteor or some Blazing-Star as too many do we are bidden try the spirits and prove all things Friend be not so discourteous to any notion that is a stranger it is besides the Apostles rule be not sayes he forgetfull to entertain strangers for some have entertained Angels unawares And this is one Reason further till more come we are but coming out of Babylon you and we were but the other day with the vail of Prelacy upon our hearts and we are but in healing like the blinde-man and because yet we see men like Trees shall we therefore judge them to be so and not stay till our eyes be opened that we see better P. Have you no better Reasons to convince me These I confesse are something and I will think on them C. Yea look with a single eye upon their principles and take them in their own single Positions not as the world Prints them or reports them this is much a wanting on these times you know what was said of the Christians to Paul As for this sect every where it is spoken against And I see no reason Why other opinions which have been held by some Author of one opinion should be all charged upon that one for his sake which neither in it self nor any just consequence from it can be proved of any right to belong unto it And if there be any Tares with the Wheat they are of the enemies sowing as Christ said to make us go by and not reap there where the Wheat is so scant and the Tares so many P. But O methinks if things were setled about the Church once C. Yea but how will you settle P. How As it is agreed on C. Agreed on What have you not heard of the new Book

whom the Apostles could no longer suffer not by way of discipline or inflicting Censure but by way of a spiritual contrarinesse to such grosse hypocrisie and sin discovered And so the experiences of all that are of a pure Gospel-temper will witnesse to this very Age in acts of spiritual fellowship and Community in all acts of Worship c. This is founded not onely spiritual antipathies and sympathies but in natural and civil natural things of a contrary nature bearing one another no lesse and things of a civil nature yet contrary doing the like Hence arise separations meerly natural and sensitive and rational Hence arises a particular Schism and separation in all the things of the world and a secret gathering and contracting of things from the contrary into the same kinde the common purity being lost as the Apostle implies by which Nature did at first more universally agree as if one common spirit had been in it And thus it was in the Churches of God at first when three four or five thousand did agree in one way of spiritual fellowship Doctrine breaking of bread and Prayers but we see there is not now such pourings out of spirit upon multitudes and Nations that a National-Church should be together in such a unity of spirit And under the Law there was even a weaker example in the people of the jews being taken out from the people of the world and naturally hating all that were common and unclean as the Gentiles And before the Law the people of God did gather into Families and particular societies as in Abraham c. And those Families the children of the Bond-woman and of the free never bearing but persecuting each other So as all of pure spiritual constitution cannot but experimentally finde a spiritual nature in themselves working them into a more glorious fellowship then that of the world The sum of the Argument If then there be two contrary natures of Spirit and Flesh if these cannot nor never could in experience of all Ages and according to the truth in Scriptures and example of all there bear each other into the same spiritual society or fellowship if nature it self in the creatures run out into antipathies and sympathies that is into particular gatherings and separations mutual opposings and resistings of each other when together Then spiritual and unmixt Communion and Fellowship from the world and men of the world is warrantable But all this is undeniably true to the experience of all Therefore spiritual unmixt Communion and Fellowship from the world and men of the world is warrantable II. Argument from the Power of Spiritual Ordinances and Dispensations THe Gospel-Ordinances brought into the World a power and spiritual Law in them though in degrees and measures and several givings out as in Johns time and his Disciples in Christs own time and his Disciples and in the Spirits time and according to these times of manifestation believers were wrought upon in Johns time they came out to the Baptism of Water in Christs and his Disciples to the preaching of the Word in the Spirits time to the Baptism of the Spirit to a more mighty and glorious working and all these times of Gospel-manifestation had a prevailing losse and more upon the believers of these several times in drawing them out from the world in part though weakly in Johns time it is said Then come out unto him all Judea yet though they were Baptised of him they gathered not off into such particular societies as after The Kingdom of God then was but at hand in Christs time though his preaching was powerful yet he let out the glory of his spirit but sometimes with the Word reserving his more glorious manifestations for other times and even here though Christs preaching gathered in his Apostles and Disciples into some particular and neerer way to himself yet not many more nay he rather left many partly in that mixed condition of society he found them and so the Disciples Commission which was given was to preach but little yet of Church-gathering but by way of Prophecy as in Matth. 16. and 18. The Kingdom of God was but yet at hand not come In the Spirits time then the Kingdom of God was come and then a mighty operation and measure of the Spirit was powred out and then the believers through the powerful working were brought more off from the World and began to gather in closer to Christ and one another And now all power was given to Christ which was not before his Resurrection and now he sets up a Kingdom All power is given into my hands and now the Kingdom begins to be set up in the hearts and practice of believers and the Spirit to mold and cast the believers into Brother hoods and societies and the form of a Kingdom and now the Laws and spiritual policy are given out for ordering this Kingdom And we see how the people of God in Rome Corinth Ephesus Galatia drew off from the world in the things of the Lord We see then how the Word did begin to work Believers into a fellowship from the world and the more the spirit was given the more and more off from the world in all these several times And it is a rational truth and a clear conclusion even to meer reason that the more Christ and his Spirit is in any the more neer and close they will gather up to heaven and walkings with God and the more Christward any one is the more off still from the multitude of the world And thus the Ordinances of Jesus Christ in which the Spirit breathes so powerfully work men off from the mixed world into fellowship with the Lord and that spiritual fellowship makes them rejoyce more in one another then in any other that are more carnal The more men live to Christ the more they die to the world and are formed into the fellowship of his death and Resurrection The sum of the Argument If then the Ordinances and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ had ever a power in some degree of prevailing upon the souls of Believers according to the manifestation of the Spirit and if this Spirit flowing from God and Christ carry up the soul to God and Christ according to the measure given to those Believers and if the more they are carried towards Christ the more they must come off from the world Then Congregational or Church-order wherein Believers are gathered into fellowship with God in Christ and one another from the world in the things of the Gospel and unmixt communion is warrantable But all this is undeniably true from the Word Therefore Church-fellowship and unmixt Communion is warrantable III. Argument IF mixed communion and society came in upon the Apostacie and falling away and Parochial Congregations were formed up afterward from such mixt Communion If as Antichrist prevailed so darknesse and corruption prevailed upon Believers If Churches were called Golden Candlesticks before and a Fellowship of Saints and the Body of Christ and Kingdom of God till they grew mixed If the mixt Congregations by Parishes came in first by Dionysius Bishop of Rome in the yeer 267 and in England by Honorius Bishop of Canterbury and people were onely made Congregations by conveniency of situation and the Law of civil Politie If Parishes were first the seats of Popery and after the seats of Prelacy and now fall under the Presbytery in the same kinde and notion of a mixed multitude Then mixt and Parochial Congregations are not that way and order of Christ for Ordinances which was the primitive way revealed and practised in the Gospel But all this is undeniably true from the best Historians Therefore not mixt Communion and Fellowship but pure and unmixt is the onely Ordinance of Christ Now I shall leave you for the present and commend particulars unto you and the Kingdom the one A rule of Evidences for Spiritual Communion drawn from the Scriptures the other A remarkable passage in the Book of Vindication The Rule of Evidences FOR Spiritual-Communion MAtth. 15. 26. Chap. 18. 19 20. Joh. 10. 16. Acts 2. 44 46. Chap. 19. 9. Rom. 1. 7. Chap. 16. 17 18. 1 Cor. 1. 1 10. Chap. 5. 4 5 11 13. and 12. 12 13 14 20 25 27. 2 Cor. 5. 6 7. Chap. 6. 14 15 16 17. Gal. 5. 9 10 12 13. Chap. Chap. 6. 16. Ephes. 4. 3 4 25. Chap. 5. 1 2 11 12 21 30. Phil. 3. 15 16 17. 1 Thess. 3. 6. 2 Thess. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Tit. 3. 10. Hebr. 10. 25. 1 Pet. 2. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 7. 2 Joh. v. 10 11. Revel. 2. 14 15 20. Chap. 18. 4. and 19. 20. A remarkable Passage in the Vindication-Book ANd if our Assembly and Ministers will but diligently preach against that Catalogue of scandalous sins and sinners they have presented to the Parliament and the Parliament prescribe severe Temporal Laws and Punishments against them and appoint good Civil Magistrates to see them duely executed inflicted I am confident that this would work a greater Reformation in our Church and State in one half yeer then all the Church-Discipline and Censures now so eagerly contested for will do in an Age and will be the onely true way and speediest course to reform both Church and State at once which I hope the Parliament will consider of and take care that our Ministers like the Bishops formerly may not now be taken up with Ruling and Governing but Preaching and Instructing which is work enough wholly to engrosse their time and thoughts FINIS Vindication fol. 1. Vindication fol. 3. Fol. 3. Fol. 6. Fol. 9. Fol. 14. Fol. 17. Fol. 28. Fol. 35. Fol. 40 41 c. Fol. 48. Fol. 49. Fol. 50. Fol. 57. Fol. 58. Fol. 59. Vind. l. fol. 59. Fol. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28. Rom. 14. See fol. 3 c. 1 Kings 6. 4. Luke 7. 34 c. 1 Cor. 11. Fol. 3 4 6 9. In Fol. 3 4 6 9 Rom. 8. Matth. 8. Ephes. 4. 8 11. Revel. cha. 2 3. Rev. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 9. Ephes. 2. 19 c. 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17. See the learned Mr. Selden in his Book De decimis